bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do individuals consider expected income when valuing health states?
Authors: Davidson Thomas , Levin Lars-Åke
Published: October 2008

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to empirically explore whether individuals take their expected income into consideration when directly valuing predefined health states. This was intended to help determine how to handle productivity costs due to morbidity in a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Methods:Two hundred students each valued four hypothetical health states by using time trade-off (TTO) and a visual analogue scale (VAS). The students were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was simply asked, without mentioning income, to value the different health states (the non-income group). The other group was explicitly asked to consider their expected income in relation to the health states in their valuations (the income group).

Results:For health states that are usually assumed to have a large effect on income, the valuations made by the income group seemed to be lower than the valuations made by the non-income group. Among the students in the non-income group, 96 percent stated that they had not thought about their expected income when they valued the health states. In the income group, 40 percent believed that their expected income had affected their valuations of the health states.

Conclusion:The results show that, as long as income is not mentioned, most individuals do not seem to consider their expected income when they value health states. This indicates that productivity costs due to morbidity are not captured within individuals' health state valuations. These findings, therefore, suggest that productivity costs due to morbidity should be included as a cost in cost-effectiveness analyses.
Estimating the implicit value of statistical life based on public interventions implemented in The Netherlands
Authors: Goebbels Adrienne F. G. , Ament André J. H. A. , Novák Annoesjka , Veraart Christiaan P. W. M. , Severens Johan L.
Published: October 2008

Objectives:In the Netherlands, allocation decisions have not yet been explicitly based on the Value of Statistical Life. However, when policy makers decide whether or not to implement life saving interventions this trade-off is made implicitly. This study aimed to gain insights into this trade-off, hereafter referred to as Implicit Value of Statistical Life (IVSL), by means of a retrospective investment analysis of life saving interventions implemented in the Netherlands.

Methods:A literature search was conducted to find life saving intervention cases meeting the requirements for IVSL calculation. A final sample of ten cases was included in the study concerning interventions implemented in different societal sectors. For each case, an IVSL estimate was calculated according to a uniform method.

Results:IVSL estimates derived from the intervention cases differed considerably and ranged from €1 to almost €11 million. Differences were most extreme when comparing IVSL estimates concerning interventions implemented in different societal sectors. However, IVSL estimates also varied greatly between interventions in the same sector and even within the same interventions when critical assumptions were altered.

Conclusion:Our findings suggest that there are great imbalances between societal investments for preventing a statistical death. This highlights the need for further deliberation about how to improve transparency of policy decisions. An approach ex ante determining the Value of Statistical Life by means of empirical methods and based on societal preferences might circumvent the problems associated with the IVSL and needs further exploration.
Budgeting and health technology assessment: First evidence obtained from proposal forms used to submit the adoption of new technology
Authors: Lettieri Emanuele , Masella Cristina , Nocco Umberto
Published: October 2008

Objectives:The aim of this study was to benchmark the proposal forms used by a sample of Italian hospitals to inform the budget process for the adoption of new technology to understand the relationship with the guidelines provided by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) literature.

Methods:A literature review was first undertaken to identify the frameworks developed to support decision making regarding new technology at a hospital level. A checklist of criteria drawn up according to five main perspectives (technology, patient, organization, economics, and level of evidence) has been formalized to review and compare the collected proposal forms.

Results:The “technology” perspective appears to have been broadly covered. The “patient” perspective has focused to clinical issues and partially neglects other dimensions such as patient satisfaction and potential adverse events. The “organization” dimension has paid little attention to change management. The “economics” dimension has been broadly covered, even though a sensitivity analysis has not been considered. The “level of evidence” that is required for submitting the proposal form is little.

Conclusions:The proposal forms used to inform the budget process regarding the adoption of new technology are accountable for a limited set of dimensions from among those proposed in literature. Further research is required to understand how to render technology assessment multidimensional, multidisciplinary, evidence-based, and accountable at a hospital level.
Early identification and assessment of new and emerging health technologies: Actions, progress, and the future direction of an international collaboration—EuroScan
Authors: Simpson Sue , Packer Claire , Carlsson Per , Sanders Jill M. , Ibarluzea Iñaki Gutiérrez , Fay Anne-Florence , Norderhaug Inger
Published: October 2008

Objectives:To report on a workshop, and subsequent discussions, that reviewed the achievements and progress of the EuroScan collaboration since its establishment in 1999 to share information on the methods and results of early identification and assessment of new and emerging health technologies; considered challenges to the collaboration; and discussed its possible future direction.

Methods:A workshop was held in Stockholm in September 2006, with thirty-two participants from ten countries and representatives from EuroScan member agencies, policy makers involved in policy or decision making relating to new technologies, and invited external commentators from international HTA networks. The workshop used a mix of presentations, panel and audience discussions, and small group work to consider the achievements and challenges put forward.

Results:EuroScan has developed as a sustainable network, and has made progress on all tasks in its initial action plan, with the EuroScan information sharing database on new and emerging technologies being one of the collaboration's key achievements. Identified immediate concerns for the network included consideration of the impact of its current name and membership model; acknowledgement and publication of the full range of benefits of membership; contribution to and development of the database to encourage increased information sharing; and EuroScan's ongoing interaction with the wider HTA world.

Conclusions:The workshop was a useful mechanism for reviewing the work of EuroScan and for creating a platform to take the collaboration forward. The workshop affirmed the benefits of the network to individual members; posed some significant challenges to the network to consider; and acted as a stimulus for an interim name change to better represent the global membership, and a major review of the EuroScan database of identified and assessed emerging health technologies.
“Seeing What Has Always Been”: Opening Study of the Presidency
Authors: Duerst-Lahti Georgia
Published: October 2008

The 2008 presidential election has been widely touted as historic because a woman and an African American became viable candidates for a major party, thereby thrusting gender and race into the spotlight. Of course, gender and race have always been present as informal criteria for U.S. presidential candidates. At the constitutional founding, only white propertied men with sufficient affluence to be gentlemen of leisure were deemed suitable for national office (Wood 1991). Following the traditions of kings and military leaders, the executive was assumed to be an elite man and the institution itself became associated with men and fashioned in the preferences of its founders (March and Olsen 1989). For the presidency, founding fathers sought a heroic man, capable of leading in the extra-legal realm that they recognized could not be fully anticipated in law (Kann 1998). Since then, presidential campaigns have always been about what kind of man should hold an office predicated upon masculinity. While certainly presidential candidates' characters have been most discussed, the quality of each candidate's masculinity has been embedded in the sizing up of presidential timber, character, and the person.
“Should They Dance with the One Who Brung 'Em?” Latinos and the 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Barreto Matt A. , Fraga Luis R. , Manzano Sylvia , Martinez-Ebers Valerie , Segura Gary M.
Published: October 2008

Although Latinos have grown substantially as a percent of the American population to now comprise the largest ethnic-racial minority group in the U.S., whether or not this national population growth can translate into direct political influence in presidential elections has always been unclear (DeSipio 1996; Fraga and Ramírez 2003–04). At least since the 1988 election, however, scholars of Latino politics have argued that Latino voters could serve as key swing voters if certain contextual and strategic conditions existed in specific contests (Guerra 1992). Among these are: a competitive election in states where Latinos are a determinative segment of the electorate; strategic mobilization of Latino voters; active engagement in the election by Latino elected officials, related organizational leaders, and Latino campaign strategists; a viable Latino candidate; and issues of specific relevance to Latino voters (Guerra and Fraga 1996).
Likeable? Effective Commander in Chief? Polling on Candidate Traits in the “Year of the Presidential Woman”
Authors: Burrell Barbara
Published: October 2008

“Clinton Eclipses Obama and Edwards on Leadership” a Gallup Poll report headlined in January 2007. Gallup chose eight characteristics to determine this assessment, including being most qualified to be president, is the strongest leader, would be the best in a crisis, would manage the government most effectively, and would work the best with Congress. In a summary of its findings, the report concludes: “Among the characteristics and qualities tested, Clinton's strong points are almost uniformly related to presidential leadership. She holds a formidable lead on many items in this category, including being qualified to be president and being a strong leader” (Saad 2007).
Black Politics, the 2008 Election, and the (Im)Possibility of Race Transcendence
Authors: Sinclair-Chapman Valeria , Price Melanye
Published: October 2008

When Barack Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he was well on his way to claiming the open U.S. Senate seat once held by the only other black Democratic senator since Reconstruction, Carol Moseley-Braun. Although mostly unknown, the self-professed “skinny guy with the funny name,” made a lasting impression. Secure in his own Senate race, Obama, a rising political star, spent much of the fall traveling the country as a surrogate for Democratic candidates.
Editor's Introduction: Forecasting the 2008 National Elections
Authors: Campbell James E.
Published: October 2008

This symposium presents 10 articles forecasting the 2008 U.S. national elections. The core of this collection is the seven presidential-vote forecasting models that were presented in this space before the 2004 election. Added to that group are one additional presidential forecasting model, one state-level elections forecasting model, and one model forecasting the relationship between congressional votes and seats won by the parties. Some of the articles that are focused on the presidential race have also taken the opportunity to forecast the congressional elections as well.
Income, Preferences, and the Dynamics of Policy Responsiveness
Authors: Ura Joseph Daniel , Ellis Christopher R.
Published: October 2008

A variety of measures indicate that income inequality has grown significantly in the United States during the last three decades (APSA 2004; Brandolini and Smeeding 2006). In a flurry of recent research, scholars have attributed this trend to the failure of the national government to represent the preferences of ordinary citizens in general and less wealthy citizens in particular (APSA 2004; Bartels 2004; 2006; Gilens 2005), who participate in politics less consistently and contribute fewer resources to political candidates than their wealthier peers (Verba, Schlozman, and Brady 1995). The American Political Science Association's (APSA) Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy summarizes this representative failure hypothesis: “disparities in participation ensure that ordinary Americans speak in a whisper while the most advantaged roar” (2004, 2).
The Veepstakes: Forecasting Vice Presidential Selection in 2008
Authors: Baumgartner Jody C
Published: October 2008

One of the more entertaining pastimes during the presidential campaign is the “veepstakes,” or speculation about who the presidential nominee will select for a running mate. While much of this speculation occurs after the nomination has been decided (Alter 2004; Feldmann 2004; Kennedy 2004; Lehigh 2004; Starr 2004), speculation about the 2008 selections had begun as early as 2007 (Cain 2007; Klein 2007; Mackowiak 2007; Sanderson 2007). Most are grounded in a good understanding of what presidential candidates look for in a running mate, but one writer has not unfairly referred to the veepstakes as a “largely fact-free parlour game” (Harding 2004).
A Primer on Applying to the Liberal Arts College
Authors: Hanley James E.
Published: October 2008

Being on the academic job market is one of the greatest horrors of scholarly life. An applicant submits dozens of applications and all too frequently receives no response at all from the majority of places to which she applies. The lack of feedback makes it impossible to know why one was not considered good enough for an interview, making it difficult to improve one's applications and job prospects in the future. A recent review of applications for a tenure-track job at a liberal arts college convinced me that many of the applicants lacked a basic understanding of how to market themselves to a search committee at a teaching college. A part of the problem is likely the many years of assimilation into the research culture of their graduate programs; a process that creates a greater intuitive understanding of the culture of major research institutions than of teaching institutions. Nevertheless many applicants do apply for jobs at liberal arts colleges, so a primer is needed for job seekers who want to maximize their chances of getting an interview for those jobs.
“Written, published, … cross-indexed, and footnoted”: Producing Black Female Ph.D.s and Black Women's and Gender Studies Scholarship in Political Science
Authors: Alexander-Floyd Nikol G.
Published: October 2008

In an essay entitled “Variations on Negations and the Heresy of Black Feminist Creativity,” Black feminist Michele Wallace explores the difficulties of producing and presenting a “black female cultural perspective, which for the most part is not allowed to become written in a society in which writing is the primary currency of knowledge” (Wallace 1990, 54). Although she anticipates that some might find a defense of Black female cultural and political criticism “elitist,” she nevertheless remains, “convinced that the major battle for the ‘other’ of the ‘other’ [i.e., Black women] will be to achieve a voice, or voices, thus inevitably transforming the basic relations of dominant discourse. Only with these voices—written, published, televised, taped, filmed, staged, cross-indexed, and footnoted—will [Black women] approach control over [their] own lives” (66).
Open Research Questions on Information and Technology in Global and Domestic Politics—Beyond “E-”
Authors: Altman Micah , Rogerson Kenneth
Published: October 2008

Accelerating technological change is one of the defining characteristics of this era. And the intersection of information, technology, and politics is a constantly changing arena. Technological change can provide the subject for political debate, such as in the controversy over electronic voting (see Tokaji 2005); affect the means by which politics is conducted, such as in the use of information technologies to provide government services and collect regulatory feedback (see Fountain 2001; West 2005; and Mayer-Schonberger and Lazer 2007); or challenge our understanding of political theories and concepts, such as the meaning of privacy and of the public sphere (see Etzioni 2000 and Sunstein 2007 on the meaning of privacy and the compartmentalization of “public” speech, Bimber 2003 on the effect of information technologies on democracy, and Benkler 2006 on the reinterpretation of the public sphere). Each of these perspectives is visible locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Empathy, Prejudice, and Fostering Tolerance
Authors: Monroe Kristen Renwick , Martinez-Martí Maria Luisa
Published: October 2008

What is the political significance of difference? Why are ethnic, racial, or religious differences frequently politically significant while differences in height, hair color, or weight are not? Why are linguistic differences sometimes relevant politically, and other times are not salient? What about age? Gender or sexual preferences? What fosters tolerance of differences judged ethically and politically salient? What encourages respect for these differences, leading some of us to reach out across divides that isolate others? These questions take on a poignant immediacy with reports of continuing prejudice and discrimination; ongoing ethnic, religious, and sectarian violence—even genocidal activities and war; and increasing polarization over issues of race, religion, and ethnicity, at home and abroad. They are questions students need to consider as they go out into a world where they will meet new people, from diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities. How can we best prepare them for this?
Bottom Up Comparative Politics: Game Theory Abroad
Authors: Lane Ruth
Published: October 2008

If comparative politics is in one if its periodic states of theoretical collapse (Blyth 2006, 493), no one feels the lack of roof and walls more acutely than instructors in undergraduate comparative politics classes. With professional colleagues and graduate students one preaches to the choir, but with college students, many of whom may be non-majors, we must work in partibus infidelium, among those who have not yet been converted. Without an orthodox doctrine to work from, this can be a challenging task indeed. The approach used here, combining detailed socio-political narratives with strong analytic theory, tends to engage students because it fills in a full range of national life, rich in national eccentricities, cultural exaggerations, and hidden motives, and because it controls the proliferation of detail by emphasizing its logic. In a sense the abstract becomes concrete and the concrete becomes abstract.
Forecasting the 2008 Presidential Election: A Challenge for the Fiscal Model
Authors: Cuzán Alfred G. , Bundrick Charles M.
Published: October 2008

In 2004, for the first time the fiscal model was employed for the purpose of real-time, ex ante forecasting of a presidential election. The results were encouraging (Cuzán and Bundrick 2005). This year, however, the model encounters a set of challenging conditions, relevant only to it, never seen in the data before. In this paper, we briefly summarize the model, describe the problem, wrestle with ways to address it, and conclude with a forecast for November.
A Rational Choice Model for the Dakota Effect
Authors: Heckelman Jac C.
Published: October 2008

In a recent issue, Young and Sigelman (2008) present evidence of a “Dakota effect,” in which persons born in the Dakotas are disproportionately likely to represent their home state, other states, and also generate government spending directed toward the Dakotas. These authors are unable to explain the causal underpinnings for overrepresentation in Congress or the Dakotan natives' keen ability to direct pork back to these two states.
The Playing Field Shifts: Predicting the Seats-Votes Curve in the 2008 U.S. House Elections
Authors: Kastellec Jonathan P. , Gelman Andrew , Chandler Jamie P.
Published: October 2008

The 2008 U.S. House elections mark the first time since 1994 that the Democrats will seek to retain a majority. With the political climate favoring Democrats this year, it seems almost certain that the party will retain control, and will likely increase its share of seats. In five national polls taken in June of this year, Democrats enjoyed on average a 13-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot; as Bafumi, Erikson, and Wlezien (2007) point out, these early polls, suitably adjusted, are good predictors of the November vote. As of late July, bettors at intrade.com put the probability of the Democrats retaining a majority at about 95% (Intrade.com 2008). Elsewhere in this symposium, Klarner (2008) predicts an 11-seat gain for the Democrats, while Lockerbie (2008) forecasts a 25-seat pickup.
Forecasting the 2008 U.S. House, Senate and Presidential Elections at the District and State Level
Authors: Klarner Carl
Published: October 2008

This paper applies the forecasting models of Klarner and Buchanan (2006a) for the U.S. Senate and Klarner and Buchanan (2006b) for the U.S. House of Representatives to the upcoming 2008 elections. Forecasts are also conducted for the 2008 presidential race at the state level. The forecasts presented in this article, made July 28, 2008 (99 days before the election), predicted an 11-seat gain for the Democrats in the House of Representatives, a three-seat gain for the Democrats in the Senate, and that Barack Obama would obtain 53.0% of the popular vote and 346 electoral votes. Furthermore, Obama was forecast to have an 83.6% chance of winning the White House and an 85.9% chance of winning the popular vote.
Election Forecasting: The Future of the Presidency and the House
Authors: Lockerbie Brad
Published: October 2008

This article is about a simple two-variable equation forecasting presidential election outcomes and a three-variable equation forecasting seat change in House elections. Over the past two decades a cottage industry of political forecasting has developed (Lewis-Beck and Rice 1992; Campbell and Garand 2000). At the 1994 meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, several participants offered their forecasts of the upcoming midterm House elections. Unfortunately, not one of the forecasters was within 20 seats of the actual outcome. If, however, these forecasts had been pooled, as Gaddie (1997) points out, then they would have come remarkably close to the actual seat change that occurred. Moving forward, at the 1996 APSA Annual Meeting the collection of forecasters did a much better job with that year's presidential election. The forecasters also got the overall popular vote outcome correct at the 2000 APSA Annual Meeting for that year's presidential election. We all forecasted a victory for Al Gore, with James Campbell coming the closest to the actual total (50.2%) at 52.8%. At the panel at the 2004 APSA Annual Meeting almost every forecaster predicted the actual outcome correctly. Forecasting elections holds us accountable—we cannot go back and change our forecast for an election after it has occurred. Moreover, if we stick with one forecast, it easy to judge the overall accuracy of our equations.
Leading Economic Indicators, the Polls, and the Presidential Vote
Authors: Erikson Robert S. , Wlezien Christopher
Published: October 2008

On the eve of the election, the impending result of the presidential vote can be seen fairly clearly from trial-heat polls. Earlier in the election year, the polls offer much less information about what will happen on Election Day (see Campbell 2008; Wlezien and Erikson 2002). The polls capture preferences to the moment and do not—because they cannot—anticipate how preferences will evolve in the future, as the campaign unfolds. Various things ultimately impact the final vote. The standing of the sitting president is important. The economy is too. Both can change as the election cycle evolves. To make matters worse, late-arriving economic shocks have a bigger impact on the electoral verdict than those that arrive earlier. This complicates accurately forecasting the vote well in advance.
Forecasting the 2008 Presidential Election with the Time-for-Change Model
Authors: Abramowitz Alan I.
Published: October 2008

At first glance, the outcome of the 2008 presidential election would appear to be very difficult to predict. For the first time in over 50 years, there will be no incumbent president or vice president in the race. Instead, the Republican Party, which has seen its popularity and electoral fortunes plummet since 2004, is pinning its hopes of retaining control of the White House on Arizona Senator John McCain—an individual who has frequently clashed with his own party's leadership. And McCain's Democratic opponent will be Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the first African American ever to receive a major-party presidential nomination.
Incumbency, National Conditions, and the 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Holbrook Thomas M.
Published: October 2008

At the time of this writing (early August, 2008), the political landscape would appear to bode well for Barack Obama and spell almost certain disaster for John McCain. With presidential approval hovering in the high-20 and low-30% range for more than a year, and levels of economic satisfaction bottoming out, it “should” be a terrible year for the Republican Party in general and the Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, in particular, at least if the retrospective model holds. One factor that could mitigate the impact of negative retrospections, however, is that George W. Bush himself is not on the ballot to absorb the full impact of the national angst; in fact, for the first time since 1952, neither the president nor vice president is on the ballot.
The Job of President and the Jobs Model Forecast: Obama for '08?
Authors: Lewis-Beck Michael S. , Tien Charles
Published: October 2008

The statistical modelers are back. The presidential election forecasting errors of 2000 did not repeat themselves in 2004. On the contrary, the forecasts, from at least seven different teams, were generally quite accurate (Campbell 2004; Lewis-Beck 2005). Encouragingly, their prowess is receiving attention from forecasters outside the social sciences, in fields such as engineering and commerce. Noteworthy here is the recent special issue on U.S. presidential election forecasting published in the International Journal of Forecasting, containing some 10 different papers (Campbell and Lewis-Beck 2008). Our contribution in that special issue explored the question of whether our Jobs Model, off by only 1 percentage point in its 2004 forecast, was a simple product of data-mining (Lewis-Beck and Tien 2008).
The Political Science of Peter J. Katzenstein
Authors: Gourevitch Peter A. , Keohane Robert O. , Krasner Stephen D. , Laitin David , Pempel T.J. , Streeck Wolfgang , Tarrow Sidney
Published: October 2008

Peter Katzenstein is a prodigiously productive scholar. As a comparativist, a student of international relations, an historian, and one who has successfully bridged the qualitative and quantitative divide in our discipline, he has made signal contributions to general international relations, political economy, security studies, European and German studies, Asian and Japanese studies, and political science in general. In this brief résumé, seven of his friends and collaborators highlight his major contributions.
The 2008 APSA Workshop on Political Participation: Dakar, Senegal, July 6–27, 2008
Authors: Rajaee Bahram
Published: October 2008

The APSA Workshop on Political Participation was convened in Dakar, Senegal, from July 6–27 and is the first of three annual residential workshops APSA will be organizing in Africa from 2008–2010. The workshop series is generously supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is a key part of increasing APSA efforts to support the development of applied research networks linking U.S.-based scholars with colleagues overseas and supporting political science communities outside the United States. All sessions took place at the facilities of the West African Research Center (WARC), and APSA collaborated closely with WARC to manage the workshop. APSA staffer Helena Saele spent the month of July in Dakar overseeing all related administrative and logistical matters and providing direct support to workshop leaders and participants.
Theodore H. McNelly
Authors: Rumman E. Cissy Abu
Published: October 2008

Theodore H. McNelly, professor emeritus, department of government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, passed away in February 2008 at the age of 88. Professor Emeritus McNelly was born on December 27, 1919, and received his Ph.D. in 1952 at Columbia University. McNelly joined the faculty in the department of government and politics at Maryland in the fall of 1953 as a lecturer, was promoted to professor in 1967, and retired in 1991.
Africa Project Graduate Student Reports
Authors: Dargent Eduardo , Rivera Gustavo , Kirwin Matthew , Harding Robin
Published: October 2008

Taking part in the APSA workshop in Dakar was an enriching experience for my understanding of comparative politics. My research is focused on Latin America and my experience with African politics before the workshop was limited. Even if I would not dare call myself an expert in Africa after just one month in Senegal, I would like to discuss a difference and a similarity between these regions that I found surprising. The workshop reminded me of the title of Wim Wender's movie Far Away, So Close.
Trudi C. Miller
Authors: Keech William R.
Published: October 2008

Trudi C. Miller died on September 30, 2003, after a brief illness. After earning a BA in English from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she spent most of her career at the National Science Foundation. After a brief stay at the State University of New York at Buffalo, she moved to NSF, where she rose to be the program director for the Decision, Risk and Management Division of Social and Economic Science.
William R. Nelson
Authors: Eksterowicz Anthony J.
Published: October 2008

Dr. William R. Nelson, Lt. Col. USAF (ret.), passed away on June 30, 2008, at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, VA. Dr. Nelson was born February 5, 1924, in Colton, California. He was the son of the late William Gunther and Vera Maughan Nelson.
David Rebovich
Authors: Mendilow Jonathan
Published: October 2008

On the morning of the day before he passed away David Rebovich felt under the weather. However, no flu (as he believed it to be) could prevent him from meeting his students to plan the next activity sponsored by the Institute of New Jersey Politics. Nor could it keep him from staying after the meeting to speak with those students who had need for his help or advice. One of the latter was a senior who decided to pursue the sought-after position of intern at the governor's office. David agreed to recommend him for the position and the two parted. This however was not the last that the student heard of the position. Following David's funeral, the governor identified him and instructed him to submit the application.
Divisive Primaries: Party Organizations, Ideological Groups, and the Battle over Party Purity
Authors: Murakami Michael H.
Published: October 2008

Of the many vital functions that political parties serve in American democracy, selecting candidates for public office is near the top of the list. Giovanni Sartori (1976) cites this purpose as their chief defining element—claiming that, at a minimum, a party is a “political group that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections, candidates for public office” (64). Moreover, understanding how parties vet, groom, select, and promote candidates is central to empirically evaluating the strength of political party organizations, the quality of elected policymakers, and ultimately the effectiveness of government. For scholars of American politics, this has led to fruitful lines of research on the processes that the Democratic and Republican Parties use to select their candidates—namely the conventions, primaries, and caucuses that nominate individuals for various federal, state, and local offices. For example, many have investigated the effects of reforms to the presidential nomination process in the early 1970s (Aldrich 1993; Hagen and Mayer 2000; Reiter 1985; Wayne 2000), some arguing that it took power of choosing candidates away from the party organizations and towards other institutions like the press, interest groups, and small ideological factions (Polsby 1983) with potentially negative consequences for governance.
What discount rate should be used to value a cash-flow linked to final salary?
Authors: KHORASANEE ZAKI
Published: October 2008

Evidence is presented for a model in which wage growth is positively correlated with equity returns after a time lag of 1–3 years. This model is used to derive the risk premium on an asset which provides a cash flow linked to final salary. Using historic UK data, it is estimated that this risk premium is 0.5% per annum, a much smaller figure than that normally assumed for the equity market. This result has implications for the discount rate that should be used to derive the fair value of final salary pension liabilities.
Development of an EST-SSR marker in Panax ginseng
Authors: Cheng-Jun Yang , Jun Wang , Li-Qiang Mu , Shao-Chen Li , Guan-Jun Liu , Chang-Qun Hu
Published: October 2008

A total of 791 microsatellites (SSRs) were isolated from 7055 Panax ginseng expressed sequence tags (ESTs). According to primer design criteria, 68 primer pairs for EST-SSR were designed. Under an appropriate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system, all EST-SSR primer pairs were screened against genomic DNA of Ji'anchangbo and Fusong'ermaya from Panax ginseng, and 43 EST-SSR primer pairs out of the above 68 resulted in PCR products. Then, all 43 pairs were detected in nine P. ginseng, two Panax quinquefolius and two Acanthopanax senticosus cultivars for polymorphisms, and 26 pairs (60.47%) were found to be polymorphic, accounting for 38.23% of the total number of designed primer pairs. These results demonstrate the possibility of developing EST-SSR markers using P. ginseng ESTs.
Direct adventitious shoot regeneration system of Euonymus fortunei var. radicans and its genetic transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Authors: Ai-Qin Shang , Ying Chen , Liang-Jun Zhao , Ying-Chuan Tian
Published: October 2008

Using hypocotyls as explants, the adventitious shoots of Euonymus fortunei var. radicans were differentiated directly from basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators. The highest regeneration frequency was obtained with MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.01 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). A regeneration frequency of 92% and 4.2 shoots per explant were obtained after 30 days of culture. The binary vector pBCGm, containing Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) gene, was introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404. Hypocotyl segments of E. fortunei var. radicans were infected through A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR–Southern blot analysis results confirmed that the GNA gene was integrated into the genome of transgenic plants. The highest transformation frequency was obtained with un-precultured explants infected for 30 min with OD600=0.6 Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and co-cultivated for 3 days.
RNAi effects on regulation of endogenous acid invertase activity in potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) tubers
Authors: Chi Zhang , Cong-Hua Xie , Bo-Tao Song , Xun Liu , Jun Liu
Published: October 2008

In plants, acid invertases are known to be the key enzymes cleaving sucrose into reducing sugars (RS) (glucose and fructose). To improve the quality of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) chips, which is largely influenced by RS accumulation in tubers stored at low temperature, a part of acid invertase cDNA with hairpin RNA (hpRNA) structure was transformed into potato cv. N2. Detection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and Northern blotting suggested that the RNA interference (RNAi) vector was successfully transformed into cv. N2. The analysis of acid invertase activity in the plantlets and microtubers of RNAi transgenic lines indicated that the expression of the acid invertase was significantly repressed by the activity of RNAi of plantlets by an average 69.8% (with the exception of line Ni-1) with a maximal decrease of 78% (line Ni-4), and the highest decrease of activity in microtubers of 68%. Compared with that of well-inhibited antisenseinvtransgenic plants, the comparative downregulation of RNAi suggests a distinct alteration of endogenous acid invertase activity and a potential strategy for post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in modulation of cold-sweetening in potato.
Genetic analysis of plant height and diameter at ground level of silver birch (Betula platyphylla) seedlings
Authors: Fu-Ling Gao , Shao-Chen Li , Ting-Bo Jiang
Published: October 2008

Six silver birch (Betula platyphylla) parents of diverse provenances were crossed according to Griffing 4 diallel design, and the plant height and diameter at ground level (DGL) of their F1 progeny were observed. The analysis of general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) showed that two phenotypes were simultaneously controlled by additive and non-additive effects. The GCA between two phenotypes in a parent, and GCA of the same phenotype among different parents displayed significant differences: Q2 from Qingyuan was the best of the parents, followed by M2 from Maoer-mountain. On the other hand, the SCA of two phenotypes in a cross and the SCA of a phenotype among different crosses also varied considerably: the cross between E8 from Finland and Q1 from Qingyuan showed the highest SCA of plant height and DGL. The heritability of plant height and diameter at ground level was strong (over 60%), suggesting that these phenotypes can be used for early selection.
Establishment of regeneration system and transformation of Zm401 gene in Lilium longiflorum×L. formosanum
Authors: Qiu-Hua Li , Bo Hong , Zheng Tong , Chao Ma , Ai-Nong Guan , Jing-Juan Yu , Jun-Ping Gao
Published: October 2008

In vitro bulb scales of Lilium longiflorum×L. formosanum were used as explants to develop a highly efficient regeneration system. A high regeneration rate (100%) was reached through organogenesis on basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 1.0 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). A genetic transformation system for the lily was developed using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method. An improved genetic transformation rate (12‰) was obtained when the explants were pre-cultured for 3 days, immersed in bacterial suspension (OD600≈0.8) for 5 min, and co-cultivated for 5 days. The binary vector pBI121 containing Zm401, a maize pollen-specific gene, was introduced into the Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 and transformed into the explants using the genetic transformation system. Gene integration into the lily genome was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR–Southern analysis. These results could lead to the production of new pollenless lily plants.
Effects of dietary energy levels on ovarian and uterine expression of IGF-1R and EGFR mRNA in prepubertal gilts
Authors: Bo Li , He Zhang , Jing Zhang , Bo-Xing Sun , Lu Chen , Yan-Ling Sun , Xu Zhou
Published: October 2008

Nine prepubertal gilts (JunMu No. 1) were randomly allocated into three groups (n=3) and fed with a high-energy diet (Group H), a low-energy diet (Group L), or a moderate-energy diet (Group M) for 14 days. Free access to water was provided throughout the research period. Ovaries and uteri were collected after the energy treatments, and processed for determination of the absolute quantities of insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expression of IGF-1R and EGFR mRNA in ovaries and uteri was significantly ranked as: Group H>Group M>Group L (P<0.05). This result suggests that high energy intake markedly enhanced the ovarian and uterine expression of IGF-1R and EGFR in prepubertal gilts, whereas insufficient energy intake markedly inhibited such expression. IGF-1R and EGFR may be involved in mediating the effects of energy intake on the development of the reproductive system in prepubertal gilts.
Isolation and primary function detection of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) β-actinpromoter
Authors: Er-Meng Yu , Xing Ye , Hai-Ying Wang , Jun-Jie Bai , Shi-Ling Xia , Hai-Hua Lao , Mai-Xin Lu
Published: October 2008

A 5′-flanking region and partial open reading frame (ORF) of the β-actingene (GenBank accession No. EF026001) of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The segment included a 1643 bp regulatory sequence and a 90 bp partial ORF which encoded a 30-amino-acid peptide. The regulatory sequence comprised a 108 bp 5′ proximal promoter, the first untranslated exon and the first intron of the β-actingene. The proximal promoter region contained elements that were critical for transcription activity, including a CCAAT, TATA and CArG box located at –92, –29 and –62 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site, respectively. The regulatory sequence was inserted into the promoterless pDsRed2-1 vector to construct the expressing vector pNA-DsRed. The linearized pNA-DsRedwas microinjected into the fertilized eggs ofTanichthys albonubes. The expression of theDsRed2gene in transgenic fish could be observed under the microfluoroscope and anatomical lens. The results showed that the β-actingene promoter possessed effective transcription activity.
Cloning and characteristics of a novel geneHbUEPfrom latex inHevea brasiliensis
Authors: Yun Yang , Zhi-Li Zhang , Kuan-Can Liu , Wei-Guo Li , Huo-Sheng Su
Published: October 2008

HbUEP, an ubiquitin extension protein gene from latex of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) was cloned and sequenced using a differentially ethphon-induced expressed cDNA subtraction library. The cDNA had 771 bp nucleotides, comprising a 226 bp 3′ untranslated region (UTR), 77 bp 5′UTR and a 468 bp open reading frame encoding a 156 amino acid peptide. Southern blotting analysis showed that this gene was a low copy number gene in theH. brasiliensisgenome. Within 24 h after application of ethphon, the gene was expressed weakly in both control and latex sampled at 6 h, and strongly in latex sampled at 12 h, showing that this gene expression could be regulated by ethphon. Ethphon could increase the latex yield inH. brasiliensis. It is suggested that theHbUEPgene may be involved in the regulation of ethphon-induced high latex yield inH. brasiliensis.
Mutation breeding of Aspergillus niger strain LW-1 for high-yield β-mannanase production
Authors: Shu-Fei Zhang , Jia-Huan Song , Min-Chen Wu , Jin-Ping Sheng , Jian-Fang Li
Published: October 2008

A parent strain of Aspergillus niger LW-1 producing β-mannanase, preserved in our laboratory, was isolated. A strain, N-9, was screened out and further treated with vacuum microwave irradiation and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS). A mutant strain, E-30, producing a high and stable yield of β-mannanase was obtained through screening by solid-state cultivation on the basic fermentation medium and several generations of bevel subculture. Its enzyme activity (36 675 U/g) was increased by 2.15 times compared to that of A. niger LW-1 (17 048 U/g). The production of high-yield β-mannanase by E-30 remained stable when maintained at 4°C for 2 months.
Three‐dimensional crustal S wave velocity structure in Japan using microseismic data recorded by Hi‐net tiltmeters
Authors: Nishida K. , Kawakatsu H. , Obara K.
Published: October 2008

We developed a three‐step method for three‐dimensional (3‐D) S wave velocity tomography by fitting synthetic cross spectra to the observed ones of ambient seismic noise. We applied this method to the recording of Hi‐net tiltmeters in Japan at 679 stations from June 2004 to December 2004. First, we calculated normalized cross spectra between radial components and those between transverse components for every pair of stations. The first step is local 1‐D S wave velocity inversion for each station assuming small lateral heterogeneity under a 100‐km circle of a station. We measured the dispersion curves of fundamental Rayleigh waves, fundamental Love waves, and first overtone of Love waves by fitting the synthetic cross spectra to the observed ones between pairs of stations within the circle. We inverted the measured dispersion curves for obtaining a 1‐D S wave velocity model. The second step is the inversion of the observed cross spectra for obtaining path‐averaged 1‐D S wave velocity structure. The third step is the inversion of the resultant path‐averaged structures for obtaining 3‐D S wave velocity structure (0.1° × 0.1° × 1 km grid from the surface to a depth of 50 km) using ray approximation. The resultant S wave velocity structures show clear low‐velocity anomalies along tectonic lines from the surface to a depth of 20 km. In particular, along the Hidaka mountain range, we observed S wave perturbation more extreme than −20%. They also show low‐velocity anomalies under volcanoes in Kyusyu and Tohoku. In the southwestern part of Shikoku, our results show a clear low‐velocity anomaly corresponding to an accretional belt (Shimanto belt). Below 20 km, we observe a low‐velocity anomaly in the center of Japan, which suggests a thick crust.