bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polyether-Based Flexible Polyurethane Foam for Flame Lamination
Authors: Omoto M. , Umeda K. , Hidai T.
Published: March 2007

A special polyurethane foam that can be used for flame lamination has been developed at INOUE MTP. This foam based on polyether polyol has good characteristics for the flame lamination, e.g., good physical properties, especially ex cellent resistance to humid aging which is an important property for automobile in terior applications, and good bond strength.
Advanced Composites Enter Soft Territory
Authors: Cochran William H.
Published: March 2007

Covering fibers with elastomers and grafting elastic films onto those elastomers to form advanced composites is complementing and may be replacing coating and laminating of textiles.
Political and Organizational Determinants of Bureaucratic Responsiveness
Authors: BALLA STEVEN J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the responsiveness of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to contacts initiated by members of Congress, interest groups, and private citizens. I develop and test hypotheses regarding the importance of internal bureaucratic factors (e.g., workload) and external political forces (e.g., contactor characteristics). Although previous research, which focuses on urban service bureaucracies, indicates that procedurally neutral rules related to agency missions are the primary predictors of responsiveness, I demonstrate that political considerations exerted substantial influence over HCFA responsiveness. For example, the agency was in some ways more responsive to congressional contacts than to contacts initiated by groups and citizens. These results suggest that scholars of legislative-executive relations should pay more attention to contacts as these routine, ongoing encounters may affect the extent to which bureaucratic policy choices are consistent with the preferences of elected officials and their constituents.
Gaps in Americans' Knowledge About the Bosnian Civil War
Authors: RHINE STACI L. , BENNETT STEPHEN EARL , FLICKINGER RICHARD S.
Published: March 2007

This study applies the knowledge gap theory to the American public's knowledge of the Bosnian civil war between September 1992—when the conflict was in its early days—through June 1995. Our goal was to determine if a knowledge gap existed in the case of the Bosnian civil war, and if so, whether it increased or decreased over time. Times Mirror Center polls clearly establish that the better educated knew more about Bosnia from September 1992 through June 1995. But people from all educational levels showed dramatic improvements in knowledge. The so-called knowledge gap declined rather than increased. Our surprising results may be due to the changing context and duration of the conflict. Attention to the Bosnia crisis increased over these 3 years, with people from all backgrounds more motivated to pay attention. In addition, the nightly network news provided frequent coverage of Bosnia. Thus, all segments of the American public learned more about the crisis.
From Party Voting To Regional Fragmentation
Authors: Sinclair Barbara
Published: March 2007

An examination of House roll call voting from 1933 to 1956 shows that heavily partisan voting during the 1930s gave way by the early 1950s to voting strongly influenced by region. The regional fragmentation is, in part, due to the development of new, party- splitting issues. The Republican split on international involvement and the Democratic split on civil liberties can be accounted for by historic differences in regional culture. The change in voting alignments on the government management and social welfare dimen sions cannot be explained by a change in the type of legislation coming to a vote. In these issue domains the 1930s were the period of nonincremental policy change. The blurring of party lines occurs during a period of normal politics. Burnham's theory offers the most satisfactory explanation. Party realignments are characterized by highly partisan voting alignments in the Congress. Once the crisis which precipitated the realignment is per ceived to be over, however, centrifugal constituency related forces again became predomi nant and the sharp differences between the parties become blurred.
Voting Behavior of Chicago Democrats at the Illinois Constitutional Convention
Authors: Clark Cal , Clark Janet , Karnig Albert K.
Published: March 2007

By analyzing roll call voting behavior and the socioeconomic characteristics of representatives to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention, this study seeks to assess: (1) the roll call cohesiveness of Chicago Democrats and other voting groups in the assembly; (2) the social, economic, and ethnic composition of major voting blocs; and (3) the kinds of issues which may tend to factionalize machine delegates. Factor analysis shows that the Chicago Democratic group was by far the most unified voting set at the Con-Con. However, given the heterogeneous elements which comprised the machine bloc, there were various roll calls—basically revolving around divergent ethnic and religious interests -which promoted substantial disunity in the ranks of the Chicago organization.
Support for Women's Rights Policy
Authors: Mezey Susan Gluck
Published: March 2007

This study examines the commonly held view that women are different from men as political actors. It focuses on local representatives in Connecticut and inquires whether women politicians express more support for feminist political issues than do men and whether they express more support for a role for women in politics. When measured by a feminist policy index, women are more favorable toward feminist issues but they do not maintain a higher level of support when these issues compete with other political issues. Liberalism and party affiliation are better indicators of support for a feminist policy position. Four dimensions of women's rights policy are revealed in a factor analysis; sensitivity to discrimination against women in politics, skepticism about the ability of women to pursue political careers without damaging their private lives, support for the formal manifestations of the Women's Movement, and approval of a traditional image of women politicians. Significant differences between the sexes are found on the first two factors in the expected direction: women are more sympathetic to the plight of women politicians and men are more skeptical about women pursuing political careers.
Consistency between Public Preferences and National Policy Decisions
Authors: Monroe Alan D.
Published: March 2007

While the importance of the question of how often American policy decisions are in agree ment with the preferences of the mass public is clear, there have been only a few limited attempts to provide an empirical answer. The research reported here uses available pub lished national survey results and compares them with policy outcomes. Overall, about two-thirds of the cases demonstrate consistency between public opinion and public policy. There is some variation in consistency among areas of substantive policy, most notably that foreign policy decisions are more often consistent with public preference than domes tic policies. The key factor limiting the extent of consistency appears to be the failure of the political system, particularly the legislative branch, to act quickly on proposals for policy change.
Politics and Interpersonal Attraction
Authors: Carlson James M.
Published: March 2007

Two explanations have been offered for the similarity of husband and wife political views. One is mutual socialization, which states that after a period of time married couples come to share political values. An alternative explanation is that individuals select mates who share their political views. A test of the mutual socialization hypothesis would require panel data, but the selection hypothesis can be tested using experimental techniques. Drawing on the literature from social psychology, an experiment was designed to deter mine whether political views make any difference in interpersonal attraction. The findings of the experiment revealed that the political views of opposite sex others do have an effect on interpersonal attraction. The attraction scores of females who were interested in politics were influenced the most by political issues. This study provides partial confirma tion of the selection hypothesis.
Voting as an Influential Behavior
Authors: Minns Daniel Richard
Published: March 2007

This study investigates preadult learning about voting and its ability to convey wants and influence the government. Its framework is the Easton-Dennis (1969) socialization model. Past research has concentrated on vote socialization as a "support" input, whereas this work treats voting as a "demand" input. A survey was administered to a widely diversified sample composed of 1692 preadults from grades four through high school. Using both closed- and open-ended questions, it was found that preadults recognize and evaluate voting effectiveness to influence government. Effectiveness evaluations are quite diverse, although a simple majority in all groups believe voting can be effective to a degree. Respondents are also capable of contrasting voting effectiveness with other forms of participation. In comparison with other participations, voting is viewed by all age groups as a relatively less effective demand behavior.
Explanations of Interest Group Membership Over Time
Authors: Brown Clyde
Published: March 2007

This study empirically tests several explanations of membership in political interest groups by using transfer function ARIMA modeling to examine the aggregate membership of five midwestern state Farm Bureaus (Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska) from the 1920s to 1983. The Farm Bureau has an extensive history of institutional sponsorship. Using a model that focuses on the addition and elimination of selective material benefits, political benefits, and general economic conditions, the analysis finds an impact for the separation of the Extension Service from the Farm Bureau in three states and generates results that challenge earlier studies of membership in the American Farm Bureau Federation by not finding effects for economic conditions or political benefits at the state level.
Party-Based Voting in a Southern State Legislature
Authors: Graham Cole Blease , Whitby Kenny J.
Published: March 2007

This article uses established measures of party difference and party cohesion to analyze the effects of emerging two-party competition in contested roll call votes in the South Carolina House of Representatives, 1977-1987. The analysis also treats legislative voting in the state with respect to the party affiliation of governors. The results reveal little convincing evidence of party as a major reference source for legislative roll call behavior in South Carolina. Even though there are some examples of stronger party-based voting, they appear to occur in a random fashion rather than on the basis of a major, organized attempt by legislators to vote along party lines. The findings suggest that further research is needed to explore the cues for legislative party voting in South Carolina and to identify influences with which to compare state legislative voting experiences, particularly in the other southern states.
Ideological Symbols
Authors: Sanders Arthur
Published: March 2007

Previous studies of citizens' understanding and use of the concepts or symbols of liberalism and conservatism have found that most people do not have coherent, constrained ideologically liberal or conservative belief systems, but are able to place themselves relatively accurately on a liberal-conservative scale. Furthermore, their feelings of like or dislike toward liberals and/ or conservatives help them to sort out the world of politics. A series of in-depth interviews with 26 randomly chosen people show that there are two different ways that people relate to these concepts, a policy or a stylistic orientation. Education and political interest seem to affect which type of orientation one has, with better educated and more interested citizens developing policy orientations, but either type of orientation can lead to the use of these symbols as evaluative tools. Recognizing the different ways in which people relate to these common political symbols can improve our ability to understand the ways in which the public thinks about politics.
The Conservative South?
Authors: Cotter Patrick R. , Stovall James Glen
Published: March 2007

The idea that the South is a conservative area is one of the fixtures on the American political landscape. Questions remain, however, whether the picture of the conservative South provides a complete depiction of mass politics in that region. Public opinion data are examined in this study to determine whether the South is actually a conservative area. The results of the analysis suggest that it is inaccurate to conclude unqualifiably that the South is a conservative region.
Mass Media and Elections
Authors: Ansolabehere Stephen , Behr Roy , Iyengar Shanto
Published: March 2007

Traditionally, political communication has been divided into two component areas of research, (a) the production of campaign messages (including both news and advertising), and (b) the impact of these messages on voters' predispositions and actions. In this article the authors summarize and synthesize studies representing these broad subfields. Because the production of campaign information is a critical determinant of the range of voter responses, and because voter response itself is a crucial determinant of campaign strategy, the authors argue that the two strands of political communication research must converge for the field to advance.
Prospective Voting in Presidential Elections, 1956-1988
Authors: Lockerbie Brad
Published: March 2007

The research presented in this article concerns the time frame of the electorate. Do voters look to the past, the future, or both when deciding how to vote in presidential elections? An analysis of the American National Election Studies of 1956 through 1988 supports the argument that voters look both backward and forward when deciding for whom to vote. Although both retrospective and prospective economic evaluations are important, and the level of importance of each varies somewhat over time, it is clear that evaluations of future performance are an important influence on vote choice. Even when placed in a causal model with both party identification and retrospective evaluations prior to them, the prospective evaluations remain a forceful influence on vote choice.
Presidential Coattails and Open Seats
Authors: Mondak Jeffery J.
Published: March 2007

Recent examinations of the coattail effect report conflicting evidence regarding the contemporary force of presidential coattails. This study contends that the failure to consider possible situational variance in coattail voting has contributed to this ambiguity. Interpreted from the perspective of cognitive theories of decision making, coattail voting can be seen as the behavioral consequence of citizens' reliance on a specific cognitive efficiency mechanism, heuristic processing of source cues. This interpretation suggests that coattail voting should be most prominent when House voters are relatively unfamiliar with the congressional nominees, or do not possess alternative voting cues. District-level aggregate data are examined for the 1976-1988 elections, and results support hypotheses suggested by the heuristic model. Specifically, the impact of presidential coattails on congressional margins is shown to vary substantially, with the coattail effect exhibiting the greatest prominence in open-seat congressional districts.
Using Presidential Election Returns To Measure Constituency Ideology
Authors: Leogrande William M. , Jeydel Alana S.
Published: March 2007

Scholars studying the determinants of congressional voting behavior have always faced the problem of how to measure the effects of constituency influence. In place of random surveys in congressional districts, which are too costly to conduct nationwide, scholars have employed a variety of proxy variables to measure constituency attitudes. In this research note we review these proxies and test the reliability and validity of the most popular, that is, presidential election returns at the state and district level. The use of this proxy rests upon two assumptions: (a) short-term factors affecting the vote have a more or less uniform effect across subnational constituencies and (b) constituency ideology is the sole long-term factor affecting the vote. Both of these assumptions prove to be empirically questionable, leading us to conclude that presiden tial election returns should be used as a proxy for constituency ideology only with great caution.
The Two Rhetorical Presidencies
Authors: Lewis David
Published: March 2007

This research provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of "going public," defined here as a presidential strategy to promote policy initiatives by appealing for public support or calling for congressional action. The study is based on a content analysis of all major discretionary televised speeches delivered by presidents between 1947 and 1991. The results indicate that there are two rhetorical presidencies—one for foreign policy and one for economic policy. When presidents speak to the nation on the economy, they tend to ask for the public's support, call on Congress to pass legislation, and appeal to citizens to contact their representatives on behalf of the White House. Foreign policy broadcasts are negatively correlated with these appeals. These findings suggest that the "two presidencies" thesis can be applied productively to areas other than presidential success rates in Congress as measured by roll call votes.
Electoral Congruence and the Autonomy of American State Party Systems
Authors: RENNER TARI
Published: March 2007

This research examines whether electoral incongruence within American state party systems exists between presidential and state-level elections. Recent research by James Gimpel suggests that the states are developing autonomous party systems in which electoral cleavages in statewide races are increasingly dissimilar to those at the national level. In this research, county-level two-party voting patterns are used as measures of the geographic continuity of partisan electoral cleavages for all presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial elections over the last decade (1986-1996) from the 10 states examined most closely in Gimpel's work. However, a factor analysis of these data fail to confirm two hypotheses implied by this intrastate autonomy phenomenon. A single dominant factor appears to underlie the partisan cleavages in both the Western and Northern states. Consequently, although more variable, the partisan divisions in elections are likely to be very similar to the contours of those at the presidential level.
Competing Redistricting Plans As Evidence of Political Motives
Authors: GRONKE PAUL , WILSON J. MATTHEW
Published: March 2007

Redistricting is a thoroughly political act, but the political strategies of the various actors often have been lost amid legal and representational arguments. This article looks at one set of actors—state legislators—and examines how they pursue personal and partisan interests during redistricting. Rather than treating legislators as uniform in their preferences, we divide them into two categories: those who are ambitious for higher office and those who are not. These two groups of legislators face dramatically different sets of incentives and constraints, and these differences are reflected by their strategies in the redistricting process. Using North Carolina's 1992 redistricting as exemplar, this article outlines the redistricting debates, describes the interests of the various actors, and presents an analysis of eight redistricting plans using JudgeIt. The findings indicate that members balance individual and partisan interests when proposing plans and that for ambitious legislators, individual ambition generally outweighs partisan loyalty.
The Effect of Homeopathic Coca on High Altitude Mountain Sickness: Mt. Everest Base Camp
Authors: Shackelton Mary F. , Tondora Christina M. , Whiting Susan , Whitney Michael
Published: March 2007

Homeopathic coca was tested among high altitude trekkers en route to the Mt. Everest base camp to determine its effect on mountain sickness symptoms. Study participants ( n = 24) took homeopathic coca while ascending from 8,000 ft. to 17,600 ft. Measurements included: heart rate, oxygen saturation, and a question naire detailing the occurrence and severity of symptoms. Questionnaire items regarding nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing while asleep all demonstrated statistical significance in the experimental group. Oxygen saturation in the exper imental group was significantly higher. In this placebo-controlled, single-blinded, non-randomized study, homeopathic coca significantly reduced the effects of altitude on trekkers in the experimental group when compared with placebo.
Intraspinal Implants of Fibrin Glue Containing Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Promote Dorsal Root Regeneration into Spinal Cord
Authors: Iwakawa Masaya , Mizoi Kazuo , Tessler Alan , Itoh Yasunobu
Published: March 2007

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether glial cell line—de rived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) delivered intraspinally via a fibrin glue (FG) en hanced regeneration of cut dorsal root (DR). Methods: FG containing GDNF was inserted into aspiration cavities in the lumbar enlargement of adult rats. The tran sected L5 DR stump was placed at the bottom of the cavity and sandwiched between the FG and the spinal cord. Regenerated DR axons were labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or with immunohistochemical methods for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Results: Primary afferent axons labeled with HRP regenerated into the spinal cord, received GDNF, and made frequent arborization there. Some of these were myelinated axons that established synapses on intraspinal neuronal profiles. CGRP-immunoreactive DR axons extended into the motor neurons and formed promi nent varicosities around their cell bodies. Only a few axons regenerated into the spinal cords given FG without GONE Conclusions: Our results indicate that GDNF en hances regeneration of DR into the adult rat spinal cord and that GDNF may be ef fectively supplied to the intraspinal injury site via FG. Because the regenerated axons establish synapses on intraspinal neurons, this therapeutic strategy has the potential to help to rebuild spinal reflex circuits interrupted by spinal cord injury. Key Words: GDNF—Fibrin glue—Intraspinal injury—Calcitonin gene-related peptide—Dorsal root regeneration—Electron microscopy—Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic fac tor—Horseradish peroxidase.
Putative Inhibitory Extracellular Matrix Molecules Do Not Prevent Dorsal Root Regeneration into Fetal Spinal Cord Transplants
Authors: Sugawara Taku , Himes B.Timothy , Kowada Masayoshi , Murray Marion , Tessler Alan , Battisti Wendy P.
Published: March 2007

We examined the distribution of several extracellular matrix molecules (ECM) and their relationship to regenerating axons in embryonic day 14 spinal cord transplants 1 to 12 weeks after transplantation into adult rats. We used immunocytochemical tech niques to label chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and tenascin-C in adjacent sections. Synthesis of these molecules by astrocytes is thought to be one mechanism by which astrocytes inhibit regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS); glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody was used to label astrocytes and examine their rela tionship to both the ECM molecules and regenerating calcitonin gene-related pep tide (CORP)-contammg dorsal roots. We also compared the expression and distribu tion of these five markers in transplants with normal spinal cord development.
Cardiac Dysrhythmias and Autonomic Dysfunction in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A 24-Hour Holter Monitoring and Heart Rate Variability Study
Authors: Demirel Gülçin , Demirel Seref , Yilmaz Hürriyet , Akkaya Vakur , Atilgan Dursun , Korkut Ferruh
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study is to evaluate chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) patients for the incidence of cardiac dysrhythmias and the level of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction using 24-hour Holter recordings and long-term time-domain and frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. There was no difference be tween groups for the frequency of ventricular or supraventricular ectopics, minimal and mean heart rate, and the longest RR intervals. Maximum heart rate was lower in the quadriplegic group compared with controls (124.1 ± 11.2 vs. 139.4 ± 10.9, p < 0.05). Frequency-domain spectral analysis of high, low, total frequency powers, and ratio LF/HF showed no significant difference between groups. On time-domain analy sis SDANN (94.5 ± 26.4 vs. 131.1 ± 15.1, p < 0.0 1) and SDNN (110.1 ± 29.2 vs. 143.6 ± 19. 1, p < 0.05) were significantly lower in quadriplegics compared with controls. SDANN (74.0 ± 17.9 vs. 115.0 ± 14.2 p < 0.01) and SDNN ( 90.2 ± 21.1 vs. 130.0 ± 22.0 p < 0.05) were significantly lower in complete quadriplegics com pared with incomplete quadriplegics. When the effect of wake (07-22)-sleep (23-07) cycle on frequency-domain parameters were assessed, HF (12.38 ± 5.1 vs. 21.18 ± 8.05, p = 0.001) and TP (35.93 ± 10.5 vs. 45.68 ± 12.68, p = 0.004) showed the physiologic increase during sleep in controls, but was unchanged in quadriplegics (10.48 ± 5.39 vs. 13.35 ± 8.03, p = 0.205 and 30.67 ± 10.61 vs. 37.01 ± 17.59, p = 0.208, respectively). In paraplegics a blunted increase in HF (14.61 ± 7.69 vs. 19.85 ± 14.13, p = 0.09) and TP (38.5 ± 12.77 vs. 47.13 ± 23.08, p = 0.08) was observed. LF showed no significant change in the three groups. Heart rate circadian rhythm was preserved in all three groups (p < 0.01). We concluded that chronic complete cer vical SCI may disrupt modulatory sympathetic flow and downregulates parasympa thetic activity but causes no major arrhythmias needing treatment. Key Words: Chronic spinal cord injury—Cardiac dysrhythmia—Autonomic dysfunction-Heart rate variability.
Shelf Life of Fruit Juices in Oxygen Permeable Packages
Authors: Bourque Raymond A.
Published: March 2007

The fruit juice and fruit juice drink industry—as is the food industry in general—is undergoing radical packaging change. During the last few years, traditional glass and metal packages have been replaced by paper-foil-plastic aseptic and hot fill packages. Recent advances in plastic coextrusion technology show that high barrier plastic packages will provide additional packaging alternatives in the future. This paper discusses the barrier characteristics of these newly developing packages which will be necessary to provide adequate product quality protection. Emphasis is placed on the oxygen barrier requirements of the finished package.
A Morphological Study of PVDC/PE Blends
Authors: Kirkpatrick Donald E. , Ranck Dan
Published: March 2007

Polyvinylidene chloride copolymers (PVDC)/polyethylene (PE) immiscible blends offer improved extrusion processing over PVDC alone while retaining the excellent oxygen and water barrier properties. The transport of permeants through these com posites is related to the geometry of the dispersed phase PE. A lamella or striated type PE phase is desired as this results in a better barrier than a more spherical geometry. This morphology can originate most easily from extensional flow. Other possible mechanisms to consider are the relationship of normal and surface tension stresses, and the breakup and coalescence equilibrium of the dispersed phase.
Uldpe Blends With Ldpe and Eva for Film Extrusion
Authors: Neel Rhonda B. , Stout Beverly G.
Published: March 2007

Blending facilitates alternatives in packaging design and is used widely by convertors in the industry. The advantage of blending comes from the ability to combine and enhance the attributes of two different polymers in one structure. In this paper, blends of ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE) with low density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) are investigated to determine their combined attributes.
Relative Taste Performance of Plastics in Food Packaging
Authors: Potts Michael W. , Baker Sharon L. , Hansen M. Holly , Hughes Morgan M.
Published: March 2007

Organoleptic properties of food packaging materials are an important concern of today's packaging industry. An evaluation of various polymers (ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, ionomer, and low density polyethylene) was conducted by in dependent panels to determine relative taste performance. The effect of extrusion parameters on the taste performance was also investigated.
Flexomer Resins-Another Class of Polyolefins for Film Extrusion
Authors: Ealer George E. , LaCava Kathy L. , Batleman Harvey L. , Filotte Dana C.
Published: March 2007

Flexome™ resins represent a new family of polyolefins which exhibit a combination of properties heretofore unavailable. The properties of these resins and some of their blends are given and then compared to more es tablished resins such as linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), a high pressure produced low density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA). It is shown that a good balance of overall toughness, tensile strength and low temperature properties can be obtained, especially when copolymers with high-alpha olefins (HAO) are employed. Selected film fabrica tion effects are reviewed and certain end-uses are suggested based on the prop erty balance obtained with these resins.
Transparent Barrier Coatings Update: Flexible Substrates
Authors: Felts John T.
Published: March 2007

SiOx thin films continue to be developed for polymeric flexible substrates. During the past year significant progress has been made on plasma deposition onto PET, LDPE, BOPP and BON polymer films. In addition, the first two 1.5 meter wide plasma roll coaters were completed and installed. The current state of the roll-to-roll coating developments on BOPP, LDPE, PET and BON will be reported for the 0.3 meter wide roll coater, R9, the 0.66 meter wide roll coater, Flex-1, along with data from the 1.5 meter wide coater, Flex-3, oper ations. The article focuses on a new stretch tester that measures oxygen trans mission of stretched SiOx coated polymers. Data from the plasma coatings along with comparative measurements made on commercially available evapo rated products clearly shows a strong inverse relationship between the SiOx coating thickness and the onset of failure (strain) Sf. Plasma coatings were stretched to 11.9% before failure occurred while the evaporated materials degraded at Sf = 2-3%. The stretch tester is a repeatable technique to assess the convertibility of the SiOx coated polymers and to make quantitative assess ments between competitive materials. A model is also presented outlining the key parameters in achieving gas barrier properties with thin SiOx and AlOx coatings.
Medical Autonomy and the UK State 1975 to 2025
Authors: Harrison Stephen , Ahmad Waqar I.U.
Published: March 2007

Medical autonomy in the United Kingdom has declined over the last twenty-five years, whether considered at the micro level (such as control over treatment and work patterns), the meso level (in terms of corporatist relations with the state) or the macro level (in terms of the `biomedical model'). After a period in the early 1990s when the National Health Service displayed a mix of Fordist and post-Fordist controls, the emphasis has swung sharply towards the former, suggesting the continued explanatory value of theories which focus on the state's need both to contain welfare expenditure and to maximise the political legitimacy derived from it. The analysis of this relatively narrow area of sociology has implications for the study of much broader questions about the capacity and legitimacy of the state in the twenty-first century.
Talking about Budgets: Time and Uncertainty in Household Decision Making
Authors: Chattoe Edmund , Gilbert Nigel
Published: March 2007

This paper reports findings from twenty-six interviews conducted with retired households about the way they make budgeting decisions. The data are presented with three objectives. First, to describe the way that households carry out the process of budgeting. Secondly, to consider the implications for economic and sociological theories of consumption. Thirdly, to construct a framework for understanding budgetary decision making which organises the data usefully and places current theories in a clearer relationship to each other. It is found that personal budgeting has several characteristics which are poorly represented in existing theories of consumption: the strong relation between time and money in decision making, the importance of durable goods, the social rather than rational nature of household decision making and the need for budgeting strategies to deal with uncertainty. A five-level framework is presented which shows how different resources and methods are used by decision makers to manage their money.
Refracted Selves? A Study of Changes in Self-Identity in the Transition to Motherhood
Authors: Bailey Lucy
Published: March 2007

Drawing on data from a study of middle-class women undergoing the transition to motherhood, this paper critically examines the early 1990s' work of Giddens and Beck on self-identity. Parallels with the work of Giddens and Beck are drawn, but it is argued that more attention needs to be paid to gendered and embodied identity. Using discourse analysis, it is suggested that the women are `excused' from aspects of their identity in the process of pregnancy, but remain within the same regime of subjectification. Six dimensions of an altered sense of self are identified, and the discourses on which the women draw in maintaining a coherent sense of self are discussed. The concept of a refracted self is proposed as a means of theorsing these changes.
Agricultural Extension Workers' Roles in Canada and the United States
Authors: Yeshewalul Ayele , Griffith William S.
Published: March 2007

Governments provide agricultural extension through agricultural departments or through universities. This research examined the effects of government and the university organizational models and of performing regulatory functions on American and Canadian agricultural extension workers' role perception and role performance. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires from 69 extension workers in Alberta and British Columbia and from 84 in Idaho and Washington. Extension workers in both models perceived that their performance of regulatory duties had a negative influence on their effectiveness as extension educators. Statistically significant differences were found between the perceptions of extension workers employed in the two models regarding the importance of eight of fourteen role functions. Implications for extension workers and other adult educators are discussed.
Concept and Action in Adult Education
Authors: Mezirow Jack
Published: March 2007

Jurgen Habermas' theory of communicative competence suggests a rationale for the ideal of self-directed learning and for a formulation of the mission of adult education. Topics covered in this essay include the functions of an ideal dialogue, essential conditions for establishing the validity of assertions, the role of external and internal restraints on understanding, the function of reflective thought and meaning perspective in dialogic learning, and false consciousness and its relationship to learner needs and interests. Selected implications are drawn for adult education.
Analyzing the Effectiveness of Continuing Professional Education at the Workplace
Authors: Cervero Ronald M. , Rottet Suzanne , Dimmock Katherine H.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the study was to conduct a second test of Cervero's framework that explains the relationship between continuing professional education and performance A six-week continuing nursing education program was evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative data. The four independent variables explained 36 percent of the variance (p = .002) in performance outcomes. The study provides evidence that the one-variable research model is inadequate for explaining the relationship between continuing education and performance. Unless researchers begin to address the complexity of this relationship, they will continue producing results that contribute negligibly to understanding how to plan programs that change performance.
Media Literacy and Cultural Politics
Authors: Graham Robert J.
Published: March 2007

Through an analysis of two representative media-romance fiction and television news programs-this article argues for the production of a more media-literate citizenry. The section on women's romances addresses the confluence of a commercial, institutional and ideological matrix that poses crucial problems of a socio-cultural nature. Likewise, conflicting views of the power of television news programs are examined to explore the extent to which news and information may literally be manufactured. Some suggestions governed by the Freirean objective of co-intentional education are then offered to support a view of media literacy as a form of cultural politics, and to advocate its adoption if adults are to be emancipated from the effects of media's construction of reality.
Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale: What Does It Measure?
Authors: Bonham L. Adrianne
Published: March 2007

Questions are raised about the construct validity of the Guglielmino Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale. It is suggested that an understanding of the SDLRS might be enhanced by considering the meaning of low scores on the instrument. Do they represent other-directed-ness? Or do they represent a dislike for any kind of learning? Evidence is examined from the SDLRS items themselves, from Guglielmino's design work, from several quasi-experimental studies, and from studies linking SDLRS scores and level of formal education. The weight of evidence points toward dislike for learning in general as the cause of low SDLRS scores. High scores, then, seem to represent a positive attitude toward learning in general and not specifically toward the kind of learning called self-directed. Suggestions are made about further studies to explore the construct validity questions that have been raised.
Clarification of Transportation - Policy Goals
Authors: Harrison George M.
Published: March 2007

The basic principle of transportation policy should be adequate, efficient transportation at reasonable, non-discriminatory cost to users. Early railway growth in the age of great territorial expansion led to a chaos of rates and services, discriminatory treatment of users, and unfair wage and labor practices by the railroads. The original objective in the regulation of railway rates and services was to prevent monopoly and to assure fair competition among the railways themselves and among the communities and industries affected. This has been implemented, but with the constant effort to fix rates which yield "cost plus fair return" to the railways while still maintaining their public-utility function. The uneven railway rate structure thus produced has coupled with vast technological change and diversification in the transportation field to encourage an array of alternative means of transportation to flourish and compete with the railways for business. Certain governmental attitudes underlying regulation have placed railways at a disadvantage in the competition. Furthermore, railway corporations themselves have followed policies of curtailment of services and merger with competing lines. The time has come for a new look, with national scope, at transport conditions with a view to returning to the original objective of regulation to provide adequate service at fair rates and with maximum preservation of competition.
The Military Abroad
Authors: Tarr David W.
Published: March 2007

The dimensions and purposes of current deploy ments of American military personnel abroad are unprece dented. There are presently more than a million and one- half Americans stationed outside the continental United States as a direct consequence of United States defense policies. Most of the combat forces overseas are clustered strategically at advanced bases in western Europe, principally West Ger many, and in the Far East, increasingly in or near South Viet nam. American military garrisons abroad are not unlike mili tary installations in the United States except that American personnel are even more isolated from the surrounding com munities. In most regions the servicemen's dependents are allowed to accompany them. Dependents often live in hous ing provided by the military and have access to schools, hos pitals, churches, stores, and recreational facilities made avail able at the foreign bases, giving a decidedly "domestic" or "American" atmosphere to life on United States bases. Al though community relations are generally satisfactory, Ameri can bases are vulnerable to incidents that sometimes provoke anti-American expressions affecting United States relations with the host countries. Advances in technology and politi cal shifts may make adjustments in overseas deployments both practicable and necessary. Yet as long as the United States pursues its present policy goals abroad a large percent age of America's military personnel are likely to be stationed overseas.
The Foreign Service Officer
Authors: Fisher Glen H.
Published: March 2007

As career Foreign Service Officers (FSO's) carry out their diplomatic and consular functions, they necessarily assume a unique role in a foreign country as compared with their fellow overseas Americans. Conducting the business of the United States government in the host country, their re lationships with local people take on an inescapable official significance. In addition, their diplomatic status calls for par ticipation in the activities of the local multinational diplomatic corps. The result is a special set of conditions on which For eign Service life overseas is based. In the postwar period, the scope and variety of demands made on the Foreign Service have expanded along with increased United States responsi bilities and a vastly increased number of official Americans abroad. These changing conditions of international diplomacy have posed new problems in defining the professionalism of diplomacy for United States Foreign Service Officers. How ever, the Service is still given cohesion by participation in a common career "subculture" which derives from similarity of experience, the traditions of the Service, a sense of belonging to an FSO community which is dispersed over the world, and a common set of values and objectives.
Inequalities: Open and Hidden, Measured and Immeasurable
Authors: Scitovsky Tibor
Published: March 2007

The paper discusses which inequalities can, and which cannot, be measured by the economist's data. Among the inequalities of wealth, income and consumption, the second is shown to be the most relevant, although it must be corrected for the redistributive effects of taxation and transfer payments and then summed with both the distribution of public goods and services and the distribution of freely rendered non market private services. Beyond the distribution of these measured and measurable components of satisfaction, account is also taken of nonmeasurable sources of welfare, such as work and leisure. Their distribution is shown to be positively correlated with the unequal distribution of money income, and guesses are made concerning their relative importance.
The Political Economy of Income Redistribution Policies
Authors: Thurow Lester C.
Published: March 2007

During the decade of the 1960s, a variety of public policies were adopted to alter the American distribution of income. A history of these policies begins with the man power programs of the early Kennedy administration and ends with President Nixon's 1974 budget. An examination of the economic and political history of these programs reveals a vari ety of reasons for their publicly proclaimed failure. Means and ends were never sufficiently distinguished; no consistent decision was ever made about the aspects of the income distri bution to be altered; the political process wanted to pretend that income could be redistributed without reducing anyone's economic position; funds could never be concentrated enough to have a visible impact; and the public was simply unwilling to make investments of the size that would have been neces sary to solve the problem. The elimination of poverty may be a good investment socially; financially, it is a bad invest ment. Increases in productivity do not cover the costs of the necessary programs. The Family Assistance Plan was a rad ical departure from previous attempts to alter the distribution of income, but it was fatally flawed by internal contradic tions. Eventually, it proved to be a political liability for pol iticians of all parties.
Rethinking Election Reform
Authors: Alexander Herbert E.
Published: March 2007

Occasionally, a public issue surfaces which re lates to the basic fibers of our democratic system, an issue whose resolution further translates the democratic theory of 1776 into actual practice. Such is the issue of election reform. The problem is how to apply democratic principles to elections in an age of media politics seemingly dominated by dollar politics. The electoral process presents perhaps a classic conflict between the democratic theory of full public dialogue in free elections and the conditions of an economic marketplace. Election law reform has become a high priority issue; within the last five years, federal laws regulating elec tion campaigns have been changed twice, and 44 states have revised theirs. More revisions are occurring in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo. Reform is not neutral but works to change institutions and processes, sometimes in unforeseen ways. Laws regulat ing relationships between candidates and political parties, and citizens and politicians, and affecting the relative power of interest groups, are bound to influence the entire political process and change the participation of citizens, candidates, parties, and other groups in elections. Recent changes are certain to have direct consequences for the two-party system, constitutional protections, and levels of participation and con fidence in the electoral system.
Impact of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
Authors: Staats Elmer B.
Published: March 2007

The Federal Election Campaign Act Amend ments of 1974 superseded the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, but the 1971 act did achieve significant improve ments. While the April 7, 1972, effective date of the 1971 act impeded disclosure of some important information, the act as a whole did significantly improve campaign fund dis closure. Experience gained under the 1971 act also was help ful to the Congress in developing the 1974 amendments; to the new commission in planning its activities; and to scholars and administrators concerned with campaign finance. The 1971 act dealt with four areas of great significance in the 1974 act: (1) prompt and effective disclosure; (2) enforce ment of limitations; (3) maintenance of committee records; and (4) the "clearinghouse" provisions authorizing research in election administration. Among the significant Government Accounting Office (GAO) decisions in administering the legis lation were: (1) seeking ultimate compliance rather than prosecution in instances of technical or minor violations, (2) publicly disclosing referrals of significant violations to the attorney general, and (3) post-election auditing of political committee operations to obtain better compliance and to improve mutual understanding of campaign finance dis closure problems.