bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Could the classical relativistic electron be a strange attractor?
Authors: Horwitz L. P. , Katz N. , Oron O.
Published: May 2004

We review the formulation of the problem of the electromagnetic
self‐interaction of a relativistic charged particle in the
framework of the manifestly covariant classical mechanics of
Stueckelberg, Horwitz, and Piron. The gauge fields of this theory,
in general, cause the mass of the particle to change. We show
that the nonlinear Lorentz force equation for the
self‐interaction resulting from the expansion of Green′s function
has chaotic solutions. We study the autonomous equation for the
off‐shell particle mass here, for which the effective charged
particle mass achieves a macroscopic average value determined by
what appears to be a strange attractor.
Irreversibility in quantum mechanics
Authors: Bishop R. C. , Bohm A. , Gadella M.
Published: May 2004

Time asymmetry and irreversibility are signal features of our
world. They are the reason of our aging and the basis for our belief that
effects are preceded by causes. These features have many
manifestations called arrows of time. In classical physics, some
of these arrows are described by the increase of entropy or
probability, and others by time‐asymmetric boundary conditions of
time‐symmetric equations (e.g., Maxwell or Einstein). However,
there is some controversy over whether probability or boundary
conditions are more fundamental. For quantum systems, entropy
increase is usually associated with the effects of an environment
or measurement apparatus on a quantum system and is described by
the von Neumann‐Liouville equation. But since the traditional (von
Neumann) axioms of quantum mechanics do not allow time‐asymmetric
boundary conditions for the dynamical differential equations
(Schrödinger or Heisenberg), there is no quantum analogue of
the radiation arrow of time. In this paper, we review
consequences of a modification of a fundamental axiom of quantum
mechanics. The new quantum theory is time asymmetric and
accommodates an irreversible time evolution of isolated quantum
systems.
The dynamics of living and thinking systems, biological networks,and the laws of physics
Authors: Gontar V.
Published: May 2004

Discrete chaotic dynamics (DCD) of living and thinking systems
are presented in a form of networks of
interacting agents with the abilities of energy and information
exchange. Special dynamical principles followed by the systems of
basic discrete time and space difference equations are introduced.
Emergent, self‐organized
behavior of complex living and thinking systems is presented by the
different patterns generated by the DCD algorithms. Artificial
life and brain systems based on DCD principles and mathematical
models are proposed.
Quantum fluctuations of elementary excitations in discrete media
Authors: Haken Hermann
Published: May 2004

Elementary excitations (electrons, holes, polaritons, excitons,
plasmons, spin waves, etc.) on discrete substrates (e.g.,
polymer chains, surfaces, and lattices) may move
coherently as quantum waves (e.g., Bloch waves), but also
incoherently (‘hopping’) and may lose their phases due to their
interaction with their substrate, for example, lattice
vibrations. In the frame of Heisenberg equations for projection
operators, these latter effects are often phenomenologically
taken into account, which violates quantum mechanical consistency,
however. To restore it, quantum mechanical fluctuating forces
(noise sources) must be introduced, whose properties can be
determined by a general theorem. With increasing miniaturization,
in the nanotechnology of logical devices (including quantum
computers) that use interacting elementary excitations, such
fluctuations become important. This requires the determination of
quantum noise sources in composite quantum systems. This is the
main objective of my paper, dedicated to the memory of Ilya
Prigogine.
Time in dynamical systems
Authors: Courbage Maurice
Published: May 2004

We review some ideas and concepts on the irreversibility of
deterministic dynamical systems that have been discussed during
several years of collaboration with Ilya Prigogine and B. Misra.
Ecology in an Age of Empire: A Reply to (and extension of) Dalby's Imperial Thesis
Authors: Conca Ken
Published: May 2004

If we are to think imperially about global environmental politics we must be clear about what we mean by empire, as use of the term often conflates two distinct trends. If “empire” means the resurgence of muscular American unilateralism, then the principal ramification is the need to understand international environmental cooperation not simply “after hegemony” but in the face of it, with American domestic politics a central consideration. If the term refers instead to broader processes of world economic restructuring that are not reducible to American foreign policy initiatives, then we need to situate global environmental politics in the context of changing global modes of accumulation and regulation. Although the two images of empire are not easily reconciled, some of their implications for the study of global environmental politics are shared. Both suggest the growing importance of studying contentious environmental politics alongside more familiar cooperation-theoretic approaches. Also, both suggest that tensions between the localized and non-localized meanings of the world's forests, rivers, watersheds, and coastlines will be at the center of such contention.
Imitations of Empire
Authors: Lipschutz Ronnie D.
Published: May 2004

Empire is best understood not as a singular territorial or economic entity or an arrangement of flows and accumulation of stocks but, rather, as a type of rule. That is, it is the relationships between ruler and ruled, and the mechanisms of rule, that are important in contemporary discussions of “empire.” In today's American Empire, we see the mixing of two forms of rule: what is often called “neo-liberal institutionalism” with “new sovereignty.” In this commentary, I discuss the implications of such rule for global environmental politics.
The Big Chill: The WTO and Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Authors: Eckersley Robyn
Published: May 2004

The increasing scope and disciplinary force of international trading rules have generated concern in the international environmental community concerning how far different types of trade restrictions in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are compatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Environmental Nongovernment Organizations (ENGOs) have argued that the WTO exerts a form of disciplinary neoliberalism that has a ‘chilling effect’ on both the implementation and negotiation of MEAs. This paper assesses this claim, particularly in the light of the stalled deliberations of the WTO's Committee on Trade and Environment and recent WTO jurisprudence, and concludes that the WTO's trade agreements do serve to limit the scope and operation of MEAs, albeit mostly in subtle rather than direct ways. After exploring a range of options for reform it is concluded that the prospects for greening the WTO from both within and without are by no means bright.
Overlapping Public and Private Governance: Can Forest Certification Fill the Gaps in the Global Forest Regime?
Authors: Gulbrandsen Lars H.
Published: May 2004

This article investigates whether forest certification (eco-labeling) is likely to rectify certain omissions in the current global forest regime. Following an examination of the achievements and shortcomings of the forest regime to date, I argue that gaps could be filled by including a broad range of stakeholders in certification standards development; promoting strong environmental and social performance standards in forestry; providing effective control mechanisms; securing producer participation; and penetrating markets. Although the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was considered initially to have the greatest potential to fill these gaps, the emergence and widespread proliferation of industry-dominated schemes have marginalized the FSC in many countries. The study shows that while forest certification would probably promote more sustainable forestry in the temperate and boreal zones than it would in the tropical zone, the ability of this tool to actually do so remains to be seen.
A Model of Life Insurance in the Contemporary Islamic Economy
Authors: Billah
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Insider Dealing in the Companies Act of Kuwait No. 15 of 1960
Authors: Al-Melhem
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Mining Investments in Morocco
Authors: Roggeman  , Blanc  , Farina
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
The Judiciary in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Ghadyan
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Origins of the Sanctity of Contracts in Islamic Law
Authors: Saleh
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
Caveat Emptor Versus Khiyar Al-'Aib: A Dichotomy
Authors: Billah
Published: May 2004

No Abstract
The Hierarchical Transformation of Event Knowledge in Human Cultural Transmission
Authors: Mesoudi Alex , Whiten Andrew
Published: May 2004

There is extensive evidence that adults, children, and some non-human species, represent routine events in the form of hierarchically structured 'action scripts,' and show superior recall and imitation of information at relatively high-levels of this hierarchy. Here we investigate the hypothesis that a 'hierarchical bias' operates in human cultural transmission, acting to impose a hierarchical structure onto descriptions of everyday events, and to increasingly describe those events in terms of higher hierarchical levels. Descriptions of three everyday events (going to a restaurant, getting up and going shopping) expressed entirely in terms of basic low-level actions were transmitted along ten chains each containing four adult human participants. It was found that the proportion of low-level information showed a significant linear decrease with transmission generation, while the proportions of medium- and high-level information showed significant linear increases, consistent with the operation of a hierarchical bias. The findings additionally provide support for script theory in general, and are discussed in relation to hierarchical imitation in non-human primates.
Descent Versus Design in Shuar Children's Reasoning about Animals
Authors: Barrett H. Clark
Published: May 2004

The ability to make inductive inferences is important because without it, generalization of knowledge to new circumstances would be impossible. One context in which such inductive skills are likely to have been important over evolutionary time is encounters with animals. Previous research suggests that children take into account at least two kinds of relationships between animals when making inductive inferences about them: descent relationships (i.e., taxonomic relationships), and design relationships (i.e., ecological relationships). Because descent and design relationships are sometimes orthogonal, making correct inferences about particular traits sometimes requires overlooking one kind of relationship in favor of the other. In this study, I used a base-to-target induction task to examine the use of two inference rules in 5 to 12 year old Shuar children from the Amazon region of Ecuador. The descent rule uses taxonomic relationships when the function of the trait being judged is ambiguous or unknown, and the design rule privileges ecological relationships (in this case, predator) over taxonomic relationships when the function of the trait is relevant to the ecological category in question. The results show that Shuar children do employ both of these rules, and are able to switch between them for different kinds of traits, as the descent/design mode hypothesis predicts. Children in both the younger age group (5 to 8) and the older age group (9 to 12) were able to use these rules, but the older children showed a slightly different pattern due to the use of specific acquired knowledge about some of the taxa.
Causal Reasoning about Illness: A Comparison between European- and Vietnamese-American Children
Authors: Nguyen Simone , Rosengren Karl
Published: May 2004

These studies examine children's understanding of the causes of illness cross-culturally. In Study 1, European- and Vietnamese-American 4- to 5-year-olds, 6- to 7-year-olds, and adults were asked to make causal attributions for a series of illness related stories. In Study 2, European- and Vietnamese-American 6- to 7-year-olds and adults were asked about the causes and remedies of illness. The results show that biological causality was the dominant form of reasoning about illness across the different ages and cultural groups, although there was some acceptance of magical causality among the Vietnamese-Americans (children and adults) and the European-American children. These results are discussed in terms of the coherence of illness beliefs.
Effect of inoculations with single and multiple juveniles on release of progeny of Meloidogyne graminicola from susceptible rice
Authors: Reversat Georges , Fernandez Luzviminda
Published: May 2004

Seedlings of susceptible rice were inoculated with single or with 86 second-stage juveniles (J2) of Meloidogyne graminicola. After inoculation in a sandy substrate, rice seedlings were grown hydroponically to recover progeny. Following inoculation with a single juvenile (SJI), 71-73% of seedlings released J2 progeny at 84 days after inoculation (DAI). This confirmed the ability of this species to reproduce by parthenogenesis. After SJI, the proportion of inoculated seedlings releasing J2 increased steadily from 21-63 DAI. On the contrary, after inoculation with 86 J2, release of progeny was high for all seedlings as early as 28 DAI. Thus progeny formed after SJI remained captive in galls for a longer time. In the same sandy substrate, J2 were able to invade rice roots and develop in flooded conditions as well as in non-flooded conditions.
Activity of fungal culture filtrates against soybean cyst nematode and root-knot nematode egg hatch and juvenile motility
Authors: Meyer Susan , Huettel Robin , Liu Xing Zhong , Humber Richard , Juba Jean , Nitao James
Published: May 2004

Fungi were isolated from soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines)
eggs collected in China, and 253 fungal isolates were assayed for production
of compounds active against SCN and root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne
incognita). Fungal isolates were grown for 3 and 7 days in potato dextrose
broth (PDB), the culture broths were sterile-filtered to remove fungal
biomass, and the filtrates were placed into 24-well plates to test for
effects on egg hatch and juvenile motility. Meloidogyne incognita egg hatch
ranged from 2 to 121% of hatch in PDB controls and H. glycines hatch from 15
to 224%. Activities of filtrates harvested after 3 and 7 days were
significantly correlated. Only four isolates produced filtrates that
significantly inhibited juvenile motility of SCN, RKN or both nematodes.
This study identified fungal isolates capable of producing compounds active
against these nematodes, and demonstrated that there was a low correlation
in activity against SCN and RKN. The active fungal isolates are candidates
for studies on identification of potential nematicides.
The relationships of time and temperature to body weight and numbers of endospores in Pasteuria penetrans-infected Meloidogyne javanica females
Authors: Darban Daim Ali , Pembroke Barbara , Gowen Simon
Published: May 2004

Tomato plants inoculated with Meloidogyne javanica juveniles infected with
Pasteuria penetrans were grown in a glasshouse (20-32°C) for 36, 53, 71 and
88 days and in a growth room (26-29°C) for 36, 53, 71 and 80 days. Over
these periods the numbers of P.penetrans endospores in infected M. javanica
females and the weights of individual infected females increased. In the
growth room, most spores (2.03 106) were found after 71 days. However, in
the glasshouse the rate of increase was slower and spore numbers were still
increasing at the final sampling at 88 days (2.04 106), as was the weight of
the nematodes (72 μg). Weights of uninfected females reached a maximum of
36.2 and 43.1 μg after 71 days in the growth room and glasshouse,
respectively.
Characterisation of potato cyst nematode populations from Portugal
Authors: Da Cunha Maria José , Da Conceição Isabel Luci , De O. Abrantes Isabel Maria , Evans Ken , De A. Santos M. Susana
Published: May 2004

Populations of potato cyst nematode (PCN) were assembled from all of the
potato growing regions of Portugal, either by direct sampling of fields or
from cyst samples sent to the University of Coimbra for identification. When
30 or more cysts were available, isoelectric focusing of species-specific
protein bands was used to identify which PCN species were present. PCN was
present in 35% of a set of 226 soil samples. PCN was also identified in a
larger set of 423 populations. Of the 423 populations, 83% were pure
Globodera rostochiensis, 8% were pure G. pallida and 9% were mixtures of the
two. PCN was found in all of the main potato growing areas but G. pallida
was not detected in Coimbra, Setúbal or Viana do Castelo districts.
Description of Meloidogyne minor n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a root-knot nematode associated with yellow patch disease in golf courses
Authors: Karssen Gerrit , Bolk Robert Jan , Van Aelst Adriaan , van den Beld Ineke , Kox Linda , Korthals Gerard , Molendijk Leendert , Zijlstra Carolien , Van Hoof Richard , Cook Roger
Published: May 2004

A relatively small root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne minor n. sp., is described
and illustrated from tomato from the Netherlands. This new species is
characterised by the following features: female with dorsally curved stylet,
14 μm long, with transversely ovoid knobs slightly sloping backwards from
the shaft; perineal pattern rounded; male stylet 18 μm long, large
transversely ovoid knobs slightly sloping backwards from the shaft; head
region not set off, labial disc elevated, lateral lips prominent; and
secondstage juvenile 377 μm long, with hemizonid posterior adjacent to
excretory pore; tail 54 μm long; and a distinct hyaline tail terminus 16 μm
long. Additionally, distinguishing information on isozymes, DNA,
cytogenetics and host plants is presented. Meloidogyne minor n. sp. has so
far been found on potato in the Netherlands and has been detected in the
British Isles on several golf courses, associated with yellow patches, often
together with M. naasi.
Micro-moulded substrates for the analysis of structure-dependent behaviour of nematodes
Authors: Otobe Kazunori , Itou Kenji , Mizukubo Takayuki
Published: May 2004

Microstructures, consisting of networks of channels of rectangular cross sections (50 μm high, 40-200 μm wide), were formed in 5 mm square areas on transparent substrates made of silicon rubber. An experimental set-up using the network sealed with a flat glass plate has the potential to function in a way similar to the pore space in soil, and is therefore useful for studies of nematode migration. The set-up allowed the migratory activity of nematodes in water-filled, porous and transparent microstructures to be observed with a microscope. By means of substrates with two different channel dimensions, the structure-dependent behaviour of second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita was visually demonstrated. Their behaviour was examined on the basis of the migration patterns obtained by superimposing recorded serial images of individual juveniles. In a micro-channel network with 40 μm high channels of 200 μm wide elements, juveniles showed marked activity in migration, forming consistent zigzag patterns spread over the network area. In contrast, in a micro-channel network with 80 μm high channels of 400 μm wide elements, migration showed thick, sparse patterns, restricted around the area where the juveniles were initially deposited. This comparison showed that M. incognita juveniles in a narrow, fine network tended to migrate actively and, in contrast, those in a wide, coarse network were prevented from migrating by the network configuration.
Nematostatic effects of a leaf extract from Crotalaria virgulata subsp. grantiana on Meloidogyne incognita and its use to protect tomato roots
Authors: Jourand Philippe , Rapior Sylvie , Fargette Mireille , Mateille Thierry
Published: May 2004

An aqueous extract from leaves of Crotalaria virgulata subsp. grantiana was
assayed for its effects on second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita.
The biological activity was nematostatic; nematodes were not killed but were
completely paralysed in a 1 mg/ml (w/v) extract: the LD50 equivalent was
estimated to be 0.5 mg/ml. The effect was reversible: juveniles previously
paralysed by C. grantiana extract recovered complete mobility in water and
were able to infest a susceptible tomato plant. Freeze-dried aqueous extract
from C. grantiana leaves added to a sterile sandy substrate at 1 mg/ml
protected susceptible tomato plants from M. incognita infestation. This
suggests a promising use of C. grantiana as both a green manure and natural
alternative to synthetic chemicals in nematode population control,
especially in integrated pest management for vegetable crops in organic
agriculture of tropical and temperate areas.
Enzyme phenotypes and genetic diversity of root-knot nematodes parasitising Musa in Brazil
Authors: Cofcewicz Elis , Carneiro Regina , Castagnone-Sereno Philippe , Quénéhervé Patrick
Published: May 2004

Esterase phenotypes were used to characterise 25 populations of Meloidogyne
spp. collected on bananas from different banana producing areas in Brazil,
using a simplified technique for routine analysis. Meloidogyne javanica, M.
incognita, M. arenaria, and Meloidogyne spp. were detected at percentages of
61.7, 32.2, 4.3 and 1.8, respectively. The Meloidogyne populations
represented mixed species in 80% of the samples, M. javanica and M.
incognita prevailing under field conditions. Genetic analyses were conducted
using RAPD markers which provided, alone or in combination, reliable
polymorphisms both between and within species. Based on the presence or
absence of bands, RAPD analysis of the data resulted in clustering of
species and isolates congruent with esterase phenotype characterisation. The
intraspecific variability in M. javanica, M. incognita and M. arenaria
represented 29.1, 19.5 and 40.2% of the polymorphic amplified fragments,
respectively. A general lack of correlation was observed between banana
cultivar group, geographical origin and differentiation of the
nematodes.
Host suitability of some crucifers for root-knot nematodes in southern Spain
Authors: Liébanas Gracia , Castillo Pablo
Published: May 2004

Six crucifer species as potential cover crops, Ethiopian mustard (Brassica
carinata line C-101), turnip (Brassica rapa cv. Norfolk), radish (Raphanus
sativus), wild rocket (Eruca vesicaria), wild cabbage (Moricandia
moricandioides) and white mustard (Sinapis alba), were tested for
susceptibility to Meloidogyne arenaria race 2, M. incognita race 1 and M.
javanica. Experiments were conducted under glasshouse conditions at 22-28°C
for 2 months after inoculation of plants with eggs and second-stage
juveniles. All crucifers were infected by Meloidogyne spp. The nematode and
crucifer species significantly influenced the severity of root galling and
nematode reproduction. Among the plants tested, turnip was the most suitable
host for all three Meloidogyne spp. as indicated by severity of root galling
and nematode reproduction. The least suitable hosts were wild rocket for M.
arenaria, radish for M. incognita and white mustard for M. javanica. The
reproduction fitness of M. javanica was greater than that of M. arenaria
race 2 and M. incognita race 1 on all plants.
Anguina woodi sp. n. (Tylenchida: Anguinidae) from dune grass, Ehrharta villosa, in South Africa
Authors: Swart Antoinette , Subbotin Sergei , Tiedt Louwrens , Riley Ian
Published: May 2004

Anguina woodi sp. n. was found in galls on dune grass, Ehrharta villosa var.
villosa, on Milnerton Beach, South Africa. Mature galls varied in colour
from purplish to brown and formed elongated to round elevations on the
stems, leaf sheaths and, occasionally, the leaf blades. The adult females of
Anguina woodi sp. n. are 1.6-2.7 mm long and coiled into a circle or spiral.
Adult males were 1.4-2.1 mm long, straight or slightly curved ventrad or
dorsad. Second-stage juveniles (J2) were more or less straight with a
prominent mucro on the tail. A few larger juveniles, probably J3 and J4,
with developing gonads were also found. Morphological, morphometric and
molecular analyses showed that Anguina woodi sp. n. is closely related to A.
australis Steiner, 1940 and, to a lesser extent, to A. microlaenae (Fawcett,
1938) Steiner, 1940. From A. australis it differs mainly in a slightly
longer female stylet (9.5-15.5 vs 8.0-11.1 μm) and wider female head (8.6-11
vs 7.4 μm); a slightly longer male stylet (10.5-12.0 vs 10-11 μm) and longer
spicule (33-36 vs 26.5-35.3 μm), and a longer tail (72-96 vs 49-68 μm) and
slightly higher c-value (7.3-12 vs 6.1-8.1) in the J2. The mucro on the tail
tip of the J2 of A. woodi sp. n. is also more prominent and, on average,
longer than the mucro in A. australis (3.3 vs 1.5 μm). Anguina woodi sp. n.
differs from A. microlaenae mainly in the appearance of the galls incited
(roundish elevations attached to the substrate by a flattened base vs
pedunculate galls attached to the substrate by a narrow base), a longer
stylet in both females and males (8-9 μm long in females and males of A.
microlaenae), body of male curved ventrad or dorsad in A. woodi sp. n.
(dorsad in males of A. microlaenae) and female tail in A. woodi sp. n.
tapering gradually to a sub-acute tip vs a prominent peg-like process in A.
microlaenae. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1 sequences of 19 anguinid
populations and species using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood
methods revealed that A. woodi sp. n. clustered with high bootstrap support
with A. australis. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 fragment sequence differed between
these species by 20 nucleotides (2.6%). The J2 of A. australis is herein
described for the first time and is compared with the J2 of A. woodi sp. n.
Phylogenetic relationships of A. woodi sp. n. with other anguinids
parasitising grasses are presented.
Confirmation of the synonymy of Paratrichodorus christiei (Allen, 1957) Siddiqi, 1974 with P.minor (Colbran, 1956) Siddiqi, 1974 (Nematoda: Triplonchida) based on sequence data obtained for the ribosomal DNA 18S gene
Authors: Boutsika Konstantina , Blok Vivian , Phillips Mark , Lewis Steve , Robbins Robert , Ferraz Luiz , Brown Derek
Published: May 2004

Sequence data were obtained for the full length of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA)
18S gene of specimens from three populations of Paratrichodorus christiei
from the USA and four populations of P. minor from Brazil and Portugal.
Alignment of the sequences and their application in a phylogenetic analysis
revealed that the populations of P.christiei and P.minor formed a single
cluster that differentiated from a second cluster comprising P.anemones and
P.pachydermus. Previously, P.christiei had been proposed as a junior synonym
of P.minor, but this synonymy had not been universally accepted, with many
reports, particularly from the USA, continuing to refer to P. christiei. The
results obtained here with the sequences of the rDNA 18S gene from the
various populations confirm the validity of the synonymy of P.christiei with
P.minor.
The Other Half of the Globalization Story: Reverse Leverage As Witnessed in the Manufacturing Sector of Taiwan IT Industry
Authors: Tsai Su-Lee
Published: May 2004

Globalization as a corporate strategy has a long history and involves many facets of an economy. The conventional theory of globalization is concerned with the strategy of multinational corporations (MNCs) based in the traditional industrialized countries (TICs) with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or other forms of expansion leveraging of foreign resources to sustain their growth and competitiveness in the world marketplace. Leveraging, however, is never a one-directional process. The leveraging company will inevitably provide capital and knowhow to companies in the host nations, and thereby create an opportunity of reverse leveraging for the latter, even at the expense of the former. In the long term, this leveragereverse leverage process gives rise to a cycle where the original leveraging MNCs inadvertently help develop new competing MNC's that leverage on others. There is clearly a gap in the existing literature. Therefore, this study intends to explore the processes and mechanisms of reverse leveraging employed by NIC-based companies and hopefully to develop a formal model and theory appropriate to NICs. The particular questions addressed in this study are: How did companies in Taiwan make the transition from local to global? What globalization strategies did these companies employ? Were these strategies consistent with the conventional theory of globalization? How do they differ?
The African Information Society Initiative: A Seven-year Assessment (1996-2002)
Authors: Hafkin Nancy
Published: May 2004

This paper provides a contemporary historical analysis of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), the first systematic and comprehensive effort by African governments to bring their countries into the information age. Covering the period 1996- 2002, it is based on interviews, documentary and statistical sources, press reports, parliamentary records, and participant observation. For the first five years of the time-span of the study, the author was a senior official of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in charge of coordinating the AISI. While this may put the objectivity of the author in question, it also brings the advantages of direct personal knowledge of the events and processes described. The paper examines the origins of the Initiative, its content, the process of its implementation, its achievements, and its constraints. The paper's narrative looks at how and why the Initiative developed as it did, in particular with relation to policy decisions. Additionally, the paper presents an AISI progress index, which represents an attempt to measure the relative positions of African countries on each of the major dimensions of the Initiative. It concludes with a brief analysis of how Africa stands in relation to the rest of the world in the utilization of information technology for development and what it needs to do to accelerate its progress.
The Promise of All Things E? Expectations and Challenges of Emergent Electronic Government
Authors: Seifert Jeffrey , Petersen R. Eric
Published: May 2004

The ambiguous nature of electronic government (e-government) has resulted in hype and confusion, with little systematic consideration of the expectations and limitations of taking government online. This paper seeks to examine the role of e-government in the United States as an evolving process that manifests itself in three distinct sectors: government-to-government, government-to-business, and government-to-citizen. Using this typology as an organizing principle, we show how information technology has the potential to enhance government accessibility and citizen participation. We also show how the move toward a market-focused conceptualization of government information and service delivery raises the potential for blurring citizen and consumer roles, possibly at the cost of a robust, informed, and engaged citizenry.
Thailand: Boom, Bust, and Recovery
Authors: Hewison Kevin
Published: May 2004

Thailand's economic performance from 1957 to 1996 was remarkable, with uninterrupted, sometimes very rapid, growth. The decade to 1997 witnessed an unprecedented economic boom that came to a crunching and dramatic halt in July 1997, with the beginning of the Asian economic crisis, the impact of which is still being played out. Despite the crisis, Thailand's economic development has amounted to a capitalist revolution that has been more thorough than many would have thought possible even two or three decades ago. Thai society has been dragged from its agricultural past and plunged into an industrial present. Capitalism's ascendancy has incorporated the country in a world system, subjecting the economy and society to its many vagaries. Thailand's capitalist transition has had its own characteristics, but there have been processes at work, which mean that there is much that it also has in common with other capitalist transitions. The force of these processes has dominated the last century or so. This paper examines the evolution of Thailand's capitalism, preceded by a brief outline of theoretical debates regarding this development. In examining Thailand's capitalist development, this paper proceeds chronologically, charting broad development epochs. It delineates the social and political forces that shaped each phase of industrialization. The paper also addresses the changes to Thailand's political economy since the advent of the Asian economic crisis in mid-1997, and indicates how these developments are reshaping political and economic power.
The Development of an Integrated E-Commerce Marketing Framework to Enhance Trading Activities for Rural African Communities
Authors: Rhodes Jo
Published: May 2004

The World Bank Development Report on poverty findings (2000) posits that at the macro level the most effective antipoverty policies are those that enhance the efficiency of markets used by poor people. However, the report has little evidence to show that microeconomic development, particularly in social, political, cultural, and human assets, has been implemented successfully to support market efficiency and effectiveness in these rural communities. Although there has been some introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in rural communities, a significant proportion of the research work in ICT and rural development is speculative and often offers little more than project progress reports. An intensive case study on a rural African community reveals that poor market access might not be simply an ICT problem. The missing link appears to be the inability of rural communities to optimize existing facilities and resources. A more fundamental cause could be the lack of microeconomic reforms in these communities, resulting in ineffectually applied marketing skills, poor leadership and management ability, low status and power of women, inadequate financial knowledge, and insufficient technical and information technology knowledge. Hence, an integrated e-commerce marketing framework is put forward to resolve the problems mentioned. The development of this proposed model should be consolidated by further studies using the Participative Action Research approach.
Contested Ownership: TRIPs, CBD, and Implications for Southern African Biodiversity
Authors: Zerbe Noah
Published: May 2004

The increasing importance of biodiversity sparked by the emergence of modern biotechnology has ignited tensions between transnational corporations and indigenous communities. Conflicting international instruments governing access to and control over biodiversity exacerbate disputes over control of local bioresources and knowledge. While there is some overlap between the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the agreements provide conflicting policy prescriptions regarding trade in biodiversity. The tension derives from the fundamentally different ontologies on which the agreements are based. In Southern Africa, governments are attempting to reconcile the agreements through national frameworks based on the OAU/AU Model Legislation. The success of such efforts will depend on the ability of the state to guarantee the rights of indigenous communities to control local biodiversity and the participation of such communities in the development of national legislation. In the end, such efforts depend on the rearticulation of the relationship between public and private spheres.
Globalization, Science and Development
Authors: Diaz-Balart Fidel Castro , Perez Rojas Hugo
Published: May 2004

The era of knowledge economies is inextricably linked with the current wave of globalization, which is asymmetrically benefiting Northern countries and thereby exacerbating the enormous wealth and quality of life gap with their Southern counterparts. Meanwhile, scientists, governments, and commercial institutions in the South are searching for effective ways to respond. Rather than insisting on developing indigenous technologies when abundant and well-proven technologies already exist, scientists can help choose the right ones and learn how to use them in specific contexts. As science and scientists are crucial in knowledge economies, they are increasingly figuring prominently in government decision-making. The wealth of nations in the era of knowledge economies is not based in their reserve of raw materials, but in their knowledge, research, technology, and innovation capacity. In short, for the Third World in particular, human capacity building is essential. In recent decades, a few Third World nations have experienced numerous world class scientific and technological achievements. This paper examines a few such national cases as well as makes assessments of necessary measures for nations of the South to advance with science and technology in service of socioeconomic development at the present juncture.
“Under the Knife and Proud of It:” * An Analysis of the Normalization of Cosmetic Surgery
Authors: Brooks Abigail
Published: May 2004

This article investigates a growing acceptance and approval of cosmetic surgery among Americans. An analysis of recent media coverage of cosmetic surgery reveals two dominant narrative frames that project favorable interpretations of cosmetic surgery. Several normalizing themes within these narrative frames are highlighted, including associations between cosmetic surgery and scientific progress, technological innovation, and mental and physical health. Common portrayals of the body undergoing cosmetic surgery are also analyzed, with attention drawn to the ways in which these portrayals promote normalized understandings of cosmetic surgery. In the last sections of this article, the author suggests some potential consequences of the normalization of cosmetic surgery: virulent forms of social control, a disruption of mind-body reflexivity, and a loss of the body's innate capacity for knowledge.
The Social Geographies of White Masculinities
Authors: Farough Steven D.
Published: May 2004

Using a set of semi-structured intensive interviews, I analyze the narrative accounts of racial identity transformation among twenty-six white men as they move between mostly white and black social geographies. As the respondents moved into mostly black social geographies, they consistently noted that they felt “racial” or “white.” Feeling racialized in mostly black areas was a marked contrast to how the respondents' normally interpreted their identity. Apart from this context, the overwhelming majority of respondents often felt “nonracial,” or what I call the identity of sovereign individuality. To interpret this dynamic, context-specific process of identity transformation, I employ social cartography, postcolonialism, poststructuralism, and psychoanalysis to provide a “map” of how racial identity is linked to broader productions of power and knowledge. The result of this interpretive framework demonstrates how such seemingly mundane acts of moving across physical space highlight the context-specific ways white men must periodically confront being interpreted as privileged, as their identity is transformed from “nonracial” to “racial.”
On the Place of Allegory in the Methodological Conventions of a Critical Sociology: A Case Study of Max Weber's Protestant Ethic
Authors: Sarno Charles
Published: May 2004

This paper undertakes a critical reading of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in order to demonstrate how the moral impulses of allegory and social fiction insinuate themselves within the narrative strains of an ethnographic research that often imagines itself as simply reporting “the social facts.” This place of the allegorical within the social sciences, particularly sociology, is read in symptomatic fashion. However, rather than decrying or denying the appearance of such moral fictions, this paper advocates working with and from the insights — both conscious and not — that the appearances of the allegorical generates, in order to construct a more rigorous and critical form of social scientific knowledge that is attentive to the workings of social power.
To Build a More `Perfect Discipline': * Ideologies of the Normative and the Social Control of the Criminal Innocent in the Policing of New York City
Authors: Lindsey Delario
Published: May 2004

The post-September 11 reality is quickly becoming one of ubiquitous social control. Frame Critical Analysis is used to examine the continuity of crime and social control practice in urban centers in the US. The concept of Ideologies of the Normative is employed as a framework for decoding crime and social control narratives associated with New York City during the Administration of (then) Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The consequences of the racialized over-control of communities of color in New York City are demonstrated by the case of the shooting death of African immigrant Amadou Diallo.
Black Belts and Ivory Towers: The Place of Race in U.S. Social Thought, 1892-1948
Authors: Baldwin Davarian L.
Published: May 2004

Using the University of Chicago as a case study, this essay examines the racial foundations of sociological thought during the discipline's rising academic legitimacy and cultural authority, in the first half of the 20 th century. Much more than critical hindsight, the basic theories and methods developed by the “Chicago School” and Robert Park in particular did not just construct racial categories, but were constructed by national anxieties about racial differences in urbanizing America. From this anxiety emerged a “second wave” of Black social scientists who both offered important and under recognized critiques of the “Chicago School” outlook, while reinforcing its industrial framework of organization and civilization in ways that marked “Black” identity as maladjustment, deviance and dysfunction. By stripping away this overarching sociological framework and resituating the “data” derived from “Black subjects” within its migrant and urban context, this essay ends with thoughts about how Chicago's Black residents theorized themselves, their neighborhoods and the larger world in ways that challenged both White and Black sociological visions.
The Militarization of Inner Space
Authors: Orr Jackie
Published: May 2004

This essay considers the contemporary militarization of U.S. civilian psychology in the context of World War II and Cold War efforts to target the psychic and emotional life of civilians as a battlefield component of `total war.' Selectively tracing the entangled histories of academic social science, the mass media, military technologies, and U.S. government agencies, I suggest that the post-World War II emergence of the U.S. national security state is founded in part on the calculated promotion of civilian insecurity and terror. The militarization of civilian psychology — that is, the psychological re-organization of civil society for the production of violence — becomes historically visible as an administrative imperative of U.S. government. This visibility, I argue, is important in interrogating and intervening in the complex politics and cultures of terrorism today.
It Takes a Movement to Raise an Issue: Media Lessons from the 1997 U.P.S. Strike
Authors: Ryan Charlotte
Published: May 2004

Modern market-driven mass media systems may present collective actors with communication opportunities, but these come laced with formidable costs and constraints. This paper argues that despite these barriers, collective actors, working intentionally and strategically, can develop effective media campaigns to communicate with mass audiences — audiences they cannot reach directly. To utilize these narrow opportunities, however, a collective actor needs both adequate communications infrastructure and a communication strategy well integrated into its overall organizing strategy. The 1997 Teamsters strike against United Parcel Service (U.P.S.) provides an illustrative case.
(Virtual) Myths
Authors: Wood William R.
Published: May 2004

The historical emergence of time as it relates to capitalism and labor has been well documented and theorized, particularly in the Marxist tradition. The relationship between space, spatial representation and capitalism has only more recently received significant attention. Moving through a series of extended meditations, this essay inquires into the naturalization of space and its various representations as related to capitalism, colonization and the body. As evidenced in early modern maps of Europe and the Americas, techniques of spatial representation were central to both commerce and conquest, where cartographers effectively rendered disparate lands uniform, under the rubric of an objectifying gaze. Such a gaze allowed for the representation of space as existing outside the realm of human affairs, where land lay in wait of discovery. This myth of discovery, and the techniques which accompany it, have historical parallels in the mapping of the human body, where mapping renders space both “natural” and ultimately amenable to capitalism. In these parallels, the mapping of land and of the body have moved in the twenty-first century into the realm of digitized informatics, where space is discursively reduced (through speed) and expanded (through technology) in an ever emerging global market system. Reflecting on apparently quite disparate histories of spatial representation, the essay concludes with the naturalization of space in its current logic, cybernetics and the management of information, where the discourses of health and security meet the digital gaze of the human genome and the satellite.
Family Feminism or Individual Feminism? Different Histories, Different Paths to Gender Equity
Authors: Fernea Elizabeth
Published: May 2004

The Western feminist movement has been defined as an effort to separate biology from socialization in order to achieve equality between men and women. Muslim women's movements often reject this approach on the grounds that it devalues the family and reproduction. In this paper, historical comparisons between Christian and Muslim views of women demonstrate why East and West have reached this impasse, but also suggest how different cultural histories create different scenarios for achieving equality.
Sur Les Traces Du Quotidien Des Femmes Ordinaires à Travers Les Inventaires Posthumes: Vivre, Apparaître Et Défier
Authors: Larguèche Dalenda
Published: May 2004

Si la mémoire des femmes, et en particulier celle des femmes ordinaires, est absente du récit historique classique, elle n'est pas pour autant inexistante dans les archives. Ses traces dans les tiroirs des archives ont pu traverser l'épreuve du temps et se prémunir contre l'oubli. Recueils de fatâwî, registres charaïques et inventaires posthumes constituent le grenier de l'histoire des femmes ordinaires dont le quotidien, bien qu'apparemment structuré par le banal et l'immobilité, se laisse de temps à autre, pénétrer par l'inattendu et l'extraordinaire. Une richesse d'informations sur les éléments constitutifs de la vie quotidienne, dans son espace comme dans sa temporalité, nous est offerte par ces sources. La voie est alors libre et nous pouvons pénétrer dans les demeures et entrer dans l'intimité de la vie privée des femmes. L'occasion nous est ainsi donnée d'observer, d'apprécier les éléments constitutifs du cadre de leur vie matérielle et de saisir les gestes de leur vécu quotidien. A travers cette immersion dans la mémoire de ces femmes c'est tout leur vécu et toutes ses facettes que nous nous proposons de reconstituer. Bien qu'introverti et tourné vers l'intimité de l'espace familial, le vécu ne peut cependant nous cacher l'ingéniosité des femmes à brouiller les rôles et à déplacer les conventions.