bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interests and credibility: whistleblowers in technological conflicts
Authors: Bernstein Mary , Jasper James M.
Published: March 2007

Accompanying the increase in technical controversies in the last 20 years has been an explosion of whistleblowing by those involved in the design, implementation, and operation of complex technologies. Whistleblowers provide a window onto the trade-off, in the construction of social problems, between one's credibility and the pursuit of one's interests. Whistleblowers gain credibility for speaking out contrary to their own interests and those of their employers, but they lack the organizational power to promote their definitions of the social problem. Typically the result of a conflict between professional ethics and organizational demands, whistleblowing can heighten controversy and provide ammunition for critics of a technology. A few prominent whistleblowers, blacklisted in their industry, even turn to social movement organizations for employment, though by normal predictors of activism they should be the last to join the movement. Examples drawn from the nuclear power industry are used to demonstrate the importance of whistleblowers in technical controversies.
A cognitive approach to relevance of science
Authors: Rip Arie
Published: March 2007

The Starnberg finalization thesis offered a cognitive diagnosis of the relevance of science. With the present changes in science and its links with society, this remains important, but needs to be broadened. Relevance occurred and continues to occur locally, and can be taken up in local—cosmopolitan fields (my broadened definition of scientific fields). Chemistry is discussed as an example. The possibility of intrinsic relevance has been obliterated by the historical process of “purification” of science, including what is now called strategic science. While the pressure for relevance can lead to fragmentation, this is not necessary. A diagnosis of socio-cognitive dynamics must be made. Quality assurance resides in circulation, aggregation and robustness of outcomes.
The Clash of Civilizations: A Model of Historical Development?
Authors: Melleuish Gregory
Published: March 2007

The article examines the `clash of civilizations' theory of history as developed recently by Samuel Huntington and Victor Lee Burke. It argues that this theory attempts to combine an historical sociology that sees states and war as the motors of human history with a notion of civilization as something solid and fixed. It contends that civilizations are fluid and amorphous entities that cannot be treated as states, and that `the ways of peace' such as cultural exchanges and trade are just as important as war and conflict in any attempt to understand the history of humanity.
Adorno's Wagner
Authors: Markus Gyorgy
Published: March 2007

Adorno's first musical monograph, his book on Wagner, represents his most consistent effort to apply commodity analysis to one of the seminal oeuvres of cultural modernity. The notion of commodity character and the associated concept of phantasmagoria are to fulfil the function of mediation between the more narrowly conceived technical analysis of Wagner's music and the disclosure of its aesthetic-social substance, providing the ultimate social ground for their unity. This project, however, fails. Commodity analysis proves to be radically vague, incapable of disclosing the historical specificity of the music dramas either in respect of the tradition of Vienna classicism, or the ensuing development of aesthetic modernism. At the same time its application is burdened by contradictions. Ultimately, Adorno's critical interpretation relapses into a form of ideology critique the simplifications of which he originally attempted to overcome.
Agnes Heller's Ecce Homo: A Neomodern Vision of Moral Anthropology
Authors: Constantinou Marios
Published: March 2007

By dovetailing the classical concepts of virtue, beauty, harmony and happiness with the cardinal values of modern imagination, life and freedom, Agnes Heller galvanizes modernity's anthropological reflexivity and hints at the prospect of a classicism pertinent to the present. Beyond nostalgia for an ancient past or apology for a contemporary present, her moral anthropology is approached via a dialectical elucidation of aspects of epicurean theory attuned to modernity's complexity. Under the contemporary condition of waning postmodern challenges, escalating confusion and cynicism, moral anthropology's task is as one of probing modernity's destiny for a non-predatory humanism that combines the existential wisdom of ancient theory with modern values.
Is Moral Philosophy Possible at All?
Authors: Vajda Mihály
Published: March 2007

Agnes Heller's Theory of Morals was to be composed of three parts: General Ethics, Moral Philosophy, and a Theory of Proper Behaviour. The first two were born; the third, however, before it was written, was rebaptized by the author who could not resist her inner compulsion to do so. It bears the title Ethics of Personality. This author does not conceal his one-sided preference for this last part of Heller's Theory of Morals which has only one imperative: `Be yourself! Follow your own destiny!'. At the same time he raises the question whether an ethics of personality does not contradict so much a general ethics (that simply describes the functioning of the moral) but a moral philosophy that tries to prescribe how people should behave. The author concludes that the only possibility of ethics in our age is an ethics of personality.
High Hopes
Authors: CASSIRER NAOMI , RESKIN BARBARA
Published: March 2007

Kanter argued that men's and women's positions in workplace opportunity structures, not their sex, shape their career attitudes. Women attached less importance to promotion than men, according to 1991 General Social Survey data. The authors examine the extent to which this difference stems from the sexes' segregation into jobs with unequal opportunities, as Kanter argued. The findings are largely consistent with Kanter's thesis: Men attached greater importance to promotion than women because they were more likely to be located in organizational positions that encourage workers to hope for a promotion. Net of the effects of workers' organizational locations and prior promotion by their employer, sex was not associated with promotion attitudes.
Coming of Age in Organizations
Authors: Faulkner Robert R.
Published: March 2007

Combining material drawn from official records and detailed interviews, the paper outlines why age-grading and age-related features are an important vehicle for analyzing the contingencies facilitating or impeding interorganizational mobility. An examination of career patterns in professional hockey and symphony orchestras provides examples of the structural and personal mechanisms for sustaining the commitment and motivation of second-level or minor-league participants in these hierarchical work organizations. The management of mollification is viewed as a constituent feature of career socialization.
Patterns of Work Identification
Authors: Hebden J.E.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines ways in which the concept of work identification may provide a useful means of delineating the boundaries of occupational groups. This concept is based on the view that the sociological utility of the concept occupation lies in its subjective meaning for participants in their sense of corporate belonging, rather than in 'objective', arbitrarily drawn boundaries. Two kinds of identification are discussed-identification with employing organizations and identification with occupation. The paper, which results from research into work orientations of data processing staff, describes distinctive patterns of identification found among systems analysts and among computer programmers. These distinctions are used as the empirical basis on which subsequent discussion is built.
Autonomy and Negotiation in an Industrial Setting
Authors: Morgan D.H.J.
Published: March 2007

The sociology of work has continued to interest itself in behavior which appears to depart from what might be expected. Recognizing the difficulties involved in the use of the older term "informal behavior," the paper examines two concepts which have been developed in order to analyze these practices: Katz's notion of autonomy and the concept of negotiation developed by Strauss and his associates. The potential usefulness of these concepts taken together is examined in relation to two everyday features of life in an electrical components workshop: the continued argument about when radios should be turned on or off and the larger issue of the negotiation of time.
The Labor of U.S. Farm Women
Authors: Boulding Elise
Published: March 2007

Census procedures may lead to serious undercounting of women's farm labor. This exploratory study of 27 farm women from Oklahoma, Vermont, and Colorado indicates substantial involvement in farm work, as well as in auxiliary economic enterprises. There is no clear relationship between involvement in farm work and farm decision-making; high enjoyment of the farm way of life and a suggestion that rural and urban values differ sufficiently to make interpretation of the farm-based division of labor between spouses difficult.
Women's Career Aspirations and Achievements
Authors: Almquist Elizabeth M. , Angrist Shirley S. , Mickelsen Richard
Published: March 2007

This report describes the educational, occupational, and familial behavior a panel of sixty-four women exhibited during the first seven yearsfollowing their college gradua tion. Their career patterns are compared with the aspirations they held as seniors in college. The findings reveal high consistency between senior aspirations and actual behavior on some items, e.g., mariage and graduate school, but less consistency on others, including occupational choice. Generally the women worked more often and had children less frequently than they had anticipated. The actual life style patterns of these women and their aspirations for the future result from the fact that women pursue a contingency strategy in organizing their adult lives.
Blue-Collar Blues
Authors: GRUBER JAMES E. , BJORN LARS
Published: March 2007

Harassment frequency, severity, response, and effect were analyzed for a sample of 138 women who work mostly in unskilled jobs in the auto industry. It was hypothesized that these would be related to several social and work-related characteristics: specifically low social of work status, or low numerical representation in a work area. Our analysis found that blacks, unmarried, or young (under 25) women, or those with low job status, or who worked in an area where women were a sizable minority were more likely to be the targets of frequent harassment. Black women, or those who were a sizable minority in a work area, were also likely to be severely harassed. Harassment response, however, was not related to either social or work-related characteristics. In other words, women who are the targets of harassment do not respond differently than women who are less frequently or severely harassed. Several consequences of sexual harassment were found. Feelings toward coworkers and supervisors were adversely affected by harassment; overall job satisfaction, feelings of job competence, and work mobility aspirations were not influenced. Finally, there was some evidence that harassment generalized beyond the workplace: Harassed women reported lower self-esteem and experienced less global life satisfaction.
Sociological Research on the Labor Market
Authors: SØRENSEN AAGE B.
Published: March 2007

This article provides a critical analysis of recent sociological research on labor markets. Efforts by sociologists to provide structural explanations of earnings inequality that counter human capital theory have been hampered by methodological problems associated with inadequate model specification and the inappropriate use of variance as a criterion for theoretical importance. Moreover, the structural effects observed in recent studies do not have an unambiguous interpretation; they are consistent with three different mechanisms: differences in demand, internal labor market effects, and class effects. Future work in this area needs to pay greater attention to the links between theoretical interpretations and empirical analyses.
Organizational and Ideological Barriers to Sex Integration in Military Groups
Authors: DeFLEUR LOIS B.
Published: March 2007

This article summarizes salient factors affecting sex integration in traditionally all male fields that have emerged from prior studies. The operation of these variables in military groups is illustrated through the use of existing literature as well as data from a four-year study at the U.S. Air Force Academy. These variables include organizational characteristics such as sex-linked roles, social control systems as well as the numerical ratios and social attributes of group members. Occupational ideology also affects integration and particularly elements that stress male exclusivity and gender differentiation. The parameters of these organizational and ideological factors affect the outcome of sex integration. The data summarized here point to the slow pace of the integration of women into the full range of military roles and ranks.
Intraoccupational Earnings Inequality
Authors: LORENCE JON
Published: March 2007

Whereas most contemporary stratification research attempts to assess the relative influence of individual-level and structural explanations of inequality by focusing on individual earnings attainment processes, the present exploratory study utilizes the two theoretical perspectives to generate hypotheses explaining the distribution or structure of economic rewards within occupations. Intraoccupational earnings dispersion is examined because previous research demonstrates that total overall earnings inequality is more a function of earnings differences within than between occupations. Derived hypotheses are tested using detailed occupational data for males and females from the 1970 U.S. Census. Both human capital and institutional positions are supported, indicating that these perspectives may also be utilized to account for the dispersion or structure of earnings within occupations. Comparison of separate earnings distributions for males and females suggests some gender differences in the processes generating earnings disparities within occupations.
Evolution in the Soviet Sociology of Work
Authors: SHLAPENTOKH VLADIMIR
Published: March 2007

Soviet sociology reemerged during the late 1950s after a long hiatus under Stalin. Since that point, the sociology of work in the USSR had gone through a number of different periods characterized by the dominance of different theoretical and ideological orientations. Charged by the leadership with the task of uncovering the mechanisms by which workers could be made more productive and efficient, sociologists were forced gradually to move away from strongly ideological approaches to more pragmatic understandings of worker attitudes. Yet the political context of Soviet society remained a critical factor as researchers were forced to accommodate themselves to the dominant ideological themes. The division between liberal, professional sociologists and conservative, ideological sociologists also has a pervasive impact on the development of the Soviet sociology of work.
Professionalization and Intraprofessional Competition in the Canadian Accounting Profession
Authors: RICHARDSON ALAN J.
Published: March 2007

The impact of competition among occupational segments on the professionalization of the occupation is examined with data on the evolution of accountancy in Canada. It is shown that intraprofessional competition is an important factor directing and pacing the professionalization of accountancy defined in terms of educational standards, the symbolic attributes of professionalism, and achievement of occupational licensing. An analytic typology of professional segmentation is developed to locate the present study with respect to studies of segmentation in medicine, law, and engineering.
Gender as a Moderator of Job Satisfaction
Authors: NEIL CECILY C. , SNIZEK WILLIAM E.
Published: March 2007

Based on data gathered from a large Australian federal organization, the present study examines the potential moderating effects of gender on the relationships between various personal and organizational characteristics and employee job satisfaction. Using controlled (n= 168) and representative (n= 298) samples of males, compared to an enumeration of female employees (n= 335), gender is shown to exert a slight impact on the relationship between age and length of service as this relates to job satisfaction. Gender interacts more noticeably with the work values of security, autonomy, and use of abilities when related to employee job satisfaction. These findings are discussed in the context of gender differences in organizational power and opportunity structure predicted by Kanter.
Physician Reactions to Malpractice Suits and Cost Containment in Massachusetts
Authors: FIELDING STEPHEN L.
Published: March 2007

Three medical specialties are examined in this study: obstetrics, thoracic surgery, and general pediatrics. The findings reveal three features of medical practice. First, physicians distinguish technical from clinical autonomy. Second, cost containment reduces the clinical autonomy of physicians by pressuring them to utilize fewer resources. Third, the threat of being sued reduces clinical autonomy since physicians feel the need to run more diagnostic procedures and manage care differently. Malpractice suits and cost containment are discussed as potential forces for change away from the dominant medical model of health care.
Where Guanxi Matters
Authors: TSUI ANNE S. , FARH JIING-LIH LARRY
Published: March 2007

This article explores the indigenous concept of guanxi and its applications in the Chinese context. Guanxi is defined as the existence of direct particularistic ties between two or more individuals. We relate this concept to the idea of relational demography, which has been used by U.S. scholars in recent years to explain and predict a variety of individual-, group-, and organizational-level outcomes in U.S. employment settings. By comparing and contrasting the idea of guanxi to relational demography, we aim to develop an integrative framework that will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics underlying demographic and background similarities between people in the Chinese context than by using either concept alone. We offer several illustrative hypotheses on how and when relational demography and guanxi will matter most in influencing work outcomes in Chinese organizations.
Women's Work Values in Unified Germany
Authors: ADLER MARINA A. , BRAYFIELD APRIL
Published: March 2007

This article examines East-West differences in work values among German women, using data from the 1991 German Social Survey (ALLBUS). Our analyses indicate a clear regional gap in work values: East German women are more likely than West German women to consider employment to be very important and to highly value its socioeconomic and social rewards. We contend that this gap exists because of the effect of preunification differences in state ideology and policy on the life experiences of German women in the two regions. We discuss the implications of the findings for the claim that East Germany was more successful than West Germany in fostering positive attitudes toward market work among women.
What Historians Reveal about Labor and Free Trade in Latin America
Authors: BROWN JONATHAN C.
Published: March 2007

How can the study of experiences of workers in previous free-trade regimes inform scholars about the likely outcomes for labor in today's market reforms? This article explores labor during the second of four distinct periods of trade reform, that of the late eighteenth century. Tighter integration of Latin America into the world economy resulted in the enlarged demand for labor, the highest slave imports in the colonial period, a resurgence of forced labor mechanisms, and proletarianization. However, workers also influenced the expanding economy. They pressed for higher wages, resisted work discipline, and eventually contributed to the end of export expansion by attacking plantations during the Independence Wars. The article also compares the eighteenth century reforms to the current ones, explaining why unemployment is more widespread today.
A Hierarchical Linear Model for Estimating Gender-Based Earnings Differentials
Authors: HABERFELD YITCHAK , SEMYONOV MOSHE , ADDI AUDREY
Published: March 2007

In this article, the authors demonstrate how a multilevel model (the hierarchical linear model, HLM) can be applied to the study of gender inequality in the labor market and help us to better understand its sources. The authors estimate a two-level model containing individual- and occupation-level variables to examine the effect of gender on earnings inequality. The results are compared to those derived from the conventional ordinary least squares (OLS) model. The comparison reveals that the estimated gender effect on earnings is robust regardless of the model by which it is derived. Gender exerts a significant impact on earnings both in the OLS as well as in the HLM equations. The HLM method, however, enables us to estimate the extent to which the rate of gender-based earnings inequality is dependent on occupational characteristics.
Learning Factories or Reproduction Factories?
Authors: KENNEY MARTIN , GOE W. RICHARD , CONTRERAS OSCAR , ROMERO JAIRO , BUSTOS MAURICIO
Published: March 2007

This article compares and contrasts the labor-management practices of Japanese consumer electronics maquiladoras in Mexico with those of consumer electronics factories in Japan and assesses the extent to which the labor-management practices of Japanese factories have been transferred to maquiladoras in Mexico. An idealized model of the labor-management system employed in Japanese factories in the consumer electronics sector is delineated from the available research literature. Data on labor-management practices of the Japanese consumer electronics maquiladoras are derived from personal interviews with 75 Mexican production workers. The findings suggest that the consumer electronics maquiladoras in Mexico are using a hybrid labor-management system that is similar to but differs in important ways from the system used in consumer electronics factories in Japan.
The Effects of Group Racial Composition on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Career Commitment
Authors: MUELLER CHARLES W. , FINLEY ASHLEY , IVERSON RODERICK D. , PRICE JAMES L.
Published: March 2007

We examine the effect of the school racial composition of teachers and the school racial composition of students on the job satisfaction, school commitment, and career commitment of teachers in 405 schools in a large urban school system. We rely on arguments from relational demography theory, racial prejudice literature, and status characteristics theory, which identify variables that mediate this observed relationship between racial composition and satisfaction and commitment. Consistent with the nonsymmetry argument, racial composition effects are found for White but not Black teachers. The most support is found for the relational demography and racial prejudice claims that White teachers “mismatched” to contexts where their race is not dominant experience greater role conflict, less autonomy, inadequate resources, and reduced coworker support. These work conditions then reduce their job satisfaction and school commitment. Commitment to one's teaching career is not affected by school racial composition, however.
Tensile Strength of Unidirectionally Reinforced Composites — I
Authors: Batdorf S.B.
Published: March 2007

Between 1964 and 1980 most micromechanical analyses of composite strength have been based on the chain-of-bundles model. The present in vestigation abandons this model and concentrates instead on the formation and growth of multiple fiber fractures (cracks). This permits treating interac tion of cracks in different bundles and assignment of different ineffective lengths to fiber breaks of different multiplicity.

Weakest link theory is used to determine the number of isolated fiber frac tures (singlets), double fractures (doublets), and multiplets of arbitrary order as a function of stress. It turns out that if the fracture of individual fibers obeys Weibull's equation, a plot of nQi vs lnσ is a straight line of slome im. Here o is applied stress, Qi is the number if i-plets formed during loading to stress σ, and m is the Weibull modulus. The envelope of the Qi curves serves as a failure line. Use of the failure line leads directly to a rational failure criterion based on a Griffith-type instability and shows directly the inverse relationship between crack size and failure stress.
Moisture and Thermal Expansion Properties of Unidirectional Composite Materials and the Epoxy Matrix
Authors: Cairns Douglas S. , Adams Donald F.
Published: March 2007

Experimental techniques are presented for determining the moisture- and thermal- expansion coefficients of polymers and polymer-matrix composite materials. Materials tested included Hercules 3501-6 neat epoxy resin, Hercules AS/3501-6 graphite/epoxy unidirectional composite, and Owens-Corning S2 glass fibers in the same Hercules 3501-6 epoxy matrix. Correlations of the experimentally determined moisture- and thermal-expansion properties with a nonlinear, finite element, micromechanics analysis are presented. Thermal expansion results for all three materials, both dry and moisture-conditioned, were obtained. Moisture diffusivity constants were also ex perimentally determined. It is demonstrated that the moisture and thermal expansion of composite materials can be determined experimentally and predicted numerically, with generally good results.
Jute-Glass Sandwich Composites
Authors: Mohan Rengarajan , Kishore
Published: March 2007

The effect of surface layer reinforcement with glass fibres of unidirectional jute-rein forced epoxy composite on the flexural properties has been investigated. Substantial increase in flexural modulus and strength with small amounts of reinforcement (for reinforcement ratio (t/d) < 0.3, where "t" and "d" are the respective thicknesses of glass reinforced plastic (GRP) shell and JRP core) were achieved. In addition, studies on the effect of moisture absorption of flexural properties revealed a significant im provement in moisture resistance of jute reinforced epoxy with hybridization. Though density analyses of these hybrids indicate an increase in density with hybridization, the considerable improvement of the normalized properties of jute-glass hybrids make them candidate materials for cost-effective applications. The work has also shown that the reinforcement (t/d) is more useful a parameter in the case of sandwich-type hybrid fibre composites. Analysis of failure modes of these composites loaded in flexure is also presented.
An Assessment of Damping Measurement in the Evaluation of Integrity of Composite Beams
Authors: Lee B.T. , Sun C.T. , Liu Dahsin
Published: March 2007

The measurements of vibration frequency and damping coefficient have been used to assess the integrity of composite materials and structures by quite a few investigators. In this study, an impulse technique which uses a displacement transducer as a non-contact probe for the measurements of damping up to the third modes has been presented. Com posite beams with structural discontinuity, damage, and imperfection have been investi gated. This study assesses the utility and sensitivity of the impulse technique in the damping measurements for composite beams. Results have shown good correlation be tween the increases in damping and the severity of damage caused by notches and artificial delamination. However, there is no significant change in damping for the composite beams with matrix cracking and inclusion.
Adhesion at the Interface in Cured Graphite Fiber Epoxy-Amine Resin Composites
Authors: Needles Howard L. , Alger Kenneth W. , Okamoto Robert
Published: March 2007

The effect of high temperature curing on the interface between unsized or epoxy-sized graphite fiber tow and epoxy-amine resin was examined by scanning electron microscopy of compression and freeze fractured specimens. Little or no adhesion was found between the unsized graphite fiber tows and the epoxy-amine resin on curing at 165°C for 17 hrs. Epoxy-sized graphite fibers showed a similar lack of adhesion between the fiber tows and the epoxy-amine resin at 3 and 17 hrs. cures, although good penetration of the resin into the sized fiber tows had occurred. Interfacial bond strengths for the composites could not be effectively measured by compression fracture of specimens.
Resin Impregnation During the Manufacturing of Composite Materials Subject to Prescribed Injection Rate
Authors: Coulter John P. , Guceri Selçuk I.
Published: March 2007

A numerical investigation into the area of resin impregnation during the manufacturing of composite materials is undertaken using a macroscopic flow through porous media ap proach. This study is specifically directed at modeling the resin transfer molding and resin film stacking advanced composite manufacturing processes. Quasi-steady state isothermal flow is assumed and a two-dimensional Darcy Law based stream function formulation is utilized. The resultant single governing equation for each quasi-steady timestep is solved along with proper boundary conditions using the method of boundary-fitted coordinate systems encompassing numerical grid generation. The resultant code is validated by a comparison with previously published results for flow into a rectangular mold with a point source and a line sink. Streamlines, pressure distributions, velocity profiles, and temporal liquid free surface positions are then presented for the flow into a mold of general irregular geometry encasing both isotropic and anisotropic fibrous preforms.
A Simple, Elasto-Plastic Contact Law for Composites
Authors: Cairns D.S.
Published: March 2007

A simple model is proposed for the static indentation of advanced compos ite laminates. The model incorporates the salient features of Hertzian contact and includes the effects of plasticity. The model is compared with test data with good results. Additional nonlinearities which are not accounted for in the theoretical development as a result of ex tensive laminate bending and damage beneath the impactor are noted. The permanent in dentation as a result of contact is compared with measured permament indentation with good results. Thus, given a measured damage, estimates of the severity of the contact event may be made.
A Further Investigation of the Isotropy of Randomly-Oriented Composite Laminates
Authors: Yeh Hsien-Liang , Yeh Hsien-Yang
Published: March 2007

A general class of randomly-oriented composite laminate is presented where the stiffness characteristics are isotropic with respect to both in-plane stretching and out-of-plane bending conditions. The simple random statistical study indicated that a fairly isotropic laminate is reached if the number of laminae with arbitrary orientation is over 40.
Shape Instabilities in Composites Resulting from Laminate Anisotropy
Authors: Radford D.W. , Diefendorf R.J.
Published: March 2007

Experimental results show that mid-plane symmetric composite laminates of semi-cylindrical, curved geometry warp during manufacture and continue to change shape with changing temperature throughout their service life. A mathematical model is presented which predicts the observed shape change and yields results which compare closely with the experimentally obtained values. Further, a method of modifying the lami nate stacking sequence to counter the environmentally induced shape instability is sug gested and a predictive model, based on classical laminated plate theory, is developed. Measured instabilities of optimized laminates indicate that the proposed technique does modify the shape stability of test laminates as predicted. Thus, this technique allows the design and manufacture of curved composite laminates which are shape stable over a wide temperature range.
On the Determination of Residual Stresses in Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites
Authors: Crasto A.S. , Kim R.Y.
Published: March 2007

Residual processing stresses in fiber-reinforced composites arise primarily from a mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of fiber and matrix, and from the anisotropy in the thermal expansion of the individual plies. These stresses significantly in fluence the mechanical properties of the laminate. In this study an attempt was made to vary the processing-induced strains by curing the same graphite/epoxy (AS4/3501-6) com posite system at different temperatures. Residual stress-free temperatures were determined from the deflection of unsymmetric laminate strips as a function of temperature and from residual strains in symmetric laminates measured at room temperature using a peel-ply technique. The first method gave stress-free temperatures above the maximum cure tem perature, and the difference between the two is attributed to the onset of shrinkage stresses at the cure temperature. Stress-free temperatures determined by the latter technique were, for the most part, in the vicinity of the maximum cure temperature. These results were used to predict the stress at first-ply and ultimate failure of [O2/9O2]s laminates, and the predictions were compared with experimental results.
Damage Accumulation in Graphite/Epoxy Laminates Due to Cyclic Gradient Stress Fields
Authors: Lagace Paul A. , Bonello Kenneth J.
Published: March 2007

The progression of damage in gradient stress fields under cyclic loading was studied in simply-supported graphite/epoxy beam-columns. Three layups, [454/ —454/ (0/90)4]2s, [±45/0/904]4s, and [(452/-452/0) 2/905]2 s, were chosen to be consistent with data collected in a previous study with static loading. Specimens were loaded statically until predetermined characteristic damage levels were obtained, after which cyclic loading began. At specific intervals, cyclic loading was stopped, a static test measuring the load and the corresponding center deflection was performed, and edge replicas of the specimen sides were taken. The damage of these specimens varied both along the length and through the thickness of the specimens with two general modes of damage present. Damage due to the static loading generally occurred on the tension side of the specimen and was controlled by matrix cracks. Delammations initiated and grew in areas of crack saturation. Damage due to the cyclic loading also occurred on the compression side of the specimens and was controlled by delammations that initiated and grew independently of matrix cracks, leading to sublaminate buckling. Increasing the maximum cyclic load changed the relative growth of the two modes of damage, which changed the final failure mode.
An Analysis of Factors Affecting Pull Force for the Pultrusion of Graphite/Epoxy Composites
Authors: Lackey Ellen , Vaughan James G.
Published: March 2007

The influence of process parameter settings on the pull force required for the pultrusion of two epoxy resin systems reinforced with unidirectional graphite fiber was investigated. Experiments were conducted using the Shell EPON 9310/9360/537 epoxy resin system and the Shell EPON 9420/9470/537 epoxy resin system. Five independent factors—fiber volume, line speed, die zone I temperature, die zone 2 temperature, and die zone 3 temperature—were examined in each study. Regression analysis was used to iden tify the factors and factor interactions that influence the pull force required for the pultru sion of each resin system and to develop mathematical models to describe the pull force. The models indicated that process variable interactions were especially significant. Re sponse surface methods were used to illustrate the nature of the interactions. Additional statistical techniques were employed to investigate the influence of resin viscosity on the pull force and the influence of pull force on the four-point flexural strength of the com posites produced.
Pultruded Reinforced Plastics for Civil Engineering Structural Applications
Authors: Green Andrew , Bisarnsin Tanongsak , Love Ethan A.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes the development and applications of pultruded fiber- reinforced plastics used as primary load-bearing structural components by Composite Technology, Inc. (CTI). The pultruded RP profiled sections were designed specially for composite materials to compete with and replace conventional materials. These sections were made competitive by tailoring the geometry, advantageously placing fibers, and controlling the load path to overcome stiffness and engineering limitations, erection costs, and life-cycle costs.
Is the Cone Calorimeter Useful in Assessing Furniture Composite Behavior by the California Technical Bulletin 133 Test?
Authors: Pisipati J.S. , Eicher W.J.
Published: March 2007

The California Technical Bulletin 133 (TB 133) test method is being used to regulate the fire performance of seating furniture in public buildings in some states. Such regulations in the marketplace have brought together a coalition of textile, fabric and furniture manufacturers to concentrate their efforts on trying to better understand combi nations of foam, fabric, barrier and styling features from the standpoint of fire perfor mance.

Chemical suppliers to the polyurethane flexible foam industry are working towards de veloping correlations between bench scale test methods and the full scale California TB 133. A collection of eight upholstery fabrics, five interliner barrier fabrics and a fire retar dant foam were selected by the coalition as materials representative of contract furniture markets today.

Foam/fabric composites which had been tested using the TB 133 procedure were tested in our laboratory using the Cone Calorimeter by the ASTM E 1354 test method. Results indicated that composite performance was dependent on the type of fabric and barrier used. The overall performance of the fabrics and barriers could be ranked similarly by both the California TB 133 and by the ASTM E 1354 test methods. Even though differences in combustion characteristics were noted between the two test methods, we were able to use criteria based on heat release values and correlate up to 75 % of the passes and failures obtained by TB 133 test criteria. The test worked better for composites that performed either very well or very poorly by TB 133.

Test results reported in this paper are used to measure and describe the properties of materials, products, or assemblies in response to heat and flame under controlled labora tory conditions and must not be used to describe, appraise or predict the fire hazard or fire risk of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.

Test results may be used only as part of an overall fire risk assessment that takes into ac count all of the factors pertinent to the fire hazard of a particular material in a specific end use. Correlations between bench scale tests and full scale tests may help in narrowing the field of potential material candidates. However, bench scale tests cannot assess the effect of design features. Therefore, full scale testing remains necessary before final acceptance of any furniture .
The Perception of the Elderly Criminal When Compared to Adult and Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Silverman Mitchell , Smith Linda G. , Nelson Carnot , Dembo Richard
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the present study was twofold: First, to determine how individuals would perceive the elderly criminal when compared to the adult and juvenile criminal; and second, to determine if individuals would assign different punishments for the elderly criminal when compared to the adult and juvenile criminal .

The subjects were 102 respondents divided into three groups of 34 respondents each (elderly, college students, and law enforcement officers). These groups were further divided into equal subgroups by sex. Respondents were asked to fill out a questionnaire consisting of a brief scenario describing a crime being committed followed by a list of attributes to be assigned for each of six conditions in which the age of the offender (elderly, adult, and juvenile) and the sex of the offender varied.

Findings showed that the elderly criminal was perceived in a significantly more positive manner than the adult or juvenile criminal and that the elderly criminal received a significantly more lenient sentence than the adult criminal. There were no differences between the adult and juvenile with respect to sentencing. The results were interpreted in terms of their practical implications for the criminal justice system.
Ethnicity, Culture and Aging: Do Differences Really Make A Difference?
Authors: Sokolovsky Jay
Published: March 2007

The broadest implication for examining the relation of ethnicity and aging centers on the premise that varying ethnic lifestyles will alter the way old age is encountered, perceived and acted out. In asking the question -- do ethnic cultural differences make a differeace to the elderly? -- this paper draws upon some cross-cultural generalizations on aging which have relevance to understanding the ethnic aged in the United States. On a more specific level, it concentrates on the extent to which an over-idealization of ethnic subcultures has made it a policy error to place too much emphasis on the ethnic family and informal supports as the savior of its elderly menbers.
Family Responsibility Laws and State Politics: Empirical Patterns and Policy Implications
Authors: Lammers William W. , Klingman David
Published: March 2007

Family responsibility laws constitute one of the many potential restrictions on health care and income maintenance benefits that are now receiving renewed interest. A 50-state comparison of previously adopted laws regarding Old Age Assistance programs shows that states using the most stringent provisions also had lower welfare effort. A subgroup of generally liberal states, however, coupled a family responsibility law with provision of full reimbursement if the relatives did not comply. Two major policy implications arise from these experiences. First, family responsibility laws seem likely to be associated more with efforts to save money than with attempts to redistribute money to other recipients. Second, possible alternatives that avoid the serious problems associated with previous uses of family responsibility laws, such as estate recovery provisions and more progressive general taxation, need to be considered.
Managing Nursing Personnel Turnover Rates: Strategies for Nursing Home Professionals
Authors: Halbur Bernice
Published: March 2007

With turnover rates for nursing personnel in nursing homes documented as high and assumed to be detrimental for quality resident care, it is important to identify strategies that nursing home professionals may use to manage such rates. This article does so, using as a base the major findings of a 1978 study of annual turnover rates for nursing personnel and a 1979 follow-up study of aggregate resident outcomes for 122 North Carolina nursing homes. Strategies are offered for documenting and managing turnover rates, as well as for considering their potential positive effects.
Progression of Alzheimer-Type Dementia in Institutionalized Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Volicer Ladislav , Seltzer Benjamin , Rheaume Yvette , Fabiszewski Kathy , Herz Lawrence , Shapiro Rita , Innis Phyllis
Published: March 2007

A gradual deterioration of mental and physical condition is one of the main clinical signs of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DA T). To describe this deterioration, we evaluated 88 institutionalized patients with DA T and plotted their current status on a number of different clinical parameters as a function of time from the estimated onset of dementia. Ratings of speech, cooperation, social contact, and communication were in the very low range in patients with duration of DA T of three years or longer, while the rating of mood was similar regardless of duration of DA T. Half of the patients were unable to dress themselvesfive years after onset of symptoms and unable to sleep regularly six years after onset. By seven years 50% had developed rigidity on passive movement, and by eight years half were unable to feed themselves and to walk without assistance. By nine to ten years, 50% had developed contractures of the limbs and were mute, and by twelve years, half of those who survived had lost eye contact with caregivers.
Aging in Nigeria: Current and Future Policy Issues in Caring for the Elderly
Authors: Togonu-Bickersteth Funmi
Published: March 2007

The article examines the current and future policy issues relating to the elderly in Nigeria. Current issues identified are the marginalization of the rural elderly, the inadequacies of the provisions and administration of the retirement policy, and the increase in the number of urban elderly destitutes. The expected increase in life expectancy, the concomitant increase in the number and proportion of the old old, and the diminished capacity of the extended family system in caring for the aged suggest the need for an old age policy that ensures economic well-being for the elderly and provides the sociomedical and community support services needed for their welfare.
Service Providers and the Concept of Life Satisfaction
Authors: Lohmann Nancy
Published: March 2007

The concept of life satisfaction has been central in much gerontological research. However, that concept and findings concerning it have been far less central in the activities of service providers. The concept has the potential to link the activities of academicians and practitioners in ways that would benefit older people. Afocus on research describing variables that influence life satisfaction and are subject to manipulation by program and policy interventions would benefit practitioners in program development and selection. Measures of life satisfaction used as program impact and outcome measures would help assess the effectiveness of interventions as well as contribute to applied research.
Patterns of Psychotropic Medication Use Among Older Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Rinck Christine , Calkins Carl F.
Published: March 2007

While the prevalence of psychotropic drug use among older persons has been widely investigated, use of these agents in older persons with developmental disabilities has received little attention. We found this latter group to be prescribed more polypharmacy, antipsychotic, and antianxiety agents than were younger peers. Those who lived in more restricted residential settings (e.g., in skilled nursing facihties or in rural areas) had higher prevalence rates of antipsychotic drug use. In light of these findings, implications for policymakers are described. Measures to ensure the appropriateness of the prescription should be established. Better monitoring of polypharmacy and drug side effects should be initiated. Active programming should continue throughout the lifespan and training should be conducted for service providers.