bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Policies, Private Choices
Authors: Johnston Michael
Published: March 2007

Can the character of urban life and social interaction be decisively shaped by physical and social planning? This paper examines new towns in Britain, the United States, and the USSR, and finds that, although Soviet and western planners seek differing patterns of urban life, even the most comprehensive plans have failed to foster distinctive lifestyles. Assumptions and biases of both planning approaches are analyzed, as are the contribu tions of new-town governance and "admissions policies" to the social outcomes of urban planning.
The Effects of Superhighways in Urban Areas
Authors: Chernoff Michael
Published: March 2007

This article reports on the effects of superhighways in established residential areas in 23 SMSAs in nine states. Using information from the United States Census for 1960 and 1970 and from state highway departments, comparisons are made between impacted and nonimpacted census tracts on 34 housing and population variables. Multiple regression is the analysis tool, permitting statistical control of tract location and housing density. Results indicate (1) that meaningful differences emerge between impacted and nonim pacted tracts, (2) that despite these differences, the highway impact variable accounts for little of the variance in the dependent variable, and (3) that substantive differences between impacted and nonimpacted tracts are small, even when statistically significant. This last finding implies that highways are of minor importance in explaining changes in census characteristics compared to general demographic trends and deliberate policies in metropolitan areas.
Flight from Blight and Metropolitan Suburbanization Revisited
Authors: Adams Charles F. , Fleeter Howard B. , Kim Yul , Freeman Mark , Cho Imgon
Published: March 2007

Patterns of metropolitan suburbanization were analyzed for 51 large metropolitan areas. Migration data indicate that suburban population growth attributed to in-migration from outside the metropolitan area is substantially greater, on average, than that attributed to city-to-suburb migration. Distinguishing between these sources of suburban population growth, significant associations were found between metropolitan suburbanization and central-city hardship conditions. The results support the notion of a complementary relationship between central cities and suburbs and argue for more aggressive intervention in support of central cities and greater cooperation between central cities and suburbs in matters of regional development policies.
Analysis of Internal Stress in an Elliptic Inclusion with Imperfect Interface in Plane Elasticity
Authors: Shen H. , Schiavone P. , Ru C. Q. , Mioduchowski A.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports a semianalytic solution for the internal stresses associated with an elliptic inclusion embedded within an infinite matrix in plane elasticity. The bonding at the inclusion-matrix interface is assumed to be homogeneously imperfect with corresponding interface conditions defined in terms of linear relations between interface tractions and displacement jumps. Complex variable techniques are used to obtain infinite series representations of the internal stresses (specifically, the mean stress and the von Mises equivalent stress) that, when evaluated numerically, demonstrate how the internal stresses vary with the aspect ratio of the inclusion and the parameter h describing the imperfection in the interface. These results can be used to evaluate the effects of the imperfect interface and the aspect ratio of the inclusion on internal failure caused by void formation and plastic yielding within the inclusion. Remarkably, the mean stress and von Mises equivalent stress are both found to be nonmonotonic functions of the imperfect interface parameter h. Consequently, in each case, we can identify a specific value (h*) of h that corresponds to the maximum peak stress (mean or von Mises) inside the inclusion. This special value h* of the interface parameter depends on the aspect ratio of the elliptic inclusion and the imperfect interface condition.
Instability of a Bell Constrained Cylindrical Lhbe Under end Thrust-Part 2: Examples, Thin Libe Analysis
Authors: Pan Feixia , Beatry Millard F.
Published: March 2007

This paper is a continuation of an earlier work that analyzed the elastic stability of a homogeneous, isotropic, Bell constrained cylindrical tube of uniform cross section subjected to axial end thrust. Here, the focus is on some applications. Four kinds of material models are considered: a simple hyperelastic Bell material model, Bell's empirical material model, and two new theoretical models, one being similar to a wellknown biomaterial model. Numerical results for a thick-walled tube and a solid bar are illustrated graphically The thin-walled tube problem, however, is studied analytically for a general class of Bell constrained materials, and the critical stretch and corresponding critical load are derived. The load result is shown to be consistent with the classical solution obtained by Southwell and Dean.
Complete Elasticity Solution to the Stress Problem in a Planar Grained Structure
Authors: Vigdergauz Shmuel
Published: March 2007

This paper considers a planar elastic composite fonned by identical inclusions of a smooth shape embedded periodically in a background. Both materials are taken to be homogeneous and linearly isotropic. The paper addresses two major topics related to such media: the problem of solving their stress states and the attendant problem of computing the composite effective parameters. At given averages, the local stresses/strains are calculated to high accuracy using the well-known Kolosov-Muskhelishvili potentials, which perform well in many situations. This paper's contribution to this approach is twofold. First, the author introduces a new representation of the potentials that incorporates the stress periodicity and given average fields in a simple manner. Second, the author formulates the initial boundary value problem in a nonintegral form that saves computational effort when solving the resultant system of algebraic equations.
Improving Pain Management in Community Health Care Settings: The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse
Authors: Torma Linda
Published: March 2007

Advanced practice nurses can play a key role in reducing or removing barriers to effective pain management in a variety of ways: as clinicians role modeling best practice pain management, as educators providing continuing education in pain management, as researchers incorporating evaluation research methods into pain management improvement projects, and as consultants to leaders of health care organizations and communities working to improve pain management. This article describes a unique collaboration of advanced practice nurses from the Medical College of Wisconsin Palliative Care Program, the Wisconsin Pain Initiative, and the Missoula Demonstration Project titled The Quality of Life’s End working together to improve pain management in home health and long-term care agencies in western Montana.
Anticipatory Guidance for Family Caregivers
Authors: Thobaben Marshelle
Published: March 2007

Nearly one in four families is involved in providing home care for seriously ill or disabled family members. They are the invisible link in our health care system and receive little recognition for their work. Home health care teams can provide anticipatory guidance to families as they are going through the four stages of caregiving. During each stage, they can help family caregivers identify their loved ones' caregiving needs and their own needs, and design plans to meet them. They can encourage them to build support networks and join support groups. Doing so may alleviate many of the problems experienced by family caregivers.
Legal and Risk Management Issues in Behavioral Health Home Care
Authors: Smith Nina M. , Brown Linda J.
Published: March 2007

Health care is a relationship among individuals that affects payors, providers, and patients. Health law is an integral part of the health care system and provides the rules that govern care. Rules and regulations can be found in statutes, standards of practice, manuals, contracts, by-laws, and policies, procedures, and protocols. Understanding the various rules and laws affecting psychiatric home care and providing guidelines for implementation to maintain compliance and provide for management of risk is critical for a quality behavioral health home care program.
The Size Distribution of Income in an Income Tax Revenue Forecasting Model
Authors: Weiler William C.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a personal income tax revenue forecasting model which incorporates a functional specification of the entire size distribution of income estimated using aggregate data. The model is shown to yield substantially more accetrate forecasts for Minnesota than other revenue forecasting models which do not incorpocate a functional specification of the income distribution. Although the choice of arevenue forecasting model is somewhat subjective, our results indicate that the general approach of modeling the entire income distribution by a functional form is highly desirable in terms of forecast accuracy.
Proposition 13: a Public Choice Appraisal
Authors: Magaddino J.P. , Toma Eugenia Froedge , Toma Mark
Published: March 2007

Thrs article examines the election results from California's Proposition 13, by focusing on voter coalitions for and against the amendment. After theoretically identifying potential gainers and losers, we empirically test whether these groups voted in the manner hypothesized. The results provide some insights into the nature of the overwhelming support of Proposition 13.
A Model of the Distributional Incidence of State and Local Taxes
Authors: Chernick Howard
Published: March 2007

This article estimates a model to explain differences across states in the distributional incidence of state and local tax systems. The model emphasizes the role of distributional conflict in modifying the tax structure incentives resulting from changes in relative prices. The model is tested using 1985 data on states. The major finding is that deductibility has a positive effect on the progressivity of state and local tax systems and that the effect is strong enough to imply a progressive impact of deductibility on the combined federal-state-local tax system. Tastes for redistri bution as measured by political liberalism and welfare benefit levels, rather than the strength of particular interest groups or the composition of expenditures, are the other major factors explaining differences in progressivity.
Competitive and Procedural Determinants of Delight and Disappointment in Consumer Complaint Outcomes
Authors: Estelami Hooman
Published: March 2007

This article examines the impact of competition and complaint handling procedures on the creation of outstanding complaint resolutions. Using a survey of consumer selfreports of delightful and disappointing complaint experiences, competition is found to have a direct but nonlinear relationship with delight in consumer complaint resolutions. Moreover, the relative impact of consumer loyalty as well as various aspects of complaint handling procedures on the creation of delightful or disappointing resolutions to consumer complaints is examined. Consumer delight and disappointment with complaint outcomes are found to be primarily influenced by compensatory aspects of complaint resolutions.
The Antecedents of Customer Loyalty
Authors: Blackwell Steven A. , Szeinbach Sheryl L. , Barnes James H. , Garner Dewey W. , Bush Victoria
Published: March 2007

Health care service encounters provide many opportunities to examine customer loyalty. In this study, customer loyalty is examined from the perspective of individual situation or “need context” and the customer’s perception of his or her personal encounters with the service provider.This study differs from much of the past research in that the authors hypothesize that perceived value would have a direct influence on repeat patronage, which undergirds customer loyalty. This study’s findings also support the role of value in mediating the relationship between antecedent processes and repeat patronage. Results reveal the influence of benefit, sacrifice, personal preference, and the perceived situation on value. Although this finding is consistent with several theoretical propositions, this study is the first to empirically examine these relationships concurrently. Managerial implications as well as strategies for developing customer loyalty are also discussed.
Heat Transfer in Rectangular Reflective Insulation Systems
Authors: Nebeker B.M. , Tong T.W.
Published: March 2007

The results of a numerical study on simultaneous natural convection and radiation in air filled vertical rectangular enclosures are presented. A non- partitioned enclosure, one with a non-reflecting partition, and an enclosure with a reflective partition were considered. Heat transfer characteristics were studied for a wide range of the governing parameters. The mean enclosure temperature ranged from 250 to 350 K. The enclosure temperature difference ranged from 10 to 40 K. A highly reflective partition may reduce heat flux in the enclosure more than 80% for the temperature conditions considered. The reflective partition modulates the heat flux variation with the change in temperature conditions.
A Conversation with Clifford W. Graves about the Evaluation of Environmental Protection Programs
Authors: Wisler Carl
Published: March 2007

Interviewees should be persons who are important stakeholders for evaluations and those with views of general interest to practicing evaluators. Interviewers and interviewees may be one person or several (i.e., one person may interview one individual or a panel of individuals, a panel of interviewers may interview one or more interviewees, and so on). Paul Johnson, of the U.S. Public Health Service, is coordinating this section. Suggestions for interviewees and interviewers should be sent to Paul at 740-G Humphrey Bldg., 200 Independence Ave., S. W., Washington, DC 20201.
Choice, Value and Effectiveness
Authors: Burgoyne John
Published: March 2007

John Burgoyne emphasises the importance of taking account of the various interests and purposes which underlie any evaluation exercise. In this connection he compares the implications of a Systems or an Interactionist perspective by focusing on the issue of evaluating the Conference as a development activity.
Rethinking Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning in Management Education
Authors: Holman David , Pavlica Karel , Thorpe Richard
Published: March 2007

This article seeks to critically evaluate Kolb's theory of experiential learning from social constructionist and activity theory perspectives. It is suggested that while experiential learning theory has been extremely influential and useful in management education it is rarely seen as problematic. The article goes on to argue that Kolb's experiential learning theory can be placed within the cognitive psychological tradition; a tradition that overlooks or mechanically explains the social, historical and cultural aspects of self, thinking and action. Activity theory is then described (but also drawing on more recent social constructionist perspectives) and offered as an alternative way of understanding these three aspects. Using this approach, experiential learning theory is reconceptualized with particular reference to the learning cycle and managerial identity. It is concluded that learning can be viewed as an argumentative and rhetorical process in which the manager acts as a practical author.
Women in Multinational Corporations: Old Myths, New Constructions and Some Deconstruction
Authors: Dallalfar Arlene , Movahedi Siamak
Published: March 2007

When compared with domestic business operations, multinational corporations include fewer women at managerial levels in their foreign subsidiaries. Debates have ensued regarding whether women's absences from these positions are due to lack of the particular managerial abilities required for international assignments. In this article we argue that too much has been assumed about the sociopsychological requirements for international management, both for men and women. Through critical re-analyses of data from a previous study we contend that understanding `women's advantages/disadvantages' in international management requires understanding women's structural positions in the First World-Third World political economy.
The Study of International Regimes
Authors: LEVY MARC A. , YOUNG ORAN R. , ZÜRN MICHAEL
Published: March 2007

The article surveys the literature on international `regimes'. Regimes are social institutions that influence the behavior of states and their subjects. They consist of informal and formalized principles and norms, as well as specific rules, procedures and programs. The term is explicitly broad and captures the unwritten understandings and relationships, as well as the formal legal agreements, that influence how states and individuals behave in any given issue area. Scholarship over the last decade has elaborated how regimes are formed; this article surveys that work and focuses on more recent scholarship that has turned from the formation of regimes to the question of what makes regimes in general `effective' and which `types of regimes' are especially effective. The survey concludes with the identification of future research priorities in the field.
Narrative, Time and the Emergence of the Encultured Self
Authors: Nelson Katherine
Published: March 2007

It is argued here that ‘the encultured self’ emerges in early to later childhood from the earlier experiential self that is differentiated from other persons and other objects in infancy and early childhood. The later sense of self is derived largely from verbal exchanges with significant others, both narrative and explanatory, about shared and unshared experiences, and about the stories, histories and myths of the embedding culture. These enable the child to achieve a continuing sense of self in time with relations to other times and places beyond personal experience.
In Defense of Activity Theory
Authors: Ratner Carl
Published: March 2007

This paper elaborates the relationship between practical social activity and psychological phenomena. In particular, I explain how psychological phenomena dialectically contribute to social activity even as they are organized by it. I also explain how individual differences in psychology are accounted for by activity. The article answers objections which have been raised to an earlier paper I wrote on activity and cultural psychology.
The `Third Wave' of Democracy in Eastern Europe
Authors: Lewis Paul G.
Published: March 2007

Political parties were not generally major actors in the early stages of democratization in eastern Europe, and their role has been a highly central but limited one in the politics of the region overall. How different has east European democratization been from earlier cases in this respect and how far has the contribution made by parties to the process changed? Their role is first examined in the framework of the `three waves of democracy' that developed in different historical and international contexts. Contemporary east European democratization is indeed closer to the patterns of the `second wave' than to the `first wave' democratizations of western Europe, to which the classic models of party development are closely related. Recent developments in eastern Europe and the role played by parties are then analysed in terms of the major political challenges identified by proponents of the political development school, whose work concerned large areas covered by the `second wave'. In comparison with earlier phases, the role of parties in east European democratization is relatively limited and dependent on the prior management of major conflict tendencies. Rather than participation and integration, parties are more critically concerned with the establishment of legitimacy in the more rapidly consolidating democracies.
Historical Cleavages or Transition Mode?
Authors: Rivera Sharon Werning
Published: March 2007

This article tests two propositions derived from European transitions to democracy on three countries in East Central Europe: Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. On balance, the paper finds that new party systems seem to be developing differently in postcommunist regimes than they did in Southern and Western Europe. First, the political cleavages of the pre-authoritarian period that might have re-emerged after an interruption in democratic rule did not simply `unfreeze' after the demise of communism. Second, the type of transition - whether by reform or ruptura - does not predict how ex-regime parties fared initially in East Central Europe. These findings suggest that, at least initially, the pre-authoritarian period and transition mode are likely to be less influential in shaping party systems than is the legacy of the communist authoritarian period. They also highlight the particularly destructive nature of communist rule in East Central Europe, in that it may have altered the bases of social and political life to a greater extent than did other types of authoritarian regimes.
The Crisis of Parties and the Rise of New Political Parties
Authors: Ignazi Piero
Published: March 2007

This paper has a twofold aim: to disentangle the question of party decline, analysing the current meanings and the empirical evidence offered by the literature; to highlight the different and even opposite outcomes of such decline. As far as the party crisis is concerned, contrary to a shared knowledge it is difficult to give a final word. It is suggested that the crisis concerns more a type of party rather than the party per se. Second, the challenges to the party are analysed. In the last decade a convergent attack against the traditional parties has been carried on: on one side, by the new social movements and their partisan representatives, the left-libertarian or New Politics parties; on the other side, by the newly emerged extreme right parties. This paper tries to demonstrate that both types of party are the by-products of the same structural conditions and both provide a (different) answer to the crisis of the party's expressive function.
Do Parents and Children have Common Perceptions of Admission, Treatment and Outcome in a Child Psychiatric Unit?
Authors: Chesson Rosemary , Harding Leonora , Hart Cleone , O'Loughlin Victor
Published: March 2007

This investigation sought to establish how both child and parent from the same family viewed psychiatric input, its functioning and effects, and whether they shared similar perceptions. It was intended to redress the balance regarding an earlier study which focused on how staff attitudes, education, training, values and philosophies might affect therapeutic relationships in a child psychiatric unit (Chesson, 1996). A survey of children attending the inpatient psychiatric unit at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, as well as of their parents, was carried out over an 18-month period. Interviews were held prior to hospitalization and during inpatient stay, and took place on at least one occasion in the children's homes. Main findings were that a third of the children had not been informed by parents about admission (a view supported by parental comments), only two children saw the unit as a hospital, and that parents and children were not able to provide a clear reason for admission. Limited understanding of treatment and the work of the multidisciplinary team was evident, and parents seldom reported receiving any professional help themselves. A graduation emerged from younger/less intelligent children having a less accurate perception of reasons for inpatient stay to older/more intelligent children having one of greater accuracy. Children's satisfaction appeared related to outcome as measured by parental perception, but not scores on the Rutter's (1967) Child Behavioural Questionnaire. Parents' and children's views on several issues were incongruent, and it is suggested that this has significant implications for treatment.
Validity of the SF-12 Compared with the SF-36 Health Survey in Pilot Studies of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
Authors: Schofield Margot J. , Mishra Gita
Published: March 2007

This study assessed the relative validity of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36 and SF-12) for Australian women and compared norms for the independently administered and embedded SF- 12. Two samples of women in New South Wales were randomly selected from the Medicare database ( N = 3600). The sample was stratified into young (18 to 22 years), middle-aged (45 to 49 years) and older (70 to 74 years) women, and into women living in urban (40 percent), rural (30 percent) and remote (30 percent) areas. In study 3500 households were selected by random digit dial. The method was a mailout survey. SF-36 scale scores were similar to US norms. For the older group, health profiles of the independent and embedded SF- 12 differed. For the SF-36 and independently administered SF- 12, means differed in all three age groups. The SF-12 physical health scores discriminated between women with poor versus good physical health, and mental health scores discriminated between groups who were or were not psychologically distressed on GHQ-12. The SF- 36, relative to the SF-12, appears to be a more reliable measure for examining changes in health status over time and between groups.
Prospects for Reconstructing Aetiology
Authors: VAN HOOREBEECK BART
Published: March 2007

This article seeks to reorient sociological-criminological thinking on aetiology. As a first step, it is argued that, for this purpose, the concept of crime should be abandoned, as the theoretical basis for using the concept is unfounded. After that, it is claimed that it can be a fruitful approach to take a dispersed view of a wide diversity of phenomena be they denominated as crimes or not, as interesting analogies can be revealed in the constitution as well as experience of crimes and non-crimes. The approach suggested in this article seeks inspiration from social theory, general sociology and other domains, among which the sociologies of excitement and emotions are seen to be important. The revealing of analogies between criminalized and non-criminalized practices, as called for here, could form a counter-force to essentializing and ab/normalizing discourses on crime and deviance.
Abhorrence, Compassion and the Social Response to Suffering
Authors: Radley Alan
Published: March 2007

This article re-examines the question of ‘blaming the other’ and the stigmatization of the sick. It sets recent analyses of the stigmatization of illness within a cultural context (effectively North American) that has been concerned with the AIDS epidemic in particular. The article argues that this focus upon difference as an undesirable response to sickness in general has lead to the marginalization of expressive reactions to suffering. These responses, which raise different questions, include those of abhorrence and compassion, which the article argues have been historically central to the treatment of the sick within western societies. Using ideas drawn from research into charitable giving, the argument is made that abhorrence and compassion are necessary terms for understanding the various reactions of people to human suffering and misery. As a consequence, medical sociology needs to widen its focus from the ‘fragile selves’ who are assumed to populate a world in which exclusion and difference is paramount, to include ‘human frailty’ as a key feature of suffering, stigma and the care of the sick.
Queer Fears: Against the Cultural Turn
Authors: Edwards Tim
Published: March 2007

This article provides a strong critique of queer theory and politics and is intended to stimulate discussion of the wider cultural turn in the study of sexualities. There are three sections. The first considers definitions of queer theory and practice and criticizes the extent to which it marks a true break in lesbian and gay studies. The second provides a more detailed critique of the work of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Judith Butler. The third analyses the cultural politics which have developed alongside queer theory and raises serious concerns as to their potential for ending the oppression of sexual minorities. Comparisons are also made with earlier studies of sexuality and gender where appropriate.
Stambali: Dissociative Possession and Trance in a Tunisian Healing Dance
Authors: Somer Eli , Saadon Meir
Published: March 2007

This study investigated Stambali, a Tunisian trance-dance practiced in Israel as a healing and a demon exorcism ritual by Jewish-Tunisian immigrants. The authors observed the ritual and conducted semi-structured ethnographic interviews with key informants. Content analysis revealed that Stambali is practiced for prophylactic reasons (e.g. repelling the ‘evil eye’), for the promotion of personal well-being, and as a form of crisis intervention. Crisis was often construed by our informants as the punitive action of demons, and the ritual aimed at appeasing them. Communication with the possessing demons was facilitated through a kinetic trance induction, produced by an ascending tempo of rhythmic music and a corresponding increased speed of the participant’s movements of head and extremities. The experience was characterized by the emergence of dissociated eroticism and aggression, and terminated in a convulsive loss of consciousness. Stambali is discussed in terms of externalization and disowning of intrapsychic conflicts by oppressed women with few options for protest.
Cross-Cultural Validation of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in U.S. and Peruvian Populations
Authors: Loiselle Carmen G. , Cossette Sylvie
Published: March 2007

The cross-cultural relevance of alexithymia, a psychological construct related to emotional expressiveness, is explored through construct validation using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and two theoretically related concepts – patient self-disclosure (SD) and private selfconsciousness (PSC) – among English-speaking Americans ( N= 333) and Spanish-speaking Peruvians ( N= 228). In the American sample, the TAS-20 showed psychometric properties similar to those reported elsewhere with North American and European samples. However, with the Peruvian sample, the Spanish version of the TAS-20 had low internal consistency, low mean inter-item correlations and the original three-factor structure could not be duplicated. Semi-structured interviews with Peruvian informants ( n= 10) point to difficulties responding to negatively keyed items and low reliance on introspection when describing affective states. In light of these findings, issues related to translation adequacy, measurement error and cross-cultural equivalence in construct operationalization are discussed.
Structural Moves Reflected in English and Chinese Sales Letters
Authors: YUNXIA ZHU
Published: March 2007

Understanding differences in communication styles is becoming increasingly important in intercultural business communication as more and more countries are involved in doing business internationally and more and more people are doing business with mainland China. This article aims to compare the structural moves used in English and Chinese sales letters from social, intercultural and pragmatic perspectives. It has been argued that the study of text styles such as linearity and circularity in comparative rhetoric may not be sufficient to reflect the overall features of the genres involved. Therefore a holistic approach based on genre study and schema theory has been employed to explore the communicative purposes and various levels of the text. Hall's high- and low-context cultures and cross-cultural pragmatics have also been incorporated to enrich the genre approach. A corpus of 40 sales letters (20 in Chinese and 20 in English) was examined and it was found that Chinese sales letters share similar marketing strategies with English letters as the Chinese economy is becoming increasingly decentralized and privatized. Differences in communication patterns between these letters were identified, however, and shown to be largely due to a number of factors such as the specific values and beliefs of each culture and the different business practice in mainland China.
`I Take Full Responsibility, I Take Some Responsibility, I'll Take Half of it But No More Than That': Princess Diana and the Negotiation of Blame in the `Panorama' Interview
Authors: ABELL JACKIE , STOKOE ELIZABETH H.
Published: March 2007

The focus of this article is the conversational management of blaming and accountability. In particular, we explore how involved speakers routinely allocate and avoid blame in everyday talk. In considering such a problematic notion of social interaction, we analyse the BBC interview between Princess Diana and Martin Bashir that was aired on British national television on 20 November 1995. In the analysis, we consider how different discursive strategies are employed by speakers in ways that work up credible and authentic accounts. More specifically, we argue that Diana attributes blame to external `others' within a negotiated context of routine description of past events. Categories such as `the media', `the royal household' and `Charles' are constructed and made relevant throughout the interview and the analytic interest is what is accomplished rhetorically for both Diana and Bashir. Of further interest is the overall script design of the interview and how devices such as script formulation, stake management, footing shifts and progressive narrative function in the negotiation of blame. We conclude that `doing blaming' is attended to and managed locally by participants in conversation and this `doing' can be accomplished in a number of ways.
Social Relationships and Asperger's Syndrome
Authors: Jones Robert S.P. , Meldal Tor Ole
Published: March 2007

First-hand accounts of five people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who spoke about social relationships were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Four central themes were identified. These were an awareness of the difficulties in communication and comprehension, descriptions of attempts to `fit in' by trying to role-play at being non-autistic, the awareness of other people with Asperger's as a supportive community, and an awareness of the benefits of the Internet as a means to develop and maintain social relationships. Overall the analysis showed a high degree of awareness and insight into individual difficulties with social relationships, and highlighted other people with Asperger's as a source of friendship and support.
Involving People in the Analysis
Authors: Richardson Malcolm
Published: March 2007

A number of studies have pointed to the difficulty of involving people with learning difficulties in research data analysis. This article explores a range of methodological issues arising from a research project that involved a group of six people with learning difficulties in researching aspects of their own lives. The main results of that project are published elsewhere. This article examines how the participants were included in the process of data analysis and the researcher's role in developing the analysis with the participants' assistance. The importance of the researcher listening to participants, taking time to reflect with participants, recognizing the significance of apparent trivia, data interpretation and the value of silence are considered in detail.
`To Adapt or Not to Adapt'
Authors: Khilji Shaista E.
Published: March 2007

This study draws out evidence from 11 organizations, local as well as multinationals, in Pakistan to test the `culture-sensitive' view. A number of conclusions are drawn. First, the findings support this view; evidence shows enough similarities exist between local organizations and multinationals to indicate that the influences of the parent companies of multinationals are weakened by the national characteristics of the environments in which they operate. Second, it is pointed out that although some policies of multinationals may be the same as those found in their parent companies, the practices certainly are not, because of adaptation to local norms. It is therefore suggested that a distinction between police) and practice be made in an organizational analysis of this kind. Third, despite culture-sensitivity of HRIV practices, their impact on employees is similar to what has been previously documented by researchers in the UK and the USA. It is left to further studies to debate whether HRM outcomes can be termed as universal.
PERL — New Coated Fabrics Based on Polyolefins
Authors: Kooy M.G. , Santema J.C.M.
Published: March 2007

PVC-coated fabrics have a long history in industrial applications such as tarpaulins and sealing membranes. Because of the recent threat of the banning of PVC in many applications, Van Besouw began to develop a whole new generation of coated fabrics without PVC-P and plasticizer. The revolutionary combination of a umque extrusion coating technology and ordinary polyolefins led to a new range of products with a price/quality relation similar to the traditional PVC-coated fabrics. The most astonishing fact is that no concessions had to be made; in some cases it even led to better properties than the traditional PVC-P-coated fabrics owned.
Measuring Legislators' Policy Positions
Authors: Gross Donald A.
Published: March 2007

Numerous scholars have used roll-call votes to analyze legislative behavior and the impact of party and constituency on legislative behavior. It is argued in this article that roll-call votes provide an insufficient data base on which to determine the overall impact of party and constituency because they do not indicate a legislator's degree of support for legis lation. A number of findings presented support this argument. First, although legislative analyses often require the assumption that a legislator is indifferent between two pieces of legislation voted on in a similar manner, such an assumption appears theoretically and empirically unsound. Second, even though the scaling of roll-call votes implies legislators' preferences among the bills making up the scale, the preferences inferred from this scaling are not equivalent to legislators' stated preferences. Finally, policy positions estimated on the basis of roll-call votes are not equivalent to those estimated on the basis of legislators' stated preferences. The article concludes by analyzing how conclusions about party and constituency influence are modified by utilizing legislators' stated preferences among bills in lieu of roll-call votes to estimate policy positions.
Candidate Perceptions of Electoral Coalitions
Authors: Fowler Linda L.
Published: March 2007

Recent research results emphasize the role of congressional challengers in furthering the electoral success of incumbents. One factor in the seeming weakness of most challengers is their inability to forge a majority coalition because of a reliance on subjective information and a limited understanding of major groups in the district. Such constraints appear to be related to candidate recruitment, which attracts politically inexperienced individuals to contests dominated by an incumbent or a single party.
Racial Voting in a Biracial City
Authors: Sheffield James F. , Hadley Charles D.
Published: March 2007

In this analysis of three biracial 1982 New Orleans municipal run-off elections—mayor, civil sheriff, and district judge-we examine the relationship of race and class to political mobilization and vote choice, and racial bloc voting. We found the elections characterized by high voter turnout, low voter dropoff in subordinate elections, and bloc voting by both whites and blacks (but especially by blacks). Class was found relevant only in locating white support for black candidates. Furthermore, the data analyzed suggest the need to reexamine the impact of electoral institutions on electoral behavior.
The Determinants of Individuals' Campaign Contributions To Congressional Campaigns
Authors: Theilmann John , Wilhite A.L.
Published: March 2007

Using data obtained from the FEC, an exploratory empirical sketch of the determinants of individuals' contributions to congressional candidates for the 1980 and 1982 election cycles is constructed. There appear to be important differences between individual and institutional (PAC and party) campaign contributions. Individual contributions make up a much larger share of the challengers' finances than the incumbents' finances and because individual contributions require more time and effort to acquire, challengers face a cruel corollary to the incumbent advantage. Challengers have to work harder to receive less money. In addition, the data suggest individual contributors are not swayed by the race and sex of the candidate, which may not be true for institutional contributors. Finally, this work questions the validity of the classical assumption that challengers' fund-raising efforts are unaffected by the size of the incumbents' campaign chest.
Television News and Candidate Fortunes in Presidential Nomination Campaigns
Authors: Ross Marc Howard
Published: March 2007

This article examines how three potential effects of television news affect the public's perceptions of candidates. Data are used from the networks' nightly news coverage of each candidate during the 1984 Democratic primary campaign and from the National Election Study's 1984 Continuous Monitoring Survey. The analysis provides support for the existence of candidate-specific attention, horse race, and tone effects on (1) the mass public's assessment of a candidate's attractiveness, (2) people's willingness to vote for a candidate, and (3) judgments about a candidate's likelihood of garnering the nomination. Television coverage of candidates matters but in different ways and to different degrees across candidates. Finally, there is evidence for the power of strong indirect media effects, a testimony to the rapid diffusion of media messages into the wider political culture.
The Impact of Allowing Day of Registration Voting On Turnout in U.S. Elections From 1960 To 1992
Authors: Fenster Mark J.
Published: March 2007

In U.S. presidential elections, voter turnout dropped about 14% between 1960 and 1988. This drop in turnout has inspired many reform proposals to increase turnout. One such proposal allows voters to register on election day. Prior research has estimated the impact of day of registration voting using multivariate models with the individual as a unit of analysis; however, day of registration voting is no longer a hypothetical reform since it has been implemented in three states. A pre-post quasi-experimental design revealed that states changing their state laws to allow day of registration voting significantly increased their turnout compared to a control group of states that did not allow day of registration voting. The author estimated that a nationwide law allowing day of registration voting would increase turnout by 5%. The increased electoral participation found for day of registraton voting held for both presidential elections and midterm elections. However, the turnout increase for presidential elections was more stable across different elections than the turnout increase for midterm elections.
The Effect of Temperature, Light, Freeze—Thaw Cycling, and Package Material On the Flavor Stability of Frozen Pizza
Authors: Komolprasert V. , Stine C.M. , Harte B.R.
Published: March 2007

The effect of storage temperature, freeze-thaw cycling, exposure to display light, and packaging material and method on flavor stability of frozen pizzas was investigated. Pork sausage and pepperoni were removed from pizzas and evaluated monthly, for five months. The extent of lipid oxidation was estimated by thiobarbi turic acid (TBA) value and generally was correlated to results from sensory evalua tion. Storage at —7°C accelerated oxidation of pork sausage in comparison to storage at — 18°C while exposure to display light (200 foot candles-fluorescent light for eight hours) had no significant effect. Packaging pizza in a good oxygen barrier material (nylon/polyethylene laminate) and sealing under vacuum substantially improved sta bility of the pork sausage in comparison to pizzas packaged in a poor barrier material.
Thermoforming Simulation of Natural Fiber Filled Polyolefins
Authors: Igl Scott A. , Osswald Tim A.
Published: March 2007

Thermoformed natural fiber filled polyolefin composites are becoming increasingly important because of their combination of low cost, good formability and high strength-to-weight ratio. During thermoforming, ex truded sheets are stretched into a mold by either mechanical force or pressure/ vacuum. As the sheet stretches into the mold it thins. Hence, it is important to optimize the process in order to form an acceptable final part. Often, optimiza tion is an expensive and time-consuming trial-and-error process. However, with microcomputers, numerical simulation of the thermoforming process is becom ing increasingly accurate and powerful. In this study, a one-dimensional finite element simulation was developed to predict the thinning of axisymmetric and rectangular thermoformed parts. This simulation uses an empirical model de veloped from experimental data to represent the temperature-dependent stress-strain behavior of wood flour filled polypropylene. To predict sheet thin ning, the simulation solves the virtual work equation including normal, bend ing and shearing stresses in the sheet during stretching. To solve the governing equations, one-dimensional finite element theory is used. Based on the ex perimental results, an empirical model that represents the material behavior of wood flour filled polypropylene was developed. The simulation was compared to an analytical solution and experimentally measured thickness profiles. Also, the effects of non-isothermal heating and elastic versus elastic-plastic material behavior were studied and a part was optimized using the simulation.
IgM and IgA anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies induce anemia in a mouse model through multivalency-dependent hemagglutination but not through complement activation
Authors: Baudino Lucie , Fossati-Jimack Liliane , Chevalley Christelle , Martinez-Soria Eduardo , Shulman Marc J. , Izui Shozo
Published: February 2007

By generating IgM and IgA switch variants of the 34-3C IgG2a anti–red blood cell (RBC) autoantibody, we evaluated the pathogenic activity of these 2 isotypes in view of the Fc-associated effector functions (ie, complement activation and polyvalency-dependent agglutination). We found that polymeric forms of 34-3C IgM and IgA anti-RBC autoantibody were as pathogenic as IgG2a, which was the most pathogenic among 4 different IgG subclasses, whereas their monomeric variants completely lacked pathogenic effects. Histological examination showed that 34-3C IgM and IgA autoantibodies caused anemia as a result of multivalency-dependent hemaggultination and subsequent sequestration of RBC in the spleen, in contrast to Fc receptor– and complement receptor–mediated erythrophagocytosis by Kupffer cells with IgG isotypes. In addition, the development of anemia induced by IgM and IgA isotypes of 34-3C antibody and by 2 additional IgM anti-RBC monoclonal autoantibodies was not inhibited at all in C3-deficient mice, indicating the lack of involvement of complement activation in the pathogenesis of IgM- and IgA-induced anemia. Our data demonstrate a remarkably high pathogenic potential of polymeric forms of IgM and IgA anti-RBC autoantibodies due to their ability to induce hemagglutination but completely independent of complement activation.