bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nazis, Viewers and Statistics: Television History, Television Audience Research and Collective Memory in West Germany
Authors: Kansteiner Wulf
Published: September 2004

As the most important medium of memory, German television has refracted intellectual debates about the burden of the past and influenced the popular perception of nazism for generations of viewers since the 1960s. However, limited access to archives and intellectual prejudice have so far prevented a full appreciation of television’s role in the evolution of German collective memory. This article addresses this gap in the scholarship on contemporary Germany by taking a closer look at the historical coverage broadcast by the West German public television station ZDF between 1963 and 1993. In the course of our analysis the development of the contents of three decades of programming on the history of the Third Reich is linked to the available qualitative and quantitative television reception data for the same period. The evidence suggests that West German viewers were quite interested in the history of nazism and the second world war. With the exception of the mid-1970s there is no indication that the audience systematically avoided the historical coverage of the ZDF. But the data also indicates that this surprising willingness to engage with the burden of the past reflects significant changes in media content and political disposition. In the 1960s, television recycled the apologetic plot structures of West Germany’s postwar historical culture. As a result, the programmes all but ignored the Holocaust and provided a very schematic, self-serving image of the past for the benefit of viewers who had themselves experienced the Third Reich. In the 1980s a more complex and self-critical vision of the nazi past appeared on the screen and was appreciated by a more diverse audience, including a majority of viewers who shared no personal responsibility for the crimes of the regime. But even the improved programming of the 1980s for the most part avoided any direct confrontation with the perpetrators and bystanders of the ‘Final Solution’.
Communities of Remembrance: Making Auckland’s War Memorial Museum
Authors: Worthy Scott
Published: September 2004

This article examines the debates and controversies surrounding the construction of Auckland’s memorial to the Great War: the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The memorial, consisting of a cenotaph and roll of honour, became a vital focus point for remembrance activities, and the article considers both how Aucklanders participated in the construction of the memorial and then set about appropriating it. In both processes, communities of remembrance such as veterans, the bereaved and veterans’ organizations acted to enshrine their memories in stone. The result of this public activism was that the memorial was not an élite construction but one developed and approved by many Aucklanders.
Peace, War and Conflict: Social Representations Shared by Peace Activists and Non-Activists
Authors: Sarrica Muro , Contarello Alberta
Published: September 2004

The article suggests the use of social representations theory to provide a positive approach to peace research and a theoretical framework for understanding peace movements. Studying peace, war and conflict in this perspective enables exploration of these concepts as objects socially constructed, elaborated and shared by different groups. Four groups of activists are compared with people not belonging to any association, in order to investigate the existence of particular social representations of peace, war and conflict. As in previous cross-cultural research, an independent social representation of peace emerges only among activists. The social representation of war is also different in the two groups: non-activists see it as frightening, whereas activists see ways of tackling it. The greatest difference between the two groups is in the social representation of conflict. Conflict is assimilated to war for non-activists, whereas activists represent it as more manageable and normal. The results support the idea of understanding peace activism as a particular form of coping – community coping – based on the group as a whole, rather than on individual capacity to manage problems. At a theoretical level, the article discusses the importance of linking social representations to practice and group identification. At a practical level, it suggests that support for pacifism will be only transient and superficial until these underlying differences in representations can be changed.
Uncertainty of the Liberal Peace
Authors: Goenner Cullen F.
Published: September 2004

Variable selection is a crucial aspect of formulating a model to empirically examine data, as omitted variables can create spurious association, while inclusion of irrelevant variables can bias the results of one’s estimates. To mitigate such problems, researchers rely on theory to guide their selection of variables to include in their models. Unfortunately, in social science, there often exist several plausible theories to explain actions, and hence several models that researchers can use in their empirical work. This lack of unique theory is evident in examining trade’s effect on conflict, as there are three main theories on this and each suggests a different effect for trade interdependence on conflict. Empirically, the effect of trade on conflict remains uncertain, as researchers Barbieri and Oneal & Russett have come to disparate conclusions using different measures of trade interdependence (models). Each of their inferences is based on the belief that the variables they select form the ‘true’ model that generates the data. The problem is that theory is unable to indicate whether one model is more appropriate than another, which creates uncertainty over the empirical effects of trade on conflict. To account for uncertainty in model selection, the author allows for several models by applying Bayesian model averaging (BMA) to the study of conflict. Accounting for this uncertainty, he finds that trade interdependence does not have a significant effect on the prediction of militarized conflict, whereas joint democracy continues to reduce conflict.
The Impact of Fiscal and Monetary Policy Imbalances on the UK Economy
Authors: Barrell Ray , Riley Rebecca
Published: September 2004

Government expenditure has been rising rapidly as a proportion of GDP in recent years, and has risen from 39.5 per cent in 2002 to 40.9 per cent in 2003 and 2004 and is anticipated to rise to 41.5 per cent in 2005. Around two thirds of this increase in spending is projected to be on current consumption, whilst one third is on net investment. Between the first and the last of these fiscal years we project that the government deficit, as defined by Public Sector Net Borrowing, will have also increased by 1 per cent of GDP. During that period we expect that the output gap will have closed, and hence the deterioration in the public finances must be seen as a consequence of the policy actions of the Government and not as a result of the economic cycle. These policy actions will have contributed to the current unbalanced state of the economy, where we have strong growth and high government borrowing along with a poor and deteriorating current account.
European Integration and the Nationalities Question
Authors: Keating Michael
Published: September 2004

European integration questions the relationship between nation and state. It under-mines traditional sovereignty and weakens the need for statehood. Minority nationalist movements have in many cases adopted the European theme, adjusting their ideology and strategy accordingly. Some have used “new regionalist” themes to construct new systems of action below and beyond the state. Europe provides opportunities for territorial movements and grants some minority protections. There are differences between Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe because of the evolution of state structures. The prospective European constitution risks formalizing the European Union as a two-level game of states and the Union, with little room for regional and minority claims.
State Structures and Social Movement Strategies: The Shaping of Farm Labor Protections in California
Authors: Wells Miriam J. , Villarejo Don
Published: September 2004

This article aims to explain the declining efficacy of California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act over the past quarter century. It argues that the origins, terms, and outcomes of the Act emerged from an interplay between state and society: between the capacity of the state to initiate and implement social reform policy and the capacities of key social classes to tilt outcomes to their benefit. In contrast to both “state-centered” and “society-centered” views of the relationship among social classes, state structures, and public policies, an historical-institutional theoretical frame reveals that social forces and political institutions are reciprocally constitutive, and that policy outcomes emerge from their interaction. Whereas labor union decline and policy failure are usually attributed to shifts in the political climate, in this case shifts in class leverage effected by the strategic choices of the farm labor union movement were at certain points more influential.
ClusterSchedSim: A Unifying Simulation Framework for Cluster Scheduling Strategies
Authors: Zhang Yanyong , Sivasubramaniam Anand
Published: September 2004

As clusters are being deployed to support a wide range of parallel workloads, scheduling becomes a challenging research issue because these workloads exhibit diverse characteristics and impose varying quality-of-service requirements. Many scheduling strategies are thus proposed, each intended for a different application/system setting. Due to the lack of a uniform simulation platform, a significant amount of research effort is spent in building a unique simulator for each algorithm, which may lead to false conclusions. This article presents ClusterSchedSim, which is a unifying simulation frame-work of cluster scheduling strategies. The core of ClusterSchedSim includes the node model and an interconnect model. ClusterSchedSim has implemented variations of popular cluster scheduling schemes, and it is flexible enough to add on new schemes. Using ClusterSchedSim, one can conveniently compare different scheduling schemes, profile their executions, and understand the impact of different application and system configuration parameters.
GroupSim: A Collaborative Environment for Discrete Event Simulation Software Development for the World Wide Web
Authors: Filho Wladimir Araújo , Hirata Celso M. , Yano Edgar T.
Published: September 2004

The simulation process involves the collaboration of different participants, such as simulation analysts, programmers, statisticians, and users of the simulation software. Many simulation tasks such as modeling, verification, validation, and design for experimentation require the participants to meet. It is understood that these meetings are time-consuming and expensive. This paper proposes a collaborative environment to help with the tasks of discrete event simulation software development using the World Wide Web platform. The environment, named GroupSim, is based on a collaborative computer system and uses the concepts of distributed modeling with automatic program generation and distributed control of experimentation. The authors show some examples to illustrate the use of the environment and discuss some issues related to collaborative environments such as concurrency control, access control, awareness, and performance.
Peer-to-Peer-Based Resource Management in Support of HLA-Based Distributed Simulations
Authors: Eklöf Martin , Sparf Magnus , Moradi Farshad , Ayani Rassul
Published: September 2004

In recent years, the concept of peer-to-peer computing has gained renewed interest for sharing resources within and between organizations or individuals. This article describes a decentralized resource management system (DRMS) that uses a network of workstations for the execution and storage of high-level architecture (HLA) federations/federates in a peer-to-peer environment. The implementation of DRMS is based on the open-source project JXTA, which represents an attempt to standardize the peer-to-peer domain. DRMS is part of a Web-based simulation environment supporting collaborative design, development, and execution of HLA federations. This study evaluates the possibilities of using peer-to-peer technology for increasing the reuse and availability of simulation components within the defense modelling and simulation community. More specifically, it addresses the necessary adjustments of simulation components to conform to the requirements of the DRMS and shows that JXTA could provide the foundation for a distributed system that increases the possibilities for reusing simulation components.
Implementing Mathematics Reform in Urban Schools
Authors: Manouchehri Azita
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it aimed to determine whether the teachers’ choice of motivation style influenced their mathematics teaching. Second, it investigated the influence of teachers’ choice of motivation style on their willingness and ability to implement reform-based mathematics curriculum and instruction. Eight high school mathematics teachers fromthe two groups of autonomysupportive and controlling style of motivation were observed over the course of 5 months as they implemented a reform-based unit of instruction in geometry. All teachers worked in an urban school district. There were significant differences between the two groups of teachers relative to how they taught mathematics and interacted with students. Autonomy-supportive teachers’ behaviors were more compatible with current reform recommendations for mathematics teaching. Moreover, autonomy-supportive teachers were more willing to teach and more successful in implementing the reform-based unit of instruction in geometry. All teachers experienced difficulty creating a student-centered mathematics classroom.
Teacher Efficacy Ratings by African American and European American Preservice Teachers at a Historically Black University
Authors: Sorrells Audrey Mccray , Schaller James , Yang Nancy Kueifen
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine factor structures of a modified form of Gibson and Dembo’s Teacher Efficacy Scale with a combined total of 123 African American and European American preservice teachers at a historically Black university, test for differences between participants on teacher efficacy, and examine relationships among participant characteristics. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded three factors—ability, effort, and environment— with alpha coefficients of .80, .77, .70, and .76 for the total scale. African American participants scored statistically significantly higher than European American participants on the environment factor (t = 2.3,p = .02), but not for ability (t = 1.59,p = .11) or effort (t = –.86,p = .39). Recommendations for further research were also made.
Exclusivity, Exclusion, and Social Class in Urban Education Markets in the United Kingdom
Authors: Reay Diane
Published: September 2004

This article draws on two research studies conducted in London, UK, to problematize choice policies. It argues that, although in both the United States and the United Kingdom choice has often been promoted as a solution to social inequalities in urban schooling, evidence from the London data points to detrimental rather than positive effects. Educational choice practices can be seen to reinforce wider social processes of social exclusion in relation to both school and university choice, and the article argues for the need to balance getting the best for one’s own child with a commitment to a wider common good.
“The Walls Were Closing in, and We Were Trapped”
Authors: Kidd Sean A.
Published: September 2004

Semistructured interviews focusing on suicide were conducted with 80 street youth in agencies and on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Participants described their understandings of the phenomenon of suicide among street youth and the meanings suicide held for them. Qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed themes of worthlessness, loneliness, hopelessness, and most centrally the feeling of being “trapped” as forming the construct of suicide held by the participants. These idioms of distress were situated within the context of a street life that included social stigma and drug abuse.
‘Unnatural Selection’: Max Weber’s Concept of Auslese and His Criticism of the Reduction of Political Conflict to Economics
Authors: Breiner Peter
Published: September 2004

This article examines the meaning of the much neglected concept of selection ( Auslese) in Weber. It demonstrates that Weber is able to account for the way economic, domestic political, and international spheres interact with one another by showing how the principle of selection operates differently in each sphere of action. But it also shows that when these three principles interlock with each other, we get a more powerful account of the struggle of states for power and imperialism than when we rely merely on an economic account of political conflict. Weber’s approach reveals how parsimonious accounts of international relations, especially those that rely on micro-economic analogies, fail to capture these multiple dynamics.
Book-Ends
Authors: Rush Jane A. C.
Published: September 2004

In his Tableau de l’amour considéré dans l’estat du mariage Nicolas Venette devotes the last section of his medical text to questions of sexual dysfunction or sexual malformation and the socio-legal implications that ensued for the afflicted. Like book-ends, the bodies of the eunuch and the hermaphrodite display the visible signs of sexual deformity yet, in Venette’s view, these deformities, based largely on external and arbitrary signs, can be deceptive and should not prevent those who wish to marry or to take holy orders to do so. Rather than exclude from social discourse the sexually deficient, the non-productive couple and the impotent in general, Venette, through the spectacular plight of the eunuch and the hermaphrodite, makes a valiant attempt to moderate the powerful voices of church and state and bring into the social fold not only the severely deformed but all who suffer from sexual dysfunction and impotence.
Popular Culture in the Making of Anti-Imperialist and Nationalist Sentiments in Sichuan
Authors: Li Danke
Published: September 2004

Existing Western scholarship on the rights recovery movement in Sichuan mainly focuses on the role played by elites. This article argues that popular culture, in the form of folk stories, songs, and children’s primers, also contributed to that movement by shaping and expressing popular anti-imperialist attitudes. Its analysis of primers available in late Qing Sichuan and popular stories about the activities of foreigners prevalent in the early 1900s serves to reveal a rich local cultural milieu of time-nurtured anti-imperialist sentiment among common people, which broadly influenced local political action. The protests over the Jiangbei mining concession encompassed both elite and ordinary people, although each group understood the issue differently.
Perceived Needs of Educational Administrators for Student Services Offices in a Chinese Context
Authors: Dwyer Sonya Corbin , McNaughton Kathryn
Published: September 2004

Conditions in China today are calling for a more holistic approach to education. As a result of seminars held in Changchun, Jilin, senior administrators suggested the introduction of Student Services Offices in elementary schools. This study examined 19 action plans developed by educators in North East China which reveal their goals for these offices. Findings reflect literature on comprehensive guidance program models as support for students’ academic, career and personal/social needs. However, the educators’ perceived needs for the Student Services Offices also include assisting teachers with their personal and work issues. Implications for international research and suggestions for rethinking school counselling programs are offered.
Levels of Interpersonal Complementarity: A Simplex Representation
Authors: Tracey Terence J. G.
Published: September 2004

The relations among different measures of interpersonal behavior and complementarity across level were examined in one session of a sample of therapy dyads (N = 26) and in an interaction between college students (N = 108). Four levels of complementarity, trait, aggregate situation, behavioral interchanges, and behavioral interchanges with base rates removed were examined as they covaried among themselves and with interaction evaluations. The four levels of complementarity were found to be fit by a simplex structure, and this structure was related to interaction evaluation in both samples. The complementarity-evaluation relation was mediated by base-rate-corrected complementarity. Implications relative to the operationalization of complementarity are discussed.
Organization of Partner Knowledge: Relationship Outcomes and Longitudinal Change
Authors: Showers Carolin J. , Zeigler-Hill Virgil
Published: September 2004

This study examined the association between organization of knowledge about a romantic partner (partner structure) and relationship status (ongoing or ended) 1 year later. Ironically, partner structures that were associated with more positive feelings about one’s partner at Time 1 were associated with greater rates of breakup by Time 2. These results are interpreted in terms of the vulnerability of compartmentalized partner structures to shifts in the salience of negative beliefs and the hypothesized difficulty of maintaining integrative structures for an extended period of time. Change in partner structure during 1 year’s time was consistent with the predictions of the dynamic model that evaluative integration should increase when negative beliefs become salient. Such change (which may represent a transient shift) was associated with couples’ longevity when relationship conflict was low, supporting the view that integration reflects a struggle with negative attributes that may or may not be successful.
Work Intensification and Emotional Labour among UK University Lecturers: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Ogbonna Emmanuel , Harris Lloyd C.
Published: September 2004

Until the early 1980s relatively little research interest was devoted to the concept of emotional labour in organizational settings. Although it is now acknowledged that emotional labour is present at different hierarchical levels and among many occupational groups, no study has explored the issue of emotional labour in the context of work intensi.cation among professional groups. This article presents evidence derived from interviews with university lecturers to assess (1) the frequency and propensity of emotional labour and the extent to which emotional labour is increasingly becoming part of the work of university lecturers, (2) the extent to which such emotional labour is derived from the intensifying changes to the work environment of university lecturers, and (3) the positive and negative consequences of such emotional labour and work intensi.cation. The article .nds evidence of emotional labouring among university lecturers. It is argued that the increase in such emotional labouring is largely a result of the heightened intensi.cation of the academic labour process, which is exacerbated by the multiple and sometimes con.icting demands of various stakeholders. The effects of such emotional labour included both positive and negative consequences. These .ndings lead to a discussion of a series of implications and conclusions.
Vita Contemplativa
Authors: Starbuck William H.
Published: September 2004

Years ago, I believed that rationality could manufacture understanding. I lived in physical and social environments that were real and I wanted to understand the social realities. I wanted to create a genuine ‘behavioral science’ based on mathematical models, computer simulation, and systematic experiments. Various experiences over the years have challenged these beliefs. I discovered that rationality can not only be a deceptive tool but a potentially dangerous one, and I learned a few techniques to help me challenge my rational thought. I discovered that research .ndings have very low reliabilities, that some .elds make no discernible progress over many decades, and that societal cultures strongly in.uence researchers’ judgments about what constitutes useful knowledge. I saw that much that passes for research is merely random noise dressed up in pretentious language. Rather than realities, the social systems I was studying proved to be arbitrary categories created by observers or social conventions. I became an advocate for research that actively attempts to change situations rather than merely to observe what happens spontaneously.
Racism and Hypertension Among African Americans
Authors: Peters Rosalind M.
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of racism and blood pressure (BP). Participants were 162 urban African American adults. Measurements included the Racism and Life Experiences Scale, Krieger Racial Discrimination Questionnaire, State-Trait Personality Inventory (anxiety and depression), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and automated measures of BP. Correlational and multiple regression analyses were done to examine relationships among key variables,t tests and ANOVA tested group differences by age, gender, and racism category. There was a high prevalence of perceived racism, which was not associated with higher BP. The racism/BP relationship was moderated by age with significant age related differences noted. Older participants (40 years or older) experienced more distress from racism, more anger suppression, and higher BP but lower levels of stress emotions. The highest levels of BP were noted in older adults reporting the lowest level of perceived racism, raising the issue of “internalized oppression.”
9/11 in the Service of Corporate Rhetoric: Southwest Airlines’ 2001 Letter to Shareholders
Authors: Amernic Joel H. , Craig Russell J.
Published: September 2004

This article highlights the capacity for ideograph-like signs that are deeply embedded in cultural consciousness to be appropriated for the purpose of sustaining the rhetorical agendas of corporations. Focus is applied to the events of September 11, 2001, and to the use of the term 9/11 in the text of a letter to share-holders, signed by the corporate leaders of Southwest Airlines and published in that company’s annual report for 2001. We illustrate how corporate leaders appropriate symbolic representations of national life.
Still Committed After All These Years? Morale in the Modern-Day Probation Service
Authors: Farrow Kathryn
Published: September 2004

This article discusses research conducted in two probation service areas in the UK, which explores the extent to which experienced probation officers (POs), that is those with over 10 years experience, still feel committed to the probation service and its work with offenders. It became apparent that the POs interviewed for this research presented themselves as very demoralized and alienated. They remain committed to their work with offenders and also to colleagues, but not to the probation service as an organization. This is a small-scale study but if it is indicative of a wider malaise in the workforce, then the probation service can no longer rely on its experienced POs remaining committed and motivated, and this will have repercussions for the longer-term health and success of the organization. The aim of this article is to raise the issue of probation officer morale and promote discussion at all levels about the way the service needs to be managed, particularly in view of the advent of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
Supporting Desistance in Probation Practice: A Response to Maruna, Porter and Carvalho
Authors: McNeill Fergus
Published: September 2004

The author argues that a major challenge of Maruna, Porter and Carvalho’s paper and other work detailing similar research, lies not only in its questioning of how probation work should be undertaken, but also of how it should actually be conceived. In particular, he considers that this body of work undermines the correctionalist paradigm which often dominates current interpretations of effective practice.
The Selection and Control of Management Consultants by Small Business Clients
Authors: Bennett Robert J. , Smith Colin
Published: September 2004

Using the evidence of a large-scale survey of consultant assignments, selection is shown to depend chiefly on repeat business and referral from third parties. Traditional advertising and mailshots account for only 11% of selection, with the Internet and websites so far accounting for less than 1% of selection. Multinomial logit estimation demonstrates that selection depends chiefly on intensity, cost and duration of assignments, and is little influenced by the type of firm, type of consultant, or the field of the assignment. Where government intervention has occurred through Business Link, this chiefly influences selection by the availability of subsidy, not by accreditation of its consultants or the provision of information about consultant quality. The control of consultancy assignments is predominantly by contracts, and mostly by standard contracts. Even if personal contact and previous use of a consultant is important in selection, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exert close contract control over consultant costs and outputs. This confirms other studies that show that contracts often support rather than replace relationships of trust.
Targeted Consultancy Services as an Instrument for the Development of Remote SMEs
Authors: Schwartz Dafna , Bar-El Raphael
Published: September 2004

This article claims that traditional supply of public support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in remote locations fails to achieve its objective: it is not met by ‘hidden’ demand. An experiment was conducted in SMEs that did not use available consultancy programmes in three remote regions in the state of Ceara in Brazil: a consultant was sent to each of them on a diagnosis mission. The results indicate that there is a ‘hidden demand’, in the sense that most of the enterprises need consultancy, but do not apply for the available services, and that they are generally incorrect in their assessments of the problems they face and how the issues identified should be prioritized. After benefiting from short-term diagnostic consultancy, they are better able to evaluate problems and, consequently, use available professional consultancy services more efficiently.
Public Library Politics: The Ugandan Perspective
Authors: Ikoja-Odongo J. R.
Published: September 2004

Edited version of a paper presented at the World Library and Information Congress, 69th IFLA General Conference, Berlin, Germany, 1-8 August 2003. Provides a perspective on public library politics in Uganda. Reports the views of politicians, civil servants and library association leaders regarding the role of public library and information services in Uganda, especially in the decision making process in government and the democratic process in the country, and their contribution to economic development and policy priorities. Data was collected through literature review and a questionnaire survey. The historical development of the public library is included as background. Views resulting from the debate on public library services in the Ugandan parliament are included. Findings show the feelings of respondents on the importance of public library services and the problems affecting them. Recommendations provide a basis for public library development in the country.
The Making of Differences
Authors: Wieviorka Michel
Published: September 2004

Cultural differences are produced, and are not just the fruit of a process of reproduction. They are more or less connected to social inequalities or exclusion. They are not the contrary of modern individualism for several reasons: individuals may have a personal interest in choosing a collective identity. This interest may be instrumental or expressive and subjective.
Expected Shortest Paths for Landmark-Based Robot Navigation
Authors: Briggs Amy J. , Detweiler Carrick , Scharstein Daniel , Vandenberg-Rodes Alexander
Published: September 2004

In this paper we address the problem of planning reliable landmarkbased robot navigation strategies in the presence of significant sensor uncertainty. The navigation environments are modeled with directed weighted graphs in which edges can be traversed with given probabilities. To construct robust and efficient navigation plans, we compute “expected shortest paths” in such graphs. We formulate the expected shortest paths problem as a Markov decision process and provide two algorithms for its solution. We demonstrate the practicality of our approach using an extensive experimental analysis using graphs with varying sizes and parameters.
Decentralized Algorithms for Multi-Robot Manipulation via Caging
Authors: Pereira Guilherme A. S. , Campos Mario F. M. , Kumar Vijay
Published: September 2004

In this paper we address the problem of transporting objects with multiple mobile robots using the concept of “object closure”. In contrast to other manipulation techniques that are typically derived from form or force closure constraints, object closure requires the less stringent condition that the object be trapped or caged by the robots. Our basic goal in this paper is to develop decentralized control policies for a group of robots to move toward a goal position while maintaining a condition of object closure. We present experimental results that show polygonal mobile robots controlled using visual feedback, transporting a convex polygonal object in an obstacle free environment toward a prescribed goal.
Feedback Control Methods for Distributed Manipulation Systems that Involve Mechanical Contacts
Authors: Murphey T. D. , Burdick J. W.
Published: September 2004

In this paper we introduce feedback control methods for distributed manipulation systems thatmove objects via rolling and slipping point contacts. Because of the intermittent nature of these mechanical contacts, the governing mechanics of these systems are inherently nonsmooth. We first present a methodology to model these non-smooth mechanical effects in a manner that is tractable for non-smooth control analysis. Using these models, we show that when considerations of these non-smooth effects are taken into account, a class of traditional open-loop distributed manipulation control methods cannot stabilize objects near an equilibrium. However, stability can be achieved through the use of feedback, and we present non-smooth feedback laws with guaranteed stability properties. We then describe an experimental modular distributed manipulation test-bed upon which one can implement a variety of control schemes. Experiments with this test-bed confirm the validity of our control algorithms. Multimedia extensions include videos of these experiments.
Refusers, Dropouts, and Completers: Measuring Sex Offender Treatment Efficacy
Authors: Seager James A. , Jellicoe Debra , Dhaliwal Gurmeet K.
Published: September 2004

A sex offender program delivered in a medium-security prison followed 109 treatment completers and 37 noncompleters for 2 years after release. Noncompleters, those who refused treatment or dropped out, had 6 times the rate of sexual and violent reoffending relative to completers. Among those who completed the program, however, positive evaluations of treatment change, such as quality of disclosure and enhanced victim empathy, found in posttreatment assessments did not correlate with recidivism. Furthermore, completers did not differ in their rates of recidivism from pretreatment rates predicted by the Static 99, an actuarial measure of anticipated sexual and violent recidivism. We conclude that the programdid not influence propensities for sexual and violent recidivism but rather served as a prolonged screening instrument for sex offenders whose failure to comply with treatment attendance predicted higher rates of recidivism.
The Living Arrangements of African American and Immigrant Children, 1880-2000
Authors: Tolnay Stewart E.
Published: September 2004

Using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), the author compares the living arrangements of African American and immigrant children from 1880 through 2000. African American children were less likely than foreign-born white children to live with two parents throughout this protracted period, with the gap widening sharply after 1960. African Americans and the small group of nonwhite immigrants exhibited roughly similar family patterns before 1960. That difference also increased during later decades as both foreign-born Asian and foreign-born black children were more likely than African Americans to reside with two parents. Immigrant children from virtually all nationalities were more likely than black children to live with two parents. Over time, widowhood declined as a cause of paternal absence for all groups, and the influence of marital disruption increased. Nonmarital motherhood increased markedly as a cause of mother-only families for blacks after 1960.
Redefining Kinship: Exploring Boundaries of Relatedness in Late Medieval New Romney
Authors: Bowdon Lynne
Published: September 2004

This article employs anthropological theory to revisit historical approaches to the study of social relations—not solely in terms of family, kinship, and household but within the whole range of interactions that make up people’s lives. It focuses on the affective and reciprocal nature of relationships: encompassing notions of symbolic capital and reciprocal values to highlight distinctions between discourse and practice within inheritance strategies. Using testamentary material for the small Cinque Port town of New Romney during the late medieval period, it utilizes a single case study. By adopting the concepts of micro-history, it explores, qualitatively, the cultural construction of identity and thus seeks to gain a more informed understanding of the complexities of relatedness.
Problem Identification and Care Plan Responses in a Home and Community-Based Services Program
Authors: Diwan Sadhna , Shugarman Lisa R. , Fries Brant E.
Published: September 2004

This study examines how case managers identify and respond to home care client needs through chart reviews of 169 randomly selected clients in a homecare program. Algorithms from the Minimum Data Set for Home Care to identify client needs were applied to the existing data to determine whether a potential problem existed in any of 23 broad categories of need. The authors also determine whether these problems were noted by the case manager and identify various types of responses made in the care plan. Compared to the range of problems identified with the algorithms, case managers were more likely to note functional and mental health problems than clinical health problems. Some problem categories (e.g., functional performance and brittle support) almost always received a response, whereas others (e.g., sensory performance, mental health, and some clinical problems) remained unmet even when the problem was noted. Implications for training case managers and resource development in the community are discussed.
Symposium
Authors: Naff Katherine C. , Newman Meredith A.
Published: September 2004

In this post–September 11, 2001 era, it can be argued that civil service reform has increasingly taken on a sense of urgency. By any measure, the current reforms in process at the federal level are unprecedented. A number of federal agencies under pressure to improve performance have been allowed to depart from traditional personnel management practices. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are the most recent examples of agencies exempted from Title 5 provisions, with the concomitant authority to develop human resource systems that are both “contemporary” and “flexible.” Exceptions to pay and other provisions of the 1949 Classification Act are under way, and pay-for-performance is gaining ground. Management challenges abound across the federal government, not least in the Department of Homeland Security. This symposium, titled “ Federal Civil Service Reform: Another Legacy of 9/11?” presents an opportunity to examine path-breaking human resource reform from both theoretical and applied perspectives.
The Importance of De Facto Decentralization in Primary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa PTAs and Local Accountability in Uganda
Authors: Dauda Carol L.
Published: September 2004

In the past two decades, cash-strapped countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have been unable to provide even rudimentary primary education systems. User fees for primary education have become common, as has the intervention of parent-teacher associations (PTAs), which requires further fees. A look at the relationship between PTAs and local government in Jinja, Uganda, demonstrates that the de facto decentralization of the provision of primary education to PTAs provides an opportunity for building political accountability; when parents bring resources to the table, governments must share resources and responsibility and relationships of accountability emerge. These relationships are threatened by the new universal primary education (UPE) policy for which Uganda has few resources and little accountability. Current UNESCO initiatives for establishing UPE in Sub-Saharan Africa call for participation and accountability but may ignore the potential for accountability and improvement through partnerships between governments and PTAs.
Capturing the Public Interest
Authors: Alexander Ernest R.
Published: September 2004

Following Calavita and Krumholz’s answers to conservative attacks on planning, this commentary offers another way to promote planning in public discourse. Transaction cost theory (TCT) debunks the “planning versus markets” dichotomy, relieving planning advocates from claiming the need for public intervention, an argument that encounters frequent skepticism. TCT makes the case for planning in three ways: (1) rejecting generalizations, it focuses debate on specific cases; (2) breaking the link between planning and government, it disarms conservative critics; (3) it provides an authoritative theoretical base for answering neoliberal attacks on public planning. Convincing people that planning (not only as public intervention) is necessary and enhances their welfare is an argument that can be won.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Molecular Pathogenesis and Implications for Classification
Authors: Cummings Jeffrey L.
Published: September 2004

Dementia with Lewy bodies results from the accumulation from Lewy-type pathology (Lewy bodies, Lewy neurites), secondary cellular injury, and apoptotic neurodegeneration. The severity of dementia correlates with the abundance of Lewy bodies in the cortex. Dementia with Lewy bodies co-occurs with 2 specific syndromes, one beginning with dementia complicated by visual hallucinations and parkinsonism; the other beginning with Parkinson’s disease and progressing to a parkinsonian-dementia syndrome. Clinical syndromes associated with these 2 pathways to dementia share many clinical features including the type of cognitive impairment, fluctuating attentional disturbances, prominent visual hallucinations and psychosis, depression, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Lewy pathology results from protein misfolding and the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the cell cytoplasm. Dementia with Lewy bodies is one of many neurodegenerative disorders linked to protein misfolding. Identification of clinical symptoms indicative of the presence of a specific protein disturbance will assist in choosing therapies when protein-specific disease-modifying treatments are available. Classification systems based on symptom complexes related to the presence of protein misfolding will assist therapeutic decisions. ( J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2004; 17:112-119)
Influence of Gradual Interphase on Overall Elastic and Viscoelastic Properties of Particulate Composites
Authors: Xun Fei , Hu Gengkai , Huang Zhuping
Published: September 2004

The overall elastic and viscoelastic properties of particulate composites with graded interphase have been analyzed analytically. The localization relation for a coated particle with a graded interphase in the radial direction has been firstly derived, and the effective elastic moduli of such composites are then estimated by the mean field theory and generalized self-consistent method respectively. The effective storage and loss moduli of the composite are also determined through the dynamic correspondence principle. The results show that the nature of the interphase (soft and hard) can have important influence on the prediction for effective elastic and viscoelastic properties of the composite, especially for a soft graded interphase, the predictions based on a uniform interphase model overestimates largely the effective elastic and viscoelastic moduli of the composite.
An Intricate Triangle— Religiosity, Volunteering, and Social Capital: The European Perspective, the Case of Finland
Authors: Yeung Anne Birgitta
Published: September 2004

Although previous literature has dealt with religiosity, voluntarism, and social capital from several angles, only a few empirical studies have focused on this tri-dimensional linkage. This research aims to add to the literature by including various forms of religiosity and social capital. Using survey data (N = 1,038), this article investigates four volunteer groups (church volunteers, volunteers in both church and other contexts, non-church volunteers, nonvolunteers) and answers three questions: How do their sociodemographic and religious backgrounds differ, how does religiosity affect the probability of belonging to these groups, and how do these groups differ in regard to their social capital? The article indicates that religiosity affects choosing between the four volunteer groups and that these groups maintain different kinds of social capital.
Pidgin and Code-Switching: Linguistic Identity and Multicultural Consciousness in Maxine Hong Kingston’s Tripmaster Monkey
Authors: Li Juan
Published: September 2004

A recurring theme in Maxine Hong Kingston’s works is the search for a linguistic identity of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, and this theme receives the fullest treatment in her fourth book, Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book (1987). In representing the social, cultural and linguistic reality for the Chinese American community living in the multicultural United States, Kingston’s fundamental strategy is to use pidgin expressions and code-switching in the characters’ speech to present a truthful picture of languages used in the Chinese American community. A close analysis of the patterns and functions of pidgins in Tripmaster Monkey reveals that while Kingston records actual linguistic features of Chinese Immigrants’ Pidgin English (CIPE) in dialogue to preserve the linguistic individuality and identity of the Chinese American community, she draws on stereotypical features of the past Chinese Pidgin English (CPE) to combat negative stereotypes of Chinese Americans’ languages. Furthermore, Kingston uses code-switching in the characters’ speech to reinscribe her multicultural consciousness into her writing. This article examines the thematic significance of pidgin expressions and code-switched utterances in the characters’ speech in Tripmaster Monkey.