Search

The US Botanical Capacity Assessment Project (BCAP) was initiated as a first step to gauge the nation's collective ability to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The project, in which the authors of this article are involved, specifically aimed to identify multisector contributions to and gaps in botanical capacity in order to develop growth opportunities to address research and management problems. One of the primary gaps revealed by the BCAP surveys was that the skills graduate students identified as their greatest strengths closely matched the areas future employers (government and private sectors) identified as needing greatest improvement. Although our survey focused on only one discipline (botany), we suspect that the results are applicable throughout the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. We suggest that it is critical for university faculty and administrators to team with professionals from government, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations to identify critical and desired knowledge and skill sets and implement the necessary curriculum changes to provide graduates with the tools they need.

This article presents the author's critique of "Students' Right to Their Own Language" (SRTOL), a resolution affirming the legitimacy of dialect from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). "Students' Right to Their Own Language" remains the official position statement of the guild of college compositionists on dialect difference, lionized to this day as a first principle of "liberatory" English teaching. The sound, kind impulse behind SRTOL was to support the aspirations of poor, nonwhite, and culturally marginalized students. The document itself, however, offered underachievement and provincialism to the students it purported to serve. Even its advocates concede that SRTOL reads as committee prose with the different hands not smoothly blended, but no one has said firmly enough, or demonstrated patiently enough, how little sense SRTOL makes. The author's critique develops six points, all with wide-ranging importance for English education, and more generally for U.S. education, today. STROL (1) never begins to examine a "right" to one's own language; (2) offers no consistent view on the importance of dialect; (3) wildly overrates its "sophisticated" knowledge in sociology and linguistics; (4) both draws on and feeds into a reactionary politics of ethnic-cultural chauvinism; (5) clumps people into homogeneous, internally undifferentiated groups, missing individuals (in particular, individual student-writers) entirely; and (6) tries to shame English teachers for professional work of which one should be proud. Here, the author shows that SRTOL is a shameful piece of work whose ongoing endorsement warps and stains language education in the United States.

A nursing course connected U.S. and Swedish sites via interactive videoconferencing and used reflective methods (journaling, drama, photo language) and off-air group discussion. Evaluation by five Swedish and seven U.S. students suggested how reflection moved students toward greater authenticity and professionalism in nursing practice. (Contains 42 references.) (SK)

It is impossible to talk about race in international relations (IR) without acknowledging the early and groundbreaking intervention of a couple of special issues, followed by conversation-changing book anthologies. Despite these contributions, mainstream IR continues to marginalize the valuable work of non-white institutions and people, while minimizing the role of race and racism in the discipline. In the wake of a historic racial uprising in the United States (and globally) during the summer of 2020, IR scholars returned to critical discussions of race and racism in the contemporary moment. Although the current conversations on race in IR are crucial for directing the field toward a more generative path, there is still work to be done. Many of the existing formulations of race orient the concept around the somatic. The overreliance on the body as an indication of race can obscure how race as a set of dispossessing structures supported and reproduced through a variety of agents and mechanisms can be discerned through other means. Body-centric conceptualizations of race are also typically divorced from their origins at the root of capitalism, in favor of more US-centric renderings of race as identity. The contributors to this forum think through race as the concomitant othering and rank-ordering of groups that translates into material conditions. We illustrate how race as a material–spatial–temporal relation of power exposes the limits of race as merely phenotype or culture. Through our examination of race in this light, issues of gender effortlessly emerge alongside the study of race. As such, we demonstrate how a re-reading of IR with this formulation of race as its central tenet offers a more generative avenue for explorations of class, gender, security, and power, writ large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To present 6‐month safety and effectiveness data from a multicentre prospective study of aquablation in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) attributable to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with prostate volumes between 80 and 150 mL. Methods: Between September and December 2017, 101 men with LUTSattributable to BPHwere prospectively enrolled at 16 centres in Canada and the USA. Results: The mean prostate volume was 107 mL. The mean length of hospital stay after the aquablation procedure was 1.6 days (range: same day to 6 days). The primary safety endpoint (Clavien–Dindo grade 2 or higher or any grade 1 event resulting in persistent disability) at 3 months occurred in 45.5% of men, which met the study design goal of < 65% (P < 0.001). At 6 months, 22% of the patients had experienced a Clavien–Dindo grade 2, 14% a grade 3 and 5% a grade 4 adverse event. Bleeding complications requiring intervention and/or transfusion were recorded in eight patients prior to discharge and in six patients after discharge. The mean International Prostate Symptom Score improved from 23.2 ± 6.3 at baseline to 6.7 ± 5.1 at 3 months, meeting the study's primary efficacy endpoint goal (P < 0.001). The maximum urinary flow rate increased from 8.7 to 18.8 mL/s (P < 0.001) and post‐void residual urine volume decreased from 131 at baseline to 47 at 6 months (P < 0.0001). At 6 months, prostate‐specific antigen concentration reduced from 7.1 ± 5.9 ng/mL at baseline to 4.0 ± 3.9 ng/mL, a 44% reduction. Conclusions: Aquablation is safe and effective in treating men with larger prostates (80–150 mL), without significant increase in procedure or resection time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Surgical options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) become limited when treating large prostates due to steep learning curves and less effective treatment. Aquablation (AquaBeam System, PROCEPT BioRobotics, Inc., USA) could remedy this. We compare the effectiveness of Aquablation in large prostates between 80 cc and 100 cc and very large prostates > 100 cc. Methods: WATER II (NCT03123250) is a prospective, multicenter, international clinical trial of Aquablation for the surgical treatment of LUTS/BPH in men of age 45–80 years with prostates between 80 cc and 150 cc. Aquablation was performed using the AquaBeam System. The reported analysis compares the subgroup of patients with a baseline prostate size of < 100 cc versus those with a prostate size of > 100 cc. Students' t test was used for continuous variables and Fisher's test for ordinal/binary variables. Results: Of 114 screened patients, 101 meeting eligibility criteria were enrolled at 13 US and 3 Canadian sites between September and December 2017. Mean operative time was 31.2 ± 8 min in the < 100 cc subgroup and 41.7 ± 14.9 min in the > 100 cc subgroup. The average length of stay following the procedure for the < 100 cc subgroup was 1.5 ± 0.7 days versus 1.7 ± 1.1 days for the > 100 cc subgroup. Mean changes in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS quality of life, and IPSS voiding and storage subscores were substantial, occurring soon after treatment and averaging (at 3 months) 16.5, 2.8, 10.6, and 5.8 points, respectively (all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Aquablation clinically normalizes outcomes between patients of the < 100 cc and > 100 cc prostate cohorts. It is safe and effective in patients with large prostate glands (> 100 cc) with a smoother learning curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Robotically assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has become the most frequently used surgical approach for patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa). Previous studies reported higher total hospital charges (THCs) for RARP than open RP (ORP). We hypothesized that based on increasing RARP surgical expertise, differences in THCs between RARP and ORP should have decreased or even disappeared in the United States in most contemporary years. Patients and methods: Within the National Inpatient Sample database (2008–2015), we identified patients who underwent RARP or ORP. Multivariable linear regression models with adjustment for clustering were used to test for differences in THCs. Subgroup analyses focused on geographical regions, defined as West, Midwest, South and Northeast. Results: Of 83,693 RP patients, 51,363 (61.4%) underwent RARP. RARP rates increased from 13.1 to 81.5% (p = 0.04). Overall, median THCs were $11,898 vs. $10,162 (p < 0.001) for RARP vs. ORP, respectively. After adjustment for complications, length of stay and clustering, RARP was associated with higher THCs ($3124 more for each RARP, p < 0.001). Additional charges for RARP did not change over time (p = 0.3). However, additional charges for RARP were highest in the West ($4610, p < 0.001), followed by the Midwest ($3278, p < 0.001), the South ($2906, p < 0.001) and the Northeast ($2216, p < 0.001). Conclusion: RARP rates have increased exponentially from 13.1 to over 80%. Similar rates were identified across all four geographical regions. RARP THCs exceeded those of ORP. Finally, important regional differences in RARP THCs were identified and persisted even after most detailed adjustment for population differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a theoretical framework to explain climate skeptics’ persuasive discursive strategies against anthropogenic global warming. By combining Bourdieu’s notions of political and social fields with discursive articulation the framework explains skeptics’ strategies to politicise climate change, generate debate, and delay political action. To illustrate the framework, we analyze publications of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, an internationally influential organization with strong links to U.S. conservative think tanks. Findings demonstrate strategies for polarization along lines of Left versus Right ideologies by linking climate change issues to prominent social discourses, thus garnering public support and delaying policy action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to varying clinical definitions of lower urinary tract symptoms, it has been difficult to determine comparable prevalence and incidence rates of lower urinary tract symptoms and their treatment modalities. We assessed the incidence of emergency department visits in men with lower urinary tract symptoms who presented to emergency departments in the United States and factors associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization. Materials and Methods: Emergency department visits from 2006 to 2009 associated with a primary diagnosis of lower urinary tract symptoms using established criteria were abstracted from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Age adjusted incidence rates of emergency department visits and charges were calculated. We performed multivariable analysis to examine patient and hospital characteristics of those hospitalized and those with benign prostatic hyperplasia related adverse events. Results: A weighted estimate of 1,178,423 emergency department visits for lower urinary tract symptoms was recorded with a national incidence of 197.6/100,000 males per year. A total of 112,288 visits (9.5%) resulted in hospitalization. Adverse events were identified in 734,269 patients (62.3%). The most common adverse events were catheterization in 44.6% of cases, infection in 17.4%, hematuria in 9.6%, bladder stones in 1.7%, hydronephrosis in 1.2% and acute renal failure in 0.1%. On multivariable analysis independent predictors of hospital admission included comorbidities, socioeconomic status, hospital characteristics and adverse events such as sepsis, acute renal failure and hydronephrosis. Independent predictors of adverse events included patient age, year of visit, socioeconomic status, hospital characteristics and concomitant neurological disease. In 2009 total emergency department charges for lower urinary tract symptoms were $494,981,922. Conclusions: The number of men with lower urinary tract symptoms who visit the emergency department has remained stable, while emergency department charges have increased by 40%. The rate of adverse events increased during the study period. These findings might suggest over reliance on medical and conservative therapy in the contemporary era. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Priapism is a complex medical emergency that often requires prompt management. In this study, we examine the incidence of this condition in a United States population based setting, and assess patient and emergency department attributes associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization. Materials and Methods: Emergency department visits with a primary diagnosis of priapism between 2006 and 2009 were abstracted from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed of patient and hospital characteristics of those admitted with priapism. Results: Between 2006 and 2009 a weighted estimate of 32,462 visits to the emergency department for priapism was recorded in the United States, which represents a national incidence of 5.34 per 100,000 male subjects per year. The incidence of emergency department visits increased by 31.4% during the summer compared to the winter months. Overall 4,320 visits (13.3%) resulted in hospitalization/admission for further management. On multivariable analyses independent predictors of admission included Charlson comorbidity index score 3 or greater (OR 5.67, p <0.001), insurance status (Medicaid vs private OR 1.60, p = 0.001), hospital location (rural vs urban nonteaching OR 0.32, p <0.001), median ZIP code income (very high OR 0.65, p = 0.005), emergency department volume (very high vs very low OR 1.61, p = 0.004), sickle cell disease (OR 2.22, p <0.001) and drug abuse (OR 5.47, p <0.001). Conclusions: Emergency department visits for priapism are relatively uncommon and occur more frequently during the summer months. The majority of patients are treated and released expediently. Predictors of hospital admission included comorbidity profile, insurance, hospital location and emergency department volume. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. We investigated whether depressive symptoms and antidepressant use are associated with biomarkers for glucose dysregulation and inflammation, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. Methods. Postmenopausal women were recruited into the Women's Health Initiative from 1993 to 1998, and data were collected at regular intervals through 2005. We used multiple linear regression models to examine whether depressive symptoms and antidepressant use are associated with BMI, waist circumference, and biomarkers. Results. Analysis of data from 71 809 women who completed all relevant baseline and year 3 assessments showed that both elevated depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were significantly associated with higher BMI and waist circumference. Among 1950 women, elevated depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased insulin levels and measures of insulin resistance. Analyses of baseline data from 2242 women showed that both elevated depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were associated with higher C-reactive protein levels. Conclusions. Monitoring body habitus and other biomarkers among women with elevated depression symptoms or taking antidepressant medication may be prudent to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reviews the economic literature relating to aviation safety; analyzes the safety record of commercial passenger aviation in the United States and abroad; examines aviation security as a growing dimension of aviation safety; and identifies emerging issues in airline safety and challenges for aviation safety research. Commercial airline safety has improved dramatically since the industry''s birth over a century ago. Fatal accident rates for large scheduled jet airlines have fallen to the level where (along many dimensions) aviation is now the safest mode of commercial transportation. However, safety performance has not been evenly distributed across all segments of commercial aviation, nor among all countries and regions of the world. The finding that developing countries have much poorer safety records has been a persistent conclusion in aviation safety research and continues to be the case. Unfortunately, operations data are not available for many of the airlines that experience fatal accidents, so it is not possible to calculate reliable fatality rates for many segments of the worldwide aviation industry. Without more complete information, it will likely be difficult to make substantial improvements in the safety of these operations. Challenges to improving aviation security include: how much to focus on identifying the terrorists as opposed to identifying the tools they might use; determining how to respond to terrorist threats; and determining the public versus private roles in providing aviation security. The next generation of safety challenges now require development and understanding of new forms of data to improve safety in other segments of commercial aviation, and moving from a reactive, incident-based approach toward a more proactive, predictive and systems-based approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Food manufacturers have an incentive to include nutrient content claims, health claims, or other types of labeling statements on foods if they believe that consumers will be willing to pay more for products with specific attributes. We estimated semi-log hedonic price regressions for five breakfast bar and cereal product categories using Nielsen Scantrack scanner data for 2004 and found that labeling statements for these foods are often associated with substantially higher prices, reflecting higher implicit value to consumers. The largest effects were associated with “carb-conscious” carbohydrate labeling (reflecting the time period of the data), followed by fat and sugar content labeling statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Petersen's final article for his "Public Money" column in Governing magazine focused on Stockton, California's debt problems and their long-term implications for employees, retirees, bondholders, and citizens. John pointed out that at their core, Stockton's problems resulted from the city's inability to pay both its pension contributions and debt service, resulting in bondholders jockeying for position along with active employees and retirees. He also noted that a key issue raised by Stockton is whether pension benefits and required contributions are constitutionally protected in bankruptcy. This article examines the Stockton and San Bernardino bankruptcies, as well as the recent changes to public pension benefits and the resulting legal challenges in order to better understand the scope of the changes and the strength of the legal protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ifo Schnelldienst is the property of ifo Institute for Economic Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Changes in the mortgage industry have been swiftly effected over the past few years. Many of the changes have come about as a response to the high level of observed delinquencies and defaults on residential mortgages as house prices plummeted, and others have evolved from continuing concerns about the treatment of borrowers during the mortgage origination process. The segmented mortgage industry of the early part of the decade, with loans being originated in the prime, subprime and government mortgage sectors, has been largely replaced with a bifurcated system. By year end 2010, the FHA/VA (government sector) combined with the conventional, conforming market share of originations was 90.8 %. In this paper, we examine some of the observed trends and changes in the types and levels of broker compensation that existed before the regulatory change that brought about the implementation of the Federal Reserve Board's (FRB) new loan officer compensation rule. Among other questions, we examine the variance in broker compensation across geographies, across lenders, across borrower types, and across loan products. The intent of this ex post analysis is to provide an understanding of the potential impacts of the declining broker industry on both access to mortgage loans and on the pricing of mortgage originations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Type - Therapy (cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? While cytoreductive nephrectomy is associated with a survival benefit in the context of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, the rates of morbidity and perioperative mortality remain non-negligible. For example, perioperative mortality may be as high as 21% in elderly patients. The study shows that perioperative death amongst the elderly was substantially lower than what was previously reported from a single institutional report. Nonetheless, postoperative adverse outcomes were non-negligible in elderly patients relative to their younger counterparts. In consequence, these rates should be discussed at informed consent and a rigorous patient selection remains essential. OBJECTIVE To examine the rate of perioperative mortality (PM), and other adverse outcomes in 'elderly' patients treated with cytoreductive nephrectomy (CNT)., MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients who underwent CNT for metastatic renal cell carcinoma were abstracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1998-2007). 'Elderly' was defined as ≥75 years, according to previous definition., Endpoints consisted of PM, intraoperative and postoperative complications, blood transfusions and length of stay., We adjusted for the effect of elderly status within five separate logistic regression models. Covariates consisted of comorbidity, race, gender, year of surgery and hospital region., RESULTS Overall, CNT was performed in 504 (15.3%) elderly patients and in 2796 (84.7%) 'younger' patients (<75 years)., The rate of PM was 4.8% in elderly patients vs 1.9% in the younger patients ( P < 0.001). Similarly, the rates of blood transfusions (29.8 vs 21.5%), postoperative complications (27.8 vs 22.8%), and prolonged length of stay (≥8 days) were higher in the elderly (45.0 vs 32.0%; all P < 0.001)., In multivariable analyses, elderly patients were 2.2-, 1.5-, and 1.6fold more likely to experience PM, to receive a blood transfusion and to be hospitalized ≥8 days than the younger patients., CONCLUSIONS Although the rate of PM was substantially lower than 21%, elderly patients are significantly more likely to die after this type of surgery, to receive a transfusion, and to experience a prolonged length of stay., These facts and figures should be discussed at informed consent and a rigorous patient selection is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the politics in the designation of judges with respect to the justice system in the U.S. and the laws regarding the civil rights that are passed by the Congress of the country. The decisions on the civil rights issued by the Supreme Court and the federal courts of the U.S. are based on the laws passed by the Congress. Information on the designation of the judicial employees that includes the judges with respect to the common law of the U.S. is also presented.

The article discusses the impact of British Petroleum (BP) oil spill in 201 to the gross domestic product (GDP) in the U.S. It states that the economic activity generated by cleanup initiatives will likely outperform losses to fishing or tourism, according to J.P. Morgan representatives. It says that the GDP boost with the depreciation of machinery and the extraction of finite coal deposits while overlooking the extent in which youth are education and entrepreneurship are cultivated.

The article focuses on the Generation Z in the U.S. considered as a new generation of graduate Students. It mentions the Generation Z is considered as internet savvy and internet reliant which adopts hybrid learning. It also mentions the role of online tools in blended courses in enhancing student engagement and enable all students to benefit from collaborative learning and online component of blended learning links students to the World Wide Web.

Scholars of judicial politics have long speculated that the factors influencing judicial decision making operate to varying degrees at different levels of the judicial hierarchy. We investigate what we term the "hierarchy postulate": that the effect of judges' policy preferences on their decisions increases as one moves up the judicial hierarchy. Using original data on cases decided at each level of U.S. federal courts, which allow us to evaluate the impact of policy preferences on judicial decision making while holding constant the influence of case-specific factors, we find robust support for the contention that ideological and policy-related influences on federal judges' decisions are larger at higher levels of the judicial hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing work on the U.S. separation of powers typically views the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of constitutional and statutory disputes. By contrast, much comparative work explicitly recognizes the role of executives in enforcing and implementing court decisions. Drawing on that work, this study relaxes the assumption that executives must comply with Supreme Court rulings, and instead allows the propensity for executive compliance to depend upon indirect enforcement by the public. We develop a simple model of Supreme Court decision making in the presence of executive discretion over compliance and demonstrate that such discretion can restrict substantially the Court's decision making. Using data collected for the Warren and Burger courts, we find evidence consistent with the argument that the Supreme Court's ability to constrain executive discretion depends critically upon the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the U.S. Clean Air Act's (CAA) New Source Review's (NSR) constituent regulatory scheme, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), which applies in geographic regions with relatively clean air. The U.S. Congress enacted the CAA in 1970 between a powerful national environmental movement. An audit by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exposed a lack of PSD and other NSR permits issued. Under the CAA, the U.S. government has a commitment to prevent the degradation of air quality in clean-air regions.

The article presents an evaluation of a study by Scott Baker that examines the relationship between judicial salaries and the work habits and voting patterns of federal appellate judges. A comparative context was established to speculate the reason why the top five legal markets may foster a more intense tradeoff of influence versus remuneration. It concludes that the debate over judicial salaries originated in the problem of greater income disparity within the U.S. legal profession.

The article discusses the highlights of the 2006 United States-China Workshop Series on Neutron Science and Technology. The event took place in Beijing China from Noevmber 12-15, 2006 with moer than 150 participants. This event was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other concerned organizations. The workshop involved several discussions about the issues and the future of neutron science and technology. It concluded with a panel discussion led by facility leaders covering research and development, neutronics and instrumentation development.

Since its introduction in 1973, major league baseball's designated hitter (DH) rule has been the subject of continuing controversy. Here, we investigate the political and socio-demographic determinants of public opinion toward the DH rule, using data from a nationwide poll conducted during September 1997. Our findings suggest that it is in fact Democrats, not Republicans, who tend to favor the DH. In addition, we find no effect for respondents' proximity to American or National League teams, though older respondents were consistently more likely to oppose the rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agenda setting has received only modest attention in studies of the judiciary. This reflects the limited control most courts exercise over the cases they hear. We analyze the influence of ideological and legal factors on the grant of en banc rehearing in the U.S. Courts of Appeals—one of the few instances of agenda control in the lower federal courts. Unlike previous research, we examine multiple decision points in the agenda-setting process. Our results indicate that the influence of attitudinal and legal factors varies across decision points revealing a complexity obscured in previous work. Our research underscores the importance of treating agenda setting as a process rather than as a single decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has happened in the municipal bond market during the past 25 years. This article provides a retrospective of some of the significant developments in the market during that period of time. These developments include passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, innovations in the market in response to changing economic and social conditions, and the regulation, increase in disclosure requirements, and proliferatioin of credit enhancements that renewed the efficacy of municipal securities for American state and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides an exhaustive review of US. property tax abatement programs and identifies and compares critical structural differences of abatement programs across states. Program differences are much greater than the existing literature recognizes. As a result, perhaps the most comprehensive database on the diversity of property tax abatements is offered to practitioners who are considering the design ofa new abatement program or the revision of an existing one, as well as to researchers interested in furthering research on the effectiveness of this policy tool. For each of the identified abatement program features, advantages and disadvantages are discussed in light of existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the incidence and timing of Congressional responses to the U.S. Supreme Court. With the rise of the modem regulatory state, the interaction of the legislative and judicial branches has become among the most important for defining U.S. public policy. The relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court is a classic theme in the study of American political institutions. More recently, this study has been advanced by a theoretical approach that incorporates the preferences of multiple actors in the several branches of government into a statutory decision-making game.

This article presents a rejoinder by the authors about their article "Corporate Malfeasance and the Myth of Shareholder Value." They summarize important issues raised in their article which are evident in corporate America. These are the following: importance of the social construction of interest in economic sociology; shareholder value revolution; and the emergence of the modern idea of interest and interest groups. Lastly, the authors discuss the implications of their article for economic sociology.

This article assesses the internal logic of corporate organization and culture in the United States. First, it explains the emergence of the notion of shareholder value using three different professional groups. These are the following: hostile takeover firms, institutional investors and securities analysts. The article also elaborates on the new shareholder value model of the firm. Finally, the authors offer an argument on how and why internal and accumulation-driven corporate logic may have led to problems of corporate malfeasance.

We examine the timing of members' position-taking in the House of Representatives' decision to impeach President Clinton. Based on our understanding of the goals of members and leaders, we expect members whose constituencies, interest group influences, and partisanship are in alignment to make their positions known quickly, and those with conflicting or ambiguous signals to delay. We further expect members' electoral circumstances within their own party—the potential for a primary challenge—to condition the impact of interest-group connections on that timing. Our findings indicate that, while the influence of cross-pressures on timing was universal, Republicans who faced primaries in 1998 were more sensitive to the concerns of their political "base," and less susceptible to cross-pressures, than were those unopposed within their own party. We also show that, over and above the effects of ideology and partisanship, Republican members who delayed their announcements were more likely to split their votes between yeas and nays than those who took early positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physics community has been concerned about low participation by women for many years. Progress has been made, but the percentage of women in undergraduate physics is still less than half that in mathematics and chemistry. To learn "what works" in attracting and retaining women in the undergraduate physics major, the authors conducted site visits to nine undergraduate physics departments and compared those with high participation by women to those that are typical of the national average. This article details the first results of the research, showing that a strong, inclusive, female friendly department culture is like a fabric woven on a loom. No one factor is essential, but many small factors weave together to form a sturdy fabric. Institutions, faculty members, and students all have roles to play in creating this culture. Successful schools reach out to introductory students and integrate them into department cultures. Other results of this research will be described in a second publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines several issues concerning the proposed implementation of a single sales and use tax within states in the U.S. and its impact on electronic commerce in the country. Background on the use of levy local sales and use tax by cities and counties in the U.S.; Discussion on the complexity of local sales tax rates in several states; Challenges in implementing a uniform local tax rate.

Evaluates the decisions of the Department of Justice appellate sections and the Office of the Solicitor General. Identification of factors relating to the cost of appeal; Operation in bringing an appeal; Role of case selection processes on the success of federal appellate courts.

Discusses the ethics and pragmatics of the practice of schools in the United States of denying students a diploma unless they pass high-stakes testing in up to five academic areas. Arguments for educational standards reform and high-stakes student assessments; Impact of the practice on students and children of color; Arguments against high-stakes testing.

Focuses on a study which examined the issues surrounding the implementation of single sales and use tax rate in several states in the U.S. Relationship of state and local sales tax rates; Effect of electronic commerce on taxation; Proposal concerning the uniformity of tax sales by the local government.

Examines the fundamental-value hypothesis in Iowa and Nebraska agricultural land markets. Finding that land markets are not affected by rational expectations bubbles; Statement that land prices depart from fundamental value due to the existence of non-random price changes and asymmetric land price patterns.

Presents information on a study done on the effects of the El Nio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the probability distributions means of monthly streamflows of the Santa Fe River. Description of the river; Results of the study.

Investigates whether commuter airlines are safe enough to continue their progress toward becoming the key provider of air transportation to an from small communities, as envisioned under the United States Airline Deregulation Act. Impact of deregulation on commuter growth; Safety performance of commuter airlines over the period 1970 through 1980; Effect of commuter growth on regional air transportation.