美国对华政策中的利益集团因素——以克林顿政府时期最惠国问题为例

利益集团对中美关系的影响长期以来一直存在。冷战结束后,由于各方面的原因,利益集团在美国对华政策方面的活动和影响不断加大,分析美国对华政策不能不考虑利益集团的因素。克林顿政府时期,美国对华政策中最引人关注的事情之一莫过于最惠国待遇问题以及后来的PNTR案的通过,众多利益集团都参与其中,在冷战后美国对华政策中具有一定的代表性。     

Refocusing on the Parent: What are the social issues of concern for parents of disabled children?

A questionnaire was constructed to analyse the efficacy of service provision for disabled children from the parents' perspective, as well as the needs and issues pertinent to parents (Middleton, 1998, 1992). The familial and personal data identified deep parental concerns and fears regarding professional attitudes and dominance, neglect of parental knowledge, lack of counselling and therapy, coping in the future, support, and the child's aesthetics and body (Brown, 1998). Results indicate that professionals continue to control the parent-professional relationship, assuming the role of 'expert', rather than integrating and consulting parents in a negotiate decision-making process. Parental needs and issues are prescribed by professionals (Oliver & Barnes, 1998), thus marginalising and disempowering the parent (Appleton & Minchom 1991), and reducing opportunity for parental involvement and participation in an equitable 'partnership' relationship with professionals (Dale, 1996).     

Learning to Partner, Disabling Conflict: early indications of an improving relationship between parents and professionals with regard to service provision for children with learning disabilities

A questionnaire was constructed to analyse whether the high degree of parental dissatisfaction with disability professionals found in previous studies is indicative of the modern parent-professional relationship with regards to service provision for learning disabled children. The subsequent data suggests that professionals are beginning to address the need for clear and appropriate information and intervention, an acknowledgement of parental needs and expertise, and the effective role of parental involvement, whilst parents function within the role of service 'consumers'. Consequently, previous levels of dissatisfaction are slowly being undermined, although professional service remains reactive, particularly in terms of counselling and advice, despite the need and desire for more pro-active provision.     

Duration of Accrual and Follow-up for Two-Stage Clinical Trials

Group sequential trialswith time to event end points can be complicated to design. Notonly are there unlimited choices for the number of events requiredat each stage, but for each of these choices, there are unlimitedcombinations of accrual and follow-up at each stage that providethe required events. Methods are presented for determining optimalcombinations of accrual and follow-up for two-stage clinicaltrials with time to event end points. Optimization is based onminimizing the expected total study length as a function of theexpected accrual duration or sample size while providing an appropriateoverall size and power. Optimal values of expected accrual durationand minimum expected total study length are given assuming anexponential proportional hazards model comparing two treatmentgroups. The expected total study length can be substantiallydecreased by including a follow-up period during which accrualis suspended. Conditions that warrant an interim follow-up periodare considered, and the gain in efficiency achieved by includingan interim follow-up period is quantified. The gain in efficiencyshould be weighed against the practical difficulties in implementingsuch designs. An example is given to illustrate the use of thesetechniques in designing a clinical trial to compare two chemotherapyregimens for lung cancer. Practical considerations of includingan interim follow-up period are discussed.     

Paddock Rites: Integrative Ritual in the Racing Community*

This paper explores a focal ritual in the community of horseracing known as the paddock. Using data gathered through participant observation, the author interprets the paddock ritual within the context of the racing community and its status hierarchy. The ritual integrates members of the racing community in relation to their social prestige and thus contributes to the social order. The paddock accomplishes this integrative function by according marginal members of the racing community temporary public recognition and acknowledgement of their contributions, both of which mitigate the alienation these individuals routinely experience.     

Explaining trends in child support: Economic,demographic, and policy effects

We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine trends in the receipt of child support (and the determinants of trends) between 1968 and 1997. The findings suggest that political, demographic, and economic forces all exerted downward pressure on child-support payments during this 30-year period, with inflation, the shift to unilateral divorce, and declines in fertility and men's earnings being more important during the earlier years and decreases in men's earnings being more important during the later years. These negative forces were offset by the passage of new child-support legislation in the 1980s and 1990s, including numeric guidelines, universal withholding, and genetic testing.     

An economic model for clinical quality control

With increased focus on reducing costs in the healthcare industry, the economic aspects of quality control for clinical laboratories must be addressed. In order to evaluate the economic performance of statistical quality control approaches used in the clinical setting, an economic model is developed. Although the economic model is applied specifically to the clinical laboratory in this research, it is easily generalized for use in a wide variety of industry applications. Use of the economic model is illustrated through the comparison of traditional approaches to clinical quality control. Recommendations concerning the performance of the traditional approaches to clinical quality control are provided.     

‘It’s who we are’: eco-nationalism and place in contesting deep-sea oil in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Given near consensus among the scientific community about the anthropogenic nature of climate change, there is pressing concern about how to mobilise enough people to care and demand wider socio-political change. In this article we explore this urgent issue, drawing on recent conflicts over deep-sea oil exploration and drilling in Aotearoa New Zealand. We explore how some activist groups are attempting to mobilise care and concern around deep-sea oil drilling and climate change through the use of narratives that entwine aspects of national identity with the non-human world. We suggest that these activist groups are not concerned about a retreat of the state, but rather, are in direct conflict with the state, and state interventionism, over fossil fuel development trajectories in Aotearoa New Zealand. In drawing upon eco-nationalism, and particularly a way of life related to place, activists have called into question the common sense of business as usual and thereby sought to expand space for ‘ordinary’ Aotearoa New Zealanders to care about climate change.     

Promoting Prevention: Evaluating a Multi‐agency Initiative of Youth Consultation and Crime Prevention in Swansea

The multi‐agency, multiple intervention Promoting Prevention initiative to prevent youth offending in Swansea was evaluated with a computer‐based interactive questionnaire with 580 young people (aged 11–18). Results indicate that multiple exposure to risk factors within the main domains of the young person's life (for example, family, school) significantly increases the likelihood that a young person will become involved in problem behaviours. In contrast, exposure to multiple protective factors decreases the likelihood of these behaviours. Evaluation indicates that Promoting Prevention's consultative methodology is an empowering and engaging way of targeting interventions to promote positive behaviours and prevent anti‐social behaviour in young people.