Member participation in union activities: Perceptions of union priorities,performance, and satisfaction

Data obtained from union respondents of a survey using a national probability sample that is representative of the U.S. labor force revealed that members’ perceptions of their unions’ effectiveness in obtaining both extrinsic and intrinsic benefits and the unions’ responsiveness to membership were significantly related to member participation in union activities. Union satisfaction was inversely related to participation. Perceptions of union power and service and demographic variables, such as age and education, were found to have less significant linkages with member participation.     

Pathological gambling: The initial screening interview

This paper reviews basic components of the initial screening interview for applicants to treatment programs for pathological gamblers. The therapeutic potential of the interview is seen as primary and the collection of information follows an initial period of unstructured exploration of feelings. Specific information needed in making an admission decision is reviewed including items related to the gambling addiction, to family, employment, health, co-addiction, attitude, and demographics. Some items of information required by the client are reviewed. Criteria for acceptance or rejection are mentioned throughout. The rationale for various items of policy is reviewed briefly in a number of situations.     

Sexual orientation,sexual identity,and the question of choice

Sexual orientation, determined early in life, may or may not match sexual identity, which can change over time. Starting with a review of some definitions of homosexuality in the literature, the author offers a definition that differentiates between orientation and identity. She goes on to describe several possible routes from gay orientation to gay identity, explains discrepancies, acknowledges the potential threat to subjective identity when sexual identity shifts, and argues that identity, not orientation, is open to choice. Two case examples illustrate some of these points.     

Application of an empirically derived classification of ‘non-specific’ low back pain

The ambiguity of low back pain diagnoses presently available proves detrimental to the patient's morale and impedes research into optimal treatment and prevention. This paper shows that the classification of patients into seven empirically derived groups clarifies problems in clinical diagnosis and can reveal differences in treatment responses otherwise undetected. The clinician is provided with sign and symptom patterns for each of the diagnoses and group specific response to treatment is discussed. The results are consistent with those found in clinical practice but further validation in different patient and observer populations is needed before the system can be adopted as a routine aid to clinical practice.     

Socioeconomic Risk in Development of Energy Systems

A soft mathematical model, taking stock of the stochastic and cooperative features of the economy of thinking in the decision making, is aggregated to unveil hidden connections between energy policy and the energy technology choices of an establishment. Starting from several assumptions on the nature of the collective decisional behavior, one obtains a probabilistic interpretation of the mechanism of penetration of energy technologies. The probability that the establishment bets on a certain technological profile is given as a solution to a Fokker-Planck equation accounting for the decision game. It provides a topological variety that accomodates possible states of the system and their trajectories, and indicates ways in which different attractors drive the technology choice in the space of the energy policy.
In this framework, a series of concepts (i.e., logistic evolution, resilience, stability, risks of disruption or crisis, energy security) can find in a natural way strikingly intuitive interpretations. Strategic games are possible on this ground, confirming facts of life and also showing predictive power. The complex and difficult to manage interdependence between energy policy and technology appears as a challenge to the long-term planning of alternative energy systems. To meet the challenge, preparedness for changes through a large freedom of choice on the technological options appears as a necessary complement to the faithful observance of the market drives, which stresses the importance of having available perceptive, coherent, reliable, and responsible mechanisms of decision making.     

Editorial comment

The special issue of theJournal of Gambling Behavior, dedicated to a discussion of compulsive gambling and the law, represents a first effort in addressing some of the many complicated issues on this topic. Articles by experts on compulsive gambling—written by legal authorities, a treatment provider, and victims of the disorder—are included to present the broadest possible forum to analyze the turmoil the idea of compulsive gambling is having on the American legal system. Included are an historical account of how changing laws affect compulsive gamblers, problems facing the expert witness, effects of civil service policies and military law, comparisons of U.S. and English legalization debates, lottery issues, concerns of a lawyer representing casinos, and personal accounts by those who are suffering from this disorder.I. Nelson Rose is an Associate Professor of Law at Whittier College School of Law as well as a licensed attorney. Professor Rose is recognized as the nation's leading authority on gambling and the law.Dr. Valerie C. Lorenz has specialized in research, education and treatment of compulsive gamblers since 1973. She has extensive experience in military, state and federal courts, having served as a qualified expert witness on compulsive gambling.     

Sampling properties of estimators of the log-logistic distribution with application to Canadian precipitation data

We consider the probability-weighted moment and the maximum-likelihood estimators of two parameters in the log-logistic distribution. Quantile estimators are obtained using both methods. The distributional properties of these estimators are studied in large samples, via asymptotic theory, and in small and moderate samples, via Monte Carlo simulation. The distribution is shown to be appropriate for a wide variety of meteorological data.     

The many meanings of sleep

Reductions in sleep are concomitant with night shift work. Data are presented showing that these robust differences in sleep are even present in experienced permanent night shift workers who most prefer to work nights. A model is presented which relates these reductions to chronic sleep deprivation. This, in turn, may be associated with performance decrements, and lead to accidents and illness. Better work schedule selection, worker training programs, and preventive medical action are unproven but promising approaches to overturning this model.