MEASURING LEVELS OF PARTY IDENTIFICATION DOES QUESTION ORDER MATTER?

This article examines whether asking the vote question beforeparty identification alters the strength of partisanship andits relationship to vote choice. It employs the 1992 BritishElection Survey, which included a random split half-sample experiment,and the 1992–93 American Election Study Panel, where thequestion order for party identification and the vote were changed.The results show that altering the question ordering had verylittle effect in Britain and no significant effect in the UnitedStates. These results are consistent with the notion that partyidentification is one of the more enduring and stable componentsof mass political behavior in both presidential and parliamentarysystems.     

The Opinions of Minorities About Preparing for Work: Report of the Second NCDA National Survey

A report of the 1989 NCDA survey of the perceptions of American adults of their career planning, the nature of their workplaces, and the availability of and utility of occupational information is presented. The survey, which was administered by the Gallup Organization, included an oversampling of Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian-Pacific Islanders. Although the results for all groups including Whites are presented, the emphasis is upon the perceptions of minority groups.     

Time series analysis of stratospheric ozone

Time series analyses of monthly average total ozone measured at 37 stations throughout the world were used to estimate the extent to which the average ozone trend correlates with the depletion curve hypothesized as due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Statistical characteristics of stations in the ensemble were used to help define appropriate model and station selection criteria. The maximum likelihood procedure developed herein estimates the weighted average trend, its. variance, and the intra- and inter-station variance components of the trend. Correlations among trends at different stations are also taken into account. The models were subjected to much checking and criticism. Variations in statistical methodology are used to show that the results are insensitive to details of the model selection criteria. The method does not discriminate well between the hypothesized CFC trend and a linear trend. The trend estimates represent the sum of all long-term global effects. The variance includes all effects that differ from station-to-station. The estimated trend and 2α limits for 14 stations with 20-year records (1958-79) is an ozone increase through 1979 of (1.5+1.0) percent. At the 23 stations with shorter records, the trend is (1.0=1.7) percent. It is concluded that no significant depletion in stratospheric ozone has occurred from any cause through the end of 1979.     

Distribution of exotic monk parakeets across an urban landscape

Monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) are the most abundant and widely distributed of the naturalized parrots in the United States. Their presence is simultaneously encouraged by some humans (through use of bird feeders) and discouraged by others (through removal of their nests) and, as a result, they show an interesting spatial distribution across urban areas. We used an online public survey and field surveys to examine the influence of human activities and land use on the distribution of this exotic species around Chicago, IL (USA). These efforts resulted in detection of 249 nesting structures and approximately 778 birds across the region. A CART analysis successfully separated nesting sites from random sites and correctly classified 90?% of the nesting sites. The most important factor in the model was land use, with nests typically found in areas with less than 84?% residential zoning. We found nests on a wide variety of substrates including trees, cell phone towers, and stadium lights. Spatial point pattern analysis indicated that nests in trees and nests in built substrates were significantly dissociated with each other at all scales. Nests on built substrates were closer to railroads and highways or in areas with lower human population density, suggesting either a difference in substrate availability or human tolerance between these settings. While humans may have a positive effect on distribution of monk parakeets at large spatial scales, at the scale of this study we see a potentially negative effect of too many humans on the distribution of monk parakeet nests.     

Herbivores and natural enemies of brassica crops in urban agriculture

Urban agriculture has been growing in popularity around the globe. As more land is allocated to urban agriculture, there is a greater need to understand arthropod herbivores and natural enemies in these sites. The area and production type of urban agriculture could influence the risk of pest outbreaks, since larger food production areas are hypothesized to host more abundant herbivore populations. To determine the potential for pest outbreaks, we sampled for pests and above-ground natural enemies at three types of sites with variable amounts of cultivated areas: residential gardens, community gardens, and urban farms. We focused on pests of brassica, a widely cultivated crop family attacked by cabbageworms and aphids. We investigated the relationships of garden characteristics and surrounding land cover on natural enemies and herbivores of brassica. More herbivores and plant damage were expected in larger community gardens and urban farms. However, herbivore populations were low across sites and not explained by garden characteristics or area of production. Herbivory on brassica averaged less than 15% at all sites. Limited plant damage and low herbivore numbers may be attributed to the positive effects of garden flowers on parasitoids and high numbers of parasitoids and generalist predators across sites. Garden area and floral resources had positive relationships with natural enemy abundance, although community composition was similar across sites. Since arthropod natural enemies were abundant across all types of food production, this suggests that urban agriculture is a beneficial habitat that could support regulating ecosystem services such as biological control.     

Trends in Alcohol Consumption Among Undergraduate Students at a Northeastern Public University, 2002–2008

Abstract

Objective: This study examined alcohol consumption patterns and trends at a public university in the Northeast from 2002 to 2008. Participants: Stratified random sampling was used to select undergraduate students enrolled in courses during spring semesters in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. Methods: Data were collected during regularly scheduled classes for 4 measures of alcohol consumption and 5 demographic categories using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. Results: Four groups showed significant increases in both frequency and volume of alcohol consumption—students who were female, over 21 years of age or over, living off-campus, or performing well academically. There were no decreasing trends for any demographic group. These results differ from national college health surveys, which have shown alcohol use remaining steady during this period. Conclusions: Campus-specific trend data can provide unique perspectives and guide programming efforts. These trends suggest a need for new intervention strategies on this campus.     

Caregiver role strain of older workers

The purpose of this study was to measure role strain in older adult workers who were also caregivers of frail elders according to Komarovsky's role strain theory, and to determine whether different patterns of role strain exist for male worker-caregivers than females. METHOD: Researchers developed the Job-Caregiver Role Strain Scale Survey, which was adapted from a survey that measured role strain in working parents and spouses. Surveys were distributed to 11 male and 34 female older workers who were also caregivers. RESULTS: A factor analysis was completed, which isolated four factors of role strain. Researchers named the factors time management and arrangements, health and competing role demands, low rewards, and reactions to perceptions. Role strain in older adult worker-caregivers is complex and involves multiple variables. A discriminant function analysis predicted differences in the way older male and female worker-caregivers perceived role strain. Use of role strain theory can assist employers and occupational therapists in developing and maintaining work environments that support not only the older employee's work performance, but participation in the role of elder caregiver as well.     

Shameless television: gendering transnational narratives

The UK television drama Shameless (Channel 4, 2004–2011) ran for eleven series, ending with its 138th episode in 2011. The closing episode did not only mark an end, however, but also a beginning – of a US remake on Showtime (2011-). Eight series down the line and carrying the weight of critical acclaim, this article works to consider the textual representations and formal constructions of gender through the process of adaptation. Paying close attention to the structural elements of recaps, voiceovers, and final sequences of Shameless’ first series, while drawing on the work of feminist narratologists and transnational TV theory, we argue that the examination of gender in narrative reveals differing cultural values between the UK and US.