Policy Target Populations and Public Participation in Agency Decision Making

Why are some government agencies more open to public input than others? Although many agree about the normative desirability of involving citizens in administrative decision making, there is significant variation across agencies in the extent of public participation. This article investigates the conditions under which public managers solicit greater public participation. We argue that, in addition to normative rationales, participation also serves instrumental considerations related to agency constituency. We draw on a rich body of literature examining participation in the policy process to develop empirically testable hypotheses about the patterns of participation in the administrative decision making of public agencies. Using data on the approaches to gathering citizen input in the budget process at four state departments—environmental protection, transportation, child protective services, and corrections—we find that the characteristics of target populations (namely, their political power and social construction) are strong predictors of an agency's openness to the public.     

A surprising case of endrin poisoning in dogs

A case of possible malicious poisoning of dogs by endrin was investigated. A variety of tissues were analysed. The stomach contents of one dog contained 5 g/kg endrin. The results are compared with recorded data from feeding studies pursued elsewhere to aid the diagnosis of dieldrin and endrin intoxication. A number of organochlorine compounds closely related chemically to endrin were tentatively identified.     

The effect of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid on pig dermis. A light microscopic study

In order to compare the dermal changes after exposure to direct current (d.c.) with changes after influence of acid and base influence, the skin of fully anaesthetized Danish Landrace pigs were exposed to acid and basic solutions. Biopsies were obtained immediately after and up to day 7 after the injury. Collagen fibres with increased affinity for eosin and irregular cross-striation in polarized light together with shrunken cells with dark stained nuclei were found just beneath the epidermis immediately after application of 1 N HCl. Immediately after exposure to 1 N NaOH dispersed collagen fibres showed increased eosinophilia and a fine densely spaced cross-striation in polarized light and vesicular nuclei were present within dermal cells. During the following days a narrow demarcation zone of neutrophilic granulocytes separated the zone containing abnormal collagen fibres from normal tissue below. Calcified collagen fibres were not observed and no other abnormal histochemical reactions were present. It is concluded that the morphology of acid induced lesions and base induced lesions shows resemblance to the morphology of anode and cathode lesions, respectively, but not to heat lesions. The reason for not finding depositions of calcium salts on collagen fibres in skin exposed to basic solutions could be a non-optimal pH in the tissue or that other electrochemical processes than shift in pH are necessary for the calcification process.     

Social Influences on Online Political Information Search and Evaluation

Americans are turning to the Internet to learn about politics in greater and greater numbers. Under the current “Web 2.0” paradigm in which users are encouraged to interact with online content, voters encountering political information on the Internet are typically exposed to more than just the news; online information is often colored by the reactions of previous readers, whether in the form of displayed comments or in readily apparent tallies of the number of “likes” or “shares” a particular item has received. In this paper we consider the effect these social cues have on online political information search and evaluation. Using processing-tracing software to monitor the patterns of information search and evaluation among our subjects, we find that social cues can function as a heuristic, allowing voters to reach judgments similar to those of their more informed counterparts. However, we also find that negative cues can adversely influence candidate evaluation, making subjects less disposed to a candidate than they would be in the absence of such signals.     

Electro-acupuncture to prevent prolonged postoperative ileus:A randomized clinical trial

AIM:To examine whether acupuncture can prevent prolonged postoperative ileus(PPOI)after intraperitoneal surgery for colon cancer. METHODS:Ninety patients were recruited from the Fudan University Cancer Hospital,Shanghai,China. After surgery,patients were randomized to receive acupuncture(once daily,starting on postoperative day 1, for up to six consecutive days)or usual care.PPOI was defined as an inability to pass flatus or have a bowel movement by 96 h after surgery.The main outcomes were time to first fl...