This multicontributor volume reviews the state-of-the-art in this important area of polymer structure. The understanding of polymer structure and morphology is examined from both theoretical and experimental viewpoints. Includes crystalline, amorphous and liquid crystalline polymers.

This study attempts to deal with how China's economic reforms have undermined the "iron rice bowl" system which since the 1950s has provided both "lifetime employment" and "cradle to the grave" welfare for many workers, particularly those in state-owned enterprises. It starts by examining the background of these reforms and how they have changed workplace relations in the Chinese economy; it also looks at key themes relating to the role of trade unions and the management of human resources in both state-owned and joint-venture firms. A number of illustrative case studies involving industrial relations and human resource management are set out.

This book examines the role of trade unions vis-a-vis management in the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the present day. It deals with the evolution, reform and consolidation of the Chinese labour movement and, particularly, the role of the main arm of Chinese organized labour, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) at both the apex and grass-roots levels. It not only covers the recent history of Chinese trade unions but also assesses their strategy and structure and membership as well as their legal context. After this, it goes on to consider their role vis-a-vis management in both the State-owned as well as the foreign-funded sectors. Last, it compares their activities with organized labour in three Overseas Chinese societies, namely Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

This book analyses the management of human resources in Chinese industry, covering the period from 1949 to present, particularly focusing on the period of economic reforms in the 1980s and early 1990s. For four decades Chinese workers have enjoyed job security under the 'iron rice-bowl' employment system. This arrangement is now under threat from the recent labour reforms and the emergence of a nascent labour market. The study looks in detail at these developments in the North-Eastern cities, China's industrial heartland.

Using an innovative methodological approach combining field experiments, case studies, and statistical analyzes, this book explores how the religious beliefs and institutions of Catholics and Muslims prompt them to be generous with their time and resources. Drawing upon research involving more than 1,000 Catholics and Muslims in France, Ireland, Italy, and Turkey, the authors examine Catholicism and Islam in majority and minority contexts, discerning the specific factors that lead adherents to help others and contribute to social welfare projects. Based on theories from political science, economics, religious studies and social psychology, this approach uncovers the causal connections between religious community dynamics, religious beliefs and institutions, and socio-political contexts in promoting or hindering the generosity of Muslims and Catholics. The study also provides insight into what different religious beliefs mean to Muslims and Catholics, and how they understand those concepts.

Using an innovative methodological approach combining field experiments, case studies, and statistical analyzes, this book explores how the religious beliefs and institutions of Catholics and Muslims prompt them to be generous with their time and resources. Drawing upon research involving more than 1,000 Catholics and Muslims in France, Ireland, Italy, and Turkey, the authors examine Catholicism and Islam in majority and minority contexts, discerning the specific factors that lead adherents to help others and contribute to social welfare projects. Based on theories from political science, economics, religious studies and social psychology, this approach uncovers the causal connections between religious community dynamics, religious beliefs and institutions, and socio-political contexts in promoting or hindering the generosity of Muslims and Catholics. The study also provides insight into what different religious beliefs mean to Muslims and Catholics, and how they understand those concepts.

Changing Workplace Relations in the Chinese Economy attempts to deal with how China's economic reforms have undermined the 'iron rice-bowl' system which since the 1950s has provided both 'lifetime-employment' and 'cradle-to-the-grave' welfare for many workers, particularly those in state-owned enterprises. It starts by examining the background of these reforms and how they have changed workplace relations in the Chinese economy; it will also look at key themes relating to the role of trade unions and the management of human resources in both state-owned and joint-venture firms; finally, a number of illustrative case-studies involving industrial relations and human resource management are set out. A set of contributors, drawn from a wide range of disciplines and nationalities who are expert in these fields, have contributed chapters to the volume.

The Basics of Spiritual Warfare from the Leading Author in the Category.

What is spiritual warfare? Who should engage in it and how? How can I protect myself and the ones I love from Satan's attacks?

In The Essential Guide to Spiritual Warfare, Neil Anderson and Timothy Warner describe the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, a battle for the minds and hearts of us all. Learn about the importance of having a biblical worldview and how to prepare for the battle you are called to fight. Every step of the way is grounded in the truth of God's Word about who God is and who you are in Christ.

This battle plan for victory is perfect for those new to the idea of spiritual warfare as well as those who want a basic primer to refresh themselves on the topic.

Anthocyanins are a group of phenolic compounds widely found in nature, occurring in all tissues of higher plants. Currently, there are over 600 identified anthocyanins, and their activity is related to the protection of plants against insect attacks and to the animals attraction for pollination and seed dispersal. Red fruits such as blueberries and cranberries are among the main sources of anthocyanins and can supply large quantities of this compound in a single meal. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of anthocyanins on health due to its high antioxidant action through neutralising free radicals by the donation of hydrogen atoms. These beneficial effects include, among others, the anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activities, the protective effect against degenerative and chronic diseases, the risk reduction of cardiovascular diseases, and vision improvement. In addition to discussing the health benefits of anthocyanins, it also discusses different food sources for anthocyanins and the chemical applications.

Following World War II, the Catholic Church in Europe faced the challenge of establishing political influence with newly emerging democratic governments. The Church became, as Carolyn Warner pointedly argues, an interest group like any other, seeking to attain and solidify its influence by forming alliances with political parties. The author analyzes the Church's differing strategies in Italy, France, and Germany using microeconomic theories of the firm and historical institutionalism. She demonstrates how only a strategic perspective can explain the choice and longevity of the alliances in each case. In so doing, the author challenges earlier work that ignores the costs to interest groups and parties of sustaining or breaking their reciprocal links.

"Confessions of an Interest Group" challenges the view of the Catholic Church as solely a moral force whose interests are seamlessly represented by the Christian Democratic parties. Blending theory, cultural narrative, and archival research, Warner demonstrates that the French Church's superficial and brief connection with a political party was directly related to its loss of political influence during the War. The Italian Church's power, on the other hand, remained stable through the War, so the Church and the Christian Democrats more easily found multiple grounds for long-term cooperation. The German Church chose yet another path, reluctantly aligning itself with a new Catholic-Protestant party. This book is an important work that expands the growing literature on the economics of religion, interest group behavior, and the politics of the Catholic Church.

Originally published in 1919, The Iron Hunter is the autobiography of one of Michigan's most influential and flamboyant historical figures: the reporter, publisher, explorer, politician, and twenty-seventh governor of Michigan, Chase Salmon Osborn (1860-1949). Making unprecedented use of the automobile in his 1910 campaign, Osborn ran a memorable campaign that was followed by an even more remarkable term as governor. In two years he eliminated Michigan's deficit, ended corruption, and produced the state's first workmen's compensation law and a reform of the electoral process. His autobiography reflects the energy and enthusiasm of a reformer inspired by the Progressive Movement, but it also reveals the poetic spirit of an adventurer who fell in love with Michigan's Upper Peninsula after traveling the world.

"Thomas' mind was full of ideas, and he used the awe and beauty of nature around him as inspiration, as a way to build on and further master problems some of which he had thought of years before; some of which he had no answer to. "

On sabbatical from his teaching career at the university, Thomas, a professor of mathematics, searches for answers to the greatest modern and ancient problems vexing humanity. Calling upon the ideals laid forth by the great idealist thinkers of the past, he analyzes these dilemmas, as well as himself, and continually asks himself the question, "What is truly my purpose as an infinitesimal being residing in an infinitely large universe?"

Without a unifying societal goal to guide him, our modern hero becomes lost in his thoughts only to find he must ultimately define himself, as well as his own personal purpose. In relinquishing his inner turmoil, he finally decides he must champion the cause for solving the "sustainability problem," one of the most pressing issues of modern civilization-can humans sustain themselves on Earth?

Having found a purpose, Thomas exhibits newfound energy in attempting to bring the word to the public-at-large. But will tragedy destroy him in the end?

A pioneer in institutional foodservice offers a practical up-to-date introduction concerned with volume feeding operations which present unique challenges and have different requirements from restaurants and other commercial businesses. Contains an overview of the contract foodservice industry and its key players, guidelines for financial planning, menu management, cost controls and marketing. Features the latest information on contract management firms, career opportunities available within them and techniques to establish a career plan.

In this volume, John Warner grapples with one of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's chief preoccupations: the problem of self-interest implicit in all social relationships. Not only did Rousseau never solve this problem, Warner argues, but he also believed it was fundamentally unsolvable-that social relationships could never restore wholeness to a self-interested human being. This engaging study is founded on two basic but important questions: what do we want out of human relationships, and are we able to achieve what we are after? Warner traces his answers through the contours of Rousseau's thought on three distinct types of relationships-sexual love, friendship, and civil or political association-as well as alternate interpretations of Rousseau, such as that of the neo-Kantian Rawlsian school. The result is an insightful exploration of the way Rousseau inspires readers to imbue social relations with purpose and meaning, only to show the impossibility of reaching wholeness through such relationships. While Rousseau may raise our hopes only to dash them, Rousseau and the Problem of Human Relations demonstrates that his ambitious failure offers unexpected insight into the human condition and into the limits of Rousseau's critical act.

Applied Statistics I: Basic Bivariate Techniques has been created from the first half of Rebecca M. Warner's popular Applied Statistics: From Bivariate Through Multivariate Techniques. The author's contemporary approach differs from some of the well-worn texts in the market, and reflects current thinking in the field. It spends less time on statistical significance testing, and moves in the direction of the "new statistics" by focusing more on confidence intervals and effect size. Instructors of upper undergraduate or beginning graduate level courses will find that the greater focus on basic concepts such as partition of variance and effect size is more useful to students, particularly as preparation for more advanced courses. Spending less time on statistical significance testing allows for more time to be devoted to more interesting and useful statistics that students will see in journal articles (such as correlation and regression). This introductory statistics text includes examples in SPSS, together with datasets on an accompanying website. A companion study guide reproducing the exercises and examples in R will also be available.

This book provides a thorough introduction to methods for detecting and describing cyclic patterns in time-series data. It is written both for researchers and students new to the area and for those who have already collected time-series data but wish to learn new ways of understanding and presenting it. Facilitating the interpretation of observations of behavior, physiology, mood, perceptual threshold, social indicator variables, and other responses, the book focuses on practical applications and requires much less mathematical background than most comparable texts. Using real data sets and currently available software (SPSS for Windows), the author employs extensive examples to clarify key concepts. Topics covered include research design issues, preliminary data screening, identification and description of cycles, summary of results across time series, and assessment of relations between time series. Also considered are theoretical questions, problems of interpretation, and potential sources of artifact. Clearly written and up-to-date, this book fills a crucial need for readers from a range of behavioral and social science disciplines.

In this volume, John Warner grapples with one of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s chief preoccupations: the problem of self-interest implicit in all social relationships. Not only did Rousseau never solve this problem, Warner argues, but he also believed it was fundamentally unsolvable—that social relationships could never restore wholeness to a self-interested human being. This engaging study is founded on two basic but important questions: what do we want out of human relationships, and are we able to achieve what we are after? Warner traces his answers through the contours of Rousseau’s thought on three distinct types of relationships—sexual love, friendship, and civil or political association—as well as alternate interpretations of Rousseau, such as that of the neo-Kantian Rawlsian school. The result is an insightful exploration of the way Rousseau inspires readers to imbue social relations with purpose and meaning, only to show the impossibility of reaching wholeness through such relationships. While Rousseau may raise our hopes only to dash them, Rousseau and the Problem of Human Relations demonstrates that his ambitious failure offers unexpected insight into the human condition and into the limits of Rousseau’s critical act.