Women in politics: A global reviewFemmes en politique: Une revue globaleLas mujeres en la política: Un punto de vista global

At the end of the 1970s, discrimination against women as political participants continues, but it is being challenged and, in some countries, steadily eroded. There are only eight countries in the world today in which national law excludes women from political processes that are open to men. While in most countries that have elections, women lag behind men in exercising the franchise; the tendency is for the difference in men's and women's voting rates to narrow over time in stable electoral systems. However, there is an enormous disparity between women's attainment of formal political equality and their real exercise of political power. The numbers of women in public office remains low in most countries; in very few do women fill even 10% of such positions. Yet there are scattered signs of improvement, with slowly rising numbers of women in elective and appointive offices. The real centers of political power are still overwhelmingly dominated by men, but the fact that women in most countries can enter the political contest on a routine basis is a sign that exclusion based on sex roles is diminishing.     

A multiple-case study investigation of the discontinuation of nine chat reference services

Using the multiple-case study method, this research investigates reasons why nine virtual reference (chat) services have been discontinued. The investigation of these five academic, one public, and three consortial chat services was conducted through structured e-mail and telephone interviews with the library decision makers and analysis of available reports and documents. The major reason for discontinuation was funding problems, followed by low volume (including low volume by target audience). Other reasons were staffing problems, technical problems, and institutional culture issues. Staffing issues included the need for comfortable staffing patterns, maintenance of sufficient volume to maintain proficiency, and cultivation of positive attitudes. Technical problems centered on software malfunctions and connectivity difficulties. Within two of the consortia, different patterns of funding, staffing, and mission posed difficulties for blended cultures that caused the consortia to break up. Despite all these issues, the possibility of restarting chat services, perhaps in consortia or with simpler chat software, exists for all services, with two services desiring to restart when funds and reorganization permit.     

Sit-to-stand performance of older adults following strength training

A group of healthy older adults completed an 8-week resistance-training program. For 38 participants (14 men, 24 women; ages 60-90 years; M mass = 73.2 kg, SD = 12.3; M height = 1.65 m, SD = 0.08), pre- and postprogram sit-to-stand performance was analyzed (60 Hz video) focusing on center of mass kinematics surrounding transition. Significant changes were attributed to improved strength. Peak forward, downward, and upward velocities increased (16, 59, and 26%, respectively), and relative transition time was delayed 27%. These behaviors were more similar to those of healthy younger adults. Results also indicated strategy changes. Participants exploited their improved strength, forming a distinctive movement pattern emphasizing stability followed by a brisk rise. These adaptations represent meaningfully improved function in an important daily living activity.     

A view from the Commission of European Communities

I am very pleased to have been invited to address you today, because this is a subject in which I am very interested and which is of great importance for the future economic development and growth of Europe as a whole. As a graduate engineer, I have some personal experience of the process which we are discussing today, but I must make it clear that I have no responsibility for education policies within the Commission's services, and therefore any comments that I make represent the personal view of an official whose prime concern is the stimulation of the rhythm of industrial innovation throughout the European Community. In choosing as the subject of this conference the education of the engineer in and for his society, I believe that you are showing a healthy concern to get things right in the future. So we first have to see what kind of society this will be.