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Citizens adjust their perceptions of military expenditure based largely on their worldview, as defined by their race, ethnicity, ideology, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and education. Worldview might also reasonably be impacted by nativity. We explore the relationship between nativity and public opinion about military expenditure. Native-born survey respondents are less likely to believe that military expenditures are excessive than those born abroad. Race, ethnicity, ideology, nativity, and confidence in the military are the most significant variables used in explaining attitudes about military expenditure. Interaction analysis carried out for this article and reported here demonstrates that Hispanic and Asian ethnicity impacts on public perception of military expenditure are significantly greater when factoring in the nativity of survey respondents. With a growing portion of non-native-born citizens joining the electorate, public opinion analyses regarding military expenditure should take into account nativity as well as SES, gender, race, ideology, education, and ethnicity when seeking to explain public opinion dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric and adult patients unable to suspend respiration generally undergo magnetic resonance (MR) examinations that lack arterial phase imaging, which is a phase that provides substantial information on disease processes. An MR strategy that provides this type of information may be of considerable value. Purpose: To describe and assess the feasibility and enhancement quality of early-phase imaging utilizing long-duration radial 3D-GRE imaging by initiating the sequence prior to starting contrast injection. Material and Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients (10 men, 23 women; 50.7 ± 25.5 years) underwent free-breathing gadolinium-enhanced radial 3D-GRE, with sequence initiation 30 s prior to contrast injection. Late hepatic arterial (LHA) phase was chosen for comparison. Images were evaluated for enhancement and overall image quality. Organ enhancement was calculated. Sub-group analysis was performed. Results: Twenty-two examinations of radial 3D-GRE sequences were acquired during the LHA phase. Organ enhancement scores were of satisfactory to good quality (range, 3.32-3.82). There was a significant trend of superior overall enhancement quality scores in pediatrics and examinations performed at 3 T (P = 0.0225 and 0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: Arterial phase abdominal MR imaging is feasible using conventional radial 3D-GRE by adopting this simplistic proposed approach, which may allow arterial-phase imaging in patients unable to breath-hold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of prior research indicate that central cities are likely to adopt progrowth policies, whereas suburbs have become increasingly "antigrowth." This research further examines the city and suburb differences in economic development priorities at the city-administrator level. By utilizing survey data that targeted administrators of cities with a population of at least 5,000 in the state of Texas, this study tests four hypotheses that are derived from previous theories. Results show that there is a high level of consensus among city and suburb administrators regarding the importance of economic development and job creation. However, central-city administrators accord a greater level of importance to job creation and to a regional economy than do administrators in suburbs. Furthermore, the administrators' perceptions of policy priorities are also conditioned by the structure of their local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which tested whether the effectiveness of deracialization measured by voting behavior, may be conditional and dependent on urban racial contexts in the U.S. Definition of white crossover voting; Discussion on the role of deracialization strategies in electoral victories; Effect of African American incumbency on voting.

Borrowing findings from the literature on voter turnout, the authors examine the causes of roll-off in city council contests among black voters in New Orleans, a black empowerment area, between 1965 and 1998. The findings suggest the relevance of institutional power on group political participation. Roll-off among black voters declined after blacks held the majority of city council seats. Moreover, the findings indicate the relevance of election competitiveness. Black voter roll-off was lower in runoff elections than in primaries. Finally, the findings suggest that mobilization by black candidates, particularly by black incumbents, may yield enhanced political participation among black voters in urban elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]