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Beginning with such famous cases as the Harrisburg conspiracy trial, the use of "scientific" jury selection has gained wide publicity and numerous advocates. Both profit and nonprofit organizations are increasingly offering such services for "good" causes and/or hard cash. Yet no rigorous evaluation of scientific jury selection has ever been undertaken, and impressionistic data on its effectiveness are at best equivocal. In an effort to present a more balanced assessment, this paper undertakes a consciously skeptical examination of the kinds of survey data routinely used to inform the juror- selection process.

The recent literature on-log-linear models incorrectly implies that the Iterative Proportional Fitting (IPF) algorithm and associated computer programs such as ECTA can only be used to estimate hierarchical (not nonhierarchical) log-linear models. While ECTA and similar programs are designed for the estimation of hierarchical models, it is shown here that the IPF algorithm (and existing computer programs such as ECTA) can be used to estimate any nonhierarchical model and also many nested log-linear models. The former result follows directly from the symmetry between qualitative/categorical indicator variables and appropriately defined "interaction variables." The general approach for dichotomous variables is illustrated here using data from the study of "The American Soldier" by Stouffer et al. We also illustrate how the ECTA program can be used to estimate nested models, and show the equivalence between a particular class of nested models and the model of quasi-independence.

Cover title. ; At head of title: British Columbia. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Electronic reproduction. ; Mode of access: Internet. ; 44

This article deals with chronically ill schoolage children and their parents' perceptions of their neighborhood. Three hundred and sixty-five chronically ill children (ages 10 through 12) were interviewed about their neighborhood. The children described aspects of their neighborhood that they liked and disliked, and their activity pattems alone and with peers. The parents also evaluated neighborhood safety. Regression analysis was used to identify parentand child-reported items that may have influenced images of neighborhood safety. The findings demonstrate that chronically ill children's activity patterns in their neighborhoods are influenced by child factors (perception of the neighborhood and its safety, gender, type of illness) and by parental factors (perception of neighborhood safety, income, home ownership). The findings also suggest that the patterns of interaction of chronically ill children with their neighborhood may be a source of developmental risk.

Trends in the average nurse staffing levels are reported for certified nursing facilities in the United States from 1991 through 1995. Data from the federal On-Line Survey Certification and Reporting system show a small overall increase in the staffing levels for registered nurses (RNs), licensed vocational and licensed practical nurses (LVNs/LPNs), and nursing assistants over the 5 years, but there are substantial variations across states and regions. A two-stage least squares panel analysis examined predictors of nurse staff levels in states. States with higher resident case mix levels had higher RN and LVN/LPN hours. States with higher percentages of large facilities had lower RN and LVN/LPN levels and states with higher percentages of for-profit facilities had lower RN staff levels. States with a higher percentage of Medicaid residents had higher LVN/LPN staff levels. These findings indicate the need for more studies of staff variations and public policies that affect staffing.