bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controlling the Air Vortex Twist in Air-Jet Spinning
Authors: Zeng Y. C. , Wan Yu-Qin , Yu C. W. , He Ji-Huan
Published: November 2005

We present a simple analytical model for the forces that determine the strength of the air vortex twist acting on the yarns during air-jet spinning as a function of nozzle pressure, flow rate, jet orifice angle, and diameter of the jet orifice.
Heat and Moisture Transfer with Sorption and Phase Change Through Clothing Assemblies
Authors: Fan Jintu , Cheng Xiao-Yin
Published: November 2005

Part II of this series reports on a theoretical model and simulation results of coupled heat and moisture transfer with phase change and mobile condensates in clothing assemblies consisting of porous fibrous battings sandwiched by inner and outer layers of a thin covering fabric. The model considers moisture movement induced by partial water vapor pressure, a super saturation state in the condensing region, dynamic moisture absorption of fibrous materials, and the movement of liquid condensates. The theoretical results of the model are compared and agree well with the experimental ones. A numerical simulation using the model shows that inner fibrous battings with higher fiber contents, finer fibers, greater fiber emissivity, higher air permeability, a lower disperse coefficient of surface free water, and a lower moisture absorption rate cause less condensation and moisture absorption, which is beneficial to thermal comfort during and after exercising in cold weather conditions.
Optimizing Process Parameters in Polyacrylonitrile Production for Metallization with Nickel
Authors: Akbarov Djamal , Baymuratov Bakhodir , Akbarov Rustam , Westbroek Philippe , De Clerck Karen , Kiekens Paul
Published: November 2005

In this paper, the conditions of the precipitation bath for polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN) production are optimized in order to obtain PAN fibers with optimal properties for further metallization using NiCl2 in the presence of a reducing agent. The PAN fibers show an interesting level of electroconductivity, do not show remarkable swelling after nickel uptake, and their physico-mechanical properties do not change considerably with the metallization process. Besides metallic nickel, nickel sulfide is also detected in the structure due to decomposition of the reducing agent, resulting in the formation of sulfide.
Cold Sensitivity Differences Between Body Sections Under Clothing
Authors: Li Jun , Wang Yunyi , Zhang Weiyuan , Barker Roger L.
Published: November 2005

The sensitivity of the human body to the perception of cold varies over sections of the body. Wear trials conducted for this research show that different locations on the body respond differently to cold stimuli, especially with respect to the degree of local skin temperature decrease, the relationship between the local skin temperature decrease and elapsed time, and subjective cold sensitivity sequences, but some adjacent body sections have similar characteristics. The torso of the body is the most sensitive, followed by the thighs, upper limbs, and calves. Body sections closer to the core of the body are more sensitive to cold stimulation than are limbs.
Effect of Chenille Yarn Parameters on Yarn Shrinkage Behavior
Authors: Özdemir Özcan , Çeven Erhan Kenan
Published: November 2005

The effects of chenille yarn properties—pile material type, pile length, and twist level—on the boiling shrinkage behavior of chenille yarns are examined in this study. Different chenille yarns are produced on a chenille machine using a range of pile material types, twist levels, and pile lengths. Nm 4 and Nm 6 count chenille yarns are produced from different pile materials of viscose, acrylic (0.9 dtex), acrylic (1.3 dtex), combed cotton, carded cotton, and open-end cotton, in two different pile lengths of 0.7 and 1.0 mm and two different twist levels of 700 and 850 T/m. The results indicate that pile material types, pile lengths, and twist levels have significant effects on the boiling shrinkage of chenille yarns.
Determining the Cross-Sectional Packing Density of Rotor Spun Yarns
Authors: Jiang X. Y. , Hu J. L. , Cheng K. P.S. , Postle R.
Published: November 2005

Packing density, the fiber distribution in a yarn cross section, can to a great extent influence the properties and quality of the yarn. Thus, the need for precise and concise information about packing density becomes a must for an in-depth understanding of yarn structure and hence yarn mechanics. This paper describes a detailed method for determining packing density. We begin by acquiring yarn cross-sectional images to provide input data for calculating yarn cross-sectional packing density. These data include the coordinates of each fiber center and fiber radius. A program whose general writing algorithm is also elaborated in detail is compiled to calculate the packing ratio zone by zone. With these discrete packing ratios, a curve-fitting technique yields a continuous packing density function. In addition, a study of the relationship between packing density and yarn parameters such as yarn count and twist factor is included.
Drying Rates in Resin Treatment of Lyocell Fabrics
Authors: Manian Avinash P. , Bechtold Thomas
Published: November 2005

Many properties of lyocell fibers are markedly different from those of other cellulosic fibers. Hence, it is necessary to study Lyocell wet processing to determine and characterize variables that have a significant influence on the properties of finished products. At the Christian-Doppler Laboratory, we are conducting an investigation to characterize resin finishing of Lyocell. As a part of this investigation, we are studying the influence of drying conditions in the pad-dry-cure process on the performance properties of the finished products. The influence of the drying rate on the distribution of crosslinking reagents in treated lyocell fabric samples is similar to that reported for other cellulosics, but the effect of reagent distribution on the performance properties of treated lyocell is different from that reported for other cellulosics. These differences may stem from changes that occur in lyocell fibers with moisture sorption.
Hand-Related Mechanical Behavior of Enzyme-Treated Yarns
Authors: Radhakrishnaiah P. , He Jingwu , Cook Fred L. , Buschle-Diller Gisela
Published: November 2005

This work evaluates changes in the low-stress mechanical behavior of 100% cotton and cotton/polyester yarns after treatment with a cellulase enzyme. The yarns made from the same fiber stock on four different spinning systems are reeled into skeins, and the skeins are enzyme treated under identical conditions. The compression and bending properties of both treated and untreated yarns are measured to understand the influence of enzyme treatment on the hand-related mechanical behavior of the structurally different yarns. The treated cotton yarns representing different spinning systems show widely different weight losses, suggesting that both fiber erosion and fiber separation from the yarn may be contributing to the observed weight losses. Irrespective of the structural differences, most treated yarns show reduced compressive resilience, greater thickness compression, higher compression energy, and reduced linearity of the load versus compression curve, all of which indicate improved compressive softness. Most treated yarns also show reduced bending stiffness, suggesting improved yarn flexibility. The extent of changes in yarn properties is different for different yarns. Thus, the OE friction yarn accounts for the maximum change in hand-related mechanical properties among the cotton yarns, while the air-jet yarn accounts for the maximum change among the polyester/cotton yarns, suggesting that the treatment probably offers maximum tactile benefit for the yarns and fabrics representing these two spinning systems. The overall changes in the properties of the treated yarns suggest that optimally engineered woven and knitted fabrics made from these yarns will feel softer and more flexible.
Predicting the Warp Breakage Rate in Weaving by Neural Network Techniques
Authors: Yao Guifen , Guo Jiansheng , Zhou Yongyuan
Published: November 2005

The objective of this paper is to investigate the predictability of the warp breakage rate from a sizing yarn quality index using a feed-forward back-propagation network in an artificial neural network system. In order to achieve the objective, a series of trials is conducted. An eight-quality index (size add-on, abrasion resistance, abrasion resistance irregularity, hairiness beyond 3 mm, breaking strength, breaking strength irregularity, breaking elongation, and breaking elongation irregularity) and warp breakage rates are rated in controlled conditions. A good correlation between predicted and actual warp breakage rates indicates that warp breakage rates can be predicted by neural networks. A model with a single sigmoid hidden layer with four neurons is able to produce better predictions than the other models of this particular data set in the study.
Fiber Recognition of PET/Rayon Composite Yarn Cross-sections Using Voting Techniques
Authors: Chiu Shih-Hsuan , Liaw Jiun-Jian
Published: November 2005

In this paper, we propose a new image processing method to recognize the fiber patterns in the image of PET/Rayon composite yarn cross-section. Our method consists of two voting techniques: the connected component voting (for obtaining single fiber locations) and the circle parameter voting (circle detection, for recognizing the fiber patterns). When compared with the previous approach, the new method needs fewer parameters and is more flexible. Several real images are used to show the performance of the proposed method.
Formulation and analysis of in-place MSD radix sort algorithms
Authors: Al-Darwish Nasir
Published: November 2005

We present a unified treatment of a number of related inplace MSD radix sort algorithms with varying radices, collectively referred to here as 'Matesort' algorithms. These algorithms use the idea of in-place partitioning which is a considerable improvement over the traditional linked list implementation of radix sort that uses O( n) space. The binary Matesort algorithm is a recast of the classical radixexchange sort, emphasizing the role of in-place partitioning and efficient implementation of bit processing operations. This algorithm is O(k) space and has O( kn) worst-case order of running time, where k is the number of bits needed to encode an element value and n is the number of elements to be sorted. The binary Matesort algorithm is evolved into a number of other algorithms including 'continuous Matesort' for handling floating point numbers, and a number of 'general radix Matesort' algorithms. We present formulation and analysis for three different approaches (sequential, divide-and-conquer and permutation-loop) for partitioning by the general radix Matesort algorithm. The divide-andconquer approach leads to an elegantly coded algorithm with better performance than the permutation-loop-based American Flag Sort algorithm.
Collaborative interaction behaviors in an information technology problem-solving context: cognitive movements of the helper and the helped
Authors: Kim Sung-Jin
Published: November 2005

This paper explores patterns of cognitive movements in the context of information technology problem solving. The movements, based on Dervin's Sense-Making theory, are characterized as cognitive and affective perceptions of the individual as s/he experiences a situation through time– space. This study focuses on the interaction between the helper and the helped. A time-line interview is conducted to collect descriptions of respondents' perceptions of the meaningful behavioral sequence as a series of steps. The sample consists of 22 customer service representatives and 36 information technology service users. The findings offer a way of understanding the embedded nature of the perceptions of helper and helped in a problem-solving context. They support a model of collaborative problem-solving behaviors and suggest implications for the design and management of help systems or services.
Studies on incidence pattern recognition based on information entropy
Authors: Shi-fei Ding , Zhong-zhi Shi
Published: November 2005

For pattern recognition, the weight of the feature index is very important and is usually used to measure the feature index's importance. The weight is usually divided into two types. One is determined by the knowledge and experience of experts or individuals, and called subjective weight; the other is based on statistical properties and measurement data, and is called objective weight. In this paper, a new objective weight, information entropy weight (IEW) is defined and constructed based on information entropy and the practical background of the survey data. On the basis of gray relation analysis and IEW presented here, a new concept of information incidence degree (IID) is proposed. A new method of incidence pattern recognition based on IID is set up, and applied to soil nutrient data processing. The results of simulation application show that the method presented here is feasible and effective. It provides a new research approach for information pattern recognition.
Analyzing the mobilization of grassroots activities via the internet: a case study
Authors: Hara Noriko , Estrada Zilia
Published: November 2005

What part does the internet play in socio-political mobilization? The internet has influenced the ways in which we interact with each other and has been hailed as a great potential force to enrich civil society. In order to understand the extent of the internet's influence on social activists' activities, we examined newspaper and journal articles to identify indicators of that influence. Combining these indicators with elements drawn from theories of resource mobilization and participation, we focused our analysis on two distinct grassroots activities online and examined the roles of the internet for each. This analysis helps us conceptualize the mobilization of grassroots activities via the internet. The results may help inform social scientists as well as practitioners who are involved in grassroots activities, and provide a baseline for comparison with future research that examines mobilization of such activities with the use of the internet over time.
Abstracts: problems classified from the user perspective
Authors: Montesi Michela , Urdiciain Blanca Gil
Published: November 2005

Background: most of the recent research into abstracts conducted by the information science (IS) community has had little practical implication in terms of improvement and quality. A possible explanation of this is the lack of connection with the real problems that the poor quality of abstracts may pose in the 'real' context of researchers accessing information.

Purpose: the types of problem abstracts may pose for potential users have been studied, and then classified and compared with current IS research into the quality of abstracts.

Method: 62 interviews were held with researchers from six European universities to ascertain the opinions of potential users. These participants commented on a set of database abstracts in the areas of Education and Agriculture.

Results: the participants pointed out different types of problem which were classified under the following headings: terminology, over-condensation, lack and excess of information, expectations and coherence, structure, register and layout.

Conclusion: the problems described were at variance with those commonly dealt with in the literature on the subject, thus suggesting new areas of research.
Implementing a convergent model for information literacy: combining research and web literacy
Authors: Mackey Thomas P. , Ho Jinwon
Published: November 2005

The authors propose a convergent model for information literacy (IL) based on complementary proficiencies in research and web literacy. Within this integrated framework, information technology (IT) is an essential dynamic in IL instruction. This model was designed, implemented and tested in an upper-level discipline-specific undergraduate information science (IS) course that requires students to develop research-oriented web pages. This study finds that student familiarity with IL and IT increased in this course. In addition, students who indicated a familiarity with certain web design terms also reported a familiarity with certain IL terms. A factor analysis of survey data indicates that a correlation may exist between research and web design in the development of comprehensive IL knowledge. This paper identifies three dimensions of IL and IT: web environment knowledge, web development knowledge, and research skills. This model is portable to other courses, programs, and organizations engaged in IL and IT instruction.
Informing Society in African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries: developing unlikely partnerships
Authors: McBean Bridget
Published: November 2005

The international community has created a framework for partnership development related to technology, information and communication. Currently under way, the World Summit for Information Society leads in this process. Other initiatives include the Cotonou Partnership agreement between the European Union and the African Caribbean and Pacific countries and the Africa Union strategy. Within this context, the article looks at how technology attempts to dominate development initiatives, while issues of information (literacy, right to information and intellectual property rights) lag, but remain pressing on the international and national agendas. The role of information managers in tacking the challenges is highlighted by providing examples from African and Caribbean countries. The juxtaposition of information managers with technology and communication in a partnership seems unlikely. However because all three aspects are aligned, the partnership has the potential to be beneficial to users of information. The article concludes with options for unlikely partnership development.
Internet Awareness and Use in the University of Ghana
Authors: Badu Edwin Ellis , Markwei Evelyn D.
Published: November 2005

Reports on a study to find the extent of awareness and use of the Internet and its resources by academic staff and postgraduate students of the University of Ghana. The purposes for which Internet resources were used and respondents’ perceptions of the usefulness of the Internet were also explored. The main findings indicate that both staff and students are fully aware of the Internet and most of its services. Academic staff in general use the Internet resources more than students. However apart from e-mail, frequencies of use of Internet resources are very low. The study established that e-mail is highly used by both staff and students. Both staff and students found the Internet a very useful resource. The main reason for non-use of the Internet is inadequate training. Both staff and students need appropriate education and training of to ensure effective use of the Internet in all their academic pursuits.
Electronic Resource Usage in Academic and Research Institutions in Tanzania
Authors: Manda Paul A.
Published: November 2005

This article is based on a rapid assessment of conditions under which electronic resources are used in 10 academic institutions in Tanzania. Its primary focus is on the use of electronic resources available through the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI). Data was collected using face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Major findings are: availability of basic technical and human resources for electronic resources access and use; limited access to PCs for student use; variations among institutions in accessing electronic resources. Other findings include: problems in marketing electronic resources; inadequacy in enduser training; limited levels of use of PERI resources. Identified challenges of using electronic resources were: slow Internet connectivity; limited access to PCs; poor search skills to effectively use electronic resources and power cuts. Based on the findings the study makes policy recommendations on training in the use and marketing of electronic resources for specific user groups and resources.
Information and Communication Technologies in Small and Medium Scale Tourism Enterprises in Durban, South Africa
Authors: Migiro Stephen O. , Ocholla Dennis N.
Published: November 2005

The objectives of this paper are to identify factors influencing the adoption of innovations, specifically e-commerce readiness and to identify specific barriers or obstacles to the use of ICT by small and medium tourism enterprises in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Enterprises studied included guesthouses, lodges and self-catering, bed and breakfast, and tour operators. A survey research design was adopted and data collected through interviews, observation and administration of a structured questionnaire. The results reveal that high cost, limited funds and not knowing what to adopt are perceived as barriers to the diffusion of ICTs among the tourism service providers in the study.
Preservation of Public Records in Ghana: the training, education and awareness factors
Authors: Akussah Harry
Published: November 2005

Describes the institutional framework for records and archives management in Ghana and emphasizes the lack of awareness of document preservation issues among the staff of government registries, the National Records Centre and the National Archives and among users of public records and archives. Outlines the facilities available for formal and informal staff training in preservation in Ghana and overseas and the need for awareness programmes for public servants and users of the National Archives. Concludes that the lack of preservation training, education and awareness raising among both staff and users are key causes of document deterioration in Ghana and makes recommendations for remedial action by the authorities.
Participatory development and violent conflict—An antagonism?
Authors: Korf Benedikt
Published: November 2005

This article challenges conventional wisdom that in a situation of violent conflict, participatory development is not possible. It argues that the specific scope for participatory development is defined by the political economy of war and the political field in which development takes place.Therefore, one cannot assume a priori whether or not participation is feasible. This article reviews two case studies from Sri Lanka, where aid agencies have implemented a participatory development approach in the midst of ongoing violent conflict. The case studies illuminate the difficulties in implementing and the merits deriving from participation. Initiating participatory processes has the potential to undermine the basic logic of civil wars and political violence because it offers people, within a protected space, to rebuild their social networks, confidence and some positive view into the future. This article concludes that while aid agencies may find some opportunities to negotiate space for development, the leverage power upon the conflict dynamics will always be very limited.
Evolving towards unsustainability
Authors: Kurien John
Published: November 2005

This article is written in the style of a personal statement sketching my involvement in the fishery sector of Kerala state, India, over a span of three decades. Initially, this involvement was as a professional helping small–scale fishers to organize village–level marketing cooperatives. Later the involvement changed to one of a researcher and policy adviser dealing contemporaneously in the local, national and international realms. By adopting a schematized diachronic narrative, this article provides a glimpse of the manner in which the fishery became unsustainable. It also outlines the interrelated hurdles which come in the way of moving to sustainability.
The management of psychosocial risk factors amongst rural development workers in india
Authors: Duraisingam Vinita , Dollard Maureen F.
Published: November 2005

Work stress research has traditionally been limited to industrialized nations and urban settings, with a paucity of studies that have focused on workers in rural contexts and/or in developing economies.This study examined the applicability of the Job Demands–Resources Model of burnout among a sample of Indian rural development workers (N=194). Self–administered surveys measuring job demands, job resources, burnout, psychological distress and job satisfaction were distributed to participants. Job demands was the significant main variable accounting for exhaustion whereas control and rewards predominantly accounted for cynicism and job satisfaction respectively. Both demands and rewards were equally important in accounting for levels of psychological distress. Significant interaction effects were also found between job demands and job resources, and several outcome variables.The practical management implication is to enhance worker well–being by either reducing work demands or increasing job resources, especially levels of control and rewards. Focus should be on women and older workers who are particularly vulnerable to exhaustion and cynicism.
How the Blind “See” Braille: Lessons From Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Sadato Norihiro
Published: November 2005

What does the visual cortex of the blind do during Braille reading? This process involves converting simple tactile information into meaningful patterns that have lexical and semantic properties. The perceptual processing of Braille might be mediated by the somatosensory system, whereas visual letter identity is accomplished within the visual system in sighted people. Recent advances in functional neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, have enabled exploration of the neural substrates of Braille reading. The primary visual cortex of early-onset blind subjects is functionally relevant to Braille reading, suggesting that the brain shows remarkable plasticity that potentially permits the additional processing of tactile information in the visual cortical areas.
Altered Gene Expression Profiles Reveal Similarities and Differences Between Parkinson Disease and Model Systems
Authors: Miller Renee M. , Federoff Howard J.
Published: November 2005

Parkinson disease (PD) targets dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, resulting in motor disturbances such as resting tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity. Pathogenic processes likely occur over several decades, in that an overwhelming percentage of neurons are already dead at the time of clinical diagnosis. For this reason, the usage of animal model systems to discover the early steps in the pathologic cascade is required. These include exposure to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), which selectively kills dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, and genetic models incorporating mutations in the α-synuclein gene that cause disease in human patients. Through the evaluation of these models at multiple time points, it is possible to discover novel gene expression changes that may underlie disease pathogenesis. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that animal models of PD and human PD brains share a gene expression profile that signifies certain aspects of pathogenesis and/or recovery-resistance. To test this and similar hypotheses, the authors and others have utilized new microarray technology that enables the sampling of thousands of genes’ expression level in one assay. Because the technology is fairly new and results can vary depending on methods used, results must be evaluated with care. Multiple array and data-mining options can be used to make the most accurate inferences as to differentially expressed genes in each set of samples. The authors developed a fusion classifier approach whereby individual data-mining algorithms generate lists of significant genes. The lists are subsequently queried, and only genes unanimously called significant are retained for further validation. Although the authors’ approach identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes in each of three PD systems, only a few were common between the human and animal substantia nigra. These were related to dopamine phenotype, synaptic function, and the mitochondrial metabolism, implicating the presynaptic terminal as a primary site of injury. The time course of the authors’ experiments indicates that if the synaptic changes could be prevented, this may alleviate some cell death, in that these changes precede neuronal loss.
The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Valera A. G. , Díaz-Hernández M. , HernÁNdez F. , Ortega Z. , Lucas J. J.
Published: November 2005

The main histopathological feature of Huntington’s disease (HD) is the presence of protein aggregates that are gathered into inclusion bodies. So far the mechanisms that lead to inclusion formation as well as their role in the pathogenesis of HD are not totally understood. However, it is well established that inclusion bodies contain components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Accordingly, it has been postulated that impairment of this machinery can be one of the causes of this disorder. In this review, the authors summarize the state of current knowledge about this hypothesis.
Myelination: An Overlooked Mechanism of Synaptic Plasticity?
Authors: Fields R. Douglas
Published: November 2005

Myelination of the brain continues through childhood into adolescence and early adulthood—the question is, Why? Two new articles provide intriguing evidence that myelination may be an underappreciated mechanism of activity-dependent nervous system plasticity: one study reported increased myelination associated with extensive piano playing, another indicated that rats have increased myelination of the corpus callosum when raised in environments providing increased social interaction and cognitive stimulation. These articles make it clear that activity-dependent effects on myelination cannot be considered strictly a developmental event. They raise the question of whether myelination is an overlooked mechanism of activity-dependent plasticity, extending in humans until at least age 30. It has been argued that regulating the speed of conduction across long fiber tracts would have a major influence on synaptic response, by coordinating the timing of afferent input to maximize temporal summation. The increase in synaptic amplitude could be as large as neurotransmitter-based mechanisms of plasticity, such as LTP. These new findings raise a larger question: How did the oligodendrocytes know they were practicing the piano or that their environment was socially complex?
PDP, The News Production Network and the Transformation of News
Authors: Hemmingway Emma
Published: November 2005

Personal Digital Production (PDP) represents a significant technological development of digitisation and multi-skilling practices within newsrooms. Introduced across the BBC’s regional newsrooms, it enables a single worker, whether a journalist, production assistant, videotape editor or camera operator, to film and edit material for transmission. It promises to revolutionise the entire news production process by eradicating established separate production roles. Its progenitor, Michael Rosenblum, a former CBS news producer turned media consultant asserts: ‘TV news has not yet been invented.’ (Rosenblum, 2004).
The Formation of a Disaster Community in Cyberspace: The Role of Online News Media after the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake
Authors: Kodrich Kris , Laituri Melinda
Published: November 2005

A devastating earthquake struck the Gujarat region of India on 26 January 2001, killing an estimated 20,000 people. Almost immediately, online news media began publishing details of the earthquake along with pleas for donations of money and other aid. In effect, a disaster-response community had formed in cyberspace. This study explores the role of the news media in the formation of that community. It examines how the online sites of three leading English-language Indian dailies - The Times of India, The Hindu and The Hindustan Times - disseminated information about the disaster to the outside world. The study shows the media followed good professional practices in focusing on human needs and not overemphasising foreign help. The media helped in the formation of a disaster-response community based on common interests as well as a geographic location of concern. This study illustrates the important role the online news media play in bringing together people concerned about one specific issue - in this case, the tragic earthquake in Gujarat.
Digital Switchover and the Role of the New BBC Services in Digital Television Take-up
Authors: Iosifidis Petros
Published: November 2005

This paper discusses the process of digital switchover and assesses the role the BBC services have played in driving overall digital take-up and therefore bringing forward the likely date of analogue switch-off. The first part examines the advantages and drawbacks of digital switchover, and identifies a number of challenges and policy dilemmas of making switchover an achievable objective. Part two presents an overview of current developments of digital television in the UK and outlines various measures proposed for encouraging digital take-up. The third and final part deals with the contribution of the new BBC services to digital take-up, considers free terrestrial platform Freeview’s likely effect on commercial rivals, and assesses the effectiveness of the proposed free satellite platform FreeSat to accelerate digital adoption. The paper concludes that the new digital BBC services have played a significant role in enhancing consumer interest in DTV services.
Moving Beyond the Sophists
Authors: Szakolczai Arpad
Published: November 2005

This article argues that the dominant role played by intellectuals in East Central Europe was motivated by a deeply felt Enlightenment missionary belief. This establishes affinities between them and the ancient Sophists, and the ambivalence of such a position is illustrated through the case of Georg Lukács. As examples of philosophers in the classical sense of the term, the article provides four short portraits: the Czech Jan Patocka, who argued that Europe as a culture is rooted in the care of the soul; the Hungarian one-time friends Károly Kerényi and Béla Hamvas, and the Polish bishop-philosopher Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. The central thrust of the argument is that while Western thought is increasingly trapped in an ever more desperately radicalized critique of metaphysics, in East Central Europe – ironically, to a large extent in the footsteps of Nietzsche – the most important intellectual figures have sparked a return to metaphysics.
The Czech Republic
Authors: Keller Jan
Published: November 2005

This article discusses some aspects of developments in the Czech Republic during the 15 years since the downfall of the Communist regime. At the level of social structures, the dominant trend has been a rapid growth of inequality, which has blocked the development of a middle-class society. At the political level, the most salient tendency is the growth of a 'silent majority', not least due to the murky methods of privatization and the manifest corruption among the new elite. The problems of the ecological movement exemplify the difficulties faced by nascent civil societies in post-Communist conditions. Finally, the author tries to identify likely trends linked to the dynamic of globalization. Here the most serious problem is the stagnation or even decline of the employees and small entrepreneurs who were once expected to become the backbone of civil society.
The Democratic Puzzle
Authors: Hankiss Elemér
Published: November 2005

This article is an attempt to describe how far democracy has developed in Hungary since 1989. It takes an inventory of those factors that have been described by political scientists as essential criteria for a working democracy and considers how far these criteria have been satisfied in Hungary up to now. It concludes that every democracy in the world must struggle with deficiencies, every society must incessantly work to solve the emerging problems and to rearrange the pieces of the 'democratic puzzle'. This is especially true of those East Central European countries that have emerged from 40 years of authoritarian rule.
Travellers’ thrombosis
Authors: Scurr J H
Published: November 2005

Anecdotal reports have suggested a link between flying and the development of blood clots. A recent prospective study looking at passengers before and after flying has demonstrated a much higher incidence of asymptomatic venous thrombosis than we expected. In the same paper, graduated elastic compression stockings reduced this incidence of asymptomatic venous thrombosis. Further studies are required to see how many passengers develop symptomatic deep vein thrombosis and to assess the overall incidence of venous thromboembolic disease. A major epidemiological study, an interventional study to assess the efficacy of mechanical methods of venous thrombosis prophylaxis and the effect of graduated compression stockings, and studies to look at the effect of the cabin environment on thromboembolism are planned.
Oxidative stress, micronutrients, diabetes mellitus and its complications
Authors: Opara E C
Published: November 2005

Oxidative stress is defined as excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of diminished antioxidant substances. It has been shown that oxidative stress has an adverse effect on glucose metabolism. Development of the disabling chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) has also been attributed to oxidative stress. The body’s defence against oxidative stress is accomplished by interconnecting systems of antioxidant micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes. While the vitamins act as donors and acceptors of ROS, minerals regulate activity of the enzymes. This review article is focused on the preventive and therapeutic roles of these antioxidant micronutrients in DM. Although there is scarcity of data from controlled studies, anecdotal reports indicate that the use of certain antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements may be beneficial as an adjunct therapy in the management of DM and its complications. In particular, it has been reported that high doses of single micronutrient antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E, may be beneficial to patients suffering from this disease. However, micronutrient antioxidants interact with each other in a biochemical chain of defence against free radicals, and the use of high doses of a single antioxidant poses potential risks because it could perturb the antioxidant-prooxidant balance. It has, therefore, been recommended that high doses of micronutrient antioxidant vitamins should be administered in combination rather than as single supplements. There are a growing number of preparations containing mixtures of antioxidant vitamins and/or trace elements. A particularly impressive supplement is a new formula called Akesis, which is a mixture of antioxidant vitamins and antidiabetic trace elements, adequately balanced with other vitamins and minerals that enhance metabolic processes.
How do younger patients view long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitors?
Authors: Grime J C , Pollock K
Published: November 2005

Dyspepsia (also called indigestion or heartburn) is a common reason for consulting a general practitioner (GP). One of the medicines available for treating dyspepsia is a type of acid suppressant called a proton pump inhibitor or PPI.

There is a growing concern over the rapid increase in prescribing PPI drugs and the escalating costs associated with this trend. There has been an effort to reduce prescribing of PPIs. Most patients who are prescribed these drugs are aged over 45 years. Younger patients (those under 45) are a minority but, in absolute terms, a sizeable number who could potentially be taking PPIs for many years and therefore be expensive. This is a group for whom the appropriateness of prescribing PPIs is often questioned because of the everyday and non-life threatening nature of gastric disorders. A widespread association between dyspeptic symptoms and features of adverse lifestyle that are, at least in principle, easily avoidable has led to the suggestion that PPIs might be used to support unhealthy lifestyles. The perspective of younger patients taking PPIs in the long term has been neglected.

In this paper the accounts of ten younger respondents, from a large qualitative investigation of patient and GP perspectives on long-term PPI prescribing, are examined to gain insight into how younger patients viewed their stomach problem, the effectiveness of PPIs and long-term PPI taking. The findings showed a gap between patient experience and medical perception. The perspectives of younger patients need to be recognised in order to deal adequately with their concerns about illness and treat their gastrointestinal conditions effectively.
Suggestions in maternal and child health for the National Technology Assessment Programme: a consideration of consumer and professional priorities
Authors: Johanson R , Rigby C , Newburn M , Stewart M , Jones P
Published: November 2005

In North Staffordshire, the Achieving Sustainable Quality in Maternity (ASQUAM) meetings provide the programme for clinical guidelines and audit over the following year. The ASQUAM clinical effectiveness programme has attempted to address a number of the issues identified as obstacles to informed democratic prioritisation. For example, it became clear that a number of topics raised were actually research questions. The organisers therefore decided to split the fourth ASQUAM day into an ‘audit’ morning and a ‘research’ afternoon. The meeting organised by RJ, CR and PJ in partnership with the Midwives Information and Resource Service and the National Childbirth Trust, was timed to allow the research ideas to feed into the national Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. This meeting was designed to increase the profile of ASQUAM amongst consumers and to increase their representation at the meeting. Objectives were to choose a new set of research priorities for the year 2000, and to ascertain the voting pattern of comparison to health professionals. There was overall agreement in terms of priorities, with the consumer group prioritising 8 of the 10 topics chosen by the professionals (or 10 of the 11). No significant differences between the proportions of voted cast for each topic by professionals and consumers were found apart from topic 20.

The numbers of consumers were small which does limit the number the validity of statistical comparisons. Nevertheless, it is clear that voting patterns were similar. Overall the process suggests that democratic prioritisation is a viable option and one that may become essential within the framework of clinical and research governance.
A study of fetal anomalies detected by ultrasound in Bangladesh and their relative frequencies
Authors: Rashid Sabrina Q
Published: November 2005

A total of 5,841 obstetric patients were scanned over a period of 34 months. This study was undertaken to establish the anomalies that can be detected by ultrasound and to find out their relative frequencies in Bangladesh.

Of the 41 cases of congenital anomalies, seven cases were of hydrocephalus, seven were of hydronephrosis, five were of mild hydrocele (which could be just a physiological variant), five of anencephalus, five of fetal ascites, three of omphalocele, two of small biparietal diameter (BPD), two of short-limb, and one each of gastroschisis, renal cyst, hepatosplenomegaly, pleural effusion with oedema (hydrops fetalis) and bradycardia with irregular fetal heart beats.

The benefits of the procedure are that in some cases like hydronephrosis, early detection can lead to early treatment to save the kidney by removing the congenital obstruction soon after birth, and in hydrocephalus and anencephalus it will help in proper management.

The problem was there was a chance of higher detection of hydrocephalus and anencephalus as these were clinically suspected by the obstetrician and referred for a scan.
A comparison of two methods for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in the male urethra
Authors: Opaneye A A , Bashford J , Ashton V
Published: November 2005

Several methods have been put forward for screening people for Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the urogenital tract. It is often believed that culture is the gold standard. However, newer and faster methods are being developed. This study reports the result from the comparison of two methods.
Lessons to be learned: a case study approach
Authors: Daniels I R , Layer G T , Chisholm E M
Published: November 2005

The commonest sites for breast cancer metastases are the bones, lungs, liver, pleura, adrenals and central nervous system. However, although other sites have been reported, solitary metastases to the gastrointestinal tract are extremely uncommon. Widely disseminated gastrointestinal metastases may be found in up to 20% of patients.

Although only 15% of patients with breast cancer will have the lobular variety, these make up the majority of patients with solitary gastrointestinal metastases. Here we present three cases where solitary lobular breast cancer metastases have been demonstrated to be the cause of bowel obstruction. In two cases of duodenal obstruction was demonstrated and in the third colonic obstruction. In all cases a focal extrinsic compression was found.
Cholera: a continuous epidemic in Africa
Authors: Naidoo A , Patric K
Published: November 2005

Cholera continues to plague many parts of the world, but has largely been concentrated in Africa, which contributes more than 80% of the total cases worldwide.

Natural disasters, like the 2000 floods in Mozambique and the volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2002, generally lead to new outbreaks of the disease. The refugee problem in many countries throughout the world also causes potential threats for disease outbreaks. Case fatality rates are high, and we are not anywhere near curbing new cholera epidemics, especially in Africa. It is thus imperative to renew discussions about the nature of this deadly disease, its treatment, measures for prevention and control, modes of transmission, its physical, social and economic impact, and potential solutions.
Dogs, zoonoses and immunosuppression
Authors: Robinson R A , N Pugh R
Published: November 2005

Dogs are the source of a wide range of zoonotic infections that pose a significant threat to human health. This is particularly the case for immuno-compromised people, although there are few robust studies that determine immunosuppression as a risk factor for transmission of zoonoses from dogs to humans. An increasing proportion of human society is immunodeficient, principally through the advent of HIV infection and through more people, particularly the expanding elderly group, being subjected to immunosuppressive agents. This is happening at a time when more such people are capitalising on the acknowledged benefits of dog ownership, making for a potentially dangerous mix. Enteric pathogens (for example, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium species, that may be canine derived) are a frequent risk to the health of immunocompromised persons.

Veterinarians and physicians can be criticised for not communicating with each other, and for not providing adequate risk assessment to pet owners. There is scope for voluntary groups to provide information and support for the immunosup-pressed who wish to keep their dogs. Key recommendations are to maintain a clean personal environment and intact mucocutaneous barriers. Public health professionals could help rectify the current communications gap between veterinary and medical staff and so facilitate in the appropriate management of dog-owning immunocompromised people.