bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variations and Sources of Formaldehyde Levels in Residential Indoor Air in Ankara, Turkey
Authors: Mentese Sibel , Güllü Gülen
Published: May 2006

A study in Ankara was performed to examine any association between formaldehyde levels and housing characteristics. This involved collection of 309 air samples which were analysed using a colorimetric method. Formaldehyde concentrations ranged from 2.34 g·m 3 to 866.22 g·m 3 (median, 71.48 g·m 3). Formaldehyde levels were elevated in homes inhabited by at least one smoker and were correlated with indoor and outdoor temperature, age of house and density of plywood furniture. Sufficient sample numbers were collected to allow the data to be statistically divided into five daytime periods. These data suggest that the formaldehyde concentrations were generally slightly higher in the afternoon. A simple mathematical model involving smoking activity has been developed for estimating the formaldehyde decay rates for two rooms in one of the typical background homes. When the windows and doors were closed, the formaldehyde concentrations in indoor air decreased within 10h to background concentrations, although this change depended on the room volume and the natural air exchange rate.
Local Discomfort Caused by Draft Perception in a Space Served by Displacement Ventilation System in the Tropics
Authors: Yu W. J. , Cheong K. W. D. , Sekhar S. C. , Tham K. W. , Kosonen R.
Published: May 2006

This paper reports a subjective study in a field environmental chamber (FEC) served by a displacement ventilation (DV) system. Sixty tropically acclimatised subjects, 30 males and 30 females, were engaged in sedentary office work for 3h. The subjects were exposed to three vertical air temperature gradients (nominally 1, 3 and 5K·m 1) between 0.1 and 1.1m heights and three room air temperatures (20, 23 and 26°C) at 0.6m height. The object of this work was to investigate effects of temperature gradient and room air temperature on local discomfort due to air movement at different thermal sensations. The results indicated that vertical temperature gradient had an insignificant impact on draft perception. Draft perceptions at foot, calf, thigh and arm were affected by both overall and local thermal sensations. A cold sensation would increase the risk of draft complaints and a warm sensation would increase the percentage dissatisfied due to insufficient air movement.
Evaluation of Simplified Procedure for Indoor Daylight Illuminance Determination against Data in Scale Model Measurements
Authors: Li D. H. W. , Cheung G. H. W. , Cheung K. L.
Published: May 2006

An accurate estimation of the amount of daylight entering a building is the key step in evaluating daylighting designs. The concept of the daylight coefficient (DC), which considers changes in the luminance of the sky elements, offers an effective way of computing indoor daylight illuminances under various sky conditions and solar positions. We currently propose a numerical procedure in the form of nomograph to compute the interior daylight illuminance using the DC concept. This paper presents the work to validate this method via scale model measurements under different actual sky patterns. It was shown that daylight illuminances calculated by the proposed method were in reasonably good agreement with measured results. The findings will hopefully provide building professionals and students with a reliable and simple alternative to current practices that incorporate sky luminance variations to predict the indoor daylight illuminance and assess visual performance under various real sky conditions.
Indoor and Outdoor Relationships of Atmospheric Particulates in Oman
Authors: Abdul-Wahab Sabah A.
Published: May 2006

Suspended particulate matter was sampled simultaneously indoors and outdoors using two high volume samplers at a typical residential house in the Al-Suwayq area, Oman. Indoor/outdoor relationships were examined to study the impact of the outdoor air on the indoor environment. The dust samples were analysed for their heavy metal content and their total hydrocarbon concentration. The results showed that indoor suspended particulate matter concentrations broadly followed those of the outdoor concentrations. Generally, the variation in the concentration of the indoor suspended particulate matter was heavily dependent on that outdoors suggesting that outdoor sources were contributing to indoor particulate matter. For particulate matter and most of the heavy metals, the indoor/outdoor ratios were found to be below one. On the other hand, the indoor/outdoor ratios for zinc and the total hydrocarbons were found to be higher indoors. This was attributed to cooking and cleaning activities inside the house. The information obtained in this study appears, from a literature search, to be the only data for indoor atmospheric dust collected in Oman. The study highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between indoor and outdoor environments.
Spatial Distribution of Radon and Thoron Concentrations Indoors and their Concentrations in Different Rooms of Buildings
Authors: Sannappa J. , Chandrashekara M. S. , Paramesh L.
Published: May 2006

The concentrations of radon and thoron were measured in a few old and new types of buildings that had four or six different rooms for a period of 1 year from December 2002 to November 2003 using solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The dosimeters containing the detector (LR-115 Type II Film) used in each rooms were fixed 2m above the floor. After an exposure time of 90 days films were etched to reveal tracks. From the track density determined using a spark counter the concentrations of radon and thoron were evaluated. Higher radon and thoron concentrations were observed in older buildings rather than new types and a lecturer hall. This is because types of flooring and ventilation conditions are different for different buildings. Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of these gases from the floor surface and walls were studied and analysed.
The Association between Indoor Radon and Tobacco Smoke
Authors: Ghany Hayam Ahmed Abdel
Published: May 2006

Radium-226 is a significant source of the gas radon-222 which may enter buildings through soil, construction materials or water supply. When cigarette smoke is present, the daughter isotopes resulting from its decay attach to smoke particles. Thus, the alpha radiation dose to a smoker's lungs is increased. To discover whether the cigarette tobacco itself is a potential source of indoor radon the level of radon and thoron from radioactive decay were measured in ten different cigarette tobacco samples using CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The results showed that the 220,222Rn concentrations in these samples ranged from 128 to 266Bqm 3 and 49 to 148Bqm 3, respectively. The radon concentrations from all samples investigated were significantly higher than the background level. From these values a possible annual equivalent dose from use of these tobaccos were determined. Measurement of the indoor radon and thoron concentrations in 20 café rooms was (significantly) higher than in 20 smoking-free residential houses ( p 0.001, p 0.001, respectively).
Health Effects Associated With Organic Dust Exposure During the Handling of Municipal Solid Waste
Authors: Perez Hernando R. , Frank Arthur L. , Zimmerman Neil J.
Published: May 2006

Municipal solid waste is a collection of discarded liquid and solid materials that serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Individuals involved in the collection, transport, transfer and management of this waste may be exposed to elevated concentrations of biological aerosols. Based on the nature of the work environment and the knowledge of bioaerosol related health effects in other occupations, the handling of municipal solid waste can be expected to result in adverse health outcomes. Only limited research has been performed to date evaluating the relationship between organic dust exposure and adverse health effects in these workers. The majority of this work has been conducted in Europe, with little performed in the United States. Although not extensive, the existing body of research suggests that there is an association between the performance of job tasks involving the handling of municipal solid waste and various respiratory, dermatologic and gastrointestinal health effects. While increased incidences of specific adverse health outcomes have been documented in this group of workers, the limited nature of exposure assessment in this body of research does not allow for strong evidence based conclusions to be drawn regarding exposure levels and associated health effects. Based on this review it is concluded that the detailed characterisation of organic dust exposure experienced by municipal solid waste workers is necessary in order to both improve understanding of resultant health effects and develop strategies to improve occupational health.
Facsimile
Authors: Light Jennifer S.
Published: May 2006

Scholars have expressed increasing interest in understanding the conceptual and technological roots of contemporary new media. Yet, to date, accounts of the history of media technologies have ignored the rise, fall, and transformation of one innovation whose applications in the first half of the 20th century parallel recent developments in WiFi internet, mobile telephony, telework, telemedicine, online publishing, and video-on-demand. This article introduces scholars to the history of the fax machine, and suggests how the technology provides an important comparison point for analyzing technological developments, past and present. The conclusion explores how positioning this innovation more prominently within the common disciplinary wisdom about the rise of new media opens a door for scholars to deliberate about the historiographical boundaries of the ‘old media studies’ in the era of new media: what technological systems have received disproportionate attention, and what new histories of old media might be written.
The social construction of digital danger: debating, defusing and inflating the moral dangers of online humor and pornography in the Netherlands and the United States
Authors: Kuipers Giselinde
Published: May 2006

This article discusses reactions to two forms of ‘dangerous’ digital entertainment: ethnic humor and online pornography. It compares the way in which the dangers of these entertainments are socially constructed in online discussions by Dutch and American internet users. Ethnic humor is virtually absent and widely considered dangerous on the Dutch part of the internet, but circulates widely on the Anglophone internet. Online pornography is considered dangerous but mostly manageable by Dutch internet users, but has become the subject of moral panic in the United States. The comparisons between the four cases show the influence of ‘national cultures’ on the transnational internet, as well as the mechanisms involved in the social construction of online dangers; they show how these concerns can be defused and normalized as well as inflated and dramatized into moral panic.
Humanoid social robots as a medium of communication
Authors: Zhao Shanyang
Published: May 2006

This article examines the emerging phenomenon of humanoid social robots and human-humanoid interactions. A central argument of this article is that humanoid social robots belong to a special type of robotic technology used for communicating and interacting with humans. These robotic entities, which can be in either mechanical or digital form, are autonomous, interactive and humanlike. Some of them are used to interact with humans for utilitarian purposes and others are designed to trigger human emotions. Incorporation of such robotic entities into the realm of social life invariably alters the condition as well as the dynamics of human interaction, giving rise to a synthetic society in which humans co-mingle with humanoids. More research is needed to investigate the social and cultural impact of this unfolding robotic revolution.
Computer-mediated communication as a virtual third place: building Oldenburg’s great good places on the world wide web
Authors: Soukup Charles
Published: May 2006

The sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term ‘third place’ or ‘great good places’ to describe the public spaces used for informal social interaction outside of the home and workplace. Oldenburg’s conceptualization has been used consistently to describe the communication of computer-mediated contexts such as chatrooms and multi user environments. This analysis examines the accuracy, utility and potential pitfalls of Oldenburg’s concept for computer-mediated communication scholarship. Further, it offers the necessary conditions for creating viable ‘virtual’ third places on the world wide web. Finally, it identifies directions for continued research as well as theoretical implications for scholars interested in digital communication technologies.
Java™: the practical virtuality of internet programming
Authors: Mackenzie Adrian
Published: May 2006

The general equation between the virtual and new media which prevailed during much of the 1990s is now openly regarded as untenable. Yet another sense of the virtual remains operative in the eventfulness of new media as cultural-technological processes. This article analyses the practices of ‘the virtual’ at work in the production, circulation and representation of the internet programming language and software platform, Java. Drawing from recent theories of post-social relationality (Shields, Lister et al., Massumi), it describes slippages in Java that trigger divergent, ongoing, generative transformations. Examining the circulation, interpretations, coding practices, branding and implementation of Java, the article suggests that a notion of practical virtuality as ongoing incompleteness can help to explain the dynamism of new media as open-ended cultural-technical relationalities.
Time and space in cyber social reality
Authors: Gotved Stine
Published: May 2006

This article synthesizes a range of sociological views on time and space, and presents a departure point for future research on cyber social reality. Using basic sociological categories of culture, structure, and interaction, the cyber social reality is drawn into a matrix that further illustrates the embeddedness in technology, time, and space. The matrix is a theoretically and empirically grounded tool for exploring, describing, analyzing, and comparing the variety existing within online communities and communication. In the article, the matrix is illustrated step by step to show its inherent dimensions, and in conclusion it is proposed to be a useful systematic for, on the one hand, ensuring ethnographically thick descriptions of online social life, and on the other, comparing the various reality constructions found.
Laboring under the digital divide
Authors: Rodino-Colocino Michelle
Published: May 2006

First and second wave digital divide research underemphasizes the digital labor force divide and overestimates the impact of access to and skill in digital technology. Such emphasis deprives digital divide scholarship of its democratizing potential by muting structural critique and recasting the divide as a problem of diffusion. To the extent that it promotes diffusion over equality, the digital divide debate serves marketing rather than socially constructive ends. This article argues that improved technical training and access cannot overcome the digital labor force divide, because gaps in pay, security, and dignity cleave the high-tech job market. Examination of the high-tech labor force in Seattle demonstrates the need to foreground the digital labor force divide. Eliminating economic and political disparities requires us to work through the digital workforce divide rather than labor underneath it.
Christian trophies or Asmat ethnografica?
Authors: Hasinoff Erin L.
Published: May 2006

Missionary collections have been considered to be scarcely more than curious accumulations of Christian trophies, collected trappings of ‘savagery’ and ‘heathenism’ and articles displaying a readiness for missionary investment. On the contrary, ethnological collections, in their comprehensiveness, have been thought to provide tangible traces of a disciplinary methodology and scientific objectivity characteristic of the ethnological museum. In this article, I complicate these essentialized categories of things by reconsidering the convergent missionary and anthropology agendas that framed their appropriation and shaped their mutual display. In this vein, I discuss how missionary collecting - as evidenced by Fr. Gerard Zegwaard’s MSC Asmat Collection at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York - was structured by, and in turn contributed to, the production of post-Second World War anthropology and the popular imagination of the Asmat as living remnants of the ‘Stone Age’. This article is further intended to provide the first discussion of Zegwaard’s AMNH Asmat collection.
The dream of reason
Authors: González-Ruibal Alfredo
Published: May 2006

Modernity is central to the concept of archaeology. It is not only part and parcel of the modern project, but it also throws light on the constitution of modernity itself. Although archaeologists usually reveal the higher degrees of oppression and alienation brought by the modern world, they consider that modernity is, in the first place, a productive process, in that it gives rise to new things - be they good or bad. They also tend to consider it successful in an evolutionary sense: wherever it appears, modernity wins at the expense of other rationalities, social forms, material cultures and economies, imposing its reason. This is true in most cases, but it is not necessarily so. This article explores the destructive side of modernity through a case study from Ethiopia. For this purpose, I will use archaeology to engage with a landscape where modernity has brought immense devastation and has eventually failed.
The Chinese Jade Age
Authors: Demattè Paola
Published: May 2006

Recent and abundant archaeological discoveries of Neolithic jade in China have prompted Chinese scholars and archaeologists alike to discuss the concept of the Jade Age as a way to better understand local prehistoric development. This concept, originally proposed in a 2000-years-old text, would add an extra ‘Age’ to the Western Three Age system. While this move has not received much positive attention in the West, archaeological and technological evidence from China shows that the Jade Age may be a useful analytical category.
Golden alienation
Authors: Ammann Felipe Gaitán
Published: May 2006

Is Prehispanic gold a commodity or a gift? In the process of becoming a first-tier icon of Colombian identity, the Gold Museum in Bogotá has attempted to formulate an answer to this thorny question. Far from encouraging the valuation of gold artifacts as ancient commodities related to mundane aspects of social life, the Museum has focused its curatorial mission on enhancing the symbolic and spiritual meaning of its archaeological collections. In this article, I trace back the historical reasons leading the Museum to take such a path at the risk of favoring an essentialized understanding of Prehispanic goldwork in the present. Although maintaining this choice in a multicultural nation such as the one the Republic of Colombia officially claims to be today is a problematic decision, the Museum can build upon a refined understanding of the materiality of gold to overcome this impasse and bridge past and present in a socially productive way.
Trowels, trenches and transformation
Authors: Sandlin Jennifer A. , Bey George J.
Published: May 2006

The purpose of this research was to explore how archaeologists who are working at a new archaeological project in Yucatan, Mexico have arrived at new understandings and practices of archaeology that are more environmentally friendly and community inclusive. We position these archaeologists as adult learners, and, using the framework of critical transformational learning, we explore how the transformational journeys of these archaeologists are integrated with social and contextual factors. Findings show that these archaeologists are currently undergoing critical transformational learning but are struggling with how to transform their new critical visions into a more critical practice of archaeology. We conceptualize this struggle as a result of moving from enacting technical action towards enacting practical action and conclude that traditional archaeological training needs to be restructured to provide more guidance on how to enact practical action.
Miners and mistresses
Authors: Bloxam Elizabeth
Published: May 2006

Expeditions to procure gemstones from mines in Egypt’s marginal territories during the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055-1650 BC) are generally perceived as representing centralized, bureaucratized and hierarchical missions to essentially monopolized resources. Traditional ‘top-down’ approaches to the social context of mining in this period assume the pivotal role of the state in controlling such endeavours through large-scale centrally organized expeditions, as deduced from the epigraphic record. This article advances a ‘bottom-up’ approach to gemstone mining in the Middle Kingdom by the deployment of cross-cultural and cross-level theories in social archaeology to microlevel production data at three key mining sites in Egypt’s marginal territories. Strategies of engagement and negotiation at local levels to get access to a local labour force and the source, rather than monopolization and state controlled procurement, are forwarded as significant aspects of Middle Kingdom gemstone mining outside the Nile Valley. Feminine imagery at gemstone mines may have constituted a ritual and symbolic device to foster solidarity and cohesion among a local labour force in Egypt’s marginal zones.
Take 2,Act 1: Feeding Two Birds with One Scone!
Authors: Hayati Majid
Published: May 2006

As far as the language learning situation is concerned, different methods and techniques have so far been proposed for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The most recent trend in language learning seems to be the Communicative Approach, as a result of which the students experience feelings of both security and assurance. From among the various techniques suggested in the framework of the Communicative Approach, ‘problem-solving’ and ‘role-playing’ are the most common and entertaining. The focus of the present article, however, is on role-play since I believe it is prior to and more important than problem-solving, in which logical reasoning and processes rather than ‘performance objectives’ are involved.
On the ‘Africanization’ of English Studies in South Africa
Authors: Cornwell Gareth
Published: May 2006

The article is an exploration of current trends within, and the desired destiny of, the humanities discipline of English Studies in the context of calls for the ‘Africanization’ of South African universities.The essay advocates the embrace of a non-universalist, emancipationist humanism.
Open Technologies and Resources for the Humanities – and Cooperative Consequences
Authors: Fisher Saul
Published: May 2006

The proliferation of open technologies and content in higher education is motivated by broad embrace of a principle of sharing that is consonant with various contemporary economic, pedagogic and policy drivers.At the same time, open technologies and content present the possibility of a departure in the culture of humanities research and teaching.The open frameworks celebrate and facilitate collaborative and cooperative modes of working which are, to a degree, alien to a traditional ‘individualist’ conception of work in the Humanities. But such collectivity and collaboration yield new benefits to individual humanist scholars and so are not a source for concern.
Knowledge of Being v. Practice of Becoming in Higher Education
Authors: Marquez Ivan
Published: May 2006

This essay suggests ways to overcome what I take to be a widespread problem of a dichotomy between the knowledge of being and the practice of becoming and an emphasis on the former at the expense of the latter within contemporary Humanities at the university. First, I trace the genealogy of this dichotomy and its effects on contemporary Humanities' higher education, especially in the guise it takes as a dichotomy between contemplation and action – thinking and acting. Secondly, I elaborate an account of self-directed development as a process of bridging the gap between being and becoming. Thirdly, I point towards often undervalued and even neglected philosophical traditions that provide us with alternative resources to engage in effective processes of self-directed development, enabling us to develop our human potentiality.
Textual Practitioners
Authors: Carusi Annamaria
Published: May 2006

The article is an exploration of online reading from the perspective of theories of reading and interpretation based on literary theory and the phenomenology of reading literary text. One of its aims is to show that such theories can make a contribution to our understanding of reading and to our design of online reading spaces. The precursor of this stance is the form of hypertext theory originally proposed by George Landow, which predicted radical changes in reading practices with an impact not only on literature but on education in general. The prediction has been slow to be verified and has been criticized by empirical and psychological studies. In this article, hypertext theory is compared to the phenomenology of reading linear literary text, with particular attention paid to the role played by the notion of a text, work or ‘whole’ which is constructed or produced during the course of reading. I show that the active and engaged reading predicted by hypertext theory is available in reading linear literary text, and to a higher degree than in reading hypertext, and consider ways in which the kinds of reading process which occur in reading literature can be generalized to reading for other higher education purposes. Finally, I speculate as to the range of online technologies that could be used to encourage these reading processes, and propose an alternative online reading space.
Socratic Dialogue, the Humanities and the Art of the Question
Authors: Mitchell Sebastian
Published: May 2006

Plato's depiction of Socrates' interrogations in his early dialogues provides an enduring example of the importance of asking questions as an educative method. This article considers the central educational elements of Socratic dialogue and the ways in which these were developed in the 20th century, particularly in ‘The Socratic Method' practised by Leonard Nelson and Gustav Heckmann.The article contends that Socratic principles should be embedded within standard undergraduate modules and programmes in the Humanities. It views the questions a tutor asks in the seminar room as the principal means for establishing this Socratic agenda. The article discusses appropriate strategies for formulating questions within seminars, and concludes by proposing that the aim of such questioning should be more than just the development of students' knowledge of a given subject area and a facility with subject-specific and transferable skills.
Academic Freedom, Critical Thinking and Teaching Ethics
Authors: Lee Daniel E.
Published: May 2006

Sketched in somewhat general terms, there are two basic ways of going about teaching ethics: (1) the moral indoctrination approach, which is essentially a rote learning exercise; and (2) the moral engagement approach, which emphasizes listening to others in an open-minded manner and coming to carefully considered conclusions only after thoughtful reflection about differing views concerning matters of controversy. For reasons both practical and philosophical, the second approach, which emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills, is vastly preferable. If the moral engagement approach is to work, however, it is essential that academic freedom for students in the classroom be ensured, for developing critical thinking skills is not possible if there is not freedom to think.The professor has the primary responsibility for maintaining a classroom environment in which students are comfortable giving expression to their views and for assisting students in the development of their critical thinking skills.
The corporatization of Australian childcare
Authors: Sumsion Jennifer
Published: May 2006

This article uses an ethical audit framework proposed by Cribb and Ball to critically analyze the possible implications of the rapid growth of corporatized childcare in Australia. In particular, it seeks to examine how corporatization affects childcare service provision and whether it conflicts with other social goals. Noting the paucity of systematic evidence currently available concerning the impact of corporatization, the article identifies a research agenda with scope to inform policy decisions about whether support for continued expansion of corporatized childcare is ethically justifiable.
Risk of early childhood injuries in twins and singletons
Authors: Roudsari Bahman S. , Utter Garth H. , Kernic Mary A. , Mueller Beth A.
Published: May 2006

The incidence of twin births in the United States (US) has increased more than 65 per cent since 1980. However, the risk of injury to multiple-birth children is unknown. We sought to compare the risk of injury-related hospitalization and death between multiples and singletons. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked birth certificate, hospital discharge, and death certificate data from Washington State (1987–2002). All multiples and approximately three singletons randomly selected for each multiple pregnancy were included. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to determine the hazard ratio (HR) of injury-related hospitalization and death in the first six years of life for twins and triplets compared to singletons. The HRs of injury-related hospitalization were 1.4 for twins (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–1.6) and 2.9 for triplets (95% CI: 0.5–9.5) relative to singletons after adjustment for child's sex, mother's age and marital status, and number of older siblings. Low birth weight significantly modified the association between twin status and injury hospitalization. The risk of injury death was not significantly higher among twins than singleton children. Twins appear to be at higher risk of childhood injury hospitalization. Triplets had a nearly three-fold increased rate of injury hospitalization compared to singletons, though we cannot exclude chance as an explanation.
A journey to a close, secure, and synchronous relationship
Authors: Lee Seung Yeon
Published: May 2006

In this qualitative study, the relationship development process of three infant–caregiver dyads in a university-affiliated childcare setting was explored and some contributing factors to the development were identified. Data were collected through multiple methods (observations, video recordings, interviews, documents) for a semester. The findings of this study reveal both common and unique patterns of relationship development. In general, it took about 6 to 11 weeks to build firm relationships in the supportive context. Yet, the time and opportunity that they had together, what they brought with them (e.g. personalities, relationship histories), and their match brought about differences. In addition, the infant–caregiver relationship was two-way and reciprocal, and the context had a significant impact on the development. This study supports the significance of the infant–caregiver relationship in high-quality infant educare and caregiver education and sheds light on the necessity of a process-oriented and holistic perspective on infant–caregiver relationship development.
Learning ‘special words’
Authors: Torr Jane , Scott Claire
Published: May 2006

It is widely recognized that there is a relationship between vocabulary development and children's reading ability. This article will focus on the strategies employed by 24 adults (12 mothers and 12 qualified preschool teachers) when introducing new and unusual vocabulary to four-year-old children during shared reading. The mothers differed in terms of educational achievement; half the mothers had left school by the age of 16, and half the mothers were tertiary educated. All the adult–child dyads read the same two picture books (one narrative and one informational) and the surrounding talk was analysed to determine what kinds of supportive strategies were used by the adults to introduce and explain unfamiliar vocabulary items. There were differences between the two groups of mothers in terms of the frequency and manner in which technical vocabulary was introduced and defined. The preschool teachers differed from both types of mothers. The implications of these findings for young children's emergent literacy are discussed.
Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Authors: Chen Jie-Qi , Chang Charles
Published: May 2006

To better prepare early childhood teachers for computer use, more information about their current skills and classroom practices is needed. Sampling from a large metropolitan public school system in the USA, the study surveyed 297 state pre-kindergarten teachers, gathering information about their attitudes, skills, and instructional methods related to computer use. Statistically significant relationships indicate that attitudes, skills, and practice are interrelated variables. Results also suggest that aspects of teacher technology competence vary as a function of number of years teaching, role as lead or assistant teacher, home computer access, and length of in-service training. Implications for increasing training effectiveness for early childhood teachers include increasing support for classroom implementation, extending in-service training, and diversifying training to accommodate varying levels of teacher expertise.
Survival benefit with imatinib mesylate versus interferon-α–based regimens in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Kantarjian Hagop M. , Talpaz Moshe , O'Brien Susan , Jones Daniel , Giles Francis , Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Faderl Stefan , Ravandi Farhad , Rios Mary Beth , Shan Jianqin , Cortes Jorge
Published: May 2006

A survival benefit for imatinib mesylate versus interferon-α therapy could not be demonstrated in the randomized study in newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)–positive chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) due to the high rate of crossover (90%) from interferon-α to imatinib mesylate within a year of study entry. We compared survival in 279 patients with newly diagnosed CML treated with imatinib mesylate at our institution (2000-2004) to 650 patients treated with interferon-α (1982-1997). The complete cytogenetic response rates were 87% with imatinib mesylate and 28% with interferon-α (P < .001). The estimated 3-year survival rates were 96% with imatinib mesylate and 81% with interferon-α (P < .01). Survival rates with imatinib mesylate were significantly better than with interferon-α within each of the CML prognostic risks groups. By multivariate analysis, imatinib mesylate therapy was identified as an independent favorable prognostic factor, after accounting for the impact of pretreatment factors (hazard ratio, 0.44; P < .01). By landmark analysis at 12 months, survival within each cytogenetic response category was similar with imatinib mesylate or interferon-α, suggesting that the survival benefit of imatinib mesylate (versus interferon-α in newly diagnosed CML) is through improving cytogenetic response.
Prognostic factors for surgical resection in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
Authors: Kim H. J. , Kang C. H. , Kim Y. T. , Sung S-W. , Kim J. H. , Lee S. M. , Yoo C-G. , Lee C-T. , Kim Y. W. , Han S. K. , Shim Y-S. , Yim J-J.
Published: May 2006

Although surgical lung resection could improve prognosis in some patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), there are no reports on the optimal candidates for this surgery. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the prognostic factors for surgery in patients with MDR-TB.

Patients who underwent lung resection for the treatment of MDR-TB between March 1993 and December 2004 were included in the present study. Treatment failure was defined as greater than or equal to two of the five cultures recorded in the final 12 months of treatment being positive, any one of the final three cultures being positive, or the patient having died during treatment. The variables that affected treatment outcomes were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

In total, 79 patients with MDR-TB were included in the present study. The treatment outcomes of 22 (27.8%) patients were classified as failure. A body mass index <18.5 kg·m-2, primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and the presence of a cavitary lesion beyond the range of the surgical resection were associated with treatment failure.

Low body mass index, primary resistance, resistance to ofloxacin and cavitary lesions beyond the range of resection are possible poor prognostic factors for surgical lung resection in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients.
Predictors of COPD symptoms: does the sex of the patient matter?
Authors: Watson L. , Schouten J. P. , Löfdahl C-G. , Pride N. B. , Laitinen L. A. , Postma D. S.
Published: May 2006

Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients frequently report symptoms, it is not known which factors determine the course of symptoms over time and if these differ according to the sex of the patient. The current study investigated predictors for presence, development and remission of COPD symptoms in 816 males and 312 females completing 3-yr-follow-up in the European Respiratory Society Study on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (EUROSCOP).

The following were included in generalised estimating equations logistic regression analyses: explanatory variables of treatment; pack-yrs smoking; age, forced expiratory volume in one second % predicted (FEV1% pred); annual increase in FEV1and number of cigarettes smoked; body mass index; and phadiatop. Interaction terms of sex multiplied by explanatory variables were tested.

Over 3 yrs, similar proportions of males and females reported symptoms. In males only, higher FEV1% pred was associated with reduction in new symptoms of wheeze and dyspnoea, and symptom prevalence was reduced with annual FEV1improvement and phlegm prevalence reduced with budesonide treatment (odds ratio 0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.52–0.83). Additionally an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked between visits increased the risk of developing phlegm (1.40 (1.14–1.70)) and wheeze (1.24 (1.03–1.51)) in males but not females.

The current study shows longitudinally that symptom reporting is similar by sex. The clinical course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can differ by sex, as males show greater response to cigarette exposure and treatment.
Altered expression of the Smad signalling pathway: implications for COPD pathogenesis
Authors: Zandvoort A. , Postma D. S. , Jonker M. R. , Noordhoek J. A. , Vos J. T. W. M. , van der Geld Y. M. , Timens W.
Published: May 2006

Pulmonary emphysema, as a feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is characterised by destruction of alveolar tissue. The present authors previously demonstrated reduced decorin expression in the peribronchial area of COPD patients, reflecting an altered extracellular matrix (ECM) modulation. Decorin transcription is regulated by the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β–Smad pathway, the key intracellular signal route for initiation of ECM component gene transcription. Whether this pathway is aberrantly expressed in COPD is not known.

An immunohistochemical study was performed to compare protein expression of TGF-β1and TGF-β receptors, Smad 2, 3, 4 and 7, and decorin in lung tissue of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages II and IV COPD patients and controls.

Epithelial expression of the inhibitory Smad 7 was significantly lower in patients with GOLD stages II and IV than in controls, with other Smad protein expressions being similar in the groups. The expression of TGF-β1and TGF-β receptor type I was significantly lower in stage II patients. Decorin staining of the adventitia and alveolar walls was significantly reduced in COPD stage IV.

In conclusion, the transforming growth factor-β–Smad pathway is aberrantly expressed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, implying an abnormal tissue repair ultimately resulting in reduced decorin production. The results of the present study contribute to better understanding of the pathogenesis of emphysema and the airway fibrosis observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
Increased serum levels of chromogranin A in male smokers with airway obstruction
Authors: Sørhaug S. , Langhammer A. , Waldum H. L. , Hveem K. , Steinshamn S.
Published: May 2006

The neuroendocrine (NE) system may play an important role in smoking-induced airway diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between serum levels of the general NE marker chromogranin A (CgA) and smoking habits, respiratory symptoms and lung function.

The study population consisted of never-smokers with normal lung function, smokers with normal lung function and smokers with airway obstruction who were randomly selected from the lung study of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Serum CgA was determined in 151, 138 and 116 subjects, respectively. All subjects were seronegative forHelicobacter pylori.

Male smokers with airway obstruction had significantly higher serum CgA levels (median 3.70 nmol·L-1(interquartile range 3.10–5.15)) than both smokers with normal lung function (3.00 nmol·L-1(2.50–3.67)) and never-smokers with normal lung function (2.90 nmol·L-1(2.57–3.30)). The elevated levels of CgA correlated with the degree of airway obstruction. Moreover, the presence of respiratory symptoms and chronic bronchitis among male smokers were associated with increased serum CgA levels. Females had CgA levels similar to male smokers independent of smoking status and lung function.

Elevated serum chromogranin A levels in subjects with airway obstruction and respiratory symptoms may represent neuroendocrine activation in inflammatory or remodelling processes in the lung.
Pine dust, atopy and lung function: a cross-sectional study in sawmill workers
Authors: Douwes J. , McLean D. , Slater T. , Travier N. , Cheng S. , Pearce N.
Published: May 2006

An increased risk of asthma symptoms has previously been shown in 772 pine sawmill workers. The aim of the current study was to assess the association between dust exposure, lung function and atopy.

Subjects with (n = 59) and without (n = 167) asthma symptoms were randomly selected from the previous survey. Lung function and atopy were determined using spirometry and skin-prick tests, respectively. Inhalable dust levels were measured on the same day.

The geometric mean dust concentration was 0.52 mg·m-3. Exposure to dry but not to green dust was associated with asthma symptoms. Green dust was associated with atopic sensitisation, particularly against outdoor allergens; no association was found for dry dust. Forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and peak expiratory flow were significantly lower in workers exposed to high levels of green dust (-350 mL, -260 mL and -860 mL·s-1, respectively) and dry dust (-230 mL, -190 mL and -850 mL·s-1, respectively). These associations were observed both in subjects with and without asthma symptoms. No associations with cross-shift changes in lung function were found.

Exposure to green pine sawdust may be a risk factor for atopy. Both green and dry dust were associated with obstructive as well as restrictive pulmonary effects.
Differences in microsatellite DNA level between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Zervou M. I. , Tzortzaki E. G. , Makris D. , Gaga M. , Zervas E. , Economidou E. , Tsoumakidou M. , Tzanakis N. , Milic-Emili J. , Siafakas N. M.
Published: May 2006

Previous studies have shown that microsatellite (MS) DNA instability (MSI) is detectable in sputum cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether asthma and COPD could be distinguished at the MS DNA level.

DNA was extracted from sputum cells and white blood cells from 63 COPD patients, 60 non-COPD smokers, 36 asthmatics and 30 healthy nonsmokers. Ten MS markers located on chromosomes 2p, 5q, 6p, 10q, 13q, 14q and 17q were analysed.

No MSI was detected in non-COPD smokers or healthy nonsmokers. A significantly higher proportion of COPD patients exhibited MSI (49.2%) compared to asthmatics (22.2%). MSI was detected even in the mild stages of COPD (33.3%) and asthma (22.2%). No relationship was found between MSI and COPD severity. The most frequently affected marker was D14S588 (17.5% in COPD and 2.7% in asthma). The markers D6S344, G29802 and D13S71 showed alterations only in COPD, and G29802 was associated with a significantly decreased forced expiratory volume in one second FEV1(% predicted), whereas MSI in D6S344 was associated with a significantly higher FEV1(% pred).

The frequency of microsatellite instability was higher in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in asthma, and microsatellite instability in three workers showed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease specificity. However, further studies are needed to verify the differences between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma at the microsatellite level.
Measurement of quality of life in pulmonary hypertension and its significance
Authors: Cenedese E. , Speich R. , Dorschner L. , Ulrich S. , Maggiorini M. , Jenni R. , Fischler M.
Published: May 2006

Until recently, assessment of patients with pulmonary hypertension has mainly relied on functional and haemodynamic parameters. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL), however, has become increasingly important in defining overall health status.

The present study investigated the performance and clinical relevance of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (MLHF) questionnaire by prospectively studying 48 patients with either pulmonary arterial hypertension (n = 26) or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 22). The MLHF scores were correlated to various clinical and haemodynamic parameters. Prognostic outcome was evaluated by calculating the time taken to reach an adverse clinical event defined as death, lung transplantation or pulmonary endarterectomy.

The reliability of test–re-test and internal consistency of this HRQOL tool was high. The MLHF score and its physical subscore correlated moderately to well with functional and haemodynamic parameters, except in the case of pulmonary artery pressures. Both scores significantly improved during vasodilator therapy. This figure was surpassed only by the New York Heart Association/World Health Organization functional class. A multivariate analysis of all variables revealed that the MLHF score was the sole factor predicting subsequent outcome.

The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire is highly reproducible, consistent, and a moderately valid and responsive tool in assessing health-related quality of life in pulmonary hypertension. Moreover, it is a significant predictor of outcome in these patients.