bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV in Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor–Associated Angioedema
Authors: Byrd James Brian , Touzin Karine , Sile Saba , Gainer James V. , Yu Chang , Nadeau John , Adam Albert , Brown Nancy J.
Published: November 2007

Angioedema is a potentially life-threatening adverse effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Bradykinin and substance P, substrates of angiotensin-converting enzyme, increase vascular permeability and cause tissue edema in animals. Studies indicate that amino-terminal degradation of these peptides, by aminopeptidase P and dipeptidyl peptidase IV, may be impaired in individuals with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–associated angioedema. This case-control study tested the hypothesis that dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity and antigen are decreased in sera of patients with a history of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–associated angioedema. Fifty subjects with a history of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–associated angioedema and 176 angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–exposed control subjects were ascertained. Sera were assayed for angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, aminopeptidase P activity, aminopeptidase N activity, dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity, and antigen and the ex vivo degradation half-lives of bradykinin, des-Arg
9
-bradykinin, and substance P in a subset. The prevalence of smoking was increased and of diabetes decreased in case versus control subjects. Overall, dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity (26.6±7.8 versus 29.6±7.3 nmol/mL per minute;
P
=0.026) and antigen (465.8±260.8 versus 563.1±208.6 ng/mL;
P
=0.017) were decreased in sera from individuals with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–associated angioedema compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor–exposed control subjects without angioedema. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity (21.5±4.9 versus 29.8±6.7 nmol/mL per minute;
P
=0.001) and antigen (354.4±124.7 versus 559.8±163.2 ng/mL;
P
=0.003) were decreased in sera from cases collected during angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition but not in the absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. The degradation half-life of substance P correlated inversely with dipeptidyl peptidase IV antigen during angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. Environmental or genetic factors that reduce dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity may predispose individuals to angioedema.
Situating Texas School Finance Policy in a CRT Framework: How “Substantially Equal” Yields Racial Inequity
Authors: Alemán Enrique
Published: November 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to conduct a critical race policy analysis of Texas school finance policy. This empirical article examines three chapters of the Texas education code (TEC) and identifies the racial effects that the school funding system has on seven majority-Mexican American school districts.

Methodology: Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latina/o Critical (LatCrit) theoretical frameworks are employed in this article in which race and property are highlighted as concepts central to the analysis. The methodology allows for a critical perspective on history and the racial effects of policy to be outlined. First, a historical analysis of race and racism, schooling, and politics in Texas contextualizes the debate over school finance equity. Second, an analysis of the effects that the school finance system has on communities of color is completed.

Analysis and Findings: An examination of primarily 2002—2003 school finance data, Texas Supreme Court opinions, and TEC indicates that majority-Mexican American school districts are disadvantaged by Texas school finance policy. Whether it is operational, maintenance, or facilities funding, the school finance system institutes inequity.
Camouflaging Power and Privilege: A Critical Race Analysis of University Diversity Policies
Authors: Iverson Susan VanDeventer
Published: November 2007

Background: Universities continue to undertake a range of initiatives to combat inequities and build diverse, inclusive campuses. Diversity action plans are a primary means by which U.S. postsecondary institutions articulate their professed commitment to an inclusive and equitable climate for all members of the university and advance strategies to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse society.

Purpose: To examine, using critical race theory, how discourses of diversity, circulating in educational policies, reflect and produce particular realities for people of color on university campuses.

Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected from 20 U.S. land-grant universities. Line-by-line analysis, employing inductive and deductive coding strategies, was conducted to identify images of diversity and the problems and solutions related to diversity as represented in 21 diversity action plans generated throughout a 5-year period (1999-2004).

Findings: Analysis reveals four predominant discourses shaping images of people of color: access, disadvantage, marketplace, and democracy. These discourses construct images of people of color as outsiders, at-risk victims, commodities, and change agents. These discourses coalesce to produce realities that situate people of color as outsiders to the institution, at risk before and during participation in education, and dependent on the university for success in higher education. Using critical race theory as an analytic framework, this article aims to enhance understanding about how racial inequality is reproduced through educational policies.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that well-intentioned attempts to create a more inclusive campus may unwittingly reinforce practices that support exclusion and inequity.
Factors Affecting Households' Participation in the Natural Resource Management Activities in District Abbottabad, NWFP, Pakistan
Authors: Ur-Rehman Mujib , Chisholm Nick
Published: November 2007

In this article the factors affecting the attitudes and preferences of households regarding natural resource management in the Abbottabad district of Pakistan are analysed. The findings suggest that non-government organizations were doing better than government agencies in motivating the user groups towards sustainable use and management of natural resources through local organizations. However, it depends on the households' socio-economic status and its linkage with their livelihoods to participate in natural resource management activities. The study can assist policymakers by identifying the key areas for the implementation of their programmes related with natural resource management activities through community participation.
Communalism and Separatism in India
Authors: Pandey Anurag
Published: November 2007

Due to the rise and growth of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) with its sister organizations in Indian politics, the existence of the Muslim political elite's communal attitude, acceptance of liberalized economic policy by India and the rise in mutual suspicion and hostile attitude among both Muslims and Hindus, India may witness a violent civil war between Hindus and Muslims in the future. The clashing political and economic interests and confronting attitude from both sides may lead them to be two different nations again. The spectre of Two Nations Theory may emerge once again.
FASE: A Framework for Scalable Performance Prediction of HPC Systems and Applications
Authors: Grobelny Eric , Bueno David , Troxel Ian , George Alan D. , Vetter Jeffrey S.
Published: November 2007

As systems of computers become more compleX in terms of their architecture, interconnect and heterogeneity, the optimum configuration and utilization of these machines becomes a major challenge. To reduce the penalties caused by poorly configured systems, simulation is often used to predict the performance of key applications to be eXecuted on the new systems. Simulation provides the capability to observe component and system characteristics (e.g. performance and power) in order to make vital design decisions. However, simulating high-fidelity models can be very time consuming and even prohibitive when evaluating large-scale systems. The Fast and Accurate Simulation Environment (FASE) framework seeks to support large-scale system simulation by using high-fidelity models to capture the behavior of only the performance-critical components while employing abstraction techniques to capture the effects of those components with little impact on the system. In order to achieve this balance of accuracy and simulation speed, FASE provides a methodology and associated toolset to evaluate numerous architectural options. This approach allows users to make system design decisions based on quantifiable demands of their key applications rather than using manual analysis which can be error prone and impractical for large systems. The framework accomplishes this evaluation through a novel approach of combining discrete-event simulation with an application characterization scheme in order to remove unnecessary details while focusing on components critical to the performance of the application. In this paper, we present the methodology and techniques behind FASE and include several case studies validating systems constructed using various applications and interconnects.
Flexible State Update Mechanism for Large-Scale Distributed Wargame Simulations
Authors: Suiping Zhou  , Wentong Cai  , Turner Stephen J. , Junhu Wei  , Wenbo Zong
Published: November 2007

Large-scale wargame simulations may involve tens of thousands of entities and generally run on distributed simulation nodes. An important issue in constructing these applications is to reduce the amount of data transmitted among the distributed simulation nodes so that the network and the simulation nodes will not be flooded by the state update messages. To this end, we first propose a timeliness condition on how frequently the state updates of a local simulation entity need to be sent to other remote simulation nodes. A fleXible state update mechanism is then proposed to ensure the update intervals of the entities meet the required timeliness update condition and, in the meantime, balance the number of entities that need to be updated in each simulation time step (referred to here as the frame). EXperiments with a distributed wargame simulation indicate that the proposed mechanism can significantly reduce the number of messages sent over the network while still maintaining the simulation fidelity.
Equilibrium Study on the Disperse Dyeing of Polyester Textile in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Van Der Kraan Martijn , Vanesa Fernandez Cid Maria , Woerlee Geert F. , Veugelers Wim J. T. , Witkamp Geert-Jan
Published: November 2007

The dyeing of polyester textile in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2) was investigated experimentally. The influence of temperature and density of the scCO2 on the process was studied in the ranges 85—125°C and 400—550 kg/m3. The dye saturation concentration in the polyester increased and the distribution coefficient decreased with temperature, the latter showing a logarithmic dependence on the reciprocal of temperature. Increasing the fluid density led to an increasing saturation concentration and a decreasing distribution coefficient. When the right temperature and solvent density were chosen for the supercritical process, the same dye concentration could be attained as in aqueous dyeing. It was found that the adsorption of the dye on the polyester followed Nernst adsorption, as is the case in aqueous dyeing. The experiments showed that the dyeing was exothermic, with a negative change of entropy. The thermodynamic characteristics of supercritical and aqueous dyeing were concluded to be roughly the same, with similar saturation concentrations, thermodynamic affinities and heats and entropies of dyeing.
Studies on the Influence of Knit Structure and Stitch Length on Ring and Compact Yarn Single Jersey Fabric Properties
Authors: Kane C.D. , Patil U.J. , Sudhakar P.
Published: November 2007

This study focused on the effect of single jersey, single pique, double pique and honeycomb structures and structural cell stitch length (SCSL) on ring and compact yarn single jersey fabric properties. Compact yarn fabrics showed better performance in all the structures and their respective SCSL. With increased SCSL, the dimensional properties like CPI, WPI, SD, grams per square meter, thickness and tightness factor decreased for all the structures, while comfort properties like air permeability and water absorbency increased. The tensile, bending and compression properties of weft knitted fabrics improved and compressional resilience and surface properties generally decreased. Total hand values improved with SCSL. Other properties, such as abrasion resistance, bursting strength and pilling resistance improved with decreased SCSL. Combination order of knit-tuck stitches played an important role in all the properties. Double pique fabric showed better performance for the summer outer wear and single jersey fabric showed better performance for summer inner wear.
Antimicrobial Fibers Created via Polycarboxylic Acid Durable Press Finishing
Authors: Lee Jaewoong , Broughton Royall M. , Akdag Akin , Worley S.D. , Huang Tung-Shi
Published: November 2007

An N-halamine precursor, m-aminophenyl hydantoin ( m-APH), which was rendered antimicrobial through exposure to chlorine bleach, was synthesized and was applied on cotton fabric using polycarboxylic acids as crosslinking agents. Particularly, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) with m-APH treated cotton fabric resulted in the highest increased wrinkle recovery angle and chlorine content simultaneously. Durability and rechargeability were measured through an AATCC test method and antimicrobial efficacy of BTCA/ m-APH treated cotton fabric against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria showed a 6 log reduction within 1 min of contact time.
Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Voriconazole and Efavirenz at Steady State in Healthy Male Subjects
Authors: Liu Ping , Foster Grover , LaBadie Rober R. , Gutierrez Mari J. , Sharma Amarnath
Published: November 2007

A randomized, placebo–controlled (with respect to voriconazole), 2‐period, multiple‐dose intragroup fixed‐dose sequence study was conducted in 34 healthy male subjects to evaluate the interactions between voriconazole (triazole antifungal agent) and efavirenz (reverse transcriptase inhibitor). In period 1, subjects received 200 mg twice‐daily (bid) voriconazole (n = 17) or placebo (n = 17) for 3 days (400‐mg bid loading doses on day 1). In period 2, following a 7‐day washout, subjects received 400 mg once‐daily (qd) efavirenz alone for 10 days (days 11–20). Then efavirenz was coadministered with 200 mg bid voriconazole or placebo for the next 9 days (days 21–29). Serial plasma voriconazole and efavirenz concentrations were measured on days 3, 19, and 29, and the safety data were collected throughout the study. The 400‐mg qd efavirenz dose substantially reduced the steady‐state mean voriconazole area under the curve over the dosing interval (AUC0–12) by 80% (90% confidence interval [CI], 75%–84%) and peak concentration (Cmax) by 66% (90% CI, 57%–73%). The decrease in voriconazole exposure during coadministration is probably mainly due to the induction of CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 by efavirenz. The 200 mg bid voriconazole increased the steady‐state mean AUC0–24 and Cmax of efavirenz by 43% (90% CI, 36%–51%) and 37% (90% CI, 29%–46%), respectively. The increase in efavirenz exposure during coadministration is probably due to the inhibition of CYP3A4 by voriconazole. Coadministration of 200 mg bid voriconazole with 400 mg (or higher) qd efavirenz is contraindicated due to the clinically significant effect of efavirenz on voriconazole pharmacokinetics.
Maternal Gatekeeping
Authors: Gaunt Ruth
Published: November 2007

This study examined maternal gatekeeping, its background and psychological antecedents, and its consequences for paternal and maternal involvement in child care. In sum, 209 couples with 6- to 36-month-old children completed extensive questionnaires. Analyses revealed that various dimensions of gatekeeping were differentially associated with the psychological antecedents and consequences of maternal gatekeeping. The standards and responsibilities dimension of gatekeeping was related to the mother's self-esteem, and it predicted the father's involvement in child care. The maternal identity confirmation dimension of gatekeeping was related to the salience of the mother's maternal identity, and it predicted her own involvement in child care. The importance of examining sociopsychological characteristics that account for gatekeeping tendencies is discussed, and the need is stressed to further explore the implications of these tendencies for various forms of involvement in child care.
On confinement: Resident and inmate perspectives of secure care and imprisonment
Authors: Halsey Mark
Published: November 2007

The aim of this article is to explore the meaning(s) of incarceration as narrated by young men detained within the South Australian secure care and prison systems. Specifically, and as a means of supplementing emerging knowledge of the ways people work their way out of crime, the article examines how offenders conceptually work their way through incarceration. Drawing on data obtained from 79 initial and follow-up interviews with young men in juvenile and adult correctional institutions, the subjective experience of lock-up across six interrelated themes are outlined: incarceration as familiar/secure; incarceration as respite; incarceration as criminogenic; incarceration as senseless; incarceration and respect; as well as incarceration and visitation. My central argument is that understanding how the event of incarceration works its way into the vocabulary and day-to-day dispositions of custodial subjects is integral to understanding the types of orientations toward self and other likely to be carried into the community upon release. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the kind of subject which confinement unwittingly produces in its efforts to produce the law-abiding young citizen.
Power struggle: Gender issues for female probation officers in the supervision of high risk offenders
Authors: Petrillo Madeline
Published: November 2007

This article examines how female probation officers working with high risk offenders experience gender in their work. The research, conducted in 2006 with female probation officers in London, reveals the ways in which the officers perceive gender to feature in their work with high risk men, how they use gender to inform their practice and the nature of personal impact of this work.
E-records Management in an E-government Setting in Botswana
Authors: Moloi Julie , Mutula Stephen
Published: November 2007

Presents part of the findings of a study that was carried out to investigate the management of e-records in a government setting in Botswana. A two-stage research design strategy involving a case study of government ministries and a survey of the respondents within government ministries was used. The population of study consisted of: Director, Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS), representative of the Director, Department of Information Technology (DIT), records sta f, IT specialists, and action officers. The findings showed that whereas e-records management in developed countries is receiving great attention, the same cannot be said of Botswana. E-records management in government in Botswana is at its infancy and fairly new. Botswana lacks an e-records management policy, which makes it difficult to identify, maintain and preserve e-records. Key recommendations include the need for Botswana government to consider among other things, benchmarking against best practices of developed countries with regard to the systematic management of e-records.
Broadcast Feedback of Stochastic Cellular Actuators Inspired by Biological Muscle Control
Authors: Ueda Jun , Odhner Lael , Asada H. Harry
Published: November 2007

This paper presents a broadcast feedback approach to the distributed stochastic control of an actuator system consisting of many cellular units. This control architecture was inspired by skeletal muscles comprising a vast number of tiny functional units, called sarcomeres. The output of the actuator system is an aggregate e fect of numerous cellular units, each taking a bistable ON—OFF state. A central controller “broadcasts” the error between the aggregate output and a reference input. Rather than ordering the individual units to take specific states, the central controller merely broadcasts the overall error signal to all the cellular units uniformly. In turn each cellular unit makes a stochastic decision with a state transition probability, which is modulated in relation to the broadcasted error. Stochastic properties of both open-loop and closed-loop control systems are analyzed. Stability conditions of the broadcast feedback system are obtained by using a stochastic Lyapunov function. The proposed method is simulated for an artificial cellular actuator, consisting of many segments of smart actuator material. Theoretical results are verified through simulation. It is demonstrated that, even in the absence of deterministic coordination, the ensemble of the cellular units can track a given trajectory stably and robustly.
A Dual Mode Human-Robot Teleoperation Interface Based on Airflow in the Aural Cavity
Authors: Vaidyanathan Ravi , Fargues Monique P. , Serdar Kurcan R. , Gupta Lalit , Kota Srinivas , Quinn Roger D. , Lin Dong
Published: November 2007

Robot teleoperation systems have been limited in their utility due to the need for operator motion, lack of portability and limitation to singular input modalities. In this article, the design and construction of a dual-mode human—machine interface system for robot teleoperation addressing all these issues is presented. The interface is capable of directing robotic devices in response to tongue movement and/or speech without insertion of any device in the vicinity of the oral cavity. The interface is centered on the unique properties of the human ear as an acoustic output device. Specifically, we present: (1) an analysis of the sensitivity of human ear canals as acoustic output device; (2) the design of a new sensor for monitoring airflow in the aural canal; (3) pattern recognition procedures for recognition of both speech and tongue movement by monitoring aural flow across several human test subjects; and (4) a conceptual design and simulation of the machine interface system. We believe this work will lay the foundation for a new generation of human machine interface systems for all manner of robotic applications.
Assessment of Tissue Damage due to Mechanical Stresses
Authors: De Smita , Rosen Jacob , Dagan Aylon , Hannaford Blake , Swanson Paul , Sinanan Mika
Published: November 2007

While there are many benefits to minimally invasive surgery (MIS), force feedback or touch sensation is limited in the currently available MIS tools, such as surgical robots, creating the potential for excessive force application during surgery and unintended tissue injury. The goal of this work was to develop a methodology with which to identify stress magnitudes and durations that can be safely applied with a MIS grasper to di ferent tissues, potentially improving MIS device design and reducing potentially adverse clinically relevant consequences. Using the porcine model, stresses typically applied in MIS were applied to liver, ureter and small bowel using a motorized endoscopic grasper. Acute indicators of tissue damage including cellular death and infiltration of inflammatory cells were measured using histological and image analysis techniques. Finite element analysis was used to identify approximate stress distributions experienced by the tissues. Parameters used in these finite element models specifically reflected the properties of liver, which served as an initial proxy for all tissues, as stress distributions rather than absolute values were desired. Local regions predicted to have uniform stress by the computational models were mapped to and analyzed in the tissue samples for acute damage. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc analyses were used to detect stress magnitudes and durations that caused significantly increased tissue damage with the goal to ultimately identify safe stress `thresholds' during grasping of the studied tissues. Preliminary data suggests a graded non-linear response between applied stress magnitude and apoptosis in liver and small bowel as well as neutrophil infiltration in the small bowel. The ureter appeared to be more resistant to injury at the tested stress levels. By identifying stress magnitudes and durations within the range of grasping loads applied in MIS, it may be possible for researchers to create a `smart' surgical robot that can guide a surgeon to manipulate tissues with minimal resulting damage. In addition, surgical simulator design can be improved to reflect more realistic tissue responses and evaluate trainees' tissue handling skills.
Biomimetic Centering for Undulatory Robots
Authors: Sfakiotakis Michael , Tsakiris Dimitris P.
Published: November 2007

Substantial work exists in the robotics literature on the mechanical design, modeling, gait generation and implementation of undulatory robotic prototypes. However, there appears to have been relatively limited work on closing the control loop for such robotic locomotors using sensory information from on-board exteroceptive sensors, in order to realize more complex undulatory behaviors. In this paper we consider a biologically inspired sensor-based “centering” behavior for undulatory robots traversing corridor-like environments. Such behaviors have been observed and studied in bees, and robotic analogs were originally developed for non-holonomic mobile robots. Adaptation to the significantly more complex dynamics of undulatory locomotors highlights a number of issues related to the use of sensors (possibly distributed over the elongated body of the mechanism) for the generation of reactive undulatory behaviors and also related to biomimetic neuromuscular control and to the formation control of multi-undulatory swarms. These issues are explored in simulation by means of computational tools specifically geared towards undulatory locomotion in robotics and biology. Moreover, a series of undulatory robotic prototypes has been developed, which are able to propel themselves on a variety of hard and granular substrates, by means of both head-to-tail (“eel-like”) and tail-to-head (“polychaete-like”) undulatory waves. The undulatory centering behavior is demonstrated experimentally in several layouts of corridor-like environments using these robotic prototypes equipped with infrared distance sensors.
The Relationship of Self-Regulation and Aggression
Authors: Ross Thomas , Fontao María Isabel
Published: November 2007

On the basis of personality systems interaction (PSI) theory, the authors examine self-regulation, conflict behaviour, behavioural resources, and personality disorders in a sample of 83 male offenders and explore the role self-regulatory variables play with respect to aggressive behaviour. Although substantial correlations between self-regulatory functions and aggressive behaviour were found, these variables did not predict aggression in a subsequent regression analysis with measures of self-regulation, conflict behaviour, and personality disorders as independent variables. Antisocial behaviour, behavioural self-control, and affect were among the strongest predictors of aggression. Specific predictions based on PSI theory could not be confirmed. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed and put into relation with treatment issues of offenders.
Correlates of the Victim–Offender Relationship in Homicide
Authors: Liqun Cao  , Hou Charles , Bu Huang
Published: November 2007

Using a classification of homicides based on the victim–offender relationship, this research analyzes individual-level data from a local prosecutor's office in Taiwan with multinomial logistic regression to locate the more precise correlates of three different homicide relationship types. The results of the analyses provide further support for the hypothesis that such partitioning of homicides is fruitful in revealing the relationships otherwise obscured. They indicate that both sociodemographic variables and situational variables are important correlates of three different homicide relationships, but their strengths vary based on the particular homicide relationship type. Age and crime premises correlate with homicide differently based on the victim–offender relationship. Premeditation is related to acquaintance homicide but not to intimate homicide. In contrast, previous conviction is associated with intimate homicide but not with acquaintance homicide. The implication of the findings is discussed within the limitation of the data.
Intracellular Fate Investigation of Bio-Eliminable Polymeric Nanoparticles by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy
Authors: Chiellini Federica , Dinucci Dinuccio , Bartoli Cristina , Piras Anna Maria , Chiellini Emo
Published: November 2007

This is a study of the in vitro cytotoxicity and intracellular fate of poly[(glycylglycinemethacrylamide)-co-N-(2-hydroxypropylmethacrylamide y)] bio-eliminable polymer samples and relative nanoparticles in Balb/c 3T3 cloned A31 mouse embryo fibroblasts cell line by using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitating the polymers with fluorescein labeled human serum albumin (HSA-FITC) as the fluorescent probe and as the model protein drug. The toxicity of the polymers containing 25, 50 and 100%, respectively, of (glycylglycinemethacrylamide) x (GGMA) was investigated in terms of cytoskeleton morphology by exposing cells to various concentrations of polymers for 24 h. Under normal culture conditions, fibroblast cells exhibit characteristic spreading and shape, however, when the cell cultures were subjected to chemical, metabolic or physical stress, their morphology changed reducing their visibility. The polymers with the lower glycine content exert a lower toxicity even at high concentrations [8.5mg/mL]. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was determined by incubating fibroblasts with HSA-FITC loaded particles and HSA-FITC alone at three different time points. The results indicate that nanoparticles were up-taken by the cells in a time dependent fashion. Preliminary evaluation of the intracellular fate of the prepared nanoparticles indicate their possible lysosomal escape.
Dilemmas of Security in Iraq
Authors: Barak Oren
Published: November 2007

This article suggests that much of the violence that has ravaged Iraq since the country's occupation by the US-led coalition in 2003 can be explained by focusing on the interplay between domestic and external factors that pushed Iraq's major communities (Shi'is, Sunnis, and Kurds) into conflict. The domestic factors include an intercommunal `security dilemma' that was engendered by the US-led invasion; the role of belligerent `ethnic entrepreneurs' within these communities; and the long-term animosities, apprehensions, and fears among their members. External factors include the disbandment of Iraq's ruling elite, regime, and security sector by the USA, along with the role of the Arab and Muslim volunteers who came to fight Iraq's foreign occupation. The article concludes by discussing the possible ramifications of the conflict in Iraq for domestic, regional, and international security, and mentions several steps that can help ameliorate it.
Adapting to Transnational Terrorism: The UN Security Council's Evolving Approach to Terrorism
Authors: Heupel Monika
Published: November 2007

During the 1990s, and particularly since 9/11, state-sponsored terrorism gradually declined, while transnational terrorism, which largely operates without direct state support and features cross-border network structures and a greater propensity to mass-casualty attacks, has gained in importance. Setting out from this observation, the purpose of this article is to examine whether the UN Security Council (SC) has adapted to transnational terrorism and, if so, how. Providing a systematic and theory-guided comparison of the SC's approach to these different types of terrorism, the article shows that, contrary to common considerations, the SC did adapt to transnational terrorism. The SC applied sanctions against terrorists and committed every state to instituting far-reaching generic counter-terrorism measures. Moreover, in an unprecedented way, it made use of managerial compliance strategies to foster implementation. In this way, the SC adapted to transnational terrorism by demanding more from states and intervening deeper into their domestic realm, while at the same time offering more support with respect to implementation. While such an approach is unlikely to become common SC practice in the short term, it is nevertheless symptomatic of a broader trend in the evolution of governance patterns in the post-national constellation today.
Discursive Foundations of Iran's Nuclear Policy
Authors: Moshirzadeh Homeira
Published: November 2007

During the last few years, Iran's nuclear policy has become one of the most important issues in international relations. Some aspects of this policy have been more or less constant, while others have changed dramatically. `Rationalist' explanations cannot provide a fully consistent account of Iran's nuclear policy. This article attempts to explain the policy and its continuities and changes on the basis of a discursive approach, in which the constitutive effects of domestic meaning structures on the state's identity, and hence its preferences, are more emphasized. The main argument is that three discourses that contributed to the constitution of the identity of the 1978—79 revolutionary movement and later the identity of the Islamic Republic have made Iran's nuclear policy possible. Discourses of independence and justice give meaning to Iran's persistence in following its nuclear program, and a discourse of resistance can explain its recent less flexible and more confrontationist policies.
Policy-Making in Sport
Authors: Enjolras Bernard , Waldahl Ragnhild Holmen
Published: November 2007

This article analyses how public sport policy is made as a result of the interactions between the public sport administration, the political system and sport organizations, and discusses the relevance of three theoretical approaches — corporatism, policy communities and clientelism — for explaining policy-making within the Norwegian context. It builds on two case studies. The first case study concerns the process leading up to the adoption of Parliament's white paper on `Changing Sport Life', whereas the second case investigates the processes leading to the change in the law on gambling, which had a considerable impact on sport funding. These two cases cast light on different ways in which sport policy is made. The white paper on sport life is a central policy document that defines the objectives and means of public policies within sport, whereas the law on gambling has a determinant impact on the public funding of sport. The sport administration initiated the first case, whereas the Norwegian sport confederation initiated the second case. These two case studies suggest that the neo-corporatist model that was used to characterize the field of sport from 1946 onward has been undergoing transformations during the last decade, even if some neo-corporatist features persist.
Magnetorheological Bypass Damper Exploiting Flow Through a Porous Channel
Authors: Cook Eugene , Hu Wei , Wereley Norman M.
Published: November 2007

A magnetorheological (MR) damper with a bypass valve containing porous media is developed. Movement of the piston forces MR fluid to flow from one side of the piston to the other, through an externally mounted bypass packed with magnetic spheres. The passageways between the spheres provide narrow, tortuous channels that act as a controllable valve when subjected to a magnetic field. A stationary magnetic coil is wrapped around the so-called porous valve, which is isolated from the MR fluid and external to the primary hydraulic cylinder. While flowing through the tortuous channels in the porous media created by the packed spheres, the MR fluid experiences varied local flow directions, and thus an external field can be applied in any direction to adjust damping levels. Additionally, the use of long channels, which are tightly packed to create narrow passageways, allows a very high damping force to be generated by a relatively compact damper. Furthermore, use of an externally mounted coil allows for maintenance accessibility, and the magnetic flux return path can be either empty (air) or any high permeability material. The damper is tested for steady-state sinusoidal displacements, and equivalent viscous damping and complex stiffness are computed. It is shown that the porous bypass valve MR damper can provide high controllable damping force and a wide force range.
A Magnetorheological Damper with Bifold Valves for Shock and Vibration Mitigation
Authors: Mao Min , Hu Wei , Choi Young-Tai , Wereley Norman M.
Published: November 2007

This study presents the design and fabrication of a flow-mode bifold magnetorheological (MR) damper for shock and vibration mitigation for high piston velocity (15 mph or 6.75 m/s) as well as an evaluation of its performance at low speed. Based on a Bingham-plastic (BP) model, as well as a BP model coupled with a low speed hysteresis model, two theoretical MR damper models for flow-mode MR dampers are constructed. Using the design strategy associated with the Bingham-model based damper model, two MR damper designs for achieving the performance requirement with a limited space are considered: first, the conventional MR damper that has an MR valve inside the piston head and second, the bifold MR damper that has MR valves at each end of the damper. After numerically comparing the damping performances of the two MR damper designs, the bifold MR damper has been chosen because its dynamic range is better at high speed. The bifold MR damper was tested at a relatively low piston velocity using an MTS testing machine under sinusoidal loading. Experimental data compare well with the results predicted by the theoretical models.
Frontal Crash Mitigation using MR Impact Damper for Controllable Bumper
Authors: Woo David , Choi Seung-Bok , Choi Young Tae , Wereley Norman M.
Published: November 2007

This study presents performance characteristics of a magnetorheological (MR) impact damper for controllable bumper in vehicle systems. Recently, several mechanisms are proposed in order to minimize the injury of vehicle occupants during frontal collision. One of the promising candidates is the MR fluid which undergoes significant instantaneous reversible changes in material characteristics when subjected to a magnetic field. Using this salient property, a new type of MR impact damper is devised in this work. The proposed damper is integrated with bellows to induce the flow motion and the motion is operated under flow mode. The field-dependent damping force is evaluated by computer simulation with various conditions. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed impact damper, a lumped parameter mathematical model of frontal vehicle crash system including MR impact damper is developed and realized in order to evaluate acceleration peak reductions and transmitted force in the frontal collision.
Full-Scale Magnetorheological Fluid Dampers for Heavy Vehicle Rollover
Authors: Sahin H. , Liu Y. , Wang X. , Gordaninejad F. , Evrensel C. , Fuchs A.
Published: November 2007

A unique magnetorheological fluid (MRF) bypass damper for heavy vehicle controllable suspension systems is designed, fabricated, and tested. The damper can generate nearly 8000 N which meets the maximum force requirement for preventing heavy vehicle rollover under certain crucial circumstances. A dynamic simulation of the rollover performance of a heavy vehicle incorporated with four MRF dampers is carried out using a vehicle dynamic software. Emergency maneuver and rollover scenario are simulated. The results show that the MRF dampers could achieve better performance for protection from the vehicle rollover. It is estimated that the roll angle can be reduced by 45% compared to the regular original equipment manufacturer (OEM) passive dampers.
Magnetorheological (MR) Jet Finishing Technology
Authors: Kordonski W. , Shorey A.
Published: November 2007

One suitable way to polish optics of complex shapes is by using a jet of abrasive fluid. In doing so, the energy required for polishing is supplied by the radial spread of the jet, which impinges upon a surface to be polished. Generally, the jet instability results in a non-deterministic polishing process. A method of jet stabilization has been proposed, developed, and demonstrated whereby the round jet of magnetorheological (MR) fluid is magnetized by an axial magnetic field as it flows out of the nozzle. It has been experimentally shown that in this case a stable and reproducible material removal function can be achieved at a distance of several tens of centimeters from the nozzle. At the same time, the interferometrically derived distribution of material removal for the MR jet coincides well with the distribution of the fluid power density calculated using CFD modeling. Polishing results support the assertion that the MR jet finishing process may produce high precision surfaces on glasses and single crystals.
Examination of Throughflow in a Radial ESF Clutch
Authors: Chen S.M. , Bullough W.A.
Published: November 2007

A prototype clutch having horizontal rotational axis and a narrow gap between its two parallel radial disks is examined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The narrow gap between the discs is filled with an unexcited electrostructured fluid (ESF); the throughflow of electrorheological (ERF) or magnetorheological (MRF) fluid that would arise is contemplated as a means of contributing towards the cooling of the clutch. The throughflow, caused by body/centrifugal force action, is examined first when both plates rotate together at a speed, Ω. The aim is to estimate the flow rates arising under conditions of different rotational velocities, clutch geometries, and fluid properties. Following this, the cooling of the clutch is examined for the case of one plate fixed and the other rotating at a constant speed throughout. The inlet and outlet port pressures are made the same and the fluid is taken to be unexcited/Newtonian with viscosity μ.
Assessment Beyond Performance
Authors: Micari Marina , Light Gregory , Calkins Susanna , Streitwieser Bernhard
Published: November 2007

Increasing calls for accountability in education have promoted improvements in quantitative evaluation approaches that measure student performance; however, this has often been to the detriment of qualitative approaches, reducing the richness of educational evaluation as an enterprise. In this article the authors assert that it is not merely performance but also how learners think and how their thinking changes that we should be measuring in educational program evaluation. They describe a mixed-methods evaluation model based on the qualitative method phenomenography that can be used to evaluate how learners think in multiple contexts, from skills training to employee development to higher education, and how their thinking may change over time. They then describe two evaluation studies making use of this approach and provide suggestions for evaluators interested in using the phenomenographic model.
Teaching Program Evaluation in the Visual and Performing Arts
Authors: Johnson Robert L. , McGuinness Candace , McCorkendale Sara C. , Laney Mary Anne
Published: November 2007

The literature indicates that the demand for program evaluations is likely to increase and that those evaluations will be conducted across diverse disciplines. Preparation of discipline-specific evaluators may present challenges. This study reviews the experiences of a group of arts educators who participated in a discipline-specific evaluation course that combined a summer residence experience with Saturday meetings. The primary aim of the course is for participants to develop an evaluation plan for implementation in their settings. Through use of a reflective survey and a focus group, the authors investigate the extent to which the course addressed participants' needs as arts educators in program evaluation. In their feedback, the arts educators indicate that the development of an evaluation plan was one of the strongest aspects of the course; however, they also indicate that future offerings of the course should provide models of evaluation plans and reports specific to the arts.
Models and Mechanisms for Evaluating Government-Funded Research
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S. , Hattie John A. , Scriven Michael , Hartmann David J.
Published: November 2007

This research describes, classifies, and comparatively evaluates national models and mechanisms used to evaluate research and allocate research funding in 16 countries. Although these models and mechanisms vary widely in terms of how research is evaluated and financed, nearly all share the common characteristic of relating funding to some measure of past performance. Each of these 16 national models and mechanisms were rated by independent, blinded panels of professional researchers and evaluators in two countries on more than 25 quality indicators. The national models were then ranked using the panels' ratings, in terms of their validity, credibility, utility, cost-effectiveness, and ethicality. The highest ratings were received by nations using large-scale research assessment exercises. Bulk funding and indicator-driven models received substantially lower ratings. Implications for research evaluation practice and policy are considered and discussed.
Horizontal Evaluation
Authors: Thiele Graham , Devaux André , Velasco Claudio , Horton Douglas
Published: November 2007

Horizontal evaluation combines self-assessment and external evaluation by peers. Papa Andina, a regional network that works to reduce rural poverty in the Andean region by fostering innovation in potato production and marketing, has used horizontal evaluations to improve the work of local project teams and to share knowledge within the network. In a horizontal evaluation workshop, a project team and peers from other organizations independently assess the strengths and weaknesses of a research and development (R&D) approach being developed and then compare the assessments. Project team members formulate recommendations for improving the R&D approach, and peers consider ways to apply it back home. Practical results of horizontal evaluation have included strengthening the R&D approaches being developed, experimenting with their use at new sites, improvements in other areas of work, and strengthened interpersonal relations among network members.
Legitimating private interests
Authors: McDonald John
Published: November 2007

National Competition Policy (NCP), legislated in Australia in 1995, has arguably been the single most consequential economic policy over the past decade. Yet it has largely escaped sociological analysis. This article investigates how the concept of the public interest in NCP has actually had the effect of legitimizing neo-liberal ideologies concerning private, individual, economic interests. Using critical policy analysis, this article examines how this legitimization has occurred through: (1) the policy language of the public interest, and how this discourse has shifted over time; (2) the implementation of NCP, particularly the application of the public interest test; and (3) evidence proffered by dominant institutions about the social and economic distributional outcomes of NCP. This analysis demonstrates that the policy language and public discourse of the public interest has been used to secure hegemonic control to legitimate the interests of dominant groups.