bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who Has Rights to What? Inclusion in Australian Early Childhood Programs
Authors: Petriwskyj Anne
Published: December 2010

In early childhood settings prior to school and in the early years of primary school, debate continues over the meaning of inclusion and its scope in terms of the groups under consideration. The genealogies of early childhood education and care, early primary school, special education and cultural education were examined to identify recurring and emerging approaches to inclusion within Australian programs for children from birth to eight years. Approaches to inclusion encompassing multiple forms of diversity coexist in the Australian educational literature with targeted approaches focused on disabilities or risk. These differing approaches reflect underlying ideological divisions and varying assumptions about diversity. Multiple approaches, including the expansion of early childhood services, reflect tensions over children's rights, conceptualizations of inclusion, the expectations of teachers, system coordination, economic constraints and political pressure to cater for a complex range of young children in varied settings. The article incorporates discussion on underlying philosophical tensions within the early childhood field.
Provision of Pre-Primary Education as a Basic Right in Tanzania: Reflections from Policy Documents
Authors: Mtahabwa Lyabwene
Published: December 2010

This study sought to assess provision of pre-primary education in Tanzania as a basic right through analyses of relevant policy documents. Documents which were published over the past decade were considered, including educational policies, action plans, national papers, the Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania documents, strategy documents, documents representing the views of the people, and the Tanzania Development Vision 2025. Critical discourse analysis guided the process of analysis. The results suggest that pre-primary education has hardly been provided as a basic right. Issues of quality, equity and hearing children's voices have rarely been considered, particularly as a result of the problems associated with the policy, such as the lack of an implementation plan. Further, it has been mentioned less frequently in some of the key government documents. This brings the current policy closer to politics than policies. The article recommends that there needs to be a consideration of quality, equity and hearing children's voices at the policy level to realise provision of pre-primary education as a basic right.
Persecutory Guilt, Surveillance and Resistance: The Emotional Themes of Early Childhood Educators
Authors: Madrid Samara , Dunn-Kenney Maylan
Published: December 2010

This research examines the emotional themes and discourse of emotion of early childhood educators using a post-structuralist theoretical framework of emotion. The data selected and analyzed is taken from 4 two-hour discussion groups that were conducted over an eight-week period with four female early childhood educators. The emotional themes and patterns that emerged from the discussion groups and artifacts, teacher journals, and follow-up interviews were analyzed and then followed with a micro-level analysis. The findings revealed that the three most common emotion words discussed were ‘stress’, ‘worry’, and ‘frustration’, which were linked to surveillance and a discourse around persecutory guilt through institutional and relational systems, fostering implicit resistance among participants.

I really struggle with teaching first and second grade … I don't have my early childhood degree … I feel like I'm always balancing what's appropriate for them but then, at the same time, what they're gonna be tested on in third grade. (Mary, field notes, March 2008)
Finite Element Modelling of the Behaviour of a Certain Class of Composite Steel-Concrete Beam-To-Column Joints / Skonczenie-Elementowe Modelowanie Zachowania Sie Pewnej Klasy Wezłów Zespolonych Stalowo-Betonowych W Połaczeniach Rygli Ze Słupami
Authors: Gizejowski M. A. , Barcewicz W. , Salah W.
Published: December 2010

Beam-to-column end-plate joints can be classified as rigid (fully restrained), semi-rigid (partially restrained) or pinned, depending on their type, configuration and the connector arrangement. Fully restrained joints are needed for rigid frames in which there is assumed that the frame joints have sufficient rigidity to maintain - under the service state - the angles between the intersecting members, ensuring the full moment transfer. In contrast in semi-continuous frames, partially restrained joints are characterized by relative rotations occurring between the intersecting members so that the bending moment can only be transferred partially. In recent years, the idea of using partially restrained, unstiffened joints in building structures has gained momentum since this idea appears to be more practical and economical. Semi-continuous frames can resist actions by the bending moment transfer in partially restrained joints, allowing in the same time for a certain degree of rotation that enhances the overall ductile performance of these structures. One of the effective ways that affects ductility of end-plate beam-to-column joints is to use thinner end-plates than those used nowadays in practical applications. In the current study, a certain class of steel-concrete composite joints is examined in which the thickness of end-plates is to be equivalent to approximately 40-60% of the bolt diameter used in all the composite joints investigated in the considered joint class. This paper is an extension of the authors’ earlier investigation on numerical modelling of the behaviour of steel frame joints. The aim of current investigations is to develop as simple as possible and yet reliable three-dimensional (3D) FE model of the composite joint behaviour that is capable of capturing the important factors controlling the performance of steel-concrete end-plate joints in which the end-plate thickness is chosen to be lesser than that used nowadays in conventional joint detailing. A 3D FE model constructed for composite joints of the considered joint class is reported in this paper and numerical simulations using the ABAQUS computer code are validated against experimental investigations conducted at the Warsaw University of Technology. Comparison between the nonlinear FE analysis and full scale experimental results of the considered class of composite joints is presented which conclusively allows for the accuracy assessment of the modelling technique developed. Comparison between the FE results and test data shows a reasonable agreement between the numerical FE model developed and physical model of experimentally examined joint specimens. Finally, practical conclusions for engineering applications are drawn.
The Influence of Selected Parameters of Cyclic Process on Cohesive Soils Shear Characteristics at Small Strain / Wpływ Wybranych Parametrów Procesu Cyklicznego Na Charakterystyki Scinania Gruntów Spoistych W Zakresie Małych Odkształcen
Authors: Jastrzebska M.
Published: December 2010

The subject of the paper comprises a cohesive soil response to a cyclic loading applied in the range of small strains (10-5 ÷ 10-3). To this end tests of undrained cyclic shear in a triaxial compression apparatus were carried out on homogeneous material - kaoline from Tułowice. The tests were carried out on a modernised test bed, enabling full saturation of samples using the back pressure method, as well as a precise, intra-chamber measurement of small strains. Maintaining a constant deviatoric stress amplitude for NC and OC soils, the effect of its size (A = 0.75 Δq or A = 0.375 Δq) as well as the influence of strain rate on material characteristics “deviatoric stress (excess pore water pressure) - axial strain” and effective stress paths were tested. While analysing the results obtained, a phenomenon of closing and stabilising initially open and moving loops were found, in contrast to proposal by Jardine [8]. The observed increments in the axial strain during cyclic loading operation, at the same levels of lateral effective stress, were greater for normally consolidated than for overconsolidated soils. At the same time, at each next cycle, these increments were smaller and smaller, assuming even the value equal to zero for the tenth cycle. Similar relationships occurred during the increase in the pore water pressure during the cyclic load action. For the set number of cycles n = 10 they were that small - max. 46% (and decreasing with each consecutive cycle) that they did not result in weakening of the material. Taking the trend of decreasing Δu increments into account it was possible to accept that the conclusion considered was right irrespective of the cycles’ number.
Quasi-Static Failure Criteria for Concrete / Quasi-Statyczne Kryteria Zniszczenia Betonu
Authors: Jankowiak T. , Łodygowski T.
Published: December 2010

The behaviour of concrete under quasi-static loadings for uniaxial compression, tension and plane stress conditions is studied. The failure criteria of concrete are discussed as well as the methods of constitutive parameters identification are elaborated. The attention is focus on an energetic interpretation of selected failure criteria. The numerical example with concrete damage plasticity material model is shown
Analysis of Reliability and Stability of Bar Structures / Analiza Niezawodnosci I Statecznosci Konstrukcji Pretowej
Authors: Radon U.
Published: December 2010

In the paper, the Hasofer-Lind index is applied for determining the probability of stability loss of truss structure under random load. In 1974 Hasofer-Lind proposed a modified reliability index that did not exhibit the invariance problem. The “correction” is the evaluation the limit state function at a point known as the “design point”, instead of the mean values. The design point is generally not known a priori, an iteration technique must be used to find out the reliability index. The paper shows how the reliability index changes under the influence of different variables mean value, standard deviation, and probability density function
Strengthening of Slab-Column Connections with CFRP Strips / Wzmacnianie Połaczen Płyta-Słup Za Pomoca Tasm CFRP
Authors: Urban T. , Tarka J.
Published: December 2010

The paper describes experimental research of slab-column connections examined on specimen designed as a part of reinforced concrete structure with flat slabs. The aim of the research was to verify the efficiency of slab reinforcement concept against punching shear by increasing slab’s mechanical reinforcement ratio by applying additional external reinforcement in the form of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips. The capacity enhancement in comparison to unstrengthened slab obtained 36%.
Application of Neural Networks for Control of District Heating \ Wykorzystanie Sieci Neuronowych Do Regulacji W Ciepłownictwie
Authors: Chmielnicki W.J.
Published: December 2010

The annual usage of heat for the demand of heating systems in municipal sector has been estimated as about 650PJ. It is mostly addressed for the demand of central heating systems and hot water consumption. The mode of adopted solutions concerning regulation and control, as well as energy management system, essentially influence its consumption. In the case of residential buildings, the costs of energy constitute the greatest share related to the total cost of building maintenance. Providing buildings with modern digital systems for control and regulation of heating installations is a basic condition enabling their rational usage. In currently employed solutions, algorithms PI or PID are usually applied. However, due to the non-linear properties of heating control systems, they do not secure proper quality. The sequences are often unstable and major control deviations occur. The application of neural networks is an alternative solution to those presently employed. They are especially recommended for adaptive control of non-stationary systems. Such cases occur in heating objects since they demonstrate non-linear properties with a great range of variability of parameters; this especially refers to district heating equipped with flux-through heat exchangers. In this paper, a compile model of heating system control aided by neural networks is presented. The results of the investigation clearly prove the usefulness of such solutions, cause the quality of control is much better than that one applied in traditional systems. Presently, works on the implementation of the proposed solutions are under way.
Influence of Fly Ash From Co-Combustion of Coal and Biomass on Scaling Resistance of Concrete / Wpływ Popiołu Lotnego Ze Współspalania Wegla I Biomasy Na Odpornosc Betonu Na Powierzchniowe Łuszczenie
Authors: Kosior-Kazberuk M. , Józwiak-Niedzwiedzka D.
Published: December 2010

Industrial utilization of fly ash from various kinds of fuel plays an important role in the environmentally clean and cost effective power production. The primary market for fly ash utilization is as a pozzolanic addition in concrete production. The paper concerns the concretes containing fly ash called Fly Ash from Biomass (FAB) from co-combustion of hard coal and wood biomass (wood chips). Characterization of the fly ash was carried on by means of X-ray diffractometry and E-SEM/EDS analysis. The results of laboratory studies undertaken to evaluate the influence of FAB on concrete resistance to surface scaling due to cyclic freezing and thawing in the presence of NaCl solution were presented. The tests were carried out for concretes containing up to 25% of fly ash related to cement mass. Additionally, the microstructure of air-voids was described. It was concluded that the FAB has significant effect on concrete freeze/thaw durability. The replacement of cement by fly ash from co-combustion progressively transformed the concrete microstructure into less resistant against freeze/thaw cycles and excessive dosage (over 15%) may dangerously increase the scaling.
Finite Element Analysis of Plate on Layered Tensionless Foundation
Authors: Buczkowski R. , Torbacki W.
Published: December 2010

The method of calculations of a thick plate on the two-parameter layered foundation by the finite element method is presented. The numerical model allows to add a few (number of) foundation layers. The expressions for the element stiffness matrices of the foundation are based on 18-node zero-thickness interface elements. For modelling of thick plates the 9-node Mindlin element of the Lagrange family is used. The formulation of the problem takes into account the shear deformation of the plate and unilateral contact conditions between plate and foundation. The tensionless character of the foundation is achieved by removing from the global stiffness matrix the appropriate part of foundation stiffness attached to the node being in the separation stage. The advantages of the proposed algorithm are illustrated by numerical examples.
Sex Differences in Use of Psychotropic Drugs and Drug-Induced Side Effects in Schizophrenia Patients: Findings of the Research on Asia Psychotropic Prescription (REAP) Studies
Authors: Xiang Yu-Tao , Wang Chuan-Yue , Si Tian-Mei , Lee Edwin Ho Ming , He Yan-Ling , Ungvari Gabor S. , Chiu Helen F.K. , Yang Shu-Yu , Chong Mian-Yoon , Shinfuku Naotaka , Tan Chay Hoon , Kua Ee Heok , Fujii Senta , Sim Kang , Yong KH , Trivedi Jitendra Kumar , Chung Eun Kee , Udomratn Pichet , Chee Kok-Yoon , Sartorius Norman
Published: December 2010

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the sex differences in prescribing patterns of psychotropic drugs and drug-induced side effects in schizophrenia patients in Asia using the data of the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Pattern (REAP) surveys.

Method: The prescription patterns of 6,441 schizophrenia inpatients in six Asian countries and regions were investigated during the 2001–2009 period. The patients' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and their prescriptions for psychotropic drugs were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure.

Results: Univariate analyses found the following factors to be significantly associated with the male sex: a younger age, higher doses of antipsychotics, less prominent delusions and hallucinations, more prominent negative symptoms, less likelihood of a prescription for second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), greater use of antipsychotic polypharmacy, mood stabilizers and depot antipsychotics, more frequent tardive dyskinesia (TD), and less weight gain. In multivariate analyses, fewer prescriptions for SGAs, greater use of mood stabilizers, anticholinergics, antipsychotic polypharmacy and depot antipsychotics, extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) and TD, and less weight gain were independently associated with the male sex.

Conclusions: Sex is one of the independent contributors to psychotropic prescription and side effects in Asian schizophrenia patients. Psychopharmacological treatment guidelines for schizophrenia should consider the sexes separately.
Becoming an Ethical Scholarly Writer
Authors: Hatcher Tim
Published: December 2010

A new perspective of the ethics of scholarly writing is described that may overcome some of the problems associated with more familiar approaches to solving the ethical dilemmas that writers face. Instead of relying on an external standard, such as a code of ethics, authors are encouraged to internalize the ethics of scholarly writing as a part of developing their own moral identity. Socialization into a profession is discussed as an incubator of moral identity. Several assumptions are put forward in support of these perspectives.
Taking Clio's Pulse …
Authors: Buchanan Anne L. , Hérubel Jean-Pierre V.M.
Published: December 2010

Examining trends in research publications can yield an appreciation of where a discipline is moving and of its core intellectual orientations, specific and general subject interests, and disciplinary contours. This discussion considers the major contours of academic history publication as reviewed by the flagship generalist journal American Historical Review (AHR). The AHR's topical indexes for the years 2000–2009 were used to gather essential data from which salient disciplinary features could be examined in order to situate academic history's scholarly preoccupations. Various constellations of specialization, focused emphases, and general contours of intellectual activity emerged.
Flogging a Dead Book?
Authors: James Stephen
Published: December 2010

This article explores an issue that has been neglected in Australia, the intertwined fates of the scholarly book and the university press. These institutions face two significant threats: the commercialization of the university, which has left academics with less time for the patient research and writing needed to produce a monograph, and the ‘tyranny of the journal article’ (in contrast to that of the monograph, which has been noted in American debates), which has devalued the monograph and thus reduced some of the incentive for academics to write one. After examining the decline of university presses in Australia, the article concludes that they, and the monographs they publish, will best flourish with increased philanthropic, governmental, and university funding; careful list diversification; creative commissioning; cross-subsidization; and the savvy use of electronic and traditional forms of publishing and dissemination.
Truth or Hope?
Authors: Henige David
Published: December 2010

Like it or not, errors occur throughout scholarly publishing. Some creep in, while others leap in. Some are utterly inconsequential, whereas others are foundational. Some result from the Rush to Pronounce, while others betray insufficient searches for, or misuse of, evidence. It falls to the academy to correct as many of these as possible, but there is a palpable reluctance to be bothered, as though correcting error were a second-rate activity. As a result, errors either go uncorrected or are corrected in conditions of lower visibility. In this article, the author discusses a few such examples and brings to bear some quantitative data to support the conclusion that, once insinuated into the public domain, errors continue to live on far more frequently than is desirable.
A Value-Added Role for Reviewers in Enhancing the Quality of Published Research
Authors: Fischer Charles C.
Published: December 2010

This article focuses on manuscript reviews as a means to enhance the quality of published research and provide fair and constructive feedback to authors. After many years of experience as editor-in-chief of an academic management journal, it became apparent to me that the best published research involves reviewers going beyond the common practice of mere ‘gatekeeping’ to performing a value-added role in promising research. Strategies for achieving this goal, including ethical considerations and practical applications, are set forth. This article should be of value to reviewers and editors who desire to be proactive in enhancing the quality of published research.
Extending ArXiv.org to Achieve Open Peer Review and Publishing
Authors: Boldt Axel
Published: December 2010

Today's peer-review process for scientific articles is unnecessarily opaque and offers few incentives to referees. Likewise, the publishing process is unnecessarily inefficient, and its results are only rarely made freely available to the public. This article outlines a comparatively simple extension of arXiv.org, an online preprint archive widely used in the mathematical and physical sciences, that addresses both of these problems. Under the proposal, editors invite referees to write public and signed reviews to be attached to the posted preprints, and then elevate selected articles to ‘published’ status.
The Peer-Review Process for Articles in Iran's Scientific Journals
Authors: Ardakan Mohammad Abooyee , Mirzaie Seyyed Ayatollah , Sheikhshoaei Fatemeh
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this research was to study the peer-review process for articles in Iran's accredited scientific journals. The study considered the types of refereeing currently practised, the decision-making methods and criteria for acceptance of articles, the major decision makers, and the current norms in the peer-review process. The method used was a survey, and the data-collecting tool was a questionnaire. The statistical population of this research included 245 scientific journals. The results of the study show that, currently, the predominant type of refereeing for articles submitted to these journals is ‘double blind’ and the prevailing method of informing authors about the results of manuscript evaluation is ‘commenting on the manuscript after refereeing it and after consideration in an editorial board meeting.’ The findings also indicate that two criteria—‘Originality and creativity of the research’ and ‘Being within the journal's scope’—play the most important role in article acceptance. Of the five main parties cooperating in the peer-review process for these journals, the editorial board plays the most fundamental role.
Ten Rules of Academic Writing
Authors: Donovan Stephen K.
Published: December 2010

Creative writers are well served with ‘how to’ guides, but just how much do they help? And how might they be relevant to academic authors? A recent survey of writing tips by twenty-eight creative authors has been condensed to the ten most relevant to the academic, supported by some comments on methodology and applicability.
Subject to authority: Bishop Alexander Macdonell and his Scottish religious superiors, 1788–1804
Authors: Gourlay Teresa
Published: December 2010

This article is based on a comparison between Bishop Alexander Macdonell's autobiographical writing about his work as a Scottish priest and his involvement in the politics of the day, and information obtainable from the Blairs and Preshome Letters. Taken together, they show that his bold and enterprising approach achieved much for his fellow-Catholics but that his superiors, the bishops of the two Scottish vicariates, had good reason to fear that his individualist approach might actually undermine their own patient and cautious efforts to extract concessions for Catholics from the authorities. The developments described take place against the background of the Highland Clearances as well as the spread of French revolutionary ideas all over western Europe. Macdonell's views were to have considerable influence on British imperial policies in Canada and the United States.
John Gray, André Raffalovich and Father Allan MacDonald of Eriskay
Authors: Roberts Alasdair
Published: December 2010

Two men better known for their links with the cosmopolitan world of Oscar Wilde became involved in a Hebridean church-building project. It may be contrasted with the church in Edinburgh's Morningside district which Raffalovich financed for Gray. Shared priesthood in Scotland links Fr John Gray with Fr Allan MacDonald, whose work in collecting items of Gaelic culture helped to attract support for St Michael's, Eriskay. This paper corrects the misconception that the island's fishing community was impoverished. It also subjects local tradition that a miraculous draught of fish was mainly responsible for funds raised to critical examination. Conversely it shows that the financial contribution made by André Raffalovich, though significant and deserving to be better understood in the Outer Hebrides, was not so important as claimed in Edinburgh. Urban credulity over Second Sight is also featured. Details of church finance, including the late arrival of seat rents in this remote Catholic mission, no doubt have wider application.
Found in Translation: Chaim Soutine and English Art
Authors: Hammer Martin
Published: December 2010

The article is the first to consider the impact of the early work of Chaim Soutine, produced in the South of France around 1920, on a circle of painters working in Britain some 30 years later, notably Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff, as well as on the writer David Sylvester who promoted both their work and the key French artists such as Alberto Giacometti and Soutine who seemed to epitomise the new ‘existentialist’ climate. After the war Soutine became a cult figure in London, as he did in contemporary Paris and New York. He embodied the idea of the ‘tragic’ artist in his still-life imagery of flayed animals, his uncompromising, heavily-laden paint surfaces, and in his identity as a Jew who had died in 1943, an indirect victim of the Nazi occupation of France. I try to identify which works in particular were known to the English artists, themselves all Jewish except for Bacon, and to describe the very different ways in which they reacted to Soutine's art and adapted its lessons to their own artistic purposes.
The Art of Making-Up: Ibsen, Ireland, and Metropolitan Performance
Authors: Bogucki Michael
Published: December 2010

The economies of theatre and performance in Ireland in the 1890s depended on various intersections of cultural and nationalist politics, but they also depended on Ireland's position within the wider circulation of English, European, and U.S. touring companies. This essay traces Herbert Beerbohm Tree's production of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People from London to New York and Dublin. Tree's decision to stage the play is a key moment because it moves Ibsen's work out of small, independent theatres and into a major touring company's repertoire. At the same time, especially while on tour in Ireland and the U.S., Tree's performance techniques and business practices obscured almost all of the qualities in Ibsen's work that had made him so controversial and had inspired the independent theaters in the first place. Following Tree's production illuminates two important shaping conditions for theatrical writers and entrepreneurs at the turn of the century: the demands for “stage business” within a burgeoning London-based commercial touring circuit and the effects of the experience of empire on performances of “parochial” languages.
A Translocal Perspective: Mustang Images in the Cultural, Economic and Political Landscape
Authors: Dalke Karen
Published: December 2010

Translocal spaces are created out of the process of globalization whereby interventions such as electronic media and migration radically change social relations and breakdown the isomorphism of space, place, and culture [1]. This approach is useful in examining the controversy surrounding the mustang. This paper explores how different social constructions influence the management of mustangs as they move between the local and national level. At each cultural level, political, economic, and environmental issues converge encouraging the emphasis of some cultural constructions over others. These socially constructed images give insight into what the mustang means to a post-industrial culture and it may simultaneously contribute to the animal’s eventual demise.
Statistical Vibroacoustics and Entropy Concept
Authors: Le Bot Alain , Carcaterra Antonio , Mazuyer Denis
Published: December 2010

Statistical vibroacoustics, also called statistical energy analysis (SEA) in the field of engineering, is born from the application of statistical physics concepts to the study of random vibration in mechanical and acoustical systems. This article is a discussion on the thermodynamic foundation for that approach with particular emphasis devoted to the meaning of entropy, a concept missing in SEA. The theory focuses on vibration confined to the audio frequency range. In this frequency band, heat is defined as random vibration that is disordered vibration and temperature is the vibration energy per mode. Always in this frequency band, the concept of entropy is introduced and its meaning and role in vibroacoustics are enlightened, together with the related evolutionary equation. It is shown that statistical vibroacoustics is non-equilibrium thermodynamics applied to the audio range.
Observation of Sintering of Clathrate Hydrates
Authors: Uchida Tsutomu , Shiga Toshiki , Nagayama Masafumi , Gohara Kazutoshi
Published: December 2010

Clathrate hydrates have recently received attention as novel storage and transportation materials for natural gases or hydrogen. These hydrates are treated as powders or particles, and moderate storage temperatures (around 253 K) are set for economic reasons. Thus, it is necessary to consider the sintering of hydrate particles for their easy handling because the hydrates have a framework similar to that of ice, even though their sintering would require guest molecules in addition to water molecules. We observed the sintering process of clathrate hydrates to estimate the rate of sintering. Spherical tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate particles were used in observations of sintering under a microscope equipped with a CCD camera and a time-lapse video recorder. We found that THF hydrate particles stored at temperatures below the equilibrium condition sintered like ice particles. The sintering part was confirmed to be not ice, but THF hydrate, by increasing the temperature above 273 K after each experiment. The sintering rate was lower than that of ice particles under the normal vapor condition at the same temperature. However, it became of the same order when the atmosphere of the sample was saturated with THF vapor. This indicates that the sintering rate of THF hydrate was controlled by the transportation of guest molecules through the vapor phase accompanied with water molecules.
Welcome to Membranes — A New Open Access Journal on Membrane Separation and Technology
Authors: Kolev Spas D.
Published: December 2010

Membrane separation, from its infancy as a predominantly laboratory technique in the middle of the last century, has advanced with remarkable speed and now underpins a range of mature industrial technologies. [...]
Reliable Location-Based Services from Radio Navigation Systems
Authors: Qiu Di , Boneh Dan , Lo Sherman , Enge Per
Published: December 2010

Loran is a radio-based navigation system originally designed for naval applications. We show that Loran-C’s high-power and high repeatable accuracy are fantastic for security applications. First, we show how to derive a precise location tag—with a sensitivity of about 20 meters—that is difficult to project to an exact location. A device can use our location tag to block or allow certain actions, without knowing its precise location. To ensure that our tag is reproducible we make use of fuzzy extractors, a mechanism originally designed for biometric authentication. We build a fuzzy extractor specifically designed for radio-type errors and give experimental evidence to show its effectiveness. Second, we show that our location tag is difficult to predict from a distance. For example, an observer cannot predict the location tag inside a guarded data center from a few hundreds of meters away. As an application, consider a location-aware disk drive that will only work inside the data center. An attacker who steals the device and is capable of spoofing Loran-C signals, still cannot make the device work since he does not know what location tag to spoof. We provide experimental data supporting our unpredictability claim.
Direct Detection of the Biological Toxin in Acidic Environment by Electrochemical Impedimetric Immunosensor
Authors: Chai Changhoon , Lee Jooyoung , Takhistov Paul
Published: December 2010

This study describes the direct detection of the biological toxin (Ricin) in acidic environment without pH adjustment by hydrophobically modified electrochemical impedance immunosensor (EII). The nano-porous aluminum substrate for EII was hydrophobically modified via self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of APTES. Biosensor for the detection of the Ricin was fabricated by the covalent cross-linking of antibody (Ab) with APTES-SAM. The immunoreactions between the immobilized Ab and the biological toxin in several diagnostic solutions were monitored by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under the polarization of EII versus reference electrode. EII could detect the presence of the biological toxin in acidic foods in 20 mins without pH adjustment. The negatively charged ions including hydroxides would be adsorbed on the hydrophobic body of APTES-SAMs by the polarization during EIS analysis, and offset the effect of acids on the immunological activity of the immobilized Ab. It suggested that the adsorption of negatively charged ions helped to keep the immunological activities of the immobilized Ab on EII in acidic environment. Proposed mechanism of the localized pH adjustment that makes possible immunoreaction occurrence in low pH sample matrix is briefly discussed.
Syntheses and properties of thienyl-substituted dithienophenazines
Authors: Meyer Annemarie , Sigmund Eva , Luppertz Friedhelm , Schnakenburg Gregor , Gadaczek Immanuel , Bredow Thomas , Jester Stefan-S , Höger Sigurd
Published: December 2010

A series of dithienophenazines with different lengths of the oligomeric thiophene units (quaterthiophenes and sexithiophenes) was synthesized. The thiophene and phenazine units act as electron donors and acceptors, respectively, resulting in characteristic absorption spectra. The optical spectra were calculated using time-dependent density functional theory at the B3LYP/TZVP level and verify the experimental data. Adsorption of the dithienophenazines on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy, showing that one of the compounds forms highly organized self-assembled monolayers.
Actes de tatouage : figures d'un féminin-maternel incarcéré
Authors: Puyuelo Rémy
Published: December 2010

Résumé La présence auprès de populations très abîmées, abusées narcissiques, inorganisées psychiques au sens de Pierre Marty dans sa proposition de névrose de comportement, amène l’auteur à réfléchir aux actes de tatouage survenant dans le cadre de consultations et de suivis psychothérapiques. Quelles places, quelles fonctions occupent ces actes de tatouage dans la rencontre de ces sujets avec des objets réels et vivants visant à un travail de mentalisation ?
Evolución de las tecnologías de prefabricación aplicadas a la arquitectura escolar
Authors: Pons Oriol
Published: December 2010

En los últimos diez años se han construido centenares de escuelas con sistemas prefabricados en toda España. Por ejemplo, más de 200 escuelas han sido industrializadas con éxito desde 2002 en Cataluña. Se trata de edificios docentes modernos que han sido reconocidos por su arquitectura, por su relación con el entorno, por sus espacios educativos… Este artículo tiene el objetivo de analizar estas escuelas, así como las interesantes tecnologías de prefabricación con las cuales se han construido. La elaboración de este texto se basa en el trabajo que el autor del artículo ha realizado en sus tres años de doctorado, que ha culminado con la tesis “Arquitectura escolar prefabricada en Cataluña”.
Este artículo se estructura en cuatro partes: un estudio general de la historia de la arquitectura escolar prefabricada en España, un análisis de la industrialización de escuelas en el pasado, un análisis de la prefabricación de centros en la actualidad y unas conclusiones sobre el futuro de estas tecnologías de prefabricación.
Las tecnologías que se estudian en este texto son la aplicación renovada de unos sistemas prefabricados que ya existían previamente. En el período de crisis actual, ¿no es un buen momento para renovar el sector y construir con tecnologías más avanzadas como las que se presentan en este artículo?.
Uso de hormigones con fibras de ultra-alta resistencia para el desarrollo de conexiones entre elementos prefabricados
Authors: Maya L. F. , Albajar L. , Portabella J. , López C. , Morán F.
Published: December 2010

El adecuado comportamiento de estructuras prefabricadas de hormigón se encuentra condicionado por el diseño y ejecución de las conexiones entre sus elementos. El uso de conexiones rígidas basadas en la adherencia mediante el solape de armaduras se ve en muchos casos limitado, a pesar de su simplicidad, por problemas derivados de las considerables longitudes de solape requeridas y la congestión en el refuerzo. En el desarrollo de este estudio, enmarcado dentro del trabajo de investigación para la puesta a punto de una conexión para pórticos prefabricados con el uso de hormigones de altas especificaciones reforzados con fibras (Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete-[UHPFRC]), se evaluó experimentalmente el comportamiento de solapes de armaduras embebidos en UHPFRC en conexiones simples de vigas de hormigón armado. Elementos viga biapoyados construidos a partir de dos medias vigas prefabricadas unidos mediante el solape de armaduras en una zona central hormigonada con UHPFRC y sin el uso de cercos cerrados o tirantes verticales de refuerzo trasversal fueron ensayados a flexión. Los resultados experimentales para solapes con longitudes entre 10 db y 20 db indican un comportamiento satisfactorio para las conexiones sometidas a ciclos de carga y descarga, condición desfavorable para las condiciones de adherencia, y con recubrimientos y separación trasversal entre solapes escasa, inferior a 0,7 db. Se evidencia la influencia de la mayor resistencia a tracción y ductilidad de los UHPFRC en el confinamiento, las condiciones de adherencia, la transferencia de tensiones y su efecto rigidizador.
Kinetic Approaches to Understanding the Mechanisms of Fidelity of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 DNA Polymerase
Authors: Zhu Yali , Stroud Jason , Song Liping , Parris Deborah S.
Published: December 2010

We discuss how the results of presteady‐state and steady‐state kinetic analysis of the polymerizing and excision activities of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) DNA polymerase have led to a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling fidelity of this important model replication polymerase. Despite a poorer misincorporation frequency compared to other replicative polymerases with intrinsic 3′ to 5′ exonuclease (exo) activity, HSV‐1 DNA replication fidelity is enhanced by a high kinetic barrier to extending a primer/template containing a mismatch or abasic lesion and by the dynamic ability of the polymerase to switch the primer terminus between the exo and polymerizing active sites. The HSV‐1 polymerase with a catalytically inactivated exo activity possesses reduced rates of primer switching and fails to support productive replication, suggesting a novel means to target polymerase for replication inhibition.
Computational Analysis of Molecular Interaction Networks Underlying Change of HIV-1 Resistance to Selected Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Authors: Kierczak Marcin , Dramiński Michał , Koronacki Jacek , Komorowski Jan
Published: December 2010

Motivation

Despite more than two decades of research, HIV resistance to drugs remains a serious obstacle in developing efficient AIDS treatments. Several computational methods have been developed to predict resistance level from the sequence of viral proteins such as reverse transcriptase (RT) or protease. These methods, while powerful and accurate, give very little insight into the molecular interactions that underly acquisition of drug resistance/hypersusceptibility. Here, we attempt at filling this gap by using our Monte Carlo feature selection and interdependency discovery method (MCFS-ID) to elucidate molecular interaction networks that characterize viral strains with altered drug resistance levels.

Results

We analyzed a number of HIV-1 RT sequences annotated with drug resistance level using the MCFS-ID method. This let us expound interdependency networks that characterize change of drug resistance to six selected RT inhibitors: Abacavir, Lamivudine, Stavudine, Zidovudine, Tenofovir and Nevirapine. The networks consider interdependencies at the level of physicochemical properties of mutating amino acids, eg,: polarity. We mapped each network on the 3D structure of RT in attempt to understand the molecular meaning of interacting pairs. The discovered interactions describe several known drug resistance mechanisms and, importantly, some previously unidentified ones. Our approach can be easily applied to a whole range of problems from the domain of protein engineering.

Availability

A portable Java implementation of our MCFS-ID method is freely available for academic users and can be obtained at: http://www.ipipan.eu/staff/m.draminski/software.htm .
Intraoperative use of C-Arm as an Aid in Reduction of Zygomatic Complex Fractures
Authors: Kale Tejraj Pundalik , Balani Abhishek , Kotrashetty SM , Baliga SD
Published: December 2010

To monitor the efficacy of C-Arm as a intraoperative tool in reduction of zygomatic complex fractures. 15 patients with isolated zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture, were selected for reduction of the same. C-Arm (image intensifier) images were taken intraoperatively. Standardization of all postoperative radiographs were done to evaluate the discrepancy in reduction. The maximum discrepancy after analysis of postoperative radiographs was within 2 mm, which was considered as acceptable limit. Thus, C-Arm is considered a useful tool for reduction of zygomatico-maxillary complex fractures with enhanced postoperative esthetics and functional results.
Effect of Long-term Corticosteroids on Dental Pulp
Authors: Santosh R , Meena N , Ashwini P , Kaiwar Anjali , Shetty Ashish , Naveen DN
Published: December 2010

Corticosteroids are used in the treatment of chronic autoimmune diseases and many long-term illnesses. While these drugs may be considered essential for the patient's health, adverse reactions do occur. The incidence of adverse reactions depends upon the dose level and the duration of treatment. A pilot study was conducted on ten patients on long-term corticosteroids therapy. Pulpal obliteration was assessed by radiographic records. In most instances, pulpal changes to some degree were observed.
Part 1: “I would Rather have a Root Canal than...” Francis W Allen discusses the challenges of cleaning the canal thoroughly to minimize pain and ensure long-term success
Authors: Allen Francis W
Published: December 2010

Cleaning and shaping of root canal system forms the most important step in root canal root canal therapy. Unfortunately most of the instruments and techniques advocated are unable to remove residual debris and bacteria, ultimately resulting in pain and failure. To eliminate the causes of pain, and ensure success, we must use instruments and employ a technique that can best accomplish proper cleaning and shaping. Virtually all canals have parallel walls, and are curved and oval in shape. Hence tapered instruments are unable to clean the canal effectively and increase the chances of ledges and transportation and extrusion of debris beyond the apex. With the introduction of Light Speed technology primary goal of endodontics which includes removal of debris safely and effectively can be achieved. This article focuses on the use of Light Speed technology to overcome the difficulties posed by the other instrumentation and techniques to achieve debris and bacteria free canal system.
Molecular Imaging: Implications for Oral Cancer
Authors: Raghavan Shubhasini A
Published: December 2010

Cancer is a scourge that affects millions of the world population. The incidence of oral cancer is alarmingly high in the Indian subcontinent. What is more appalling is the low survival rate of these patients. Various efforts are being made to bring about early diagnosis, accurate staging and aggressive treatment. Molecular imaging is one step in this direction.

Today, imaging plays a role not just in detecting what is radiopaque and what is radiolucent, but also plays a very active role in detecting disease down to the level of a single cell. The field of molecular imaging has been defined as ‘the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biologic processes at molecular and cellular levels in humans and other living systems’. The amalgamation of advanced imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Computed Tomography, the use of newer contrast agents, incorporation of nanoparticles all have brought about these revolutionary changes in imaging.

The purpose of this article is to describe the various techniques used in molecular imaging specifically highlighting their application in head and neck cancer.
Trigeminal Neuralgia: Current Concepts in the Medical Management
Authors: Ceena Denny E , Jeena Priya K
Published: December 2010

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also known as tic douloureux, is characterized by recurrent attacks of lancinating pain in the trigeminal nerve distribution. Typically, brief attacks are triggered by talking, chewing, teeth brushing, shaving, a light touch, or even a cool breeze. The pain is nearly always unilateral, and it may occur repeatedly throughout the day. The condition is characterized by intermittent one-sided facial pain. Trigeminal neuralgia can be classified based on the symptoms as typical and atypical trigeminal and according to etiology as primary or idiopathic and secondary or symptomatic. An early and accurate diagnosis of TN is important, because therapeutic interventions can reduce or eliminate pain attacks in the large majority of TN patients. Although various drugs have been used in the management of TN such as baclofen, gabapentin, phenytoin sodium, carbamazepine remains the gold standard drug of choice. Surgical approaches to pain management are performed when medication cannot control pain or patients cannot tolerate the adverse effects of the medication.
Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity: A Case Report of a Rare Entity and Review of Literature
Authors: Prakash Nilima , Harish Kumar MS , Sharada P , Pradeep GL
Published: December 2010

Spindle cell carcinoma is a rare and peculiar biphasic malignant neoplasm that occurs mainly in the upper aerodigestive tract. It consists of sarcomatoid proliferation of pleomorphic spindle cells and squamous cell carcinoma. It is considered potentially aggressive in its biological nature with a high incidence of metastases. We report a case of this tumor with an unusual clinical course. The histogenesis of the spindle cell component is discussed in detail in the review of literature.