bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary and Secondary Thinking in Social Theory
Authors: Cooper Robert
Published: August 2003

The development of social theory is introduced as a dialectic between primary and secondary thinking. Secondary thinking views the social and cultural world in determinate, positive, rational terms; primary thinking recognizes the indeterminate, negative and irrational as forever immanent in human action. Max Weber's work illustrates the dynamic interaction between the two forms of thinking, which are further developed with ideas from religion, the philosophy of pragmatism and the psychoanalysis of artistic imagination. The primary-secondary dialectic is then applied to a reanalysis of early sociological studies of mass society, which is reinterpreted as social mass. The primary nature of mass is revealed as an ever-present absence, which, like Weber's idea of `meaningless infinity', resists all secondary attempts to express it in clear, determinate, positive forms. The primary-secondary interaction is further illustrated through the technologies of the modern mass media and the `consumption' of space and time implied by globalization.
The Making and Representing of Society
Authors: Rosati Massimo
Published: August 2003

In this paper different interpretations of the sociological concept of the sacred are analysed and put in relation with the idea of solidarity. In the first section a particular understanding of the Durkheimian conception of the sacred is shown to express both the sociological and the philosophical meaning of the idea of normativity. In the second part Habermas's thought on religion is analysed and shown to develop in four stages. Here the point is that one can understand the emancipatory profile of modernity - which Habermas analysed in terms of communicative reason - as the core of a collective representation that, once idealized, can be understood as a secular form of the sacred. Finally, a third section is dedicated to a self-reflective defence of the nexus between solidarity and the sacred, a self-reflective defence that implies a criticism of the trivial secularized self-understanding of modernity.
Tocqueville's Cultural Institutionalism
Authors: Meyer Heinz-Dieter
Published: August 2003

With a few notable exceptions, Alexis de Tocqueville's contributions to the formation of the sociological canon have been ignored. Most sociologists are likely to recognize him as a key source for current work on social capital and the civil society. But, in this paper I argue that Tocqueville's importance for sociology extends far beyond those uses. Tocqueville is the author of a sophisticated and powerful theory of culture that solves the key problem of reconciling culture with the claims of methodological individualism. He does so by shunning the disciplinary boundaries that have sprung up after him, integrating political, historical, institutional and psychological building blocks of culture in a subtle yet powerful analytical framework. He thus avoids many of the pitfalls that plague other theories of culture, which makes his contribution to the sociological canon equal to that of many other canon-forming writers.
Spatial Biographies of Children's Consumption
Authors: Cook Daniel Thomas
Published: August 2003

Drawing upon historical research, contemporary academic treatments of children's geographies and some preliminary observations of a few `children's' retail settings in the USA, this article concentrates on building an analytic of commercialized children's spaces. An account of the construction of retail departments specifically for children in USA clothing stores in the 1930s offers an insight into two intersecting spatial dimensions: aspirational and proprietary spaces. These, in turn, inform how versions of the `child consumer' shape, and have been shaped by, spatially situated market considerations.
Thin White Women in Advertising
Authors: Redmond Sean
Published: August 2003

This article examines the way that contemporary British women's magazine advertising employs idealized images of thin white women to confer status on a range of beauty products and services. These lean, pure, radiant images of white women are imagined to be natural sources of light, beauty, and the entry point (with the product) to a higher state of female grace. However, the article also addresses what is argued to be the `absence' effect and the lack of corporeal life that is also at the core of many of these `lacking' images of white women. The article argues that such textual ruptures and contradictions, in turn, point to the way that thinness itself, as a self-willed body project, can be considered to be a resistant body practice, or one that draws attention to the life and death struggle at the heart of what it means to be a `good' white woman in a patriarchal society.
Who's Afraid of a Black Bourgeoisie?
Authors: Laden Sonja
Published: August 2003

This article examines how consumer magazines for black South Africans function as an agency of repertoire-formation and repertoire-transmission, and outlines how the history of the magazine-form in South Africa's black print media is intertwined with the rise of a `South African' consumer culture. Specifically, the magazines in question are (1) part and parcel of the urban, middle-class repertoire of dispositions initially derived from the 19th-century missionary enterprise in Southern Africa, and (2) a means of strategically transforming this repertoire `from below', in keeping with the changing needs and interests of many black South Africans. Evidence from the magazines in question suggests that, despite having been deprived of political rights for so long, black South Africans have long since been more than passive subscribers to, and casualties of, colonialist legacies and the apartheid regime. By promoting `aspired to', not necessarily `given' states of affairs, consumer magazines have provided valid ways for black South Africans to devise new ways of doing things in life, enabling them to access new resources and strategies directed at the social and individual production of selfhood.
`Casting' the Neohellenic `Other':
Authors: Tzanelli Rodanthi
Published: August 2003

The present article explores Hollywood narrations of Neohellenic and Mediterranean identity through a relatively recent film adaptation of Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. It also looks at film reviews and other texts to reflect critically on its reception by an international audience, and its relationship with the tourist industry. The theoretical trajectory of the analysis comprises a combination of Marxist theory and cultural studies. The chosen subject areas include representations of Mediterranean habitus, the uses of Greek landscape and folk culture and the strong association between historical narrative and stereotyping. An overall conclusion will suggest that most of these representations appeared in past Orientalist discourses. The contexts of late capitalist economy in which such discourses are mobilized invite scholars to examine affiliations between the tourist and the culture industries.
Gambling and Consumption
Authors: Casey Emma
Published: August 2003

This article draws on the findings of quantitative and qualitative research undertaken between 1999 and 2001 which explores the motivations and experiences of National Lottery play amongst a group of working-class women in the UK. It examines the usefulness of current theories of gambling and proposes a link between gambling and contemporary consumer culture. The vast majority of existing analyses of gambling behaviour focus on psychological and economic interpretations and have tended to position gambling as a `deviant' and `dangerous' activity. A small number of sociologists have stressed the limitations of this research by drawing attention to the classed and gendered nature of gambling behaviour. This article complements this research by drawing on current theories of consumption and, in particular, the work of sociologists of household budgeting and money management. Finally, the article explores the ways in which the women made their National Lottery play `respectable', bearing in mind the prevalence of popular critiques of gambling behaviour which do not sit comfortably with norms of budgeting and money management.
Moving Interventions: Curating at Large
Authors: Obrist Hans-Ulrich , Rehberg Vivian , Boeri Stefano
Published: August 2003

Fascinated by questions of curating, interdisciplinary and experimental art exhibitions, the function of the museum and the gallery, globalization, cultural memory, the visual and the non-visual, and the process of collaboration itself, the Swiss curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist is best known for the exhibitions he has organized in Europe, North America, Japan, and elsewhere, including `Cities on the Move', `Laboratorium', and `Do-it'. As well as curating, organizing and facilitating exhibitions in more traditional venues, Obrist has also coordinated many other events that have taken place in unorthodox spaces such as in houses, monasteries, libraries, an aeroplane and a hotel. Here Obrist speaks with Vivian Rehberg about these and other things. Towards the end of their conversation, they are joined by the Italian urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri who, along with Rem Koolhaas and Sanford Kwinter, co-curated `Mutations' with Hans-Ulrich Obrist.
Baffling Archaeology: The Strange Gravity of Gordon Matta-Clark's Experience-Optics
Authors: Walker Stephen
Published: August 2003

This article examines some aspects of Gordon Matta-Clark's late filmic works. It notes there the convergence of a variety of concerns from his broader oeuvre (in particular, his criticism of the systematizing tendencies of disciplines such as Architecture, and his interest in the underground, Archaeology and Expanded Cinema) and the emergence of what Matta-Clark termed experience-optics. It goes on to explore experience-optics in terms of the relationships encountered between cinematic image and the broader dimensions of Archaeology, gravity and vertigo, relationships through which the artist sought to encourage an active spectatorship that promised to open out human experience to an `expanded being'.
Coy Teloi: Baroque Dissonance in Pevsner's Suburbs
Authors: Stone Rob
Published: August 2003

This article offers a consideration of some of the implications for notions of audition, music and music criticism in understandings of architecture and architectural history in Britain in the 1930s.
Affect as Medium, or the `Digital-Facial-Image'
Authors: Hansen Mark B.N.
Published: August 2003

By exploring a number of contemporary new media artworks that focus on the digitized image of the face, I propose the encounter with the `digital-facial-image' (DFI) as a new paradigm for the human interface with digital data. Whereas the currently predominant model of the human-computer-interface (HCI) functions precisely by reducing the wide-bandwidth of embodied human expressivity to a fixed repertoire of functions and icons, the DFI transfers the site of this interface from computer-embodied functions to the open-ended, positive feedback loop connecting digital information with the entire affective register operative in the embodied viewer-participant. For this reason, the DFI allows us to reconceptualize the very notion of the interface: by bypassing investment in more effective technical `solutions', it invests in the body's capacity to supplement technology - the potential it holds for `collaborating' with the information presented by the interface in order to create images.
The Meaning of Work in Chinese Contexts
Authors: Westwood Robert , Lok Peter
Published: August 2003

This article explores the meaning of work patterns for working populations in two Chinese contexts, namely Hong Kong and Beijing. Five core meaning of work variables are measured and related to the socio-cultural and political-economic environments in the two locations. The analysis suggests some areas of similarity but also significant differences in meaning of work patterns. Both Chinese contexts display a high work centrality orientation and a highly pragmatic, instrumental view of work. There are subtle differences in perceived work goal importance and outcome patterns that are in part attributable to different socio-economic conditions.
Comparing Work Behaviors Across Cultures
Authors: Huang Xu , Van de Vliert Evert
Published: August 2003

Prior studies examined cross-national differences in the links between organizational characteristics and workers' attitudes and behaviors using a nation-as-a-moderator analytical model. We point out four major methodological problems of testing the nation-as-a-moderator model at individual level. Based on two series of cross-national studies that successfully employed multilevel modeling, we propose a cross-level nation-as-amoderator model to resolve the methodological problems. We further contend that the cross-level approach may also offer an alternative theoretical perspective for researchers to map and explain cross-national variation in organizational behaviors.
Responses to a Normative Conflict among American and Chinese Managers
Authors: Tinsley Catherine H. , Weldon Elizabeth
Published: August 2003

In this study, we test the impact of national origin on intentions to shame and to seek revenge in response to a normative conflict. As expected, Chinese managers showed a stronger desire to shame and teach a moral lesson compared with American managers. Contrary to expectations, Americans were no more likely than the Chinese to express a desire for revenge. Results also showed that Americans were more likely to choose a direct approach in response to the conflict, compared with the Chinese managers, who were more likely to use an indirect approach. These data are consistent with previous research suggesting that shaming is a more common form of social control in more collectivistic compared with more individualistic societies, but inconsistent with cross cultural theories that suggest that interpersonal harmony is more important in a collectivistic culture.
Personal Characteristics of Female vs Male Business Expatriates
Authors: Selmer Jan , Leung Alicia S.M.
Published: August 2003

Although there has been a rapidly increasing literature on women in international assignments, very little is known about their specific personal characteristics. To rectify this shortcoming, a large-scale mail survey to female and male business expatriates in Hong Kong made a direct comparison of their personal characteristics. Results showed that the women were younger than the men. Controlling for inter-group age differences, despite the fact that there were no gender differences in corporate tenure and expatriate experiences, the female expatriates were found to occupy lower hierarchical positions than their male counterparts. Women on foreign assignment were also less frequently married than their male colleagues. Implications for assigning organizations and future research are discussed.
The Impact of Culture on Managerial Perceptions of Quality
Authors: Yavas Burhan F. , Rezayat Fahimeh
Published: August 2003

The rationalist school posits that as globalization gains momentum, management systems will converge, implying that culture plays a limited role. In contrast, the culturalist school suggests that managerial practices are an extension of a given country's traditions and are unique to that country. While the empirical evidence is mixed, the results of this article provide additional evidence for the importance of cultural variables in the context of a cross-national study of managerial perceptions of quality, utilizing data from the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The study includes the societal context in the analysis of organizations in cross-national research, and investigates whether cultural variables and company size could explain the differences in managerial perceptions of quality. Model coefficients are estimated by multinomial logistic regression analysis. The findings indicate that both organizational and cultural variables are important in explaining the differences in managerial perceptions of quality.
The Multicultural Muse
Authors: Westwood Robert , Low David R.
Published: August 2003

This article explores the relationship between culture and creativity and innovation. It critically reviews the literature in which cross cultural differences in approaches to creativity and innovation are discussed. It first examines how creativity is conceptualized differentially across cultures and how social structural factors account for differences in creativity and innovation. Evidence for the impact of culture on cognitive style and personality as related to creativity and innovation is covered next. Finally, it addresses directly the relationship between cultural values and creativity/innovation. The article draws the following conclusions: (1) culture can and does impact on creative and innovation processes, but the relationship should not be considered universalistically, simplistically or unreflexively; (2) there is insufficient evidence to enable definitive statements to be made about systematic differences across cultures in personality or cognitive style with respect to creativity; (3) creativity and innovation are complex psychosocial processes involving numerous salient factors of which culture is but one; (4) the weight of evidence suggests that the relationship should be viewed contingently and in subtle and nuanced ways. A contingent view suggests that there are different processes, mechanisms, and structures through which creativity and innovation emerge. Cultures are creative and innovative within the context of their own systems and the exigencies and contingencies of those particular systems.
Culture, Language and Personality in the Context of the Internationally Mobile Child
Authors: Ezra Rosalyn
Published: August 2003

Because of a mobile lifestyle, children in international schools may experience a transition process for a large portion of their lives. Resulting insecurities could be expressed in feelings of anger and frustration. Reactions may be compounded if students are faced with learning a new environmental language and culture. This article reviews literature on the transition process and investigates the effects of culture, language difference and personality on transition. Recommendations for facilitating the acculturation of linguistically different students are discussed.
A Study of Inter-Generational Programmes for Schools Promoting International Education in Developing Countries through the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Authors: Brown Roger , Ohsako Toshio
Published: August 2003

This article reports on a study of intergenerational programmes in schools based in developing countries, which was undertaken by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization and the UNESCO Institute for Education. Intergenerational programmes are defined, and the types of intergenerational activities conducted within the Creativity Action Service (CAS) component of the IB Diploma are illustrated. The impact of these intergenerational programmes is described and their benefit to schools communities discussed.
Teacher Education for Living together in the 21st Century
Authors: Braslavsky Cecilia
Published: August 2003

Major trends in social development in countries throughout the world have generated the need for a paradigm shift in education generally. The reform of curricula has been one response to meeting such a need, which in turn has vital implications for teacher education. The reinvention of the teaching profession demands a redefinition of teacher competences, and suggestions for such a process are explored in five different contexts.
Further Mapping of the Territory of International Education in the 20th Century (1944-1969)
Authors: Sylvester Robert
Published: August 2003

Building upon the examination of research documents from the period 1893 to 1944 in a previous article, this article seeks to provide an examination of the range of definitions of international education utilized in the period 1944-69. The research works of Brickman, Kandel, Kenworthy, Scanlon and Leach are examined in detail, along with an expanding range of research undertaken by UNESCO and the growing practice of international education as seen in the rising number of international schools.
Student Perceptions of International Education Stitle a Comparison by Course of Study Undertaken
Authors: Hayden Mary , Thompson Jeff , Williams Geraint
Published: August 2003

This article is based on analysis of responses to a questionnaire seeking views on the experience of international education from students in the final (pre-university) year of attending an international school. Responses have been analysed by course of study being followed (International Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, Advanced (A) Level, Advanced Placement (AP) and those who were not working towards external examinations) with a view to arriving at a clearer indication of the possible influence of course of study on the perceived importance of various dimensions of an international education.
Toward a Game Theory of Organizational Ecology: Production Adjustment Costs and Managerial Growth Preferences
Authors: van Witteloostuijn Arjen , Boone Christophe , van Lier Arie
Published: August 2003

This paper merges two theoretical perspectives in a mathematical game-theoretic modeling approach: industrial organization on the one hand, which basically is the eco nomic theory of market competition and firm strategies, and organizational ecology on the other hand, which is a major sociological tradition that studies the evolution of organiza tional populations. The merger is instrumental in analyzing a key question in strategic orga nization: what is the role of flexibility, inertia and efficiency in facilitating firm performance in a selection environment, in terms of both profitability and survival? We argue particularly that game theory can offer a mathematical model of organizational ecology. In this paper we explore two modeling examples. The first model introduces production adjustment costs and the second managerial growth preferences in a Cournot duopoly game. Both models support organizational ecology's claim that an inert firm may push a flexible rival from the market. Moreover, four additional results are worth mentioning. First, a firm's profit-enhancing flexibility or inertia profile is contingent upon the market's carrying capa city development. Second, the inert firm may even outperform its flexible rival when the inert market leader faces a cost disadvantage. Third, this may happen in a munificent envi ronment, implying that cut-throat rivalry can be the result of strategic competition only, as it is facilitated by organizational inertia. Fourth, in response to the rival's flexibility or inertia profile, a firm can calculate its profit-maximizing production adjustment cost or managerial growth objective strategy.
The Small World of the American Corporate Elite, 1982-2001
Authors: Davis Gerald F. , Yoo Mina , Baker Wayne E.
Published: August 2003

This paper examines the degree of stability in the structure of the corporate elite network in the US during the 1980s and 1990s. Several studies have documented that board-to-board ties serve as a mechanism for the diffusion of corporate practices, strategies, and structures; thus, the overall structure of the network can shape the nature and rate of aggregate corporate change. But upheavals in the nature of corporate governance and nearly complete turnover in the firms and directors at the core of the network since 1980 prompt a reassessment of the network's topography. We find that the aggregate connec tivity of the network is remarkably stable and appears to be an intrinsic property of the interlock network, resilient to major changes in corporate governance. After a brief review of elite studies in the US, we take advantage of the recent advances in the theoretical and methodological tools for analyzing network structures to examine the network properties of the directors and companies in 1982, 1990, and 1999. We use concepts from small-world analysis to explain our finding that the structure of the corporate elite is resilient to macro and micro changes affecting corporate governance.
Use of Taguchi Methods and Multiple Regression Analysis for Optimal Process Development of High Energy Electron Beam Case Hardening of Cast Iron
Authors: Jean M.-D. , Tzeng Y.-F.
Published: August 2003

The use of Taguchi methods and multiple regression analysis for the development of a melting process using an optimal high energy electron beam (HEEB) melting process to produce high hardness in metals is presented. The HEEB case hardening process was carried out on ductile and flake cast iron. The processing parameters studied included the substrate material matrix, travel speed, accelerating voltage, electrical current, melted width, beam oscillation, and post-heat treatment temperature. In this study, an L18 orthogonal array was introduced for experimental designs and tests. The ‘larger the better’ criterion for the signal to noise ratios was used as a quality characteristic to evaluate the experimental results. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated better accuracy for forecasting the micro-hardness value of the HEEB melted specimens than the Taguchi methods. The first generated an average error of 3.867% from predicted values, whereas the latter produced an average error of 8.953%. The experimental results suggested that the most significant process parameters were the travel speed, accelerating voltage and post-heat treatment temperature. The largest hardness value obtained through the optimal conditions was 941.67 HV. The microstructures of the specimens were examined and revealed fine primary dendrites and martensite in the HEEB melted layer.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Salt Bath Nitrocarburised Thin Section Steels
Authors: Srinivasan P. Bala , Muthupandi V. , Balaji S. , Vasudevan S. , Krishnaraj N.
Published: August 2003

Salt bath nitrocarburising is widely employed for improving the tribological and corrosion properties of ferrous engineering components. The present paper describes the effect of nitrocarburising on the mechanical properties of thin section carbon and stainless steels. The improvements in mechanical properties can be achieved under controlled processing conditions in the non-alloyed thin section carbon steels owing to the development of the optimum level of compound layer and diffusion zone. However, the tensile properties of stainless steels are not significantly influenced by nitrocarburising. The developed compound layers are integral to the matrix even after the tensile testing.
Sidewall Surface Roughness of Sputtered Silicon I: Surface Modelling
Authors: Ali M. Y. , Hung N. P. , Ngoi B. K. A. , Yuan S.
Published: August 2003

Mathematical models for the calculation of sidewall surface roughness have been developed for focused ion beam (FIB) sputtering. The surface roughness profile at the sidewall was different to the bottom surface profile for the same sputtering parameters and substrate material. The cumulative sputtering by the Gaussian beam creates a steady state surface profile at the sidewall which has been used to develop surface roughness models. The ion intensity distribution profile was considered to be Gaussian. The beam function includes ion type, ion acceleration voltage, beam radius, tailing and neighbouring of the successive beams. Knowing the beam radius and pixel spacing, sidewall surface roughness of FIB sputtered microfeatures can be calculated using these models. The substrate material function has no direct effect on the sidewall surface profile if the same material is used for the study of beam profile and fabrication of microfeatures.
Sidewall Surface Roughness of Sputtered Silicon II: Model Verification
Authors: Ali M. Y. , Hung N. P. , Ngoi B. K. A. , Yuan S.
Published: August 2003

Experiments were carried out to verify sidewall surface roughness models for sputtered silicon. The beam shape was determined by measuring the topograph of craters sputtered by focused ion beam (FIB) on single crystal (100) silicon and then the appropriate beam radius was selected to form a steady state sidewall surface profile. The surface profile was the unsputtered material attached to the sidewall and therefore, the material function did not affect the sidewall surface profile. Sidewall microsurface was generated by FIB sputtering of a single crystal (100) silicon wafer. The surface roughness at the sidewall of the sputtered features was then measured by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Theoretical surface roughness was calculated for different combinations of beam radius and pixel spacing. These calculated surface roughness values were found to be within ±1 and ±2 nm of the measured surface roughness values with a measurement uncertainty of about ±0.5 and ±1.0 nm for R a and R t respectively.
Comparative Study of Novel Polymer Prototype for Controlled Thermally Reworkable UV Curable Acrylic Adhesives in Absence and Presence of Reactive Diluent
Authors: Malik J. , Goldslager B. A. , Clarson S. J.
Published: August 2003

An acrylic polypropylene oxide polymer was synthesised containing two sterically hindered urea linkages. The thermal decrosslinking behaviour of the resulting polymer matrix was studied with various basic and non-basic species. The study determined that the basic species facilitate the decrosslinking of the polymer matrix, whereas the non-basic species show no discernible decrosslinking behaviour. This study also determined that the decrosslinking behaviour of this polymer system could be controlled by the specific properties of the severing species. The work details that as the steric hindrance of the basic species increases, the decrosslinking temperature also increases. Finally, the decrosslinking properties of the polymer were studied in the presence of a reactive diluent to determine if the presence of species necessary for real adhesive formulations would impair the decrosslinking properties of the network.
Comparison of Surface Treatments for H10A Tool Steel in Hot Stamping Process
Authors: Cheung M. , Khan T. I.
Published: August 2003

Trials were carried out under industrial hot stamping conditions to compare the effect of different surface treatments on hot working tool steel. In comparison to conventionally quench and tempered AISI grade H10A tool steel, a PVD CrN coating and plasma nitride treatment were applied to the H10A tool steel. Following tool failure, the microhardness and the microstructure of the surface of the steel were analysed to determine metallurgical changes of the tool steel by the stamping process. The results in the present study show that the plasma nitrided tool increased die life twofold. This increase in wear life is attributed to the increase in surface hardness which decreased gradually with depth, and the presence of residual compressive stresses within the surface. In comparison, the CrN coating was unable to extend tool life. The failure of the CrN coating was attributed to delamination and microcracking brought about by a combination of residual stresses within the coating. This was due to differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion and fracture of the coating under impact loading.
Determination of Shot Peening Coefficient of Restitution
Authors: Fathallah R. , Inglebert G. , Castex L.
Published: August 2003

To characterise an impact between two solids, a coefficient of restitution is generally used er equal to 1 when the impact is perfectly elastic, 0 when the impact is totally plastic and between 0 and 1 when the impact is elastic - plastic. For the shot peening surface treatment process, this coefficient, which is linked to the shot hardness/ material hardness ratio, is of interest for two reasons. First, to characterise the distribution of the stream energy produced by an impact (stream energy = energy of the induced plastic deformations in the used shot and in the treated material + elastic energy + dissipated energy into vibrations etc.). Two, to compare the efficiency of different types (material, hardness, size and shape) of shot. The coefficient of restitution er can be introduced to an existing shot peening model. The present paper gives a theoretical analysis of the distribution of the different energies during the shot peening process and describes an experimental investigation to determine the values of the coefficient of restitution for four principal types of shot; three in cast steel: cut wire Fil Coupé (F.C.) 0.6 mm and WS280 with two hardness values: 48 and 58 HRC, and one in low carbon cast steel:F16. The target was 13% manganese steel sheet with a hardness of 60 HRC. Results of the different coefficients of restitution were noted for each type of shot and the values obtained were presented and discussed. They show reasonable agreement with the theoretical analysis. It has been observed that the coefficient of restitution is principally linked to the shot hardness, material hardness ratio and the shot shape.
FEM Simulation of Two Sided Laser Shock Peening of Thin Sections of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy
Authors: Ding K.
Published: August 2003

Laser shock peening (LSP) is a fatigue enhancement surface treatment for metallic materials. The key beneficial characteristic of LSP is the presence of compressive residual stresses mechanically produced by shock waves within the metallic materials, which can significantly improve their fatigue life and fatigue strength. During LSP, a laser beam can be directed to impact on either one side or two sides of a target. Generally, when treating a thin section, two sided peening is used to avoid harmful effects such as spalling and fracture, which may occur when only one side of a thin section is laser peened. The present work focuses on applying the finite element method to predict the distribution of residual stresses along the surface and depth of thin sections of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy in single and multiple LSP. In order to understand the effects of the target geometry on the distribution of residual stresses, the residual stress profiles corresponding to various target thicknesses were carefully evaluated. Residual stresses and dynamic stresses were also presented and correlated with experimental data from the literature.
Investigating Feasibility of Incorporating Diamond into Metal Matrix Composites Using Thermal Spraying
Authors: Richardson A. F. , Neville A. , Wilson J. I. B.
Published: August 2003

Diamond is seeing increasing use in surface engineering applications because it can offer extremely desirable properties, such as high strength, high hardness, and good thermal properties. However, in terms of practical use, pure diamond has limitations due to brittleness, difficulty in processing and importantly, cost. The incorporation of diamond into the metal matrix of a thermal spray coating to produce a composite hard facing coating is investigated in this work. In this preliminary study the feasibility of spraying a diamond - metal composite, the ability to retain the diamond without excessive degradation and the associated properties of the coating in terms of hardness are reported. Synthetic and natural diamond grits were used in conjunction with nickel based hard facing powders as the matrix, to produce the composite coatings. Spraying was carried out using a standard oxy-acetylene spraying torch. The coating microstructures were then investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy and their elemental composition was probed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. X-ray diffraction was used to identify whether diamond was retained without phase transformation to graphite and to characterise the other phases in the coatings. Macrohardness testing was also used as a preliminary measure of the quality of the coating. Preliminary results show that it is possible to produce a hard facing diamond composite coating and that there is scope to optimise the coating for the ultimate application, which, in this case, is for an oilfield drilling tool, where the coating would be subjected to extreme conditions of wear and wear corrosion.
Prediction and Optimisation of Weld Bead Geometry of Plasma Transferred Arc Hardfaced Valve Seat Rings
Authors: Marimuthu K. , Murugan N.
Published: August 2003

Automatic weld hardfacing is being employed increasingly in process and power industries. Plasma transferred arc welding (PTAW) has become a natural choice for automatic hardfacing due to its reliability, better process control, ease of use, low dilution and high volume production. Increasing the use of PTAW in its automatic mode, will increase dependence on the use of equations to predict the dimensions of the weld bead. The development of such mathematical equations using a five factor, five level factorial technique to predict the geometry of the weld in the deposition of Stellite 6 (Co-Cr-A) alloy onto carbon steel valve seat rings (ASTM A105) is presented. The developed models have been checked for their adequacy and significance by the F test and t test respectively. Main and interaction effects of the control factors on dilution and bead geometry are presented in a graphical form that aids rapid selection of the process parameters to achieve the desired quality of overlay. The results obtained from the mathematical models have been optimised and also tested using conformity test runs. Optimising the process parameters reduced the amount of metal deposited and enhanced the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the hardfaced layers.
Surface Hardening of Gears by Laser Beam Processing
Authors: Zhang H. , Shi Y. , Xu C. Y. , Kutsuna M.
Published: August 2003

Laser hardening (LH) of gears is a modern technique, which is different to induction hardening or carbon case hardening. The present paper investigates the key parameters for the laser hardening of gears. Based on these parameters, a uniform laser hardened case is easily obtained. Metrological results show that the distortion of the laser hardened gears is too small to influence the gear accuracy class.
Does Helicobater pylori initiate or perpetuate immune thrombocytopenic purpura?
Authors: Michel Marc , Cooper Nichola , Jean Christelle , Frissora Christine , Bussel James B.
Published: August 2003

To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection in North American patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and the effect of H pylori eradication on the platelet count, a prospective study was performed. Seventy-four patients aged 10 years and older (mean age of 41 years) with chronic ITP and a platelet count below 60 × 109/L were enrolled. H pylori infection was found in 22% of patients by means of a breath test and could not be predicted by gastrointestinal symptoms. H pylori–positive patients (52.5 years of age) were older than H pylori–negative patients (38.5 years of age; P = .0035). Fifteen of the 16 H pylori–positive patients were treated and the bacteria was eradicated in 14 (93%). After 3 months, a significant response (platelet count > 50 × 109/L and doubling the initial count) was observed in only one patient. After a median follow-up of 11.5 months, none of the 14 patients had responded. Ten H pylori–negative patients treated with the same regimen also did not increase their platelet counts. In conclusion, unlike several previous reports, this study does not implicate H pylori in the pathogenesis of ITP since the prevalence of H pylori infection was low and eradication of H pylori did not positively influence the course of the ITP.
Caspase-independent cell death in AML: caspase inhibition in vitro with pan-caspase inhibitors or in vivo by XIAP or Survivin does not affect cell survival or prognosis
Authors: Carter Bing Z. , Kornblau Steven M. , Tsao Twee , Wang Rui-Yu , Schober Wendy D. , Milella Michele , Sung Hsi-Guang , Reed John C. , Andreeff Michael
Published: August 2003

Survivin and XIAP, members of the protein family known as the inhibitors of apoptosis, interfere with the activation of caspases, called the “cell death executioners.” We examined Survivin (n = 116) and XIAP (n = 172) expression in primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts and assessed the impact of their expression on prognosis. They were detected in all samples analyzed. However, no correlation was observed with cytogenetics, remission attainment, or overall survival of patients with AML. To investigate the importance of caspases in chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in AML, we treated OCI-AML3 cells with Ara-C, doxorubicin, vincristine, and paclitaxel, which induced caspase cleavage and apoptosis. Blocking of caspase activation by pan-caspase inhibitor abolished poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase cleavage and DNA fragmentation but did not prevent chemotherapy-induced cell death and did not inhibit, or only partially inhibited, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, Smac, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), or loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Caspase inhibition also did not protect AML blasts from chemotherapy-induced cell death in vitro. These results suggest that expression levels of Survivin or XIAP have no prognostic impact in AML patients. Although anticancer drugs induced caspase cleavage and apoptosis, cell killing was caspase independent. This may partially explain the lack of prognostic impact of XIAP and Survivin and may suggest caspase-independent mechanisms of cell death in AML. (Blood. 2003;102:4179-4186)
Transient in vivo selection of transduced peripheral blood cells using antifolate drug selection in rhesus macaques that received transplants with hematopoietic stem cells expressing dihydrofolate reductase vectors
Authors: Persons Derek A. , Allay James A. , Bonifacino Aylin , Lu Taihe , Agricola Brian , Metzger Mark E. , Donahue Robert E. , Dunbar Cynthia E. , Sorrentino Brian P.
Published: August 2003

One of the main obstacles for effective human gene therapy for hematopoietic disorders remains the achievement of an adequate number of genetically corrected blood cells. One approach to this goal is to incorporate drug resistance genes into vectors to enable in vivo selection of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Although a number of drug resistance vectors enable HSC selection in murine systems, little is known about these systems in large animal models. To address this issue, we transplanted cells transduced with dihydrofolate resistance vectors into 6 rhesus macaques and studied whether selection of vector-expressing cells occurred following drug treatment with trimetrexate and nitrobenzylmercaptopurineriboside-phosphate. In some of the 10 administered drug treatment courses, substantial increases in the levels of transduced peripheral blood cells were noted; however, numbers returned to baseline levels within 17 days. Attempts to induce stem cell cycling with stem cell factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor prior to drug treatment did not lead to sustained enrichment for transduced cells. These data highlight an important species-specific difference between murine and nonhuman primate models for assessing in vivo HSC selection strategies and emphasize the importance of using drugs capable of inducing selective pressure at the level of HSCs.
Validation of the surveillance system for new cases of tuberculosis in a province of northern Italy. Varese Tuberculosis Study Group
Authors: Migliori GB , Spanevello A , Ballardini L , Neri M , Gambarini C , Moro ML , Trnka L , Raviglione MC
Published: August 2003

In Italy tuberculosis (TB) surveillance is hampered by several problems (inconsistency of data and underreporting). A tuberculosis surveillance system was established in Varese Province (VSS) in 1992. The aim of the present study was, using VSS, to estimate: 1) coverage and validity of data collected by the national Compulsory Surveillance System (CSS); 2) validity of diagnosis and risk factors for tuberculosis; 3) tuberculosis incidence. A specifically designed form, including the same items as the CSS form and 10 more questions on risk factors and diagnostic issue, was completed in all the existing health facilities in the province for each new tuberculosis case diagnosed, collected by the study co-ordinator during monthly supervision after a review of clinical records, and stored in a database at the co-ordinating centre. Routine notifications collected at national level by CSS for the province were nominally linked with VSS data. To evaluate coverage and data validity, a comparison was made between VSS and CSS data after removal of duplicates. Quality of data, risk factors and incidence were evaluated on VSS data (gold standard). CSS coverage was 63% with a significant underreporting of extrapulmonary cases. Within CSS, 20% of data were missing (particularly diagnostic information: 42-72%). According to VSS, smear was performed on 88% of cases and culture on 66%. Half of the cases had no risk factors. The overall incidence of tuberculosis in Varese Province was 15 per 100,000. We estimated the coverage and validity of the data collected by CSS, validity of diagnosis, risk factors for and incidence of tuberculosis and proposed several suggestions to improve CSS nationwide.
A pseudoepidemic of Mycobacterium chelonae infection caused by contamination of a fibreoptic bronchoscope suction channel
Authors: Wang HC , Liaw YS , Yang PC , Kuo SH , Luh KT
Published: August 2003

An unusual increase in the frequency of isolation of Mycobacterium chelonae subspecies chelonae from specimens of bronchial washings was found between September and December 1992 in National Taiwan University Hospital. During this period, a total of 123 patients underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy with an Olympus P20. Seventy six patients had bronchial washing for bacteriological study and cytological examination. Acid-fast bacilli were found in 21 patients, in 18 of whom Mycobacterium chelonae were isolated from bronchial washing cultures. Eight patients were treated as mycobacterial infected, because of the presence of unexplained pulmonary lesion, positive acid-fast stain and culture for Mycobacterium chelonae. Diagnosis of lung cancer was delayed in one patient because of the initial negative cytological study and positive bacterial culture. The fibreoptic bronchoscope was disinfected by automated washing machine (EW-20, Olympus) using 2.3% glutaraldehyde according to a standard protocol. From a survey to search for possible sources of contamination, they were identified at the suction channel of four different bronchoscopes. This episode proved to be a pseudoepidemic. The contamination was controlled by extensive suction and rinsing of the channel with 70% alcohol immediately after disinfection by the automated bronchoscope disinfection machine. This study shows that, despite using the disinfection machine, the suction channel could still be contaminated with Mycobacterium chelonae. This may cause diagnostic confusion and unnecessary antimycobacterial treatment.