bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CLASSIFICATION OF STATIC AND HOMOGENEOUS SOLUTIONS IN EXACTLY SOLVABLE MODELS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL DILATON GRAVITY
Authors: ZASLAVSKII O. B.
Published: November 2003

We give the full list of types of static (homogeneous) solutions within a wide family of exactly solvable 2D dilaton gravities with backreaction of conformal fields. It includes previously known solutions as particular cases. Several concrete examples are considered for illustration. They contain a black hole and cosmological horizon in thermal equilibrium, extremal and ultraextremal horizons, etc. In particular, we demonstrate that AdS and dS geometries can be exact solutions of semiclassical field equations for a nonconstant dilaton field.
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM STRINGS IN PLANE WAVES, SHOCK WAVES AND SPACE–TIME SINGULARITIES: SYNTHESIS AND NEW RESULTS
Authors: SANCHEZ NORMA G.
Published: November 2003

Key issues and essential features of classical and quantum strings in gravitational plane waves, shock waves and space–time singularities are synthetically understood. This includes the string mass and mode number excitations, energy–momentum tensor, scattering amplitudes, vacuum polarization and wave-string polarization effect. The role of the real pole singularities characteristic of the tree level string spectrum (real mass resonances) and that of the space–time singularities is clearly exhibited. This throws light on the issue of singularities in string theory which can be thus classified and fully physically characterized in two different sets: strong singularities (poles of order ≥ 2, and black holes) where the string motion is collective and nonoscillating in time, outgoing states and scattering sector do not appear, the string does not cross the singularities; and weak singularities (poles of order < 2, (Dirac δ belongs to this class) and conic/orbifold singularities) where the whole string motion is oscillatory in time, outgoing and scattering states exist, and the string crosses the singularities.

Common features of strings in singular wave backgrounds and in inflationary backgrounds are explicitly exhibited.

The string dynamics and the scattering/excitation through the singularities (whatever their kind: strong or weak) is fully physically consistent and meaningful.
BARYOGENESIS VIA DENSITY FLUCTUATIONS WITH A SECOND ORDER ELECTROWEAK PHASE TRANSITION
Authors: LAYEK BISWANATH , SANYAL SOMA , SRIVASTAVA AJIT M.
Published: November 2003

We consider the presence of cosmic string induced density fluctuations in the universe at temperatures below the electroweak phase transition temperature. Resulting temperature fluctuations can restore the electroweak symmetry locally, depending on the amplitude of fluctuations and the background temperature. The symmetry will be spontaneously broken again in a given fluctuation region as the temperature drops there (for fluctuations with length scales smaller than the horizon), resulting in the production of baryon asymmetry. The time scale of the transition will be governed by the wavelength of fluctuation and, hence, can be much smaller than the Hubble time. This leads to strong enhancement in the production of baryon asymmetry for a second order electroweak phase transition as compared to the case when transition happens due to the cooling of the universe via expansion. For a two-Higgs extension of the Standard Model (with appropriate CP violation), we show that one can get the required baryon to entropy ratio if fluctuations propagate without getting significantly damped. If fluctuations are damped rapidly, then a volume factor suppresses the baryon production. Still, the short scale of the fluctuation leads to enhancement of the baryon to entropy ratio by at least 3–4 orders of magnitude compared to the conventional case of second order transition where the cooling happens due to expansion of the universe.
POINT PARTICLE IN GENERAL BACKGROUND FIELDS AND FREE GAUGE THEORIES OF TRACELESS SYMMETRIC TENSORS
Authors: SEGAL ARKADY Y.
Published: November 2003

Point particle may interact with traceless symmetric tensors of arbitrary rank. Free gauge theories of traceless symmetric tensors are constructed, which provides a possibility for a new type of interactions, when particles exchange by those gauge fields. The gauge theories are parametrized by the particle's mass m and otherwise are unique for each rank s. For m=0, they are local gauge models with actions of 2s th order in derivatives, known in d=4 as "pure spin," or "conformal higher spin" actions by Fradkin and Tseytlin. For m≠0, each rank-s model undergoes a unique nonlocal deformation which entangles fields of all ranks, starting from s. There exists a nonlocal transform which maps m≠0 theories onto m=0 ones, however, this map degenerates at some m≠0 fields whose polarizations are determined by zeros of Bessel functions. Conformal covariance properties of the m=0 models are analyzed, the space of gauge fields is shown to admit an action of an infinite-dimensional "conformal higher spin" Lie algebra which leaves gauge transformations intact.
EXPLICIT BREAKING OFSO(3)WITH HIGGS FIELDS IN THE REPRESENTATIONS ℓ = 2 AND ℓ = 3
Authors: KOCA MEHMET , KOÇ RAMAZAN , TÜTÜNCÜLER HAYRIYE
Published: November 2003

A gauged SO(3) symmetry is broken into its little groups of the representations ℓ = 2 and ℓ = 3. Explicit Higgs potentials leading to the spontaneous symmetry breaking are constructed. The masses of the gauge bosons and Higgs particles are calculated in terms of the renormalizable potentials. Emergence of Goldstone bosons arising from the absence of certain potential terms is also discussed. Analogous structures between the cosmic strings and disclinations of liquid crystals are noted.
APPROACHING THE FINAL STATE IN PERTURBATIVE QCD
Authors: STERMAN GEORGE
Published: November 2003

Infrared safe differential cross-sections, such as event shape distributions, can be measured over wide kinematic ranges, from regions where fixed order calculations are adequate to regions where nonperturbative dynamics dominate. Such observables provide an ideal laboratory for the study of the transition between weak and strong coupling in quantum field theory. This talk focuses on how resummed perturbation theory has been used to deduce the structure of nonperturbative corrections, and to provide a framework with which to address the transition from short- to long-distance dynamics in QCD.
USE OF NILPOTENT WEIGHTS IN LOGARITHMIC CONFORMAL FIELD THEORIES
Authors: MOGHIMI-ARAGHI S. , ROUHANI S. , SAADAT M.
Published: November 2003

We show that logarithmic conformal field theories may be derived using nilpotent scale transformation. Using such nilpotent weights we derive properties of LCFT's, such as two and three point correlation functions solely from symmetry arguments. Singular vectors and the Kac determinant may also be obtained using these nilpotent variables, hence the structure of the four point functions can also be derived. This leads to non homogeneous hypergeometric functions. Also we consider LCFT's near a boundary. Constructing "superfields" using a nilpotent variable, we show that the superfield of conformal weight zero, composed of the identity and the pseudo identity is related to a superfield of conformal dimension two, which comprises of energy momentum tensor and its logarithmic partner. This device also allows us to derive the operator product expansion for logarithmic operators. Finally we discuss the AdS/LCFT correspondence and derive some correlation functions and a BRST symmetry.
Existence and nonexistence of entire solutionsto the logistic differential equation
Authors: Ghergu Marius , Rădulescu Vicenţiu
Published: November 2003

We consider the one‐dimensional logistic problem
on (0, ∞),
u(0) > 0, u′(0) = 0, where α is a positive constant and
A is a continuous function such that the mapping tA(|t|) is increasing on (0, ∞). The framework includes the case where
f and p are continuous and positive on (0, ∞), f(0) = 0, and f is nondecreasing. Our first purpose is to establish a general nonexistence result for this problem. Then we consider the case of solutions that blow up at infinity and we prove
several existence and nonexistence results depending on the growth of p and A. As a consequence, we deduce that the mean curvature inequality problem on the whole space does not have nonnegative solutions, excepting the trivial one.
Time‐dependent Stokes equations with measure data
Authors: Ton Bui An
Published: November 2003

We establish the existence of a unique solution of an initial boundary value
problem for the nonstationary Stokes equations in a bounded fixed cylindrical domain with measure data. Feedback laws yield the source and its intensity from the partial measurements
of the solution in a subdomain.
Increased level of oxidized LDL-dependent monocytederived microparticles in acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Matsumoto Noriko , Kamihata Hiroshi , Kimura Yutaka , Iwasaka Toshiji , Nomura Shosaku
Published: November 2003

We measured and compared the levels of plasma soluble (s) Pselectin, sCD40L, platelet-derived microparticles (PDMP), monocyte-derived microparticles (MDMP), and anti-oxidized LDL antibody, to obtain a better understanding of their potential contribution to vascular complications in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The concentrations of sP-selectin, sCD40L, PDMP, and MDMP in ACS patients were significantly higher than those in normal controls and patients with stable angina.When levels of these markers were compared with differences in concentration of anti-oxidized LDL antibody, all markers were significantly higher in ACS patients with a high level of antioxidized LDL antibody. Next, a monocytic cell line (THP-1) was incubated with high shear stress-induced platelet aggregates and PDMP. After incubation,THP-1 cells generated tissue factorexpressing MDMPs. This finding was particularly significant in the presence of oxidized LDL. These findings suggest that elevated levels of MDMPs may be a sign of atherosclerotic development in ACS patients, particularly those who exhibit anti-oxidized LDL antibodies.
Expression analysis of the human kallikrein 7 (KLK7) in breast tumors: a new potential biomarker for prognosis of breast carcinoma
Authors: Talieri Maroulio , Diamandis Eleftherios , Gourgiotis Dimitrios , Mathioudaki Kostandina , Scorilas Andreas
Published: November 2003

Kallikreins are a subgroup of serine proteases that are involved in the post-translational processing of polypeptide precursors. Growing evidence suggests that many kallikreins are implicated in carcinogenesis. Human kallikrein gene 7 (KLK7; HSCCE) is a new member of the human kallikrein gene family. KLK7 is expressed in normal breast tissue and is up-regulated in breast cancer cells by estrogens and glucocorticoids. In the present study, expression of the KLK7 gene in 92 breast cancer tissues was analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and direct sequencing of several samples. The results were correlated with other clinicopathological variables and patient outcome. KLK7 gene expression was significantly lower in breast cancer patients of low stage (I/II) (p = 0.011) and patients with positive progesterone receptors (p = 0.022). Survival analysis showed that breast cancer patients with KLK7 positive tumors have relatively shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than patients with KLK7 negative tumors. These data suggest that KLK7 gene expression may be used as a marker of unfavorable prognosis for breast cancer patients.
The influence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on human platelet serotonin
Authors: Pittendreigh Cheryl , Solomons Kevin , Maurer-Spurej Elisabeth
Published: November 2003

Clinical depression has been proposed to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While it is suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) reduce the risk of acute cardiovascular problems of depressed patients, the effect of SSRIs on platelets, the only blood cells committed to serotonin (5-HT) transport, remains largely unknown. The goal of this pilot study was to measure the 5-HT levels in platelets of untreated and SSRI-treated depressed patients and normal subjects and to determine whether the interaction of SSRIs with platelets can explain their possible cardiovascular benefit in patients with depression. Platelet 5-HT was determined by an immunocytochemical assay and high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). In normal control subjects without cardiovascular disease, 78 ± 8% of platelets were 5-HT-positive (n = 14). Depression caused a significant reduction in platelet 5-HT to 46 ± 21% in untreated patients (n = 13) and 22 ± 13% in SSRI-treated patients (n = 14). As a class, all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors significantly reduced the 5-HT concentration in patient platelets. An inverse relationship of 5-HT level and dose of medication might be suggested. These results correlated well with 5-HT data from HPLC (r = 0.8509, p < 0.001). SSRIs did not affect platelet aggregation and dense granule release in response to thrombin, but significantly reduced ADP-induced platelet aggregation and dense granule release in both patient and normal control samples. The active inhibition of platelet aggregation by SSRIs might explain their cardiovascular benefit.
Matricellular proteins as modulators of wound healing and the foreign body response
Authors: Kyriakides Themis , Bornstein Paul
Published: November 2003

Matricellular proteins form a group of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that do not subserve a primary structural role, but rather function as modulators of cell-matrix interactions (1). Members of the group, including thrombospondin (TSP) -1, TSP-2, SPARC, tenascin (TN)-C, and osteopontin (OPN), have been shown to participate in a number of processes related to tissue repair. Specifically, studies in knockout mice have indicated that a deficiency in one or more of these proteins can alter the course of wound healing. More recently, TSP1, TSP2, and SPARC have also been implicated in the foreign body response, an unusual reaction to injury that occurs after the implantation of biomaterials. This review will focus on the roles of these proteins in the response to injury in mice and will show how studies of this pathophysiological process can elucidate some of the intrinsic properties of these matricellular proteins.
Adjunctive Pharmacotherapy before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes: The Role of Modulating Inflammation
Authors: Kereiakes Dean J.
Published: November 2003

Vascular inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and the response to vascular injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). For both ACS and PCI, the magnitude of vascular inflammation is linked to adverse late clinical outcomes (e.g., death, recurrent myocardial infarction [MI] or ischemia, and restenosis). Many pharmacologic therapies with demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of ACS have anti-inflammatory properties, which are distinct from their perceived primary mechanism of action. The anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin, clopidogrel, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors, statins, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are reviewed, and the hypothesis is generated that modulation of vascular inflammation at least in part contributes a common basis for the long-term clinical benefit ascribed to these medications. A therapeutic algorithm based on clinical risk stratification and coronary revascularization strategy is proposed for incorporating the current American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline recommendations for treatment of patients who present with non-ST-elevation ACS.
VOYEZ LES ŒUVRES DE DIEU ÉTUDE STRUCTURELLE DU PSAUME LXVI
Authors: Auffret Pierre
Published: November 2003

L'auteur reprend ici, en confrontation avec la proposition de M. Girard, l'étude de la structure littéraire du Psaume lxvi. Il commence par étudier la structure de chacune des unités qui composent chacun des volets 1-8, 9-12, et 13-20, puis celle de chacun d'eux en son ensemble. Suit l'étude structurelle des rapports de chacun avec les deux autres. Le volet central 9-12 étant structuré selon un chiasme, le psaume apparaît finalement structuré lui-même selon un chiasme où 1-8 appellent 13-20 tandis que 9-11a appellent 11b-12.
IN SEARCH OF TREES: ISAIAH XLIV 14 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Sherwin Simon
Published: November 2003

Isa. xliv 14 forms part of the longer section Isa. xliv 9-20, one of the anti-idol polemics in Isaiah xl-lv. The verse mentions four different types of tree, two of which are well known, two hapax legomena. The identification of possible species and the confirmation that their provenance was in the West rather than in Babylonia lead to the conclusion that the author of the section was well acquainted with Western geography. An examination of the materials used for Babylonian image manufacture also demonstrates the author's ignorance in this regard. This has implications for the time and place of composition and calls into question the majority view that Isa. xliv 9-20 was composed in Babylonia in the late exilic period.
Provincial Universalism: The Landscape of Knowledge Production in an Era of Globalization
Authors: Baber Zaheer
Published: November 2003

In this article, the politics of the international division of intellectual labour in an age of globalization is examined. Despite globalization of a number of ideas and institutions, the landscape of knowledge production in the social sciences continues to be dominated by scholars located in developed countries. One characteristic of the prevailing division of intellectual labour is the fact that the knowledge produced by scholars in the developed societies is deemed to be ‘theoretical’ and of universal applicability. Conversely, social scientific knowledge produced by scholars from developing societies is usually relegated to the status of empirical case studies with presumably little general analytical value. The social factors behind this state of affairs and some of the consequences are examined in the article.
Russia in the Context of Globalization
Authors: Rozanova Julia
Published: November 2003

This article, based on the results of a large-scale research project carried out by a prominent group of Russian scholars, analyses the responses Russian social thought provides to the challenges of globalization. It provides evidence in support of the claim that the concepts of national sovereignty, ‘self-determination’, and political self-determination in particular, are the key instruments in the analysis of Russia’s role and place in the globalizing world. The three parts of the article outline the major questions, or thematic blocks connected to the study of globalization in Russia. The first part presents how globalization is defined, what are its main characteristics and contradictions as perceived in Russian contemporary social thought. The second part reveals the theoretical reaction to the globalization challenges coming in the form of the analysis of Russia’s political self-determination. The third part presents the critical analysis of Russia’s role and place in globalization. It elaborates on the theoretical debates about forced integration into the international economic, political and informational structures, as opposed to a messianic attitude declaring Russia’s need to take the lead among the losers of globalization. The conclusion summarizes the article’s main findings and indicates the potential directions of further investigation of this multidimensional phenomenon.
Is Northern Ireland an Educational Meritocracy?
Authors: Breen Richard
Published: November 2003

In all developed societies the class position that individuals come to occupy depends, inter alia, on their class origins, gender and ethnic group membership. It might be argued that these inequalities had ‘meritocratic legitimation’ if it transpired that they were largely the result of the differential distribution of merit across sexes, classes or ethnic groups. In this paper I address the question of how far Northern Ireland can be considered to be an educational meritocracy. In other words, to what extent might inequalities according to class origin, gender and ethnic group membership in the class positions that individuals attain be attributed, or legitimized, according to differences between classes, genders and ethnic groups in average educational attainment? The results suggest that in Northern Ireland, as in the cases of Britain (Marshall and Swift, 1993; Breen and Goldthorpe, 1999,2001) and the Republic of Ireland (Breen and Whelan, 1993), men and women and people from different class origins and ethnic groups experience different chances of gaining access to better class positions, even when they have the same level of educational attainment. In seeking to explain the results of the analyses I draw on recent work that discusses and illustrates some of the difficulties with the concept of ‘merit’ and with the attempt to equate meritocracy with a diminishing role for ascription.
Gender and Ethnicity at Work: Occupational Segregation and Disadvantage in the 1991 British Census
Authors: Blackwell Louisa
Published: November 2003

This article uses detailed occupational data from the 1991 Census to investigate patterns of occupational segregation for women and men in the different ethnic groups. Gini index values suggest that the Black minority ethnic groups identified in the Census were less gender segregated than White people.There was less ethnic variation in women’s employment than in men’s. Chinese and Bangladeshi men were heavily concentrated within catering occupations. The association between women’s part-time work, gender segregation and occupational disadvantage does not hold for all ethnic groups. Some minority ethnic groups were occupationally advantaged relative to White people and, among Bangladeshi people, women were more occupationally advantaged than men.The data suggest that gender and ethnicity do not combine to create double disadvantage for minority women in the labour force; patterns of occupational advantage and disadvantage are more complex. However, lack of detail on ‘women’s jobs’ and the invisibility of hierarchies within occupational groups mean that some inequality is obscured.
Using an Old Search Engine: the Value of the Times Index
Authors: Pearson Jayn , Soothill Keith
Published: November 2003

The Times Index is a well-established and important paper resource for researchers that is perhaps not fully recognized. Using a study on ‘Homicide and the Media’ as an exemplar, this article considers the strengths and weaknesses of the Index.The Index will usually provide better focus into the researcher’s area of study than CD-ROM searches, and can identify stories which CD-ROM searches miss. A modest quality control study indicates its accuracy, but it is stressed that a quality control test is study-specific.
Mystery Motivator as an Intervention to Promote Homework Completion and Accuracy
Authors: Madaus Melissa M. R. , Kehle Thomas J. , Madaus Joseph , Bray Melissa A.
Published: November 2003

This study investigated the effectiveness of the mystery motivator intervention as a means to remediate mathematics homework accuracy and completion problems in five fifth-grade students. An ABAB reversal design with multiple baselines across two classrooms was used. The results indicated that the mystery motivator intervention was effective for all students on one or both outcome criteria. Additionally, both the teachers and students rated the intervention positively.
What Classroom Environments Tell About the Pedagogical Aspects of Subject Matter
Authors: Mceachron Gail , Bracken Bruce A. , Baker Colin
Published: November 2003

This study presents a cross-cultural comparison of United States, English and Welsh students’ perceptions of secondary classroom environments in six academic disciplines–English, mathematics, science, history, geography, and French. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom environment and subject matter (i.e. academic disciplines). This can be phrased as a question, ‘Do academic disciplines have universal structural characteristics that influence classroom environment and the pedagogical interaction between students and teachers?’ To gain insight into the relationship between an academic discipline and teacher/student interaction, classroom environments in six subject areas were investigated, using the Classroom Environment Scale (CES). CES protocols were completed by and collected from the following students in the US ( n = 412); England ( n = 152) and Wales ( n = 232), ranging in age from 13 to 19 years. In addition to the CES, data collection included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and an examination of the cultural and political context of the schools. Variable differences in classroom environments were found to exist on the basis of academic discipline, nationality, age and gender across all CES subscales. Subject matter patterns suggest that the nature of the academic discipline may indeed influence teacher and student interactions and that these patterns are consistent across national boundaries.
Tripping over TRIPS?
Authors: Rikowski Ruth
Published: November 2003

Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) aims to help companies by encouraging a protectionist environment through the tradingof intellectual property rights (IPRs). This review of TRIPS focuses on copyright and related rights (trademarks, geographical indications, industrialdesigns, patents, layout/designs of integrated circuits) as being that areaof TRIPS that is especially relevant for librarians and information professionals, paying particular attention to the philosophy behind TRIPS and boththe business and moral issues involved. In considering whether TRIPS is essentially about the trading of IPRs or about the moral issues concerned withIPRs, careful study reveals that it tends to be about the former and not the latter. In order to trade in IPRs successfully, it is essential to imposesome curbs on trade and this leads to the conclusion that the philosophy behind TRIPS is about creating and perpetuating a market-based, competitive environment. Outstanding questions relating to the role of TRIPS include: whether or not it is fundamentally about encouraging trade or about placing limitations on the unsavoury aspects of trade; whether it is simply about trying to benefit big business even more; whether it will be particularly disadvantageous for developing countries, whether it will give due recognitionto individual creators; and whether it is about establishing international rules for IPRs that will ultimately benefit everyone in the globalized economy. It is concluded that TRIPS is about turning knowledge, creative works and ideas into tradable commodities through IPRs and this process enables value to be more easily created and extracted from these creative works, thus ensuring both the success of the knowledge revolution and the continued success of global capitalism.
Running a business information service for a rural community from a public library
Authors: Wallace Eileen
Published: November 2003

The results of a case study of business information provision within Norfolk Library and Information Service (NLIS), UK is reported, with particular reference to the relationship between the Library system and the BusinessLink Norfolk Information Service. Particular attention is paid to the challenges faced by NLIS, in common with other UK public libraries, resulting from the competition between the resources needed for business information provision and those needed for other priority areas. The impact of the growthof a free Internet service and the electronic availability of publications on the provision of business information is assessed. A number of the issues that were found to be relevant to rural business information provision were also identified as being equally relevant library and information services in many other parts of the UK. A major area highlighted was the use or lack of use of information and communications technologies (ICT) by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Many SMEs are failing to make adequate use of the Internet-based information being made widely available by UK Government departments and other organizations. Librarians and information professionals have developed profound skills in the use of electronic resourcesand CMEs must be made aware of the potentially rich resources that are currently being under-utilized. It is concluded that the SMEs need help in accessing the support agencies and programmes that will enable them to develop and this is one area where the partnership between business information users and public library systems, such as NLIS, can pay dividends.
Water Ingression and Compression Properties of Epoxy Containing Ash Particles with their Surfaces Containing Paraffin Oil Film
Authors: Kishore  , Mahajan S. S. , Kulkarni S. M.
Published: November 2003

Epoxy system having 10% by vol. of fly ash fillers with their surfaces covered by paraffin oil was made and the responses to exposure by immersion in waterat 75C in one case and water containing smaller amounts of dilute acid in theother were monitored. Weight recordings up to 100 h were noted regularly on thetest coupons exposed to the two media. The samples exposed to 100 h duration were later on subjected to compression test to evaluate the strength. In one case, a set of samples were immersed in water for a prolonged period of 1000 h before subjecting these also to compression tests.

The result showed increased absorption in acid bearing medium. The strength of the plain water exposed samples were lower than the dry counterparts. Samples that had an immersion in medium containing acid showed a further but marginaldrop in strength compared to the plain water case. However, the prolonged period plain water immersed sample exhibited considerable drop in strength. These are explained using scanning fractography where surface features of compression failed samples are recorded. The plain water as well as the acid media exposed ones show a plasticised matrix and in some places a cavity-like feature, left bythe separating ash particles, whose number showed a perceptible increase for the acid bearing system compared to the plain water case. Longer exposed samples showed the loss of fly ash due to the surface of the matrix holding them showing a step-like expanded appearance indicating the interfacial regions being affected by the prolonged exposure time. These and other features are discussed in this report.
Numerical Simulation on the Void Distribution in the Fiber Mats During the Filling Stage of RTM
Authors: Chang Chih-Yuan , Shih Ming-Sam
Published: November 2003

A model based on the multiphase Darcy’s law has been developed to simulate the void distribution and movement in a unidirectional fiber mat by introducing the concept of saturation during the filling stage of RTM. The model takes into account two immiscible fluids, resin and air, and two types of flow, the macro-flow around the fiber bundles and the micro-flow around the fibers in the bundles, flowing simultaneously. Results show that the voids form only in the wicking flow field and the saturation of resin will become equal to 1 everywhere if the resin is continuously filled. The range of void distribution is dependent on the porosity of fiber mats and inlet velocity. By dimensionless analysis, the capillarity is negligible and the saturation distribution is uniform within the fiber mats at high modified Weber numbers. The numerical simulation isbased on the body-fitted finite element method.
Polysaccharide Scaffolds Prepared by Crosslinking of Polysaccharides with Chitosan or Proteins for Cell Growth
Authors: Ehrenfreund-Kleinman T. , Domb A. J. , Golenser J.
Published: November 2003

The synthesis and characterization of sponges composed of polysaccharides crosslinked with different amine-containing natural polymers for the use as cell carriers is described. Sponges based on arabinogalactan, dextran, and amylose were synthesized by crosslinking with chitosan, or with the protein: gelatin, or bovine serum albumin. Highly porous sponges that rapidly absorbed water with little change in size were obtained. The degradation rate of the sponges was varied by controlling the oxidation with periodate or perchlorite for different times and ratios, in order to tailor the sponges for use as cell carriers in tissue engineering. The sponges performed well as a platform for the growth of bEnd2 cells. The chitosan based sponges were the most effective and cell compatible.
Freeing the ‘Slaves of Destiny’
Authors: Mendoza Katharina R.
Published: November 2003

The Japanese Imperial Army’s comfort system differs from other forms of wartime sexual violence in that it was a disciplinary institution that used sex not as a weapon of aggression but as a means to discipline soldiers into being more efficient tools for Japan’s imperial project. The Philippine comfort women movement employs discursive strategies that respond directly to the gender and race ideologies underlying imperial Japan’s practice of military sexual slavery during the Pacific War. As it seeks reparations for those wartime atrocities, the movement makes appeals to traditional notions of family and Filipino womanhood, a strategy that has done much to create awareness of and public support for comfort station survivors. However, these discourses carry within them the potential to reinscribe those very same patriarchal ideologies that made institutionalized rape possible.
'Is Interethnic Integration Possible in Estonia?': Ethno-Political Discourse of Two Ethnic Groups
Authors: Kalmus Veronika
Published: November 2003

This article compares ethno-political discourse of pupils belonging to the majority and minority groups in Estonia. The article also seeks to understand the role of different socializers in ethno-political socialization. Ninth formers from an Estonian and a Russian school in Estonia wrote an essay on interethnic integration after they had read the corresponding texts in their civics textbook. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pupils representing different viewpoints. Within the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis, 57 essays and 13 interviews were studied at several levels of discursive structure (topics, propositions, argument schemes, strategic moves, storytelling, style and intertextuality). The analysis reveals a number of differences between the discourses by Estonian and Russian pupils. Intertextual analysis and the data obtained from the interviews suggest that pupils’ personal experiences and reflections, the media, some teachers and family members play the most important roles in the process of ethno-political socialization.
Greek Diminutive Use Problematized: Gender, Culture and Common Sense
Authors: Makri-Tsilipakou Marianthi
Published: November 2003

This survey of extensive authentic data attempts to chart the use of diminutives in the context of the Greek culture, within which women are commonsensically constructed as the expected users. Qualitative analysis carried out within a Conversation Analysis-plus- membership categorization device(MCDs) framework focuses on instances when diminutives are explicitly and variously problematized as category-bound activities/utterances by competent members sharing common sense knowledge or culture. Asubsequent quantitative screening also yields a comparable pattern of diminutive use, with men surprisingly emerging as heavier users than women, who are shown to serve as the primary recipients. The cultural propensity for ‘verbal laxity’ and prevailing ‘markedness’ of femininity are then combined to explain both diminutive functions as well as expectations informing common sense knowledge about gendered diminutive use.
Conversation Analysis and the Professional Stocks of Interactional Knowledge
Authors: Peräkylä Anssi , Vehvilƒinen Sanna
Published: November 2003

Some institutional settings, such as therapeutic or counselling settings, involve normative models, theories or quasi-theories concerning professional–client interaction. These models and theories can be found in professional texts, in training manuals and in written and spoken instructions delivered in the context of professional training or supervision. In this article, we would like to call these models and theories ‘stocks of interactional knowledge’ (SIKs). Our aim is to explore the possibility of a dialogue between conversation analysis and such SIKs. Based on research on medical and counselling settings, we discuss the different relationships that CA and such interactional theories may have. We propose that CA findings may (i) falsify or correctassumptions that are part of an SIK; it may (ii) provide a more detailed pictureof practices that are described in an SIK. (iii) CA may also add a new dimensionto the understanding of practices described by an SIK, or (iv) providethe description of practices, not provided by a very abstract or general SIK.
Discursive Psychology: Between Method and Paradigm
Authors: Potter Jonathan
Published: November 2003

Hammersley (2003) criticizes a particular style of discourse research for developing as a distinct paradigm, yet lacking the coherence a paradigm would require. He suggests a range of problems in relation to constructionism, reflexivity and the ‘thin’ model of the human actor, and argues instead for methodological eclecticism in which discourse analytic methods are supplementary to alternatives. This commentary highlights a range of confusions and misunderstandings in this critique. In particular, it highlights the way discourse analytic work is connected to a range of theoretical notions, most fundamentally in its theorizing of discourse itself as a medium oriented to action. It identifies important sources of incoherence that can arise when mixing discourse analytic and more traditional methods. It reiterates the virtues of constructionism, particularly when considering the operation of descriptions, stresses the value of exploring (rather than ignoring) reflexive issues, and emphasizes the rich and nuanced approach to psychology that has been developed in this tradition.
Regional Inequalities in the Enlarged Europe
Authors: Heidenreich Martin
Published: November 2003

In a multilevel system like the European Union (EU), social conflicts are defined and conceived mainly in territorial categories. As a result, the disparities between Eastern and Western Europe may give rise to additional transfer payments or even endanger further enlargements of the EU. The acuteness of this trilemma of enlargement, increased political cooperation and budgetary neutrality can be lessened either by a quick convergence of Eastern and Western performance levels, or by the differentiation of the regional employment and income situation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The capital regions and the Western border regions in Central Europe are developing dynamically. Consequently, one can expect to see a relatively durable prosperity gap between Eastern and Western Europe, as well as increased regional differentiation within CEE. These differentiation processes could be a first step in transforming the definition of inequalities and interests into territorial and non-territorial forms of social inequalities. However, the relative stability of the European centre– periphery structure does not allow for the ‘de-territorialization’ of social relationships. Instead, there is evidence of a non-identical, path-dependent reproduction of long-established disparities.
Monitoring Social Inclusion in Europe's Regions
Authors: Stewart Kitty
Published: November 2003

The European Council recently adopted a list of target indicators for EU member states in the fields of poverty and social exclusion, with likely implications for social policies across Europe. The targets chosen are largely national average figures. This paper argues that if regional disparities are to be taken seriously, all key indicators should instead be measured at regional as well as at national level. Using a variety of data sources, it examines regional indicators of poverty, unemployment, education and health, and shows, first, that the degree of dispersion depends on the indicator under scrutiny; and second, that it is not always the same regions within each country which do best and worst in each case. It follows that a single dispersion measure will only be misleading, while the choice of disparity in regional unemployment rates in particular has additional problems which are also discussed. Finally, the paper draws attention to the limits of currently available data at regional level, in light of the fact that one key aspect of the Lisbon 2000 European Council summit conclusions was a commitment to the collection of better data on poverty and social exclusion in the EU.
The Church, the Factory and the Market
Authors: Kvale Steinar
Published: November 2003

Shifting styles of doing psychology reflect assumptions from the culture at large. In the first section, three cultural metaphors for the science and profession of psychology are put forth—the church, the factory and the market. The picture they provide of psychology is then contrasted with the common histories of psychology as a succession of ideas. The metaphors are thereafter invoked in a discussion of psychology as a postmodern religious, industrial and commercial collage. What counts in a postmodern age is less the truth claims of thedifferent psychological approaches than their marketability. Potentialities of a pragmatic anda culturally situated psychology are discussed in relation to challenges to Western psychologytoday raised by the psychological profession and the globalization of culture.
Two Psychologies
Authors: De Mey Hubert R.A.
Published: November 2003

Cognitive psychology and contingency-based behavior analysis are contrasted to each other with respect to their philosophical and theoretical underpinnings as well as to theirpractical goals. Whereas the former focuses on intra-organismic structure and function in explaining minds, the latter emphasizes a history of environment–organism interactions in the explanation of behavior. A plea is made to value both psychologies on their own merits. Although we can speak of two separate psychologies, each with its own agenda, they must be considered as complementary, in principle.
Reversible Shape Change and Energy Conversion of Semi-Smart Structure Composed of Ti–Ni Alloys and Elastic Metals
Authors: Nagai H. , Ota H. , Oishi R. , Xu Ya , Yoshida H.
Published: November 2003

Theoretical solutions were derived for reversible shape change and energy conversion of composite materials with embedded Ti–Ni shape memory alloy as sensor and actuator. Coil type composite specimens composed of Ti–Ni alloy and elastic metal were fabricated to compare experimental and analytical results. These materials contain sensor and actuator functions.

Four specimens were used. The agreement of numerical results between the analytical and the experimental values were satisfying. The proposed model is simple but very useful in evaluating geometry and force characteristics of shape memory alloys as actuators or sensors.
Constitutive Equations for an Induced-Strain Bending Actuator with a Variable Substrate
Authors: Leo Donald J. , Kothera Curt , Farinholt Kevin
Published: November 2003

The constitutive equations for an induced-strain bimorph are derived for a transducer with a substrate that has a variable thickness and variable modulus. The constitutive equations for sensing and actuation are derived using an energy analysis for the case of a tip force, constant moment, and distributed pressure on the bimorph. The expression for each of the constitutive terms is equivalent to the expression for an ideal bimorph multiplied by a nondimensional modifier. For this analysis we define an ideal bimorph as one which has a negligible substrate thickness. The nondimensional modifier is only a function of two parameters: the ratio of substrate thickness to active layer thickness and the ratio of elastic moduli between the active material and the substrate layer. This allows the results to be easily compared to previous solutions for an ideal bimorph. Expressions for the blocked force, free deflection, and stored electrical energy are derived from the constitutive equations. The results demonstrate that stored energy and the effective coupling coefficient of the actuator do not vary appreciably for thickness ratios less than 1, indicating that actuator performance can be maintained even when the substrate thickness is an appreciable percentage compared to the thickness of the active layer. Blocked force and free deflection do change appreciably above thickness ratios on the order of 0.5, indicating that varying the thickness and modulus of the substrate layer is an additional design freedom in achieving tradeoffs in blocked force and free deflection with bimorph actuators. The results of this paper are useful for the design of bimorph transducers with specific performance requirements. The results also provide insight into some of the limitations exhibited by polymeric bimorphs actuated by an electric field. Our analysis demonstrates that the work output of a bimorph can be one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the stored mechanical energy when the active layer thickness is small compared to the overall bimorph thickness. This result is consistent with other models that suggest that the induced strain layer in certain ionic polymer materials is only a small portion of the overall transducer thickness. Experimental verification is provided on a series of bimorphs ranging from thickness ratios of approximately 0.1 to 10. Experimental results closely agree with the model predictions, although discrepancies become more significant as the thickness ratio approaches 10.