bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Waste Paper Filled Polypropylene Composites: the Comparison Effect of Ethylene Diamine Dilaurate as a New Compatibilizer with Maleic Anhydride Polypropylene
Authors: Suryadiansyah  , Ismail H. , Azhari B.
Published: January 2007

The effect of a new compatibilizer, ethylene diamine dilaurate (EDD) and a commercial compatibilizer, maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) on the processability, mechanical properties, water absorption, thermal properties and morphology of waste paper (WP) filled polypropylene (PP) composites were studied. The results show that WP filled PP with EDD has better processability, higher elongation at break (Eb), impact and flexural strengths but lower tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and water absorption resistance compared to MAPP. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of impact fractured surfaces exhibits the evidence of better impact strength of WP filled PP composites with EDD over MAPP, but the tensile fractured surfaces exhibit opposite characteristics. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra provide an evidence of interaction between EDD or MAPP with WP in PP composites. Thermogravimetry analysis show that the addition of EDD or MAPP was found to improve the thermal stability of WP filled PP composites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also indicates that WP filled PP composites with EDD or MAPP have slightly higher heat fusion (ΔHf(com)) and crystallinity (χcom) than PP/WP composites without compatibilizer.
Investigation of the Friction and Wear Behavior of Glass-Epoxy Composite With and Without Graphite Filler
Authors: Suresha B. , Chandramohan G. , Samapthkumaran P. , Seetharamu S.
Published: January 2007

Polymeric composites have steadily gained importance in recent years for industrial applications. The increase in use calls for a better understanding of their behavior under different working environments. Friction and wear are considered two important parameters that govern tribological behavior. In this study, the friction and wear characteristics of E-glass-epoxy (G-E) and graphite filler of three different levels in G-E composites were experimentally investigated using a pin-on-disc set-up at varied loads and sliding velocities. From this investigation, it was found that a 7.5 wt% graphite filled G-E composite system showed least coefficient of friction and highest wear resistance compared to the plain G-E composite system, irrespective of the load/speed adopted. Besides conventional weighing, determination of coefficient of friction and examination of worn surface features were undertaken using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for interpretation of wear behavior.
Health Monitoring of Composite Plates using Acoustic Wave Propagation, Continuous Sensors and Wavelet Analysis
Authors: Ghoshal A. , Martin W. N. , Schulz M. J. , Chattopadhyay A. , Prosser W. H. , Kim H. S.
Published: January 2007

Health monitoring of aerospace structures can be done passively by listening for acoustic waves generated by cracks, impact damage and delaminations, or actively by propagating diagnostic stress waves and interpreting the parameters that characterize the wave travel. This paper investigates modeling of flexural wave propagation in a plate and the design of sensors to detect damage in plates based on stress wave parameters. To increase understanding of the actual physical process of wave propagation, a simple model is developed to simulate wave propagation in a plate with boundaries. The waves can be simulated by applied forces and moments in the model either to represent passive damage growth or active wave generation using piezoceramic actuators. For active wave generation, the model considers a piezoceramic patch bonded perfectly to a quasi-isotropic glass-epoxy composite plate. Distributed sensors are used on the plate and are modeled as being constructed using active fiber composite and piezoceramic materials. For active wave generation, a moment impulse is generated by the actuation of a piezoceramic patch. The waves generated from the patch are detected by the distributed sensor. For passive sensing of acoustic waves, a step function is used to simulate an acoustic emission from a propagating damage. The resulting acoustic wave is measured by the distributed sensor and produces micro-strains in the sensor nodes. The strains produce a single voltage signal output from the distributed sensor. Computational simulations and animations of acoustic wave propagation in a plate are discussed in the article. A new method to locate the source of an acoustic emission using the time history of the dominant lower frequency components of the flexural wave mode detected by continuous sensors is also presented.
Effect of Particle Shape on Thermal Conductivity of Copper Reinforced Polymer Composites
Authors: Tekce H. Serkan , Kumlutas Dilek , Tavman Ismail H.
Published: January 2007

Thermal conductivity of copper powder filled polyamide composites are investigated experimentally in the range of filler content 0-30% by volume for particle shape of short fibers and 0-60% by volume for particle shapes of plates and spheres. The thermal conductivity of polymer composites is measured by the Hot-Disk method. It is seen that the experimental values for all the copper particle shapes are close to each other at low particle content, φ<10, as the particles are dispersed in the polyamide matrix and they are not interacting with each other. For particle content greater than 10% by volume, a rapid increase occurs in the thermal conductivity for the copper fibers filled polymer composite. As a result of this study, thermal conductivity of copper filled polyamide composites depends on the thermal conductivity of the filler particles, filler particle shape and size, and the volume fraction and spatial arrangement of the filler particles in the polymer matrix.
DEHP, bis(2)-ethylhexyl phthalate, alters gene expression in human cells: possible correlation with initiation of fetal developmental abnormalities
Authors: Hokanson R , Hanneman W , Hennessey M , Donnelly K C , McDonald T , Chowdhary R , Busbee D L
Published: January 2007

Diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) is a widely distributed phthalate, to which humans are exposed to due to its variety of commercial and manufacturing uses. As a plasticiser, it is found in a wide number of products, and metabolites of DEHP have been detected in urine samples from a high percentage ofthe peoplescreened for phthalates. We utilised DNA microarray analysis to evaluate DEHP for gene expression disrupting activity using the human cell line MCF-7, and found that DEHP significantly dysregulated approximately 34% of the 2400 genes spotted on the NEN2400 chip we used. The results suggest that DEHP, a known estrogen agonist and probable androgen antagonist, alters the expression of a number of genes, many of which are critical for fetal development. Down-regulation of two genes, FGD1 and PAFAH1B1, related in that both are essential for fetal brain development, was corroborated using quantitative real time PCR. These studies show DEHP to be a highly effective human gene expression-altering chemical, and that, at appropriate concentrations, it has the possibility of altering fetal central nervous system development, resulting in the birth defects lissencephaly and/or faciodigitogenital dysplasia.
Acute effects of exposure to vapours of dioxane in humans
Authors: Ernstgård L , Iregren A , Sjögren B , Johanson G
Published: January 2007

Information on the acute effects associated with the handling of 1,4-dioxane is sparse. Our aim was to evaluate the acute effects of 1,4-dioxane vapours. In a screening study, six healthy volunteers rated symptoms on a visual analogue scale (VAS), while exposed to stepwise increasing levels of 1,4-dioxane, from 1 to 20 ppm. The initial study indicated no increased ratings at any of the exposure levels; we decided to use 20 ppm (72 mg/m3) as a tentative no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL). In the main study, six female and six male healthy volunteers were exposed to 0 (control exposure) and 20 ppm 1,4-dioxane vapour, for 2 hours at rest. The volunteers rated 10 symptoms on VAS before, during, and after the exposure. Blink frequency was monitored during exposure. Pulmonary function, and nasal swelling, was measured before, and at 0 and 3 hours after exposure. Inflammatory markers in plasma (C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6) were measured before and at 3 hours after exposure. In conclusion, exposure to 20 ppm 1,4-dioxane for 2 hours did not significantly affect symptom ratings, blink frequency, pulmonary function, nasal swelling, or inflammatory markers in the plasma of the 12 volunteers in our study.
Protective effects of Gingko biloba on thioacetamide-induced fulminant hepatic failure in rats
Authors: Harputluoglu M M M , Demirel U , Ciralik H , Temel I , Firat S , Ara C , Aladag M , Karincaoglu M , Hilmioglu F
Published: January 2007

Gingko biloba (GB) has antioxidant and platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonistic effects. We investigated the protective effects of GB on thioacetamide (TAA)induced fulminant hepatic failure in rats. Fulminant hepatic failure was induced in treatment groups by three intraperitoneal (ip) injections of TAA (350 mg/kg) at 24-hour intervals. Treatments with GB (100 mg/kg per day, orally) and N-acetylcysteine (20 mg/kg twice daily, sc) were initiated 48 hours prior to TAA administration. The liver was removed for histopathological examinations. Serum and liver thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels were measured for assessment of oxidative stress. Liver necrosis and inflammation scores and serum and liver TBARS levels were significantly higher in the TAA group compared to the control group (P <0.001,<0.001, 0.001,<0.001, respectively). Liver necrosis and inflammation scores and liver TBARS levels were significantly lower in the GB group compared to the TAA group (P <0.001,<0.001 and 0.01, respectively). GB ameliorated hepatic damage in TAA-induced fulminant hepatic failure. This may be due to the free radical-scavenging effects of GB.
Alteration of hepatic cells glucose metabolism as a non-cholinergic detoxication mechanism in counteracting diazinon-induced oxidative stress
Authors: Teimouri Fatemeh , Amirkabirian Nasim , Esmaily Hadi , Mohammadirad Azadeh , Aliahmadi Atousa , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: January 2007

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of acute exposure to various doses of diazinon, a widely used synthetic organophosphorus (OP) insecticide on plasma glucose, hepatic cells key enzymes of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, and oxidative stress in rats. Diazinon was administered by gavage at doses of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg. The liver was perfused and removed under anaesthesia. The activities of glycogen phosphorylase (GP), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were analysed in liver homogenate. Administration of diazinon (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) increased plasma glucose concentrations by 101.43% (P=0.001), 103.68% (P=0.000) and 160.65% (P=0.000) of control, respectively. Diazinon (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg) increased hepatic GP activity by 43.5% (P=0.05), 70.3% (P=0.00) and 117.2% (P=0.02) of control, respectively. In addition, diazinon (30 and 60 mg/kg) increased hepatic PEPCK by 77.3% (P=0.000) and 93.5% (P=0.000) of control, respectively. Diazinon (30 and 60 mg/kg) decreased liver TAC by 38% (P=0.046) and 48% (P=0.000) of control, respectively. Also diazinon (30 and 60 mg/kg) increased hepatic cell liver lipid peroxidation by 77% (P=0.05) and 280% (P=0.000) of control. The correlations between plasma glucose and hepatic cells TBARS (r2=0.537, P=0.02), between plasma glucose and ChE activity (r2=0.81, P=0.049) and between plasma glucose and hepatic cells GP activity (r2=0.833, P=0.04) were significant. It is concluded that the liver cells are a site of toxic action of diazinon. Diazinon increases glucose release from liver into blood through activation of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis as a detoxication non-cholinergic mechanism to overwhelm diazinon-induced toxic stress. The results are in accordance with the hypothesis that OPs are a predisposing factor of diabetes.
Precaution in public: the social perception of the role of science and values in policy making
Authors: Luján José Luis , Todt Oliver
Published: January 2007

This article presents the results of a study of public perception recently completed in Spain which questioned citizens about their views on the precautionary principle, the role of science in policy making, as well as their level of trust in science. The results show that Spanish citizens, by a significant margin, consider that scientists may be influenced by economic interests, that values play a key role in policy making, and that policy should be guided by precaution. Two groups were identified, one with a moderate and the other one with a more stringent interpretation of precaution. The results indicate that public policies that do not sufficiently take into account precaution and exclude values from decision making are likely to encounter resistance among many citizens.
Industrial constructions of publics and public knowledge: a qualitative investigation of practice in the UK chemicals industry
Authors: Burningham Kate , Barnett Julie , Carr Anna , Clift Roland , Wehrmeyer Walter
Published: January 2007

While the rhetoric of public engagement is increasingly commonplace within industry, there has been little research that examines how lay knowledge is conceptualized and whether it is really used within companies. Using the chemicals sector as an example, this paper explores how companies conceive of publics and “public knowledge,” and how this relates to modes of engagement/communication with them. Drawing on qualitative empirical research in four companies, we demonstrate that the public for industry are primarily conceived as “consumers” and “neighbours,” having concerns that should be allayed rather than as groups with knowledge meriting engagement. We conclude by highlighting the dissonance between current advocacy of engagement and the discourses and practices prevalent within industry, and highlight the need for more realistic strategies for industry/public engagement.
What can we learn from 25 years of PUS survey research? Liberating and expanding the agenda
Authors: Bauer Martin W. , Allum Nick , Miller Steve
Published: January 2007

This paper reviews key issues of public understanding of science (PUS) research over the last quarter of a century. We show how the discussion has moved in relation to large-scale surveys of public perceptions by tracing developments through three paradigms: science literacy, public understanding of science and science and society. Naming matters here like elsewhere as a marker of “tribal identity.” Each paradigm frames the problem differently, poses characteristic questions, offers preferred solutions, and displays a rhetoric of “progress” over the previous one. We argue that the polemic over the “deficit concept” voiced a valid critique of a common sense concept among experts, but confused the issue with methodological protocol. PUS research has been hampered by this “essentialist” association between the survey research protocol and the public deficit model. We argue that this fallacious link should be severed to liberate and to expand the research agenda in four directions: contextualizing survey research, searching for cultural indicators, integrating datasets and doing longitudinal analysis, and including other data streams. Under different presumptions, assumed and granted, we anticipate a fertile period for survey research on public understanding of science.
Vernacular science knowledge: its role in everyday life communication
Authors: Wagner Wolfgang
Published: January 2007

This paper argues that our understanding of how the public understands science is incomplete as long as we do not answer the question of why, under which conditions, and in which form the general public assimilate scientific background knowledge. Everyday life and communication are governed by criteria of social efficiency and evidence. Under the conditions of everyday life, it is sufficient for the lay person to possess and employ metaphoric and iconic representations of scientific facts—called “vernacular science knowledge”—that are wrong in scientific terms, as long as they are able to serve as acceptable and legitimate belief systems in discourses with other lay people. These representations are tools for a purpose that follow local rules of communication. Research within the framework of Social Representation Theory—collective symbolic coping with biotechnology in Europe, lay understanding of sexual conception, as well as traditional versus modern psychiatric knowledge in India—is presented to illustrate.
Technology Inclination-based Segments of Indian Customers
Authors: Adhikari Atanu , Rao A.K.
Published: January 2007

Although technology plays a significant role in service management, adoption of technology-enabled services depends not only on technology readiness of service consumers, but also their inclination towards technology from traditional way of marketing. This article attempts to identify the dimensions that influence consumers’ inclination to use technology-enabled services, and to segment service consumers. Primary data were collected from consumers in 12 cities in India, and analysed using factor analytical techniques. Six dimensions were identified, which were used to segment the consumers. Using cluster analysis technique, four customer segments with distinct response styles were identified. These clusters are validated. The implication of the results to researchers and practitioners are discussed.
Attitude and Perceptual Factors in the Adoption of Computers in a School System
Authors: Sooknanan Prahalad , Melkote Srinivas R.
Published: January 2007

The advent of new communication technologies has significantly influenced the direction of diffusion research. Initially, the focus was on adoption with individuals as its units. However, with the increasing importance of new communication technologies, it is now considered the responsibility of organizations. As a result, current research in diffusion is mainly concerned with implementation since the innovation process in organizations is only considered successful if it leads to implementation and possibly institutionalization. This article examines the relationship between the independent variables (teachers’ attitudes towards computers and perceived innovation characteristics) and the dependent variables (teacher satisfaction and utilization). Ten hypotheses were formulated to examine the relationship between the variables. Using regression analysis, seven hypotheses related to perceived innovation characteristics were supported. One hypothesis related to attitudes was also supported. The results demonstrate that the implementation of educational computing was successful. This achievement can be attributed more to the importance of attitudinal and perceptual factors than the prescribed linear approach to the diffusion process in organizations. More specifically, the findings emphasize that the degree of implementation is a critical variable in diffusion research.
Jobs are Going Overseas
Authors: Pednekar-Magal Vandana , Remlinger Kathryn
Published: January 2007

In this article we examine the discourse of outsourcing and globalization in India and the US as represented in global popular media; and show that it is rooted in a given range of ideological positions—revealed by identifying key arguments, vocabulary and linguistic structure of the texts. Ideological material, we argue, is enacted in the discursive structures of the text; and that the role of the state is discursively constructed through those positions.
Entertainment-Education and Possibilities for Second-Order Social Change
Authors: Singhal Arvind , Rao Nagesh , Pant Saumya
Published: January 2007

Inspired by the entertainment-education radio soap opera, Taru, a family from the upper-caste brahmin community in Bihar, India, allowed men from the lower caste dalit community to serve water to guests during their daughter's wedding. While most social change projects achieve first-order change, that is, change within a system which itself remains unchanged, Taru seemed to have engendered second-order changes, that is, changing the system itself. The present article investigates how Taru generated second-order changes in Bihar, distilling lessons for how entertainment-education programmes can be strategically positioned to create and sustain systemic social change.
Blogs and Business Conversations
Authors: Raghavan Srividya
Published: January 2007

The Internet has moved human interaction to a virtual dimension. The World Wide Web has helped create online communities that link to one another and form a complicated web of interactions. Corporations that operate in these environs have begun to listen to the ‘voice’ of their communities and participate in their ‘conversations’. Blogs are quickly emerging as a useful media of participating in consumer conversations. This article articulates the role of blogs in a computer-mediated society with specific reference to its use in the business world.
QFT Based Robust Control of a Single-Link Flexible Manipulator
Authors: Kerr Murray L. , Jayasuriya Suhada , Asokanthan Samuel F.
Published: January 2007

This article presents the application of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) quantitative feedback theory (QFT) to the control of a single-link flexible manipulator. The manipulator employs an actuation scheme comprised of a DC motor that provides spatially discrete actuation and a surface bonded piezoelectric ceramic that provides spatially distributed actuation. The efficacy of the sequential MIMO QFT methodology for articulating flexible structure control is investigated using the flexible manipulator testbed, with the control system designed to achieve rapid, rest-to-rest positioning of the manipulator tip in the presence of significant parametric and non-parametric structured uncertainty. Numerical simulations and experiments are employed to validate the synthesised control system and the combined discrete-distributed actuation scheme. Conservatisms in the MIMO QFT methodology are identified and partly alleviated using recent theoretical and design improvements.
Earthquake Mitigation Study on Viscoelastic Dampers for Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Xu Zhao-Dong
Published: January 2007

Viscoelastic (VE) dampers are one of the most common earthquake mitigation devices. This paper addresses the mathematical modelling of VE dampers and the dynamic analysis of structures with VE dampers. In this paper, the equivalent standard solid model, a new mathematical model of VE dampers, is used to describe the influence of temperature on the energy absorption features of VE dampers. Elastoplastic time field analysis, frequency field analysis and shaking table tests are used to analyze responses of a 1/5 scale three-story reinforced concrete frame structure with and without VE dampers. Comparisons between the numerical and experimental results show that the VE dampers can be modeled by the equivalent standard solid model and that the VE dampers are effective in reducing the seismic responses of structures.
Design of Vibration Controllers for Flexible Beams Using the Mechatronic Design Quotient (MDQ) Approach
Authors: Sun J. , Poo A. N. , Ang M. H. , Hong G. S. , De Silva C. W. , Tan K. K.
Published: January 2007

When using linear dampers for the suppression of vibration in flexible structures, their mounting locations and the damping coefficients have to be chosen properly. In this article, an approach to the optimal design of linear dampers for vibration control in flexible beams based on the mechatronic design quotient (MDQ) is presented. This approach strives to make the optimal concurrent design of the dampers come as close as possible to the performance of an optimal sequential design of uncoupled subsystems. The MDQ approach provides a practical way to evaluate the performance of multi-criteria design. It also provides an insight into the performance degradation of various subsystems caused by dynamic coupling effects in the overall system. In the approach developed here, a cost function, based on the modal settling times, is first established from the design objective. Next, the optimal performance indices from the sequential and concurrent designs are obtained by selecting the coefficients and locations of the vibration dampers. These performance indices are used to determine the design corresponding to the highest MDQ value, which gives the overall optimal design. For performance evaluation, optimal design of active vibration controllers is carried out, using the linear quadratic regulator (LQR), and its MDQ value is established. The results from two case studies show that optimal linear dampers designed using the MDQ approach can achieve the performance of an optimal active controller. This approach can also provide an insight into the performance degradation in each subsystem (or sub-problem) due to the dynamic coupling effects in the overall system.
Is the Adoption and Safe Families Act Influencing Child Welfare Outcomes for Families With Substance Abuse Issues?
Authors: Rockhill Anna , Green Beth L. , Furrer Carrie
Published: January 2007

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) was designed to promote more timely permanent placements for children in the child welfare system. To date, however, available data have said little about whether ASFA is meeting its intended goals. This study looks at the impact of ASFA on parents struggling with substance abuse issues. The authors compared child welfare outcomes, pre- and post-ASFA, for children of more than 1,900 substance-abusing women with some treatment involvement. After the implementation of ASFA, children in this study spent less time in foster care, were placed in permanent settings more quickly, and were more likely to be adopted than remain in long-term foster care. The proportion of children who were reunified with their parent or parents stayed the same. These outcomes were apparent even controlling for case and family characteristics. Results are discussed in terms of the influence of ASFA on service delivery systems.
Repeated Questions, Deception, and Children’s True and False Reports of Body Touch
Authors: Quas Jodi A. , Davis Elizabeth L. , Goodman Gail S. , Myers John E. B.
Published: January 2007

Four- to 7-year-olds’ ability to answer repeated questions about body touch either honestly or dishonestly was examined. Children experienced a play event, during which one third of the children were touched innocuously. Two weeks later, they returned for a memory interview. Some children who had not been touched were instructed to lie during the interview and say that they had been touched. Children so instructed were consistent in maintaining the lie but performed poorly when answering repeated questions unrelated to the lie. Children who were not touched and told the truth were accurate when answering repeated questions. Of note, children who had been touched and told the truth were the most inconsistent. Results call into question the common assumption that consistency is a useful indicator of veracity in children’s eyewitness accounts.
Substance Use in Maltreated Youth: Findings From the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being
Authors: Wall Ariana E. , Kohl Patricia L.
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics associated with different levels of substance use in a national probability sample of maltreated 11- to 15-year-olds (n = 1,179). Bivariate (chi-square tests) and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were used to examine the association of adolescent substance use with demographics, placement type, and youth and family characteristics. Seventy-one percent of youth reported no use, 20% reported low levels of substance use, and approximately 9% reported moderate to high levels of use. Youth substance use was similar across placement types. Conduct problems and low caregiver relatedness were more prevalent for youth reporting higher levels of substance use. High levels of conduct problems increased the odds of substance use, whereas high caregiver monitoring decreased the odds of substance use. Caregiver monitoring may be a key tactic in attempts to reduce the likelihood of substance use in maltreated youth, regardless of placement type.
How Effective Are Family Treatment Drug Courts? Outcomes From a Four-Site National Study
Authors: Green Beth L. , Furrer Carrie , Worcel Sonia , Burrus Scott , Finigan Michael W.
Published: January 2007

Family treatment drug courts (FTDCs) are a rapidly expanding program model designed to improve treatment and child welfare outcomes for families involved in child welfare who have substance abuse problems. The present study compares outcomes for 250 FTDC participants to those of similar parents who did not receive FTDC services in four sites. Results show that FTDC parents, compared to comparison parents, entered substance abuse treatment more quickly, stayed in treatment longer, and completed more treatment episodes. Furthermore, children of FTDC parents entered permanent placements more quickly and were more likely to be reunified with their parents, compared to children of non-FTDC participants. Finally, the FTDC program appears to have a “value added” in facilitating positive child welfare outcomes above and beyond the influence of positive treatment experiences.
Pathways to Collaboration: Exploring Values and Collaborative Practice Between Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Treatment Fields
Authors: Drabble Laurie
Published: January 2007

Although recent research has highlighted the importance of “bridging the gap” between child welfare and substance abuse treatment delivery systems, few studies examine specific factors that may facilitate such collaboration. This study examined similarities and differences in values and perceived capacity for collaboration between substance abuse and child welfare fields based on survey data from more than 350 respondents in 12 California counties. Although respondents across disciplines held similar values in some areas, such as priorities for services, significant differences between respondents from child welfare and substance abuse fields were found in other areas, including values and beliefs about drug use and drug-using parents, funding, and planning and measurement of outcomes. Respondents from counties with a strong history of collaboration were more likely to report institutionalized collaborative practices in several areas, from use of multidisciplinary teams for case planning to use of multiyear budgeting to plan for integrated services.
Risk of Death Among Children Reported for Nonfatal Maltreatment
Authors: Jonson-Reid Melissa , Chance Toni , Drake Brett
Published: January 2007

This article presents analyses of longitudinal data to explore whether low-income children who survived a first incident of reported maltreatment were at higher risk of later childhood death compared to a matched comparison group of low-income children without reports of maltreatment (n = 7,433). Compared to the comparison group, children in the maltreatment group had about twice the risk of death before age 18 (0.51% vs. 0.27%). Among children with mal-treatment reports, median time from the first report to subsequent death was 9 months. The majority of deaths among children who were reported for maltreatment could be categorized as preventable (accidents or recurrent maltreatment) as compared to resulting from severe health conditions.
Biopolitics and the molecularization of life
Authors: Braun Bruce
Published: January 2007

In what ways can it be said of the molecularization of life that it has made our biological existence a political concern in new ways? This essay examines two different answers to this question. The first, exemplified by the work of Nikolas Rose, suggests that the molecularization of life, together with the individualization of risk, has given rise to a new ‘somatic’ self, and a new ‘ethopolitical’ order in which our biological life has becomes our life's work. The second, most evident in growing concern over ‘biosecurity’, posits a vulnerable subject, thrown into an unpredictable molecular world characterized by exchange and circulation and full of ‘emergent’ risks. Whereas the former has arguably led to new forms of governmentality, and new kinds of pastoral power, this paper argues that the latter has been widley taken up as a justification for the global extension of forms of sovereign power whose purpose is to pre-empt certain biological futures in favour of others. An exclusive focus on the former not only risks leaving the latter unexamined, it may leave us unable to consider how the two are related.
Ghostly topographies: landscape and biopower in modern Singapore
Authors: Comaroff Joshua
Published: January 2007

This paper considers the history of a single landscape in the Chinatown district of modern Singapore, one with a complex and uneasy history. This area was formerly home to a number of female labour collectives, bulldozed in 1969 to make way for new development that never arrived. The author attempts to explain this site in reference to a broader politico-ecological history of landscape construction in Singapore, in which a state landscape was constructed that would confine a number of subjects to the fringe of the broader society. Through a number of practices and performances involving ghosts and haunting, it is argued, these landscapes become open to powerful new forms of contestation that evade the techniques of a regime of ‘biopower’.
Genetics of parentally reported asthma, eczema and rhinitis in 5-yr-old twins
Authors: van Beijsterveldt C. E. M. , Boomsma D. I.
Published: January 2007

The aim of the present study was to examine the genetic and environmental contributions to the individual differences in susceptibility to asthma, eczema and rhinitis in childhood and their role in the association among these conditions.

Information on asthma, eczema and rhinitis was obtained by parental report. Parents were asked whether a physician had ever diagnosed the condition. Complete data were available for 8,633 5-yr-old twin pairs born between 1986 and 1998.

The frequency of parentally reported asthma, eczema and rhinitis was 8.7, 16.8 and 4.4%, respectively, and was higher in males than females. Genetic factors accounted for ∼90% of the variance in the susceptibility to asthma, eczema and rhinitis. The magnitude of genetic factors did not differ between males and females. The remaining part of the variance was explained by environmental factors not shared by family members. The phenotypic correlations between parentally reported asthma, eczema and rhinitis were moderate and mainly mediated by the same genetic factors.

The high heritability and the limited influence of shared environmental factors may point to gene x environment interactions. Future research should focus on this type of interaction processes.
Release of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 from DNA/F-actin bundles in cystic fibrosis sputum
Authors: Bucki R. , Byfield F. J. , Janmey P. A.
Published: January 2007

Cationic antibacterial peptides (ABPs) are secreted in the airways and function in the first line of defence against infectious agents. They attack multiple molecular targets to cooperatively penetrate and disrupt microbial surfaces and membrane barriers. Antibacterial properties of ABPs, including cathelicidin LL-37, are reduced in cystic fibrosis (CF) airways as a result of direct interaction with DNA and filamentous (F)-actin.

Microscopic evaluation of a mixed solution of DNA and F-actin, after the addition of rhodamine-B-labelled LL-37 peptide, revealed the presence of a bundle structure similar to that present in CF sputum. Analysis of CF sputum after centrifugation showed that LL-37 was mostly bound to components of the pellet fraction containing DNA, F-actin and cell remnants. Factors that dissolve DNA/actin bundles and fluidise CF sputum, such as Dornase alfa (recombinant human DNase I), gelsolin, polyaspartate or their combinations, increased the amount of LL-37 peptide detected in the supernatant of CF sputum.

The presence of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in CF sputum and the ability of LPS to inhibit the antibacterial activity of LL-37 suggests that inactivation of LL-37 function in CF sputum partially results from its interaction with LPS. LL-37–LPS interaction was prevented by an LPS-binding protein (LBP)-derived peptide known for its ability to neutralise LPS, whereas LBPW91A, a mutant peptide that lacks ability to bind LPS, had no effect.

A combination of factors that dissolve DNA/filamentous-actin aggregates together with lipopolysaccharide-binding agents may represent a potential treatment for the chronic infections that occur in cystic fibrosis airways.
Socioeconomic status, asthma and chronic bronchitis in a large community-based study
Authors: Ellison-Loschmann L. , Sunyer J. , Plana E. , Pearce N. , Zock J-P. , Jarvis D. , Janson C. , Antó J. M. , Kogevinas M.
Published: January 2007

The present study investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status, using measures of occupational class and education level, and the prevalence and incidence of asthma (with and without atopy) and chronic bronchitis using data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS).

Asthma and chronic bronchitis were studied prospectively within the ECRHS (n = 9,023). Incidence analyses comprised subjects with no history of asthma or bronchitis at baseline. Asthma symptoms were also assessed as a continuous score.

Bronchitis risk was associated with low educational level (prevalence odds ratio (POR) 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.8) and occupational class (1.8; 1.2–2.7). Incident bronchitis also increased with low educational level (risk ratio (RR) 2.8; 95%CI 1.5–5.4). Prevalent and incident asthma with no atopy were associated with low educational level. Subjects in the low occupational class (incident risk ratio (IRR) 1.4; 95%CI 1.2–1.7) and education group (IRR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1–1.6) had higher mean asthma scores than those in higher socioeconomic groups.

Lower educational level was associated with increased risk of prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis and asthma with no atopy. Lower socioeconomic groups tended to have a higher prevalence and incidence of asthma, particularly higher mean asthma scores. Adjustment for variables associated with asthma and bronchitis explained little of the observed health differences by socioeconomic status.
Effect of tuberculin skin testing on aMycobacterium tuberculosis-specific interferon-γ assay
Authors: Leyten E. M. S. , Prins C. , Bossink A. W. J. , Thijsen S. , Ottenhoff T. H. M. , van Dissel J. T. , Arend S. M.
Published: January 2007

Recently, interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) for specific diagnosis ofMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection have become available. In recent UK tuberculosis (TB) guidelines, it has been advised to screen for latentM. tuberculosisinfection using the tuberculin skin test (TST), followed by IGRA if the TST is positive. Since TST can boost immune responses to tuberculin, the present authors evaluated whether TST administration affects the result of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold in-tube (QFT-GIT), a whole blood-based IGRA.

QFT-GIT was performed on the day of TST administration and the day of reading in 15 TST-negative subjects, 46 TST-positive subjects with recent or remote exposure toM. tuberculosisand five cured TB patients.

No systematic boosting of QFT-GIT responses from negative to positive was observed. Only in a few TST-positive persons did TST enhance pre-existing QFT-GIT responses.

Screening for latentMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection using tuberculin skin testing followed by interferon-γ release assays on the day of reading is a reliable approach, as the specificity of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold in-tube is not affected by prior tuberculin skin test administration.
A prediction rule for elderly primary-care patients with lower respiratory tract infections
Authors: Bont J. , Hak E. , Hoes A. W. , Schipper M. , Schellevis F. G. , Verheij T. J. M.
Published: January 2007

Prognostic scores for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) have been mainly derived in a hospital setting. The current authors have developed and validated a prediction rule for the prognosis of acute LRTI in elderly primary-care patients.

Data including demographics, medication use, healthcare use and comorbid conditions from 3,166 episodes of patients aged ≥65 yrs visiting the general practitioner (GP) with LRTI were collected. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to construct a predictive model. The main outcome measure was 30-day hospitalisation or death. The Second Dutch Survey of GPs was used for validation.

The following were independent predictors of 30-day hospitalisation or death: increasing age; previous hospitalisation; heart failure; diabetes; use of oral glucocorticoids; previous use of antibiotics; a diagnosis of pneumonia; and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A prediction rule based on these variables showed that the outcome increased directly with increasing scores: 3, 10 and 31% for scores of <2 points, 3–6 and ≥7 points, respectively. Corresponding figures for the validation cohort were 3, 11 and 26%, respectively.

This simple prediction rule can help the primary-care physician to differentiate between high- and low-risk patients. As a possible consequence, low-risk patients may be suitable for home treatment, whereas high-risk patients might be monitored more closely in a homecare or hospital setting. Future studies should assess whether information on signs and symptoms can further improve this prediction rule.
Specification of primordial germ cells in medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Authors: Herpin Amaury , Rohr Stefan , Riedel Dietmar , Kluever Nils , Raz Erez , Schartl Manfred
Published: January 2007

Background

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to gametes that are responsible for the development of a new organism in the next generation. Two modes of germ line specification have been described: the inheritance of asymmetrically-localized maternally provided cytoplasmic determinants and the induction of the PGC fate by other cell types.

PGCs specification in zebrafish appears to depend on inheritance of germ plasm in which several RNA molecules such asvasaandnanosreside. Whether the specification mode of PGCs found in zebrafish is general for other fish species was brought into question upon analysis ofolvasexpression – thevasahomologue in another teleost, medaka (Oryzias latipes). Here, in contrast to the findings in zebrafish, the PGCs are found in a predictable position relative to a somatic structure, the embryonic shield. This finding, coupled with the fact thatvasamRNA, which is localized to the germ plasm of zebrafish but does not label a similar structure in medaka opened the possibility of fundamentally different mechanisms governing PGC specification in these two fish species.

Results

In this study we addressed the question concerning the mode of PGC specification in medaka using embryological experiments, analysis of RNA stability in the PGCs and electron microscopy observations. Dramatic alterations in the somatic environment, i.e. induction of a secondary axis or mesoderm formation alteration, did not affect the PGC number. Furthermore, the PGCs of medaka are capable of protecting specific RNA molecules from degradation and could therefore exhibit a specific mRNA expression pattern controlled by posttrancriptional mechanisms. Subsequent analysis of 4-cell stage medaka embryos using electron microscopy revealed germ plasm-like structures located at a region corresponding to that of zebrafish germ plasm.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results are consistent with the idea that in medaka the inheritance of maternally provided asymmetrically-localized cytoplasmic determinants directs cells to assume the germ line fate similar to zebrafish PGCs.
A single institution experience of combined modality management of extra skeletal Ewings sarcoma
Authors: Venkitaraman Ramachandran , George Mathew K , Ramanan S Ganapathy , Sagar TG
Published: January 2007

Background

Extraskeletal Ewings sarcoma are rare tumors for which there is no consensus on optimal management.

Methods

A retrospective review of the clinical features, treatment and outcome of patients with extraskeletal Ewings sarcoma who reported to a single institution between January 1992 – December 2003 is reported.

Results

A total of 19 patients with extraskeletal Ewings sarcoma were identified. Of these, 4 patients had metastatic disease at presentation and 15 patients with non-metastatic disease received combined modality treatment with primary combination chemotherapy followed by local treatment with radiotherapy or surgery. Disease free survival and overall survival for patients with non metastatic disease after combined modality treatment were 60% and 30% respectively. The significant predictors for prolonged disease free survival and overall survival were high haemoglobin(p = 0.002), low lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.028), chemotherapy with Vincristine, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Ifosfamide and Etoposide regime (p = 0.008) and complete response to chemotherapy (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Aggressive combination chemotherapy followed by complete surgery or radiotherapy to a dose of more than 50 Gy is essential to confer optimal outcome for patients with extraskeletal ewings sarcoma.
The role of PDGF in radiation oncology
Authors: Li Minglun , Jendrossek Verena , Belka Claus
Published: January 2007

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) was originally identified as a constituent of blood serum and subsequently purified from human platelets. PDGF ligand is a dimeric molecule consisting of two disulfide-bonded chains from A-, B-, C- and D-polypeptide chains, which combine to homo- and heterodimers. The PDGF isoforms exert their cellular effects by binding to and activating two structurally related protein tyrosine kinase receptors. PDGF is a potent mitogen and chemoattractant for mesenchymal cells and also a chemoattractant for neutrophils and monocytes. In radiation oncology, PDGF are important for several pathologic processes, including oncogenesis, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis. Autocrine activation of PDGF was observed and interpreted as an important mechanism involved in brain and other tumors. PDGF has been shown to be fundamental for the stability of normal blood vessel formation, and may be essential for the angiogenesis in tumor tissue. PDGF also plays an important role in the proliferative disease, such as atherosclerosis and radiation-induced fibrosis, regarding its proliferative stimulation of fibroblast cells. Moreover, PDGF was also shown to stimulate production of extracellular matrix proteins, which are mainly responsible for the irreversibility of these diseases. This review introduces the structural and functional properties of PDGF and PDGF receptors and discusses the role and mechanism of PDGF signaling in normal and tumor tissues under different conditions in radiation oncology.