bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparing for College: Senior High School Education in China
Authors: Luo Jiali , Wendel Frederick C.
Published: March 2006

Why is it so difficult for Chinese students to be promoted to senior high schools? How do senior high school students in China manage course requirements? What must students do to gain admission to college? The answers may be of interest to people in countries where free pre-collegiate education is provided to all students.
The Principal, Discipline, And the IDEA
Authors: Clark Susan G.
Published: March 2006

There are times when students, including those with disabilities, must be disciplined. The IDEA allows principals to provide for the safety and security of all students by removing those who cannot or will not learn appropriate behavior if they are careful to safeguard the rights of students with disabilities in the process.
Academic Freedom: In Our Minds, the Legal Myth Dies Slowly!
Authors: Strope John L.
Published: March 2006

For public school teachers freedom of speech, protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, protects speech in two settings, outside the classroom and inside the classroom. This article focuses on freedom of speech in the classroom—that form of speech most often called academic freedom. Academic freedom concerns what is taught and/or how it is taught.
Teacher/Administrator Perceptions Of Intensive Scheduling: Implications for Secondary Gifted Sudents
Authors: Bugaj Stephen J.
Published: March 2006

Might intensive scheduling for gifted students provide more flexibility and placement options to school districts? How does it affect curricular enrichment and acceleration? Does it facilitate the differentiation of instruction in the classroom? And, does intensive scheduling have a positive or negative effect on complying with state mandates?
Full-Service Schools: A Partnership Between Educators and Professionals in Medicine, Mental Health, and Social Services
Authors: Swerdlik Mark E. , Reeder Glenn D. , Bucy Jayne E.
Published: March 2006

As we enter the 21st century, it is more important than ever to provide comprehensive and integrated educational, mental health, medical, and social interventions. Full-service schools represent a convenient way for students and their families to access these services.
World Class Standards in Education: Are We There Yet?
Authors: Wallinger Linda M.
Published: March 2006

Does the United States measure educational success by different standards than other countries? Shouldn't we stop worrying about how we compare with other nations and focus on educating our population according to our own needs and standards? Will the “horse-race” approach of comparisons ultimately improve education for U.S. students?
Measured Outcomes of Learning Under Block Scheduling
Authors: Hess Caryl , Wronkovich Michael , Robinson James
Published: March 2006

Alternative scheduling at the high school level has opened the doors to debate about the current time management structure. The traditional 20th century model of high school education may prove to be inadequate to meet the challenges of the next century, so the possibility of alternative styles of time management at this level is refreshing. But changing time management will not resolve problems unless it is tied to some type of curricular reform.
Aggressive responses to betrayal: Type of relationship, victim’s sex, and nature of aggression
Authors: Haden Sara C. , Hojjat Mahzad
Published: March 2006

The present investigation explored young adults’ aggressive responses to hypothetical and actual episodes of betrayal. In two studies, we tested the following hypotheses: (a) aggressive responses would be most severe in romantic relationships when compared with friendships; (b) men and women would respond similarly to betrayal; and (c) verbal aggression would be more frequently described than physical and psychological aggressive tactics. Participants endorsed greater use of verbal aggressive tactics in response to hypothetical transgressions committed in romantic relationships when compared with friendships. In response to actual transgressions, betrayals in friendships and romantic relationships elicited similar reactions. As predicted, no sex differences were found in responses to betrayals.
Giving to others during national tragedy: The effects of altruistic and egoistic motivations on long-term giving
Authors: Piferi Rachel L. , Jobe Rebecca L. , Jones Warren H.
Published: March 2006

The debate over altruistic and egoistic motivations for helping has a long history and evidence supports both motives. Immediate and sustained helping following the September 11 attacks on the United States were examined. The three most commonly reported helping behaviors were donating money, praying, and donating blood. Six reported motivations for giving emerged: to relieve one’s own distress, to relieve the other’s distress, to show patriotism, to show civic responsibility, the desire for support in a similar situation, and knowing someone involved. Less giving was reported after 1 year than immediately following the event. The only motivation related to sustained giving was giving to relieve the other’s distress. Results are discussed using two theories of helping.
Looking into the Abyss: Historians and the Nazi Concentration Camps
Authors: Wachsmann Nikolaus
Published: March 2006

Nazi concentration camps played a central part in repression, terror and mass murder in the Third Reich. But after the end of the Second World War, historians were initially slow to explore the history of these SS camps. Only in the 1980s did sustained and systematic research get underway. Since then, the scholarly literature has grown at a great pace. This article surveys the historical literature on the camps, focusing on key themes which have emerged from studies published over the last few years: the early camps, the SS perpetrators, gender, memory, and the relationship between economics and extermination. The article critically examines recent studies on these themes and highlights important areas for future research.
Inconsistencies in TTO and VAS Values for EQ-5D Health States
Authors: Lamers Leida M. , Stalmeier Peep F. M. , Krabbe Paul F. M. , Busschbach Jan J. V.
Published: March 2006

Background. Most EQ-5D health states can be ordered logically. When people assign values to different health states, they may violate this logical order, which can be seen as inconsistencies. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of inconsistently valued EQ-5D health states on mean visual analog scale (VAS) and time trade-off (TTO) values. The authors also examined the effect of removing respondents with high numbers of inconsistent states on the estimation of tariffs, which is used to interpolate values to all possible EQ-5D states from the direct valuation of a subset of states. Method. Data from the Dutch EQ-5D valuation study were used. A representative sample of 309 Dutch adults valued 17 EQ-5D health states by VAS and TTO. A state was valued inconsistently when it had a higher value than at least 1 logically better state. Mean values of groups with various numbers of inconsistently valued states were compared. Results. Of the respondents, 65% had inconsistencies for VAS and 89% for TTO. The mean VAS values of consistent respondents tend to be lower. For TTO, those with inconsistencies gave lower values. Removing data of respondents with the highest number of inconsistently valued states for VAS (13%) and TTO (9%) did not result in statistically significant different coefficients in the estimated tariff using all data. Conclusion. The majority of respondents valued at least 1 state inconsistently. For both VAS and TTO, the presence of these inconsistencies did not affect the estimated tariffs
Supervision of Students May Protect Academic Physicians from Cognitive Bias: A Study of Decision Making and Multiple Treatment Alternatives in Medicine
Authors: Roswarski Todd Eric , Murray Michael D.
Published: March 2006

Objective. To determine how professional characteristics and practices of physicians alter the selection of medical treatments involving multiple alternatives. Situations involving multiple alternatives can increase the difficulty of making a decision, resulting in more choice deferral than when fewer alternatives are available. Design, Setting, Participants. A survey and scenario were mailed to a random sample of 314 primary and emergency care physicians affiliated with the Indiana University Medical Center. Using a scenario involving treatment decisions for a patient with osteoarthritis, the effects of multiple treatment alternatives on decision making were explored. Other physician factors included experience, workload, fatigue, continuing education, and supervision. Main Outcome Measures. Physicians’ treatment decisions. Results. Physician response was 61% ( n = 192). In contrast to previous studies, physicians in the present study were equally likely to prescribe a new medication, regardless of whether they were deciding about 1 medication or between 2 similar medications (54.5% v. 56.0%, P = 0.841). However, physicians who supervise medical students were far less influenced by the cognitive bias associated with multiple choices than those who did not supervise medical students. Supervising physicians were more likely to defer making a decision when there was only 1 treatment option than when there were 2 (49.3% v. 37%, P = 0.143), whereas the opposite was true for nonsupervising physicians (33.3% v. 63%, P = 0.040). The number of hours spent supervising medical students and the number of years as a physician were also important factors in the decision-making process. Conclusions. Multiple treatment alternatives may result in a deferral of choice. However, this cognitive bias is attenuated by experience and supervision, thus enhancing decision making. Implicit and explicit learning gained through experience and the supervisory process appears to be a central mechanism by which the physicians are protected from this cognitive bias
Bibliographic Control in the Nordic Countries
Authors: Knutsen Unni
Published: March 2006

This paper describes the status of legal deposit legislation and national bibliographies in the Nordic countries, with a specific focus on remote electronic resources. The use of international standards in the Nordic library community is described as well as specific projects or cooperation areas.
Towards an Accessible Academic Library: using the IFLA Checklist
Authors: Forrest Margaret E.S.
Published: March 2006

Describes and analyses the experience of applying the IFLA Checklist, Access to libraries for persons with disabilities to an academic library: the Fife Campus Library at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Dundee, Scotland. An introduction to disability legislation in the United Kingdom provides the legal framework for this paper. In the United Kingdom, this legislation has been recognized as an important incentive for libraries to improve their services to disabled people. This paper considers a number of physical and attitudinal barriers to good practice and the value of using the IFLA Checklist in overcoming some of these barriers.
From Bibliographer to Curator: archival strategies for capturing web publications
Authors: Wells GladysAnn , Pearce-Moses Richard
Published: March 2006

Librarians, archivists, and records managers can no longer be passive recipients of what they have received through often venerable programs, but must actively capture the information needed in the future. Given the quantity of material on government agency websites, traditional, item-level methods for bibliographic control is impractical. An Arizona Model for curating a collection of web publications based on the archival principles of provenance and original order grew out of the observation that the organization of websites parallels the organization of archival collections. The Arizona Model addresses traditional library functions of identification and selection, acquisition, description, reference, and access. It proposes how an archivist’s perspective can help adapt those functions to the needs of the 21st century.
Norwegian Policy for Empowering School Libraries
Authors: Rafste Elisabeth Tallaksen , Sætre Tove Pemmer , Sundt Ellen
Published: March 2006

The first part of this paper presents a general picture of school libraries in Norway, reviewing statistics, outlining legislation on schools and libraries and highlighting aspects of the national curriculum for primary and secondary schools. It illustrates the complex and integrated systems in which school libraries are to be found and looks at obstacles to successfully maintaining and developing school libraries in Norway, bridges to cross and measures to be taken. The second part uses the plan Make Space for Reading! Norwegian Strategy for Stimulating a Love of Reading and Reading Skills, 2003-2007 (2003, 2005) to illustrate how the political, educational and library systems can join forces to empower school libraries and stimulate reading skills and interest in reading. It examines some of the projects and appraises the input from different parties, the project process and the preliminary results. Finally, it draws attention to future challenges for school libraries in Norway.
Access to Electronic Healthcare Information Resources in Developing Countries: experiences from the Medical Library, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria
Authors: Watts Chris , Ibegbulam Ijeoma
Published: March 2006

This paper presents results from a preliminary investigation into the situation regarding access to electronic healthcare information in developing countries, focusing on the circumstances in the Medical Library, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria. A review of current literature examines broader issues around access to electronic information in developing countries, and specific issues regarding electronic healthcare information. Studies that particularly focus on the situation in Nigeria are identified. Information gathered from a series of interviews with the librarian at the Medical Library identify a number of issues, including the lack of an adequate ICT infrastructure and affordable online access, and a need for library staff and library users to gain ICT skills and information seeking skills. Areas for further research are identified.
Discipline, health and madness: Foucault’s Le pouvoir psychiatrique
Authors: Elden Stuart
Published: March 2006

This article provides a reading and analysis of Foucault’s 1973-4 lecture course Le pouvoir psychiatrique. It begins by situating the course within the wider context of Foucault’s work, notably in relation to Histoire de la folie and the move of the early 1970s to the conceptual tools of power and genealogy. It is argued that Le pouvoir psychiatrique is a rewriting of the last part of Histoire de la folie from the perspective of these new conceptual tools. Analysis then moves to more thematic concerns, showing how this course enriches our understanding of Foucault’s work on the sources of power, the individual and the family, and the spaces of the disciplinary society. Particular focus is given to the role of the army, public health, the hospital, children, women and hospital architecture. The article concludes by showing how the themes of this course, while not worked up for publication themselves, point the way to concerns in Foucault’s later work, notably The History of Sexuality and collaborative work on urban medicine and habitat.
Global biopolitics and the history of world health
Authors: Bashford Alison
Published: March 2006

Many scholars have historicized biopolitics with reference to the emergence of sovereign nations and their colonial extensions over the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This article begins to conceptualize and trace the history of biopolitics beyond the nation, arguing that the history of world health - the great 20th-century reach of 19th-century health and hygiene - should be understood as a vital politics of population on a newly large field of play. This substantive history of world health and world population is analysed as sites for thinking about global bio-politics; and the article looks seriously at the interwar period as a point at which ‘the world’ (or Hardt and Negri’s ‘Empire’) was already challenging the idea of ‘inter/national’.
It’s the media that need protecting
Authors: Page Bruce
Published: March 2006

The ex- Sunday Times executive and former editor of New Statesman examines the dangers faced by ever-expanding media. He writes: "The grand parallel between British and American government is the success with which citizens, over some 300 years, have restrained the abuse of power. This depends on an ensemble of protections - none of them cost-free - that make authority justify itself to individuals, and not vice-versa. Components are: personal privacy apropos the state; presumption of innocence; trial by jury; freedom from arbitrary restraint; immunity from torture; a secret, comprehensive franchise; and the privacy of access to information - particularly, the output of news media... Never perfectly installed, it is a present target for official bombardment in both countries." And Page continues: "The problem is that the great material success of our society radically increases its complexity, making it harder to explain and effectively more secretive." The media should beware, he suggests.
PR and the press: two big guns
Authors: Jenkins Simon
Published: March 2006

The Guardian and Sunday Times columnist examines the very different but interconnecting roles of journalism and public relations and concludes: "Both have a shared interest in the conduits of mass information in Britain. They have an interest in their plurality and fluidity. The first thing totalitarian states do is check such conduits, block them and censor them. The first thing democracies do is ensure they are kept open. Thus while I believe journalism and public relations should be in natural conflict, they should collectively guard the freedom of the press. They have a shared interest in short-term commercial imperatives not gaining the upper hand in the management of newspapers or broadcasting. They have an interest in editorial columns remaining unpolluted by advertising. They have an interest in news media retaining sufficient public esteem to call forth cross-subsidy, whether from capitalists in the case of serious newspapers or from taxpayers in the case of broadcasting. Above all they have an interest in numbers, in choice of outlets. The only thing more important than journalists being sceptical of public relations is that they should be sceptical of each other."
What Blair and Geldof didn’t see
Authors: Mutch Thembi
Published: March 2006

A journalist who has worked a great deal in Africa, Thembi Mutch paints a portrait of Ethiopia that raises serious questions about government integrity in that country. She writes: "After 14 years of living and working in Africa, I have mixed feelings about aid, although you can never generalise on the experience of one country. Ethiopia undoubtedly is hampered by unfair trade agreements and the restrictions of having a hugely under-developed infrastructure. The solution is not simply aid, but better human rights, the promotion of free speech, and crucially, local and international structures that promote equality. This includes the protection of local and international journalists. If we are to send British aid money and skilled British people to work in Africa, then the host country must value us, in the same way, as it must start valuing all of its citizens. At the very least we need to listen to local, African experts, journalists and commentators, who often speak from more informed, critical and realistic perspectives... It is not enough to "feed the starving": we have to know that the poor, the vulnerable, wherever they are, are getting the food and money we give and their human rights and have not become merely political pawns to their own governments. Here in Britain, it's time to face up to some unpalatable truths about the regimes we support."
God save us from the Islam clichés
Authors: Christensen Christian
Published: March 2006

Journalism professor Christensen accuses parts of the British media of attitudes and phraseology when reporting on Muslims and Muslim nations, especially Turkey, that they do not employ elsewhere. He writes: "...reports from Muslim nations continue to use religious imagery - the mosque, the praying men, the veiled woman - and unexplained terminology ('Islamist', 'fundamentalist'). Unless they are related directly to the story, I suggest that we drop the mosque, the veiled women, the Turkish delight and the cryptic religious terminology. Editors who won't show pictures of Catholic churches when covering the German elections, or use the word 'sauerkraut' for stories on the German military, should consider why they won't - and apply those standards equally."
Activating Postmodernism
Authors: Holzman Lois
Published: March 2006

This article articulates the relationship between postmodernism and activity theory. Specifically, it is argued that a synthesis of post-modern psychology and activity theory can be effected such that (a) activity theory is transformed from a progressive, albeit modernist, theory into a postmodern praxis for empowering people; and (b) postmodern psychology is made more radical and more rigorous and, thereby, less vulnerable to critiques from both left and right. Marx, Vygotsky and Wittgenstein are discussed for ways in which they have informed the synthesized methodology that is put forth. Key concepts found in activity-theoretic writings are discussed throughout the article: dialectics as method, being/becoming, development/revolutionary activity and performance. The article concludes with an invitation to postmodern psychology to strengthen its critique of psychology’s philosophical biases through transforming itself activistically.
Users and union catalogues
Authors: Hartley R. J. , Booth Helen
Published: March 2006

Union catalogues have had an important place in libraries for many years. Their use has been little investigated. Recent interest in the relative merits of physical and virtual union catalogues and a recent collaborative project between a physical and several virtual union catalogues in the United Kingdom led to the opportunity to study how users use and view union catalogues and to consider the views of librarians towards union catalogues. The research reported here used a mix of recorded searches, interviews and focus groups to understand user behaviour and views of union catalogues. The findings revealed a diversity of search approaches, the influence of the Web on user expectations and an almost complete lack of awareness of union catalogues on the part of potential users.
The use of electronic information services and information literacy
Authors: Crawford John
Published: March 2006

The study was undertaken as part of the LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact study and sought to establish direct evidence of the impact of electronic information services (EIS) on Glasgow Caledonian University students, both past and present. Evidence of the spread of information literacy among students and alumni was also sought. An electronic questionnaire was administered to current students and a traditional paper questionnaire was sent to alumni using the University's alumni database as a sampling frame. The outcomes from both questionnaires were used to create a longitudinal picture and establish key indicators. It was found that respondents broadly understood the concept of information literacy although this was much more marked among alumni as a result of the experience of work. The relationship of work activity to information literacy was found to be central and alumni felt that an understanding of information literacy gave them a distinct advantage in job finding and seeking promotion. Unemployed alumni are correspondingly disadvantaged. In many cases information seeking skills, learned at university, could be directly applied to the workplace and scholarly methods were found to be spreading there although the attitude of employers was variable. It was also found that, although the library does have an impact on users, other factors such as progression and retention, and an innovative learning and teaching agenda are also important.
Application of information and communication technology (ICT) in health information access and dissemination in Uganda
Authors: Omona Walter , Ikoja-Odongo Robert
Published: March 2006

This paper reports on a study which assessed the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in health information access and dissemination in Uganda. The project focused not only on information obtainable through libraries for research, teaching, learning and practice, but also on ICT applications concerned with the administration and planning of health services in Uganda. A thematic analysis highlighted the current state of ICT applications, the extent of applications, the roles played and problems faced. The paper further explores areas where it is used most, cost of accessing information, user profile, ICT literacy, quality of services and telemedicine in the country. It concludes that a number of challenges must be addressed if the full benefit of the use and application of ICT in health information access and dissemination is to be realized in Uganda, and draws the attention of all the stakeholders in the health sector to the need to support and promote ICT as the most effective tool for health information access and dissemination.
(In)Between locations
Authors: Gamble Sarah
Published: March 2006

This article examines MichËle Roberts' novel In the Red Kitchen in the light of contemporary spatial theory: in particular, the geographer Doreen Massey's critique of space and time. It argues that Roberts' text is particularly susceptible to such readings because of its multilayered portrayal of space, examining women's enclosure within the home across three different time periods, and through five different voices, which are overlaid one upon another in order to create a sense of simultaneity. In so doing, the text shows that while the nature of women's oppression may change over time, their fundamental association with the domestic space does not. The article explores three different recurring spaces in the text: the kitchen, the bedroom and the crypt, the last of which acts as the receptacle for the trauma experienced by the female subject within the other two. The Gothic trope of the crypt is associated with incestuous abuse at the hands of a father-figure whom the woman both fears and desires; and thus it also signifies the precarious security to be found within the home. ‘Homelessness’, however, becomes another traumatic concept within a text which, while problematizing the relationship between home and identity, the subject and the space that contains and confines her, can envisage no other way of sustaining a secure sense of subjectivity. In the final analysis, while the boundaries that separate space from time are rendered porous and permeable in this novel, the complete collapse of all spatial boundaries is not conceptualized as desirable.
(Female hetero)Sexualities in transition
Authors: Gerodetti Natalia , Bieri Sabin
Published: March 2006

This article explores how sexualities and space are constitutive of each other in that sexualities are enacted and encoded in and across different scales and sites. In particular, this article aims to investigate how space and heteronormativity interact to complicate once more distinctions between spatial categories such as public/private and, more importantly, urban/rural through the gateways of the train station around the turn of the 20th century. Against the background of urbanization, changes in transport and the particular dangers that were associated with cities and towns from the late 19th century onwards, this article is interested in looking at how train stations as locations of displacement function as sexualized spaces while at the same time providing opportunities to police and govern non-conformist female sexuality. The transformation from rural ‘good’ sexuality to ‘dangerous’ urban sexuality took place precisely at the arrival points in the cities so that train stations became hugely symbolic in collective and individual constructions of sexuality. We argue that a distinctive spatial perspective generates innovative interpretations of social interactions within a given historical context.
Transnational Migration, State Policy and Local Clinician Treatment of Asylum Seekers and Resettled Migrants
Authors: Koehn Peter H.
Published: March 2006

Based on interviews conducted at five Finnish reception centers and in two municipal communes during summer 2002 with 93 migrants, mainly from a variety of Southern and Eastern countries of origin, and their ethnoculturally discordant clinicians, the article compares asylum seekers and foreign-born residents in terms of health care treatment and outcome perspectives. Comparative analysis suggests that context makes a difference in post-migration medical encounters. The legally admitted foreign nationals consulted at community facilities were considerably more likely than were asylum seekers assisted at reception centers to be satisfied with the health care they had received and to be confident that the attending physician's recommendations would serve them well in the future. Policy implications related to the study's findings are explored. In Finland and elsewhere, the education of general practitioners for transnational medical encounters needs to be enhanced. International and national efforts to promote health also need to encompass political asylum and third country resettlement policies. In Finland and other migrantreceiving states, prolonged insecure immigration status can be debilitating for both asylum seeker and host society. Expedited admission to legal residence and expanded choice of physician are likely to result in improved health outcomes.
Global Poverty
Authors: St Clair Asunción Lera
Published: March 2006

This article argues that insights from the field of social studies of science and technology are relevant for assessing the highly politicized and contested knowledge for development and the eradication of global poverty elaborated by the World Bank. The World Bank, which has become a transnational expert institution, is best characterized as a ‘site of co-production’, producing both knowledge and social orders. Such a perspective helps in unveiling problems related to expertise and problems of delegation fundamental in relations between politics and knowledge. At the same time, applying insights from the social studies of science and technology provides an explanatory framework for knowledge-based science advice and suggestions for increasing the salience, credibility and legitimacy of such knowledge. The article calls for institutional innovations that may lead to dialogue and a more transparent and accountable debate among competing knowledge claims and political visions within and outside transnational expert bodies.
How Have International Business Discourses on the Environment Changed over the Last Decade?
Authors: Rutherford Paul
Published: March 2006

One group of discourses often neglected within the study of international environmental politics are those of business actors. Comparing two key events in international environmental politics, the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the 2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit, provides an excellent opportunity to examine the changing character of business discourse over time. This article systematically analyses and compares the business–environment discourses of two books written for the summits respectively, representing the view of the international business community: Changing Course(1992) and Walking the Talk (2002). The comparison of both texts reveals some continuity but also major changes. One area of continuity is that business discourses on the environment attempt to mask a traditionally antagonistic view of environmental issues. Major changes include an increasing willingness to reach accommodation with environmental non-governmental organizations and a desire to overcome business's traditionally defensive, reactive role. Characterizing this is the adoption of a proactive approach to shaping the international environmental agenda. The article also discusses the significance of these findings for our understanding of the environmental role of business in a globalized society.
Influence of sintering on bending strength of underwater shock consolidated Al–SiCp composites
Authors: Eskandari H. , Emamy M. , Ghasemi H. M. , Hokamoto K. , Lee J. S. , Mahta M.
Published: March 2006

Aluminium matrix composites containing 10, 20 and 30 vol.-%SiC particles were manufactured with underwater shock consolidation method. Sintering of the compact specimens was carried out at 400°C for 70 min. Density, hardness and bending strength of the specimens were measured before and after sintering treatment. SEM fractography examination was used for analysis of fracture surfaces of the consolidated specimens. The sintered specimens with 10 vol.-%SiCp showed enhancement in the bending strength and deflection. After sintering, the fracture surface of 10 vol.-%SiCp composite showed cleaved SiC particles, indicating appreciable improvement in bonding strength between ceramic reinforcement particle and Al matrix.
Advanced superplastic forming and diffusion bonding of titanium alloy
Authors: Kaibyshev O. A. , Safiullin R. V. , Lutfullin R. Ya. , Valiakhmetov O. R. , Galeyev R. M. , Dutta A. , Raghu T. , Saha G. G.
Published: March 2006

This paper reports on investigations of the solid state formability and weldability of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet with submicrocrystalline structure (grain size 0·5 and 0·8 μm) under superplastic conditions at temperatures of 700 and 800°C. It has been established that the submicrocrystalline condition of the sheet material reduces the temperature of superplastic forming (SPF) by 200°C and of diffusion bonding (DB) by 100°C, compared to the conventional superplastic forming Ti–6Al–4V material with microcrystalline structure (grain size 3 μm). Unlike commercially available sheet, the submicron grained sheet is characterised by isotropic formability. Submicrocrystalline processed Ti–6Al–4V sheet can be successfully used in SPF/DB technology. The temperature range of superplastic forming can be between 700 and 800°C, and diffusion bonding at 800°C.
Measurement of sensitivity to dynamic strain aging in C–Mn steels by internal friction experiments
Authors: Wagner D. , Roubier N. , Prioul C.
Published: March 2006

The dynamic strain aging (DSA) phenomenon is present in C–Mn steels and associated welds commonly used in many industrial applications. This phenomenon, which appears in metals containing solute atoms interacting with dislocations, induces an increase in flow stress and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) as well as a decrease in ductility. The DSA phenomenon was studied by tensile, strain rate sensitivity and internal friction tests between 20°C and 350°C in two C–Mn steels with very different sensitivities to DSA (a fully killed A42 steel and a semikilled A48 steel). The internal friction technique, which allows one to evaluate the balance between carbon and nitrogen atoms free in the lattice and carbon and nitrogen atoms interacting with mobile dislocations, appears to give results well correlated with those obtained by tensile (and strain rate sensitivity) tests. The ductility loss or the UTS increase is shown to be proportional to Snoek peak height. It is concluded that, even in industrial materials, a single internal friction test can give a good evaluation of DSA sensitivity.
Deformation induced ferrite and its influence on the elevated temperature tensile flow stress–elongation curves of plain C–Mn and Nb containing steels
Authors: Mintz B. , Cowley A.
Published: March 2006

The flow stress–elongation curves for a strain rate of 3 × 10−3 s−1 have been obtained for plain C–Mn and Nb containing steels over the temperature range 600–1000°C after solution treating at 1330°C and cooling at 60 K min−1 to the test temperature. The type of curve depended on whether the part of the trough at the low temperature end of the hot ductility curve was wide or narrow. Of the two phases, austenite and ferrite, ferrite independent of whether it is deformation induced or not, has been shown to have very much the better ductility. For plain C–Mn steels giving narrow trough behaviour, deformation induced ferrite (DIF) forms in equilibrium or near equilibrium amounts from the austenite, so that large amounts of DIF can form just below the Ae3. Ductility at the low temperature end of the trough is then dependent almost entirely on the amount of ferrite present. The improvement in ductility that occurs as the temperature is decreased, can therefore be related to the Ae3 temperature, because a large reduction in flow stress occurs close to the Ae3 in the curve of peak stress against temperature. This DIF is believed to form almost immediately on yielding in both steels with narrow and wide trough behaviour. However, in steels showing wide trough behaviour, although DIF forms readily at close to the Ae3, it only forms as a thin film surrounding the austenite grains. This film grows very slowly in thickness as the temperature is reduced. In this case, it is necessary for the test temperature to be below the Ar3, so there is sufficient ferrite present prior to deformation for ductility to improve and this temperature can be recognised by a discontinuity in the curve of strain to the peak stress against temperature as well as in the curve of peak stress against the temperature. It is therefore possible from analysis of the flow curves, by plotting the peak stress against temperature and the strain to the peak stress against temperature to obtain the Ae3 for narrow troughs and the Ar3 for wide troughs. In contrast, to the very low strain required to produce DIF, the strain for the onset of dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) in these coarse grained steels is in excess of 20%. The temperature at which the strain to reach the peak stress for ferrite changed to that needed for DRX could also be used to determine the temperature for the onset of DRX.
Multiyear therapeutic benefit of AAV serotypes 2, 6, and 8 delivering factor VIII to hemophilia A mice and dogs
Authors: Jiang Haiyan , Lillicrap David , Patarroyo-White Susannah , Liu Tongyao , Qian Xiaobing , Scallan Ciaran D. , Powell Sandra , Keller Tracey , McMurray Morag , Labelle Andrea , Nagy Dea , Vargas Joseph A. , Zhou Shangzhen , Couto Linda B. , Pierce Glenn F.
Published: March 2006

Hemophilia A, a deficiency of functional coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), is treated via protein replacement therapy. Restoring 1% to 5% of normal blood FVIII activity prevents spontaneous bleeding, making the disease an attractive gene therapy target. Previously, we have demonstrated short-term activity of a liver-specific AAV2 vector expressing canine B-domain-deleted FVIII (cFVIII) in a hemophilia canine model. Here, we report the long-term efficacy and safety of AAV-cFVIII vectors of serotypes 2, 5, 6, and 8 in both hemophilia A mice and dogs. AAV6-cFVIII and AAV8-cFVIII restored physiologic levels of plasma FVIII activity in hemophilia A mice. The improved efficacy is attributed to more efficient gene transfer in liver compared with AAV2 and AAV5. However, supraphysiologic cFVIII levels correlated with the formation of cFVIII-neutralizing antibodies in these mice. Of importance, hemophilia A dogs that received AAV2-cFVIII, AAV6-cFVIII, and AAV8-cFVIII have persistently expressed therapeutic levels of FVIII, without antibody formation or other toxicities, for more than 3 years. However, liver transduction efficiencies are similar between AAV2, AAV6, and AAV8 serotypes in hemophilia A dogs, in contrast to mice. In summary, this is the first report demonstrating multiyear therapeutic efficacy and safety of multiple AAV-cFVIII vectors in hemophilia A dogs and provides the basis for human clinical studies. (Blood. 2006;108:107-115)
Inhibition of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell function by calcineurin-dependent interleukin-2 production
Authors: Zeiser Robert , Nguyen Vu H. , Beilhack Andreas , Buess Martin , Schulz Stephan , Baker Jeanette , Contag Christopher H. , Negrin Robert S.
Published: March 2006

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells control immunologic tolerance and antitumor immune responses. Therefore, in vivo modification of Treg function by immunosuppressant drugs has broad implications for transplantation biology, autoimmunity, and vaccination strategies. In vivo bioluminescence imaging demonstrated reduced early proliferation of donor-derived luciferase-labeled conventional T cells in animals treated with Treg cells after major histocompatibility complex mismatch bone marrow transplantation. Combining Treg cells with cyclosporine A (CSA), but not rapamycin (RAPA) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), suppressed Treg function assessed by increased T-cell proliferation, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) severity, and reduced survival. Expansion of Treg and FoxP3 expression within this population was lowest in conjunction with CSA, suggesting that calcineurin-dependent interleukin 2 (IL-2) production is critically required for Treg cells in vivo. The functional defect of Treg cells after CSA exposure could be reversed by exogenous IL-2. Further, the Treg plus RAPA combination preserved graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effector function against leukemia cells. Our data indicate that RAPA and MMF rather than CSA preserve function of Treg cells in pathologic immune responses such as GVHD without weakening the GVT effect. (Blood. 2006;108:390-399)
Selective local PMN recruitment by CXCL1 or CXCL2/3 injection does not cause inflammatory pain
Authors: Rittner Heike L , Mousa Shaaban A , Labuz Dominika , Beschmann Karin , Schäfer Michael , Stein Christoph , Brack Alexander
Published: March 2006

Polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) are recruited in early inflammation and are believed to contribute to inflammatory pain. However, studies demonstrating a hyperalgesic role of PMN did not examine selective PMN recruitment or did not document effective PMN recruitment. We hypothesized that hyperalgesia does not develop after chemokine-induced PMN selective recruitment and is independent of PMN infiltration in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced, local inflammation. PMN were recruited by intraplantar injection of CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1; keratinocyte-derived chemokine), CXCL2/3 (macrophage inflammatory protein-2), or CFA, with or without preceding systemic PMN depletion. Chemokine inoculation resulted in dose (0–30 μg)- and time (0–12 h)-dependent, selective recruitment of PMN as quantified by flow cytometry. CXCL2/3, but not CXCL1, was less effective at high doses, probably as a result of significant down-regulation of CXC chemokine receptor 2 expression on blood PMN. Neither chemokine caused mechanical or thermal hyperalgesia as determined by the Randall-Selitto and Hargreaves test, respectively, despite comparable expression of activation markers (i.e., CD11b, CD18, and L-selectin) on infiltrating PMN. In contrast, CFA injection induced hyperalgesia, independent of PMN recruitment. c-Fos mRNA and immunoreactivity in the spinal cord were increased significantly after inoculation of CFA-independent of PMN-migration but not of CXCL2/3. Measurement of potential hyperalgesic mediators showed that hyperalgesia correlated with local prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) but not with interleukin-1β production. In summary, hyperalgesia, local PGE2 production, and spinal c-Fos expression occur after CFA-induced inflammation but not after CXCL1- or CXCL2/3-induced, selective PMN recruitment. Thus, PMN seem to be less important in inflammatory hyperalgesia than previously thought.
Prostate epithelial cells can act as early sensors of infection by up-regulating TLR4 expression and proinflammatory mediators upon LPS stimulation
Authors: Gatti Gerardo , Rivero Virginia , Motrich Rubén Darío , Maccioni Mariana
Published: March 2006

Despite the prevalence of prostate disease, little is known about the immunobiology of the prostate and its contribution to disease. The main goal of this work was to investigate how prostate epithelial cells deal with inflammatory stimuli. To this aim, we stimulated a rat prostate epithelial cell line [metastasis-lung (MAT-LU)] or rat primary epithelial cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Prostate epithelial cells constitutively express significant levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD14 mRNA. TLR2 transcription could also be demonstrated, suggesting that these cells could recognize a broader spectrum of microbial molecular patterns. TLR4, TLR2, and CD14 proteins were also detected, although not at the cell surface but intracellularly. Prostate epithelial cells not only express these receptors, but they are also able to respond to LPS, and LPS-stimulated MAT-LU cells activate nuclear factor-κB transcription factor, induce the expression of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and secrete NO. Even more, numerous chemokine genes are up-regulated or induced in this response. Our results clearly demonstrate that prostate epithelial cells are fully competent to respond. The fact that they express TLR4 and TLR2 intracellularly suggests the presence of regulatory mechanisms, which once overcome, could turn these cells into active players of the innate immunity, capable of initiating an inflammatory response.
Performance-Based Seismic Design of Pallet-Type Steel Storage Racks
Authors: Filiatrault André , Bachman Robert E. , Mahoney Michael G.
Published: March 2006

This paper develops a performance-based seismic design procedure for pallet-type steel storage racks located in areas accessible to the public. Performance objectives for racks consistent with current building code procedures in the United States are defined. The paper focuses on collapse prevention of racks in their down-aisle direction under the Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) ground motions at the site. The down-aisle lateral load-resisting systems of racks are typically moment frames utilizing special proprietary beam-to-column moment-resisting connections that may result in large lateral displacements when subjected to MCE ground motions. A simple analytical model that captures the seismic behavior of racks in their down-aisle direction is proposed. The model assumes that the beams and columns remain elastic in the down-aisle direction and that all nonlinear behavior occurs in the beam-to-column connections and the moment-resisting connections between the base columns and support concrete slab. Therefore the behavior is based on the effective rotational stiffnesses developed by the beam-to-column connectors and column-to-slab connections that vary significantly with connection rotation. The model is validated against the results of shake-table tests conducted on full-scale racks under several ground-motion intensities. Finally, the model is incorporated in a displacement-based procedure to verify collapse prevention of racks in their down-aisle direction under the MCE.