bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Magnetic Nanoparticles by Magnetorelaxometry and Comparison to Histology After Magnetic Drug Targeting
Authors: Wiekhorst F. , Seliger C. , Jurgons R. , Steinhoff U. , Eberbeck D. , Trahms L. , Alexiou C.
Published: September 2006

Magnetic nanoparticles can be used in medicine in vivo as contrast agents and as a drug carrier system for chemotherapeutics. Thus local cancer therapy is performed with Magnetic Drug Targeting (MDT) and allows a specific delivery of therapeutic agents to desired targets, i.e.,
tumors, by using a chemotherapeutic substance bound to magnetic nanoparticles and focused with an external magnetic field to the tumor after intraarterial application. Important for this therapeutic principle is the distribution of the particles in the whole organism and especially in the
tumor. Therefore we used magnetorelaxometry to quantify ferrofluids delivered after MDT. Tissue samples of some mm3 volume of a VX2 squamous cell carcinoma were measured by magnetic relaxation and the amount of iron was determined using the original ferrofluid suspension as a reference.
From this the distribution of the magnetic particles within the slice of tumor was reconstructed. Histological cross-sections of the respective tumor offer the opportunity to map quantitatively the particle distribution and the vascularisation in the targeted tumor on a microscopic scale.
Our data show that the integral method magnetorelaxometry and microscopic histological methods can complete each other efficiently.
Gene Expression in Synovial Membrane Cells After Intraarticular Delivery of Plasmid-Linked Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles—A Preliminary Study in Sheep
Authors: Galuppo Larry D. , Kamau Sarah W. , Steitz Benedikt , Hassa Paul O. , Hilbe Monika , Vaughan Lloyd , Koch Sabine , Fink-Petri Alke , Hofman Margarethe , Hofman Heinrich , Hottiger Michael O. , von Rechenberg Brigitte
Published: September 2006

This study evaluated in vivo gene delivery and subsequent gene expression within cells of the synovium in the presence of static and pulsating magnetic field application following intraarticular injection of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles linked to plasmids containing
reporter genes encoding for fluorescent proteins. Plasmids encoding genes for either green fluorescent protein or red fluorescent protein were bound to superparamagnetic nanoparticles coated with polyethyleneimine. Larger (200–250 nm) and smaller (50 nm) nanoparticles were compared to
evaluate the effects of size on transfection efficiency as well as any associated intraarticular reaction. Comparisons between groups were evaluated at 24, 72, and 120 h time periods. Inflammatory response was mild to moderate for all injected particles, but was present in the majority of
synovial membrane samples evaluated. Larger particles tended to be associated with more inflammation than smaller ones. Nevertheless, intraarticular application of both experimental and control nanoparticles were well tolerated clinically. Gene expression as determined by observation of either
green or red intracellular fluorescence was difficult to assess by both epifluorescent light, and confocal microscopy. An insufficient concentration of nanoparticles in relation to joint volume likely resulted in a limited number of samples with positive evidence of iron staining and with
suspected positive evidence of cells expressing fluorescent proteins. Our results indicate that intraarticular administration of functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles resulted in a mild to moderate synovitis and there was in conclusive evidence of gene expression. Further
research is warranted to determine the best and most effective reporter assay for assessment of the in vivo gene delivery into the joints. In addition, the best suited concentration and size of nanoparticles, which will optimize gene delivery and expression, while minimizing intraarticular
inflammation, needs to be determined.
Systemic Distribution and Elimination of Plain and with Cy3.5 Functionalized Poly(vinyl alcohol) Coated Superparamagnetic Maghemite Nanoparticles After Intraarticular Injection in Sheep In Vivo
Authors: Hellstern Daniel , Schulze Katja , Schöpf Bernhard , Petri-Fink Alke , Steitz Benedikt , Kamau Sarah , Hilbe Monika , Koch-Schneidemann Sabine , Vaughan Lloyd , Hottiger Michael , Hofmann Margarethe , Hofmann Heinrich , von Rechenberg Brigitte
Published: September 2006

PVA coated and fluorescent dye (Cy3.5) functionalized vinyl alcohol/vinyl amine copolymer coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) were evaluated for systemic distribution and elimination after intraarticular injection in sheep. Observation was done at 3, 24, 72, and
120 hours after injection using light microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and confocal microscopy. No pathologic influence of SPION on the tissue harvested could be seen. A significantly increased iron content could be identified in the kidneys, lymph nodes, and spleen after injection of SPION.
No particles were detected in the liver, the urinary, and the gall bladder. No positive fluorescent signal could be attributed to SPION throughout the organs. Our results indicated that the iron component of the SPION is possible to be incorporated into the physiologic iron metabolism after
reabsorption in the proximal tubule system of the kidney and that concentration levels of Cy3.5 are too low to be detected throughout the body.
Novel Drug Delivery System by Surface Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Takeda Shin-Ichi , Terazono Bungo , Mishima Fumihito , Nakagami Hironori , Nishijima Shigehiro , Kaneda Yasufumi
Published: September 2006

In the recent progress of gene and cell therapy, novel drug delivery system (DDS) has been required for efficient delivery of small molecules/drugs and also the safety for clinical usage. We have already developed the unique transfection technique by preparing magnetic vector and using
permanent magnet. This technique can improve the transfection efficiency. In this study, we directly associated plasmid DNA with magnetic nanoparticles, which can potentially enhance their transfection efficiency by magnetic force. Magnetic nanoparticle, such as magnetite, its average size
of 18.7 nm, can be navigated by magnetic force and is basically consisted with oxidized Fe that is commonly used as the supplement drug for anemia. The magnetite particles coated with protamine sulfate, which gives a cationic surface charge onto the magnetite particle, significantly enhanced
the transfection efficiency in vitro cell culture system. The magnetite particles coated with protamine sulfate also easily associated with cell surface, leading to high magnetic seeding percentage. From these results, it was found that the size and surface chemistry of magnetic particles
would be tailored to meet specific demands on physical and biological characteristics accordingly. Overall, magnetic nanoparticles with different surface modification enhance the association with plasmid DNA and cell surface as well as HVJ-E, which potentially help to improve the drug delivery
system.
Uptake and Biocompatibility of Functionalized Poly(vinylalcohol) Coated Superparamagnetic Maghemite Nanoparticles by Synoviocytes In Vitro
Authors: Schulze Katja , Koch Annette , Petri-Fink Alke , Steitz Benedikt , Kamau Sarah , Hottiger Michael , Hilbe Monika , Vaughan Lloyd , Hofmann Margarethe , Hofmann Heinrich , Von Rechenberg Brigitte
Published: September 2006

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) were coated with either Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or Vinyl alcohol/vinyl amine copolymer and further functionalized with the fluorochromes Cy3.5 or Texas Red. A colloidally stable suspension of nanoparticles was incubated on sheep synovial
cells in vitro for 3, 24, 72, and 120 hours. Nanoparticle internalization into synoviocytes as well as biocompatibility was visualized using light, fluorescence and confocal microscopy and fluorochrome labeled cells were quantified by flow cytometry. Data were analyzed by ANOVA factorial
tests. Amino-PVA-SPION alone was detectable in cytoplasmic endosome-like structures after 3 hours of incubation but resulted in early cell death after 24 hours. Although amino-PVA-Cy3.5- SPION and PVA-TexasRed-SPION were taken up more slowly and less intensely, both labeled more than 80% of
the cells in culture, but did not significantly change cell morphology or vitality at any time of evaluation in comparison to control cells. Results indicate that functionalized amino PVA- coated SPION are biocompatible, were successfully internalized by synoviocytes and hold promise for future
biomedical applications utilizing magnetic drug targeting in joint disease.
Biodegradable Nanomats Produced by Electrospinning: Expanding Multifunctionality and Potential for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Ashammakhi N. , Ndreu A. , Piras A. , Nikkola L. , Sindelar T. , Ylikauppila H. , Harlin A. , Chiellini E. , Hasirci V. , Redl H.
Published: September 2006

With increasing interest in nanotechnology, development of nanofibers (n-fibers) by using the technique of electrospinning is gaining new momentum. Among important potential applications of n-fiber-based structures, scaffolds for tissue-engineering represent an advancing
front. Nanoscaffolds (n-scaffolds) are closer to natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and its nanoscale fibrous structure. Although the technique of electrospinning is relatively old, various improvements have been made in the last decades to explore the spinning of submicron fibers from
biodegradable polymers and to develop also multifunctional drug-releasing and bioactive scaffolds. Various factors can affect the properties of resulting nanostructures that can be classified into three main categories, namely: (1) Substrate related, (2) Apparatus related, and (3) Environment
related factors. Developed n-scaffolds were tested for their cytocompatibility using different cell models and were seeded with cells for to develop tissue engineering constructs. Most importantly, studies have looked at the potential of using n-scaffolds for the development
of blood vessels. There is a large area ahead for further applications and development of the field. For instance, multifunctional scaffolds that can be used as controlled delivery system do have a potential and have yet to be investigated for engineering of various tissues. So far, in
vivo data on n-scaffolds are scarce, but in future reports are expected to emerge. With the convergence of the fields of nanotechnology, drug release and tissue engineering, new solutions could be found for the current limitations of tissue engineering scaffolds, which may enhance
their functionality upon in vivo implantation. In this paper electrospinning process, factors affecting it, used polymers, developed n-scaffolds and their characterization are reviewed with focus on application in tissue engineering.
Development of Praziquantel-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Intestinal Permeation by the Everted Gut Sac Model
Authors: Mainardes Rubiana Mara. , Chaud Marco Vinícius , Gremião Maria Palmira Daflon , Evangelista Raul Cesar
Published: September 2006

Praziquantel has been shown to be highly effective against all known species of Schistosoma infecting humans. Spherical nanoparticles made of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) acid with controlled size were designed as drug carriers. Praziquantel, a hydrophobic drug, was entrapped into
the polymeric nanoparticles with 30% (w/w) of theoretical loading. The nanoparticles size was approximately of 350 nm with 66% of encapsulation efficiency. The everted gut sac model shows to be efficient to evaluate the drug permeation through the intestinal membrane. The results show that
free praziquantel presents 4-fold times more permeation than praziquantel-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and physical mixture. For this drug, in special, this result can be interesting, since the nanoparticulate system can behave as a drug reservoir and/or to have a more localized effect in intestinal
membrane for a prolonged period of time, since great amounts of parasites can be usually found in the mesenteric veins.
Self-Determination and the Neurology of Mindfulness
Authors: Ryback David
Published: September 2006

Self-actualization is one of the keystones of humanistic psychology which, as a reaction to the reductionist values of behaviorism and psychoanalysis, also silently ignored brain research, subsuming it under the same rubric. Now comes mindfulness, a fairly new movement, with its openness to brain research and such cutting-edge notions as the adaptive unconscious—“thin slicing” unconscious perceptions for immediate decision making. The integration of mindfulness with emerging brain research leads to the possibility of modifying brain structure through conscious awareness, thereby restoring self-determination to its proper role. Another incipient movement in humanistic psychotherapy, deep empathy, is explained in terms of mindful human connection and limbic brain function. Just as emotion, thought, and brain structure mutually affect one another, so do therapist and client. Mindfulness, emotional connection, and deep empathy all contribute to mental well-being and a physiologically nurtured brain and help us transcend the numbing “consensus trance” that blinds us to the deeper aspects of life. Mindfulness and the new awareness of mind-brain interaction bring us back to the self-actualization values of the beginnings of humanistic psychology.
The American Experience of Religious Disestablishment and Pluralism
Authors: D'Antonio William V. , Hoge Dean R.
Published: September 2006

English

In 1791, the Founding Fathers of the United States added the First Amendment to the Constitution saying that the nation would have no established religion. This was a new experiment in Church–State relations. The writers of the amendment were fearful of concentrations of power. We now know that the First Amendment had a positive, not a negative effect on religious institutions. In the past two centuries, trials of the First Amendment arose due to issues over postal service on Sunday, religious polygamy, Sunday closing laws for businesses, and prayer in public schools. The American experience shows that disestablishment of religion does not weaken religious institutions, but rather strengthens them. It is a principle that is constantly being challenged by groups with strong religious beliefs who strive for some form of establishment.

French

En 1971, les Pères Fondateurs des Etats-Unis ajoutèrent à la Constitution le Premier Amendement qui stipulait que la nation n'aurait pas de religion d'Etat. En termes de relations Eglise-Etat, c'était une expérience inédite. La raison qui avait poussé les auteurs à rédiger cet amendement était la crainte d'une concentration des pouvoirs. Contrairement à ce que l'on pensait, les effets de ce Premier Amendement sur les institutions religieuses furent en réalité positifs. Au cours des deux derniers siècles, des modifications furent apportées à cet amendement à propos de questions telles que le service postal du dimanche, la polygamie religieuse, l'obligation pour les entreprises de fermer le dimanche et la prière dans les écoles publiques. L'expérience américaine montre que la séparation de l'Eglise et de l'Etat n'affaiblit pas les institutions religieuses, mais au contraire les renforce. Ce principe de séparation est constamment remis en question par des groupes aux croyances religieuses fortes qui cherchent à mettre en place une forme de religion d'Etat.
The New Right, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism in Postmodern America: A Marriage of Heat and Passion
Authors: Jacobs Anton K.
Published: September 2006

English

Religious fundamentalism in the United States early in the 20th century went into cultural eclipse. Mainline Protestant numbers were large. Both wings increased throughout the first half of the 20th century. In this period the political right also remained in the shadows. After the 1960s, the mainline Protestant denominations began to suffer decline. Western civilization moved into a cultural phase of postmodernity, and the politically liberal suffered fragmentation. The political right had a clear and uncompromising ideology. The political right began to organize in new ways, and courted the resurgent religious right, encouraging them to become more political. The religious right also had a clear and uncompromising ideology. There was a convergence of issues and interests, and both share a jingoism that functions as a powerful bond and as an effective cultural weapon. They are currently in a de facto political marriage.

French

Au début du 20ème siècle, le fondamentalisme religieux aux Etats-Unis a connu une éclipse de l'influence culturelle. Les protestants des Grandes Eglises comptaient le plus de membres. Ensuite, tout au long de la première moitié du 20ème siècle, les deux segments de l'Eglise protestante ont vu leurs rangs s'étoffer. Pendant ce temps, la droite politique se tenait dans l'ombre. Après les années 60, les dénominations protestantes des Grandes Eglises ont commencé à décliner. La civilisation occidentale évoluait vers une phase culturelle de postmodernisme, tandis que la frange politique 'libérale' se divisait. Face à elle, la droite politique avait une idéologie claire et sans compromis. Cette droite politique commença à s'organiser différemment et se mit à courtiser la droite religieuse résurgente, poussant ses adeptes à s'engager davantage au plan politique. De son côté, la droite religieuse avait, elle aussi, une idéologie claire et peu encline au compromis. Il y avait donc une convergence de préoccupations et d'intérêts. De plus, l'une et l'autre ont en commun une forme de chauvinisme qui fait à la fois office de ciment interne et d'arme culturelle efficace. Il existe actuellement un mariage politique de fait entre la droite politique et la droite religieuse.
Retour sur le concept d'aliénation: Un possible émancipateur masqué par le voile idéologique de la modernité
Authors: Forgues Eric
Published: September 2006

English

The evolution of the concept of alienation shows that the requirements of positivism and post-metaphysical thought in the social sciences have contributed to reducing the semantic heritage of this concept. Our reading of the writings of Habermas and Touraine demonstrates the relevance for the social sciences of reviving this heritage in order to shed light on a possible emancipator inherent to the formation of the subject. The writings of Habermas and Touraine certainly help to envisage the completion of the modernity project, by restoring the dimension specific to communicational rationality or the subject, against the invasion of instrumental reason. However, it appears necessary to highlight the specificity of the symbolic paradigm and the requirements related to individuation in order to recognize the historical relativity of the egological structure of conscience (ESC) and, thereby, the possibility of it being surpassed as suggested by the significant facts of new aspirations among individuals.

French

L'évolution du concept d'aliénation montre comment les exigences du positivisme et d'une pensée post-métaphysique en sciences sociales ont contribué à rétrécir l'héritage sémantique de ce concept. Notre lecture des travaux de Habermas et de Touraine fait apparaître la pertinence pour les sciences sociales de renouer avec cet héritage afin d'éclairer un possible émancipateur inhérent à la formation du sujet. Certes, ces travaux permettent d'envisager l'achèvement du projet de la modernité, en restituant la dimension propre de la rationalité communicationnelle ou du sujet, contre l'envahissement de la raison instrumentale. Cependant, il nous semble nécessaire de porter au jour la spécificité du paradigme symbolique et des exigences liées à l'individuation afin de reconnaÑtre la relativité historique de la structure egologique de la conscience (SEC) et, par le fait même, l'éventualité de son dépassement, que tendent d'ailleurs à suggérer certains faits significatifs de nouvelles aspirations chez les individus.
The Man Who Molded Mao
Authors: Liu Liyan
Published: September 2006

The article examines the important role that the Hunan First Normal School and the changing Chinese elite, especially Yang Changji, played in fostering and shaping the careers and thoughts of so many radical intellectuals (including Mao) who became the founding figures of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and later the leaders of China. Deeply rooted in neo-Confucianism, but also well known as a man of Western learning, Yang stressed an ethical framework very much oriented toward social change. The students who looked to this mentor for intellectual guidance absorbed a strong sense of responsibility to society, with an emphasis on education and morality that took on a spiritual dimension. The article also looks at how the new school system and the scholars like Yang who taught in it helped to nurture study societies such as the Xinmin xuehui that were of central importance to the formation and growth of the CCP.
Movie House Etiquette Reform in Early-Twentieth-Century China
Authors: Xiao Zhiwei
Published: September 2006

This article examines the changes in behavioral norms in modern China and argues that the promotion of good manners and civilities constituted an important part of China’s nation-building project. By focusing on the reform of movie theater etiquette in the first half of the twentieth century and situating it in the context of China’s struggle to combat colonialist and racist discourse about the country, the article sheds new light on the New Life Movement and other state-sponsored national campaigns that were aimed at disciplining the Chinese people to conduct themselves in ways compatible with Western norms.
The Quality of Mercy
Authors: Shue Vivienne
Published: September 2006

Based on archival research, this study traces the development of the Guangren Tang—Tianjin’s largest benevolent Hall, established to house and support chaste widows and orphans—and its relationship to changing national and local governmental authorities over the fifty years from 1878 to 1928. It gives a detailed account of the rules governing the everyday lives of the Hall’s inmates and chronicles changes in how these charity recipients were regarded and expected to comport themselves. Tracing the Hall’s adaptations to shifting economic fortunes and to new ideals of charity’s purposes, it highlights both the tenacity and the elasticity of certain popular Confucian beliefs and practices as these were confronted by the onrush of “modernity.” The article suggests that the interesting fusions of “old” and “new” ideals and practices that appeared in the work of the Hall may be understood as akin to a mixing of metaphors in the unfolding of modernity.
Field Model Analysis and Experimental Assessment of Fire Severity and Smoke Movement in a Partitioned and a Non-partitioned Dwelling Unit
Authors: Remesh K. , Tan K. H.
Published: September 2006

Inter-compartment smoke spread in a dwelling unit is greatly impeded by the presence of partition walls. For the same fire load and floor area, smoke movement and associated fire severity for a non-partitioned (NP) unit are different from those of a partitioned (PT) unit. To study the smoke movement and gas temperature evolution, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is carried out for a partitioned and a non-partitioned dwelling unit for the same fire load. The model predictions in terms of gas temperatures are then compared with the experimental measurements for both units. The gas temperatures inside the units are measured using K-type mineral insulated thermocouples, positioned at various elevations in the room of fire origin, and at other locations that were in the path of anticipated smoke movement. Also, to study the effectiveness of fire suppression methods, water spray and water mist methods are employed in the partitioned and non-partitioned units, respectively, when the fire reached decay stage.

Both computational and experimental investigations showed that for a fire occurring in a room with a floor area of 12.65 m2 and a fire load of 1750 MJ within a total floor area of 90.4 m2 of the dwelling unit, the peak temperature in the room of the fire origin of the partitioned unit is nearly 18% higher than that of the non-partitioned unit. Far-off locations from the fire source had higher CO concentration in the case of the non-partitioned unit, indicating faster smoke movement. Possible explanations for the deviations in measured and computed parameters are given. For fire suppression purpose, use of the conventional water spray system is found to be much quicker compared to the water mist system, albeit the water consumption is nearly 10 times higher. The analysis presented here serves as a useful reference or case study for fire safety engineers in assessing the smoke movement and fire severity with respect to the effectiveness of partition walls.
An Integral Model for Wood Auto-ignition under Variable Heat Flux
Authors: JI JINGWEI , CHENG YUANGPING , YANG Lizhong , GUO Zaifu , FAN WEICHENG
Published: September 2006

A one-dimensional integral model that predicts the auto-ignition time of wood under linearly increasing radiant heat flux is developed. The solution to the integral model for the ignition time is compared with measured data. Reasonable comparative results are shown for the ignition time of wood exposed to different heat flux increase rates (HFIR). Both the solutions and the measured data also show that the ignition time can be expressed as a power function and the power exponent is about 0.67.
A Review of Recent Progress in Phosphorus-based Flame Retardants
Authors: Levchik Sergei V. , Weil Edward D.
Published: September 2006

Recent patent and technical works indicate a growing interest in halogen-free solutions with the predominance of the literature focusing on phosphorus-based flame retardants. Patents published on the flame retardancy of polycarbonate and its blends significantly exceed the number of patents on flame retardancy of any other polymer. Bridged aromatic diphenyl phosphates, especially resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) and bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) have found broad application because of their good thermal stability, high efficiency, and low volatility.

Another actively reported group of compounds are the metal salts of dialkylphosphonic acid as well as calcium hypophosphite, which have recently been found to be particularly effective in poly(butylene terephthalate) and polycarbonate. These products are synergistic with a number of phosphorus and nitrogen-containing compounds, such as melamine salts, which seem to be very efficient and commercially useful in nylons.

Printed wiring boards comprise the largest market for flame-retardant polymeric materials. Recently, there has been a strong interest in halogen free solutions in East Asia and Europe. A recent halogen-free introduction is the 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide, which can be reacted into epoxies. Another reactive product with some processing and property advantages is poly(m-phenylene methylphosphonate).

Because of the banning of pentabromodiphenyl ether in Europe and voluntary withdrawal of this product from the market in the US, the polyurethane (PU) industry is searching for a more environmentally acceptable low-scorch alternative. Both halogenated and halogen-free solutions are being considered but the PU industry seems to have a preference for the halogen-free products, generally containing phosphorus.
Consuming Eroticism
Authors: Berkowitz Dana
Published: September 2006

This ethnographic study examines how women and men negotiate their public presentations and gender performances in the context of an adult novelty shop. Building on Goffman’s perspective of impression management and West and Zimmerman’s concept of “doing gender,” this study adds to the growing body of literature on gender performance to show how in the highly sexualized space of the adult novelty store, individuals manage their self-presentations in ways that both sustain and challenge societal notions of hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity, and compulsory heterosexuality. Findings from this study can better illuminate how men and women actively negotiate the situatedness in doing gender in the sphere of the erotic reality. Such settings as the adult novelty shop can help to illuminate answers to the question of when and under what conditions do gendered selves matter.
Concatenated Exploration
Authors: Stebbins Robert A.
Published: September 2006

The expression concatenated exploration refers at once to a longitudinal research process and the resulting set of field studies that are linked together, as it were, in a chain leading to cumulative, often formal, grounded theory. Concatenated exploratory research is rare in the social sciences (though least so in anthropology), which helps explain why the problem of poor ethno-graphic memory exists. The goal of this article is to describe the nature of this special kind of continuous research effort, discuss its crucial role in the development of grounded theory, and link it to the problem of memory in ethno-graphic research.
Faith on the Edge: Religion and Women in the Context of Migration
Authors: Cruz Gemma Tulud
Published: September 2006

Migration is a phenomenon that is as old as humankind. Today, however, it is undergoing changes that are not only radically re-defining human geography but are also offering insights for theological reflection into the contemporary human condition. The shift in gender composition or the emergence of the so-called ‘feminisation of international migration’ is one of these. This paper scrutinises, from a theological perspective, the religious ways in which migrant women deal with the difficult and oppressive conditions that are born out of migration. It draws heavily from the experience of Asian women migrants in general and Filipino women migrants in particular. It starts with a brief introduction that takes as its starting-point the case of Filipino women migrants to illustrate how faith is significantly woven in migrant women’s lives. Then it explores three concrete faith-based ways of surviving common to Asian migrant women namely courageous hope, creative resistance, and steadfast faith. The paper then ends with a brief conclusion.
Women Clergy Working with Rituals
Authors: Blohm Uta
Published: September 2006

This article is drawn from research with women clergy and rabbis. As practitioners in leading congregations, the women have to work with their own liturgical traditions. However, they critique the traditions, and make them more inclusive where possible, by adapting words, or encouraging the wearing of liturgical garments. The women also adapt existing rituals, or write new liturgy to honour life events, often specific to women’s lives, for which there are no existing rituals. This is seen as continuous with pastoral care and sometimes draws on shared experience as women. Many of these liturgies are carried out privately, while the women exercise a more traditional role in their congregations.
Speaking of God As a Woman Since the Enlightenment
Authors: Praetorius Ina
Published: September 2006

This article explores the nature of being ‘of the truth’ in risky prophetic speaking by women. This is counter to strategies which avoid truth telling, such as deprecating qualifications, scholarly objectivity and canonization. In contrast, it has to do with inspiration, and meaning. At the end of patriarchy, in a post-patriarchal world, the article asks how women and men can speak the truth prophetically, in ways that will change the world.
Reclaiming Schleiermacher for Twenty-first Century Atonement Theory: The Human and the Divine in Feminist Christology
Authors: Streufert Mary J.
Published: September 2006

In the wake of important scholarship on Jesus’ humanity, feminist chris-tology suffers from a struggle to articulate the divinity of Jesus Christ because of its criticism of sacrificial atonement theory, which has led to didactic or exemplary models of redemption. Feminist theology stands in need of further discussion in an effort to articulate feminist incarnational atonement theory more thoroughly. Schleiermacher’s theology, especially as it is articulated in his theory of preaching, aids feminist theology in claiming Jesus’ divinity while simultaneously maintaining criticism of a violent atonement and relocating the power of the incarnation away from Jesus’ maleness to the preached Word in the community. The basis of feminist incarnational atonement theory is initially found within four major areas of dialogue: in a central focus on Jesus’ life, in definitions of redemption, in the centrality of community, and in criticism of the violence of the atonement.
The Impact of Drug Use on Perceptions of Credibility in Indigenous Outreach Workers
Authors: Mitchell Shannon Gwin , Peterson James A. , Latkin Carl A.
Published: September 2006

The authors conducted an investigation of perceptions of outreach worker credibility using the social network members (N = 20) of indigenous outreach workers in an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention. The network members included in the study received semistructured interviews following the program’s completion. Outreach workers who were not actively using illicit drugs were more likely to be described as credible than were those who were using drugs. In general, drug use negatively affected perceptions of credibility via damaged trust in the outreach worker’s relationship with his or her network member. Results indicate the complexity of using indigenous drug users as outreach workers, the potential negative perceptions concerning hypocritical behavior, and the need to evaluate social interventions from the standpoint of indirect participants.
Finding Common Ground in Team-Based Qualitative Research Using the Convergent Interviewing Method
Authors: Driedger S. Michelle , Gallois Cindy , Sanders Carrie B. , Santesso, Nancy ,   on Behalf of the Effective Consumer Investigator Group
Published: September 2006

Research councils, agencies, and researchers recognize the benefits of team-based health research. However, researchers involved in large-scale team-based research projects face multiple challenges as they seek to identify epistemological and ontological common ground. Typically, these challenges occur between quantitative and qualitative researchers but can occur between qualitative researchers, particularly when the project involves multiple disciplinary perspectives. The authors use the convergent interviewing technique in their multidisciplinary research project to overcome these challenges. This technique assists them in developing common epistemological and ontological ground while enabling swift and detailed data collection and analysis. Although convergent interviewing is a relatively new method described primarily in marketing research, it compares and contrasts well with grounded theory and other techniques. The authors argue that this process provides a rigorous method to structure and refine research projects and requires researchers to identify and be accountable for developing a common epistemological and ontological position.
Family Legacies in Shaping Teen Mothers’ Caregiving Practices Over 12 Years
Authors: SmithBattle Lee
Published: September 2006

In this article, the author focuses on the theme of family legacies. The research is based on a qualitative study of family caregiving practices in a cohort of teenage mothers and their families. Families were first interviewed in 1988-1989 and reinterviewed in 1993, 1997, and 2001. The author explored continuities and turning points in caregiving practices over the 12-year period. Eleven families participated at Time 4, including 9 mothers, 3 of their partners, 6 first-born children, and 9 grandparents of the children (N = 27). At each time period, family caregiving legacies emerged as a salient theme as the mothers and partners described their concerns, accomplishments, and the resources for or impediments to becoming the parents they wanted to be. Four cases are presented to highlight how family legacies were refined, rejected, or modified over time. The author also describes implications of the findings for clinical practice and future research.
“The Old Me Could Never Have Done That”: How People Give Meaning to Recovery Following Depression
Authors: Ridge Damien , Ziebland Sue
Published: September 2006

Depression is usually a “self-limiting” condition, and recovery is likely, even if people do have subsequent episodes. However, despite considerable research into depression, little is known about how people actually go about understanding and organizing their recovery from depression. In this article, the authors draw on one-to-one interviews with people who have experienced mainly severe depression to explore the approaches and meanings attributed to overcoming depression. They used unstructured and semistructured interview phases to collect data and a modified grounded theory approach to analysis. They interviewed 38 men and women who had previously experienced depression (selected using the principles of maximum variation sampling through general practitioners, support groups, and newsletters) in late 2003 and early 2004. The authors explore the specific components involved in recovery (e.g., authenticity, responsibility, rewriting depression into the self), the stories people tell about their recovery, and the strategies deployed to revitalize life following depression.
From Devastation to Integration: Adjusting to and Growing From Medical Trauma
Authors: Salick Elizabeth C. , Auerbach Carl F.
Published: September 2006

Recent trauma research has begun to investigate the possibility of posttraumatic growth. However, most studies have investigated posttraumatic growth using quantitative methods and thus have neglected people’s subjective experience and have left unexamined post-traumatic growth in persons with visible impairment. To fill some of these gaps, the authors examined the process of recovery and posttraumatic growth using a qualitative method. They interviewed 10 participants with visible impairment from chronic illness or serious injury using a semistructured interview. Using a grounded theory data analysis procedure, the authors developed a stage model of trauma and recovery from the interviews. The stages that emerged are thematically entitled Apprehension, Diagnosis and Devastation, Choosing to Go On, Building a Way to Live, and Integration of the Trauma and Expansion of the Self. The authors discuss limitations of the study and clinical implications for psychological counseling with this population.
Raising the Bar on Criticality: Students’ Critical Reflection in an Internship Program
Authors: Carson Lyn , Fisher Kath
Published: September 2006

Critical reflection promotes the questioning of assumptions, the rendering visible of the otherwise invisible. This article describes and analyzes the teaching and learning of critical reflection in the context of an internship program at the University of Sydney within the framework of completing a reflexive report for assessment. The authors review the literature on critical reflection and the frameworks they favor for their team-teaching approach. Their specific teaching strategies are outlined, and their students’ writing is examined for evidence of indicators of critical reflection and transformative learning. They speculate that their teaching strategies, combined with what the students themselves bring to the classroom, along with the unique workplace experience provided by an internship program, led to genuine critical reflection and transformative learning for most, though not all, students.
Developing Managers as Learners and Researchers: Using Action Learning and Action Research
Authors: Raelin Joseph A. , Coghlan David
Published: September 2006

This article takes the view that formal educational programs often miss opportunities to use the rich experiences of working managers to produce both learning and knowledge. Two alternative pedagogical approaches, action learning and action research, are proposed as contributing to management education by their respective capabilities to generate practical learning and produce actionable knowledge. These approaches are compared with one another and with conventional classroom methodology using a new framework based on voice, level, form, and time.
Customer Emotional Needs in Product Design
Authors: Khalid H. M. , Helander M. G.
Published: September 2006

Most studies on product design have focused on customer needs concerning functionality and utility. Rarely has the issue of customer emotions been investigated. Traditional cognitive approaches to product usability tend to underestimate the importance of customer emotions in design. Not surprisingly, the success of a product in the marketplace may be determined by its aesthetic appeal, the pleasure it creates, and the satisfaction it brings to the customer. Emotions influence how a customer interacts with the product. In the interaction, feelings accompany thinking. This article characterizes customer emotions and issues concerning their measurement. The literature has documented various methods for measuring and evaluating emotions, but only a few are relevant to product development. In this article, we illustrate subjective and objective methods that are commonly used in evaluating customer emotion to an artifact. While evidence suggests that emotion matters in determining the sales potential of products, the measurement of emotions may be difficult because of the indefinite relationship between an emotion and its behavioral expression. Culture has a strong effect on what customers look for in a product and how they interpret the product and its interfaces. We present a framework for analysis of customer emotions in relation to the designer’s environment. The framework is part of the product development life cycle, where customer needs and measured emotions are input early in the design process. The goal is to achieve a pleasurable and satisfying product.
A Study on the Cognitive Thresholds of Formal Styles
Authors: Chen Kuohsiang , Chang Tsung-Yu
Published: September 2006

Formal styles have been recognized as an effective marketing segmentation marker for differentiating various preferences among consumer groups. In recent years, research that focuses on mapping the relationships between consumers’ Kansei feelings and products’ formal elements has become a hot topic in design fields. However, how consumers differentiate one particular product form style from the other is still vaguely understood. The objective of this study is twofold: (1) to search for and verify the range of cognitive thresholds for formal styles and (2) to construct a formal language for better describing formal styles, through scientific processes and such techniques as semantic differential analysis and fuzzy sets theory. To achieve the objective, two experiments are conducted in this study. The first experiment gathers raw data via performing semantic differential analysis on a series of well-perceived-style products by experienced designers. The data gathered are then converted and fine-tuned using fuzzy sets theory to verify the range of cognitive thresholds of formal style. In the second experiment, three products with three different formal styles are used to further investigate the critical elements contributing to the cognitive thresholds for each style. The results suggest that: (1) the cognitive thresholds of formal style do exist; (2) the range of cognitive thresholds of a formal style depends largely on its formal consistencies; and (3) the critical elements vary with different formal styles.
Classification of Product Requirements Based on Product Environment
Authors: Chen Zhen Yu , Zeng Yong
Published: September 2006

Effective management of product requirements is critical for designers to deliver a quality design solution in a reasonable range of cost and time. The management depends on a well-defined classification and a flexible representation of product requirements. This article proposes two classification criteria in terms of different partitions of product environment based on a formal structure of product requirements. The first criterion classifies the product requirements by partitioning product environment in terms of the product life cycle whereas the second classifies them by partitioning the product environment into natural, built, and human environments. A case study is used to show the feasibility of this approach. This research is the core of a web-based distributed product management system.
Internet-based Framework to Support Integration of Customer in the Design of Customizable Products
Authors: Ninan Jiju A. , Siddique Zahed
Published: September 2006

A necessary element to design and produce customer-centric products is the integration of customers in the design process. Challenges faced during customer integration into the design process include generating models of the customized product, performing analysis of these to determine feasibility, and optimizing to increase the performance. These tasks have to be performed relatively quickly, if not in real time, to provide feedback to the customer. The focus of this article is to present a framework that utilizes CAD, finite element analysis (FEA), and optimization to integrate the customer into the design process via the Internet for delivering user customized products. The design analysis, evaluation, and optimization need to be automated and enhanced to enable operation over the Internet. A product family CAD/FEA template has been developed to perform analysis, along with a general formulation to optimize the customized product. The CAD/FEA template generalizes the geometry building and analysis of each configuration developed using a product platform approach. The proposed setup is demonstrated through the use of a bicycle frame family. In this study, the focus is on the application of optimization and FEA to facilitate the design of customer-centric products.
Application of Function Deployment Model in Decision Making for New Product Development
Authors: Yung K. L. , Ko S. M. , Kwan F. Y. , Tam H. K. , Lam C. W. , Ng H. P. , Lau K. S.
Published: September 2006

In this study, a novel model called Function Deployment Model (FDM) for decision making in new product development is introduced. To demonstrate its usefulness pragmatically, the model is applied to the design problem of development of the micro/nano injection molding machine. Based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) technique, this model translates the customer needs to engineering characteristics. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to prioritize customer requirements while a Linear Programing (LP) optimization method is used to determine the feasible solution of the design variables within limited resources. Also, a program with a tailor-made graphical user interface (GUI) using MATLAB library and Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) technology is implemented to guide the design engineers to employ the proposed methodology for decision making.
The Effectiveness and Efficiency of Home-Based Nursing Health Promotion for Older People: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Markle-Reid Maureen , Browne Gina , Weir Robin , Gafni Amiram , Roberts Jacqueline , Henderson Sandra R.
Published: September 2006

Despite the large potential role that community nurses have in providing individualized health promotion to older people, there is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding this role's effectiveness and efficiency. This article presents a literature review and synthesis of 12 randomized controlled trials selected from 344 published studies on preventive home visitation programs for older people. The findings suggest that a diversity of home visiting interventions carried out by nurses can favorably affect health and functional status, mortality rates, use of hospitalization and nursing homes, and costs. Further research is needed that focuses on the outcomes of quality of life, mental health, social support, caregiver burden, the acceptability of intervention, and specific subgroups of clients who benefit most. Findings also indicate the need for a theoretical foundation, increased emphasis on health-promotion strategies, and more research using a more complete economic evaluation to establish efficiency.