bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender and Family in Television’s Golden Age and Beyond
Authors: Press Andrea
Published: August 2009

Images of women, work, and family on television have changed enormously since the heyday of the network era. Early television confined women to the home and family setting. The increase in working women in the 1960s and 1970s was reflected in television’s images of women working and living nontraditional family lives. These images gave way, in the postnetwork era, to a form of postfeminist television in the 1990s when television undercut the ideals of liberal feminism with a series of ambiguous images challenging its gains. Women’s roles in the workplace, increasingly shown, were undercut by a sense of nostalgic yearning for the love and family life that they were seen to have displaced. Current television presents a third-wave-influenced feminism that picks up where postfeminism left off, introducing important representations more varied in race, sexuality, and the choices women are seen to make between work and family.
Television News and the Nation: The End?
Authors: Blondheim Menahem , Liebes Tamar
Published: August 2009

The golden age of television news gave a large majority of otherwise diverse Americans a unified, seamless, and clear-cut image of their nation, its central players, and its agenda. Carefully scheduled, edited, sequenced, and branded, heard and seen simultaneously across America, it provided a pretense of order to the chaos that is news. The permanence and stability of the nation, as expressed in a complex way by TV news, provided Americans with an all-important sense of existential security experienced on an unarticulated emotional level. Today, a disjointed news environment is crushing the nature of network news as a transitional object. Television news no longer reassures viewers by connecting them to a surmountable world out there but carries them on a loop from themselves to themselves.
Constraining Ministerial Power: The Impact of Veto Players on Labor Market Reforms in Industrial Democracies, 1973-2000
Authors: Becher Michael
Published: August 2009

This article investigates how veto players affect the reform of labor market policies in advanced industrial democracies. Complementing Tsebelis’s veto player model with the assumption of ministerial agenda control within the cabinet, the argument is that the constitutional and partisan distribution of veto power affects the capability of ministers to change the status quo in line with their partisan goals. This claim is tested with panel data on unemployment insurance entitlements and employment protection legislation in 20 OECD countries between 1973 and 2000. The central finding is that veto players constrain the power of ministers, cabinet ministers and prime ministers alike, to pursue their partisan interests. The partisanship of ministers shapes reforms only if the ideological distance between veto players is relatively small, and the influence of ministerial partisanship declines as ideological distance increases.
The Internal—External Security Nexus
Authors: Eriksson Johan , Rhinard Mark
Published: August 2009

The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain the influence of transboundary security issues on government behaviour. Their assessment is not adequate because they do not fully conceptualize the relationship between internal and external security concerns. Their explanations are not adequate because existing theories cannot fully explain how and why states respond to transboundary security issues. To rectify these concerns, stimulate and structure further research, and encourage scholarly dialogue, we build an analytical framework for (a) understanding what we describe as the ‘nexus’ of internal and external security matters, and (b) explaining why that nexus may change state behaviour on transboundary security issues. The resulting framework encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems before studying their implications for changes in perceptions, policies, politics and polity.
Security Re-Divided: The Distinctiveness of Policy-Making in ESDP and JHA
Authors: Weiss Moritz , Dalferth Simon
Published: August 2009

In this article, we argue that the premature abolishment of the allegedly anachronistic concepts of internal versus external security is of doubtful heuristic value for the study of security practices. The two domains may gradually converge from the perspective of problems, but do so much less in terms of political practices. We show that security policy is pursued according to different systems of rules. It follows distinct institutional logics. We undertake a systematic comparison of policy-making in the European Union’s Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). It is structured along the distinction between making and implementing an agreement as indicative stages of the policy-making process. First, rule-setting asks how decisions are made in the two domains: with or without the inclusion of external actors. Second, we explore whether the implementation of political decisions involves management or enforcement mechanisms. The empirical results are unambiguous: the political actors follow different systems of rules in the two domains. There are still ‘ideal-typical’ differences in a Weberian sense. This implies that internal and external security may be closely linked, like the opposite sides of the same coin, but must be separated for the purpose of analytical clarity.
Uncovering the Diverging Institutional Logics of EU Civil Protection
Authors: Bremberg Niklas , Britz Malena
Published: August 2009

The development of European Union (EU) civil protection cooperation highlights important issues in the debate on the internal—external security nexus. It points to the increased transnationalization of threats usually assigned to the field of ‘internal’ security, but it also presents researchers with a puzzle: despite the relatively rapid development of civil protection cooperation, there is still substantial disagreement among the EU member states as to how it should continue to develop. Applying an analytical framework based on neo-institutional organization theory and the study of organizational ‘fields’, this article explores two questions: What is the institutional basis for member states’ diverging positions on the future direction of EU civil protection? and How may these positions affect the current development of EU civil protection? Our analysis draws upon empirical evidence from civil protection practice in Spain, Sweden and the EU, including official documents in the form of bills and laws, policy papers and elite interviews. We find that the basis for member states’ diverging positions on the future of EU civil protection is rooted in conflicting national institutional logics of civil protection. No logic has become dominant at the EU level, suggesting that as long as multiple institutional logics continue to coexist, disagreement on the future development of European level civil protection cooperation will persist.
There is No European Security, Only European Securities
Authors: Burgess J. Peter
Published: August 2009

In this article, I explore the relationship between ‘value’ and ‘security’ in the conceptualization of European construction and its transformation in recent years through the anti-terror effort. I suggest that the landscape of human values, and the way it is correlated with security, is discontinuous and fragmented. In the post-Madrid/London era, variations in cultures of law enforcement, border control, intelligence and diplomacy, and, not least, new cultures of fear and prudence, render this landscape increasingly complex. The value-laden nature of security and insecurity has contributed to a fragmented evolution in European approaches to the challenge of security. The politics of harmonization and standardization of European security reveals not a singularity in security, but the contrary, namely multiple securities. I thus develop a counter-argument to both realist and social constructivist understandings of values and the role these play in security thinking. I affirm, in a typical constructivist vein, that values matter in the formation of security policy. However, I reverse the typical constructivist position that sees security as the embodiment of ideas, arguing instead that the European self-understanding is itself the product of its own constellation of security and insecurity.
Gender Differences in Distance Estimates When Exposed to Multiple Routes
Authors: Stone Jeffrey P. , McBeath Michael K.
Published: August 2009

People frequently are aware of more than one route to cross an environment. Based on prior findings that increased information about a route increases perceived route length, we tested if exposure to multiple routes alters perceptions of length. Participants (6 males and 6 females) were instructed to walk along bending pathways while observing either only the single path designated for them, or with that path and two additional nearby paths also visible. Our results confirm that for males the number of marked routes had no effect on accuracy of route length estimates, but for females estimations were significantly less accurate when more routes were present compared to when only a single route was visible. The findings support that awareness of multiple routes can change length estimates, at least for women.
Using Peripersonal Warning Signals to Orient a Driver’s Gaze
Authors: Ho Cristy , Spence Charles
Published: August 2009

Objective: We report a series of three experiments designed to assess the relative speed with which people can initiate speeded head-orienting responses following the presentation of spatial warning signals. Background: Recent cognitive neuroscience findings have shown that the human brain tends to treat stimuli occurring in peripersonal space as being somehow more behaviorally relevant and attention demanding than stimuli occurring in extrapersonal space. These brain mechanisms may be exploited in the design of warning signals. Method: Experiment 1 assessed the effectiveness of various different unisensory warning signals in eliciting a head-turning response to look at the potential source of danger requiring participants’ immediate attention; Experiment 2 assessed the latency of a driver’s responses to events occurring in the cued direction; Experiment 3 assessed the relative effectiveness of various warning signals in reorienting a person’s gaze back to a central driving task while he or she was distracted by a secondary task. Results: The results show that participants initiated head-turning movements and made speeded discrimination or braking responses significantly more rapidly following the presentation of a close rear auditory warning signal than following the presentation of either a far frontal auditory warning signal, a vibrotactile warning signal presented to their waist, or a peripheral visual warning signal. Conclusion: These results support the claim that the introduction of peripersonal warning signals results in a significant performance advantage relative to traditionally designed warnings. Application: Warning systems that have been designed around the constraints of the human brain offer great potential in the future design of multisensory interfaces.
Effects of Matrix Microcracking on the Response of 2D Braided Textile Composites Subjected to Compression Loads
Authors: Shunjun Song  , Waas Anthony M. , Shahwan Khaled W. , Faruque Omar , Xinran Xiao
Published: August 2009

This article is concerned with the implementation of a coupled damage-elastic-plastic constitutive model for the matrix material of a 2D triaxial braided carbon fiber composite (2DTBC) subjected to compression loads. Damage in the matrix of 2DTBC is in the form of matrix microcracking which is observed in laboratory experiments of 2DTBC coupons subjected to cyclic loading. In the model, the matrix is treated as a continuously evolving solid governed by a coupled elastic-plastic damage theory which is modified from the classical elasto-plastic theory. With this description of the matrix, the response of 2DTBC to compression loading is studied through the adoption of a representative unit cell that consists of a progressively damaging matrix and elastic-plastic progressively damaging fiber tows. Results from the analysis are compared against a model without evolving damage and also against available experimental data to understand the significance of matrix damage and its influence on compression load bearing capability.
A Facile Method for Preparation of Thermoplastic Starch/Urea Modified Montmorillonite Nanocomposites
Authors: Ning Wang , Xingxiang Zhang , Na Han , Haihui Liu
Published: August 2009

A facile two-step melt extrusion processing method was used to prepare high performance thermoplastic starch (TPS)/urea modified montmorillonite (UMMT) nanocomposites in this work. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) demonstrated that urea could destruct the multilayer and platelet structure of montmorillonite during the first melt extrusion processing, which was propitious to form intercalated or exfoliated nanocomposites in the second melt extrusion processing. UMMT, starch, and 30 wt% plasticizers (formamide and urea (1 : 2 wt%)) based on the starch could form partially exfoliated nanocomposites proved by XRD and TEM, respectively. Fourier transform infrared proved intense interactions existed in UMMT and TPS/UMMT nanocomposites. So high UMMT content could obviously increase the thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanocomposites, especially the tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and energy break could reach to 17.8 MPa, 210 MPa, and 760 J/m 3, respectively. Finally, the increasing montmorillonite contents also decreased the water absorption and water vapor permeability of TPS material.
Activity-based intervention for multiple-disabled visually impaired people
Authors: Magne Tellevik Jon , Elmerskog Bengt
Published: August 2009

The article describes assessment, planning and training for people with multiple disabilities and visual impairment (MDVI). The ImPAct MDVI project, an EU Comenius programme, addressed concerns expressed by teachers of children and young people with MDVI as to how they are expected to integrate the diverse curriculum elements and particular skills they have been taught into a meaningful educational process. The aim of the project was to develop a holistic teaching approach, based on activities, participation and involvement in real life situations, aiming at involving people with MDVI in their social and physical context. This was achieved by applying a 5-step working model (Tellevik and Elmerskog, 2001), which sought to support the development of assessment and planning intervention strategies.
Eliciting Population Preferences for Mass Colorectal Cancer Screening Organization
Authors: Nayaradou Maximilien , Berchi Célia , Dejardin Olivier , Launoy Guy
Published: August 2009

Introduction. The implementation of mass colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is a public health priority. Population participation is fundamental for the success of CRC screening as for any cancer screening program. The preferences of the population may influence their likelihood of participation. Objectives. The authors sought to elicit population preferences for CRC screening test characteristics to improve the design of CRC screening campaigns. Methods. A discrete choice experiment was used. Questionnaires were compiled with a set of pairs of hypothetical CRC screening scenarios. The survey was conducted by mail from June 2006 to October 2006 on a representative sample of 2000 inhabitants, aged 50 to 74 years from the northwest of France, who were randomly selected from electoral lists. Questionnaires were sent to 2000 individuals, each of whom made 3 or 4 discrete choices between hypothetical tests that differed in 7 attributes: how screening is offered, process, sensitivity, rate of unnecessary colonoscopy, expected mortality reduction, method of screening test result transmission, and cost. Results. Complete responses were received from 656 individuals (32.8%). The attributes that influenced population preferences included expected mortality reduction, sensitivity, cost, and process. Participants from high social classes were particularly influenced by sensitivity. Conclusions. The results demonstrate that the discrete choice experiment provides information on patient preferences for CRC screening: improving screening program effectiveness, for instance, by improving test sensitivity (the most valued attribute) would increase satisfaction among the general population with regard to CRC screening programs. Additional studies are required to study how patient preferences actually affect adherence to regular screening programs.
Creative Expression as a Way of Knowing in Diabetes Adult Health Education
Authors: Stuckey Heather L.
Published: August 2009

This action research study explores the meaning-making process using forms of creative expression for eight women with insulin-dependent diabetes. The study is theoretically informed by arts-based ways of knowing and aspects of feminist poststructuralism, and explains the process of creativity used in the action research process. The findings center on the role of the created images and (a) the layered processes of meaning around those images as imaginal, individual, and social, (b) the images as embedded in other life contexts, and (c) how creative expression deconstructs and complements medical knowledge. Focusing on the construction of knowledge and the process of creative expression, the article highlights the importance of attending to creative expression as a way of knowing in adult and health education.
Current Practices and Future Directions in Psychopharmacological Training and Collaboration in School Psychology
Authors: Sulkowski Michael L. , Jordan Cary , Nguyen Matthew L.
Published: August 2009

School psychologists frequently examine children who are prescribed psychotropic medications. With advanced training in psychological assessment and professional consultation, school psychologists may play an integral role in assisting with children’s psychopharmacological treatment regimens. In this vein, this article discusses various ways for school psychologists to overcome barriers to collaborating with physicians including, strategies to overcoming obstacles related to cross-discipline information sharing time or workload constraints, communication challenges, and professional role expectations. Finally, the article discusses ways for school psychology students or practitioners of school psychology to increase their knowledge of pediatric psychopharmacology relative to their current training or experience.
The Reliability and Validity of the Aggregate Neurobehavioral Student Health and Educational Review Parent’s Questionnaire (ANSER-PQ)
Authors: Or Drorit , Cohen Ayala , Tirosh Emanuel
Published: August 2009

The internal reliability and validity of the Aggregate Neurobehavioral Student Health and Educational Review parent’s questionnaire (ANSER-PQ) were evaluated. Three diagnostic groups participated: (1) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N = 100), (2) learning disability (N = 80), and (3) a combined group (N-100). The Conners’ parent and teacher rating scales were completed. Seven clusters were derived as follows: conduct, anxiety, social, attention and activity, strengths, obsessive—compulsive, and distress and disruption. Internal reliability was found above 0.7 for 6 of the clusters. Concurrent validity was found highly significant for the clusters of conduct and attention and activity. Discriminant validity of these clusters was found acceptable for the attention and learning disability groups. The clusters of conduct, attention and activity, and distress and disruption were found to significantly correlate with the Conners’ teacher scale. The ANSER-PQ may be employed for the assessment of children with attention or learning disabilities.
The Drama Is Always Right in Front of You
Authors: Carter Philip D.
Published: August 2009

This article is a story in three acts. Act I is the initial article submitted to Qualitative Inquiry describing an unscripted sociodrama that occurred in a weekly psychodrama group two days after September 11, 2001 (initial submission titled, 9/11 in New Zealand: A point of leverage) . Act II presents the reviewer’s response to the submission in which he invites more discussion of the participants and content of the drama, as well as an attempt at stating the salient aspect or moral of the story. The author’s response begins in Act II and concludes in Act III. The author acts on the psychodramatic principles of the meaning always being immediately in right in front of one’s nose and that everything is connected. In taking space to value his own immediate response to the reviewer and trusting that it would be connected with the theme of the drama, the author does come, after a period of reflection and writing, to identify a theme that is both in the process of crafting this article and in the sociodrama: keeping going with each other. The production process of writing has been enthused by the life of the theme and has also helped to cultivate it. The writing has been a reciprocal cocreation between the author and the reviewer and so is authentic in living its message. Act III concludes with a twist that reveals the real moral of the story.
Neighborhood Dynamics of Urban Violence
Authors: Chavez Jorge M. , Griffiths Elizabeth
Published: August 2009

Social disorganization is the dominant framework linking neighborhood patterns of immigration to local rates of crime and violence despite inconsistent findings and evidence to the contrary. Using tract-level census data from 1970 to 1990 and Chicago homicide data from 1980 to 1995, this study explores whether and how the changing face of immigration is (un)related to homicide patterns within the contemporary urban environment. The results show that stable and consistent growth in foreign born is not associated with neighborhood trends in violence, whereas growth in recent arrivals occurs almost exclusively within the safest neighborhoods of the city. This research highlights the need to distinguish recent waves of immigrants/migrants from their historic counterparts.
The Politics of the Behavioural Revolution in Organization Studies
Authors: Tadajewski Mark
Published: August 2009

This article addresses the behavioural revolution in organization studies of the 1950s. It tries to unravel, via Foucaultian ‘eventalization’, the conditions that made the ‘behavioural sciences’ emerge at that historical juncture. I argue that the relationship of the Ford Foundation with the Graduate School of Industrial Administration and concomitantly with Herbert Simon, James March and others, was firmly embedded in the Cold War politics of the time. These relationships mirrored governmental, public policy, education and foundation concerns with socialism, as well as communist infiltration in the universities at a formative period in the development of organization and management studies, contributing to functionalism and positivism being institutionalized in these disciplines.
Miserable Comforters: International Relations as New Natural Law
Authors: Koskenniemi Martti
Published: August 2009

In his ‘Perpetual Peace’, Kant indicts the natural law tradition (Grotius, Pufendorf, Vattel) as ‘miserable comforters’ whose principles and doctrines ‘cannot have the slightest legal force’. The indictment emerges from Kant’s critique of natural law in both its empirical and rationalist variants as unable to uphold a really ‘binding’ notion of cosmopolitan legality. Since the early 1990s a new literature has emerged in the International Relations field that speaks about the effectiveness and legitimacy of international law as a form of supranational ‘governance’. This article argues that that literature raises precisely the same problems that Kant detected in early modern natural law. Like the latter, this literature is best seen as an attempt to appropriate the voice of international legality to a fully instrumentalist discipline dedicated to serving the interests of power.
Morgenthau as a Weberian Methodologist
Authors: Turner Stephen , Mazur George
Published: August 2009

Hans Morgenthau was a founder of the modern discipline of International Relations, and his Politics among Nations was for decades the dominant textbook in the field. The character of his Realism has frequently been discussed in debates on methodology and the nature of theory in International Relations. Almost all of this discussion has mischaracterized his views. The clues given in his writings, as well as his biography, point directly to Max Weber’s methodological writings. Morgenthau, it is argued, was a sophisticated user of Weber’s views who self-consciously applied them in the sphere of International Relations in such a way that Realism provided an ideal-typical model of the rational and responsible statesman. This interpretation both explains Morgenthau’s views and shows them to be a serious, complex, and compelling response to the issues which have animated the controversies over International Relations theory after Waltz’s presentation of the methodological basis for his neo-Realism.
Are ‘New Wars’ More Atrocious? Battle Severity, Civilians Killed and Forced Migration Before and After the End of the Cold War
Authors: Melander Erik , Öberg Magnus , Hall Jonathan
Published: August 2009

It is widely believed that the human impact of civil conflict in the present era is especially destructive. Proponents of the ‘new wars’ thesis hold that today’s conflicts are fuelled by exclusive identities, motivated by greed in the absence of strong states, and unchecked by the disinterested great powers, resulting in increased battle severity, civilian death and displacement. The ratio of civilian to military casualties is claimed to have tilted, so that the overwhelming majority of those killed today are civilians. Using systematic data that are comparable across cases and over time we find that, contrary to the ‘new wars’ thesis, the human impact of civil conflict is considerably lower in the post-Cold War period. We argue that this pattern reflects the decline of ideological conflict, the restraining influence of globalization on governments, and the increasing rarity of superpower campaigns of destabilization and counter-insurgency through proxy warfare.
Illness explanations among patients with medically unexplained symptoms: different idioms for different contexts
Authors: Risør Mette Bech
Published: August 2009

Patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are often considered to be strictly confined to thinking about their symptoms as having only a physical etiology. However, several studies have shown, that the patients also apply other explanations for their sufferings. The aim of this study is to analyse the social construction of illness explanations among patients with MUS, and to illustrate the use of explanatory idioms as being dependent on space, time and setting, legitimizing each idiom. The study is based on repeated, semi-structured, qualitative interviews with nine informants during a period of 1.5 years. A thematic content analysis was performed on a pragmatic and phenomenological basis. We found, that patients with MUS employ at least four different explanatory idioms defined as: (1) the symptomatic idiom; (2) the personal idiom; (3) the social idiom; and (4) the moral idiom. All idioms play an important role in the process of creating meaning in the patients’ everyday life. The symptomatic idiom is mainly used at clinical consultations in primary care, but it is not the only idiom of significance for the patients. Simultaneously other idioms exist and gradually become important for especially patients with MUS due to the lack of valid diagnoses and treatment opportunities. Clinical settings, however, call for the employment of the symptomatic idiom and a discrepancy is found between the general practitioners’ notion of the bio-psycho-social model and the patients’ everyday life idioms.
Casual employment in Australia
Authors: Buchler Sandra , Haynes Michele , Baxter Janeen
Published: August 2009

This article uses data from Wave 1 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) 2001 survey to examine whether there is a difference in financial well-being between casual and permanent employees. The study examines two measures of financial difficulty and one measure of financial satisfaction and finds that casual employees fare worse than permanent employees on all three measures. The results indicate that casual employees are less likely to afford basic costs of living, such as bills and mortgage/rent, and have higher levels of financial difficulty as well as lower levels of financial satisfaction. The article concludes that casual employment imposes significant financial strains on employees.
Positive ageing, neoliberalism and Australian sociology
Authors: Asquith Nicole
Published: August 2009

Australian sociology has wrestled with most of the big issues facing this society; however, when it comes to one of the most significant changes to face Australia in the next 30 years, it has suddenly lost its capacity to engage with the nexus between demography, social processes and political structures. While governments have forged ahead with responsibilization agendas in health, welfare and unemployment, sociology has voiced its concern about the implications for Australia’s most disadvantaged. Yet, when it comes to population ageing, sociology has been, in large part, silent in the face of neoliberal policies of positive ageing, which have framed the ‘problem’ as a deficit that must be managed primarily by individuals and their families. This article maps the field of positive ageing, identifies key social concerns with this policy approach and asks, where is Australian sociology?
Adiabatic shearing behaviour of unweldable Al–Sc alloy under extremely high shear loading
Authors: Lee W.-S. , Chen T.-H. , Lu G.-T.
Published: August 2009

The present study applies a compressive type split Hopkinson pressure bar to investigate the adiabatic shear behaviour of unweldable Al–Sc alloy under high strain rates ranging from 3·0 × 105 to 6·3 × 105 s–1. The effects of the strain rate on the shear stress, adiabatic shear band characteristics, and fracture features of the unweldable Al–Sc alloy are systematically examined. The results show that both the shear stress and the strain rate sensitivity increase with increasing the strain rate. In addition, it is shown that an adiabatic shear band is formed within the deformed specimens for all values of the strain rate. As the strain rate is increased, the width of the shear band decreases, but the microhardness increases. Moreover, the distortion angle and the magnitude of the local shear strain near the shear band both increase with increasing the strain rate. At a strain rate of 3·0 × 105 s–1, the fracture surface is characterised by multiple transgranular clearage fractures. However, for strain rates greater than 4·5 × 105 s–1, the fracture surface has a transgranular dimple-like characteristic, and thus it is inferred that the ductility of the unweldable Al–Sc alloy improves with increasing the strain rate.
Novel piezoresistive composite with high sensitivity to stress/strain
Authors: Han B. G. , Han B. Z. , Ou J. P.
Published: August 2009

With samples made of composite prepared by adding nickel powder (NP) as a functional filler into cement based material, experiments are carried out to study the piezoresistivity of this NP filled cement based composite (NPCC) under single compressive loading to destruction and within elastic regime. Experimental results indicate that the electrical resistivity of NP filled cement based composite exhibits a three-stage variation trend of fast decrease, slow decrease and steady increase as compressive stress and strain increase under single compressive loading to destruction, and its fractional change goes up to 79·28% maximum. The electrical resistivity of the piezoresistive NPCC decreases 74·67% within elastic regime, and the sensitivity of this composite to compressive stress, compressive strain and transverse tensile strain goes up to 0·158 MPa–1, 1228·2 and 7580 maximum respectively. It therefore can be concluded that the developed piezoresistive NPCC has high sensitivity to stress/strain.
Simple macro/microcoupling mathematical model and its predicting on effects of processing factors on solidification structure for 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel twin-roll thin strip
Authors: Yang M. B. , Pan F. S.
Published: August 2009

Based on the simple macro/microcoupling mathematical model developed in this paper and its predicted results, the effects of processing factors such as pouring temperature, casting velocity and molten pool height on the solidification structure for 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel thin strip with ideal solidification type are investigated. In the developed model, the latent heat is treated by enthalpy method; the grid and nodes are divided by the assumed streamlines. Moreover, the heterogeneous nucleation and columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) models are also introduced, together with the revising of dendrite growth dynamic model of Kurz–Giovanola–Trivedi (KGT). With the help of solid fraction, the coupling of macro/micromodels is realised using different grid sizes and time steps, macro and micro, together with the columnar dendrite front tracing. The predicted results of mathematical models indicate that the effects of pouring temperature, casting velocity and melt pool height on the solidification structure of 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel twin-roll thin strips are very different, in that the effects of molten pool height is greatest, then are casting velocity and pouring temperature respectively. Accordingly, for the actual twin-roll thin strip casting, the molten pool height and casting velocity should be controlled strictly in order to obtain ideal solidification structure.
Modification of nanometre calcium carbonate and its application on PVC composites in situ suspension polymerisation
Authors: Chen T. Y. , Li W. F. , Jun J. D. , Pen J. H. , Chao J. X.
Published: August 2009

With the aim to synthesise well proportioned disperse poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/nanometre calcium carbonate (nano-CaCO3) composites, the authors used emulsifier tx10 polyoxyethylene octylphenol ether to prepare emulsion liquid for modifying nano-CaCO3. Let nano-CaCO3 well proportionedly disperse into the water, the authors created a new method for the characterisation of emulsion liquid and use the emulsion to synthesise PVC/nano-CaCO3 composite. The microstructure, particle size distribution and thermal properties of composite were respectively evaluated by TEM, laser particle size analyser and thermogravimetry analysis tests. The results showed that nano-CaCO3 were uniformly distributed in the PVC with 5·2 wt-%. Compared with the pristine PVC, the particle size distribution of the composite is more uniform and the thermal stability increases.
Molecular and clinical features of refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts associated with marked thrombocytosis
Authors: Malcovati Luca , Della Porta Matteo G. , Pietra Daniela , Boveri Emanuela , Pellagatti Andrea , Gallì Anna , Travaglino Erica , Brisci Angela , Rumi Elisa , Passamonti Francesco , Invernizzi Rosangela , Cremonesi Laura , Boultwood Jacqueline , Wainscoat James S. , Hellström-Lindberg Eva , Cazzola Mario
Published: August 2009

We studied patients with myeloid neoplasm associated with ringed sideroblasts and/or thrombocytosis. The combination of ringed sideroblasts 15% or greater and platelet count of 450 × 109/L or greater was found in 19 subjects fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) associated with marked thrombocytosis (RARS-T), and in 3 patients with primary myelofibrosis. JAK2 and MPL mutations were detected in circulating granulocytes and bone marrow CD34+ cells, but not in T lymphocytes, from 11 of 19 patients with RARS-T. Three patients with RARS, who initially had low to normal platelet counts, progressed to RARS-T, and 2 of them acquired JAK2 (V617F) at this time. In female patients with RARS-T, granulocytes carrying JAK2 (V617F) represented only a fraction of clonal granulocytes as determined by X-chromosome inactivation patterns. RARS and RARS-T patient groups both consistently showed up-regulation of ALAS2 and down-regulation of ABCB7 in CD34+ cells, but several other genes were differentially expressed, including PSIP1 (LEDGF), CXCR4, and CDC2L5. These observations suggest that RARS-T is indeed a myeloid neoplasm with both myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative features at the molecular and clinical levels and that it may develop from RARS through the acquisition of somatic mutations of JAK2, MPL, or other as-yet-unknown genes.
Blocking PD-1 in cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Dotti Gianpietro
Published: August 2009

The PD-1 pathway is emerging as an important tumor-evasion mechanism. In this issue of Blood, 3 independent groups report that PD-1 is highly expressed by tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies, and is associated with impaired T-cell function.
A new genetic subgroup of chronic granulomatous disease with autosomal recessive mutations in p40phox and selective defects in neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity
Authors: Matute Juan D. , Arias Andres A. , Wright Nicola A. M. , Wrobel Iwona , Waterhouse Christopher C. M. , Li Xing Jun , Marchal Christophe C. , Stull Natalie D. , Lewis David B. , Steele MacGregor , Kellner James D. , Yu Weiming , Meroueh Samy O. , Nauseef William M. , Dinauer Mary C.
Published: August 2009

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), an immunodeficiency with recurrent pyogenic infections and granulomatous inflammation, results from loss of phagocyte superoxide production by recessive mutations in any 1 of 4 genes encoding subunits of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. These include gp91phox and p22phox, which form the membrane-integrated flavocytochrome b, and cytosolic subunits p47phox and p67phox. A fifth subunit, p40phox, plays an important role in phagocytosis-induced superoxide production via a phox homology (PX) domain that binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P). We report the first case of autosomal recessive mutations in NCF4, the gene encoding p40phox, in a boy who presented with granulomatous colitis. His neutrophils showed a substantial defect in intracellular superoxide production during phagocytosis, whereas extracellular release of superoxide elicited by phorbol ester or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) was unaffected. Genetic analysis of NCF4 showed compound heterozygosity for a frameshift mutation with premature stop codon and a missense mutation predicting a R105Q substitution in the PX domain. Parents and a sibling were healthy heterozygous carriers. p40phoxR105Q lacked binding to PtdIns(3)P and failed to reconstitute phagocytosis-induced oxidase activity in p40phox-deficient granulocytes, with premature loss of p40phoxR105Q from phagosomes. Thus, p40phox binding to PtdIns(3)P is essential for phagocytosis-induced oxidant production in human neutrophils and its absence can be associated with disease.
Lipopolysaccharide preconditioning enhances the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Yao Yongwei , Zhang Fumin , Wang Liansheng , Zhang Guohui , Wang Zhaojun , Chen Jianmei , Gao Xiang
Published: August 2009

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based regenerative therapy is currently regarded as an alternative approach to salvage the acute myocardial infarcted hearts. However, the efficiency of MSCs transplantation is limited by lower survival rate of engrafted MSCs. In previous study, we found that 1.0 μg/ml Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could protect MSCs against apoptosis induced by oxidative stress and meanwhile enhance the proliferation of MSCs. Therefore, in the present study, we firstly preconditioned MSCs with 1.0 μg/ml LPS, then transplanted MSCs into ischemic myocardium, and observed the survival and cardiac protective capacity of MSCs in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction. Furthermore, we tried to explore the underlying mechanisms and the role of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) in the signal pathway of LPS-induced cardiac protection.

Methods and results

Acute myocardial infarction model was developed by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. 60 rats were divided into 4 groups randomly and given an intramyocardial injection of one of the following treatments: 30 μl PBS (control group), 3 × 106 wild MSCs/30 μl (wMSCs group), 3 × 106 LPS-preconditioned wild MSCs/30 μl (LPS-wMSCs group), or 3 × 106 LPS-preconditioned TLR4 gene deleted MSCs/30 μl (LPS-tMSCs group). After 3 weeks, LPS-preconditioned wild MSCs transplantation ameliorated cardiac function and reduced fibrosis of infarcted myocardium. Vascular density was markedly increased in LPS-wMSCs group compared with other three groups. Survival rate of engrafted MSCs was elevated and apoptosis of myocardium was reduced in infarcted heart. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and phospho-Akt was increased in the infarcted myocardium after transplantation of LPS-preconditioned MSCs.

Conclusion

LPS preconditioning enhanced survival of engrafted MSCs, stimulated expression of VEGF and activated PI3K/Akt pathway. LPS preconditioning before MSCs transplantation resulted in superior therapeutic neovascularization and recovery of cardiac function. LPS preconditioning provided a novel strategy in maximizing biologic and functional properties of MSCs.
Extracting biologically significant patterns from short time series gene expression data
Authors: Tchagang Alain B , Bui Kevin V , McGinnis Thomas , Benos Panayiotis V
Published: August 2009

Background

Time series gene expression data analysis is used widely to study the dynamics of various cell processes. Most of the time series data available today consist of few time points only, thus making the application of standard clustering techniques difficult.

Results

We developed two new algorithms that are capable of extracting biological patterns from short time point series gene expression data. The two algorithms, ASTRO and MiMeSR, are inspired by the rank order preserving framework and the minimum mean squared residue approach, respectively. However, ASTRO and MiMeSR differ from previous approaches in that they take advantage of the relatively few number of time points in order to reduce the problem from NP-hard to linear. Tested on well-defined short time expression data, we found that our approaches are robust to noise, as well as to random patterns, and that they can correctly detect the temporal expression profile of relevant functional categories. Evaluation of our methods was performed using Gene Ontology (GO) annotations and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip) data.

Conclusion

Our approaches generally outperform both standard clustering algorithms and algorithms designed specifically for clustering of short time series gene expression data. Both algorithms are available at http://www.benoslab.pitt.edu/astro/.
Identification of three wheat globulin genes by screening a Triticum aestivum BAC genomic library with cDNA from a diabetes-associated globulin
Authors: Loit Evelin , Melnyk Charles W , MacFarlane Amanda J , Scott Fraser W , Altosaar Illimar
Published: August 2009

Background

Exposure to dietary wheat proteins in genetically susceptible individuals has been associated with increased risk for the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Recently, a wheat protein encoded by cDNA WP5212 has been shown to be antigenic in mice, rats and humans with autoimmune T1D. To investigate the genomic origin of the identified wheat protein cDNA, a hexaploid wheat genomic library from Glenlea cultivar was screened.

Results

Three unique wheat globulin genes, Glo-3A, Glo3-B and Glo-3C, were identified. We describe the genomic structure of these genes and their expression pattern in wheat seeds. The Glo-3A gene shared 99% identity with the cDNA of WP5212 at the nucleotide and deduced amino acid level, indicating that we have identified the gene(s) encoding wheat protein WP5212. Southern analysis revealed the presence of multiple copies of Glo-3-like sequences in all wheat samples, including hexaploid, tetraploid and diploid species wheat seed. Aleurone and embryo tissue specificity of WP5212 gene expression, suggested by promoter region analysis, which demonstrated an absence of endosperm specific cis elements, was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy using anti-WP5212 antibodies.

Conclusion

Taken together, the results indicate that a diverse group of globulins exists in wheat, some of which could be associated with the pathogenesis of T1D in some susceptible individuals. These data expand our knowledge of specific wheat globulins and will enable further elucidation of their role in wheat biology and human health.
Factors influencing prescribing behaviour of physicians in Greece and Cyprus: results from a questionnaire based survey
Authors: Theodorou Mamas , Tsiantou Vasiliki , Pavlakis Andreas , Maniadakis Nikos , Fragoulakis Vasilis , Pavi Elpida , Kyriopoulos John
Published: August 2009

Background

Over the past few decades, drug and overall healthcare expenditure have risen rapidly in most countries. The present study investigates the attitudes and the factors which influence physician prescribing decisions and practice in Greece and Cyprus.

Methods

A postal questionnaire was developed by researchers at the Department of Health Economics at the National School of Public Health in Greece, specifically for the purposes of the study. This was then administered to a sample of 1,463 physicians in Greece and 240 physicians in Cyprus, stratified by sex, specialty and geographic region.

Results

The response rate was 82.3% in Greece and 80.4% in Cyprus. There were similarities but also many differences between the countries. Clinical effectiveness is the most important factor considered in drug prescription choice in both countries. Greek physicians were significantly more likely to take additional criteria under consideration, such as the drug form and recommended daily dose and the individual patient preferences. The list of main sources of information for physicians includes: peer-reviewed medical journals, medical textbooks, proceedings of conferences and pharmaceutical sales representatives. Only half of prescribers considered the cost carried by their patients. The majority of doctors in both countries agreed that the effectiveness, safety and efficacy of generic drugs may not be excellent but it is acceptable. However, only Cypriot physicians actually prescribe them. Physicians believe that new drugs are not always better and their higher prices are not necessarily justified. Finally, doctors get information regarding adverse drug reactions primarily from the National Organisation for Medicines. However, it is notable that the majority of them do not inform the authorities on such reactions.

Conclusion

The present study highlights the attitudes and the factors influencing physician behaviour in the two countries and may be used for developing policies to improve their choices and hence to increase clinical and economic effectiveness and efficiency.