bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gresham on horseback: the monetary roots of Spanish American political fragmentation in the nineteenth century1
Authors: IRIGOIN MARIA ALEJANDRA
Published: December 2008

This article deals with the political economic consequences of the disappearance of the Spanish silver peso standard in Spanish America, the longest monetary union that ever existed. With the Napoleonic invasion of Spain in 1808, the fiscal and political structure of the empire imploded and most colonies became independent. Regional competition for revenues exacerbated budget shortfalls driven by military expenditure. Local elites established in former colonial Treasury districts started highly diverse monetary experiments to procure funds. Those in control of mint houses started minting their own coins or debased existing silver currency. Elsewhere, inconvertible paper currency was also created to meet budget deficits. As a result, the most valuable feature of the Spanish American silver peso, its quality standard, was broken and the standard that had organized the early modern international economy for more than 300 years ceased to exist altogether. In Spanish America, as diverse monies co‐existed within a formerly highly integrated economic space, a widespread Gresham's law effect exacerbated the conflict among local and regional elites. This fostered the political fragmentation of colonial Spanish America into an increasing number of political and monetary sovereign entities during the nineteenth century.
Estimating the Impact of a Policy Reform on Benefit Take‐up: The 2001 extension to the Minimum Income Guarantee for UK Pensioners
Authors: ZANTOMIO FRANCESCA , PUDNEY STEPHEN , HANCOCK RUTH
Published: December 2008

In 2001 the Minimum Income Guarantee for UK pensioners was reformed, changing the structure and level of benefits. We evaluate the behavioural response to this reform, using nonparametric analysis comparing a sample of pensioners interviewed before and another interviewed after the reform, matching their simulated pre‐ and post‐reform entitlements and other characteristics. We compare the results with conventional parametric methods and also ex ante matching, and we consider the effect of measurement error in simulated entitlements. The response of take‐up to the reform is found to be significant and positive, with evidence of larger impacts from the nonparametric analysis.
Competition between Exchanges: Euronext versus Xetra
Authors: Kasch‐Haroutounian Maria , Theissen Erik
Published: December 2008

Exchanges in Europe are in a process of consolidation. After the failure of the proposed merger between Deutsche Börse and Euronext, these two groups are likely to become the nuclei for further mergers and co‐operation with currently independent exchanges. A decision for one of the groups entails a decision for the respective trading platform. Against that background we evaluate the attractiveness of the two dominant continental European trading systems. Though both are anonymous electronic limit order books, there are important differences in the trading protocols. We use a matched‐sample approach to compare execution costs in Euronext Paris and Xetra. We find that both quoted and effective spreads are lower in Xetra. The differences are more pronounced for less liquid stocks. When decomposing the spread we find no systematic differences in the adverse selection component. Realised spreads, on the other hand, are significantly higher in Euronext. Neither differences in the number of liquidity provision agreements nor differences in the minimum tick size or in the degree of domestic competition for order flow explain the different spread levels. We thus conclude that Xetra is the more efficient trading system.
The Subprime Panic*
Authors: Gorton Gary
Published: December 2008

Understanding the ongoing credit crisis or panic requires understanding the designs of a number of interlinked securities, special purpose vehicles, and derivatives, all related to subprime mortgages. I describe the relevant securities, derivatives, and vehicles to show: (1) how the chain of interlinked securities was sensitive to house prices; (2) how asymmetric information was created via complexity; (3) how the risk was spread in an opaque way; and (4) how trade in the ABX indices (linked to subprime bonds) allowed information to be aggregated and revealed. These details are at the heart of the origin of the Panic of 2007. The events of the panic are described.
Informal Politics, Formalised Law and the ‘Social Deficit’ of European Integration: Reflections after the Judgments of the ECJ in Viking and Laval
Authors: Joerges Christian , Rödl Florian
Published: December 2008

The judgments of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) of December 2008 in Viking and Laval on the compatibility of national collective labour law with European prerogatives have caused quite a heated critical debate. This article seeks to put this debate in constitutional perspectives. In its first part, it reconstructs in legal categories what Fritz W. Scharpf has characterised as a decoupling of economic integration from the various welfare traditions of the Member States. European constitutionalism, it is submitted, is bound to respond to this problématique. The second part develops a perspective within which such a response can be found. That perspective is a supranational European conflict of laws which seeks to realise what the draft Constitutional Treaty had called the ‘motto of the union’: unitas in pluralitate. Within that framework, the third part analyses two seemingly contradictory trends, namely, first, albeit very briefly, the turn to ‘soft’ modes of governance in the realm of social policy and then, in much greater detail, the ECJ's ‘hard’ interpretations of the supremacy of European freedoms and its strict interpretation of pertinent secondary legislation. The conflict‐of‐laws approach would suggest a greater respect for national autonomy, in particular, in view of the limited EU competences in the field of labour law.
Ironies in Human Rights Protection in the EU: Pre‐Accession Conditionality and Post‐Accession Conundrums
Authors: Albi Anneli
Published: December 2008

In the wake of the extensive scrutiny of the human rights credentials of the new Member States under the EU pre‐accession conditionality, which itself was riddled with paradoxes, this article considers a rather unexpected irony thrown up by the accession of these countries. It is that the post‐communist constitutional courts, which have been applauded for vigorous protection of fundamental rights after the fall of the Communist regime that was marked by nihilism to rights, have come rather close to having to downgrade the protection standards after accession, due to the new constraints of supremacy of EC law. The article will consider the sugar market cases of the Hungarian and Czech Constitutional Courts and of the Estonian Supreme Court, which appear to add weight to the concerns that have been voiced in some older Member States about the fundamental rights protection in the EU. Indeed such concerns were recently also addressed in the concurring opinions to the Bosphorus judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.
Legislative Policy, Law and Competitiveness: A Mysterious and Difficult Relationship in the EU
Authors: Lynch‐Fannon Irene
Published: December 2008

The Lisbon Agenda places Europe in a uniquely difficult position globally, most particularly as an example of a social and regulatory experiment which many consider to be doomed to failure. The drive towards economic competitiveness has led to a focus on regulation and its effect on entrepreneurship, productivity and business growth but assessing this relationship is complex for a number of reasons. First, not all regulatory effects can be predicted precisely in relation to behavioural outcomes. Path‐dependency scholars have also demonstrated that the regulation will have varying effects depending on context. Second, theoretically it is clear that many non‐regulatory factors may contribute to economic and competitive success. Third, there is evidence of internal conflict within the Commission as to the relative importance of the Lisbon goals. Finally, the experience of distinct Member States presents challenges both for assessment and prescriptive remedies. The Commission has estimated that the cost of regulatory compliance obligations on businesses in the EU is between 4% and 6% of gross domestic product and that 15% of this figure is avoidable ‘red tape’ (the term used specifically to signify unnecessary compliance burdens). This article proposes to assess the likely outcomes of de‐regulation as we rapidly approach 2010, the year for attainment of the Lisbon goals.

However, the difference in legal infrastructure does not result from the California legislature's efforts to provide the proper conditions for the development of high technology industrial districts. Rather . . . a serendipitous result of the historical coincidence between the codification movement in the United States and the new state's efforts at developing a coherent legal system out of its conflicting inheritance of Spanish, Mexican, and English law.1
A Preliminary Perspective of Negotiations of EU–China PCA: A New Bottle Carrying Old Wine or New Wine or Both?
Authors: Zeng Lingliang
Published: December 2008

The EU–China Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) is a relatively new type of agreement between the EU and a third country, and its negotiation and conclusion will bring about a new landscape for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides. However, owing to the broadness, importance and complexity of EU–China relations, and the unique multiple‐level governance within the EU itself, the negotiation and conclusion of the new PCA deems to be a hard and time‐consuming process. In light of the EU internal aspects, the new PCA seems to be related to several treaty‐making competences and procedures, thus probably with the form of a mixed agreement as the final outcome. In terms of substantive issues, market access, transparency, intellectual property rights, China's full market economy status, abandonment of embargo on arms sales and high‐tech trade, democracy, human rights, rule of law, good governance and dispute settlement clauses, etc are all inevitably the tough and core issues. Nevertheless, it is believed that both sides will strive to lay down a systematic, stable and sustainable treaty law basis for a comprehensive EU–China strategic partnership in the spirit of seeking commonality, mutual respect and trust, and equal consultation.
The Impact of Flexible Working Arrangements on Work–life Conflict and Work Pressure in Ireland
Authors: Russell Helen , O'Connell Philip J. , McGinnity Frances
Published: December 2008

Recent rapid economic growth in Ireland has been accompanied by a strong surge in the number of women in employment, and this has led to a significant increase in the proportion of dual‐earner families. These changes have brought the issue of reconciliation between work and care commitments to the fore. Flexible working arrangements in firms have been identified as one important means of balancing work and other commitments. In this article we investigate the relationship between four flexible working arrangements; flexitime, part‐time hours, working from home and job sharing, and two key employee outcomes; work pressure and work–life conflict, using data from the first national survey of employees in Ireland in 2003. Our results show that while part‐time work and flexitime tend to reduce work pressure and work–life conflict, working from home is associated with greater levels of both work pressure and work–life conflict. We conclude that it is important to distinguish between flexible working arrangements to discover their potential for reducing work pressure and work–life conflict.
Men's Work–life Conflict: Career, Care and Self‐realization: Patterns of Privileges and Dilemmas
Authors: Halrynjo Sigtona
Published: December 2008

This article aims at contributing to a better understanding of men's work–life reconciliation by developing a typology of work and care adaptations drawing on a sample of 102 European men, aged 21–64, working in different work organizations. The article combines qualitative and quantitative data. Multiple correspondence analysis is used to investigate the men's actual adaptations to work, care and self‐realization. ‘Volume of work’ and ‘volume of care’ constitutes separate dimensions that render visible the traditional gendered opposition between a high amount of care combined with low amount of work and vice versa. However, two more untraditional adaptations (low–low and high–high) are identified. Additional analyses show that, even within this all male sample, the distribution of working life privileges corresponds with a high amount of paid work and a low amount of care responsibilities. The structure of the gendered division of labour, status and material privileges is correspondingly rediscovered. A typology of four different positions is derived: the ‘career' position', the care’ position the ‘care and career’ position and the ‘patchwork career’ position. These positions are further investigated utilizing in‐depth interviews, discussing dilemmas and advantages of dilemmas and the advantages of each position. The article concludes that even if the number of available work–life adaptations open to men rise, this change will not necessarily contribute to alter the hierarchical distribution of career and care, privileges and costs in society.
Innovative Social Policies: Implications for Work–life Balance among Low‐waged Women in England
Authors: Warren Tracey , Fox Elizabeth , Pascall Gillian
Published: December 2008

We investigated innovative social policies drawn from the European arena — universal systems of childcare, a shorter working week and shared parental leave — asking about their relevance to the work–life balance of low‐waged coupled mothers in England. While in principle the policy environment has shifted from assumptions of a male breadwinner to dual earners, in practice severe constraints on mothers' labour market attachment bring women half the lifetime earnings of men. British Household Panel Survey data for coupled low‐waged women in England show them as likely to work short part‐time hours, have low‐waged partners and low household wages while belonging to male breadwinner partnerships in terms of their contribution to household wages and unpaid work; but that few women support this model. Interviews with low‐waged mothers show evidence of limited choices, constrained by social policies which offer limited and piecemeal support for working parenthood. Given the choice, low‐waged mothers and their partners would find policies available elsewhere in Europe attractive. They see a more universal comprehensive system of childcare as enabling women's employment and improving children's quality of life; a shorter working week as enabling mothers and fathers to lead more balanced lives and a father's quota of parental leave fitting with their assumptions about sharing care.
Poly‐l‐lactic acid for HIV‐1 facial lipoatrophy: 48‐week follow‐up
Authors: Carey D , Baker D , Petoumenos K , Chuah J , Rogers GD , Watson J , Cooper DA , Emery S , Carr A ,   for the FLASH Investigators
Published: January 2009

Objectives

Poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLA) injections modestly increase objectively assessed facial thickness but not facial soft tissue volume (FSTV) over 24 weeks. The durability of this response has not been well defined objectively.

Methods

HIV‐infected lipoatrophic adults were randomized to four open‐label PLA treatments administered every 2 weeks from week 0 (immediate group, n=50) or from week 24 (deferred group, n=50). Endpoints included FSTV assessed by computed tomography, facial lipoatrophy severity, quality of life (QoL) and safety. Analyses were by intention to treat.

Results

Between weeks 24 and 48, soft tissue thickness increased modestly in injection planes, at the maxillary [mean 0.9 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3–1.5 mm; P=0.007] and base of nasal septum levels (mean 0.4 mm; 95% CI 0.1–0.8; P=0.021), but not in untreated areas (P=0.79 and P=0.24). PLA durability assessed at week 48 in immediate group participants showed a mean change in FSTV of 14 cm3 (95% CI−1 to 29 cm3; P=0.060) and increased tissue depth at the maxillary (P<0.0001), base of nasal septum (P<0.0001) and mandibular (P=0.0035) levels. At week 48, clinicians and patients subjectively assessed facial lipoatrophy severity as reduced in immediate participants (83 and 91%, respectively), and the Mental Health scale score of the Short Form‐36 Health Survey improved significantly in immediate participants relative to deferred participants (P=0.027). Subcutaneous injection‐site nodule incidence at 48 weeks was 10%.

Conclusions

PLA treatment benefits were durable, with objectively assessed modest increases in facial volume and tissue thickness sustained over 48 weeks in injection planes but not in other facial areas. Improvements in some QoL domains were maintained.
Cohabitants, Property and the Law: A Study of Injustice
Authors: Douglas Gillian , Pearce Julia , Woodward Hilary
Published: December 2008

With cohabitation outside marriage becoming increasingly common, the law's response to the problems that arise on separation has become a key issue for public and family policy. This article draws upon the findings of a qualitative empirical study of how property disputes are handled when cohabitants separate. It argues that the unfairness of the current law is best understood as stemming from a failure to recognise the situation that arises as one of unjust enrichment. It shows that the complexity and unpredictability of the law make it difficult to bargain effectively in the shadow of the law. It suggests that the need for reform goes beyond the introduction of a discretionary regime, such as that proposed by the Law Commission, to reform of conveyancing and property law and practice to facilitate initial, as well as post‐separation private ordering.
The Reclassification of Extreme Pornographic Images
Authors: Murray Andrew D.
Published: December 2008

Legal controls over the importation and supply of pornographic imagery promulgated nearly half a century ago in the Obscene Publications Acts have proven to be inadequate to deal with the challenge of the internet age. With pornographic imagery more readily accessible in the UK than at any time in our history, legislators have been faced with the challenge of stemming the tide. One particular problem has been the ready accessibility of extreme images which mix sex and violence or which portray necrophilia or bestiality. This article examines the Government's attempt to control the availability of such material through s.63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which criminalises possession of such images. It begins by examining the consultation process and concludes that an underlying public policy objective was the root of the new offence despite the lack of a clear mandate for such a policy. The article then examines whether this weakness in the foundations for the proposed new offence caused the proposal to be substantially amended during the Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: to the extent that the final version of s.63 substantially fails to meet the original public policy objective. The article concludes by asking whether s.63 may have unintended consequences in that it fails to criminalise some of the more extreme examples of violent pornography while criminalising consensual BDSM images, and questions whether s.63 will be enforceable in any meaningful way.
Agency Workers, Employment Rights and the Ebb and Flow of Freedom of Contract
Authors: Wynn Michael , Leighton Patricia
Published: December 2008

This note discusses two Court of Appeal cases relating to the employment status of temporary agency workers, James v London Borough of Greenwich and Consistent Group v Kalwak. In James the Court considered the test for implying a contract of service between temp and end user, and in Kalwak the Court examined the use of ‘sham’ to set aside contractual documents between the parties. The authors examine whether the commercial approach adopted towards trilateral employment relationships in these cases is justified.
Recovery from partner abuse: the application of the strengths perspective
Authors: Song Li‐yu , Shih Chaiw‐yi
Published: January 2009

Song L, Shih C. Recovery from partner abuse: the application of the strengths perspective

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 23–32 © 2008 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

This study applied, and examined the effectiveness of, the strengths perspective on women who experienced partner abuse in Taiwan. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised. The findings from quantitative analysis show that the subjects experienced a significant decrease in depression, were positively empowered and had better life satisfaction. The results of the qualitative analysis further denote the functional components of recovery as the growth of sense of self, affirmation and action, or realisation of self. These results suggest that the strengths perspective could be a useful approach for case managers working with this population in helping the women to rediscover their own sense of self and reconstruct a productive life.
Sensitive skin in Europe
Authors: Misery L , Boussetta S , Nocera T , Perez‐Cullell N , Taieb C
Published: January 2009

Introduction  Sensitive skin appears as a very frequent condition, but there is no comparative data between countries.

Objectives  To perform an epidemiological approach to skin sensitivity in different European countries.

Methods  An opinion poll was conducted in eight European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. This sample (4506 persons) was drawn from a representative sample of each population aged 15 years or older.

Results  Sensitive or very sensitive skin was declared by 38.4% and slightly or not sensitive skin by 61.6%. Women declared more sensitive skin than men. A dermatological disease was declared by 31.2% of people with very sensitive skin, 17.6% of those with sensitive skin, 8.7% of those with slightly sensitive skin and 3.7% of those who do not have sensitive skin. A history of childhood atopic dermatitis was more frequent in patients with sensitive or very sensitive skin. The interviewees who declared that they had dry or oily skin also reported significantly more frequently sensitive or very sensitive skin than those with normal skin. Sensitive and very sensitive skins were clearly more frequent in Italy and France.

Discussion  This study is the first study that compares skin sensitivity in European countries. Prevalence is high, but significant differences are noted between these countries. Dermatological antecedents (or treatments?) could be involved in the occurrence of skin sensitivity.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Heterogeneous Disease Modeling for Hardy‐Weinberg Disequilibrium in Case‐Control Studies: Application to Renal Stones and Calcium‐Sensing Receptor Polymorphisms
Authors: Hamilton D. C. , Grover V. K. , Smith C. A. , Cole D. E. C.
Published: December 2008

Renal stone formation due to hypercalciuria is a relatively common disorder with clear evidence for genetic predisposition, but cryptic phenotypic heterogeneity has hampered identification of candidate genes. The R990G single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the calcium sensing receptor (CASR) gene has been associated with hypercalciuria in stone formers and shows the appropriate functional phenotype in cell culture. In our preliminary association analysis of a case‐control cohort, however, we observed significant Hardy‐Weinberg disequilibrium (HWD) for the cases (n= 223), but not controls (n= 676) at the R990G locus, pointing us toward the general disease model incorporating HWD. Because there is an adjacent CASR SNP, A986S, which is in negative linkage disequilibrium with R990G, we extended the general disease model to enable testing of a two‐site hypothesis. In our data set, there is no lack of fit (P= .345) for the single‐locus model for the R990G genotype, and likelihood ratio testing favors a recessive effect with an eight‐fold increase in risk (P < .001) for GG homozygotes, relative to wild‐type, based on a population prevalence of 2%. Addition of the A986S genotype provides no additional information either by itself or when included in our two‐site model.
Control of Cell Volume in Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Usher‐Smith Juliet A. , Huang Christopher L‐H. , Fraser James A.
Published: December 2008

Regulation of cell volume is a fundamental property of all animal cells and is of particular importance in skeletal muscle where exercise is associated with a wide range of cellular changes that would be expected to influence cell volume. These complex electrical, metabolic and osmotic changes, however, make rigorous study of the consequences of individual factors on muscle volume difficult despite their likely importance during exercise. Recent charge‐difference modelling of cell volume distinguishes three major aspects to processes underlying cell volume control: (i) determination by intracellular impermeant solute; (ii) maintenance by metabolically dependent processes directly balancing passive solute and water fluxes that would otherwise cause cell swelling under the influence of intracellular membrane‐impermeant solutes; and (iii) volume regulation often involving reversible short‐term transmembrane solute transport processes correcting cell volumes towards their normal baselines in response to imposed discrete perturbations. This review covers, in turn, the main predictions from such quantitative analysis and the experimental consequences of comparable alterations in extracellular pH, lactate concentration, membrane potential and extracellular tonicity. The effects of such alterations in the extracellular environment in resting amphibian muscles are then used to reproduce the intracellular changes that occur in each case in exercising muscle. The relative contributions of these various factors to the control of cell volume in resting and exercising skeletal muscle are thus described.
PAL31 may play an important role as inflammatory modulator in the repair process of the spinal cord injury rat
Authors: Shen Li‐Fen , Cheng Henrich , Tsai Ming‐Chu , Kuo Huai‐Sheng , Chak Kin‐Fu
Published: December 2008

Functional regeneration in a complete T8 transection model Cheng et al. (1996) and most recently, acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF; also known as FGF‐1) involved in the repair process of the spinal cord injury (SCI) rat Tsai et al. (2008) have been reported. To further reveal the mechanism of the repair process of SCI, in additionally, we have identified a 30 kDa specific protein kinase A substrate induced at 6 days after SCI. However, the induction of the transducing signal was reduced in samples treated with aFGF. The 30 kDa protein was purified and identified by mass spectrometry as a novel protein, PAL31. The results of immunohistochemical study showed that PAL31 is abundantly expressed in the epicenter of the injured spinal cord and colocalizes with ED1‐positive cells (macrophages) and CD8 T lymphocytes. Over‐expression of PAL31 in RAW 264.7 cells resulted in the down‐regulation of macrophage chemoattractant protein 1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and signal transducer and activator of transcription‐1. However, knockdown of PAL31 by small interfering RNA seems to lead to apoptosis when the cells were treated with inflammatory inducers. These experimental results suggest that PAL31 may involve in the modulation of the inflammatory response and, at the same time, prevent apoptosis process of macrophage after SCI.
Application of High Magnification Digital Image Correlation Technique to Micromechanical Strain Analysis
Authors: Nicoletto G. , Marin T. , Anzelotti G. , Roncella R.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  This paper describes an experimental apparatus and its application for the full‐field measurement of heterogeneous strains at high magnifications. The apparatus consists of an image acquisition and analysis system, an optical microscope and a stable tensile stage. Magnified images of the specimen surface are acquired and analysed using the digital image correlation (DIC) method. The response of the heterogeneous microstructure of a nodular cast iron is investigated during a tensile test. Strains obtained by using the DIC method and averaged over the observation window correlate with strain measurements simultaneously obtained by using an extensometer. The strain maps of DIC reveal the heterogeneous development of plasticity in the nodular cast iron microstructure. The apparatus has the potential to investigate material behaviour at the microscopic scale.
Monotonic and Cyclic Deformations of Case‐Hardened Steels Including Residual Stress Effects
Authors: Yin F. , Fatemi A.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Monotonic and cyclic deformations of case‐hardened steel specimens under axial loading were investigated experimentally and analytically. A finite element (FE) model for the case‐hardened specimens was constructed to study multiaxial stresses due to different plastic flow behaviour between the case and the core, as well as to evaluate residual stress relaxation and redistribution subsequent to cyclic loading. The multiaxial stress is shown to increase the effective stress on the surface, and, therefore, unfavourable to yielding or fatigue crack nucleation. The residual stresses are shown to relax or redistribute, even in the elastic‐behaving region, when any part of a case‐hardened specimen or component undergoes plastic deformation. Multi‐layer models were used to analyse and predict monotonic and cyclic deformation behaviours of the case‐hardened specimen based on the core and case material properties, and the results are compared with the experimental as well as FE model results. The predicted monotonic stress–strain curves were close to the experimental curves, but the predicted cyclic stress–strain curves were higher than the experimental curves.
Influence of Flutes on the Mechanical Behaviour of Ancient Greek Columns
Authors: Kourkoulis S. K. , Moupagitsoglou K. E.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Flutes are longitudinal grooves sculptured on the perimeter of the columns of ancient Greek or Roman temples. It is widely accepted that flutes were sculptured mainly for aesthetic reasons. However, strong indications exist that the presence of flutes somehow changes the overall mechanical behaviour of the column. This could be expected due to the singularities introduced by the imposed abrupt change in the boundary conditions of the specimen, where the friction boundary of the base meets the free boundary of the lateral surface. Following the previous line of thought it was decided to check this hypothesis by studying the mechanical behaviour of a typical drum of a column of the Parthenon Temple of the Acropolis of Athens. These columns have 20 flutes and their shape is accurately described as an arc of an ellipse. The study was carried out both numerically and experimentally. The parameters studied included the number and the shape of the flutes as well as the type of loading. It was concluded that the presence of flutes significantly modifies the stress and strain fields developed especially under torsion. In addition, the fluted drum appeared to be stiffer in comparison with the non‐fluted one.
Approach on Thermal Strain Behaviour of PBGA Solder Joints
Authors: Yang Ping , Shen Cai Jun , Liao Ningbo
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to provide a systematic method to analyse and test the thermal strain behaviour of plastic ball grid array (PBGA) solder joints in electronic packaging. Based on the structural, thermal and physical properties of the PBGA sample, the thermal strain test was developed to measure the strain distribution at the surface of the bismaleimide triazin (BT) substrates and the printed circuit board (PCB) surface under thermal cycling, at the temperature range of 0 to 100°C. The experimental results show that the changing trends of strain in the BT and PCB surfaces were approximately the same during the thermal cycling. Comparison between the experimental results and simulation illustrates the validity of the experimental test and finite element modelling results. It builds a basis for future work for evaluating the design and reliability of the BGA packaging.
Multiaxial Shape Memory Effect and Superelasticity
Authors: Lavernhe‐Taillard K. , Calloch S. , Arbab‐Chirani S. , Lexcellent C.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  The specific behaviour of shape memory alloys (SMA) is due to a martensitic transformation [Shape Memory Materials. Cambridge University press, Cambridge]. This transformation consists mainly in a shear without volume change and is activated either by stress or temperature. The superelastic behaviour and the one‐way shape memory effect are both due to the partition between austenite and martensite. The superelastic effect is obtained for fully austenitic SMA: loaded up to 5% strain, a sample recovers its initial shape after unloading with a hysteretic loop. The one‐way shape memory effect is obtained when a martensitic SMA, plastically deformed, recovers its initial shape by simple heating. Superelasticity and one‐way shape memory effect are useful for several three‐dimensional applications. Despite all these phenomena are well known and modelled in 1D, the 3D behaviour, and especially the one‐way shape memory effect, remains quite unexplored [Mater. Sci. Res. Int., 1 (1995) 260]. Actually, the development of complex 3D applications requires time‐consuming iterations and expensive prototypes. Predictive phenomenological models are consequently crucial objectives for the design and dimensioning of SMA structures. Therefore, a series of 2D proportional and non‐proportional, isothermal and non‐isothermal tests have been performed. This database will be used to build a phenomenological model within the framework of irreversible processes.
Experimental Determination of Shear‐Thinning Behaviour During Extrusion of Rubber Blends
Authors: Müllner H. W. , Wieczorek A. , Eberhardsteiner J.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  In this contribution, the influence of an extrusion process on the viscosity function of rubber blends is identified. This knowledge is required for realistic numerical simulations of injection heads and extrusion tools used for the fabrication of rubber profiles. The experimental basis of this investigation is tests with both, capillary and extrusion rheometer. The latter is a combination of an industrial extruder and an extrusion tool with a circular cross‐section, allowing application of material characterisation methods used for capillary experiments. Thus, the determination of the viscosity function of extruded rubber blends is possible. Additional capillary experiments enable the determination of the influence of an extrusion on the viscosity of rubber blends. For the identification of material parameters, a non‐linear iteration scheme is used, which is proven to be applicable for rubber compounds and rubber blends. The validation of the extrusion rheometer tests is performed by means of numerical back‐calculation of the corresponding pressure measurements.
Differential Strain Gauge: A Sensor Device for Macro‐ and Microsystems
Authors: Stockmann M. , Naumann J. , Schumann J. , Mönch I.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  The paper describes an operating principle for the electrical measurement of mechanical strain states. This principle gives up the idea of measuring the strain‐induced resistance change of single wire conductors and passes on to determining the strain‐induced deformation of the electrical field in area conductors. The basic operating principle, sensitivity considerations and the design of a functional prototype are described. Several experimental results in the application fields of transducer technology and strain analysis demonstrate the high capability of this method. The compact design allows simplification of the production process. An interesting additional advantage is the use of science‐based temperature compensation, i.e. the conventional, difficult process of foil treatment to attain temperature self‐compensation and suitability of each strain gauge for different component materials is superseded.
Investigation on Fracture Behaviour of Turbine Blades Under Self‐Exciting Modes
Authors: Sciammarella C. A. , Casavola C. , Lamberti L. , Pappalettere C.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  This paper investigates the failure mechanisms of turbine blades occurring during similar conditions of turbine operation. Optical techniques are utilised to identify critical frequencies that may be the cause of blade fractures. For that purpose, time average, stroboscopic holographic interferometry and holographic moiré are utilised to record vibration patterns. Strain maps are computed from stroboscopic and holographic moiré patterns. Stress distributions are computed under the assumption of linear elasticity. It is found that stress trajectories deduced from holographic measurements match well with the initial trajectories of crack observed for the in‐service broken specimens. This fact allows the excitation modes causing blade fractures to be identified. Finite element analyses carried out on models corrected in view of the experimentally observed vibration modes provide the values of stress causing fracture initiation. The paper discusses the failure mechanisms of the blades on the basis the experimental evidence and finite elements results. The observed failure modes seem to be a form of the principal normal stress fracture criterion. An argument based on damage accumulation explains the observed behaviour. Further evidence on failure mechanisms is gathered from scanning electron microscope images of the fractured specimens.
A Method of Measuring Through‐Thickness Internal Strains and Stresses in Graphite
Authors: Nakhodchi S. , Flewitt P. E. J. , Smith D. J.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Currently, the structural integrity of the nuclear graphite reactor components is evaluated using irradiated material properties data obtained from test reactors. These data are applied to numerical or mathematical models to assess the integrity of the graphite components. On the other hand, there is a need to measure internal strains and stresses in reactor core graphite and to explore the potential for in‐situ measurement. The deep hole drilling (DHD) technique is a semi‐destructive method for measurement of the through thickness residual strains or stresses. Previously the technique has been applied successfully to metallic and composite materials. In this paper, the method for internal strain and stress measurement in polygranular graphite is examined particularly when a significant volume fraction of porosity is present. Finite element simulation shows that the method can be used to measure internal stresses generated by a thermal gradient. On the basis of this a series of experiments have been conducted using Pile Grade ‘A’ (PGA) and PG25 filter graphite; with the latter being a surrogate for service exposed material. Tests were conducted to illustrate that the bulk mechanical response was linear elastic for both graphites and elastic moduli were measured. The DHD method was then used to determine internal strain and stress profiles through the materials. The results were compared with the strain data obtained from strain gauges bonded to the samples. Overall, there was an excellent agreement between the measured through‐thickness internal strains and stresses and the surface strains and stresses determined from the applied loading.
Safety Outcomes in the United States: Trends and Challenges in Measurement
Authors: Greenberg Michael D. , Haviland Amelia M. , Yu Hao , Farley Donna O.
Published: December 2008

Objective. To prepare Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for monitoring the impact of its own patient safety initiative, by exploring available outcomes data, assessing usability of measures, and estimating national trends in patient outcomes.

Data Sources. Annual summary data on incidence of Joint Commission Sentinel Events, MEDMARX medication error events, and MDS measures of falls and pressure ulcers in nursing home residents. HCUP National Inpatient Sample (NIS) administrative claims data.

Methods. Description and assessment of published summary data on selected safety measures. Analysis of selected Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) and Utah–Missouri adverse event measures using HCUP NIS claims data (1994–2003).

Principal Findings. Interpretation of safety outcome trends requires close attention to the characteristics of underlying data sources and measures. Encounter‐based measures have been affected by changes in definitions and ICD‐9 coding, as well as by changes in the structure of administrative datasets like HCUP NIS. Historical trends are mixed for the safety outcome measures reviewed, with some measures showing improvement, others deterioration, and still others remaining fairly stable.

Conclusions. Constructing national trends of safety outcomes is difficult because of limitations in available data sources and measures. Tracking growth in the adoption of safe practices could offer an important strategy for complementing existing safety measurement capabilities.
Training a Patient Safety Work Force: The Patient Safety Improvement Corps
Authors: Teleki Stephanie S. , Damberg Cheryl L. , Sorbero Melony E. S. , Shaw Rebecca N. , Bradley Lily A. , Quigley Denise D. , Fremont Allen M. , Farley Donna O.
Published: December 2008

Objective. Evaluate short‐term effects of the Patient Safety Improvement Corps (PSIC), an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality–sponsored program to train state teams in patient safety skills/tools, to assess its contribution to building a national infrastructure supporting effective patient safety practices.

Data Source. Self‐reported information gathered from (1) group interviews at the end of each year; (2) individual telephone interviews 1 year later; (3) faxed information forms 2 years later.

Study Design. Program evaluation of immediate and short‐term process and impact (use of skills/tools, information sharing, changes in practice).

Data Collection. Semistructured interviews; faxed forms.

Principal Findings. One year after training, approximately half of Year 1 and 2 state agency representatives reported they had initiated or modified legislation to strengthen safe practices, and modified adverse event oversight procedures. Approximately three‐quarters of hospital representatives said training contributed to modifications to adverse event oversight procedures and promotion of patient safety culture. Two years posttraining, approximately three‐quarters of Year 1 trainees said they continued to use many skills/tools.

Conclusions. The PSIC contributed to building a national infrastructure supporting effective patient safety practices. Expanded training is needed to reach a larger fraction of the population for which this training is important.
Experiences of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality‐Funded Projects That Implemented Practices for Safer Patient Care
Authors: Taylor Stephanie L. , Susan Ridgely M. , Greenberg Michael D. , Sorbero Melony E. S. , Teleki Stephanie S. , Damberg Cheryl L. , Farley Donna O.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. To synthesize lessons learned from the experiences of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality‐funded patient safety projects in implementing safe practices.

Data Sources. Self‐reported data from individual and group interviews with Original, Challenge, and Partnerships in Implementing Patient Safety (PIPS) grantees, from 2003 to 2006.

Study Design. Interviews with three grantee groups (n=60 total) implementing safe practice projects, with comparisons on factors influencing project implementation and sustainability.

Data Collection. Semi‐structured protocols contained open‐ended questions on lessons learned and more structured questions on factors associated with project implementation and sustainability.

Principal Findings. The grantees shared common experiences, frequently identifying lessons learned regarding structural components needing to be in place before implementation, components of the implementation process, components of interventions' results needed for sustainability, changes in timelines or activities, unanticipated issues, and staff acceptance/adoption. Also, fewer Original grants had many of the factors related project to implementation/sustainability than the PIPS or Challenge grantees had.

Conclusions. Although much of what was reported seemed like common sense, surprisingly few projects actually planned for or expected many of the barriers or facilitators they experienced during their project implementation. Others implementing practice improvements likely will share the experiences and issues identified by these implementation projects and can learn from their lessons.
The Growth of Partnerships to Support Patient Safety Practice Adoption
Authors: Mendel Peter , Damberg Cheryl L. , Sorbero Melony E.S. , Varda Danielle M. , Farley Donna O.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. To document the numbers and types of interorganizational partnerships within the national patient safety domain, changes over time in these networks, and their potential for disseminating patient safety knowledge and practices.

Data Sources. Self‐reported information gathered from representatives of national‐level organizations active in promoting patient safety.

Study Design. Social network analysis was used to examine the structure and composition of partnership networks and changes between 2004 and 2006.

Data Collection. Two rounds of structured telephone interviews (n=35 organizations in 2004 and 55 in 2006).

Principal Findings. Patient safety partnerships expanded between 2004 and 2006. The average number of partnerships per interviewed organization increased 40 percent and activities per reported partnership increased over 50 percent. Partnerships increased in all activity domains, particularly dissemination and tools development. Fragmentation of the overall partnership network decreased and potential for information flow increased. Yet network centralization increased, suggesting vulnerability to partnership failure if key participants disengage.

Conclusions. Growth in partnerships signifies growing strength in the capacity to disseminate and implement patient safety advancements in the U.S. health care system. The centrality of AHRQ in these networks of partnerships bodes well for its leadership role in disseminating information, tools, and practices generated by patient safety research projects.
Valuing Traits of Indigenous Cows in Central Ethiopia
Authors: Kassie Girma T. , Abdulai Awudu , Wollny Clemens
Published: January 2009

This research aimed at identifying and estimating the relative weight assigned to the preferred traits of indigenous cow population in the most dominant crop–livestock mixed production system in Central Ethiopia. A choice experiment approach was employed to elicit the preferences and a random parameters logit model was used to estimate the relative importance of the preferred attributes of indigenous cows. The results show that fertility, disease resistance and calf vigour traits are at least as important as milk. The location the cows are brought from is also an important attribute for buyers. Results from the simulation on the influence of changes in attribute levels showed that fertility and disease resistance affect preferences more than other traits. The findings suggest that the smallholder community in this part of Ethiopia depends on semi‐subsistence agriculture and so livestock development interventions should focus on a multitude of reproductive and adaptive traits that stabilise the herd structure rather than focusing on traits that are only important for commercial purposes.