bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxicity and Biocompatibility of Carbon Nanoparticles
Authors: Fiorito S. , Serafino A. , Andreola F. , Togna A. , Togna G.
Published: February 2006

A review is presented of the literature data concerning the effects induced by carbon nanoparticles on the biological environment and the importance of these effects in human and animal health. The discovery in 1985 of fullerenes, a novel carbon allotrope with a polygonal structure
made up solely by 60 carbon atoms, and in 1991 of carbon nanotubes, thin carbon filaments (1–3 μm in length and 1–3 nm in diameter) with extraordinary mechanical properties, opened a wide field of activity in carbon research. During the last few years, practical applications
of fullerenes as biological as well as pharmacological agents have been investigated. Various fullerene-based compounds were tested for biological activity, including antiviral, antioxidant, and chemiotactic activities. Nanotubes consist of carbon atoms arranged spirally to form concentric
cylinders, that are perfect crystals and thinner than graphite whiskers. They are stronger than steel but very flexible and lightweight and transfer heat better than any other known material. These characteristics make them suitable for various potential applications such as super strong cables
and tips for scanning probe microscopes, as well as biomedical devices for drug delivery, medical diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. The effects induced by these nanostructures on rat lung tissues, as well as on human skin and human macrophage and keratinocyte cells are presented.
Adhesion and Structure Properties of Protein Nanomaterials Containing Hydrophobic and Charged Amino Acids
Authors: Shen Xinchun , Mo Xiaoqun , Moore Robyn , Frazier Shawnalea J. , Iwamoto Takeo , Tomich John M. , Sun Xiuzhi Susan
Published: February 2006

Protein polymers are being used or considered for biobased adhesives and coating materials. Most adhesives derived from macro protein molecules work through receptors or cross-links to bring about adhesion. The adhesion mechanism of protein polymers would lead to better understanding
of adhesives and the discovery of new practical properties of protein polymers at both nano- and macro-scales. The objective of this research work was to study adhesion properties of protein polymers at nanoscale (a peptide adhesive with nanometer-scale units that range in size of several
nanometers, defined as protein nanomaterial). Seven protein nanomaterial samples with different degrees of adhesive strength were designed and synthesized using solid phase chemistries. All protein nanomaterials contain a common hydrophobic core flanked by charged amino acid sequences. The
adhesion properties of the protein nanomaterials were investigated at different pH values and curing temperatures. The protein nanomaterials self aggregate and interact with the wood surface. The protein nanomaterial KKK-FLIVIGSII-KKK identified in this study had high adhesive strength
toward wood. It had the highest shear strength at pH 12, with an amino acid sequence that was very hydrophobic and uncharged. This protein nanomaterial underwent structural analyses using circular dichroism, laser-Fourier transform infrared, and laser desorption mass spectrometry. At pH 12
this peptide adopted a pH-induced beta-like conformation. Adhesive strength reflects contributions of both hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions. Ionic and covalent bonds do not appear to be significant factors for adhesion in this study.
Synthesis of Noble Metal/Carbon Nanotube Composites in Supercritical Methanol
Authors: Sun Zhenyu , Fu Lei , Liu Zhimin , Han Buxing , Liu Yunqi , Du Jimin
Published: February 2006

A simple and efficient route has been employed to deposit noble metal nanoparticles (Pt, Ru, Pt–Ru, Rh, Ru–Sn) onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in supercritical methanol solution. In this method, the inorganic metallic salts acted as metal precursors, and methanol as solvent
as well as reductant for the precursors. The as-prepared nanocomposites were structurally and morphologically characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. It was demonstrated
that the CNTs were decorated by crystalline metal nanoparticles with uniform sizes and a narrow particle size distribution. The size and loading content of the nanoparticles on CNTs could be tuned by manipulating reaction parameters. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of the composites was
also discussed.
Preparation of High Purity ZnO Nanobelts by Thermal Evaporation of ZnS
Authors: Chen Zhi-Gang , Li Feng , Liu Gang , Tang Yongbin , Cong Hongtao , Lu Gao Qing , Cheng Hui-Ming
Published: February 2006

High purity one-dimensional ZnO nanobelts were synthesized by thermally evaporating commercial ZnS powders in a hydrogen–oxygen mixture gas at 1050 °C. It was found that these ZnO nanobelts had a single crystal hexagonal wurtzite structure growing along the [0001] direction.
They had a rectangle-shaped cross-section with typical widths of 20 to 100 nanometers and lengths of up to hundreds of micrometers with lattice constants of a = 0.325 nm and c = 0.520 nm. The self-catalytic hydrogen–oxygen assisted growth of ZnO nanobelt is discussed. The
photoluminescence (PL) characterization of the ZnO nanobelts shows strong near-band UV emission (about 383 nm) and one broad peak at 501 nm, which indicates that the ZnO nanobelts have good potential application in optoelectronic devices.
Carbon Nanotubes for Immunomagnetic Separation of Escherichia Coli O157:H7
Authors: Lin Yi , Jiang Xiuping , Elkin Tara , Fernando K. A. Shiral , Gu Lingrong , Taylor Shelby , Yang Hua , Jones Eric , Wang Wei , Sun Ya-Ping
Published: February 2006

Bovine serum albumin-functionalized multiple-walled carbon nanotubes with encapsulated ferromagnetic elements were conjugated with pathogen-specific antibody, and the conjugate was evaluated for immunomagnetic separation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in pure and mixed (with Salmonella
Typhimurium) cultures.
Single Crystalline Nature of para-Sexiphenyl Crystallites Grown on KCl(100)
Authors: Haber T. , Oehzelt M. , Resel R. , Andreev A. , Thierry A. , Sitter H. , Smilgies D.-M. , Schaffer B. , Grogger W. , Resel R.
Published: February 2006

This work focuses on studies of the single crystal nature of para-sexiphenyl structures grown on freshly cleaved KCl(100) surfaces. Two different kinds of morphologies, namely terrace like structures and needle like structures, are found by atomic force microscopy as well as by electron
microscopy. Regardless of the morphology the individual crystallites show highly regular shapes. The crystalline alignment and the degree of order of the crystallites on the surface are determined by X-ray diffraction. Several epitaxial alignments of para-sexiphenyl on KCl(100) are observed
and all of them are perfectly aligned on the surface. The rocking curve widths of the organic crystallites do not exceed 800″ which is approximately only the four fold of the substrates' ones. The single crystalline nature of para-sexiphenyl crystallites is proven by transmission electron
microscopy, diffraction patterns, dark field imaging and high resolution techniques. Single crystalline terraced mounds reach diameters of several microns and heights of 50 nm. Single crystal needles show heights and breadths of more than 100 nm and lengths of several microns.
Cellulose Nanocrystal-Filled Carboxymethyl Cellulose Nanocomposites
Authors: Choi YongJae , Simonsen John
Published: February 2006

Polymer nanocomposites are one of the important application areas for nanotechnology. Naturally derived organic nanophase materials are of special interest in the case of polymer nanocomposites. Carboxymethyl cellulose is a polyelectrolyte derived from natural materials. It has been
extensively studied as a hydrogel polymer. Methods to modify the mechanical properties of gels and films made from CMC are of interest in our lab and in the commercial marketplace. The effect of nano-sized fillers on the properties of CMC-based composites is of interest in the development
of novel or improved applications for hydrogel polymers in general and CMC in particular. This project investigated cellulose nanocrystals (CNXLs) as a filler in CMC and compared the effects to microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The composite material was composed of CMC, MCC or CNXL, with
glycerin as a plasticizer. CNXL and MCC concentrations ranged from 5% to 30%. Glycerin concentrations were kept constant at 10%. CNXLs improved the strength and stiffness of the resulting composite compared to MCC. In addition, a simple heat treatment was found to render the nanocomposite
water resistant.
A Microwave Route for the Synthesis of Nanoflakes and Dendrites-Type β-In2S3 and their Characterization
Authors: Patra Chitta Ranjan , Patra Sujata , Gabashvili Alexandra , Mastai Yitzhak , Koltypin Yuri , Gedanken Aharon , Palchik Valery , Slifkin Michael A.
Published: February 2006

In this article, a simple microwave route was applied for the synthesis of nanoflakes and dendrite-type β-indium sulfide (In2S3) in high yield (>97%), using a homogeneous mixture of indium(III)chloride and thiourea in an ethylene glycol (EG)/polyethylene
glycol (PEG400) solvent. The reaction was conducted in a simple domestic microwave oven (DMO). Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), low resolution and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (LRTEM and HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), were applied to investigate the crystallinity, structure, morphology, and composition of the In2S3 nano-materials. Both the as-synthesized and calcined In2S3 products were a body-centered tetragonal (bct) phase, observed
by XRD and HRTEM. The length and width of the resulting nanoflakes were in the range of 70–600 nm and 4–10 nm, respectively. The optical band gap of the powder was determined by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and was found to be 2.44 eV. The electronic properties of the
products were studied by measuring the optical absorption spectra using photo-acoustic spectroscopy. The band gap calculated by this method was found to be 2.52 eV. A possible mechanism for the formation of nanoflakes/dendrites-type In2S3 was also discussed.
Room Temperature Solvent-Free Synthesis of Monodisperse Magnetite Nanocrystals
Authors: Ye X. R. , Daraio C. , Wang C. , Talbot J. B. , Jin S.
Published: February 2006

We have successfully demonstrated a facile, solvent-free synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse Fe3O4 nanocrystallites at ambient temperature avoiding any heating. Solid state reaction of inorganic Fe(II) and Fe(III) salts with NaOH was found to produce
highly crystalline Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The reaction, if carried out in the presence of surfactant such as oleic acid–oleylamine adduct, generated monodisperse Fe3O4 nanocrystals extractable directly from the reaction mixture. The extracted
nanoparticles were capable of forming self-assembled, two-dimensional and uniform periodic array. The new process utilizes inexpensive and nontoxic starting materials, and does not require a use of high boiling point and toxic solvents, thus is amenable to an environmentally desirable, large-scale
synthesis of nanocrystals.
Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of Selenium Nanowire Bundles via a Polymer-Controlled Chemical Route
Authors: Xie Qin , Liu Jianwei , Liang Jianbo , Yu Weichao , Qian Yitai
Published: February 2006

This article describes a polymer-controlled chemical method for synthesis of trigonal selenium (t-Se) nanowire bundles in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) at 100 °C. Electron microscope images show that Se nanowires have diameters of 30–50 nm and lengths of
up to a few tens of micrometers. TEM images display the direct evidence for the growth process of single-crystalline Se nanowire bundles, which suggested that Se nanowire bundles were directly converted from the initial amorphous Se micro-particles in the presence of PVA. UV-Vis absorbance
of t-Se nanowire bundles revealed that the bandgap and absorbance peaks displayed larger blue shifts relative to those of bulk t-Se.
Knowledge management performance evaluation: a decade review from 1995 to 2004
Authors: Chen Mu-Yen , Chen An-Pin
Published: February 2006

In this paper, the development of knowledge management (KM) was surveyed, using a literature review and classification of articles from 1995 to 2004. With a keyword index and article abstract, we explored how KM performance evaluation has developed during this period. Based on a scope of 108 articles from 80 academic KM journals (retrieved from six online databases), we surveyed and classified methods of KM measurement, using the following eight categories: qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, financial indicator analysis, non-financial indicator analysis, internal performance analysis, external performance analysis, project-orientated analysis and organizationorientated analysis, together with their measurement matrices for different research and problem domains. Future development directions for KM performance evaluation are presented in our discussion. They include: (1) KM performance measurements have tended towards expertise orientation, while evaluation development is a problemorientated domain; (2) different information technology methodologies, such as expert systems, knowledge-based systems and case-based reasoning may be able to evaluate KM as simply another methodology; (3) the ability to continually change and obtain new understanding is the driving power behind KM methodologies, and should be the basis of KM performance evaluations in the future.
Everything, for ever? The preservation of South African websites for future research and scholarship
Authors: Lor Peter Johan , Britz Johannes , Watermeyer Henry
Published: February 2006

The amount of material published on the worldwide web continues to grow. This is also true of South Africa. Much of this material is banal and ephemeral, but it nevertheless forms part of South Africa's documentary heritage. It will have value for future historians and social scientists just as previous centuries’ printed broadsheets, newspapers and ‘penny horribles’ are used today as raw material for research. The proliferation of websites worldwide poses enormous challenges to heritage institutions such as national, research and repository libraries. In the developed countries the capturing, organization and preservation of websites have become an important theme in the professional literature of information science. Many difficulties have to be overcome before we can be sure that an adequate proportion of this material is preserved for future use. The difficulties are not only of a technical nature, but also organizational, economic, political, legal and ethical. This paper draws on experience gained in two current projects funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The first is the Political Communications Web Archiving Project, undertaken in the United States under the aegis of the Center for Research Libraries, Chicago, which has attempted to develop a model for the preservation of websites for use by area studies researchers at US universities. The second is a South African project on the legal deposit of electronic publications, managed by the Foundation for Library and Information Service Development (FLISD) on behalf of the National Library of South Africa. The paper outlines the major issues that have to be addressed when a national system for the preservation of websites is set up, with special emphasis on ‘soft’ issues (political, legal and moral) rather than technical issues.
An exploratory study of Israeli start-up entrepreneur usage of the internet
Authors: Shoham Snunith , Baruchson-Arbib Shifra , Gouri-Oren Osnat
Published: February 2006

Internet usage and its evaluation as a source of information, compared to traditional information sources, were examined among 92 entrepreneurs of Israeli start-ups. Entrepreneurs' independent versus mediated use in internet searches was also examined. Ninety percent of the entrepreneurs in this study described the internet as an important tool, while 71% believed that they were skilled in the use of the internet, despite the fact that they primarily used basic internet services including access of a repertoire of websites and search engines.

Findings of the study indicate that the internet plays a significant role in entrepreneurs' search activities, compared to traditional sources of information. Thus, the study findings reflect a change in entrepreneurial search practices and a shift toward a use of the internet. Entrepreneurs who perceived themselves as highly skilled in internet searches, tended to perform independent searches rather than rely on mediators.

The convenience, accessibility and anonymity of the internet, as well as the wealth of available informative data at no cost, contributed to this pattern of findings. Additionally, the internet contains diverse information which meets the needs of entrepreneurs, especially in the venture conception phase. Entrepreneurs in this stage have minimal cash resources and, according to Kirzner's theory of ‘alertness,’ tend to seek out all possible information rather than conduct more focused searches.
An efficient approach for sequence matching in large DNA databases
Authors: Won Jung-Im , Park Sanghyun , Yoon Jee-Hee , Kim Sang-Wook
Published: February 2006

In molecular biology, DNA sequence matching is one of the most crucial operations. Since DNA databases contain a huge volume of sequences, fast indexes are essential for efficient processing of DNA sequence matching. In this paper, we first point out the problems of the suffix tree, an index structure widely-used for DNA sequence matching, in respect of storage overhead, search performance, and difficulty in seamless integration with DBMS. Then, we propose a new index structure that resolves such problems. The proposed index structure consists of two parts: the primary part realizes the trie as binary bit-string representation without any pointers, and the secondary part helps fast access to the trie's leaf nodes that need to be accessed for post-processing. We also suggest efficient algorithms based on that index for DNA sequence matching. To verify the superiority of the proposed approach, we conduct performance evaluation via a series of experiments. The results reveal that the proposed approach, which requires smaller storage space, can be a few orders of magnitude faster than the suffix tree.
‘God’ in Public Reason
Authors: Biggar Nigel
Published: February 2006

The recent suicide bombings in London by young Islamists should remind Christian theologians that they are committed to a liberal polity of some kind. But is a genuinely theological liberalism possible? Many still think that public reason in a liberal polity must be universally accessible and therefore ‘secular’; and that it requires those with religious convictions to strip their public speech of theology. Such is the position taken by Jürgen Habermas in a recent newspaper interview. But is Habermas correct to suppose that a theological argument must be inaccessible to ‘non-theologians’? This essay returns a negative answer by seeking to demonstrate that a genuinely theological argument — for example, about the legalisation of euthanasia — can be grasped by non-theologians, can engage them, and might even persuade them. It concludes that on this point the late John Rawls has certain advantages over that of Habermas.
Migration Madness: Five Policy Dilemmas
Authors: Sriskandarajah Dhananjayan
Published: February 2006

With migration featuring prominently in political and popular discourse in recent years, this article examines five dilemmas that continue to dog policymakers. It is argued that any cogent and coherent policies in this area need to resolve these five basic challenges in migration policymaking: who can enter and the rules of their entry (admission); what rights and services migrants have access to (entitlements); how effectively they integrate with their host society (integration); what impact their movement has on their erstwhile home (overseas impact); and how to handle those already in a country but living and working without permission (undocumented migrants).
Responding to Strangers: Insights from the Christian Tradition
Authors: Pohl Christine D.
Published: February 2006

The historic Christian tradition of offering hospitality to strangers provides moral, theological and practical insights for contemporary responses to the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. Ancient writers were explicit about the difficulties, blessings, and necessity of welcoming strangers. In this paper, specific components of the tradition, especially as they are evident in the writings of Chrysostom, Calvin and Wesley, are discussed. Suggestions are offered for points of intersection with contemporary concerns related to asylum and immigration.
Time and Meaning in Alfred Schütz
Authors: Muzzetto Luigi
Published: February 2006

The essay analyses some aspects of the relationship between time and experience in Alfred Schütz. The first part highlights the role of time in the construction of the significant lived experience and of the subject's identity. It shows how the temporal structure determines the uniqueness of meaning: the latter is a function of lived-through time, of each individual's life-story. The structure of temporality seems to condemn the lived present to being excluded from the possibility of possessing meaning. In fact, the present is the privileged time frame for the construction of fundamental reality, of action, and of identity. The second part of the study investigates the ways in which time contributes to the constitution of sociality. The essay concludes by examining the main limitations of Schütz's theory.
Individual and Social Temporalities in American Sociology (1940–2000)
Authors: Cicchelli Vincenzo , Pugeault-Cicchelli Catherine , Merico Maurizio
Published: February 2006

This article is based on the analysis of 259 titles of articles selected from four American sociological journals (the American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, the American Sociological Review and Social Problems), over a period of 60 years (1940–2000). These titles contain key words such as age(s), generation(s), life cycle and life course, as well as a group of words that identify the purpose of each specific article. The lexical analysis of the data gathered in this way allows us to observe how various orientations, themes and objects of research are encoded in the titles. Comparing how each of these terms is used shows the way in which sociological reasoning has integrated different perspectives on individual and social temporalities. We have established that each of the four different perspectives considered refers to an exclusive lexical repertoire, to themes of differentiated research that belong to a specific historical period.
Embodying Modern Times
Authors: Widerberg Karin
Published: February 2006

We argue that the way time is organized affects bodily habits and emotions. Drawing on a variety of qualitative and quantitative studies from my large-scale research project with Ulla-Britt Lilleaas, ‘The Sociality of Tiredness: The Handling of Tiredness in a Gender, Generation and Class Perspective’ (presented in Lilleaas and Widerberg, 2001), we focus on class and gender aspects of bodily habits and customs generated in work life and family life (and in the combination of the two). In this article, I illustrate variations in the type of time and body habits that different work organizations and professions generate. I also stress similarities in the use of time and body across professions and gender to illuminate the driving forces of modernity. It is argued that a ‘sped-up life’ and a ‘life of doing’ at work and at home generate a restless body, and irritation (the emotion of late modernity?) as its emotional expression. Finally, the question is raised whether this development is not only a threat to the body, but also to the very heart of democracy.
Identity, Times and Work
Authors: Westenholz Ann
Published: February 2006

The aim of this article is to analyse the construction of time as perceived by a group of IT workers. It is argued that two stories about working time have been socially constructed during the 19th and 20th centuries, not as an epochal phenomenon but as a multi-times phenomenon: a clock time story and a task-time story. A quantitative method is used in analysing the IT workers, which breaks with the traditional conception within research that a social constructivist approach requires qualitative data and methods. The analysis reveals that these IT workers do not represent an homogenous group. Rather, four distinct groups are identifiable: Blurred Timers, Invaded Clock Timers, Clock Timers, and Task Timers – with Blurred Timers being the largest group and Task Timers the smallest. Employment status and union membership have a direct and significant impact on these time identities whereas gender, age, educational level, and challenge of the work do not have any direct or significant correlation with these time identities. Finally, the time identities are put into perspective and compared to recent research on gender and industrial relations.
Time Use and the Impact of Technology
Authors: Kaufman-Scarborough Carol
Published: February 2006

Times have changed. The distinctions between work time and household time are no longer limited by the constraints of physical space. Indeed, the boundaries of time and space between the home and the outside world have been blurred by home computers, faxes, email, pagers, and other technologies, bringing home into the workplace and work into the home space. The purpose of this manuscript is to re-examine the time–space relationship as new patterns of time use are necessitated by home workspaces. My particular interest lies in proposing and developing a conceptual schema that helps researchers to examine the intra-household time interactions that result when workspaces are integrated within the home space. In the present study, I develop a set of research propositions and a conceptual framework for analytical use.
Time Matters
Authors: Selin Cynthia
Published: February 2006

Temporally bound concepts operate regularly yet opaquely in the management of new technologies. Emerging technologies are particularly caught in time and can be said to be in a process of becoming. Yet works concerned with innovation tend to leave time black-boxed as the future, the past and a now. What is missing is a recognition and confrontation of the diversity of temporal horizons and, more broadly, the constructions of time that are negotiated by heterogeneous actors within any technological frame. This article delves into the anatomy of time in new technologies and seeks to understand the coding mediations that occur in the nanotechnology arena. The case of nanotechnology – due to its emergent properties, affinity with science fiction and inexhaustible promises – is taken up with an analytic exploration of network participants’ perspectives on time. Departing from empirical evidence within the nanotechnology arena, the focus is to explore the meanings and dilemmas implicated in disparate temporal horizons. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of temporal diversity latent in discourses of the future as they relate to the formulation of a new technological domain.
From Gods to Goddesses
Authors: Alis David , Karsten Luchien , Leopold John
Published: February 2006

Flexibility in working time arrangements may lead to heterogeneity of working-time patterns. Drawing on the societal perspective, we consider three interrelated spheres of: professional relations, organizational, and domestic space. Greek mythology assists us to contrast chrono management and Horai management. Case analyses of France, the UK, and the Netherlands are presented within the context of EU Directives. By introducing Horai management we try to find an expression for the dialectical interplay between the temporalities of the home and the workplace, while including developments in the wider societal context. Horai management helps us reach beyond the logic of time-economy to improve the coordination of multiple temporalities.
Sources of Conflict Between Families and Health Care Professionals
Authors: Moore Jean Burley , Kordick Mary Frances
Published: February 2006

It is essential to examine conflict between patients and health care professionals from the patient’s perspective. The purposes of this study were to 1) identify sources of conflict, 2) determine nursing interventions that alleviate conflict, and 3) test a conceptual framework of sources of conflict. This phenomenological study focused on children with cancer and their parents’ perceptions of conflicts with health care professionals as well as what they thought helped with such conflicts. Their reports of conflict were compared to C. W. Moore’s circle of conflict conceptual framework. A purposive sample of 27 participants (9 children, 14 mothers, and 4 fathers) participated in the study. Study findings showed that conflict occurred between health care professionals and families originating from differences in expectations and desires regarding data, interests, structure, relationships, and values, consistent with C. W. Moore’s conceptual framework. Nursing interventions reported by children and parents to be helpful in preventing or alleviating conflict were identified. C. W. Moore’s framework may provide a valuable structure for assessing conflict and designing nursing interventions to alleviate conflict.
A Constipation Assessment Scale for Use in Pediatric Oncology
Authors: Woolery Myra , Carroll Ellen , Fenn Elizabeth , Wieland Holly , Jarosinski Paul , Corey Barbara , Wallen Gwenyth R.
Published: February 2006

Constipation is prevalent in pediatric oncology patients because of treatment with vinca alkaloids and/or narcotics and lifestyle changes secondary to disease process. Sequelae of constipation include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, emergency department visits, and a decrease in quality of life. There are no reliable instruments to measure constipation in children. A pilot study (N = 21) evaluating the presence and severity of constipation and the reliability and validity of a modified version of the adult Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) in children with cancer was conducted. Patients receiving weekly vinca alkaloids and/or narcotics = 2 times per day were recruited. Initial bowel function assessments included standardized nursing and nutrition assessments, history/physical review, and baseline CAS score repeated at 1 hour to assess test-retest reliability. Subsequent assessments included CAS administered 3 times per week and daily patient bowel diaries. Test-retest reliability was evident (r = .93; P = .000). Acceptable construct validity was indicated by a difference in mean CAS scores (t = 4.4, P < .001). Patients reported difficulty with CAS questions and response selections. Symptoms asked on CAS were often not viewed as a problem.
Minimizing Complications Related to Fever in the Postoperative Pediatric Oncology Patient
Authors: Chang Ann , Hendershot Eleanor , Colapinto Kimberly
Published: February 2006

Fever is a common postoperative complication that is generally thought to be a benign, self-limiting event. However, for pediatric oncology patients who are often immunocompromised, a postoperative fever may indicate an infection, which can lead to significant complications if not treated promptly. A physical examination, which is an established cost-effective method to rule out infections in the general surgical population, may not be sufficient for oncology patients because clinical symptoms may be atypical or absent in immunocompromised hosts. Although a full septic workup may be unnecessary, additional investigations such as blood cultures may be warranted, and antibiotic therapy should be considered for some or all febrile postoperative cancer patients. No standardized approach to fever management in postoperative oncology patients currently exists, which can present a challenge for those who care for these patients. In the absence of such established practice standards, this article outlines some of the considerations that may be vital in minimizing complications related to fever in the postoperative pediatric oncology patient.
‘Making Blood Flow’: Materializing Blood in Body Modification and Blood-borne Virus Prevention
Authors: Fraser Suzanne , Valentine Kylie
Published: February 2006

This article combines in-depth interviews and Karen Barad's work on materiality to think about the ways in which the materiality of blood might be understood in relation to sociality and blood-borne virus prevention among BDSM (bondage and domination, dominance and submission and sadomasochism) body modification practitioners in Sydney, Australia. In doing so, it confronts questions of how the materiality of blood can be theorized in ways that neither presume a fixed, a priori ontological status or essence, nor exclude it from an active role in the production of realities. In taking account of both its co-constitutive role in practice, and its figurative power (as flow) in understanding the mind/body, discourse/materiality conjunctions at work in BDSM body modification practice, we aim to illuminate further the imbrication of materiality and meaning, and generate a more complex and fruitful account of blood for the purposes of blood-borne virus prevention and education.
Commodification of Body Parts: By Medicine or by Media?
Authors: Seale Clive , Cavers Debbie , Dixon-Woods Mary
Published: February 2006

Commentators frequently point to the involvement of biomedicine and bio-science in the objectification and commodification of human body parts, and the consequent potential for violation of personal, social and community meanings. Through a study of UK media coverage of controversies associated with the removal of body parts and human materials from children, we argue that an exclusive emphasis on the role of medicine and the bio-sciences in the commodification of human materials ignores the important role played by commercially motivated mass media organizations. Analysis of the language of news reports covering the period of the organ retention controversies in the UK reveals the ways in which the mass media contribute to the commodification of body parts by recruiting them for use in the manufacture of a media scandal. This is achieved through use of horror language, the fetishization of certain body parts, emphasis on the fragmentation of the body, and the use of a variety of rhetorical devices to convey enormity and massive scale. Media participation in the commodification of children's body parts has profound implications for practices and policies in relation to use of body parts, and has significantly influenced the governmental regulation of science and medicine. The role of mass media deserves fuller recognition by theorists of body commodification.
Straightedge Bodies and Civilizing Processes
Authors: Atkinson Michael
Published: February 2006

Much of the extant popular culture literature points to the nihilistic and present-centred philosophies of material/image consumption common among North American youth enclaves. Few researchers, however, inspect how ascetic youth subcultures on the continent reject mainstream pressures to consume, and perform moral reformist work through the body. In this article, participant observation-based data collected on eastern Canadian practitioners of an ascetic lifestyle called ‘Straightedge’ are utilized to illustrate how social discipline and moral commentary is interactively displayed via ‘restrained’ body ritual. Practitioners of Straightedge express a quasi-religious conviction or sense of ‘calling’ to their rather Puritanical way of life, and view commitment to Straightedge as an ongoing marker of self-control and efficacy. Straightedge narratives suggest how the desire to pursue asceticism springs from a learned cultural habitus, and how the practice may be ‘read’ by others as a form of social protest. Practitioners stress how the calling to asceticism serves as a means of personal salvation, and how performing Straightedge encourages ‘civilized’ corporeal practice.
‘It Makes My Skin Crawl...’: The Embodiment of Disgust in Phobias of ‘Nature’
Authors: Smith Mick , Davidson Joyce
Published: February 2006

Specific phobias of natural objects, such as moths, spiders and snakes, are both common and socially significant, but they have received relatively little sociological attention. Studies of specific phobias have noted that embodied experiences of disgust are intimately associated with phobic reactions, but generally explain this in terms of objective qualities of the object concerned and/or evolutionary models. We draw on the work of Kolnai, Douglas and Kristeva to provide an alternative phenomenological and culturally informed account of the complex links between pervasive social categories and their emotional embodiment and expression in phobic individuals.
Resuscitations: Stem Cells and the Crisis of Old Age
Authors: Cooper Melinda
Published: February 2006

This article looks at the history of the stem cell as an experimental life-form and situates it within the context of biological theories of cellular ageing which emerged in the 1960s, under the banner of ‘biogerontology’. The field of biogerontology, I argue, is crucially concerned not only with the internal limits to a cell's lifespan, but also with the possibility of overcoming limits. Hence, the sense of ‘revolution’ that has surrounded the isolation of human embryonic stem cells. The article goes on to situate the problematic of cellular ageing within the larger historical transition from Fordist to post-Fordist modes of production – a transition whose effects on the life sciences have been insufficiently theorized – and points to resonances between the concerns of biogerontology and an emerging political rhetoric on the crisis of ageing and limits to growth. Having surfaced in parallel with the neo-liberal euphoria of the 1990s, the field of regenerative medicine presents itself as a biomedical solution to the problem of limits to growth. What is at stake in the contemporary biosciences, I suggest, is not so much the mass commodification of life itself as its transformation into a source of speculative surplus value.
African American Grandmothers Parenting AIDS Orphans
Authors: Winston Carole A.
Published: February 2006

This qualitative study examines the coping strategies of African American grandmothers grieving the loss of an adult child to an AIDS death while parenting orphaned grandchildren. The results suggest that (a) African American cultural norms compel caregiving behaviors that include parenting grandchildren, even at great personal cost; (b) an abiding religious and spiritual faith allowed the respondents to cope with the several losses they experienced; and (c) social service agencies, churches, primary care and mental health facilities that provide services for AIDS survivors will need to develop programs that are culturally sensitive and accessible to the targeted populations.
Dimensions of Depression
Authors: Sellers Sherrill L. , Ward Earlise C. , Pate David
Published: February 2006

In recent years discussions of the mental health of women have focused on gender comparative research and racial disparities among women, often with particular attention to depression. However, few studies have examined depression among Black African immigrant women. In this exploratory study, five self-identified African women participated in a focus group that addressed their health and wellbeing. Analyses indicated that depression was a major health concern for participants. Dimensional analysis revealed four dimensions: perceptions, contextual factors, symptom manifestation, and cultural coping. These dimensions influenced the women's perceptions of culturally appropriate treatment. Implications for clinical social work interventions with Black African immigrant women are presented.
Evaluating the Usefulness of a Prostitution Diversion Project
Authors: Wahab Stéphanie
Published: February 2006

As social workers are increasingly collaborating with the criminal justice system through diversion programs to create and provide alternative approaches to working with legal offenders, practitioners and researchers must consider evaluating such projects. While there exist numerous prostitution diversion programs for both sex workers and clients of commercial sex workers, often referred to as ‘John Schools’, throughout the USA and Canada, there have been no published evaluations, until now, of any of the programs for commercial sex workers. This article presents the research methods and discussions concerning some of the study findings of a qualitative evaluation of Salt Lake City's Prostitution Diversion Project (PDP). This article explores the usefulness of the PDP by discussing the program's objectives, its strengths and limitations as perceived by the stakeholders. The author discusses how the various stakeholders perceived and experienced the PDP. Discussions in this article pay particular attention to the stakeholders’ experiences of working with and across significant theoretical and practical differences.
Team-based Research
Authors: Garland Diana R. , O'Connor Mary Katherine , Wolfer Terry A. , Netting F. Ellen
Published: February 2006

This article reviews the literature on research using teams, including interdisciplinary teams, teams that span universities and are geographically distant, and teams using qualitative and mixed methods. It reports experiences of two multi-year, externally funded, multiple-university research teams that used both qualitative and quantitative methods. It concludes with suggestions for others undertaking teambased research.
Using Discursive Reflexivity to Enhance the Qualitative Research Process
Authors: Cooper Neil , Burnett Sylvia
Published: February 2006

Through reflecting upon two extracts from conversational interviews with a young mother, this paper explores the discursive nature of research interviews. Informed by discursive psychology (Potter and Wetherell, 1987), and positioning theory (Davies and Harré, 1990), a reflexive commentary is set out which locates the generation of narrative data both within the interactional dynamics of the interview and also the wider social discourses which frame such conversations. The article demonstrates that attention to discursive processes may enhance the robustness of qualitative research by facilitating reflexivity, which despite being central to qualitative methodology, is often challenging to accomplish. In addition, the potential for utilizing an awareness of discourse to enhance aspects of the qualitative research process such as literature reviewing and research training is also discussed.
The Evolution of Rawls's Justification of Political Compliance: Part 1 of The Problem of Political Compliance in Rawls's Theories of Justice
Authors: Carter Alan
Published: February 2006

As Rawls's thought evolved from his 1958 article ‘Justice as Fairness’ to the 1996 edition of his book Political Liberalism, his response to the problem of political compliance would seem to have undergone a number of changes. This article critically evaluates the development of Rawls's various explicit or implied arguments that serve to justify compliance to just social arrangements, and concludes that the problem of political compliance remains without any cogent solution within the vast corpus of Rawls's work.
A Paradox of Sovereignty in Rousseau's Social Contract
Authors: Simpson Matthew
Published: February 2006

One unique part of Rousseau's Social Contract is his argument that a just society must have a specific constitutional arrangement of powers centred around what he calls the Sovereign and the Prince. This makes his philosophy different from other contractualists, such as Hobbes and Locke, who think that the principles of good government are compatible with any number of institutional structures. Rousseau's constitutional theory is thus significant in a way that has no parallel in Hobbes or Locke. More to the point, any problems that exist in his constitutional theory will have consequences for his political thought as a whole. This article argues that there is a contradiction at the center of Rousseau's theory of institutions that threatens the cogency of the Social Contract.
More on Blameworthiness and Alternative Possibilities
Authors: Goddu G.C.
Published: February 2006

The derivation of the generally held Principle of Alternative Possibilities (PAP), roughly ‘you are morally responsible only if you could do otherwise’, from an even more generally held moral principle, K (for Kant), that roughly speaking ‘ought implies can’, has recently been the focus of significant debate. In this paper I shall argue that by focusing on PAP interpreted in terms of commissions alone an alternative derivation of PAP interpreted in terms of omissions is being overlooked. The advantage of the new derivation is that it avoids many of the criticisms directed at the original derivation.
Breast Ultrasound Update
Authors: Svensson W. E.
Published: February 2006

Continuing advances in computing and equipment are increasing the efficacy of breast ultrasound. A few recent significant advances are described. Cine loop, extended field of view and 3D imaging provide improved demonstration of abnormality. With colour Doppler, ultrasound contrast and ultrasound elasticity, imaging these advances can help to improve diagnostic accuracy and monitoring of presurgical breast cancer treatment.
Intra-operative Ultrasound Elastography and Registered Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Tumours: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Chakraborty Aabir , Berry Gearóid , Bamber Jeff , Dorward Neil
Published: February 2006

Following craniotomy, the decision to resect a brain tumour is based on (1) the surgeon's interpretation of preoperative imaging, such as MRI, (2) correlating the imaging to the surgical field, (3) visual inspection of the surgical field, and (4) palpation thus providing biomechanical information on tumour and brain. There is a degree of subjectivity in the use of palpation for biomechanical evaluation. Ultrasound elastography is a technique for determining more objective biomechanical information at depth in the form of relative strain, thus indirectly stiffness, within an ultrasound scan plane. In addition, neuro-navigation techniques assist in correlating preoperative imaging to the surgical field. We present two cases where ultrasound elastography with co-registered MRI, using neuro-navigation, was used intra-operatively during brain tumour resection. Correlation with the co-registered MRI was excellent in both patients. Strain contrast between brain and tumour was evident in elastograms produced in both patients; the tumour had a lower strain, hence was stiffer compared with brain. When strain applied was increased slip between tumour and brain was detected. All these findings corresponded with the surgical findings. Ultrasound elastography with co-registered MRI is a promising imaging technique, which can be used intra-operatively to provide biomechanical information prior to resection.
Standardization of Ultrasound Methodology in the Investigation of Morbidity due to Schistosomiasis: Tanzania Workshop Report
Authors: Aitken Isabella
Published: February 2006

A workshop was held in February 2005 in Mwanza, Tanzania for ultrasound work-related participants from Mali, Kenya, Zanzibar, Zambia and Uganda. The course was funded by the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, London, in collaboration with the National Institute of Medical Research and the Ministry of Health, Tanzania. The training included theoretical and practical sessions with the aim of teaching the standardized protocols for the grading and staging of the sonopathology of schistosomiasis due to the parasite Schistosoma mansoni ( S. mansoni) and Schistosoma haematobium ( S. haematobium).1 The grading aids the provision of a quantitative evaluation in research studies.