bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childhood Obesity and Medical Neglect
Authors: Varness Todd , Allen David B. , Carrel Aaron L. , Fost Norman
Published: December 2008

The incidence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically, including severe childhood obesity and obesity-related comorbid conditions. Cases of severe childhood obesity have prompted the following question: does childhood obesity ever constitute medical neglect? In our opinion, removal of a child from the home is justified when all 3 of the following conditions are present: (1) a high likelihood that serious imminent harm will occur; (2) a reasonable likelihood that coercive state intervention will result in effective treatment; and (3) the absence of alternative options for addressing the problem. It is not the mere presence or degree of obesity but rather the presence of comorbid conditions that is critical for the determination of serious imminent harm. All 3 criteria are met in very limited cases, that is, the subset of obese children who have serious comorbid conditions and for whom all alternative options have been exhausted. In these limited cases, a trial of enforced treatment outside the home may be indicated, to protect the child from irreversible harm.
Pedometer Accuracy for Children: Can We Recommend Them for Our Obese Population?
Authors: Mitre Naim , Lanningham-Foster Lorraine , Foster Randal , Levine James A.
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. In this study, we investigated the accuracy of measuring walking steps with commercially available pedometers and an accelerometer-based step-counter in normal and overweight children. Our primary hypothesis was that commercially available pedometers are not an accurate measure of walking steps in normal and overweight children while walking. Our secondary hypothesis was that the accelerometer-based step-counter provides an accurate measure of walking steps in normal and overweight children.

METHODS. Thirteen boys (11 ± 1 years) and 14 girls (11 ± 1 years) who ranged in BMI from 15 to 27 kg/m2 (16 normal and 11 overweight or obese) were recruited. Each child wore 4 pedometers at the waist and 1 accelerometer-based step-counter on each ankle. Steps were manually counted and energy expenditure was measured while the child walked on the treadmill at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mph, each for 5 minutes. The step-counting devices were also validated while children walked on level ground at a self-selected pace.

RESULTS. For the commercially available pedometers at the lowest speed of 0.5 mph, the percentage error approximated 100% for both of the pedometers. At the fastest speed of 2.0 mph, the percentage error approximated 60%. Conversely the accelerometer-based step-counter showed a percentage error of 24% ± 22% (mean ± SD) at 0.5 mph; however, as walking speed increased, the error declined to 5% ± 8% at 1.0 mph, 4% ± 5% at 1.5 mph, and 2% ± 2% at 2.0 mph. The relationship between steps counted and walking energy expenditure showed good linear correlation.

CONCLUSIONS. Commercially available pedometers are less accurate for measuring walking and require discretion in their use for children. The accuracy of the accelerometer-based step-counter enables it to be used as a tool to assess and potentially promote physical activity in normal and overweight children.
Failure of Ductus Arteriosus Closure Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Preterm Infants
Authors: Noori Shahab , McCoy Michael , Friedlich Philippe , Bright Brianna , Gottipati Venugopal , Seri Istvan , Sekar Kris
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE. Because the standard of care has been to attempt to close the patent ductus arteriosus in preterm neonates, there is a paucity of information on the outcome of patients with a persistent patent ductus arteriosus. Our objective was to compare the mortality of preterm infants with and without a persistent patent ductus arteriosus.

METHODS. This was a single-center, retrospective study. Very preterm infants (birth weight ≤ 1500 g and gestational age ≤ 29 weeks) who survived beyond the first 3 postnatal days and did not undergo surgical ligation were included in the primary analysis. Mortality of neonates with a persistent and a closed patent ductus arteriosus was compared during the initial hospitalization by using the χ2 test. Cox proportional hazard regression and logistic regression were used to take into account the time until death and assess the independent effect of each risk factor on mortality. We also performed 3 secondary analyses by excluding patients who died during the first 7 and 14 postnatal days and including patients who underwent surgical ligation by using different group assignments. A persistent patent ductus arteriosus was defined as a failure of either spontaneous or pharmacologic ductal closure during the initial hospitalization.

RESULTS. Patients with a persistent patent ductus arteriosus (n = 41) had lower birth weight and were less mature than those with a closed ductus (n = 260). Unadjusted mortality rate was higher in patients with a persistent (70.7%) than with a closed (11.2%) ductus. After adjustment for perinatal factors, level of maturity, disease severity, and morbid pathologies, the hazard for death in neonates with a persistent ductus was eightfold higher than in those with a closed ductus. Exclusion of patients who died during the first 2 weeks or inclusion of those who underwent ductal ligation did not change the findings.

CONCLUSION. Failure of ductal closure is associated with an increase in mortality in very preterm infants.
Economic Evaluations of Clinical Pharmacy Services: 2001–2005
Authors: Perez Alexandra , Doloresco Fred , Hoffman James M. , Meek Patrick D. , Touchette Daniel R. , Vermeulen Lee C. , Schumock Glen T.
Published: December 2008

The objectives of this review were to summarize and evaluate studies that measured the economic impact of clinical pharmacy services published between 2001 and 2005 (inclusive) and to provide guidance on methodologic considerations to individuals performing such research in the future. A systematic literature search using the MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases was conducted to identify published economic evaluations of clinical pharmacy services. Studies were screened and then randomly assigned to reviewers, who reassessed inclusion and exclusion criteria and abstracted prespecified data from each study. Among the many characteristics examined in each study were study design and type of economic evaluation, setting and type of clinical pharmacy service, study quality, and results. Ninety‐three articles were included in the final analysis. These studies were published in 43 different journals, most of which (68 [73.1%]) were pharmacy‐based. Most studies were performed in hospitals (40 [43.0%]), ambulatory care clinics or physician's offices (20 [21.5%]), or community pharmacies (16 [17.2%]). The most common types of clinical pharmacy services evaluated were general pharmacotherapeutic monitoring services (32 [34.4%]), target drug programs (27 [29%]), and disease state‐management services (21 [22.6%]). Full economic evaluations were performed in just less than half (45 [48.4%]) of the studies, and a positive economic benefit associated with clinical pharmacy services was noted in 31 (69%) of the 45 studies. Among 15 studies reporting data necessary to determine a benefit:cost ratio, the pooled median value was 4.81:1—meaning that for every $1 invested in clinical pharmacy services, $4.81 was achieved in reduced costs or other economic benefits. The quality of studies varied widely, with less than one half considered to be good to fair (40 [43.0%]); however, the proportion of studies using appropriate study designs increased compared with previous reviews. Based on the evidence examined in this review, clinical pharmacy services continue to provide a significant return on investment, but improvements are still needed in the methods used to evaluate the economic impact of these services.
Role of Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers, and Aldosterone Antagonists in the Prevention of Atrial and Ventricular Arrhythmias
Authors: Makkar Kathy M. , Sanoski Cynthia A. , Spinler Sarah A.
Published: December 2008

Atrial arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are significant health problems and an economic burden to society. The renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) may play a key role in the occurrence of structural and electrical remodeling, potentially explaining the development of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Angiotensin II has been shown to regulate cardiac cell proliferation and to modulate cardiac myocyte ion channels. Results of post hoc analyses from prospective clinical trials appear to show that angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are most effective in the prevention of new‐onset atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure. It is difficult to determine if these agents are useful in the prevention of new‐onset atrial fibrillation after myocardial infarction, and available evidence suggests that the benefit of ACE inhibitors and ARBs for prevention of new‐onset atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertension appears limited to those with left ventricular hypertrophy. Patients with structural changes in cardiac muscle, such as those with heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy, appear to benefit the most from RAAS blockade, possibly due to the theory of reversal of cardiac remodeling. There is no evidence, to our knowledge, that either ACE inhibitors or ARBs facilitate direct electrical current cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation; however, it appears that RAAS blockade may be useful in the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation after direct electrical current cardioversion. Whether ACE inhibitors may prevent life‐threatening ventricular arrhythmias or SCD is unclear. Aldosterone antagonists appear to be useful for the prevention of SCD in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Results from ongoing clinical trials are anticipated to provide further insight on the potential roles of RAAS inhibitors for the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.
Antipsychotic‐Induced Hyperprolactinemia
Authors: Bostwick Jolene R. , Guthrie Sally K. , Ellingrod Vicki L.
Published: December 2008

Use of antipsychotic agents has been associated with hyperprolactinemia, or elevated prolactin levels; this hormonal abnormality can interfere with the functioning of repro ductive, endocrine, and metabolic systems. As antipsychotic agents are increasingly used for both United States Food and D rug Administratio n‐a ppro ved and nonapprove d indicatio ns, many individuals are at risk for developing antipsychotic‐induced hyperprolactinemia. First‐generation antipsychotics pose the greatest risk of causing this adverse effect; however, second‐generation antipsychotics, particularly risperidone and paliperidone, also often increase prolactin secretion. Hyperprolactinemia has short‐ and long‐term consequences that can seriously affect quality of life: menstrual disturbances, galactorrhea, sexual dysfunction, gynecomastia, infertility, decreased bone mineral density, and breast cancer. Although many of these are definitively connected to elevated prolactin levels, some, such as breast cancer, require further study. Both clinicians and patients should be aware of hyperprolactinemia‐associated effects. To prevent or alleviate the condition, tailoring an antipsychotic drug regimen to each individual patient is essential. In addition, the risk of hyperprolactinemia can be minimized by using the lowest effective dose of the antipsychotic agent. If the effects of prolactin are evident, the drug can be changed to another agent that is less likely to affect prolactin levels; alternatively, a dopamine agonist may be added, although this may compromise antipsychotic efficacy. Additional research is needed to clarify the appropriate level of monitoring, the long‐term effects, and the optimal treatment of antipsychotic‐induced hyperprolactinemia.
Pharmacokinetics of Mycophenolic Acid in Patients with Lupus Nephritis
Authors: Joy Melanie S. , Hilliard Tandrea , Hu Yichun , Hogan Susan L. , Dooley Mary Anne , Falk Ronald J. , Smith Philip C.
Published: December 2008

Study Objectives. To evaluate and describe the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid and its metabolite, mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG), in patients with lupus nephritis, and to determine the effects of clinical parameters (urinary protein excretion as measured by the urinary protein:creatinine ratio, serum albumin level, and creatinine clearance) and demographic variables (age, race, sex) on the pharmacokinetics of total and unbound mycophenolic acid and MPAG.

Design. Pharmacokinetic analysis.

Setting. University‐affiliated general clinical research center.

Patients. Eighteen patients with biopsy‐confirmed lupus nephritis who were receiving maintenance therapy with mycophenolic acid for at least 2 weeks.

Intervention. Plasma and urine samples were collected for 24 hours and were assayed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

Measurements and Main Results. Time to maximum concentration was variable (0.5–8 hrs). Mean ± SD fraction of unbound mycophenolic acid was 2.6 ± 1.9%, and oral clearance (Cl/F) was about 2‐fold higher (343 ± 200 ml/min) than previously reported. Multiple regression analysis showed that Cl/F of mycophenolic acid was predicted by creatinine clearance and serum albumin level: Ln Cl/F = 5.358 + 0.0092 (creatinine clearance) — 0.078 (ranked albumin), R2=51.1%, p=0.0195. Patients with urinary protein excretion of 1 g/day or higher had lower minimum (trough) concentrations and area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC0–12) profiles and higher Cl/F values compared with patients with urinary protein excretion of less than 1 g/day. Patients with serum albumin levels less than 4 g/dl had higher mycophenolic acid unbound clearance and MPAG renal clearance from 0–12 hours versus those with serum albumin levels of 4 g/dl or greater. Recycling AUC (AUC6–12), as well as sex and age (both equally), predicted renal clearance of MPAG.

Conclusion. Both creatinine clearance and serum albumin level were identified as primary contributors to mycophenolic acid exposure and should be considered when evaluating dosages. The results of future studies should clarify the interactions of other variables on drug exposure and treatment responses. Clinicians need to be mindful of clinical changes that occur throughout the course of lupus nephritis in order to maintain efficacy and reduce toxicity from mycophenolic acid therapy.
Use of Gabapentin in Patients Experiencing Hot Flashes
Authors: Brown Jamie N. , Wright Betsy R.
Published: December 2008

Hot flashes occur frequently in menopausal women and in women with breast cancer, diminishing their quality of life. A report from the Women's Health Initiative published in 2002 raised concerns about the long‐term safety of estrogen therapy. As a result, nonhormonal alternatives have emerged as preferred treatments. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant that the United States Food and Drug Administration approved as an adjunct therapy for partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia. Somnolence, dizziness, ataxia, fatigue, nystagmus, and peripheral edema are adverse effects commonly associated with gabapentin in the treatment of epilepsy and postherpetic neuralgia. The North American Menopause Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the use of gabapentin as an option for managing hot flashes in women who are unwilling to take estrogen‐containing supplements. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gabapentin for the treatment of hot flashes in women with menopause and/or breast cancer, we performed a search of the MEDLINE database (1966‐March 2008) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, as well as manually searching reference articles for relevant articles and abstracts; 10 clinical studies were identified. Although the studies were few, all showed gabapentin to be safe and effective in the treatment of hot flashes. At doses used to control hot flashes, gabapentin was well tolerated, with drowsiness as its most reported adverse effect. Gabapentin can be considered effective in the treatment of hot flashes and should be considered a reasonable alternative when estrogen therapy is not desired.
Au nom de la Loi : Schoenberg et les critiques
Authors: Buch Esteban
Published: December 2008

Résumé Tout au long de sa carrière, Arnold Schoenberg fut l’objet de nombreuses attaques de la part de la critique musicale. Au-delà des aspects techniques, ce vocabulaire hostile puisait dans le registre du politique et dans celui de la déviance corporelle et psychique. Ce passage discursif entre musique et société, particulièrement fréquent à l’époque des premières œuvres atonales, tirait sa vraisemblance de concepts qui avaient une signification établie, métaphorique ou littérale, dans les deux domaines concernés. C’est le cas, surtout, de la notion de loi ( Gesetz ), car l’idée scientifique de loi naturelle inspirait la plupart des critiques qui assimilaient l’abandon de la tonalité à une faute politique ou morale. C’est au concept de loi musicale qu’est consacré le présent article, où sont interrogées à la fois l’efficacité rhétorique et la pertinence logique de l’analogie entre le système tonal décrit dans les traités d’harmonie, et un « système légal » tel que défini par la science juridique.
La psychothérapie, le néo-comportementalisme et la loi
Authors: Sueur Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2008

Résumé Cet article présente le processus législatif qui a abouti au vote par le Parlement d’un article symptomatiquement contradictoire dans ses termes à partir de l’amendement dit « Accoyer » (du nom de son auteur) qui visait à définir dans la loi les conditions d’attribution du titre de psychothérapeute. Il montre comment cette contradiction initiale en a induit d’autres dans les différents avant-projets de décret d’application qui ont été publiés. Il décrit en quoi l’ensemble de ce débat s’est trouvé largement influencé par diverses initiatives ou publications mettant en cause la psychanalyse et promouvant les thérapies cognitivo-comportementalistes. Il critique la procédure suivie qui risque, en l’espèce, de rendre problématiques, inopérantes ou peu efficaces les modalités retenues pour définir – ce qui est, au demeurant, souhaitable – les conditions d’exercice de la profession de psychothérapeute.
Le néo-paganisme et la politique : une tentative de compréhension
Authors: François Stéphane
Published: December 2008

Résumé Cet article traite de l’apparition d’une contre-culture païenne couvrant tout le spectre politique. Cependant, indépendamment des orientations idéologiques, cette subculture développe un discours commun cohérent fondé sur une critique radicale de la modernité et de ses manifestations.
Au cœur du raisonnement galtonien : le paradoxe de la politique malthusienne et sa solution eugéniste
Authors: Taguieff Pierre-André
Published: December 2008

Résumé En forgeant le mot « eugenics » (« bonne naissance ») en 1883, Francis Galton (1822-1911) a baptisé son projet normatif d'une amélioration des qualités supposées héréditaires des « meilleures » lignées humaines par le contrôle de la procréation. Il postule que les aptitudes humaines sont inégalement distribuées et déterminées par l'hérédité. Inspiré par Quetelet, il s'efforce d'établir que leur distribution est « gaussienne », représentable par une « courbe en cloche ». Dans Hereditary Genius (1869), il tente de montrer qu'on peut formuler des lois statistiques de l'hérédité, susceptibles d'expliquer la transmission des caractères physiques et des caractères mentaux. L'intelligence est donc héréditaire. Le raisonnement galtonien est fondé sur la réinterprétation héréditariste d'un paradoxe mis en évidence par Malthus : si les meilleurs éléments sont les « prévoyants », qui tendent à se reproduire moins que les « imprévoyants », alors les meilleurs sont voués à disparaître et les médiocres ou les pires à proliférer. Galton en infère que le contrôle des naissances doit être qualitatif. Il faut donc sélectionner les procréateurs, et encourager la procréation chez les représentants des « meilleurs souches ». Tel est le programme de l'eugénique dite « positive ».
Le « comme si » à l'ère du soupçon
Authors: Travers de Faultrier Sandra
Published: December 2008

Résumé L’oeuvre de Richard Weisberg éprouve « comme si » juridiques et littéraires à travers une confrontation dialogique ; confrontation qu’il convient de poursuivre en s’interrogeant sur le « comme si », en tant que langue du droit et de la littérature alors même que celui-ci semble ruiner le croire nécessaire à la force constitutive de la littérature comme du droit. Car le « comme si » loin d’être de l’ordre du mensonge, offre au réel le jeu nécessaire à son avènement en mouvement par l’énergie oeuvrante et inchoative qu’il oppose à son silence.
Le cauchemar américain : le néoconservatisme, le néolibéralisme et la dé-démocratisation des Etats-Unis
Authors: Brown Wendy
Published: December 2008

Le néolibéralisme et le néoconservatisme sont deux rationalités politiques distinctes dans les États-Unis d’aujourd’hui. Ils ont peu de caractéristiques formelles qui coïncident, et apparaissent même contradictoires sous de nombreux aspects. Pourtant, ils convergent non seulement dans l’actuelle Administration américaine mais aussi dans leurs effets dé-démocratisants. Le néolibéralisme et le néoconservatisme dévaluent chacun la liberté politique, l’égalité et une citoyenneté substantielle, et les règles de droit en faveur de la gouvernance en accord avec les critères du marché d’un côté, et la valorisation du pouvoir de l’État à des fins présumées morales de l’autre côté, fragilise à la fois la culture et les institutions de la démocratie constitutionnelle. Surtout, ces deux rationalités travaillent en symbiose pour produire un sujet relativement indifferent à la véracité et à la responsabilité du gouvernement et à la liberté politique et l’égalité entre les citoyens.
Mobilisations autour d'un modèle de sortie de conflit.
Authors: Lecombe Delphine
Published: December 2008

Résumé La Commission Nationale de Réparation et Réconciliation colombienne (CNRR) « n'est pas une Commission de Vérité et Réconciliation » plaident ses membres. En effet, le conflit colombien diffère des contextes traditionnels de création des CVR. Pourtant, la CNRR fait l'objet d'investissements nationaux et internationaux financiers, cognitifs et normatifs. Elle mobilise les acteurs « traditionnels » du modèle des CVR qui la pensent comme un lieu de reproduction des « bonnes pratiques » internationales en matière de sortie de conflit. La CNRR s'invente dans un jeu de va-et-vient entre l'identification et la singularisation du modèle des CVR. Les spécificités du contexte colombien imposent aux acteurs mobilisés dans et autour de la CNRR des « bricolages » : le modèle est travaillé pour être adapté aux contraintes colombiennes.
La « voix » institutionnalisée : approche comparée de la mobilisation de migrants-citoyens en France et aux Etats-Unis
Authors: Célestine Audrey
Published: December 2008

Résumé Dans cet article, nous nous attacherons à étudier deux groupes de migrants, l'un en France, l'autre aux Etats-Unis, qui ont la particularité d'être des citoyens du pays vers lequel s'effectue la migration. Dans les deux cas, la migration a été largement organisée par les pouvoirs publics par le biais d'organisations chargées de recruter et d'acheminer ces migrants-citoyens d'un genre particulier. Notre hypothèse est que l'institutionnalisation de la migration et la prise en charge des migrants par ce type d'organisme ont durablement façonné les formes et les espaces de leurs revendications en créant des canaux spécifiques d'expression pour ces citoyens marqués par l'ambivalence.
Une mobilisation de victimes illégitimes.
Authors: Baudinière Caroline
Published: December 2008

Résumé Dans l'immédiat après guerre, de nombreuses associations de défense des épurés sont fondées par des militants d'extrême droite. Des anciens collaborateurs se disent donc victimes et se mobilisent pour l'amnistie ou la réparation. Au-delà de ce cas exemplaire de retournement du stigmate, c'est à des usages politiques du passé tout à fait spécifiques qu'il s'agit de s'intéresser : construction de récits alternatifs, militantisme mémoriel, tout cela concourt à la production d'une mémoire collective de l'extrême droite, victimaire et révisionniste. Etudier ces récits et les « entrepreneurs de mémoire » qui les produisent et les font circuler, c'est se trouver au cœur d'un processus identitaire où victimisation, mémoire et politique sont indissociables.
La mobilisation des Tatars de Crimée pour leur réhabilitation : entre légalisme et rhétorique victimaire
Authors: Campana Aurélie
Published: December 2008

Résumé Les Tatars de Crimée, une minorité turcophone musulmane du sud de l'Ukraine, ont été massivement déportés en mai 1944. Contrairement à la majorité des « peuples punis », ils n'ont pas été réhabilités en 1956. Cet article se propose d'examiner les stratégies et le répertoire d'action mobilisés par les militants du mouvement nationaliste tatar de Crimée, apparu au milieu des années 1950. Il montre que la mobilisation des Tatars de Crimée pour leur réhabilitation résulte de stratégies construites et de mises en scène des mémoires de la déportation. Trois stratégies principales sont analysées. La première concerne l'emploi, à compter du milieu des années 1960, du concept de génocide pour qualifier la déportation ; la deuxième a trait au recours à une expertise chiffrée pour démontrer le génocide ; la troisième relève de la production d'un récit historique concurrent du récit officiel soviétique, mettant en avant le génocide continu enduré par les Tatars de Crimée depuis l'annexion de la péninsule par les Tsars en 1783.
Les discours de genre dans la campagne présidentielle de Michelle Bachelet : une critique féministe
Authors: Vera Gajardo Antonieta
Published: December 2008

Résumé Cet article interroge les usages du « féminin » dans les discours publics sur l'unité et la réconciliation nationales dans la nation chilienne postdictatoriale. A partir d'une approche critique et anti-essentialiste, l'analyse montre que la « bonne féminité nationale » y est façonnée à partir d'une rhétorique sur la supériorité morale des femmes et sur leur mission civilisatrice : la réconciliation nationale. Les discours de genre dans la campagne présidentielle de Michelle Bachelet sont alors appréhendés comme une illustration de ce processus.
La sécurité humaine : Un renversement conceptuel pour les relations internationales
Authors: Basty Florence
Published: December 2008

Résumé L'apparition du concept de sécurité humaine est directement liée au bouleversement des règles du jeu de la scène internationale. Les paradigmes utilisés jusqu'au début des années 1990 pour comprendre et analyser les relations internationales se retrouvent caduques face à des menaces et des réalités nouvelles. Contrairement aux approches basées sur la sécurité nationale qui privilégient l'Etat ­ reléguant ainsi l'individu au second plan ­ la sécurité humaine nous oblige à nous intéresser aux menaces qui pèsent sur les individus au coeur des combats mortels livrés dans des Etats en décomposition. La sécurité humaine propose un nouveau cadre de compréhension et opère un renversement conceptuel pour les sciences politique.
Nouvelles conflictualités et défense moderne : l'approche globale
Authors: Coulloume-Labarthe Jean
Published: December 2008

Résumé En ce début du 21e siècle, le rythme des progrès technologiques s'accroît toujours. Ces avancées peuvent être exploitées à des fins belliqueuses et portent en germe de nouveaux risques majeurs pour les nations. De plus, l'avènement de la communication de masse et notamment l'extraordinaire puissance de l'outil Internet, offre aux acteurs de toute nature un accès aux informations et aux savoirs les plus divers, conférant ainsi à la technologie un certain pouvoir égalisateur. Cette évolution met les nations en prise avec des acteurs d'une grande diversité recourant à des formes de conflictualité nouvelles. Les confrontations symétriques ainsi que la guerre entre Etats ne sont pas à exclure mais le plus souvent il faudra faire face à de nouveaux acteurs aux objectifs irréconciliables avec les valeurs qui fondent nos sociétés occidentales. Un rapide examen des nouvelles formes de conflictualité sera réalisé par le comité. Dans ce travail, il s'attachera à en définir les principales caractéristiques et les éléments à prendre en compte pour y faire face, en vue d'établir les différentes approches que la défense pourrait adopter. L'objet de cette étude est d'examiner les nouvelles formes de conflictualité essentiellement générées par l'explosion de la communication de masse et l'utilisation d'Internet, et de proposer une évolution des aptitudes et des capacités face aux nouvelles menaces dans les domaines de la défense et de la sécurité, à l'ère de l'information.
Elucidation of the interaction among cellulose, xylan, and lignin in steam gasification of woody biomass
Authors: Fushimi Chihiro , Katayama Shingo , Tasaka Kazuhiko , Suzuki Masahiro , Tsutsumi Atsushi
Published: December 2008

The reaction mechanism for gas and tar evolution in the steam gasification of cellulose, lignin, xylan, and real biomass (pulverized eucalyptus) was investigated with a continuous cross‐flow moving bed type differential reactor, in which tar and gases can be fractionated according to reaction time. In the steam gasification of real biomass, the evolution rates of water‐soluble tar (derived from cellulose and hemicelluloses) and water‐insoluble tar (derived from lignin) decrease with increasing reaction time. It was found that the evolution of water‐soluble tar occurs earlier than in the gasification of pure cellulose, indicating an interaction of the three components. The predicted yield of water‐insoluble tar is substantially less than that of real biomass. This implies that the evolution of tar from the lignin component of biomass is enhanced, compared with pure lignin gasification, by other components. The gas evolution rate from real biomass is similar to that predicted by the superposition of cellulose, lignin, and xylan. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Design and implementation of an integrated environment for real‐time control of power electronic systems
Authors: Tuncer Servet , Tatar Yetkin , Güldemir Hanifi
Published: December 2008

In this article, an integrated lab environment for the electrical engineering education is presented which includes hardware and software for the modeling, simulation and control of multilevel inverters. A five‐level cascade inverter is designed and implemented which is an educational platform for the students to test different pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques and verify simulation results. The integrated environment is based on Matlab together with dSPACE. Sinusoidal PWM (SPWM) and Selected Harmonic Elimination PWM (SHEPWM) blocks are constructed in Matlab/Simulink and converted to C code using Matlab/Real‐Time Workshop. C codes are sent to dSPACE's DS1103 digital signal processor (DSP) via dSPACE/Real‐Time Interface software. Voltages with variable frequency and amplitude obtained from SPWM and SHEPWM techniques are applied to an induction motor. Simulation and experimental results are visualized on the designed graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI is developed using dSPACE's ControlDesk software. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 17: 119–130, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae20169
The stress relaxation behavior and mechanical properties of polypropylene and polypropylene/CaCO3 in mechanical vibration injection molding
Authors: Lu Ying , Peng Huan , Shen Kai‐Zhi , Yan Zheng
Published: December 2008

The influence of vibration pressure and frequency on the mechanical properties and stress‐relaxation was investigated via stress‐relaxation test and tensile test. First, it had been observed in the tensile test that the tensile fracture elongation reached the maximum at 20 Hz for polypropylene (PP) and 15 Hz for polypropylene/calcium carbonate (PP/CaCO3), respectively. With the increasing vibration pressure, the tensile fracture elongation would decrease. Second, the dynamic mechanic analysis has been used to test loss angle tangent value of the material. After the dynamic mechanic analysis, the simples have been installed in the universal tensile testing machine which applies the 2% strain on the simples. From these experiments, it has been discovered that the trend of the changes of stress‐relaxation is similar with the trend of the changes of loss angle tangent value. When the vibration frequency reaches the 20 Hz for PP and 15 Hz for PP/CaCO3, the stress‐relaxation is larger than that of other materials prepared at the same pressure (10 Mpa); meanwhile, the stress‐relaxation of these materials, which has been prepared at the same frequency (10 Hz), decreases with the increasing vibration pressure. According to above tests, it is also very useful to improve the stress relaxation properties via changing the condition of the vibration field. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effects of chlorinated polypropylene on the hydrogen‐bond and electric property of polypropylene/chlorinated polypropylene/polyaniline composites: FTIR analysis
Authors: Yang Lin , Chen Jinyao , Li Huilin
Published: December 2008

In this article, the volume resistivity of polypropylene (PP)/chlorinated polypropylene (CPP)/polyaniline (PANI) composites was detected. The results show that thevolume resistivity of PP/CPP/PANI composites decreases with increasing CPP content, and there exists a minimum volume resistivity. The relationship between volume resistivity of the PP/CPP/PANI composites and CPP content can be explained by Fourier‐transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Effects of CPP on the formation of the intermolecular and innermolecular hydrogen‐bond in the PP/CPP/PANI composites were carefully investigated by FTIR. An iterative least‐squares computer program was adopted to obtain the best FTIR fit curves of the PP/CPP/PANI composites by varying the wavenumber (ν), width at half‐height (w1/2), and area (S) of several bands. The obtained semiquantitative results illuminate that the intermolecular and innermolecular H‐bonded interaction of the PANI‐DBSA is weakened by the introduction of CPP; the interactional strength between PANI‐DBSA and CPP increases with increasing CPP content, and there exists a maximum, which is favorable to disperse well PANI‐DBSA in PP/CPP/PANI composites and improve the conductive property of the PP/CPP/PANI composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Comment: The rankings game: Reflections on Devinney, Dowling and Perm‐Ajchariyawong
Authors: Hopwood Anthony G.
Published: December 2008

Abstract Commenting on an analysis of the Financial Times MBA rankings, consideration is given to the emergence of an interest in such institutional rankings and the variety of factors involved in their present prominence. Specific attention is given to the pressures for business schools to manipulate the rankings and some of the forms that this takes. Although rankings are likely to remain a feature of the MBA environment for the foreseeable future, consideration is nevertheless given to alternative ways of providing potential MBA students with more useful sources of information.
Comment: The Financial Times business schools ranking: What quality is this signal of quality?
Authors: Dichev Ilia D.
Published: December 2008

Abstract This comment starts with a personal account of experiences with business school rankings, which provides an introduction and illustration to the main points that follow. The first point is that noise dominates real news in published rankings, accounting for at least half and possibly much more of observed ranking changes. Thus, while ranking innovations have very real consequences in terms of applications, giving, and stakeholder perceptions, they need to be heavily discounted as carriers of new information. The second main point is that Devinney et al.'s finding of stable rankings for top schools and volatile rankings for lower‐ranked schools is to be expected given what rankings measure and how they are constructed. Top schools reside in the thinly populated right tail of the school quality distribution, and therefore real differences in their quality are much more substantial and enduring than those for lower‐ranked schools residing in more densely populated regions of this distribution. Published rankings, however, project these varying real differences into uniformly spaced ordinal rankings, obscuring the fact that ranking differences mean very different things for top schools and lower‐ranked schools. The comment concludes with some ideas about how to improve the rankings.
What is a market? A Wittgensteinian exercise
Authors: Depeyre Colette , Dumez Hervé
Published: December 2008

Abstract What is a market? The question is both practical (for firms elaborating their strategy) and theoretical, and various answers have been given by different disciplines, especially economics and sociology. In this paper, we will address the question from a Wittgensteinian perspective:

— making use of an extreme case, to unfamiliarize the familiar, or what we think we know on markets;

— considering how different language‐games are played, and how they give different meanings to the notion of market; and

— using the notion of ‘family resemblance’ to highlight the fact there is no such thing as ‘the’ market, but families of markets, with resemblances and dissimilarities.

The extreme case we have selected is that of the American defense industry. We study three language‐games that constitute this industry as a market: the regulation, the financial investment and the strategic games. We suggest that although there is no single concept of the market, there can be families of markets that can be identified through sets of resemblances and dissimilarities. Finally, we show how the language‐game perspective contributes to understand innovation.
The effect of shot noise on the start up of the fundamental and harmonics in free-electron lasers
Authors: Freund H. P. , Giannessi L. , Miner W. H.
Published: December 2008

The problem of radiation start up in free-electron lasers (FELs) is important in the simulation of virtually all FEL configurations including oscillators and amplifiers in both seeded master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) and self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) modes. Both oscillators and SASE FELs start up from spontaneous emission due to shot noise on the electron beam, which arises from the random fluctuations in the phase distribution of the electrons. The injected power in a MOPA is usually large enough to overwhelm the shot noise. However, this noise must be treated correctly in order to model the initial start up of the harmonics. In this paper, we discuss and compare two different shot noise models that are implemented in both one-dimensional wiggler-averaged (PERSEO) and non-wiggler-averaged (MEDUSA1D) simulation codes, and a three-dimensional non-wiggler-averaged (MEDUSA) formulation. These models are compared for examples describing both SASE and MOPA configurations in one dimension, in steady-state, and time-dependent simulations. Remarkable agreement is found between PERSEO and MEDUSA1D for the evolution of the fundamental and harmonics. In addition, three-dimensional correction factors have been included in the MEDUSA1D and PERSEO, which show reasonable agreement with MEDUSA for a sample MOPA in steady-state and time-dependent simulations.
Glass-transition behavior of Ni: Calculation, prediction, and experiment
Authors: Louzguine-Luzgin Dmitri V. , Belosludov Rodion , Saito Masatoshi , Kawazoe Yoshiyuki , Inoue Akihisa
Published: December 2008

Vitrification of metals and alloys has received much attention in the field of materials science. Although some progress has been made, this phenomenon has yet to be fully understood. Herein, we investigate the vitrification process of pure Ni using an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. The results of the molecular dynamics simulation and predictions from the specific volume and density diagrams as well as a casting experiment indicate that Ni may have a high reduced glass transition temperature but due to kinetic reasons is not a good glass former. The results of the present work provide new information about the glass-transition phenomenon and suggest that the reduced glass transition temperature is only an indicator of how easily can glass be formed and that its stability is a significantly more important feature.
Molecular dynamics simulations of AOT-water/formamide reverse micelles: Structural and dynamical properties
Authors: Pomata Matías H. H. , Laria Daniel , Skaf Munir S. , Elola M. Dolores
Published: December 2008

We present results from molecular dynamics simulations performed on reverse micelles immersed in cyclohexane. Three different inner polar phases are considered: water (W), formamide (FM), and an equimolar mixture of the two solvents. In all cases, the surfactant was sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (usually known as AOT). The initial radii of the micelles were R∼15 Å, while the corresponding polar solvent-to-surfactant molar ratios were intermediate between w0=4.3 for FM and w0=7 for W. The resulting overall shapes of the micelles resemble distorted ellipsoids, with average eccentricities of the order of ∼0.75. Moreover, the pattern of the surfactant layer separating the inner pool from the non-polar phase looks highly irregular, with a roughness characterized by length scales comparable to the micelle radii. Solvent dipole orientation polarization along radial directions exhibit steady growths as one moves from central positions toward head group locations. Local density correlations within the micelles indicate preferential solvation of sodium ionic species by water, in contrast to the behavior found in bulk equimolar mixtures. Still, a sizable fraction of ∼90% of Na+ remains associated with the head groups. Compared to bulk results, the translational and rotational modes of the confined solvents exhibit important retardations, most notably those operated in rotational motions where the characteristic time scales may be up to 50 times larger. Modifications of the intramolecular connectivity expressed in terms of the average number of hydrogen bonds and their lifetimes are also discussed.
Characteristic electroforming behavior in Pt/TiO2/Pt resistive switching cells depending on atmosphere
Authors: Jeong Doo Seok , Schroeder Herbert , Breuer Uwe , Waser Rainer
Published: December 2008

Electroforming effects on the composition, structure, and electrical resistance of Pt/TiO2/Pt switching cells are investigated. The correlation between the electroforming procedure and the resulting bipolar switching behavior is discussed. The dependence of electroforming behavior on atmosphere is also identified, from which we define symmetric or asymmetric electroforming. The symmetry of electroforming is a key factor determining the resulting bipolar switching characteristics. From the experimental results we suggest a possible mechanism for electroforming in Pt/TiO2/Pt in terms of the formation of oxygen gas and vacancies in the vicinity of the anode.
Cavity ring-down spectrometer for measuring the optical response of supported size-selected clusters and surface defects in ultrahigh vacuum
Authors: Kartouzian A. , Thämer M. , Soini T. , Peter J. , Pitschi P. , Gilb S. , Heiz U.
Published: December 2008

A cavity ring-down spectrometer designed to investigate optical properties of size-selected clusters on surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions is presented. Clusters are produced using a laser vaporization cluster source with typical size-selected cluster currents of about 100 pA. The size of the deposition area can be controlled by means of a focusing octopole. Using the UHV compatible mirror exchanger, it is possible to have up to ten ring-down cavities and to adjust them while in vacuum. With ten cavities it is possible to cover a continuous spectral range as broad as 600 nm. The sensitivity of the method is shown to be about 5 ppm, which is two orders of magnitude better than commercial techniques. The optical spectra of small NiN clusters (N=7, 10, and 20) supported at amorphous SiO2 in the range between 417 and 669 nm are presented. Simple Mie theory calculations and oscillator-strength sum rule are in good agreement with the experimental data. The method proved to be sensitive enough for detection of defect sites and therefore makes it possible to study the interaction between the clusters and different surface defects. Furthermore the cryogenic sample holder can be used to perform cavity ring-down spectroscopy at low temperatures.
Pressure limitation of electron density measurement using a wave-cutoff method in weakly ionized plasmas
Authors: Jun Hyun-Su , Lee Yun-Seong , Na Byung-Keun , Chang Hong-Young
Published: December 2008

Pressure limitation of electron density measurement is presented using a wave-cutoff method. As gas pressure builds up, the electron motion at ω=ωp is disturbed by an electron-neutral collision and cannot catch up to the movement of the electromagnetic wave. For this reason, electromagnetic waves begin to penetrate into plasma and the wave-cutoff signal disappears as the gas pressure increases. This was also confirmed by using an impedance analysis of the probe system. The results corresponded well with the measured wave transmission characteristics at the plasma frequency.
Clarifying the Role of Urodynamics in the Preoperative Evaluation of Stress Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Fletcher Sophie G. , Lemack Gary E.
Published: December 2008

It has not yet been definitively demonstrated that preoperative evaluation of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with urodynamic testing (UDS) enhances surgical outcomes. Nonetheless, UDS is frequently utilized in the assessment of women with SUI in the hopes that results will shed light on preoperative risk factors for failure or postoperative voiding dysfunction. Poorer outcomes for stress incontinence surgery are primarily attributed to intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD), detrusor overactivity (DO), and voiding dysfunction. The ability of UDS to identify and characterize those parameters reliably remains under investigation. Furthermore, debate continues regarding the association of each of those factors with postoperative success for various SUI procedures. Since UDS is invasive, costly, and not always available, it is imperative that its benefit be carefully explored. In this review, we discuss the value of UDS in identifying risk factors for poor outcome and how those risk factors are associated with surgical failure.
Paraganglioma of the Spermatic Cord: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Garaffa G. , Muneer A. , Abdel Raheem A. , Freeman A. , Ralph D. J. , Minhas S. , Rees R. W.
Published: December 2008

Paragangliomas rarely involve the genitourinary tract. We present a case of a paraganglioma arising from the spermatic cord and review the literature on the topic.
Presidential and Congressional Vote‐Share Equations
Authors: Fair Ray C.
Published: December 2008

Three vote‐share equations are estimated and analyzed in this article, one for presidential elections, one for on‐term House elections, and one for midterm House elections. The sample period is 1916–2006. Considering the three equations together allows one to test whether the same economic variables affect each and to examine various serial correlation and coattail possibilities. The main conclusions are (1) there is strong evidence that the economy affects all three vote shares and in remarkably similar ways; (2) there is no evidence of any presidential coattail effects on the on‐term House elections; (3) there is positive serial correlation in the House vote, which likely reflects a positive incumbency effect for elected representatives; and (4) the presidential vote share has a negative effect on the next midterm House vote share, which is likely explained by a balance argument.