bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and properties of dynamically cured polypropylene (PP)/maleic anhydride–grafted polypropylene (MAH-g-PP)/calcium carbonate (CaCO3)/epoxy composites
Authors: Jiang Xueliang , Fan Yihong , Li Fan
Published: March 2012

In this study, an epoxy resin was dynamically cured in a polypropylene (PP)/maleic anhydride–grafted polypropylene (MAH-g-PP)/calcium carbonate (CaCO3) matrix to prepare dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-PP/CaCO3/epoxy composites. The torque measurement shows that the addition of epoxy resin into the PP/MAH-g-PP/CaCO3 composites results in a slight increase in the torque at equilibrium, and epoxy resin in the composites has been cured by 2-ethylene-4-methane-imidazole (EMI-2,4). Scanning electron microscopic analysis shows that dual compatibilizers composed of MAH-g-PP and an epoxy resin were demonstrated to effectively compatibilize the immiscible PP/CaCO3 composites. MAH-g-PP with a low MAH content is miscible with PP to make it quasi-functionalized, while the epoxy resin can react with MAH-g-PP and hydroxyl groups at the CaCO3 surface. Thus the formed MAH-g-PP-co-epoxy-co-CaCO3 copolymer at the interface is able to anchor along the interface and serve as an efficient compatibilizer. Dynamic cure of the epoxy resin can further increase the interaction adhesion in the PP/CaCO3 composites. The epoxy resin does not show compatibilization effects for the PP/CaCO3 composites without the presence of MAH-g-PP. The shift of crystallization peaks to the higher temperature suggests that the CaCO3 filler in the composites can act as a nucleating agent, accelerating the crystallization of PP component, and the PP/CaCO3 composites compatibilized by MAH-g-PP and the epoxy resin have higher crystallization peaks. This shows that an increase in the interaction adhesion between the CaCO3 and PP matrix, improving the nucleating activity of the filler and promoting crystallization of PP. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the incorporation of the CaCO3 into the PP could improve the thermal stability of PP, and the addition of MAH-g-PP and the epoxy resin into the composites obviously could further improve the thermal stability. The mechanical properties of PP/MAH-g-PP/CaCO3 and PP/MAH-g-PP/CaCO3/epoxy composites are better than that of the PP/CaCO3 composites. The PP/MAH-g-PP/CaCO3/epoxy/EMI-2,4 composites have the best mechanical properties in all the PP/CaCO3 composites, which is attributed to the better interaction adhesion. The suitable content of epoxy resin is about 5 wt% in the presence of MAH-g-PP in the PP/CaCO3 composites, while an excess epoxy resin of above 5 wt% acts as an organic filler for PP.
Struggle and Hope: Challenging Gender Violence in Pakistan
Authors: Critelli Filomena M. , Willett Jennifer
Published: March 2012

Despite the overwhelming media attention to the rise of fundamentalism, Pakistan’s vocal women’s movement has remained unrevealed and unexamined. Gender violence is integral to the agenda of the women’s movement, because of the profound violation of women’s human rights to life and security. This article draws on formal in-depth interviews and participant observation with women’s activists of two prominent women’s nongovernmental organizations in Lahore, Pakistan. Using a transnational feminist framework and feminist social movement theory, it examines the organizations’ strategies for change and how the historical, political, and social environments of their fields for protest shape these strategies. The struggles and achievements of women’s activism against gender violence are analyzed with implications beyond the experiences of these organizations.
Synthesis and characterization of new 4-vinylsilylbenzocyclobutene/vinylsilylbenzene random copolymers
Authors: Yang Junxiao , Liu Shangchun , Zhu Fanghua , Huang Yawen , Li Bo , Zhang Lin
Published: March 2012

In this work, a copolymerization of 4-(1′,1′-dimethyl-1′-vinyl) silylbenzocyclobutene (4-DMVSBCB) and CH2=CHSiMe2Ph (DMVSPh), which have similar structure, was performed by the anionic polymerization method, leading to a synthesis of a series of cross-linkable random copolymers. Attractively, the 4-DMVSBCB/DMVSPh ratio in the copolymer was almost consistent with the DMVSPh/4-DMVSBCB feed ratio, which allows the control of polymer structure. Most importantly, the replacement of partial 4-DMVSBCB by DMVSPh units provided relatively economical materials which were capable of preserving almost all the advantages of poly(4-DMVSBCB). Furthermore, the curing dynamic of copolymers can be tuned by varying 4-DMVSBCB incorporation ratio.
Effect of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the curing behavior and thermal stability of epoxy resin
Authors: Wang Fang , Li Shu-Qin , Wang Jing-Wen , Xiao Jun
Published: March 2012

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were modified by triethlene-tetramine (TETA) in order to attain better dispersibility and stronger interfacial bonding between MWNTs and epoxy matrix. The influence of surface treated MWNTs on the cure behavior of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/2-ethyl-4-methyl imidazole (EMI-2,4) system was investigated with nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the curing peak temperature ( TP) decreased with the addition of TETA-MWNTs. The curing apparent activation energy ( Ea) was calculated through Kissinger method. In addition, the thermal behavior of TETA-MWNTs/DGEBA/EMI-2,4 was examined by thermogravimetric analysis, and the result showed the addition of TETA-MWNTs could increase the thermal decomposition onset temperature ( TB) and the degradation peak temperature ( Tmax) of the nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy images of fractured surface of MWNTs/epoxy indicated homogeneous dispersibility of TETA-MWNTs and strong interfacial adhesion between the TETA-MWNTs and the epoxy matrix in the nanocomposites.
Design and analysis of a dual-mode driven parallel XY micromanipulator for micro/nanomanipulations
Authors: Tang Hui , Li Yangmin , Huang Jiming
Published: March 2012

This article presents a novel design of a flexure-based, piezoelectric actuated, completely decoupled, high-bandwidth, highresolution, and large stroke parallel XY micromanipulator with two amplification levers. The monolithic mechanism is featured with dual working modes, which meets different kinds of requirements in terms of high resolution and large workspace in micro/nano fields. In order to reduce the displacement loss, the modeling and analysis of bending motion of the levers are conducted; thereafter, compliance and stiffness modeling by employing the matrix method are established. Furthermore, the dynamics modeling and analysis via Lagrange equations are performed to improve the dynamic properties of the mechanism. The simulation results of finite element analysis indicate that the cross-coupling between the two axes is kept to 1.2%; meanwhile, the natural frequency of the mechanism is about 700 Hz, and the amplifier ratio is approximately 2.32. Both theoretical analysis and finite element analysis results well validate the performance of the proposed mechanism.
Peer production for collaboration between academics and practitioners
Authors: Ponti Marisa
Published: March 2012

The purpose of this article is to suggest commons-based peer production as a form of work that can help bridge the gap between research and practice in LIS. The research design is based on two in-depth and longitudinal qualitative case studies of collaborative projects involving LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. Analysis of interviews and texts was conducted to study the interplay between sociotechnical aspects of work organization and the activities of the actors. The results suggest similarities between the collaborative projects analysed and peer-production activities. This study relies on two cases which cannot be considered either typical or representative of collaboration between LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. The paper offers the opportunity to stimulate a discussion on collaboration between researchers and practitioners in LIS, and on the potential applicability of peer production to support new forms of collaboration in small-scale, distributed, and unfunded or underfunded projects.
A Population-Based Cohort Study of HRT Use and Breast Cancer in Korea
Authors: Park Sat Byul , Shin Hai Rim , Lee Soon Young
Published: March 2012

The incidence of breast cancer has recently been ranked first in Korea. This is a population-based cohort study that aims to evaluate the risk of breast cancer from the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A total of 9579 participants were observed between January 1998 and June 2004; 6108 women who took HRT constituted the HRT group, and 3471 women who did not take HRT constituted the non-HRT group. Using the database from the Korea Central Cancer Registry, the authors examined the incidence of breast cancer from HRT. A total of 26 cases of breast cancer developed in the HRT group as compared with the 13 cases in the non-HRT group, during the follow-up period. The relative risk of developing breast cancer in the HRT group was 1.16 times higher than in the non-HRT group, with a population attributable risk of 29.9%. The risk of breast cancer in the HRT group increased when the risk factors were adjusted in the model.
A Qualitative Exploration of Youth in the “New” China
Authors: Okamoto Janet , Sakuma Kari-Lyn , Yan He , Qiu Peiyuan , Palmer Paula H. , Johnson C. Anderson
Published: March 2012

School-based prevention programs are not common in China and the attempts to modify successful Western prevention programs have largely shown little effect. Distinct cultural and social systems differences could explain why modified programs have been unsuccessful. Smoking behavior is examined from the perspective of Chinese adolescents as part of the development of a large intervention trial. A total of 16 focus groups with 128 participants were conducted in Chengdu in Sichuan province of China. Impressions of adolescent smokers were mixed, most seeing the behavior as common among boys. Smokers were seen as being overwhelmed and stressed. Girls’ smoking was mostly seen as universally “bad” and reflecting poorly on a girl’s character. However, a small portion of focus group participants suggested that female smoking was fashionable and trendy. With social norms changing rapidly in the “new” China, understanding what the new generation of Chinese youth thinks about smoking is critical in determining how to address and tailor prevention efforts.
Anthropometric Surrogates for Screening of Low Birth Weight Newborns
Authors: Rustagi Neeti , Prasuna J. G. , Taneja D. K.
Published: March 2012

In developing countries, where about 75% of births occur at home or in the community, logistic problems prevent the weighing of every newborn child. This study compares various anthropometric surrogates for identification of low birth weight neonates. A longitudinal community based study was done in an urban resettlement colony and 283 singleton neonates within 7 days of birth were examined for the anthropometric measurements such as head, chest, mid upper arm circumference and foot length as a screening tool for low birth weight. Chest circumference measured within 7 days of birth appeared to be the most appropriate surrogate of low birth weight with highest sensitivity (75.4%), specificity (78.4%), and positive predictive value (48.9%) as compared with other anthropometric parameters. Low birth weight neonates in absence of weighing scales can be early identified by using simple anthropometric measurements for enhanced home-based care and timely referral.
Salivary Biomarkers of Stress Among Teachers in an Urban Setting
Authors: Masilamani Retneswari , Darus Azlan , Ting Anselm Su , Ali Roslinah , Mahmud Awang Bulgiba Awang , David Koh
Published: March 2012

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of job stress among secondary school teachers using Karasek Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the association between salivary cortisol, salivary IgA, and sociodemographic characteristics, and the association between log cortisol, IgA levels, and job strain categories. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using JCQ and salivary cortisol and IgA samples. Cluster sampling was done yielding 302 respondents. The prevalence of stress among all teachers was 20.2%. Being a Malay, teaching experience of 5 to 10 years, and those without a supervisor’s support had higher prevalence of high job strain. Teachers in the 31 to 40 years age bracket, educating handicapped children with the absence of supervisor support exhibited higher stress levels with lower log salivary IgA levels. Further studies must be conducted using salivary biomarkers to study the in-depth relationship of stress, extending into other occupational groups.
Vibroacoustic response and active control of a fluid-filled functionally graded piezoelectric material composite cylinder
Authors: Hasheminejad Seyyed M , Alaei-Varnosfaderani Mahdi
Published: March 2012

The linear three-dimensional piezoelasticity theory in conjunction with the versatile transfer matrix approach is employed to investigate the steady-state nonaxisymmetric fluid–structure-coupled vibrations of an arbitrarily thick bilaminate simply supported hollow cylinder of finite length, composed of an inner layer of orthotropic functionally graded material perfectly bonded to an outer layer of radially/axially/circumferentially polarized functionally graded piezoceramic material. The cylinder is filled with a compressible nonviscous fluid and may be subjected to arbitrary time-harmonic on-surface mechanical drives. The analytical results are illustrated with numerical examples in which water-filled homogeneous PZT4–steel composite cylinders are driven by harmonic external concentrated or distributed radial surface loads. When the outer piezoelectric layer is operating in the receiving (sensing) mode, the frequency spectrums of the induced voltage, stress components, and on-axis acoustic pressure are calculated and discussed for the selected loading configurations. Also, when the piezolayer operates in the active vibration mode, the effects of polarization direction and number of control modes on the voltage required for partial or complete cancellation of the on-axis internal pressure are investigated. Limiting cases are considered, and the validity of results is established by comparison with the data in the existing literature as well as with the aid of a commercial finite element package.
Multifunctional behaviors of an indium tin oxide/PbLa(ZrTi)O3/indium tin oxide wafer illuminated by ultraviolet light
Authors: Luo Quantian , Tong Liyong
Published: March 2012

This article presents multifunctional behaviors of a Pb0.97La0.03(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (3/52/48) wafer subjected to ultraviolet light illumination with a focus on its photoresistive effects. When this PLZT wafer that is spurted with indium tin oxide electrodes and then polarized through thickness is illuminated by ultraviolet light, its resistance increases rather than decreases as observed in conventional photoresistors made of semiconductors. Giant negative voltage and resistance are detected when light is switched off. The bending deformation caused by the photovoltaic and converse piezoelectric effects is examined and the photoinduced electrical field strength is further investigated. The electrical fields in light on–off states are studied. Hysteresis and memristive features of the indium tin oxide/PbLa(ZrTi)O3/indium tin oxide (ITO/PLZT/ITO) sample under repetitive light on–off operations are investigated.
Is Sweden Doomed to Repeat U.S. Errors?
Authors: Jesilow Paul
Published: March 2012

Frauds committed by recipients of public insurance and providers of health care are stealing millions of kronor from Swedish taxpayers each year. Privatization in Sweden’s health care will likely increase the losses from fraud. Vårdval, Sweden’s latest method to transfer the delivery of health services from public entities to private ones, focuses on primary care and is an attempt to secure “seamless” treatment for patients at a nearby location and hopefully reduce health care costs. But the new policy also creates numerous opportunities for unscrupulous providers and patients to steal from Sweden’s taxpayer-supported programs. The intent of the current research was to explore the impacts of privatization on the regulation of Swedish health care. One of those impacts, it is argued, will be a need for Swedish officials to attend to a growing crime problem. Lessons from the United States suggest that government attention to the problem at this early stage is needed to prevent the thefts from growing and becoming a major drain on Sweden’s budget, as they are in the United States.
The Psychological Origins of a Constitutional Revolution
Authors: McGuire Kevin T.
Published: March 2012

One of the most significant changes in American law was the application of the Bill of Rights to the states. Some members of the U.S. Supreme Court enthusiastically supported the doctrine of incorporation, while others actively opposed it. Why? Evolutionary psychology posits that birth order can explain support for radical change; older siblings identify with authority and resist changes in the rules, while laterborns defy authority and are willing to alter the status quo. Applying the birth order hypothesis to the Court, the author finds that the incorporation revolution was led by laterborns, even after taking account of justices’ political preferences.
A Change in Culture
Authors: Goetz Suzanne Barnum , Taylor-Trujillo Ann
Published: March 2012

A multilayered implementation of safety measures in an inpatient psychiatric facility created a sustained change in culture related to patient and staff safety. The model was developed over a 5-year period in a freestanding 80-bed behavioral health facility that is part of a Level II trauma center in the Midwest. The model has nine components that the nursing leadership team saw as integral to maintaining a safe environment. The nine elements include trauma-informed care principles, aggression management, code event review, leadership involvement, quality feedback, recovery orientation, patient assessment, education, and collaboration. The metrics collected to determine the effectiveness of the model included patient violence events and staff injuries. This article describes the development of this model and its impact on the reduction of patient violence events and staff injuries at this facility. The recommendations include considerations for the replication of this model at other facilities.
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Among Young Adolescents With ADHD
Authors: Becker Stephen P. , Langberg Joshua M.
Published: March 2012

Objective: This study investigated the role of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) in relation to externalizing and internalizing mental health problems, academic functioning, and social functioning among young adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: In all, 57 youth ages 10 to 14 participated in the study. Parents rated SCT, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms, as well as social and academic impairment. Teachers rated academic and peer impairment, and intelligence and academic achievement also were assessed. Results: Above and beyond ADHD and conduct problem symptoms, SCT was associated with internalizing mental health symptoms and social problems. The association between SCT and externalizing problems or academic functioning was not significant when accounting for ADHD symptomatology and intelligence. Conclusion: SCT is consistently associated with internalizing symptoms and is also associated with young adolescents’ general social difficulties. When controlling for important related constructs, SCT is not associated with externalizing symptoms or academic impairment among young adolescents with ADHD.
Securing Virtual Space
Authors: Barnard-Wills David , Ashenden Debi
Published: March 2012

This article uses a governmentality and discourse analysis approach to analyze cyber security policy literature. It examines the problems of construction of virtual space and current efforts to secure this space political and technologically. It extracts a model of cyber security discourse that constructs cyberspace as ungovernable, unknowable, a cause of vulnerability, inevitably threatening, and a home to threatening actors.
Toward a critical framework for understanding MNE operations: Revisiting Coca-Cola’s exit from India
Authors: Gopinath C. , Prasad Anshuman
Published: March 2012

The exit of Coca-Cola from India in the 1970s has been extensively used in IB textbooks as illustrating the challenges faced by MNEs in difficult political/regulatory environments. In this article, we use critical hermeneutics to challenge the conventional understanding and interpretation of the event. Instead, an understanding of the macro-economic and historical context suggests that the company had other options available to it and may have lost a valuable opportunity due to inflexible policies. IB textbooks should be wary of falling prey to naïve managerialism and instead provide a critical understanding of the operations within a larger context to their readers.
Religion made me free: Cultural construction of female religiosity
Authors: Traversa Rosa
Published: March 2012

The cultural constructions of what “religious woman” means usually imply gender and religion as reified entities. Such constructions have prominent place in the social life of a society. Narratives of women of Catholic and Muslim faith in Italy allow us to analyse the meaning-making processes involved in defining themselves as women, as human beings and as religious persons. Being immersed in a religious belief system enhances empowerment through―and not in spite of―feelings constrained to the faith. Cultural psychology of religious feelings needs to understand the processes involved in religious commitment, as this is strongly related to the cultural discourse about other interrelated human differences―such as gender―and the renovated demands for metaphysical sense-making in post-modern era. The present study revealed the particular elaboration of personal narratives about how these women use religion to approach differences and similarities in society, as well as to stress the local and multifaceted construction related both to religion- and gender-belonging.
Transnational practices, intergenerational relations and identity construction in a migratory context: The case of young women of Maghrebine origin in France
Authors: Marie Skandrani Sara , Taïeb Olivier , Rose Moro Marie
Published: March 2012

In France, the issue of young women of Maghrebine origin has received important media coverage, and even become a political issue. In this context, we have conducted a qualitative research to study (1) the transnational practices, (2) the intergenerational relations, and (3) the identity construction of this population, within the dialogical self theory framework. We administered a semi-structured interview to 19 young women (Age range: 16–25 years) born in France of parents who emigrated from the Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco). The interpretative phenomenological analysis of our data reveals two transnational practices as salient issues of the identity construction and the intergenerational relations of young women of Maghrebine origin: the Muslim religion and the norm of virginity. Past and present relations between France and Maghrebine populations have transformed these traditional values into symbolic identity markers. However, these norms are always subject to multiple and creative renegotiations and redefinitions, which reflect the dialogical and multiple self of young women of Maghrebine origin.
Commentary on Brockmeier’s remapping memory: The relation between past, present and future as a metaphor of memory
Authors: Carretero Mario , Solcoff Karina
Published: March 2012

A commentary of Jens Brockmeier’s paper “Remapping memory” (2010) is presented. Also, a number of relations to previous commentaries about the same paper are presented. First, we agree with Brockmeier and Haye with respect to the artificial and useless separation of memory and other psychological functions. On the other hand, five implicit assumptions of the archive model, criticized by Brockmeier, are presented. These assumptions are considered to raise the issue of the need to incorporate a more complex relation of past, present and future, in order to have a better understanding of memory phenomena. The importance of this relation is developed in relation to both collective memory and history teaching, and also in relation to autobiographical memory.
Continuing commentary: Beyond recollection: Toward a dialogical psychology of collective memory
Authors: Haye Andrés
Published: March 2012

Collective memory implies the social and psychological production of meaningful acts of memory, a special kind of truth claim about a controversial past. Memory acts are thus conceptualized as ideological positioning movements toward others, which is impossible to account for from individual cognition. What kind of psychological processes, if any, would be involved in collective memory? A three-fold model is sketched to account for a whole act of memory. One analytical component is the generation of a knowledge structure about the past object. A second component is the construction of an attitude toward the theme. The third is the understanding of the ideological dimension within which the knowledge structure and the attitude under production are contextualized. An information storage-and-retrieval mechanism is not needed in this theoretical account. It is suggested that psychology of memory may contribute to accounting for these three micro-genetic levels as integrated into meaningful memory acts.
Strategic subversions of the sacred: The cultural psychology of religious identities
Authors: Bhatia Sunil
Published: March 2012

Traversa’s (2012) study on the Italian Islamic and Catholic women demonstrates that religion is a liberating force rather than the source of entrapping female subjectivities. In this commentary, I situate the participants’ interview responses within the larger debates about modernity, secularism and religious identity. I argue that the Italian and Catholic women’s narratives are a response to the cultural secularization of global modernity. The secular doctrine deploys a new vocabulary of self—where meaning making is detached from the sacred and divine and becomes primarily articulated through the triumph of reason. The participants’ encounter with global modernity and contradictory discourses of religion create ruptures and uncertain social conditions in their lives. I examine how Italian Muslim women strategically use religion to subvert the meaning of hijab, Islam and patriarchy, and the Italian Catholic women challenge orthodox views about abortion, God, and the Catholic Church. I argue that the religious experiences of these women are constantly interacting with location of race, religion and gender and are continually transforming all the ambiguous meanings present in various axes of difference that make up their identity.
The Leveson Inquiry: There’s a bargain to be struck over media freedom and regulation
Authors: Brock George
Published: March 2012

The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the British press was triggered when the phone-hacking scandal’s full scale became clear in July 2011 and closed the News of the World. But the inquiry has gone much wider than that, hearing evidence about accuracy, fairness, privacy, regulation and law. Much of the debate in and around the inquiry has focused narrowly on possible improvements to the much-criticised system of self-regulation for the press. This article argues that a broader look at the relationship between the law and regulation would suggest that there is a bargain to be struck. A balanced outcome from the inquiry could both strengthen the legal defences for good journalism done in the public interest and create incentives for regulation which does not rely on statutory backing. Both the law and regulation must make more use of an effective public interest test.
Adaptive behaviour in the European Parliament: Learning to balance competing demands
Authors: Lindstädt René , Slapin Jonathan B , Wielen Ryan J Vander
Published: March 2012

Parliamentary institutions and partisan norms are complex and new members of parliament are unlikely to possess an innate awareness of optimal behaviour. This paper examines how new legislators adopt the behavioural patterns of incumbent members in the Sixth European Parliament. The latter provides an excellent opportunity to study such adaptive behaviour; in addition to newly elected members from 15 former states, new members from ten accession countries took seats for the first time. We examine how voting behaviour differs between new members from the 15 former states, new members from accession countries, and incumbent members. Our analysis shows that new members from former states defect less from their European political group than incumbents, while new accession country members defect more. Over time, the differences between these groups disappear.
An exploration into the relationships people with dementia have with physical objects: An ethnographic study
Authors: Stephens Alex , Cheston Richard , Gleeson Kate
Published: March 2012

In recent years there has been increasing interest in how different aspects of object relations theory might apply to dementia. While attachment theory in dementia has been well studied, there have been no systematic investigations of the way in which transitional objects are used by people with dementia. This study explores the relationship people with dementia have with physical objects using a focussed ethnographic method. Twenty-one residents and the staff of a care home for people with dementia were observed over a two-month period. Observations were recorded and analysed in light of Winnicott’s criteria for transitional objects and incorporated the work of other key theorists. The ethnography found evidence that people with dementia have varied relationships with objects and can employ objects in a transitional way. The paper then explores the implications of this research for understanding the function of transitional objects for people with dementia. The findings suggest that that Winnicott’s theory of transitional objects can provide a framework for understanding some of the processes of dementia.
Doing islandness: a non-representational approach to an island’s sense of place
Authors: Vannini Phillip , Taggart Jonathan
Published: March 2012

This paper presents both an empirical characterization and a theoretical treatment of an island as practice. Through video and ethnographic description we describe and interpret how one kind of islandness is done. Thus we understand islandness corporeally, affectually, practically, intimately, as a visceral experience. Basing our conceptual treatment on the non-representational idea of dwelling, we approach place as a kind of practice. We view the key performances through which an island becomes such as practices of incorporation. Inhabitants, we believe, incorporate a place not by way of mental design or blueprints, or by way of signifying comparisons and juxtapositions, but rather by sheer practical, creative, skillful engagement with its affordances. Thus we understand the practices of an islander as someone who assembles together an island by way of making use of whatever is at hand, solving going concerns as they present themselves.
Comments on Thomas Wartenberg’s Big Ideas for Little Kids
Authors: Goering Sara
Published: March 2012

This short commentary offers praise for Tom Wartenberg’s book Big Ideas for Little Kids and raises questions about who is best qualified to lead a philosophy discussion with children, and how we are to assess the benefits of doing philosophy with children.
More than talking about ideas: Expanding the philosophical use of children’s literature
Authors: Kraft Rory E.
Published: March 2012

Wartenberg’s Big Ideas for Little Ideas presents an apt argument for and explanation of one method for doing philosophy with young people. There is much about the text which is strong but some of the philosophical and children’s literature pairing is not as strong as it should be, and the audience for the book does seem to shift as it progresses.
Open-mindedness and intellectual humility
Authors: Spiegel James S.
Published: March 2012

Among those who regard open-mindedness as a virtue, there is dispute over whether the trait is essentially an attitude toward particular beliefs or toward oneself as a believer. I defend William Hare’s account of open-mindedness as a first-order attitude toward one’s beliefs and critique Peter Gardner’s view of open-mindedness as a non-commital posture and Jonathan Adler’s claim that open-mindedness is a second-order recognition of one’s fallibility as a knower. While I reject Adler’s account of open-mindedness as a meta-attitude, I affirm his intuition that there is a closely related second-order intellectual virtue pertaining to the attitude we take toward ourselves as knowers. However, this trait is intellectual humility not open-mindedness. I explain why both of these traits are intellectual virtues and how they properly build off one another in the virtuous mind.
Public Policy Analysis to Redress Urban Environmental Health Inequities
Authors: Chircop Andrea
Published: March 2012

Public policies may not have been designed to disadvantage certain populations, but the effects of some policies create unintended health inequities. The nature of community health nurses’ daily work provides a privileged position to witness the lived experiences and effects of policy-produced social and health inequities. This privileged position requires policy competence including analytical skills to connect lived experiences to public policy. The purpose of this article is to present an example of an urban ethnography that explicates inequity-producing effects of public policy and is intended to inform necessary policy changes. This study sheds light on how issues of childcare, housing, nutrition, and urban infrastructure in the context of poverty are fundamental to the larger issues of environmental health. This policy analysis documents how the Day Care Act of Nova Scotia, Canada explicates patriarchal and neoliberal gender and class assumptions that have implications for mothers’ health decisions.
The Utility of a Forehead-to-Inion Derivation in Recording the Subcortical Far-Field Potential (P14) During Median Nerve Somatosensory-Evoked Potential Testing
Authors: Fried Stephen J. , Legatt Alan D.
Published: March 2012

American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) guidelines recommend recording P14 between an ipsilateral centroparietal electrode (CPi) and a noncephalic reference, typically the contralateral Erb’s point (EPc) (American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. Guideline 9D: guidelines on short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2006;23(2):168-179). We investigated the utility of a forehead (Fpz)-to-inion derivation for recording P14. We analyzed 74 median nerve somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP) studies (148 nerves) with bilaterally normal peripheral and central conductions. The presence of an identifiable P14 and its amplitude and latency were assessed in both the CPi-EPc and Fpz-inion derivations. In 7 of the 148 recordings, P14 was not identifiable in either derivation. The P14 was only identifiable in CPi-EPc in 9 recordings, and only identifiable in Fpz-inion in 4 recordings. In the remaining 128 recordings, the mean P14 latency was 13.2 ± 1.1 ms in both derivations. The mean P14 amplitude using CPi-EPc was 2.0 ± 0.6 µV, significantly larger than that using Fpz-inion, 1.2 ± 0.6 µV ( P < .001). In conclusion, the CPi-EPc derivation and the Fpz-inion derivation both record the same P14 component, and latency norms based on either derivation are interchangeable. Although the CPi-EPc derivation typically yields a larger and more identifiable P14, occasionally Fpz-inion yields a larger P14, and rarely P14 is only identifiable using Fpz-inion. Thus, recording of the Fpz-inion derivation may be a useful adjunct during median nerve SEP testing.
Considering Etiquette in the Design of an Adaptive System
Authors: Dorneich Michael C. , Ververs Patricia May , Mathan Santosh , Whitlow Stephen , Hayes Caroline C.
Published: March 2012

In this article, the authors empirically assess the costs and benefits of designing an adaptive system to follow social conventions regarding the appropriateness of interruptions. Interruption management is one area within the larger topic of automation etiquette. The authors tested these concepts in an outdoor environment using the Communications Scheduler, a wearable adaptive system that classifies users’ cognitive state via brain and heart sensors and adapts its interactions. Designed to help dismounted soldiers, it manages communications in much the same way as a good administrative assistant. Depending on a combination of message priority, user workload, and system state, it decides whether to interrupt the user’s current tasks. The system supports decision makers in two innovative ways: It reliably measures a mobile user’s cognitive workload to adapt its behavior, and it implements rules of etiquette adapted from human-human interactions to improve human-computer interactions. Results indicate costs and benefits to both interrupting and refraining from interrupting. When users were overloaded, primary task performance was improved by managing interruptions. However, overall situation awareness on secondary tasks suffered. This work empirically quantifies costs and benefits of “appropriate” interruption behaviors, demonstrating the value of designing adaptive agents that follow social conventions for interactions with humans.
Optical and thermal stimulated luminescence in carbon nanotubes
Authors: Fan Jung-Chuan , Sung Huang-Huei , Lin Chun-Rong
Published: March 2012

The semiconductivity of carbon nanotubes has been investigated by the luminescence measurement. The nanotubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Carbon nanotubes can luminesce under laser irradiation. Using the photoluminescence measurements the emission spectrum is very wide near the infrared emission range, with a major peak at 1.3 eV. According to the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence and the thermal photoluminescence experiments, the luminescence of carbon nanotubes comes from the center of the energy trap of a defect. In view of this result, it is suggested that the technique of thermal stimulated luminescence provides a simple alternative method to obtain the energy levels in carbon nanotubes systems.
The Struggle for Collective Leadership: Thinking and Practice in a Multi-campus School Setting
Authors: Anderson Michelle
Published: March 2012

This article argues that while notions of collective leadership, such as distributed or shared, are nominally more inclusive, barriers to inclusive ways of thinking about and relating to one another will be multi-faceted (past and present) and formidable to change. This argument emanates from a critical review of research literature and an in-depth ethnographic case study of leading teacher leadership in a multi-campus school. From this critical perspective of leadership and change, this article concludes that context must remain intact to the versions of collective leadership put forward. As a consequence, no-one should leave idle ideas about what works, for whom and in what circumstances. To anchor the fieldwork analysis, theories of power and the thinking from those in inclusive education are explored.
Social networking research opportunities: the example of ‘Netmums’
Authors: Russell Sally
Published: March 2012

This paper describes how the Netmums social network has been used over recent years as a source of research and discusses whether this type of research has the potential to influence policy. Online social networks are a new phenomenon, but as they have increased in scale their potential to reflect the interests and experiences of real communities is starting to be recognised.

While there is significant awareness of the ways in which social networks have recently been able to further democratic processes, there has been less focus on the opportunities that they provide to change local services and government policies. The research opportunities available through the Netmums social network are diverse and the website provides access to a rich resource, but there are a number of limitations to the research that can be conducted. As yet there is little evidence to demonstrate the influence that research based on the network might have, but a comparison of research methods shows that, despite these limitations, the use of communities such as Netmums should provide researchers and policy makers with cost-effective and powerful tools of influence in the future.
Preventing and treating postpartum depression in women – a municipality model
Authors: Glavin Kari
Published: March 2012

Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe and discuss a municipal model for prevention, identification and treatment of postpartum depression (PPD).

Major findings: The changed care in the municipality was associated with a significant difference in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores between the intervention municipality and the usual care municipality at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum. The women who had been depressed at least once during the first postpartum year reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress at 12 months. The public health nurses found the scale easy to score and easy for the mothers to complete, and they were confident that they identified PPD more frequently than before.

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest a basis for a municipality model that gives the primary health care system better possibilities to help women with mental health problems in the postpartum period. The changed care consisted of several elements considered important for the result of this study. The results can be incorporated in a descriptive model for prevention, identification and treatment in municipalities. The components are (1) preconditions in the municipality, (2) initiatives to prevent PPD, (3) identification of women with PPD, (4) treatment of PPD and (5) follow-up.
The role of immunotherapy in the management of childhood asthma
Authors: Hedlin Gunilla , van Hage Marianne
Published: March 2012

Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is still questioned as a safe and efficacious way of treating allergic asthma in children. In a Cochrane review published in 2010 it was, however, concluded that SCIT has significant and beneficial effects on symptoms and medication use in both children and adults with mostly mild asthma. Only a few studies have been performed to specifically study if SCIT in children with moderate asthma reduces the need for inhaled corticosteroids. There are conflicting results that illustrate the problem of the heterogeneity of the asthma disease and the fact that allergies may play different roles on the severity and symptoms of the disease. Furthermore, children with severe allergic asthma are often sensitized to multiple allergens, which makes SCIT both complicated and less safe to administer. On the other hand, if the child suffers from asthmatic symptoms despite adherence to pharmacotherapy, omalizumab or a combination of omalizumab and allergen immunotherapy might be useful. There is a need for more studies on this combination before it can be considered as an additional therapy in children with asthma and severe allergies. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has also been shown to improve asthma symptoms and medication use. SLIT is safe although its efficacy compared with SCIT has been studied very little. Another approach is to try to prevent asthma by treating children with SCIT for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis before asthma has developed. The most attractive prospect, however, is to find ways of preventing asthma by vaccination against the most common viruses, particularly rhinovirus. There is evidence that there are children at high risk of developing asthma in whom a viral infection can also enhance the risk of allergen sensitization. So far this vaccination has not been achievable although research is in progress.
The validation of a three-dimensional ball rotation model
Authors: Whiteside David , Chin Aaron , Middleton Kane
Published: March 2012

With the development of three-dimensional motion analysis systems, methods for accurately tracking and modelling three-dimensional body kinematics have evolved and are well established. Comparatively, the methodologies involved in tracking ball flight have failed to utilize three-dimensional motion analysis, hence this proposal of a new model. A 12-camera VICON MX motion analysis system captured the kinematics of three sports balls rotating on the end of a drill. The balls were positioned in three orientations and spun at three speeds in each. Comparing differences between: (a) the modelled spin axis of the ball with that of the fixed drill bit about which it was rotating, and (b) the rotation rate of the modelled ball with the stable waveform of a marker thereon, revealed the validity of the proposed ball model. These differences were found to be minimal, suggesting that the proposed ball model is an advancement of its predecessors.
Efficacy, safety and mechanism of action of modified-release prednisone in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Clarke Lynsey , Kirwan John
Published: March 2012

Glucocorticoids (GCs) provide a powerful and widely used anti-inflammatory and disease-modifying therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, concerns about adverse effects are driving efforts to find ‘safer’ GC or GC analogues. One novel approach has been to change the timing of GC delivery, targeting the early hours of the morning to suppress the observed circadian peak in interleukin-6 (IL-6). The CAPRA-1 study has shown that this produces a clinically useful beneficial improvement in morning stiffness and mechanistic studies have shown that this correlates with a strong suppression of the IL-6 early morning peak. With no obvious additional adverse reactions, this improvement in the therapeutic ratio offers additional treatment options in RA, and perhaps in other inflammatory diseases that show circadian variation in symptoms.
Safety and efficacy of defibrotide for the treatment of severe hepatic veno-occlusive disease
Authors: Richardson Paul G. , Ho Vincent T. , Giralt Sergio , Arai Sally , Mineishi Shin , Cutler Corey , Antin Joseph H. , Stavitzski Nicole , Niederwieser Dietger , Holler Ernst , Carreras Enric , Soiffer Robert
Published: March 2012

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, is a potentially life-threatening complication of chemotherapeutic conditioning used in preparation for hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (SCT). VOD may occur in up to 62% of patients undergoing SCT, with onset generally within the first month after SCT. In severe cases, 100-day mortality is in excess of 80%. Current management consists of best supportive care, with no agents to date approved for treatment in the USA or the EU. Defibrotide, a polydisperse oligonucleotide, has been shown in phase II and III trials to improve complete response and survival in patients undergoing SCT with severe VOD. This article reviews our current understanding of VOD, and examines recent clinical findings on defibrotide for the treatment and prophylaxis of VOD.