bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Murder, We Wrote
Authors: Davis Victor
Published: April 2004

The celebrated show business writer looks back at his days as a crime reporter and compares it to the politically-correct, tightly controlled journalistic world of today. Writes Davis: "Is this [police] obsession with almost Stalinist secrecy a healthy situation in a democracy? I don't think so. Who guards the guardians of the law was a question that nagged at the Romans and still nags today? I like to think that those old-time crime reporters, nosing around, having whispered meets in dark corners with their police contacts, were not just getting their story but acting for the public good. It is unlikely you would ever have heard about the scandal of Michael Fagan invading the Queen's bedroom had not a reporter been tipped off by a low-ranking functionary who didn't approve of the cover-up designed to conceal the abysmal security at Buckingham Palace."
Balancing the Books
Authors: Petley Julian
Published: April 2004

Since the arrival of multi-channel television, there has been considerable debate about whether broadcasting still needs to be under the restraint of so much content regulation. Why should broadcast programmes be treated any differently from other forms of media content? Much of the debate has centred round the impartiality regulations, which some also consider will impede broadcasting's ability to deal effectively with changed political realities, while others argue that these are all that prevent broadcasting from becoming as opinion-driven as much of the press. Here two distinguished academics find themselves on opposite sides of the fence...
Whipping-Boys
Authors: Magee Sean
Published: April 2004

The author of several books on horse racing, Magee suggests that the racing press is becoming more independent-minded - and that it is not before time. "For too long reporting events on the turf relied on a culture of dependency rivalled only by the media coverage of fashion and of motoring," he believes. "In horse racing, journalists can operate only if the participants - owners, trainers, jockeys, and it is not unknown for a scribe desperate for an angle to interview the horse - are willing to communicate with them. Break that connection, and the major source of stories dries up." Magee presents his views on racing journalism - straight from the horse's mouth.
Samuel Wesley’s ‘Madness’ of 1817–18
Authors: Kassler Michael
Published: April 2004

In 1817 the musician Samuel Wesley was confined for a year in Blacklands House, a private lunatic asylum in London operated by Dr Alexander Robert Sutherland. Surviving documents enable aspects of Wesley’s case to be reconstructed and indicate that his confinement was an enormous miscarriage of justice.
Italian Psychiatry in an International Context: Ugo Cerletti and the Case of Electroshock
Authors: Passione Roberta
Published: April 2004

Taking as its starting point the Italian psychiatric context between the end of the nineteenth century and the first years of the twentieth century, this essay analyses Italian psychiatry’s steps towards a new theoretical and therapeutical framework. Focusing on Ugo Cerletti’s work on the electric shock, this paper shows how this Italian psychiatric renewal occurred at the same time as a process of internationalization of psychiatric knowledge, practice and problems.

Moving from Europe to America, the author describes Cerletti’s position towards the wide spread of a merely empirical and technical use of electric shock, and reconstructs an international debate on the divorce of electric shock from research.
Breaking the Rules: Irrelevance/Irreverence in Maryse Condé’s Traversée de la Mangrove
Authors: Britton Celia
Published: April 2004

Maryse Condé’s ironic treatment of stereotypes is a major feature of her novels. It has been much discussed in relation to plot and characterization; this article focuses instead on the small-scale discursive structures of Traversée de la mangrove, analysing them via Barthes’s concept of semiological codes and rules. Traversée de la mangrove transgresses the ‘rules’ of literary style through deliberately inelegant digressive sentences and paragraphs that disorientate the reader with a mass of irrelevant detail. This works as an ironic deflation of cultural and literary stereotypes (e.g., exoticism), and makes it impossible to construct the hierarchy of meanings that underlies Barthes’s definition of the ‘texte lisible’, while at the same time retaining a commitment to realism that disqualifies them as a ‘texte scriptible’.
Deploying the Consensus Conference in New Zealand: Democracy and De-Problematization
Authors: Goven Joanna
Published: April 2004

The turn toward public participation in technology assessment points to a link between democratization and the problematization of dominant assumptions, explanations, and justifications. Here, I evaluate whether the use of the consensus conference in New Zealand facilitated such problematization. After a brief outline of the Danish model, I discuss the ways in which the New Zealand conference differed from that model and demonstrate how strategies for managing the resulting bias undermined the possibility of problematization. Further, I argue that participants’ attempts to problematize were subsumed into the dominant scientific and economic rationalities through processes I call assimilation, resignation, and externalization. I argue that the effect of the conference process was to assimilate some concerns into the deficit model, produce a sense of resignation to the “inevitable” with regard to other concerns, and externalize those remaining onto the indigenous population.
Re-Imagining United States Antarctic Research as a Defining Endeavor of a Deserving World Leader: 1957–1991
Authors: Spiller James
Published: April 2004

Touching on the modern politics of Antarctica and the shifting interests that the USA and people of other nations had in that continent, this paper examines the imprint of politics and culture on US public discourse about the US Antarctic research program. It argues that US government officials, scientists, and mass media responded to one another, evolving cultural values, and these dynamic politics and interests by changing the way they depicted scientific exploration in Antarctica. Initially treating this exploration as a manly attempt to know the world and conquer its last uninhabited continent, these pundits came to regard Antarctic science as a means of protecting an endangered continental wilderness, while using it to study humanity’s most pressing env ronmental crises. In doing so, however, they clung to an unchanging discourse celebrating US Antarctic research as proof of the benevolent world leadership by the USA, of its unstinting desire to advance peace, security, and prosperity for all humanity.
Science in Society: Re-Evaluating the Deficit Model of Public Attitudes
Authors: Sturgis Patrick , Allum Nick
Published: April 2004

The “deficit model” of public attitudes towards science has led to controversy over the role of scientific knowledge in explaining lay people’s attitudes towards science. In this paper we challenge the de facto orthodoxy that has connected the deficit model and contextualist perspectives with quantitative and qualitative research methods respectively. We simultaneously test hypotheses from both theoretical approaches using quantitative methodology. The results point to the clear importance of knowledge as a determinant of attitudes toward science. However, in contrast to the rather simplistic deficit model that has traditionally characterized discussions of this relationship, this analysis highlights the complex and interacting nature of the knowledge— attitude interface.
Parental Involvement and Family-Centered Care in the Diagnostic and Treatment Phases of Childhood Cancer: Results from a Qualitative Study
Authors: Holm Kristen E. , Patterson Joän M. , Gurney James G.
Published: April 2004

Few research studies have addressed the ways parents participate in their childs medical care, particularly in relation to the cancer experience. The purpose of this study was to explore parents descriptions of their participation in medical care for their children with cancer. For this study, seven focus groups were conducted with 45 parents of 26 children who had completed cancer treatment at least one year prior, and who were still alive. Data were coded using thematic analysis procedures. It was found that parents emphasized their role as advocates during the diagnosis and treatment phases, by informing themselves about their childrens medical conditions, making medical care decisions, limiting the actions of medical professionals, and affirming and supporting medical professionals. These results emphasize the need to employ a family-centered approach in cancer care medical settings, by fostering and supporting the active inclusion of parents in their child’s treatment and management.
Evolution of a Rapid Hydration Protocol
Authors: Tracy Ellen , Ditaranto Susan , Womer Richard B.
Published: April 2004

The Oncology Division of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) embarked on a comprehensive project to reduce chemotherapy errors. Careful review of all systems revealed many areas for improvement. Using a unique systems improvement approach, the interdisciplinary team carried out many concurrent change projects. This article describes a project carried out by the nursing staff to improve the safety of chemotherapy administration. Nurses realized that the majority of chemotherapy infusions occurred in the evening and nighttime hours after prolonged prehydration, leading to many “handoffs” and possibilities for error. Nurses developed a novel method of prehydration, delivering a large volume of fluid in a rapid infusion. The “Rapid Hydration Protocol” greatly reduced duration of hydration without adverse effects. Rapid hydration decreased the time needed for hydration and the number of nurses involved in the first day of chemotherapy, and contributed to having chemotherapy begin earlier. The project achieved the goals of improving systems and reducing handoffs. The impact of this project, in combination with the widespread efforts of the error reduction team at CHOP, contributed to significant improvements in chemotherapy safety. Nurses developed and tested this innovative hydration strategy, which continues to be very effective.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology: Current Status and Future Challenges
Authors: Bradlyn Andrew S.
Published: April 2004

This article presents information regarding the current status of health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessment in pediatric oncology, including the substantial advances in our knowledge that have occurred during the past 10 years. Additionally, issues that continue to challenge researchers who are attempting to measure health-related quality of life in children from point of diagnosis to cure or to death are identified. It is posited that researchers must conduct investigations of the impact of health-related quality-of-life data on clinical care and outcomes for the field to continue to advance, and for these data to be valued by patients, families, and health care providers.
End-of-Life Research as a Priority for Pediatric Oncology
Authors: Hinds Pamela S. , Pritchard Michele , Harper JoAnn
Published: April 2004

Approximately 2,200 children and adolescents die a cancer-related death each year in the United States; of these, almost 90% will die while experiencing 2 to 8 troubling symptoms. With improved symptom control and end-of-life care, these patients might suffer less before they die and their survivors might experience fewer or less intense adverse physical and mental conditions secondary to their bereavement. The focus of this article is on five key areas related to end of life where research is critically needed: (a) the characteristics of cancer-related death and the profiles of survivorship in bereaved family members and health care providers, (b) the trajectory of dying in children and adolescents and a comparison of care delivery preferred by the family and that actually delivered, (c) end-of-life decision making, (d) the financial costs of a child or adolescent dying a cancer-related death and associated policy making, and (e) outcomes of symptom-directed or bereavement interventions. Knowing the characteristics of cancer-related deaths in children and adolescents will help researchers and clinicians develop and test effective interventions related to symptom management, decision making, and availability of care delivery models that match the dying child’s needs and preferences. Such interventions could also contribute to the highest quality and cost-effective care being provided to the bereaved survivors.
Human Suffering: The Need for Relationship-Based Research in Pediatric End-of-Life Care
Authors: Kane Javier R. , Hellsten Melody Brown , Coldsmith Rev. April
Published: April 2004

Children living with and dying from advanced cancer and their families experience significant suffering. The cure of disease and the relief of suffering are dual moral obligations of our professions. To relieve suffering, health care providers must understand the multiple dimensions of the person who suffers and the complex set of relationships within the natural and the clinical social networks. Pediatric oncology research must include appropriately designed studies with sound methodology and measurement strategies to test and refine theories that account for the link between human relationships and the relief of suffering. Studies should assess as many theoretical models as possible, including the social network, perceptions of support, and provider-recipient interactions; their physical, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual concomitants; and their impact on medical decision making and health outcomes. Future directions in pediatric end-of-life care research must also include evaluating social and spiritual interventions developed on the basis of solid hypotheses regarding the positive and negative influences of interpersonal dynamics on the processes that mediate between suffering and well-being.
An Overview of Progress in Childhood Cancer Survival
Authors: Smith Malcolm , Hare Martha L.
Published: April 2004

Survival for children with cancer has continued to improve over the past 20 years, with 5-year survival rates now approaching 80% and with an increasing number of children surviving into adulthood. In recognition of the need to address important issues for survivors of childhood cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has supported the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) since 1993. The CCSS has established a cohort of over 14,000 5-year survivors of childhood cancer initially diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 and has obtained comprehensive summaries of treatment received by these survivors through abstraction of medical records for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical procedures. Survivors in the CCSS cohort completed a baseline questionnaire and follow up questionnaires to provide information about their current status. The CCSS collected buccal cells for DNA isolation from members of the survivor cohort to allow evaluations of the contribution of genetic factors to long-term sequelae of cancer therapy. The CCSS is now poised to expand its contributions through studies designed to gain greater insight into the biological basis for long-term adverse effects of cancer treatment and is enlarging its efforts to include more recently treated cohorts of patients. The experts present at the work group, Moving the Research Agenda Forward for Children With Cancer, offered several possibilities for utilizing CCSS data in expanding research opportunities concerned with cancer survivorship.
Good Communication in Pediatric Cancer Care: A Culturally-Informed Research Agenda
Authors: Sobo Elisa J.
Published: April 2004

Communication affects people’s factual understanding of the situations they are in. This in turn affects consent to be treated and adherence. Although a growing body of literature concerns cancer communication, it generally concerns adult patients; pediatric-specific knowledge is limited. Furthermore, most research focuses shortsightedly on physicians rather than providers who have more patient contact, favors studying the single visit instead of encompassing the cycle of cancer care, does not take the child into account, and ignores the importance of provider-provider communication. Moreover, cultural issues are only narrowly conceived. In exploring culture’s role in pediatric cancer care communication, this article demonstrates that culture cannot be defined as just ethnicity or race. Professions also have cultures and resultant differences in communication patterns that can lead to communication failures. It also shows that there is a crucial need for more applied research as well as more qualitative research that can enrich our understanding of the complicated context-related factors facilitating or barring successful pediatric cancer communication.
Holistic Nutrition: Nourishing the Body, Mind, and Spirit
Authors: Robison Jonathan I. , Wolfe Karen , Edwards Lisa
Published: April 2004

Medical science has profoundly influenced the development of nutrition philosophy in the United States. However, Western medicine is currently in a state of transition, one that has important implications for our understanding of the significance of nutrition to human health. The authors begin by exploring the foundations of traditional Western medicine and nutrition philosophy from a historical perspective. They then suggest how the current transition in medicine is likely to affect our conceptualization of the relationship of nutrition to health in the future. The article concludes with recommendations for helping health professionals to employ this new information in their personal and professional lives. The authors’hope that this article will contribute to a broadening of our perspective on nutrition beyond current thinking, with the ultimate goal of helping people to develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with eating and food.
Chinese Consumers' Attitudes Toward U.S.‐ and PRC‐Made Clothing: From a Cultural Perspective
Authors: Shen Dong , Lennon Sharron , Dickson Marsha A. , Montalto Catherine , Zhang Li
Published: April 2004

To investigate the role of acculturation variables (Western behavioral adoption, adherence to traditional values) in explaining Chinese consumers' attitudes toward U.S.‐made and PRC‐made clothing, 3,000 consumers from large Chinese cities were surveyed. Responses were received from 870 men and 999 women. Results of a paired sample t test revealed that Chinese consumers' attitudes toward U.S.‐made clothing were more favorable than attitudes toward PRC‐made clothing. In addition, results of simple regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between attitudes toward U.S.‐made clothing and Western behavioral adoption and a negative relationship between attitudes toward PRC‐made clothing and Western behavioral adoption. In a related way, simple regression analyses revealed a negative relationship between attitudes toward U.S.‐made clothing and degree of adherence to traditional Chinese values and a positive relationship between attitudes toward PRC‐made clothing and degree of adherence to traditional values. Implications and ideas for future research are also addressed.
Adolescents' Clothing Purchase Motivations, Information Sources, and Store Selection Criteria: A Comparison of Male/Female and Impulse/Nonimpulse Shoppers
Authors: Chen‐Yu Jessie H. , Seock Yoo‐Kyoung
Published: April 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine high school adolescents' clothing shopping frequency, expenditure, purchase motivations, information sources, and store selection criteria and to determine the similarities and differences between male and female as well as impulse and nonimpulse shoppers. A survey design was used to collect the data. One hundred thirty‐seven high school students, in 9th to 12th grade, 69 males and 68 females, were recruited. Similarities were found between male and female participants. They spent similar amounts of money on clothing and had similar degrees of conformity, sexual attraction, and recognition motivations. For both genders, friends were the most important clothing information source, and price was the most important criterion for store selection. Significant differences were also found between genders. Female participants shopped significantly more often than males and had higher recreation clothing purchase motivation. Certain information sources, such as friends and magazines/books, had more influence over clothing purchase decisions made by females compared to males. Certain criteria such as product variety/availability and store display carried more weight for females than males when making a store selection. When impulse and nonimpulse shoppers were compared, significant differences were found in all the clothing behaviors examined in the study (i.e., clothing shopping frequency, expenditure, purchase motivations, information sources, store selection criteria). Educational and marketing implications are recommended.
“As Members of the Social Whole”: A History of Social Reform as a Focus of Home Economics, 1895–1940
Authors: Apple Rima D. , Coleman Joyce
Published: April 2004

This article studies the critical purpose of home economics postsecondary education as preparation for social reform, focusing on the role that founders expected homemakers to play in ameliorating social problems. For them, the goal of home economics was a better world. The means to this improved society was scientific knowledge applied to the family and the community by home economists and home economics‐trained homemakers. Yet, by the 1920s, it was clear that the social responsibility of homemakers, as envisioned by the first leaders of the discipline, had virtually disappeared from the rhetoric of home economics. Although no one factor explains the silencing of calls for civic involvement on the part of homemakers, factors external of the discipline, including federal legislation and directed appropriations, developing education theories, growing emphasis on professional specialization, increased employment opportunities for women, and a redefinition of women's familial role served to redirect the focus of the field.
Teens' Mall Shopping Motivations: Functions of Loneliness and Media Usage
Authors: Kim Youn‐Kyung , Kim Eun Young , Kang Jikyeong
Published: April 2004

The shopping mall can serve as a venue through which teens can fulfill their needs by socializing with friends, enjoying entertainment, or simply visiting the site. This study tested whether and how mall shopping motivations were related to loneliness and media usage among teen consumers. Data were collected via a mall intercept survey from 531 teens in four large shopping malls in the United States. Findings indicated that mall shopping motivations consisted of five dimensions: service motivation, economic motivation, diversion motivation, eating‐out motivation, and social motivation. Results suggest directions for marketers and educators to follow in establishing positive programs to provide social support for teens.
Assessing the Baby Boomers' Financial Wellness Using Financial Ratios and a Subjective Measure
Authors: Baek Eunyoung , DeVaney Sharon A.
Published: April 2004

The purpose of the study was to examine the financial wellness of the baby boomers using two definitions of financial wellness: objective and subjective financial wellness. With data on 2,021 baby boomer households from the 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances, the study examined factors related to three measures of objective wellness and one measure of subjective wellness. The results showed that 20% met the guideline for liquid assets‐to‐income, 74% met the guideline for debt‐to‐assets, 62% met the guideline for investment assets‐to‐net worth, and 64% said that compared to others of their generation and background, they were lucky in their financial affairs. The results help consumer educators and financial advisors understand which factors should be emphasized when providing information to baby boomers.
Modeling the Evolution of a Policy Network Using Network Analysis
Authors: McGregor Sue L. T.
Published: April 2004

A six‐stage model was developed to conceptualize the evolutionary process for policy networks, using the 20‐year evolution of the Canadian Electronic Funds Transfer System/Point Of Sale (EFTS/POS) policy network as an example. A content analysis of 231 policy documents was used to create individual case studies of 16 stakeholders. These cases were vetted with respective stakeholders and then amalgamated into one large, chronological case study. These attribute data were converted to relational data, in the form of 51 matrices and four sets of sociograms, and then analyzed using network analysis. The results (a) show that, with some variation, the model provides a reliable map of the evolution of policy networks and (b) confirm that network analysis captures the attributes and properties of the relational dynamics inherent in stakeholder interactions during the development of policy. This augments the traditional approach of capturing the properties of actors, organizations or policy.
Effect of Professional Postpartum Support on Infant Feeding Patterns Among Breastfeeding Participants in the WIC Program
Authors: Chezem Jo Carol , Friesen Carol A. , Parker Catherine G.
Published: April 2004

The purpose of this study was to determine if professional breastfeeding support could postpone formula introduction and prolong breastfeeding among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Fifty women in the experimental group received home visits and phone calls from a lactation educator following hospital discharge; 50 control group women were encouraged to contact a lactation educator as needed. Infants' ages at formula introduction and breastfeeding continuation rates were not significantly different between the groups. Common reasons for breastfeeding cessation included returning to work/school, inadequate milk supply, and latch‐on/suckling problems. Use of telephone contacts, delay of breastfeeding support until after hospital discharge, and early formula supplementation may have contributed to the ineffectiveness of the intervention.
ABC Publications Award Winners for 2003
Authors: Barker Randolph , Tan Joo-Seng , Charles Mirjaliisa , Dulek Ronald
Published: April 2004

“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.”

—Zora Neale Hurston (in Lewis, 2003)
Estonian Climate Analysis for Selecting Moisture Reference Years for Hygrothermal Calculations
Authors: Kalamees Targo , Vinha Juha
Published: April 2004

The purpose of the study was to determine the hygrothermally critical climatic conditions, to assess the heat and moisture performance of building envelope systems, and to design buildings for a longer service life. Estonian climate data have been analyzed based on six weather stations over a 30-year period, from 1970 to 2000. Ten percent-level critical reference years for hygrothermal calculation, for two moisture performance criteria, risk of water vapor condensation and mould growth, have been determined. Air temperature and relative humidity was used for climatic data.
Determination of Liquid Water Transfer Properties of Porous Building Materials and Development of Numerical Assessment Methods: Introduction to the EC HAMSTAD Project
Authors: Adan O. , Brocken H. , Carmeliet J. , Hens H. , Roels S. , Hagentoft C.-E.
Published: April 2004

Implications of moisture in building and construction are of interest to the international community because of their huge economical consequences, including effects on health, maintenance and repair, retrofitting and conservation, as well as on common welfare. The present day knowledge offers a potential to tackle such problems, both in the design process and during the service life of building. In 2001, the European Commission initiated the project ‘‘HAMSTAD’’ (Heat Air and Moisture Standards Development) to propose a better modelling methodology than the traditional Glaser method. HAMSTAD focused on the development of draft standardisation procedures on determination methods of moisture transfer properties and a draft methodology for certification of advanced moisture modelling codes. To stimulate competitiveness and progress, the project was carried out following an ‘open methodology’ instead of a system of deterministic and prescriptive (pre-) standards. This paper outlines the project and highlights the main outputs, serving as an introduction to the following more detailed research papers resulting from that work.
Assessment Method of Numerical Prediction Models for Combined Heat, Air and Moisture Transfer in Building Components: Benchmarks for One-dimensional Cases
Authors: Hagentoft Carl-Eric , Kalagasidis Angela Sasic , Adl-Zarrabi Bijan , Roels Staf , Carmeliet Jan , Hens Hugo , Grunewald John , Funk Max , Becker Rachel , Shamir Dina , Adan Olaf , Brocken Harold , Kumaran Kumar , Djebbar Reda
Published: April 2004

The standardised Glaser method for calculation, prediction and evaluation of moisture performance is considered as rarely applicable. The present state of knowledge, analytical as well as experimental, concerning heat, air and moisture demands updating of standards. This paper presents five numerical benchmark cases for the quality assessment of simulation models for one-dimensional heat, air and moisture (HAM) transfer. In one case, the analytical solution is known and excellent agreement between several solutions from different universities and institutes is obtained. In the remaining four cases, consensus solutions have been found, with good agreement between different HAM models. The work presented here is an outcome of the EU-initiated project for standardisation of HAM calculation methods (HAMSTAD WP2).
Formation of Trihalomethanes by the Disinfection of Drinking Water
Authors: Latifoglu Aysegul
Published: April 2004

Disinfection of natural water resources by chlorination to produce potable water results in the production of trihalomethanes. A number of environmental authorities have suggested that these trihalomethanes might have toxic and carcinogenic properties and have an effect on human health. Various monitoring studies have demonstrated appreciable concentrations of trihalomethanes in the effluents of water treatment plants, water distribution systems and domestic tap water. Hence, the majority of households that use tap water as a primary drinking source might be subject to any adverse effects. The possibility of health effects from the unwanted trihalomethanes is minimised by regulating their concentration in water. In order to maintain the standards established by the regulations, various approaches have been developed for controlling the level of these compounds. The object of this paper is to present an overview of chlorine disinfection of water and the formation, health effects and control of trihalomethanes as by products.
Mineralogy of Asbestos Minerals
Authors: Skinner H. Catherine W.
Published: April 2004

Over the past fifty years the mineralogy and crystal chemistry of the materials called asbestos have been refined leading to better identification through new and more sensitive techniques. The health aspects of the exposure to fibrous inorganic species are also equally well determined from the anatomical to the biochemical levels. Integrating the efforts of many researchers from a diversity of disciplines from mineralogy and medicine, we can be more specific and detailed in the questions we raise. Coordinated research should add to our basic understanding of one area of disease induction and treatment: trauma related to inorganic materials.
An Exposure-Dependent Reduction of Lung Cancer Risk in Dairy Farmers: A Nested Case-Referent Study
Authors: Mastrangelo G. , Marzia V. , Milan G. , Fadda E. , Fedeli U. , Lange J. H.
Published: April 2004

Consistent with findings in other similarly exposed populations, lung cancer mortality was significantly reduced in 1,561 dairy farmers but not in 722 crop/ orchard farmers included in a cohort of Italian small farmers. Unlike previous investigations of this phenomenon, this study controlled for smoking. From the above cohort of 2,283 male farmers, 38 lung cancer cases and 353 referents were selected. The sources (and information collected) were clinical records (diagnosis, smoking habits), a mail questionnaire (smoking habits), and the historical files of self-employed small farmers in the Province of Padova (length of farm work, land area of the farm and number of dairy cattle). The risk of lung cancer was estimated by the odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) calculated using logistic regression models. In dairy farmers, the lung cancer OR decreased by 19% per head of cattle (OR = 0.81; CI = 0.68–0.97), when the influence of age and smoking habits was controlled. No relationship was found between lung cancer risk and size of farm or length of work, either in dairy farmers or in crop/orchard farmers. The increasing number of dairy cows, which probably increases the daily hours of exposure in cowsheds, is an indirect indicator of the suggested true protection factor: airborne biologic agents (delivered from bacteria proliferating on organic dusts), particularly endotoxin, which has been shown to be a potent stimulator of endogenous antineoplastic mediators.
Indoor and Outdoor Mycoflora in the Different Districts of the City of Istanbul (Turkey)
Authors: Çolakoğlu Günay
Published: April 2004

In this study, the mycoflora in indoor and outdoor air in the six different districts of the city of Istanbul were investigated at two monthly intervals from November 15, 2001 to September 15, 2002. The aim of the study was to find out the densities of airborne fungal spores that can cause an allergic response on inhalation and/or asthma.

A total of 504 samples were observed by using the Petri Plate Gravitational Method; fungi were isolated from these samples and 2198 colonies were counted. Identification of these showed 18 genera, 40 species and 6 colonies of indeterminate spores from the indoor air samples and 19 genera, 32 species and 12 colonies of indeterminate spores from the outdoor air. The identification of the fungi was made according to their microscopic, macromorphological properties and through references.

The dominant genera were the same in both indoor and outdoor air. Penicillium was found in greatest abundance followed by Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Rhizopus and Fusarium. There were some differences between the environments as Cladosporiumand Alternaria were found more often in the outdoor air. Overall the results showed that in all districts there was a high density of the fungi Penicillium and Aspergillus in the indoor air while in the outdoor air, Cladosporium and Alternaria densities were high. There were also differences in the distribution of other fungal genera between the indoor and outdoor air samples.
Process Oriented Information Systems Architectures in Healthcare
Authors: Wangler Benkt , Åhlfeldt Rose-Mharie , Perjons Erik
Published: April 2004

In order to create value for customers efficiently and to avoid unnecessary or redundant activity, organizations need IT support that interacts well with their business processes. In addition, healthcare organizations require transparent communication between the various actors and between IT systems. A new type of process oriented integration architecture has been developed using software devices known as process managers. These use simple graphical models to visualize business process integration and facilitate its management and monitoring. This article discusses the benefits and difficulties of introducing process manager technology into healthcare, based on a project to integrate IT systems over the patient process and across several organizations. Particular problems are caused by communication across organizational boundaries, e.g. due to security issues. However, the technology is able to manage and monitor processes and to make communication simpler and saf
The Impact of Health Scares on Parents’ Information Needs and Preferred Information Sources: A Case Study of the MMR Vaccine Scare
Authors: Guillaume Louise R. , Bath Peter A.
Published: April 2004

Health scares are characterized by mass media reporting that generates panic about a particular health issue or intervention, and those involved often require information. This article describes a study that aimed to examine the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination scare, its impact on parents of young children, and its effect on their need for information. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were carried out with parents in Sheffield, UK. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed several categories including the one presented in this article, ‘Information and the MMR vaccine’. The health scare increased parents’ information needs in relation to their decision whether to have their child vaccinated. Parents viewed traditional sources of information critically as they did not consider them to be trustworthy. Parents considered trustworthiness of the information source to be an important factor. Ongoing work in this area is investigating these issues through a large-scale, quantitative study.
Teachers' Perceptions of Accountability at an International School
Authors: Robertson J. Eric
Published: April 2004

This article examines the concept of accountability and the trend towards a free-market, business approach to accountability in education in Anglophone countries over the last 20 years. A case study reports on teachers' perceptions of accountability at one particular international school in order to illustrate how this neo-liberal approach to accountability can affect international schools, which operate outside a clear national framework.
Intercultural Communication for International Programs
Authors: Lucas John Scott
Published: April 2004

`Study abroad' programs in the United States make great claims about the learning outcomes of an experience overseas. Beyond cultural orientation sessions, however, many do not address intercultural or cross-cultural issues. This study brings together two conceptual axes, experiential learning and cultural adaptation, to provide a teaching model for an introductory intercultural communication course that is specifically geared to the needs of American study abroad participants, but that can be adapted to function well in a variety of contexts in which learners from different cultures come into contact with one another.
Detection of Disbond Growth in a Cyclically Loaded Bonded Composite Repair Patch Using Surface-mounted Piezoceramic Elements
Authors: Koh Y. L. , Chiu W. K. , Rajic N. , Galea S. C.
Published: April 2004

This paper reports on an experimental study in which an array of surface-mounted lead zirconate titanate elements (PZT) are used for the in situ detection of disbond growth in a bonded composite repair patch. Two techniques are used to track the evolution of disbond growth: the transfer function method and the electromechanical impedance method. Both techniques were found to provide a reliable and robust basis for the detection of disbond growth. The results also demonstrate the importance of transducer placement relative to the disbond location as a factor in the sensitivity to disbond growth.
An Experimental Investigation of a Smart Laminated Composite Beam with a Magnetostrictive Patch for Health Monitoring Applications
Authors: Saidha Eslavath , Naik G. Narayana , Gopalkrishnan S.
Published: April 2004

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a smart laminated composite beam with embedded/surface-bonded magnetostrictive patches for health monitoring applications. The concept is based on the principle that the Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) developed across a sensor due to an induced magnetic field in an actuator, shows a change in its amplitude due to the presence of delaminations. Sensitivity studies are performed on 8-ply unidirectional laminated composite beam specimens by varying its size and location with respect to the smart patch. Both surface mounted and embedded single smart patch collocated sensor–actuator configuration and an embedded two-patch non-collocated configuration are considered in this study. A horseshoe-type coil arrangement placed exactly over the magnetostrictive patch is used to induce magnetic field in the specimen. The study shows that the presence of delamination considerably alters the OCV across the sensing coil over a wide range of actuating current frequencies. The Damage Induced Voltage (DIV), which is the difference between the OCV across a sensor before and after the delamination, indicates the presence of damage. This voltage is of the order of milli-volts, and hence demonstrating the effectiveness of magnetostrictive patch for delamination detection. The experimental results compare well with the 3-D finite element simulation. The study shows that the collocated sensor–actuator configuration is more suited for health monitoring application compared to non-collocated configuration.
In situ Damage Quantification in Bolts
Authors: Barke D. W. , Chiu W. K. , Fernando S.
Published: April 2004

Transient stress waves have been used to quantify the extent of damage in cylindrical structures. In the present study, this technique is extended to the in situ quantification of damage in a bolt. Piezoelectric wafers were bonded to either end of two bolts, one of which was loaded in tension in a steel block. Both bolts were incrementally damaged by sawing a cut, to observe the changes in a stress wave which had traversed the bolts in the presence of increasing damage. A clear relationship between the extent of damage in the bolt and the attenuation of the stress wave was observed. Tension in the bolt did not affect this relationship, illustrating the in situ applicability of the technique.

In a second set of experiments, bolts were subjected to conditions in which stress corrosion cracking would occur, whilst stress waves were excited in each bolt, to illustrate the ability of the method to detect a naturally occurring form of damage. It was found that the attenuation of a stress wave which had traversed the bolt was proportional to the extent of stress corrosion damage, measured by the residual strength. It is concluded that the technique is capable of detecting in situ damage in structural grades of fasteners.
Fundamental Lamb Mode-based Delamination Detection for CF/EP Composite Laminates Using Distributed Piezoelectrics
Authors: Su Zhongqing , Ye Lin
Published: April 2004

A delamination detection scheme for the CF/EP composite laminates based on the Lamb wave propagation was proposed. The fundamental symmetric Lamb mode ( S0) and the delaminationinduced basic shear mode ( S’0) in an ultrasonic frequency range were utilised for locating the delamination. Both numerical simulation and experimental studies were performed to evaluate the propagation characteristics of Lamb waves in the composite laminates involving a delamination. An active online damage diagnosis system was established with a transducer network configured using distributed piezoelectrics. Bandpass filters were designed and spectrographic analyses in the time-scale space via wavelet transform technique were accomplished, to diminish diverse broadband interferences and consequently improve signal interpretation. Algorithm based on a graphic approach was introduced into the damage searching procedure to expedite the diagnosis and minimise the estimation errors. The proposed identification scheme and diagnosis system were then validated by detecting delaminations in CF/EP laminates made from unidirectional and woven fabric prepreg, respectively. Satisfactory prediction for the damage location has been achieved. Additionally, the influence of diagnostic waveforms and frequencies on the identification accuracy was also evaluated.
Structural Damage Detection using Independent Component Analysis
Authors: Zang C. , Friswell M. I. , Imregun M.
Published: April 2004

This paper presents a novel approach to detect structural damage based on combining independent component analysis (ICA) extraction of time domain data and artificial neural networks (ANN). The advantage of using time history measurements is that the original vibration information is used directly. However, the volume of data, measurement noise and the lack of reliable feature extraction tools are the major obstacles. To circumvent them, the independent component analysis technique is applied to represent the measured data with a linear combination of dominant statistical independent components and the mixing matrix [ A]. Such a representation captures the essential structure of the measured vibration data. The vibration features represented by the mixing matrix provide the relationship between the measured vibration response and the independent components and are then employed to build the simplified neural network model for damage detection. Two examples are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. First, a truss structure with simulated displacement data was used, and the results show that healthy and damage states located in the nine elements may be classified. Second, a bookshelf structure together with measured time history data from 24 piezoelectric single axis accelerometers was used to demonstrate the approach on a physical structure. The results show the successful detection of the undamaged and damaged states with very good accuracy and repeatability.
Management as Life’s Essence: 30 Years of the Nature of Managerial Work
Authors: de Holan Pablo Martin , Mintzberg Henry
Published: April 2004

Thirty years ago, Henry Mintzberg published his book The Nature of Managerial Work(1973). By observing how managers perform their everyday tasks and by categorizing what they do, this celebrated book contributed to advancing our understanding of how organizations work, how strategies develop and how they are applied by organizations. In this interview, conducted after a symposium at the 2003 Academy of Management meetings in Seattle, I asked Henry Mintzberg to revisit his work, to reflect on its success and to discuss his current views on management.
Parental Perspectives on Early Intensive Intervention for Children Diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Webster Alec , Feiler Anthony , Webster Valerie , Lovell Claire
Published: April 2004

Previous research on early intensive intervention in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) has largely focused on outcomes of treatment for children. Although some account has been taken of parental viewpoints, the potential impact of intervention on families has not achieved the same kind of research prominence. This contrasts with the considerable literature that exists exploring the experiences of parents of children with a wide range of special needs and disabilities. This article reports data from a Local Education Authority (LEA)-funded research commission designed to inform future policy and service provision. Themes are extracted from interview transcripts and questionnaire responses to reflect the views of 15 families, including nine whose children were receiving an LEA pilot intervention programme for ASD, and six who were managing their own interventions based on Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). Implications are drawn for future service delivery in support of key principles for early intervention for all families of young children with developmental disabilities.
The Techno-Literacy Practices of Young Children
Authors: Marsh Jackie
Published: April 2004

In many analyses of children’s ‘emergent literacy’ (Clay, 1966) practices, there is little acknowledgement of children’s engagement in techno-literacy practices. This article discusses findings from a survey undertaken in a working-class community in the north of England which aimed to identify the ‘emergent techno-literacy’ practices of a group of 44 children aged between two and a half and four years of age. It is argued that the multimodal textual competencies and semiotic choices of these ‘toddler netizens’ (Luke, 1999) should be more widely acknowledged within current curriculum frameworks for the early years.