bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embodiment and Breast Cancer Among African American Women
Authors: Lende Daniel H. , Lachiondo Alicia
Published: December 2008

African American women have historically been screened for breast cancer less than other women, contributing to higher mortality rates. Previous research has focused on social and cultural factors, such as discrimination and religiosity, as shaping African American women's screening practices. This article extends this research by (a) examining the decisions and justifications of African American women with regard to screening practices, and (b) using a theoretical focus on embodiment to better understand women in relation to their own bodies. Ethnographic research consisted of 5 months of participant observation at an Indiana (USA) breast cancer care center, and 15 in-depth, semi-structured interviews along the continuum of screening practices. The results showed that embodied understandings of the body, personal (rather than biomedical) considerations of screening and treatment, and the quality of doctor/patient interactions all play a significant role in women's decisions about whether to screen for breast cancer or not. Based on these results and a review of the literature, six ways to include embodiment in public health initiatives are outlined.
Action Research as an Approach to Integrating Sustainability Into MBA Programs
Authors: Benn Suzanne , Dunphy Dexter
Published: December 2008

This article reports on an exploratory project that employed an action research approach to integrating sustainability into core subjects in the MBA program at an Australian university. It documents the change methodology used, the theoretical basis for this choice, and the project outcomes. It then identifies some key enabling factors and barriers to successful integration of sustainability themes into the MBA. The article also draws on theories of organizational change to illustrate the strengths and limitations of the approach used in this study compared to other possible approaches. Key success factors included active faculty participation from the redesign process to evaluation and collaboration between multiple stakeholders.
Greening Operations Management
Authors: Walker Helen L. , Gough Stephen , Bakker Elmer F. , Knight Louise A. , McBain Darian
Published: December 2008

In the Operations Management field, sustainable procurement has emerged as a way to green the purchasing and supply process. This paper explores issues in sustainable procurement training. The authors formed an interdisciplinary team to design, deliver and evaluate a training programme to promote and develop sustainable procurement in the United Kingdom health sector. Particular features of the project were its engagement with evolving and contested understandings of sustainable procurement and of the underlying concept of sustainable development and its recognition that relevant knowledge in the field is both incomplete and widely diffused through the procurement community. Eight practitioner groups worked together on themes to develop their understanding of sustainable procurement using the Blackboard virtual learning environment. Group interviews were conducted upon completion of the course and again three months later to explore qualitatively participants' experience of learning and implementing sustainable procurement. Although the course was delivered to practitioners, it might be modified for undergraduate and graduate students as it comprised the use of online activities in virtual learning environments, case studies and a broad range of literature. The course was also particularly significant in the context of contemporary policy moves in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to promote the role of higher education institutions in delivering workplace-based, high-skills education consistent with strategic policy considerations (see, for example, DIUS, 2008).
A Principle-Attribute Matrix for Environmentally Sustainable Management Education and Its Application
Authors: Rands Gordon P.
Published: December 2008

The environmental threats humanity faces have led businesses to increasingly commit to improve their environmental performance and to increasing attempts to address environmental issues in management education. This article presents a matrix of (a) principles that can underlie and (b) attributes that can be generated by environmentally focused management education and uses the matrix to identify topics, assignments, and assessment mechanisms that can be incorporated into environmental management education. Particular focus is given to skills related to facilitating organizational change. Environmental change—related course projects are suggested as particularly helpful in the development of these attributes, and use of service learning applied to campus sustainability issues is suggested as offering significant opportunities for engaging students in change-oriented projects. Observations related to implementing such projects based on the author's experience with them are offered. The article's concepts and ideas can provide guidance to instructors wishing to incorporate environmental sustainability into their management courses; an application with respect to human resources is included.
A Million Decisions
Authors: Steketee Deborah
Published: December 2008

Innovation often happens at the margin. For the past 5 years, in the academic equivalent of an ecotone, Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan has built and continues to refine offerings in its 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Business. Emerging out of the demands of a rapidly changing business world and the sustainable business movement, this degree program integrates and spans across disciplines. As the country's first undergraduate program of its kind, Aquinas' program-building effort for its signature Sustainable Business degree offers lessons and insights for those who might embark on a similar journey on the “sustainability frontier.” Faculty creativity, administrative leadership, and external support all contribute to this innovative curriculum.
Resources Within Reason
Authors: Catlett Camille , Winton Pam
Published: December 2008

Would you like to connect online with colleagues who have similar responsibilities for insights, information or advice? Would you like to contribute to a “professional pantry” of knowledge, practices, and approaches using social networking tools? If you answered yes, you may enjoy participating in an early childhood online learning community, joining a network of colleagues who are exploring topics of common interest. Sometimes these groups are also called virtual communities of practice (CoP). The Beach Center on Disability describes its online CoP as “families, practitioners, researchers, and policy leaders [working] together to share and create knowledge that will inform and inspire them to take action in implementing wise solutions that benefit children with disabilities.” This column will provide basic information about existing online learning communities that might prove to be a resource for you.
Applied Behavior Analysis Assessment and Intervention for Health
Authors: Stokes John V. , Luiselli James K.
Published: December 2008

The case of a 26-year-old man who had Prader-Willi syndrome and health threatening self-injury in the form of rectal picking is described. Functional behavioral assessment and analysis before intervention suggested that both nonrectal and rectal picking occurred because the behaviors sometimes produced social attention, escape from nonpreferred situations, and sensory pleasurable stimulation. Intervention was evaluated at the man's vocational training program. The behavior support plan included time-limited bathroom visits, functional communication training, and differential positive reinforcement. Intervention eliminated rectal picking, was associated with improved health status, and remained effective over a nearly 8-month period.
Alcohol Consumption Decisions Among Nonabusing Drinkers Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Authors: Stoller Eleanor Palo , Webster Noah J. , Blixen Carol E. , McCormick Richard A. , Hund Andrew J. , Perzynski Adam T. , Kanuch Stephanie W. , Thomas Charles L. , Kercher Kyle , Dawson Neal V.
Published: December 2008

Most studies of decisions to curtail alcohol consumption reflect experiences of abusing drinkers. An exploratory sequential research design is used to explore the applicability of this research to the experience of nonabusing drinkers advised to curtail alcohol consumption after a hepatitis C diagnosis. A qualitative component identified 17 new decision factors not reflected in an inventory of factors based on synthesis of existing scales. Qualitative data were triangulated by supplementing semistructured interviews with Internet postings. A quantitative component estimated prevalence and association with current drinking of these new decision factors. Patients who quit drinking tended to attribute postdiagnosis drinking to occasional triggers, whereas patients who were still drinking were more likely to endorse rationales not tied to specific triggers.
Dosing lepirudin in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and normal or impaired renal function: a single-center experience with 68 patients
Authors: Tschudi Martina , Lämmle Bernhard , Alberio Lorenzo
Published: December 2008

The recommended dose (bolus 0.4 mg/kg followed by 0.15 mg/kg per hour) of lepirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor licensed for treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), is too high. Starting in 2001, we omitted the bolus and reduced maintenance dose by at least one-third. Analyzing 53 HIT patients treated between January 2001 and February 2007, we observed that therapeutic anticoagulation intensity already 4 hours after lepirudin start had been reached with the following initial lepirudin doses (median): 0.078 mg/kg per hour [creatinine clearance (CrCl) more than 60 mL/min], 0.040 mg/kg per hour (CrCl 30-60 mL/min), and 0.013 mg/kg per hour (CrCl < 30 mL/min). The efficacy of this treatment was documented by increasing platelets and decreasing D-dimers. Based on this experience, we derived a lepirudin dosing regimen, which was prospectively evaluated treating 15 HIT patients between March 2007 and February 2008. We show that omitting the initial lepirudin bolus and administering 0.08 mg/kg per hour in patients with CrCl more than 60 mL/min, 0.04 mg/kg per hour in patients with CrCl 30-60 mL/min, and 0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg per hour in those with CrCl less than 30 mL/min is efficacious and safe, as documented by increasing platelet counts, decreasing D-dimer levels, and rare thrombotic (1 of 46) and major bleeding (4 of 46) complications.
Reduced thrombin generation increases host susceptibility to group A streptococcal infection
Authors: Sun Hongmin , Wang Xixi , Degen Jay L. , Ginsburg David
Published: December 2008

Bacterial plasminogen activators are commonplace among microbial pathogens, implying a central role of host plasmin in supporting bacterial virulence. Group A streptococci (GAS) secrete streptokinase, a specific activator of human plasminogen (PLG). The critical contribution of the streptokinase-PLG interaction to GAS pathogenicity was recently demonstrated using mice expressing human PLG. To examine the importance of thrombin generation in antimicrobial host defense, we challenged mice with deficiency of factor V (FV) in either the plasma or platelet compartment. Reduction of FV in either pool resulted in markedly increased mortality after GAS infection, with comparison to heterozygous F5-deficient mice suggesting a previously unappreciated role for the platelet FV pool in host defense. Mice with complete deficiency of fibrinogen also demonstrated markedly increased mortality to GAS infection relative to controls. Although FV Leiden may be protective in the setting of severe sepsis in humans, no significant survival advantage was observed in GAS-infected mice carrying the FV Leiden mutation. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that local thrombosis/fibrin deposition limits the survival and dissemination of at least a subset of microbial pathogens and suggest that common variation in hemostatic factors among humans could affect host susceptibility to a variety of infectious diseases.
Global rank-invariant set normalization (GRSN) to reduce systematic distortions in microarray data
Authors: Pelz Carl R , Kulesz-Martin Molly , Bagby Grover , Sears Rosalie C
Published: December 2008

Background

Microarray technology has become very popular for globally evaluating gene expression in biological samples. However, non-linear variation associated with the technology can make data interpretation unreliable. Therefore, methods to correct this kind of technical variation are critical. Here we consider a method to reduce this type of variation applied after three common procedures for processing microarray data: MAS 5.0, RMA, and dChip®.

Results

We commonly observe intensity-dependent technical variation between samples in a single microarray experiment. This is most common when MAS 5.0 is used to process probe level data, but we also see this type of technical variation with RMA and dChip®processed data. Datasets with unbalanced numbers of up and down regulated genes seem to be particularly susceptible to this type of intensity-dependent technical variation. Unbalanced gene regulation is common when studying cancer samples or genetically manipulated animal models and preservation of this biologically relevant information, while removing technical variation has not been well addressed in the literature. We propose a method based on using rank-invariant, endogenous transcripts as reference points for normalization (GRSN). While the use of rank-invariant transcripts has been described previously, we have added to this concept by the creation of a global rank-invariant set of transcripts used to generate a robust average reference that is used to normalize all samples within a dataset. The global rank-invariant set is selected in an iterative manner so as to preserve unbalanced gene expression. Moreover, our method works well as an overlay that can be applied to data already processed with other probe set summary methods. We demonstrate that this additional normalization step at the "probe set level" effectively corrects a specific type of technical variation that often distorts samples in datasets.

Conclusion

We have developed a simple post-processing tool to help detect and correct non-linear technical variation in microarray data and demonstrate how it can reduce technical variation and improve the results of downstream statistical gene selection and pathway identification methods.
Development and validation of a gene expression oligo microarray for the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Ferraresso Serena , Vitulo Nicola , Mininni Alba N , Romualdi Chiara , Cardazzo Barbara , Negrisolo Enrico , Reinhardt Richard , Canario Adelino VM , Patarnello Tomaso , Bargelloni Luca
Published: December 2008

Background

Aquaculture represents the most sustainable alternative of seafood supply to substitute for the declining marine fisheries, but severe production bottlenecks remain to be solved. The application of genomic technologies offers much promise to rapidly increase our knowledge on biological processes in farmed species and overcome such bottlenecks. Here we present an integrated platform for mRNA expression profiling in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a marine teleost of great importance for aquaculture.

Results

A public data base was constructed, consisting of 19,734 unique clusters (3,563 contigs and 16,171 singletons). Functional annotation was obtained for 8,021 clusters. Over 4,000 sequences were also associated with a GO entry. Two 60mer probes were designed for each gene and in-situ synthesized on glass slides using Agilent SurePrint™ technology. Platform reproducibility and accuracy were assessed on two early stages of sea bream development (one-day and four days old larvae). Correlation between technical replicates was always > 0.99, with strong positive correlation between paired probes. A two class SAM test identified 1,050 differentially expressed genes between the two developmental stages. Functional analysis suggested that down-regulated transcripts (407) in older larvae are mostly essential/housekeeping genes, whereas tissue-specific genes are up-regulated in parallel with the formation of key organs (eye, digestive system). Cross-validation of microarray data was carried out using quantitative qRT-PCR on 11 target genes, selected to reflect the whole range of fold-change and both up-regulated and down-regulated genes. A statistically significant positive correlation was obtained comparing expression levels for each target gene across all biological replicates. Good concordance between qRT-PCR and microarray data was observed between 2- and 7-fold change, while fold-change compression in the microarray was present for differences greater than 10-fold in the qRT-PCR.

Conclusion

A highly reliable oligo-microarray platform was developed and validated for the gilthead sea bream despite the presently limited knowledge of the species transcriptome. Because of the flexible design this array will be able to accommodate additional probes as soon as novel unique transcripts are available.
The use of gamma-irradiation and ultraviolet-irradiation in the preparation of human melanoma cells for use in autologous whole-cell vaccines
Authors: Deacon Donna H , Hogan Kevin T , Swanson Erin M , Chianese-Bullock Kimberly A , Denlinger Chadrick E , Czarkowski Andrea R , Schrecengost Randy S , Patterson James W , Teague Mark W , Slingluff Craig L
Published: December 2008

Background

Human cancer vaccines incorporating autologous tumor cells carry a risk of implantation and subsequent metastasis of viable tumor cells into the patient who is being treated. Despite the fact that the melanoma cell preparations used in a recent vaccine trial (Mel37) were gamma-irradiated (200 Gy), approximately 25% of the preparations failed quality control release criteria which required that the irradiated cells incorporate 3H-thymidine at no more than 5% the level seen in the non-irradiated cells. We have, therefore, investigated ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation as a possible adjunct to, or replacement for gamma-irradiation.

Methods

Melanoma cells were gamma- and/or UV-irradiated. 3H-thymidine uptake was used to assess proliferation of the treated and untreated cells. Caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation were measured as indicators of apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis was used to assess antigen expression.

Results

UV-irradiation, either alone or in combination with gamma-irradiation, proved to be extremely effective in controlling the proliferation of melanoma cells. In contrast to gamma-irradiation, UV-irradiation was also capable of inducing significant levels of apoptosis. UV-irradiation, but not gamma-irradiation, was associated with the loss of tyrosinase expression. Neither form of radiation affected the expression of gp100, MART-1/MelanA, or S100.

Conclusion

These results indicate that UV-irradiation may increase the safety of autologous melanoma vaccines, although it may do so at the expense of altering the antigenic profile of the irradiated tumor cells.
P38 MAP kinase inhibitors as potential therapeutics for the treatment of joint degeneration and pain associated with osteoarthritis
Authors: Brown Kimberly K , Heitmeyer Sandra A , Hookfin Erin B , Hsieh Lily , Buchalova Maria , Taiwo Yetunde O , Janusz Michael J
Published: December 2008

Background

Evaluate the potential role of p38 inhibitors for the treatment of osteoarthritis using an animal model of joint degeneration (iodoacetate-induced arthritis) and a pain model (Hargraeves assay).

Methods

P38 kinase activity was evaluated in a kinase assay by measuring the amount of phosphorylated substrate ATF2 using a phosphoATF2 (Thr71) specific primary antibody and an alkaline phosphate coupled secondary antibody and measuring the OD at 405 nm. TNFα and IL-1β secretion from LPS stimulated THP-1 monocytic cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by ELISA. Rats treated with vehicle or p38 inhibitor were injected intra-articularly in one knee with iodoacetate and damage to the tibial plateau was assessed from digitized images captured using an image analyzer. The effect of p38 inhibitors on hyperalgesia was evaluated in rats given an intraplantar injection of carrageenan and 4 h later the paw withdrawal time to a radiant heat source was measured.

Results

SB-203580 and VX-745 are both potent inhibitors of p38 with IC50s of 136 ± 64 nM and 35 ± 14 nM (mean ± S.D.), respectively. Similarly, SB-203580 and VX-745 potently inhibited TNF release from LPS stimulated human THP-1 cells with IC50s of 72 ± 15 nM; and 29 ± 14 nM (mean ± S.D.) respectively. TNF release from LPS stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was inhibited with IC50s 16 ± 6 nM and 14 ± 8 nM, (mean ± S.D.) for SB-203580 and VX-745 and IL-1 was inhibited with IC50s of 20 ± 8 nM and 15 ± 4 nM (mean ± S.D.), respectively. SB-203580 and VX-745 administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg resulted in the significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of joint degeneration in the rat iodoacetate model of 45% and 31%, respectively. SB-203580 demonstrated a dose related inhibition of joint degeneration of 30, 25, 12 and 8% at 50, 25, 10 and 5 mg/kg p.o. b.i.d. in the rat iodoacetate model. Similarly, both p38 inhibitors significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the pain response (paw withdrawal time) in the Hargraeves hyperalgesia assay when administered orally at 30, 10 and 3 mg/kg.

Conclusion

SB203580 and VX-745 demonstrated attenuation of both cartilage degeneration and pain in animal models and suggest that p38 inhibitors may be a useful approach for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The Role of TRPV1 in Different Subtypes of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons in Rat Chronic Inflammatory Nociception Induced by Complete Freund's Adjuvant
Authors: Yu Lu , Yang Fei , Luo Hao , Liu Feng-Yu , Han Ji-Sheng , Xing Guo-Gang , Wan You
Published: December 2008

Background:

The present study aims to investigate the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in chronic pain including thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Chronic inflammatory nociception of rats was produced by intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and data was collected until day 28 following injection.

Results:

Thermal hyperalgesia was evident from day 1 to day 28 with peak at day 7, while mechanical allodynia persisted from day 1 to day 14 and was greatest at day 7. Intrathecal administration of AMG 9810 at day 7, a selective TRPV1 antagonist, significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. TRPV1 expression in DRG detected by Western blotting was increased relative to baseline throughout the observation period. Double labeling of TRPV1 with neuronal marker neurofilament 200 (NF200), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or isolectin B4 (IB4) was used to distinguish different subtypes of DRG neurons. TRPV1 expression was increased in the medium-sized myelinated A fiber (NF200 positive) neurons and in small non-peptidergic (IB4 positive) neurons from day 1 to day 14 and was increased in small peptidergic (CGRP positive) neurons from day 1 to day 28.

Conclusion:

TRPV1 expression increases in all three types of DRG neurons after CFA injection and plays a role in CFA-induced chronic inflammatory pain including thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia.
Short scales to assess cannabis-related problems: a review of psychometric properties
Authors: Piontek Daniela , Kraus Ludwig , Klempova Danica
Published: December 2008

Aims

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the psychometric properties of four short screening scales to assess problematic forms of cannabis use: Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test (CUDIT), Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) and Problematic Use of Marijuana (PUM).

Methods

A systematic computer-based literature search was conducted within the databases of PubMed, PsychINFO and Addiction Abstracts. A total of 12 publications reporting measures of reliability or validity were identified: 8 concerning SDS, 2 concerning CUDIT and one concerning CAST and PUM. Studies spanned adult and adolescent samples from general and specific user populations in a number of countries worldwide.

Results

All screening scales tended to have moderate to high internal consistency (Cronbach's α ranging from .72 to .92). Test-retest reliability and item total correlation have been reported for SDS with acceptable results. Results of validation studies varied depending on study population and standards used for validity assessment, but generally sensitivity, specificity and predictive power are satisfactory. Standard diagnostic cut-off points that can be generalized to different populations do not exist for any scale.

Conclusion

Short screening scales to assess dependence and other problems related to the use of cannabis seem to be a time and cost saving opportunity to estimate overall prevalences of cannabis-related negative consequences and to identify at-risk persons prior to using more extensive diagnostic instruments. Nevertheless, further research is needed to assess the performance of the tests in different populations and in comparison to broader criteria of cannabis-related problems other than dependence.
Possible immunotherapeutic potentiation with D-Fraction in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Pyo Paul , Louie Brandon , Rajamahanty Srinivas , Choudhury Muhammad , Konno Sensuke
Published: December 2008

Background

Prostate cancer remains the most common malignancy among elderly men and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Although several conventional therapies are currently available, they have a low efficacy and the more effective treatment modalities need to be established. Interferons (IFNs) are one of such options known as immunotherapy and demonstrated their antitumor effects on certain cancer types. Yet such antitumor activity should be improved or potentiated to have the satisfactory outcomes. In fact, combination therapy has been proposed as an alternative approach and is being underway in human and animal studies. Accordingly, we studied whether the combination of IFN-α and D-fraction (PDF), a bioactive mushroom extract, might potentiate anticancer activity of IFN-α in prostate cancer PC-3 cells in vitro.

Results

Potential effects of recombinant IFN-α2b (0–100,000 IU/ml), PDF (0–1,000 μg/ml), or their combinations were assessed on the growth of PC-3 cells at 72 h. Cell cycle analysis using a flow cytometer and Western blot analysis were performed to explore antiproliferative mechanism of these agents. The dose-dependent study showed that IFN-α2b up to 20,000 (20 K) IU/ml had no significant effects, but >60% growth reduction was attained ≤50 K IU/ml. Similarly, PDF showed no effects up to 250 μg/ml but ~65% growth reduction was seen at 1,000 μg/ml. When IFN-α2b and PDF were combined, a relatively low concentration (10 K IU/ml) of IFN-α2b and PDF (250 μg/ml) resulted in a ~65% growth reduction. This was accompanied by a G1 cell cycle arrest, indicated by cell cycle analysis. Western blots also revealed that the G1-specific cell cycle regulators, CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D1, and cyclin E, had been significantly (>60%) down-regulated in IFN/PDF-treated cells.

Conclusion

The combination of IFN-α2b (10 K IU/ml) and PDF (250 μg/ml) is capable of inducing a ~65% reduction in PC-3 cell growth. This appears to be due to a synergistic potentiation of two agents, leading to a G1 cell cycle arrest. Thus, it is conceivable that PDF may potentiate IFN-α2b activity, improving immunotherapy for prostate cancer.
Evidence for common short natural transsense-antisense pairing between transcripts from protein coding genes
Authors: Wang Ping , Yin Shanye , Zhang Zhenguo , Xin Dedong , Hu Landian , Kong Xiangyin , Hurst Laurence D
Published: December 2008

Background

There is increasing realization that regulation of genes is done partly at the RNA level by sense-antisense binding. Studies typically concentrate on the role of non-coding RNAs in regulating coding RNA. But the majority of transcripts in a cell are likely to be coding. Is it possible that coding RNA might regulate other coding RNA by short perfect sense-antisense binding? Here we compare all well-described human protein coding mRNAs against all others to identify sites 15-25 bp long that could potentially perfectly match sense-antisense.

Results

From 24,968 protein coding mRNA RefSeq sequences, none failed to find at least one match in the transcriptome. By randomizations generating artificial transcripts matched for G+C content and length, we found that there are more such trans short sense-antisense pairs than expected. Several further features are consistent with functionality of some of the putative matches. First, transcripts with more potential partners have lower expression levels, and the pair density of tissue specific genes is significantly higher than that of housekeeping genes. Further, the single nucleotide polymorphism density is lower in short pairing regions than it is in flanking regions. We found no evidence that the sense-antisense pairing regions are associated with small RNAs derived from the protein coding genes.

Conclusions

Our results are consistent with the possibility of common short perfect sense-antisense pairing between transcripts of protein coding genes.
Fauzi Al-Qawuqji and the Arab Liberation Army in the 1948 War toward the Attainment of King `Abdallah's Political Ambitions in Palestine
Authors: Yitzhak Ronen
Published: December 2008

King `Abdallah's political ambitions in Palestine—the annexation of Palestine to Transjordan under his rule—and his wish to send his army (the Arab Legion) to realize these ambitions, worried leaders of Arab countries. In an attempt to prevent King `Abdallah from realizing this goal, the Arab League decided in December 1947 to establish an Arab volunteer army, known as the Arab Liberation Army, under the command of Fauzi al-Qawuqji. The aim of this irregular army was to fight the Jews and to prevent the Arabs from sending their regular armies (including the Arab Legion) to Palestine.

Al-Qawuqji and King `Abdallah, however, had been very close since 1936, when with the king's help al-Qawuqji escaped from the British to Transjordan. Al-Qawuji was opposed to the former mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Huseini, and therefore al-Qawuji and King `Abdallah were on one side against the mufti and opposed to his political ambition to establish an independent Palestinian state. This political closeness between the two leaders formed the basis of King `Abdallah's aid to al-Qawuqji and to the Arab Liberation Army's entrance into Palestine from Transjordan, in return for Palestine's staying in the Arab territories—the territories King `Abdallah wanted to annex to Transjordan. The Arab Liberation Army soldiers deployed in these territories clashed with the mufti's supporters and diminished the mufti's influence in Palestine, helping King `Abdallah finally to conquer the territories and to annex them to Transjordan.
The (Non)Governance of Divided Territories: A Comparative Study of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Palestine
Authors: Alvi-Aziz Hayat
Published: December 2008

The cartography of autonomous Palestine, as it has been forming since the peace process, appears to be designed for failure. A sovereign state consisting of fragmented territorial units harbors serious obstacles to effective governance. The national boundaries of such a state alone pose a major challenge in terms of internal and external security, national unity, trade, resource allocation, transportation/mobility, and socioeconomic development. Moreover, these challenges are immensely magnified relative to a newly independent, underdeveloped state, as seen in historical examples. This article analyzes the (non)governance of divided territories, drawing on the analogy of divided Pakistan. The case of East Pakistan/Bangladesh serves as an example of the difficulties embodied in governing geographically separated territories. This article proposes that autonomous Palestine is seemingly at risk of making similar mistakes in attempting to govern divided territories.
How Newness Enters the World: The Methodology of Sheldon Pollock
Authors: Gould Rebecca
Published: December 2008

This essay aims at a methodological interpretation of Sheldon Pollock's oeuvre from the perspective of comparative literary history. Part 1 focuses on his recent magnum opus, The Language of the Gods in the World of Men. Part 2 compares the Sanskrit cosmopolis in Pollock's elaboration with cosmopolises of the 'ajam world. I argue that Pollock's analysis of culture and power in premodernity lays the groundwork for a philosophical critique of modern forms of government, the outlines of which are traced in part 3. Premodernity is conceptually necessary to critical and postcolonial theory, in spite of its seeming empirical absence from contemporary thought.
Soil Water Measurements Relevant to Agronomic and Environmental Functions of Chemically Treated Soil
Authors: Sojka R. E. , Lehrsch G. A. , Kostka S. J. , Reed J. L. , Koehn A. C. , Foerster J. A.
Published: December 2008

Modern agricultural, turf, and landscape management routinely apply and depend upon chemical applications to optimize system function for specific outcomes. The effectiveness of these applied chemicals to achieve desired outcomes usually depends upon their interaction with and transport by water. To fully and accurately assess the role of water as a chemical delivery and activation system requires a good understanding of how the applied chemicals, soil, and water interact, the scale at which a phenomenon is important, the nature of soil variability, and which of the three dominant soil water properties (content, movement, or potential energy) is most suited to assessing water’s role. The science of this assessment process is extensive and its literature is voluminous. For the uninitiated, however, it is worth being aware at least of the basics of soil water assessment and where some of the pitfalls lie. This presentation describes soil as a three-phase system (solids, liquid, and gases) and highlights some of the key measurements and measurement considerations necessary to appropriately characterize treatment efficacy for specific, and especially, non-intuitive effects. The presentation cannot be comprehensive or substitute for requisite university-level courses in soil physics and soil chemistry, but can, perhaps, alert applicators to situations and considerations that demand more than mere cursory assessment for proper evaluation and interpretation.
Development of Fatigue Loading Spectra
Authors: Potter JM , Watanabe RT
Published: December 2008

Description

Documents the state of the art in characterizing and standardizing cyclic loads experienced by structures in service. From characterizing measured data, to development of standard test spectra. Papers include: Development of Jet Transport Airframe Fatigue Test Spectra, Variable Amplitude Load Models for Fatigue Damage and Crack Growth, and Compilation of Procedures for Fatigue Crack Propagation Testing Under Complex Load Sequences.
SPECOMP Calculations of Radiation Damage in Compounds
Authors: Greenwood LR
Published: December 2008

A new computer code SPECOMP has been developed to calculate displacement damage for compound materials. The code uses primary recoil atom energy distributions from the SPECTER code and thus requires no access to nuclear data bases. For each combination of recoil and matrix atom, the code determines the secondary displacement functions and integrates over the recoil energy distributions. The net displacements for a compound are then the weighted sum of these results for all combinations of atoms in the compound. Calculations have been completed for fusion tritium breeders, insulators, and alloys. In cases where there are large mass differences between atoms in the compound, the damage calculated by SPECOMP is significantly different than the weighted sum of elemental damage from SPECTER. Displacement functions for various materials are being added to the SPECTER package for routine use, and SPECTER users can easily perform calculations for new compounds.
Fatigue Life Prediction of Cross-Ply Composite Laminates
Authors: Lee J-W , Daniel IM , Yaniv G
Published: December 2008

Fatigue damage development in cross-ply laminates consists of transverse matrix cracking followed by longitudinal matrix cracking, local delaminations at crack intersections, and ultimately longitudinal fiber breakage of the load-carrying plies. Ultimate failure is determined by the manner in which the load is redistributed and transferred into the load-carrying plies. A model was developed for predicting fatigue life of cross-ply laminates which develop transverse cracking up to the characteristic damage state (CDS) level before fatigue failure. The fatigue life consists of two portions: the portion necessary to reach the CDS and the residual life after attainment of the CDS. A procedure for estimating the CDS life is described based on the relationship between residual stiffness and crack density and the stress-life (S-N) curve of the 90° lamina. The residual life after CDS was obtained by calculating the stress carried by the 0° plies and assuming that these plies within the damaged laminate behave like a 0° lamina under cyclic loading. Fatigue life predictions were in good agreement with experimental results for three graphite/epoxy cross-ply laminates.
Fatigue Damage Development in Notched (02/±45)s Laminates
Authors: Poursartip A , Chinatambi N
Published: December 2008

This study investigates delamination growth from holes in carbon fibre reinforced epoxy (CFRE) AS/3501-6 (02/±45)s laminates under tensile static and fatigue loading. Delaminations grow in a direction parallel to the loading at the 0/45 and 45/−45 interfaces. Attempts to control the location of the delamination by using inserts were unsuccessful. The delamination growth rates were fitted by a power function of the stress amplitude and mean stress. The stress amplitude is the dominant parameter. Tests were performed on dry and saturated specimens at room temperature, and there was no measurable difference in growth rates. However, block loading tests, where an overload was applied at regular intervals, resulted in growth rates five times higher than a linear sum of the individual growth rates. Compliance changes were measured and correlated with the extent of delamination. The associated matrix cracking contributes substantially to the compliance changes. The amount of matrix cracking for a given delamination length is a function of the type and level of loading. The results are interpreted in terms of the total strain energy release rate, G. Once the presence of matrix cracking is allowed for, there is reasonable agreement with results in the literature.
Interlaminar Shear Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Thresholds for Composite Materials
Authors: O'Brien TK , Murri GB , Salpekar SA
Published: December 2008

Static and cyclic end-notched flexure (ENF) tests were conducted on three materials to determine their interlaminar shear fracture toughness and fatigue thresholds for delamination in terms of limiting values of the mode II strain energy release rate, GII, for delamination growth. Data were generated for three different materials: a T300/BP907 graphite/epoxy, an S2/SP250 glass/epoxy, and an AS4/PEEK (polyetheretherketone) graphite/thermoplastic. The influence of precracking and data reduction schemes on the mode II toughness and fatigue behavior is discussed. Finite-element analysis indicated that the beam theory calculation for GII with the transverse shear contribution included was reasonably accurate over the entire range of crack lengths. However, compliance measurements for the three materials tested and the variation in compliance with crack length differed from the beam theory predictions. For materials that exhibited linear load-deflection behavior, GIIc values determined from compliance calibration measurements provided the most conservative and accurate estimate of the interlaminar shear fracture toughness. Cyclic loading significantly reduced the critical GII for delamination. A threshold value of the maximum cyclic GII below which no delamination occurred after one million cycles was identified for each material to quantify the degradation in interlaminar shear fracture toughness in fatigue. In addition, residual static toughness tests were conducted on glass/epoxy specimens that had undergone one million cycles without delamination. These residual static tests, and the initial static tests on the tough AS4/PEEK graphite/thermoplastic, exhibited nonlinear load-deflection behavior. For these cases, the load at deviation from nonlinearity was used to determine the interlaminar shear fracture toughness. A linear mixed-mode delamination criterion was used to characterize the static toughness of several composite materials; however, a total G threshold criterion appears to be sufficient for characterizing the fatigue delamination durability of composite materials with a wide range of static toughnesses.
Application of a Polymeric Anodemesh for Cathodic Protection to a Reinforced Concrete Structure
Authors: Drachnik KJ
Published: December 2008

A cathodic protection system using a mesh of polymeric anodes to protect the reinforcing steel in a concrete substructure is described. The above ground structure was actively corroding as indicated by a preinstallation potential survey and analysis of chloride concentrations in the concrete. Gunite was used to permanently attach the anodemesh to the concrete and to provide an electrolyte for distribution of the cathodic protection current. Two criteria were used to determine the level of cathodic protection current required to inhibit corrosion of the reinforcing steel. Test results indicate that the steel has been polarized 300 mV cathodic of its native potential and that the structure is well protected. The system continues to perform as expected after ten months of continuous operation.
An Apparatus for Thermal Performance Measurements of Insulated Roof Systems
Authors: Courville GE , Childs KW , Walukas DJ , Childs PW , Griggs EI
Published: December 2008

The U.S. Department of Energy is conducting thermal performance measurements on low-slope roofs with a recently developed field test apparatus at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The apparatus accommodates four 1.2 by 2.4-m (4 by 8-ft) test specimens and includes the measurement capabilities for specimen temperatures, temperature gradients, heat flows, and moisture content. A weather station characterizes outdoor weather conditions. Tests underway include (1) validation of a roof surface temperature model developed to study the effects of wet insulation, (2) measurement of temperature distributions and heat transfer in high R value roofs, and (3) validation of an analysis of the effectiveness of high reflectance surfaces. Preliminary experimental results are presented and correlations between experiment and modeling are discussed.
Effect of Rheological Properties of Asphalts on Pavement Cracking
Authors: Kandhal PS , Koehler WC
Published: December 2008

Both load and nonload-associated cracking of asphalt pavements are prevalent in Canada and the northern United States. It is essential to identify the rheological properties of the asphalt binder responsible for this type of distress. An asphalt durability research project began with the construction of six test pavements in Pennsylvania in September 1976 using AC-20 asphalt cements from different sources.

For seven years (1976 to 1984), periodical pavement performance evaluations were carried out, and climatological data were gathered. The rheological properties of original and aging asphalt binders were evaluated from periodic core samples.

The stiffness moduli of original and aged asphalt binders and asphaltic concrete were determined by two indirect methods (Heukelom and McLeod) at −23°C (−10°F) to evaluate low-temperature nonload-associated transverse cracking. Diametral creep measurements were made on pavement cores after seven years in service. Creep moduli were determined over a convenient range of loading times up to 1000 s and in the 4 to −20°C (39.2 to −20°F) temperature range. The creep data for each asphalt were reduced to a master curve using the superposition method so that the stiffness modulus of the viscoelastic asphaltic concrete can be obtained at a desired temperature and time of loading. Both indirect methods and direct measurements indicate that the stiffness modulus of the asphaltic concrete is a better indicator of the potential low temperature nonload-associated cracking.

Asphalt ductility values, determined at 15.6°C (60°F) after six years in service, seem to be consistent with the pavement performance. Higher ductility values are associated with lower incidence of load-associated longitudinal cracking.

Recommendations have been made to optimize the rheological properties of asphalt binders and asphaltic concrete to minimize the incidence of both load and nonload-associated cracking of asphalt pavements.
CODATA Activities on Materials Data
Authors: Barrett AJ
Published: December 2008

The International Council of Scientific Unions Committee on Data for Science and Technology, (CODATA), is broadly representative of the industrialized nations. Because of this wide international constitution, CODATA has served as an effective catalyst in bringing together those who are involved in producing, managing, and using materials data systems and in arranging collaborative efforts between them. This role is currently being fulfilled by the identification of national and multinational materials data projects and of the experts who are involved in them; the promotion of awareness and communication; influencing the preparation of standards, guidelines, and consistent terminology; and the dissemination of knowledge and practices in the technology of building and using materials data bases. In addition, CODATA aims to assist the materials data base manager by drawing attention to and providing information on such issues as liability, cost-benefits, and user-friendliness.
Economic Evaluation of Dispersants to Combat Oil Spills
Authors: Lasday AH
Published: December 2008

Chemical dispersants for combatting oil spills increasingly are being recognized as a most valuable addition to the available means for damage prevention and cleanup. A study of oil spill cleanup costs enables one to apply a most useful perspective to the issue of costs. Based on public information sources where costs were reported for cleanup of oil that impacted a shoreline, mechanical methods ranged in cost from a minimum of $65 per barrel of oil to a maximum of $5000 per barrel. In contrast, costs for intercepting the oil at sea by spraying dispersant from four-engine fixed wing aircraft ranged between a minimum of $15 per barrel of oil treated up to a maximum of $60 per barrel of oil treated. The study spill sizes were 10 000 to 100 000 barrels of oil.
The Effect of Elastomers on the Efficiency of Oil Spill Dispersants
Authors: Waters PF , Hadermann AF , Lambrecht L
Published: December 2008

The concept that an oil spill might be immobilized on the surface of a body of water and subsequently dispersed has been advanced. The exploratory studies reported here demonstrate that an ultrahigh molecular weight elastomer, known to retard oil spreading, can be used in conjunction with an oil soluble surfactant to disperse the oil in water. The elastomer retards the dispersibility of the oil to some extent, but at concentrations of the elastomer sufficient to prevent oil spreading there is still significant dispersion.