bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To Consume or Not to Consume?
Authors: Autio Minna , Heinonen Visa
Published: April 2004

This article looks at Finnish young people’s conceptions of green consumerism. We examine first the discussion of the greening of youth in contemporary society on the basis of earlier studies.Then we present the results of qualitative analysis of the different data concerning environmental consumerism. The data were collected at upper secondary schools in five different locations in Finland. The analysis of the essays and group discussions revealed that young consumers consider green consumerism as recycling, waste management and buying environmentally sound products. However, the analysis of the stories revealed a variety of conceptions about what green consumerism means. In addition, the youngsters were not totally consistent in their thinking about the relationship between consumer behaviour and its consequences to nature.The most aware young people understand that something must be done if our aim is global sustainable development.
Israeli Youth Body Adornments
Authors: Jacobson Yehuda , Luzzatto Diana
Published: April 2004

The symbolic meaning of the phenomenon of tattoos and piercing among Israeli youth is assessed. Results show a multifaceted language of body adornments, the properties of which might be specific to Israeli culture. While in family and peer group contexts youth show significant conformity, body adornments within the context of institutions displaying characteristics of totality indicate limited protest. Thus different symbolic meanings are stressed depending on context, expressing an oscillation between conformity and protest.
Measurement of Equilibrium Factor ”F” between Radon and its Progeny and Thoron and its Progeny in the Indoor Atmosphere Using Nuclear Track Detectors
Authors: Ramola R. C. , Negi M. S. , Choubey V. M.
Published: April 2004

Radon, thoron and their progeny are present in the indoor atmosphere as attached and unattached fractions. The level of ventilation in a house and the plating out of radon/thoron daughters onto surfaces decide the extent of equilibrium between them. Since the daughter products are mainly responsible for the inhaled dose, the measurement of the equilibrium factor, F, between radon/thoron and their progenies is desirable. It is therefore necessary to measure the equilibrium factor for different types of house construction, locations and seasons before projecting the dose from the measurements of radon and thoron. This paper presents the results of the measurement of F between radon, thoron and their progenies in dwellings using the LR-115 type II plastic track detector. The exposures were made with a twin-chamber dosimeter in about 150 houses of different types, distributed at different locations in the Garhwal and Kumaun region of the Himalayas in India. The measured equilibrium factor between radon and progeny varied from 0.02 to 0.90 with an average value of 0.28 while the same factor for thoron and progeny was found to vary from 0.01 to 0.90 with an average value of 0.09. The methods of measurement and results obtained are discussed in detail.
Indoor Air Quality in New Residential Buildings and Behaviour of Materials in Structures
Authors: Saarela Kristina , Järnström Helena
Published: April 2004

A research project was initiated in order to collect numerical reference data on material emissions during the time of construction and to follow up indoor air quality in new buildings. Seven measurement sites representative of current construction practice in Finland were chosen for investigation. Material emission measurements for surfaces were made during construction using the field and laboratory cell (FLEC) technique. The emission rates for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and ammonia and the relative humidity of the floor structure were measured for the floor structure build-up stages. In addition, decay behaviour of the emissions of underlying floor structures was investigated. The concentration of VOCs, formaldehyde and ammonia in indoor air and the air exchange rate were defined for the newly finished and 6 month-old buildings. The results were compared to indoor air concentration and emission rate target values defined in the Finnish “Classification of Indoor Climate 2000”.
Microbial Cell Wall Products in Different Fractions of House Dust
Authors: Rylander Ragnar , Beijer Lena
Published: April 2004

The amount of endotoxin and (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan was determined indoors using four different sampling techniques. Airborne active related dust and floor-agitated dust had a lower proportion of endotoxin than sedimented surface dust. Endotoxin and glucan were related in airborne active related dust. An evaluation of the results in relation to effect data is required before recommendations on sampling methods can be issued.
Measurement and CFD Simulation of the Temperature Stratification in an Atrium Using a Floor Level Air Supply Method
Authors: Lau Josephine , Niu J. L.
Published: April 2004

A glazed atrium is a common feature in shopping centres and in the lobbies of residential and commercial buildings. This research aimed to discover the vertical temperature distribution and cooling load reduction relating to displacement ventilation in atrium spaces. The air temperatures at different levels (0.1, 0.7, 1.2, 1.7, 3, 5 and 7 m), within a 25 m high exhibition atrium, were monitored. Using the measured surface temperatures as boundary conditions, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed to examine the vertical temperature distribution. Further, by using parametric studies, the influences of occupant load, equipment load, lighting load, floor and wall surface temperatures, and supply air conditions were investigated with 12 CFD simulation cases. Based on the simulation results, load reduction factors - with three grouping methods of heat sources - were then developed. Temperature stratification was present even under the condition of a low cooling load. Load reductions were lower for occupant and equipment loads than for a lighting load. The best grouping method was to consider the heat released from the floor as an individual group of heat sources, which is an indication that secondary heat from the floor should not be neglected during the design of displacement ventilation.
Health Effects due to Indoor Air Pollution
Authors: Hoskins John A
Published: April 2004

The indoor micro-environment has its own pollutants and pollution levels indoors may be higher than those outdoors. This is particularly so when there are combustion processes associated with cooking heating or smoking coupled with poor ventilation. About half the world’s population have to rely for cooking; and associated space heating on simple household stoves using unprocessed solid fuels that have high emission factors, with the consequence that they are exposed to high levels of health-damaging air pollutants. Cooking can produce very high concentrations of particles and biomass fuels emit hundreds of chemicals during small-scale combustion, such as in household cooking or heating stoves. Tobacco smoke may add to other biomass smoke and all these together cause considerable human ill health world-wide. Most indoor air pollutants directly affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and the severity of the effect varies according to both the intensity and the duration of exposure, and also the health status of the population exposed. The importance of this is that some members of the population may be at greater risk than others. A number of the chemicals found in the indoor environment are classed as carcinogens although at the levels found the probability that they will cause cancer is extremely low. This is not to lessen the problem. In a 1987 study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranked indoor air pollution fourth in cancer risk among the 13 top environmental problems analysed.
Sources and Types of Mineral Dust in Regions of Turkey with Endemic Malignant Mesothelioma
Authors: Dog Meral
Published: April 2004

It has been proposed that the observed high incidence of fibre-related diseases, particularly malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), in Turkey can serve as a surrogate indicator of exposure to natural mineral fibres. Environmental exposure to the amphibole tremolite and the zeolite erionite are almost certainly the cause of this disease in the areas of Turkey where these minerals are found. In this study, field reconnaissance and mineralogical investigations were conducted to provide information to evaluate the environmental impacts of minerals in these endemic MPM regions. Some published data has also been re-evaluated and correlated with the current study.The results help to confirm that prolonged out-door and in-door exposure to these various mineral fibres may be the cause of MPM. Mixed fibres of tremoliteactinolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, chrysotile and silica have been found in the asbestos-rich-regions where the disease is endemic. Fibre dimension is known to be a critical factor in the development of MPM and other mineral fibre-related diseases and so in addition to other studies the type and form of these minerals was examined. In the locations where nonfibrous tremolite and chrysotile-like minerals were present instead of endemic MPM, a high incidence of calcified pleural plaques (CPP) and pleural thickening (PT) was observed. Although examples of the zeolite group of minerals have been found in various locations throughout Turkey, only in Central Anatolia is erionite found in a fine fibrous form. This is the only area of Turkey where MPM is considered to be endemic through exposure to that form of the mineral. The studies also indicate that beside erionite, other fibres such as actinolite, tremolite, crocidolite, chrysotile, crystalline silica (cristobalite) and volcanic glass shards are present in the environment, and are found in human and sheep lung tissue samples.
Recent Developments in the Therapy of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Authors: Emri Salih
Published: April 2004

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is most often caused by environmental and occupational exposure to durable mineral fibres including asbestos and the zeolite erionite. In Turkey, MPM due to environmental exposure to erionite is a serious public health problem in rural parts of Anatolia where there is also some evidence of genetic predisposition in some families.Although much is already known of MPM aetiology, therapeutic efforts remain poor and neither chemotherapy nor surgery have been shown to prolong survival significantly. Radiation therapy assists in reducing tumour growth and temporarily relieving pain, but does not extend the overall survival time. Single agent chemotherapy has shown a response rate of 10–33% not improved by combination chemotherapy. New agents including the anti-metabolites gemcitabine and specifically antifolates such as pemetrexed and raltitrexed seem more promising with response rates up to 48%, when combined with platinum compounds. The best characterised new agent is pemetrexed (LY 231514, ALIMTA) which inhibits the multiple folate-dependent enzymes thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and glycinamide ribonucleotideformyltransferase (GARFT). A phase I combination study showed a response in 45% of patients and a large randomised single blind Phase III study was initiated in 1999. The pemetrexed/cisplatin combination significantly improved median survival when compared with cisplatin alone (12.1 months vs. 9.3 months) and was also significantly better in other efficacy parameters such as response rate, time to progressive disease, lung function and subjective indicators of quality of life. This combination should now be considered standard front-line therapy for patients with MPM.
Airborne Fungi and Actinomycetes Concentrations in the Air of Eskisehir City (Turkey)
Authors: Asan Ahmet , Ilhan Semra , Sen Burhan , Erkara Ismuhan Potoglu , Filik Cansu , Cabuk Ahmet , Demirel Rasime , Ture Mevlut , Okten Suzan Sarica , Tokur Suleyman
Published: April 2004

The present study investigated the isolation and identification of airborne fungi from three different urban stations located in Eskisehir (Turkey). Air samples were taken by exposing a Petri dish with Rose-Bengal streptomycin agar medium for 15 min and after incubation the number of growing colonies was counted. The sampling procedure for fungi was performed 35 times at the research stations weekly between March and November 2001. A total of 2518 fungal and 465 actinomycetes colonies were counted on 420 Petri plates over a nine-month period. In total, some 20 mould species belonging to 12 genera were isolated. Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were the most abundant species in the study area (13.66, 5.80 and 5.50% of the total, respectively). Relationships between fungal spore numbers, aerosol air pollutants (that is the particulate matter in the air) and sulphur dioxide together with the meteorological conditions were examined using statistical analysis. Number of fungi and actinomycetes were tested by multivariate analysis (MANOVA) according to the areas and months. Fungal numbers were nonsignificant according to the areas and months (p > 0.05), but the number of actinomycetes recorded was significant (p < 0.01).
Modelling Contaminant Exposure in a Single-family House
Authors: Huang Jeffrey M. , Chen Qingyan , Ribot Bénédicte , Rivoalen Hervé
Published: April 2004

This study simulated occupational exposure to household contaminants in a single-family house under different ventilation, heating, and climatic conditions using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The contaminants studied were carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This investigation assessed the exposure over the day for a generic occupational schedule of four family members. Characteristically, high degrees of contamination as well as thermal stratification were found during the winter months, where low ventilation rates mimic displacement ventilation. This leads to lower contaminant exposure of the occupants, compared to a situation with completely mixed air. The stratification effect is more efficient at curbing exposure than increasing the global ventilation rate for the cases evaluated.
Health Communication and Knowledge Construction
Authors: Ginman Mariam , Ek Stefan , Eriksson-Backa Kristina , Mustonen Margit , Torkkola Sinikka , Tuominen Kimmo , Wikgren Marianne
Published: April 2004

The article reports on a project whose objectives were to analyse the social supply of health information to citizens and to study what they receive and are able to make use of. The results reveal the power, the responsibility and the rulers in and behind today’s media culture in health questions, but also the importance of people’s own active response to transmitted health messages. People who are satisfied with their own health consider it their own responsibility to be interested in health issues and to find and use health information from a great number of sources. It has been shown that the most frequently used and useful channels vary according to health problems and to cognitive and social factors. However, the awareness of different possibilities to share knowledge and to take responsibility for one’s own empowerment in health matters is symbolic of a healthier li
On the Way to Global Ethics?
Authors: Odysseos Louiza
Published: April 2004

In response to varied processes of globalization, the cosmopolitan perspective has rightly insisted that discussion of global ethics ought to be taken seriously. This article agrees with cosmopolitan theorists in calling for the implementation of a perspective that can address the other outside of narrow communal determinations. Yet it also advances a critique of their reliance on legalist instruments such as human rights, contending that the bestowal of human rights does not necessarily or directly lead to an ethics of inclusiveness. While the attribution of universal humanity to all may appear as an appropriate means of extending ethical regardedness to all others, this does not immediately follow from such a legalist gesture. Any attempts to articulate a truly global ethics must begin by questioning the distinct communal sensibilities which, by the very fact of their distinctiveness, always already contain within them a ‘xenophobic’ element that cannot be transcended solely by the bestowal of human rights or other such instruments. This article, therefore, discusses a different kind of ‘cosmopolitan’ disposition, one which is based on the recovery of an ethical selfhood that understands itself as an opening to otherness. For this task, it explores the phenomenological analyses of German philosopher Martin Heidegger and specifically his examination of how communication can be cultivated through hearing and silence.
The Intellectual Origins of Modern Democratic Republicanism (1660–1720)
Authors: Israel Jonathan
Published: April 2004

Arguably, the tradition of democratic republican theory which arose in the Dutch Republic in the years around 1660 in the writings of Johan and Pieter de la Court, Franciscus van den Enden and Spinoza played a decisively important role in the development of modern democratic political theory. The tradition did not end with Spinoza but continued to develop in the United Provinces and–in the work of Bernard Mandeville, who seemingly belongs more to the Dutch than the British republican tradition–in London, down to the early 18th century. The failure in most histories of republicanism to appreciate how strikingly different intellectually, and as an ideology, the Dutch tradition was from the Anglo-American republican tradition, has had the effect of obscuring its central importance in the development of radical republicanism in mid- and late 18th-century France.
Translating Max Weber
Authors: Breiner Peter
Published: April 2004

Although it is well-recognized that Max Weber was of central importance to many of the emigre social scientists who fled Hitler, commentators have overlooked both Weber’s attempt to found a new dynamic political science that would test partisan commitments and the endeavors of emigre political scientists to develop this project. This article lays out this new Weberian political science and assesses the fate of the various attempts on the part of the emigres to translate it into their new setting. It shows that Weber forged a notion of political science that combined an existential notion of politics as inexorable power struggle with a sociology of the business of politics that provided the setting in which that struggle was to take place. It also shows that the central purpose of this political science was to aid political partisans in clarifying the meaning of their political commitments by forcing them to view these commitments as they are shaped in the socio-political context that determines the struggle for power. I then show that Mannheim sought to radicalize this approach to political science by seeking to construct the political backdrop for the testing of political ideas out of a political field not out of parties, politicians, and state institutions but out of competing ideologies, each of which could be shown to have some insight into the dynamics of political conflict. For Mannheim we could now test political ideas against political reality by playing them off against each other. I call this project of testing political ideas against existential and sociological notions of the political field the Weber–Mannheim project. I then show how three emigre political scientists – Arnold Brecht, Hans Morgenthau, and Franz Neumann – sought to carry on the Weber–Mannheim project in their new setting. I argue that, of the three, Franz Neumann in his great work Behemoth, was most successful in staying true to that project. For he was able to find in his analysis of the Weimar Republic and the fascist regime a way of demonstrating the dynamics under which democracy and dictatorship fail or succeed while still maintaining openings for political will. Both Brecht and Morgenthau seem to have flattened the dynamic aspect of the Weberian and Mannheimian notions of a prudential political science – though it was Morgenthau who had the most successful reception in political science.
Detection of Low-velocity Impact Damage in Composite Plates using Lamb Waves
Authors: Diamanti K. , Hodgkinson J. M. , Soutis C.
Published: April 2004

A first approach to a rapid and cost-effective health monitoring system for composite structures is presented. Relatively small piezoceramic patches have been selected for the generation and reception of the fundamental anti-symmetric Lamb mode, A0. The patches were distributed in a linear array in order for larger areas to be inspected. The propagation of Lamb waves was studied using Finite Element analysis and the optimal number and spacing of the transmitters was determined. Impact damage was successfully detected in multidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates using a very simple experimental set-up.
Reconsidering the Role of the Practical Theorist: On (Re)connecting Theory to Practice in Organization Theory
Authors: Hoffman Andrew
Published: April 2004

In my late twenties I was a general contractor of custom homes. One day, while walking with the architect on an inspection of the jobsite, we stopped at something that clearly displeased him – the foundation being built out of field stones from the property. In giving voice to his dissatisfaction with the mason, he explained about the importance of the ‘physical mass of the stones’, ‘the receding elements of their multiple forms’ and ‘the transition from the rich and irregular organic materials of the New England farm field to the turn of the century geometry of the Shingle Style structure’. He summed up, ‘It must look as though it were supporting everything, literally growing out of the ground’. When he was done with his eloquent explanation, the mason turned to me and asked, ‘What the *#&% did he just say?’
Globalization
Authors: Rahman Anisur
Published: April 2004

The last century, intense with dreams and major social experiments, has ended with a general collapse of initiatives for social transformation, and also total disillusionment with efforts for ‘development’ of so-called ‘developing’ nations. The victorious ideology of the day – capitalism – has sought to consolidate its triumph with a call for ‘globalization’, for the freeing of markets, for unchecked hunting by private capital within and across nations with total disregard for national and global welfare. For a period no answer to this was in sight, until at the turn of the century the global protest movement rekindled the torch of resistance. It is now appropriate to review where we are today and the task that lies ahead of us. With this end in view this article will look back at the experiments in and efforts for social change to draw enlightenment from them, review where we are today, trace elements of the new ideology that is emerging in the protest movement, and reflect upon the task ahead for grassroots social activism.
Constructing a Territory for Professional Practice Research
Authors: Macpherson Ian , Brooker Ross , Aspland Tania , Cuskelly Eve
Published: April 2004

This article seeks to define professional practice research by juxtaposing an overview of a selection of our own experiences with a commentary on some of the ideas in the literature in such areas as action research, practitioner research and teacher research, all of which focus significantly on what it means to engage in research efforts in creating and extending professional knowledge, in illuminating and improving practice and in influencing policies in an informed way. In these terms, research will support and sustain an inquiry-based approach to professional work and practice in a range of social endeavours. The article concludes with a set of ideas for advocating the worthwhile nature of professional practice research.
Barter in Russian Prisons
Authors: Piacentini Laura
Published: April 2004

This article discusses findings from research in Russian prison colonies. There has been a decline in central government funding of prisons in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. This has led to the utilization of barter to provide maintenance and resources for prisoners and staff. I argue that the introduction of barter has created a unique scenario in which the sustainability of the prison infrastructure is dependent on community involvement. Current practices can be looked at in two lights. On one level, a very high prison population is maintained because the prisons have become economically self-sufficient and this might lead to prisoner exploitation. On another level, current practices suggest a symbiotic relationship in which the prisons and the local community are dependent on each other for survival. As Russia moves towards greater economic stability, the potential concerns posed by the use of barter provide further opportunities for criminological research.
Criminal Victimization in Cross-National Perspective
Authors: van Wilsem Johan
Published: April 2004

This research examines the effect of resource deprivation, criminal opportunities and social disorganization on national rates of homicide, non-lethal violence, theft and car vandalism. Previous cross-national research has concentrated on homicide variation, owing to the comparative problems associated with rates for other crimes. In the present article, International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) data on various contact crimes, as well as homicide figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), are analysed across 27 East European and Western countries. First, a comparison of homicide levels with victimization rates for theft and non-lethal violence indicates considerable overlap, which suggests that countries with high levels of homicide tend to have high levels of other violence and theft too. Second, results from multivariate analyses indicate that income inequality is the most consistent structural correlate of victimization rates for homicide, theft, non-lethal violence and car damage across this selection of countries. Also, homicide and theft show negative relations with GDP per capita. This may indicate that societal development goes together with lower levels of exposure to likely homicide offenders (family, friends). However, the results provide no support for the crime-inducing impact of high target attractiveness, thereby challenging predictions derived from routine activity theory on theft.
The Detention and Interrogation of Suspects in Police Custody in France
Authors: Hodgson Jacqueline
Published: April 2004

Drawing upon my own empirical research, this article examines the regulation of the detention and interrogation of suspects held in police custody in France - the ways in which the rights and interests of the suspect are protected and the reliability of evidence guaranteed. After considering the legal framework and the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights, the article describes the actual practices and roles of key legal personnel and the relationships between them; the nature of judicial supervision; the role of the defence; and the conduct of police interrogations. The article concludes that neither judicial supervision by the public prosecutor as actually exercised nor the recently expanded rights of the defence provide sufficient guarantees to safeguard either the interests of the suspect or the reliability of evidence. Although the outcome of the investigation is reviewed, the process is not. Despite the centrality of confession evidence in practice and the obvious vulnerability of those detained, the police detention of suspects continues to be regarded in procedural terms as a preliminary (and, therefore, less important) investigation, with the result that the suspect is afforded fewer safeguards when interrogated by the police than when questioned by a judge.
Reducing Crime and Conflict in Kentucky's Schools
Authors: Kenney Dennis Jay , McNamara Robert
Published: April 2004

Reacting to concerns about crime and fear in their schools, staff of the Kentucky Regional Community Policing Institute introduced, during the 2000 to 2001 academic year, a pilot effort at student-led problem solving. Conducted in six Kentucky high schools, this effort was intended to determine if student-based efforts could improve quality of life on school campuses while increasing students' sense of empowerment and school commitment. The project's evaluation identified problems of implementation and offers recommendations to strengthen future efforts.
Youth Development and Reentry
Authors: Mears Daniel P. , Travis Jeremy
Published: April 2004

The transition of young people ages 24 and younger from juvenile and adult correctional settings back into schools, families, communities, and society at large—a process termed youth reentry —is one of the critical justice policy issues currently confronting the United States, yet research addressing this topic is limited. We therefore know little about the unique challenges, including the role of youth development, involved in youth reentry or how best to effectively assist this population to become contributing members of society. For this reason, the Urban Institute convened a roundtable of researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and community leaders to inform national discussions about youth reentry. In this introduction to the special issue, we summarize the findings and issues raised at the meeting, presenting highlights from the paper presentations and discussions. We then identify some of the promising research and policy directions that emerged from the meeting.
Youth Perspectives on the Experience of Reentry
Authors: Sullivan Mercer L.
Published: April 2004

This article outlines the reentry process of youth who are released from secure confinement experience and describes some contextual factors affecting that experience. Using interviews with young people released from prison, several dimensions are discussed including prior criminal involvement and lifestyles, education, mental health, continuity and change in social relationships, and reentry into different kinds of communities. Specific descriptions of several youth, some with extensive criminal records and some without, are used to highlight the conclusion that traditional methods of determining the success of youth reentry are limited and may obscure important variation in whether and how certain factors, such as criminal records, lead to certain outcomes, such as crime. A discussion of workable approaches to youth reentry is offered, highlighting the need for increased community involvement and aftercare.
Adolescent and Teenage Offenders Confronting the Challenges and Opportunities of Reentry
Authors: Altschuler David M. , Brash Rachel
Published: April 2004

This article examines the challenges of reentry for teenage and youthful offenders. It discusses (a) reentry within a broader “reintegration” paradigm; (b) the mission and purpose of institutional and community corrections, as well as the tensions between them; (c) the intersection of chronological age and legal status; (d) the intersection of chronological age and stages of development; (e) risk and protective factors; and (f) the seven specific domains of reentry: family and living arrangement, peer groups, mental and physical health, education, vocational training and employment, substance abuse, and leisure and avocational interests. Particular attention is given to the need for reentry policies to be developmentally appropriate and age-specific. Finally, the article closes by discussing the implications for reentry policy.
Psychopathy and ADHD in Adolescent Male Offenders
Authors: Kaplan Sebastian G. , Cornell Dewey G.
Published: April 2004

What is the relationship between psychopathy traits and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in juvenile offenders? The authors examined psychopathy scores, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version and three indices of ADHD in 122 incarcerated male juvenile offenders. In addition, we investigated whether psychopathy and ADHD predicted violent behavior. Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version Total and Factor 1 scores did not correlate with measures of ADHD, although Factor 2 scores were weakly associated with two of three ADHD indices. Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version scores, but not ADHD indicators, were correlated with violent behavior.
Transformative Learning in the Perspective of a Comprehensive Learning Theory
Authors: Illeris Knud
Published: April 2004

This article outlines a contemporary and comprehensive theory of learning that has been developed to match the modern concept of competence and therefore includes not only cognitive learning but also emotional and social dimensions. In relation to this, different kinds of learning are discussed and a framework is suggested comprising four learning types, including, as the most complex, transformative learning. The article also identifies three main types of nonlearning defined as mislearning, learning defence, and learning resistance . Two kinds of learning defence are described as everyday consciousness and identity defence , respectively. Finally, the terms habits of expectations (Mezirow) and sets of assumptions (Brookfield) are taken up as the key expressions to understand nonlearning in transformative learning theory, and it is concluded that this theory could profit from dealing more specifically with the emotional and social dimensions of learning and nonlearning.
Meditation
Authors: Robinson Phyllis
Published: April 2004

Meditation is not a tool or technique and yet it can be a gateway into the deeper dimensions of learning. Contained in this personal narrative are the revelations of a graduate student in international education as she carries out cross-cultural empowerment fieldwork with Cambodian women refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border. After a disorienting rejection by a Cambodian-American colleague she discovers the value of Buddhist meditation practice in navigating the difficult terrain of her attachment to a belief system based on theories about oppression and her attitude toward engagement in participatory educational methods. In the moment-to-moment awareness of meditation practice is revealed the constructed nature of the egoic self and the ways in which belief structures are solidified, defended, and let go. The implications of the contemplative journey for transformative and integrative learning are investigated in the light of insight gleaned from this experience.
Managing the Performance of Staff in LEAs in Wales
Authors: James Chris , Colebourne David
Published: April 2004

Recent policy developments are changing the work of local education authorities (LEAs) in Wales requiring them to play a broader role in the community and a significant role in raising educational achievement. LEAs are obligated to set out their improvement targets in institutional plans and are called to account by external inspection, which focuses on the management of performance at all levels and stresses the need to establish appropriate management structures. The systems and processes for the performance management of LEA staff are therefore of interest and were the focus of the study reported here. The findings described in the article give insights into the management and organization of LEAs in Wales; performance management practice; the problematic nature of target setting; and the issues of recruitment, succession planning and the capacity of those who work in LEAs to fulfil their roles with authority. A model of performance management of staff in LEAs is presented.
Further Education Middle Managers
Authors: Leader Gillian
Published: April 2004

Since incorporation in the early 1990s, the Further Education (FE) sector has experienced a period of radical change and transformation in policy initiatives. As a consequence of the increased climate of accountability, the strategic planning process has become a focal point for the successful management of colleges. With the associated maximization of diversity and flexibility in FE and a correlating shift in roles and identity, there has been a tendency to blur the issues that have emerged over middle management teams and their contribution to the strategic agenda. This article aims to contribute to the discourse on strategic decision-making in colleges and the role of FE academic middle managers in participating in that process. Through reviewing sources of relevant literature and policy documents, the emphasis has been to draw on some of the key themes that contextualize strategic planning in colleges. In brief, the article attempts to define the function of middle managers as strategists within the FE sector.
Factors Underlying Technikon and University Enrolment Trends in South Africa
Authors: Imenda S. N. , Kongolo M. , Grewal A. S.
Published: April 2004

This was a descriptive survey involving four South African higher education (HE) institutions. Specifically, the study sought to critically investigate factors that could explain enrolment patterns in universities and technikons. The findings indicated that the choices of the institutions were mainly made by the respondents themselves, based on their career preferences. Affordability and other financial considerations did not come out as a major factor in the ultimate choice of the institution by respondents from historically white institutions (HWIs). However, this was a major point of consideration for respondents from historically black institutions (HBIs). Furthermore, accessibility to financial aid did appear to be a major factor for all respondents. Other determining factors included the public image of the institution of choice; the perceived quality of staff; institutional stability; teaching resources and other facilities available to students; administrative efficiency (including the friendliness of staff); the operational and instructional language of the institution; admissions and course registration processes and procedures; fairness in the allocation of facilities and other resources; and physical appearance/attractiveness of the institutions. However, catering services did not come out as a critical factor in attracting students to the institutions.
Relationship between guideline treatment and health-related quality of life in asthma
Authors: Pont L.G. , van der Molen T. , Denig P. , van der Werf G.T. , Haaijer-Ruskamp F.M.
Published: April 2004

The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of asthma patients treated according to the 1997 National Institute of Health (NIH) international asthma guideline and that of asthmatics receiving non-guideline treatment.

The suitability of 146 asthmatics' medication regimes was determined according to the 1997 NIH asthma guideline. Quality of life was assessed on a seven-point scale using the Asthma Quality of Life questionnaire.

Just over half of the patients were not currently using the treatment considered necessary for controlling their asthma. Patients treated according to the guideline (n=72) had a significantly higher overall HRQL than patients with non-guideline treatment (5.7versus5.3). The differences were also significant for the subscales measuring symptoms and environmental exposure, but not for activities or emotional function.

An association between non-guideline treatment and a poorer health-related quality of life in asthma patients treated in general practice was observed. This study supports the role of evidence-based guidelines in daily practice. Further studies are needed to determine if guideline treatment is responsible for the increase in health-related quality of life observed in this work.
Pulmonary infiltrates in Costello Syndrome
Authors: Waldburg N. , Buehling F. , Evert M. , Burkhardt O. , Welte T.
Published: April 2004

This paper reports on a patient with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates directly related to Costello Syndrome.

This congenital disorder is characterised by multiple congenital abnormalities, such as psychomotor retardation, short stature, redundant skin, papillomata, curly hair, relative macroencephaly, distinctive face and various defects of internal organs.

This study is the first to document the histopathological findings in the lungs.

Most conspicuous was the depositing of abnormal collagen and elastic fibres and the development of endogenous lipid pneumonia.
Functional residual capacity measurements in healthy infants: ultrasonic flow meterversusa mass spectrometer
Authors: Pillow J.J. , Ljungberg H. , Hülskamp G. , Stocks J.
Published: April 2004

Accurate, reproducible and portable bedside monitoring of lung volume could potentially facilitate the early recognition of both under and overinflation of the lungs in ventilated and nonventilated subjects. This study asked whether a prototype portable ultrasonic flow meter provided valid and reliable measurements of functional residual capacity (FRCUS) when compared to those obtained using a mass spectrometer (FRCMS) in nonventilated healthy infants.

Paired, randomised measurements of FRCMSand FRCUSwere obtained using the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) multiple-breath washout technique in 23 healthy infants with a median (range) postnatal age of 34.6 (1.3–92.6) weeks and weight of 8.3 (3.9–11.7) kg.

FRCUSwas on average 5.7% (95% CI: 1.0–10.4%) less than FRCMSequating to a difference of approximately 1 mL·kg−1. The 95% limits of agreement (LA) between the two techniques were relatively wide (95% LA: −17.5% to 29%), although in keeping with previously reported within-patient variability for lung volume measurements. There was no significant difference between the within subject coefficient of variation for FRCMS(3.7%) and FRCUS(5.2%).

The ultrasonic flow meter used in this study provides repeatable measurements of functional residual capacity in spontaneously breathing healthy infants that approximate those obtained during mass spectrometry.
Peak or plateau maximal inspiratory mouth pressure: which is best?
Authors: Windisch W. , Hennings E. , Sorichter S. , Hamm H. , Criée C.P.
Published: April 2004

There is no clear evidence as to how maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PI,max) should be measured, although plateau pressures sustained for 1 s and measured at residual volume (RV) are usually recommended.

Peak and plateauPI,maxwere measured at RV and at functional residual capacity (FRC) in 533 healthy subjects (aged 10–90 yrs) in order to comparably test allPI,maxmeasurements for their predictors, reproducibility and normal values.

Plateau pressures accounted for 82.0–86.3% of peak pressures. Peak and plateau pressures measured at FRC accounted for 84.3–90.5% of pressures at RV, and were highly correlated. Age was negatively predictive and weight and body mass index positively predictive ofPI,max, but regression parameters were low. AllPI,maxmeasurements were comparable when calculating regression parameters, between-subject variability and reproducibility.

In conclusion, peak and plateau maximal inspiratory mouth pressure are comparably useful for the assessment of inspiratory muscle strength and can be reliably measured at functional residual capacity and at residual volume. Regression equations are of low impact in predicting normal values due to the weak influence of demographic and anthropometric factors and to the high unexplained between-subject-variability. Age-related 5th percentiles can indicate the lower limit of the normal range.
A model for the generation and evaluation of integrated manufacturing solutions for powertrain components
Authors: Corcoran A , Roscher J , Byrne G
Published: April 2004

The vision to reduce secondary processing times dramatically has become a high priority in modern manufacturing enterprises. It is being realized that such improvements rely not only on the optimization of single processes but also on the layout optimization of the complete process chain. This is reflected in the increasing efforts by machine manufacturers to integrate multiple processing technologies into machining centres, thus shortening the process chains and reducing the overall lead-time.

The purpose of the work described within is to develop a model that supports the user in identifying and evaluating potential integrated process chains. The model incorporates multicriteria analysis and net-present-value methodologies that enable assessment of the relative technological and economical advantages of the integrated manufacturing alternatives when compared to the conventional/ existing process chain. A case study undertaken that assessed whether laser hardening is a viable alternative for induction hardening for a particular powertrain component illustrates a particular instance in which the model was used.
Use of genetic algorithms in operations management: Part 2: Results
Authors: Stockton D J , Quinn L , Khalil R A
Published: April 2004

Research has been carried out to investigate the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) as a common solution technique for solving the range of problems that arise when designing and planning manufacturing operations. A variety of problem areas have been selected that are representative of the range of problem types found in manufacturing decision-making, i.e. assortment planning, aggregate planning, lot sizing within material requirements planning environments, line balancing and facilities layout. Part 1 of this paper reported how typical solutions for each problem area were coded in terms of a genetic algorithm structure and how suitable objective functions were constructed. In addition, comparisons of performance were carried out between GA solution methods and traditional solution methods. Part 2 of this paper now describes the GA experiments undertaken during the identification of suitable GA operators and operator parameter values. These experiments have enabled underlying relationships between problem characteristics and performance of individual operator types and parameter values to be identified. From this work a set of guidelines has been identified for selecting appropriate genetic algorithm structures for specific types of operations management decision area.
Concomitant nasal procedures in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy
Authors: Nussbaumer Michael , Schreiber Sebastian , Yung Matthew W.
Published: April 2004

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is the preferred treatment for lacrimal duct blockage. Endoscopic DCR has been practised increasingly in recent years as it avoids a facial scar and can be performed as a day procedure. Recent improvements in endonasal surgical techniqueled to success rates of up to 90per cent. However, the endonasal approach often requires septalor turbinate surgery to optimze access to the lacrimal area.

The incidence of concomitant procedures was investigated in 256 patients undergoing endonasal nonlaser DCR. In this study 55 out of 256 patients (21.5 per cent) required additional endonasal procedures to improve access to the lacrimal area.

It is therefore advisable that otolaryngologists are involved in this procedure.