bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inequality as Relative Deprivation
Authors: Pedersen Axel West
Published: April 2004

Although concerns for inequality are at the heart of the sociological tradition, few sociologists have taken a serious interest in the normative and methodological issues involved in the choice between different measures of inequality. It is argued in this article that the widely used but also widely criticized Gini index can be seen to incorporate a particularly sociological conception of inequality. The Gini index has features that are alien to mainstream welfare economics, but perfectly sensible if inequality is understood more sociologically as arising from a state of relative deprivation. However, the commitment to a relativistic conception of inequality leads to serious theoretical and practical complications. The implicit rationale of the Gini index assumes that it is applied to a ‘reference population’ – where everybody compares themselves with everybody else. It is not obvious that the residents of a nation-state always constitute a reference population in this sense, and arguments can be found both for widening and narrowing the scope of the relevant population. Both aggregation and disaggregation from whatever is considered to be the ‘appropriate’ scope of the reference population is problematic and requires different methodological solutions.
Children’s Risk of Parental Break-up
Authors: Clarke Lynda , Jensen An-Magritt
Published: April 2004

Higher proportions of births outside marriage and more family breakdown indicate that children experience increased diversity of family circumstances at birth and during childhood. While England/Wales and Norway have many similar features, there are distinct differences in social and welfare policies. This article compares children’s experiences in the two countries in relation to these policies. Emphasis is put particularly on the impact of consensual unions. Children are the statistical unit and data from surveys and national statistics are compared. In both countries there is considerable risk of family dissolution in the case of children born into consensual unions, but the more so in England/Wales than in Norway. Even though the rate of extramarital births is much higher in Norway than in England/Wales, the corresponding rate of family change is lower. The article suggests that behind parental break-up lies an old pattern of social stratification masked as family change.
What Works in School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Positive Youth Development
Authors: Weissberg Roger P. , O’Brien Mary Utne
Published: April 2004

Two challenges for researchers of school-based action are to identify effective approaches to prevent problem behaviors and promote positive youth development and to support the widespread implementation and sustainability of evidence-based preschool through high school practice. In this article, the authors describe integrated social, emotional, and academic education as a useful framework for conceptualizing school-based positive youth development programming. We then review findings from selected exemplary studies and research syntheses to support this perspective. We conclude with guidelines for implementing integrated social, emotional, and academic learning programs.
Trading in Public Hope
Authors: Drahos Peter
Published: April 2004

The article distinguishes three categories of hope: private, collective, and public. Public hope is hope that is invoked by political actors in relation to a societal goal of some kind. The article argues that public hope is the most dangerous kind of hope. The argument is developed using the recent history of trade negotiations between the United States and developing countries concerning intellectual property rights as they relate to life-saving medicines for AIDS. Public hope may allow political actors to harness emotionally collectivities to economic and social agendas that are poorly understood by those collectivities and that are ultimately destructive of the social institutions upon which actual private and collective hopes depend. Or public hope may be secret hope that drives policies that escape public notice until it is too late. The final section of the article identifies four principles that help to make public hope a contingent force for the good.
A Comparison of Lay-Beliefs about Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Buck Claire
Published: April 2004

The purpose of the two studies was to compare lay beliefs regarding the aetiology and treatment of autism (study 1) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (study 2). It was hypothesised that beliefs about autism would be based primarily on a biomedical theory while beliefs regarding OCD primarily on psychological notions of cause and cure. Parents' interviews were conducted in study 1 and revealed that, as hypothesised, parents hold predominantly biomedical views about autism. Participants ( n = 92) completed both questionnaires that involved rating a range of theories of aetiology and treatment approaches for each disorder. Statistical analysis confirmed that lay beliefs about autism were primarily biomedical and beliefs about OCD were primarily psychological. Multiple regression analyses indicated that a range of individual difference factors (religiousness, interest in mental illness, age and knowledge of autism) predicted beliefs about the importance of some of the five factors derived from factor analysis of belief statements. The relevance of investigating lay beliefs of aetiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders for clinical practice is also highlighted.
‘Melancholic Imaginations’ Witchcraft and the Politics of Melancholia in Elizabethan Kent
Authors: Bartram Claire
Published: April 2004

The article examines the politics of melancholy in Scot’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft . It suggests that Scot’s knowledge of this condition, its symptoms and treatment, was indicative of enlightened Protestant thought. It argues that, in this text, the recognition of melancholy as an affliction was used to underpin the paternal responsibility of the juror, gentleman or neighbour to be compassionate towards the poor in Kent.
The Effects of Ginkgo biloba Extracts on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Donepezil
Authors: Yasui‐Furukori Norio , Furukori Hanako , Kaneda Ayako , Kaneko Sunao , Tateishi Tomonori
Published: April 2004

The effects of ginkgo supplementation on the steady‐state plasma concentration of donepezil and the activity of cholinesterase in red blood cells and cognitive function were examined. Fourteen inpatients with Alzheimer's disease received donepezil 5 mg/day, supplemented with extracts of Ginkgo biloba 90 mg/day for 30 days. Blood samples were collected before and during ginkgo supplementation and 30 days after its discontinuation, together with an assessment of cognitive function. Plasma drug concentration was measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and cholinesterase in red blood cells was measured using Ellman methods. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini‐Mental Scale Examination (MMSE). Plasma concentration of donepezil during ginkgo supplementation (mean ± SD [95% confidence interval]; 24.4 ± 12.6 ng/mL [17.1–31.7 ng/mL]) was not significantly different from that before ginkgo supplementation (22.7 ± 10.3 ng/mL [16.8–28.7 ng/mL]) or that 4 weeks after its discontinuation (25.0 ± 12.9 ng/mL [17.6–32.4 ng/mL]). There was no significant difference between cholinesterase in red blood cells before ginkgo supplementation (1.75 ± 0.21 U [1.63–1.87 U]), during ginkgo supplementation (1.91 ± 0.27 U [1.76–2.07 U]), and 4 weeks after its discontinuation (1.83 ± 0.29 U [1.66–2.00 U]). Ginkgo supplementation did not alter MMSE scores throughout the study. The present study shows that ginkgo supplementation does not have major impact on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of donepezil.
Evaluation of Methods for Improving Precision of Blood Pressure Measurements in Phase I Clinical Trials
Authors: Terra Steven G. , Blum Robert A. , Wei Greg C. , Lew Robert A. , Digenio Andres G. , Rajman Iris , Kazierad David J.
Published: April 2004

Small sample sizes are typically incorporated in early Phase I clinical studies, which may lead to insignificant changes in safety parameters such as blood pressure. Therefore, it is paramount to identify an optimal, noninvasive method of accurately measuring blood pressure and an appropriate analysis strategy yielding the smallest variability. The goals of this study were (1) to compare the variability between automated and manual blood pressure measurements, (2) to determine whether triplicate blood pressure measurements were independent of one another, and (3) to assess how the number of blood pressure readings affects variability and study sample size. Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in this randomized, two‐way crossover study. Each subject received three incremental infusions of phenylephrine or normal saline on separate days to simulate blood pressure variability. The mean systolic blood pressure readings with the automated device were consistently higher than the manual device by 3 to 5 mmHg. Conversely, the mean diastolic blood pressure readings with the automated device were consistently 3 to 5 mmHg lower than the manual device. However, the variability and absolute change in blood pressure were essentially identical with manual and automated methods. No systematic order effects such as the first blood pressure reading always being higher were detected, suggesting that the triplicate readings were independent of one another and that an interval of 2 minutes between readings is adequate. Compared to a single measurement, collecting blood pressure in triplicate results in a 40% lower sample size needed to detect a 5‐mmHg difference in systolic blood pressure.
Pharmacokinetics of Treprostinil Sodium Administered by 28‐Day Chronic Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion
Authors: Wade Michael , Baker F. Jo , Roscigno Robert , DellaMaestra Wayne , Arneson Carl P. , Hunt Thomas L. , Lai Allen A.
Published: April 2004

The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics and safety of treprostinil sodium administered as a 28‐day continuous subcutaneous infusion at escalating infusion rates of 2.5 to 15 ng/kg/min in normal subjects. Fourteen healthy adult volunteers received a 28‐day continuous subcutaneous infusion of treprostinil at escalating infusion rates of 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 ng/kg/min. Doses were escalated every 7 days with no washouts between escalations. Serial plasma samples were collected predosing, during dosing, and postdosing. Samples were also collected every 3 hours on Day 7 of each dosing period to evaluate diurnal variation over a 24‐hour steady‐state interval. Plasma treprostinil concentration was measured by a validated liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method with a lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 25 pg/mL. Distinct steady states were achieved for each of the four treprostinil doses. Linear regression analysis of mean steady‐state treprostinil concentration versus targeted dose yielded a fitted line with an r2 of 0.92. Variation in apparent plasma clearance for the four doses was small (i.e., 9.77–10.4 mL/kg/min). Consistent diurnal cycles of two peak and two trough treprostinil concentrations were observed over a 24‐hour steady‐state interval for each dose with peak levels 20% to 30% higher than trough levels. The terminal half‐life of treprostinil was 2.93 hours. Intersubject variability for mean pharmacokinetic parameters was small (coefficients of variation ranging from 13.6%–25.5%). At clinically relevant doses, the pharmacokinetics of treprostinil were linear and dose independent with modest, consistent diurnal cycles consisting of two daily peaks and two daily troughs observed for all four doses. In addition, the elimination half‐life was about 3 hours.
Families Divided: Culture and Control in Small Family Business
Authors: Ainsworth Susan , Cox Julie Wolfram
Published: April 2004

In this article, we explore the dynamics of control, compliance and resistance using two case studies where ‘family’ has symbolic, material and ideological significance. While the ‘family’ metaphor is often invoked to suggest a normative unity and integration in large organizations, we investigate the use of shared understandings of divisions (Parker 1995) and difference, as well as unity and similarity, in constituting organizational culture in two small family-owned firms. Diverging from mainstream family business research, we adopt a critical and interpretative approach that incorporates employee perspectives and explores how forms of control and resistance need to be understood in relation to their local contexts. We also argue that organization studies could benefit from revisiting progressive assumptions that equate developments in forms of organization with forms of organizational control.
Implications of Self-Reference: Niklas Luhmann’s Autopoiesis and Organization Theory
Authors: Hernes Tor , Bakken Tore
Published: April 2004

This article reviews the potential of Niklas Luhmann’s autopoiesis as a contribution to organization theory. We consider organization theory to consist of three epistemological foundations, which we label equilibrium-based theory, process-based theory and recursivity-based theory. We review critically Luhmann’s autopoietic theory in relation to each of these three foundations. We suggest that whereas it deviates radically from equilibrium-based theory and deviates significantly from process-based theory, it holds potential in its complementarity with Giddens’s structuration theory in providing a promising basis for recursivity-based organization theory.
Cognitive Style and the Management of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Sadler-Smith Eugene
Published: April 2004

A long-standing dilemma in theories of management surrounds the question of whether effective managerial action is better served by ‘rational analysis’ or ‘creative intuition’. In the present article, analysis and intuition are conceived within a framework of cognitive style in which a distinction is drawn between the processing of information (rational and intuitive) and the organizing of information in memory (local and global). Such styles are thought to affect a range of management behaviours (including decision-making). The relationship between managers’ cognitive styles and firm performance was examined from a contingency perspective in which environmental instability was hypothesized as moderating the relationship between style and performance. The study was based upon data obtained from owner-managers and managing directors of small and medium-sized firms in two contrasting sectors. There was a positive relationship between intuitive decision style and contemporaneous financial and non-financial performance that did not appear to be moderated by environmental instability. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship between intuitive decision style and subsequent financial performance was observed. The implications of these findings for theories of cognitive style, the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, and for the practice of management development in such firms are discussed.
Deconstructing Difference: The Rhetoric of Human Resource Managers’ Diversity Discourses
Authors: Zanoni Patrizia , Janssens Maddy
Published: April 2004

This article analyses texts on diversity produced in 25 interviews with Flemish human resource (HR) managers from a critical discourse analysis and rhetorical perspective. Following critical discourse analysis, we analyse how HR managers define diversity, how their diversity discourses reflect existing managerial practices and underlying power relations, and how they reaffirm or challenge those managerial practices and power relations. Specifically, we examine how power enters HR managers’ local discourses of diversity through the very micro-dynamics of language by analysing the rhetorical schemes they use and the grand Discourses they draw from. This critical, text-focused approach to diversity discourses contributes to the development of a non-essentialist reconceptualization of diversity that acknowledges power.
The Co-Evolution of Technology and Discourse: A Study of Substitution Processes for the Insecticide DDT
Authors: Maguire Steve
Published: April 2004

Product substitution is an important discontinuity in technology evolution. Conventional accounts draw on rational, linear models of change and emphasize that the process is driven by the appearance and adoption of new artifacts. This article adopts a constructivist approach to address the question of whether the social reconstruction of incumbent artifacts can trigger their substitution, even in the absence of new alternatives. Drawing on a case study of the insecticide DDT and employing a discourse analytical perspective, four artifact-constituting discourses which have been employed to construct and reconstruct DDT are identified, and their implications for product substitution discussed.
‘Oh, My Country, How I Leave My Country’: Some Reflections on a Changing Probation Service
Authors: Leach Tony
Published: April 2004

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, the author explores the impact of a range of recent reforms which he sees as being of particular importance to the future direction of the probation service. He argues that while changes to the socio-political context and organizational structure of probation raise many valid concerns, there is still much to be hopeful about, particularly in view of the motivated, high quality staff the service is still able to attract.
Criminal Justice, Social Exclusion and the Social Contract
Authors: Jordan Bill
Published: April 2004

Criminal justice was historically at the heart of liberal versions of the ‘social contract’, in which people who were morally equal but materially unequal agreed society’s rules. The crisis in collective life provoked by globalization reveals the violence behind this contract; the language of ‘war’ and of sub-human ‘animals’ denotes the status of those excluded from the mainstream. I argue that issues of criminal justice are not susceptible to technical fixes, but demand deeper, political solutions.
A Kaleidoscopic View of Motoring Offender Groups and Reconviction
Authors: Haslewood-Pócsik Ilona , Roberts Colin
Published: April 2004

The authors argue that intermediate measures used for gauging change in knowledge and attitudes in motoring offending groupwork programmes had connections with, but were not indicative of two-year general or motoring reconvictions. They also draw attention to the different profiles of various motoring offender samples, and highlight the importance of establishing reliable baseline reconviction information on offenders undergoing offence-specific groupwork programmes before setting reconviction targets. The results indicate the need to take a multi-dimensional view, and consider the same set of data from different angles.
The Role of Parenting Classes for Young Fathers in Prison: A Case Study
Authors: Jarvis Joy , Graham Sally , Hamilton Penny , Tyler Dena
Published: April 2004

This article considers the role of parenting classes for young men in prison. Using a case study of one course delivered at a young offender institution, significant aspects of the content and delivery are identified. The ways in which this course appears to contribute to the growth of participants’ understanding of their role as fathers and to their personal development are highlighted.
‘What Works?’: Revisiting the Evidence in England and Wales
Authors: Merrington Simon , Stanley Steve
Published: April 2004

This article reviews the evidence that has been published in the last three years relating to the effectiveness of ‘What Works?’ or evidence-based interventions with offenders in the Probation, Prison and Youth Justice Services in England and Wales. It concludes that the evidence of programmes having an impact on re-offending is patchy, although a number show improvements in intermediate outcomes such as employment and literacy. There are indications that to be effective programmes need to be well targeted and supported, and reinforced by good case management. More studies remain to be completed, and it is too early to say what works, what doesn’t, and what is promising.
The Construction of Collective Memory: From Franco to Democracy
Authors: Vidal-Beneyto José
Published: April 2004

A community's collective memory of a period or a concrete event largely consists of the representations shared by most of those, individuals or groups, who create that story. These representations are organized around a main axis giving them a meaning that allows them to function as the foundation for the community concerned. This founding condition of memory, which has already been highlighted by Maurice Halbwachs in his pioneering book La Mémoire collective, the act of rescuing the past from oblivion and setting it up as a reference point for community identity, transforms remembering into an imperative for survival, whose ethical character and collective influence make the duty to remember ‘a practice indispensable to any affirmation of belonging to a group’.
Female Memory in Narrative
Authors: Piñon Nélida
Published: April 2004

It is with a woman's memory and body that I am happy to serve literature. In the entrails of past ages I try to search, among so many memories, for women's memory in particular. I am trying to find out how this memory is made up, from what material and with what texture. In the final analysis this memory has always been all around, at every period since the creation of the world.
The Eros of Memory
Authors: Argullol Rafael
Published: April 2004

… Let us situate ourselves vis-à-vis the judge that affects each of our hours and that we call ‘memory’. Memory is a law-court in permanent session but it is arbitrary: it hands down gratuitous reward and generous punishment. Whole years of our existence remain buried under the weighty stones of oblivion and, in contrast, dazzling deeply rooted moments rise to the surface. The peculiarity of this inner court is its utter amorality. It does not act in accordance with codes or established moral laws, not is it founded on any ethical values, whether positive or negative. Of course it cannot be said that it is unconnected with consciousness, but it acts, so to speak, according to the instinct of consciousness.
Imagination and Memory in Stendhal
Authors: Ribeiro Renato Janine
Published: April 2004

Stendhal said of one of his most significant works, De l'amour, published in 1822, that it was ‘ideological’. ‘Ideology’ in a pre-Marxist sense, the meaning used by Comte Destutt de Tracy, a contemporary of Napoleon, to whom we owe the term's invention, is a science. Emerging from the language developed by the empiricists, particularly the British ones, ideology as a discipline has the task of describing ideas, their components and especially their origins, its aim being to understand how ideas emerge and evolve. But instead of trying to study how an idea develops, Stendhal admitted that he was more interested in a particular feeling. And he embarks on a description of love, particularly from the second chapter on, with the clear aim of reaching an understanding of the emotion's components. In fact he will concern himself only with ‘passionate love’, amour passion. And this is important for several reasons that I shall explain, the context of the period being one of the most salient. At that time love was turning towards ‘passionate love’, that is, the passion par excellence. For the idea of love that had prevailed prior to the 19th century was not associated with passionate love. It is true that Stendhal had not failed to quote the Lettres de la religieuse portugaise (a 17th-century work, attributed to Mariana Alcoforado, a Portuguese nun, but which, as we now know, is part of French literature), nor other texts earlier than the 17th and 18th centuries that evoked a type of emotion as strong as passionate love. But, as the 18th turned into the 19th century, passionate love was, generally speaking, a novelty and Stendhal is among those who were to elaborate most extensively on this theme.
Malthusianism, Capitalist Agriculture, and the Fate of Peasants in the Making of the Modern World Food System
Authors: Ross Eric B.
Published: April 2004

This article describes the role of Malthusian thinking as a rationale for the commercial development of global agriculture at the expense of peasant-livelihood security. Focusing on the impact of the cold war, in an era of peasant insurgency, it explores how the Green Revolution reflected and reinforced the West’s conviction that technological innovation, rather than more equitable systems of production, should resolve the problem of world food security said to be due to “overpopulation.”
Measuring and Making Sense of Labor Exploitation in Contemporary Society: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Zafirovski Milan
Published: April 2004

This article reexamines the problem of labor exploitation in advanced capitalist economies, especially the United States. The article specifies the concept of labor exploitation by using both the Marxian and marginalist notions and measures. The implicit neoclassical presumption of no or little labor exploitation in a capitalist economy is rejected by the results. The alternative heterodox argument of persistent and increasing labor exploitation has been confirmed for contemporary capitalism, particularly for the United States, in recent years.
Transforming the Transformation Problem: Why the “New Interpretation” is a Wrong Turning
Authors: Fine Ben , Lapavitsas Costas , Saad-Filho Alfredo
Published: April 2004

The new interpretation (NI) offers a particular understanding of important problems in value theory, especially the value of money and labor power and the structure and dynamics of capitalist accumulation. The NI is to be welcomed for raising these issues but not for the way in which it has dealt with them. Above all, the NI falsely assumes that value is directly and immediately represented by money. The authors propose alternatives that emphasize the processes (mediations) through which value is expressed as price. They draw on an alternative methodology and understanding of money, the value of labor power, and production and circulation of capital in the context of accumulation.
Welding of Plastics—Introduction into Heating by Radiation
Authors: Bonten C. , Tüchert C.
Published: April 2004

For welding of plastics, various procedures of heat transfer are presently in use. Non-contact heating by radiation allows heating, e.g., without contamination of a heated tool and makes heating faster by volume-absorption of the material. Presently infra-red lamps and infra-red laser beams are in use for welding of plastics.

This paper wants to give an introduction into the physical principles of heating by infra-red radiation, wants to divide between surface and volume absorption of different materials and wants to give a survey about the advantages and disadvantages of infra-red lamps and lasers.
Effect of Prepreg Geometry on the Prepreg and Plain Weave Composite Properties
Authors: Mariatti M. , Nasir M. , Ismail H.
Published: April 2004

Studies on the physical and mechanical properties of the different continuous fiber impregnated thermoplastic composite (COFIT) prepreg geometry such as width and thickness were carried out. The effect of using these different types of prepreg geometries in the making of a woven composite system were examined too. As a result of the pultrusion type prepregging system which is a prototype machine, three types of prepregs based on width and thickness can be classified. The correlation of the prepreg geometry with the end properties of these three prepreg systems was analyzed. It was found that the properties of the prepreg are governed by the geometry of the prepreg, which further influences the properties of the woven composite system.
A Review of Refined Shear Deformation Theories of Isotropic and Anisotropic Laminated Plates
Authors: Ghugal Y. M. , Shimpi R. P.
Published: April 2004

A review of displacement and stress based refined theories for isotropic and anisotropic laminated plates is presented. Various equivalent single layer and layerwise theories for laminated plates are discussed together with their merits and demerits. Exact elasticity solutions for the plate problems are cited, wherever available. Various critical issues related to plate theories are presented, based on the literature reviewed.
A Model for Fracture Probability as a Function of Stress and Strain
Authors: Andreassen Erik
Published: April 2004

Distributions of ultimate stress (σ m) and strain (ε m) are obtained by Monte-Carlo simulations with a chain-of-bundles (COB) model. The COB contains linear-elastic elements, for which the fracture probability distribution of stress and strain is varied. Various entities describing the combined distribution of σ m and ε m for the COB are calculated. Simulated σ m - ε m distributions resemble those observed experimentally for various materials. Experimental trends for the combined σ m - ε m distributions, which are observed when, e.g., changing material parameters or processing conditions, can be interpreted in terms of changes in critical substructures, and simulations like those presented here may be useful in such studies.
Design of CFRP Composite Connector for Precast Concrete Elements
Authors: Pantelides C. P. , Reaveley L. D. , McMullin P. W.
Published: April 2004

Steel plate connectors joining concrete wall panels or horizontal diaphragms are susceptible to corrosion and behave poorly under seismic loads, due to their low strength and poor ductility. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composites with their superior strength and resistance to electrochemical corrosion are a practical alternative for connecting precast concrete members. A methodology for designing CFRP connections is developed. The design methodology is based on established models of bond length estimates and laminate theory and correlates reasonably well with results obtained in a related experimental study. The resulting connection design consists of CFRP composite layers adhered to the concrete surface, and four adhesive anchors placed at the boundaries of the precast concrete members.
Combinatorial Screening of Ingredients for Steel Wool Based Semimetallic and Aramid Pulp Based Nonasbestos Organic Brake Materials
Authors: Tang Choong-Fong , Lu Yafei
Published: April 2004

Two important factors, good friction performance and low cost, were considered for the selection of raw materials. Ternary composites (A + B + C systems where A is steel wool or aramid pulp belonging to good wear resistant raw material group, B is an organic binder benzoxazine and C is an ingredient belonging to poor wear resistant raw material group) were designed to evaluate the interaction effects of A and C on friction performance. Seventeen ingredients, BaSO4, B2O3, BN, brass chips, CaCO3, Ca(OH)2, copper chips, CuS, Cu2S, H3BO3, iron powder, MgO, oxidized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, PMF (slag fiber), Sb2S3, Ultrafibe (wollastonite) and ZrSiO4 combined respectively with steel wool or aramid pulp, tested using Friction Assessment and Screening Test (FAST) were classified into good (FAST can be lasted for 90 min), intermediate (FAST can be lasted for 90 min at one given composition) and poor (FAST cannot be lasted for 90 min at two given compositions) wear resistant performance. CaCO3, Ca(OH)2, MgO, oxidized PAN fiber, Sb2S3 and Ultrafibe with lighter density have good wear resistant performance when they combined with steel wool. BaSO4, PMF and Ultrafibe have good wear resistant performance when they are combined with aramid pulp. The roles of steel wool and aramid pulp in the ternary friction materials were identified. The formation of iron-containing friction layer is an important factor to improve wear in steel wool based ternary composites and the excellent wear resistant performance of aramid pulp contributes to aramid pulp based ternary composites.
Global Stiffness of a SMC Panel Considering Process Induced Fiber Orientation
Authors: Oldenbo M. , Mattsson D. , Varna J. , Berglund L. A.
Published: April 2004

A material model, that translates into a stiffness matrix, the second order fiber orientation tensor, described by Advani and Tucker, and the stiffness matrix of a composite with aligned ellipsoidal inclusions, has been implemented in a FE programme and validated. The stiffness of a SMC panel with known state of fiber orientation is calculated using FEM. The influence of process induced fiber orientation is analysed. The fiber orientation for a realistic charge pattern for the panel has been obtained through mould filling simulation in a separate project. It is found that the fiber orientation has a rather small impact on the global stiffness. Only 0.8% lower stiffness compared to isotropic material model is obtained taking into account the fiber orientation distribution. The main reason for the low impact of the process induced fiber orientation is that the charge is symmetrically placed in the mould leading to a symmetric fiber orientation distribution.
Efficiency of Clearwelding Technology for Polyamides
Authors: Kagan Val A. , Woosman Nicole M.
Published: April 2004

Many industrial applications require optically transparent thermoplastic components, and structural joints almost invisible to the human vision. Traditional transmission laser welding of plastics joining is limited by the process conditions when one thermoplastic is optically transparent and the second absorbing laser energy. Advanced Clearweld® (clearwelding)1 laser technology may satisfy these specific requirements in joining various similar and dissimilar optically transparent thermoplastics. These innovative design-joining technology considerations require the following conditions at the interface between the joined surfaces: (1) laser absorbing material; (2) optimized laser energy for heat generation between joined thermoplastics.

The analysis of representative test results shows that Clearweld technology is highly efficient also for use with various transparent nylon grades. The tensile strength of the Clearweld butt joint is similar to the results achieved for nylon with other advanced plastics joining methods such as linear, orbital, hot plate and regular infrared (laser through-transmission) technologies. The developed comprehensive recommendations will help designers and technologists with welded parts design, material(s) and process selection and optimization for laser welding applications when the joined thermoplastic part requires optical transparency, as well as flash and particle free conditions.
Study on the Molding Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Injection-molded Foaming Polypropylene Parts
Authors: Chien Rean Der , Chen Shia-Chung , Lee Ping-Hui , Huang Jien-Sheng
Published: April 2004

This study investigates the molding characteristics and mechanical properties of injection-molded foaming polypropylene (PP) parts and coinjection-molding PP parts for foaming core material embedded in nonfoaming skin material. Effects of processing parameters including injection-velocity, melting temperature, mold temperature and back pressure on part weight and part mechanical properties including tensile strength, flexural strength and stiffness are investigated. Influence of part thickness and foaming agent content on the degree of foaming is also studied. Based on the measured results, it was found that for thin-wall tensile foam specimens with 0.5 mm thickness, weight reduction is about 4–9% whereas in the thick-wall bending foam specimens with 15 mm thickness, the reduction is approximately 43–50%. Part thickness is a dominant factor to determine the degree of foaming. For injection-molded foaming parts, part weight, tensile strength, flexural strength and stiffness decrease with increasing melt temperature, mold temperature and injection velocity, whereas they increase with increasing back pressure. Foaming results in weight reduction but it also reduces part mechanical properties. The foaming agent content increases from 0.8 to 1.6%, the mechanical properties reduces significantly. Moreover, the coinjection-molding thin-wall parts process for foaming core material embedded in nonfoaming skin material results in a foam part with very good esthetics and higher tensile strength than injection-molded foaming parts. Meanwhile, the foam core is well bonding to the nonfoam skin in the coinjection-molding parts. The present investigation provides a molding guideline for injection-molded foaming parts and coinjection-molding parts to achieve a specific objective of part quality.
Investigations on the Weldline Tensile Strength of Thin-wall Injection Molded Parts
Authors: Der Chien Rean , Chen Shia-Chung , Peng Hsin-Shu , Su Pao-Lin , Chen Chun-Sheng
Published: April 2004

It is known that the weldline reduces the mechanical strength of the conventional injection molded parts. Systematic studies on the weldline strength of thin-wall molded parts were not yet reported. This study investigates the effect of processing conditions including melt temperature, mold temperature, injection speed and packing pressure on the weldline strength of thin-wall parts. Tensile test specimen of 2.5, 1 and 0.8 mm thick were injection molded under specified conditions. Both single gate and double gates were used to form parts with and without weldlines. Part tensile strengths were measured experimentally. From the experimental results, it was found that higher melt temperature and mold temperature as well as faster injection speed will increase weldline strength whereas higher packing pressure would decrease weldline strength. Melt temperature and mold temperature are two parameters that affect weldline strength most significantly within the current molding window. Higher melt and mold temperatures not only lower the residual stress but also help the diffusion of molecular chains leading to a higher degree of bonding at the weldline interface. On the other hand, high packing pressure leads to higher residual stress formation and reduces the molecular bonding rate. Part thickness also exhibits significant effect on weldline strength reduction. Thinner parts resulting in higher percentage of frozen layer in filling process thus limit the bonding rate at weldline interface. From the regression analysis, the KIM model with corrected terms in the fitting coefficient was found to correlate process conditions and weldline strength reduction quite well.
Elasto-plastic Stress Analysis of Aluminum Metal–Matrix Composite Plate Under In-plane Loading
Authors: Ataberk N. , Uyaner M. , Avci A. , Kocak S.
Published: April 2004

Composite structure consisting of stainless steel fiber and aluminum matrix is manufactured by hot-press molding. The mechanical properties were determined experimentally. The effect of orientation angle is investigated under in-plane loading. An elastic-plastic numerical solution has been carried out by finite element method (FEM). The expansion of plastic zones has been illustrated in figures.
Effects of Filler Loading on Properties of Polypropylene–Natural Rubber–Recycle Rubber Powder (PP–NR–RRP) Composites
Authors: Ismail Hanafi , Suryadiansyah Suryadiansyah
Published: April 2004

Carbon black, silica and calcium carbonate were used as fillers in polypropylene–natural rubber–recycle rubber powder (PP–NR–RRP) composites. The effects of filler loading on processability, tensile properties, swelling behavior and morphology of PP–NR–RRP composites at a fixed weight ratio of 70/15/15 were studied. The blends were melt mixed using a Brabender Plasticorder torque rheometer at 190°C and 50 rpm. Filler contents were steadily increased from 0 to 30 (wt.%). The results indicated that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus increase with increasing carbon black and silica content in PP–NR–RRP composites whereas calcium carbonate exhibit opposite trend except Young’s modulus. Carbon black filled PP–NR–RRP composites exhibit lowest resistance toward swelling in ASTM oil No.3 than calcium carbonate and silica filled PP–NR–RRP composites. In terms of processability, incorporation of silica in PP–NR–RRP composites give more processing difficulties than carbon black and calcium carbonate filled PP–NR–RRP composites.
Free Vibration Analysis of Composite Hat-stiffened Panels By Method of Finite Elements
Authors: Prusty B. Gangadhara , Ray C.
Published: April 2004

Free vibration analysis of laminated composite plates/shells stiffened with ‘open’ and ‘closed’ type sections as stiffeners have been carried out in the present investigation. The plate/shell has been analyzed using eight noded isoparametric shell elements and the stiffeners have been modeled using three noded isoparametric curved beam elements. There is no restriction on the positioning of stiffener elements within a shell element. The stiffness and mass matrices of the stiffener and plate/shell elements are calculated irrespective of the stiffener position within the shell element. A unified formulation describing the rigidity matrix of laminated stiffeners having open (rectangular, ‘T’, ‘L’, and ‘I’ shaped) and closed type (hat or box shaped) sections has been presented. Free vibration analysis of laminated plates/shells with open and closed section stiffeners have been analysed using the method of finite elements. Numerical results for the free vibration analysis solved by the present formulation are presented and compared with published results.
Percutaneous Mechanical Reperfusion During Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Goswami Nilesh J. , Moody Joe M. , Bailey Steven R.
Published: April 2004

The treatment of acute myocardial infarction has progressed from bedrest to mechanical, catheter-based reperfusion. The authors review the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a primary treatment for acute myocardial infarction and the use of adjunctive agents. The most recent American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for the use of PCI in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) advocate the use of PCI as primary therapy at those centers in which the procedure can be performed within accepted standards. Because a majority of hospitals (80%) do not have the capability of performing primary PCI, most patients are treated with thrombolytic therapy. PCI should be considered in those patients treated with thrombolytic therapy who have persistent or recurrent ischemia and/or cardiogenic shock. For patients with non-ST elevation MI, the use of an invasive strategy (early angiography and PCI if needed) has recently shown to be beneficial. Although revascularization is the basis of the acute therapy of MI, additional pharmacologic therapy in the acute setting is now recognized as a key to favorable long-term outcome.
Blood Lactate Accumulation: Hemodynamics and Acid Base Status
Authors: Aduen Javier F. , Burritt Mary F. , Murray Michael J.
Published: April 2004

The authors evaluated the relationship between blood lactate accumulation and hemodynamics in a prospective controlled animal study. Seven healthy pigs were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated with a 0.6 fraction of inspired oxygen to achieve a normal PaCO2. Catheters for blood sampling, lactate infusion, and hemodynamic assessment were inserted into the femoral vein and femoral artery. Bolus infusions (466 µmol • kg— 1 over 1 minute) of a neutral solution of sodium lactate were given at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes. Each bolus was followed by continuous infusion of the same lactate solution (31.7 µmol • kg— 1 • min—1 after the first, with the rate doubled after each subsequent bolus). Arterial blood samples were drawn at baseline and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, with simultaneous hemodynamic assessment. Significant increases were seen in blood lactate (from 1.6 ± 0.4 mmol/L at baseline to 4.4 ± 0.8 at 30 minutes, 8.0 ± 1.0 at 60 minutes, and 14.4 ± 2.1 at 90 minutes), pH (from 7.40 ± 0.03 to 7.44 ± 0.05 at 30 minutes, 7.50 ± 0.05 at 60 minutes, and 7.56 ± 0.04 at 90 minutes), and HCO3 — (from 28 ± 1.4 mmol/L to 30 ± 0.7 at 30 minutes, 34 ± 0.9 at 60 minutes, and 37 ± 1.2 at 90 minutes). PaCO2 decreased significantly from 44 ± 3 torr at baseline to 40 ± 4.7 torr at 90 minutes. Blood pressure decreased after each lactate bolus, recovering within 2 minutes initially but not after later injections. Cardiac output, heart rate, and glucose increased significantly, mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance decreased, and stroke volume did not change. Thus, the accumulation of blood lactate due to exogenous administration of a neutral solution of sodium lactate was associated with significant systemic vasodilation, increased cardiac output, increased heart rate, and metabolic alkalosis.
Esophageal Rupture After Endoscopic Banding Ligation for Esophageal Varices Bleeding
Authors: Wu Chao-Ming , Ging Ho Lo  , Lin Shoa-Lin , Lai Kwok-Hung , Wu Ming-Ting , Cheng Jin-Shiung
Published: April 2004

A 39-year-old man with esophageal varices bleeding received 2 endoscopic banding ligations within 10 days. Unfortunately, esophageal rupture developed after the second treatment. The patient's history was reported and relevant literatures were reviewed.
Drotrecogin Alfa (Activated) in an Infant with Gram-Negative Septic Shock
Authors: Sajan Imran , Da-Silva Shonola S. , Dellinger R. Phillip
Published: April 2004

The authors observed the effect of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in a case of pediatric severe sepsis. A 4-month-old male infant with Serratia marcescens septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and consumptive coagulopathy was admitted. The safety and efficacy of drotrecogin alfa (activated) has not yet been established for patients younger than 18 years of age. This is the first published report of the use of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in an infant with severe sepsis. Within 6 hours of starting therapy, there was a significant improvement in hemodynamics, which was not maintained after the drotrecogin alfa (activated) infusion was temporarily discontinued. No significant bleeding complications occurred during the infusion. A brain MRI on day 22 after drotrecogin alfa (activated) infusion showed bilateral small occipital hemorrhages. Drotrecogin alfa (activated) in this infant was temporally related to significant improvement. It is unknown whether the MRI brain lesions are related to severe sepsis with disseminated intravascular coagulation or drotrecogin alfa (activated) infusion. The authors believe that drotrecogin alfa (activated) should be considered in select children with life-threatening severe sepsis.
Heart Transplantation
Authors: Poston Robert S. , Griffith Bartley P.
Published: April 2004

Although the number of available donor hearts severely limits the epidemiologic impact of heart transplantation on patients with heart failure, patients with end-stage heart failure unresponsive to medical management currently have no other viable alternatives. Destination therapy with a ventricular assist device is the closest toward approaching clinical reality but has been plagued with problems of infection and stroke. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent developments in the field that may broaden the clinical impact of heart transplantation. For example, novel methods of cardiac preservation are being designed to safely evaluate and utilize “extended criteria” donors. Surgical techniques and medical management have reduced the incidence of postoperative right heart failure, and immunosuppressive regimens promise to limit chronic graft vascular disease.
Uterine Artery Embolization for Symptomatic Myomata
Authors: Worthington-Kirsch Robert L. , Siskin Gary P.
Published: April 2004

Fibroid disease is common and causes significant health problems in women of childbearing age. Over the past several years, uterine artery embolization (UAE) has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic uterine myomata. Embolotherapy is effective in relieving myoma-related symptoms in 80% to 90% of patients. It requires shorter hospitalizations than traditional surgical therapies for myoma disease and is associated with faster recovery and lower complication risks than surgery. Patient selection, the UAE procedure, and post-UAE management are reviewed.