bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tazarotene: Therapeutic Strategies in the Treatment of Psoriasis, Acne and Photoaging
Authors: Roeder A. , Schaller M. , Schäfer-Korting M. , Korting H.C.
Published: April 2004

Tazarotene is a member of the new generation of receptor-selective, synthetic retinoids for the topical treatment of mild to moderate plaque psoriasis, acne vulgaris and photoaging. Though they are effective in monotherapy, clinical studies with a focus on novel combination treatments and a comparison of different agents for these skin disorders are accumulating. The concomitant use of tazarotene with a mid-potency or high-potency corticosteroid enhances the efficacy in psoriatic plaques and reduces the risk of steroid-induced skin atrophy. Combining phototherapy with adjunctive tazarotene accelerates the clinical response and reduces the cumulative UVB or PUVA exposure load. Tazarotene applied once daily is superior to adapalene monotherapy in acne vulgaris and is efficacious in the treatment of photodamage. Novel therapeutic regimens such as short-contact therapy have been developed for both acne and psoriasis in order to diminish the major adverse events like pruritus, burning, local skin irritation and erythema.
Penetration and Metabolism of Topical Retinoids in ex vivo Organ-Cultured Full-Thickness Human Skin Explants
Authors: Antille C. , Tran C. , Sorg O. , Saurat J.-H.
Published: April 2004

The human epidermis contains endogenous retinoids [retinol (vitamin A) and retinyl esters] and carotenoids (mostly β-carotene). Previous studies in the mouse have shown that the enzymes involved in retinoid metabolism are present in the epidermis. In this study, we wanted to assess the skin penetration and metabolism of topical retinoids in the human. To do this, fresh surgically excised human abdominal skin was mounted on Franz perfusion cells. Topical retinoic acid, retinal, retinol and retinyl palmitate were applied at 2.5 mg/cm2 in oil-in-water creams containing 0.05% retinoids on the donor compartment, while the receptor compartment was filled with culture medium. The skin was incubated for 24 h at 37°C, then epidermal retinoid concentrations were determined by HPLC. The same experiment was performed with mouse back skin mounted on Franz cells. Finally, topical retinoids were applied on the back of hairless mice for 24 h; then the mice were sacrificed and retinoid concentrations were assayed in the epidermis. In all three models, retinol and its esters were found to be endogenous, as was the case in previous studies in the mouse in vivo. The four applied retinoids penetrated well into the epidermis. Topical retinoic acid did not increase endogenous retinoids, whereas the latter were greatly increased following topical retinal in the mouse. Retinal was also metabolized into retinoic acid, unlike topical retinol and retinyl palmitate, which only increased endogenous retinoids. Topical retinal and retinol did undergo a higher metabolism in both mouse models than in human skin. In summary, the penetration and metabolism patterns of topical retinoids were quite similar in the two mouse models used, indicating that the Franz cells appear to be a good model to predict in vivo metabolism of topical retinoids. When applying this concept to our results obtained in Franz cells with human skin, we conclude that topical retinol and retinal load human skin with both storage and functional vitamin A.
Effects of Insertion Depth of Cochlear Implant Electrodes upon Speech Perception
Authors: Yukawa Kumiko , Cohen Lawrence , Blamey Peter , Pyman Brian , Tungvachirakul Viruch , O’Leary Stephen
Published: April 2004

Objective: To investigate whether the insertion depth of a cochlear implant array affects postoperative speech perception. Design: The subjects were 48 postlingually deaf adults who received either the Nucleus 22 or the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant with a straight array. A postoperative radiograph of the cochlear electrode was used to estimate insertion depth, as either the angle of the electrode tip (angle) or the intracochlear length of the electrode (length). Other estimates of insertion depth included the numbers of active electrodes and channels used by the speech processor. Electrode depth, together with the duration of deafness, hearing aid usage, pre-operative speech perception score and pre-operative pure-tone averages were independent variables in a forward stepwise multiple regression analysis, where the dependent variables were postoperative CNC words and CNC phonemes. Results: Duration of deafness and insertion depth (angle, insertion length or active electrodes) were the predictive variables for CNC words or CNC phonemes. Angle was the best ‘depth-related’ predictor of postoperative speech perception. An even clearer relationship was found between CUNY sentences in noise and angle, in a subset of 26 patients. Conclusion: Depth of electrode insertion affects postoperative speech perception.
Annual Rate and Predictors of Conversion to Dementia in Subjects Presenting Mild Cognitive Impairment Criteria Defined according to a Population-Based Study
Authors: Amieva Hélène , Letenneur Luc , Dartigues Jean-François , Rouch-Leroyer Isabelle , Sourgen Christophe , D’Alchée-Birée Françoise , Dib Michel , Barberger-Gateau Pascale , Orgogozo Jean-Marc , Fabrigoule Colette
Published: April 2004

Elderly subjects diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are becoming the target of intervention trials. The criteria used for MCI are principally issued from prospective clinical studies, although longitudinal population-based studies having identified several cognitive predictors of dementia can be of great contribution in the definition of these criteria. This study was conducted to explore the external validity of MCI criteria issued from a longitudinal population-based study, and subsequently to identify the best predictors of the short-term conversion to Alzheimer’s disease 2 years after the MCI diagnosis. Ninety elderly volunteers with memory complaint diagnosed with MCI on the basis of their functional and neuropsychological performances were followed up within 2 years. The potential predictors of the conversion to dementia collected at baseline included age, gender, educational level, size of temporal lobe, apolipoprotein E genotype and a series of neuropsychological measures (Mac Nair Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Benton Visual Retention Test, Isaacs Set Test, Digit Symbol Substitution Task, Letter Cancellation Task, digit span tasks and finger-tapping test). Within the 2 years, 29 subjects (32.2%) presented a conversion to dementia. The risk of conversion to dementia was associated with age and size of temporal lobe but not with gender, education, or apolipoprotein E4 genotype. Several neuropsychological measures were associated with the risk of conversion to dementia, but in a logistic regression performed with the significant variables found in the univariate analysis, only the Letter Cancellation Test was shown to be an independent predictor. In conclusion, the quite elevated conversion rates obtained show the usefulness, when defining MCI criteria, of considering not only memory impairment but also impairment in other cognitive areas, as well as mild impairment on higher-order activities of daily living. Among the variables considered, the Letter Cancellation Test proved to be a major predictor of short-term conversion to dementia.
Hallucinations Predict Attentional Improvements with Rivastigmine in Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Authors: McKeith Ian G. , Wesnes Keith A. , Perry Elaine , Ferrara Roberto
Published: April 2004

The aim of this analysis of the effects of cholinergic therapy in dementia with Lewy bodies was to determine whether rivastigmine-induced benefits in attention and memory could be predicted by the presence of visual hallucinations. At study entry, 74% of patients were hallucinators and 26% were non-hallucinators. The population was analyzed for two-factor scores: power of attention (PoA) and quality of memory (QoM). A significant effect over placebo on PoA was observed in hallucinators at weeks 12 (p = 0.023) and 20 (p = 0.0019), while no treatment effects were seen in non-hallucinators. Significant treatment effects on QoM were not observed in either subgroup. Visual hallucinations predicted greater improvements in PoA, but not QoM. This may reflect the greater cholinergic deficits in areas of the brain responsible for visual hallucinations, offering greater potential for attentional improvement.
Is PA-PWRmax Truly a Preload-Independent Index of Myocardial Contractility in Anesthetized Humans?
Authors: Lester Steven J. , Shin Henry , Lambert A. Stephane , Miller Joseph P. , Cahalan Michael K. , Seeberger Manfred D. , Foster Elyse , Schiller Nelson B.
Published: April 2004

This study tested the hypothesis that the preload-adjusted maximal power index (PA-PWRmax) is a load-independent index of human myocardial contractility. Based on the ventricular pressure-volume relationship and derived from stroke work, the index is the product of instantaneous ventricular pressure and volume changes, divided by a correction term of end-diastolic volume (EDV2) or end-diastolic area (EDA3/2) to adjust for preload effects. Echocardiographic measures of instantaneous ventricular area change may be used to obtain PA-PWRmax noninvasively. We prospectively evaluated 28 human subjects undergoing cardiac evacuation before cardiopulmonary bypass procedures. Continuous peripheral arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and echocardiographic views of the left ventricle in the transgastric short-axis view were recorded. Simultaneously gated instantaneous fractional shortening (FS) and PA-PWRmax indices were calculated, with FS = (EDA – ESA)/EDA and PA-PWRmax = [MAP (EDA – ESA)]/ EDA3/2, where ESA = end-systolic area and MAP = instantaneous mean arterial pressure. FS decreased uniformly with cardiac evacuation and decreasing pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (t = –5.4; 95% confidence interval, –10 to –0.046; p < 0.001), as did PA-PWRmax (t = –5.8; 95% confidence interval, –2.25 to –1.08; p < 0.001). FS and PA-PWRmax showed a strong downward correlation (r = 0.81). Unlike previous studies of autonomically denervated animals, our study did not find PA-PWRmax to be preload independent, perhaps because of the instantaneous homeostatic mechanisms of the human autonomic nervous system linking contractility to loading conditions.
Reversal of Glucose-Insulin-Potassium-Induced Hyperglycemia by Aggressive Insulin Treatment in Postoperative Heart Failure
Authors: Woods Alexis A. , Taegtmeyer Heinrich
Published: April 2004

Metabolic support with glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) significantly reduces the morbidity and mortality of patients in cardiogenic shock after hypothermic ischemic arrest for aortocoronary bypass surgery. However, a small subset of these patients develops postoperative insulin resistance regardless of their preoperative diabetic status. Whether GIK directly contributes to higher mortality in these patients is unknown. We reviewed the records of 322 patients whose treatment for postoperative cardiogenic shock included GIK. Ten patients (3%) had postoperative hyperglycemia (serum glucose ≧250 mg/dl or 13.9 mmol/l) due to insulin resistance. These were compared to randomly selected GIK-treated, insulin-responsive patients (n = 10) and non-GIK-treated patients (n = 10) for comparison. The insulin-resistant patients required increasing amounts of regular insulin up to 130 U/h until blood glucose levels fell below 250 mg/dl. However, short-term outcomes (IABP support time, length of stay in ICU, 7-day mortality) for insulin- resistant patients were indistinguishable from those for insulin-responsive patients. These data indicate that postoperative iatrogenic hyperglycemia in patients after cardiopulmonary bypass may not be detrimental per se and is reversible when treated with supplemental insulin.
Right Precordial and Posterior Electrocardiographic Leads Do Not Increase Detection of Ischemia in Low-Risk Patients Presenting with Chest Pain
Authors: Ganim Rick P. , Lewis William R. , Diercks Deborah B. , Kirk Douglas , Sabapathy Rajendran , Baker Larry , Amsterdam Ezra A.
Published: April 2004

Background: A number of innovative approaches have been investigated for their value in the early detection of acute ischemia or infarction in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain suggestive of a cardiac origin. Prior investigations have demonstrated the utility of adding right precordial and posterior chest leads to the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) for identifying right ventricular and posterior wall infarctions in the ED. Hypothesis: To assess the utility of additional ECG leads in low-risk patients presenting to the ED with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndromes who are managed in a chest pain evaluation unit (CPEU). Methods: We studied low-risk patients who presented to the ED with chest pain compatible with myocardial ischemia. Low-risk patients were identified by a normal 12-lead ECG, no arrhythmias or hemodynamic instability, and one negative serum cardiac troponin I. Patients were admitted to the CPEU where a 16-lead ECG was recorded by the addition of 2 right-sided precordial leads (V4R, V5R) and 2 posterior leads (V8, V9) to the standard 12-lead ECG. Results: The 16-lead ECG system was applied to 316 consecutive patients. The study group was a middle-aged population with equal numbers of men and women and an average of 2 cardiac risk factors per patient. The 16-lead ECG demonstrated evidence of myocardial injury in only 1 patient and no evidence of ischemia in any of the 316 patients. Conclusion: In patients presenting to the ED with chest pain and evidence of low clinical risk by our criteria, the addition of both right-sided precordial and posterior chest leads to the standard 12-lead ECG did not provide additional information for risk stratification.
The Natural Course of Schizophrenia and Psychopathological Predictors of Outcome
Authors: Di Michele Vittorio , Bolino Francesca
Published: April 2004

The natural course of schizophrenia is extremely heterogeneous and generally considered unpredictable. This prospective research investigated the natural course of schizophrenia in a community-based population linked to an Italian Mental Health Center, looking for the identification of psychopathological predictors of outcome. Forty schizophrenic patients were assessed at baseline in a stabilized phase of illness with clinical scales of psychopathology and social functioning and afterwards were followed up for 36 months. All of them were treated with antipsychotic drugs. According to their symptoms and function scores patients were empirically classified into three groups with a cluster analysis: a group characterized by low symptoms and good functioning, a group with high symptoms and poor functioning and an intermediate group. A crosstabs analysis revealed that the empirical classification correctly predicted long-term outcome. A survival analysis with comparison of distributions (Wilcoxon Gehan test) also revealed significant differences in terms of hospital admission and occurrence of alcohol-related diagnosis across groups. This study suggests that the long-term outcome in schizophrenic patients followed by a community-based mental health service is generally poor and multifaceted. However, outcome may be predicted on the basis of the psychopathological and social functioning profile assessed in a stabilized phase of illness defined with operational criteria.
1 Corinthians 6:5: a Proposal
Authors: Kloha Jeffrey
Published: April 2004

Interpreters have considered the phrase ν μ σoν τo δελo α τo (1 Cor. 6:5) to be an ellipse or abbreviation. The several parallels that have been adduced for this conclusion are analyzed, with the result that none may continue to be regarded as a genuine parallel. In addition, patristic writers and the versions show various attempts to resolve the difficulty, which supports the conclusion that the Greek text, as it stands, is impossible. Several conjectures are proposed, any of which may have been lost early in the transmission history of the text by homoioteleuton.
Gender and HIV/AIDS: What Do Men have to Do with it?
Authors: Mane Purnima , Aggleton Peter
Published: April 2004

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis as a result of HIV/AIDS. The global epidemic is the most devastating in human history - shortening many lives and affecting the economic and social structure of many countries. Central among the factors influencing vulnerability to infection and its consequences are systems and structures of gender. Dominant ideologies of gender influence how women and men see themselves and the social relations into which they enter. While growing attention is being given to the position of women in the epidemic, less attention has been focused on men. This article explores the usefulness of concepts of masculinity for our understanding of HIV/AIDS-related risk and vulnerability. It examines the variable nature of masculinity, as well as its dominant, subordinate, alternative and oppositional forms, and how these impact on the vulnerabilities of men in this epidemic. It highlights the necessity for a more balanced understanding of gender as a set of structures created by, and affecting, both women and men. Some strategies and options for change are also discussed.
Welfare Regimes and the Norms of Social Exchange
Authors: Mau Steffen
Published: April 2004

The article highlights the normative underpinning of acts of social giving. The propensity to engage in a costly collective endeavour is strongly enhanced by reciprocity assumptions. People are not solely self-regarding but also care for the well-being of others and express support for the moral purposes of welfare programmes. To identify the conditions under which people tend to support or object to redistributive policies we need to shed light on the specific reciprocity norms that affect social exchanges. What people expect in return for their contribution may vary in value and kind. Specific reciprocity norms determine which type of reciprocal returns within welfare exchanges are perceived as appropriate and satisfying. A taxonomy of reciprocity norms is used to distinguish between different policies.
A Legal History of Brown and a Look to the Future
Authors: Mawdsley Ralph D.
Published: April 2004

In May 1954, the Supreme Court handed down its unanimous 9-0 opinion in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ( Brown I, 1954). In holding that de jure segregation in public schools based on race violated the Equal Protection Clause, the Court prepared American society for a larger concept, namely that children in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunities. Thus, this article examines the Court’s 50-year journey toward eliminating the vestiges of past de jure segregation in public school systems and the movement to unitary status for such districts.
Equal Educational Opportunity Since Brown
Authors: Valverde Leonard A.
Published: April 2004

This article proposes that four major educational developments resulted from the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka: Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I and Title VII, school finance, affirmative action, and multicultural education. Each of these major efforts was targeted to overcome discriminatory practices produced in large part by school segregation, specifically: inequality of treatment, inequity of resources, denial of access, and stereotyping and denigration of culture.
Ways of Explaining Workplace Bullying: A Review of Enabling, Motivating and Precipitating Structures and Processes in the Work Environment
Authors: Salin Denise
Published: April 2004

This article summarizes the literature explaining workplace bullying and focuses on organizational antecedents of bullying. In order to understand better the logic behind bullying, a model discussing different explanations is put forward. Thus, explanations for and factors associated with bullying are classified into three groups, enabling structures or necessary antecedents (e.g. perceived power imbalances, low perceived costs, and dissatisfaction and frustration), motivating structures or incentives (e.g. internal competition, reward systems and expected benefits), and precipitating processes or triggering circumstances (e.g. downsizing and restructuring, organizational changes, changes in the composition of the work group). The article concludes that bullying is often an interaction between structures and processes from all three groupings.
Organizational Departures
Authors: Astrachan Joseph H.
Published: April 2004

This article explores the impact of impending layoffs on emotions, both theoretically and empirically, using a simulated mergers and acquisitions scenario in which 119 people participated. Root causes of layoff stress, emotional outcomes, and coping mechanisms, both useful and dysfunctional, are examined. A major focus of this research is on how the group context of a layoff or merger situation affects emotion and behavior. The research shows that anxiety is stimulated by the mere announcement that people in an organization are leaving and that the impact of this anxiety is expressed differently depending on the proportion of people staying in and leaving the organization. This article looks at the basic dynamic of separation anxiety—what it is and why it is stimulated. It explores how separation anxiety is manifested in several simple contexts. Psychodynamic concepts, such as denial, splitting, and projection, are introduced to help uncover some of the simpler dynamics surrounding separation anxiety as experienced in a group. Next, the article reports an experiment of a simulation in which work groups were formed and then people were chosen to leave their organizations. The experiment varied the number of people who stayed in or left their work groups. Anxiety and attitudes were measured over time, allowing the use of a repeated measures statistical analysis. Based on the theory presented and the research findings, ideas for managing separation anxiety are offered.
Development of All Water-Blown Polyisocyanurate Foam System for Metal-Faced Continuous Sandwich Panels
Authors: Naruse Akira , Nanno Hisashi , Kurita Mitsuhiro , Inohara Hideki , Fukami Takao
Published: April 2004

Metal-faced sandwich panels have been extensively used as exterior walls in the building industry. Experience and testing have demonstrated that HCFC-141b blown polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams provide acceptable fire performance when incorporated into these types of panel systems. Nowadays, the requirement for the development of all water-blown PIR foam system is getting higher, because HCFC-141b is to be phased out and a waterblown system is environmental-friendly, safe and economical. However, in general, all water-blown PIR foam systems have some problems such as poor flowability, foam friability and poor adhesion strength to metal and paper. Moreover, the poor storage stability of polyol premix of PIR systems due to hydrolysis is a serious issue, since polyester polyol modified PIR foams are generally used to reduce combustability. As for storage stability, the effect of various polyester components and catalysts for PIR foam preparation were examined with respect to the increase of acid value and the change of reaction profile. Through these tests, it was found that the specific combination of polyester components and selected catalysts led to good storage stability of polyol premix. Furthermore, to improve foam properties, a new polyisocyanate was developed. Finally, we developed new all water-blown PIR foam systems which showed similar storage stability to current HCFC-141bsystems: high flowability, less-void appearance, good dimensional stability, good adhesion strength and excellent incombustibility. In this paper, the relationship between each component of PIR foam and various properties will be discussed.
Fracture and Impact Toughness of Syntactic Foam
Authors: Wouterson Erwin M. , Boey Freddy Y. C. , Hu Xiao , Wong Shing-Chung
Published: April 2004

In this study we assessed the fracture toughness, KIc, and the impact resistance of syntactic foam reinforced with glass microspheres of different densities and polymer binder as a function of microstructures. The results showed that both KIc and the linear elastic energy release rate, GIc, increased with increasing volume fraction of glass microspheres, and the increase was higher for microspheres possessing a lower density. The impact resistance of syntactic foam decreased with the inclusion of hollow microspheres.
Modeling of Heat Transfer and Void Dynamics for the Thermoplastic Composite Tow-Placement Process
Authors: Tierney John , Gillespie John W.
Published: April 2004

Thermoplastic composite tow-placement technology is a nonautoclave consolidation process that offers the potential to significantly reduce fabrication costs by using in situ consolidation as a method for manufacturing large composite components. The temperature history and resulting degree of consolidation directly control the final part quality and are directly affected by the process set points. In this work, series of integrated submodels are developed for predicting the heat transfer and void dynamics within the laminate. The final through thickness void fraction is predicted as a function of process parameters. Experiments are carried out to validate these results for a wide variety of process conditions.

The model is used to quantify the relationships between variation of quality of incoming material (e.g., void content ranges 3.1 and 5.5% and final void content gradients. It was found that significant gradients in final void content exist through the thickness and is directly related to processing conditions. Recommendations for process optimization are discussed.
Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Contact Conductance Studies on Al12%Si10wt.%SiCp Metal Matrix Composites
Authors: Rao V. V. , Nagaraju J. , Krishna Murthy M. V.
Published: April 2004

Al12%Si10wt.%SiCp is a metal matrix composite (MMC) which is replacing the traditional metals in automobile industry. This paper describes the detailed investigations carried out for the first time on thermal contact resistance across this MMC contacts and also across the contacts between this MMC and other engineering materials like stainless steel, aluminum and copper, in vacuum at different contact pressures. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical models available in the literature for metal contacts. It is found that MMC contacts also show a behavior of metallic contacts in respect of thermal contact conductance i.e., the contact conductance increases as a function of contact pressure and number of load cycles. The thermal conductivity of the MMC is measured at different temperatures and is found to be invariant with temperature up to 100 C.
Failure Load Prediction of Mechanically Fastened Composite Joints
Authors: Choi Jin-Ho , Chun Young-Jun
Published: April 2004

With the wide application of fiber-reinforced composite material in aero-structures and mechanical parts, the design of composite joints has become a very important research area because they are often the weakest regions in composite structures. In this paper, a failure area index method is proposed to predict failure loads of mechanically fastened composite joints under plane stress condition with the same stacking sequence. The suggested failure area index method is shown to produce very favorable comparisons with measured failure loads of mechanically fastened composite joints with the difference well within 10% for all 17 cases investigated.
Strength Prediction and Measurement in Model Multilayered Discontinuous Tow Reinforced Composites
Authors: Iarve E. V. , Kim R.
Published: April 2004

The purpose of this work is to perform analytical modeling and experimentally produce idealized composite laminates reinforced with high-modulus discontinuous-fiber tows to evaluate the theoretical upper limits of tensile strength as compared to continuous-fiber composites. The idealized composite represents a staggered mosaic of prepreg tape strips of equal width and length. Three-dimensional analysis was performed to evaluate the energy release rate of the possible damage accumulation modes, such as tow delamination and splitting emanating from tape strip ends in plies with different orientations. The effect of residual stress was also evaluated on the delamination propagation energy release rates as well as tow end crack formation loads. Failure mechanisms for unidirectional and quasi-isotropic laminates were established by comparing the calculated energy release rates for tows in different locations to the critical Mode II energy release for axial cracking in the material system. Specially designed experiments were conducted to verify the failure mechanism predictions and evaluate proposed design changes for strength increase in the discontinuous-fiber tow reinforced composites.
Analysis of Toughening Mechanisms of ZrO2/Nano-SiC Ceramic Composites
Authors: Soh Ai Kah , Fang Dai-Ning , Dong Zhao-Xu
Published: April 2004

Three effects of nano-particles on the toughness of nano-composite ceramics, namely, nano-particle clustering, crack pinning, and transgranular fracture, are identified from both the experimental and analytical studies. It is found that crack pinning toughens the nano-composite ceramics because a higher stress intensity factor is needed to cause crack propagation around or pull-out of the nano-particle. The nano-particle along the grain boundary steers the crack into the matrix grain due to the strong cohesion between the nano-particle and the matrix. Transgranular fracture increases with the increase of the volume fraction of nanoparticles. Since the fracture resistance of the grain boundary is lower than that of the grain lattice, the higher the probability of transgranular fracture induced by nanoparticles, the tougher is the nano-composite. Nano-particle clustering, which increases with increasing volume fraction of nano-particles, leads to the reduction of both the strength and toughness of the nano-composite ceramics. The larger the size of the clustered particle, the more defects it contains and, thus, the easier it is for the crack to pass through the clustered particle. That is, the nano-particle clustering can reduce toughening induced by crack pinning. The theoretical prediction, based on the combination of the three effects of nano-particles, is in agreement with the experimental data.
Thermal Phenomena in Fiber-reinforced Thermoplastic Tape Winding Process: Computational Simulations and Experimental Validations
Authors: Toso Yves M.P. , Ermanni Paolo , Poulikakos Dimos
Published: April 2004

This paper presents experimentally validated three-dimensional transient simulations of the thermal phenomena of the tape winding process, as well as a method to determine separately the heat transfer between the hot gas originating from a torch and the composite material. The computational model predicts the temperature of the incoming tape and the substrate during the winding process. Each numerical simulation is based on an explicit time integration scheme and covers the duration of the process. The simulation within each time step employs a steady-state model. This method takes into account the cyclic nonuniform heating of the material and the effect of the growing mass. The comparison of the simulation results with the experimental data shows good agreements. The experiments were performed with preconsolidated glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene tapes. The measurements were performed with infrared pyrometry. This technique can handle moving points during the entire process, and is nonintrusive.
Multiscale Chaotic SPSA and Smoothed Functional Algorithms for Simulation Optimization
Authors: Bhatnagar Shalabh , Borkar Vivek S.
Published: April 2004

The authors propose a two-timescale version of the one-simulation smoothed functional (SF) algorithm with extra averaging. They also propose the use of a chaotic simple deterministic iterative sequence for generating random samples for averaging. This sequence is used for generating the N independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.), Gaussian random variables in the SF algorithm. The convergence analysis of the algorithms is also briefly presented. The authors show numerical experiments on the chaotic sequence and compare performance with a good pseudo-random generator. Next they show experiments in two different settings—a network of M/G/1 queues with feedback and the problem of finding a closed-loop optimal policy (within a prespecified class) in the available bit rate (ABR) service in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, using all the algorithms. The authors observe that algorithms that use the chaotic sequence show better performance in most cases than those that use the pseudo-random generator.
Non-Military Security Issues in Central Europe
Authors: Bidwell Sybill , Wójtowicz Krzysztof
Published: April 2004

The socio-political situation in Central Europe in the years after the fall of communism shows a sharp break from that system, but the region is not yet characterized by fully-formed and mature liberal democracies. These countries are still undergoing a phase of transition. At the heart of non-military security issues in Central Europe are problems that are new for these societies, and this novelty makes the problems especially challenging. There must be fostered among national populations a more sophisticated understanding of the free-market economy and of democratic principles. Particularly significant is the search for identity which is taking place on many levels – ethnic, cultural, religious and historical among others. This experience is important not only for Central European countries; it is also important for the European Union, whose members in 2004 they will become. This challenge is part of understanding the factors influencing the development of a democratic culture.
Pitfalls of Emancipation and Discourses of Security: Reflections on Canada’s ‘Security with a Human Face’
Authors: Neufeld Mark
Published: April 2004

The call to develop self-consciously critical approaches to security stands as one of the more hopeful intellectual developments in recent years. It is argued that a critical – and hence, emancipatory – strategy is one which focuses on the more ‘empirical’ question of how security issues are framed in political discourse. Here the emphasis is on exploring how different conceptions of security – both traditional and expanded – find their way into public debates; how specific values are made socially concrete in this process, and how people both act and are acted upon in the process of history unfolding. The merits of this approach are illustrated by examining a concrete case: the evolution of security discourse in Canada in the latter half of the 20th century, and the function of that discourse in terms of changing forms of state and world order.
The Public Regulation of Baseball Labor Relations and the Public Interest
Authors: Abrams Roger I.
Published: April 2004

This essay discusses the limited role played by the law in the regulation of baseball labor relations. What is termed the legal architecture of the baseball business is a superstructure of federal labor statutes that supported unionization to thereby facilitate the efforts of the Players Association to achieve the aspirations of the players. Protection of the public interest in baseball is primarily the obligation of the marketplace and of collective bargaining. In one instance, however, the law played a direct and immediate role in support of the public's interest in the continuity of baseball entertainment. The 1994 strike that almost ended the national pastime is described. A federal district court judge, however, at the behest of the National Labor Relations Board, saved baseball from itself. Whether the public interest has been served by this system of regulation is assessed, and it is concluded that the picture is mixed and the ultimate outcome remains uncertain.
Hope and Life Satisfaction in Black College Students Coping With Race-Related Stress
Authors: Danoff-Burg Sharon , Prelow Hazel M. , Swenson Rebecca R.
Published: April 2004

This exploratory study examined the effects of hope and coping with race-related stress on life satisfaction in Black college students. Findings indicated that students with high hope had greater coping efficacy and used more problem-focused coping than students with low hope. Neither coping nor hope had a direct effect on life satisfaction. However, six of the nine Coping × Hope interactions were significant. Contrary to expectations, the pattern of interactions suggested that for students with high hope, life satisfaction was associated with less frequent use of active coping strategies, and for students with low hope, life satisfaction was associated with greater use of active coping strategies. We suggest future directions for research on the role of hope and coping in Black individuals dealing with race-related stress.
Religion, State, and the International System in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
Authors: Frisch Hillel , Sandler Shmuel
Published: April 2004

Why do conflicts between states and national movements continue to be “nationalist”, concerned almost exclusively with self-determination and control over territory, rather than crusades on behalf of faith? Our basic claim is that the nature of the present international system bolsters the dominant position of nationalists in a given conflict with an opposing political entity, as well as within their own constituency. For this reason, the Palestinian leadership has never entered a power-sharing arrangement with the Islamists, and in Israel, the consociational arrangement with the national religious camp floundered when this internal arrangement threatened Israel’s relationship with its key ally, the USA, and jeopardized its standing in the international community. Religion expresses, however, important primordial values, particularly in Palestinian society, and is often a crucial dimension of collective identity. It is only natural, then, that nationalists use religious groups and their symbols as a means in the struggle to achieve their national or state-centered goals.
The Baring Crisis in a Mexican Mirror
Authors: Eichengreen Barry
Published: April 2004

In the now conventional wisdom, the Mexican crisis of 1994-95 was the first financial crisis of the twenty-first century. In this article I argue that it may be better understood as the last financial crisis of the nineteenth. The Mexican crisis exhibits striking similarities to the Baring Crisis of 1890. Parallels include the enthusiastic reaction of foreign investors to the combination of low interest rates in the financial centers and economic reform elsewhere in the world. They extend to the role of state banks in accentuating the impact of foreign capital on the domestic economy and of political weakness in hamstringing the government’s management efforts. The comparison underscores just how difficult it has become to arrange financial rescues of countries and financial institutions in distress.
The Global Economic Crisis, Contagion, and Institutions: New Realities in Latin America and Asia
Authors: Roett Riordan , Crandall Russell
Published: April 2004

This article uses the current economic crisis in Asia to analyze the impact that economic turmoil—especially economic contagion—in emerging markets can have on the process of social, political, and economic institutionalization and reform in Asia and Latin America. It argues that continued financial instability will result in increased democratization and transparency in Asia, as has happened in Latin America as a result of its struggles to consolidate and reconcile democratization and economic reform from the late 1980s to today. This transformation in Asia will temper the argument that the Asian development model was the path Latin America should have followed. This does not mean, however, that the reform path that the Asian countries choose will be successful or certain. Rather, although many authoritarian tenets of the Asian model will be challenged by calls for political and economic reform, the ultimate degree of liberalization in Asia will be uneven and incomplete, especially if the economic crisis deepens. Conversely, Latin American nations will need to use the Asian crisis as further evidence that the most sustainable form of economic and political reform necessitates a renewed commitment to promoting democracy and liberal institutions.
Accountants as Sources of Business Advice for Small Firms
Authors: Gooderham Paul N. , Tobiassen Anita , Døving Erik , Nordhaug Odd
Published: April 2004

In many countries small business accountants play an important role as business advisers for small firms in addition to providing basic accounting services. However, while some small firms make extensive use of external accountants as business advisers, a substantial proportion uses them only to a minor degree. On the basis of small firms in Norway the aim of this article is to contribute to our understanding of the determinants of such variations. Our study reveals that the quality, rather than the longevity, of the relationship between firm and authorized accountant is an important antecedent of the degree to which small firms use accountants as business advisers. In addition, the study indicates that the competency orientation of firms also functions as an important determinant.
Determinants of Innovative Activity in Japanese Technology-based Start-up Firms
Authors: Lynskey Michael J.
Published: April 2004

Very few, if any, empirical studies have been conducted on innovation in technology-based start-up firms in Japan, mainly because there has been little up-to-date data on such firms, and because small firms in Japan have been viewed as being of minor economic importance. The purpose of this article is to fill this gap in the literature by examining the determinants of innovation, measured by patent applications and new products, in Japanese technology-based start-up firms, using original firm-level data. We examine these determinants from the viewpoint of both firm-leveland managerial-levelcharacteristics. Our findings indicate that technological capability, the availability of internal funds, venture capital funding, and university–industry linkages are important firm-level determinants of innovation. We find also that a CEO’s educational background and capacity for networking with researchers are important managerial characteristics. The article includes an overview of the general business context for start-up firms in Japan and it concludes with some considerations for future policy based on our findings.
Neuropsychological Test Performance in Healthy Volunteers Before and After Donepezil Administration
Authors: Beglinger Leigh J. , Gaydos Brenda L. , Kareken David A. , Tangphao-Daniels Oranee , Siemers Eric R. , Mohs Richard C.
Published: April 2004

Participants in early Phase I clinical trials for drugs designed to enhance cognition are typically healthy volunteers. If improvement can be detected with a battery of cognitive tests in healthy volunteers, such a battery could be a pharmacodynamic marker in the future development of the compound for treatment of cognitive disorders. In the present exploratory study, a battery of neuropsychological (NP) tests was used to determine if changes in cognition from a pharmacological intervention could be detected in healthy volunteers. A drug with known cognitive-enhancing effects in Alzheimer’s disease, donepezil, was compared with placebo and no treatment arms. Carry-over effects of repeated test administration were also assessed. In this double-blind study, 27 healthy adults were randomized into one of three arms (eight donepezil, nine placebo and 10 no treatment) and completed 14 days of donepezil (5 mg q.h.s.) or placebo (q.h.s.). A battery of NP tests was administered on days 0, 7, 14 (randomization), 21, 28 (end of treatment) and 42 (washout). There were no differences in performance between the placebo and the no treatment arms. However, on day 21, subjects in the donepezil group performed slightly but significantly worse on some tests of speed, attention and memory ( p < 0.05) compared to the pooled control group (placebo and no treatment arms). No improvement in performance was present while on donepezil at days 21 or 28. While the results are counter to expectations, some tests in the battery did detect a cognitive change (transient mild worsening during drug administration) in healthy volunteers.
Bupropion in the management of apathy
Authors: Corcoran C. , Wong M. L. , O’Keane V.
Published: April 2004

We report on three males with prominent apathy as part of the symptom complex of depression or organic brain disease. Significant clinical responses were observed following treatment with bupropion, an antidepressant with dopamine (DA) reuptake activity. We present clinical evidence in support of the hypothesis that remission in these patients occurred as a consequence of bupropion-induced increases in central DA neurotransmission.
Men with Prostate Cancer: Making Decisions about Complementary/Alternative Medicine
Authors: Boon Heather , Brown Judith Belle , Gavin Alan , Westlake Kathleen
Published: April 2004

Purpose. The purpose ofthis study was to explore prostate cancer patients’ perceptions, feelings, ideas, and experiences regarding making decisions to use (or not use) complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). Methods. Five focus groups were conducted with 29 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Content analysis ofthe verbatim transcripts was used to identify key themes in the data. Findings. Decision making about CAM treatments appears to depend on both fixed (e.g., disease characteristics, demographic characteristics, and medical history) and flexible (e.g., perceptions of CAM and conventional-medicine, experiences with the health care system and health care practitioners, and perceptions about the need for control or action) decision factors. Conclusions. The participants in this study appeared more likely to be “pushed” toward using CAM by negative experiences with the health care system than to be “pulled” toward CAM by perceptions about its safety or congruence with their beliefs about health and illness.
Estimating the Prognosis of Hepatitis C Patients Infected by Transfusion in Canada between 1986 and 1990
Authors: Krahn Murray , Wong John B. , Heathcote Jenny , Scully Linda , Seeff Leonard
Published: April 2004

Objective. To develop a natural history model for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to determine allocation of compensatory funds to Canadians who acquired HCV through the blood supply from 1986 through 1990. Methods. A Markov cohort simulation model for HCV prognosis was developed, using content experts, published data, posttransfusion look-back data, and a national survey. Results. The mortality rate in transfusees is high (46% at 10 years), although HCV-related deaths are rare. Only 14% develop-cirrhosis at 20 years (95% confidence interval, 0%–-44%), but 1 in 4 will eventually develop cirrhosis, and 1 in 8 will die of liver disease. Conclusions.This unique application of Markov cohort simulation and epidemiologic methods provides a state-of-the-art estimate ofHCVprognosis and has allowed compensation decisions to be based on the best available evidence.