bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Identity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement: Too Much Interpretation, Too Little Supporting Data
Authors: Lockett Charles T. , Harrell Jules P.
Published: August 2003

The current study draws on a hierarchical linear regression procedure to address the problem of overinterpretation in research on racial identity attitudes and academic achievement. The Racial Identity Attitude Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a background questionnaire were administered to 128 African American students from a Historically Black College & University. Results show that the unique effect of racial identity on academic outcome is minimal. Moreover, over 50% of racial identity’s effect on academic outcome is predicted by individual differences in self-esteem. A model examining the relationship between racial identity, self-esteem, and academic outcome is presented.
Explaining Variation in the Effects of Welfare-To-Work Programs
Authors: Greenberg David , Meyer Robert , Michalopoulos Charles , Wiseman Michael
Published: August 2003

Evaluations of government-funded training programs often combine results from similar operations in multiple sites. Findings inevitably vary. It is common to relate site-to-site variations in outcomes to variations in program design, participant characteristics, and the local environment. Frequently, such connections are constructed in a narrative synthesis of multisite results. This article uses findings from the evaluations of California's Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) program and the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) to illustrate why it is important to question the legitimacy of such syntheses. The discussion is carried out using a simple multilevel evaluation model that incorporates models of both individual outcomes within sites and variation in program effects across sites. The results indicate that tempting generalizations about GAIN and NEWWS effects are statistically unjustified but that significant progress might be made in identifying the determinants of program effects in future demonstrations with some changes in evaluation strategy.
Uniting the Two Solitudes: Removing the Boundaries between Classroom and Laboratory in an Undergraduate STS Forensic Science Class for Nonscience Majors
Authors: Spier-Dance Lesley
Published: August 2003

This article examines the use of an STS approach to a forensic science lab course for nonscience majors at a university college in British Columbia, Canada. The transdisciplinary nature of forensic science provides opportunities to emphasize the relationships between natural sciences, associated technologies, and societal issues. A number of lab experiments are described to illustrate pedagogically important features relating to the STS emphasis of this course. Benefits and drawbacks that have been encountered in this class are discussed.
Outpatient Civil Commitment in Texas for Management and Treatment of Sexually Violent Predators: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Meyer Walter J. , Molett Maria , Richards C. David , Arnold Liles , Latham Janet
Published: August 2003

Texas established in 1999 outpatient civil commitment for sexually violent predators discharged from prison with or without parole. These individuals suffer from a behavioral abnormality, have been convicted of two or more sexually violent crimes and are deemed likely to reoffend. Civilly committed individuals are managed by a team composed of case manager (supervision), treatment provider, public safety officer (global positioning satellite monitoring), and other professionals. Treatment consists of individual and group therapy using a standard workbook. Out of 21 committed individuals, 7 are in the treatment, 1 died, 10 are in custody after breaking conditions of commitment that constitute a felony, and 3 await release from prison. Cost of outpatient civil commitment is less than $20,000/person/year compared with more than $100,000 for inpatient commitment in other states. Texas has found outpatient civil commitment to be an effective and relatively low-cost way to protect the public and treat the offender.
Sexual Sadism
Authors: Berner Wolfgang , Berger Peter , Hill Andreas
Published: August 2003

De finitions of sexual sadism in ICD-10 and DSM-IV will be presented as well as the historical routes of the concept. Today studies on differently selected clinical samples reveal a different distribution of sexual sadism versus masochism with masochism prevailing in general especially outpatient psychiatric facilities, and sadism prevailing in forensic settings, thus corroborating the concept of two separated diagnoses sadism versus masochism. In forensic settings the diagnosis of a sadistic character disorder (sadistic personality disorder [SPD] according DSM-III-R ) is found to a much higher degree than in other clinical samples (50-fold). Our own follow-up study on a forensic sample implies that sadism as a paraphilia is of relevance for relapse-rates of sex-offenders. Symptoms of SPD can be combined with sexual sadism, or occur independently. This may corroborate arguments in favor of a dimensional concept of sexual sadism. Symptoms of SPD may then be a sign of generalization of sadistic traits at least in some cases. A concept of two factors contributing to sadistic pleasure is suggested, one taking the aspect of bodily gratification by sexual-aggressive stimuli as decisive, and the other taking inner representation of hostile objects into consideration (stressing the antisocial-anger-rage aspect).
Time to Work:
Authors: Stier Haya , Lewin-Epstein Noah
Published: August 2003

The article examines the preferences for working time among men and women in 22 countries. The main question was whether working hours reflect workers' preferences and tastes or whether they were a constraint imposed by the organization of the labor market and economic considerations. The study is based on the ISSP survey on Work Orientation conducted in 1997 and employs hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to determine individual- and country-level factors affecting the preferences for working time. The findings suggest that a significant number of workers are still constrained by structural factors in their time allocation. Preferences for work were affected by both individual-level and country-level characteristics.
Beyond the Unemployment Rate: Workforce Profiles for Economic Development
Authors: Colgan Charles S. , Andrews Bruce H.
Published: August 2003

Standard public employment data do not contain information critical to many economic development efforts. The problems with these data become especially acute in a slow population growth region where labor shortages are more the rule than are labor surpluses. To address these issues, an extensive survey of employees and employers was conducted in 17 regions covering the entire state of Maine. The survey data were combined with other public data about the labor force into an on-line database and a series of reports on each region. Results from the surveys provide detailed information on factors affecting labor force mobility, employee recruitment and compensation, and the distribution of skills and training. Approaches to collecting detailed workforce data using phone and mail surveys are discussed along with the limitations of the methods chosen and suggestions for improving methods for those who may consider undertaking such studies in their own regions.
The Other Side of the Veil
Authors: Killian Caitlin
Published: August 2003

The “headscarf affair,” Muslim girls wearing veils to school, has generated a storm of controversy in France. This study uses the headscarf affair to explore Muslim immigrant women's views of their place in French society and reveals that even those who disagree with French public opinion often invoke arguments that are more French than North African. Interviews with 41 North African women show that younger, well-educated women defend the headscarf as a matter of personal liberty and cultural expression. Older, poorly educated women either defend or reject the veil but never discuss the issue of secularism. In dismissing the veil, they rely on a different understanding of Muslim womanhood. A third group opposes the veil, arguing that the goal of school is integration. Respondents' answers are interpreted according to structural factors and cultural repertoires, both North African and French.
Global Care Work and Gendered Constraints
Authors: Aranda Elizabeth M.
Published: August 2003

Through in-depth interviews with 41 middle-class Puerto Rican transmigrants, this research examines how gender constrains global care work. Migration compromises embeddedness in care networks, concurrently heightening its meaning. Women felt these effects more acutely than men given their primary responsibility for reproductive work. Migrants engaged in emotion work to cope with constraints, strategically rearticulating care work; yet unsuccessful strategies resulted in further emotional dislocation, particularly for women. Migration led to a dichotomy in which professional success was pitted against emotional fulfillment through care work. Gender, cultural, and geopolitical factors mediated this split, contributing to a permanently unsettled flow of migrants.
Paradoxes of Globalization, Liberalization, and Gender Equality
Authors: Ganguly-Scrase Ruchira
Published: August 2003

Globalization of the Indian economy has dramatically influenced social life in India. The expansion of the middle class is said to have occurred as a consequence of this process. Based on ethnographic research among lower-middle-class families in West Bengal, India, the author examines the apparent paradox between women's positive perceptions of empowerment and the overall negative impact of structural adjustment policies on women. Many scholars argue that globalization has been detrimental to women due to growing structural gender inequalities, but many respondents identify greater opportunities to challenge preexisting patriarchal norms through the role models available in the globalized media. While there are increasing inequalities for households, women do not consider these to be gender disadvantages, emphasizing instead the opportunities for greater independence. The author pays particular attention to the confluence of the prowomen consumer discourses of the global market with earlier developmentalist notions of the public role of women.
“Feeling the Beat”
Authors: Brent Edward , Slusarz Pawel
Published: August 2003

There are few tasks in research more onerous than coding qualitative data. Ironically, the coded data in a qualitative research database themselves represent a great store of knowledge largely untapped by traditional qualitative analysis programs. By “feeling the beat” in data and by using the information that is implicit in coded cases (the metaknowledge), we can develop more intelligent qualitative analysis programs that can offer active assistance with coding, thus reducing the burden to researchers, making coding more efficient, and improving its quality. In this article, the authors examine the coding process, then show how intelligent computational strategies—case-based reasoning, natural-language generation, semantic networks, and production rules—can take advantage of the knowledge implicit in coded information in qualitative databases to help code additional data. This approach dramatically alters the relationship of data to the researcher from passive database to active agent, with important implications for both methodology and theory.
Ethics-Related Technology Policies in Schools
Authors: Dill Brian J. , Anderson Ronald E.
Published: August 2003

Educators often face ethical and legal issues with the use of information and communication technology (ICT), especially when assigning digital content to their students. Institutional policies regarding the boundaries of acceptable ICT use can help educators deal with these issues. In this article, the authors apply neo-institutional theory to the diffusion of institutional policies on the ethics of ICT use. To evaluate this conceptual analysis, data are presented from three sources: a nationwide survey of U.S. schools, a 23-country survey of principals of upper secondary schools, and a content analysis of 46 acceptable use policies from school web sites in six countries. The predicted homogeneity among schools with regard to their ethical policies was found among web sites, within the United States, and to some extent, cross-nationally. Across countries the pattern in the adoption of ethical policies by schools was more heterogeneous and apparently idiosyncratic.
Exploiting Hyperlinks to Study Academic Web Use
Authors: Wilkinson David , Thelwall Mike , Li Xuemei
Published: August 2003

Hyperlinks have attracted a lot of attention over the past 7 years, from computer scientists, information scientists, physicists, and sociologists, all using them for different purposes. In this article, the authors review recent progress from the information science approach and summarize current techniques for extracting usable information from web links. The description is particularly aimed at those unfamiliar with the literature but who nevertheless wish to use web links to investigate some aspect of online behavior, particularly informal scholarly communication.
Linking the Structure of African American Criminalization to the Spread of HIV/AIDS
Authors: Lemelle Anthony J.
Published: August 2003

This article is organized in two parts. In the first, the author presents the racialized social system conceptual framework for understanding links between the criminalization of Blacks and the spread of HIV/AIDS. In the second, the author presents data from a focus group and in-depth interviews that collaborate that conceptual framework. The major findings are (a) the racialized social system manufactures a Black criminalized profile and contributes to the spread of AIDS; (b) the distrust of authority and lack of faith in institutional order is nothing short of a legitimation crisis for the society coming from the men in this sample; (c) the men expressed a profound lack of trust in public health; (d) they sincerely believe that Whiteness is out to annihilate them; (e) and they have made a commitment to fight back. The author argues these orientations will make HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention programs largely unsuccessful.
Community Violence and Adolescent Development
Authors: McGee Zina T.
Published: August 2003

This study measures the degree of exposure to violence through actual attack, witnessing violent events, and delinquent peer associations among500 African American high school students in the state of Virginia. In seeking to account for problem behavior, attention is given to sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to guns and violence as risk factors, and the moderating effects of coping strategies utilized by African American adolescents. Relying on recent research examining the relationship between victimization events and problem behavior, the study examines the development of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems (i.e., delinquency, anxiety, depression) in response to violent victimization and emphasizes the emotional adjustment among African American youth exposed to violence. Findings suggest a linkage between the indicators of exposure to violence, problem behavior, and coping strategy among youth. Implications for future research are addressed.
Do Individual Perceptions of Group Cohesion Reflect Shared Beliefs?
Authors: Carron Albert V. , Brawley Lawrence R. , Eys Mark A. , Bray Steven , Dorsch Kim , Estabrooks Paul , Hall Craig R. , Hardy James , Hausenblas Heather , Madison Ralph , Paskevich David , Patterson Michelle M. , Prapavessis Harry , Spink Kevin S. , Terry Peter C.
Published: August 2003

This study's primary purpose was to examine the degree to which individual perceptions of cohesiveness reflect shared beliefs in sport teams. The secondary purposes were to examine how the type of cohesion, the task interactive nature of the group, and the absolute level of cohesion relate to the index of agreement. Teams (n = 192 containing 2,107 athletes) were tested on the Group Environment Questionnaire. Index of agreement values were greater for the group integration (GI) manifestations of cohesiveness (GI-task, rwg(j) = .721; GI-social,rwg(j) = .694) than for the individual attractions to the group (ATG) manifestations (ATG-task, rwg(j) = .621; ATG-social, rwg(j) = .563). No differences were found for interactive versus coactive/independent sport teams. A positive relationship was observed between the absolute level of cohesiveness and the index of agreement. Results were discussed in terms of their implication for the aggregation of individual perceptions of cohesion to represent the group construct.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Patient Versus Proxy Quality-of-Life Perceptions
Authors: Phillips Wayne T. , Alexander Jeffrey L. , Pepin Venonique , Riley Cathy
Published: August 2003

Spousal perceptions and/or attitudes to their patient partners' capabilities have been shown to affect the effectiveness of the cardiac rehabilitation (CR) process. The purpose of this study was (a) to assess differences between patient and proxy responses to the Medical Outcomes Survey-Short Form 36 (SF36) and (b) suggest how such information may contribute to enhancing rehabilitation outcomes. Fifty-eight patients completed the SF36 prior to entering Phase II CR. Patient spouses completed a proxy version of the same questionnaire. The authors found that spouses' perceptions of their patient partners physical functioning (PF) was approximately 10% lower than patients' perceptions of their own PF(p <.04). Implications for the appropriate application of such data are discussed.
Child Maltreatment Training in Doctoral Programs in Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology: Where do we go from Here?
Authors: Champion Kelly M. , Shipman Kimberly , Bonner Barbara L. , Hensley Lisa , Howe Allison C.
Published: August 2003

The American Psychological Association (APA) has called for improving knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect among psychologists by increasing training. The present study examined the extent of child abuse training provided by APA-accredited doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology by surveying the training directors in 1992 and 2001. The survey assessed available coursework, practica, and research experience in the area of child maltreatment. Findings indicated that more than half of all programs cover child maltreatment in three or more courses, and most programs discuss child maltreatment in ethics/professional seminars. Most students have some exposure to clients with abuse-related problems, and some have opportunities to participate in maltreatment research. Nonetheless, training falls short of APA recommendations for minimal levels of competence in child maltreatment, with no change in training in the past decade. Recommendations for improving training include more discussion among program faculty, attention to essential competencies, and specific suggestions for developing interdisciplinary training.
Race/Ethnicity and Rates of Self-Reported Maltreatment among High-Risk Youth in Public Sectors of Care
Authors: Lau Anna S. , McCabe Kristen M. , Yeh May , Garland Ann F. , Hough Richard L. , Landsverk John
Published: August 2003

This study examined rates of youth-reported maltreatment history and the association between youth-reported maltreatment and foster care history across four racial/ethnic groups in a public system of care. Interviews were conducted with 1,045 youth (European Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Pacific Islanders) and their primary caregivers, sampled from one of five service sectors (alcohol/drug services, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and special education) in San Diego. Overall, racial/ethnic differences in youth-reported maltreatment were minimal. However, in the child welfare sector, African American youth self-reported maltreatment less frequently than other youth. There were significant racial/ethnic differences in foster care history, with African Americans far more likely to have been placed, even after controlling for youth-reported maltreatment, income, age, and gender. Furthermore, maltreatment history was associated with placement for all youth except African Americans. These results suggest that the overrepresentation of minority children in child welfare does not stem from greater rates of maltreatment.
The Implementation of Long-Term Care Insurance in Japan: Focused on the Trend of Home Care
Authors: Murashima Sachiyo , Yokoyama Azusa , Nagata Satoko , Asahara Kiyomi
Published: August 2003

In April 2000, the new long-term care insurance (LTCI) program was implemented in Japan. This program represents a major policy change and system redesign. This article briefly describes the factors leading to the development of LTCI and explains the philosophy and mechanism of LTCI, including patients' access to the system, its financial cost, changes in long-term care (LTC) system patterns, and the impact on institutional care and home care after its implementation. By presenting the current situation of LTCI, the authors want to share with readers outside Japan how this experience brought remarkable change in the delivery of LTC in the country. The experience of seeing what happened should be shared by all to keep the positive opportunities alive and to mitigate the negative experiences. Home care professionals firmly believe that it is essential to encourage further development relevant to the needs of families and society.
Reflections on Leadership Style
Authors: Niewenhous Susan S.
Published: August 2003

It has been said that leaders are born, not made. Perhaps some individuals are more comfortable leading than are others, yet home care managers at all levels must direct and provide leadership for their staff. This article will describe a number of leadership styles and will discuss leadership techniques to help home care managers be effective.
Learning the Trade: A Culture of Safety in Practice
Authors: Gherardi Silvia , Nicolini Davide
Published: August 2003

This paper presents an ethnographic study of how safety is mastered by novices on a building site, in order to highlight the social and cultural character of learning. Adopting a situational focus, the paper explores how knowledge is acquired and transmitted, and how a culture of practice sediments and is perpetuated in the process. The paper takes the community of practices as the privileged locus of learning and transmitting practical knowledge. This study is therefore an attempt to understand in what forms and by means of what mechanisms building-site novices are socialized in the community of practices and how, within this process, the competence relative to safety and danger is learned.
Production and Consumption in Organizational Knowledge: The Case of the `Paradigms Debate'
Authors: Hassard John , Kelemen Mihaela
Published: August 2003

Recent debates on the production of knowledge in organizational analysis are interpreted from a largely postmodernist, `sociology of consumption' perspective. Drawing upon the work of Jean-François Lyotard, Michel de Certeau and Stanley Deetz in particular, the analysis rejects both positivist and conventionalist theses on knowledge production in favour of a deconstructionist approach that embraces acts of production and consumption in a reflexive way. The argument is developed by way of a case study of production and consumption in organizational analysis. Through an assessment of scientific status and institutional control-centrally in relation to the `paradigm incommensurability' debate-a taxonomy of styles of knowledge production and consumption is proposed. Five main `camps' comprise this taxonomy-non-consumers, integrationists, protectionists, pluralists and postmodernists. We describe the basic knowledge philosophies of the camps and subject them to evaluation and critique. This analysis sees, inter alia, Jeffrey Pfeffer's proposals for producing an integrated knowledge paradigm for organizational analysis—the so-called `Pfefferdigm' thesis-confounded by the indeterminate rationalities and networks of signification of postmodern analysis. For explaining processes of knowledge production and consumption, it is argued ultimately that the notion of `discourse' should replace that of `paradigm'.
Exploring the Future of HRD: The First Future Search Conference for a Profession
Authors: Dewey Jennifer D. , Carter Teresa J.
Published: August 2003

The problem and the solution. What methodologies exist to explore the future of human resource development? This article describes one, the future search conference, and how a global team of volunteers planned and executed the first such conference dedicated to the future of a profession. It summarizes the process, lessons learned, and outcomes in terms of common ground statements. These outcomes are explored in more detail in subsequent articles.
Insights on Emerging Trends and the Future of Human Resource Development
Authors: Ruona Wendy E. A. , Lynham Susan A. , Chermack Thomas J.
Published: August 2003

The problem and the solution. The future holds countless challenges. The future cannot be known, and it must not be ignored. Understanding trends and indicators emerging today helps us to proactively think about potential future developments and positions us to constructively shape them. This article reports on a survey of 55 human resource development (HRD) and HRD-related practitioners and academics who identified trends, variables, and challenges that they believe are affecting and will affect the profession during the next 15 to 20 years.
Validity of Self-Reports to Measure Deforestation: Evidence from the Bolivian Lowlands
Authors: Vadez Vincent , Reyes-García Victoria , Godoy Ricardo , Williams Luke , Apaza Lilian , Byron Elizabeth , Huanca Tomás , Leonard William R. , Pérez Eddy , Wilkie David
Published: August 2003

To assess rates of deforestation, researchers typically use questionnaires. But do questionnaires provide accurate information about the extent of forest clearance by households? In this article, the authors provide data on the amount of deforestation in a Tsimane' Amerindian village (Bolivia) and assess informant error by cross-checking three different assessments: (1) a direct physical measure by a research team of each plot cleared from the forest, (2)an estimate by the household head of the entire area cleared by his household during the year before the interview, and (3)an estimate by the plot owners of the area cleared of each plot he owns. Results show a high correlation between direct measures and estimates of areas provided by informants; plot owners provided more accurate information than heads of households. Results suggest that asking Amerindians about the area of forest cleared will yield reliable estimates of deforestation.
Using Paired Comparisons to Measure Reciprocity
Authors: Durrenberger E. Paul
Published: August 2003

From ethnographic observations and interviews, the author discovered that the concept of obligation was important in structuring power relationships in Chicago union locals. This was pivotal because relationships of reciprocity underlie the politics of union locals and resistance to some programs from the international organization. Here, the author discusses how he used paired comparisons to test ethnographically derived hypotheses about the salience of concepts of reciprocity and obligation to move beyond qualitative ethnographic intuition to measure cultural concepts and test hypotheses. In conclusion, he suggests that such approaches and methods can enlighten our understanding of reciprocity.
Negotiating Civil Rights in Prime Time
Authors: Bodroghkozy Aniko
Published: August 2003

This article examines a controversial 1963-1964 socially relevant drama series that engaged viewers, critics, and television industry personnel with issues around Kennedy-era liberalism. The article specifically looks at two celebrated episodes dealing with race—one about the plight of ghetto inhabitants, the other about white fears when blacks begin moving into an all-white suburban neighborhood. Using viewer mail in series producer David Susskind's collected papers, the article examines how mostly Northern, white viewers used the show to make sense of changes in race relations in the midst of the civil rights movement. Using internal production memos and other sources, the article also charts the difficulties encountered by the show's producers in getting a series about “urgent issues” onto the airwaves.
Consequences of the depletion of zygotic and embryonic enhancer of zeste 2 during preimplantation mouse development
Authors: Erhardt Sylvia , Su I-hsin , Schneider Robert , Barton Sheila , Bannister Andrew J. , Perez-Burgos Laura , Jenuwein Thomas , Kouzarides Tony , Tarakhovsky Alexander , Surani M. Azim
Published: August 2003

Enhancer of zeste 2 (Ezh2), a SET domain-containing protein, is crucial for development in many model organisms, including early mouse development. In mice, Ezh2 is detected as a maternally inherited protein in the oocyte but its function at the onset of development is unknown. We have used a conditional allele of Ezh2 to deplete the oocyte of this maternal inheritance. We show that the loss of maternal Ezh2 has a long-term effect causing severe growth retardation of neonates despite `rescue' through embryonic transcription from the paternal allele. This phenotypic effect on growth could be attributed to the asymmetric localisation of the Ezh2/Eed complex and the associated histone methylation pattern to the maternal genome, which is disrupted in Ezh2 mutant zygotes. During subsequent development, we detect distinct histone methylation patterns in the trophectoderm and the pluripotent epiblast. In the latter where Oct4 expression continues from the zygote onwards, the Ezh2/Eed complex apparently establishes a unique epigenetic state and plasticity, which probably explains why loss of Ezh2 is early embryonic lethal and obligatory for the derivation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. By contrast, in the differentiating trophectoderm cells where Oct4 expression is progressively downregulated Ezh2/Eed complex is recruited transiently to one X chromosome in female embryos at the onset of X-inactivation. This accumulation and the associated histone methylation are also lost in Ezh2 mutants, suggesting a role in X inactivation. Thus,Ezh2 has significant and diverse roles during early development, as well as during the establishment of the first differentiated cells, the trophectoderm,and of the pluripotent epiblast cells.
Estimation of die service life in hot forging, considering lubricants and surface treatments
Authors: Lee H C , Kim B M , Kim K H
Published: August 2003

This study explains the effects of lubricant and surface treatment on hot forging die life. Thermal load and thermal softening, occurring when there is contact between the hotter billet and the cooler dies in hot forging, cause wear, thermal cracking and fatigue, and plastic deformation. Because the cooling effect and low friction are essential to the long life of dies, the proper selection of lubricant and surface treatment is very important in the hot forging process. The two main factors that decide the friction and heat transfer conditions are lubricant and surface treatment, which are directly related to the friction factor and the surface heat transfer coefficient. Experiments were performed to obtain the friction factors and surface heat transfer coefficients for different lubricants and surface treatments. For lubrication, oil-base and water-base graphite lubricants were used, and ion nitride and carbon nitride were used as surface treatment conditions. The effects of lubricant and surface treatment on die service life were expressed as the possible maximum production quantity. The new techniques developed in this study for estimating die service life can be used to develop more feasible ways to improve die service life in the hot forging process.
Emerging crisis of continuing professional education: becoming a dead letter between external pressure and personal incentive?
Authors: Aiga Hirotsugu , Banta James E.
Published: August 2003

Csontinuing professional education (CPE) has been recognized as an effective tool for equipping health professionals with updated knowledge and skills for improving health services quality. However, there is globally increasing skepticism concerning the effectiveness of CPE. In developed countries, the major reasons for participation in CPE include compliance with employers' requirements and renewal of specialist qualifications and licences. In developing countries, CPE, frequently supported by development agencies, often provides subsistence support to participants and is possibly perceived as an extra income opportunity or tool for promotion among health professionals. The knowledge and skills learned are insufficiently applied in daily practice. This carrot‐and‐stick approach should be reduced and efforts should be made to increase the level of application of what has been learned. To deliver more effective and efficient CPE, it is critical to study this issue in more depth. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An asymptotic formula for estimating coupling between suspended plate antennas with an inclined ground plane
Authors: Zhang Hong‐Xuan , Chen Zhi‐Ning , Li Le‐Wei
Published: August 2003

In this paper, an asymptotic formula using Newton and Chebyshev interpolations is developed and presented. With this formula, the coupling coefficient between suspended plate antennas with an inclined ground plane is estimated. The accuracy of this formula is validated by full‐wave analysis in terms of the simulation results obtained using the Zeland IE3D software package. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 19–22, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11114
A 1.3‐GHz SiGe active filter using a finite‐gain amplifier
Authors: Temcamani F. , Diab H. , Régis M. , Gautier J. L.
Published: August 2003

A 1.3‐GHz Sallen and Key filter, based on a voltage amplifier designed with an original topology, is presented. SiGe realization showed good agreement between simulation and measurement. In particular, the amplifier gain and the filter selectivity can be tuned and Q factors of up to 60 were measured. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 22–24, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11115
On focusing left‐handed materials by arbitrary layers
Authors: Simovski C. R. , Sauviac B.
Published: August 2003

In this paper, we consider the field produced by a line current behind a layer of left‐handed material (LHM). Our purpose is to show that any slab of LHM (except the known case ε = −1 and μ = −1) when is illuminated by a point source has infinite number of focal points with approximately same smearing as the recently studied LHM layer with εμ = 1. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 64–67, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11128
Planar inverted‐F antenna with slotted ground plane
Authors: Row Jeen‐Sheen
Published: August 2003

By embedding a group of parallel slots in the ground plane, novel dual‐frequency operations of a single‐feed planar inverted‐F antenna (PIFA) are presented. Simulation based upon the method of moments (MoM) is used to model the performance of the antenna. An example of the proposed antenna is fabricated to validate the simulation, and the experimental results show that the 10‐dB return‐loss impedance bandwidths are about 9% and 8.4% for frequency bands of 1.9 and 2.4 GHz, respectively. In addition, the measured radiation patterns in the two frequency bands are similar to that of a conventional planar inverted‐F antenna. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 72–75, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11131
Optimum design of an aperture‐coupled microstrip patch antenna
Authors: Kim Jeong Phill
Published: August 2003

This paper describes an efficient design method for an aperture‐coupled microstrip patch antenna, based on an improved transmission line model. The governing equations have been derived and applied to the design of the antenna with a center operating frequency of 11 GHz. The theoretical return loss was compared to the observed results from the fabricated antenna. The error of the proposed design method is less than 1.5%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 75–78, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11132
Identification of 2‐chloropyrazine oxidation products and several derivatives by multinuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Cmoch Piotr
Published: August 2003

1H, 13C, 14N and 15N NMR chemical shifts were used to prove the structures of the products of 2‐chloropyrazine oxidation. It was shown that oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid or m‐chloroperbenzoic acid leads to the N4‐oxide, whereas potassium persulfate in sulfuric acid gives the N1‐oxide as the main product. Additionally, the results of NMR measurements of products from the nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atom by azide anion, yielding the respective azides, and ethylation reactions of both 2‐chloropyrazine N‐oxides leading to the N‐ethyl salts confirm the structures of both isomeric N‐oxides. Protonation studies of the compounds obtained are also reported. The favoured protonation site is found to be the N atom that is not hindered by any substituents, and in some cases probably the oxygen atom of the N‐oxide function. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of reduced iso‐α‐acids derived from hops (Humulus lupulus) by NMR
Authors: Nord Lars I. , Sørensen Steen Bech , Duus Jens Ø.
Published: August 2003

Reduced forms of iso‐α‐acids (isohumulones), used in modern beer brewing were separated and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Components from mixtures of rho‐iso‐α‐acids, tetrahydro‐iso‐α‐acids, and hexahydro‐iso‐α‐acids were isolated using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyzed by use of one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR experiments. The data presented assign the identities of the main peaks in the HPLC traces for the reduced iso‐α‐acids. Previous tentative assignments regarding the cis and trans configurations and the structures of the acyl residues of the reduced iso‐α‐acids were confirmed and extensive NMR assignments were made. Furthermore, the previously unknown stereochemistry in the C‐4 side‐chain of the rho‐ and hexahydro‐iso‐α‐acids was assigned. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A study of NMR parameters of cyclobutenones and benzocyclobutenones
Authors: Frimer Aryeh A. , Sharon Ofer , Gottlieb Hugo E.
Published: August 2003

An NMR study of ketones 5–12 was undertaken to gain insight into the low electrophilicity of the carbonyl moiety of butenones 9–11. Initial IR studies on compounds 9–12 indicated that there is relatively strong double bond character (and hence low electrophilicity) in the carbonyl of saturated and unsaturated cyclobutyl ketones. The 13C chemical shifts confirm that the carbonyl moiety is highly conjugated with the fused benzene ring in 9, and with the olefinic linkage in 10 and 11. Partial positive charge is distributed away from the carbonyl carbon, which is also expected to lower the electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon atoms of 9–11. One‐bond carbon–proton coupling constants (1JCH) depend directly on carbon hybridization. In the four‐membered ring ketones 9–12 the experimental values are larger than in cyclobutane, probably as a result of the additional strain of the extra trigonal centers in the ring. A similar trend is seen in the case of the olefinic CH in 10 and 11 (ca 175 Hz), for which the coupling constant is larger than for the corresponding carbon in cyclobutene. 1JCC values between the ring carbon atoms of the cyclobutenones are some 20% lower than in the models—a bigger difference than in cyclobutanes, again indicative of the increased ring strain. The very low 42.4 Hz coupling between C‐1 and C‐2 in 9 might well indicate a measure of bond localization. 2JCC and 3JCC values are also discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Validity of esophageal pressure measurements with positive end‐expiratory pressure in preterm infants
Authors: Seddon Paul C. , Davis G. Michael
Published: August 2003

Previous research suggested that esophageal pressure changes (ΔPes) may not reflect pleural pressure changes (ΔPpl) in the presence of positive end‐expiratory pressure (PEEP), making assessments of dynamic lung mechanics invalid in these circumstances. To test this hypothesis, we measured ΔPes using a water‐filled catheter in 18 preterm infants with lung disease (9 intubated), and adjusted the catheter position to achieve a valid occlusion test. End‐expiratory occlusions were then carried out at PEEP (cm H2O) of 0, 4, and 8, and plots of ΔPes against ΔPao during airway occlusion were examined to derive the ratio ΔPes/ΔPao and the r value (as a measure of linearity). There was no significant change in ΔPes/ΔPao, which remained close to 1.0 as PEEP was increased from 0 to 8 cm H2O, and r also remained close to unity, indicating no appreciable hysteresis or alinearity of the plots. Our results show that ΔPes, when measured with an appropriately placed water‐filled catheter, continues to reflect ΔPpl accurately when lung volume is raised by applying PEEP up to 8 cm H2O. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 36:216–222. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Assessing bronchodilator responsiveness in infants using partial expiratory flow‐volume curves
Authors: Sheikh Shahid , Castile Robert , Hayes John , McCoy Karen , Eid Nemr
Published: August 2003

Our objective was to compare the effectiveness of maximum forced expiratory flow measured at functional residual capacity (V′maxFRC) and the ratio of flow at 75% of the forced expiratory volume to peak forced expiratory flow (FEF75/FEFpeak) for detecting bronchodilator‐related changes in wheezy infants. In 55 infants (mean age, 7.8 ± 3.1 months) with a history of recurrent wheezing, V′maxFRC and FEF75/FEFpeak were measured at baseline and 15 min following nebulized albuterol. Mean results from 4 baseline and 4 postalbuterol partial expiratory flow‐volume curves were compared at baseline and following bronchodilator challenge. The strength (relative effect size) of each measure for assessing change was quantified by dividing the mean of the pre‐ to postdifferences by the standard deviation of the differences. Mean percent predicted V′maxFRC was 41.3 ± 34.3% at baseline and 44.4 ± 34.0% following albuterol. Mean FEF75/FEFpeak was 26.7 ± 13.4% at baseline and 35.8 ± 14.3% following albuterol. The mean percent change from baseline [(post‐pre)/pre] in percent predicted V′maxFRC was 18.3 ± 39.3, and for FEF75/FEFpeak, it was 44.1 ± 36.8. The change in FEF75/FEFpeak following albuterol was significantly greater than the change in V′maxFRC (P < 0.0001). The relative effect size for mean percent change from baseline in V′maxFRC was 0.47, and for FEF75/FEFpeak, 1.20. Changes in FEF75/FEFpeak appear to differentiate changes in airway function following administration of a bronchodilator better than do changes in V′maxFRC. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 36:196–201. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigation of the induced‐fit mechanism and catalytic activity of the human cytomegalovirus protease homodimer via molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: de Oliveira César Augusto Fernandes , Guimarães Cristiano Ruch Werneck , Barreiro Gabriela , de Alencastro Ricardo Bicca
Published: August 2003

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a highly species‐specific DNA virus infecting up to 80% of the general population. The viral genome contains the open reading frame UL80, which encodes the full‐length 80 kDa HCMV serine protease and its substrate. Full‐length HCMV protease is composed of an N‐terminal 256‐amino‐acid proteolytic domain, called assemblin, a linker region, and a C‐terminal structural domain, the assembly protein precursor. Biochemical studies have shown that dimerization activates assemblin because of an induced stabilization of the oxyanion hole (Arg166). Thus, we performed here molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on HCMV protease models to study the induced‐fit mechanism of the enzyme upon the binding of substrates and peptidyl inhibitors, and structural and energetic factors that are responsible for the catalytic activity of the enzyme dimer. Long and stable trajectories were obtained for the models of the monomeric and dimeric states, free in solution and bound to a peptidyl‐activated carbonyl inhibitor, with very good agreement between theoretical and experimental results. Our results suggest that HCMV protease is indeed a novel example of serine protease that operates by an induced‐fit mechanism. Also, in agreement with mutagenesis studies, our MD simulations suggest that the dimeric form is necessary to activate the enzyme because of an induced stabilization of the oxyanion hole. Proteins 2003;52:483–491. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A left‐handed α‐helix containing both L‐ and D‐amino acids: The solution structure of the antimicrobial lipodepsipeptide tolaasin
Authors: Jourdan Fabrice , Lazzaroni Silvia , Méndez Blanca López , Lo Cantore Pietro , de Julio Marianna , Amodeo Pietro , Iacobellis Nicola S. , Evidente Antonio , Motta Andrea
Published: August 2003

The 18‐amino acid cytolytic lipodepsipeptide tolaasin, produced in culture by virulent strains of Pseudomonas tolaasii, is the causal agent of the brown blotch disease of the cultivated mushroom. Tolaasin has a sequence of D‐amino acids in its N‐terminal region, then alternates L‐ and D‐amino acids, and bears a C‐terminal lactone macrocycle composed of 5‐residues. The solution structure of tolaasin in sodium dodecyl sulfate was studied by 2D‐NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulated annealing calculations. Tolaasin forms an amphipathic left‐handed α‐helix in the regionDPro2‐DalloThr14 comprising the sequence of seven D‐amino acids and the adjacent L‐D‐L‐D‐D‐region. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first recognized example of a left‐handed α‐helix including both D‐ and L‐amino acids. The lactone macrocycle adopts a “boat‐like” conformation and is shifted from the helical axis as to form a “golf‐club” overall conformation. These structural features will be of importance in understanding, and preventing, tolaasin's role in the bacterial colonization of the host plant, and its toxic action on cells. Furthermore, the observed antimicrobial activity together with the potential resistance to enzymatic degradation and the increased antigenicity (both due to the presence of L‐ and D‐amino acids) strongly suggests for tolaasin a potential role as a template model for the design of new therapeutic antibacterial molecules. Proteins 2003;52:534–543. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.