bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanotech, Blur and Tragedy in Recent Artworks by Gerhard Richter
Authors: Nielsen Kristian Hvidtfelt
Published: October 2008

The author considers Gerhard Richter's work on nanotechnology, highlighting how these pieces continue the artist's ontology on photographic blur and, as such, raise questions about truth and reality with respect to the mass media's visual presentation of nanotechnology. The four works discussed include: Erster Blick (2000) and Graphit (2005), the mural Strontium (2004) and the suite of sheets numbered 737 to 754 in the continuous image installation Atlas. Examining these works, the author notes Richter's general skepticism about the benefits of technology, shown through his allusions to war and terrorism, and contrasts Richter's artworks with utopian visions of nanoscience in the mass media.
Reconsidering Pictorial Representation by Reconsidering Visual Experience
Authors: Veldeman Johan
Published: October 2008

In one sense, the visual experience of a thing in a depiction is similar to seeing the actual thing. In another sense, the experience is quite different, involving a “twofold” simultaneous awareness of the picture surface and what it depicts. The author argues that the standard ways of explaining depiction in terms of perception fail to properly accommodate the complex twofold nature of pictorial experience. He proposes an alternative account, based on an “enactive” approach to perception.
‘Doing Family’: Two Cases in Contemporary Syria
Authors: Rabo Annika
Published: October 2008

Family and household compositions are highly varied in contemporary Syria. The variation is to a large extent related to rural-urban habitation, class background, and ethnic or religious affiliation. Rural, poor, and Sunni Muslim Syrians, for example, tend to have larger families and economic interdependencies, while urban, better off, and minorities tend to have smaller and more independent family and household units. But despite such differences there's a general understanding and acceptance that marriage and parenthood is how women and men become adults. Many Syrian families and households do not, however, conform to these norms. In this article empirical material collected in northeast Syria since the late 1970s will illustrate the differences between an urban and a rural family. The case of each family illustrates the great heterogeneity of doing and talking family in contemporary Syria but also shows how local family ideals are reaffirmed.
Constitutive Hybrid Processes: a Process-Algebraic Semantics for Hybrid Bond Graphs
Authors: Cuijpers Pieter J.L. , Broenink Jan F. , Mosterman Pieter J.
Published: October 2008

Models of physical systems have to be based on physical principles such as conservation of energy and continuity of power. These principles are inherently enforced by the bond graph modeling formalism. Often, however, physical components may be best modeled as piecewise continuous with discrete mode changes, which leads to a violation of continuity principles. To support such hybrid models, bond graphs can be extended by facilitating a dynamic model structure, resulting in hybrid bond graphs. Behavior generation then requires computing continuous-time evolution, detecting the occurrence of events, executing the discrete state changes and re-initializing the continuous-time state. This paper presents a comprehensive representation of these different aspects of behavior using hybrid process algebra. The behavior of a hybrid bond graph can then be studied using a uniform representation while a direct correspondence with the elements of the bond graph is maintained. Additionally, non-determinism can be included in hybrid bond graph semantics which may alleviate the modeling task without being detrimental to the required analyses.
Relationship resources for coping with unfulfilled standards in dating relationships: Commitment, satisfaction, and closeness
Authors: Alexander Alicia L.
Published: October 2008

Two studies investigated the coping strategies that individuals use when dealing with unfulfilled relationship standards in dating relationships. In Study 1, inductive analysis of openended data revealed 26 coping strategies (N = 217). In Study 2, these strategies were used to develop a scale that was administered to a new sample (N = 505) and to explore the coping resources individuals draw upon when dealing with unfulfilled standards. Results suggested a ten-factor solution of coping strategies: punishing, reframing, clarifying, self-disparaging, exiting, distancing, modeling, seeking social support, using humor, and escaping. Analyses indicated that each of these sets of coping strategies was significantly linked to relationship coping resources: personal, moral, and structural commitment, relationship satisfaction, and closeness.
The experience and expression of anger, guilt, and sadness in marriage: An equity theory explanation
Authors: Guerrero Laura K. , La Valley Angela G. , Farinelli Lisa
Published: October 2008

This study examines how expressions of anger, guilt, and sadness are related to (in)equity and marital satisfaction. Data from 92 couples demonstrated that being overbenefited was positively associated with guilt, whereas being underbenefited was positively associated with anger. For wives, being underbenefited was also positively associated with sadness. Results also revealed that (i) people who perceived equity reported using more constructive, prosocial emotional expressions, (ii) underbenefited people reported using more destructive, antisocial emotional expression, and (iii) overbenefited people reported using both prosocial and antisocial emotional expressions. Both husbands and wives reported higher levels of marital satisfaction when they perceived themselves to be treated equitably or to be overbenefited as compared to underbenefited. Results also suggested that angry feelings and aggressive expressions of anger mediated the relation between underbenefiting inequity and martial satisfaction, and that the way people express anger mediated the relationship between anger and marital satisfaction.
Affectionate experience mediates the effects of alexithymia on mental health and interpersonal relationships
Authors: Hesse Colin , Floyd Kory
Published: October 2008

Affection has long been found to be a foundational force in any sort of human relationship, influencing such areas as relational closeness, stress, and depression. One psychological condition that may influence the communication of affection is alexithymia, which hinders the ability of an individual both to experience and to express emotion. On the basis of affection exchange theory, we hypothesized a mediating effect of affectionate communication on the association between alexithymia and relational and mental health indices. Participants (N = 347) provided self-reports of alexithymia, affectionate communication, depression, stress, relational closeness, nonverbal immediacy, happiness, and relational affection. Findings implicated affectionate communication as a mediator of the relationships between alexithymia and several of the outcome measures.
Characteristics of Homicide Events and the Decline in Homicide Clearance
Authors: Yili Xu
Published: October 2008

Following the national pattern, homicide clearance rates in Chicago have continuously declined for several decades. This study focuses on the influence of changing characteristics of homicide events on the decline in homicide clearances. Most previous studies are not suitable to address the decline issue because of their methodological limitations. The decline is a longitudinal process and a cross-sectionally identified relationship could be a temporary association at a particular point in time. The current study investigates all the key relationships with two longitudinal methods: pooled cross-sectional time series and ARIMA and by controlling for community-level factors. The results show that homicides involving concomitant felony, Latino victims, strangers, and vehicle body location are significantly and consistently related to the decline, whereas other previously identified predictors do not remain significant over time. The current paper also explains how effects of homicide event variables can be translated into actions and help improve clearance outcome.
The Complexities of Prior Record, Race, Ethnicity, and Policy
Authors: Crow Matthew S.
Published: October 2008

Using sentencing data from 1994 to 2002, spanning two different sentencing policies, this study examines the complex relationship between felony offenders' prior record, race/ethnicity, current offense, and sentencing outcomes. Expanding on past research, this study incorporates multiple dimensions of prior record and analyzes the differential impact of these dimensions across race/ethnicity and offense type. Unlike previous research, the current study examines these complex effects across different sentencing policies. The findings suggest that sentencing authorities' calculations of risk and dangerousness may not be based solely on legal considerations such as prior record and offense type or on extralegal factors such as race and ethnicity. Instead, it appears that a complex interplay exists between these legal and extralegal characteristics. Furthermore, the importance of policy change with regard to prior record and race/ethnicity is highlighted by the findings.
The Importance of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Shaping Turnover Intent
Authors: Lambert Eric , Hogan Nancy
Published: October 2008

Employee turnover can have devastating effects on correctional facilities. Excessive turnover wastes recruiting and training dollars. In addition, high turnover rates may also directly affect the security of the institution as well as the safety of both staff and inmates. Thus this study surveyed correctional staff at a maximum security private prison to examine the impact of the work environment, personal characteristics, external employment opportunities, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on turnover intent. The results of the multivariate ordinary least squares regression equations generally supported the proposed path model, and indicated age, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment directly influence turnover intent, whereas gender, job satisfaction, role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, input into decision making, and organizational fairness indirectly affected employees' decisions to leave the job.
Campus Law Enforcement Use-of-Force and Conducted Energy Devices
Authors: Wolf Ross , Pressler Tina , Winton Mark
Published: October 2008

Although many police departments throughout the nation have been quick to incorporate the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) within their use-of-force policies, the use of these devices on college campuses has been relatively unexamined in the literature. This article addresses campus police agency decisions regarding CEDs as a less-than-lethal force alternative. This study utilized a stratified random sample of public 4-year universities and colleges throughout the United States. Respondents answered questions pertaining to multiple variables, such as political pressure, public opinion, officer safety, liability, and funding, as factors considered when deciding whether to acquire CEDs. The results suggest that a majority of the public institutions surveyed have not acquired CEDs due to public opinion. Furthermore, the results reveal that for institutions that have issued CEDs their acquisition can be attributed to the campus law enforcement agency's concern for officer safety. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
VEBA Las Vegas: The Code Section 501(c)(9) Win—Win
Authors: Hurley Timothy R.
Published: October 2008

The difficulties entailed in VEBA plan design and implementation are easily outweighed by the advantages offered to both employers and employees.
Effect of Composition and Hard-segment Content on Thermo-mechanical Properties of Cross-linked Polyurethane Copolymers
Authors: Oprea Stefan
Published: October 2008

Polyurethanes (PUs) prepared by varying the hard-to-soft segments ratio, and the chain extender size and nature were studied. Polyurethane cross-linked copolymers composed of 4,4'-methylenebis(phenylisocyanate), poly(ethylene adipate)diol, and glycerine, 1,3 propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol as a chain extender were synthesized by a two-step process. In the present study, cross-linked poly(ester-urethanes) were prepared with hard segment contents from 22 to 44% by weight, by systematically varying the ratio of the hard-segment extender. Hard segment content has a significant influence on the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of PUs, such as maximum stress, tensile modulus, and elongation at break. In particular, maximum stress, tensile modulus, and elongation at break increased significantly at 24 wt.% of hard segment content. Interchain crosslinking improves thermal stability, which was measured by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. In contrast with glassy shape memory polymers, chemically cross-linked polyurethane behaves as an elastomer capable of shape memory.
Synthesis and Characterization of a New Methacrylate Polymer with Side Chain Benzofurane and Cyclobutane Ring: Thermal Properties and Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Erol Ibrahim
Published: October 2008

The synthesis of a new methacrylate monomer (Benzofuran-2-yl)(3-mesityl-3-methylcyclobutyl)- O-methacrylketoxime is described. The monomer was polymerized in 1,4 dioxane solution at 65 °C using azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The monomer and its polymers were characterized by infrared, and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature of the polymer was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and the apparent thermal decomposition activation energies ( Ed) were calculated by the Ozawa method using a Shimadzu thermogravimetric analysis thermobalance. The Ed were values were determined to be 231 kJ mol-1. The antibacterial and antifungal effects of the momomer and its homopolymer were also investigated on various bacteria and fungi.
Synthesis of Hyperbranched Conjugated Copolymers Containing Triphenylamine and Fluorene or Thiophene Moieties
Authors: Grigoras Mircea , Stafie Loredana
Published: October 2008

Novel hyperbranched conductive copolymers containing 4,4',4'' trisubstituted triphenylamine and 2,7-(9,9'-dioctyl)fluorenyl or 2,5-thienyl moieties were synthesized by palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of bis boronic acids of fluorene or thiophene with tris(4-iodophenyl)amine, in an one-step process. The copolymers were obtained as fully or partially soluble materials in chlorinated or aprotic polar solvents, depending on the monomer structure and concentration and polycondensation time, and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, 1H-NMR, UV- vis and fluorescence spectroscopy.
Structural Rigidity of Aromatic Polyamides with Bulky Lateral Substitutions
Authors: Palí Casanova Ramón Del Jesús , Córdova Quiroz Atl Víctor , Zavala Loría José del Carmen , Aguilar-Vega Manuel , Loría-Bastarrachea Maria , Angulo José Luis , Vázquez Humberto
Published: October 2008

In the present study the effect that controlled structural modifications have on the physical and conformational properties of a series of isomeric aromatic polyamides synthesized with different bulky pendant lateral groups was investigated. Physical properties of the aromatic polyamides such as thermal properties were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Structural changes were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, density and fractional free volume ( FFV). Light scattering and dynamic-mechanical analysis were used to characterize the thermodynamic and kinetic rigidity. Vogel's model was applied to evaluate kinetic rigidity in polyamide chains and the results were compared with physical properties data. It was found that there was a relationship between Tg and the conformational entropy determined by the structure which indicates that the higher the level of rigidity in the polyamide the higher the value of Tg. For kinetic rigidity, it was found that the relaxation time at infinite temperature Bα , was very close to the value 5 x 10-12 s, reported for other amorphous glassy materials. There was also a relationship between the activation energy of the glass transition U∞ and FFV, which is determined by the presence or absence of the bulky functional groups, indicating that the smaller the FFV, the higher the energy required for the glass transition to take place.
Azopolysiloxanes Modified with Nucleobases: 1. Thermal Characterization of some Nanostructurable Materials with Potential Application in Biology
Authors: Lisa Gabriela , Enea Ramona , Hurduc Nicolai , Hurduc Natalia
Published: October 2008

New azopolysiloxanes modified with nucleobases with potential application in biology were synthesized and their thermal stability was evaluated. These types of materials can present two possible applications: obtaining of films with nanostructured surface that may be used in cell directional development control and in biomolecular binding and nanohandling. Both applications involve, however, material interaction with laser beams, which require a series of precautions with regard to polymer thermal stability. We considered it essential to perform very thorough thermal stability studies that would provide accurate information concerning the lowest temperature at which thermal degradation occurred. Some correlations between structure—thermal stability were derived.
Polydimethylsiloxane—silica Composites. Influence of the Silica on the Morphology and the Surface, Thermal, Mechanical Properties
Authors: Alexandru Mihaela , Cazacu Maria , Vlad Stelian , Iacomi Felicia
Published: October 2008

A series of polydimethylsiloxane—silica composites each, with a different silica contents were prepared and investigated by multiple techniques: thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and tensile strength tests, in order to evaluate some microscopic and macroscopic properties. As expected, the results show a dependence of the composites' properties on the silica content and their preparation procedure: in situ or ex situ. Whereas the dependence of the thermal and mechanical properties was expected and emphasized their improvement as the silica content increased, in the case of morphology and surface properties this dependence appeared to be more complex.
Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Aromatic Copolyamides Containing Phthalazinone Moieties
Authors: Liu Peng-Tao , Jian Xi-Gao
Published: October 2008

The kinetics of thermal degradation of aromatic copolyamides containing phthalazinone moieties and ether linkages was studied at several heating rates by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal-resistance properties of the new polymers did not decrease notably compared with Kevlar®. The activation energy of the solid-state process was determined using the Kissinger, Friedman and Flynn— Wall—Ozawa methods, and the results indicate an activation energy of more than 160 kJ mol-1. The results also show that the longer the flexible spacer in the monomer, the lower the thermal decomposition activation energy of the polymer, and that the presence of the phthalazinone structure increased the thermal decomposition activation energy of the polymers. The mechanism of thermal degradation was R deceleration type as determined by the Coats—Redfern method.
Functionalization of Poly(ether imide) Membranes via Surface-Initiated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization and their Use in Antifouling
Authors: Li Liang , Yan Guoping , Wu Jiangyu , Yu Xianghua , Guo Qingzhong
Published: October 2008

Poly(ether imide) (PEI) was chloromethylated by a simple one-step method under mild conditions to provide surface benzyl chloride groups as the active initiators for the surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Functional hydrophilic polymer brushes of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate and sodium 4-styrenesulfonate, as well as their block copolymer brushes, were synthesized via surface-initiated ATRP from the chloromethylated PEI membrane surfaces. The surface-modified membranes were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using the bovine serum albumin solution adsorption test, the grafted PEI membranes showed great antifouling properties compared to the pristine PEI surface. Thus, the chloromethylated PEI membranes with the active ATRP initiators opens up opportunities for the functionalization of membranes via surface molecular design.
Synthesis of Proton-conducting Electrolytes Based on Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization
Authors: Xiao Shuqin , Chen Yiwang , Zhou Weihua , Qiu Jianding , Zhang Xiaolin
Published: October 2008

The preparation of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) grafted poly (styrene sulfonic acid) (PVDF-HFP-g-PSSA) copolymer as proton-conducting electrolytes by atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene sulfonic acid at the secondary halogenated sites of PVDF-HFP was demonstrated. The structure of the PVDF-HFP-g-PSSA copolymers was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectra, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The PVDF-HFP-g-PSSA copolymer membranes showed ion exchange capacity values ranging from 0.045 to 0.272 mEq g-1, the water uptake varied from 13.7 to 26.8 wt.% and the proton conductivities varying from 1.85 2 10-4 to 9.8 2 10-4 S cm-1, all of which could be modulated by control of the polymerization time. All the membranes exhibited decomposition temperature up to around 350 °C as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis. The incorporation of poly(styrene sulfonic acid) into PVDF-HFP chains resulted in melting at higher temperatures. The scanning electron microscopy observation indicated that the density of the ionic pathways increased with ionic content, which explained why the ionic conductivity rose to relatively high values as polymerization time increasing.
Toward a New Paradigm for Psychiatric Diagnoses and Clinical Research in Sexology
Authors: Cosgrove Lisa , Pearrow Melissa , Anaya Maria
Published: October 2008

The growing acceptance of a biopsychiatric model for women's sexual health issues and the dramatic increase of pharmaceutical industry research funding over the last decade have both contributed to ethical and professional crises in sexology and psychiatry. Although conflict of interest (COI) policies deal with some of these issues, public trust is compromised in such an industry-dominated climate. This article describes why the lack of transparency in diagnostic and clinical guidelines is an important public health issue for women, presents data about financial associations between expert members of diagnostic guidelines panels and `Big Pharma', and relates the discussion to concepts of biopower and biopolitics. One element in these developments — the overuse of diagnostic checklists — undermines an appreciation for the diversity of women's sexualities, reinforces the authority of only certain kinds of research, and privileges biomedical interventions. The authors emphasize the need for a paradigm shift, analogous to that advanced by the New View Campaign, that promotes diagnostic instruments and treatment interventions more fully supportive of consumer, rather than corporate, interests.
Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery: Freakish or Inevitable? Analysis from Medical Marketing, Bioethics, and Feminist Theory
Authors: Tiefer Leonore
Published: October 2008

Female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS) refers to new treatment/enhancement technologies that have engendered much controversy. Examining FGCS through the lenses of bioethics, feminist theory and medical marketing situates it within makeover culture and deregulatory politics, and links it to feminist debates about making choices within constrained contexts. This article points out numerous analogies between the creation of FGCS and the new sexuality pharmaceuticals, and shows the relevance of the New View Campaign's analysis for this new domain.
Consciousness-raising 2.0: Sex Blogging and the Creation of a Feminist Sex Commons
Authors: Wood Elizabeth Anne
Published: October 2008

In this article, I develop the notion of a `sex commons' on the internet as one way to help women build more satisfying sex lives. While women have not historically controlled their own sexuality, they have tended to control the dissemination of information about sexuality, first through oral traditions and traditional social networks, and later through media such as advice columns. Medicalization and the culture of expertise removed much of that control, but the consciousness-raising movement of the second wave of feminism used social networks to reclaim it. This article describes the ways that women's internet sex blogs help develop vocabularies of desire, reduce shame, and build community, enabling women to continue this process of regaining control over information about sexuality. I argue that a commons model is useful for protecting access to that information, especially in the face of continuing medicalization of sexuality and corporate control of the internet, and conclude with suggestions for maintaining the sex commons and building feminist pathways to navigate it.
Sex, Lies and Pharmaceuticals: The Making of an Investigative Documentary about `Female Sexual Dysfunction'
Authors: Canner Elizabeth
Published: October 2008

In this article, I describe my current documentary project, Orgasm Inc. This project came about initially because I took a job editing erotic video for a pharmaceutical company's clinical trial of a Viagra-type drug for women. This experience launched me on a 10-year odyssey following several drug companies and medical device manufacturers as they raced to win US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their products. Orgasm Inc. is a look inside `Big Pharma' and its marketing campaigns as it reshapes sexual health, illness, desire, and orgasm. The difficult search for funding for an investigative documentary on female sexual health is an important part of the story.
What Makes Women Experience Desire?
Authors: Laan Ellen , Both Stephanie
Published: October 2008

What makes women experience sexual desire? According to Kaplan, normal sexual response starts with desire, progresses through excitement or arousal, and ends with orgasm (Kaplan, 1974). This model implies that sexual desire is something you either have or don't have, and, if you don't have it, there may be no sex in your future. This drive model of sexual desire, a biomedical model, assumes that lack of desire represents a deviation from a physiological norm. In contrast, the biopsychosocial model promoted by the New View emphasizes that a woman's sexuality is largely produced by her social context and rejects the idea of desire norms rooted in physiology. The incentive motivation model of sexual desire that we will present here is based on new findings suggesting that the experience of desire may follow rather than precede sexual excitement, and suggests that desire emerges following sexual arousal initiated by a sexually meaningful stimulus.
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adult Sexual Problems: A New View of Assessment and Treatment
Authors: Hall Kathryn
Published: October 2008

The New View recognizes that people may be dissatisfied with any emotional, physical or relational aspect of sexual experience and thus invites men and women with abuse histories to discuss sexual issues that are distressing. There are numerous pathways by which child sexual abuse (CSA) can lead to sexual dissatisfaction in adulthood. In addition to those outlined by learning theory and trauma formulations, the New View adds several important and hitherto neglected paths: anxiety about being `normal' or living up to perceived cultural standards, power imbalance in the sexual relationship, stress (because of the consequences of low socioeconomic status), and limited access to both quality health care and sexual information. Assessment of both sexual difficulties and treatment must address these kinds of economic, social and relational factors. How the New View contributes to our ability to understand and treat the sexual concerns of men and women with histories of childhood sexual abuse will be presented in this article and illustrated with clinical case material.
Putting the New View Classification Scheme to an Empirical Test
Authors: Nicholls Leanne
Published: October 2008

Dissatisfaction with prevailing `biomedical' approaches to the construction and classification of female sexual problems led to the development of A New View of Women's Sexual Problems. In order to test the utility of the New View classification scheme, its correspondence was assessed by questionnaire with 49 women's own accounts of sexual difficulty. Results demonstrated significant correspondence in several ways. Furthermore, sexual difficulties were attributed to relational (65%) and contextual/external (20%) factors more often than individual psychological (8%) or medical (7%) factors. Recommendations for improvements to the New View classification scheme are discussed.
Psychometric Properties of the Aggression Questionnaire in Dutch Violent Forensic Psychiatric Patients and Secondary Vocational Students
Authors: Hornsveld Ruud H. J. , Muris Peter , Kraaimaat Floris W. , Meesters Cor
Published: October 2008

The psychometric properties of a Dutch version of Buss and Perry's Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) were examined in a sample of violent forensic psychiatric inpatients and outpatients and a sample of secondary vocational students. The internal consistency, interitem correlations, and item—scale correlations of the subscales Physical Aggression, Anger, and Hostility were good but turned out to be unsatisfactory for the subscale Verbal Aggression. The four-factor structure of the AQ could not be confirmed, but the four-factor structure of a 12-item version (short form) of the AQ, the AQ-SF, produced an acceptable fit. The test—retest reliability of the AQ and AQ-SF total scores was good, although the test—retest reliability of the AQ-SF subscale Physical Aggression was not satisfactory. The validity of both the AQ and AQ-SF could be demonstrated by meaningful correlations with alternative measures of aggression and personality, but inpatients were not found to display higher scores on the AQ or AQ-SF than the students.
Targeting, Television and Networking
Authors: Crogan Patrick
Published: October 2008

In this interview, Samuel Weber discusses two recent books that explore issues of contemporary media and politics, Targets of Opportunity and Theatricality as Medium. Targeting is identified as a modality of conceiving the world that is as old as western thought but which assumes an increasingly pervasive character in the contemporary globalizing political and technocultural milieu. Mainstream and emerging representational and communications media are considered in this perspective for both their tendency to proliferate target thinking (Broadcast TV news, military management of the Gulf War campaign) and their potential to open other modes of being engaged. The predominant forms and ideas of the network (the internet, gamer networks, creative networks) are examined as particular kinds of netting and working that constrain and yet retain some of these other modes of intersubjectivity.
Community Informatics, Local Community and Conflict
Authors: Goodwin Ian
Published: October 2008

Conflict within local communities is an under-researched theme in Community Informatics (CI). This article therefore aims to contribute to the development of CI as a field of study by analysing forms of internal conflict within Moseley Egroup — a CI initiative developed in Moseley, Birmingham (UK). Ultimately it is argued that conflict is an inherent part of local community and is important to CI for a number of reasons. Conflict impacts on the appropriation and social shaping of internet technology by local communities, and has broader implications on the extent to which CI regenerates localities and empowers citizens. In this sense conflict is identified as a productive force, shaping and reshaping both local community and internet projects mobilized in its name. Conflict also draws attention to the contested and mutable relationship that exists in CI between the online spaces that are created and the localities they are set up to serve. It is concluded that conflict and forms of social struggle within communities should form a central part of the developing CI research agenda.
Using Blogs to Create Cybernetic Space
Authors: Mitra Ananda
Published: October 2008

This article examines the phenomenon of blogging as a way to create a cybernetic space that is defined by the digital/virtual space of the blog discourse and the real space where the blogger is located. By examining several blogs it is argued that for people who have to move from place to place and undergo the diasporic experience, the anxieties of movement and placelessness produced by diaspora can be partly managed by entry into the cybernetic space produced by bloggers. Specifically, this article examines blogs maintained by people of Indian origin who produce a sense of spatial identity through their blogs.
'You Play Like a Girl!'
Authors: Bertozzi Elena
Published: October 2008

Many reasons have been suggested for the lack of female participation in technologically complex digital game play. A previously unconsidered factor is that of cross-gender competition. Rigid gender divisions are the norm in most analog/traditional games and sports. Societal penalties for breaking these norms are severe for both males and females. This article suggests that the virtual certainty of cross-gender competition might be a factor in deterring females from digital game play. The ease of transgressing traditional play taboos in virtual words, however, allows both males and females to explore and possibly transform rigid gender configurations. Policy implications for using play as a way to break down stereotypes and encourage the participation of females are discussed.
Participant Perspectives on a Yoga Intervention for Menopausal Symptoms
Authors: Taylor Mary R. , Booth-LaForce Cathryn , Elven Eric , McGrath Barbara B. , Thurston Rebecca C.
Published: October 2008

A pilot study of the effects of 10 weeks of yoga practice on 11 midlife women's menopausal symptoms was conducted. Qualitative analysis of participants' exit interviews provided information not captured in quantitative measures, including perceptions of the yoga intervention and suggestions for improving the study protocol. The women reported feeling relaxed and physically better after yoga class. Many viewed yoga as a skill they could incorporate into daily life to reduce stress and manage their menopausal symptoms. The class setting provided an opportunity for individualized instruction, peer interaction, and a structured time for self-care. Factors that made it more challenging to practice yoga at home included responsibilities to others as well as limited time, space, and energy. Women suggested providing a more flexible class schedule, increasing peer support, and providing more instruction on developing a home practice. This information will be incorporated into plans for future studies.
CAM Management of Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD): A Case Report
Authors: Rastogi Sanjeev
Published: October 2008

Peripheral Arterial occlusive Disease is one among many conditions where a dependable cure is still elusive. Despite of availability of various treatment options on medical and surgical grounds, these many options does not with stand to the complexity, generalization and rapid progression inherent to the disease. Cost of diagnosis and cost of therapy also acts as a constraint in its quick management. In these conditions, any CAM approach addressing to all these intricacies of PAOD is a welcoming thought. We tried to intervene with CAM therapy in a patient diagnosed as having PAOD. The clinical improvements observed in this single case are warranting for more serious studies to define the role of CAM in these conditions.
Allied Health and Nursing Academic Programs at New Jersey county colleges: Holistic Health and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Content
Authors: Bruguier Elsa
Published: October 2008

Rising public interest in and use of holistic health (HH) practices and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has created a need for health care providers to become knowledgeable in these areas. HH/CAM content is increasingly included in curricula of professional health education, a trend less clear in associate, certificate, and diploma programs of 2-year colleges. A survey of directors and coordinators of allied health and nursing programs at New Jersey county colleges was conducted to determine curricular presence of HH/CAM and program constituency awareness of institutionally accessible HH/CAM information resources. Results indicated: rising interest in HH/CAM instruction; multiple forces influencing HH/CAM inclusion; HH/CAM strengthening programs; and uncertainty regarding knowledge of and perceived use of library HH/CAM resources. By including HH/CAM, New Jersey's allied health and nursing programs are progressively aligned with consumer use, and trends of professional health schools.
Comparison of Treatment of HIV Patients in Naturopathic and Biomedical Settings
Authors: Baer Hans
Published: October 2008

Patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have turned to a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in seeking relief from their illnesses and a better quality of life. Many of them have adopted an integrative approach in which they simultaneously use biomedicine and CAM. Naturopathic physicians, are one category of CAM practitioners upon which some HIV/AIDS patients rely. This article describes naturopathic philosophy and therapeutics; examines naturopathic medical treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in two CAM treatment centers in a Western US metropolitan area; describes treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in a biomedical treatment center frequented by many of the HIV patients who have opted for an integrative approach; and compares these approaches in terms of models of practitioner-patient relationship. I argue that the naturopathic physician-patient relationship constitutes a form of social support that generally cannot be facilitated in the biomedical physician-patient relationship due to time, and perhaps philosophical, constraints.
Laser welding of AA 5083 samples by high power diode laser
Authors: Sánchez-Amaya J. M. , Delgado T. , De Damborenea J. J. , Lopez V. , Botana F. J.
Published: October 2008

Laser welding is a very attractive technique to join different alloys at the industrial level, due to its low heat input, high flexibility, high weld quality and high production rate. In this work, the weldability of the aluminium alloy AA 5083 with a high power diode laser has been tested. Concisely, samples were subjected to lineal treatments of laser radiation, with the objective of studying the properties of the bead on plate welds generated. The main objective of the present work has been to study the influence of both the processing rate and the superficial treatment of the AA 5083 samples, on the morphological, microstructural and corrosion properties of the laser weld beads. The sizes of the welds were higher as the processing rate was decreased. The weld beads were seen to have better behaviour against corrosion than the base metal due to the microstructural refinement. It was also verified that a blasting process before processing gave beads with lower size but better corrosion resistance than the application of a black layer, due to the minimisation of the magnesium evaporation in this former superficial treatment.
Room temperature hardness of carbide strengthened cast alloys in relation with their carbon content and aging temperature Part 2 – Case of cobalt alloys
Authors: Berthod P.
Published: October 2008

Nine cobalt alloys, all containing 30 wt-%Cr, various carbon contents and two amounts of tantalum (for two of them), were elaborated by casting and aged at 1000, 1100 and 1200°C for 50 h. The hardness of each sample was measured by macro and micro Vickers indentation, and studied in accordance with the carbon content, the nature and fractions of carbides. The hardness increases from about 250–270 up to 500–550, which is the prolongation of the range for nickel alloys with similar compositions. The increase in hardness with the carbon content obeys a linear function of the carbon content, which allows choosing a carbon content to achieve a targeted hardness, in the studied range of carbon or by extrapolation to higher values. For a same carbide fraction, hardness significantly depends on the nature of carbides (e.g. higher for TaC than for M7C3 carbides).
Loss of Mll5 results in pleiotropic hematopoietic defects, reduced neutrophil immune function, and extreme sensitivity to DNA demethylation
Authors: Heuser Michael , Yap Damian B. , Leung Malina , de Algara Teresa Ruiz , Tafech Alaeddin , McKinney Steven , Dixon John , Thresher Rosemary , Colledge Bill , Carlton Mark , Humphries R. Keith , Aparicio Samuel A.
Published: October 2008

MLL5 is a divergent member of the Drosophila Trithorax-related (SET) domain and plant homeodomain (PHD) domain-containing chromatin regulators that are involved in the regulation of transcriptional “memory” during differentiation. Human MLL5 is located on chromosome 7q22, which frequently is deleted in myeloid leukemias, suggesting a possible role in hemopoiesis. To address this question, we generated a loss-of-function allele (Mll5tm1Apa) in the murine Mll5 locus. Unlike other Mll genes, Mll5tm1Apa homozygous mice are viable but display defects in immunity and hematopoiesis. First, Mll5tm1Apa homozygous mice show increased susceptibility to spontaneous eye infections, associated with a cell-autonomous impairment of neutrophil function. Second, Mll5tm1Apa/tm1Apa mice exhibit a mild impairment of erythropoiesis. Third, Mll5tm1Apa/tm1Apa hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have impaired competitive repopulating capacity both under normal conditions and when subjected to self-renewal stimulation by NUP98-HOXA10. Fourth, Mll5tm1Apa homozygous HSCs show a dramatic sensitivity to DNA demethylation–induced differentiation (5-azadeoxycytidine). Taken together, our data show that MLL5 is involved in terminal myeloid differentiation and the regulation of HSC self-renewal by a mechanism that involves DNA methylation. These data warrant investigation of MLL5 expression levels as a predictive marker of demethylating-agent response in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemias and identify MLL5 as a key regulator of normal hematopoiesis.
Transcriptional regulation of mouse alpha A-crystallin gene in a 148kb Cryaa BAC and its derivates
Authors: Wolf Louise , Yang Ying , Wawrousek Eric , Cvekl Ales
Published: October 2008

Background

αA-crystallin is highly expressed in the embryonic, neonatal and adult mouse lens. Previously, we identified two novel distal control regions, DCR1 and DCR3. DCR1 was required for transgenic expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP, in lens epithelium, whereas DCR3 was active during "late" stages of lens primary fiber cell differentiation. However, the onset of transgenic EGFP expression was delayed by 12–24 hours, compared to the expression of the endogenous Cryaa gene.

Results

Here, we used bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and standard transgenic approaches to examine temporal and spatial regulation of the mouse Cryaa gene. Two BAC transgenes, with EGFP insertions into the third coding exon of Cryaa gene, were created: the intact αA-crystallin 148 kb BAC (αA-BAC) and αA-BAC(ΔDCR3), which lacks approximately 1.0 kb of genomic DNA including DCR3. Expression of EGFP in the majority of both BAC transgenics nearly recapitulated the endogenous expression pattern of the Cryaa gene in lens, but not outside of the lens. The number of cells expressing αA-crystallin in the lens pit was higher compared to the number of cells expressing EGFP. Next, we generated additional lines using a 15 kb fragment of αA-crystallin locus derived from αA-BAC(ΔDCR3), 15 kb Cryaa/EGFP. A 15 kb region of Cryaa/EGFP supported the expression pattern of EGFP also in the lens pit. However, co-localization studies of αA-crystallin and EGFP indicated that the number of cells that showed transgenic expression was higher compared to cells expressing αA-crystallin in the lens pit.

Conclusion

We conclude that a 148 kb αA-BAC likely contains all of the regulatory regions required for αA-crystallin expression in the lens, but not in retina, spleen and thymus. In addition, while the 15 kb Cryaa/EGFP region also supported the expression of EGFP in the lens pit, expression in regions such as the hindbrain, indicate that additional genomic regions may play modulatory functions in regulating extralenticular αA-crystallin expression. Finally, deletion of DCR3 in either αA-BAC(ΔDCR3) or Cryaa (15 kb) transgenic mice result in EGFP expression patterns that are consistent with DCR's previously established role as a distal enhancer active in "late" primary lens fiber cells.
Evolutionary analysis of the highly dynamic CHEK2duplicon in anthropoids
Authors: Münch Claudia , Kirsch Stefan , Fernandes António MG , Schempp Werner
Published: October 2008

Background

Segmental duplications (SDs) are euchromatic portions of genomic DNA (≥ 1 kb) that occur at more than one site within the genome, and typically share a high level of sequence identity (>90%). Approximately 5% of the human genome is composed of such duplicated sequences. Here we report the detailed investigation of CHEK2 duplications. CHEK2 is a multiorgan cancer susceptibility gene encoding a cell cycle checkpoint kinase acting in the DNA-damage response signalling pathway. The continuous presence of the CHEK2 gene in all eukaryotes and its important role in maintaining genome stability prompted us to investigate the duplicative evolution and phylogeny of CHEK2 and its paralogs during anthropoid evolution.

Results

To study CHEK2 duplicon evolution in anthropoids we applied a combination of comparative FISH and in silico analyses. Our comparative FISH results with a CHEK2 fosmid probe revealed the single-copy status of CHEK2 in New World monkeys, Old World monkeys and gibbons. Whereas a single CHEK2 duplication was detected in orangutan, a multi-site signal pattern indicated a burst of duplication in African great apes and human. Phylogenetic analysis of paralogous and ancestral CHEK2 sequences in human, chimpanzee and rhesus macaque confirmed this burst of duplication, which occurred after the radiation of orangutan and African great apes. In addition, we used inter-species quantitative PCR to determine CHEK2 copy numbers. An amplification of CHEK2 was detected in African great apes and the highest CHEK2 copy number of all analysed species was observed in the human genome. Furthermore, we detected variation in CHEK2 copy numbers within the analysed set of human samples.

Conclusion

Our detailed analysis revealed the highly dynamic nature of CHEK2 duplication during anthropoid evolution. We determined a burst of CHEK2 duplication after the radiation of orangutan and African great apes and identified the highest CHEK2 copy number in human. In conclusion, our analysis of CHEK2 duplicon evolution revealed that SDs contribute to inter-species variation. Furthermore, our qPCR analysis led us to presume CHEK2 copy number variation in human, and molecular diagnostics of the cancer susceptibility gene CHEK2 inside the duplicated region might be hampered by the individual-specific set of duplicons.