bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception of Illumination Direction in Images of 3-D Convex Objects: Influence of Surface Materials and Light Fields
Authors: Khang Byung-Geun , Koenderink Jan J , Kappers Astrid M L
Published: May 2006

We investigated the perception of illumination direction in images of 3-D convex objects under variations of light field and surface material properties. In a first experiment, we used an illumination-matching procedure in order to measure observers' ability to estimate the direction of illumination in images of 3-D polyhedra rendered under different light fields and illumination directions. Match deviations were larger in frontal direction than in rear directions, mainly counterclockwise in azimuth component, and diverged, in elevation component, from the image plane. In a second experiment, we examined whether the direction estimate was affected by the surface material type (BRDF), the light field, and the illumination direction. Angular deviations varied with material surface type and were largest in the test elevation direction 0°. Elevation component deviations also differed with surface type and were larger in hemispherical diffuse lighting than in collimated lighting. These results suggest that the direction estimation is better with images of evenly distributed intensity gradients than with those of drastically varying gradients, and that the visual system may not take intensity variations due to the surface material or the light field into account in estimating the direction of illumination.
Determination of Selective Quinones and Quinoid Radicals in Airborne Particulate Matter and Vehicular Exhaust Particles
Authors: Valavanidis Athanasios , Fiotakis Konstantinos , Vlahogianni Thomais , Papadimitriou Vasilios , Pantikaki Vayia
Published: May 2006

Environmental Context.Fine and coarse airborne particulate matter (PM) has been linked to increases in respiratory diseases and lung cancer. PM contains a variety of compounds, such as metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitro-PAHs, and quinones adsorbed in a carbonaceous polymeric matrix. Although quinones are found in small amounts in PM, they are capable of redox cycling and in the presence of oxygen catalyse the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems. ROS are responsible for the induction of oxidative stress, especially oxidative damage to cellular proteins and DNA. This paper investigated quantitatively selected quinones and hydroquinones by high performance liquid chromatography in various airborne PM samples. Also, we investigated the presence of persistent semiquinone radicals in solid samples and quinoid radicals in aqueous extracts of alkaline solution by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Abstract.In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the study of the health effects of respirable particulate matter (PM) because of its deposition in the human lungs and adverse health effects. Analysis of PM content focused on substances of toxicological importance, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitro-PAHs, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkyl-substituted benzenes and naphthalenes, transition metals and various quinones. Recent studies shifted their attention to quinones and their toxicological role in PM. Quinones can be transformed into their semiquinones, which undergo redox cycling and reduce oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems, resulting in the induction of oxidative stress, especially oxidative damage to cellular components and DNA. In the present study, the presence of five quinones, 1,2-benzenediol (catechol) and 1,4-benzenediol (hydroquinone) in various PM samples was identified and measured quantitatively by high performance liquid chromatography. Mean concentrations of individual target quinones ranged from 15–140 ng mg–1 in diesel and gasoline exhaust particles to 1.5–60 ng mg–1 (or 150–1100 pg m–3) in airborne PM (total suspended particulates, PM aerodynamic diameter 10 μm, PM aerodynamic diameter 2.1 μm) samples. Precision (repeatability and reproducibility) varied from 5 to 15%. Also, examples of electron paramagnetic resonance spectra for the single broad unstructured signal are presented, corresponding to the persistent stable semiquinone radicals of solid samples of PM, and the formation of quinoid radicals in aqueous extracts of PM samples in air-saturated carbonate-buffered solution, pH 9.5–10.
Efficacy and safety of fluvastatin in children and adolescents with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Van Der Graaf Anouk , Nierman Melchior C. , Firth Jean C. , Wolmarans Karen H. , Marais A. David , De Groot Eric
Published: May 2006

Aim: To assess whether early initiation of statin therapy for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia favourably affects lipid profiles or vascular morphological changes. Methods: Children and adolescents aged 10–16 y with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia were administered fluvastatin (80 mg/d) for 2 y in a single‐arm two‐centre study. Carotid B‐mode intima‐media thickness (IMT) and M‐mode arterial wall stiffness (β) were recorded. Eighty of the 85 enrolled subjects completed the trial. Results: The median decrease in low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from baseline at last study visit was 33.9%; median decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B were 27.1%, 5.3% and 24.2%, respectively; the median increase in high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was 5.3%. Changes in carotid arterial wall thickness and stiffness versus baseline were fractional and statistically non‐significant (ΔIMT −0.005 mm, 95% CI −0.018 to +0.007 mm, n=83; and Δβ= 0.017, 95% CI −0.219 to +0.253, n=79). Adverse events, all non‐serious, were reported by 58 subjects (68.2%); four were suspected to be drug‐related. Change in hormone levels and sexual maturation were appropriate for this age group.

Conclusion: Fluvastatin lowered LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels effectively over a prolonged period in children and adolescents with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. Carotid IMT and wall stiffness remained largely unchanged.
Mucosal lymphocyte subsets and HLA-DR antigen expression in paediatric Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis
Authors: Lopes A I , Victorino R M M , Palha A M , Ruivo J , Fernandes A
Published: May 2006

Paediatric studies may provide important insights into the immunopathology of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis, as mucosal changes reflect different stages of the immunoinflammatory response. We characterized, by quantitative immunohistochemistry, gastric mucosal lymphocyte phenotype and HLA-DR antigen expression and evaluated correlation with histopathology, in H. pylori-infected (Hp+ve) and uninfected children (Hp–ve). In the infected group, lamina propria CD3+ and IgA plasmocyte cell numbers were significantly higher and a trend for predominance of CD8+ over CD4+ was observed both in epithelium and lamina propria. A correlation of inflammation score with lamina propria CD3+ and CD4+ cell numbers and of CD45RO+ T lymphocytes with density of colonization was observed. The proportion of epithelial cells expressing HLA-DR antigen was significantly higher in the Hp+ve group and furthermore, glandular HLA-DR expression correlated with lamina propria CD3+ cell numbers, emphasizing the potential role of epithelial cells as antigen-presenting cells at this stage of infection.
Cross-reaction of anti-DNA autoantibodies with membrane proteins of human glomerular mesangial cells in sera from patients with lupus nephritis
Authors: Du Hui , Chen Min , Zhang Ying , Zhao Ming-hui , Wang Hai-Yan
Published: May 2006

Anti-DNA autoantibodies were thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN). A recent study revealed that affinity-purified anti-DNA antibodies had a cross-reaction with human glomerular mesangial cells (HMC). However, whether the cross-reaction was antigen–antibody-mediated was unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate the binding of anti-DNA antibodies to HMC membrane proteins and to characterize the target antigens. Affinity-purified IgG anti-DNA antibodies were purified by DNA-cellulose chromatography in sera from nine patients with biopsy-proven active lupus nephritis. In vitro cultured primary HMCs were disrupted by sonication and HMC membranes were obtained by differential centrifugation. The membranes of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), human proximal renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK2) and peripheral mononuclear cells (PMC) were obtained as controls. Binding of anti-DNA antibodies to the membrane proteins was investigated by Western blot analysis using soluble membrane proteins as antigens. Both HMC membrane and affinity-purified anti-DNA antibodies were treated with DNase I to exclude DNA bridging. All nine affinity-purified anti-DNA antibodies could blot the HMC membrane proteins, and there were at least three bands at 74 kDa, 63 kDa and 42 kDa that could be blotted. Among the nine IgG preparations, all nine (100%) could blot the 74 kDa band; eight (88·9%) could recognize 63 kDa and 42 kDa protein bands separately. After DNase treatment, the same bands could still be blotted by most affinity-purified anti-DNA antibodies. Affinity-purified anti-DNA antibodies could also blot similar bands on membrane proteins of other cells, but some bands were different. In conclusion, anti-DNA autoantibodies could cross-react directly with cell membrane proteins of human glomerular mesangial cells and might play an important role in the pathogenetic mechanism in lupus nephritis.
Effects of cutting frequency on plant production, N‐uptake and N2 fixation in above‐ and below‐ground plant biomass of perennial ryegrass–white clover swards
Authors: Vinther F. P.
Published: May 2006

Nitrogen (N), accumulating in stubble, stolons and roots, is an important component in N balances in perennial ryegrass–white clover swards, and the effects of cutting frequency on the biomass of above‐ and below‐harvest height were studied during two consecutive years. Total dry matter (DM) and total N production, and N2 fixation, were measured at two cutting frequencies imposed in the summers of two years either by cutting infrequently at monthly intervals to simulate mowing or by frequent cutting at weekly intervals to simulate grazing. Total DM production harvested was in the range of 3000–7000 kg DM ha−1 with lower DM production associated with the frequent cutting treatment, and it was significantly affected by the different weather conditions in the two years. The higher cutting frequency also reduced the biomass below harvest height but the different weather conditions between years had less effect on stubble and, in particular, biomass of roots. The biomass of roots of white clover was significantly lower than that of roots of perennial ryegrass and remained at a relatively constant level (200–500 kg DM ha−1) throughout the experiment, whereas the biomass of perennial ryegrass roots increased from 2400 kg DM ha−1 in the year of establishment to 10 200 kg DM ha−1 in the infrequent cutting treatment and 6650 kg DM ha−1 in the frequent cutting treatment by the end of the experiment, giving shoot:root ratios of 4·7–16·6 and 0·5–1·6 for white clover and perennial ryegrass respectively. Annual N2 fixation was in the range of 28–214 kg N ha−1, and the proportion of N fixed in stolons and roots was on average 0·28. However, as weather conditions affect the harvested DM production and the shoot:root ratio, care must be taken when estimating total N2 fixation based on an assumed or fixed shoot:root ratio.
Classification and management of allergic rhinitis patients in general practice during pollen season
Authors: Van Hoecke H. , Vastesaeger N. , Dewulf L. , Sys L. , Van Cauwenberge P.
Published: May 2006

Background:  Allergic rhinitis (AR) represents a major challenge in primary care. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) group proposed a new classification for AR and developed evidence‐based guidelines for the management of this disease. We conducted this study to further characterize the classes of AR described by ARIA, and to evaluate whether the management of AR in general practice is in accordance with the ARIA guidelines.

Methods:  During the pollen season of 2003, 95 Belgian general practitioners (GPs) enrolled 804 patients who presented with symptoms of AR. For each patient, a questionnaire comprising the clinical presentation and management was completed.

Results:  In 64% of the patients, AR was classified as intermittent and in 36% as persistent. Persistent rhinitis caused more discomfort than intermittent rhinitis. Only 50% of the patients had ever undergone allergy testing. Among them, 51% were allergic to both seasonal and perennial allergens. Eighty‐two per cent of the persistent rhinitics were allergic to at least one seasonal allergen and 72% of the intermittent rhinitics to at least one perennial allergen. When compared strictly with the ARIA recommendations, 49% of the patients with mild and/or intermittent AR were overtreated, whereas about 30% of those with moderate/severe persistent rhinitis were undertreated.

Conclusion:  This study confirms that the previous classification of AR into ‘seasonal’ and ‘perennial’ is not satisfactory and that intermittent and persistent AR are not equivalent to seasonal and perennial AR respectively. Furthermore, persistent rhinitis has been shown to be a distinct disease entity. Further efforts are required to disseminate and implement evidence‐based diagnostic and treatment guidelines for AR in primary care practice.
Open and closed chest extrathoracic cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal life support: methods, indications, and outcomes
Authors: Field M L , Al-Alao B , Mediratta N , Sosnowski A
Published: May 2006

Extrathoracic cannulation to establish cardiopulmonary bypass has been widely applied in recent years and includes: (a) repeat surgery, (b) minimally invasive surgery, and (c) cases with diseased vessels such as porcelain, aneurysmal, and dissecting aorta. In addition, the success and relative ease of peripheral cannulation, among other technological advances, has permitted the development of closed chest extracorporeal life support, in the form of cardiopulmonary support and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. With this development have come applications for cardiopulmonary bypass based support outside the traditional cardiac theatre setting, including emergency circulatory support for patients in cardiogenic shock and respiratory support for patients with severely impaired gas exchange. This review summarises the approach to extrathoracic cannulation for the generalist.
Patients with poorly controlled diabetes in primary care: healthcare clinicians' beliefs and attitudes
Authors: Jeavons D , Hungin A P S , Cornford C S
Published: May 2006

Objective

To determine doctors' and nurses' attitudes and beliefs about treating patients with type 2 diabetes with less than ideal glycaemic control while receiving maximal oral treatment in primary care.

Design

Focus groups.

Setting

Primary care.

Participants

Four focus groups of 23 GPs and practice nurses.

Results

General practice was thought to be the best setting for managing all patients with type 2 diabetes but there were concerns about a lack of resources and unfamiliarity with starting insulin. Issues around compliance were extensively discussed; the “failing diabetic” had dual meanings of failing glycaemic control and failing compliance and effort by both patient and doctor. Although views about insulin therapy differed, patients were understood to be resistant to starting insulin, representing for them a more serious stage of diabetes, with fears of needles and hypoglycaemia.

Conclusion

The role of diabetes specialist nurses working in primary care will be crucial in managing such patients to improve knowledge, for extra resources, for their experience of insulin use, and to change attitudes.
Is the incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases increasing in Eastern Europe?
Authors: Lakatos L , Lakatos P L
Published: May 2006

Limited data are available on the frequency of inflammatory bowel diseases in East European countries. A recent study from Hungary reported an increasing incidence rate for ulcerative colitis (from 1.6 to 11.0) and for Crohn's disease (from 0.4 to 4.7) from 1977 to 2001. A similar trend was seen in Croatia. In contrast, other countries (for example, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Baltic countries) reported low incidence and prevalence rates. This review will discuss the available data on the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases in Eastern Europe, as well as consider the possible factors responsible for the differences seen between countries and epidemiological trends.
CP VIOLATION IN B MESONS
Authors: ABE KAZUO
Published: May 2006

Experimental status of CP violation in B mesons is summarized and the measurements are compared with the Standard Model expectations.
HARD DIFFRACTION — 20 YEARS LATER
Authors: INGELMAN GUNNAR
Published: May 2006

The idea of diffractive processes with a hard scale involved, to resolve the underlying parton dynamics, was published 1985 and experimentally verified 1988. Today hard diffraction is an active research field with high-quality data and new theoretical models. The trend from Regge-based pomeron models to QCD-based parton level models has given insights on QCD dynamics involving perturbative gluon exchange mechanisms, including the predicted BFKL-dynamics, as well as novel ideas on non-perturbative colour fields and their interactions. Extrapolations to the LHC include the interesting possibility of diffractive Higgs production.
QCD AND STRING THEORY
Authors: KLEBANOV IGOR R.
Published: May 2006

This talk begins with some history and basic facts about string theory and its connections with strong interactions. Comparisons of stacks of Dirichlet branes with curved backgrounds produced by them are used to motivate the AdS/CFT correspondence between superconformal gauge theory and string theory on a product of Anti-de Sitter space and a compact manifold. The ensuing duality between semi-classical spinning strings and long gauge theory operators is briefly reviewed. Strongly coupled thermal SYM theory is explored via a black hole in 5-dimensional AdS space, which leads to explicit results for its entropy and shear viscosity. A conjectured universal lower bound on the viscosity to entropy density ratio, and its possible relation to recent results from RHIC, are discussed. Finally, some available results on string duals of confining gauge theories are briefly reviewed.
DARK ENERGY AND DARK MATTER FROM COSMOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Authors: HANNESTAD STEEN
Published: May 2006

The present status of our knowledge about the dark matter and dark energy is reviewed. Particular emphasis is put on the bounds on the content of cold and hot dark matter from cosmological observations are discussed in some detail. I also review current bounds on the physical properties of dark energy, mainly its equation of state and effective speed of sound.
MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PLANT USING GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: GOVINDARAJAN L. , KARUNANITHI T.
Published: May 2006

The optimal design of large-scale process plant is difficult due to the presence of Pareto sets or nondominated solutions. Many conventional and advanced mathematical techniques had been adopted which have their own limitations in solving the complex design problem. In this paper, nondominant-sorted genetic algorithms NSGA and NSGA-II have been adopted for the optimal design of complex Williams-Otto model process plant. The plant consists of a reactor, separation system consisting of heat exchanger, decanter and distillation column. Multiobjective optimization is used to maximize the profit, i.e. the return on investment, to maintain lesser use of costlier raw material and lesser disposal of the waste byproducts. So NSGA-II is employed in this study as an effective replacement for NSGA, classical genetic algorithm, conventional and traditional methods of optimization in solving multiobjective process design problems and to achieve fine-tuning of variables in determining Pareto optimal design parameters. NSGA-II method finding global optimal front has a significant effect on the design of control system for the real time and continuous robust control of complex process plant as each target vector provides proper direction and drives the process to multiobjective optimum conditions.
Increased renal vascular reactivity to ANG II after unilateral nephrectomy in the rat involves 20-HETE
Authors: Joly E. , Seqqat R. , Flamion B. , Caron N. , Michel A. , Imig J. D. , Kramp R.
Published: May 2006

This study examined the role of intrarenal ANG II in the renal vascular reactivity changes occurring in the remaining kidney undergoing adaptation following contralateral nephrectomy. Renal blood flow responses to intrarenal injections of ANG II (0.25 to 5 ng) were measured in anesthetized euvolemic male Wistar rats 1, 4, 12, and 24 wk after uninephrectomy (UNX) or sham procedure (SHAM). At week 4, renal vasoconstriction induced by 2 ng ANG II was greater in UNX (69 ± 5%) than in SHAM rats (50 ± 3%; P < 0.01). This response was inhibited, by 50 and 66%, and by 20 and 25%, in SHAM and UNX rats, after combined injections of ANG II and losartan, or PD-123319 ( P < 0.05), respectively. Characteristics of ANG II receptor binding in isolated preglomerular resistance vessels were similar in the two groups. After prostanoid inhibition with indomethacin, renal vasoconstriction was enhanced by 42 ± 8% ( P < 0.05), only in SHAM rats, whereas after 20-HETE inhibition with HET0016, it was reduced by 53 ± 16% ( P < 0.05), only in UNX rats. These differences vanished after concomitant prostanoid and 20-HETE inhibition in the two groups. After UNX, renal cortical protein expression of cytochrome P-450 2c23 isoform (CYP2c23) and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) was unaltered, but it was decreased for CYP4a and increased for COX-2. In conclusion, renal vascular reactivity to ANG II was significantly increased in the postuninephrectomy adapted kidney, independently of protein expression, but presumably involving interactions between 20-HETE and COX in the renal microvasculature and changes in the paracrine activity of ANG II and 20-HETE.
Mianserin and Ventricular Tachycardia: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Haine S.E. , Miljoen H.P. , Blankoff I. , Vrints C.J.
Published: May 2006

Mianserin is a drug frequently used to treat depression and sleep disturbances. Despite documented effects on various cardiac tissues in animal studies, mianserin has a very safe clinical profile. Only one case of ventricular arrhythmias in a patient treated with mianserin has been reported. This patient had a severe cardiac history. Our case is to our knowledge the first report on ventricular arrhythmias in a patient treated with mianserin without previous or present cardiac disease. After discontinuation of mianserin the arrhythmias disappeared within days. The literature on mianserin toxicity is reviewed.
Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Unidirectional High-Strength Polyethylene Fiber Reinforced Plastics at Low Temperature
Authors: Yamanaka Atsuhiko , Kashima Toshihiro , Tsutsumi Masayuki , Ema Kimiko , Izumi Yoshinobu , Nishijima Shigehiro
Published: May 2006

High-strength polyethylene fiber (Dyneema®, DF) has a negative linear thermal expansion coefficient in the direction of the fiber. Thermal expansion coefficients of fiber-reinforced plastics are of important applications in cryogenic use. The purpose of this study is to construct the engineering technology for the thermal strain of DF reinforced plastics (DFRP) for cryogenic engineering. In this study, we investigate the thermal expansion coefficient of unidirectional high-strength DF reinforced plastics (UD-DFRP) in which DFs with different tensile moduli (15–134 GPa) and thermal expansion coefficients are used. Furthermore, using the thermal expansion coefficient and tensile modulus of each DF fiber and the matrix resin, the thermal expansion coefficients of the DFRPs are estimated by the rule of mixtures and are compared with the measured values. The results indicate that the thermal expansion coefficient of UD-DFRP behaves in a similar way to that expected from calculations based on the rule of mixtures. In addition, relationships concerning the difference between the calculated and measured values, the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the fiber and the resin, and the surface treatment of the fiber (adhesivity), as well as the diameter of the fiber (the area of the interfacial bonding) are studied. The results show that all of these influence the thermal expansion coefficient of UD-DFRP. The design of negative thermal expansion coefficient of UD-DFRP is established.
The V-Notched Rail Shear Test
Authors: Adams Daniel O. , Moriarty Joseph M. , Gallegos Adam M. , Adams Donald F.
Published: May 2006

A V-notched rail shear test has been developed for measuring the shear modulus and shear strength of composites and other materials. This test method, standardized as ASTM D 7078, incorporates attractive features of the existing Iosipescu and two-rail shear tests. The V-notched rail shear specimen provides a larger gage section than the standard Iosipescu shear specimen and provides enhanced loading capability compared to either existing test method. Results from finite element analysis show that the V-notched specimen design reduces shear stress concentrations near the rails and produces relatively uniform shear stress distributions in the specimen gage section for a variety of carbon/epoxy laminates. Mechanical testing results from six carbon/epoxy laminates demonstrate excellent gripping performance using the V-notched rail shear test fixture and acceptable gage section failures. Additionally, results suggest that the use of [0/90] ns cross-ply laminates is preferred over [0] n unidirectional laminates for characterizing the lamina shear properties of composite materials.
Who Should be Accountable for What Beginning Teachers Need to Know?
Authors: Stotsky Sandra
Published: May 2006

Who should be accountable for what beginning teachers need to know? This article first explains and illustrates three sets of knowledge and skills beginning teachers should have acquired in their preparation programs: academic knowledge needed for teaching the field of their license, generic professional knowledge and skills needed for teaching any subject, and license-specific professional knowledge and skills needed for teaching the field of their license. The article then argues that the wrong faculty is held accountable for the most important things beginning teachers of core subjects from Grade 5 to 12 need to acquire—deep knowledge of the subject they teach and a beginning understanding of how to teach it—and that their preparation programs are approved by agencies with no valid basis for making judgments of these crucial details. It concludes with suggestions for restructuring teacher preparation and assigning accountability where it belongs.
Beginning Teachers and the Emotional Drama of the Classroom
Authors: Intrator Sam M.
Published: May 2006

As a teacher educator, the author believes that he must prepare teachers to go forth into schools with a deep understanding of the subjects they will teach, an appreciation for how students learn, and a repertoire of instructional strategies that will help them make learning come alive for their students. As they develop these skills, they must simultaneously work on resolving four inescapable challenges: First, they have to figure out what it means to be a novice. Second, although teaching is intellectually challenging, it is also chock full of emotional drama. How students negotiate the emotional terrain of teaching is a critical element of their experience. Third, the author thinks about how a primary challenge for teachers is to secure the genuine attention of students. Fourth, the author considers what it means for young teachers to take care of their health and spirit amid the stress that marks the 1st year of teaching.
A Candid Talk to Teacher Educators about Effectively Preparing Teachers Who Can Teach Everyone’s Children
Authors: Grant Carl A. , Gillette Maureen
Published: May 2006

This article focuses on characteristics necessary to be an effective teacher for all children, regardless of their academic ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family structure, sexual orientation, and ability to speak English. The article gives attention to the issues of equity and social justice as it addresses the knowledge and skill base of effective teachers.
Finding a Canon and Core
Authors: Wilson Suzanne M.
Published: May 2006

In this article, the author explores seven “unanswered questions” concerning the preparation of future teacher educator-researchers. She considers five questions concerning the substance of doctoral preparation: what the new generation of teacher-researchers would need to know about teacher education, relevant disciplines, research methodologies, teaching in universities, and K-12 schooling. She then briefly discusses the need to theorize about how doctoral students learn to teach and conduct research. In essence, the author proposes a curriculum for her own learning as a mentor and advisor in a doctoral program for future teacher educator-researchers.
A Contract for Excellence in Scientific Education
Authors: Tate William F. , Malancharuvil-Berkes Elizabeth
Published: May 2006

Recent advances in biology and digital technology represent unique opportunities for teacher educators to rethink the programmatic experiences of prospective secondary science and mathematics teachers. This article discusses the importance of teacher education programs that connect mathematics and science where appropriate, recognize the hybridization of science, and integrate biological and digital features into program learning experiences. In addition, recommendations for incorporating these design features into teacher education are offered.
Mission Command in Dutch Peace Support Missions
Authors: Vogelaar Ad L.W. , Kramer Eric-Hans
Published: May 2006

Peace operations involving modern armed forces require a system of command in which responsibilities and authorities are delegated throughout the command line: mission command. Although mission command is popular in theory, in practice commanders appear to have problems with the delegation of authority. This study analyzed the practice of mission command in four Dutch case studies. The main analysis shows a relation between the granting of autonomy to subordinate commanders, on the one hand, and the clarity of the objectives, the appropriateness of the means, and the mutual trust between commanders at different levels, on the other. Further analysis shows that the possession of good communication means, the slow pace of operations, the development of routines, the required safety of personnel, the political sensitivity, and the deployment of mixed units are obstacles to mission command as well. The conclusion is that mission command is hard to implement.
The Constitution and the War Power: What Motivates Congressional Behavior?
Authors: Boylan Timothy S. , Kedrowski Karen M.
Published: May 2006

This paper examines whether constitutional interpretations of the proper roles of the executive and the legislative branches influence Congress members’ voting decisions on use of force votes. Specifically, the authors examine the hypothesis that some members are presidentialists—those whose constitutional interpretations favor the executive—and others are congressionalists—those whose constitutional interpretations defend congressional prerogatives. We examined members of Congress who served continuously in either the US House of Representatives or the US Senate from 1990-1999. We identified possible congressionalists and presidentialists using all roll call votes of resolutions to authorize the use of force, and examined floor speeches in the Congressional Record to see how these members explained their votes. We conclude some members of Congress do take constitutional interpretations into account when casting these votes, and justify their actions based upon their reading of the Constitution. Thus, they shape congressional debate and voting outcomes.
Family-Military Relations in Israel as a Genderizing Social Mechanism
Authors: Herzog Hanna
Published: May 2006

Does a blurring of the boundaries between civil society and the military lead to a redefinition of gender roles? This article examines the social meaning of the practices and rhetoric of parenthood in Israel through the prism of parents’ increasing intervention and involvement in the army between 1982 and 1995. The claim is made that parenthood practices have become a reconstituting mechanism of the gendered division of roles. More specifically, the article argues that the separation between military and family, and between public and private-domestic, remains unchanged despite family involvement in the military. The basic interpreting frames in military-family relations are constructed in terms of the family’s traditionally defined role. Paradoxically, the entrance of the family into the public sphere reiterates and reinforces basic assumptions about the nature of the family and its discursive boundaries, along with women’s taken-for-granted status in the private-domestic sphere, and men’s activities as representing the public sphere.
Space-Time Orientations and Contemporary Political-Military Thought
Authors: Cunningham Kevin , Tomes Robert R.
Published: May 2006

Conflicting time and space perceptions, seated in the cultural centers of societies and rooted in social rituals and patterns of life, are important aspects of strategic interaction. In some societies, these spatiotemporal perceptions play a major role in defining social order; in others, they provide undercurrents of dissention and social cleavages. This article explores how shifting aspects of spatial determinants influence policy behavior, particularly the influence of temporal intensification—the acceleration of social and political life. We argue that cultural aspects of space and time are dangerously underrepresented in military science and in studies of the cultural determinants of security policy. Especially in modern strategic planning, the expectation that military organizations can simultaneously compress time and control space influences the cultural as well as practical sides of the policy decision of when and how to use military force. After reviewing the rise of Western time orientations and current US military theory, the article explores aspects of military doctrines that unconsciously assign high priority to time dominance.
China’s Evolving Civil-Military Relations: Creeping Guojiahua
Authors: Scobell Andrew
Published: May 2006

China has experienced unprecedented economic, political, and social changes during the past twenty-five years, and in 2002–2003 just witnessed a sweeping turnover of political and military elites. Civil-military relations in China are undergoing a major transfor-mation, but experts tend to disagree on what the most important trend is. This article contends that the most significant transformation underway in Chinese civil-military relations is statification or nationalization—what the Chinese call guojiahua. The People’s Liberation Army is being transformed from a party army into a party-state army. Other trends include continued, weakly institutionalized civilian control of the armed forces; civil-military relations no longer being merely about party-army relations; and military professionalization without depoliticization. While the process of creeping guojiahua is likely to be rocky in the near-to-mid terms, the trend augurs well for long-term political change in China, particularly the prospects for successful democratization.
Analyzing Questions That Cannot Be Asked of Respondents Who Cannot Respond
Authors: Bowling Kirby L. , Firestone Juanita M. , Harris Richard J.
Published: May 2006

This article examines data from the survey commissioned in 2000 by the Office of the Inspector General to “initiate an assessment of the environment at representative installations... within each Military Department with respect to the application of the homosexual conduct policy.” Analyses are designed to describe patterns in the factors related to awareness of harassment incidents based on perceived sexual orientation, and to test specific hypotheses related to the factors likely to predict awareness. Findings indicate that higher-ranking personnel report less awareness of harassment based on perceived sexual orientation, and that the US Air Force has the lowest percentages reporting such incidents. Interestingly, women officers are more likely to report awareness of harassment—suggesting they may be more likely to view incidents as harassment, or may be less insulated from harassing incidents than male officers. Perhaps most important, harassment is seen to occur during the typical course of military duty experiences. Ultimately we argue that the “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” policy prevents open interaction between members of different sexual orientations, and instead may serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes.
Turkey’s EU Candidacy and Civil-Military Relations: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: Güney Aylin , Karatekelioğlu Petek
Published: May 2006

This article examines the Turkish case within the framework of theories that explain the impact of transnational factors upon civil-military relations in national contexts. The authors examine the impact of Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership candidacy on civil-military relations in Turkey. More specifically, they elaborate on the challenges and prospects for more democratic civil-military relations in Turkey as triggered by the EU candidacy. In this regard, the article examines the notion of guardianship that characterizes the military’s traditional role in Turkish politics and its institutional reflections.
Casualties and Civil-Military Relations: The German Polity between Learning and Indifference
Authors: Kümmel Gerhard , Leonhard Nina
Published: May 2006

The issues of casualties and presumed casualty aversion in democratic societies were of marginal importance in the German debate about civil-military relations in the 1990s. Although these issues were ever present, they were never studied in detail. This article analyzes the reactions to German casualties by the political and military elites and by the press. It focuses on a number of recent cases of German soldiers who were killed in out-of-area missions. Our findings indicate that German society seems to be less casualty averse than is widely assumed. Two explanations for this are put forward: First, that Germany appears to have undergone a substantial learning process and seems ready to accept casualties for the “right” cause. Second, German society has become indifferent to military matters. Further research is needed to specify the extent to which these two hypotheses apply to different segments of German society.
Dutch Courage: The Politics of Acceptable Risks
Authors: Van Der Meulen Jan , Soeters Joseph
Published: May 2006

In this article we analyze the ways in which the risks of military missions and the prospects for casualties have made an impact on the deployment of soldiers by the Netherlands. The question is whether the self-image of being a military nation acts as a hindrance to participation when the going gets tough. The failure to protect the inhabitants of the Bosnian enclave Srebrenica can be viewed as a tragic case in point. A prudent politics of acceptable risks has been pursued up to the current mission in Iraq. Tolerance for casualties is evident at levels which are low from a historical perspective—as an evaluation of the police actions against the Indonesian independence movement makes clear—but which are quite normal by international standards. Notwithstanding the latter observation, it proves enlightening to reconstruct the casualty issue in terms of local knowledge.
Military Brats
Authors: Ender Morten G.
Published: May 2006

Thousands of films coverwar and the military, but fewhighlight military family life. This study reports a systematic content analysis of forty-six films between 1935 and 2002 that spotlight children, adolescents, teenagers, and adults from military-service-related families. The results show a diverse range of portrayals across military branches, wars, genders, races, ages, military ranks, roles, and familial relationships. Furthermore, cinematic demands of military family life are portrayed inconsistently with real life experiences reinforcing a modest civil-military gap. Finally, six patterned characteristics emerge from the content analysis including intergenerational military occupational linkages, social deviance, precociousness, social mobility, youth romance, and parent-child conflicts. The present study partially confirms studies of civilian youth in film suggesting a diverse cinematic experience at the teenage stage of the life course. The results highlight a struggle in the negotiation between self-conceptions and self-images of children from military families where a reinforced stereotype of “military brat” is constructed in American cinema.
Congressional Control over Defense and Delegation of Authority in the Case of the Defense Emergency Response Fund
Authors: Candreva Philip J. , Jones L. R.
Published: May 2006

Emerging theories of civil-military relations take a more nuanced look at the role of the actors involved, particularly noting the critical role of the legislature in modern democracies. An important tool of control for the legislature is the power of the purse, so circumstances of delegated spending authority by the legislature to the military are worthy of study. This study investigates a series of supplemental appropriations enacted by the U.S. Congress to pay for the war on terrorism and situates the story in the current literature on civil-military relations. The case describes an episode in which the legislature was willing to delegate authority, how the executive responded, and the circumstances under which the legislature returned to traditional forms of oversight.
Propensity to Serve and Motivation to Enlist among American Combat Soldiers
Authors: Woodruff Todd , Kelty Ryan , Segal David R.
Published: May 2006

Propensity to serve in the military expressed by high school seniors has been shown to be a strong predictor of actual service. Among male high school seniors, 70 percent of those who express high desire or likelihood of service actually enter the military within six years of high school graduation. Propensity to serve has been declining among American youth, and there are not sufficient high-propensity youth to meet manpower needs, so low-propensity youth must be recruited as well. In this article, we explore the relationship between propensity and motivation to enlist in a sample of enlisted combat soldiers in the U.S. Army. We provide an analysis of motivational data that tests Moskos’s institutional and occupational models of service and find the organization of motivations to be more complex than Moskos’s dichotomous conceptualization. We find that those soldiers who reported high enlistment propensity before beginning service reported significant institutional motivations to join and plans for a military career. Enlistment propensity was not significantly related to occupational or pecuniary motivations.
Organizational Culture and Relationship Skills
Authors: Beugelsdijk Sjoerd , Koen Carla I. , Noorderhaven Niels G.
Published: May 2006

In this paper we argue that organizational culture is an important factor influencing relationship skills, defined as a firm’s ability and behavioral tendency to actively cultivate and manage its ties with other firms. Testing our model on a sample of 102 inter-firm relations, we find that firms with organizational cultures characterized by an orientation towards stability and predictability, a positive orientation towards innovation, and not characterized by a strong focus on immediate results, score high on relationship skills. Relationship skills, in turn, positively affect the perceived relationship performance.
Separating Batterers and Guns
Authors: Frattaroli Shannon , Vernick Jon S.
Published: May 2006

Firearms play an important role in lethal domestic violence incidents. The authors review state laws regarding two policies to separate batterers from firearms: laws authorizing police to remove firearms when responding to a domestic violence complaint (“police gun removal laws”) and laws authorizing courts to order guns removed from batterers through a protective order (“court-ordered removal laws”). As of April 2004, 18 states had police gun removal laws; 16 states had court-ordered removal laws. The authors examine relevant characteristics of the laws and recommend that these laws be mandatory, apply to all guns and ammunition possessed by an abuser, and include clear procedures to enhance implementation.
Understanding and Informing Policy Implementation
Authors: Frattaroli Shannon , Teret Stephen P.
Published: May 2006

The Maryland Gun Violence Act, enacted into law in 1996, explicitly authorized courts to order batterers to surrender their firearms through civil protective orders. It also vested law enforcement with the explicit authority to remove guns when responding to a domestic violence complaint. In order to assess how these laws were implemented, we designed a case study and collected data from in-depth, key informant interviews, court observations, and relevant documents. We present findings from this study and recommend how to increase the likelihood that policies designed to separate batterers and guns are implemented in a way that will result in greater protections for victims of domestic violence.
Limited Choice: An Exploratory Study into Issue Items and Soldier Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Marshall David W. , Meiselman Herbert L.
Published: May 2006

The article considers the role of institutional provision in the U.S. Army and the contribution of issue clothing and equipment to the subjective well-being of the soldier. It draws on focus groups undertaken with servicemen and servicewomen in the U.S. Army and their experiences as users with issue clothing and equipment. The article considers the ways in which broader macroconsumption experiences affect soldiers’ quality of life and highlights the extent to which individual well-being is highly regulated by the institution and the collective interests. It illustrates the limited sovereignty of the soldier and argues for a more inclusive and cooperative policy to clothing and equipping soldiers as a means of improving their well-being.
Influence of Belt Cord Angle on Radial Tire under Different Rolling States
Authors: Yanjin Guan , Guoqun Zhao , Gang Cheng
Published: May 2006

Finite element modeling techniques of a rolling radial tire are discussed in this study. The rebar model is employed to simulate complex multilayer rubber-cord composites and to directly define the cord directions varying with their positions. A 3D finite element model of a rolling radial tire has been built with MSC.MARC software according to the actual construction of a 195/60R14 radial tire. This model considers the geometric nonlinearity due to large deformation, material nonlinearities of cord-rubber composites, and the nonlinear boundary conditions from tire-rim contact and tire-road contact. Based on the nonlinear finite element model, the influence of the belt cord angle on the radial tire under different rolling states is studied numerically. The shear strain of the radial tire concentrates on the edge of the belted layer, the surface of the shoulder, and the tread groove. The strain energy density of the belt end decreases with the increase of the belt cord angle. The optimum belt cord angle of the 195/60R14 radial tire is 72.