bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reporter Object: An Analysis Module Which Aids in Verifying, Validating and Graphically Displaying Results of Simulation Models
Authors: Linton Darrell G. , Khajenoori Soheil , Heileman Mark D. , Van Bullington J. , Cat Huy , Halder Kallol , Hebert Gil , Sinnappan Sundar
Published: March 2008

In order to verify, validate and graphically display results for simulation models, an analysis module (separate from the simulation itself) called Reporter Object (RO) was developed. RO receives log files (in a particular format) from any simulation model and produces (a) Gantt-type charts, showing all waiting, processing, and blocking times (including reasons for the blocking) for all desired objects (or entities) at all processing facility locations at all times of interest, and (b) pie charts depicting the percen tages represen ted by subcategories associated with a main category (e.g., the percentages of direct material, direct labor and indirect fixed costs associated with total cost). RO was designed to be either integrated with an object-oriented simulation engine or executed as a separate program for use with any simulation model. In order to illustrate its capabilities, Reporter Object is used in conjunction with STARSIM (an acronym for Space Transportation Activities and Resources SIMulation), an object- oriented, menu-driven, simulation model of Space-Shuttleground processing activities, to show RO's architectural relationship to the simulation engine, the format of required log files (and potential extensions), the types of output that may be produced and the ramifications of this output.
Randomness of Low-Order Bits in Random Number Generators
Authors: DeArmon James S.
Published: March 2008

Pseudo-random numbers are widely used in Operations Research and applied mathema tics. With the growth in power of computers and languages, there is some tendency to use lower-significant bits within the pseudo- random number. Theoretical and empirical tests have not been sufficient to assess the randomness of these low-order bits. We show here for two generators that the low- order bits can be empirically tested, after first undertaking a bit-level transformation of the numbers.
A Knowledge-Based Simulation Approach (K-SIM) for Train Operation and Planning
Authors: Sharma Ghanshyam , Asthana R.G.S. , Goel Suneeti
Published: March 2008

This paper describes a decision support system developed to assist railroad managers in day-to-day as well as long term planning of train operation and study advantages of augmentation of infrastructure. The model simulates train movements on a railroad based on track geometry, speed restrictions, locomotives & wagon characteristics, train schedule and interaction with all other trains over a section and/or a corridor. The model helps in introducing and optimally scheduling train services.

An attempt has been made in this paper to exploit potential of AI, Simulation, and operational research (OR) techniques. The user is presented with an integrated environment enabling him to easily modify, validate and implement different methods of train operation through an English-like knowledge-base, and to simulate train operations to carry out studies for different trafic mixes, track geometry, assigning blocks and temporary speed restrictions and failure conditions.
An Object-Oriented Approach to Simulation Model Construction for CIM Systems
Authors: Byung Kwon O.
Published: March 2008

Simulation has been used as means of evaluating the performance of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) systems. The simulation modeling process for CIM systems, however, is quite complex and costly. To alleviate the problems of complexity and cost, an efficient modeling method is very important. This paper proposes an object-oriented methodology to share and refine the information on simulation modeling which is embedded in information repositories, such as corporate databases. Ways to derive the simulation models from an information repository and to generate executable simulation programs are also presented. A prototype system is implemented and used to build a simulation model of a tire manufacturing company to show the effectiveness and applicability of the methodology.
Simulation Analysis of Scheduling Heuristics in a Flow-Line Manufacturing Cell with Two Types of Order Shipment Environments
Authors: Leu Bor-Yuh
Published: March 2008

Six scheduling heuristics are investigated in a flow-line manufacturing cell with two types of order shipment environments: Permitted Early Shipment (PES) and Forbidden Early Shipment (FES). Once an order is completed in the PES environment, it leaves the system without delay. In the FES environment, however, the suppliers must deliver materials to the system on a just-in-time basis; and a completed order cannot leave the system earlier than the customer has specified. The FES environment therefore captures many of the features of the currently popular just-in- time (JIT) approach to manufacturing The six heuristics include two single-stage scheduling heuristics and four group (two-stage) scheduling heuristics. Shop factors examined include the order shipment environment, interarrival time distribution, and order release policy. Computer simulation is used as the research vehicle in this study. The results of the study show that the performance of scheduling heuristics in the FES environment differs from their performance in the PES environment, except for tardiness-related measures. In general, group scheduling heuristics outperform single-stage heuristics in both types of order shipment environments. The study also identifies the best performing heuristics, which can provide guidance for schedulers or decision makers in the selection of preferable heuristics.
Semiautomatic Generation of Web Courses by Means of an Object-Oriented Simulation Language
Authors: Alfonseca Manuel , de Lara Juan , Pulido Estrella
Published: March 2008

This paper describes the procedure we have used to semiautomatically generate three different courses for the Web. The simulations used in these courses have been written in our special-purpose object-oriented continuous simulation language (OOCSMP). A compiler we have written for this language automati cally generates Java code and HTML pages, which must be completed manually with the text and images associated to each.
Implementing On-Line Simulation With the World Wide Web
Authors: Davis Wayne J. , Xu Chen  , Brook Andrew , Abu Awad Fayez
Published: March 2008

This paper addresses the implementation of dis tributed, on-line simulation experiments with the World Wide Web. The paper first provides a basic overview of the on-line simulation ap proach. Next, we discuss the system that was considered in this study. The paper then de scribes the distributed object computing environ ment that has been employed in the study, including the specialized displays that can be accessed by a remote participant using the ser vices of the Web. Finally, directions for future research are outlined.
A Reliability and Performance Model For Static Data Flow Machines
Authors: Eassa M.M. , Eassa Fathy , Zaki M.
Published: March 2008

The major advantages of parallel processing sys tems are their great reliability and high perfor mance. A class of massively parallel computing systems is the data flow machines. These machines work on the basis of data flow rather than control flow. This paper presents a reliability analysis of data flow machines using a graph theoretical ap proach. Three machines are considered here. They are the MIT, DDP and LAU static data flow ma chines. The data flow graph has been employed as a natural tool for representing that class of ma chines. The isomorphism between Petri nets and data flow graphs has been exploited to detect whether the consistency constraints are satisfied during various operational conditions. Such a graph is extended so that a timed data flow model has been constructed. This model integrates both the reliability features dependent on the system structure and the performance characteristics dependent on the components behavior. More over, a productivity index is introduced for evaluating the three machines.
Simulation Results for an Adaptable Attribute Replication Mechanism to Support Inheritance in Large Knowledge Bases
Authors: Salimi Aboalfazl , Gomez Fernando , Orooji Ali
Published: March 2008

Snowy-KBMS, a terminological knowledge-base management system, has been designed as an inte grated AI and database system to support the new and next-generation applications. The system pro vides various capabilities such as modification of a dynamically changing knowledge-base and a sec ondary storage subsystem. In order to support in heritance on a large knowledge base efficiently, we have designed a new strategy called controlled and adaptable attribute search (CAAS). This strategy replicates attributes in the knowledge-base hierar chy to improve the search process. However, at tribute replication can be controlled to balance space and time efficiency. This paper presents the CAAS mechanism in detail and the simulation results of replication effects on I/O and space re quirements.
Automatic Code Generation for Simulating Information Systems
Authors: So Bonnie , Lew Art
Published: March 2008

In the analysis and design of information systems, computer-based simulation models are often used as cost-effective alternatives to mathematical sys tem analysis approaches due to the high complex ity of the systems. However, the process of devel oping a correct simulation program is a difficult and time-consuming task, even in specialized simulation languages. In order to reduce develop ment time, to reduce requirements for knowledge of simulation methodology and programming language, and also to increase program standard ization, an automatic code generation system was developed and implemented. This code generation process is based on a Petri net model of the infor mation system, from which simulation programs in the target language GPSS are automatically produced. Automation of the code generation pro cess required the adoption of certain conventions for Petri net models and the adoption of a tabular internal computer representation. We describe the design decisions that were made in order to implement a working system. Extensions to the development of automatic code generation systems into other target languages are also discussed.
Maximizing the Simulation Output: A Competition
Authors: Kleijnen Jack P. C. , Pala Özge
Published: March 2008

The following competition was organized by the Business Section of the Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research (VVS): maxi mize the output of a given simulation model by selecting the best combination of six inputs; only 32 runs are permitted. Twelve teams competed; these teams came from industry and academia. This paper is written by the winning team, ex plaining its design and analysis. That design pro ceeded in stages. First, a special design was used to estimate all main effects and two-factor inter actions (namely, Rechtschaffner's saturated de sign). Then quadratic effects were estimated by changing factors one at a time. Finally, the re sulting estimated second-order polynomial was used to estimate the optimal input combination. The paper presents a combination of design of ex periment techniques and common sense that may have more applications in solving real problems.
Technical Correspondence
Authors: Shub Charles M.
Published: March 2008

From time to time, SIMULATION receives letters pertaining to issues that a particular manuscript raises. When such letters are of general interest or clarify important technical points, they will appear in this column, along with a response from the article's authors. Please send such technical correspondence to publications@scs.org, and include your full name and contact information.
Commercial Aircraft-Cabin Egress: The Current State of Simulation Model Development and the Need for Future Research
Authors: Court M.C.
Published: March 2008

There has been increasing interest in developing simulation models capable of analyzing commer cial aircraft-cabin egress under both non-life- threatening and life-threatening scenarios. At issue is the ability to accurately simulate human behavior within non-toxic environments, as well as the debilitating effects that toxic environments (e.g., fire and smoke) have on human-decision making. A set of criteria has been identified by the Federal Aviation Administration for developing simulation models capable of analyzing commer cial aircraft-cabin egress. These criteria are used to (a) compare the capabilities and limitations of four aircraft-evacuation models in existence to day, (b) identify the issues that need to be ad dressed when developing these types of models, and (c) propose a new paradigm for developing aircraft-cabin egress models.
Trailblazer: An Application of The High Level Architecture To Joint Experimentation
Authors: Zabek Anita A.
Published: March 2008

The Trailblazer project was created to examine the application of a federation of simulations to joint experimentation. The purpose of this pa per is to describe the Trailblazer federation. The paper is organized by the steps of the Federa tion Development and Execution Process (FEDEP). The FEDEP is a systems engineer ing process for the development of federations of simulations using the High Level Architec ture (HLA) and was used as the roadmap for development of the Trailblazer federation. Les sons learned are presented for each step of the FEDEP, and a summary presents overall ob servations on the usefulness of the FEDEP and the HLA in the joint experimentation domain.
Developing an HLA Virtual Command Post
Authors: Shockley John W. , Parsons Kirk , Morgenthaler Mark
Published: March 2008

SRI International and Lionhearth Technologies have been developing an HLA-compliant version of the Virtual Command Post (VCP), a distributed simula tion in which users interact and share battlefield in formation. The project involves developing HLA federates for individual functional VCP capabilities. The goal is to develop an HLA-compliant VCP as a stand-alone federation, as well as a set of functional elements that can interact as separate HLA federates in other federations. As a federate, the VCP can par ticipate in federations requiring a command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence feder ate. The individual VCP federates can act as sepa rate elements in other federations. Among issues examined is run-time infrastructure (RTI) perfor mance sending high-volume audio and video data. We are now examining the H-Anim standard for representing human commanders. We have found that the HLA and the RTI are capable of meeting our functional requirements for a distributed simula tion. We also believe we can develop an HLA-com pliant simulation that will promote its use in HLA federations. This paper describes the HLA VCP, the experiments and results we have obtained to date, and efforts we have planned for the future.
A High Level Architecture-based Medical Simulation System
Authors: Petty Mikel D. , Windyga Piotr S.
Published: March 2008

The Combat Trauma Patient Simulation (CTPS) is a dual purpose training and analysis simulation system that provides an "end-to- end" simulation of the military medical treat ment process for combat trauma injuries from the time of occurrence through initial treatment at the field hospital. CTPS was built by inte grating a set of existing commercial and mili tary simulations, each specialized for a differ ent part of the process. None of the integrated simulators was initially interoperable, or even designed to be interoperable, with the others. The integration was achieved using the High Level Architecture (HLA), together with inter face modules for each of the simulators. The HLA ownership transfer services were central to the system's design.
CIMBLE: Distributed Team Training via HLA
Authors: Seidel David W. , Testani Sandra , Wagner Ed
Published: March 2008

CADETT is researching the use of advanced and emerging technologies in adult and workplace training. CIMBLE is the current result of that research. It provides a distrib uted and collaborative virtual environment for conducting team training. This paper describes the technology and application of CIMBLE and how HLA was used in its implementation.
Optimization of Simulated System Effectiveness Using Evolutionary Algorithms
Authors: Clymer John R.
Published: March 2008

Using evolutionary algorithms, a search is per formed based on a population where each popula tion member consists of a vector of attribute values and a fitness value. A simulation of a system is run, given a particular set of the member attribute values, producing a fitness value. Fitness measures how well the system achieves its mission objectives. If the fitness has a random component, several runs are made to produce average fitness. The pro cedure is to select the best members from the popu lation based on average fitness and mutate the member attribute values to produce new popula tion members. Since population member attributes can affect process reaction times, wait logic, or decision logic, a search for the best attribute values over 50 to 100 generations can result in optimal fitness. In order to demonstrate the use of evolu tionary algorithms in system optimization, a sim ple inventory system that has a complex fitness surface is considered.
Real-Time Dynamic Simulation of Single Spool Turboj et Engines
Authors: Lin Shih-Tin , Lu Jau-Huai , Hong Ming-Chong , Hsu Kwang-Wu
Published: March 2008

A hybrid integration method is proposed in this paper for the real-time simulation of single spool turbojet engines. The nonlinear dynamic model of the J-85 turbojet engine is developed first. Three types of integration methods, including explicit integration methods, implicit integration methods, and the proposed hybrid integration method, are used to integrate the dynamic model. Simulation of the model by explicit integration methods fails to reach real time, since the stiff characteristic of the engine model requires small integration step size to maintain stability. On the other hand, al though use of an implicit integration algorithm can enlarge the step size, extra function evaluations are needed to calculate the system Jacobian for the Newton-Raphson algorithm, and the simulation still cannot reach real time. The proposed hybrid integration scheme uses an explicit method to in tegrate the non-stiff part of the system, and an implicit method to integrate the stiff part of the system. Real-time simulation can be achieved by using the proposed hybrid scheme.
Texas-Mexico Border Intervention by Promotores for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Sixta Constance S. , Ostwald Sharon
Published: March 2008

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a promotores-led diabetes self-management program by comparing the outcomes (knowledge, beliefs, and HbA1c level) of Mexican American patients with type 2 diabetes who received usual diabetic care in a wait-list control group to those who received self-management education and follow-up by promotores in consultation with clinic providers and staff.

Methods This randomized control study compared the results of 63 patients who attended a promotores-led culturally sensitive diabetes self-management course at a commu- nity clinic with 68 patients in a wait-list, usual-care control group. Participants were Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes who were patients at the clinic and at least 18 years of age. At baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), Health Beliefs Questionnaire (HBQ), and HbA1c levels (drawn by the clinic laboratory) were collected.

Results There was a significant improvement in the intervention group's DKQ scores over time and in treatment by time. The baseline HbA1c level was 7.49 and did not change over time in either group. The DKQ, HBQ, and HbA1c results were significantly affected by age; the DKQ and HbA1c were affected by years with diabetes.

Conclusions The promotores-led diabetes self-management course improved the knowledge of patients with diabetes. Participant baseline HbA1c level was close to therapeutic level (much lower than reported in previous studies), suggesting participants received good medical care within the community clinic.
Social Support, Quality of Life, and Self-Care Behaviors Among African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Tang Tricia S. , Brown Morton B. , Funnell Martha M. , Anderson Robert M.
Published: March 2008

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine social support and its relationship to diabetes-specific quality of life and selfcare behaviors in African Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Methods The study followed a cross-sectional, observational design and recruited 89 African American adults, age 40 and older (mean = 60, SD = 10.5), diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Participants completed measures assessing dia- betes-specific quality of life, self-care behaviors (healthy eating, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose, foot care, medication and/or insulin use), demographic background, and diabetes-related social support. Diabetes-related social support variables included amount of social support received, satisfaction with support, positive support behavior, negative support behavior, and primary source of support.

Results Stepwise regressions, controlling for demographic variables, were conducted to identify predictors of diabetes-specific quality of life and selfcare behaviors from the diabetes-related social support variables. Satisfaction with support was a predictor for improved diabetes-specific quality of life (r = –.579, P < .001) and blood glucose monitoring (r = .258, P < .05). Positive support behavior was a predictor for following a healthy eating plan (r = .280, P < .05), spacing out carbohydrates evenly throughout the day (r = .367, P < .01), and performing physical activity at least 30 minutes per day (r = .296, P < .05). Negative support behavior was a predictor for not taking medication as recommended (r = –.348, P < .01).

Conclusions Findings indicate that social support plays a role in diabetes-specific quality of life and self-management practices. Social support encompasses multiple dimensions that differentially influence specific diabetes health-related outcomes and behaviors.
Diabetes Care and Education in Rural Regions
Authors: O'Brien Tara , Denham Sharon A.
Published: March 2008

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine what is cur- rently known about diabetes education and care in rural geographical regions. Residents of rural areas are less likely to have access to health care providers, health insurance, or specialty care and are more likely to experience health care disparities as a result. Persons living in rural areas are likely to have greater burdens of chronic disease, including uncontrolled diabetes, and perceive their health as poorer than their urban counterparts.

Methods A conventional literature review focused on type 1 and type 2 diabetes was completed using the search terms rural, diabetes, and education. The databases searched were CINAHL, EBSCO, Pub Med, and Medline. In all, 22 research articles that fit the inclusion criteria were identified.

Results Findings indicated that diabetes education for rural regions can be enhanced by a focus on family, culture, interdisciplinary teams, and technology.

Conclusions Future rural research about diabetes care should carefully define rural, include gender-related studies that describe findings in terms of men and women, and focus on primary prevention.
Tailoring a Diabetes Self-Care Intervention for Use With Older, Rural African American Women
Authors: Leeman Jennifer , Skelly Anne H. , Burns Dorothy , Carlson John , Soward April
Published: March 2008

Purpose The purpose of this study was to tailor a diabetes management intervention to the cultural and age-related needs and preferences of older, rural African American women.

Methods Findings from exploratory research, clinical experience, and review of the literature were used to inform the development of a culture- and function-specific intervention. Findings informed the design of the intervention, format of intervention delivery, format of intervention materials, and training provided to interventionists. Intervention materials were reviewed by a community advisory board, and the intervention was pilot tested with 43 women.

Results The intervention's delivery was tailored to the needs of older African American women through the use of 1-hour, in-home sessions that used a storytelling format to share information. The design of the intervention individualized its content to each woman's symptom experience, self-care practices, and coping strategies. Extensive training sensitized intervention nurses to coping strategies (spirituality, church, family) and barriers to self-care (functional limitations, stress, the multi-caregiver role) that are common among older African American women. Intervention materials were culturally sensitive and in large-print format.

Conclusions African American women's cultural background may have a strong influence on health behaviors and beliefs. Older women's health behaviors are further influenced by changes in their functional abilities. Therefore, the authors tailored a diabetes self-care management inter- vention to be specific to older African American women's cultural and functional differences. An initial pilot of the intervention found high levels of participant satisfaction with the intervention, improvements in dia- betes self-care practices, and a trend toward greater metabolic control.
Bristol: ‘civilising’ the inner city
Authors: Clement Matt
Published: March 2008

Although Bristol's inner-city districts of St Paul's, St Jude's and Easton are currently the subject of urban regeneration, the underlying socio-economic inequalities facing the black, minority ethnic and poor white communities that live there have been ignored. The legacy of Bristol's leading role in the slave trade, the institutional racism that led to the St Paul's riot in 1980 and the domestic Islamophobia accompanying the ‘war on terror’ have resulted in distrust between local residents and the authorities that claim to be revitalising their areas.
Residential Segregation in Britain: a comparative note
Authors: Deakin Nicholas
Published: March 2008

This article examines some of the recent evidence concerning residential segregation on racial lines in this country. The author compares the situation here with the state of affairs in the United States described in the preceding article by Dr. and Mrs. George Grier.
Reaction and revolution in the Middle East: Arab perspectives
Authors: Heikal Mohammed Hassanein
Published: March 2008

The excerpts that follow are taken from addresses given to the Annual Convention of Arab-American University Graduates, held in Chicago, 17-19 October 1975. The contributors are Mohammed Hassanein Heikal, the former chief editor of Al-Ahram and confidant of President Nasser; Dr Munif Razzaz, who is a founding member and long-time leader of the Ba'ath Socialist Party; A. Yusuf, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Abdalla Al-Ashtal, Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen to the United Nations.
Patterns of racism: interviews with National Front members
Authors: Billig Michael
Published: March 2008

We publish here an extract adapted from Michael Billig's forthcoming book, Fascists: a social psychological view of the National Front ( Academic Press, Autumn 1978 ) . This analysis is taken from a larger section, based on in-depth interviews with eleven NF members, all of whom were activists, nine having either held official positions in their local branches or stood as official election candidates. This is not claimed to be a representative sample; the indications suggest a bias towards the 'moderate' element.
'Once this land was ours'
Authors: Omvedt Gail
Published: March 2008

We publish below a chapter from Gail Omvedt's forthcoming book We will smash this prison! Indian women in struggle. Cail's research (which both sprang out of, and involved her further, in active commit ment to the women's movement in India) took place during 1975-6. Her book gives an account of those ten months, of the women she met and talked to, the problems they faced and the solutions they were beginning to work out, culminating in the organisation of a 'United Women's Liberation Struggle Conference' held in Pune.

When I talk about my experiences of those days, I am invariably asked, with some amazement, 'But was your experience typical? Were these women typical?' No, of course not. Why should they be? First, readers should remember that the events described here took place mainly in one part of India, the state of Maharashtra, which has a relatively high rate of women's work participation and a strong tradition of social-cultural revolt, both factors leading to a relatively vigorous expression of women's militancy. Secondly, the women I met for the most part (though not always) were in some way or another involved in organisation and protest activity. They were not 'typical' in the sense of being randomly chosen to represent a numerical average. But they are authentic.
Sri Lanka: the economics of capitulation
Authors: Ponnambalam Satchi
Published: March 2008

Since 1948, when Sri Lanka became independent, the two major par ties - the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) - have alternated in governing the country. The SLFP, in coalition with the Trotskyite Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and the Communist Party (CP), last held office as the United Front (UF) from 1970 to 1977. The current UNP government came to power in the July 1977 elections. The years of the UF government had been marked by a state of emergency (following a major insurrection by the youth in the countryside), lasting for almost the whole term of their office, which severely curbed political and trade union activity, drastically cir cumscribed civil liberties and substantially curtailed judicial in dependence. The UFgovernment's policies of land redistribution, pro motion of rural development, increasing self-sufficiency in food pro duction and lessening dependence on tea and rubber exports were not far reaching enough to halt or reverse the steady pull of Sri Lanka into the world capitalist system. What resulted was a so-called 'mixed economy' professing to reflect the Buddhist virtues of 'the middle path'. But such policies were simply not viable, and in any case tended to be undermined by corruption and inefficiency. In the end, the government was discredited and suffered an overwhelming defeat in the elections of 1977.

The landslide victory of the UNP marked a significant change in Sri Lankan politics, and has disturbing implications for the country's future. Elected on a platform of 'just and righteous' government, on promises of restoring civil rights, and pledged to 'democratic socialism', one of the government's first acts was to promulgate a new constitution which vested sweeping powers in the newly-created office of Executive President.

From the beginning, the UNP has stressed its commitment to a free economy' and its wholehearted welcome of foreign investment and western aid. It is now pursuing, with frightening speed, a series of massive and far-reaching 'development' policies whose effect can only be to bring the country into a state of total dependency within the im perialist system. We examine some of these extraverted policies and their implications in the following article, which is based on a chapter from the author's forthcoming book on Sri Lanka: The Crisis of Dependent Capitalism: the Sri Lankan economy 1948-1980 (Zed Press, 57 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DN).
Non-violence in the occupied territories
Authors: Awad Mubarak L.
Published: March 2008

As this issue of Race & Class was going to press, we received from a friend in Jerusalem an Arabic language pamphlet which is currently circulating among Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel. The author of al-A'anaf fi al-Aradhi al-Muhattalati (Non-violence in the Occupied Territories) is Dr Mubarak A wad, a US trained Palesti nian educator.

We think this is a very important initiative, and the lively interest it has sparked among Palestinian activists to be a most significant development. In rough translation, we publish excerpts from this pam phlet in the hope that it will receive broad attention, and the discussion be constructively joined by others engaged in the struggle for justice and Palestinian self-determination.
Haiti: from dictatorship to dictatorship
Authors: Ferguson James
Published: March 2008

Since the ousting of Baby Doc under mass, popular pressure in 1986, and the assumption of power by a military junta - ostensibly to oversee the passage to civilian government - the struggle in Haiti for even minimal justice and democracy has continued. One aspect of that struggle was the attempt to make effective the 1987 constitution and its provisions f or free elections.
UK commentary
Authors: Bridges Lee
Published: March 2008

After years of government-inspired political attacks, and government- imposed financial cuts on local authority housing - including much publicised 'right-to-buy' initiatives, prohibitions on using even money from sales for improving housing, and the selling off (by Conservative boroughs) of whole estates over tenants' heads - the quality and availability of public housing has deteriorated starkly.

Black protest over the scarcity of public housing was most drama tically demonstrated when homeless Bengali families in the London borough of Camden occupied the town hall in 1984, after the death of a mother and her two children in a bed-and-breakfast hotel fire. Follow ing the occupation, an investigation into Camden's housing policies was carried out under the direction of local community organisations. * The investigation, conducted against the backdrop of sweeping legislative changes which threaten the very coherence and long-term existence of public housing, has implications for the black community as a whole.

Lee Bridges, who served on the Investigation Panel and wrote its report, extracts and summarises the main findings.
Namibia 1: the British press
Authors: Chaane Busi
Published: March 2008

On 22 December 1988, an agreement was finally reached that paved the way for independent government in Namibia by April 1990. The agreement, signed by the US, Angola, Cuba and South Africa, signalled the withdrawal of south African troops operating in southern Angola - there explicitly hounding SWAPO, and implicitly aiding UNITA. Some 65,000 South African troops were to be confined to base in Namibia (and Cuban troops were to be withdrawn from Angola).

This historic event - the implementation of UN Resolution 435 which laid out the framework for self-government — only made international headlines after 1 April 1989, when fierce battles between SWAPO and South African forces threatened to destroy the delicate independence process which was supposedly under UN supervision. We publish below a brief account of how this has been reported in the British press, together with a statement from SWAPO's press agency.
'Drinking from one pot': Yemeni unity, at home and overseas
Authors: Searle Chris , Shaif Abdulgalil
Published: March 2008

Outside of expatriate Yemeni communities, very little is known in Europe or north America about Yemen and its people.

The unification in May 1990 of the two separate Yemeni states, the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the People's Democratic Republic of the Yemen in the south, created little interest in the establishment press of the West. And yet, this unity was achieved in an era of intense fragmentation of nations and secessionism in many parts of the world, including countries very close to the Yemen. It was also managed voluntarily, without war or rancour, and with each separate state willingly offering up its individual sovereignty.

In this interview, given in July 1990, Abdulgalil Shaif gives a perspective from the heart of the emigrant community on Yemen's anti-imperialist history and its new unity.

Sheffield has a population of 2, 000 Yemenis, most of whom are the families of now redundant steelworkers, who arrived in the city during the 1950s and 1960s, and who are organised through two separate community associations that reflected their origins in the two formerly separated Yemens. The unification has been greeted with great joy by Yemenis abroad, and is seen as a powerful stimulus for their own community development in Britain and elsewhere.

Shaif's story is one of a small black community in the gut of a large British ex-industrial city, struggling for social justice in its new setting, as well as striving to l1laintain and revitalise its lirtks witlt the hOl1leland: the story of a people vt~ho ltaae iit>v homes artd two strllggles. and a story of two generations keeping faith with each otlter in the old/new land of post-imperial power.
Our sciences, their science
Authors: Bazin Maurice
Published: March 2008

'Come, then, my friends; it would be better to decide at once to come about and change our ways. We must shake off the heavy darkness in which we were plunged, and leave it behind...

'Come, then, my friends; the European game has definitely ended; we must find something different. We today can do everything, so long as we do not ape Europe, so long as we are not obsessed by the desire to catch up with Europe...

. 'Two centuries ago, a former European colony set its mind on catching up with Europe. It succeeded so well at it that the United States of America became a monster, in which the taints, the sicknesses, and the inhumanity of Europe have grown to appalling dimensions...

'Today we witness the stasis of Europe. Comrades, let us flee from this motionless movement where gradually, dialectics has been changed into the logic of equilibrium. Let us reconsider the question of mankind...

'The Third World today faces Europe like a colossal mass whose aim must be to try to resolve the problems to which Europe has not been able to bring a solution...

'But if we want humanity to advance a notch higher, if we want to bring it up to a different level than that which Europe displayed, then we must invent and we must discover new ways.
An Israeli peace
Authors: Usher Graham
Published: March 2008

Ilan Pappé, a lecturer in the department of Middle Eastern history at Haifa University, is known in Israel as one of the new 'revisionist' historians who have challenged received Israeli accounts of Israeli historiography. The author of The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (I. B. Tauris, 1994), he is also the founder and head of the Institute of Peace Research in Israel.
Epidemiology of Knee Injuries among Boys and Girls in US High School Athletics
Authors: Ingram Jay G. , Fields Sarah K. , Yard Ellen E. , Comstock R. Dawn
Published: March 2008

Background

The knee joint is the second most commonly injured body site and the leading cause of high school sports-related surgeries. Knee injuries are among the most economically costly sports injuries and may require subsequent surgery or extensive and expensive rehabilitation.

Purpose

To report the incidence, risk, and severity of high school knee injuries across sports, genders, and type of exposure.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

During the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years, 100 US high schools were randomly selected for a nationally representative sample. Certified athletic trainers tracked injuries using an online injury surveillance system, High School RIO™, in 9 high school sports.

Results

There were 1383 knee injuries reported during 3 551 131 athlete exposures for a rate of 3.89 knee injuries per 10 000 athlete exposures. Although boys had a higher overall rate of knee injury (rate ratio, 1.38; confidence interval, 1.22–1.55), girls were twice as likely to sustain knee injuries requiring surgery (major knee injuries) than were boys (injury proportion ratio, 1.98; confidence interval, 1.45–2.70) and twice as likely to incur noncontact major knee injuries (injury proportion ratio, 1.98; confidence interval, 1.23–3.19) as were boys. Although illegal play was identified as a contributing factor in only 5.7% of all knee injuries, 20% of knee injuries resulting from illegal play required surgery.

Conclusion

Knee injury rates and patterns varied by sport, gender, and type of exposure. Identified gender differences included differences in injury rates, injury severity, and basic injury mechanism. Further surveillance is crucial for the development of targeted, evidence-based injury prevention strategies to reduce the morbidity and economic impact of knee surgeries.
In vivo Comparison of Changes in Glenohumeral Translation after Arthroscopic Capsulolabral Reconstructions
Authors: Magit David P. , Tibone James E. , Lee Thay Q.
Published: March 2008

Background

The objective of this study was to quantify anteroposterior glenohumeral translation of patients undergoing arthroscopic capsulolabral repairs using cutaneous electromagnetic position sensors.

Hypothesis

Anteroposterior translation will be restored after arthroscopic capsulolabral repairs to values similar to the contralateral or uninjured shoulder.

Study Design

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods

With use of an electromagnetic tracking system, preoperative anteroposterior translation was measured in the injured and uninvolved shoulders of 32 patients with a diagnosis of glenohumeral labral tears. Testing was done with patients placed in the supine position with the arm suspended in 90° of abduction and neutral rotation. The American Shoulder and Elbow Society index and range of motion were also measured. Patients with capsulolabral injuries requiring arthroscopic repair were reexamined at 3 and 6 months postoperatively.

Results

In patients with anteroinferior/posteroinferior capsulolabral repairs, glenohumeral translation at 3 and 6 months postoperative ( P < .0001) was significantly decreased compared with preoperative values ( P = .0007) and the uninvolved side (preoperative, P = .04; postoperative, P = .002). In patients with superior capsulolabral (superior labral anterior-posterior) repairs, the mean glenohumeral translation at 3 and 6 months postoperative was decreased significantly compared with the preoperative value; however, no significant differences were found between the uninvolved side (preoperative, P = .5) and the operative shoulder (postoperative, P = .2). By 6-month follow-up, no significant difference existed in external rotation when compared with preoperative values for either repair group.

Conclusion

Arthroscopic superior capsulolabral reconstructions successfully restored anteroposterior translation. However, arthroscopic capsulolabral techniques for treating recurrent anterior or posterior instability resulted in decreased anteroposterior translation compared to the uninvolved side while restoring external rotation.
Study of the Effect of Hygrothermal Ageing on Glass/Epoxy Micro-Composites by FTIR-Imaging and Alternating DSC Techniques
Authors: Sharma Neeti , Surendra Kumar M. , Ray B.C.
Published: March 2008

An effort was made to study the effect of hygrothermal ageing at varying intervals of time on the interphase of the fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Silane-coated glass fibers and epoxy as matrix were used to fabricate the micro-composite. Absorbance peaks of OH stretching bands were focused to study the curing mechanism of epoxy matrix and effect of hygrothermal exposure at the interphase of the micro-composite by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging. The differential scanning calorimeteric (DSC) was carried out to monitor the glass transition temperature of hygrothermally aged samples after each interval. The FTIR results shows existence of gradient in degree of curing from the interphase to the bulk matrix and with the increase in ageing time the water absorption increases at the interphase leading to improvement in the adhesion initially, as it is reflected in the results obtained with DSC analysis, i.e., increases in glass transition temperature with the ageing time was reported. Obtained improved results may be attributed to moisture induced additional ring opening polymerization of epoxide molecule and/or formation of strong hydrogen double bonds with the epoxy matrix by water molecule. Microstructural analysis was done for hygrothermally treated samples by scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Hemp Fiber-Reinforced 1-Pentene/Polypropylene Copolymer: The Effect of Fiber Loading on the Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics of the Composites
Authors: Khoathane M.C. , Vorster O.C. , Sadiku E.R.
Published: March 2008

One of the recent developments in composite technology in South Africa is the increasing use of natural fiber materials in the manufacture of plastic products. Most of the previous work on natural fiber-reinforced composites has focused on sisal fiber as it was commercially available. In this study, the mechanical and thermal properties of composites made with locally produced hemp fibers, were compared with composites made with hemp fibers produced in France. New commercial polypropylene random copolymer was used as matrix because it can be processed at lower temperatures when compared with other commercial propylene copolymers. The composites were produced by extrusion compounding and were further processed into tensile test bars by injection molding. Up to 30% fiber loading could be achieved. It was observed in all composites that increasing the amount of fiber resulted in an increase in tensile strength, elastic modulus, and flexural strength and a decrease in impact strength. The thermal properties of the composites were analyzed by the thermogravimetric method. It was found that the fiber/PP composites showed excellent properties when compared to fiber and the matrix separately. The addition of hemp fibers shifted the start of the degradation process towards higher temperatures. The results obtained show that the mechanical and thermal properties of South African long hemp fiber composites compare favorably well with the French bleached and unbleached hemp fibers.
Preparation of Recycled Polypropylene/ Organophilic Modified Layered Silicates Nanocomposites Part I: The Recycling Process of Polypropylene and the Mechanical Properties of Recycled Polypropylene/Organoclay Nanocomposites
Authors: Tri Phuong Nguyen , Gilbert Villoutreix , Chuong Bui
Published: March 2008

The recycling process of polypropylene (PP) and the elaboration of recycled polypropylene/modified clay nanocomposite by melt intercalation method have been investigated. The purpose of this work is to characterize the influence of the recycle processing of an homopolypropylene on the mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of the polymer, and then to obtain a predictive mechanism of polypropylene degradation in a twin-screw extruder in order to be able to reinforce its behavior for a new application. We can see that the mechanical properties decrease according to the recycling times at two chosen different temperature profiles. At the high temperature profile (195—230°C), the rheological behavior of homopolypropylene is more influenced than at the low temperature profile (175—190°C), the viscoelastic properties are highly modified, the viscosity increases, and the mechanical properties decrease as much as the polypropylene matrix appears to be less accurate. The thermal properties of the recycled polypropylene are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis: the crystallization temperature and crystallization time decrease as a function of the number of extrusion cycles. The incorporation of the organophilic layered silicates and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) compatibilizer improves significantly the mechanical properties of the recycled polypropylene.