bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase Akt negatively regulates plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 expression in vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Mukai Yasushi , Wang Chao-Yung , Rikitake Yoshiyuki , Liao James K.
Published: December 2006

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) regulates fibrinolytic activity and mediates vascular atherothrombotic disease. Endothelial cells (ECs) synthesize and secrete PAI-1, but the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate PAI-1 expression are not entirely known. We hypothesize that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase Akt pathway, which regulates endothelial function, could modulate PAI-1 expression in ECs. Cultured bovine aortic and human saphenous vein ECs were stimulated with TNF-α, ANG II, insulin, or serum, and PAI-1 expression was determined by Northern and Western analyses. Inhibition of PI3K with wortmannin or LY-294002 enhanced PAI-1 expression induced by these extracellular stimuli. Similarly, overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of PI3K or Akt increased TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. The increase in PAI-1 was due to transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms as PI3K inhibitors increased PAI-1 promoter activity and mRNA stability. The induction of PAI-1 by TNF-α and insulin is mediated, in part, by ERK and p38 MAPK. PI3K inhibitors augmented TNF-α- and insulin-induced phosphorylation of these MAPKs. Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, which is known to activate PI3K/Akt, blocks TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. Treatment with PI3K inhibitors reversed the inhibitor effects of simvastatin on TNF-α- and insulin-induced PAI-1 expression. These findings indicate that the PI3K/Akt pathway acts as a negative regulator of PAI-1 expression in ECs, in part, through the downregulation of MAPK pathways. These results suggest that factors that activate the PI3K/Akt pathway in ECs may have therapeutic benefits for atherothrombotic vascular disease.
Length-tension relationships of small arteries, veins, and lymphatics from the rat mesenteric microcirculation
Authors: Zhang Rong-zhen , Gashev Anatoliy A. , Zawieja David C. , Davis Michael J.
Published: December 2006

The passive and active length-tension relationships of isolated rat mesenteric lymphatics (∼150 μm ID), and adjacent small arteries (∼240 μm) and veins (∼275 μm) were compared under isometric conditions using a wire myograph. About 60% of the lymphatic vessels developed spontaneous contractions in physiological saline solution at nominal preload. To maximally activate smooth muscle, 145 mM K++ 5 × 10−5M norepinephrine was used for arteries, and 145 mM K++ 1 × 10−6M substance P was used for lymphatics and veins. In response, arteries exhibited monotonic force development to a plateau level, whereas lymphatics and veins showed biphasic force development, consisting of a transient force peak followed by partial relaxation to a plateau over ∼5 min. The passive and the active length-tension curves were similar in shape among all three vessels. However, the maximal active tension of arteries (3.4 ± 0.42 mN/mm) was significantly greater than peak active tension (0.59 ± 0.04 mN/mm) or plateau tension (0.20 ± 0.04 mN/mm) in small veins and greater than peak active tension (0.34 ± 0.02 mN/mm) or plateau tension (0.21 ± 0.02 mN/mm) in lymphatics. Maximal active medial wall stress was similar between lymphatics and veins but was approximately fivefold higher in small arteries. For lymphatics, the pressure calculated from the optimal preload was significantly higher than that found previously in isobaric studies of isolated lymphatics, suggesting the capacity to operate at higher than normal pressures for increased responsiveness. Our results represent the first mechanical comparisons of arterial, venous, and lymphatic vessels in the same vasculature.
Cardiac neural crest ablation inhibits compaction and electrical function of conduction system bundles
Authors: Gurjarpadhye Abhijit , Hewett Kenneth W. , Justus Charles , Wen Xuejun , Stadt Harriett , Kirby Margaret L. , Sedmera David , Gourdie Robert G.
Published: December 2006

Retroviral and transgenic lineage-tracing studies have shown that neural crest cells associate with the developing bundles of the ventricular conduction system. Whereas this migration of cells does not provide progenitors for the myocardial cells of the conduction system, the question of whether neural crest affects the differentiation and/or function of cardiac specialized tissues continues to be of interest. Using optical mapping of voltage-sensitive dye, we determined that ventricles from chick embryos in which the cardiac neural crest had been laser ablated did not progress to apex-to-base activation by the expected stage [i.e., Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) 35] but instead maintained basal breakthroughs of epicardial activation consistent with immature function of the conduction system. In direct studies of activation, waves of depolarization originating from the His bundle were found to be uncommon in control hearts from HH34 and HH35 embryos. However, activations propagating from septal base, at or near the His bundle, occurred frequently in hearts from HH34 and HH35 neural crest-ablated embryos. Consistent with His bundle cells maintaining electrical connections with adjacent working myocytes, histological analyses of hearts from neural crest-ablated embryos revealed His bundles that had not differentiated a lamellar organization or undergone a process of compaction and separation from surrounding myocardium observed in controls. Furthermore, measurements on histological sections from optically mapped hearts indicated that, whereas His bundle diameter in control embryos thinned by almost one-half between HH30 and HH34, the His bundle in ablated embryos underwent no such compaction in diameter, maintaining a thickness at HH30, HH32, and HH34 similar to that observed in HH30 controls. We conclude that the cardiac neural crest is required in a novel function involving lamellar compaction and electrical isolation of the basally located His bundle from surrounding myocardium.
Cold-induced cutaneous vasoconstriction is mediated by Rho kinase in vivo in human skin
Authors: Thompson-Torgerson Caitlin S. , Holowatz Lacy A. , Flavahan Nicholas A. , Kenney W. Larry
Published: December 2006

Cutaneous vasoconstriction (VC) is the initial thermoregulatory response to cold exposure and can be elicited through either whole body or localized skin cooling. However, the mechanisms governing local cold-induced VC are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that Rho kinase participates in local cold-induced cutaneous VC. In seven men and women (20–27 yr of age), up to four ventral forearm skin sites were instrumented with intradermal microdialysis fibers for localized drug delivery during cooling. Skin blood flow was monitored at each site with laser-Doppler flowmetry while local skin temperature was decreased and maintained at 24°C for 40 min. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC; laser-Doppler flowmetry/mean arterial pressure) was expressed as percent change from 34°C baseline. During the first 5 min of cooling, CVC decreased at control sites (lactated Ringer solution) to −45 ± 6% ( P < 0.001), increased at adrenoceptor-antagonized sites (yohimbine + propranolol) to 15 ± 14% ( P = 0.002), and remained unchanged at both Rho kinase-inhibited (fasudil) and adrenoceptor-antagonized + Rho kinase-inhibited sites (yohimbine + propranolol + fasudil) (−9 ± 1%, P = 0.4 and −6 ± 2%, P = 0.4, respectively). During the last 5 min of cooling, CVC further decreased at all sites when compared with baseline values (control, −77 ± 4%, P < 0.001; adrenoceptor antagonized, −61 ± 3%, P < 0.001; Rho kinase inhibited, −34 ± 7%, P < 0.001; and adrenoceptor antagonized + Rho kinase inhibited sites, −35 ± 3%, P < 0.001). Rho kinase-inhibited and combined treatment sites were significantly attenuated when compared with both adrenoceptor-antagonized ( P < 0.01) and control sites ( P < 0.0001). Rho kinase mediates both early- and late-phase cold-induced VC, supporting in vitro findings and providing a putative mechanism through which both adrenergic and nonadrenergic cold-induced VC occurs in an in vivo human thermoregulatory model.
Thiol-based mechanisms of the thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems: implications for diseases in the cardiovascular system
Authors: Berndt Carsten , Lillig Christopher Horst , Holmgren Arne
Published: December 2006

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the cellular thiol redox state are crucial mediators of multiple cell processes like growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Excessive ROS production or oxidative stress is associated with several diseases, including cardiovascular disorders like ischemia-reperfusion. To prevent ROS-induced disorders, the heart is equipped with effective antioxidant systems. Key players in defense against oxidative stress are members of the thioredoxin-fold family of proteins. Of these, thioredoxins and glutaredoxins maintain a reduced intracellular redox state in mammalian cells by the reduction of protein thiols. The reversible oxidation of Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys or Cys-Pro(Ser)-Tyr-Cys active site cysteine residues is used in reversible electron transport. Thioredoxins and glutaredoxins belong to corresponding systems consisting of NADPH, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin or NADPH, glutathione reductase, glutathione, and glutaredoxin, respectively. Thioredoxin as well as glutaredoxin activities appear to be very important for the progression and severity of several cardiovascular disorders. These proteins function not only as antioxidants, they inhibit or activate apoptotic signaling molecules like apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 and Ras or transcription factors like NF-κB. Thioredoxin activity is regulated by the endogenous inhibitor thioredoxin-binding protein 2 (TBP-2), indicating an important role of the balance between thioredoxin and TBP-2 levels in cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we will summarize cardioprotective effects of endogenous thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems as well as the high potential in clinical applications of exogenously applied thioredoxin or glutaredoxin or the induction of endogenous thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems.
Recurrence in Levinas Recurrence in Levinas
Authors: Smith Michael
Published: December 2006

The article differentiates between the manifestation of recurrence qua consciousness and an underlying recurrence elaborated by Levinas in subjectivity beyond being. The movement of recurrence is traced in its relation to creation. Ethics is the language in which the selfless can be expressed, where value obtains in lieu of being. The philosophical problem to which recurrence is a response is posited as ipseity versus identiy. The self imposed obstacles to extracting a moral doctrine from the levinasian corpus are discussed, followed by suggestions on the difference a levinasian view might make in our understanding and undertaking of every day life.
Juan Luis Vives' Conception of Freedom of the Will and Its Scholastic Background
Authors: Casini Lorenzo
Published: December 2006

The aim of the present paper is to approach Juan Luis Vives' conception of freedom of the will in light of scholastic discussions on will and free choice, and point to some interesting similarities with the analysis of free choice contained in Jean Buridan's Quaestiones super decem libros Ethicorum Aristotelis ad Nicomachum.
If I'm So White, Why Ain't I Right? Some Methodological Misgivings on Taking Identity Ascriptions at Face-Value1
Authors: Bash Harry H.
Published: December 2006

Sociologists enjoy, but don't always observe, a verbal distinction between the sociological and the social. Lexically-disadvantaged others simply pursue the psychological analysis of the psychological or the historical assessment of the historical. Yet, a clear separation of conceptual approach from its subject target is crucial. Discipline-specific conceptual reconstructions must supersede prevailing social constructions of reality, if scientific explanation is to transcend common sense. This issue is explored through a critique of the sociology of “race” relations and its more recent focus on “Whiteness” studies, both of them social constructions which, like Trojan Horses, intrude social biases that blunt the analytic edge of sociological probes into vital facets of power disparities.
Beyond Left and Right: Can the Third Way Deliver a Reinvigorated Social Democracy?
Authors: Fudge Shane , Williams Stephen
Published: December 2006

The work of Anthony Giddens is indicative of much contemporary social and political theory which posits the new neo-liberal global order as the paradigm of progress. Giddens' theoretical arguments, concerning reflexive modernisation and the virtues of the third way, have become hugely influential, not only in academia but, more significantly, within political circles: underpinning, among others, the former Clinton administration, Schroder's Social Democrats and the policies of the New Labour government. This paper argues however that structuration — the theory which underpins Giddens' sociological take on the world — is inherently flawed and is inadequate in accounting for many of the real issues of power and inequality that many individuals face in today's world. As such, it is argued that, in appropriating the core principles of this flawed sociological interpretation of human behaviour, the third way promoted by New Labour serves to legitimize rather than to regulate the structuring principles of economic globalization. While this paper acknowledges many of the arguments postulated by Giddens and Blair regarding the realities of the contemporary world and the uncertainties surrounding the modernization project, through the work of Beck and an exploration of some of the differences in the French and Swedish welfare regimes, it seeks to ask whether the concept of the third way that has been developed through the Blair/Giddens model is necessarily the political blueprint through which to reinvigorate social democracy.
The Social Construction of Whiteness: Racism by Intent, Racism by Consequence
Authors: Guess Teresa J.
Published: December 2006

The discipline of Sociology has generated great contributions to scholarship and research about American race relations. Much of the theorizing on American race relations in America is expressed in binary terms of black and white. Historically, the study of American race relations typically problematizes the “othered” status, that is, the non-white status in America's racial hierarchy. However, the sociology of race relations has historically failed to take into account both sides of the black/white binary paradigm when addressing racial inequality. In other words, in the case of race, it becomes difficult to see the forest for the trees. Thus, in Sociology, we find less scholarship about the role “whiteness as the norm” plays in sustaining social privilege beyond that which is accorded marginalized others. In order to examine the historical black/white binary paradigm of race in America, it is important to understand its structuration. This article extends the applicability of sociologies of knowledge (Thomas Theorem, social constructionism) and Gidden's structuration theory to inform a postmodern analysis of America's binary racial paradigm.
Race and Racism in Marx's Camera Obscura
Authors: Paolucci Paul
Published: December 2006

The charge that Marx's work leaves sociologists few tools with which to understand the phenomena of race and racism has been a common one. Against such claims, this essay attempts to mobilize several analytical devices in Marx's work that help us grasp race and racism as sociological realities. These include an understanding of the inversion process (referred to here as the “camera obscura”) Marx asserted was inherent to bourgeois ideology, his method of addressing the issue of tautology in the philosophy of science, and his approach to political-economic analysis. These aspects of Marx's work are essential for any study of race and racism in modern capitalist societies.
Mnemonic modes in Emily Nasrallah's A House not her own (Bayt Laysa Lahā)
Authors: Suyoufie Fadia
Published: December 2006

This study traces the various modes in which memory is represented in this collection of short stories by the Lebanese writer, Emily Nasrallah. By placing the processes of remembering in these stories against the background of violence and "dismemberment" which prevailed in Beirut during the civil war, the study reveals the sense of dislocation and estrangement from "home" which is at the heart of Nasrallah's work. It also dismantles the strategies and techniques that Nasrallah utilizes to give a voice to the "voiceless" victims and survivors of this war.Whether partly recuperative or absolutely tyrannical in its effects, memory functions as an essential medium for the reclamation of the past and the protestation against the dehumanizing effects of war. For the woman writer herself, writing about or remembering the war grants her the chance to sublimate suffering into artistic creativity which finds expression in the act of storytelling itself.
A Qasīdah by Ibn Muqbil the deeper reaches of lyricism and experience in a Mukhadram poem: An essay in three steps
Authors: Stetkevych Jaroslav
Published: December 2006

In his Tabaqāt Fuhūl al-Shu'arā', the 3rd/9th century literary critic al-Jumahī cites two lines from a poem by the Mukhadram (bridging the Jāhiliyyah and Islam) poet, Ibn Muqbil, which, he claims, express through the traditional image of weeping at the ruined abodes the poet's nostalgia for the pre-Islamic age. The present essay expands upon al-Jumahī's observation by placing the two lines he cites within the context of the full original qasīdah of fifty lines. In doing so, it demonstrates that the entire qasīdah in its themes and motifs is to be interpreted as an expression of nostalgia for the lost age of the Jāhiliyyah. Above all, the structure of the poem constitutes a dramatic inversion of the traditional qasīdah structure. The effect of this inversion is to replace the normal temporal and affective trajectory of the poem from past to present, with a reversed trajectory from present to past. Whereas al-Jumahī expresses puzzlement over how a Muslim could feel longing for the pagan past, this essay turns to the full text of the poem to uncover the nostalgic counter-current that accompanied the massive cultural transition from the Jāhiliyyah to Islam. It shows how Ibn Muqbil manipulates the traditional themes, motifs, and structures of the pre-Islamic qasīdah to express his political resentment at the destruction of his way of life.
How Bargaining Alters Outcomes: Bilateral Trade Negotiations and Bargaining Strategies
Authors: Elms Deborah
Published: December 2006

This article considers bargaining strategies used by government negotiators in the context of bilateral trade disputes. I argue that trade officials reach the most durable agreements by using an integrative, or value-creating, strategy and avoiding the use of threats. By contrast, a highly distributive, value-claiming strategy coupled with loud public threats is unlikely to result in a durable agreement and frequently leads to deadlocked negotiations. The irony, however, is that American officials use the latter approach more frequently than the former in bilateral trade disputes. These strategies are usually chosen unconsciously in response to perceptions of losses that drive negotiators to select risky approaches to resolve disputes.By examining bargaining strategies in the U.S. disputes with Japan and South Korea over automobiles and auto parts in the 1990s, this article identifies shifts in negotiation strategies. These shifts in approach closely track the outcomes in these two deeply contentious disputes. After protracted and contentious negotiations with Japan, the final outcome represented a failure to achieve the Americans' most important goals. A less confrontational strategy with South Korea ultimately resulted in greater market opening.
Regulation of Genetic and Other Health Information in a Comparative Perspective
Authors: Gerards Janneke , Janssen Heleen
Published: December 2006

In the present article, the authors provide a general overview of the academic and legal debate on the regulation of access to and use of genetic information by non-medical actors. Their aim is to give some insight in the academic views on the need to introduce specific genetics legislation and on the balance that might be struck between the various interests concerned. Furthermore, by analyzing relevant legislation and policy measures in the US and in Europe, they identify the issues that are deemed relevant in considering and, eventually, introducing regulative measures with respect to genetic information.
Enduring Risk? Old Criminal Records and Predictions of Future Criminal Involvement
Authors: Kurlychek Megan C. , Brame Robert , Bushway Shawn D.
Published: December 2006

It is well accepted that criminal records impose collateral consequences on offenders. Such records affect access to public housing, student financial aid, welfare benefits, and voting rights. An axiom of these policies is that individuals with criminal records—even old criminal records—exhibit significantly higher risk of future criminal conduct than do individuals without criminal records. In this article, the authors use police contact data from the 1942 Racine birth cohort study to determine whether individuals whose last criminal record occurred many years ago exhibit a higher risk of acquiring future criminal records than do individuals with no criminal record at all. Findings suggest that there is little to no distinguishable difference between these groups.
Persistent Criminality and Career Length
Authors: Haapanen Rudy , Britton Lee , Croisdale Tim
Published: December 2006

This study is an examination of persistent offending and its implications for the understanding and investigation of desistance and career length. Persistence, especially as it is operationalized using official measures, is characterized as fundamentally a measure of resistance to formal social control: continued crime in the face of increasingly severe sanctions. This conceptualization is used to explain findings from a longitudinal analysis of arrests for individuals released from California Youth Authority (CYA) institutions. Findings indicate long and extensive careers and characteristic declines with age but also considerable variation. This variation, which can be explained by resistance to formal social control, complicates the study of career length. Finally, results indicate a strong crime reduction effect of criminal justice interventions, both for the CYA and for later prison terms, if any. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding and studying career length among serious, persistent offenders.
Engaging Parents in Preventive Parenting Groups: Do Ethnic, Socioeconomic, and Belief Match Between Parents and Group Leaders Matter?
Authors: Dumas Jean E. , Moreland Angela D. , Gitter Alexandra H. , Pearl Amanda M. , Nordstrom Alicia H.
Published: December 2006

The authors evaluate the relation of ethnic, socioeconomic status (SES), and belief match between parents and group leaders and engagement in a preventive intervention for parents of preschoolers. Engagement was assessed through attendance, retention, and quality of participation in sessions with 171 parents and 11 group leaders. SES match predicted attendance, retention, and quality of participation. Parents attended more sessions, remained longer in the program, and participated more actively when their group leader came from comparable SES backgrounds. Ethnic match predicted retention only, with parents attending longer when their ethnicity matched their group leader's. Engagement was unrelated to the extent of match across different characteristics, nor was the link between ethnic match and retention mediated by SES or belief match. Results suggest that social, cultural, and belief similarities between parents and group leaders may be less salient in preventive parenting interventions than is assumed. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Sustaining a School-Based Prevention Program
Authors: Fagen Michael C. , Flay Brian R.
Published: December 2006

Sustaining effective school-based prevention programs is critical to improving youth and population-based health. This article reports on results from the Aban Aya Sustainability Project, an effort to sustain a school-based prevention program that was tested via a randomized trial and targeted violence, drug use, and risky sex-related behaviors among a cohort of 5th-grade African American children followed through 10th grade. Sustainability project health educators trained parent educators to deliver the Aban Aya prevention curriculum in five schools, and project researchers studied the resultant curricular implementation and relations between the research and school-based teams. Study results showed uneven implementation across the five schools that we largely attributed to parent educator preparation and parent educator-health educator relations. These and related results are discussed to answer the study's primary research question: How viable was the sustainability project's parent-centered approach to sustaining a school-based prevention program?
2007 SOPHE Presidential Address: On Being Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable: Centering an Africanist Vision in Our Gateway to Global Health
Authors: Airhihenbuwa Collins O.
Published: December 2006

African identity must be central to research on African health and development. This article focuses on three primary themes for advancing a different vision for understanding health issues in Africa. The first is the need to deconstruct conventional assumptions and theories that have been used to frame public health problems and solutions in Africa. The second is to insist that identity be central to how we frame issues of health and behavior in general and in Africa in particular. The third is the importance of the notion of “social cultural infrastructure” in defining African ways of knowing to guide public health research and intervention in Africa. Finally, the metaphor of the “African gate” is used to illuminate these themes while drawing on examples from an HIV- and AIDS-related stigma research in South Africa and its implications for addressing the critical global public-health issues of today.
Using Narrative Communication as a Tool for Health Behavior Change: A Conceptual, Theoretical, and Empirical Overview
Authors: Hinyard Leslie J. , Kreuter Matthew W.
Published: December 2006

Narrative is the basic mode of human interaction and a fundamental way of acquiring knowledge. In the rapidly growing field of health communication, narrative approaches are emerging as a promising set of tools for motivating and supporting health-behavior change. This article defines narrative communication and describes the rationale for using it in health-promotion programs, reviews theoretical explanations of narrative effects and research comparing narrative and nonnarrative approaches to persuasion, and makes recommendations for future research needs in narrative health communication.
Weapon Carrying in Israeli Schools
Authors: Khoury-Kassabri Mona , Astor Ron Avi , Benbenishty Rami
Published: December 2006

The present study employed an ecological perspective to examine the relative predictive power of individual and school contextual factors on weapon carrying at school. The study is based on a nationally representative sample of 10,400 students in Grades 7 through 11 in 162 schools across Israel. Hierarchical logistic modeling examined the relationships between students and school-level variables and carrying weapons to school (guns, knives, and other weapons). The authors found that school context is associated with weapon carrying and increases the likelihood of having students with weapons in the school. For instance, schools with a large proportion of students from low–socioeconomic status (SES) families showed higher levels of weapon carrying. Furthermore, individual factors, such as victimization and fear, are positively associated with weapon carrying in school. The discussion highlights the importance of improving school climate to deal more effectively with weapon carrying to school.
The WORD (Wholeness, Oneness, Righteousness, Deliverance): A Faith-Based Weight-Loss Program Utilizing a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach
Authors: Kim Karen Hye-cheon , Linnan Laura , Kramish Campbell Marci , Brooks Christine , Koenig Harold G. , Wiesen Christopher
Published: December 2006

Despite multidisciplinary efforts to control the nation's obesity epidemic, obesity has persisted as one of the U.S.'s top public health problems, particularly among African Americans. Innovative approaches to address obesity that are sensitive to the unique issues of African Americans are needed. Thus, a faith-based weight-loss intervention using a community-based participatory research approach was developed, implemented, and evaluated with a rural African American faith community. A two-group, quasi-experimental, delayed intervention design was used, with church as the unit of assignment (treatment n = 2, control n = 2) and individual as the unit of observation (treatment n = 36, control n = 37). Weekly small groups led by trained community members met for 8 weeks and emphasized healthy nutrition, physical activity, and faith's connection with health. The mean weight loss of the treatment group was 3.60 ± 0.64 lbs. compared to the 0.59 ± 0.59-lb loss of the control group.
Preparation of electrically conductive fibres by new surface coating method
Authors: Jin X. , Xiao C. F. , An S. L. , Jia G. X.
Published: December 2006

In the present research, a new surface coating method (dissolving-coating method) that is on the basis of dissolution mechanism was designed. Substantially transparent antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) particles were used instead of carbon black as conductive particles. ATO coated polyester (PET) fibres and ATO coated polycaprolactam (PA6) fibres were prepared by the traditional coating method and the dissolving–coating method respectively. The electrical conductivity, mechanical property and launderability of the coated fibres were discussed. For the characterisation, a laser particle size distribution analyser was used to analyse the size distribution of ATO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the observation of ATO particles and fibre surface. Electron probe was carried out to make an elemental analysis of the fibre.
Structural integrity of diffusion bonds in Ti–6Al–4V processed via low cost route
Authors: Tuppen S. J. , Bache M. R. , Voice W. E.
Published: December 2006

Low cost resistance butt welds between a similar Ti–6Al–4V alloy couple have been fabricated using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator. The optimisation of the key bonding parameters (pressure, time, temperature and environment) required to produce high quality joints with near parent properties is discussed. Metallographic sections, chemical composition and microhardness traverses across the bond line are presented. The mechanical response of the bonds was assessed under monotonic tensile loading conditions. The suitability of this solid state diffusion technique for the fabrication of engineering components is discussed.
Role of composition heterogeneity on fracture micromechanisms of nodular cast iron
Authors: Konečná R. , Lejček P. , Nicoletto G. , Bartuška P.
Published: December 2006

The aim of the present study is to explain the role of chemical composition and heterogeneity within the microstructure of nodular cast iron on the micromechanisms of fracture. The heterogeneity in chemical composition is revealed by a thorough study of the microstructure using scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and colour etching. The ferritic phase surrounding the graphite globules is enriched by silicon and depleted of manganese in the range of micrometres. Maximum manganese concentration is found in regions distant from these particles and in pearlitic regions. Simultaneously, ferritic grain boundaries in the vicinity of the graphite particles are enriched in phosphorus in the nanometer range. This interfacial segregation, reaching nearly 15 at.-%P, is most probably responsible for an embrittlement of these regions and the appearance of intercrystalline decohesion. An elastic-plastic finite element analysis of the ferritic/pearlitic microstructure demonstrates that a heterogeneous microstructure is locally subjected to heterogeneous stresses and strains, which are also expected to affect fracture mechanisms.
Effect of heat treatment on microstructure near diffusion bonding interface of Fe3Al/18-8 stainless steel
Authors: Ma H. J. , Li Y. J. , Wang J. , Yin Y. S.
Published: December 2006

The microstructure of Fe3Al/18-8 diffusion bonding joint after heat treatment was analysed by metalloscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The experimental results indicated that the size of grains near the Fe3Al/18-8 diffusion interface was decreased significantly and the microstructure near the interface became homogeneous. The precipitations also became tiny with regular shape and were distributed evenly at the interface region. The microhardness of the Fe3A1/18-8 diffusion bonding joint was decreased and no brittle phase with high microhardness existed near the interface after heat treatment. The suitable parameters of heat treatment were: heating temperature T=800°C, holding time t=30 min, furnace cooling to 700°C then air cooling.
Reactivity and thermal behaviour of Cu–Si/SiC composites: Effects of SiC oxidation
Authors: Narciso J. , Weber L. , Molina J. M. , Mortensen A. , Louis E.
Published: December 2006

The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion of Cu–Si/SiC particle reinforced composites, fabricated by pressure infiltration, have been investigated. To reduce (or avoid) reaction of liquid Cu with the SiC reinforcement, which has deleterious effects on both thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient, the SiC particles were oxidised at 1000°C before infiltration. While a small reduction in extent of reaction could be observed, manifest in a slight increase of thermal conductivity, the absolute value of the thermal conductivity was very low (between 40 and 70 W m−1 K−1), which is even lower than that of a Cu/SiO2 reference sample with a similar volume fraction of ceramic phase (160 W m−1 K−1). The pre-oxidation treatment increased the coefficient of thermal expansion from 9 to 11 ppm K−1.
Thermal synthesis of nanocrystalline fcc Fe–Ni alloy by gaseous reduction of coprecipitated NiFe2O4 from secondary resources
Authors: Abdel-Halim K. S. , Bahgat M. , Fouad O. A.
Published: December 2006

Nanocrystalline fcc Fe–Ni alloy has been fabricated by gaseous reduction of coprecipitated NiFe2O4 from fly ash. Pure crystalline nickel ferrite is obtained by thermal treatment of coprecipitated hydrated sulphate mixture of iron and nickel produced from treatment of fly ash. The produced powders of NiFe2O4 were isothermally reduced in pure hydrogen at 800–1100°C to synthesise fcc Fe–Ni alloy. The reduction behaviour of nanosized NiFe2O4 was investigated. The formed phases after reduction processes were identified by X-ray phase analysis. The microstructures of partially and completely reduced samples were examined by a scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope. The kinetics data obtained from reduction process were used to elucidate the reduction mechanism under isothermal condition. It was found that nanocrystalline fcc Fe–Ni alloy (Fe0·64Ni0·36) can be obtained from NiFe2O4 powders. The reduction rate increased with increasing reduction temperature in both the initial and final reduction stages. At the initial stages of reduction, the reaction rate was controlled by gaseous diffusion mechanism while the combination of gaseous diffusion and chemical reaction mechanism controlled the final stages. Grain growth and coalescence of the formed Fe0·64Ni0·36 grains took place by increasing the reduction temperature.
Interfacial reactions between AZ91D magnesium alloy and plaster mould material during investment casting
Authors: Sin S. Lun , Dubé D. , Tremblay R.
Published: December 2006

Reactions at the mould/metal interface play an important role in determining the quality of investment castings. They are particularly critical in the case of magnesium alloys cast in industrial plaster moulds. In this work, reactions of molten magnesium alloy with plaster mould were studied. First the potential interactions with mould materials (including gases) were examined using thermodynamic considerations. Then thin sheets of AZ91D magnesium alloy were cast in industrial plaster moulds using vacuum assistance: the surface of sheets and plaster mould were characterised. The analysis of reaction products indicates that magnesium vapours diffuse through the plaster and reduce the silica present in the investment material according to the following reaction: 4Mg + SiO2=2MgO + Mg2Si. The extent of reactions is controlled by mould temperature and thickness of castings.
Direct chill rheocasting (DCRC) of AZ31 Mg alloy
Authors: Zhang S. M. , Fan Z. , Zhen Z.
Published: December 2006

A new processing technology, direct chill rheocasting (DCRC), has recently been developed by BCAST at Brunel University, for production of high quality Mg alloy billets and slabs. In the present paper the authors present the DCRC process and experimental results on microstructure and mechanical properties of DCRC billets. Basically, the DCRC process consists of a high quality semisolid slurry supply system, continuously feeding a conventional direct chill caster, to produce billets or slabs. Experimental results show that the DCRC billets have a fine and uniform microstructure throughout the cross section, the average grain size being ∼50 μm. Direct extrusion of the DCRC billets was conducted to assess the deformability and mechanical properties after extrusion. The average grain size is <3 μm in the as extruded state. The increased deformability of the DCRC billets has been attributed to the fine and uniform microstructure, while the improved mechanical properties of the extruded product is attributed to the fine grain size.
Mammographic density: a hormonally responsive risk factor for breast cancer
Authors: Boyd Norman F , Martin Lisa J , Yaffe Martin J , Minkin Salomon
Published: December 2006

Mammographic density refers to radiologically dense breast tissue, and reflects variations in the tissue composition of the breast. It is positively associated with collagen and epithelial and non-epithelial cells, and negatively associated with fat. There is extensive evidence that mammographic density is a risk factor for breast cancer, independent of other risk factors, and is associated with large relative and attributable risks for the disease. The epidemiology of mammographic density, notably the inverse association with age, is consistent with it being a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer. Cumulative exposure to mammographic density may be an important determinant of the age-specific incidence of breast cancer in the population. All risk factors for breast cancer must ultimately exert their influence by an effect on the breast, and these findings suggest that, for at least some risk factors, this influence includes an effect on the number of cells and the quantity of collagen in the breast, which is reflected in differences in mammographic density. Many of the genetic and environmental factors that influence the risk of breast cancer affect the proliferative activity and quantity of stromal and epithelial tissue in the breast, and these effects are reflected in differences in mammographic density among women of the same age. Some of these influences include endogenous and exogenous hormones, and the menopause. A better understanding of the factors that influence the response of breast tissue to these hormonal exposures may lead to an improved understanding of the aetiology of mammographic density and of breast cancer.
Nutrition and cancer risk: an overview
Authors: Fernández Esteve , Gallus Silvano , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: December 2006

The role of diet in cancer is a major public health issue Foods associated with a low risk of cancer are those typically included in the so-called Mediterranean diet, which is also associated with low mortality rates from cardiovascular disease. Implementing such a diet would involve increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, whole-grain foods and fish, while reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates and red meat. In addition, olive oil should replace saturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish inhibit the growth in vitro of colon, breast and prostate cancers. Fibre can bind bile acids, which produce carcinogenic metabolites, and fermented fibre produces volatile fatty acids that can protect against colon cancer. It has been hypothesized that the anti-cancer actions of olive oil may relate to the ability of its mono-unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, to regulate oncogenes.
Cognitive function testing: the case for standardization and automation
Authors: Wesnes Keith A
Published: December 2006

This review considers the advantages that both standardization and automation of cognitive function testing can bring to clinical research. It reviews progress made in several fields of medicine with a standardized and automated cognitive function assessment system which has been in use in worldwide clinical trials for over 20 years. Data are presented showing the effects on cognitive function of both normal ageing and a variety of diseases. The utility of cognitive testing in the identification and classification of dementia is considered, and its ability to further our understanding of the cognitive sequelae of stroke is discussed. The correlation between assessments of cognitive function and patients' ability to undertake the activities of daily living is evaluated. Finally, the use of such techniques to identify beneficial effects of treatment in various conditions is described. The review concludes that standardization and automation of cognitive function testing have facilitated progress in a number of fields, and that the systematic application of such a technique in menopause research would greatly help advance our knowledge in this field.
Health benefits of weight reduction in postmenopausal women: a systematic review
Authors: Brown Tamara J
Published: December 2006

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effect on long-term health outcomes of lifestyle interventions designed to produce weight loss in postmenopausal women. A systematic search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and CINAHL databases retrieved four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one controlled clinical trial (CCT) of at least 24 weeks' duration as well as one systematic review. The majority of the studies recruited from the community, had samples with similar baseline characteristics and assessed completers only. Drop-out rates varied from 2.5% to 16%. All active-treatment arms demonstrated significant improvements in weight and body composition from baseline. Significant effects between treatment groups were shown only in intervention versus control studies. Significant weight loss was not accompanied by beneficial changes in cardiovascular risk factors in the majority of studies. None of the studies of weight loss reported disease outcomes. Weight loss in active-treatment arms varied from 1.5 kg to 9 kg over 6–12 months. The study that produced the greatest weight loss demonstrated improvements in risk factors and it may be that only this one study produced sufficient weight loss to do so. Many of the studies were probably underpowered and too short in duration to detect change in risk factors. Lifestyle interventions do produce weight loss in overweight postmenopausal women and have the potential to improve disease outcomes associated with overweight.
Hysterectomy and sexual function
Authors: Mokate Tefo , Wright Caroline , Mander Tony
Published: December 2006

Hysterectomy is one of the most common major gynaecological operations performed in the UK and the USA. Its impact on sexual function is a major cause of preoperative anxiety. Unfortunately, this anxiety is seldom articulated by patients, nor recognized and discussed by clinicians. Reports about the impact of hysterectomy on sexual function have been conflicting, partly due to the use of different and often unsatisfactory parameters to assess sexual function. The aim of this review is to assess the current evidence about the effect of hysterectomy on sexual function. Female sexual function is governed by psychological, social and physiological factors. A new model of 'the sexual response cycle', comprising physical, emotional and cognitive feedback, helps explain the sexual difficulties that arise before and after hysterectomy. Evidence is lacking for sexual dysfunction caused by the disruption of local nerve and blood supply, or by changing anatomical relationships. Removal of the ovaries at hysterectomy is associated with no change or even an improvement in sexual function, particularly in women on hormone replacement therapy. Thus, overall, hysterectomy improves sexual function, regardless of surgical method or removal of the cervix. This is probably due to the amelioration of the symptoms that have previously had a negative effect on sexual function.
Perceptions and correlates of peer‐victimization and bullying
Authors: Hunter Simon C. , Boyle James M. E. , Warden David.
Published: December 2006

Background. The experiences of peer‐victimization and bullying are often treated empirically as though they are conceptually indistinct. Both involve repeated aggression, but definitions of bullying additionally emphasize the importance of aggressor intent and imbalance of power between the aggressor and the victim (Olweus, 1978; Whitney & Smith, 1993).

Aims. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which peer‐victimization and bullying are empirically similar.

Sample. The sample comprised 1,429 pupils (50.2% male) aged between 8 and 13 years attending mainstream Scottish schools.

Method. Self‐report questionnaire assessing peer‐victimization and bullying, coping strategy use (WCCL: Hunter, 2000), situational appraisal and depressive symptomatology (Birleson, 1981).

Results. Almost one‐third (30.7%) of pupils reported experiencing peer‐victimization, and of these 38.1% (11.7% of whole sample) were categorized as victims of bullying. Victims of bullying perceived higher levels of threat and lower levels of perceived control. They also reported using more Wishful Thinking and Social Support coping strategies, but did not differ on Problem Focused coping. Bullied pupils also reported higher levels of depressive symptomatology.

Conclusions. Peer‐victimization and bullying appear to be qualitatively different experiences for children and adolescents, with bullying being the more serious phenomenon.