bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is manualized family‐based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa acceptable to patients? Patient satisfaction at the end of treatment
Authors: Krautter Tonja , Lock James
Published: January 2004

Patient satisfaction with treatment sheds light on the acceptability, disseminability and usefulness of treatments. This study aimed to assess the perspectives of families who completed treatment using a manual‐driven family‐based treatment for anorexia nervosa. We hypothesized that overall, manualized treatment would be viewed as acceptable and helpful, but that none the less, a proportion of patients would identify a wish for other types or additional therapy. A total of thirty‐four families participated in the survey. Results suggest that patients and families viewed the treatment as highly effective and acceptable. However, approximately a quarter suggested that individual therapy, more family therapy, and focusing on other issues besides anorexia nervosa would improve treatment. These data suggest that a manual‐driven family‐based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa is acceptable to adolescents and their parents, though modifications to include additional therapy and individual therapy might be considered in some cases.
Politics, Evidence and the New Aid Agenda
Authors: Killick Tony
Published: January 2004

Based on study of (a) the HIPC debt relief initiative, (b) the linking of aid to policy conditionality and (c) transactions‐cost arguments in favour of programme aid, this article argues that major elements in the new aid agenda may not be well‐based empirically. This is partly because of inadequate knowledge, but particularly because the evidence often conflicts with political preferences. As a result, it is likely that large amounts of aid resources are being misdirected. Ways are suggested of narrowing the gap between evidence‐based and ‘political’ decision‐making. In the meantime, donors should avoid diverting more aid into debt relief, should roll back their reliance on policy conditionality, and should exercise pragmatic caution in the expansion of programme assistance.
IMF Gold and the World Bank's Unfunded HIPC Deficit
Authors: Sanford Jonathan E.
Published: January 2004

The World Bank is to forgive $12.24 billion in IDA debt payments from HIPC borrowers. It has received $1 billion from the HIPC Trust Fund to help offset these losses, but still has a $11.6 billion unfunded liability. The IMF has gold worth $38 billion on hand for which it has no actual use. This article proposes that a small portion of IMF gold be sold annually, just enough to offset IDA's annual HIPC deficit, over the next twenty years. The new money would be additional and predictable, and would eliminate the prospect that IDA would have to cut back its future flow of aid because the HIPC programme had drained its resources.
Perennialism and Poverty Reduction
Authors: Poole Nigel D.
Published: January 2004

This article, which is both conceptual and a synthesis of the literature, considers the research component of poverty alleviation strategies for people whose livelihoods depend significantly on tree and forest resources. Two policy approaches are contrasted: enhancing the utilisation of indigenous tree species within the household and the local economy, and integrating tree and forest‐dependent peoples into the wider economy by promoting the commercialisation of conventional tree crop production. It is argued that the discussion is relevant for other poor peoples who depend on perennial production systems, and that the conclusions contribute to the wider debate about remoteness, market access, decentralisation and targeting in policy formulation, and globalisation.
Young adult follow‐up of hyperactive children: antisocial activities and drug use
Authors: Barkley Russell A. , Fischer Mariellen , Smallish Lori , Fletcher Kenneth
Published: January 2004

Background:  Hyperactive/ADHD children are believed to be a greater risk for adolescent and young adult antisocial activity and drug use/abuse, particularly that subset having comorbid conduct problems/disorder.

Method:  We report on the lifetime antisocial activities and illegal drug use self‐reported at young adult follow‐up (mean age 20–21 years; 13+ year follow‐up) for a large sample of hyperactive (H; N = 147) and community control (CC; N = 73) children. Parent reports of childhood hyperactivity and conduct problems at study entry, parent and self‐reports of ADHD and conduct disorder at adolescence, and parent reports of ADHD at young adulthood are examined for their contribution to antisocial behavior and drug use at adulthood.

Results:  More of the H group committed a variety of antisocial acts and had been arrested for doing so (corroborated through official arrest records) than did the CC group. The H group also committed a higher frequency of property theft, disorderly conduct, assault with fists, carrying a concealed weapon, and illegal drug possession, as well as more arrests. These activities reduced to two dimensions corresponding to predatory‐overt and drug‐related antisocial conduct. The H group differed from the CC group only on the latter dimension. Childhood, adolescent, and adult ADHD predicted higher drug‐related activities, as did childhood conduct problems. The H group with conduct disorder (CD) reported greater use of most substances than did the H only or CC groups, who did not differ from each other. Severity of teen ADHD and especially lifetime CD predicted use of hard drugs while just lifetime CD predicted marijuana/LSD use. Teen drug use seemed to potentiate increased drug‐related antisocial activities beyond the contribution made by teen CD.

Conclusions:  Hyperactive children are at greater risk for antisocial activities and arrests by young adulthood that appear to be principally associated with illegal drug possession, use, and sale. Those having CD, however, appear to engage in greater and more diverse substance use.
Adult outcome for children with autism
Authors: Howlin Patricia , Goode Susan , Hutton Jane , Rutter Michael
Published: January 2004

Background:  Information on long‐term prognosis in autism is limited. Outcome is known to be poor for those with an IQ below 50, but there have been few systematic studies of individuals with an IQ above this.

Method:  Sixty‐eight individuals meeting criteria for autism and with a performance IQ of 50 or above in childhood were followed up as adults. Their mean age when first seen was 7 years (range 3–15 years); at follow‐up the average age was 29 years (range 21–48 years). Outcome measures included standardised cognitive, language and attainment tests. Information on social, communication and behavioural problems was obtained from the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI).

Results:  Although a minority of adults had achieved relatively high levels of independence, most remained very dependent on their families or other support services. Few lived alone, had close friends, or permanent employment. Communication generally was impaired, and reading and spelling abilities were poor. Stereotyped behaviours or interests frequently persisted into adulthood. Ten individuals had developed epilepsy. Overall, only 12% were rated as having a ‘Very Good’ outcome; 10% were rated as ‘Good’ and 19% as ‘Fair’. The majority was rated as having a ‘Poor’ (46%) or ‘Very Poor’ (12%) outcome. Individuals with a childhood performance IQ of at least 70 had a significantly better outcome than those with an IQ below this. However, within the normal IQ range outcome was very variable and, on an individual level, neither verbal nor performance IQ proved to be consistent prognostic indicators.

Conclusions:  Although outcome for adults with autism has improved over recent years, many remain highly dependent on others for support. This study provides some information on prognostic indicators, but more fine‐grained research is needed into the childhood variables that are associated with good or poor outcome.
Continuities in antisocial behavior and parenting across three generations
Authors: Smith Carolyn A. , Farrington David P.
Published: January 2004

Background:  Accumulating evidence indicates that there are intergenerational continuities in antisocial behavior, and that parenting patterns play a role in these continuities. Very few studies, however, enable assessment across two generations of children at comparable ages, employing independent reporters and comparable measurements. The present study addresses the extent to which antisocial behavior in parents predicts antisocial behavior in children in two successive generations; the degree to which a man's childhood antisocial behavior predicts antisocial behavior in his own children; the extent to which parenting problems are related to child antisocial behavior similarly in two successive generations; and the extent to which intergenerational continuities in antisocial behavior are mediated by parenting variables.

Methods:  Questions are addressed with prospective longitudinal data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD). The CSDD includes data on 411 Inner London males (Generation 2, or G2), their female partners, their parents (G1) and their children (G3). At time 1, when G2 were aged 8–10, data on G2 child conduct problems and G1 parenting and convictions were available. At time 2 when G2 males were aged 32, data were available on the parenting of 178 G2 fathers with G3 children aged 3–15, and on their G3 children's behavior. Time 1 data come predominantly from G1 mothers, whereas time 2 data come predominantly from G2 fathers.

Results:  Between generations, antisocial G1 mothers and fathers predicted conduct problems in G2 and G3 children, but G2 child conduct problems did not predict G3 child conduct problems. Within generations, G2 child conduct problems predicted G2 adult antisocial behavior and antisocial partnerships, which in turn predicted G3 conduct problems. Parental conflict and authoritarian parenting were similarly related to early childhood conduct problems in two successive generations. There was relatively little continuity between G1 and G2 parenting except that G2 males who were poorly supervised by their parents were themselves poor supervisors as fathers. Both G1 and G2 generations displayed assortative mating, with antisocial males tending to partner antisocial female peers.

Conclusions:  There are between‐generation and within‐generation continuities in antisocial behavior, although assessment of such continuities is complicated by inevitable design and measurement limitations. Parenting partly mediated the impact of parental antisocial behavior on child antisocial behavior in two successive generations, but the relation between antisocial parents and antisocial children is not fully mediated by parenting variables.
Disagreement between parent and adolescent reports of functional impairment
Authors: Kramer Teresa L. , Phillips Susan D. , Hargis Michael B. , Miller Terri L. , Burns Barbara J. , Robbins James M.
Published: January 2004

Objective:  Adolescents’ functional impairment has become increasingly important as a criterion for diagnosis and service eligibility as well as a target of therapeutic intervention in mental health settings. This study examines three critical issues in measuring functioning: 1) agreement between parent and adolescent reports of functioning, 2) explanations for disagreement, and 3) clinicians’ ratings of functioning compared with parent and adolescent reports.

Methods:  Agreement between parent and adolescent reports of functioning was estimated using the kappa statistic and conditional agreement in a sample of 258 adolescents. Rates of and reasons for expected disagreements between informants were explored in semi‐structured interviews (n = 43). ANOVA was calculated for clinician ratings for parent–adolescent pairs categorized on the basis of their agreement or disagreement on impairment. Finally, the independent contribution of parents’ or adolescents’ reports of impairment on clinician ratings of functioning was examined.

Results:  From 12% to 97% of problems reported by one informant were denied by the other. Agreement was particularly poor for questions about relationships with friends, peers’ delinquent behaviors, and leisure activities. On average, parents and adolescents were more likely to expect the other would agree with their ratings rather than disagree. Reasons for disagreement included: 1) differences in how parents and adolescents interpreted questions; 2) lack of parental awareness of adolescents’ behaviors; and 3) different thresholds for what is considered problematic. Results also demonstrated that clinicians perceive problems reported only by parents as somewhat more serious than problems reported only by adolescents.

Conclusions:  Implications for diagnosis, treatment planning and outcomes measurement are discussed.
AD/HD and the capture of attention by briefly exposed delay‐related cues: evidence from a conditioning paradigm
Authors: Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J.S. , Houwer Jan De , Ruiter Karen De , Ajzenstzen Michal , Holland Sarah
Published: January 2004

Background:  The selective attention of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) to briefly exposed delay‐related cues was examined in two experiments using a dot‐probe conditioning paradigm.

Method:  Colour cues were paired with negatively (i.e., imposition of delay) and positively valenced cues (i.e., escape from or avoidance of delay) during a conditioning phase. These cues were presented alongside neutral cues in a subsequent dot‐probe detection phase.

Results:  In experiment 1 teacher‐identified children with AD/HD (N = 12), but not controls (N = 12), displayed an attentional bias towards both positively and negatively valenced cues. In experiment 2 children with a diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder (N = 15), but not controls (N = 15), displayed a bias towards delay‐related cues. However, this effect was largely carried by the response to positively valenced cues.

Conclusions:  These results confirm the dot‐probe conditioning paradigm as a useful test of motivational influence on attention. They provide the first evidence of qualitative differences in the attentional style of children with AD/HD and give further support to those theories that highlight the motivational significance of delay in AD/HD.
Explicit phoneme training combined with phonic reading instruction helps young children at risk of reading failure
Authors: Hatcher Peter J. , Hulme Charles , Snowling Margaret J.
Published: January 2004

Background:  We evaluate the effectiveness of three theoretically motivated programmes for the teaching of reading to four‐year‐old children.

Method:  Four hundred and ten children, of pre‐kindergarten age, in 20 UK Reception‐year classrooms were divided into four matched groups and randomly assigned to one of three experimental teaching conditions, Reading with Rhyme, Reading with Phoneme, Reading with Rhyme and Phoneme, or to a taught control condition (Reading). In each condition the Reading element contained a strong phonic component.

Results:  There were no selective effects of the different experimental teaching programmes for normally developing children. However, for those children identified as being at risk of reading failure, training in phoneme skills resulted in selective gains in phoneme awareness and in reading skills.

Conclusions:  A reading programme that contains a highly structured phonic component is sufficient for most 4.5‐year‐old children to master the alphabetic principle and to learn to read effectively, without additional explicit phonological training. In contrast, for young children at risk of reading delay, additional training in phoneme awareness and linking phonemes with letters is beneficial.
Failure to thrive in the term and preterm infants of mothers depressed in the postnatal period: a population‐based birth cohort study
Authors: Drewett Robert , Blair Peter , Emmett Pauline , Emond Alan ,   the ALSPAC Study Team
Published: January 2004

Aims:  To examine the relationship between failure to thrive in preterm and term infants and postnatal depression in their mothers.

Method:  In a whole population birth cohort of 12,391 infants (excluding those born after term or with major congenital abnormalities) failure to thrive over the first nine months was identified using a conditional weight gain criterion which identified the slowest‐gaining 5%. Depression symptoms were recorded using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and at 8 weeks and 8 months after delivery.

Results:  After the birth, high depression scores were significantly more common in the mothers of infants born preterm, and controlling for depression scores in pregnancy did not eliminate this association after the birth. Failure to thrive was identified in 4.5% of the children born at term (531/11718) and in 8.3% of those born preterm (56/673). The difference was highly significant (χ2 = 20.25 with 1 df, p < .0001). Using a conventional cut‐off on the EPDS (score >12) to identify mothers as ‘depressed’, the prevalence of failure to thrive in the term infants of mothers depressed at 8 weeks postpartum was 5.0%; in the remainder of the population (controls) it was 4.3%. In mothers depressed at 8 months the prevalence was 4.3% in both groups. The prevalence of failure to thrive in the preterm infants of mothers depressed at 8 weeks was 8.8% (7.0% in controls) and in those depressed at 8 months it was 12.3% (6.7% in controls). None of these differences in prevalence was statistically significant, and significant differences did not emerge from further analyses using more stringent criteria for depression.

Conclusions:  Preterm births are specifically associated with high maternal depression scores in the postpartum period, and with a higher prevalence of failure to thrive. High depression scores in the postpartum period are not themselves associated with a higher prevalence of failure to thrive, however, either in infants born at term or in those born preterm.
Early childcare and physical aggression: differentiating social selection and social causation
Authors: Borge Anne I.H. , Rutter Michael , Côté Sylvana , Tremblay Richard E.
Published: January 2004

Background:  Some research findings have suggested that group day‐care may be associated with an increased risk for physical aggression.

Methods:  Cross‐sectional maternal questionnaire data from a representative sample of 3431 Canadian 2‐ to 3‐year‐olds were used to compare rates of physical aggression shown by children looked after by their own mothers and those attending group day‐care. A family risk index (using occupational level, maternal education, size of sibship, and family functioning) was created to test whether any difference in physical aggression might reflect social selection rather than social causation.

Results:  Aggression was significantly more common in children looked after by their own mothers than in those attending group day‐care. Strong social selection associated with family risk was found, not only in the sample as a whole, but even within the high‐risk subsample. However, after taking social selection into account, physical aggression was significantly more common in children from high‐risk families looked after by their own parents. No such difference was evident in the majority (84%) of children from low‐risk families.

Conclusion:  Insofar as there are any risks for physical aggression associated with homecare they apply only to high‐risk families.
Major depression and conduct disorder in youth: associations with parental psychopathology and parent–child conflict
Authors: Marmorstein Naomi R. , Iacono William G.
Published: January 2004

Background:  This study examined conduct disorder (CD) and major depression (MDD) in adolescents in relationship to parent–child conflict and psychopathology in their parents.

Method:  Participants were drawn from a population‐based sample of twins and their families. Affected participants had lifetime diagnoses of CD and/or MDD; controls had no history of either disorder.

Results:  The presence of CD or MDD in an adolescent was related to increased rates of maternal MDD and paternal antisocial behavior. Both CD and MDD in adolescents were directly associated with high parent–child conflict. This association appeared unrelated to whether the father had a history of antisocial behavior; however, the association between mother–child conflict and psychopathology in the child was related to the mother having a history of MDD as well.

Conclusion:  The implications of these findings for the complex relationship between parental diagnoses, child diagnoses, and parent–child conflict are discussed.
Adolescents in rural communities seeking help: who reports problems and who sees professionals?
Authors: Sears Heather A.
Published: January 2004

Background:  This study examined whether adolescents who were at various stages of the help‐seeking process differed on demographic characteristics, use of informal helpers, and markers of emotional and behavioral adjustment.

Method:  Youths (N = 644; Grades 7–12) living in three rural communities completed a survey at school. Three comparisons were made: teenagers who reported having serious problems versus few or no problems in the past year; teenagers who felt that they did or did not need professional help with these problems; and teenagers who had or had not sought professional help.

Results:  Rural youths with serious problems were more likely to be girls and to be living with someone other than a parent, were less likely to talk to family members about problems, and reported more negative emotional and behavioral adjustment. Teenagers who perceived a need for professional help also reported poorer emotional and behavioral adjustment. Adolescents who sought professional help were more likely to be in senior high, were less likely to talk to others about problems, and were lower on anxiety.

Conclusions:  Rural adolescents’ demographic characteristics, use of informal helpers, and markers of emotional and behavioral adjustment each contribute to our understanding of their help‐seeking behavior. Future studies must examine how these and other variables combine to discern who reports problems, who perceives a need for help, and who sees professionals.
Culture, Context, and Homicide of the Elderly
Authors: Weaver Greg S. , Martin Cathy D. , Petee Thomas A.
Published: January 2004

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the criminal victimization of elderly persons. Given that homicides of the elderly are thought to occur primarily in the context of robbery/burglary situations, this study seeks to identify situational as well as structural and cultural factors that influence the murder of older persons. In particular, it has been noted that Southern culture promotes a notion that one should ‘respect their elders.’ Using conservative Protestant affiliation as a proxy for Southern culture, this study also examines the relationship between Southern culture and homicide of the elderly. Findings show that Southern culture as reflected in conservative Protestant affiliation does not insulate the elderly from victimization.
Dialogic Framing: The Framing/Counterframing of “Partial‐Birth” Abortion
Authors: Esacove Anne W
Published: January 2004

Using the framing process of “partial‐birth” abortion (PBA) as an exemplifying case, this paper proposes a dialogic model of framing in which meaning is created and recreated through an iterative, discursive process. Materials developed by six social movement organizations that lead the PBA framing process were analyzed to chronicle the evolution of the PBA frame, as well as factors that influenced this evolution. Movement and countermovement actors attempted to imbue PBA with meaning in such a manner as to motivate and direct action to support their overarching political goals. Rather than two distinct parallel frames battling against each other, this process is better conceptualized as the evolution of a single frame, created in interaction with the framing of one's opponents. A dialectic model of framing provides a framework for examining the process by which cultural meanings are contested and how these meanings are transformed through collective action. Such a model also potentially expands the definition of successful frame and better illuminates the symbiotic relationship between movements and countermovements actors.
Religion, Religiosity, and Nonmarital Sexual Conduct: An Application of Reference Group Theory
Authors: Cochran John K. , Chamlin Mitchell B. , Beeghley Leonard , Fenwick Melissa
Published: January 2004

The research reported within examines two hypotheses derived from reference group theory regarding the inverse effects of religiosity on the prevalence of premarital, extramarital, and homosexual relations across faith groups. The first hypothesis asserts that the strength of these inverse religiosity effects varies systematically across faith groups, such that as religious proscriptiveness increases, the effect of religiosity increases. The second hypothesis predicts that there will also be systematic variation in these effects across these forms of nonmarital sexual relations such that faith group variation in the effects of personal religiosity will be most evident with regard to premarital sexual relations but relatively invariant with regard to extramarital and homosexual relations. Using logistic regression analyses with data available in the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) 1988–1996 General Social Surveys, we find a mixed pattern of results which provides limited support for these hypotheses.
Erythrodermic chronic actinic dermatitis responding only to topical tacrolimus
Authors: Evans A. V. , Palmer R. A. , Hawk J. L. M.
Published: January 2004

Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is a disorder characterized by an often severe persistent eczematous eruption induced by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Treatment involves photoprotective measures and topical corticosteroid therapy and in more severe cases, systemic immunosuppression. Occasionally, however, the condition can prove very resistant to all therapy and be severely disabling. We report a patient with CAD who resisted standard topical and systemic treatments, but responded to topical tacrolimus ointment 0.1% (Protopic®).
Skin autofluorescence as a biological UVR dosimeter
Authors: Sandby‐Møller J. , Thieden E. , Philipsen P. A. , Heydenreich J. , Wulf H. C.
Published: January 2004

Background/Purpose: Collagen is one of the major endogenous skin fluorophores. Alteration in the structure of collagen due to chronic ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure may influence the intensity of the autofluorescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between collagen‐linked autofluorescence and sun exposure to clarify whether the skin can be used as a biological UVR dosimeter.

Methods: We conducted an in vivo study with 131 healthy volunteers. Fluorescence was measured from sun‐exposed (dorsal forearm, forehead and shoulder) and sun‐protected (buttock) skin and corrected for the impact of pigmentation and redness. The excitation wavelengths (Ex) and emission wavelengths (Em) were: Ex330:Em370, Ex330:Em455 and Ex370:Em455 nm. Individual UVR exposure data were collected both retrospectively and prospectively using questionnaires and electronic personal UVR dosimeters for a summer period.

Results: Age, but not sex, skin type or smoking habits correlated significantly positively with skin autofluorescence at Ex370:Em455 at all body sites (P<0.001, r2=0.08–0.26), and at Ex330:Em455 only at the buttock (P=0.001, r2=0.08), whereas age was not correlated with Ex330:Em370. Sun‐protected buttock skin had significantly higher autofluorescence than sun‐exposed skin (P‐values<0.0001).

Because of great between‐subject differences in autofluorescence at different body sites, and because the autofluorescence at the unexposed buttock represents the baseline value, individual correction of skin autofluorescence measurement with that of the buttock was performed. Different measures of individual chronic cumulative UVR doses correlated significantly negatively with the skin autofluorescence ratio (Fratio), but the correlations were poor (r2=0.03–0.10).

Conclusion: The results indicate that the collagen‐linked skin Fratio might be best to use as a measure of individual photodamage, a UVR dose effect, and that it is also a better marker of individual cumulative UVR dose than the used UVR exposure measurements. The methods used to obtain UVR exposure data might not be sensitive and specific enough.
Ocular lens blue autofluorescence cannot be used as a measure of individual cumulative UVR exposure
Authors: Sandby‐Møller Jane , Thieden Elisabeth , Alshede philipsen Peter , Schmidt Grethe , Christian wulf Hans
Published: January 2004

Background/Purpose: The accumulation of fluorophores in the ocular lens with age might be caused by ultraviolet solar radiation (UVR) exposure, but evidence of a relation between individual cumulative UVR exposure and lens autofluorescence is lacking. Individually determined UVR exposure has never before been related to lens autofluorescence, and the aim of this study was to investigate if ocular lens blue autofluorescence can be used as a biological UVR dosimeter.

Methods: Ocular lens autofluorescence was quantified in vivo by fluorescence spectroscopy in 145 volunteers (108 healthy subjects, 18 with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 19 with cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM)). The excitation wavelength was 350 nm and the fluorescence emission was 450 nm. Individual UVR exposure data were collected both retrospectively and prospectively using questionnaires and electronic personal UVR dosimeters.

Results: Lens blue autofluorescence increased significantly with age (P=0.01), and females had significantly higher autofluorescence than males (P=0.024); the two factors explained 10% of the total variation in lens autofluorescence. Neither smoking habits nor use of glasses/contact lenses or sunglasses influenced autofluorescence. No correlations between autofluorescence and UVR exposure measurements were found, and neither was there a difference in autofluorescence between groups with high and low UVR exposure (P‐values>0.1), respectively. MM patients had significantly (P=0.019) higher autofluorescence than healthy subjects when age and sex differences were taken into account; no such difference (P=0.097) was detected between BCC patients and healthy subjects.

Conclusion: The results indicate that age and gender only play a minor role in the level of lens blue autofluorescence. Exposure to UVR has been suggested to be responsible for a part of the age‐related increase in autofluorescence, but this could not be confirmed in this study. The higher level of lens autofluorescence found in MM patients might be due to genetics rather than higher cumulative UVR exposure. In conclusion, ocular lens blue autofluorescence cannot be used as a biological UVR dosimeter.
Iron chelation can modulate UVA‐induced lipid peroxidation and ferritin expression in human reconstructed epidermis
Authors: Seité Sophie , Popovic Evelyne , Verdier Marie Paule , Roguet Roland , Portes Pascal , Cohen Catherine , Fourtanier Anny , Galey Jean Baptiste
Published: January 2004

Background/Purpose: As ferritin has been identified as an important factor in antioxidant defense in cultured human skin cells, we evaluated UVA‐induced lipid hydroperoxides (LPO) production and ferritin expression in reconstructed human epidermis in vitro.

Results: Ferritin is regularly present in the basal layer of unirradiated epidermis both in the human skin in vivo and in the reconstructed human epidermis in vitro. Following acute UVA exposure, ferritin expression increased in basal epidermal cells in both models. Quantitative analysis showed that, in reconstructed human epidermis, LPO and ferritin levels increased linearly with the UVA dose. An iron chelator, OR10141, inhibited these inductions.

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that reconstructed human epidermis is a useful in vitro model to study UVA‐induced oxidative stress and protection afforded by iron chelators, antioxidants or UVA absorbers.
Effect of clothing varieties on solar photosynthesis of previtamin D3: an in vitro study
Authors: Salih Fadhil M.
Published: January 2004

Background/Purpose: Vitamin D3 plays important roles in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract and in the treatment of rickets; in addition, it facilitates the deposition of minerals in bones, thus minimizing the possibility of developing osteomalacia. Sunlight naturally induces vitamin D3 photosynthesis. Such a process is affected by a number of factors such as age, geographical location, skin color, sunscreen application and clothing. It is intended in the present investigation to study in vitro the effect of clothing on the solar photoproduction of vitamin D3.

Methods: Fifteen different fabric samples were tested for their effect on the efficiency of the in vitro solar conversion of 7‐dehydrocholesterol (7‐DHC) to vitamin D3. 7‐DHC was dissolved in methanol to give a concentration of 2.6×10−4 M. Solutions were exposed to sunlight in quartz containers for predetermined periods either uncovered or covered with the fabric sample under test. Changes in the concentrations of 7‐DHC and the photoproducts were monitored by HPLC. Fabrics were graded as the number of threads per square inch (in2), and their sunlight attenuation was determined.

Results: 7‐DHC is transformed to previtamin D3 upon exposure to sunlight, and the amount generated exhibited an almost linear relationship. When fabric‐covered samples of 7‐DHC were irradiated, photoproducts were also detected and their concentrations depended on the degree of sunlight attenuation imposed by the fabric. Generally, the higher the number of threads per in2 the more the light attenuation produced.

Conclusion: Clothing plays an important role in attenuating sunlight, thus leading to diminished vitamin D3 production to an extent that would require dietary compensation.
Topical exposure to exogenous ultraviolet‐irradiated urocanic acid enhances Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in a Crl:IAF(HA)‐hrBR hairless guinea‐pig model of Buruli ulcer disease
Authors: Cope R. B. , Stang B. , Valentine B. A. , Bermudez L. E.
Published: January 2004

Background: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) pre‐exposure enhances Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in the Crl:IAF(HA)‐hrBR hairless guinea‐pig, possibly via a photoimmunosuppressive mechanism. The trans–cis photoisomerization of epidermal urocanic acid is an important initiator of the web of events leading to photoimmunosuppression. Thus, the hypothesis tested in this paper was that topical pre‐exposure to UVR‐irradiated urocanic acid mixture containing cis‐urocanic acid (UVR‐UCA) enhances the ulcerative form of M. ulcerans infection in the Crl:IAF(HA)‐hrBR hairless guinea‐pig model of human Buruli ulcer disease.

Methods: Groups of six animals were subjected to daily topical treatment with either 0 (vehicle only), 0.1, 0.5 or 1 mg of trans (tUCA) or UVR‐UCA (contained a cis : trans urocanic acid isomer ratio of 1 : 9) for three consecutive days. A sham treatment group was also included in the experiment. Three days following their final treatment, the guinea‐pigs were intradermally infected in the right dorsal flank with 1.5×107 CFU of M. ulcerans in 0.1 ml of phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) and sham infected with 0.1 ml of PBS in the left dorsal flank. The resultant skin lesions were then measured over the next 21 days. At day 21 postinfection, the animals were tested for delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactivity to M. ulcerans cell fragment antigens (MCF).

Results: Distinct, well‐demarcated, dermally situated skin nodules were present at infected, but not sham‐infected, skin sites by day 3 postinfection, and the lesions progressed to frank ulcers by day 5. Between days 5 and 21, the mean lesion diameters of the UVR‐UCA‐treated animals were significantly (P<0.001) greater than those of the sham, vehicle only or tUCA‐treated groups. UVR‐UCA‐treated guinea‐pigs also had significantly (P<0.001) suppressed DTH responses to MCF compared with the other treatment groups. There were no significant (P>0.4) differences between the lesion sizes and DTH responses of the tUCA, vehicle only or sham treatment groups. These results demonstrate that topical exposure to UVR‐UCA promotes M. ulcerans infection and suppresses DTH responses to M. uclerans antigens in infected animals. These results lend credence to the hypothesis that UVR‐mediated enhancement of Buruli ulcer disease in the Crl:IAF(HA)‐hrBR hairless guinea‐pig model occurs via modulation of cis‐urocanic acid‐susceptible immune pathways.
Reducing the Dynamic Errors of Coordinate Measuring Machines
Authors: Dong Chensong , Zhang Chuck , Wang Ben , Zhang Guoxiong
Published: January 2004

Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are already widely utilized as measuring tools in the modern manufacturing industry. Fast and accurate probing is the current trend for the next generation of CMMs. However, measuring velocity of CMM applications are limited by dynamic errors that occur in CMMs. In this paper, the dynamic errors of coordinate measuring machines are analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The limited stiffness of air bearings were found to cause dynamic errors due to the existence of Abbe’s offsets. The characteristics of the air bearings used on CMMs were modeled by the finite element analysis (FEA). The load capacity and stiffness of the air bearings were computed. Using this model, the dynamic errors of the CMM were reduced through revising the air bearing design. To verify the effectiveness of this approach, the performance of the air bearings was tested both statically and dynamically. The results show that the dynamic errors can be significantly reduced.
Trajectory Planning for Constrained Parallel Manipulators
Authors: Su Hai-Jun , Dietmaier Peter , McCarthy J. Michael
Published: January 2004

This paper presents an algorithm for generating trajectories for multi-degree of freedom spatial linkages, termed constrained parallel manipulators. These articulated systems are formed by supporting a workpiece, or end-effector, with a set of serial chains, each of which imposes a constraint on the end-effector. Our goal is to plan trajectories for systems that have workspaces ranging from two through five degrees-of-freedom. This is done by specifying a goal trajectory and finding the system trajectory that comes closest to it using a dual quaternion metric. We enumerate these parallel mechanisms and formulate a general numerical approach for their analysis and trajectory planning. Examples are provided to illustrate the results.
Experimental Studies Assessing the Repeatability of a Functional Modeling Derivation Method
Authors: Kurfman Mark A. , Stock Michael E. , Stone Robert B. , Rajan Jagan , Wood Kristin L.
Published: January 2004

This paper presents the results of research attempts to substantiate repeatability and uniqueness claims of a functional model derivation method following a hypothesis generation and testing procedure outlined in design research literature. Three experiments are constructed and carried out with a participant pool that possesses a range of engineering design skill levels. The experiments test the utility of a functional model derivation method to produce repeatable functional models for a given product among different designers. In addition to this, uniqueness of the functional models produced by the participants is examined. Results indicate the method enhances repeatability and leads designers toward a unique functional model of a product. Shortcomings of the method and opportunities for improvement are also identified.
Free Vibration Analysis of Planar Flexible Mechanisms
Authors: Yu S. D. , Xi F.
Published: January 2004

This paper presents a methodology for accurate free vibration analysis of planar flexible mechanisms. Each flexible body is considered as a beam and modelled using higher-order beam elements for longitudinal and flexural deformations. The global equations of motion for a mechanism consisting of multiple flexible bodies are formulated using the augmented Lagrange equations. Free vibration analyses are conducted at desired fast Fourier configurations to determine instantaneous structural natural frequencies and structural mode shapes. Dynamical frequencies and dynamical mode shapes incorporating the gyroscopic effects and dynamic axial loads are obtained using the modal summation method. Numerical results and comparisons are given for a rotating beam and two four-bar crank-rocker mechanisms.
A Study on Noise in Synchronous Belt Drives (Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Impact Sound)
Authors: Zhang Weiming , Koyama Tomio
Published: January 2004

There are two kinds of noise in synchronous belt drives. One is steady sound caused by transverse vibration of the belt, and the other is impact sound radiating from the meshing point of the belt and pulley. In this study, a theoretical analysis is provided to prove the generation mechanism of the impact sound and discuss factors that influence the level of sound. Comparison between experimental and analytical results is carried out. It is concluded that the level of impact sound is in proportion to the belt width, and the acoustic energy of impact sound is in proportion to the cube of the belt width.
A Two-Property Yield, Failure (Fracture) Criterion for Homogeneous, Isotropic Materials
Authors: Christensen Richard M.
Published: January 2004

A critical review is given of the various historical attempts to formulate a general, three-dimensional theory of failure for broad classes of homogeneous, isotropic elastic materials. Following that, a recently developed two-parameter yield/failure criterion is compared with the historical efforts and it is further interpreted and extended. Specifically, the yield/failure criterion is combined with a fracture restriction that places limits on certain tensile stress states, without involving any additional parameters. An evaluation is conducted using available experimental data obtained from a variety of materials types. The two materials parameters are given a primary designation as yield type properties over a specified range of ductile behavior, and as failure or fracture type properties over the complementary brittle range.
Influence of Extra Coarse Grains on the Creep Properties of 9 Percent CrMoV (P91) Steel Weldment
Authors: Wu Rui , Sandstro¨m Rolf , Seitisleam Facredin
Published: January 2004

With modern welding methods, satisfactory microstructures in 9%CrMoV (P91) steel can be obtained with a modest variation in hardness and prior austenite grain size. However, there is always a risk that significant deviations in the properties can be obtained, if the welding parameters are not optimized. In the present paper the role of extra coarse grains in the heat affected zone (HAZ) has been studied. Creep tests were carried out at 600°C for parent metal, weld metal, cross weld, simulated extra coarse grained HAZ, and simulated intercritical HAZ of a 9%CrMoV (P91) steel. The parent metal, the cross welds, the weld metal, and the simulated intercritical HAZ had about the same rupture strength except at long rupture times, where the values for the cross welds were considerably lower. In the cross welds, rupture took place in the intercritical HAZ at longer times (Type IV cracking). The simulated extra coarse grains gave considerably longer rupture times, lower strain rate and lower creep ductility than the parent metal and the weld metal. The creep strain behavior was successfully analyzed using the Omega model where the log creep strain rate is linear in the creep strain.
A Study of Thermal Fracture in Functionally Graded Thermal Barrier Coatings Using a Cohesive Zone Model
Authors: Rangaraj Sudarshan , Kokini Klod
Published: January 2004

This work describes the application of two-dimensional finite element models with a cohesive zone to study quasi-static crack extension in functionally graded Yttria stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)-Bond Coat (BC) alloy (NiCoCrAlY) thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Crack growth under a single heating-cooling cycle simulating a laser thermal shock experiment is considered. The traction-separation relations for YSZ and BC alloy are coupled to yield a traction-separation relation for the individual layers of the graded TBC. Results from laser thermal shock experiments are then used for a systematic evaluation of the material properties in this traction-separation relation. The effective work of separation for YSZ-BC alloy composites, which is indicative of the material’s fracture toughness, is then computed. The model is then used to predict the surface thermal fracture response in a graded TBC having an architecture different from the coatings that were used to evaluate the cohesive properties. These model predictions are then compared with results from laser thermal shock experiments.
Effect of Strain Path and the Magnitude of Prestrain on the Formability of a Low Carbon Steel: On the Textural and Microtextural Developments
Authors: Yerra S. K. , Vankudre H. V. , Date P. P. , Samajdar I.
Published: January 2004

A low carbon steel (0.07-wt % carbon) sheet metal was deformed in five different strain paths, from equi-biaxial tension to plane strain to near uniaxial tension, by in-plane stretching. Textural developments were characterized by X-ray Orientation Distribution Function (ODFs) and the same were simulated using different Taylor type deformation texture models. A strong difference in bulk texture developments was observed at respective strain paths. The textural differences largely explain the changes observed in normal anisotropy values obtained by mechanical testing. The new deformation texture simulation model, Lamel, was quite successful in predicting quantitatively such textural differences. Microscopically, the significant features of the substructures were “strain localizations”—first generation dense dislocation walls (DDWs) and micro bands (MBs). Both in-grain rotations and estimated stored energies did depend on the relative appearance of such strain localizations. These, on the other hand, were distinctly related to the textural softening or dM/dε, where M and ε are the Taylor factor and true strain, respectively.
Vibration Simulation Model of Passenger-Wheelchair System in Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle
Authors: Matsuoka Yoshiyuki , Kawai Kohei , Sato Ryo
Published: January 2004

A model that simulates vibration transmission to a wheelchair-bound passenger riding in a wheelchair-accessible vehicle was developed and tested. The model is a component of a comfort evaluation prediction system, which is used to predict the passenger’s subjective evaluation of discomfort caused by floor vibration. A model of a wheelchair-bound passenger was used to estimate unknown parameters. A simulation using the model to predict the effect of adding a suspension system to the rear-wheel assembly of the wheelchair demonstrated the applicability of the model.
An Automated Optimization Process for a CAE Driven Product Development
Authors: Merkel M. , Schumacher A.
Published: January 2004

Within the product development the need for generating design variants is given in many situations, for example to optimize an existing initial design with respect to new or modified requirements. For an efficient process it is essential that these variations can be done very easily within a small timeframe. In the virtual product development the physical characteristic of a component is determined by numerical simulation. Commercial software products exist for nearly each physical phenomenon. Often these methods are covered under CAE. A fundamental issue for building and analyzing variants easily and fast is a seamless interaction between the CAD and CAE software tools. This paper presents a powerful CAD/CAE sequence to the engineer’s community, where in contrast to other approaches results of the CAE analysis directly interact with CAD data. This strategy is supported by describing the product’s geometry by parameters. The CAD/CAE sequence is integrated in an optimization loop. The presented application example is an automotive part.