bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Free radical scavenging alleviates the biomechanical impairment of gamma radiation sterilized bone tissue
Authors: Akkus Ozan , Belaney Ryan M. , Das Prasenjit 
Published: March 2005

AbstractTerminal sterilization of bone allografts by gamma radiation is often essential prior to their clinical use to minimize the risk of infection and disease transmission. While gamma radiation has efficacy superior to other sterilization methods it also impairs the material properties of bone allografts, which may result in premature clinical failure of the allograft. The mechanisms by which gamma radiation sterilization damages bone tissue are not well known although there is evidence that the damage is induced via free radical attack on the collagen. In the light of the existing literature, it was hypothesized that gamma radiation induced biochemical damage to bone's collagen that can be reduced by scavenging for the free radicals generated during the ionizing radiation. It was also hypothesized that this lessening of the extent of biochemical degradation of collagen will be accompanied by alleviation in the extent of biomechanical impairment secondary to gamma radiation sterilization. Standardized tensile test specimens machined from human femoral cortical bone and specimens were assigned to four treatment groups: control, scavenger treated‐control, irradiated and scavenger treated‐irradiated. Thiourea was selected as the free radical scavenger and it was applied in aqueous form at the concentration of 1.5 M. Monotonic and cyclic mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical performance of the treatment groups and the biochemical integrity of collagen molecules were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.The native mechanical properties of bone tissue did not change by thiourea treatment only. The effect of thiourea treatment on mechanical properties of irradiated specimens were such that the post‐yield energy, the fracture energy and the fatigue life of thiourea treated‐irradiated treatment group were 1.9‐fold, 3.3‐fold and 4.7‐fold greater than those of the irradiated treatment group, respectively. However, the mechanical function of thiourea treated and irradiated specimens was not to the level of unirradiated controls. The damage occurred through the cleavage of the collagen backbone as revealed by SDS PAGE analysis. Irradiated specimens did not exhibit a noteworthy amount of intact α‐chains whereas those irradiated in the presence of thiourea demonstrated intact α‐chains. Results demonstrated that free radical damage is an important pathway of damage, caused by cleaving the collagen backbone. Blocking the activity of free radicals using the scavenger thiourea reduces the extent of damage to collagen, helping to maintain the mechanical strength of sterilized tissue. Therefore, free radical scavenger thiourea has the potential to improve the functional life‐time of the allograft component following transplantation. © 2005 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The effect of ankle ligament damage and surgical reconstructions on the mechanics of the ankle and subtalar joints revealed by three‐dimensional stress MRI
Authors: Ringleb S. I. , Udupa J. K. , Siegler S. , Imhauser C. W. , Hirsch B. E. , Liu J. , Odhner D. , Okereke E. , Roach N. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractCommon image‐based diagnostic techniques used to detect ankle ligament injuries or the effects of those injuries (e.g. mechanical instability) include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and stress radiography. Each of these techniques has limitations. The interpretation of the results obtained through stress radiography, a two‐dimensional technique, is highly controversial. MRI can facilitate visualization of soft tissue, but three‐dimensional visualization of the full length of the ligaments or detecting partial ligament damage is difficult. This work is part of a long‐term study aimed at improving the diagnostic ability of MRI by utilizing it not only to visualize the ligaments but also to detect the mechanical instability produced at the ankle and subtalar joints due to ligament damage. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the ability of a previously developed technique called 3D stress MRI (sMRI) to detect in vitro the effect of damage to the lateral collateral ligaments and the stabilizing effect produced by two common surgical reconstruction techniques. MRI data were collected from eight cadaver limbs in a MR compatible ankle‐loading device in neutral, inversion, and anterior drawer. Each specimen was tested intact, after cutting the anterior talo‐fibular ligament followed by the calcaneo‐fibular ligament and after applying two reconstructions. Ligament injuries produced significant changes in the response of the ankle and subtalar joints to load as detected by the 3D stress MRI technique. Both surgical procedures restored mechanical stability to the joints but they differed in the amount and type of stabilization achieved. We concluded that 3D sMRI can extend the diagnostic power of MRI from the current practice of slice‐by‐slice visualization to the assessment of mechanical function, the compromise in this function due to injury, and the effects of surgery. © 2005 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Introduction: historical geographies of science – places, contexts, cartographies
Authors: NAYLOR SIMON 
Published: March 2005

This paper outlines the contours of a historical geography of science. It begins by arguing for the relevance of spatially oriented histories of scientific thought and practice. The paper then considers three different historical geographies of science: those concerned with the places and spaces of science, those that detail the spatial contexts of scientific endeavour, and those that analyse the internal ‘cartographies’ of scientific theories and methods. The paper concludes with a discussion of other possible avenues of investigation in this field.Scientific knowledge is made in a lot of different places. Does it matter where? Can the location of scientific endeavour make any difference to the conduct of science? And even more important, can it affect the content of science? In my view the answer to these questions is yes.
The English Reformation: Obedience, Destruction and Cultural Adaptation
Authors: FRITZE RONALD H. 
Published: March 2005

Religious life and English culture in the Reformation. By Marjo Kaartinen. Pp. vii+210. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002. £45. ISBN 0 333 96924 3Preaching during the English Reformation. By Susan Wabuda. Pp. xx+203 incl. 15 figs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. £40. ISBN 0 521 45395 XAuthority and consent in Tudor England. Essays presented to C. S. L. Davies. Edited by G. W. Bernard and S. J. Gunn. Pp. x+301. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2002. £47.50. ISBN 0 7546 0665 1Keywords and concepts provide important organising principles when historians attempt to make sense of the past. Some keywords are virtual constants of historical discourse, such as ‘continuity’ and ‘change’, although the relative emphasis that historians place on them can fluctuate with circumstances and fashion. Other terms come and go. The study of the English Reformation is no exception to the ebb and flow of historical keywords. For much of the 1960s, 1970s and the early 1980s, ‘popular reformation’ was a central concept of interpretation and research. But no more. Thanks to the historical fashion which has been styled ‘revisionism’, ‘popular reformation’ in early sixteenth-century England at least is widely considered to be an oxymoron. Consequent on the work of A. G. Dickens, ‘official’ or ‘state-sponsored reformation’ went into an eclipse but with the advent of revisionism it has been both revived as well as revised.
Bargaining Community exemptions: the role of Italian actors in the negotiation of state aid to labour and industry
Authors: Giraudi Giorgio 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThis article analyses the role of Italian (institutional and non-institutional) actors in the area of state aid to labour and industry, two particularly sensitive European policies. The comparison between two decisions—the one concerning state incentives for youth employment and the other concerning the double recapitalization of Alitalia—allows the author to conclude that Italian policy preferences are best promoted when a viable compromise solution is first reached domestically and then pushed through the Union, and when Italian actors manage to argue their case in EU-compatible terms.
Investigation of a new intervention for children with word‐finding problems
Authors: Best Wendy 
Published: March 2005

AbstractBackground: Around one‐quarter of children attending language support services have difficulty in retrieving words. Therapy studies with such children have shown that both semantic and phonological techniques can improve word finding. A new approach to intervention is described using a computerized aid that converts letters into sound cues.Aims: (1) To assess the word‐finding abilities in a small series of children with word‐finding difficulties. (2) To investigate whether intervention with a computerized aid can improve children's ability to find words. (3) To evaluate the effect of therapy on connected speech (using the Test of Word Finding in Discourse) and in relation to children's, parents' and other practitioners' views (using a questionnaire). (4) To understand the outcome in relation to an interactive model of speech production.Methods & Procedures: Five children (aged 6:10–10:7) were assessed on a variety of background measures. Following baseline assessment, two sets of items were included in therapy: a research set (with matched control items) and a further set selected for their functional relevance for each child. Intervention using the computerized aid took place once a week for half a term (6 weeks).Outcomes & Results: The children differed from one another in their language development and non‐verbal abilities, but all had difficulties in word retrieval. All children showed significant improvement in naming intervention items after therapy. This effect was maintained half a term later. Despite very different profiles, the children benefited similarly from the intervention, suggesting a common processing source for change. After the intervention, two children showed a significant reduction in word‐finding behaviours (e.g. use of substitutions, repetitions and empty words) on the Test of Word Finding in Discourse. The views of participants, parents and professionals were varied but generally positive.Conclusions: The main effect of therapy can be understood, in relation to an interactive model of speech production, as strengthening links from meaning to form. Use of the aid in therapy improved word finding for targeted items and this occurred within a clinically realistic timeframe. The finding that the gains in word retrieval maintained suggests that the intervention can be functionally useful if target items are chosen appropriately. Measurable change for two children in connected speech suggests wider benefits can also occur. Overall, the aid can be a useful additional tool for therapists/teachers working with children with this difficulty.
Case study (part 2)
Authors: Boyd Andrew 
Published: March 2005

PurposeTo validate the use of fuzzy control systems for information channel optimisation.Design/methodology/approachThe research presents findings from a multi‐year case‐based study of an international software organisation. At the outset of the study, baseline log‐file data were collected from the organisation's customer relationship management and financial systems. As part of a business process reengineering effort, a fuzzy control system model was created and implemented to optimise the software support communication channels. After the first year, data were recollected to determine the effectiveness of the model. The log‐file analysis was augmented with individual interviews of stakeholders within the business.FindingsThe optimisation strategy based on the fuzzy control system allowed the organisation to focus on answering more queries from higher value customers and cut the support resolution time nearly in half, in less than a year. By focusing on higher value customers and more productive information channels, staff efficiency increased and costs were reduced. This research indicates that customers using synchronous communication channels such as the telephone seem to get better service than those using asynchronous channels such as e‐mail or web. Additionally, the research also indicates that several geographic factors such as proximity and language proficiency could influence information channel choice affecting the level of service received.Research limitations/implicationsThe case findings could be specific to the observed organisation or to the software service industry. Additional research is necessary to determine the universality of the method and ancillary findings.Originality/valueMethods outlined in this case provide both practitioners and researchers with new tools to explore and react to the challenges of information channel proliferation.
An evaluation of the NHS Direct online health information e‐mail enquiry service
Authors: Webster Ruiha , Williams Peter 
Published: March 2005

PurposeTo judge the quality of health information provided to the users of the NHS Direct online enquiry service.Design/methodology/approachAn examination of available online tools was necessary to enable the development of a quality framework appropriate for the study. The checklist developed from this process provided a method of judging a specific web site's quality level. Readability levels of web sites were measured using the Flesch‐Kincaid scale. Two case studies were conducted to examine consistency of responses, and in order to measure user satisfaction questionnaires were distributed.FindingsResults from the checklist indicated that the majority of health information sent on to users of the service was of adequate or excellent quality. The readability levels of information promoted by the NHS Direct Online enquiry service are at levels higher than is recommended in the literature. The case studies implied that the criteria used by the NHS in composing responses to enquiries is not always consistent and may need streamlining. Despite this, 97 per cent of respondents were happy with the information sent to them. A combination of user satisfaction and referral to adequate or excellent quality health web sites suggests that the NHS is providing a good quality information service to the British public.Research limitations/implicationsIt is difficult to draw reliable conclusions from the small sample size employed in this study. It is also unfortunate that the respondents could not be interviewed or observed as they submitted their enquiry and while they examined web pages. The checklist developed to measure web site quality could, in itself, bring limitations, no weighting factors were employed when comparing criteria and the researcher felt that some of the criteria were hard to judge in practice.Practical implicationsThe NHS need to undertake some streamlining of their e‐mail enquiry service so that all the web sites it promotes contain health information that is at a good or excellent quality level.Originality/valueExamination of a practical health service which purports to help improve the quality of NHS health provision.
A study of the effect of manufacturing proactivity on business performance
Authors: González‐Benito Javier 
Published: March 2005

PurposeThis research paper analyses the link between manufacturing proactivity, understood as the tendency of a company to implement the most modern and advanced production management practices and business performance.Design/methodology/approachOver a sample of 186 industrial companies, two dimensions of proactivity were identified; one reflecting a cultural orientation and the other denoting a technical approach to progress.FindingsBoth dimensions, especially the cultural one turned out to have a positive effect on financial and operational performance. Among other things, these results point out the potential of the production and operations function as a source of competitive advantage for the company.Originality/valueThe aggregated analysis of several advanced production management practices, the proposal of different causal explanation of the relationship between manufacturing proactivity and business performance, and the combination of primary (postal questionnaires) and secondary (financial databases) data sources can be considered distinguishing features of this research.
Implementing manufacturing resource planning in a Greek aerospace company
Authors: Towers Neil , Knibbs Alan , Panagiotopoulos Nikos 
Published: March 2005

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the supply and productivity improvements derived from implementing manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) practices.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is a case study in a Greek aerospace company, using Hellenic Aerospace Industry, SA (HAI). The closed loop business operating system, MRP II is recognized as being an effective management system that has an excellent planning and scheduling capability, which can offer an increase in customer service, significant gains in productivity, higher inventory turns and reduction in material cost.FindingsThe implementation has included setting clear goals, following a formal implementation plan, using a project steering committee and project teams. However, some aspects such as limitations by Greek legislation, constraints in hardware, incomplete education and training of the personnel and the BOM data accuracy are discussed in the context of HAI Productivity and supply issues resulting from the implementation process are reviewed.Practical implicationsAlthough, the use of the MRP II system in industrial developed countries is extensive, in Greece it is still in its infancy.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on MRP II in the Greek aerospace industry.
Using e‐books for knowledge management
Authors: Barker Philip 
Published: March 2005

PurposeAims to introduce the articles in the special issue which demonstrate the many important uses to which electronic books are now being put.Design/methodology/approachThe article combines narrative and analysis.FindingsKnowledge is one of those important “commodities” which we (as individuals, groups and communities) accumulate during the process of living. There is likely to be a growing demand for highly portable, dynamic electronic books that are able to supply data, information and knowledge “on demand”. The latest wireless, satellite and server technologies now make this possible.Originality/valueProvides a brief overview of the e‐book environment (for knowledge management).
E‐books in academic libraries
Authors: Bennett Linda , Landoni Monica 
Published: March 2005

PurposeThis paper provides an analysis of the current state‐of‐the‐art in e‐books, and attempts both to set the scene and provide reasons for their low uptake.Design/methodology/approachThe different approaches to e‐books of academic librarians, authors, publishers and readers are considered, using the results of a recent survey commissioned by the Joint Information Systems Committee.FindingsThe findings of this study make it clear that those who know about e‐books see them as potentially useful tools. However, a number of users of ICT resources are still unaware of e‐books even when their academic libraries' e‐book holdings is high. The lack of promotion from within the university, particularly from the academics, and to a certain extent from the librarians, is indeed a major reason for this knowledge gap.Practical implicationsPublishers, e‐book providers and aggregators, academics and intermediaries (i.e. librarians and information specialists) should concentrate on raising awareness of what is available and what are the advantages related to e‐books for specific categories of users. At the same time e‐book suppliers should make e‐books easier to find and purchase. Crucially, both the research and commercial development communities have to address these major issues: definition of common bench marks for research to progress; user‐centred design as a paradigm; better and stronger links with all stakeholders.Originality/valueThis paper offers a stepping stone for all parties interested in moving forwards to achieve this common goal.
Values and collective self‐esteem as predictors of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence among university students
Authors: Kropp Fredric , Lavack Anne M. , Silvera David H. 
Published: March 2005

PurposeThis cross‐cultural study examines inter‐relationships between values (using the list of values), collective self‐esteem (CSE), and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII).Design/methodology/approachData were collected through surveys administered to 783 university students in four countries (Australia, English‐speaking Canada, Korea, and Norway).FindingsResults indicate that external and interpersonal values are positively related to the normative component of CSII, while internal values are negatively related to the normative component of CSII. The CSE subscale measuring importance of the group to one's identity is positively related to normative CSII, while the CSE subscale of membership esteem is negatively related to normative CSII. Normative CSII was substantially higher among Korean participants than among participants from the other countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to a sample of university students in Canada, Australia, Norway, and Korea. Future research could expand the sample to include a more representative adult sample, in order to ensure the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsCSII may be an important factor in many consumer purchases that relate to self‐image. The relationship of values and collective self‐esteem to CSII provides valuable insights to managers regarding consumer purchasing behavior.Originality/valueGiven that values, consumer self‐esteem, and country explain a large degree of the variation in consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence, managers can benefit from this knowledge when developing advertising content and marketing interventions.
Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: post‐construction thoughts
Authors: Marks Ken , Findley Tom 
Published: March 2005

PurposeTo report on the perceived success or failure of different aspects of Lied Library after three years of operation.Design/methodology/approachMajor design concepts, the location of services, the functioning of physical spaces and systems and the reaction of the campus community were identified in describing the success or failure of components of Lied Library.FindingsWith the exception of one or two components of the physical structure Lied Library has been an unqualified success positioning the library faculty and staff to continue evolving services and collections in response to the changing demands.Originality/valueThis article should interest individuals responsible for planning and programming new libraries especially academic libraries.