Moral reasoning and moral concerns: An alternative to Gilligan's gender based hypothesis.

Studied the differences in moral orientation in terms of gender specific modes of reasoning, in 2 experiments. In Exp 1, 32 Ss (aged 24–55 yrs) were read the "Heinz dilemma," and asked 3 questions regarding it. Deliberative and justificatory strategies were identified on the basis of the presence or absence of the higher level knowledge structures. In Exp 2, 40 undergraduates were presented with "Michael and Kohlberg Heinz dilemma," followed by a set of relevant questions. Male Ss preferred to apply a norm or rule in their solutions, while females rejected the application of a norm and sought alternative solutions. This was replicated in Exp 2, but the pattern was reversed with female Ss preferring to apply a norm. Males were divided in their use of either strategy indicating that although, genders differed in their judgments as to which norms or rules to apply; once adopted, norms and rules were used in similar ways. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum on bacteraemia and endotoxaemia in an animal model of peritonitis

The umbilicus is the site of a number of well-recognized and unusual congenital anomalies. The authors report two rare anomalies of the umbilicus, one involving the appendiceal artery and the other the appendix vermiformis.     

Significance of DNA ploidy in the treatment of T1 glottic carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of DNA ploidy as a predictor of radioresistance in T1 glottic carcinoma. DESIGN: Case-control study. Flow cytometric DNA ploidy measurements were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 15 patients with T1 glottic laryngeal carcinomas in whom radiotherapy had failed and from a matched group of 15 patients in whom an identical radiotherapy regimen was curative. Analysis of DNA content was performed blind to outcome of treatment. SETTING: Academic tertiary referral medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with clinically staged T1, N0, M0 glottic carcinoma. INTERVENTION: All patients received radiation to the larynx through opposed lateral ports at a total dose of 64 to 70 Gy. RESULTS: Ten diploid and five aneuploid histograms were found in the resistant group, and six diploid and nine aneuploid histograms were found in the radiosensitive group. This difference was not statistically significant. A trend toward a higher relapse rate after radiotherapy (62.5%) among patients with diploid tumor compared with those with aneuploid tumor (35.7%) was noted. CONCLUSIONS: DNA ploidy did not predict response to radiotherapy in patients with T1 glottic cancer, probably because of the small number of patients. A trend toward lower risk of local recurrence after radiotherapy in aneuploid tumors was noted. A larger prospective study is needed to assess the value of DNA ploidy in the treatment of early laryngeal cancer.     

Effect of precyclic loading on stress-corrosion-cracking initiation in an X-65 pipeline steel exposed to near-neutral pH soil environment

A study was carried out to understand the effect of precyclic loading on stress-corrosion-crack initiation in an X-65 pipeline steel exposed to a near-neutral-pH soil environment. The test specimens were precyclically loaded before corrosion exposure to represent a service history of up to about 20 years, depending on the severity of pressure fluctuation. Microcracks had initiated on the polished surface of the X-65 pipeline steel after long-time exposure at open-circuit potential (OCP) in a near-neutral-pH synthetic soil solution. These microcracks were mostly initiated from pits at metallurgical discontinuities such as grain boundaries, pearlitic colonies, and banded phases in the steel. Strong preferential dissolution was observed along planes of the banded structures in the steel. The selective corrosion attack at these metallurgical discontinuities is attributed to the galvanic nature of those areas to their neighbors. Cyclic loading prior to corrosion exposure had significant effects on microcrack initiation and propagation during subsequent corrosion exposure. Cyclic loading prior to corrosion exposure either reduced or increased the probability of crack initiation and the rate of crack propagation, depending upon the magnitude of the stress cycles. The largest reduction was seen at a peak cyclic stress of about 0.8 of the yield strength. This cyclic-loading-dependent cracking behavior might be related to the alteration of the substructures and the residual stress in the steel as a result of precyclic loading.     

Theoretical investigation of penetration characteristics in gas metal-arc welding using finite element method

In the modeling of the gas metal-arc (GMA) welding process, heat inputs to the workpiece by the arc and the metal transfers have been considered separately. The heat energy delivered due to the metal transfer has been approximated in the form of a cylindrical volumetric heat source, whose dimensions of the radius and the height are dependent on the molten metal droplet characteristics. The pinch instability theory (PIT) and the static force balance theory (SFBT) of drop detachment have independently been used to obtain the expressions for various characteristics of the drop,i.e., the drop radius, the drop velocity, and the drop frequency at various welding parameters. The occurrence or the nonoccurrence of finger penetration, routinely found in the GMA welding at high welding currents, has been satisfactorily explained by the cylindrical heat source model. The effect of various welding parameters,e.g., the welding current, the wire radiusetc., on the weld bead penetration characteristics has been investigated. In this modeling effort, the heat conduction equation has been solved in three dimensions.