bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Essential Role of MicroRNA-155 in Regulating Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxation by Targeting Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase
Authors: Sun Hai-Xiang , Zeng De-Yi , Li Ruo-Tian , Pang Rui-Ping , Yang Hui , Hu Ya-Li , Zhang Qun , Jiang Yue , Huang Lin-Yan , Tang Yong-Bo , Yan Gui-Jun , Zhou Jia-Guo
Published: October 2012

Nitric oxide generated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Under various pathological conditions, abnormal expression of eNOS contributes to endothelial dysfunction and the development of cardiovascular diseases. A variety of pathological stimuli has been reported to decrease eNOS expression mainly through decreasing eNOS mRNA stability by regulating the binding of several cytosolic proteins to the
cis
-acting sequences within eNOS mRNA 3′ untranslated regions. However, the detailed mechanisms remain elusive. Because microRNAs inhibit gene expression through binding to the 3′ untranslated regions of their target mRNAs, microRNAs may be the important posttranscriptional modulators of eNOS expression. Here, we provided evidence that eNOS is a direct target of miR-155. Overexpression of miR-155 decreased, whereas inhibition of miR-155 increased, eNOS expression and NO production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in human internal mammary arteries. Inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α increased miR-155 expression. Inhibition of miR-155 reversed tumor necrosis factor-α–induced downregulation of eNOS expression and impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Moreover, we observed that simvastatin attenuated tumor necrosis factor-α–induced upregulation of miR-155 and ameliorated the effects of tumor necrosis factor-α on eNOS expression and endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Simvastatin decreased miR-155 expression through interfering mevalonate-geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate-RhoA signaling pathway. These findings indicated that miR-155 is an essential regulator of eNOS expression and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Inhibition of miR-155 may be a new therapeutic approach to improve endothelial dysfunction during the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Antihypertensive and Laxative Effects by Pharmacological Inhibition of Sodium-Proton-Exchanger Subtype 3–Mediated Sodium Absorption in the Gut
Authors: Linz Dominik , Wirth Klaus , Linz Wolfgang , Heuer Hubert O. O. , Frick Wendelin , Hofmeister Armin , Heinelt Uwe , Arndt Petra , Schwahn Uwe , Böhm Michael , Ruetten Hartmut
Published: October 2012

High intestinal sodium absorption is one mechanism of hypertension and constipation. The sodium-proton-exchanger subtype 3 (NHE3) is an important mediator of sodium absorption in the gut. SAR218034 (SAR) is an orally nonabsorbable specific NHE3 inhibitor. The effect of SAR (1 mg/kg per day in chow) on feces sodium excretion, systolic blood pressure via tail cuff, and gene expression of NHE3 in the gut were studied in senescent lean hypertensive rats (spontaneously hypertensive rats-lean, loaded with NaCl 0.7% in drinking water) and in hypertensive, obese, and hyperinsulinemic rats (spontaneously hypertensive rats-obese, not loaded with NaCl). In spontaneously hypertensive rats-lean, inhibition of intestinal NHE3 by SAR increased feces sodium excretion and reduced urinary sodium excretion, whereas absolute sodium balance and serum sodium concentration were not changed. This suggests reduced intestinal sodium absorption in SAR-treated animals and was associated with increased feces water content (58% versus 42% in placebo treated animals;
P
=0.0001) and reduction in systolic blood pressure from 222±7 to 198±2 mm Hg (
P
=0.0001). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition by ramipril plus NHE3 inhibition resulted in an additive blood pressure–lowering effect. In spontaneously hypertensive rats-obese, SAR lowered systolic blood pressure but did not modify serum insulin or cholesterol levels. Gene expression of NHE3 was upregulated in the ileum and colon but not in the jejunum of SAR-treated rats. Reduction of intestinal sodium absorption by selective NHE3 inhibition in the gut reduces high blood pressure and increases feces water excretion. Intestinal NHE3 blockade could be a new treatment strategy for elderly patients suffering from high blood pressure and constipation.
Blood Pressure Tracking Over the Adult Life Course
Authors: Cheng Susan , Xanthakis Vanessa , Sullivan Lisa M. , Vasan Ramachandran S.
Published: October 2012

The extent to which select vascular risk factors differentially influence blood pressure (BP) is incompletely understood. Thus, we used multilevel modeling to analyze serial BP measurements using 21 732 person-observations obtained on Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age, 38 years, 52% women; 4993 unique individuals) over a 28-year period. We related longitudinal tracking of each BP measure (systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure) to age, sex, body mass index, smoking, diabetes mellitus, total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and heart rate. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, we observed that older age, male sex, greater body mass index, and higher heart rate were positively associated with increase in all BP measures (
P
<0.0001). Notably, higher total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio was associated with greater mean arterial pressure (
P
<0.01). Conversely, diabetes mellitus and smoking were associated with higher pulse pressure (
P
<0.01). We also observed effect modification by sex: the increase in pulse pressure with age and body mass index was more pronounced in women compared with men (
P
<0.0001). All BP measures tracked at higher levels in both men and women with multiple vascular risk factors. Taken together, our longitudinal observations in a large community-based sample demonstrate a greater pulsatile load in women than in men with increasing age. We also observed a differential impact of select vascular risk factors on the individual components of BP, underscoring distinct regulation of these measures over the life course.
Retrieval Orientation and the Control of Recollection: An fMRI Study
Authors: Morcom Alexa M. , Rugg Michael D.
Published: October 2012

This study used event-related fMRI to examine the impact of the adoption of different retrieval orientations on the neural correlates of recollection. In each of two study–test blocks, participants encoded a mixed list of words and pictures and then performed a recognition memory task with words as the test items. In one block, the requirement was to respond positively to test items corresponding to studied words and to reject both new items and items corresponding to the studied pictures. In the other block, positive responses were made to test items corresponding to pictures, and items corresponding to words were classified along with the new items. On the basis of previous ERP findings, we predicted that in the word task, recollection-related effects would be found for target information only. This prediction was fulfilled. In both tasks, targets elicited the characteristic pattern of recollection-related activity. By contrast, nontargets elicited this pattern in the picture task, but not in the word task. Importantly, the left angular gyrus was among the regions demonstrating this dissociation of nontarget recollection effects according to retrieval orientation. The findings for the angular gyrus parallel prior findings for the “left-parietal” ERP old/new effect and add to the evidence that the effect reflects recollection-related neural activity originating in left ventral parietal cortex. Thus, the results converge with the previous ERP findings to suggest that the processing of retrieval cues can be constrained to prevent the retrieval of goal-irrelevant information.
Observational Evidence of Summer Shamal Swells along the West Coast of India*
Authors: Glejin Johnson , Kumar V. Sanil , Nair T. M. Balakrishnan , Singh Jai , Mehra Prakash
Published: October 2012

Wave data collected off Ratnagiri, which is on the west coast of India, in 2010 and 2011 are used to examine the presence of the summer shamal swells. This study also aims to understand variations in wave characteristics and associated modifications in wind sea propagation at Ratnagiri. Wind data collected using an autonomous weather station (AWS), along with Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) and NCEP data, are used to identify the presence of summer shamal winds along the west coast of the Indian subcontinent and on the Arabian Peninsula. NCEP and ASCAT data indicate the presence of summer shamal winds over the Arabian Peninsula and northwesterly winds at Ratnagiri. This study identifies the presence of swells from the northwest that originate from the summer shamal winds in the Persian Gulf and that reach Ratnagiri during 30% of the summer shamal period. AWS data show the presence of northwest winds during May and southwest winds during the strong southwest monsoon period (June–August). Another important factor identified at Ratnagiri that is associated with the summer shamal events is the direction of wind sea waves. During the onset of the southwest monsoon (May), the sea direction is in the direction of swell propagation (northwest); however, during the southwest monsoon (June–August), a major part of the wind sea direction is from the southwest. The average occurrence of summer shamal swells is approximately 22% during the southwest monsoon period. An increase in wave height is observed during June and July at Ratnagiri due to the strong summer shamal event.
Precipitation Modulation by the Saint Lawrence River Valley in Association with Transitioning Tropical Cyclones*
Authors: Milrad Shawn M. , Atallah Eyad H. , Gyakum John R.
Published: October 2012

The St. Lawrence River valley (SLRV) is an important orographic feature in eastern Canada that can affect surface wind patterns and contribute to locally higher amounts of precipitation. The impact of the SLRV on precipitation distributions associated with transitioning, or transitioned, tropical cyclones that approached the region is assessed. Such cases can result in heavy precipitation during the warm season, as during the transition of Hurricane Ike (2008). Thirty-eight tropical cyclones tracked within 500 km of the SLRV from 1979 to 2011. Utilizing the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), 19 of the 38 cases (group A) had large values of ageostrophic frontogenesis within and parallel to the SLRV, in a region of northeasterly surface winds associated with pressure-driven wind channeling. Using composite and case analyses, results show that the heaviest precipitation is often located within the SLRV, regardless of the location of large-scale forcing for ascent, and is concomitant with ageostrophic frontogenesis. The suggested physical pathway for precipitation modulation in the SLRV is as follows. Valley-induced near-surface ageostrophic frontogenesis is due to pressure-driven wind channeling as a result of the along-valley pressure gradient [typically exceeding 0.4 hPa (100 km)−1] established by the approaching cyclone. Near-surface cold-air advection as a result of the northeasterly pressure-driven channeling results in a temperature inversion, similar to what is observed in cool-season wind-channeling cases. The ageostrophic frontogenesis, acting as a mesoscale ascent-focusing mechanism, helps air parcels to rise above the temperature inversion into a conditionally unstable atmosphere, which results in enhanced precipitation focused along the SLRV.
Competitiveness, Partisanship, and Subnational Protest in Argentina
Authors: Arce Moisés , Mangonnet Jorge
Published: October 2012

Research has shown that countries with weak institutions are more likely to experience higher levels of protest as a means to achieve political objectives or express policy demands. A growing body of literature portrays Argentina as a case of widespread institutional weakness, and the country currently sustains the highest rates of protest participation in Latin America. However, existing literature has yet to explain why apparently similar subnational units within the same national democratic regime experience different levels of protest. By moving down to a subnational level of analysis, this article explores the political factors that shape protest activity across the country’s 23 provinces and the city of Buenos Aires for the period 1993–2005. It demonstrates that the electoral incentives created by shifting patterns of political competition and the nature of partisan opposition influence the spatial and temporal unevenness of subnational protest activity.
Preferences in Context
Authors: Gingrich Jane , Ansell Ben
Published: October 2012

Political economists have increasingly looked to understand social welfare policy as a product of individual-level demand for social spending. This work hypothesizes that individuals with riskier jobs demand more social spending and that large welfare states emerge where there are more of such individuals. In this article we build on the “policy feedback” literature to argue that existing welfare institutions condition how individual-level factors affect social policy preferences. Specifically, we argue that institutions directly altering the risk of unemployment (employment protection legislation) and those that delink benefits from the labor market create a more uniform system of social risk that reduces the importance of individual-level risk in shaping policy preferences. We test these propositions using multilevel analysis of 19 advanced industrial countries in 2006. We find that individual risk matters for social policy preferences only where employment protection is low and welfare benefits are dependent on employment.
Dynamic assessment of phonological awareness for children with speech sound disorders
Authors: Gillam Sandra Laing , Ford Mikenzi Bentley
Published: October 2012

The current study was designed to examine the relationships between performance on a nonverbal phoneme deletion task administered in a dynamic assessment format with performance on measures of phoneme deletion, word-level reading, and speech sound production that required verbal responses for school-age children with speech sound disorders (SSDs). The study adds to existing literature by administering the nonverbal task to children with SSDs, and by incorporating the use of an error-specific prompting system in a dynamic assessment format to inform instructional decisions. Ten school-age children with various degrees of speech sound disorders participated in the study. Speech production, phonological awareness, and word-level reading skills were examined. Performance on measures of verbal and nonverbal phoneme deletion were significantly correlated; however, the measure of nonverbal phoneme deletion was not related to performance on measures of speech sound production. Both measures were related to word-level reading.
Meeting the recommendations of the Bercow Report: The challenges and the potential within initial teacher education
Authors: Mroz Maria
Published: October 2012

The recommendations from the Bercow Review of services for children with speech, language and communication needs (DCSF, 2008a) have significant implications for the training of pre-service teachers who will be expected to be more able to meet the needs of such children. This article explores the potential within the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status, the key framework for the development of pre-service teachers in England, to support the implementation of the Bercow Report. The discussion focuses on three recommendations: that language is central, a human right; the need for early identification and intervention; and the development of a continuum of services around the family. The article reflects on a successful and an unsuccessful implementation of policy within pre-service teacher training to better illustrate the issues entailed in realizing Bercow Review recommendations within pre-service teacher education.
Vowel targeted intervention for children with persisting speech difficulties: Impact on intelligibility
Authors: Speake Jane , Stackhouse Joy , Pascoe Michelle
Published: October 2012

Compared to the treatment of consonant segments, the treatment of vowels is infrequently described in the literature on children’s speech difficulties. Vowel difficulties occur less frequently than those with consonants but may have significant impact on intelligibility. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of vowel targeted intervention (VTI) with two 10-year-old children with severe and persisting speech difficulties measures of (a) percentage vowels correct and (b) intelligibility outcomes by peer group listeners were used. Assessment of vowel production was used to design and carry out intervention for each child, the success of which was measured in two ways: comparing (a) percentage of vowels correct before and after the intervention, (b) the percentage of pre- vs. post-intervention utterances understood by a group of typical peer listeners (aged 9 to 11 years). Pre- and post-intervention speech samples (comprising single words, imitated sentences and spontaneous speech) were edited onto a CD for these listeners, who were asked to write down what had been said. The two children with speech difficulties made significant improvement in vowel production as measured by the percentage of vowels correct. The listeners perceived more productions accurately post-intervention than pre-intervention. There was also a reduction in the range of the listeners’ misperceptions of target words. VTI was effective in terms of both increasing PVC and intelligibility outcomes as judged by peer group listeners. It is not more complicated to carry out VTI than consonant targeted intervention; this should be considered more often when planning therapy for children where vowels are affected.
Teaching story grammar components to increase oral narrative ability: A group intervention study
Authors: Green Laura B. , Klecan-Aker Joni S.
Published: October 2012

This pilot study investigated the impact of an oral narrative intervention program implemented with 24 children who attended a College of Education on campus laboratory school for children with specific language learning difficulties. Oral narratives were elicited before and after treatment and underwent T-unit and story grammar component analyses. The 13 weeks of treatment involved a systematic approach to teaching story grammar components and story organization. Paired sample t-tests were conducted and a significant improvement in number of T-units and use of story grammar components was measured following intervention. These results lend preliminary support to the effectiveness of the narrative intervention implemented in a group setting.
RALLI: An internet campaign for raising awareness of language learning impairments
Authors: Bishop Dorothy VM , Clark Becky , Conti-Ramsden Gina , Norbury Courtenay Frazier , Snowling Margaret J
Published: October 2012

We describe the background and rationale of an internet campaign to raise awareness of language learning impairments (RALLI).
Marketeando
Authors: Denegri-Knott Janice , Witkowski Terrence H. , Pipoli Gina
Published: October 2012

Based on cultural hybridity theory, this article uses the concept of domestication to explore how global marketing thought and its instruction are diffusing through a rapidly developing country, Peru. Drawing from several types of primary source documents and augmented by personal interviews, the study provides a brief overview of marketing education in Peru and then examines two instances where marketing knowledge appears to be have been domesticated by Peruvian educators—marketing as a philosophy of life and marketing as praxis. The findings contribute to macromarketing theory by examining the interactions between imported marketing education and an emerging market society. Their theoretical implications for further macromarketing research are discussed.
Extension in the Subjectifying Power of Marketing Ideology in Organizations
Authors: Fougère Martin , Skålén Per
Published: October 2012

In this article, we analyze the managerialistic ideology of marketing theory by focusing on “customerism”—the customer-oriented managerialism that characterizes marketing. As an ideology, customerism has made it possible for marketing to discursively compete with different management fields in directing the management of organizational members. We base our notion of managerialism in Foucauldian works on power and make a distinction between three forms of power/managerialism: sovereign, disciplinary, and pastoral. Our analysis displays how the forms of power underpinning the customeristic ideology inherent to marketing theory have changed over time, thereby contributing to the reproduction and extension of that ideology. In particular, we show how different articulations of marketing discourse have developed the managerialism of marketing in such a way that today (1) organizational members around the world are meant to be affected by it and (2) it is meant to affect these organizational members in a deeper way.
A longitudinal study of the process of acquiring absolute pitch: A practical report of training with the ‘chord identification method’
Authors: Sakakibara Ayako
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinally the process of acquiring absolute pitch (AP). Twenty-four young children (aged 2 to 6 years) without AP were trained to acquire AP using Eguchi’s (1991) Chord Identification Method (CIM). All children were able to acquire AP (except two who ceased training). Results suggest that, at a minimum, children younger than 6 years old are capable of acquiring AP through intentional training. Furthermore, children’s errors observed during training suggested the transition of different strategies relying respectively on tone height and tone chroma. Initially, children identified chords using a strategy depending primarily on tone height, then gradually they began to attend to tone chroma to identify chords and this process ultimately led to acquisition of AP.
How personality became treatable: The mutual constitution of clinical knowledge and mental health law
Authors: Pickersgill Martyn
Published: October 2012

In recent years, personality disorders – psychiatric constructs understood as enduring dysfunctions of personality – have come into ever-greater focus for British policymakers, mental health professionals and service-users. Disputes have focussed largely on highly controversial attempts by the UK Department of Health to introduce mental health law and policy (now enshrined within the 2007 Mental Health Act of England and Wales). At the same time, clinical framings of personality disorder have dramatically shifted: once regarded as untreatable conditions, severe personality disorders are today thought of by many clinicians to be responsive to psychiatric and psychological intervention. In this article, I chart this transformation by means of a diachronic analysis of debates and institutional shifts pertaining to both attempts to change the law, and understandings of personality disorder. In so doing, I show how mental health policy and practice have mutually constituted one another, such that the aims of clinicians and policymakers have come to be closely aligned. I argue that it is precisely through these reciprocally constitutive processes that the profound reconfiguration of personality disorder from being an obdurate to a plastic condition has occurred; this demonstrates the significance of interactions between law and the health professions in shaping not only the State’s management of pathology, but also perceptions of its very nature.
Analytical modelling of high-rate elasto-viscoplastic deformation of circular plates subjected to impulsive loads using pseudo-spectral collocation method
Authors: Zajkani Asghar , Darvizeh Abolfazl , Darvizeh Mansour
Published: October 2012

An analytical methodology is developed to study dynamic elasto-viscoplastic behaviour of moderately thick circular plates subjected to high-intensity impulsive loads, comprehensively. First, incremental kinematic formulations are derived based on the first-order shear deformation theory to take into account viscous damping and rotary inertia. Geometrical and material non-linearities are applied by the complete von Kármán system and a mixed strain hardening law coupled with a physically based viscoplastic model, respectively. A semi-implicit scheme of return-mapping is employed by the cutting-plane algorithm to obtain effective plastic strains apart from satisfying the consistency condition. The subsequent part is devoted to the transformation of this boundary value problem into an initial value problem, to evaluate displacement fields. Spatial and temporal discretizations are carried out by the Chebyshev pseudo-spectral collocation method and Houbolt time-marching scheme, respectively. This transformation has been handled in the compact matrix forms to stabilize the solution and to make it more convenient. Influence of impulsive load and other parameters on plate deflections, effective strain and stress, temperature rise and stresses are considered. Ultimately, good accuracy is achieved through comparison between results and existing experimental data and finite element simulation from the literature. In addition, some challengeable aspects for the modelling are discussed.
Ability to Return to Sports 5 Years After Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation in an Average Population of Active Patients
Authors: Zak Lukas , Aldrian Silke , Wondrasch Barbara , Albrecht Christian , Marlovits Stefan
Published: October 2012

Background:

Cartilage injuries often occur during sports activities, and return to sports after cartilage surgery is an important outcome parameter for different treatment methods in the competitive as well as the recreationally active population.

Hypothesis:

At the time of midterm follow-up after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT), return to recreational sports at the preinjury level will be possible.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Seventy patients (51 men, 19 women; age [mean ± standard deviation], 34.9 ± 8.6 y; range, 18-55 y) were clinically evaluated 5 years after MACT through subjective clinical scores such as the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) sport and recreation subscales, the Tegner activity scale, and the Noyes sports activity rating scale. The level of sports participation was included in the investigation.

Results:

The results 5 years after MACT showed mean values of 60.1 for the KOOS–sport, 67.4 for the Noyes, and 3.8 for the Tegner scores, meaning that regular sports activity such as cycling or running on flat ground, as well as medium-level manual labor, is possible. We noted that 74.3% of our patients returned to at least their preinjury sports level.

Conclusion:

Midterm postoperative results after MACT show that in a moderately active population, participation in regular sports is possible for most patients, at least at their preinjury recreational level and intensity, and there is a good rate of return to sports.
The Effect of Medial Opening Wedge Proximal Tibial Osteotomy on Patellofemoral Contact
Authors: Javidan Pooya , Adamson Gregory J. , Miller Jennifer R. , Durand Pierre , Dawson Patrick A. , Pink Marilyn M. , Lee Thay Q.
Published: October 2012

Background:

It has been suggested that patellofemoral contact pressures and contact forces may be altered secondary to an opening wedge high tibial osteotomy, yet few data are available that quantify the effect of varying degrees of medial opening wedge osteotomy on the patellofemoral joint contact characteristics.

Hypothesis:

Opening wedge medial proximal tibial osteotomy will increase patellofemoral contact force and pressure.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Nine human cadaver knees were used. Pressure-sensitive film was placed in the suprapatellar pouch, leaving the patellar tendon and medial and lateral retinacula intact. The quadriceps tendon was attached to a materials testing machine along the axis of the femur, whereby a pulley mechanism generated 950 N of force. Patellofemoral contact characteristics were measured with pressure-sensitive film at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° of flexion for the native knee and after subsequent 10-mm and 15-mm medial opening wedge proximal tibial osteotomies. The film was analyzed with imaging software.

Results:

There was a statistically significant increase ( P < .05) in mean contact pressure at 30° and 120° between the 10-mm osteotomy and native knee and across all flexion angles between the 15-mm osteotomy and native knee. Furthermore, a significant difference was seen in peak pressures when native knees were compared with 10-mm and 15-mm opening wedge osteotomies at all flexion angles.

Conclusion:

There was a significant increase in patellofemoral pressures at varying degrees of knee flexion after medial opening wedge proximal tibial osteotomies of only 10 mm; a larger osteotomy resulted in a greater increase.

Clinical Relevance:

When performing a medial opening wedge proximal tibial osteotomy, the surgeon should consider the negative effects of increased patellofemoral peak pressure.
A holistic product design and analysis model and its application in railway vehicle systems design
Authors: Ding Guofu , He Yong , Qin Shengfeng , Jia Meiwei , Li Rong
Published: October 2012

For complex mechanical systems, to overcome design inconsistencies, it is becoming more and more necessary that product design system is effectively integrated with various analysis models and tools from multiple engineering domains at different design stages. In this article, a Holistic Product Design and Analysis Model, which is well supported by Top–Down design method, is conceptualized to define design and analysis integration at different levels, which will help enhance engineering design and analysis interoperability and integrate the design methods and analysis tools across multiple engineering domains. It is based on four design levels: system, subsystem, machine and component designs; at each level, design and analysis models are integrated under a Generalized Multirepresentation Architecture supporting design, analysis and optimization appropriately. For cross-level integration from top to bottom, the design models are transferred and mapped with more structural and geometric details, while analysis models obtain more detailed design constraints from the top levels. This new architecture has been developed and demonstrated with an application in a railway vehicle system design, although its optimization components have not been fully implemented. This model can be used for general mechanical product system design.
Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Johnson Evelyn S. , Carter Deborah R. , Pool Juli L.
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this special issue is to help schools better understand how they might get started with implementing a strong Tier 2 system within the context of a multitiered service delivery model. The promise of multitiered service delivery models is that students who struggle can be identified early and receive interventions before their challenges become intractable. In this issue, a series of articles describe how one school implemented Tier 2 systems to address the needs of struggling students in reading, math, writing, and behavior. In addition, the systems that schools need to facilitate Tier 2 implementation are described.
The Use and Effectiveness of a Targeted Math Intervention for Third Graders
Authors: Pool Juli L. , Carter Gabriel M. , Johnson Evelyn S. , Carter Deborah R.
Published: October 2012

Students who fail to develop proficiency in math skills in the primary grades are more likely to experience difficulties in the math curriculum later on. These students may be in need of a more targeted intervention, or Tier 2 supports, in mathematic instruction. Although the instructional principles of an effective math intervention are becoming better understood, the practice of designing and implementing an effective Tier 2 math intervention system challenges many schools. This article documents a case study of one school’s experience in designing a Tier 2 math intervention system for 10 third graders to provide a model of effective Tier 2 systems.
Is This Referee Really My Peer? A Challenge to the Peer-Review Process
Authors: Tsang Eric W. K.
Published: October 2012

A basic assumption of the peer-review process adopted by journals is that referees and authors are similarly knowledgeable about the topics concerned. Given the difficulty of finding qualified referees, this assumption is likely to be violated if the author is a top scholar of the topic and thus has few peers. The peer-review process then breaks down and fails to provide quality comments. Worse still, the submission may be erroneously rejected. Drawing on my experience of submitting philosophy-based papers to business journals, I propose a special review process for improvement.
Leadership, Vision, Strategy, and the Art of Publishing in India
Authors: Prabhakar Guru Prakash , Saran Pankaj , Liddle Joyce
Published: October 2012

This work highlights the experiences of the founder of a well-known publishing company and the revelations he had in this journey with the specific context of India, challenges he faced, his vision, business model, and his philosophy of management. These life experiences can inspire budding managers and entrepreneurs.
An evolutionary mixed variational problem arising from frictional contact mechanics
Authors: Matei Andaluzia
Published: October 2012

We consider an abstract mixed variational problem which consists of a system of an evolutionary variational equation in a Hilbert space X and an evolutionary inequality in a subset of a second Hilbert space Y, associated with an initial condition. The existence and the uniqueness of the solution is proved based on a fixed point technique. The continuous dependence on the data was also investigated. The abstract results we obtain can be applied to the mathematical treatment of a class of frictional contact problems for viscoelastic materials with short memory. In this paper we consider an antiplane model for which we deliver a mixed variational formulation with friction bound dependent set of Lagrange multipliers. After proving the existence and the uniqueness of the weak solution, we study the continuous dependence on the initial data, on the densities of the volume forces and surface tractions. Moreover, we prove the continuous dependence of the solution on the friction bound.
Existence of weak solutions in elasticity
Authors: Eremeyev Victor A , Lebedev Leonid P
Published: October 2012

Solvability and uniqueness of solutions to the problems of equilibrium, vibration and dynamics in a weak setup for classical and nonclassical models of linear elasticity are established in a unified framework sufficiently flexible to accommodate new elastic models.
Towards integral inequalities of surface deformation in two-dimensional linear elasticity
Authors: Ru CQ
Published: October 2012

This work is inspired to achieve an integral inequality for a linear elastic body in which the surface integral of squares of surface strains or surface displacement gradients is bounded from above by surface integral of squares of boundary tractions with a finite bound constant independent of boundary tractions. Here, all candidate displacements of the proposed variational quotients are required to meet the equations of equilibrium without body forces, and the boundary tractions are defined based on the displacements. Detailed results are given for two-dimensional anti-plane shear and plane-strain of circular domains, which confirm that the integral of surface strains or surface displacement gradients can be bounded from above by the integral of boundary tractions.
Multi-coating an inclusion of arbitrary shape to achieve uniformity of interior stresses
Authors: Wang Xu , Schiavone Peter
Published: October 2012

The idea of a multi-coating has been used extensively in the design of invisibility cloaks in which the objective is to achieve near-invisibility of a particular structure. To this end, this paper is concerned with the internal stress field of an elastic inclusion of arbitrary shape bonded to the surrounding matrix through multiple coatings when the matrix is subjected to remote uniform anti-plane stresses. For any number of intermediate coatings, we identify non-elliptical shapes of the inclusion leading to an internal uniform stress field. The problem is solved analytically for an inclusion of arbitrary shape with two coatings, and iteratively for an inclusion of arbitrary shape with three or more coatings. Our results indicate that the shape of an inclusion permitting an internal uniform stress field can essentially be arbitrary when the number of the coatings is sufficiently large.
Some new applications of the GLPD micromorphic model of ductile fracture
Authors: Enakoutsa Koffi
Published: October 2012

This paper presents some new applications of a model of ductile rupture of porous ductile materials proposed by Gologanu, Leblond, Perrin and Devaux (GLPD). The first application is concerned with the relationship between this model and the class of generalized standard materials. We show that the GLPD model fits in this class, provided that the porosity is not allowed to change and the hypothesis of linearized theory is adopted. The advantage of this property is that it automatically warrants the unicity of the solution for the ‘projection’ problem of the (supposedly) elastic stress predictor onto the GLPD’s yield locus. The second application leads to some exact analytical solutions of the GLPD model constitutive equations for the problems of an elastic hollow sphere in the framework of linearized theory, and viscous in large deformations. Comparisons between the numerical predictions of the GLPD model and the analytical solutions confirm the robustness of the numerical scheme used to implement this model into SYSTUS© finite element (FE) code. Thus, these exact analytical solutions can be used to validate the implementation of the GLPD model in another finite element code.

In the third application, comparisons between experimental and numerical load vs. displacement curves for an axisymmetric pre-cracked specimen made of a typical stainless steel are found to yield satisfactory results.
Emotional Intelligence, Theory of Mind, and Executive Functions as Predictors of Social Outcomes in Young Adults With Asperger Syndrome
Authors: Montgomery Janine M. , Stoesz Brenda M. , McCrimmon Adam W.
Published: October 2012

Social difficulties are frequently cited as a core deficit of individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS). This deficit is particularly evident when processing of emotional information is required in social situations. Deficits in theory of mind and executive functions are the two explanatory hypotheses for social deficits in AS that are predominant in the literature; however, each of these explanations has limitations. Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a relatively new explanation for social difficulties in typically developing individuals. Recently, researchers also have demonstrated that EI predicted important social outcomes for individuals with AS. In this study, we explored EI as an alternative or additive explanation for the social deficits observed in young adults with AS in light of the two predominant theories accounting for social difficulties. Implications for practice are discussed.
Changes in Cerebral Oxygenation in Patients With Pulmonary Dysfunction After Lung Resection
Authors: Ghoneimy Yasser El , Regal Mohamed , El-Tahan Mohamed , Deria Afrah , Jehani Yasser Al , Matthani Marwan
Published: October 2012

Lung resection would be associated with lower jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjvO2) values in patients with moderate to severe pulmonary dysfunction. We aimed to study the effects of lung resections on the postoperative changes in SjvO2, incidence of SjvO2 < 50%, pulmonary functions, cerebral blood flow equivalent (CBFE), and arterial to jugular difference in oxygen content (AjvDO2) in the patients with pulmonary dysfunction. Fifty-three patients scheduled for lung resection were allocated on the basis of forced vital capacity (FVC %) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%) into the following: good FVC and FEV1 (n = 14), mild (n = 14), moderate (n = 13), and severe (n = 12) pulmonary dysfunction groups. After lung resections, patients with pulmonary dysfunctions had significantly lower SjvO2, CBFE, FEV1, and FVC ( P < .001), higher AjvDO2 ( P < .001), and frequent episodes with SjvO2 < 50% ( P < .03). Perioperative changes in FEV1 had a significant negative correlation with SjvO2 desaturation ( P < .002). Patients with pulmonary dysfunction showed significant SjvO2 < 50% after lung resection, which is correlated to the perioperative changes in FEV1.
The effect of a practice checklist on practice strategies, practice self-regulation and achievement of collegiate music majors enrolled in a beginning class piano course
Authors: Cremaschi Alejandro M.
Published: October 2012

This study was designed to test the effect of filling in a weekly practice checklist on self-reported practice strategies, self-efficacy beliefs, and final exam grades of music majors enrolled in beginning college group piano courses for non-pianists. Forty-one non-piano students participated. Students in the experimental group ( n = 22) filled a weekly practice and self-assessment checklist for 3 weeks before their final exam. At the end of the treatment and before their exam, participants completed an adaptation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia & McKeachie, 1991). The treatment had no effect on grade, Self-efficacy, or Resource management, but students in the experimental group reported higher use of Metacognitive self-regulation. Additionally, students in the experimental group without previous piano experience reported higher use of Practice strategies than their counterparts in the control group. These results suggest that the use of this type of checklist may enhance some aspects of practice. Limitations of this study include a small sample size and the use of a no-pretest Static-Group Comparison research design.
A first comparison of pre-service music teachers’ identities as creative musicians in the United States and England
Authors: Randles Clint , Smith Gareth Dylan
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study was to compare the creative musical identities of pre-service music education students in the United States and England. A 20-item survey was created based on previous work in the area of music teacher identity (Isbell, 2008). Survey items related to music making activities typically associated with creativity in music education, including composition, improvisation, popular music, and ‘new music’ ensemble participation, were completed by students ( n = 159) from nine different universities in the United States and nine universities in England. Findings suggest that pre-service music education students in the US feel less confident about their abilities to compose music, less comfortable teaching composition, and are less likely to plan on ‘teaching students to compose/improvise their own original music when [they] get a job as a music teacher’ than their English colleagues. Differences in primary and secondary socialization are proposed to account for the differences in survey responses between the two populations. The authors propose that music educators in the US might benefit from consideration of incorporating some practices from the system in England.
A pilot study mapping students’ composing strategies: Implications for teaching computer-assisted composition
Authors: Chen Jason Chi Wai
Published: October 2012

This article presents three in-depth case studies of a computer-assisted composition project in Hong Kong to understand how individual students from varied backgrounds encounter computer-assisted composition. Three higher-education students composed short pieces using music technology. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected digitally, through semi-structured interviews, and from students’ reflective journals. Comparative analyses of students’ composing activities revealed different approaches to composing, and a series of models that reflect the students’ varying composing approaches is presented. The findings should help to develop strategies that foster creativity when composing with music technology.
The impact of falls in the elderly
Authors: Boyé Nicole DA , Van Lieshout Esther MM , Van Beeck Ed F , Hartholt Klaas A , Van der Cammen Tischa JM , Patka Peter
Published: October 2012

The number of falls in the elderly is becoming a major public health problem in our society. In the past decade, life expectancy has increased from 75 years in 1990 to 79 years in 2009 in the US. It has been estimated that the number of persons aged 65 years and older in the US will double by 2050. In 2000, falls accounted for 45% of all injury-related inpatient stays with almost 750,000 hospitalizations. Fractures were the most common primary injury diagnosis, including 314,006 hip fractures. Injury following a fall is associated with a decreased quality of life and poor functional outcome, in severe injuries these effects continue for a prolonged period of time. In 2006, fall-related medical costs in the population aged ≥65 in the US amounted to US$19 billion for non-fatal and US$0.2 billion for fatal injuries. In this article, we provide a literature overview on the impact of falls in the elderly, the demands on healthcare, and the costs for our society.
The technical merits of turbogenerating shown through the design, validation and implementation of a one-dimensional engine model
Authors: Thompson Ian GM , Spence Stephen W , Thornhill David , McCartan Charles D , Talbot-Weiss Jonathan MH
Published: October 2012

Turbocompounding is the process of recovering a proportion of an engine’s fuel energy that would otherwise be lost in the exhaust process and adding it to the output power. This was first seen in the 1930s and is carried out by coupling an exhaust gas turbine to the crankshaft of a reciprocating engine. It has since been recognised that coupling the power turbine to an electrical generator instead of the crankshaft has the potential to reduce the fuel consumption further with the added flexibility of being able to decide how this recovered energy is used. The electricity generated can be used in automotive applications to assist the crankshaft using a flywheel motor generator or to power ancillaries that would otherwise have run off the crankshaft. In the case of stationary power plants, it can assist the electrical power output. Decoupling the power turbine from the crankshaft and coupling it to a generator allows the power electronics to control the turbine speed independently in order to optimise the specific fuel consumption for different engine operating conditions. This method of energy recapture is termed ‘turbogenerating’.

This paper gives a brief history of turbocompounding and its thermodynamic merits. It then moves on to give an account of the validation of a turbogenerated engine model. The model is then used to investigate what needs to be done to an engine when a turbogenerator is installed. The engine being modelled is used for stationary power generation and is fuelled by an induced biogas with a small portion of palm oil being injected into the cylinder to initiate combustion by compression ignition. From these investigations, optimum settings were found that result in a 10.90% improvement in overall efficiency. These savings relate to the same engine without a turbogenerator installed operating with fixed fuelling.