bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk-Based Case Study of Floating Facility Drilling Riser Design Concepts in Deepwater Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Hull Meghan Eileen , Rees Jacqueline , Deegan Francis Jonathan , Botto Adriana , Whooley Alan
Published: May 2011

Regulatory changes in recent years have shown more stringent drilling riser inspection and maintenance criteria with the objective of minimizing Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) risks, as evident with the December 2009 draft MMS NTL on integrity issues surrounding dedicated drilling risers used on floating production facilities. Additionally, the catastrophic Macondo incident has brought to the forefront the risks associated with traditional offshore drilling, which lends an added emphasis to clear assessment and management of HSE risks for all drilling and production risers.

This paper presents the methodology proposed for the risk-based comparison of different production and drilling riser system configurations. The methodology is recommended for the concept selection phase of any new drilling riser development to enable a side-by-side comparison of the critical risks within each system. This risk approach facilitates the identification of required mitigation measures to reduce risks to As Low As Reasonably Practical (ALARP). In addition an Integrity Management Strategy is proposed and recommended mitigation measures are compiled in different categories: design, inspection and operating measures. An action tracking database then assigns the implementation of mitigation measures to appropriate development phases (including the operations phase) to allow traceability and ensure risks remain ALARP.

The authors will demonstrate the implementation of this methodology for three drilling riser configurations: a monobore drilling riser (base case), a drilling riser with an insert casing riser system, and a monobore drilling riser with a Subsea Isolation Device (SID) system. The case study will consider a deepwater, normally pressured Gulf of Mexico field, taking into account the following scenarios: running the drilling riser; running of drill string and casing; drilling, before and in the hydrocarbon payzone; simultaneous operations (SIMOPs); and other vessel-related activities. Following typical practices for deepwater developments in the Gulf of Mexico, a surface blowout preventer (SBOP) is assumed to be employed for managing well control.

The insert riser system and the SID system will be considered by comparison to the monobore system to facilitate the presentation of each option. The most critical risks associated with all three drilling riser systems will be determined in a clear and transparent manner, along with the measures that are required to mitigate these risks to ALARP.
The Economics, Execution and Management of Complex Offshore Projects
Authors: Doherty Patricia
Published: May 2011

Macroeconomic trends, geopolitics, oil prices and the depletion of known hydrocarbon reserves are both motivating and compelling petrochemical companies to venture farther offshore in search of new supplies. And because most new hydrocarbon reservoirs are discovered in ultra-deep (upwards of 5000ft / 950m) remote waters, companies are faced with unprecedented physical, environmental, technical and project management challenges:–Physical environments are more hostile.–Exploration and production are more complex.–Environmental, technical, human and material risks are greater.–Capital expenditure and expected return on investment are higher.–Projects are more global and involve multiple stakeholders.–Contracts are more complicated.–Expertise is widely dispersed across a global ecosystem of specialized contractors, suppliers and partners.–Pressure to implement stricter governance standards and enhanced risk-response capability is increasing.–Investors seek to reduce time to first oil.

This paper examines:–The impact of macroeconomic trends, oil prices and geopolitics on offshore capital investment strategies.–The challenges program managers encounter when steering the planning, execution, governance, risk mitigation and delivery of projects involving thousands of globally dispersed multidiscipline participants.–How a collaborative project management model underpinned by state-of-the-art technology can provide secure on-line access to a single source of information, enabling a globally dispersed project ecosystem create, collaborate and share information seamlessly while protecting Intellectual Property (IP)—from Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) to platform construction, assembly configuration, and commissioning.–How dynamically updated performance dashboards provide a unique and reliable basis for risk mitigation, issue handling, prompt decision-making and enhanced risk-response capability.–How all stakeholders reap measurable benefits and valuable time otherwise spent collating unreliable information from disparate systems can be used on high-value management activities that have a direct impact on the economic outcome of a project.

It concludes that the time has come for companies to make a paradigm shift away from inefficient, adversarial, proprietary, stove-piped information systems toward the use of integrated collaborative applications that foster partnership and trust while protecting Intellectual Property (IP) and enabling equitable sharing of risks and rewards.
Reducing The Financial Impact of E&P Shutdowns
Authors: Dickey Lynn , Flesch Carlos Eduardo , Jordan Jonathan D. , Inacio Fernando
Published: May 2011

E&P shutdowns have a significant effect on business and operations, the former because of the production losses incurred while the platform is out of service and the latter because the amount of work completed drives future shutdown needs. This paper quantifies this effect and presents research that demonstrates the statistical correlation between the quality of shutdown planning and shutdown durations and predictability. Offshore shutdowns that reach the best level of planning have, on average, 40 percent shorter durations than those with the worst planning; only 12 percent of offshore turnarounds achieve Best planning, whereas 12 percent have poor planning. Actual observations are presented as case studies to clarify the research results.

Introduction

All shutdowns have an immediate negative financial impact because they result in lost or deferred production, although in the long run production typically increases as a result of the work done during the downtime. The negative impact is particularly true of offshore shutdowns because of the high value of crude oil and natural gas. Yet it is impossible to eliminate shutdowns because they are required to perform most replacement work, capital project installations, and legally required inspections. Given these facts, the best one can do is to employ those practices that will ensure the most efficient and the most predictable duration, while not compromising safety.

Research indicates that a strong correlation exists between certain specific practices and shutdown outcomes. For more than a decade, we have been testing hypotheses related to the correlation of various practices with shutdown outcomes and, for the last five years, we have included offshore shutdowns in the database. In addition, we provide lessons learned and case studies from various shutdown evaluations that we have completed.

The purpose of this paper is to share some of these findings to enable shorter, more predictable shutdowns and lessen their financial impact.

Research Methodology

The research is based on a shutdown database developed and maintained by Independent Project Analysis, Inc. This database consists of over 375 shutdowns, some analyzed at up to three different stages of planning development. Each shutdown in the database is characterized by more than 1,000 variables that describe in detail the shutdown's planning, execution, and process performance. The offshore shutdowns represented in the database come from locations around the world, as shown in Figure 1.
Development of New Generation Collar for J-lay Heavy Pipeline Installation
Authors: Salome Peter , Karjadi Erwan , Kleijne Elgar
Published: May 2011

J-lay collars are a safe and reliable way to install very heavy pipelines. In order to increase cost effectiveness and enable better quality control of the collar piece, a new concept of collar is proposed. The collar will contain multiple rims. The novel concept includes the total hang off load to be shared between two or more rims. This allows for a significant reduction of the overall wall thickness of the collar, which in turn provides opportunities for use of thick walled pipe, improved quality assurance as well as operational advantages with respect to weldability, transport over rollers and field joint coating.

Introduction

Heerema Marine Contractors has been installing deep water pipelines with Deepwater Construction Vessel Balder since it was converted to suit pipeline installation in 2001. The pipelay system on this vessel has a J-lay configuration. In a production line on the deck of the vessel, double joints are welded in a horizontal orientation into hex joints with a length of roughly 73 meters. The hex joint is then upended into a pipelay tower. In the tower the hex joint is welded in a more or less vertical orientation to the already installed pipe string. During welding, the suspended pipe string is supported by a hang off table. After welding, field joint coating is applied and the pipe string including the added hex joint is lowered towards the sea bed along the tower. During lowering the pipe string is supported by a head clamp on the travelling block in the tower. The hang off table and head clamp are fitted with pads suitable for the axial load and OD of the pipeline being installed. Figure 1 shows a pipeline just after lowering onto the hang off table. The travelling block is opening and about ready to travel back upward into the tower.
Electrocardiographic and Electrophysiologic Characteristics of Ventricular Extrasystoles Arising from the Aortomitral Continuity
Authors: Letsas Konstantinos P. , Efremidis Michael , Kollias George , Xydonas Sotirios , Sideris Antonios
Published: May 2011

Left ventricular outflow tract arrhythmias originating from the aortomitral continuity, the left coronary cusp, the superior basal septum, and the epicardial left ventricular summit display common electrocardiographic and electrophysiological features, probably due to the close proximity of those locations. Catheter ablation of these arrhythmias can be challenging. The case of a 68-year-old male with frequent premature ventricular extrasystoles arising from the aortomitral continuity of the basal left ventricle is described. The electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic characteristics of this arrhythmia are discussed.
Economics of Pricing the Cost of Carbon Dioxide Restrictions in the Production of Electricity
Authors: Brito Dagobert L. , Curl Robert F.
Published: May 2011

We calculate the cost of a carbon dioxide constraint in the production of electricity by modeling the replacement of coal generators with natural gas generators. We find: First, replacing coal generators with natural gas generators is the most economical way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent. Second, replacing existing coal generation capacity with modern coal generation plants can only reduce total carbon dioxide by 5 percent. Third, the distribution of the efficiency of coal generators in the United States restricts the range over which carbon dioxide prices effectively manage the displacement of coal by gas. Fourth, the narrow range for the price of carbon dioxide creates the possibility that a market in carbon dioxide permits will result in high volatility in the market for electricity. Fifth, the carbon prices implied by the transition from coal to gas will have very little impact on transportation fuels.

doi: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol32-No4-1
Psychological Distress Among Nurses Caring for Victims of War in Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayawardene Wasantha , YoussefAgha Ahmed , LaJoie Scott , Torabi Mohammad
Published: May 2011

Objective

To determine prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among nurses caring for war victims in Sri Lanka.

Methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 241 nurses from 2 hospitals with stratified random sampling according to workstation. Self-administered 30-item General Health Questionnaire was used to detect psychological distress.

Results

The prevalence of psychological distress was 21%. Female sex was found to be the most significant predictor of psychological distress among nurses. Factors, such as being married, having children, or both, were found to be protective. High exposure to war victims, measured by the frequency with which a nurse tended to those patients, also resulted in less psychological distress.

Conclusions

The prevalence of psychological distress is higheramong nurses in this study compared with that among the general population. Brief screening instruments, such as the General Health Questionnaire, can be used to identify individuals at risk for psychological distress. Results suggest that the presence of a social support network helped to psychologically buffer these nurses. Findings also imply the importance of promoting positive attitudes and beneficial stress (eustress) to complement a well-developed focus on distress prevention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:278-286)
What Variables Predict Quality of Text Notes and are Text Notes Related to Performance on Different Types of Tests?
Authors: Peverly Stephen T. , Sumowski James F.
Published: May 2011

Despite the importance of notes to test performance, very little is known about the cognitive variables related to notetaking, especially text notes. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the contributions of transcription fluency, reading comprehension, verbal working memory, executive attention, and background knowledge to the quality of text notes. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the relationship of all of the other aforementioned variables to three test types to determine if notes are more important to some test types than others: a free recall essay and two types of multiple choice items: memory items and inference items. Results indicated that transcription fluency was the best predictor of notes (reading comprehension was also significant predictor), which extends previous findings on the importance of transcription fluency to lecture notes. Notes' were the best predictor of the essay and the memory multiple choice items but not the inference items. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Glass Powders with a High Content of Calcium Oxide: A Step Towards a “Green” Universal Biocide
Authors: Moya José S. , Esteban‐Tejeda Leticia , Pecharromán Carlos , Mello‐Castanho Sonia R.H. , da Silva Antonio C. , Malpartida Francisco
Published: May 2011

It is shown that soda‐lime glass powders (d < 100 µm) with a content of CaO ranging from 15 to 20 wt‐% are strong inorganic biocide agents, with a logarithm of reduction > 4, versus Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, and yeasts. First, the glass particles are attached to the cell membrane; then, the Ca2+ lixiviated from the glass particles surface brings about membrane depolarization and subsequent death of the cells.
Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide – Properties, Synthesis, and Applications
Authors: Zheng Haidong , Ou Jian Zhen , Strano Michael S. , Kaner Richard B. , Mitchell Arnan , Kalantar‐zadeh Kourosh
Published: May 2011

Metal oxides are the key ingredients for the development of many advanced functional materials and smart devices. Nanostructuring has emerged as one of the best tools to unlock their full potential. Tungsten oxides (WOx) are unique materials that have been rigorously studied for their chromism, photocatalysis, and sensing capabilities. However, they exhibit further important properties and functionalities that have received relatively little attention in the past. This Feature Article presents a general review of nanostructured WOx, their properties, methods of synthesis, and a description of how they can be used in unique ways for different applications.
Serum Protein Controlled Nanoparticle Synthesis
Authors: Bassett David C. , Grover Liam M. , Müller Frank A. , McKee Marc D. , Barralet Jake E.
Published: May 2011

Mineralising organisms are thought to have been evolving for some 542 million years to precisely control both inorganic compound formation and inhibition in aqueous conditions. While the exact mechanisms continue to be elusive, there is growing evidence that control of the amorphous state is critical to these processes. To address this issue, the ability of three abundant serum proteins to stabilise the amorphous state of several important biogenic calcium minerals is examined. After gaining an insight into the relative stabilising strength of these proteins, their effect on the crystallization of gold was explored, demonstrating a potential use of this approach for the synthesis of functional nano‐sized materials.
Uncertainty modeling and robust minimax LQR control of multivariable nonlinear systems with application to hypersonic flight
Authors: Rehman Obaid Ur , Fidan Barış , Petersen Ian R.
Published: May 2011

For a class of multi‐input and multi‐output nonlinear uncertainty systems, a novel approach to design a nonlinear controller using minimax linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control is proposed. The proposed method combines a feedback linearization method with the robust minimax LQR approach in the presence of time‐varying uncertain parameters. The uncertainties, which are assumed to satisfy a certain integral quadratic constraint condition, do not necessarily satisfy a generalized matching condition. The procedure consists of feedback linearization of the nominal model and linearization of the remaining nonlinear uncertain terms with respect to each individual uncertainty at a local operating point. This two‐stage linearization process, followed by a robust minimax LQR control design, provides a robustly stable closed loop system. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an application study is provided for a flight control problem of an air‐breathing hypersonic flight vehicle (AHFV), where the outputs to be controlled are the longitudinal velocity and altitude, and the control variables are the throttle setting and elevator deflection. The proposed method is used to derive a linearized uncertainty model for the longitudinal motion dynamics of the AHFV first, and then a robust minimax LQR controller is designed, which is based on this uncertainty model. The controller is synthesized considering seven uncertain aerodynamic and inertial parameters. The stability and performance of the synthesized controller is evaluated numerically via single scenario simulations for particular cruise conditions as well as a Monte‐Carlo type simulation based on numerous cases. It is observed that the control scheme proposed in this paper performs better, especially from the aspect of robustness to large ranges of uncertainties, than some controller design schemes previously published in the literature.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Robust fuzzy control for continuous perturbed time‐delay affine takagi–sugeno fuzzy models
Authors: Chang Wen‐Jer , Huang Wei‐Han , Chang Wei , Ku Cheung‐Chieh
Published: May 2011

The stability analysis and controller synthesis methodology for a continuous perturbed time‐delay affine (CPTDA) Takagi–Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy model is proposed in this paper. The CPTDA T‐S fuzzy models include both linear nominal parts and uncertain parameters in each fuzzy rule. The proposed fuzzy control approach is developed based on an iterative linear matrix inequality (ILMI) algorithm to cope with the stability criteria and H∞ performance constraints for the CPTDA T‐S fuzzy models. Finally, a numerical simulation for the nonlinear inverted pendulum system is given to show the application and availability of the present design approach.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Retinal determination genes function along with cell‐cell signals to regulate Drosophila eye development
Authors: Baker Nicholas E. , Firth Lucy C.
Published: May 2011

It is thought that retinal determination (RD) gene products define the response made to cell‐cell signals in the field of eye development by binding to enhancers of genes that are also regulated by cell‐cell signaling pathways. In Drosophila, RD genes, including eyeless, teashirt, eyes absent, dachsous, and sine oculis, are required for normal eye development and can induce ectopic eyes when mis‐expressed. Characterization of the enhancers responsible for eye expression of the hedgehog, shaven, and atonal genes, as well as the dynamics of RD gene expression themselves, now suggest a multilayered network whereby transcriptional regulation by either RD genes or cell‐cell signaling pathways can sometimes be indirect and mediated by other transcription factor intermediates. In this updated view of the interaction between extracellular information and cell intrinsic programs during development, regulation of individual genes might sometimes be several steps removed from either the RD genes or the cell‐cell signaling pathways that nevertheless govern their expression.
Effect of amino acids on aggregation behaviour of sodium deoxycholate in solution: a fluorescence study
Authors: He Fang , Xu Guiying , Pang Jinyu , Han Tingting , Liu Teng , Yang Xiaodeng
Published: May 2011

The influence of three alkaline amino acids, l‐lysine (L‐Lys), l‐arginine (L‐Arg) and l‐histidine (L‐His), on the aggregation behaviour of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) in phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, was studied at 25 °C. The fluorescence probe technique based on pyrene was employed to determine accurately the critical aggregation concentration (cac), polarity of the microenvironment and aggregation numbers for the NaDC aggregates. The added amino acids can effectively reduce the cac values and micropolarity of NaDC, indicating that it is easier for NaDC to aggregate in a compact manner in the presence of amino acids. The aggregation numbers of NaDC were increased, indicating that more NaDC molecules connect together to form stable aggregates. The performance of L‐Arg is similar to that of L‐His, and both have a smaller effect on the above parameters than L‐Lys. In view of this, it may be inferred that both electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction are responsible for the interaction between NaDC and amino acids in aqueous solution. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorescence modulation of 1,7‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione by silver nanoparticles and its possible analytical application
Authors: Patra Digambara , Malaeb Nagham N.
Published: May 2011

The effects of silver nanoparticles on the photophysical properties of 1,7‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione, popularly known as curcumin, have been investigated using optical absorption and fluorescence techniques. Although absorption spectroscopy suggests a ground‐state complex formation, fluorescence quenching data confirms a simultaneous static and dynamic quenching, inferring ground as well as excited‐state complex formation. The recovery of fluorescence quenching of the curcumin–silver nanoparticle complex in the presence of ascorbic acid or uric acid emphasizes a strong interaction between the silver nanoparticles and ascorbic acid/uric acid, suggesting that fluorescence recovery after the quenching of curcumin–silver nanoparticle complexes has potential for ascorbic acid or uric acid assay development. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rubredoxin reductase from Alcanivorax borkumensis: Expression and characterization
Authors: Teimoori Afsaneh , Ahmadian Shahin , Madadkar‐Sobhani Armin , Bambai Bijan
Published: May 2011

Oil pollution is an environmental problem of increasing importance. Alcanivorax
borkumensis, with a high potential for biotechnological applications, is a key marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacterium and plays a critical role in the bioremediation of oil‐polluted marine systems. In oil degrading bacteria, the first step of alkane degradation is catalyzed by a monooxygenase. The reducing electrons are tunneled from NAD(P)H via rubredoxin, one of the most primitive metalloproteins, to the hydroxylase. Rubredoxin reductase is a flavoprotein catalyzing the reduction of rubredoxin. There are two rubredoxin genes, alkG and rubA, in A. borkumensis genome. In this work, the genes encoding rubredoxin reductase (ABO_0162, rubB) and AlkG(ABO_2708, alkG) were cloned and functionally overexpressed in E. coli. Our results demonstrate that RubB could reduce AlkG, therefore compensating for the absence of AlkT, also a rubredoxin reductase, missing in A. borkumensis SK2 genome. These results will increase our knowledge concerning biological alkane degradation and will lead us to design more efficient biotransformation and bioremediation systems. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Enantioselective Syntheses of 2,5‐Disubstituted Pyrrolidines Based on Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Aminations—Total Syntheses of Alkaloids from Amphibian Skins
Authors: Gärtner Martin , Weihofen Robert , Helmchen Günter
Published: May 2011

A broadly applicable route to trans‐2,5‐disubstituted pyrrolidines has been developed. Key steps are an asymmetric iridium‐catalyzed allylic amination, a Suzuki–Miyaura coupling, and an intramolecular aza‐Michael addition. Enantiomeric excesses in the range of 93–99 % ee have been achieved. Total syntheses of the alkaloids (−)‐225 C, (+)‐ and (−)‐223 H (xenovenine), (+)‐223 AB, (+)‐195 B, and (+)‐223 R have been carried out as applications.
The inflammatory milieu in the rheumatic joint reduces regulatory T‐cell function
Authors: Herrath Jessica , Müller Malin , Amoudruz Petra , Janson Peter , Michaëlsson Jakob , Larsson Per T. , Trollmo Christina , Raghavan Sukanya , Malmström Vivianne
Published: May 2011

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for maintaining immune homeostasis, but many studies suggest that Tregs are functionally impaired in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. In addition, effector T cells may vary in sensitivity toward Treg suppression. Herein, we have studied the interplay between T effectors and Tregs in the rheumatic joint. Synovial Tregs demonstrated a high degree of FOXP3 demethylation and displayed only marginal IL‐17 and virtually no IFN‐γ production following in vitro stimulation, altogether indicating suppressive capacity. Still, the frequency of FOXP3 expression could not predict the degree of suppression. Instead, the inflammatory milieu in the joint, i.e. proliferative capacity of effector T cells and in situ levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines influenced Treg function. Indeed, blocking IL‐6 or TNF increased the suppression by Tregs in co‐cultures. Additionally, approximately 30% of the synovial FOXP3+ T cells were Ki67+ and hence actively dividing, but proliferation did not overlap with cytokine production, suggesting that these cells represent functional Tregs having met their cognate antigen and expanded in an attempt to alleviate joint inflammation. Overall, our data argue against a general functional deficit in joint‐derived Tregs and instead emphasize the importance of the inflammatory milieu to set the threshold for immune regulation.
Magnetism in Giant Unit Cells – Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of R117Co52+δSn112+γ (R = Sm, Tb, Dy)
Authors: Kovnir Kirill , Shatruk Michael
Published: May 2011

Ternary polar intermetallics Sm117Co55.6Sn116, Tb117Co59Sn111, and Dy117Co58Sn111 were prepared by the arc‐melting technique. They belong to the Tb117Fe52Ge112 structure type and are characterized by a giant cubic unit cell (V > 25000 Å3). The build‐up of the structure can be understood by identifying three basic metal‐centered polyhedra, a 14‐vertex Co@Co6Sn8 at the edge centers and at the body center of the unit cell, a 14‐vertex Sm@Co8Sn6 at the origin of the unit cell, and a 22‐vertex Sm@Co12Sn10 at the center of each octant. The rest of the atoms in the crystal structure can be considered as forming concentric polyhedra around these basic units. Such an approach results in three types of large multishell polyhedra that share their outermost faces and provide complete space filling. The arrangement of these polyhedra follows the arrangement of atoms in the structure of Heusler alloy Cu2MnAl. The description of this complex structure in terms of multishell clusters allows its separation into regions of different polarity, as each individual shell is composed of either Sm or Co/Sn atoms. Sm117Co55.6Sn116 exhibits ferromagnetic ordering in the Sm sublattice at 86 K. Tb117Co59Sn111 and Dy117Co58Sn111 undergo consecutive paramagnet–ferromagnet and ferromagnet‐canted–antiferromagnet phase transitions when the temperature is lowered. The transitions take place at 38 K and 20 K for Tb117Co59Sn111 and at 30 K and 11 K for Dy117Co58Sn111.
Cooperative Copper(I) and Primary Amine Catalyzed Room‐Temperature Carbocyclization of Formyl Alkynes
Authors: Montaignac Benjamin , Vitale Maxime R. , Ratovelomanana‐Vidal Virginie , Michelet Véronique
Published: May 2011

An efficient CuI/amine catalytic system is described for the carbocyclization of α‐disubstituted formylalkynes at room temperature. Merging aminocatalysis to the copper(I)‐catalyzed activation of alkynes led to clean carbocyclization of a wide range of functionalized substrates under mild conditions. This novel cooperative catalytic system allowed the formation of a variety of carbo‐ and heterocycles, including pyrrolidines, in good to excellent yields. Mechanistic aspects of this process are also discussed.
Downplaying a compromised social image: The effect of metastereotype valence on social identification
Authors: Owuamalam Chuma K. , Zagefka Hanna
Published: May 2011

This research examined the prediction that group members' levels of identification with the in‐group would be influenced by the valence of salient metastereotypes. Specifically, we expected those group members who activate negative metastereotypes to report lower levels of identification with the in‐group compared with those who activate positive metastereotypes. We further expected the above effect to be mediated by fluctuations in self‐view: Those group members who activate negative metastereotypes should experience lowered self‐view (or self‐esteem), which would then lead them to downplay their membership of the negatively valued in‐group. In addition, we expected this mediated effect to be particularly visible among those who were less strongly identified with the in‐group to begin with. Results obtained across two studies in which metastereotype valence was manipulated support the predicted main effect and the moderated mediation hypothesis. Discussions highlight the need for a positive social image when concern about the negative connotations of one's social group membership is raised. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An improvement of seasonal climate prediction by regularized canonical correlation analysis
Authors: Lim Yaeji , Jo Seongil , Lee Jaeyong , Oh Hee‐Seok , Kang Hyun‐Suk
Published: May 2011

This article proposes a statistical method based on the regularized canonical correlation analysis (RCCA) to improve on the conventional canonical correlation analysis (CCA) method for seasonal climate prediction. The fundamental idea of this method is to combine the regularization principle with the classical CCA to handle high‐dimensional data in which the number of variables is larger than the number of observations. This study focuses on prediction of future precipitation for the boreal summer (June‐July‐August, JJA) on both global and regional scales. We apply the RCCA method to the JJA hindcast/forecast archives for 29 years (1979–2007) obtained from the operational seasonal prediction system at Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in order to correct the model biases and provide a more accurate climate prediction. It is observed that the results from the RCCA method demonstrate a more accurate seasonal climate prediction as compared to the results from the general circulation model (GCM) and the CCA method coupled with empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) analysis, which is the modified CCA technique widely used, in terms of both correlation and mean square error. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Rejuvenating Outback Tourism through Market Diversification: the Case of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia
Authors: Schmallegger Doris , Taylor Andrew , Carson Dean
Published: May 2011

Tourism in remote Outback Australia has experienced severe decline since the late 1990s. Outback destinations have generally failed to recognize the need to adapt to changing market trends and diversify their visitor markets. To remain competitive in the marketplace, it is argued that Outback destinations need to be able to operate as tourism innovation systems that engage the whole destination system in processes of collective change. This paper analyses the case of the Flinders Ranges, a remote destination in South Australia. It documents the strategies that the regional tourism system has used to diversify its market base and identifies the factors that have allowed the system to develop internal systems‐of‐innovation dynamics. The findings suggest that the Flinders Ranges tourism system has been able to overcome internal structural weaknesses by the ‘import’ of externally trained entrepreneurs and public sector leaders. The paper finally questions the role of centralized state and regional tourism organizations that seem to have stifling effects on innovation capacities in remote destinations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analytical solution to 1D coupled water infiltration and deformation in two‐layer unsaturated soils
Authors: Wu L. Z. , Zhang L. M. , Huang R. Q.
Published: May 2011

An analytical solution to 1D coupled water infiltration and deformation in layered soils is derived using a Laplace transformation. Coupling between seepage and deformation, and initial conditions defined by arbitrary continuous pore‐water pressure distributions are considered. The analytical solutions describe the transient pore‐water pressure distributions during 1D, vertical infiltration toward the water table through two‐layer unsaturated soils. The nonlinear coupled formulations are first linearized and transformed into a form that is solvable using a Laplace transformation. The solutions provide a reliable means of comparing the accuracy of various numerical methods. Parameters considered in the coupled analysis include the saturated permeability (ks), desaturation coefficient (α), and saturated volumetric water content (θs) of each soil layer, and antecedent and subsequent rainfall infiltration rates. The analytical solution demonstrates that the coupling of seepage and deformation plays an important role in water infiltration in layered unsaturated soils. A smaller value of α or a smaller absolute value of the elastic modulus of the soil with respect to a change in soil suction (H) for layered unsaturated soils means more marked coupling effect. A smaller absolute value of H of the upper layer soil also tends to cause more marked coupling effect. A large difference between the saturated coefficients of permeability for the top and bottom soil layers leads to reduced rainfall infiltration into the deep soil layer. The initial conditions also play a significant role in the pore‐water pressure redistribution and coupling effect. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weighted student funding in the Netherlands: A model for the U.S.?
Authors: Ladd Helen F. , Fiske Edward B.
Published: May 2011

Although a relatively new idea in the U.S., weighted student funding (WSF) for individual schools has a long history in the Netherlands. This country of about 16.5 million people has been using a version of WSF for all its primary schools (serving children from age 4 to 12) for 25 years. In this article we describe and evaluate the Dutch system and explore what insights there might be for the U.S., taking into account the very different cultural and normative contexts of the two countries. We find that, compared to those with few weighted students, Dutch schools with high proportions of weighted students have almost 60 percent more teachers per pupil as well as more support staff per teacher. Even these large resource advantages, however, are not sufficient by themselves to eliminate all quality shortfalls in the high‐weight schools, where quality is measured by school policies and practices. We conclude that weighted student funding for schools within districts in the U.S. is not likely to deliver the same highly progressive funding patterns as in the Netherlands because of the complex, multilayered U.S. education system and the absence of a political consensus in favor of generous weights. © 2011 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Encryption and the loss of patient data
Authors: Miller Amalia R. , Tucker Catherine E.
Published: May 2011

Fast‐paced IT advances have made it increasingly possible and useful for firms to collect data on their customers on an unprecedented scale. One downside of this is that firms can experience negative publicity and financial damage if their data are breached. This is particularly the case in the medical sector, where we find empirical evidence that increased digitization of patient data is associated with more data breaches. The encryption of customer data is often presented as a potential solution, because encryption acts as a disincentive for potential malicious hackers, and can minimize the risk of breached data being put to malicious use. However, encryption both requires careful data management policies to be successful and does not ward off the insider threat. Indeed, we find no empirical evidence of a decrease in publicized instances of data loss associated with the use of encryption. Instead, there are actually increases in the cases of publicized data loss due to internal fraud or loss of computer equipment. © 2011 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Orographic influence of east Greenland on a polar low over the Denmark Strait
Authors: Kristjánsson Jón Egill , Thorsteinsson Sigurdur , Kolstad Erik W. , Blechschmidt Anne‐Marlene
Published: May 2011

We present a numerical study of a polar low which hit western Iceland in January 2007, with heavy snowfall and mean wind speeds exceeding 20 m s−1 in several locations. The operational models at the time captured the polar low formation rather well, but there was a large spread in their predictions of the subsequent evolution and track of the polar low. The objective of this study is to investigate possible orographic forcing from Greenland as a trigger for the polar low development. In addition to an analysis of surface observations and satellite imagery, sensitivity studies using HIRLAM were carried out with various degradations of Greenland's orography, as well as with modifications to the sea‐surface temperature (SST), surface roughness and the data assimilation scheme. Despite the presence of an upper‐level trough and weak static stability in all the simulations, the polar low development was found to be very sensitive to the presence of the high mountains of eastern Greenland. Whereas the control run captured well the main features of the polar low, simulations with parts of east Greenland's orography removed gave a southward‐displaced polar low which moved rapidly eastward, resulting in substantially underestimated near‐surface winds and snowfall amounts. Setting the orographic heights over all of Greenland to zero led to the complete disappearance of the polar low. On the other hand, artificially increasing the SST by 4 K in the Denmark Strait, reducing the orographic roughness or replacing the four‐dimensional variational assimilation scheme (4D‐Var) by 3D‐Var had only a small effect on the polar low. We suggest that hitherto unreported interactions between the high mountains of east Greenland and polar low development over the Denmark Strait may be more important for polar low formation than katabatic flow from valleys in east Greenland that was highlighted in earlier studies. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
A LIDAR‐DERIVED EVALUATION OF WATERSHED‐SCALE LARGE WOODY DEBRIS SOURCES AND RECRUITMENT MECHANISMS: COASTAL MAINE, USA
Authors: Kasprak A. , Magilligan F. J. , Nislow K. H. , Snyder N. P.
Published: May 2011

In‐channel large woody debris (LWD) promotes quality aquatic habitat through sediment sorting, pool scouring and in‐stream nutrient retention and transport. LWD recruitment occurs by numerous ecological and geomorphic mechanisms including channel migration, mass wasting and natural tree fall, yet LWD sourcing on the watershed scale remains poorly constrained. We developed a rapid and spatially extensive method for using light detection and ranging data to do the following: (i) estimate tree height and recruitable tree abundance throughout a watershed; (ii) determine the likelihood for the stream to recruit channel‐spanning trees at reach scales and assess whether mass wasting or channel migration is a dominant recruitment mechanism; and (iii) understand the contemporary and future distribution of LWD at a watershed scale. We utilized this method on the 78‐km‐long Narraguagus River in coastal Maine and found that potential channel‐spanning LWD composes approximately 6% of the valley area over the course of the river and is concentrated in spatially discrete reaches along the stream, with 5 km of the river valley accounting for 50% of the total potential LWD found in the system. We also determined that 83% of all potential LWD is located on valley sides, as opposed to 17% on floodplain and terrace surfaces. Approximately 3% of channel‐spanning vegetation along the river is located within one channel width of the stream. By examining topographic and morphologic variables (valley width, channel sinuosity, valley‐side slope) over the length of the stream, we evaluated the dominant recruitment processes along the river and often found a spatial disconnect between the location of potential channel‐spanning LWD and recruitment mechanisms, which likely explains the low levels of LWD currently found in the system. This rapid method for identification of LWD sources is extendable to other basins and may prove valuable in locating future restoration projects aimed at increasing habitat quality through wood additions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Women in Midlife: Stress, Health and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Darling Carol A. , Coccia Catherine , Senatore Natalie
Published: May 2011

Midlife is filled with challenges and unique stressors for women, which necessitate a greater understanding of the factors that influence their life satisfaction. This study examined the relationship of family strains/changes and weight to life satisfaction, as mediated by family coping, physical activity, sleep and health stress. The findings indicated that women in midlife, who experienced more stressful life changes and had higher body mass index scores, slept fewer hours and had greater health stress, which resulted in lower life satisfaction. These results have implications for family health professionals and programmes that deal with family and health problems, including sleep, weight and stress. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Test Anxiety and Cardiovascular Responses to Daily Academic Stressors
Authors: Conley Kristen M. , Lehman Barbara J.
Published: May 2011

Routine academic events may cause stress and produce temporary elevations in blood pressure. Students who experience test anxiety may be especially prone to cardiovascular activation in response to academic stress. This study drew on self‐reported stress and ambulatory blood pressure measurements provided by 99 undergraduate participants (30% men, mean age = 21 years) who participated over 4 days. Posture, activity level, recent consumption and the previous same‐day reading were considered as covariates in a series of hierarchical linear models. Results indicate elevations in systolic blood pressure at times of acute academic stressors; neither diastolic blood pressure nor heart rate was linked with academic stress. In addition, those participants higher in test anxiety exhibited especially pronounced elevations in systolic blood pressure during times of acute academic stress. This research suggests that everyday academic stressors are linked with temporary increases in blood pressure and that test anxiety may contribute to these elevations. Test anxiety has implications for future academic and job success, and cardiovascular responses to everyday stress may contribute to health problems later in life. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis on Non‐Uniform Gas Flow in Blast Furnace Based on DEM‐CFD Combined Model
Authors: Natsui Shungo , Ueda Shigeru , Nogami Hiroshi , Kano Junya , Inoue Ryo , Ariyama Tatsuro
Published: May 2011

Blast furnace technology is currently aiming at low reducing agent operation so as to decrease CO2 emissions. At the same time, the inner volume of blast furnaces has frequently been enlarged so as to increase production rate in some countries, including Japan. Operating conditions designed for low reducing agent in a large blast furnace tend to cause unfavorable phenomena such as slipping of the burden and gas channeling due to the decrease in coke rate. Mathematical models help to clarify the in‐furnace phenomena under these situations.

From the above backgrounds, a new model has been developed that combines Discrete Element Method with Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM‐CFD) to simulate precisely the gas flow and solid motion in a blast furnace. The present study aimed to develop a three‐dimensional mathematical model based on DEM‐CFD for simultaneous analysis of gas and solid flow in the whole blast furnace. The unbalanced gas flow in the case of clogging of the particular tuyere was analyzed to clarify the circumferential unevenness in the lower part of the blast furnace. Based on the combined DEM with CFD model, the non‐uniform gas flow in the lower part of the blast furnace was precisely evaluated.
Functional assessment of the fetal heart: a review
Authors: Godfrey M. E. , Messing B. , Cohen S. M. , Valsky D. V. , Yagel S.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the current modalities available for the assessment of fetal cardiac function. The unique anatomy and physiology of the fetal circulation are described, with reference to the difference between @ in‐utero and @ ex‐utero life. M‐mode, early/atrial ratio, myocardial performance index, three‐dimensional and four‐dimensional ultrasound, tissue Doppler including strain and strain rate, speckle tracking, magnetic resonance imaging and venous flow assessment are described. The modalities are analyzed from the perspective of the clinician and certain questions are posed. Does the modality assess systolic function, diastolic function or both? Is it applicable to both ventricles? Does it require extensive post‐processing or additional hardware, or does it make use of technology already available to the average practitioner? The reproducibility and reliability of the techniques are evaluated, with reference to their utility in clinical decision‐making. Finally, directions for future research are proposed. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.