bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on friction and wear behavior of PMMA composites reinforced by HCl-immersed TiO2 particles
Authors: Zhang JG
Published: August 2012

Mechanical and tribological properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composites filled with titanium oxide (TiO2) were studied with particular interest on the HCl surface treatment. Increasing the TiO2 content in the PMMA matrix from 1 wt% to 7 wt% resulted in improved tensile strength and then decreased. The tensile and tribological properties show the optimum TiO2 content is obtained at 3 wt%. HCl treatment largely improved the friction and wear of TiO2/PMMA composites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigation of worn surfaces of PMMA composites showed that HCl-treated TiO2/PMMA composite had strong interfacial adhesion and smooth worn surface under given load.
Recruitment of Sex Buyers
Authors: Kolar Kat , Atchison Chris
Published: August 2012

In this article we draw upon data from a large-scale mixed methods investigation of clients of commercial sex workers in Canada to illustrate the potential value that understanding and integrating computer and network technology has for enhancing access to, and participation from, marginalized and stigmatized populations. In particular, we present qualitative data from analysis of our research field notes as well as an analysis of quantitative data from response monitoring and feedback features built into the actual data collection process to help support our argument that, for some populations, network technology–based recruitment strategies should be recognized as the preferred recruitment option. In addition, we discuss the potential utility and application of viral solicitation, a newly emerging computer network-based nonprobability technique, for contacting and securing the participation of stigmatized and marginalized research participants. Our recruitment of sex buyers through web-based listserves was the most successful participant solicitation strategy, generating 63.18% ( n = 544) of our survey respondents. Conventional recruitment (advertising in print-based media and in adult-oriented businesses) generated few participants (2.90%, n = 25). Viral solicitation acted as an important low-cost supplemental means of recruitment, generating a further 164 survey participants (19.05% of survey participants).
Pharmacogenomic Applications in Oncology
Authors: Walko Christine M. , Ikediobi Ogechi
Published: August 2012

Oncology chemotherapeutics frequently exhibit a narrow therapeutic index, further complicated by the serious nature of dosing either too high (dangerous toxicities) or too low (loss of antitumor benefits). This underscores the need for optimal individualized drug selection and dosing, especially with agents that have wide interpatient variability. Pharmacogenomic assessment of drug metabolizing enzymes can improve the ability to optimally dose patients being treated with certain agents such as 6-mercaptopurine, irinotecan, tamoxifen, and flurouracil. Two of these agents (6-mercaptopurine and irinotecan) already have mention of pharmacogenomic testing in their FDA approved package inserts. Ongoing retrospective and prospective trials will help to further optimize the place in clinical practice for not only performing these pharmacogenomic assessments but, more importantly, how the results should be incorporated into therapy dosing decisions for patients.
Tailoring Drug Therapy Based on Genotype
Authors: Cavallari Larisa H.
Published: August 2012

Polymorphisms in genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, and drug targets can influence drug effects and contribute to inter-individual differences in drug response. Genotype for drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters can influence drug disposition in the body (pharmacokinetics), whereas genotype for drug targets may influence sensitivity to a drug (pharmacodynamics). In some cases, response to a particular drug is contingent on genotype for both drug disposition and drug target proteins. For example, warfarin dose requirements are influenced by both cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1) genotypes. The goal of pharmacogenetics is to maximize drug effectiveness while limiting drug toxicity, based on an individual's DNA. Over 80 drugs now contain genetic information in their FDA-approved labeling. In addition to influencing warfarin dose requirements, genotype contributes to the efficacy of clopidogrel in coronary artery disease, risk for hypersensitivity reactions to abacavir in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus, risk for statin-induced myopathy, and responses to numerous other drugs. Genetic information is routinely integrated into decisions regarding cancer chemotherapy and treatment for human immunodeficiency virus. Clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics is becoming a reality in other therapeutic areas, such as for patients requiring dual antiplatelet therapy following coronary artery stent implantation. In the future, it is possible that individuals will be broadly genotyped so that genetic information can guide drug therapy decisions throughout their lifetime.
Awareness and Perceptions of Vermont’s Prescribed Product Gift Ban and Disclosure Law by Prescribers and Pharmacists
Authors: Kennedy Amanda G. , Possidente Carl J. , Pinckney Richard G.
Published: August 2012

Purpose:

Vermont law strictly regulates the interactions between pharmaceutical manufacturers and health care providers, including gifts, meals, and medication samples. The purpose of this study was to describe providers’ awareness and perceptions of current requirements.

Methods:

An online survey was completed by Vermont providers, including prescribers and pharmacists. The survey asked providers about their awareness of 15 different legal requirements and about their level of agreement with these requirements.

Results:

Four hundred and eleven providers completed the survey (61% male, mean age 52 years, and 71% physicians). Awareness of the 15 requirements ranged from 28.4% to 93.8%. Most providers agreed or had no strong opinions. Responses at significance levels of P < .001 were noted in 8 of 15 requirements when perceptions were stratified by providers who had any interactions with pharmaceutical representatives in the past year (N = 227, 55.4%) versus providers who reported no interactions (N = 183; 44.6%).

Conclusions:

A high proportion of Vermont providers are unaware of the current law. Most agreed or had no strong opinions about the requirements; however, at least a quarter disagreed with banning small gifts and meals. Having any interaction with pharmaceutical representatives changed how providers perceived the requirements. These data may be useful for other states considering similar laws.
Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time, Alters Decision Making, and Enhances Well-Being
Authors: Rudd Melanie , Vohs Kathleen D. , Aaker Jennifer
Published: August 2012

When do people feel as if they are rich in time? Not often, research and daily experience suggest. However, three experiments showed that participants who felt awe, relative to other emotions, felt they had more time available (Experiments 1 and 3) and were less impatient (Experiment 2). Participants who experienced awe also were more willing to volunteer their time to help other people (Experiment 2), more strongly preferred experiences over material products (Experiment 3), and experienced greater life satisfaction (Experiment 3). Mediation analyses revealed that these changes in decision making and well-being were due to awe’s ability to alter the subjective experience of time. Experiences of awe bring people into the present moment, and being in the present moment underlies awe’s capacity to adjust time perception, influence decisions, and make life feel more satisfying than it would otherwise.
Pregnancy and renal outcomes in lupus nephritis: an update and guide to management
Authors: Bramham K , Soh MC , Nelson-Piercy C
Published: August 2012

Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) commonly affects women of child bearing-age, and advances in treatment have resulted in an increasing number of women with renal involvement becoming pregnant. Knowledge of the relationship of the condition with respect to fertility and pregnancy is important for all clinicians involved in the care of women with lupus nephritis because they have complicated pregnancies. Presentation of lupus nephritis can range from mild asymptomatic proteinuria to rapidly progressive renal failure and may occur before, during, or after pregnancy. The timing of diagnosis may influence pregnancy outcome. Pregnancy may also affect the course of lupus nephritis. All pregnancies in women with lupus nephritis should be planned, preferably after more than six-months of quiescent disease. Predictors of poor obstetric outcome include active disease at conception or early pregnancy, baseline poor renal function with Creatinine >100 μmol/L, proteinuria >0.5 g/24 hours, presence of concurrent antiphospholipid syndrome and hypertension. In this review the most recent studies of pregnancies in women with lupus nephritis are discussed and a practical approach to managing women prepregnancy, during pregnancy and post-partum is described
Increased C1q, C4 and C3 deposition on platelets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus – a possible link to venous thrombosis?
Authors: Lood C , Eriksson S , Gullstrand B , Jönsen A , Sturfelt G , Truedsson L , Bengtsson AA
Published: August 2012

Objective: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of developing vascular diseases (VD) such as myocardial infarction, stroke and venous thrombosis, which can only partly be explained by traditional risk factors. The role of platelets in this process has not been extensively studied. Platelet activation supports complement binding to the platelet surface, and increased C4d has been seen on platelets in SLE patients as well as in non-rheumatic patients with stroke. In this study we investigated in vivo platelet deposition of the classical complement pathway components C1q, C4d and C3d in relation to VD in SLE patients. Furthermore, the ability of serum to support in vitro complement deposition on fixed heterologous platelets was analyzed. Methods: Blood from 69 SLE patients and age- and sex-matched healthy individuals was collected in sodium-citrate tubes and platelets isolated by centrifugation. Complement deposition on platelets was detected by flow cytometry. Results: We could demonstrate that SLE patients had increased C1q, C3d and C4d deposition on platelets as compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.0001). SLE patients with a history of venous thrombosis had increased complement deposition on platelets as compared to SLE patients without this manifestation ( p < 0.05). In vitro studies demonstrated that serum from patients with lupus anticoagulant, venous thrombosis or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome supported increased platelet C4d deposition in vitro as compared to SLE patients without these manifestations ( p < 0.05). Our data support the hypothesis that platelet activation and the subsequent complement deposition on platelets are central in the development of venous thrombosis in SLE. Conclusions: Altogether we suggest that complement deposition on platelets could reflect important pathogenetic events related to the development of venous thrombosis in SLE and might be used as a marker for venous thrombosis in SLE.
Performance of Internet Kiosks in Rural India
Authors: Kendall Jake , Singh Nirvikar
Published: August 2012

We investigate the determinants of revenue of small-scale entrepreneurs in a developing nation. We study these entrepreneurs in the context of a very widely applied model for the delivery of IT services to rural and poor populations. The model is one where limited intervention to support infrastructure and coordinate resources is combined with market-based delivery of IT services to the end user (what we call here the ‘sustainable franchise model’). Though this model has been deployed world-wide by governments, NGOs, and development institutions in the past few years, there has been little quantitative research into the determinants of revenue performance in such a model. In this paper we examine the case of n-Logue, a franchise (at the time of sampling) of over 1000 locally owned, Internet kiosks in rural India. We analyze data from 74 of n-Logue’s kiosks. Among other things, we find that gender and education do not affect revenue, while location and other measures of social standing (age and caste) do. We also find that the uses that villagers have for IT services are not so different from those which first world users have. The lessons we draw from this example are that while local social structures must be taken into account (for example, the caste system), it is not a foregone conclusion that social biases (for example, against women) cannot be mitigated by good programme design.
Access of the Rural Poor to Primary Healthcare in India
Authors: Iyengar Shreekant , Dholakia Ravindra H.
Published: August 2012

The 11th Five-Year Plan of India emphasises the wider and better coverage of services, such as primary healthcare for the majority of population. For this purpose, various healthcare related programmes have aimed at the vulnerable sections of the society traditionally using social criteria like Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) populations. Although they are found to have marginally worse health outcomes than the national average, they are far better than the one’s for the poor on economic criteria. The present article examines the coverage of basic primary healthcare services among the below the poverty line (BPL) population in rural areas of India and provides direct empirical evidence. Data used for the study was from a primary sample survey of rural BPL households in six states of India. The results of the survey showed that the coverage of primary healthcare services, such as ante-natal care (ANC), institutional deliveries, and immunisation was very low among the BPL population. Moreover, results of a comparison of the SC and ST and non-SC and ST population within the sample of the selected households showed that the former had a relatively poorer coverage compared to the latter. The focus of the programme for improving coverage of primary healthcare services should be on the BPL population. If it is done, it would also result in the improvement of coverage among the SC and ST population. Merely focusing on the SC and ST population will leave the poorest of the poor ignored and unattended.
Health Impact Assessment in Mongolia
Authors: Spickett Jeff , Batmunkh Tsetsegsaikhan , Jones Sarah
Published: August 2012

Many developing countries have limited capacity to adequately assess and manage health impacts associated with environmental change. In Mongolia, methodologies to introduce health impact assessment (HIA) as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process have been investigated, and a mechanism to incorporate HIA into the current EIA process is proposed. Some challenges to the implementation of HIA are discussed. The country is now in a position to incorporate HIA as part of the approvals process for development projects. Given the recent growth in population, industrial development, and urbanization together with the interest from international mining companies in the resources of the country, it is important for Mongolia to have such tools in place in order to take advantage of economic growth while improving health and well-being outcomes for the population.
Extent and Correlates of Change in Anthropometric and Fitness Outcomes Among Participants in a Corporate Team–Based Weight Loss Challenge in Singapore
Authors: Vasquez Kathryn , Malhotra Rahul , Østbye Truls , Chan Mei Fen , Amin Handy , Khoo Gary , Choo Lin , Chew Ling , Thilagaratnam Shyamala
Published: August 2012

The authors describe a national corporate team–based weight loss intervention targeting groups of overweight/obese employees and assess its effectiveness. A 12-week weight loss program comprising nutrition education and physical activity sessions, enhanced by a nationwide media campaign, was organized by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. A total of 285 participants, forming 72 teams (1 per workplace), had their anthropometric (weight, body mass index [BMI], and body fat percentage) and fitness (fitness index score based on UKK 2-km walk test) measurements taken pre-intervention and post-intervention. Average decreases, from baseline to end of intervention, in weight, BMI, and body fat percentage were 3.58 kg, 1.32 kg/m2, and 2.14%, respectively. The fitness index score increased by 34.1 units. Greater participation in physical activity and nutrition education sessions was associated with more beneficial anthropometric and fitness changes. The intervention was well received and effective in producing short-term weight loss. Further research needs to be done to ascertain its long-term effectiveness and generalizability.
The Trend of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Malaysia From 1992 to 2001 Based on a Nationwide Blind Schools Study
Authors: Chang Khai Meng , Patel Dinesh Kumar , Tajunisah Iqbal , Subrayan Visvaraja
Published: August 2012

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the most important causes of childhood blindness worldwide. The trend of ROP in Malaysia was unclear because there was no national registry before 2002. The purpose of this study is to analyze ROP students of different ages in the schools for the blind in Malaysia in order to evaluate the trend of ROP from 1992 to 2001. Data were obtained from a previous survey of 24 blind schools. It was found that 78 students or 17.4% were blind/severely visual impaired as a result of ROP. There was a significant surge in the number of ROP students who were born in 1994 when the use of synthetic surfactants was first introduced in Malaysia; otherwise there was no increasing trend in the number of students with ROP. However, the percentage of ROP in total was increasing, which indicates that ROP is becoming a more important cause of childhood blindness in this country.
Exercise Recommendations for Childhood Cancer Survivors Exposed to Cardiotoxic Therapies
Authors: Okada Maki , Meeske Kathleen A. , Menteer Jondavid , Freyer David R.
Published: August 2012

Childhood cancer survivors who have received treatment with anthracyclines are at risk for developing cardiomyopathy in dose-dependent fashion. Historically, restrictions on certain types of physical activity that were intended to preserve cardiac function have been recommended, based on a mixture of evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations. In the LIFE Cancer Survivorship & Transition Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the authors reevaluated their recommendations for exercise in survivors who were exposed to anthracyclines, with or without irradiation in proximity to the myocardium. The primary goal was to develop consistent, specific, practical, safe, and (where possible) evidence-based recommendations for at-risk survivors in the program. To accomplish this, the authors referred to current exercise guidelines for childhood cancer survivors, consulted recent literature for relevant populations, and obtained input from the program’s pediatric cardiology consultant. The resulting risk-based exercise recommendations are designed to complement current published guidelines, maximize safe exercise, and help childhood cancer survivors return to a normal life that emphasizes overall wellness and physical activity. This article describes a single institution’s experience in modifying exercise recommendations for at-risk childhood survivors and includes the methods, findings, and current institutional practice recommendations along with sample education materials.
Prospectively Surveying Health-Related Quality of Life and Symptom Relief in a Lot-Based Sample of Medical Cannabis-Using Patients in Urban Washington State Reveals Managed Chronic Illness and Debility
Authors: Aggarwal S. K. , Carter G. T. , Sullivan M. D. , Zumbrunnen C. , Morrill R. , Mayer J. D.
Published: August 2012

Objectives:

To characterize health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in medical cannabis patients.

Methods:

Short Form 36 (SF-36) Physical Health Component Score and Mental Health Component Score (MCS) surveys as well has CDC (Centers for Disease Control) HRQoL-14 surveys were completed by 37 qualified patients.

Results:

Mean SF-36 PCS and MCS, normalized at 50, were 37.4 and 44.2, respectively. Eighty percent of participants reported activity/functional limitations secondary to impairments or health problems. Patients reported using medical cannabis to treat a wide array of symptoms across multiple body systems with relief ratings consistently in the 7-10/10 range.

Conclusion:

The HRQoL results in this sample of medical cannabis-using patients are comparable with published norms in other chronically ill populations. Data presented provide insight into medical cannabis-using patients’ self-rated health, HRQoL, disease incidences, and cannabis-related symptom relief.
Considering Symptomatic Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis in the Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Alvarez Adriana , Induru Raghava , Lagman Ruth
Published: August 2012

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is the abnormal accumulation of normal fat within the spinal canal. It is more frequent in those patients receiving chronic glucocorticoid therapy or in cases of endogenous hypercortisolism states. We report a case of SEL in a patient with metastatic prostate cancer with history of steroid treatment as part of his chemotherapy regimen, presenting with clinical manifestations of partial cord compression. Magnetic resonance imaging images of the lumbar spine revealed the presence of epidural tumor suspicious for metastatic disease. Operative findings were consistent with epidural lipomatosis. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a rare condition that needs to be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with risk factors, presenting with symptomatic cord compression.
Sensitivity analysis of relative worth in quality function deployment matrices
Authors: Takai Shun , Kalapurackal Robins Mathai
Published: August 2012

This article investigates how sensitive relative worth of product requirements in quality function deployment (QFD) is to different rating scales and/or worth-calculation methods used. The two most popular rating scales and worth-calculation scales are identified from the data of 295 QFD matrices published in conference and journal articles (called empirical QFD), and the sensitivity of relative worth in these empirical QFD (measured by probabilities of large changes of relative worth) is studied by switching rating scales and/or worth-calculation methods. The results suggest that relative worth does not significantly change when a worth-calculation method is fixed. In contrast, if a worth-calculation method is changed, large changes may occur. These large changes are more likely in QFD relationship matrices with small numbers of rows and columns less than or equal to six. These results may imply that designers need to commit to a worth-calculation method when they use information from QFD to make their design decisions. If designers commit to a worth-calculation method, any design decisions made based on relative worth are less likely to be impacted from the use of a rating scale.
Effects of a Multidisciplinary Family Treatment Drug Court on Child and Family Outcomes
Authors: Bruns Eric J. , Pullmann Michael D. , Weathers Ericka S. , Wirschem Mark L. , Murphy Jill K.
Published: August 2012

Family treatment drug courts (FTDCs) are an increasingly common approach for serving families involved in child welfare due to parental substance abuse; however, the evidence base for FTDCs remains emergent. This quasi-experimental study replicates previous research on FTDCs by comparing parental substance abuse treatment and child welfare outcomes for 76 FTDC participants to outcomes for 76 parents in the same system who did not participate in the FTDC, using propensity score matching. Data were obtained from the Superior court, FTDC, child welfare, and public substance use treatment service administrative databases. The follow-up window for participants ranged from 1 to 3 years. Results showed FTDC parents had significantly more review and motion hearings, were significantly more likely to enter treatment, entered treatment faster, received more treatment, and were more likely to successfully complete treatment. FTDC children spent significantly less time placed out of home, ended child welfare system involvement sooner, were more likely to be permanently placed and discharged from child welfare, and were more likely to return to parental care. Results demonstrate that FTDCs promote positive treatment and child welfare outcomes without deepening participants’ involvement in justice systems.
“ . . . There is No War Here; It is Only the Relationship That Makes Us Scared”
Authors: Zannettino Lana
Published: August 2012

This article explores the factors that have an impact on domestic violence in African refugee communities, with specific reference to the Liberian community in South Australia. Seventeen focus group discussions were undertaken with women participants of the Liberian Women’s Gathering. The nested ecological model (Dutton, 2001; Heise, 1998) is used to conceptualize the factors having an impact on domestic violence. The findings suggest that disruption to traditional gender roles has an impact on domestic violence at the cultural, socioeconomic, familial, and individual levels and that women’s experience of domestic violence must be understood in relation to the acute and prolonged stressors of war, loss, and displacement.
A study of influence of diffusion inside a spherical shell under thermoelastic diffusion with relaxation times
Authors: Kothari Shweta , Mukhopadhyay Santwana
Published: August 2012

The present work is concerned with the elasto-thermo-diffusion interactions inside a spherical shell whose inner and outer boundaries are traction free and are subjected to a step input in temperature under generalized thermoelastic diffusion. The chemical potential is also assumed to be a function of time on the boundaries of the shell. The problem is studied by employing three different theories of thermoelastic diffusion in a unified way. The integral transform technique is used to obtain the general solution. Using a numerical method and computer programming, the final solution in the physical domain is obtained. The results corresponding to thermoelastic medium, that is, in the absence of diffusion, are also found in a particular case. The influence of diffusion on variation of physical fields due to the cross effects arising from the coupling of temperature, diffusion and strain fields inside the shell is analyzed with the help of graphically plotted results of different field variables in the thermoelastic medium and thermoelastic diffusive medium. The variation of this influence with time under different theories is also discussed. The significant points are highlighted.
On the relative rotation of rigid parts and the visco-elastic torsion bushing element
Authors: Lidström Per
Published: August 2012

In this paper the interaction between two rigid parts of a multibody, connected by an ideal spherical joint equipped with a visco-elastic torsion bushing element, is derived. The model allows for arbitrary relative rotations of the parts and involves a non-linear torsion stiffness of the bushing. An expression for the interaction between the parts is derived and a specialization to the isotropic bushing element is presented.
Contextual and Intrapersonal Predictors of Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior and Outcomes
Authors: Shneyderman Yuliya , Schwartz Seth J.
Published: August 2012

The present study was designed to test a model of contextual and intrapersonal predictors of adolescent risky sexual behaviors and of sexually transmitted infection diagnoses. Using Waves I and II from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors estimated a structural model in which intrapersonal factors such as adolescents’ attitudes about sex, perceived parental norms, knowledge about sexual health, and birth-control self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of contextual factors such as parent–adolescent relationship quality, school connectedness, and exposure to AIDS and pregnancy education on a number of risky sexual behaviors and outcomes: early sex initiation, sex under the influence of substances, condom use at last intercourse, and having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Different patterns of direct and mediated effects emerged for each sexual outcome. Results are discussed in terms of the complex interplay between environment and individual and in terms of how, when, and with whom to intervene in order to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes.
Implementation Issues in the Duclos–Jalbert–Araar Decomposition of Redistributive Effect
Authors: Urban Ivica
Published: August 2012

Models decomposing the redistributive effect of fiscal systems into vertical and horizontal effects are extensively used by practitioners. Duclos, Jalbert, and Araar’s model, despite its advantages, has not yet been widely employed in empirical research, possibly due to a relatively challenging implementation procedure that involves the estimation of expected postfiscal incomes. To override these difficulties, the designers of the software DAD have incorporated a module for implementation of the model. However, the application of this module on Croatian tax-benefit system data revealed certain inaccuracies in the results. Carefully unfolding the calculation and estimation procedures needed for implementation of the model, this article instructs practitioners on how to correctly apply the model and helps DAD designers improve their module.
Toxicologic Characterization of a Novel Explosive, Guanidinium 3,4-Dinitropyrazolate (GDNP), in Female Rats and Ames Mutagenicity Assay
Authors: Williams Larry R. , Adams Valerie H. , Wallace Shannon M. , Johnson Mark S.
Published: August 2012

Sustainable use of military training ranges requires the development of compounds that have a minimal impact to the environment when used in a weapon system. Guanidinium 3,4-dinitropyrazolate (GDNP) is a novel explosive compound of interest for application in some weapon systems. Little is known of its toxicologic properties. To ensure the health of potentially exposed personnel and the environment, initial toxicity investigations were conducted and the results were compared with another widely used energetic (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine [RDX]). In a microplate Ames assay, GDNP was not cytotoxic to bacterial tester strains at concentrations less than 100 μg/mL. However, GDNP was mutagenic to 4 of 5 bacterial strains with and without S9 metabolic incubation at concentrations as low as 0.7 μg/mL. Unlike RDX, GDNP did not have an affinity for the γ-aminobutyric acid(A) receptor convulsant site and was predicted to not induce seizure. After acute oral dosing in female rats, the median lethal dose in female rats of GDNP in tap water solution was determined to be 720 mg/kg. Daily oral exposure to 500 mg/kg per d of GDNP for 14 days caused weight loss, increased liver and spleen weights, and adverse histopathologic events in kidney and spleen. These adverse events were not observed in animals receiving lower doses of GDNP. In this study, the lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level from oral exposure to GDNP for 14 days was 500 mg/kg per d and the no-observable-adverse-effect-level was 152 mg/kg per d.
Approximate weighted matching on emerging manycore and multithreaded architectures
Authors: Halappanavar Mahantesh , Feo John , Villa Oreste , Tumeo Antonino , Pothen Alex
Published: August 2012

Graph matching is a prototypical combinatorial problem with many applications in high-performance scientific computing. Optimal algorithms for computing matchings are challenging to parallelize. Approximation algorithms are amenable to parallelization and are therefore important to compute matchings for large-scale problems. Approximation algorithms also generate nearly optimal solutions that are sufficient for many applications. In this paper we present multithreaded algorithms for computing half-approximate weighted matching on state-of-the-art multicore (Intel Nehalem and AMD Magny-Cours), manycore (Nvidia Tesla and Nvidia Fermi), and massively multithreaded (Cray XMT) platforms. We provide two implementations: the first uses shared work queues and is suited for all platforms; and the second implementation, based on dataflow principles, exploits special features available on the Cray XMT. Using a carefully chosen dataset that exhibits characteristics from a wide range of applications, we show scalable performance across different platforms. In particular, for one instance of the input, an R-MAT graph (RMAT-G), we show speedups of about [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text] cores of an AMD Magny-Cours, [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text] cores of Intel Nehalem, [Formula: see text] on Nvidia Tesla and [Formula: see text] on Nvidia Fermi relative to one core of Intel Nehalem, and [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text] processors of Cray XMT. We demonstrate strong as well as weak scaling for graphs with up to a billion edges using up to 12,800 threads. We avoid excessive fine-tuning for each platform and retain the basic structure of the algorithm uniformly across platforms. An exception is the dataflow algorithm designed specifically for the Cray XMT. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first such large-scale study of the half-approximate weighted matching problem on multithreaded platforms. Driven by the critical enabling role of combinatorial algorithms such as matching in scientific computing and the emergence of informatics applications, there is a growing demand to support irregular computations on current and future computing platforms. In this context, we evaluate the capability of emerging multithreaded platforms to tolerate latency induced by irregular memory access patterns, and to support fine-grained parallelism via light-weight synchronization mechanisms. By contrasting the architectural features of these platforms against the Cray XMT, which is specifically designed to support irregular memory-intensive applications, we delineate the impact of these choices on performance.
Petascale molecular dynamics simulation of crystalline silicon on Tianhe-1A
Authors: Hou Chaofeng , Xu Ji , Wang Peng , Huang Wenlai , Wang Xiaowei , Ge Wei , He Xianfeng , Guo Li , Li Jinghai
Published: August 2012

An efficient and highly scalable bond-order potential code has been developed for the molecular dynamics simulation of bulk silicon, reaching 1.87 Pflops (floating point operations per second) in single precision on 7168 graphic processing units (GPUs) of the Tianhe-1A system. Furthermore, by coupling GPUs and central processing units, we also simulated surface reconstruction of crystalline silicon at the sub-millimeter scale with more than 110 billion atoms, reaching 1.17 Pflops in single precision plus 92.1 Tflops in double precision on the entire Tianhe-1A system. Such simulations can provide unprecedented insight into a variety of microscopic behaviors or structures, such as doping, defects, grain boundaries, and surface reactions.
A dynamic perspective on late bilinguals’ linguistic development in an L2 environment
Authors: Opitz Conny
Published: August 2012

This paper provides a dynamic perspective on the linguistic development of adult bilinguals in an L2 environment, and an empirical test for the principles formulated within a dynamic systems approach to L1 attrition. It presents a qualitative analysis of the personal narratives of the post-migratory linguistic development of 27 adult German–English bilinguals residing in Ireland, with particular focus on two participants’ stories. Participants responded to a comprehensive sociolinguistic questionnaire, providing self-ratings of current and past language proficiency in all their languages, and reflecting on the processes of and factors impacting on L2 acquisition and L1 attrition in the L2 environment. These data are complemented by proficiency data elicited with a test battery in L1 German and L2 English. Analyses revealed that most participants have succeeded both in acquiring English to a high level, and in maintaining German. However, other L2s as a rule show a pattern of decline. The results are discussed with recourse to dynamic conceptions of multilingual development.
Tracking tip-of-the-tongue states in a multilingual speaker: Evidence of attrition or instability in lexical systems?
Authors: Ecke Peter , Hall Christopher J.
Published: August 2012

How stable or how permeable to attrition are a multilingual’s first and second languages during life periods characterized by dynamic changes in language-use frequencies? This longitudinal study sheds some light on this issue by investigating changing patterns in a multilingual speaker’s tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states. Over a period of 10 years, the multilingual recorded more than 100 TOT states, together with 400 non-target word associations, as they occurred with words from the speaker’s five languages (L1 German, L2 Russian, L3 English, L4 Spanish, and L5 Portuguese). During the period, the L1 was consistently used less than the L3 and L4, providing a setting in which L1 attrition might occur. Data were analyzed with respect to the changing frequencies of TOT state occurrence in the different languages, the contribution of each language to the word associations generated during word search, the typological relatedness of targets and associates, and the linguistic context of initial learning of each language. Rates of TOT states and percentages of cross-language word associations and within-language word associations fluctuated in response to dynamic patterns of language use and maintenance, demonstrating the value of data on word-retrieval failure for studies of language attrition. The data reveal that the speaker’s L1 appeared to gain stability after an early period suggestive of attrition, despite low frequency of use overall. This finding supports the view that the L1 is exceptional, highly resistant to attrition, but also suggests that temporary impairment of L1 can occur when a multilingual speaker’s overall set of interacting language systems comes out of balance.
Amsterdam – New York: Transnational photographic exchange in the era of globalization
Authors: Lindner Christoph
Published: August 2012

This article examines the impact of globalization on the urban imaginary in relation to two recent photography exhibitions – one held in Amsterdam and the other in New York City – which were designed as transatlantic mirror events to celebrate the 400-year anniversary of the Dutch ‘discovery’ of Manhattan. Registering a long history of transnational exchange between the two cities, the exhibitions invited a group of New York artists to photograph Amsterdam and a group of Dutch artists to photograph New York. Both exhibitions claimed that seeing the city from these outsider perspectives enabled new and surprising photographs capable of challenging established images of both cities. Interrogating this claim, the article analyses individual artworks and artists, the marketing and staging strategies of the exhibitions, and the urban branding campaigns with which the events were associated.
Qualitative social research: a risky business when it comes to collecting ‘sensitive’ data
Authors: Bahn Susanne , Weatherill Pamela
Published: August 2012

Qualitative researchers are compelled to use their personal judgements before, during and after interviews, particularly when their interview subjects are drawn from vulnerable groups. This paper discusses the dilemmas qualitative researchers encounter when collecting data that is ethically ‘sensitive’; and situates the discussion in the realm of the Australian Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) legislative requirement of ‘duty of care’ using the Rapidly Degenerative Neurological Diseases Pilot Program in Western Australia as the case example. The paper is focussed upon the practicalities and ethical concerns of the researchers conducting qualitative data collections. The discussion seeks to provide practical reflections on lessons learned and suggestions for self-care practice for researchers in the field and calls for policies that instruct and protect them.
The resilience of citizenship traditions: Civic integration in Germany, Great Britain and Denmark
Authors: Mouritsen Per
Published: August 2012

Many western European states are adopting integration and naturalization policies that focus on the practices, values and identities of citizenship. On this background, and given the combined crisis of multiculturalism and decline of old-school ethno-nationalism, it has been argued that national, cultural–ideological distinctiveness matters less for what is traditionally the heartland of national sovereignty and identity. A comparison of three citizenship/integration trajectories – Germany, Great Britain and Denmark – suggests that the thesis of liberal convergence must be qualified. Although occurring in civic and liberal registers, national citizenship policies still reflect continuities, and path-dependent reactions to such continuities, of culturally bounded nation states. Germany’s development reflects a republican normalization, facilitated by reunification, but also a distinct liberal and political culturalism and discourse of membership, which grows out of the country’s post-war nationhood. The British critique of multiculturalism is more a re-balancing whose concepts represent the continuity of a weak, non-state-oriented citizenship. And Denmark’s development represents a civic–egalitarian nationalism, embedded in the welfare state, which was never challenged, but recently politicized with Muslim immigration.
Palliative care services for people with dementia: A synthesis of the literature reporting the views and experiences of professionals and family carers
Authors: Raymond Mareeni , Warner Alex , Davies Nathan , Iliffe Steve , Manthorpe Jill , Ahmedzhai Sam
Published: August 2012

The experience of being a carer of a person with dementia at the end of life is expressed in these 12 accounts. This is a synthesis of the concerns and challenges for carers at the end of life. These accounts are often insightful and provide several views of carers’ and professionals’ experience. Having a close relationship as a carer gives a unique and poignant view. What emerges from this review is a range of perspectives that provide contrasting views of the heterogeneity of carers and professionals. This may be helpful for professionals and policy makers to consider when planning end-of-life care strategies for people with dementia and insights drawn from hearing directly from carers may be powerful learning tools.
Patrick Moore, Arthur C. Clarke and ‘British Outer Space’ in the mid 20th century
Authors: Dunnett Oliver
Published: August 2012

This article seeks to explore a notion of ‘British outer space’ in the mid 20th century with reference to the British Interplanetary Society and the works of Patrick Moore and Arthur C. Clarke. Geographies of outer space have been examined following early work by Denis Cosgrove on the Apollo space photographs. Cosgrove’s work has encouraged a growing body of work that seeks to examine both the ‘Earth from space’ perspective as well as its reciprocal, ‘space from Earth’. This article aligns itself with the latter viewpoint, in attempting to define a national culture of ‘British outer space’. This is found to have an important connection with the British Interplanetary Society, founded in 1933 near Liverpool, which went on to influence the works of Patrick Moore, who edited the magazine Spaceflight and presented the television programme The Sky at Night, and Arthur C. Clarke, who became known as a science fiction writer through his early novels in the 1950s. The themes of audience participation and human destiny in outer space are examined in a close reading of these two case studies, and further engagement with cultures of outer space in geography is encouraged.
Global Talent Management
Authors: Kim Sehoon , McLean Gary N.
Published: August 2012

The Problem

Despite increasing attention in business, talent management in global contexts has not been explored adequately in HRD. Most studies related to global talent management explain only part of it and do not provide an integrative understanding of what is going on globally in talent management in an HRD perspective.

The Solution

This article proposed an integrative conceptual framework for global talent management that involves the necessity, challenges, and roles of HRD. Considering cross-cultural viewpoints and multinational enterprise issues in HRD, the study analyzed why talent management is necessary and the challenges of developing talent. Finally, proposals were made for developing global talent and roles for HRD researchers and practitioners.

The Stakeholders

The results of this study will provide insights or guides for researchers interested in talent management/development and HR practitioners involved in a multinational enterprise.
Creating a Flexible Organizational Culture to Attract and Retain Talented Workers Across Generations
Authors: Eversole Barbara A. W. , Venneberg Donald L. , Crowder Cindy L.
Published: August 2012

The Problem

One of the most important emerging issues in the field of human resource development is how to effectively help organizations deal with the shifting demographics in the workforce. The largest generational cohort is nearing retirement, which will result in a loss of talent, experience, and expertise. The newest generation entering the workforce is substantively different. The next 20 years will likely see a shift to new ways of working, reflecting the values of the younger generation.

The Solution

Organizational cultures that will be able to retain employees across generations need to be developed. Each generation seems to be alike in one crucial area: their desire for workplace flexibility. Middle managers need to be incented and trained to accept a culture where they maintain accountability without power and control.

The Stakeholders

Human resource development practitioners and researchers have a role in developing interventions to change organizational culture to be more flexible, thereby potentially increasing retention of valued workers across the generations.
Driven to Distraction
Authors: Williams Edie
Published: August 2012

The Problem

An uncertain economy with a highly mobile workforce compels employers to rely heavily on HRD research for empirically based selection criteria and proven predictors of job performance. One of those predictors is the ability to think analytically and critically. Evidence is mounting that heavy use of electronic media may impact the ability to think critically because of increased distractibility and inattention to work related tasks.

The Solution

Collaborative research with medical and educational communities is needed to correlate impacts of heavy electronic media usage to critical thinking and, if confirmed, develop critical thinking measures and curricula that strengthen critical thinking skills in children and young adults entering the workforce.

The Stakeholders

Confirming the effects of heavy electronic media on critical thinking will increase the body of research for medical professionals about brain functioning, inform education researchers about trends in student populations experiencing lower test scores, and provide HRD researchers information about developing engaged and productive employees.