bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OBLIGATORY PRECAUTIONS AGAINST INFECTION
Authors: VERWEIJ MARCEL
Published: August 2005

If we have a duty not to infect others, how far does it go? This question is often discussed with respect to HIV transmission, but reflection on other diseases like influenza raises a number of interesting theoretical issues. I argue that a duty to avoid infection not only yields requirements for persons who know they carry a disease, but also for persons who know they are at increased risk, and even for those who definitely know they are completely healthy. Given the numerous ways in which human interaction facilitates the spread of communicable diseases, a maximum level of precaution would be very demanding – possibly unreasonably demanding. The ‘over‐demandingness problem’ is mostly invoked as a criticism of utilitarianism, as this theory requires moral agents to always maximise general welfare, even at significant cost for themselves. However, I argue that, with respect to precautions against infectious diseases like influenza, utilitarianism is able to avoid the over‐demandingness problem. A contractualist account, on the other hand, whilst able to explain how one's obligations to avoid infection can be limited, given that other persons have opportunities and responsibilities to protect themselves, in the end requires precautions that raise the over‐demandingness problem.
THE ETHICS OF BIODEFENSE
Authors: KING NICHOLAS B.
Published: August 2005

This essay reviews major areas of ethical debate with regard to biodefense, focusing on cases in which biodefense presents ethical problems that diverge from those presented by naturally‐occurring outbreaks of infectious disease. It concludes with a call for ethicists to study not only the ethical issues raised in biodefense programs, but also the ethics of biodefense more generally.
Angiogenesis and cerebral neoplasia
Authors: Platt S. R.
Published: August 2005

Angiogenesis is a fundamental process in reproduction and wound healing. It is a tightly regulated process causing neovascularization. However, if angiogenesis becomes unregulated, it may be responsible for several disease processes such as brain tumour growth and metastasis. An understanding of the factors implicated in angiogenesis and its inhibition is essential if they are to be exploited as possible clinical treatments for brain tumours. Unfortunately, there are multiple factors known to be involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, and hence, the clinical application of any single agent may not be effective. This article summarizes the processes of blood vessel formation in the brain, examines the angiogenic factors that are important in the nervous system and discusses their role in brain tumour development and possible treatment.
The Ethics of Immigration
Authors: Seglow Jonathan
Published: August 2005

This review essay examines recent work in political theory on the ethics of immigration admissions. It considers arguments put forward by Michael Walzer, Peter Meilaender and David Miller, among others, for state control of borders. Such arguments tend to appeal to the value of political communities and/or the exclusion rights of democratic associations, and I argue that neither of these are successful. Turning to work by Joseph Carens, Phillip Cole, Michael Dummett and others who advocate open or much more open borders, the article considers various arguments that would support this stance, including appeals to freedom of movement, utilitarianism and social justice. I argue that rights to immigration need embedding in global principles of resource redistribution. In the conclusion I sketch a cosmopolitan approach to immigration by which impartial criteria such as population density and gross domestic product would determine how many migrants states have a duty to admit.
The Conceptual History of Social Justice
Authors: Jackson Ben
Published: August 2005

Social justice is a crucial ideal in contemporary political thought. Yet the concept of social justice is a recent addition to our political vocabulary, and comparatively little is known about its introduction into political debate or its early theoretical trajectory. Some important research has begun to address this issue, adding a valuable historical perspective to present-day controversies about the concept. This article uses this literature to examine two questions. First, how does the modern idea of social justice differ from previous conceptualisations of justice? Second, why and when did social justice first emerge into political discourse?
Helicobacter pylori Infection in Dental Professionals: A 6‐year Prospective Study
Authors: Matsuda Reikei , Morizane Toshio
Published: August 2005

Background.  In a previous cross‐sectional study, we reported no significant differences between dentists and controls in the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori. The aim of the present study is to determine the risk and the risk factors for new infection of H. pylori. This is the first report designed to assess the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection over a 6‐year period in a cohort of dental professionals.

Materials and methods.  We collected blood samples from employees of Kanagawa Dental College to test for serum anti‐H. pylori IgG. We collected 566 samples in 1997 and another 551 samples in 2003. Questionnaires completed by participants provided information about risk factors of H. pylori infection.

Results.  A total of 236 employees were tested on both occasions. Of the 170 who were seronegative in 1997, we randomly selected 59 from among the dental professionals (dentists and dental nurses). As controls, we selected 59 from among the nonclinical staff who were matched for sex and age. The risk of new infection of H. pylori for dental professionals is 1.12%/year and the relative risk is 4.0. We determined the risk factors for acquiring H. pylori using logistic regression. Adjusted odds ratio being a dental professionals was 2.68 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55–19.67), having upper gastrointestinal family history was 4.84 (95% CI: 0.83–26.72), and age over 40 was 8.83 (95% CI: 1.36–177.24).

Conclusion.   This 6‐year prospective study shows that dental professionals are at greater risk of being infected by H. pylori than are controls.
Helicobacter pylori Associated with Glossitis and Halitosis
Authors: Adler Isabel , Denninghoff Valeria Cecilia , Álvarez Maria Inés , Avagnina Alejandra , Yoshida Ricardo , Elsner Boris
Published: August 2005

Background.  Helicobacter pylori is a curved microaerophilic Gram‐negative bacterium considered as a risk factor for gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to find an association between burning sensations, acid taste, halitosis, and lingual hyperplasia with the effect of H. pylori on the mouth.

Materials and Methods.  A total of 124 subjects with different gastric diseases were studied: 46 patients with burning, halitosis and lingual dorsum hyperplasia and 78 patients with other diseases.

Results.  The detection of H. pylori in the oral cavity by histopathologic diagnosis and molecular biology was confirmed in 40/46 (87%) patients with burning, halitosis, and lingual hyperplasia, and in 2/78 (2.6%) subjects with other diseases. χ2: 91.26 (p < .001) Mantel–Haenszel.

Conclusion.  This trial showed an association between H. pylori and burning, halitosis, and lingual hyperplasia, and further considered this bacterium a risk factor for gastric infection.
Detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA by a Simple Stool PCR Method in Adult Dyspeptic Patients
Authors: Şen Nazime , Yilmaz Özlem , Şımşek İlkay , Küpelıoğlu Ahmet Ali , Ellıdokuz Hülya
Published: August 2005

Introduction.  Helicobacter pylori is the major agent causing peptic ulcer, gastric cancer and mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) gastric lymphoma. A simple stool polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was performed and compared with the gold standards for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

Material and methods.  A total of 54 adult patients (mean age, 46.41 ± 13.12 years) with dyspeptic symptoms from Gastroenterology at Dokuz Eylül University Hospital between May and November 2003 were included. Two antrum and corpus biopsies were taken from each patient. Infection by H. pylori was defined as positivity and negativity of the gold standards. DNA extraction of stool specimens was done using QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit (QIAGEN) and PCR conditions included amplification and reamplification steps using the H. pylori ureA gene specific primers (HPU1, HPU2) and were visualized on 1% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide.

Results.  Forty‐six of 54 patients (85.2%) were diagnosed positive and eight (14.8%) were negative for H. pylori infection by the gold standard methods. Thirty‐two patients were positive (59.3%) and 22 of them (40.7%) were detected negative by stool PCR method. The stool PCR method and gold standard methods showed a statistical difference for the detection of H. pylori infection (p < .0001). Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, and positive and negative predictive values were 65.22%, 75%, 2.61%, 93.75%, and 27.7%, respectively.

Discussion.  The PCR on the stool specimens resulted as being a very specific test. We suggest that a simple stool PCR method that we developed can be used to detect H. pylori, virulence genes, and in drug resistance studies either first line diagnostic methods in the laboratory or in the clinical management of dyspeptic patients.
Oral Vaccination Against Helicobacter pylori with Recombinant Cholera Toxin B‐Subunit
Authors: Kubota Eiji , Joh Takashi , Tanida Satoshi , Sasaki Makoto , Kataoka Hiromi , Watanabe Katsushi , Itoh Keisuke , Oshima Tadayuki , Ogasawara Naotaka , Togawa Shouzo , Wada Tsuneya , Yamada Tomonori , Mori Yoshinori , Fujita Fumitaka , Shimura Takaya , Ohara Hirotaka , Isaka Masanori , Yasuda Yoko , Itoh Makoto
Published: August 2005

Background.  The innocuous pure recombinant cholera toxin B‐subunit (rCTB) is very attractive as a strong adjuvant for host immunization, but little is known about rCTB's gastric mucosal immunoadjuvanticity against Helicobacter pylori. The immunoadjuvanticity of rCTB against H. pylori was tested.

Material and methods.  Mice were immunized with sonicated H. pylori and rCTB orally or intranasally and sacrificed on day 42 after immunization. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) test was performed to evaluate IgE‐mediated anaphylaxis with serum from mice to which H. pylori‐antigen with rCTB had been administered. Immunoglobulin titer specific to H. pylori in serum, lavation of the gastrointestinal tracts and feces were examined. Gastritis in vaccinated mice after a challenge was assessed with the scoring defined from grading of gastric inflammation. H. pylori proliferation after immunization was investigated by counting colony forming units (CFU) per gram of stomach tissue.

Results.  PCA test exhibited no reactions against the serum from mice immunized with H. pylori‐antigen with rCTB administered orally and intranasally. Oral and nasal coadministrations of rCTB significantly raised systemic and mucosal immunities against H. pylori and suppressed proliferation of H. pylori in gastric mucosa. The score of gastritis in mice immunized orally was significantly higher than that of mice immunized nasally due to postimmunization gastritis. Only oral administration of rCTB suppressed H. pylori proliferation as compared with intranasal administration and without rCTB.

Conclusions.  The present study indicated that rCTB has systemic and mucosal immunoadjuvanticities against H. pylori and that oral vaccination with rCTB might additively support antibiotic eradication.
Role of Chronic Infection and Inflammation in the Gastrointestinal Tract in the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Parkinsonism
Authors: Bjarnason Inguar T. , Charlett André , Dobbs R. John , Dobbs Sylvia M. , Ibrahim Mohammad A.A. , Kerwin Robert W. , Mahler Robert F. , Oxlade Norman L. , Peterson Dale W. , Plant J. Malcolm , Price Ashley B. , Weller Clive
Published: August 2005

Background.  Links between etiology/pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disease and infection are increasingly recognized.

Aim.  Proof‐of‐principle that infection contributes to idiopathic parkinsonism.

Methods.  Randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled efficacy study of proven Helicobacter pylori eradication on the time course of facets of parkinsonism. Intervention was 1 week's triple eradication therapy/placebos. Routine deblinding at 1 year (those still infected received open‐active), with follow‐up to 5 years post‐eradication. Primary outcome was mean stride length at free‐walking speed, sample size 56 for a difference, active vs. placebo, of 3/4 (between‐subject standard deviation). Recruitment of subjects with idiopathic parkinsonism and H. pylori infection was stopped at 31, because of marked deterioration with eradication failure. Interim analysis was made in the 20 who had reached deblinding, seven of whom were receiving antiparkinsonian medication (long‐t1/2, evenly spaced) which remained unchanged.

Results.  Improvement in stride‐length, on active (n = 9) vs. placebo (11), exceeded size of effect on which the sample size was calculated when analyzed on intention‐to‐treat basis (p = .02), and on protocol analysis of six weekly assessments, including (p = .02) and excluding (p = .05) those on antiparkinsonian medication. Active eradication (blind or open) failed in 4/20, in whom B‐lymphocyte count was lower. Their mean time course was: for stride‐length, −243 (95% CI −427, −60) vs. 45 (−10, 100) mm/year in the remainder (p = .001); for the ratio, torque to extend to flex relaxed arm, 349 (146, 718) vs. 58 (27, 96)%/ year (p < .001); and for independently rated, visual‐analog scale of stance–walk videos (worst–best per individual ≡ 0–100 mm), −64 vs. −3 mm from anterior and −50 vs. 11 lateral (p = .004 and .02).

Conclusions.  Interim analysis points to a direct or surrogate (not necessarily unique) role of a particular infection in the pathogenesis of parkinsonism. With eradication failure, bolus release of antigen from killed bacteria could aggravate an effect of ongoing infection.
Regression Analysis Between Heart Rate Variability and Baroreflex‐Related Vagus Nerve Activity in Rats
Authors: KUO TERRY B. J. , LAI CHING J. , HUANG YU‐TING , YANG CHERYL C. H.
Published: August 2005

Introduction: Many previous studies have suggested that the high‐frequency (HF) power of the heart rate variability may represent cardiac vagal activity although direct evidence of a correlation between the HF and vagal neuronal activity is still lacking. In the present study, we performed a regression analysis of the HF and vagal neurograms.

Methods and Results: Experiments were carried out on adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats anesthetized with a continuous infusion of pentobarbital sodium. The baroreflex‐related vagus neuronal activities were obtained by nerve or single‐fiber recordings. The transient baroreflex response was employed to alter vagus neuronal activities using a bolus injection of phenylephrine (PE). On‐line power spectral analysis of the heart rate and a vagal neurogram was performed during the acute baroreflex response. During the test period, systemic arterial pressure immediately increased in response to the PE injection, after which the R–R interval (RR), HF (0.6–2.4 Hz), and vagus nerve and unit activities all dramatically increased. Both nerve and unit activities exhibited good correlations (r ≥ 0.7 in all nerve recordings and r ≥ 0.6 in 91% of single‐fiber recordings) with the HF. There were insignificant differences between the right‐ and left‐side baroreflex‐related vagus nerve recordings.

Conclusion: Our present study provides a direct linkage between the HF and vagus neuronal electrical activity in anesthetized rats.
The “Short‐Coupled” Variant of Right Ventricular Outflow Ventricular Tachycardia: A Not‐So‐Benign Form of Benign Ventricular Tachycardia?
Authors: VISKIN SAMI , ROSSO RAPHAEL , ROGOWSKI ORI , BELHASSEN BERNARD
Published: August 2005

Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT‐VT) and idiopathic RVOT‐extrasystoles are generally considered benign arrhythmias. We described three cases who originally presented with typical “benign looking” RVOT‐extrasystoles or RVOT‐VT but developed malignant polymorphic VT during follow‐up. The unusual aspect of their RVOT‐extrasystoles was their coupling interval, which appears to be intermediate between the ultra‐short coupling interval of idiopathic VF and the long coupling interval seen in the truly benign RVOT‐VT.
Effects of Pulmonary Vein Ablation on Regional Atrial Vagal Innervation and Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation in Dogs
Authors: RAZAVI MEHDI , ZHANG SHULONG , YANG DONGHUI , SANDERS ROBERT A , KAR BISWAJIT , DELAPASSE SCOTT , AI TOMOHIKO , MOREIRA WENDEL , OLIVIER BARI , KHOURY DIRAR S. , CHENG JIE
Published: August 2005

Introduction: Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation has proven to be an effective therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, clinical evidence suggests that suppression of AF after PV isolation could not be fully attributed to the interruption of electrical conduction in and out of the PVs. Furthermore, little is known regarding the effects of ablation around the PVs on the atrial electrophysiological properties. We aimed to study the changes in atrial response to vagal stimulation (VS) after PV ablation (PVA).

Methods: We studied 11 adult mongrel dogs under general anesthesia. Bilateral cervical sympathovagal trunks were decentralized. Propranolol was given to block sympathetic effects. Multipolar catheters were placed into right atrial appendage (RAA), distal and proximal coronary sinus (CSD, CSP), and left atrial free wall (LAFW). PVA was performed via trans‐septal approach. Atrial effective refractory period (AERP) and vulnerability window (VW) of AF were measured with and without VS before and after ablation to isolate the PVs.

Results: After ablation, AERP shortening in response to VS significantly decreased in the left atrium (43.64 ± 21.57 vs 11.82 ± 9.82 msec, P < 0.001 at LAFW; 50.91 ± 26.25 vs 11.82 ± 14.01 msec, P < 0.001 at CSP; 50 ± 31.94 vs 17.27 ± 20.54 msec, P < 0.005 at CSD), while the response to VS did not change significantly at RAA (58.18 ± 28.22 vs 50.91 ± 22.12 msec, P = 0.245). After ablation, atrial fibrillation VW during VS narrowed (20.63 ± 11.48 vs 5.63 ± 8.63 msec, P < 0.03 at LAFW; 26.25 ± 12.46 vs 5.00 ± 9.64 msec, P = 0.001 at CSP; 28.75 ± 18.47 vs 6.88 ± 7.53 msec, P < 0.02 at CSD, and 33.75 ± 24.5 vs 16.25 ± 9.91 msec, P = 0.03 at RAA).

Conclusions: Ablation around the PV ostia diminishes left atrial response to VS and decreases the atrial VW. The attenuated vagal response after ablation may contribute to the suppression of AF.
Rural employment in industrialised countries⋆
Authors: Bryden John , Bollman Ray
Published: August 2005

This paper assesses the recent changes in rural employment in the OECD countries, highlighting the growing role of employment in services and, in some cases, manufacturing activity. In many, but not all, rural areas the secular decline in agricultural employment has been more than counterbalanced by growing employment in these other sectors. However, the diversity of employment growth within and between rural areas is stressed, as are the implications of this diversity for policy. A range of explanations for the relative economic success of some rural areas is explored. These include the impacts of globalisation; restructuring of the labour market; new‘consumption’ demands on the rural areas; and human mobility. The paper concludes that traditional theories do not explain the diversity of outcomes in rural areas. New approaches are needed. Recent analyses under the banner of‘the new economic geography’ has advanced our understanding of the pre‐conditions for rural development to occur, but understanding the diverse pattern of rural employment outcomes within the same kind of geography remains a challenge which needs to be addressed by inter‐disciplinary approaches and methods.
Seasonal labor constraints and intra‐household dynamics in the female fields of southern Cameroon
Authors: Elad Renata L. , Houston Jack. E.
Published: August 2005

African agricultural production is modeled as a sequential decision process, with men's labor first allotted to clearing, then women's labor allotted to harvesting. A switching regression is then used to measure the constraints due to clearing labor capacity and harvesting labor capacity. The import of men's clearing labor depends on the valuation of shadow wages. Output appears to be more frequently constrained by husband's clearing labor, and in this situation male labor appears under‐utilized. However, output is also significantly constrained by female harvest labor, although the findings imply that female labor is over‐utilized at this stage.
Consumption effects of genetic modification: what if consumers are right?⋆
Authors: Giannakas Konstantinos , Fulton Murray
Published: August 2005

This paper develops a model of differentiated consumers to examine the consumption effects of genetic modification (GM) under alternative labelling regimes and segregation enforcement scenarios. Analytical results show that if consumers perceive GM products as being different than their traditional counterparts, GM affects consumer welfare and, thus, consumption decisions. When the existence of market imperfections in one or more stages of the supply chain prevents the transmission of cost savings associated with the new technology to consumers, GM results in welfare losses for consumers. The analysis shows that the relative welfare ranking of the ‘no labelling’ and ‘mandatory labelling’ regimes depends on: (i) the level of consumer aversion to GM products; (ii) the size of marketing and segregation costs under mandatory labelling; (iii) the share of the GM product in total production; and (iv) the extent to which GM products are incorrectly labelled as non‐GM products.
Haemorheology in Gaucher disease
Authors: Bax Bridget E. , Richfield Linda , Bain Murray D. , Mehta Atul B. , Chalmers Ronald A. , Rampling Michael W.
Published: August 2005

Abstract:  In Gaucher disease, a deficiency of glucocerebrosidase results in the accumulation of glucocerebroside within the lysosomes of the monocyte–macrophage system. Prior to the availability of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), splenectomy was often indicated for hypersplenism. Haemorheological abnormalities could be expected in view of the anaemia and abnormal lipid metabolism in these patients and the role of the spleen in controlling erythrocyte quality. Objectives: To investigate the effect of Gaucher disease on blood and plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation and erythrocyte deformability, and to determine whether observed rheological differences could be attributed to splenectomy. Methods: Haematological and haemorheological measurements were made on blood collected from 26 spleen‐intact patients with Gaucher disease, 16 splenectomised patients with Gaucher disease, 6 otherwise healthy asplenic non‐Gaucher disease subjects and 15 healthy controls. Results: No haemorheological differences could be demonstrated between spleen‐intact patients with Gaucher disease and the control group. Compared to controls, both asplenic Gaucher disease and asplenic non‐Gaucher disease study groups had a reduced MCHC (P = 0.003 and 0.005, respectively) and increased whole blood viscosity at 45% haematocrit (Hct), relative viscosity and red cell aggregation index – all measured at low shear (P < 0.05 for all). Additionally, asplenic patients with Gaucher disease alone showed an increased MCV (P = 0.006), an increased whole blood viscosity at 45% Hct measured at high shear (P = 0.019), and a reduced relative filtration rate (P = 0.0001), compared to controls. Conclusion: These observations demonstrate a direct and measurable haemorheological abnormality in Gaucher disease only revealed when there is no functioning spleen to control erythrocyte quality.
ASRI2005‐87  Generation of treg cells in the CBA/J × DBA/2J combination by vaccination with male BALB/c splenocytes rescues from abortion
Authors: Sollwedel A , Zambon Bertoja A , Zenclussen ML , Ritschel S , Wollenberg I , Gerlof K , Volk HD , Zenclussen AC
Published: August 2005

We recently described the important role of T‐regulatory cells (T‐reg) in avoiding fetal rejection in a murine model. In our study, the transfer of Treg obtained from BALB/c‐mated CBA/J females into DBA/2J‐mated CBA/J completely prevented immunological rejection of the fetuses. Further, a previous study from Chaouat et al. (1993) described that previous vaccination with male BALB/c lymphocytes also prevents abortion. Here, we aimed to analyze if the transfer of male BALB/c lymphocytes was able to expand the Treg population in abortion‐prone mice, which would explain the low abortion rates.

CBA/J females were treated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with either PBS or 1 × 107 splenocytes from male BALB/c from male BALB/c. 2 days later, the mice were paired with DBA/2J males. On On the 14th day of pregnancy, the mice were sacrificed, the abortion rate was calculated and the ex‐vivo Th1/Th2 production was analyzed by flow cytometry. Further, Treg were isolated from spleen and thymus and further transferred into 0–2 days pregnant CBA/J females. As already reported, the BALB/c cell treatment was effective in preventing abortion. This treatment expanded the peripheral spleen Treg population. Treg isolated from mice rescued from abortion were able to prevent abortion in DBA/2J‐mated CBA/J females. Our results suggest that the reduced abortion rate observed, after transfer of lymphocytes from BALB/c male is due expansion of the Treg population. Our data suggest that Treg act in an antigen‐specific manner during pregnancy.
The President and International Commitments: Treaties as Signaling Devices
Authors: MARTIN LISA L.
Published: August 2005

U.S. presidents can choose the form of international agreements that they negotiate. Using the Constitution's Article II procedure to gain ratification of a formal treaty is a costly and time‐consuming endeavor, so presidents frequently turn to executive agreements that do not require approval by two thirds of the Senate. Given this alternative, why do presidents ever choose the Article II procedure? This article argues that treaties serve as a costly signal of intent to comply with the terms of international agreements. The choice between treaties and executive agreements is therefore a strategic executive decision that takes into account the anticipated reactions of other states. A signaling model predicts that high‐benefit agreements should take the form of treaties. The predictions of purely domestic models of a positive relationship between the reliability of a government and the probability that an agreement is a treaty should not hold. These propositions are tested on a large data set of U.S. international agreements between 1980 and 1999.
DEVELOPING A NOMOLOGICAL NETWORK FOR INTERVIEW STRUCTURE: ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE STRUCTURED SELECTION INTERVIEW
Authors: CHAPMAN DEREK S. , ZWEIG DAVID I.
Published: August 2005

A review by Campion, Palmer, and Campion (1997) identified 15 elements of interview structure and made predictions regarding how applicants and interviewers might react to these elements. In this 2‐sample field survey of 812 interviewees and 592 interviewers from over 502 organizations, interview structure was best described by 4 dimensions: (a) Questioning Consistency, (b) Evaluation Standardization, (c) Question Sophistication, and (d) Rapport Building. Interviewers with formal training and those with a selection rather than recruiting focus employed higher levels of interview structure. In addition, reactions to increased structure were mixed. Both higher structure (Question Sophistication) and lower structure (Rapport Building) were positively related to interviewer reactions. Less than 34% of interviewers had any formal interview training. However, interviewers were confident that they could identify the best candidates regardless of the amount of interview structure employed. Applicants reacted negatively to the increased perceived difficulty of structured interviews, but perceptions of procedural justice were not affected by interview structure.
LUMINESCENT METHODS TO DETECT VIABLE AND TOTAL ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 IN GROUND BEEF†
Authors: TU SHU‐I , UKNALIS JOE , YAMASHOJI SHIRO , GEHRING ANDREW , IRWIN PETER
Published: August 2005

Escherichia coli O157:H7 was inoculated into ground beef. Samples were incubated in E. coli broth plus novobiocin growth media at 37C for 5 h. Bacteria were captured by magnetic beads coated with anti‐E. coli O157:H7 antibodies and were treated with menadione, a membrane‐permeable electron‐transfer shuttering reagent, to oxidize the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD[P]H). Alternatively, bead‐captured bacteria were sandwiched by second anti‐E. coli O157:H7 antibodies labeled with peroxidase. The level of NAD(P)H and the enzyme activity of antibody‐bound peroxidase were then measured by luminol‐linked luminescence. The treatment of the E. coli O157:H7 with a bacterial protein extraction reagent diminished the luminescence associated with cellular NAD(P)H but not the luminescence associated with the sandwiched peroxidase label. Thus, the NAD(P)H‐linked luminescence, not the luminescence that was associated with the sandwiched complexes, was related to the viability of the E. coli O157:H7.
Influences of Sign of Surface Tension Coefficient on Turbulent Weld Pool Convection in a Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) Process: A Comparative Study
Authors: Chakraborty Nilanjan , Chakraborty Suman
Published: August 2005

The effects of positive and negative surface tension coefficients (∂σsur∕∂T) on both laminar and turbulent weld pool convection are numerically studied for a typical gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. Three-dimensional turbulent weld pool convection in a pool is simulated using a suitably modified high Reynolds number k‐ε model in order to account for the morphology of an evolving solid-liquid interface. Key effects of the sign of surface tension coefficient (∂σsur∕∂T) on the turbulent transport in a GTAW process are highlighted by comparing the turbulent simulation results with the corresponding ones from a laminar model, keeping all other process parameters unaltered. A scaling analysis is also performed in order to obtain order-of-magnitude estimates of weld pool penetration for both positive and negative surface tension coefficients. The scaling analysis predictions are in good agreement with the numerical results, in an order-of-magnitude sense.
Optimum Profile of Thin Fins With Volumetric Heat Generation: A Unified Approach
Authors: Kundu B. , Das P. K.
Published: August 2005

In this paper, a generalized methodology for the optimum design of thin fins with uniform volumetric heat generation is described. Using variational calculus, the optimum profiles of longitudinal, annular, and pin fins are determined from the basic fin equation under the constraint of specified fin volume. From a common optimality criteria, a generalized closed form expression for the fin thickness is obtained for the above three types of fins. Closed-form expressions are also obtained for the optimum profiles of longitudinal and pin fins. As a special case, both the temperature profile and the shape of optimum fins without heat generation are determined.
Noise improves modulation detection by cochlear implant listeners at moderate carrier levels
Authors: Chatterjee Monita , Oba Sandra I.
Published: August 2005

Envelope detection and processing are very important for cochlear implant (CI) listeners, who must rely on obtaining significant amounts of acoustic information from the time-varying envelopes of stimuli. In previous work, Chatterjee and Robert [JARO 2(2), 159–171 (2001)] reported on a stochastic-resonance-type effect in modulation detection by CI listeners: optimum levels of noise in the envelope enhanced modulation detection under certain conditions, particularly when the carrier level was low. The results of that study suggested that a low carrier level was sufficient to evoke the observed stochastic resonance effect, but did not clarify whether a low carrier level was necessary to evoke the effect. Modulation thresholds in CI listeners generally decrease with increasing carrier level. The experiments in this study were designed to investigate whether the observed noise-induced enhancement is related to the low carrier level per se, or to the poor modulation sensitivity that accompanies it. This was done by keeping the carrier amplitude fixed at a moderate level and increasing modulation frequency so that modulation sensitivity could be reduced without lowering carrier level. The results suggest that modulation sensitivity, not carrier level, is the primary factor determining the effect of the noise.
Place-pitch discrimination of single- versus dual-electrode stimuli by cochlear implant users
Authors: Donaldson Gail S. , Kreft Heather A. , Litvak Leonid
Published: August 2005

Simultaneous or near-simultaneous activation of adjacent cochlear implant electrodes can produce pitch percepts intermediate to those produced by each electrode separately, thereby increasing the number of place-pitch steps available to cochlear implant listeners. To estimate how many distinct pitches could be generated with simultaneous dual-electrode stimulation, the present study measured place-pitch discrimination thresholds for single- versus dual-electrode stimuli in users of the Clarion CII device. Discrimination thresholds were expressed as the proportion of current directed to the secondary electrode of the dual-electrode pair. For 16 of 17 electrode pairs tested in six subjects, thresholds ranged from 0.11 to 0.64, suggesting that dual-electrode stimuli can produce 2–9 discriminable pitches between the pitches of single electrodes. Some subjects demonstrated a level effect, with better place-pitch discrimination at higher stimulus levels. Equal loudness was achieved with dual-electrode stimuli at net current levels that were similar to or slightly higher than those for single-electrode stimuli.
Variability of focused sonic booms from accelerating supersonic aircraft in consideration of meteorological effects
Authors: Blumrich Reinhard , Coulouvrat François , Heimann Dietrich
Published: August 2005

Statistics of the meteorologically induced variability of focused sonic boom characteristics due to unsteady, accelerated supersonic flights were derived. The simulations were performed with an advanced sonic boom software including a numerical solver of the Nonlinear Tricomi Equation modeling the focused sound pressure field around caustics. A one-year set of daily meteorological data along the Northern Atlantic flight corridor was used as input. The statistics comprise the location, strength and geometrical extension of caustics at ground level for assumed flights of a supersonic commercial transport from Paris to New York and back. Caustics only occurred during the acceleration phase above the English Channel for flights from Paris to New York, never during the deceleration phase of return flights. The mean value of the maximum focused overpressure is found to be about 4 times the maximum overpressure for cruise flight at Mach 2 in similar conditions, but shows a large variability. The caustics intersection with the ground varies between 3 and 8km in width and between 30 and 180km in length. A linear correlation analysis showed the relationship between meteorological profile shape parameters and the focused sonic boom characteristics.
The dependencies of phase velocity and dispersion on trabecular thickness and spacing in trabecular bone-mimicking phantoms
Authors: Wear Keith A.
Published: August 2005

Frequency-dependent phase velocity was measured in trabecular-bone-mimicking phantoms consisting of two-dimensional arrays of parallel nylon wires (simulating trabeculae) with thicknesses ranging from 152 to 305μm and spacings ranging from 700 to 1000μm. Phase velocity varied approximately linearly with frequency over the range from 400 to 750 kHz. Dispersion was characterized by the slope of a linear least-squares regression fit to phase velocity versus frequency data. The increase in phase velocity (compared with that in water) at 500 kHz was approximately proportional to the (1) square of trabecular thickness, (2) inverse square of trabecular spacing, and (3) volume fraction occupied by nylon wires. The first derivative of phase velocity with respect to frequency was negative and exhibited nonlinear, monotonically decreasing dependencies on trabecular thickness and volume fraction. The dependencies of phase velocity and its first derivative on volume fraction in the phantoms were consistent with those reported in trabecular bone.
Speaker recognition with temporal cues in acoustic and electric hearing
Authors: Vongphoe Michael , Zeng Fan-Gang
Published: August 2005

Natural spoken language processing includes not only speech recognition but also identification of the speaker’s gender, age, emotional, and social status. Our purpose in this study is to evaluate whether temporal cues are sufficient to support both speech and speaker recognition. Ten cochlear-implant and six normal-hearing subjects were presented with vowel tokens spoken by three men, three women, two boys, and two girls. In one condition, the subject was asked to recognize the vowel. In the other condition, the subject was asked to identify the speaker. Extensive training was provided for the speaker recognition task. Normal-hearing subjects achieved nearly perfect performance in both tasks. Cochlear-implant subjects achieved good performance in vowel recognition but poor performance in speaker recognition. The level of the cochlear implant performance was functionally equivalent to normal performance with eight spectral bands for vowel recognition but only to one band for speaker recognition. These results show a disassociation between speech and speaker recognition with primarily temporal cues, highlighting the limitation of current speech processing strategies in cochlear implants. Several methods, including explicit encoding of fundamental frequency and frequency modulation, are proposed to improve speaker recognition for current cochlear implant users.
Acoustical cues for sound localization by the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus
Authors: Maki Katuhiro , Furukawa Shigeto
Published: August 2005

The present study measured the head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) of the Mongolian gerbil for various sound-source directions, and explored acoustical cues for sound localization that could be available to the animals. The HRTF exhibited spectral notches for frequencies above 25 kHz. The notch frequency varied systematically with source direction, and thereby characterized the source directions well. The frequency dependence of the acoustical axis, the direction for which the HRTF amplitude was maximal, was relatively irregular and inconsistent between ears and animals. The frequency-by-frequency plot of the interaural level difference (ILD) exhibited positive and negative peaks, with maximum values of 30 dB at around 30 kHz. The ILD peak frequency had a relatively irregular spatial distribution, implying a poor sound localization cue. The binaural acoustical axis (the direction with the maximum ILD magnitude) showed relatively orderly clustering around certain frequencies, the pattern being fairly consistent among animals. The interaural time differences (ITDs) were also measured and fell in a ±120μs range. When two different animal postures were compared (i.e., the animal was standing on its hind legs and prone), small but consistent differences were found for the lower rear directions on the HRTF amplitudes, the ILDs, and the ITDs.
Method of superposition applied to patch near-field acoustic holography
Authors: Sarkissian Angie
Published: August 2005

The method of superposition may be applied to reconstruct the field on a partial surface on a radiating structure from measurements made on a nearby limited surface. Unlike conformal near-field holography, where the measurement surface surrounds the entire structure, in patch holography the measurement surface need only be approximately as large as the patch on the structure surface where the reconstruction is required. Using the method of superposition, the field on and near the measurement surface may be approximated by the field produced by a source distribution placed on a surface inside the structure. The source strengths are evaluated by applying boundary conditions on the measurement surface. The algorithm requires the inversion of the Green’s function matrix which may be ill-conditioned. Truncated singular value decomposition is used to invert it. The field on the structure surface is then approximated by the field produced by the source distribution. The algorithm is easier to implement than the boundary elements method because it does not require integrations over singular integrands and may be applied to flat or curved surfaces.
Receiving beam patterns in the horizontal plane of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Authors: Kastelein Ronald A. , Janssen Mirjam , Verboom Willem C. , de Haan Dick
Published: August 2005

Receiving beam patterns of a harbor porpoise were measured in the horizontal plane, using narrow-band frequency modulated signals with center frequencies of 16, 64, and 100kHz. Total signal duration was 1000ms, including a 200ms rise time and 300ms fall time. The harbor porpoise was trained to participate in a psychophysical test and stationed itself horizontally in a specific direction in the center of a 16-m-diameter circle consisting of 16 equally-spaced underwater transducers. The animal’s head and the transducers were in the same horizontal plane, 1.5m below the water surface. The go∕no-go response paradigm was used; the animal left the listening station when it heard a sound signal. The method of constants was applied. For each transducer the 50% detection threshold amplitude was determined in 16 trials per amplitude, for each of the three frequencies. The beam patterns were not symmetrical with respect to the midline of the animal’s body, but had a deflection of 3–7° to the right. The receiving beam pattern narrowed with increasing frequency. Assuming that the pattern is rotation-symmetrical according to an average of the horizontal beam pattern halves, the receiving directivity indices are 4.3 at 16kHz, 6.0 at 64kHz, and 11.7dB at 100kHz. The receiving directivity indices of the porpoise were lower than those measured for bottlenose dolphins. This means that harbor porpoises have wider receiving beam patterns than bottlenose dolphins for the same frequencies. Directivity of hearing improves the signal-to-noise ratio and thus is a tool for a better detection of certain signals in a given ambient noise condition.
Meteorologically induced variability of sonic-boom characteristics of supersonic aircraft in cruising flight
Authors: Blumrich Reinhard , Coulouvrat François , Heimann Dietrich
Published: August 2005

The influence of the meteorological variability on the characteristics of the primary sonic boom emerging from an aircraft in cruising flight is investigated. The sonic-boom propagation is calculated by means of an advanced ray-tracing algorithm which takes meteorological influences into account. Real meteorological situations are considered based on a full 10-year data set in 12- and/or 24-h resolution. Three different climate regions are studied: a mid-latitude coastal sea region, a tropical coastal sea area, and a subpolar land region. Frequency distributions of sonic-boom characteristics such as wave amplitude, rise time, and carpet width are shown for each area, all seasons, and opposing flight directions. It turns out that while variability is low at the ground track, it is high laterally for carpet width or boom amplitude at the outer carpet edges. A correlation analysis is applied which shows specific relationships between meteorological profile parameters and acoustical response. In addition, a meteorological classification is introduced and tested.
Realization of mechanical systems from second-order models
Authors: Chen Wenyuan , Dupont Pierre E.
Published: August 2005

Congruent coordinate transformations are used to convert second-order models to a form in which the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices can be interpreted as a passive mechanical system. For those systems which can be constructed from interconnected mass, stiffness, and damping elements, it is shown that the input–output preserving transformations can be parametrized by an orthogonal matrix whose dimension corresponds to the number of internal masses—those masses at which an input is not applied nor an output measured. Only a subset of these transformations results in mechanically realizable models. For models with a small number of internal masses, complete discrete mapping of the transformation space is possible, permitting enumeration of all mechanically realizable models sharing the original model’s input–output behavior. When the number of internal masses is large, a nonlinear search of transformation space can be employed to identify mechanically realizable models. Applications include scale model vibration testing of complicated structures and the design of electromechanical filters.
Acoustic radiation from a fluid-filled, subsurface vascular tube with internal turbulent flow due to a constriction
Authors: Yazicioglu Yigit , Royston Thomas J. , Spohnholtz Todd , Martin Bryn , Loth Francis , Bassiouny Hisham S.
Published: August 2005

The vibration of a thin-walled cylindrical, compliant viscoelastic tube with internal turbulent flow due to an axisymmetric constriction is studied theoretically and experimentally. Vibration of the tube is considered with internal fluid coupling only, and with coupling to internal-flowing fluid and external stagnant fluid or external tissue-like viscoelastic material. The theoretical analysis includes the adaptation of a model for turbulence in the internal fluid and its vibratory excitation of and interaction with the tube wall and surrounding viscoelastic medium. Analytical predictions are compared with experimental measurements conducted on a flow model system using laser Doppler vibrometry to measure tube vibration and the vibration of the surrounding viscoelastic medium. Fluid pressure within the tube was measured with miniature hydrophones. Discrepancies between theory and experiment, as well as the coupled nature of the fluid–structure interaction, are described. This study is relevant to and may lead to further insight into the patency and mechanisms of vascular failure, as well as diagnostic techniques utilizing noninvasive acoustic measurements.
Acoustic time delay estimation and sensor network self-localization: Experimental results
Authors: Ash Joshua N. , Moses Randolph L.
Published: August 2005

Experimental results are presented on propagation, coherence, and time-delay estimation (TDE) from a microphone array in an outdoor aeroacoustic environment. The primary goal is to understand the achievable accuracy of acoustic TDE using low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) speakers and microphones. In addition, through the use of modulated pseudo-noise sequences, the experiment seeks to provide an empirical understanding of the effects of center frequency, bandwidth, and signal duration on TDE effectiveness and compares this to the theoretical expectations established by the Weiss-Weinstein lower bound. Finally, sensor network self-localization is performed using a maximum likelihood estimator and the time-delay estimates. Experimental network localization error is presented as a function of the acoustic calibration signal parameters.