bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LOVE, RESPECT, AND INTERFERING WITH OTHERS
Authors: SEYMOUR FAHMY MELISSA
Published: May 2011

The fact that Kantian beneficence is constrained by Kantian respect appears to seriously restrict the Kantian's moral response to agents who have embraced self‐destructive ends. In this paper I defend the Kantian duties of love and respect by arguing that Kantians can recognize attempts to get an agent to change her ends as a legitimate form of beneficence. My argument depends on two key premises. First, that rational nature is not identical to the capacity to set ends, and second, that an agent's conception of her happiness is not identical to the satisfaction of her ends.
IS GOVERNMENT SUPEREROGATION POSSIBLE?
Authors: WEINBERG JUSTIN
Published: May 2011

Governments are subject to the requirements of justice, yet often seem to go above and beyond what justice requires in order to act in ways many people think are good. These kinds of acts – examples of which include putting on celebrations, providing grants to poets, and preserving historic architecture – appear to be acts of government supererogation. In this paper, I argue that a common view about the relationship between government, coercion, and justice implies that most such acts are not supererogatory, but wrong. Many will find that conclusion unattractive, but rejecting the common view that implies it raises problems, too.
DESCARTES' COMPOSITIONAL THEORY OF MENTAL REPRESENTATION
Authors: LANDY DAVID
Published: May 2011

In his, ‘Descartes' Ontology of Thought’, Alan Nelson presents, on Descartes' behalf, a compositional theory of mental representation according to which the content of any mental representation is either simple or is entirely constituted by a combination of innate simples. Here the simples are our ideas of God, thought, extension, and union. My objection will be that it is simply ludicrous to think that any four simples are adequate to the task of combining to constitute all of human thought, and that the simples God, thought, extension, and union are particularly ill suited to it.
CAUSATION AND THE CANBERRA PLAN
Authors: LIEBESMAN DAVID
Published: May 2011

David Lewis has a general recipe for analysis: the Canberra Plan. His analyses of mind, color, and value all proceed according to the plan. What is curious is that his analysis of causation – one of his seminal analyses – doesn't. It doesn't and according to Lewis it can't. Lewis has two objections against using the Canberra Plan to analyze causation. After presenting Lewis' objections I argue that they both fail. I then draw some lessons from their failure.
STOIC DISAGREEMENT AND BELIEF RETENTION
Authors: RIEPPEL MICHAEL
Published: May 2011

Propositions are generally thought to have a truth‐value only relative to some parameter or sequence of parameters. Many apparently straightforward notions, like what it is to disagree or retain a belief, become harder to explain once propositional truth is thus relativized. An account of disagreement within a framework involving such ‘stoic’ propositions is here presented. Some resources developed in that account are then used to respond to the eternalist charge that temporalist propositions can't function as belief contents because they don't allow us to make adequate sense of what belief retention amounts to.
The framing of return from above and below in Ecuadorian migration: a project, a myth, or a political device?
Authors: BOCCAGNI PAOLO
Published: May 2011

Although return migration is a significant topic in current policy, the competing interests of sending and destination countries in promoting it and the prospects of making return strategies ‘from above’ a viable and desirable option for migrants are relatively neglected topics. In this article, I explore the distinct agendas, meanings and expectations underlying the prospects of return migration from Ecuador to Italy. I approach this recent migration flow through ethnography and an institutional analysis of the policy strategies and discourses emerging in the source country. The Ecuadorian government has recently developed a Plan Retorno aimed at facilitating emigrants’ return and economic reintegration. The narratives of Ecuadorian migrants generally reveal a deep‐rooted expectation to return home. While initially hoping to return home ‘soon’, however, migrants systematically tend to postpone their homecoming. When it does take place in the short term, it is likely to be through migration ‘failure’ rather than an actual accomplishment of their earlier objectives. Given the distinct interests and expectations driving them, it is possible to assess the relationship between the two approaches to return. I conclude that return migration, irrespective of its actual accomplishment, is relevant to a better understanding of emigrant policies and of immigrant life trajectories overseas.
Semi‐legal family life: Pakistani couples in the borderlands of Denmark and Sweden
Authors: RYTTER MIKKEL
Published: May 2011

In 2002, the Danish government introduced new legislation on family reunification to restrict the transnational arranged marriages that were occurring among some immigrant groups. Since then, thousands of people have emigrated from Denmark to Sweden where, as citizens of the European Union, they are entitled to family reunification. In this article, I introduce the concept of semi‐legality to describe the situation whereby Pakistani transnational couples commute on a regular basis between their legal residences in Sweden and their places of work or networks of friends and family in Denmark. The married couples subjected to this mobile lifestyle are always in a process of becoming illegal, which is the consequence of ‘overstaying’ in Denmark or ‘understaying’ in Sweden. Besides its legal aspects, a semi‐legal status also has significant moral implications that not only restructure marriage patterns and family life among Pakistani immigrants but also have long‐lasting effects on the relationship between minorities and majorities in Denmark.
Blurring Boundaries: Refugee Resettlement in Kampala—between the Formal, the Informal, and the Illegal
Authors: Sandvik Kristin Bergtora
Published: May 2011

This article explores the role of transnational soft law in global migration management. It investigates the formal, informal, and illegal transactions that govern the struggle between urban refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kampala, Uganda, over the distribution of third‐country resettlement slots. I propose that the regularization of resettlement has engendered a pluralist system that draws on and combines multiple sources and levels of legal and bureaucratic norms. Instead of producing the intended homogenization, regularization has actually contributed to a form of legal diversity. Despite undermining the objectives of resettlement reform, this diversity is nevertheless intrinsic to soft‐law governance, as the international community continues to channel resources in an effort to improve local implementation practices and to rectify the deficiencies of international institutions such as UNHCR.
Contesting “Law and Order”: Immigrants’ Encounters with “Rule of Law” in Postcolonial Hong Kong
Authors: Newendorp Nicole
Published: May 2011

This article investigates the “rule of law” as a sociocultural concept that has concrete effects on the lives of newly arrived Chinese mainland immigrants in postcolonial Hong Kong. I investigate a seeming paradox: how in Hong Kong the “rule of law”—seen as a key symbol of freedom—acted as a vehicle of oppression, and not just belonging, for recently arrived immigrants from mainland China. Through this discussion of how “law” served as a vehicle for immigrants’ both belonging to and contestation of the state, I also show how immigrants began to question the basic assumptions of freedom and fairness believed to be inherent to the practice of the rule of law in Hong Kong—as they grappled with novel understandings of the law and new possibilities of exercising rights‐based claims.
Immigration and West Bank Settlement Normalization
Authors: Weiss Hadas
Published: May 2011

This article draws on fieldwork in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, where nearly half of the residents are immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, and argues that the immigrants‐turned‐settlers of the 1990s and beyond are the subjects of contemporary normalizing procedures. This renders them the quintessential neoliberal settlers, amenable to market‐adjusted fluctuations in settlement patterns that include opportune expansion, depreciation, and dismantlement. A discussion of immigration in Ariel illustrates an ex post facto politics in the West Bank that puts into relief some of the conundrums of the Israel‐Palestine conflict. The ethnography establishes that it is precisely through their pragmatism that immigrant‐settlers become political agents despite themselves: a conclusion that has serious consequences for the Israel‐Palestine conflict in general.
Cilostazol: A Drug Particularly Effective for Asians?
Authors: Kim Jong S. , Shinohara Yukito
Published: May 2011

Cilostazol is an antiplatelet drug often used in Asia; however, it is rarely used in the western hemisphere, particularly for stroke patients. Further studies of cilostazol in other ethnicities are required to prove or disprove whether this drug is also beneficial in non-Asian populations.
Stroke in Myanmar: Attitudes and Treatment
Authors: Kyaw Kaung Myat , Thu Phyo Phyo
Published: May 2011

The burden of stroke in low-middle-income countries has increased during the past few decades but has decreased in developed countries and it is important to know why; though it may be attributed primarily to attitudes toward stroke management and prevention among doctors, and consequently in the population. We have conducted a study to investigate how stroke is managed in Myanmar, south-east Asia, with a population of approximately 60 million. We found that attitude differed markedly from that reflected in international guidelines. We expected this attitude to be reflected in the general population and speculate that the poor development and sub-optimal work on prevention and treatment of stroke stems from these attitudes.
Treatment Issues in Spontaneous Cervicocephalic Artery Dissections
Authors: Arnold Marcel , Fischer Urs , Bousser Marie-Germaine
Published: May 2011

The management of cervicocephalic arterial dissections raises many unsolved issues such as: how to best acutely treat patients who present with ischemic stroke or occasionally with sub-arachnoid hemorrhage? How to best prevent ischemic stroke in patients who present with purely local signs such as headache, painful Horner Syndrome or neck pain? How long and how should patients be treated after cervicocephalic arterial dissections? Can patients resume their sports activities and when? The consensus is that, given the well-established initial thromboembolic risk, an urgent antithrombotic treatment is required in patients with a recent nonhemorrhagic cervicocephalic arterial dissection, but the type of antithrombotic treatment – anticoagulants or aspirin – as well as the indication for a local arterial treatment such as angioplasty/stenting remain debated. Evidence from a randomized clinical trial would be welcome but such a trial raises major issues of methodology, feasibility and funding. Meanwhile, cervicocephalic arterial dissection remains a situation when a bedside clinician should use, on a case-by-case basis, best clinical judgment and adopt a stepped care approach in the minority of patients who deteriorate despite initial treatment.
Futility, Autonomy, and Cost in End-of-Life Care
Authors: Baily Mary Ann
Published: May 2011

In 1989, Helga Wanglie, 86 years old, broke her hip. This began a medical downhill course that a year later caused her health care providers to conclude that she would not benefit from continued medical treatment. It would be futile, and therefore, should not be provided. Her husband (the surrogate decision maker) disagreed, and the conflict eventually led to a lawsuit. TheWangliecase touched off an extended debate in the medical and bioethical literature about medical futility: what it means and how useful the concept is in making ethical decisions about starting or stopping treatment.
Costs and End-of-Life Care in the NICU: Lessons for the MICU?
Authors: Lantos John D. , Meadow William L.
Published: May 2011

Providing care for a baby born at 24 weeks of gestation in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is one of the most expensive medical treatments in the United States today. The cost can easily run over $300,000 for one baby. Furthermore, many extremely premature babies who survive are left with chronic diseases or disabilities that require further medical expenses and other specialized services throughout childhood or throughout life. When all these expenditures are totaled up, it can seem that neonatal intensive care is just not worth it.

Concerns about the cost-effectiveness of NICUs have led to persistent critical scrutiny of these specialized units by physicians, economists, and epidemiologists. These analysts have examined NICUs and the patients in them in order to determine whether there are subpopulations of babies for whom neonatal intensive care is so demonstrably ineffective or so costly that it should not be provided. Such examinations have been carried out in many different countries, at many times over the last 30 years, and have analyzed outcomes for babies by gestational age, birthweight, and illness severity.
Fetal Pain, Abortion, Viability, and the Constitution
Authors: Cohen I. Glenn , Sayeed Sadath
Published: May 2011

On April 13, 2010, Nebraska enacted a new state ban on abortion in the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that ha caught the attention of many on both sides of the abortion debate, and has inspired other states to attempt similar measures. The statute requires the referring or abortion-providing physician to make a “determination of the probable postfertilization age of the unborn child” (defined as, “the age of the unborn child as calculated from the fertilization of the human ovum”) and makes it illegal to induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion upon a woman when the “probable postfertilization age” of the fetus is “twenty or more weeks” unless the doctor determines in “reasonable medical judgment (1) she has a condition which so complicates her medical condition as to necessitate the abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death or to avert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function or (2) it is necessary to preserve the life of an unborn child.”
A Living Wage for Research Subjects
Authors: Phillips Trisha B.
Published: May 2011

Offering cash payments to research subjects is a common recruiting method, but this practice continues to be controversial because of its potential to compromise the protection of human subjects. Some critics question whether researchers should be allowed to offer money at all, citing concerns about commodification of the research subject, invalidation of study results, and increased risks to subjects. Other critics are comfortable with the idea of monetary payments but question how much researchers can pay their subjects, citing concerns about undue inducement, crowding out, and monetary exploitation. Focusing only on the amount researchers can pay their subjects, this paper argues that the federal regulations and guidelines should implement a standard payment formula. It argues for a wage payment model, and critically examines three candidates for a base wage: the nonfarm production wage, the FLSA minimum wage, and a living wage.
Reining in the Pharmacological Enhancement Train: We Should Remain Vigilant about Regulatory Standards for Prescribing Controlled Substances
Authors: Drabiak-Syed Katherine
Published: May 2011

In the March 2010 edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Drs. Rose and Curry declared that resident physicians have an ethical duty to reduce error during periods of fatigue. Problematically, however, they argued this means ingesting a stimulant for performance enhancement and sleep avoidance (hereinafter “PESA”) during a shift when a resident physician is experiencing fatigue as the more ethical choice than forgoing ingesting a stimulant. Rather than accepting enhancement as an unstoppable technological imperative, this article will examine the underlying motivations for enhancement embedded in our culture and the corresponding legal framework relating to stimulant drugs. Although our society seems to be engaged in a pharmacological arms race of efficiency, competition, and self “betterment,” the FDA has not approved stimulant drugs such as modafinil for PESA. As a result, the off-label use of modafinil for PESA means these individuals are part of a large-scale experiment that poses serious immediate and long-term side effects to the individual user as well as society.
GREEK RENAL NURSES’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH
Authors: Zyga Sofia , Malliarou Maria , Lavdaniti Maria , Athanasopoulou Maria , Sarafis Paul
Published: May 2011

This study aims to assess how Greek renal nurses feel about death and examine any relationships between their attitudes and demographic factors.

Design: Descriptive quantitative study. The sample comprised of 49 nurses.

Methodology: Voluntary and anonymous completion of the Death Attitude Profile–Revised and a demographic questionnaire.

Results: 44 respondents were female and 5 were male with a mean age of 25.80 years. The mean nursing experience was 10.9 years. Nursing experience and age were the variables most likely to predict nurses’ attitudes towards death. Nurses with specific education on palliative care had less difficulty talking about death and dying and did not have a fear of death. The Hospital‐based teams (known as palliative care teams, supportive care teams or symptom assessment teams) had statistically significant different relationships with fear of death and neutral acceptance scores.

Conclusions: It is recommended to include education on death and care of the dying in the nursing degree course in order for nurses who are giving terminal phase patient care to be better able deal with issues that death evolves.
A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF BUTTONHOLE CANNULATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF FISTULA ACCESS COMPLICATIONS
Authors: Chow Josephine , Rayment Glenda , Miguel Susana San , Gilbert Margaret
Published: May 2011

Objectives: This multicentre, prospective, open label, randomised controlled trial was to determine whether buttonhole cannulation technique in new and established haemodialysis fistula reduced complications and prolonged the access life compared to usual practice.

Method: Seventy subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects randomised to the buttonhole group had their fistula cannulated by the same staff member for two to four weeks at the same angle and direction with sharp needles. Once the tunnel was developed, blunt needles were used. The control group continued with usual practice (rope ladder rotation technique).

Results: Infection at the cannulation site occurred in four patients in the buttonhole group and one in the rope ladder rotation group (p = 0.11). Haematomas at the cannulation site and site pain experienced during the dialysis session were more often recorded for the buttonhole group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study showed that buttonhole cannulation resulted more infections, haematoma formation and site pain during dialysis than with the rope ladder rotation group. A further larger scale longitudinal study is recommended.
CARDIORENAL MEDICINE: PARTNERS IN PRACTICE?
Authors: Campbell Ellen , Kalra Paul
Published: May 2011

Cardiorenal medicine is an exciting and evolving area of medicine. There is still much to learn about the complex pathophysiological process of the cardiorenal syndrome. The latest ideas and research were discussed at the 5th Annual Cardiorenal Forum on 15th October 2010.
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS”: KANT ON THE HANG ZUM BÖSEN AND THE UNIVERSAL EVIL OF HUMANITY
Authors: DUNCAN SAMUEL
Published: May 2011

abstract

This paper offers a new interpretation of the propensity to evil and its relation to Kant's claim that the human race is universally evil. Unlike most of its competitors, the interpretation presented here neither trivializes Kant's claims about the universal evil of humanity nor attributes a position to him that is incompatible with his repeated insistence that we are blameworthy for actions only when we could have acted differently. This interpretation also accounts for a number of otherwise bewildering claims in the Religion and makes sense of the analogy Kant draws between the propensity to evil and addiction.
Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of pentazocine in patients: assay by mass fragmentography
Authors: Agurell S , Boréus L O , Gordon E , Lindgren J E , Ehrnebo M , Lönroth U
Published: May 2011

Mass fragmentography has been used for the determination of low concentrations of pentazocine in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) after intravenous administration of a 30 mg dose to eight patients undergoing neurosurgery under general anaesthesia. A pharmacokinetic analysis based upon mean plasma levels indicated a half-life of 134 min. Lumbar csf levels of pentazocine increased rapidly with mean values from about 3 ng ml−1 at 5 min to 10 ng ml−1 at 30 min and to about 15 ng ml−1 at 90–120 min. The possibility of repeated analyses of drug concentrations in the csf represents an important step towards the correlation of chemical data with clinical effects for centrally acting drugs.
Acetylsalicylsalicylic acid: a potentially immunogenic impurity in acetylsalicylic acid
Authors: Bundgaard Hans
Published: May 2011

A study has been made of the chemical reactivity of a commonly occurring impurity in commercial acetylsalicylic acid preparations, acetylsalicylsalicylic acid. This impurity in aqueous solutions of pH 7·4-10·2 at 37° reacts with amines to produce salicylamide derivatives. The reaction rates are proportional to the concentration of amine in its free base form. Since the rates are appreciable even at physiological pH and the N-salicyloyl group has been reported to be an antigenic determinant in acetylsalicylic acid allergy, it is suggested that acetylsalicylsalicylic acid must be considered as a potentially immunogenic substance being involved in the development of allergic reactions to acetylsalicylic acid preparations.
Functional significance of synthesis of noradrenaline in adrenergic nerves of rat salivary glands
Authors: Almgren Olle
Published: May 2011

The secretory response and the noradrenaline content of the submaxillary gland due to continuous electrical stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunk with 5 Hz (5 V, 2 ms) were determined in five differently treated groups of rats. Stimulation during 5 h in untreated control rats reduced the noradrenaline content to about 40% while the secretory response remained unchanged. Another group received DL-α-methyl-m-tyrosine 400 mg kg−1 i.p. 26 and 18 h before the stimulation and 200 mg kg−1 2 h before. This treatment displaced 93% of the noradrenaline content of the glands, and the secretory response stabilized after an initial decrease, at a level of about two-thirds of the normal response, possibly indicating a reduced rate of transmitter synthesis compared to normal rats. Thus, a nerve with greatly reduced amounts of active transmitter in the store can satisfy rather high demands of transmitter release for long time periods, provided that the synthesis continues. A third group of rats received DL-α-methyl-m-tyrosine in the same doses as above but 50, 42 and 26 h before the experiments, respectively. After this treatment, the noradrenaline level was reduced to about 35% of normal, yet the secretory response was even higher than normal. Probably the decreased transmitter synthesis supposed to occur following treatment with α-methyl-m-tyrosine has been reversed at this time interval into an increased synthesis rate. To a fourth group of rats 500 mg kg−1 DL-α-methyl-p-tyrosine methylester HCl (H 44/68) was injected i.p. 15 min before stimulation, resulting in a virtually complete inhibition of the tyrosine hydroxylase. Three h of stimulation reduced noradrenaline to 15%, and the secretory response disappeared. When treatment with both drugs was given, a very rapid disappearance of an initially normal response was seen. In conclusion, synthesis of new transmitter appears to be essential for a normal function of the nerve.
The involvement of dopaminergic systems with the stereotyped behaviour patterns induced by methylphenidate
Authors: Costall B , Naylor R J
Published: May 2011

The electrolytic brain lesion technique was used to investigate the role of dopamine-containing areas and pathways in the rat for the mediation of methylphenidate stereotypy. Ablation of the dopaminergic pathways to the extrapyramidal areas at the level of the lateral hypothalamus or substantia nigra was without effect suggesting a postsynaptic site of action in the extrapyramidal nuclei. This site was shown to be the paleo- and not the neostriatum. Deafferentation of the mesolimbic nuclei abolished the weaker components of stereotypy in the acute phase. This effect was generally reflected by ablation of the tuberculum olfactorium but not by nucleus accumbens septi or nucleus interstitialis stria terminalis lesions. The action in the mesolimbic areas may, therefore, involve presynaptic mechanisms. Lesion of the nucleus amygdaloideus centralis abolished the intense components of stereotypy. The greater importance of extrapyramidal function for the action of methylphenidate would indicate a possible value for this agent in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
The correlation between the in vitro and in vivo availability of salicylic acid for membrane transfer from polysorbate 20 solutions
Authors: Collett J H , Withington R , Cox B
Published: May 2011

The presence of 1·0% w/v polysorbate 20 in solutions of salicylic acid reduces the absorption of the drug from the rat stomach. This effect is the resultant of two opposing effects of polysorbate 20 on salicylic acid absorption. Firstly, the surfactant reduces salicylic acid absorption by solubilization and secondly the surfactant tends to enhance salicylic acid absorption by an alternate unidentified effect. Knowing the magnitude of the absorption-enhancing effect the overall effect on salicylic acid absorption can be calculated using equations that describe the availability of salicylic acid for transfer across a Cellophane membrane from polysorbate solutions.
An infrared spectrophotometric study of the compaction mechanism of potassium bromide
Authors: Ridgway K , Aulton M E
Published: May 2011

Potassium bromide has been compacted in a vacuum die at pressures up to 1000 MN m−2, and the infrared transmittance of the resulting flat discs measured. Four mean particle sizes were used: 71, 110, 388 and 550 μm. Over the whole range of pressure, the 110 μm material had a higher transmittance. At any one particle size, the transmittance increased with increasing compaction pressure up to 400 MN m−2, then fell slightly and was followed by a less pronounced increase in the region of 1000 MN m−2. The following mechanical properties of the compacts were also investigated: tensile strength, relative density, surface hardness and dissolution time. The transmittance changes have been related to the probable compaction mechanism.
Unstable Characteristics and Rotating Stall in Turbine Brake Operation of Pump-Turbines
Authors: Widmer Christian , Staubli Thomas , Ledergerber Nathan
Published: May 2011

Reversible pump-turbines are versatile in the electricity market since they can be switched between pump and turbine operation within a few minutes. The emphasis on the design of the more sensitive pump flow however often leads to stability problems in no load or turbine brake operation. Unstable characteristics can be responsible for hydraulic system oscillations in these operating points. The cause of the unstable characteristics can be found in the blocking effect of either stationary vortex formation or rotating stall. The so-called unstable characteristic in turbine brake operation is defined by the change of sign of the slope of the head curve. This change of sign or “S-shape” can be traced back to flow recirculation and vortex formation within the runner and the vaneless space between runner and guide vanes. When approaching part load from sound turbine flow the vortices initially develop and collapse again. This unsteady vortex formation induces periodical pressure fluctuations. In the turbine brake operation at small guide vane openings the vortices increase in intensity, stabilize and circumferentially block the flow passages. This stationary vortex formation is associated with a total pressure rise over the machine and leads to the slope change of the characteristic. Rotating stall is a flow instability which extends from the runner, the vaneless space to the guide and the stay vane channels at large guide vane openings. A certain number of channels is blocked (rotating stall cell) while the other channels comprise sound flow. Due to a momentum exchange between rotor and stator at the front and the rear cell boundary, the cell is rotating with subsynchronous frequency of about 60 percent of the rotational speed for the investigated pump-turbine (nq = 45). The enforced rotating pressure distributions in the vaneless space lead to large dynamic radial forces on the runner. The mechanisms leading to stationary vortex formation and rotating stall were analyzed with a pump-turbine model by the means of numerical simulations and test rig measurements. It was found that stationary vortex formation and rotating stall have initially the same physical cause, but it depends on the mean convective acceleration within the guide vane channels, whether the vortex formations will rotate or not. Both phenomena lead to an unstable characteristic.
Universal Design of Research: Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Mainstream Biomedical Studies
Authors: Williams Ann S. , Moore Shirley M.
Published: May 2011

Simple changes in clinical study design allow individuals with disabilities to participate in and contribute to research.
Focusing on Attention Deficit
Authors: Mashour George A.
Published: May 2011

A genetic variant associated with a higher-than-normal incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be modeled in mice.
Science Translational Medicine
Podcast: 11 May 2011
Authors: Cohn Ronald D. , Colmone Angela
Published: May 2011

A conversation with Ronald D. Cohn about a new use for the FDA-approved drug losartan to treat sarcopenia.
A pathway-based approach investigating the genes encoding interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist provides new insight into the genetic susceptibility of Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: September Alison V , Nell Erica-Mari , O'Connell Kevin , Cook Jill , Handley Christopher J , van der Merwe Lize , Schwellnus Martin , Collins Malcolm
Published: May 2011

Objectives

Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a multifactorial condition for which genetic risk factors have been identified. A pathway-based approach was used to investigate genes within the inflammatory pathway.

Methods

Functional polymorphisms withinIL-1β(−31T→C and −511C→T),IL-1RN(variable number tandem repeat) andIL-6(−172G→C) were investigated for associations with AT in a South African (SA) and Australian (AUS) case–control studies. A total of 369 (161 SA and 208 AUS) asymptomatic control participants (CON) and 175 (90 SA and 85 AUS) participants with AT (TEN) were genotyped. Allele combinations were constructed using the above polymorphisms in combination with theCOL5A1 BstUI RFLP.

Results

Independently, no associations were observed between any of the polymorphisms tested and risk of TEN. The allele combinations of five polymorphisms were, however, found to have a highly significant relationship with AT (p=0.005), after adjusting for gender and country (SA or AUS).

Conclusions

Variations within the interleukin genes and theCOL5A1 BstUI CC genotype are collectively significantly associated with risk of AT. This research emphasises that a pathway-based genetic association study may be a more effective approach to capture and understand the genetic risk factors underlying the multifactorial conditions, such as AT.
Effect of exposure top,p'-DDE on male hormone profile in Mexican flower growers
Authors: Blanco-Muñoz Julia , Lacasaña Marina , Aguilar-Garduño Clemente , Rodríguez-Barranco Miguel , Bassol Susana , Cebrián Mariano E , López-Flores Inmaculada , Ruiz-Pérez Isabel
Published: May 2011

Objectives

p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (p,p'-DDE) acts as an androgen receptor antagonist, however data regarding its hormonal effects in men are limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum levels ofp,p'-DDE and reproductive hormone profile in Mexican male flower growers.

Methods

A longitudinal study was carried out in a population of men working in the production of flowers and ornamental plants in two Mexican states during July–October 2004 (rainy season) and December 2004–May 2005 (dry season). A questionnaire including information on socioeconomic characteristics, tobacco and alcohol use, presence of chronic and acute diseases, occupational history and anthropometry was used and blood and urine samples were obtained. Serum levels ofp,p'-DDE were analysed by gas chromatography; FSH, LH, testosterone, oestradiol, inhibin B and prolactin levels were measured by enzymatic immunoassay. Urinary levels of dialkylphosphates (DAPs) were analysed by gas chromatography. Associations between serum levels ofp,p'-DDE and male reproductive hormones (both transformed to their natural logarithm) were evaluated using multivariate generalised estimating equation (GEE) models.

Results

Medianp,p'-DDE levels were 677.2 ng/g lipid (range 9.4–12 696.5) during the rainy season and 626.7 ng/g lipid (range 9.4–13 668.1) during the dry season. After adjusting for potential confounders (age, body mass index, state of residence and DAPs),p,p'-DDE levels were negatively associated with prolactin (β=−0.04; 95% CI −0.07 to −0.008) and testosterone (β=0.04; 95% CI −0.08 to 0.005) and positively with inhibin B (β=0.11; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.21).

Conclusion

These results indicate thatp,p'-DDE can affect hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis function in humans.
A CARBON-CYCLE-BASED STOCHASTIC CELLULAR AUTOMATA CLIMATE MODEL
Authors: LICHTENEGGER KLAUS , SCHAPPACHER WILHELM
Published: May 2011

In this paper a stochastic cellular automata model is examined, which has been developed to study a "small" world, where local changes may noticeably alter global characteristics. This is applied to a climate model, where global temperature is determined by an interplay between atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon stored by plant life. The latter can be released by forest fires, giving rise to significant changes of global conditions within short time.
A NOTE ON BRAIDS AND PARSEVAL'S THEOREM
Authors: FINE JONATHAN
Published: May 2011

In 1986 Falk and Randell, based on Arnold's 1969 paper on braids, proved that the pure braid groups are residually nilpotent. They also proved that the quotients in the lower central series are free abelian groups.

This brief note uses an example to provide evidence for a much stronger conjectural statement: That each braid b can be written as an infinite sum [Formula: see text], where each bi is a linear function of the ith Vassiliev–Kontsevich Zi(b) invariant of b. The example is pure braids on two strands. This leads to solving eτ = q for τ a Laurent series in q. We set [Formula: see text] and use Fourier series and Parseval's theorem to prove eτ = q.

For more than two strands the stronger statement seems to rely on an as yet unstated Plancherel theorem for braid groups, which is likely both to be deep and to have deep consequences.
SURFACE DIAGRAMS WITH AT MOST TWO TRIPLE POINTS
Authors: MOHAMAD ABDUL , YASHIRO TSUKASA
Published: May 2011

In this paper, we prove that if a surface diagram of a surface-knot has at most two triple points and the lower decker set is connected, then the surface-knot group is isomorphic to the infinite cyclic group.
ON THE NUMBER OF SL(2;ℤ/pℤ)-REPRESENTATIONS OF KNOT GROUPS
Authors: KITANO TERUAKI , SUZUKI MASAAKI
Published: May 2011

The number of representations of a knot group is an invariant of knots. In this paper, we calculate these numbers associated to SL(2;ℤ/pℤ)-representations for all the knots in Rolfsen's knot table. Moreover, we show some properties of these numbers.
A STATE-SUM FORMULA FOR THE ALEXANDER POLYNOMIAL
Authors: BLACK SAMSON
Published: May 2011

We develop a diagrammatic formalism for calculating the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid as a state-sum. Our main tools are the Markov trace formulas for the HOMFLY-PT polynomial and Young's semi-normal representations of the Iwahori–Hecke algebras of type A.
REGULATION OF A PREY–PREDATOR FISHERY INCORPORATING PREY REFUGE BY TAXATION: A DYNAMIC REACTION MODEL
Authors: CHAKRABORTY KUNAL , CHAKRABORTY MILON , KAR T. K.
Published: May 2011

This paper, describes a prey–predator fishery model incorporating prey refuge. The proposed model reflecting the dynamic interaction between the net economic revenue and the fishing effort used to harvest the prey species in the presence of predation and a suitable tax. The steady states of the system are determined and the dynamic behavior of the model system is discussed. The occurrence of Hopf bifurcation of the proposed model system is examined through considering density-dependent mortality for the predator as bifurcation parameter. The optimal taxation policy is formulated and solved with the help of Pontryagin's maximal principle. The objective of the paper is to maximize the monetary social benefit as well as prevent the predator species from extinction, keeping the ecological balance. Results are illustrated with the help of numerical examples.
SELF-ASSEMBLING OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES IN GLASSES UNDER ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION
Authors: SIDOROV A. I. , NASHCHEKIN A. V. , NEVEDOMSKIY V. N. , USOV O. A. , PODSVIROV O. A.
Published: May 2011

The electron beam irradiation with subsequent thermal treatment of glasses containing silver ions produces silver nanoparticles (SNPs) arranged in layers. The action of the aperture confined electron beam on glasses containing SNPs results in decomposition of SNPs on perimeter of beam and rearrange of SNPs on the circumference of a larger diameter circle. Both processes are based on the similar mechanism — the drift of silver ions with opposite charges in electric field produced by electron beam.
A MODEL-FREE APPROACH FOR ACCURATE JOINT MOTION CONTROL IN HUMANOID LOCOMOTION
Authors: VILLAGRA JORGE , BALAGUER CARLOS
Published: May 2011

A new model-free approach to precisely control humanoid robot joints is presented in this article. An input–output online identification procedure will permit to compensate neglected or uncertain dynamics, such as, on the one hand, transmission and compliance nonlinear effects, and, on the other hand, network transmission delays. Robustness to parameter variations will be analyzed and compared to other advanced PID-based controllers. Simulations will show that not only good tracking quality can be obtained with this novel technique, but also that it provides a very robust behavior to the closed-loop system. Furthermore, a locomotion task will be tested in a complete humanoid simulator to highlight the suitability of this control approach for such complex systems.
USING BRAIN–COMPUTER INTERFACES TO DETECT HUMAN SATISFACTION IN HUMAN–ROBOT INTERACTION
Authors: ESFAHANI EHSAN TARKESH , SUNDARARAJAN V.
Published: May 2011

This article discusses the use of a brain–computer interface (BCI) to obtain emotional feedback from a human in response to the motion of humanoid robots in collaborative environments. The purpose of this study is to detect the human satisfaction level and use it as a feedback for correcting and improving the behavior of the robot to maximize human satisfaction. This article describes experiments and algorithms that use human brains activity collected through BCI in order to estimate the level of satisfaction. Users wear an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset and control the movement of the robot by mental imagination. The robots responds to the mental imagination may not be the same as human mental command and this will affect the emotional satisfaction level. The headset records brain activity from 14 locations on the scalp. Power spectral density of each EEG frequency band and four largest Lyapunov exponents of each EEG signal form the feature vector. The Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test is then used to rank all the features. The highest rank features are then selected to train a linear discriminant classifier (LDC) to determine the satisfaction level. Our experimental results show an accuracy of 79.2% in detecting the human satisfaction level.
UBIQUITOUS AND COOPERATIVE NETWORK ROBOT SYSTEM WITHIN A SERVICE FRAMEWORK
Authors: LIU YABO , YANG JIANHUA , WU ZHAOHUI
Published: May 2011

Network robot system (NRS) is a new concept that integrates physical autonomous robots, environmental sensors, and human–robot interactions through network-based cooperation. The aim of this paper is to provide a ubiquitous and cooperative service framework for NRS. We first present foundational concepts of semantic map and service definition for the framework. Then, in order to generate feasible service configurations to fulfill tasks, we propose service configuration and reconfiguration algorithms, which dynamically search the appropriate service configurations for different tasks. Additionally, we put forward a service reasoning and enabling process to tackle the service unavailable problems. A cost evaluation function for service configuration is also proposed to facilitate the selection of suitable configurations. We tested and evaluated the framework in both simulation system and physical environment. Specifically, by separately varying the parameter settings, system performance was measured in three aspects: the success rate of tasks, the average waiting time per task, and the average cost per task. The experiment results indicate that the versatile service framework provides self-adaptive capability and utilizes available resources efficiently under a range of different scenarios.
Zn-INDUCED DENSITY-CONTROLLED GROWTH OF β-SiC NANOTUBES WITH TUNABLE FIELD EMISSION AND HYDROPHOBIC PROPERTIES
Authors: YANG G. Z. , CUI H. , WANG C. X.
Published: May 2011

Density-controlled single-crystalline β- SiC nanotubes were successfully synthesized on a large scale by adding Zn into the system via direct thermal evaporation of C 60 onto silicon wafers at 1290°C. Interestingly, no Zn elements can be detected in the final products. However, the addition of Zn power is important because without Zn , density-controlled SiC nanotubes cannot be observed in our experiment. On the basis of the results, a possible growth mechanism was proposed to illustrate the role that Zn played in the growth process. The field emission and hydrophobic performances show strong dependence on the densities of as-synthesized β- SiC nanotubes. The density-controlled β- SiC nanotubes with tunable field emission and hydrophobic properties may have potential in the future of nanotechnology.
THE EFFECTS OF HARVESTING AND TIME DELAY ON PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEMS WITH BEDDINGTON–DEANGELIS FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE
Authors: MENG XINYOU , HUO HAIFENG , ZHANG XIAOBING
Published: May 2011

The combined effects of harvesting and time delay on predator-prey systems with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response are studied. The region of stability in model with harvesting of the predator, local stability of equilibria and the existence of Hopf bifurcation are obtained by analyzing the associated characteristic equation due to the two-parameter geometric criteria developed by Ma, Feng and Lu [Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. Ser B9 (2008) 397–413]. The global stability of the positive equilibrium is investigated by the comparison theorem. Furthermore, local stability of steady states and the existence of Hopf bifurcation for prey harvesting are also considered. Numerical simulations are given to illustrate our theoretical findings.
TWO TYPES OF CONDITION FOR THE GLOBAL STABILITY OF DELAYED SIS EPIDEMIC MODELS WITH NONLINEAR BIRTH RATE AND DISEASE INDUCED DEATH RATE
Authors: NAKATA YUKIHIKO , ENATSU YOICHI , MUROYA YOSHIAKI
Published: May 2011

We study global asymptotic stability for an SIS epidemic model with maturation delay proposed by K. Cooke, P. van den Driessche and X. Zou, Interaction of maturation delay and nonlinear birth in population and epidemic models, J. Math. Biol.39(4) (1999) 332–352. It is assumed that the population has a nonlinear birth term and disease causes death of infective individuals. By using a monotone iterative method, we establish sufficient conditions for the global stability of an endemic equilibrium when it exists dependently on the monotone property of the birth rate function. Based on the analysis, we further study the model with two specific birth rate functions B1(N) = b e -aN and B3(N) = A/N + c, where N denotes the total population. For each model, we obtain the disease induced death rate which guarantees the global stability of the endemic equilibrium and this gives a positive answer for an open problem by X. Q. Zhao and X. Zou, Threshold dynamics in a delayed SIS epidemic model, J. Math. Anal. Appl.257(2) (2001) 282–291.
DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS AND CONTROL IN A DELAYED DIFFERENTIAL-ALGEBRAIC BIO-ECONOMIC MODEL WITH STAGE STRUCTURE AND DIFFUSION
Authors: LIU CHAO , ZHANG QINGLING , HUANG JAMES , TANG WANSHENG
Published: May 2011

Nowadays, biological resource in prey-predator ecosystem is commercially harvested and sold with aim of achieving economic interest. Furthermore, harvest effort is usually influenced by variation of economic interest of harvesting and spatial heterogeneous environment. In this paper, a delayed differential-algebraic bio-economic model is proposed, which is utilized to investigate interaction and coexistence mechanism of biological population in the harvested ecosystem due to the variation of economic interest of harvesting as well as the change of population spatial diffusion and gestation delay. Local stability analysis of the proposed model without gestation delay and diffusion reveals that there is a phenomenon of singularity induced bifurcation due to the variation of economic interest of harvesting, and state feedback controllers are designed to stabilize the proposed model at the interior equilibrium. Furthermore, local stability of the proposed model with gestation delay and diffusion is studied, which reveals that the interior equilibrium loses its stability at some critical values of gestation delay and corresponding cycle occurs. It is also shown that population spatial diffusion and harvesting have a stabilizing effect on population dynamics. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to show consistency with theoretical analysis obtained in this paper.
Hv-SEMIGROUP STRUCTURE ON F2-OFFSPRING OF A GENE POOL
Authors: GHADIRI M. , DAVVAZ B. , NEKOUIAN R.
Published: May 2011

Mendel, the father of genetics took the first steps in defining "contrasting characters, genotypes in F1and F2… and setting different laws". The genotypes of F2is dependent on the type of its parents genotype and it follows certain roles. Purpose of this paper is to analyze the second generation genotypes of monohybrid and a dihybrid with a mathematical structure.

We use the concept of Hv-semigroup structure in the F2-genotypes with cross operation and prove that this is an Hv-semigroup. We determine the kinds of number of the Hv-subsemigroups of F2-genotypes.