bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Suture Method for Radial Tears of the Meniscus
Authors: Matsubara Hirokazu , Okazaki Ken , Izawa Toshiaki , Tashiro Yasutaka , Matsuda Shuichi , Nishimura Takuya , Nakanishi Yoshitaka , Kawamura Hideya , Iwamoto Yukihide
Published: October 2011

Background: Repair of complete radial meniscal tears is a key to restoring the mechanical integrity necessary to maintain hoop tension in the meniscus. The primary stability of the meniscal repair is one of the most important factors for meniscal healing, but the biomechanical structural properties of different repair techniques for complete radial meniscal tears remain unknown.

Hypothesis: Our novel cross-suture technique with suturing oblique to the collagen fibrils of the meniscus will yield better fixation than the standard double horizontal suture technique with suturing parallel to the collagen fibrils in the meniscus.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Biomechanical investigation was performed on 40 fresh human menisci (2 groups of 20 menisci each) from patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty. In the cross-suture technique group (group A), the sutures crossed over 5 mm from the tear and 5 mm and 10 mm from the rim. In the double horizontal suture technique group (group B), the sutures were parallel and had the same attachment points as group A. The specimens were cyclically loaded 500 times between 5 and 30 N and then loaded to failure after completion of the cyclic load testing.

Results: Compared with the double horizontal suture group, the cross-suture group had a significantly higher ultimate failure load (78.96 ± 19.27 N vs 68.16 ± 12.92 N; P < .05), significantly greater stiffness (8.01 ± 1.54 N/mm vs 6.46 ± 1.12 N/mm; P < .05), and significantly lower displacement (5.74 ± 1.84 mm vs 8.56 ± 2.39 mm; P < .05) after a 500–cycle loading protocol.

Conclusion: Our cross-suture technique significantly improved the structural properties of the repaired complete radial meniscal tears.

Clinical Relevance: The cross-suture technique for repair of radial meniscal tears provides high stability and could be a promising solution in young and in active patients.
Women, Feminism, and Social Work Journals 10 Years Later
Authors: Barretti Marietta Anne
Published: October 2011

This article updates a previous content analysis of abstracts published in 17 social work journals from 1988 to 1997, which responded to the search words women and social work. Comparisons include the number of articles per journal, women’s social identities, themes and curricular areas, authors' analytical methods, and the amount and degree of feminist content. The findings revealed a decrease in both women’s and feminist content. Mothers/caregivers, medical/mental health patients, and battered women continued to be the most frequent referents. Health, mental health, and violence prevailed in themes, casework/human behavior and the social environment and social policy dominated curricular areas, and empirical articles topped the analytic category.
Strength of single- and double-gated injection moulded short glass fibre reinforced polycarbonate
Authors: Hashemi S
Published: October 2011

The effect of temperature, strain rate, moulding thickness and the mode of loading on weldline integrity of injection moulded polycarbonate (PC) reinforced with 10% and 30% by weight short glass fibres was studied. Results showed that tensile and flexural strengths of single-gated mouldings, σcs, increased with increasing fibre concentration, φf, in a linear manner, thus obeying the rule of mixtures for short fibre composites. The presence of weldlines in double-gated mouldings reduced tensile and flexural strength by as much as 70%. It was found that tensile and flexural strengths of double-gated mouldings, σcd, increased initially and reached a maximum before decreasing with increasing φf. However, for both single- and double-gated mouldings, the flexural strength values were consistently higher than tensile strength values. It was found that tensile strength of both single- and double-gated mouldings increased linearly with increasing ln(strain rate) and decreased linearly with increasing temperature. Tensile strength of single- and double-gated mouldings showed no significant variation with respect to the thickness of the moulding. The weldline integrity factor decreased with increasing fibre concentration and showed little variation with respect to temperature, strain rate and the thickness of the moulding.
Optimization of control strategy for regenerative braking of an electrified bus equipped with an anti-lock braking system
Authors: Zhang J , Kong D , Chen L , Chen X
Published: October 2011

This paper mainly focuses on the regenerative braking control of an electrified bus equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). The regenerative braking works simultaneously with a pneumatic ABS, thus liberating the remaining energy of the vehicle while its wheels tend to lock under an extreme brake circumstance. Based on one representative pneumatic ABS strategy and optimum control theory, the optimization for regenerative braking control is proposed, in which the frictional and regenerative brake forces are controlled integrally to obtain maximal available adhesion. The simulation results indicate that brake stability and performance on different roads profit from the optimization. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests are accomplished on the pneumatic braking system of an electrified bus. HIL tests validate the results of simulation and guarantee the advantage and reliability of the optimization. The adaptability of optimization to hardware and software of the brake controller is also ensured. The field in which further research could be carried out is proposed.
P2X Receptors and Their Roles in Astroglia in the Central and Peripheral Nervous System
Authors: Illes Peter , Verkhratsky Alexei , Burnstock Geoffrey , Franke Heike
Published: October 2011

Astrocytes are a class of neural cells that control homeostasis at all levels of the central and peripheral nervous system. There is a bidirectional neuron–glia interaction via a number of extracellular signaling molecules, glutamate and ATP being the most widespread. ATP activates ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors, which operate in both neurons and astrocytes. Morphological, biochemical, and functional evidence indicates the expression of astroglial P2X1/5 heteromeric and P2X7 homomeric receptors, which mediate physiological and pathophysiological responses. Activation of P2X1/5 receptors triggers rapid increase of intracellular Na+ that initiates immediate cellular reactions, such as the depression of the glutamate transporter to keep high glutamate concentrations in the synaptic cleft, the activation of the local lactate shuttle to supply energy substrate to pre- and postsynaptic neuronal structures, and the reversal of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange resulting in additional Ca2+ entry. The consequences of P2X7 receptor activation are mostly but not exclusively mediated by the entry of Ca2+ and result in reorganization of the cytoskeleton, inflammation, apoptosis/necrosis, and proliferation, usually at a prolonged time scale. Thus, astroglia detect by P2X1/5 and P2X7 receptors both physiological concentrations of ATP secreted from presynaptic nerve terminals and also much higher concentrations of ATP attained under pathological conditions.
Experimental study of H∞ control for a flexible plate
Authors: Tong Zhao , Long-Xiang Chen , Guo-Ping Cai
Published: October 2011

This paper presents theoretical and experimental studies of H∞ control for a flexible plate. Firstly, the dynamic equation of the plate with time delay is established with consideration of external disturbance. Then the standard state equation without explicit time delay is deduced by using a particular integral transformation to the time-delay equation. Finally, a H∞ time-delay controller is designed based on the standard state equation using the method of linear matrix inequality. In the controller designed, it contains not only the current step of state feedback but also the linear combination of some former steps of control. In the experiment, piezoelectric patches are used as actuators and sensors. The experiment system is structured based on the DSP TMS320F2812. Single time delay and double time delay are both considered in the experiment. The robustness of H∞ controller against the structural parameter of the plate and time delay is experimentally investigated. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the control system may suffer from instability if time delay is not treated in control design. The time-delay controller presented in this paper can effectively deal with time delay in the system, and is available for small-time delay and large-time delay as well. Furthermore, this delay controller is robust to the variance of structural parameter of the plate and time delay.
Persistency of neutralizing antibodies depends on titer and interferon-beta preparation
Authors: Hegen Harald , Schleiser Manuel , Gneiss Claudia , Di Pauli Franziska , Ehling Rainer , Kuenz Bettina , Lutterotti Andreas , Berger Thomas , Deisenhammer Florian
Published: October 2011

Background: Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) affect the efficacy of interferon-beta (IFNβ) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, particularly if NAbs persist. Persistency depends on NAb titers, which differ between IFNβ preparations.

Objective: This study evaluated IFNβ preparation-specific NAb cut-off titers during early treatment for prediction of NAb persistency.

Methods: Patients who had at least one NAb test between 12 and 30 months (baseline) as well as after more than 48 months (follow-up) on IFNβ treatment were included in this longitudinal study.

Results: At baseline 1064 patients had a NAb test. Of those, 203 had a follow-up test. In the follow-up group 23.2% of patients were NAb positive during baseline. NAb frequency significantly decreased by 40.7% in the IFNβ-1a and by 60% in the IFNβ-1b group at follow-up after a mean time of 75.4 months on treatment, and median NAb titers decreased significantly in both groups. During baseline, NAb titers of >258 neutralizing units (NU) had a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 90.9% in the IFNβ-1a group, whereas titers of >460 NU had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 91.7% in the IFNβ-1b group to predict persistency at follow-up. When these cut-off titers are applied, 10.2% of all treated patients developed persistent NAbs.

Conclusion: IFNβ preparation-specific NAb cut-off titers for prediction of NAb persistency, which may be useful in individual treatment decision making, are provided.
Importance of quality aspects of GP care among ethnic minorities: Role of cultural attitudes, language and healthcare system of reference
Authors: Lamkaddem Majda , Spreeuwenberg Peter M. , Devillé Walter L. , Foets Marleen M. , Groenewegen Peter P.
Published: October 2011

Aims: This study examines the mechanisms responsible for ethnic differences in perceived quality of care in the Netherlands. The specific role of cultural attitudes, language proficiency, and the health system in the country of origin was examined, taking socio-demographic characteristics into account. Methods: Interview data of 1339 respondents of Moroccan, Turkish, Surinamese and Antillean origin were combined with interview data of Dutch respondents ( n = 405) and of Western immigrants ( n = 102) in the Netherlands and of a random sample of Dutch privately or publicly insured persons ( n = 9675). Data collection took place within the Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-2, 2001). Items from the QUality Of care Through the patient’s Eyes (QUOTE) questionnaire were used to measure expectations, as well as items from the QUOTE-Mi (adapted version for migrant groups). Items on normative orientations were used to measure cultural attitudes. Results: In contrast to our hypothesis, respondents with more egalitarian/modern attitudes attached less importance to quality aspects related to access and quality. Tests on the role of the health system of reference were generally conclusive, showing that respondents accustomed to (parts of) another system have different expectations regarding several aspects of general practitioner healthcare quality, e.g. access to specialist care. Conclusions: Besides socio-demographic characteristics, culture influences patients’ expectations regarding general practitioner care quality. However, the role of culture can be more clearly ascribed to the characteristics of the health system which is held as the reference than to the general attitudes on normative orientations.
‘Picture this’: using photo-methods in research on sexualities and schooling
Authors: Allen Louisa
Published: October 2011

Sexualities and schooling is often constituted as a ‘controversial’ topic. Similarly, photo-methods are an unconventional data collection method in educational research associated with ‘risk’ in school settings. Given this context, why use photo-methods in research on sexualities and schooling? While acknowledging the challenges of using photo-methods in school-based research I suggest their capacity to disclose qualitatively different insights about this field. These findings are drawn from the use of photo-diaries and photo-elicitation in a project examining the sexual cultures of two New Zealand secondary schools. The value of these methods lies in their ability to explore broader features of sexualities and schooling than the official curriculum, policy and classroom practices. These methods can reveal embodied and spatial dimensions of sexuality which inhere in the unofficial minutiae of everyday schooling experiences. The participant driven process of taking photos can facilitate access to what some researchers conceptualize as the ‘unknown, unknowns’. For those concerned with the educative potential of research, photo-diaries might also be helpful in generating participants’ critical reflection of an otherwise taken-for-granted lived reality.
Timelining: visualizing experience
Authors: Sheridan Joanna , Chamberlain Kerry , Dupuis Ann
Published: October 2011

This article discusses the uses and benefits of an innovative method of graphic elicitation; timelining. The method was developed in the context of a narrative-based research project on fatness and weight loss. Participants’ weight over time was plotted on a graph, informed and elaborated by a variety of material objects such as photographs, diaries, and medical records. The timeline provided a focus for participants and prompted their stories of weight loss experiences over time. While initially intended as a simple heuristic tool for eliciting talk, over the course of the research the process of timelining became a central feature of the project. Timelining is a subtle and malleable research method. While keeping time in view, timelining documents, records, extends and deepens understandings of participants’ past experiences. It encourages the construction of rich temporal narratives. It also provides opportunity for a deeper researcher-participant relationship to develop. This form of graphic elicitation has particular value for narrative forms of research.
Scream: the sound of the monstrous
Authors: Dixon Deborah P.
Published: October 2011

What does the monstrous sound like? Using the case of Living TV’s Most Haunted, a paranormal investigative show that brings together a team of believers, sceptics and undecided, I want to articulate an answer to this question by drawing upon literatures from feminist psychoanalysis, performance and media studies that address the nature of screaming. Specifically, I emphasize how the scream has functioned as a focal point for both the ‘monstrous-feminine’, a body of work that dwells on the morbidly maternal and male anxieties thereof, and a ‘post’human reading of subjectivities as ‘becoming’ abject or grotesque. The horror of Most Haunted, I suggest, ensued from the explicit suturing of these two monstrous forms, manifest within the performances of its investigative team. I conclude by asking: What is the import of this suturing, and subsequent sundering, for a feminist teratology?
Emerging geographies of evil? Theo-ethics and postsecular possibilities
Authors: Cloke Paul
Published: October 2011

This paper suggests that the vocabulary and meaningfulness of ‘evil’ can be re-articulated, and to some extent redeemed from the extremes of fundamentalism and relativism. It uses intellectual resources from Nigel Wright, Walter Wink and Rene Girard to reconstruct some foundations for a reworking of evil in human geography. It then presents an account of the reappearance of evil ‘after postmodernism’ in event, narrative and praxis, arguing that working through and acting against evil reveals its present nature in terms that defy the excesses of right–wing religious fundamentalism and the bland tolerance that can stem from an over-reliance on relativistic thinking. The paper considers how geographies of postsecular practice in areas such as homelessness emerge in response to discernment both of the spiritual interiorities and the exteriorities of landscapes of power, and of the ability of human action to influence these landscapes.
Conserved and non-conserved enhancers direct tissue specific transcription in ancient germ layer specific developmental control genes
Authors: Chatterjee Sumantra , Bourque Guillaume , Lufkin Thomas
Published: October 2011

Background

Identifying DNA sequences (enhancers) that direct the precise spatial and temporal expression of developmental control genes remains a significant challenge in the annotation of vertebrate genomes. Locating these sequences, which in many cases lie at a great distance from the transcription start site, has been a major obstacle in deciphering gene regulation. Coupling of comparative genomics with functional validation to locate such regulatory elements has been a successful method in locating many such regulatory elements. But most of these studies looked either at a single gene only or the whole genome without focusing on any particular process. The pressing need is to integrate the tools of comparative genomics with knowledge of developmental biology to validate enhancers for developmental transcription factors in greater detail

Results

Our results show that near four different genes (nkx3.2, pax9, otx1b and foxa2) in zebrafish, only 20-30% of highly conserved DNA sequences can act as developmental enhancers irrespective of the tissue the gene expresses in. We find that some genes also have multiple conserved enhancers expressing in the same tissue at the same or different time points in development. We also located non-conserved enhancers for two of the genes (pax9 and otx1b). Our modified Bacterial artificial chromosome (BACs) studies for these 4 genes revealed that many of these enhancers work in a synergistic fashion, which cannot be captured by individual DNA constructs and are not conserved at the sequence level. Our detailed biochemical and transgenic analysis revealed Foxa1 binds to the otx1b non-conserved enhancer to direct its activity in forebrain and otic vesicle of zebrafish at 24 hpf.

Conclusion

Our results clearly indicate that high level of functional conservation of genes is not necessarily associated with sequence conservation of its regulatory elements. Moreover certain non conserved DNA elements might have role in gene regulation. The need is to bring together multiple approaches to bear upon individual genes to decipher all its regulatory elements.
Early metabolic response using FDG PET/CT and molecular phenotypes of breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Keam Bhumsuk , Im Seock-Ah , Koh Youngil , Han Sae-Won , Oh Do-Youn , Cho Nariya , Kim Jee Hyun , Han Wonshik , Kang Keon Wook , Moon Woo Kyung , Kim Tae-You , Park In Ae , Noh Dong-Young , Chung June-Key , Bang Yung-Jue
Published: October 2011

Background

This study was aimed 1) to investigate the predictive value of FDG PET/CT (fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) for histopathologic response and 2) to explore the results of FDG PET/CT by molecular phenotypes of breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Seventy-eight stage II or III breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant docetaxel/doxorubicin chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. FDG PET/CTs were acquired before chemotherapy and after the first cycle of chemotherapy for evaluating early metabolic response.

Results

The mean pre- and post-chemotherapy standard uptake value (SUV) were 7.5 and 3.9, respectively. The early metabolic response provided by FDG PET/CT after one cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was correlated with the histopathologic response after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.002). Sensitivity and negative predictive value were 85.7% and 95.1%, respectively. The estrogen receptor negative phenotype had a higher pre-chemotherapy SUV (8.6 vs. 6.4, P = 0.047) and percent change in SUV (48% vs. 30%, P = 0.038). In triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the pre-chemotherapy SUV was higher than in non-TNBC (9.8 vs. 6.4, P = 0.008).

Conclusions

The early metabolic response using FDG PET/CT could have a predictive value for the assessment of histopathologic non-response of stage II/III breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that the initial SUV and the decline in SUV differed based on the molecular phenotype.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01396655
The impact of aging on memory T cell phenotype and function in the human bone marrow
Authors: Herndler-Brandstetter Dietmar , Landgraf Katja , Tzankov Alexandar , Jenewein Brigitte , Brunauer Regina , Laschober Gerhard T , Parson Walther , Kloss Frank , Gassner Robert , Lepperdinger Günter , Grubeck-Loebenstein Beatrix
Published: October 2011

Recently, the BM has been shown to play a key role in regulating the survival and function of memory T cells. However, the impact of aging on these processes has not yet been studied. We demonstrate that the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the BM is maintained during aging. However, the composition of the T cell pool in the aged BM is altered with a decline of naïve and an increase in TEM cells. In contrast to the PB, a highly activated CD8+CD28– T cell population, which lacks the late differentiation marker CD57, accumulates in the BM of elderly persons. IL-6 and IL-15, which are both increased in the aged BM, efficiently induce the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of CD8+ T cells in vitro, highlighting a role of these cytokines in the age-dependent accumulation of highly activated CD8+CD28– T cells in the BM. Yet, these age-related changes do not impair the maintenance of a high number of polyfunctional memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the BM of elderly persons. In summary, aging leads to the accumulation of a highly activated CD8+CD28– T cell population in the BM, which is driven by the age-related increase of IL-6 and IL-15. Despite these changes, the aged BM is a rich source of polyfunctional memory T cells and may thus represent an important line of defense to fight recurrent infections in old age.
Prevalence of anxiety and its correlates among older adults in Latin America, India and China: cross-cultural study
Authors: Prina A. Matthew , Ferri Cleusa P. , Guerra Mariella , Brayne Carol , Prince Martin
Published: October 2011

Background

Anxiety is a common mental disorder among older people who live in the Western world, yet little is known about its prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

Aims

We investigated the prevalence of anxiety and its correlates among older adults in low- and middle-income countries with diverse cultures.

Method

Cross-sectional surveys of all residents aged 65 or over (n = 15 021) in 11 catchment sites in 7 countries (China, India, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Peru) were carried out as part of the 10/66 collaboration. Anxiety was measured by using the Geriatric Mental State Examination (GMS) and the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy (AGECAT) diagnostic algorithm.

Results

The age- and gender-standardised prevalence of anxiety varied greatly across sites, ranging from 0.1% (95% CI 0.0–0.3) in rural China to 9.6% (95% CI 6.2–13.1) in urban Peru. Urban centres had higher estimates of anxiety than their rural counterparts with adjusted (age, gender and site) odds ratios of 2.9 (95% CI 1.7–5.3). Age, gender, socioeconomic status and comorbid physical illnesses were all associated with a GMS/AGECAT diagnosis of anxiety, and so was disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II).

Conclusions

Anxiety is common in Latin America. Estimates from this region are similar to the ones from high-income European countries found in the literature. As demographic change will occur more rapidly in these countries, further research exploring the mental health of older people in developing areas is vital, with the inclusion of other specific anxiety disorders, along with evidence for strategies for supporting those with these disorders.
“Asi Lo Paresçe Por Su Aspeto”: Physiognomy and the Construction of Difference in Colonial Bogotá
Authors: Rappaport Joanne
Published: October 2011

My objective in this article is to examine the relationship between perception and classification in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Andes, focusing in particular on the Nuevo Reino de Granada (today, Colombia). During the first century of colonization, the visual identification of members of ethnoracial categories — indios, mestizos, mulattos, negros, and Spaniards — transformed over time and space in the Atlantic context. I argue in this article that we may be confining ourselves to a conceptual straitjacket if we limit our interpretation of terms like “indio” or “mulato” to their ethnic or racial dimensions as part of a self-enclosed system of classification, because such usages were embedded in broader schemes of perception and categorization that both antedated the Spanish invasion of the Americas and continued to be employed on the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, ethnoracial categories interacted in a complex relationship with the ways that observers reacted to the physiognomy of the individuals who bore these labels, so that the fluidity of classification can be seen as deriving in part from the interpretation of visual cues.
“Pure and Noble Indians, Untainted by Inferior Idolatrous Races”: Native Elites and the Discourse of Blood Purity in Late Colonial Mexico
Authors: Villella Peter B.
Published: October 2011

As sixteenth-century Spaniards constructed their global empire, they carried with them the racial-religious concept of “limpieza de sangre,” or blood purity, which restricted marginalized communities from exercising prestige and authority. However, the complex demographic arena of early modern America, so different from the late medieval Iberia that gave rise to the discourse, necessarily destabilized and complicated limpieza’s meanings and modes of expression. This article explores a variety of ways by which indigenous elites in late colonial Mexico sought to take advantage of these ambiguities and describe themselves as “pure-blooded,” thereby reframing their local authority in terms recognized and respected by Spanish authorities. Specifically, savvy native lords naturalized the concept by portraying their own ancestors as the originators of “pure” bloodlines in America. In doing so, they reoriented the imagined metrics of purity so as to distinguish themselves from native commoners, mestizos, and the descendants of Africans. However, applying limpieza in native communities could backfire: after two centuries of extensive race mixing, many native lords found themselves vulnerable to accusations of uncleanliness and ancestral shame. Yet successful or not, indigenous participation in the discourse of limpieza helped influence what it meant in New Spain to be “honorable” and “pure,” and therefore eligible for social mobility.
A Parameterised Carbon Feedback Model for the Calculation of Global Warming from Attainable Fossil Fuel Emissions
Authors: Nel Willem P.
Published: October 2011

This paper evaluates the IPCC SRES scenarios against fossil fuel depletion models and proposes attainable carbon emissions trajectories. The contemporary carbon feedback cycle is then evaluated in light of recent studies and attainable carbon emissions. In light of deficiencies in the contemporary carbon feedback cycle, a parametric carbon feedback model is constructed that is consistent with empirical evidence. A radiative feedback model, that overestimates transient response when used in conjunction with equilibrium climate sensitivity, is then used in sensitivity studies to calculate the range of plausible global warming responses. The model predicts a maximum atmospheric concentration of CO2 in the range of 500–560ppm and a maximum global mean surface temperature increase of 1.5–2°C relative to year 2000.
Modification of Angstrom Model for Estimation of Global Solar Radiation in an Intermountain Region of Southern Iran
Authors: Zand-Parsa Sh. , Majnooni-Heris A. , Sepaskhah A.R. , Nazemosadat M. J.
Published: October 2011

Estimation of solar radiation is widely used for prediction of crop water requirements. Its value is not measured, at many areas; therefore, several empirical models have been developed to predict solar radiation. Its value is predicted using Angstrom model with measuring daily sunshine hours. In this study, daily sunshine hours and global solar radiation were measured in Agricultural Research Station at Shiraz University, located in southern Iran for the 2003 to 2006 period. Because of the site topographic conditions, the measured daily sunshine hours ( n) in clear-sky days were less than the calculated maximum possible sunshine hours by astronomical equations ( N). Therefore, Angstrom model was modified based on substitution of N-t by N, where t is the mean difference between the values of n during clear-sky days and daily values of N. The estimated value of t in the modified Angstrom model was 1.85 h. The modified Angstrom model was more appropriate for predicting global solar radiation in comparison with its original form and is recommended to be used in intermountain regions, where sunshine hours are measured only.
Straw Densification Briquette Fuel: A Contribution to Fuel Supply in Rural China
Authors: Jun-Hong Liu , Wenping Yang
Published: October 2011

By adopting the methods of economics and sociology, this paper analyzes the energy situation in rural China and the industrialization of making Straw Densification Briquette fuel in some detail. Straw Densification Briquette fuel has a promising future in China because of offical support and is likely to play an important role in rural energy structure adjustment, energy shortage relief and rural construction.
Replacement of Fossil Fuel Based Lighting Systems with Solar Energy Systems in India
Authors: Sharan Anand M.
Published: October 2011

In this paper a lighting unit is developed for homes to minimize energy consumption and cost. It has dual mode of charging batteries through a grid or photovoltaic solar energy devices. The utility of such devices has increased in recent times because many countries around the world are reducing or eliminating subsidies on kerosene, diesel and other fossil fuels due to the continued high price of crude oil. This has made solar energy cost competitive. The present work shows that solar energy is far more economic than kerosene based lighting systems (kerosene lanterns).
Visual Tracking in Wind with Field of View Constraints
Authors: Saunders Jeffery , Beard Randal W.
Published: October 2011

This paper addresses the problem of tracking a ground-based target with a fixed camera pointing out the wing of a micro air vehicle that is subjected to constant wind. Rather than planning explicit trajectories for the vehicle, a nonlinear image-based feedback guidance strategy is developed that maintains the target in the field-of-view of the camera. We show that under ideal conditions, forcing the target to the center of the image results in flight paths that are elliptical trajectories. We also show that if the target is allowed to move in the image plane, circular orbits are possible. Both simulation and flight tests are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and its robustness to wind gusts.
Rebels with a Cause: Formation, Contestation, and Expansion of the De Novo Category “Modern Architecture,” 1870–1975
Authors: Jones Candace , Maoret Massimo , Massa Felipe G. , Svejenova Silviya
Published: October 2011

Most category studies have focused on established categories with discrete boundaries. These studies not only beg the question of how a de novo category arises, but also upon what institutional material actors draw to create a de novo category. We examine the formation and theorization of the de novo category “modern architecture” between 1870 and 1975. Our study shows that the process of new category formation was driven by groups of architects with distinct clientele associated with institutional logics of commerce, state, religion, and family. These architects enacted different artifact codes for a building based on institutional logics associated with their specific mix of clients. “Modern architects” fought over what logics and artifact codes should guide “modern architecture.” Modern functional architects espoused a logic of commerce enacted through a restricted artifact code of new materials in a building, whereas modern organic architects advocated transforming the profession's logic enacted through a flexible artifact code of mixing new and traditional materials in buildings. The conflict became a source of creative tension for modern architects that followed, who integrated aspects of both logics and materials in buildings, expanding the category boundary. Plural logics and category expansion resulted in multiple conflicting exemplars within “modern architecture” and enabled its adaptation to changing social forces and architectural interpretations for over 70 years.
How to Get What You Want When You Do Not Know What You Want: A Model of Incentives, Organizational Structure, and Learning
Authors: Marengo Luigi , Pasquali Corrado
Published: October 2011

In this paper we present a model of the interplay among learning, managerial intervention, and the allocation of decision rights in the context of a generalized agency problem. Within this context, actors face not only conflicting interests but also diverging cognitive “visions” of the right course of action. We assume that a principal may obtain the implementation of desired organizational policies by means of appropriate design of the allocation of decisions or by means of costly intervention through authority or incentives, and we analyze their consequences for organizational control and learning. We show that the structure of allocation of decision rights is very powerful in terms of control, but when the principal is uncertain about the course of action, organizational structure and managerial intervention complement each other in nontrivial ways and must be carefully tuned. We also show that there is a general advantage in maximizing the partitioning decision rights, because it allows both higher control and higher levels of learning.
Multiformat Digital Products: How Design Attributes Interact with Usage Situations to Determine Choice
Authors: Koukova Nevena T. , Kannan P.K. , Kirmani Amna
Published: October 2011

Technological advances enable companies to offer information products such as books, music, and movies in electronic formats, in addition to the traditional physical formats. Although one format may appear more useful and be preferred, consumers may be enticed to consider the unique attributes of all formats if they deliver equally well on salient attributes. The authors investigate the impact of usage situations, relative attribute quality levels of the formats and their interactions on the perception of the formats as perfect or imperfect substitutes or complements, and the purchase likelihood of the bundle of formats. The study demonstrates that when formats have equivalent quality on a salient attribute, consumers perceive the formats as more complementary and are more likely to buy the bundle. This happens because consumers consider more usage situations for the formats and view the bundle as providing greater flexibility for future usages.
Synthesis of LiFePO4 by Ultrasonic and Nozzle Spray Pyrolysis
Authors: Jüstel Manuela , Schwinger Albrecht , Friedrich Bernd , Binnewies Michael
Published: October 2011

Lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4 (LFP) is one of the promising new cathode materials for next generation lithium secondary batteries. Various synthesis strategies have been proposed to create LiFePO4 particles with maximum efficiency. The spray pyrolysis is a suitable synthesis technique which allows to direct the particle formation in multiple ways. LiFePO4 has successfully been synthesized by ultrasonic and nozzle spray pyrolysis. The obtained products were characterized by means of XRD and SEM analysis. Furthermore, the mechanism of the particle formation was investigated.
Zinc-air Batteries: Prospects and Challenges for Future Improvement
Authors: Harting Katrin , Kunz Ulrich , Turek Thomas
Published: October 2011

With the rising production of regenerative energy stronger focus on energy storage is necessary. One possibility to store electric energy is the use of battery technology. Especially high energy densities can be realized with metal-air batteries. Zinc-air batteries are known since more than 100 years, but have until now found use only in special markets. A well-known example is the battery for hearing aids. Many attempts have been undertaken to develop rechargeable zinc-based batteries, but only with limited success. Reasons for this fact and directions for future needs, applications and developments are discussed in the paper. Furthermore, first experiments for the use of ionic liquids as electrolytes in zinc-air-batteries are presented.
The ἐξεταστιχὸν εἶδος of the Rh. Al. and Parallels in Aeschines' Against Timarchus and Demosthenes' On the False Embassy
Authors: Pasini Gianluca
Published: October 2011

L'exetastikon eidos della Rh. Al. (capp. 5 e 37) appare come una tipologia argomentativa utilizzabile in contesti istituzionali e non, ovvero nei discorsi privati e nei discorsi pubblici. In questi ultimi, in particolare, esso tende a fondersi con il kategorikon eidos, quantunque non vada statutariamente sussunto nel genere giudiziario. Ciò è ben evidente nella Contro Timarco di Eschine e nell' orazione Sull'ambasceria corrotta di Demostene.
The triple helix of Plantago lanceolata: Genetics and the environment interact to determine population dynamics
Authors: Shefferson Richard P. , Roach Deborah A.
Published: October 2011

The theory of evolution via natural selection predicts that the genetic composition of wild populations changes over time in response to the environment. Different genotypes should exhibit different demographic patterns, but genetic variation in demography is often impossible to separate from environmental variation. Here, we asked if genetic variation is important in determining demographic patterns. We answer this question using a long‐term field experiment combined with general linear modeling of deterministic population growth rates (λ), deterministic life table response experiment (LTRE) analysis, and stochastic simulation of demography by paternal lineage in a short‐lived perennial plant, Plantago lanceolata, in which we replicated genotypes across four cohorts using a standard breeding design. General linear modeling showed that growth rate varied significantly with year, spatial block, and sire. In LTRE analysis of all cohorts, the strongest influences on growth rate were from year × spatial block, and cohort × year × spatial block interactions. In analysis of genetics vs. temporal environmental variation, the strongest impacts on growth rate were from year and year × sire. Finally, stochastic simulation suggested different genetic composition among cohorts after 100 years, and different population growth rates when genetic differences were accounted for than when they were not. We argue that genetic variation, genotype × environment interactions, natural selection, and cohort effects should be better integrated into population ecological studies, as these processes should result in deviations from projected deterministic and stochastic population parameters.
The pattern of early growth trajectories affects adult breeding performance
Authors: Lee Who-Seung , Monaghan Pat , Metcalfe Neil B.
Published: October 2011

Early environmental conditions can influence the pattern of growth and development. While poor conditions generally cause slower growth, normal adult size can still be reached if growth accelerates or is prolonged once conditions improve, but such catch‐up growth may have deleterious effects later in life. Here we investigate for the first time how decelerating as well as accelerating growth trajectories, manipulated independently of food supply, affect subsequent breeding performance. In order to alter growth rates we subjected juvenile three‐spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus to a short period of altered environmental temperature (high, intermediate, or low), after which all fish had the same (intermediate) temperature regime. In addition, the perceived time stress (until the onset of the spawning season) was manipulated by conducting the experiment twice (in the winter and in the spring immediately prior to breeding) and by exposing half of the fish in each experiment to a delayed photoperiod (two months behind ambient). We found that fish showed full growth compensation, such that in all treatments they were of the same average size by the start of the breeding season. However, those compensating for low temperatures earlier in life (i.e., who then showed an accelerated growth trajectory) had reduced reproductive investment over the following two breeding seasons (males, reduced sexual ornaments and speed of building nests; females, reduced first clutch size, mean egg size, and eggs produced per year). Moreover, these deleterious effects were strongest when the perceived time available for growth compensation prior to breeding was shortest. In contrast, those fish with a decelerating growth trajectory as a result of exposure to high temperatures early in life showed an improved breeding performance compared to steadily growing controls. These results clearly demonstrate that both the shape of the growth trajectory (independent of food supply) and the time available for growth compensation have broad‐reaching and prolonged effects on breeding performance, with ecological conditions that prompt catch‐up growth just prior to the breeding season being especially damaging for both sexes.
Fetal and Neonatal Programming in Current Practice
Authors: Nesterenko, Tetyana H. , Aly Hany
Published: October 2011

Fetal and neonatal programming is a phenomenon produced by deviations from the normal development during prenatal or early postnatal life. These deviations can increase risk for different diseases later in life and are an example of phenotypic plasticity throughout the nature. For instance, infants born with low birth weight, as a marker of an unfavorable intrauterine environment, are programmed differently and face additional challenges in adulthood; thereby encountering more risks for coronary artery diseases, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, imbalanced immune response, renal insufficiency, and suboptimal cognition. Advances in research in the last decade significantly improved the understanding of underlying mechanisms. Once these mechanisms are understood it is very tempting to implicate them into management. However, the risk and benefit of each new implication into clinical practice need to be considered carefully and evaluated by randomized controlled trials. This chapter will propose and discuss some of the possible clinical implications of fetal and neonatal programming which can lead to possible changes in current clinical management in reflection of latest knowledge on this topic.
Maternal and Fetal Metabolic Dysfunction in Pregnancy Diseases Associated with Vascular Oxidative and Nitrative Stress
Authors: Gonzalez Marcelo , Munoz Ernesto , Puebla Carlos , Guzman-Gutierrez Enrique , Cifuentes Fredi , Nien Jyh K , Abarzua Fernando , Leiva Andrea , Casanello Paola , Sobrevia Luis
Published: October 2011

Molecular mechanisms are increasingly being reported allowing a better understanding of the mother health and fetal metabolic abnormalities in pregnancies that are affected by diseases. Most aspects of cellular function are regulated by a tuned equilibrium between the ability of cells to synthesize oxidants and antioxidants, and preventing the formation or blocking the actions of antioxidants. Oxidative and nitrative stresses are causative agents in human pregnancy-related disorders, including preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, pre-gestational and gestational diabetes and premature delivery. An equilibrium between abundance and/or activity of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) derived species, and antioxidant and nitrative enzyme systems are crucial in gestation. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals as well as NADPH oxidase and nitric oxide synthases (NOS) play significant contributions to maintain this physiological equilibrium in the human fetoplacental endothelium. Alterations in this relationship lead to abnormal cell function, where the endothelium is one of the targeted cells affected by these pathological conditions. Thus, altered ROS and RNS production, i.e., over the physiological permitted levels, leads to altered endothelial function, a phenomenon associated with endothelial dysfunction in pregnancy diseases. This chapter briefly reviews general aspects of oxidative and nitrative stress in the vasculature in diseases of pregnancy, and a role to NADPH oxidase, NOS and adenosine is summarized.
List of Contributors
Authors: M. Matata Bashir , M. Elahi Maqsood
Published: October 2011

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Using Social Networking for Online Role-Plays to Develop Students' Argumentative Strategies
Authors: Beach Richard , Doerr-Stevens Candance
Published: October 2011

Social networking sites may include argumentative writing about particular issues in which participants adopt competing perspective and discourses on those issues. This study examined roles and discourses adopted by high school students participating in an online role-play conducted on a Ning platform regarding their school's Internet policies on open access to websites. Analysis of discourses voiced by students engaged in collaborative arguments found that tensions between competing discourses resulted in students' challenging each other's as well as their own perspectives on the issue. Recognizing these competing discourses enhanced students' awareness of alternative arguments and, ultimately, their ability to convince the school administrators to unblock previously-blocked sites. These results suggest that the design of social networking sites associated with fostering civic engagement needs to foster use of collaborative argument and adoption of competing perspectives on an issue.