bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobility and invasiveness of metastatic esophageal cancer are potentiated by shear stress in a ROCK- and Ras-dependent manner
Authors: Lawler Karen , Foran Eilis , O'Sullivan Gerald , Long Aideen , Kenny Dermot
Published: April 2006

To metastasize, tumor cells must adopt different morphological responses to resist shear forces encountered in circulating blood and invade through basement membranes. The Rho and Ras GTPases play a critical role in regulating this dynamic behavior. Recently, we demonstrated shear-induced activation of adherent esophageal metastatic cells, characterized by formation of dynamic membrane blebs. Although membrane blebbing has only recently been characterized as a rounded mode of cellular invasion promoted through Rho kinase (ROCK), the role of shear forces in modulating membrane blebbing activity is unknown. To further characterize membrane blebbing in esophageal metastatic cells (OC-1 cell line), we investigated the role of shear in cytoskeletal remodeling and signaling through ROCK and Ras. Our results show that actin and tubulin colocalize to the cortical ring of the OC-1 cell under static conditions. However, under shear, actin acquires a punctuate distribution and tubulin localizes to the leading edge of the OC-1 cell. We show for the first time that dynamic bleb formation is induced by shear alone independent of integrin-mediated adhesion ( P < 0.001, compared with OC-1 cells). Y-27632, a specific inhibitor of ROCK, causes a significant reduction in shear-induced bleb formation and inhibits integrin αvβ3-Ras colocalization at the leading edge of the cell. Direct measurement of Ras activation shows that the level of GTP-bound Ras is elevated in sheared OC-1 cells and that the shear-induced increase in Ras activity is inhibited by Y-27632. Finally, we show that shear stress significantly increases OC-1 cell invasion ( P < 0.007), an effect negated by the presence of Y-27632. Together our findings suggest a novel physiological role for ROCK and Ras in metastatic cell behavior.
Spike-Mediated and Graded Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission Between Leech Interneurons: Evidence for Shared Release Sites
Authors: Ivanov Andrei I. , Calabrese Ronald L.
Published: April 2006

Inhibitory synaptic transmission between leech heart interneurons consist of two components: graded, gated by Ca2+ entering by low-threshold [low-voltage–activated (LVA)] Ca channels and spike-mediated, gated by Ca2+ entering by high-threshold [high-voltage–activated (HVA)] Ca channels. Changes in presynaptic background Ca2+ produced by Ca2+ influx through LVA channels modulate spike-mediated transmission, suggesting LVA channels have access to release sites controlled by HVA channels. Here we explore whether spike-mediated and graded transmission can use the same release sites and thus how Ca2+ influx by HVA and LVA Ca channels might interact to evoke neurotransmitter release. We recorded pre- and postsynaptic currents from voltage-clamped heart interneurons bathed in 0 mM Na+/5 mM Ca2+ saline. Using different stimulating paradigms and inorganic Ca channel blockers, we show that strong graded synaptic transmission can occlude high-threshold/spike-mediated synaptic transmission when evoked simultaneously. Suppression of LVA Ca currents diminishes graded release and concomitantly increases the ability of Ca2+ entering by HVA channels to release transmitter. Uncaging of Ca chelator corroborates that graded release occludes spike-mediated transmission. Our results indicate that both graded and spike-mediated synaptic transmission depend on the same readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. Thus Ca2+, entering cells through different Ca channels (LVA and HVA), acts to gate release of the same synaptic vesicles. The data argue for a closer location of HVA Ca channels to release sites than LVA Ca channels. The results are summarized in a conceptual model of a heart interneuron release site.
Reduced Excitatory Drive in Interneurons in an Animal Model of Cortical Dysplasia
Authors: Xiang Hui , Chen Huan-Xin , Yu Xin-Xin , King Michael A. , Roper Steven N.
Published: April 2006

Cortical dysplasia (CD) is strongly associated with epilepsy. Enhanced excitability in dysplastic neuronal networks is believed to contribute to epileptogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms for the hyperexcitability are poorly understood. Cortical GABAergic interneurons provide the principal inhibition in the neuronal networks by forming inhibitory synapses on excitatory neurons. The aim of the present study was to determine if the function of interneurons in CD is compromised. In a rat model of CD, in utero irradiation, we studied spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and mEPSCs) in cortical interneurons using whole cell recording techniques. Two types of interneurons, type I and type II, were identified based on their distinctive spike patterns and short-term synaptic plasticity. We found that the frequencies of sEPSCs and mEPSCs were significantly decreased in both types of interneurons in CD. However, the amplitude and kinetics of sEPSCs and mEPSCs were not different. Five-pulse, 20-Hz stimulation produced short-term depression in type I interneurons in both CD and control tissue. Type II interneurons showed a robust short-term facilitation in both CD and control tissue. Morphological analysis of biocytin-filled neurons revealed that dendritic trees of both types of interneurons were not altered in CD. Our results demonstrate that the excitatory drive, namely sEPSCs and mEPSCs, in two main types of interneuron is largely attenuated in CD, probably due to a reduction in the number of excitatory synapses on both types of interneurons in CD.
Stem Cells as a Source of Regenerative Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Fukuda Keiichi , Yuasa Shinsuke
Published: April 2006

The realization of regenerative cardiac medicine depends on the availability of cardiomyocytes in sufficient numbers for transplantation of cardiac tissue and the accompanying blood vessels. Embryonic stem (ES) cells, bone marrow (BM) stem cells, and tissue-derived stem cells are all potential cell sources. Although ES cells are highly proliferative and suitable for mass production, an efficient protocol is yet to be established to ensure selective cardiomyocyte induction using these cells. Recent advances in developmental biology have clarified the involvement of critical factors in cardiomyocyte differentiation, including bone morphogenic protein and Wnt signaling proteins, and such factors have the potential to improve the efficiency of stem cell induction. Initial studies of the intracoronary administration of BM mononuclear cells after myocardial infarction has yielded promising results; however, intensive investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms at play as well as double-blinded clinical trials will be necessary to establish the extent of both migration of the BM stem cells into the damaged cardiac tissue and their differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Several types of cardiac tissue stem cells have also been reported, but an accurate and extensive comparison of these cells with regard to their characteristics and multipotency remains to be done. An integrative study involving developmental biology, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering is required to achieve the full potential of cardiac regeneration.
Signaling and Functions of Angiopoietin-1 in Vascular Protection
Authors: Brindle Nicholas P.J. , Saharinen Pipsa , Alitalo Kari
Published: April 2006

Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) has powerful vascular protective effects: suppressing plasma leakage, inhibiting vascular inflammation, and preventing endothelial death. Preclinical studies indicate that Ang1 may be therapeutically useful in a number of situations, including treatment of edema, endotoxemia, and transplant arteriosclerosis. However, the ligand has also been implicated in vessel remodeling, induction of angiogenesis and pulmonary hypertension, indicating that strategies to minimize any deleterious effects while optimizing vessel protection are likely to be needed. This review surveys the published data on vascular protective effects of Ang1 and highlights the therapeutic potential of this ligand, as well as possible limitations to its use. We also consider the data on Ang1 receptors and speculate on how to maximize therapeutic benefit by targeting the Tie receptors.
Statin Use and Sex-Specific Stroke Outcomes in Patients With Vascular Disease
Authors: Bushnell Cheryl D. , Griffin Jeffrey , Newby L. Kristin , Goldstein Larry B. , Mahaffey Kenneth W. , Graffagnino Carmelo A. , Harrington Robert A. , White Harvey D. , Simes R. John , Califf Robert M. , Topol Eric J. , Easton J. Donald
Published: April 2006

Background and Purpose—

Although statins reduce the risk of stroke in patients with coronary heart disease, possible differing effects of statins on stroke outcomes based on sex remain uncertain. We investigated the relationships between statin use and sex-specific stroke incidence, severity, and mortality.

Methods—

Data from 3 trials of oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (first and second Sibrafiban versus aspirin to Yield Maximum Protection from ischemic Heart events postacute cOroNary sYndromes [SYMPHONY] and Blockade of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor to Avoid Vascular Occlusion [BRAVO]) were pooled and stroke outcomes compared among 8191 baseline statin users versus 14 752 nonusers. Time-to-event data were modeled with proportional hazards regression. Stroke severity was assessed retrospectively with the Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS) based on records with scoreable neurological examinations.

Results—

A total of 217 subjects had strokes (0.95%). Statin users had a lower risk of stroke in unadjusted (hazard ratio [HR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.92) and risk-adjusted models (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.97). There was no difference in stroke mortality with statin use (
P
=0.8). CNS scores could be assigned to 106 of the subjects, with no difference in severity among statin users and nonusers (median CNS=10.5 in users versus CNS=9.75 in nonusers;
P
=0.14). Women had more severe strokes than men (median CNS=10.5 in men versus 9.5 in women; Poisson regression
P
=0.035). Women had more severe strokes after adjustment for statin use (
P
=0.03) and the combination of statin use, atrial fibrillation, and age (
P
=0.03).

Conclusions—

In patients included in these clinical trials of oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, statin use is associated with a reduced risk of stroke but not severity or mortality. Women had more severe strokes than men, a difference that was not explained by baseline characteristics or statin use.
Prediction of Summer Maximum and Minimum Temperature over the Central and Western United States: The Roles of Soil Moisture and Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Alfaro Eric J. , Gershunov Alexander , Cayan Daniel
Published: April 2006

A statistical model based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to explore climatic associations and predictability of June–August (JJA) maximum and minimum surface air temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) as well as the frequency of Tmax daily extremes (Tmax90) in the central and western United States (west of 90°W). Explanatory variables are monthly and seasonal Pacific Ocean SST (PSST) and the Climate Division Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) during 1950–2001. Although there is a positive correlation between Tmax and Tmin, the two variables exhibit somewhat different patterns and dynamics. Both exhibit their lowest levels of variability in summer, but that of Tmax is greater than Tmin. The predictability of Tmax is mainly associated with local effects related to previous soil moisture conditions at short range (one month to one season), with PSST providing a secondary influence. Predictability of Tmin is more strongly influenced by large-scale (PSST) patterns, with PDSI acting as a short-range predictive influence. For both predictand variables (Tmax and Tmin), the PDSI influence falls off markedly at time leads beyond a few months, but a PSST influence remains for at least two seasons. The maximum predictive skill for JJA Tmin, Tmax, and Tmax90 is from May PSST and PDSI. Importantly, skills evaluated for various seasons and time leads undergo a seasonal cycle that has maximum levels in summer. At the seasonal time frame, summer Tmax prediction skills are greatest in the Midwest, northern and central California, Arizona, and Utah. Similar results were found for Tmax90. In contrast, Tmin skill is spread over most of the western region, except for clusters of low skill in the northern Midwest and southern Montana, Idaho, and northern Arizona.
Bulk Recycling Models with Incomplete Vertical Mixing. Part II: Precipitation Recycling in the Amazon Basin
Authors: Burde Georgy I. , Gandush Chantuu , Bayarjargal Yunden
Published: April 2006

An efficient method for precipitation recycling calculations based on the general bulk recycling model is developed and applied to the Amazon basin region. The results are compared with the estimates provided by simplified recycling models, and with the estimations obtained in other studies. Then the numerical procedure is adjusted to the modified recycling model incorporating some effects of incomplete vertical mixing of water in the tropospheric column as described in Part I of this paper. The modified numerical model is applied to the Amazon basin region and the results are compared with those from the unmodified model. It is seen from the results that the effects related to an incomplete vertical mixing produce significant changes in the level and distribution of precipitation recycling over the Amazon basin. The general changes in the recycling patterns occurring as a result of modifications include a significant increase in the contribution of recycled water to precipitation in the eastern part of the region and weakening continental recycling gradients. The regional recycling ratio values for the Amazon basin estimated by the modified model are significantly higher than the values provided by the unmodified model. The results of application of the models to several other regions on the globe are described in short. In particular, a comparison of the results with the estimates by the modified Budyko model is made for different regions, and it is found that the modified Budyko's model estimates are, in general, closer to the modified model numerical results than it was for the unmodified models. The results for precipitation recycling over the central United States are presented in more detail. For this region, the information on the degree of incomplete vertical mixing available from the GCM tracer transport modeling results has been used in the modified model calculations. It has been found that, as distinct from the Amazon basin, the effects related to an incomplete vertical mixing do not produce significant changes in the level and distribution of precipitation recycling over the central United States.
On the Potential Change in Surface Water Vapor Deposition over the Continental United States due to Increases in Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases
Authors: Pan Zaitao , Segal Moti , Graves Charles
Published: April 2006

Characteristics of surface water vapor deposition (WVD) over the continental United States under the present climate and a future climate scenario reflecting the mid-twenty-first-century increased greenhouse gas concentrations were evaluated by using a regional climate model forced by initial and lateral boundary conditions generated by a GCM. Simulated seasonal WVD frequency and daily amounts are presented and elaboration on their relation to potential surface dew/frost is also provided. The climate scenario showed in winter a noticeable decline in WVD frequency over snow-covered areas in the Midwest and over most of the elevated terrain in the western United States, contrasted by an overall increase in the eastern United States. In summer, a decline in frequency was simulated for most of the United States, particularly over the mountains in the west. A spatially mixed trend of change in the frequency was indicated in spring and fall. The trend of change in WVD amount resembled that of the frequency in summer, whereas a largely reversed relation was shown in winter. Quantitatively, changes in frequency and amount of WVD in the range of −30% to +30% generally were indicated for all locations and seasons, except for the western half of the United States, where the change was larger in summer. While areas passing a local statistical test on WVD changes ranged from 11% to 36% of land domain, the WVD differences as a whole field between present climate and future scenarios are significant.
ENSO Bred Vectors in Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere General Circulation Models
Authors: Yang S-C. , Kalnay E. , Cai M. , Rienecker M. , Yuan G. , Toth Z.
Published: April 2006

The breeding method has been implemented in the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project (NSIPP) coupled general circulation model (CGCM) with the ultimate goal of improving operational seasonal to interannual climate predictions through ensemble forecasting and data assimilation. This is the first attempt to isolate the evolving ENSO instability and its corresponding global atmospheric response in a fully coupled ocean–atmosphere GCM. The results herein show that the growth rate of the coupled bred vectors (BVs) is sensitive to the ENSO phases of the evolving background flow and peaks about 3 months before an ENSO event. The structure of the dominant growing BV modes also evolves with the background ENSO and exhibits a larger amplitude in the eastern tropical Pacific, reflecting the natural dynamical sensitivity associated with the shallow thermocline at the eastern boundary. The key features of coupled bred vectors of the NSIPP CGCM are reproduced when using the NCEP CGCM, an independently developed coupled general circulation model.
A Meteorological Distribution System for High-Resolution Terrestrial Modeling (MicroMet)
Authors: Liston Glen E. , Elder Kelly
Published: April 2006

An intermediate-complexity, quasi–physically based, meteorological model (MicroMet) has been developed to produce high-resolution (e.g., 30-m to 1-km horizontal grid increment) atmospheric forcings required to run spatially distributed terrestrial models over a wide variety of landscapes. The following eight variables, required to run most terrestrial models, are distributed: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, incoming solar radiation, incoming longwave radiation, surface pressure, and precipitation. To produce these distributions, MicroMet assumes that at least one value of each of the following meteorological variables are available for each time step, somewhere within, or near, the simulation domain: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation. These variables are collected at most meteorological stations. For the incoming solar and longwave radiation, and surface pressure, either MicroMet can use its submodels to generate these fields, or it can create the distributions from observations as part of a data assimilation procedure. MicroMet includes a preprocessor component that analyzes meteorological data, then identifies and corrects potential deficiencies. Since providing temporally and spatially continuous atmospheric forcing data for terrestrial models is a core objective of MicroMet, the preprocessor also fills in any missing data segments with realistic values. Data filling is achieved by employing a variety of procedures, including an autoregressive integrated moving average calculation for diurnally varying variables (e.g., air temperature). To create the distributed atmospheric fields, spatial interpolations are performed using the Barnes objective analysis scheme, and subsequent corrections are made to the interpolated fields using known temperature–elevation, wind–topography, humidity–cloudiness, and radiation–cloud–topography relationships.
The Promise of Load Balancing the Parameterization of Moist Convection Using a Model Data Load Index
Authors: Muszala S. P. , Connors D. A. , Hack J. J. , Alaghband G.
Published: April 2006

The parameterization of physical processes in atmospheric general circulation models contributes to load imbalances among individual processors of message-passing distributed-multiprocessor systems. Load imbalances increase the overall time to completion of a model run and should be eliminated or reduced as much as possible. Presented herein is a new technique that shows promise for load balancing the parameterization of moist convection found in the Community Climate System Model's (CCSM's) Community Atmosphere Model version 3 (CAM3).

At the heart of this technique is a load index that is a marker for moist convection (called a model data load index). The marker for moist convection correlates directly to the amount of processing time per model grid cell and can therefore be used to effect a load balance. Spatial locality on the model grid and temporal locality between model time steps exist that allow a decomposition from a load-balancing step to be retained for multiple time steps. The analysis in this paper shows that the load balance does not need to be applied at every time step and that the number of steps in which the previous load balance remains effective is large enough for the overhead to be cost effective.

Tests performed indicate that this technique is scalable to higher-resolution models as well as to higher processor counts than those presented. Through the use of the Load Balancing and Scheduling Framework (LBSF), this technique shows promise in reducing (by ∼47%) the time of the unbalanced load of one particular subroutine in CAM3 at the T85 spectral truncation. A maximum of 3.75 s of total execution time is saved over a 2430-time-step simulation. When extrapolated to a 1000-yr simulation, this translates to a potential savings of ∼22 h in that subroutine alone.

Similar methods applied to remaining subroutines can add up to a significant savings. These results are encouraging in that a fine-grained load-balancing technique using the evolving characteristics of geophysical data paves the way for load balancing a broad range of physical calculations, both in CAM3 and other scientific applications, where more general techniques are not practical.
Deciding the Future
Authors: Moen Phyllis , Huang Qinlei , Plassmann Vandana , Dentinger Emma
Published: April 2006

This study examines the retirement planfulness of men and women in dual-earner couples using data from the Ecology of Careers Study and structural equation modeling. It assesses whether each spouse plans independently, whether this is a gendered division of labor, whether both spouses' plans mutually influence each other, or whether decision making about retirement is an individual process for each member of a couple. The authors find that spouses' levels of retirement planfulness are positively related but in different ways depending on gender, cohort, and family circumstances. Perceived control (mastery), income adequacy, and workload all predict both husbands' and wives' planfulness. And husbands' planfulness tends to shape their wives' planfulness in the full sample. However, age cohort and family stage both moderate dual-earner couples' decision making about retirement. Younger couples (those in the trailing edge baby boom cohort) make plans independently, and in this younger cohort, only wives' planfulness can be modeled.
Does the Alternative Vote Foster Moderation in Ethnically Divided Societies?
Authors: Fraenkel Jon , Grofman Bernard
Published: April 2006

Using insights from social choice theory, particularly Black's concept of single-peaked preferences and Downs's median-voter model, the authors previously investigated the theoretical impact of the alternative vote system (AV) on the success of moderate parties in an ethnically bipolar society. Focusing on the simplest case, that with one moderate and one extremist ethnic party associated with each of the two ethnic groups, they found that for AV to necessarily yield outcomes that favor moderate parties there must be majority support for moderation and voter preferences that are single peaked with respect to the ethnic-conflict-defined dimension. Here, the authors test these assumptions with data from the 1999 and 2001 elections in Fiji, an ethnically bipolar society. They show that Fiji's objective of ameliorating ethnic divisions by the adoption of AV was not successful. In elections in 1999 and 2001, moderate parties would have fared better under a proportional representation system.
Hindrance or Help: Does the Modern Category of ‘Jewish-Christian Gospel’ Distort our Understanding of the Texts to which it Refers?
Authors: Gregory Andrew
Published: April 2006

Decisions about how texts are classified and presented affect the way in which they are interpreted. This is particularly evident in the study of the often fragmentary remains of many early Christian gospels, as can be seen in the decisions about which texts are included in the standard collections and the way in which they are arranged. In this article I argue that the term ‘Jewish-Christian gospel’ is positively misleading if taken to refer to a class of writings which share particular formal characteristics (or indeed distinctive theological tendencies) that might set them apart from other gospels, and I suggest that the time has come to reconsider this dubious category. Since these writings need to be understood as texts before they may be used as sources for historical phenomena, it seems better to classify them either according to their literary form or according to the way in which they have been transmitted, not on the basis of a theological evaluation that has little support in the texts themselves.
Karl Barth’s Theological Exegesis of Romans 9–11 in the Light of Jewish–Christian Understanding
Authors: Paddison Angus
Published: April 2006

This article focuses on Karl Barth’s exegesis of Rom. 9–11 in Church Dogmatics II/2. After locating Barth’s contribution both within its original context and within Barthian scholarship, the article moves to a reading of Barth’s exegesis. The importance of Barth’s theological exegesis is his insistence that we engage with the subject matter of Paul’s text. In this cause I expose Barth’s exegesis of Rom. 9–11 to two questions inspired by the quest for improved Jewish–Christian understanding. First, what kind of contribution to Jewish–Christian understanding might Barth’s exegesis make? Second, what theological, hermeneutical and ethical issues does Barth’s example provoke us to think about in relation to reading Rom. 9–11? Barth’s exegetical legacy, I conclude, contains both promise and risk, a feature that demonstrates faithfulness to the destabilizing ways of Rom. 9–11.
Internet Resources and Searching for a Residential Care Setting: What Information Is Available for Consumers?
Authors: Castle Nicholas G. , Sonon Kristen E.
Published: April 2006

By making information about long-term-care facilities readily available, consumers in need of services are able to compare facilities and select one that is best for the elder. However, it is unclear how much information is available for residential care settings. In this investigation, an Internet search was performed to determine what information is available in each state. It was found that most states had a number of descriptive indicators. The way in which the information was displayed varied substantially among states, and very little quality-of-care information was available. Although the authors found a variety of useful information, they offer some suggestions to standardize the way in which the information could be presented, thus allowing a direct comparison between residential care settings to be made more easily.
Evaluation of Health Promotion Programs for Older Adults: An Introduction
Authors: Bryant Lucinda L. , Altpeter Mary , Whitelaw Nancy A.
Published: April 2006

This article provides an overview of the evaluation of evidence-based health promotion programs for older adults and introduces an upcoming series of related articles in the Journal of Applied Gerontology. With an aging population, a growing demand for health promotion and chronic disease self-management programs, and limited resources, evaluators must provide leadership to identify positive outcomes for adult older clients, inform program planning, and provide accountability to funders. The article addresses the following topics: the need for assessing the effectiveness of programs; research-based foundations for evaluation, specifically the RE-AIM model; the role of the evaluator; and guiding principles for evaluation and theoretical models that drive measurement. It concludes with the description of a process for conducting program evaluation based on the Center for Disease Control's framework for program evaluation, which actively engages program and community stakeholders in tailoring evaluation to the unique needs, characteristics, and barriers present in a community.
Ending Civil Service Protections in Florida Government
Authors: Bowman James S. , West Jonathan P.
Published: April 2006

This study examines the impact of civil service reform in state agencies. The objective is to ascertain the extent to which the elimination of the defining characteristic of the merit system—job protection against partisan interference—has affected employees. After the introduction and background, the third section describes the study method. This is followed by the presentation of findings and discussion of their implications for the future of reform.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Smoke Plumes in Stable Thermally Stratified Environments
Authors: Fang Jun , Ji Jie , Yuan Hong-Yong , Zhang Yong-Ming , Su Guo-Feng
Published: April 2006

To get more information about early smoke movement in thermally stratified environments in large-volume spaces, a detailed study of low density and big density smoke plumes in thermally stratified environments in a small-scale enclosure was undertaken by means of experimental mea- surement and CFD simulation. The reasonably good agreement between the experimental results and the simulated results indicates that a thermally stratified environment intensifies the decrease of the axial temperature and velocity of a fire smoke plume with height until the upward plume movement terminates at a certain height. Comparisons of the maximum plume heights measured experimentally and integral equation results showed that the integral equation underestimates the actual maximum heights of fire smoke plumes, and is also unable to predict the smoke density influences upon the maximum heights. The previous available integral model should be improved for better applications in real fire situations.
Flame Retardant Property of Sb2O3/SnO2 and their Synergism in Flexible PVC
Authors: Wang Hai , Wang Hua , Guo Zhansheng , Qi Shuangchun , Tian Chunming
Published: April 2006

The use of tin dioxides, antimony trioxides, and their mixture as flame retardants for flexible PVC systems is considered as a means of enhancing the ability of flame retardancy. The flame retardant property of tin dioxides is studied through the limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, char yield, DTA–TG, SEM, and elemental analysis. The results show that tin dioxides, antimony trioxides, and their mixture are good flame retardants in flexible PVC and a small amount of them can enhance the LOI and the char yield greatly. SnO2 exerts its flame retardant role in the solid phase. The flame retardant role of SnO2 appears to be in the condensed phase. Moreover, SnO2 exhibits a marked flame retardant synergism with Sb2O3 in the flexible PVC flame retardant system.
Retrofitting Frontier Masculinity for Alaska's War Against Wolves
Authors: Anahita Sine , Mix Tamara L.
Published: April 2006

The state of Alaska has a complex historical relationship with its wild wolf packs. The authors expand Connell's concept of frontier masculinity to interpret articles from the Anchorage Daily News as an alternative way to understand Alaska's shifting wolf policies. Originally, state policies were shaped by frontier masculinity and characterized by claims of sportsmen's rights to kill wolves. With the reinstitution of an aggressive wolf-eradication project, Alaska policy makers retooled frontier masculinity. This altered form of masculinity, retro frontier masculinity, is constructed at the state level and deploys new strategic emphases: vilifying opponents as feminized sissies, casting wolf hunters as paternalist protectors, reifying the masculine family provider role, and framing the issue as fundamentally about competition.
The Power of the Purse
Authors: Kenney Catherine T.
Published: April 2006

Research in the Unites States concerning the relative access of women and men to financial resources has focused on the influence of women's increasing market work but has largely overlooked the also critical issue of what happens to money after it enters couple households. To fill this gap, this article employs a typology of household allocative systems developed in Great Britain to analyze money management and control in a sample of U.S. couples drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. I find that the use of these systems varies substantially across socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and relationship status groups, as well as by partners' relative household contributions. The patterns suggest that many women, already disadvantaged in earnings, either absolutely or relative to their partners, are in couples in which men's control over or withholding of income may reproduce or exacerbate their earnings disadvantage.
Social Capital and Quality of Life in Old Age
Authors: Nilsson Jan , Rana A. K. M. Masud , Kabir Zarina Nahar
Published: April 2006

The objective of this article is to identify determinants of quality of life (QoL) and investigate their association with individual- and community-level social capital among older people in rural Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study of 1,135 elderly persons (aged ≥ 60 years) was conducted in a rural district in Bangladesh. Independent variables included age, sex, education, economic status of the elderly person, and individual- and community-level social capital. Self-rated QoL was the dependent variable. Descriptive analyses were done to show group differences in QoL and logistic regression analyses to identify determinants of QoL. Advanced age, poor household economic status, and low social capital at individual and community levels were significant determinants of poor QoL among the elderly. This population-based study provided empirical evidence that social capital both at individual and community levels was directly associated with the QoL of elderly people in rural Bangladesh.
From Feminist Theologian to Thealogian: The Life and Work of Carol P. Christ
Authors: da Costa Jacqueline
Published: April 2006

In this article I shall be looking at the life and work of Carol P. Christ, ‘…pioneer and founding mother of the Goddess, women's spirituality, and feminist theology movements…’ charting her development from a student of theology, through feminist theology and into full-blown Goddess studies, or thealogy. 1I shall then focus on her continuing efforts to establish thealogy as a legitimate area for academic discourse. Although women's experiences are a legitimate source of theological reflection in feminist theology, Christ controversially draws on personal experience as material for her work on the sacred, which has opened her to criticism. However, there are voices that support thealogy as being both informative and transformative and rightfully belonging within the academic canon. I shall draw, in particular, upon the Introductions and Forewords of her books, as they contain much biographical information, knowledge of which is essential to an understanding of Christ's work.
Experimental Investigation on Electrochemical Properties of Ionic Polymer–Metal Composite
Authors: Kim Doyeon , Kim Kwang J.
Published: April 2006

Platinum has been used as an effective electrode material for ionic polymer– metal composite (IPMC) actuators. Realizing that platinum is a common catalyst for many electrochemical reactions; the platinum surface in IPMCs allows many components to be adsorbed. Therefore, under imposed electrical potentials, platinum electrodes used for IPMCs introduce complex electrochemical phenomena on the platinum–electrolyte interface. This study points out that the electrochemical characteristics of platinum are important in understanding the fundamental actuation mechanism of IPMCs. Electrochemical analyses, including voltammetry, AC impedance, and capacitance measurements, on IPMC samples are carried out in aqueous solutions. Such experimental results reveal the complex electrochemical behavior of IPMCs, including inductive behavior in higher frequencies than has originally been expected. The Mott-Schottky experiment is also performed to investigate the charge transfer and the possible adsorption mechanism associated with IPMCs. Seemingly, the equivalent circuit of IPMC follows a RLC circuit.
Entangled (in the) Sticks
Authors: Conrad Diane
Published: April 2006

This article discusses several ethical dilemmas with which the author struggled in doing and reflecting on her doctoral research. She engaged a group of high school drama students, from a rural, mainly Aboriginal community, in a Popular Theater project. Titled Life in the Sticks, the project was based on students’ initial claim that their issues were determined by their rural environment. Drawing on traditions in participatory research and performance ethnography, performance helped them reexamine aspects of their lived experiences, including those that deem them “at risk.” The author's ethical entanglements included difficulties in representing and interpreting the resulting participatory research, problems surrounding the label “at risk,” challenges of doing Popular Theater in school, and concerns about the absence of Aboriginal identity/ issues in the students’ performances. The author drew on a feminist ethics of care and performance ethics to make her way through the tangles that emerged.
Dominance Through Interviews and Dialogues
Authors: Kvale Steinar
Published: April 2006

The article discusses common conceptions of interviews as dialogues and the extensive application of qualitative research interviews in a consumer society. In the first part, an understanding of research interviews as warm, caring, and empowering dialogues is questioned by highlighting power asymmetries in interview relationships. Agonistic interview techniques, which play on contradictions and power differences, are outlined. The second part of the article points to the prevalence of dialogues as exercises of power in politics, management, and education. The third part outlines the interview production of knowledge for consumption in a postmodern society. The article concludes that recognition of power dynamics by the social construction of knowledge in interviews is necessary to ascertain objectivity and ethicality of interview research.
Retrospective Reports of Childhood Trauma in Adults With ADHD
Authors: Rucklidge Julia J. , Brown Deborah L. , Crawford Susan , Kaplan Bonnie J.
Published: April 2006

Objective: Although studies have documented higher prevalence of abuse in children with ADHD, no studies have investigated childhood reports of abuse in individuals identified with ADHD in adulthood. Method: Forty ADHD women, 17 ADHD males, 17 female controls, and 40 male controls complete the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and other measures of psychosocial functioning. Results: Emotional abuse and neglect are more common among men and women with ADHD as compared to controls. Sexual abuse and physical neglect are more commonly reported by females with ADHD. Although childhood abuse is significantly correlated with depression and anxiety in adulthood, having ADHD is a better predictor of poorer psychosocial functioning in adulthood. Conclusion: Clinicians are alerted that patients with ADHD symptoms have a high probability of childhood abuse.
Relation between Interfacial Fracture Toughness and Mode-mixity in Honeycomb Core Sandwich Composites
Authors: Grau D. L. , Qiu X. S. , Sankar B. V.
Published: April 2006

A fracture mechanics approach is proposed to determine the residual strength of debonded honeycomb core composite sandwich panels. Asymmetric double cantilever beam sandwich specimens are tested in order to measure the core/ face sheet interfacial fracture toughness. Graphite/epoxy composite laminates are used as face sheets, and the core is an aramid fiber/phenolic resin honeycomb structure. The experimentally measured critical loads, disbond lengths, and specimen dimensions are used in a finite element analysis to estimate the fracture (FE) toughness and the mode-mixity at the crack tip. The finite element results for the critical energy release rate agreed well with the experimentally measured values. It is found that the interfacial fracture toughness increases as the mode II component increases, and the difference can be as much as 70%. In order to demonstrate the importance of mode-mixity on damage tolerance, the design of a sandwich pressure vessel is considered. The allowable pressure for various size disbonds are calculated using the average fracture toughness as well as mode-mixity dependent fracture toughness. It is found that ignoring mode-mixity can lead to overestimation of the load carrying capacity of debonded sandwich panels by as much as 40%.
Power and Opposition in the Former Soviet Union
Authors: March Luke
Published: April 2006

Much of the literature on communist successor parties has concentrated far more on East-Central Europe than the former Soviet bloc and on the ‘social-democratic’ successors than those of a neo-communist hue. This article aims to extend the comparative impact of studies of such successor parties by analysing two of the principal ‘neo-communist’ successor parties in the former Soviet Union (FSU): the Russian CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) and PCRM (Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova). I argue that legacy-based approaches, which focus on the ‘patrimonial communist’ history of the FSU, explain much of the general context for party origins, political profile and the political capital possessed by the neo-communists, but are far less persuasive at explaining both the timing and extent of party return and their longer-term trajectory and electoral success than previously accounted for in the literature. In particular, differences in the political environment (such as the role of presidentialism versus parliamentarianism) and (especially) the role of political agency are seen to have greater importance.
Augmentation and combination strategies for depression
Authors: DeBattista Charles
Published: April 2006

Treatment-resistant depression represents a common problem, with the vast majority of depressed patients showing incomplete response to antidepressant trials. Augmentation and combination strategies are commonly employed to address this problem, but there are few randomized, controlled studies to guide treatment choice. Indeed, some of the most common augmentation strategies in depression are those with the least controlled evidence. The popularity of bupropion, psychostimulants and atypical antipsychotics as augmentors may not be warranted by existing controlled studies, whereas two less commonly used augmentors-lithium and thyroid hormone- have substantial controlled evidence to support their use. This paper summarizes the state of the evidence for commonly used augmenting strategies and explores preliminary findings for more investigational approaches.
Neurostimulation in resistant depression
Authors: Carpenter Linda L.
Published: April 2006

Drugs and psychotherapy are inadequate for relieving depressive symptoms in a substantial portion of severely depressed patients. In that patient group, neurostimulation techniques such as electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnetic seizure therapy, vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation could be lifesaving therapies. Neurostimulation is a physical intervention that utilizes application of either electric current or a magnetic field to directly stimulate the brain or central nervous system. This article presents an overview of currently available neurostimulatory techniques for depression, including a review of their efficacy and safety. Further development and evaluation of non-pharmacological antidepressant therapies are needed, with the hope of improving treatment of refactory depression.
Extending the role of a healthcare digital library environment to support orthopaedic research
Authors: Miles-Board Timothy , Carr Leslie , Wills Gary , Power Guillermo , Bailey Christopher , Hall Wendy , Stenning Matthew , Grange Simon
Published: April 2006

A digital archive, together with its users and its contents, does not exist in isolation; there is a cycle of activities which provides the context for the archive's existence. In arguing for the broadening of the traditional view of digital libraries as merely collections towards the processes of collecting and deploying, we have developed an extend ed digital library environment for orthopaedic surgeons which bridges the gap between the undertaking of experimental work and the dissemination of its results through electronic publication.
Lessons learned from evaluation of the use of the National electronic Library of Infection
Authors: Madle Gemma , Kostkova Patty , Mani-Saada Jane , Roy Anjana
Published: April 2006

The National electronic Library of Infection (NeLI: http://www.neli.org.uk) in the UK is a freely available portal to key evidence and guidelines in the infectious disease field. This paper discusses 5 years of evaluation of the pilot library and how this evaluation informed design of the new library website. The importance of combining qualitative and quantitative evaluation is highlighted and the results of web access logs analysis, free text search query analysis and an online user survey are compared. The paper concludes with a discussion of lessons learned for future development and evaluation of this Internet digital library.
The Hermeneutics of Fictional Black and Factual Red: the Markan Simon of Cyrene and the Quest for the Historical Jesus
Authors: Lyons William
Published: April 2006

This article notes the polarized nature of scholarship on Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15.21) and reviews the evidence used to support both the view that he is a fictional character and the view that he is a historical figure. This falls into four categories: competing traditions, homiletic function, absence of Christian witnesses, and the significance of Alexander and Rufus. Concluding that the evidence invoked cannot account for these divergent views, I propose that the decisive factor in scholarly choice is hermeneutical in origin; it is the influence of the matrix of presuppositions that each scholar brings to this text. Until such time as we have investigated these matrices more fully, I suggest that any agreement on texts like Mark 15.21 will remain strictly limited. By way of conclusion, my personal view of Simon is outlined and deemed less than adequate in the light of this study.