bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Breast Cancer Survival among Economically Disadvantaged Women: The Influences of Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment on Mortality
Authors: Smith Emily Rose , Adams Swann Arp , Das Irene Prabhu , Bottai Matteo , Fulton Jeanette , Hebert James R.
Published: October 2008

Breast cancer affects thousands each year in the United States, and disproportionately affects certain subgroups. For example, the incidence of breast cancer in South Carolina is lower in African American compared with European American women by ∼12% to 15%, but their mortality rate is twice as high as in European American women. The purpose of the study was to assess factors associated with breast cancer mortality between African American and European American women. Participants (n = 314) in South Carolina's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (SCBCCEDP), which provides breast cancer screening and treatment services, during the years 1996-2004 were included in the study. Data, including tumor characteristics, delay intervals, and race, were examined using the χ2 test and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Cox regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between delay intervals and other factors. No racial differences were found in age at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, or delay intervals. Time delay intervals did not explain differences and mortality rates by race. Survival, however, was affected by prognostic factors as well as by a significant interaction between hormone-receptor status and race. Despite the excellent record of the SCBCCEDP in screening and diagnostic or treatment referrals, the racial disparities in breast cancer mortality continue to exist in South Carolina. These findings highlight the need for future research into the etiology of racial differences, and their impact on breast cancer survival. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(10):2882–90)
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Intraindividual Changes, Correlations, and Predictors in Healthy Women from the Southeastern United States
Authors: Vo Thao T. , Gladen Beth C. , Cooper Glinda S. , Baird Donna D. , Daniels Julie L. , Gammon Marilie D. , Richardson David B.
Published: October 2008

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are widespread environmental contaminants that have been postulated to increase the risk of diseases such as non–Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, as well as lead to early menopause. Studies assessing the effect of organochlorine exposure often can only measure organochlorine levels once, such as at study enrollment, which may not be an etiologically relevant time period. We assessed the temporal changes in DDE and PCBs and the predictors of those changes using interview data and DDE and PCB measures collected from 123 women who were enrolled in a baseline study from 1978 to 1982 and followed up in 2003 to 2004. Baseline and follow-up organochlorine levels were compared using Spearman correlations (rs), and predictors of the rate of change in log concentration were evaluated using linear regression models. Although serum concentrations dramatically declined (median follow-up to baseline concentration ratio was 16% for DDE and 45% for PCB), baseline and follow-up measures were strongly correlated for DDE (rs = 0.72) and moderately correlated for PCBs (rs = 0.43). Prediction of follow-up PCB levels was substantially improved (rs = 0.75) with data on initial concentration, length of lactation, baseline body mass index, and percent change in body fat, whereas DDE prediction improved slightly (rs = 0.83) with data on lactation and baseline body mass index. These findings suggest that a single organochlorine measure provides considerable information on relative ranking at distant times and that the predictive power can be improved, particularly for PCBs, with information on a few predictors. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(10):2729–36)
Genetic Variation in Calcium-Sensing Receptor and Risk for Colon Cancer
Authors: Dong Linda M. , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Hsu Li , Duggan David J. , Benitez Debbie S. , White Emily , Slattery Martha L. , Caan Bette J. , Potter John D. , Peters Ulrike
Published: October 2008

Background: Experimental and epidemiologic studies have suggested that high calcium intake is associated with decreased colon cancer risk, yet very limited data are available for candidate genes in the calcium–vitamin D pathway and colon cancer risk. To address this, we evaluated whether calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) single-nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with colon cancer risk. We also examined interactions among CASR, calcium, and vitamin D intake and previously genotyped vitamin D–related genes.

Methods: We conducted a large multicenter population-based case-control study of 1,600 cases and 1,949 controls. Seventeen tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms for CASR were selected from common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (minor allele frequency, ≥5%) based on resequencing data. Haplotypes were estimated and evaluated using HaploStats.

Results: We did not observe an association between any CASR genotypes or haplotypes and colon cancer risk overall. However, when stratified by anatomic site, statistically significant associations were seen with risk for proximal colon cancer [rs10934578 TT: odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.01-1.81; rs12485716 AG/AA: odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-1.00; rs4678174 CT/CC: odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70-0.98; rs2270916 CC: odds ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19-0.97]. Concordantly, we observed a suggested association for a CASR haplotype (rs4678174, rs2270916) with risk for proximal colon cancer (global P = 0.08). We did not observe any meaningful gene-environment (calcium and vitamin D) or gene-gene (CYP24A1, CYP27B1, and VDR) interactions with CASR genotypes and colon cancer risk.

Conclusion: Our study does not provide evidence for an overall association between CASR single-nucleotide polymorphisms and colon cancer; however, results suggest a possible role of CASR on proximal colon cancer, and subsite differences are consistent with known calcium biology. Nonetheless, these findings require confirmation. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(10):2755–65)
Androgen and Prostate Cancer: Is the Hypothesis Dead?
Authors: Hsing Ann W. , Chu Lisa W. , Stanczyk Frank Z.
Published: October 2008

Data from animal, clinical, and prevention studies support the role of androgen in prostate cancer growth, proliferation, and progression. However, results serum-based epidemiologic studies in humans have been inconclusive. Part of the inconsistency in these findings stems from differences in study population, assay accuracy, intraperson variation, and limited sample size. Recently, data from a large pooled analysis of 18 prospective studies (3,886 cases and 6,438 healthy controls) showed no association between serum androgen and prostate cancer risk. It is not surprising that the pooled analysis did not find a positive link between circulating levels of total testosterone and prostate cancer risk because, individually, few of the 18 studies included in the pooled analysis reported a substantial positive association. The null result, however, does not pronounce a death sentence for the androgen hypothesis; rather, it underscores the importance of a better understanding of androgen action within the prostate, including the relationship between tissue and serum levels of androgen. In this commentary, we explain why circulating levels of testosterone may not reflect androgen action in the prostate and why tissue levels of androgen, in particular dihydrotestosterone, and the androgen receptor and its coregulators are critical to androgen action in the prostate and should be incorporated in future studies. It is timely to integrate system thinking into our research and use an interdisciplinary approach that involves different disciplines, including epidemiology, endocrinology, pathology, and molecular biology, to help dissect the complex interplay between sex steroids and genetic and lifestyle factors in prostate cancer etiology. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(10):2525–30)
Risk Factors for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Penis—Population-Based Case-Control Study in Denmark
Authors: Madsen Birgitte Schütt , van den Brule Adriaan J.C. , Jensen Helle Lone , Wohlfahrt Jan , Frisch Morten
Published: October 2008

Few etiologic studies of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis have been carried out in populations where childhood circumcision is rare. A total of 71 patients with invasive (n = 53) or in situ (n = 18) penile SCC, 86 prostate cancer controls, and 103 population controls were interviewed in a population-based case-control study in Denmark. For 37 penile SCC patients, tissue samples were PCR examined for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. Overall, 65% of PCR-examined penile SCCs were high-risk HPV-positive, most of which (22 of 24; 92%) were due to HPV16. Penile SCC risk was positively associated with measures of early and high sexual activity, including lifetime number of female sex partners, number of female sex partners before age 20, age at first intercourse, penile-oral sex, a history of anogenital warts, and never having used condoms. Histories of phimosis and priapism at least 5 years before diagnosis were also significant risk factors, whereas alcohol abstinence was associated with reduced risk. Our study confirms sexually transmitted HPV16 infection and phimosis as major risk factors for penile SCC and suggests that penile-oral sex may be an important means of viral transmission. The association with priapism was unexpected and needs replication. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(10):2683–91)
Relation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations to FEV1 – An Intricate Tango
Authors: Niewoehner Dennis E.
Published: October 2008

This article provides a brief review of the complex interrelationships that surround chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and lung function, particularly FEV1. Areas of discussion include a consideration of baseline lung function as a risk factor for exacerbation, the magnitude and duration of lung function abnormalities after onset and during recovery from exacerbations, the relation between changes in lung function during an exacerbations and clinical outcomes, and the potential impact of recurrent exacerbations on long-term deterioration in lung function.
Positive Expiratory Pressure in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – A Systematic Review
Authors: Fagevik Olsén Monika , Westerdahl Elisabeth
Published: October 2008

Background: Breathing exercises against a resistance during expiration are often used as treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Controversy still exists regarding the clinical application and efficacy. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effects of chest physiotherapy techniques with positive expiratory pressure (PEP) for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary impairment in adults with COPD. Methods: The review was conducted on randomised, controlled clinical trials in which breathing exercises with positive expiratory pressure were compared with other chest physical therapy techniques or with no treatment, in adult patients with COPD. A computer-assisted literature search of available databases from 1970 to January 2008 was performed. Two reviewers extracted data independently and assessed the trials systematically with an instrument for measuring methodological quality. Results: In total, 11 trials met the inclusion criteria, of which 5 reached an adequate level of internal validity. Several kinds of PEP techniques with a diversity of intensities and durations of treatment have been evaluated with different outcome measures and follow-up periods. Benefits of PEP were found in isolated outcome measures in separate studies with a follow-up period <1 month. Concerning long-term effects, the results are contradictory. Conclusion: Prior to widespread prescription of long-term PEP treatment, more research is required to establish the benefit of the technique in patients with COPD.
Birth Parameters and Cognitive Ability in Older Age: A Follow-Up Study of People Born 1921–1926
Authors: Shenkin Susan D. , Deary Ian J. , Starr John M.
Published: October 2008

Background: Birth weight throughout the normal range correlates with cognitive ability in childhood. Some studies suggest this may persist into adulthood, but it is unclear whether this continues into old age. Objective: To investigate the relationship between birth parameters (birth weight, birth length, placental weight and social class) and cognitive ability in old age. Methods: 128 community-dwelling volunteers born in one hospital in Edinburgh, UK, between 1921 and 1926 had birth details extracted from the records. All aged 75–81 underwent cognitive tests. The National Adult Reading Test (NART) was used to estimate prior ability. Tests of fluid cognitive ability showed positive intercorrelations, and therefore a general cognitive factor (g) was extracted using principal components analysis. Results: Estimated prior ability (NART) correlated with birth length (r = 0.25, p = 0.02), and non-significantly with birth weight (r = 0.15, p = 0.19). There were no statistically significant correlations between birth parameters and cognitive ability aged around 80 (birth weight r = 0.12, p = 0.27; length r = 0.19, p = 0.08). Placental weight was not associated with cognitive ability. There was a trend towards an association between social class at birth and prior cognitive ability (more deprivation predicting poorer performance) (rho = –0.17, p = 0.06). Social class was not significantly associated with cognitive ability in old age (rho = 0.07, p = 0.47), or with estimated cognitive change (rho = –0.03, p = 0.73). Conclusion: In a small sample of community-dwelling older people, an influence was detected from birth to earlier cognitive ability using a test of crystallized intelligence. However, this effect was not significant into old age. In this sample, social class at birth did not affect later cognitive ability. The effect size of early life influences on cognition is small, with birth parameters explaining about 1% of the variance. Research with larger samples should consider influences operating across the whole life course, and their relative importance over time.
Offshoring and Trade in East Asia: A Statistical Analysis
Authors: Wakasugi Ryuhei , Ito Banri , Tomiura Eiichi
Published: October 2008

Japanese shares of export and manufacturing value-added in the global market have declined significantly, whereas those in China have risen sharply. This paper examines how recent increases in offshoring by Japanese firms relates to the changes in the composition of export, the structure of national production, and the international distribution of manufacturing value-added in Japan, China, East Asian countries, the United States, and European countries, on the basis of our original survey of Japanese firm's offshoring and the statistics of export and manufacturing production of these countries. It also discusses how the net cost saving of offshoring due to wage differentials and institutional factors will affect the sustainability of Japanese offshoring.
Subject‐Specific Finite Element Simulation of Bone Grafting Procedure for Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head
Authors: Lian Zhi‐Qiang , Gu Yuan‐Xian , Zhang Hong‐Wu
Published: October 2008

Based on the unilateral CT images of a patient in stage III for osteonecrosis of the femoral head, three subject‐specific three‐dimensional finite element models of proximal femur are developed by reverse engineering method, including normal model, necrosis model and prothetic model. Based on the same CT set, the material properties are assigned to each finite element model. Then, by finite element analysis, the process of bone grafting for osteonecrosis of the femoral head is simulated. The results indicate that when the necrosis parts of femoral head are removed, the stresses and displacements of proximal femur increase correspondingly, but after the surgery of bone grafting, the stresses and displacements of proximal femur efficiently decrease and become more close to the normal state. The results are useful for a better understanding of the procedure of the bone grafting surgery.
Application of Topology, Size and Shape Optimization Methods in Polymer Metal Hybrid Structural Lightweight Engineering
Authors: Grujicic M. , Arakere G. , Pisu P. , Ayalew B. , Seyr Norbert , Erdmann Marc , Holzleitner Jochen
Published: October 2008

Application of the engineering design optimization methods and tools to the design of automotive body‐in‐white (BIW) structural components made of polymer metal hybrid (PMH) materials is considered. Specifically, the use of topology optimization in identifying the optimal initial designs and the use of size and shape optimization techniques in defining the final designs is discussed. The optimization analyses employed were required to account for the fact that the BIW structural PMH component in question may be subjected to different in‐service loads be designed for stiffness, strength or buckling resistance and that it must be manufacturable using conventional injection over‐molding. The paper demonstrates the use of various engineering tools, i.e. a CAD program to create the solid model of the PMH component, a meshing program to ensure mesh matching across the polymer/metal interfaces, a linear‐static analysis based topology optimization tool to generate an initial design, a nonlinear statics‐based size and shape optimization program to obtained the final design and a mold‐filling simulation tool to validate manufacturability of the PMH component.
Stick Slip Motion in Grain Grain Friction in a Humid Atmosphere
Authors: Pozo O. , Soulestin B. , Olivi‐Tran N.
Published: October 2008

We set up an original apparatus to measure the grain grain friction stress inside a granular medium composed of sodo‐silicate‐glass beads surrounded by a water vapor atmosphere.We analyze here the influence of the physico chemistry of water on our glass beads and its consequences on our shear experiment. We found two scales in the analysis of the shear stress signal. On the microscopic scale of one bead, the experimental results show a dependence on the size of beads, on the shear rate and on humidity for the resulting stick slip signal. On the macroscopic scale of the whole assembly of beads, the behavior of the total amplitude of the shear stress depends on the size of the beads and is humidity dependent only for relative humidity larger than 80%. For high degrees of humidity, on the microscopic scale, water lubricates the surface of the beads leading to a decrease in the microscopic resistance to shear while on the macroscopic scale the resistance to shear is increased: the assembly of very humid grains behaves as a rheothickening fluid.
Aerodynamic Optimization Based on Approximation Method for Turbine Blade
Authors: Hangshan GAO , Yongzhi HAN , Juan ZHANG , Zhufeng YUE
Published: October 2008

Based on aerodynamic analysis, an optimization method for the profiles of turbine blade is studied in this paper. This method is capable of addressing multiple objectives and constrains without relying on user input. A quintic polynomial is used to build the three‐dimensional blade model and a three dimensional Navier‐Stokes solver was used to solve the flow field around the turbine blade. The objective functions are the turbine aerodynamic efficiency and total pressure ratio. The optimization is completed with the K‐S function technique and accelerated by approximation technique. Finally, the proposed method is applied to optimizing a true blade to validate its accuracy and efficiency. The obtained result shows that the approximation method is more efficient and accurate than the conventional method.
Circular Crested Lamb Waves in a Fluid Saturated Incompreesible Porous Plate
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Hundal B.S.
Published: October 2008

The propagation of circular crested waves in a fluid saturated incompressible porous plate is analyzed. The frequency equations, for symmetric and anti‐symmetric waves, connecting the phase velocity with wave number are derived. At short wave length limits the frequency equations for symmetric and antisymmetric waves in a stress free plate reduce to Rayleigh type surface wave frequency equation and the finite thickness plate appears as a semi‐infinite medium. The results at various steps are compared with the corresponding results of classical theory and finally the variations of phase velocity, attenuation coefficient with wave number and displacements amplitudes with distance from the boundary of the plate is presented graphically and discussed.
Modeling of Machining Parameters to Predict Surface Roughness in Machining Al/SiC Particulate Composites by Carbide Insert
Authors: Palanikumar K. , Karthikeyan R.
Published: October 2008

Aluminium silicon carbide reinforced metal matrix composite (Al/SiC‐MMC) materials are rapidly replacing conventional materials in various automotive, aerospace and other industries. Accordingly, the need for accurate machining of composites has increased enormously. The present work analyzes the machining of Al/SiC composites for surface roughness. An empirical model has been developed to correlate the machining parameters and their interactions with surface roughness. Response surface regression and analysis of variance are used for making the model. The developed model can be effectively used to predict the surface roughness in machining Al/SiC‐MMC composites. The influences of different parameters in machining Al/SiC particulate composites have been analyzed through contour graphs and 3D plots.
Infantile-Onset Diabetes Mellitus: A 1-Year Follow-up Study
Authors: Ganesh Ramaswamy , Arvindkumar Ravindrakumar , Vasanthi Thiruvengadam
Published: October 2008

This study evaluates the clinical profiles and outcomes of children with infantile-onset diabetes mellitus (IODM) (onset at <1 year). Twelve infants with IODM presenting to our hospital from January 2003 to December 2007 are analyzed. All undergo thorough history, clinical examination, and investigations and are managed as per hospital-approved protocol and periodically followed up. Of 12 infants (3 boys and 9 girls), 9 have a family history of DM. The median age at onset is 2.5 months. Six infants have features suggestive of Wolcott-Rallison syndrome (WRS), 4 infants have type 1 DM, and 1 infant each has Fanconi-Bickel syndrome and maturity-onset diabetes of young. None have pancreatic agenesis or calculi. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing shows DQ3 and DR15 alleles predominating. Two children with WRS died; the rest are being followed up. The incidence of IODM is increasing, with multiple syndromic associations rather than a single perspective.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Types and Sources of Victimization Inside Prison
Authors: Wolff Nancy , Shi Jing , Blitz Cynthia L.
Published: October 2008

Interracial patterns in sexual violence between inmate groups are well documented. Considerably less is known about the interracial pattern of sexual violence as well as physical violence between staff and inmates. This article provides rates of victimization for a single prison system by racial and ethnic groupings and by type of perpetrator. Racial and ethnic patterns were found in prevalence rates by types of victimization and type of perpetrator, but they do not appear to be principally explained by racism. Preventing violence inside prison should include reducing opportunities for victimization as well as “pulling up” the environment by training officers and other staff in supervisory styles that affirm and preserve a “harm-free” environment.
Personality, Alcohol Use, and Drinking Motives
Authors: Goldstein Abby L. , Flett Gordon L.
Published: October 2008

It is well-established that coping and enhancement drinking motives predict college student drinking and that personality traits predict drinking motives. Little is known, however, about personality and drinking patterns among individuals who drink for both enhancement and coping reasons. University students in the current study completed questionnaires assessing personality, alcohol use, and drinking motives. Past year drinkers (N = 138) were categorized into one of four groups: coping, enhancement, coping + enhancement, and noninternally motivated drinkers. Drinking was lower among noninternally motivated drinkers and higher among coping motivated drinkers; coping + enhancement motivated drinkers reported drinking at levels most consistent with the coping group. Coping motivated drinkers reported higher levels of neuroticism, negative affect, and anxiety sensitivity, and lower levels of positive affect; coping + enhancement motivated drinkers were not significantly different from the other groups on personality traits. Although coping + enhancement motivated drinkers may be at risk for problem drinking, they may be difficult to identify via personality measures.
Conceptions of wisdom
Authors: Rowley Jennifer , Slack Frances
Published: October 2008

This article reports exploratory research on the meanings associated with the concept of wisdom by two groups of intending information professionals. Concern for the limited success of knowledge management initiatives and the complexity and hyperturbulence of organizational environments has provoked discussion of the role of wisdom in organizations, management, leadership, and decision making. A literature review provides a distillation of the literature on the notion of wisdom as a foundation for investigating the alignment between these perspectives and those of the respondents. Data was collected through a survey using one open question. The findings of the content analysis of the responses are reported and discussed. It is evident that wisdom is a polysemantic concept, but that there is some level of agreement that knowledge, experience and action are key aspects of wisdom; but there is very little allusion to possible ethical and spiritual dimensions of wisdom.
Webometric analysis of departments of librarianship and information science: a follow-up study
Authors: Arakaki Mónica , Willett Peter
Published: October 2008

This paper reports an analysis of the websites of UK departments of library and information science. Inlink counts of these websites revealed no statistically significant correlation with the quality of the research carried out by these departments, as quantified using departmental grades in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise and citations in Google Scholar to publications submitted for that exercise. Reasons for this lack of correlation include: difficulties in disambiguating departmental websites from larger institutional structures; the relatively small amount of research-related material in departmental websites; and limitations in the ways that current web search engines process linkages to URLs. It is concluded that departmental-level webometric analyses do not at present provide an appropriate technique for evaluating academic research quality, and, more generally, that standards are needed for the formatting of URLs if inlinks are to become firmly established as a tool for website analysis.
Digital Subculture
Authors: McArthur J.A.
Published: October 2008

Recent scholarship in critical/cultural studies and ethnography has suggested studies of youth subculture can no longer be solely centered around musical preference and that the Internet may be a new resource for the affiliation and expression of subcultural identity. This study furthers this scholarship through the analysis of one such group: the “geeks.” Through examination of Internet sites devoted to the subculture, this analysis argues that geeks who affiliate in self-assigned Web-based chat rooms demonstrate the characteristics, community, and style common to the expanding conceptualizations of Internet-based subculture. This study adds strength to the argument that the Internet can simultaneously be a gathering site for subculturalists and a medium for expression of subcultural identity.
Retrospective parent report of early vocal behaviours in children with suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech (sCAS)
Authors: Highman Chantelle , Hennessey Neville , Sherwood Mellanie , Leitão Suze
Published: October 2008

Parents of children with suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech (sCAS, n = 20), Specific Language Impairment (SLI, n = 20), and typically developing speech and language skills (TD, n = 20) participated in this study, which aimed to quantify and compare reports of early vocal development. Via a questionnaire, parents reported on their child's early babbling and vocalizations, along with other developmental milestones. Consistent with previous anecdotal reports and theoretical predictions, the sCAS children were reported to be significantly less vocal, less likely to babble, later in the emergence of first words and later in the emergence of two-word combinations than the TD children. However, on many (but not all) of the items, the SLI children were reported similarly to the sCAS group. Notable exceptions where the sCAS group differed significantly to the SLI group were with the percentage of children reported to have babbled and the reported age of emergence of two-word combinations. The results support previous anecdotal clinical suggestions relating to children with CAS but highlight the need for longitudinal studies to analyse speech and language trajectories over time.
Effect of Fiber Orientation on Nonlinear Behavior of CFRP Composites
Authors: Sadeghian Pedram , Rahai Ali R. , Ehsani Mohammad R.
Published: October 2008

Fiber orientation is one of the important parameters that affect strength and ductility of FRP-confined concrete columns. A number of studies have been conducted on various fiber orientations and wrap thicknesses, but have not been carried out as a comprehensive study on tensile properties of FRP with various fiber orientations and their effects on confined concrete. This article presents the results of experimental studies about mechanical properties of CFRP composites. In this study, 24 coupons of CFRP composites were prepared and tested in axial tension under displacement control mode. Eight-ply configurations were prepared with fibers oriented at 08, ±458, and 908 from the axial direction and with 1, 2, 3, and 4 plies. It was found that stress-strain behavior basically depended on fiber orientation. The behavior in on-axis orientation was shown to be perfectly linear-elastic with brittle rupture, but in off-axis orientation it was shown to be fully nonlinear with high ductility. An analytical model has been proposed for the nonlinear behavior of composites with off-axis orientation.
Influence of Solvents on the MWCNT/Adhesive Grade Epoxy Nanocomposites Preparation
Authors: Sharma S.C. , Sheshadri T.S. , Krishna M. , Murthy H.N. Narasimha , Jose Jeena
Published: October 2008

In this article, the effect of two solvents, namely dimethyl formamide (DMF) and N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), on the dispersion effectiveness and the resulting electrical and mechanical properties of multi-walled carbonanotubes (MNCNT) filled structural adhesive grade epoxy nanocomposites was studied. The solvents were used mainly to reduce the viscosity of the resin system to effectively disperse the nanofiller. The dispersion was carried out under vacuum using high energy sonic waves. SEM was undertaken to study the dispersion effectiveness. Electrical resistivity, tensile properties, and glass transition of the nanocomposites were studied. Between DMF and NMP, the former proved better in terms of dispersion effectiveness and the resulting electrical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Addition of MWCNT into AV138M resulted in an increase in glass transition temperature irrespective of the solvent used and in both cases percolation threshold was found with respect to reduction in electrical resistivity of the nanocomposites. Less agglomeration and hence better interaction between CNT and epoxy was observed in the samples prepared using DMF compared with that using NMP.
Measurement and analysis of ambient air particulates and ionic species for composition and concentration studies at the western coast of central Taiwan
Authors: Chu CC , Fang GC , Lin IC , Chou TY
Published: October 2008

Air-polluting aerosol samples consisting of total suspended particulates, coarse particulates (>2.5~10 μm in diameter), fine particulates (<2.5 μm in diameter), and ionic species were collected from March 2004 to January 2005 at the western coast of central Taiwan. Statistical methods such as nonparametric test and T statistical analysis were also employed to distinguish the variation difference for pollutants among four seasons in this study. Seasonal variation of ionic species SO42− in the total suspended particulates and fine particulates shows that higher composition was observed among four seasons. The results of T statistical analysis revealed that the concentrations of ionic species NO3− showed no significant changes in coarse and fine particulates among the four seasons. In addition, the results also revealed that the concentrations of ionic species Na+ showed no significant changes in coarse and fine particulates in the seasons of spring and autumn at the western coast of central Taiwan.
Spinal reflexes in normal and sulfite oxidase deficient rats: effect of sulfite exposure
Authors: Küçükatay V , Genç O , Kocamaz E , Emmungil G , Erken HA , Bağcı H
Published: October 2008

Sulfites, which are commonly used as food preservatives, are continuously formed in the body during metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Sulfite is oxidized to sulfate ion by sulfite oxidase (SOX, EC. 1.8.3.1). Although sulfite treatment has been reported to increase the excitability of some neurons in vitro, the possible effects of sulfite on neuronal excitability in vivo remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of sulfite treatment on spinal reflexes in anesthetized SOX competent and deficient rats. For this purpose, male albino rats used in this study were divided into four groups such as control group (C), sulfite group (CS), SOX deficient group (D), and SOX deficient + sulfite group (DS). Rats in SOX deficient groups were made deficient in SOX by the administration of low molybdenum (Mo) diet (AIN 76, Research Dyets Inc., USA) with concurrent addition of 200-ppm tungsten (W) to their drinking water in the form of sodium tungstate (NaWO4). Sulfite in the form of sodium metabisulfite (Na2O5S2, 70 mg/kg) was given orally by adding to drinking water to the S and DS groups. Monosynaptic reflex potentials were recorded from the ipsilateral L5 ventral root. SOX deficient rats had an approximately 15-fold decrease in hepatic SOX activity compared with normal rats. This makes SOX activity of SOXD rats in the range of human SOX activity. The results of this study show that sulfite treatment significantly increases the amplitude of the monosynaptic reflex response in both S and DS groups with respect to their respective control groups (C and D). SOX deficient rats also had enhanced spinal reflexes when compared with control rats. In conclusion, sulfite has increasing effects on the excitability of spinal reflexes and we speculate that this compound may exhibit its effects on nervous system by affecting sodium channels.
Partner and Relationship Factors in Domestic Violence
Authors: Pandey G.K. , Dutt Debashis , Banerjee Bratati
Published: October 2008

A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 751 women, living in slums, examined their perspectives on partner and relationship factors of domestic violence. More than 17% of women experienced physical violence in the past year. Individual factors related to the husband—namely, poor socioeconomic status, use of alcohol, extramarital relations, and visiting red light districts—increased the risk of violence. The following relationship factors were associated with a higher risk of violence: age difference of 5 years or less between spouses, husband's irregular contribution to family expenses, not sharing information about his personal expenses, manifestation of controlling behaviors, and longer duration of marriage. The study concludes that adverse socioeconomic conditions create low self-esteem and insecurity among men, who find expression in aberrant behaviors, and violence is used as a compensatory behavior. Interventions, therefore, need to go beyond the victim-centric approach and address partner and relationship issues for greater impact.
Self-Rated Health, Activities of Daily Living, and Mobility Limitations Among Black and White Stroke Survivors
Authors: Boyington Josephine E. A. , Howard Daniel L. , Holmes DaJuanicia N.
Published: October 2008

Objective: To explore racial differences in self-rated health (SRH) and its relationship to activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility limitations among stroke survivors. Method: Data from 580 Black and White participants of the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) were used to assess relationships between SRH, ADLs, and mobility variables. Fisher's exact tests, t tests, and logistic regression with backward selection ( p < .20) were used. Results: No racial difference in SRH was found. SRH was significant in predicting ADL status among Whites only (OR = 0.23; CI = 0.08-0.69; p < .01). Participants older than 75 years had a greater likelihood of being in the lowest functioning ADL categories (OR = 2.31; CI = 1.48-3.60; p < .01). Discussion: Though no racial differences in SRH were found, the relationship between SRH, ADLs, and mobility status was moderated by race. SRH was predictive of limitations in Whites only. Observed differences suggest SRH construct may differ by race.
Who Thinks That Part D Is Too Complicated?
Authors: Cummings Janet R. , Rice Thomas , Hanoch Yaniv
Published: October 2008

Evidence suggests that Medicare Part D plan ownership is “sticky”; beneficiaries are unlikely to change plans from year to year, even when it would be in their financial interest to do so. The complexity of the program may contribute to this problem. Using data from a national survey, the authors examine the characteristics of those who believe that Part D is too complicated as well as the characteristics of those who endorse one of two policies to simplify the program. The results indicate that a great majority of adults believe that the program is too complicated and most favor some form of simplification. In multivariate analyses, one of the most consistent predictors is political orientation. Republicans are significantly less likely to think that Part D is too complicated, and liberals and moderates are significantly more likely to favor allowing beneficiaries the option of purchasing a plan directly from the government.
Beijing, 2006
Authors: Kien Grant
Published: October 2008

This essay exemplifies the methodology of Global Technography, combining elements of autoethnography, photo essay, and actor-network theory to trace performative elements of global citizenship and global community facilitated by wireless mobile communications technology in the context of contemporary China. The result is a documentation of intensely personal and private communications practices even in highly public environments. Likewise, the personal nature of experience is shown to constitute public spaces even as they confuse and disrupt them. Mobile hyper-interconnectivity inspires both absurd and reassuring performances of culture and intimacy, while the reality of everyday life at street level demonstrates the fragility of hyper-mediated global connectivity.
Fathers and Sons
Authors: Bochner Arthur P.
Published: October 2008

This article is written as a personal letter to the author of A Need to Know. The letter responds to the freshness of the narrative writing in the book, its risks and rewards, and questions whether this is a book about “knowing” or about “feeling.” Shame, pain, loneliness, and rage are feelings often felt but not expressed in relationships between fathers and sons, and like many narratives, A Need to Know aspires to truth but can make no claim to it. Narrative is not merely an inheritance; it's also a way of continuing a relationship marked by the silence of death through linking the past to the future, giving one's life a sense of continuity and integrity.
Racial Integration of Coaching
Authors: Goff Brian L. , Tollison Robert D.
Published: October 2008

Using National Football League (NFL) data from 1987 to 2007, we examine the hiring of African American head coaches. Our results partly support an innovation explanation in that integration proceeded more rapidly in larger population centers. In contrast, we find only mixed and weak evidence that winning organizations proceeded first in hiring Black managers as in the case of using Black players. This difference in the hiring process of management versus labor may reflect a difference in the relative importance of endowment versus training. Our evidence also indicates that individual owner preferences matter along with changes in social pressures over time. As with player integration, it appears that a full generation is needed for the process to work itself out.
The 2004 Election Did Not Take Place
Authors: Glynn Kevin
Published: October 2008

It is arguable that the George W. Bush regime has made a more systematically intensive strategic effort to mobilize the management and control of media images as a primary mode of governance than any other U.S. presidency we have yet seen. This article explores the Bush White House's media imagineering and draws on notions of media spectacle, along with Baudrillard's widely misunderstood analysis of the 1991 Gulf War and often overlooked theory of media nonevents, to examine the 2004 U.S. presidential election in particular. It also identifies and draws on what we might see as image insurgencies emerging from the internet, the alternative press, and the mainstream media to raise the prospect that the more fully a regime of power seeks to exert control over and through images, the more vulnerable it becomes to the generation of counterimages, counternarratives, and counterspectacles.
Customer Orientation or Competitor Orientation
Authors: Dev Chekitan , Zhou Kevin Zheng , Brown Jim , Agarwal Sanjeev
Published: October 2008

This study of hotels representing thirty-seven brands from fifty-six countries uncovers the market conditions under which investing resources in specific market strategies leads to higher performance. Specifically, the authors identified, for the first time in an international context, the circumstances under which customer orientation (acquisition, satisfaction, and retention of customers) alone has a higher payoff or when simply investing resources on competitor orientation (monitoring, managing, and outflanking competitors) alone is the better strategy. An additional interesting twist, not shown before to the authors' knowledge, is that in the cases where a customer-based strategy has a higher payoff, focusing on competitors diminishes performance. Similarly, in a market where competitor-based strategy has a higher payoff, a customer focus lowers performance.
Spa Revenue Management
Authors: Kimes Sheryl E. , Singh Sonee
Published: October 2008

In principle, spa managers should be able to apply revenue management to spa operations. To do so, however, requires a revision in the way most spas traditionally have viewed sales. Most spa managers track appointments and customer needs, but instead they need to focus specifically on the time element involved in their services. A time-related measure, revenue per available treatment-hour (RevPATH), integrates the price and duration of the treatment as factors in the revenue calculation. Certain elements of current-day spa practice, such as discounting and managing treatment duration, carry the seeds of revenue management, but those are often implemented as tactical measures during particularly slow or busy times. Few spas have established the necessary strategic approach to assemble those tactics into a coherent revenue management strategy. This report establishes a framework for implementing a spa revenue management strategy and sets a practical road map for its execution.
Functional proteomic profiling of AML predicts response and survival
Authors: Kornblau Steven M. , Tibes Raoul , Qiu Yi Hua , Chen Wenjing , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Andreeff Michael , Coombes Kevin R. , Mills Gordon B.
Published: October 2008

Because protein function regulates the phenotypic characteristics of cancer, a functional proteomic classification system could provide important information for pathogenesis and prognosis. With the goal of ultimately developing a proteomic-based classification of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we assayed leukemia-enriched cells from 256 newly diagnosed AML patients, for 51 total and phosphoproteins from apoptosis, cell-cycle, and signal-transduction pathways, using reverse-phase protein arrays. Expression in matched blood and marrow samples were similar for 44 proteins; another 7 had small fold changes (8%-55%), suggesting that functional proteomics of leukemia-enriched cells in the marrow and periphery are similar. Protein expression patterns were independent of clinical characteristics. However, 24 proteins were significantly different between French-American-British subtypes, defining distinct signatures for each. Expression signatures for AML with cytogenetic abnormalities involving −5 or −7 were similar suggesting mechanistic commonalities. Distinct expression patterns for FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3–internal tandem duplication were also identified. Principal component analysis defined 7 protein signature groups, with prognostic information distinct from cytogenetics that correlated with remission attainment, relapse, and overall survival. In conclusion, protein expression profiling patterns in AML correlate with known morphologic features, cytogenetics, and outcome. Confirmation in independent studies may also provide pathophysiologic insights facilitating triage of patients to emerging targeted therapies.
The role of Ephs, Ephrins, and growth factors in Kaposi sarcoma and implications of EphrinB2 blockade
Authors: Scehnet Jeffrey S. , Ley Eric J. , Krasnoperov Valery , Liu Ren , Manchanda Parmeet K. , Sjoberg Eric , Kostecke Anna P. , Gupta Sachin , Kumar S. Ram , Gill Parkash S.
Published: October 2008

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is associated with human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 and is dependent on the induction of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs). VEGF regulates genes that provide arterial or venous identity to endothelial cells, such as the induction of EphrinB2, which phenotypically defines arterial endothelial cells and pericytes, and represses EphB4, which defines venous endothelial cells. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinases to determine which members are expressed and therefore contribute to KS pathogenesis. We demonstrated limited Eph/Ephrin expression; notably, the only ligand highly expressed is EphrinB2. We next studied the biologic effects of blocking EphrinB2 using the extracellular domain of EphB4 fused with human serum albumin (sEphB4-HSA). sEphB4-HSA inhibited migration and invasion of the KS cells in vitro in response to various growth factors. Finally, we determined the biologic effects of combining sEphB4-HSA and an antibody to VEGF. sEphB4-HSA was more active than the VEGF antibody, and combination of the 2 had at least additive activity. sEphB4-HSA reduced blood vessel density, pericyte recruitment, vessel perfusion, and increased hypoxia, with an associated increase in VEGF and DLL4 expression. The combination of sEphB4-HSA and VEGF antibody is a rational treatment combination for further investigation.