bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Becoming a Sadomasochist
Authors: Newmahr Staci
Published: September 2008

Based on a four-year ethnographic study of an SM community, this article blends analytic and interpretative approaches to ethnographic writing, in order to illustrate the value of incorporating subjectivity into traditional ethnographic analysis. I juxtapose field notes about my own participation in SM with stories of outsiderness among members of the community. I argue that analytical attention to my own experience of “becoming” a member of this community illuminated for me some of the discursive, psychological, and carnal processes through which SM comes to be a central and fulfilling part of participants' lives. This elucidates the intellectual reciprocity between ethnographic introspection and ethnographic understanding, and offers additional insight into an understudied community.
Intrastate Competition for Debt Resources
Authors: Denison Dwight V. , Hackbart Merl M. , Moody Michael J.
Published: September 2008

Limited economic resources create constraints that force trade-offs among desired objectives. Likewise, state-balanced budget requirements force policy makers to make budgetary trade-offs among competing state programs. Constrained state resources have also encouraged states to issue bonds to finance infrastructure and capital assets rather than using pay-as-you-go financing for such investments. However, the expanded use of debt financing often faces another constraint known as debt capacity. As a result, states may be required to make trade-offs among the competing demands for debt financing similar to the trade-offs they must make for operating program expenditures. The authors' empirical findings indicate that tradeoffs occur between highway project—related debt and other state debt in those states with formal restrictions on total general obligation and revenue-backed debt (umbrella debt limits). In states without umbrella debt limits, there is no evidence of a trade-off between the highway debt and all other state debt.
A map of the class III region of the sheep major histocompatibilty complex
Authors: Qin J , Mamotte C , Cockett NE , Wetherall JD , Groth DM
Published: September 2008

Background

The central, or class III, region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an important gene rich sub-region of the MHC of mammals and contains many loci implicated in disease processes and potential productivity traits. As a prelude to identifying MHC loci associated with productivity traits in sheep, we have used BAC and cosmid libraries of genomic DNA to generate a physical map of the sheep MHC class III region. This map will facilitate association studies and provide insights into the distribution of recombination events in this chromosomal segment.

Results

Twenty eight sheep genes were identified in 10 BAC clones which spanned approximately 700 kbp of a chromosomal region adjacent to the class I region of the sheep MHC and which therefore covers most, if not all, of the class III of the sheep MHC. The relative positions of 17 of these genes was established as well as two additional groups of genes for which the intragroup order was not known. Cosmid mapping permitted a more detailed mapping of the complement genes present in the class III and showed a local inversion (relative to humans) of one pair of the duplicated complement C4 and CYP21 loci. A panel of 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was identified in 10 loci, covering ≈600 kbp of the mapped region.

Conclusion

This report provides a physical map covering ≈700 kbp of the class III of the sheep MHC together with a SNP panel which will facilitate disease and productivity association studies. The presence of a local inversion (relative to humans) of one pair of the duplicated C4 and CYP21 loci and a previously described dinucleotide tandem repeat locus (BfMs) has been located within an intron of the SK12VL gene.
Short Tandem Repeats in Human Exons: A Target for Disease Mutations
Authors: Madsen Bo Eskerod , Villesen Palle , Wiuf Carsten
Published: September 2008

Background

In recent years it has been demonstrated that structural variations, such as indels (insertions and deletions), are common throughout the genome, but the implications of structural variations are still not clearly understood. Long tandem repeats (e.g. microsatellites or simple repeats) are known to be hypermutable (indel-rich), but are rare in exons and only occasionally associated with diseases. Here we focus on short (imperfect) tandem repeats (STRs) which fall below the radar of conventional tandem repeat detection, and investigate whether STRs are targets for disease-related mutations in human exons. In particular, we test whether they share the hypermutability of the longer tandem repeats and whether disease-related genes have a higher STR content than non-disease-related genes.

Results

We show that validated human indels are extremely common in STR regions compared to non-STR regions. In contrast to longer tandem repeats, our definition of STRs found them to be present in exons of most known human genes (92%), 99% of all STR sequences in exons are shorter than 33 base pairs and 62% of all STR sequences are imperfect repeats. We also demonstrate that STRs are significantly overrepresented in disease-related genes in both human and mouse. These results are preserved when we limit the analysis to STRs outside known longer tandem repeats.

Conclusion

Based on our findings we conclude that STRs represent hypermutable regions in the human genome that are linked to human disease. In addition, STRs constitute an obvious target when screening for rare mutations, because of the relatively low amount of STRs in exons (1,973,844 bp) and the limited length of STR regions.
Aggressive angiomyxoma presenting with huge abdominal lump: A case report
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev , Agrawal Nikhil , Khanna Rahul , Khanna AK
Published: September 2008

Agressive angiomyxoma is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm. It mainly presents in females. We here present a case of angiomyxoma presenting as huge abdominal lump along with gluteal swelling. Case note is described along with brief review of literature.
Natural autoantibodies reactive with glycosaminoglycans in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: György Bence , Tóthfalusi László , Nagy György , Pásztói Mária , Géher Pál , Lörinc Zsolt , Polgár Anna , Rojkovich Bernadett , Ujfalussy Ilona , Poór Gyula , Pócza Péter , Wiener Zoltán , Misják Petra , Koncz Agnes , Falus András , Buzás Edit I
Published: September 2008

Introduction

Although natural autoantibodies make up the majority of circulating immunoglobulins and are also present in high numbers in therapeutically used intravenous immunoglobulin preparations, they have received little attention and their precise role remains largely unknown. An increasing awareness of the importance of posttranslational autoantigen modifications and glycobiology led us to explore carbohydrate-reactive natural autoantibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This study examined systematic antibodies reactive to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), the carbohydrate components of proteoglycans that are released in large amounts from degrading cartilage.

Methods

To measure antibodies reactive to six different types of GAGs, a specialised ELISA was used in which the carbohydrates were covalently linked to the plastic surface through a 2 nm spacer. Sera from rheumatoid arthritis patients (n = 66), umbilical cord serum samples (n = 11) and adult controls (n = 54) were studied. In order to explore cross-reactivity with microbial antigens, bacterial peptidoglycans and fungal polysaccharides were used. Sera and synovial fluid samples were also tested using a GlycoChip carbohydrate array to characterise individual carbohydrate recognition patterns. We followed a multistep statistical screening strategy for screening GAG-reactive antibodies as predictive disease markers.

Results

While anti-GAG antibodies were absent in the umbilical cord sera, they were readily detectable in adult controls and were significantly elevated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (p < 0.001). Anti-GAG antibodies showed significant cross-reactivity among different types of GAGs. They also reacted with bacterial peptidoglycans and fungal polysaccharides. Interestingly, anti-chondroitin sulphate C IgM antibody levels showed inverse correlation both with the Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28 scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in rheumatoid arthritis.

Conclusion

The highly abundant and cross-reactive, GAG-specific natural autoantibodies in serum may serve as novel disease-state markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Plane-wave migration in tilted coordinates
Authors: Shan Guojian , Biondi Biondo
Published: September 2008

We have developed a plane-wave migration method that efficiently images steeply dipping reflectors using one-way wavefield extrapolation. The recorded surface data are converted to plane-wave source data by slant stacking. The data set corresponding to each plane-wave source is migrated independently in a tilted coordinate system, with the extrapolation direction determined by the initial propagation direction of the plane wave at the surface. Waves illuminating steeply dipping reflectors, such as overturned waves and waves traveling nearly horizontally, are extrapolated accurately in an appropriate tilted coordinate system because the extrapolation direction is close to the propagation directions for these waves. Two-dimensional impulse responses and synthetic data examples demonstrate that plane-wave migration in tilted coordinates generates high-quality images of steeply dipping reflectors, particularly rugose salt tops and steep salt flanks.
Effect of errors in the migration velocity model of PS-converted waves on traveltime accuracy in prestack Kirchhoff time migration in weak anisotropic media
Authors: Dai Hengchang , Li Xiang-Yang
Published: September 2008

We investigated the effect of errors in the migration-velocity model of PS-converted waves on the traveltime calculated in prestack Kirchhoff time migration in weak anisotropic media. The prestack-Kirchhoff-time-migration operator contains four parameters: the PS-converted-wave velocity, the vertical velocity ratio, the effective velocity ratio, and the anisotropic parameter. We derived four error factors that correspond to those parameters. Theoretical and numerical analyses of the error factors show them all to be inversely proportional to the velocity and to traveltime. Traveltime errors for shallow events usually are larger than for deep events. Error in PS-converted-wave velocity causes the largest traveltime error, and error in the vertical velocity ratio causes the smallest traveltime error. For a small horizontal-distance/depth ratio, the error in the effective velocity ratio affects traveltime more than does the anisotropic-parameter error. However, the anisotropic-parameter error affects traveltime more when the horizontal-distance/depth ratio is larger. Traveltime errors caused by errors in effective velocity ratio and the anisotropic parameter mainly stem from the converted-S-wave raypath of the PS-converted waves. To save processing time and cost, PS-wave velocity can be estimated accurately without an accurate vertical velocity ratio, effective velocity ratio, and anisotropic parameter. These findings are useful for understanding PS-wave behavior and for PS-wave imaging in anisotropic media.
Fluid flow monitoring in oil fields using downhole measurements of electrokinetic potential
Authors: Saunders Jon H. , Jackson Matthew D. , Pain Christopher C.
Published: September 2008

Downhole measurements of electrokinetic potential are a promising new technology for hydrocarbon reservoir monitoring. Using a 3D finite-element model combining both multiphase flow and electrokinetic components, we investigated the behavior of electrokinetic (streaming) potential during oil production in a range of reservoir environments. We found that streaming-potential signals originate at fluid fronts and at geologic boundaries where fluid saturation changes. As water encroaches on an oil production well, the streaming-potential signal associated with the water front encompasses the well even when the front is up to [Formula: see text] away, so the potential measured at the well starts to change significantly relative to a distant reference electrode. Variations in the geometry of the encroaching water front can becharacterized using an array of electrodes positioned along the well, but a good understanding of the local reservoir geology is required to identify signals caused by the front. The streaming potential measured at a well is maximized in low-permeability reservoirs produced at a high rate and in thick reservoirs with low shale content. However, considerable uncertainties remain, particularly relating to the nature of electrokinetic coupling at high salinity and during multiphase flow. Our results suggest that the streaming potential at low salinity [Formula: see text] is large [Formula: see text] but might become too small to resolve [Formula: see text] at high salinity [Formula: see text], depending on how the available data for the electrokinetic coupling at low salinity are extrapolated into the high-salinity domain. More work remains to determine the behavior of electrokinetic coupling and therefore the utility of this technique at high salinity.
Three-dimensional seismic-reflection imaging of a shallow buried paleochannel
Authors: Fradelizio Gian Luigi , Levander Alan , Zelt Colin A.
Published: September 2008

A suite of reflection seismology investigations of the shallow subsurface was conducted at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, at a groundwater contamination site with very large subsurface mechanical heterogeneity. The investigations were designed to expand and improve understanding of the subsurface environment developed from well data and previous seismic investigations. The goal of the investigations was to image the sides and bottom of a paleochannel eroded in a clay layer [Formula: see text] below the surface. The paleochannel is filled with a mix of sands, clays, and gravels of different compaction and water saturation. The paleochannel acts as a contaminant trap for dense nonaqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs). Therefore, a detailed map of its geometry, lateral boundaries, and depth is crucial to remediation efforts. The results of processing a 3D reflection data set over the channel showed that it is possible to image and delineate the geometry and depth of a very shallow structure. Seismic results agreed well with the available well data in the deepest part of the buried paleochannel. The map of the channel derived from seismic data replaces the need for many wells.
Sustained Elevated Levels of Circulating Vasopressin Selectively Stimulate the Proliferation of Kidney Tubular Cells via the Activation of V2 Receptors
Authors: Alonso Gérard , Galibert Evelyne , Boulay Véra , Guillou Anne , Jean Alexandra , Compan Valérie , Guillon Gilles
Published: September 2008

The hypothalamic hormone vasopressin (AVP) has known mitogenic effects on various cell types. This study was designed to determine whether sustained elevated levels of circulating AVP could influence cell proliferation within adult tissues known to express different AVP receptors, including the pituitary, adrenal gland, liver, and kidney. Plasmatic AVP was chronically increased by submitting animals to prolonged hyperosmotic stimulation or implanting them with a AVP-containing osmotic minipump. After several days of either treatment, increased cell proliferation was detected only within the kidney. This kidney cell proliferation was not affected by the administration of selective V1a or V1b receptor antagonists but was either inhibited or mimicked by the administration of a selective V2 receptor antagonist or agonist, respectively. Kidney proliferative cells mostly concerned a subpopulation of differentiated tubular cells known to express the V2 receptors and were associated with the phosphorylation of ERK. These data indicate that in the adult rat, sustained elevated levels of circulating AVP stimulates the proliferation of a subpopulation of kidney tubular cells expressing the V2 receptor, providing the first illustration of a mitogenic effect of AVP via the activation of the V2 receptor subtype.

Elevated levels of circulating vasopressin selectively stimulate the proliferation of kidney tubular cells via the activation of V2 receptors, thus showing the potential implication in polycystic kidney diseases.
Circadian Timing in the Lung; A Specific Role for Bronchiolar Epithelial Cells
Authors: Gibbs J. E. , Beesley S. , Plumb J. , Singh D. , Farrow S. , Ray D. W. , Loudon A. S. I.
Published: September 2008

In addition to the core circadian oscillator, located within the suprachiasmatic nucleus, numerous peripheral tissues possess self-sustaining circadian timers. In vivo these are entrained and temporally synchronized by signals conveyed from the core oscillator. In the present study, we examine circadian timing in the lung, determine the cellular localization of core clock proteins in both mouse and human lung tissue, and establish the effects of glucocorticoids (widely used in the treatment of asthma) on the pulmonary clock. Using organotypic lung slices prepared from transgenic mPER2::Luc mice, luciferase levels, which report PER2 expression, were measured over a number of days. We demonstrate a robust circadian rhythm in the mouse lung that is responsive to glucocorticoids. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to localize specific expression of core clock proteins, and the glucocorticoid receptor, to the epithelial cells lining the bronchioles in both mouse and human lung. In the mouse, these were established to be Clara cells. Murine Clara cells retained circadian rhythmicity when grown as a pure population in culture. Furthermore, selective ablation of Clara cells resulted in the loss of circadian rhythm in lung slices, demonstrating the importance of this cell type in maintaining overall pulmonary circadian rhythmicity. In summary, we demonstrate that Clara cells are critical for maintaining coherent circadian oscillations in lung tissue. Their coexpression of the glucocorticoid receptor and core clock components establishes them as a likely interface between humoral suprachiasmatic nucleus output and circadian lung physiology.

There is a glucocorticoid-sensitive circadian clock within the lung. The bronchial epithelial Clara cells play a critical role in pulmonary circadian timing.
The Effects of Infrasound on Rhesus Monkey Performance of a Continuous Compensatory Tracking Task
Authors: Sherry Clifford J. , Cook Michael C. , Jauchem James R. , Brown G. Carroll , Whitmore Henry B. , Edris Robert W.
Published: September 2008

Background:

Potential bio-behavioral effects of infrasonic energy (<20 Hz) have generally been considered to be due to extra-aural (non-hearing) mechanisms. Since systems that deliver acoustic energy, including infrasound, are being considered for use as non-lethal weapons, it is important to elucidate the possible aural and extra-aural effects of such energy.

Methods:

Subjects (5 adult male rhesus monkeys) engaged in a continuous compensatory tracking task. The effect of short-term exposure to high-intensity infrasound (160 dB), using a custom-made system, on tracking task performance was measured. The effects of the infrasound exposure on auditory measures (otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem evoked potentials) were also examined.

Results:

Tracking behavior of the subjects was substantially disrupted by exposure to 10-Hz infrasound at 160 dB. There was no evidence of any post-exposure alterations in tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, or in auditory brainstem evoked potentials.

Conclusions:

Although the present experiments showed significant effects on performance, further experiments using larger working volumes would have to be undertaken to address the potential uses of such a device.
The Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Effluents by Modified Clays: Retention of Cd(II) and Ni(II) Ions
Authors: Carvalho Wagner A. , Vignado Carolina , Fontana Juliane , Riboldi Marina B.
Published: September 2008

Industrial effluents discharged into aquatic bodies without proper treatment have contributed to the increasing pollution of water by heavy metals. The development of efficient processes for the treatment of industrial effluents is becoming more and more vital since legislation concerning the disposal of metal-contaminated effluents is becoming ever more rigorous.

In the present work, the adsorption of Cd(II) and Ni(II) ions by chelate-impregnated clays has been examined. Montmorillonite K10, an acid-treated industrial clay purchased from Fluka Chemicals, was impregnated with di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) and the disodium salt of iminodiacetic acid (IDA). We have investigated the sorption process from both the static (batch) and kinetic viewpoint, and have studied the influence of pH and temperature on the process. It was observed that the clays exhibited rapid adsorption capabilities and that those impregnated with IDA and DDTC had a high efficiency in the removal of Cd(II) and Ni(II) ions.
Hybrid C18-Bonded Silica Phases: Application in Acetaminophen Adsorption
Authors: Pinto Carolina Feier , Silveira Fernando , Stedile Fernanda C. , Santos João Henrique Z. dos
Published: September 2008

Hybrid silicas bearing octadecylsilane ligands and Lewis acid centres were synthesized by grafting and sol-gel methods. In grafting, Cp2ZrCl2 was employed, while ZrCl4 was used in the sol-gel method. A very low grafted metal content (ca. 0.1 wt% Zr/SiO2) was achieved, with the carbon percentage being dependent on the grafting time. However, a much higher Zr content (up to 20.5 wt% Zr/SiO2) and carbon content (up to 49.3%) was obtained by the sol-gel method. The surface concentration of alkyl groups varied between 0.2 and 2.8 μmol/m2. The solids were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption. The behaviour of the phases towards the adsorption of acetaminophen was evaluated. Two phases showed a higher retention capacity than that exhibited by the commercial octadecyl phase. Recovery results remained between 70% and 100%.
Chromatographic Separation of Chiral Drugs in a Diallyl-L-tartardiamide-based Stationary Phase: Influence of Temperature on the Equilibrium and Mass-Transfer Parameters
Authors: Silva Ivanildo J. , Sartor João P. , Barreto Amaro G. , Santana Cesar C.
Published: September 2008

The influence of temperature on the equilibrium and mass-transfer parameters in the chromatographic separation of bupivacaine enantiomers was evaluated using a chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on diallyl-L-tartardiamide (Kromasil® CHI-TBB). The total and bed porosities as well as the linear equilibrium constant were obtained by pulse experiments using dilute solutions of inert compounds and bupivacaine enantiomers at different flow rates (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 m l/min) and temperatures (25, 35 and 45°C).

The axial dispersion and overall mass-transfer coefficients were evaluated by van Deemter plot. A decrease in the linear equilibrium adsorption constants with increasing temperature was observed for both enantiomers. This chiral column showed good separation performance with a high order of magnitude for the overall mass-transfer coefficient. These values increased with increasing temperature. However, it was not possible to differentiate between these values at different temperatures due to poor standard deviations. Because of the high order of magnitude of the overall mass-transfer coefficient associated with a good resolution of bupivacaine enantiomers, it was concluded that convection effects dominated chiral separation in this column.
Continuum Models for Systems in a Selfstress State
Authors: Kebiche K. , Aoual M. N. Kazi , Motro R.
Published: September 2008

We present a procedure to determine continuum equivalent properties of systems in selfstress state; this procedure is based on the energetic equivalence between the discrete model and the continuum model. This equivalence expresses the identity between strain energy and the selfstress energy developed in both models. Research of equivalent continuum media is made in the vicinity of the non-deformed configuration. The application of this procedure to tensegrity systems is validated on three types of modules, the simplex, the regular quadruplex (vertically homogenized) and the half-cuboctahedron quadruplex (horizontally homogenized). The equivalent rigidities and the coupling terms obtained on these modules are presented and compared to those obtained by a direct method (finite element method). Particular interest is paid to the influence of selfstress on the equivalent rigidities and the coupling terms of the continuum model.
Optimal Design of Transmission Towers Using Genetic Algorithm and Neural Networks
Authors: Kaveh A. , Gholipour Y. , Rahami H.
Published: September 2008

In the context of transmission tower optimization, the energy method and the force method are combined in order to form a holistic design and optimization approach, eliminating the need for time-intensive matrix inversion. A migration genetic algorithm is employed in the optimization process. Although this algorithm is suitable for towers with a limited number of elements, it is inefficient in the case of many towers encountered in practice. The addition of a neural network as an analysis tool reduces the overall computational load. Four examples are presented to demonstrate the important role of neural networks in reducing the computational overhead.
Optimum Design of Socket Joint Systems for Space Structures using Second Order Approximation Method
Authors: Salajegheh Javad , Salajegheh Eysa , Seyedpoor Seyed Mohammad
Published: September 2008

Optimum design of a socket type joint for space structures is achieved by numerical optimisation techniques. The weight of the joint is considered as the objective function and the design variables are the mean radius and thickness of the joint. The design constraints are taken as the applied loads not allowed to exceed the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint as well as some geometric requirements. The structural analysis is carried out by a finite element program employing elasto-plastic analysis. To verify the analysis due to various assumptions, the results are compared with some available experimental results. By incorporating the analysis program with a numerical optimisation method, the optimal values of variables are achieved while all the constrains are satisfied. In order to reduce the computational burden of the optimisation process a number of first and second order approximation concepts are presented. Thus, the lengthy non-linear analysis is not needed for the optimisation process in the specified move limits.
Design of a Special-Purpose Airfoil for Smaller-Capacity Straight-Bladed VAWT
Authors: Islam Mazharul , Ting David S-K. , Fartaj Amir
Published: September 2008

Selection of airfoil is one of the most critical factors in achieving better aerodynamic performance and in determining the optimum dimensions of a fixed-pitch straight-bladed Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine (SB-VAWT), along with solidity, radial arm parasitic drag, aspect ratio etc. Airfoil related design changes also have the potential for increasing the cost effectiveness of SB-VAWTs which is one of the simplest types of wind turbine and they are prospective candidate for diversified urban and rural applications. After identifying the main aerodynamic challenges of this type of wind turbine, the authors short listed the salient aerodynamic and geometric characteristics of a desirable airfoil for a self-starting and better performing SB-VAWT. Based on these findings, detailed performance analyses were done with several prospective airfoils. Finally a special-purpose airfoil has been designed for smaller capacity SB-VAWT.
Incorporation of a Redox Flow Battery in a Wind-Diesel Power System for Simultaneous Frequency and Voltage Control
Authors: Lone Shameem Ahmad , Mufti Mairajud-Din , Iqbal Shiekh Javed
Published: September 2008

Energy storage devices are required for power quality maintenance in stand alone power systems like wind-diesel ones. A redox flow battery system has many virtues which make its integration with a wind-diesel power system attractive. This paper proposes the integration of a redox flow battery system with a typical multi-machine wind-diesel power system for simultaneous voltage and frequency regulation. The redox flow battery is connected to wind park bus through a current controlled voltage source converter based on hysterisis current control. Keeping in view the non-linear and time varying nature of the hybrid wind-diesel-redox flow battery system, neuro-adaptive control is proposed for active/reactive power modulation of the redox flow battery.
A Suitable Load Control Method for Constant Tip Speed Ratio Operation of Stand-Alone Wind Turbine-Generator Systems
Authors: Wakui Tetsuya , Yokoyama Ryohei
Published: September 2008

A suitable load control method for constant tip speed ratio operation of a stand-alone system using a vertical axis wind turbine with self-starting capability is discussed. The system with a straight-wing-type turbine is mainly operated at a constant tip speed ratio. Two types of load control methods are considered: Method-1, where the load torque is controlled in proportion to the square of the rotational speed, and Method-2, which adopts feedback control of the rotational speed in response to the measured wind speed. In this second report on a suitable load control method, the influence of the measurement error of the inflow wind speed is particularly focused on. The computational results obtained using the dynamic simulation model show that Method-1, which is not affected by the measurement error and has a fine smoothing effect of the output fluctuation, is the more suitable load control method.
The input-output Linearizing Control Scheme of the Doubly-Fed Induction Machine as a Wind Power Generation
Authors: Nemmour A. L. , Abdessemed R.
Published: September 2008

The active and reactive powers control of a doubly fed induction generator - DFIG -connected to the grid utility and driven by a wind turbine is presented. The control scheme is based on the input-output feedback linearization strategy. For this purpose, An appropriate mathematical model of the - DFIM - based on the so-called stator magnetizing current field oriented is detailed. An analytical space vector modulation back-to-back SVPWM three-level converter is used. The paper discusses the operating principles of the power generation scheme. Simulation results show that the input-output linearizing control provides decoupled control and perfect tracking of the generated active and reactive powers.
The US Effort to Dispose of High-Level Radioactive Waste
Authors: Thompson Gordon R.
Published: September 2008

This paper reviews the history of the US effort to dispose of high-level radioactive waste created by operating nuclear fission reactors for military and commercial purposes. The history is considered here in three parts: the period beginning in 1957 and ending with passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1982; implementation of that Act over the period 1982 to 2005; and recent plans to promote a nuclear power “renaissance”, including the initiation of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership in 2006. To date, disposal has not been accomplished, and many observers doubt that disposal will occur during the next several decades. The history of the disposal effort features a series of decision-action cycles in which objectives were formulated, decisions were taken, actions were implemented, and outcomes occurred. The decision-action process is examined here with attention to the roles and objectives of major stakeholders, the relation of those objectives to governmental decisions, and the extent to which the actual outcomes have corresponded with the objectives.
The Changing Role and Contribution of Social Science to Nuclear Waste Management in Finland
Authors: Litmanen Tapio
Published: September 2008

This article explores both the social and political usage of social science research and its effectiveness, as perceived by experts, in the process of planning and decision-making in the context of Finnish nuclear waste management. The argument is that public participation in the process is important, but to reach some kind of public acceptability the actors in charge of “solving” the nuclear waste problem have to govern the societal process and respond to the claims and the needs of the public. This requires the integration of social science research into the process responsible for developing the nuclear waste management model.

In trying to understand the uniquely positive nuclear waste siting decision by the Eurajoki municipal council in January 2000, and the decision-in-principle ratified by the Finnish Parliament in May 2001, one has to pay close attention to the bureaucratic processes underlying those decisions. Some kind of public consent, contentment or acceptability was reached in those long and skilful bureaucratic processes, involving both deliberative techniques and a responsive use of social science.

A more general reflection underpinning the study concerns the deepening relationship between science and politics, including the growing bureaucratic ethos of science, the social responsibility of science, the increasing need to control the quality of different societal processes, and the legitimization of societal and political aims.
Risk Perception by Politicians and the Public
Authors: Sjöberg Lennart , Drottz-Sjöberg Britt-Marie
Published: September 2008

Risk perception by local politicians responsible for health and the environment is compared to that of the public in two large, representative samples, and to a group of nuclear waste management experts. Data were collected on many aspects of risk perception with an emphasis on ionizing radiation and nuclear waste issues. It was found that politicians and the public had, on the average, quite similar risk perceptions, which were very different from expert opinion. Politicians had difficulties in estimating what risk perception the public had. Demand for risk mitigation was mostly related to the respondents' ratings of risk, for both politicians and members of the public. Politicians apparently did not consider the public's views to any large degree in forming their policy attitudes. Politicians had less trust in industry than the public did. Both epistemic and social trust were found to be factors in perceived risk, roughly equal in importance. The risk perception models also included Interfering with Nature as an important factor, whereas traditional Psychometric Model factors contributed very little. Frequency of communication with others about a nuclear policy issue was related to attitude; more strongly so if communication was more frequent. The results were interpreted as the outcome of a process of social validation of policy attitudes, a hypothesis which could also explain why experts had so divergent risk assessments as compared to politicians and members of the public. Attitudes to a local high-level nuclear waste repository were quite negative in both groups, positive among the experts.
Governance for Green Electrity: Formation of Rules between Market and Hierarchy
Authors: Hofman Peter S.
Published: September 2008

The introduction and rapid spread of green electricity as a specific product has triggered a sequence of changes in Dutch electricity supply and green electricity trade and even has impacted European energy policy. Triggered by fundamental changes in the electricity sector it led to new governance arrangement for the product green electricity. As initial rules were weakened, in particular the additionality principle, the sustainability impact of the new concept was significantly reduced. Nevertheless, green electricity certificate systems and international trade were enabled by its emergence. The article analyses the process of rule formation around green electricity and explains how the nature of green electricity altered as part of that process.
Redd as Multi-Level Governance In-The-Making
Authors: Skutsch Margaret , Van Laake Patrick E.
Published: September 2008

A new policy, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries, is currently being discussed under the UNFCCC. This policy will necessarily involve multi-level governance and involve international, national and local level bodies in both North and South. The paper considers a number of unresolved issues relating to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries and how the interests of the different levels in this governance structure will be reflected in them. It demonstrates that on several issues there is more difference in interest between different South Parties than between South and North. It also shows that recognition of traditional and local level forest governance capacities by national Parties may be an essential step not only to control deforestation and degradation, but also to provide the data that the state will need to claim carbon credits.
A Study on the WPT-based Structural Damage Alarming of the ASCE Benchmark Experiments
Authors: Ding Youliang , Li Aiqun , Liu Tao
Published: September 2008

A workable realization procedure for damage alarming of frame structures is put forward based on energy variations of structural dynamic responses decomposed using wavelet packet transform in the paper. The WPT-based method consists of two steps: 1) calculation of the wavelet packet energy spectrum from the measured structural dynamic responses; 2) extraction of the damage alarming index ERVD from the wavelet packet energy spectrum, which is sensitive to structural local damage and insensitive to measurement noise. The ASCE benchmark experiments demonstrate the practicability of the damage alarming method for fame structures, which reveal that the WPT-based damage alarming index ERVD is a good candidate index that is sensitive to structural local damage affected by the actual measurement noise. Also, the experimental results reveal that the lower decomposition level and dominant frequency bands are sufficient for the detection of the damage occurrence using the index ERVD, which makes the proposed damage alarming procedure practical.
A Series Solution for the Free Vibrations of Thin-Walled Composite Beams
Authors: Kim Nam-IL , Shin Dong Ku
Published: September 2008

Based on series solutions, the free vibration analysis of thin-walled composite beam with channel sections is performed. For this, the dynamic stiffness matrix is presented using the homogeneous form of the simultaneous ordinary differential equations. The general theory for the vibration analysis of composite beam with arbitrary lamination including the restrained warping torsion is developed by introducing Vlasov's assumption. Next, the equations of motion and force-displacement relationships are derived from the energy principle and explicit expressions for displacement parameters are presented based on power series expansions of displacement components. Then the exact dynamic stiffness matrix is determined using force-displacement relationships. In addition, the finite element model based on Hermitian interpolation polynomial is developed. In order to verify the accuracy and validity of this study, numerical solutions are presented and compared with the analytical solutions from other researchers and the finite element solutions using the Hermitian beam elements. Particularly, the effects of modulus orthotropy and boundary conditions on the vibrational behavior of thin-walled composite beam with various fiber orientations are investigated.
Analytical Model to Predict the Influence of Shear on Longitudinal Steel Tension in Reinforced Concrete Beams
Authors: Kim Woo , Kim Dae-Joong
Published: September 2008

This paper presents an analytical model to predict the increase in longitudinal reinforcement tension due to shear in reinforced concrete beams. Based on a smeared truss idealization with an inclined compression chord, the model assumes that the profiles of compression chord can be represented by the simple power law of which curvature effect equilibrates a constant fraction of the shear along the span. Thereby, the sectional equilibrium and compatibility conditions are established between the forces and deformations associated with the chords and those associated with the web. The modified compression field theory is employed to evaluate the shear deformation of the web. From these equilibrium and compatibility conditions, the influence of shear on the longitudinal steel tension is determined at each cross section of a beam. The accuracy of the model is examined by comparisons with the measured values which are available in literatures. A good agreement is observed between the predicted and the measured at every loading stage in each test beam. Also the model is compared with the shift-rule in the current design codes, and the differences are discussed.
Concrete Component of the Rotational Ductility of Reinforced Concrete Flexural Members
Authors: Oehlers Deric J. , Ali M.S. Mohamed , Griffith Michael C.
Published: September 2008

Reinforced concrete flexural members inherently rely on member ductility to ensure a safe design by allowing for: redistribution of applied stress resultants; quantification of drift for determining magnified moments; and for the absorption of seismic, blast and impact energy. Structural engineers have recognised that much of the member rotation is concentrated in a small region referred to as the plastic hinge and because of the complexity of the problem this has been quantified mainly through testing. In this paper, a new plastic hinge approach that is based on well established shear-friction theory is postulated. The generic behaviour of this novel shear-friction hinge is shown to agree with that exhibited in tests. Furthermore, the shear-friction hinge explains the mechanics of the benefits of confinement, such as that due to FRP encasement or steel stirrups, on the rotational capacity of RC members.
A Performance-Based Design Approach for Coupled Core Wall Systems with Diagonally Reinforced Concrete Coupling Beams
Authors: Xuan Gang , Shahrooz Bahram M. , Harries Kent A. , Rassati Gian A.
Published: September 2008

Coupled core wall systems (CCWs) are lateral force resisting systems that can provide remarkable lateral stiffness for mid- to high-rise buildings, exceeding the lateral stiffness of isolated walls while providing the redundancy and force redistribution capabilities of framed systems. The lateral stiffness provided by CCWs largely depends on the type of coupling beams used to transfer forces between wall piers. Diagonally-reinforced concrete coupling beams are one of the more common details although composite alternatives (e.g., those using structural steel W-shapes, hollow structural steel sections, or embedded steel plates) or beams with rhombic reinforcement are increasingly being selected as viable alternatives. Despite the favorable behavior exhibited by diagonally-reinforced coupling beams in experimental studies, designing and constructing diagonally-reinforced coupling beams having practical span-to-depth ratios presents significant difficulties, impacting the use of CCWs as a viable lateral force resisting system. This paper presents a performance-based design (PBD) approach that allows the designer to successfully proportion a code-compliant CCW system that addresses the shortcomings related to the traditional strength-based design approach. A prototype building is designed following both approaches, and is analyzed both statically and dynamically. Results show that the PBD approach produces a code-compliant structure that satisfies the most pressing constructability constraints.
Optimized Compact Finite Difference Schemes with High Accuracy and Maximum Resolution
Authors: Liu Zhanxin , Huang Qibai , Zhao Zhigao , Yuan Jixuan
Published: September 2008

The pentadiagonal compact finite difference scheme and asymmetric boundary schemes are optimized with high accuracy and maximum resolution in this paper. Through Fourier analysis, the optimization is reduced to the problem of finding the minimum of a multivariable nonlinear function with multiple constraints. The advanced sequential quadratic programming method is employed to find the minimum. In order to extend the resolution characteristic of the schemes, the wavenumber domain for optimization is nearly identical to the well-resolved domain, and the maximum well-resolved wavenumber is obtained by means of equal step length searching. The optimized schemes are strictly stable as confirmed by an eigenvalue analysis. The increased performances of the schemes are demonstrated through their application to one- and two-dimensional examples and are compared with other schemes optimized before.
Performance-Based Design: Current Practices and Research Issues
Authors: Oxman Rivka
Published: September 2008

In view of current developments in the theory and technology of digital design, potential novel directions for environments that support performance-based design are beginning to emerge. The field of performance-based design is defined through an analysis of current work in the field. Various models of performance-based architectural design are presented and discussed. On the basis of this analysis, key concepts and issues in the application of performance-based design in architecture are defined and certain research directions for the development of new approaches are presented. Finally we propose a new approach termed: Performative Design. Performative Design suggests that in creating simulation environments for performance-based architectural design both generative and evaluative capabilities can be integrated within performance-based simulations. The potential of performance-based simulation as a model of performance-based design is explored through a case study from an experimental digital design studio. Implication of this work on future research directions in the field is explicated.
Clarifying the Concept of Communities of Practice in Sport
Authors: Culver Diane , Trudel Pierre
Published: September 2008

In an attempt to describe learning outside of the usual official curriculum, concepts such as workplace learning, nonformal learning, informal learning, and incidental learning have been used in the fields of teacher education, workplace pedagogy, and sport. These ‘outside-of-the-classroom’ learning opportunities are characterized by the important role that peers play in the learning process. Participation in communities of practice (CoPs) provides one such opportunity for learning. Recent interest in this concept for coach education and in sport has resulted in an increasing number of studies in which researchers promote CoPs, but not all these studies operationalise CoPs clearly and according to Etienne Wenger's framework To clarify this situation and further stimulate the discussion around the potential of CoPs in sport, we present a brief history and description of the concept, compare it with related notions, and describe some recent studies on CoPs in sport.
Zen Buddhism, Sport Psychology and Golf
Authors: Jenkins Simon
Published: September 2008

Sport psychology has been influenced by Zen Buddhism as can be seen by the way in which ideas from Zen were used by Timothy Gallwey in his popular Inner Game series. The root of this Zen influence is Eugen Herrigel's Zen in the Art of Archery. Herrigel was influenced by D.T. Suzuki, who popularised Zen Buddhism in the West. Zen has generally been adopted in an instrumental manner by sport psychology and is stripped of its metaphysical context. Drawing on Zen and other Eastern disciplines such as Yoga, however, Michael Murphy's Golf in the Kingdom has spurned a large following. Jeff Wallach's Beyond the Fairwayis noteworthy in its use of Zen not only for performance enhancement, but also for matters of life meaning such as the father-son relationship.