bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and thermal properties of chitosan‐filled polypropylene composites: The effect of acrylic acid
Authors: Husseinsyah Salmah , Amri Faisal , Husin Kamarudin , Ismail Hanafi
Published: May 2011

The mechanical properties, morphology, and thermal properties of chitosan‐filled polypropylene (PP) composites have been studied. The effect of the chemical modification of chitosan by acrylic acid treatment was also investigated. Results showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased but that the Young's modulus of the composites increased with increasing filler loading. Chemical modification of chitosan with acrylic acid improved the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composites but reduced the elongation at break. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of chitosan improved the thermal stability of the PP/chitosan composites as compared to that of neat PP. Chemical modification of chitosan had a positive effect on the thermal stability of the composites. This change was attributed to improvement of the interfacial adhesion between the chitosan and PP matrix due to formation of a covalent bond between chitosan and acrylic acid. Meanwhile, differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed that the addition of filler did not significantly change the melting temperature (Tm) of the PP/chitosan composites. The degree of crystallinity of the composites decreased with the addition of chitosan. At a similar chitosan loading, the chemically treated PP/chitosan composites exhibited higher crystallinity than the untreated composites and exhibited slightly increased Tm. A scanning electron microscopy study of the tensile fracture surface of chemically treated PP/chitosan composites indicated that the presence of acrylic acid increased the interfacial interaction between chitosan and the polypropylene matrix. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and Characterization of Triphenyltin(IV) Carboxylates with Isophthalic Acid and Benzoic Acid Derivatives: X‐ray Crystal Structures of 1D Supramolecular Chains
Authors: Liu Chunling , Li Wenjie , Du Dafeng , Zhu Dongsheng , Xu Lin
Published: May 2011

The reaction of triphenyltin(IV) hydroxide with the isophthalic acid and benzoic acid derivatives, 5‐(1,3‐dioxo‐1,3‐dihydro‐isoindol‐2‐yl)‐isophthalic acid (H2L1) and 4‐(1,3‐dioxo‐1,3‐dihydro‐isoindol‐2‐yl)‐benzoic acid (HL2) yielded the complexes [(SnPh3)2L1] (1) and [(SnPh3)L2] (2). All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and FT‐IR and NMR (1H, 13C, 119Sn) spectroscopy. Interestingly, the supramolecular structures of 1 and 2 are found to consist of 1D molecular chains built up by intermolecular C–H···O hydrogen bonds. Their thermal stabilities were also investigated.
A Hoare logic for linear systems
Authors: Arthan Rob , Martin Ursula , Oliva Paulo
Published: May 2011

We consider reasoning about linear systems expressed as block diagrams that give a graphical representation of a system of differential equations or recurrence equations. We use the notion of additive relation borrowed from homological algebra to give a convenient framework in which all diagrams have a semantic value. We give a sound system of Hoare-style rules for the block diagram constructors that singles out a tractable subset of the block diagram language in which all diagrams represent total functions. We show these rules in action on some simple examples from a variety of applications domains.
Review of the Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Type I Gastric Carcinoid Tumor
Authors: Zhang Linda , Ozao Junko , Warner Richard , Divino Celia
Published: May 2011

Gastric carcinoid tumors comprise 7% of all gastrointestinal carcinoids and have significantly increased in incidence over the past few decades. Seventy to 80% of gastric carcinoids are type I, which usually are clinically asymptomatic and found incidentally at endoscopic evaluation for abdominal pain or anemia. In this review, advances in understanding the pathophysiology of type I gastric carcinoid are highlighted. In addition, various current diagnostic and treatment options are discussed. Although type I carcinoids generally hold a benign course, rigorous investigation is needed to ensure accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment. This includes appropriate diagnostic procedures and imaging and accurate staging of tumor. Tumor size, depth of invasion, presence of metastasis, and the tumor’s gastrin dependency dictate treatment options. Appropriate treatments can consist of endoscopic resection, antrectomy, medical management, or frequent follow‐up. This article provides a systematic method of evaluating and treating type I gastric carcinoid.
What influences clinician’s satisfaction with radiology services?
Authors: Lindsay Richard , McKinstry Steven , Vallely Stephen , Thornbury Gail
Published: May 2011

Aim

PACS and teleradiology systems have led to marked changes in the traditional relationship between referring clinicians and hospital radiology departments. The aim of this study was to assess which factors influence clinicians’ satisfaction with modern radiology services.

Method

An Internet-based survey questionnaire was sent to all referring clinicians within a large hospital network.

Results

Fifty-eight percent of 316 clinicians responded to the survey. Seventy percent felt PACS installation had improved reporting time, and 56% felt it had improved working patterns for medical staff. Approachability of radiologists was the only factor significantly associated with increased satisfaction (p = 8 × 10–8). A number of factors were found to be significantly associated with the perceived value of radiology reports, and these are discussed. An increase in clinicians’ confidence in their own radiological skills was not associated with a decrease in the value they placed on radiology reports.

Conclusion

The only factor significantly associated with improved clinician satisfaction was the availability of an approachable radiology service. Availability of PACS did not appear to undermine the value placed on radiology reports.
Global weak solutions for a modified two-component Camassa–Holm equation
Authors: Guan Chunxia , Yin Zhaoyang
Published: May 2011

We obtain the existence of global-in-time weak solutions for the Cauchy problem of a modified two-component Camassa–Holm equation. The global weak solution is obtained as a limit of viscous approximation. The key elements in our analysis are the Helly theorem and some a priori one-sided supernorm and space–time higher integrability estimates on the first-order derivatives of approximation solutions.

Nous obtenons lʼexistence globale en temps de solutions faibles pour le problème de Cauchy dʼune équation modifiée Camassa–Holm à deux composantes. La solution faible globale est obtenue comme une limite de par approximation visqueuse. Les éléments clé dans notre analyse sont le théorème de Helly et certaines estimations a priori de supernorme dʼun seul côté et dʼintégrabilité dans lʼespace-temps des dérivées premières des solutions approchées.
Global well-posedness for the KP-II equation on the background of a non-localized solution
Authors: Molinet Luc , Saut Jean-Claude , Tzvetkov Nikolay
Published: May 2011

Motivated by transverse stability issues, we address the time evolution under the KP-II flow of perturbations of a solution which does not decay in all directions, for instance the KdV-line soliton. We study two different types of perturbations: perturbations that are square integrable in

\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{T}

and perturbations that are square integrable in

\mathbb{R}^{2}

. In both cases we prove the global well-posedness of the Cauchy problem associated with such initial data.
Boundary layers for compressible Navier–Stokes equations with density-dependent viscosity and cylindrical symmetry
Authors: Yao Lei , Zhang Ting , Zhu Changjiang
Published: May 2011

In this paper, we consider the zero shear viscosity limit for the Navier–Stokes equations of compressible flows with density-dependent viscosity coefficient and cylindrical symmetry. The boundary layer effect as the shear viscosity

\mu = \varepsilon \rho ^{\theta }

goes to zero (in fact,

\varepsilon \rightarrow 0

in this paper, which implies

\mu \rightarrow 0

) is studied. We prove that the boundary layer thickness is of the order

O(\varepsilon ^{\alpha })

, where

0 < \alpha < \frac{1}{2}

for the constant initial data and

0 < \alpha < \frac{1}{4}

for the general initial data, which extend the result in Frid and Shelukhin (1999) [4] to the case of density-dependent viscosity coefficient.
Abdominal hyperalgesia in secretory phospholipase A2‐induced rat pancreatitis: Distinct roles of NK1 receptors
Authors: Camargol Enilton A. , Zanonil Cristiane I. , Toyamal Marcos H. , Muscaral Marcelo N. , Dochertyl Reginald J. , Costal Soraia K.P.
Published: May 2011

We investigated the potential of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2)‐induced pancreatitis to promote abdominal hyperalgesia, as well as to depolarize sensory fibres in vitro using a grease‐gap technique. Pancreatitis was induced by the injection of sPLA2 from Crotalus durissus terrificus (sPLA2 Cdt, 300μgkg−1) venom into the common bile duct of rats. Pancreatic inflammatory signs, serum amylase levels and abdominal hyperalgesia were evaluated in rats treated or not with SR140333, a tachykinin NK1 receptor antagonist. Injection of sPLA2 Cdt caused pancreatic oedema formation and increased pancreatic neutrophil infiltration and serum amylase at 4 h, which returned to normality by 24 h, except for the neutrophil infiltration, which was still increased at this time point. Animals injected with sPLA2 exhibited a lower withdrawal threshold to electronic von Frey stimulation in the upper abdominal region at 4 h, but not 24 h, post‐injection when compared with saline‐injected rats. Pre‐treatment of animals with SR140333 significantly reduced the sPLA2 Cdt‐induced abdominal hyperalgesia, without affecting the other parameters. Neither sPLA2 Cdt nor sPLA2 from Naja mocambique mocambique venom depolarized capsaicin‐sensitive sensory fibres from rat vagus nerve, but they decreased the propagated compound action potentials in both A and C fibres. These data show for the first time that NK1 receptors play an important role in the early abdominal hyperalgesia in a rat model of sPLA2‐induced pancreatitis, suggesting that these receptors are of importance in the development of pain in the pancreatitis condition. We also provide evidence that sPLA2s do not directly depolarize sensory fibres in vitro.
Association of the intronic rs2072621 polymorphism of the X-linked GPR50 gene with affective disorder with seasonal pattern
Authors: Delavest M. , Even C. , Benjemaa N. , Poirier M.-F. , Jockers R. , Krebs M.-O.
Published: May 2011

This case-control study found an association between Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and a single nucleotide polymorphism (intronic rs2072621) of the gene encoding GPR50 (an orphan member of the G protein-coupled melatonin receptor subfamily) in females. This may represent a gender-specific risk factor and a molecular link between melatonin and SAD.
Arthritis in space and time – To boldly go!
Authors: Benson R.A. , Patakas A. , McQueenie R. , Ross K. , McInnes I.B. , Brewer J.M. , Garside P.
Published: May 2011

Despite the profound impact of biologics on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), long lasting disease remission remains elusive. We propose that this is a consequence of failing to target the right molecular pathway in the most relevant patient group at the appropriate time and place in disease progression. A limitation to testing this approach is the availability of disease models representing the discrete steps in autoimmune pathogenesis. A particular example is the paucity of models to dissect the conditions permissive for the breach of self‐tolerance, which would subsequently allow identification and testing of therapeutics for re‐establishment of self‐tolerance. We conclude that a detailed understanding of the location and timing of events leading to the systemic breach of self‐tolerance and subsequent progression to tissue specific pathology are required if rational application of existing drugs and identification of novel targets is to be achieved. This will take the personalised medicine revolution into the realms of contextualised medicine, whereby the right drug is targeted to the right tissue, in the right patient, at the right time.
A tephrochronologic method based on apatite trace-element chemistry
Authors: Sell Bryan Keith , Samson Scott Douglas
Published: May 2011

Geochemical correlation of ash-fall beds with conventional tephrochronologic methods is not feasible when original glass composition is altered. Thus, alternative correlation methods may be required. Initial studies of heavily altered Paleozoic tephra (K-bentonites) have suggested the potential for employing trace-element concentrations in apatite as ash-fall bed discriminators. To further test the utility of apatite trace-element tephrochronology, we analyzed apatite phenocrysts from unaltered volcanic rocks with an electron microprobe: nine samples from rocks erupted during the Quaternary and one sample from a rock erupted during the Paleogene. The resulting apatite trace-element data provide unique bed discriminators despite within-crystal variability. Each of the volcanic rocks studied possesses unique trends in Mg, Cl, Mn, Fe, Ce and Y concentrations in apatite. The results from this study establish an important tephrochronologic method that can be applied to nearly all portions of the Phanerozoic stratigraphic record and greatly assist development of an advanced timescale. In addition to establishing a fingerprint for a particular eruption, apatite chemistry provides useful information about the source magma.
The West Looks East: The Influence of Toyohiko Kagawa on American Mainline Protestantism
Authors: King David P.
Published: May 2011

Toyohiko Kagawa served as the leading Christian voice in Japan from the 1920s through the 1940s. While nationally respected throughout Japan, he also became a hero among American Protestants. Kagawa's popularity in the West rose during a time of transition for mainline Protestantism. The American mainline's optimism and dominance as the religious “establishment” began to falter. It faced both religious and economic depression, internal theological divisions, and a reassessment of their mandate for missions. In the 1930s, mainline Protestants in America were searching for a voice, and Kagawa provided one. Long before the recent scholarship on the rise of global Christianity, the mainline had turned to World Christianity as a model. It was not simply Kagawa's message as a world statesman, however, that drew American Protestants. They also employed him as a symbol for their own aims and ambitions. At a time of reevaluating the foreign mission enterprise, Kagawa and an indigenous Eastern church reminded the mainline of past success while promising hope for the future. As an interpreter of social issues, Kagawa likewise spoke a contemporary idiom. For a short time, the Japanese Christian Toyohiko Kagawa became a Western hero, but a hero shaped through a particular Western lens.
Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: experience in 14 patients
Authors: Ketenci İ , Ünlü Y , Kaya H , Somdaş M A , Kontaş O , Öztürk M , Vural A
Published: May 2011

Objective:

Mucormycosis is an opportunist, often lethal fungal infection which occurs in immunocompromised patients. We present our experience in 14 patients with this condition.

Patients and methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted for 14 patients treated for rhinocerebral mucormycosis.

Results:

Nine patients had diabetes mellitus and six had a haematological malignancy. Nine patients had cutaneous and/or palatal necrosis. Eleven patients were treated with amphotericin B and five with liposomal amphotericin B. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in five patients with disease limited to the sinonasal cavity; nine patients underwent more extensive surgery. Five patients with disease limited to the sinonasal cavity survived, while nine patients with widely disseminated disease died. Five of the nine diabetic patients died, as did five of the six patients with haematological malignancy.

Conclusion:

Patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis spreading outside the sinonasal cavity have a poor prognosis.
Wave propagation in the magnetized cores of white dwarf stars with ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons
Authors: SHUKLA P. K. , MENDIS D. A. , KRASHENINNIKOV S. I.
Published: May 2011

We discuss the dispersive properties of low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) perturbations in the magnetized core of self-gravitating white dwarf stars with ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons. For our purposes, we derive a dispersion relation by using the hydrodynamic equations for the ions under the action of EM and self-gravitating forces, and the inertialess electrons under the action of EM forces and the gradient of the ultra-relativistic pressure. The dispersion relation admits stability of a white dwarf star against a class of EM perturbations whose wavelengths are shorter than 15000 km.
Common limbic and frontal-striatal disturbances in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and hypochondriasis
Authors: van den Heuvel O. A. , Mataix-Cols D. , Zwitser G. , Cath D. C. , van der Werf Y. D. , Groenewegen H. J. , van Balkom A. J. L. M. , Veltman D. J.
Published: May 2011

Background

Direct comparisons of brain function between obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and other anxiety or OCD spectrum disorders are rare. This study aimed to investigate the specificity of altered frontal-striatal and limbic activations during planning in OCD, a prototypical anxiety disorder (panic disorder) and a putative OCD spectrum disorder (hypochondriasis).

Method

The Tower of London task, a ‘frontal-striatal’ task, was used during functional magnetic resonance imaging measurements in 50 unmedicated patients, diagnosed with OCD (n=22), panic disorder (n=14) or hypochondriasis (n=14), and in 22 healthy subjects. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes were calculated for contrasts of interest (planning versus baseline and task load effects). Moreover, correlations between BOLD responses and both task performance and state anxiety were analysed.

Results

Overall, patients showed a decreased recruitment of the precuneus, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus and thalamus, compared with healthy controls. There were no statistically significant differences in brain activation between the three patient groups. State anxiety was negatively correlated with dorsal frontal-striatal activation. Task performance was positively correlated with dorsal frontal-striatal recruitment and negatively correlated with limbic and ventral frontal-striatal recruitment. Multiple regression models showed that adequate task performance was best explained by independent contributions from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (positive correlation) and amygdala (negative correlation), even after controlling for state anxiety.

Conclusions

Patients with OCD, panic disorder and hypochondriasis share similar alterations in frontal-striatal brain regions during a planning task, presumably partly related to increased limbic activation.
Testing the validity and acceptability of the diagnostic criteria for Hoarding Disorder: a DSM-5 survey
Authors: Mataix-Cols D. , Fernández de la Cruz L.. , Nakao T. , Pertusa A.
Published: May 2011

Background

The DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Sub-Workgroup is recommending the creation of a new diagnostic category named Hoarding Disorder (HD). The validity and acceptability of the proposed diagnostic criteria have yet to be formally tested.

Method

Obsessive-compulsive disorder/hoarding experts and random members of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) were shown eight brief clinical vignettes (four cases meeting criteria for HD, three with hoarding behaviour secondary to other mental disorders, and one with subclinical hoarding behaviour) and asked to decide the most appropriate diagnosis in each case. Participants were also asked about the perceived acceptability of the criteria and whether they supported the inclusion of HD in the main manual.

Results

Altogether, 211 experts and 48 APA members completed the survey (30% and 10% response rates, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of the HD diagnosis and the individual criteria were high (80–90%) across various types of professionals, irrespective of their experience with hoarding cases. About 90% of participants in both samples thought the criteria would be very/somewhat acceptable for professionals and sufferers. Most experts (70%) supported the inclusion of HD in the main manual, whereas only 50% of the APA members did.

Conclusions

The proposed criteria for HD have high sensitivity and specificity. The criteria are also deemed acceptable for professionals and sufferers alike. Training of professionals and the development and validation of semi-structured diagnostic instruments should improve diagnostic accuracy even further. A field trial is now needed to confirm these encouraging findings with real patients in real clinical settings.
Invariant rigid geometric structures and expanding maps
Authors: FANG YONG
Published: May 2011

In the first part of this paper, we consider several natural problems about locally homogeneous rigid geometric structures. In particular, we formulate a notion of topological completeness which is adapted to the study of global rigidity of chaotic dynamical systems. In the second part of the paper, we prove the following result: let φ be a C∞ expanding map of a closed manifold. If φ preserves a topologically complete C∞ rigid geometric structure, then φ is C∞ conjugate to an expanding infra-nilendomorphism.
Majority language instruction as a basis for plurilingual education – Mehrheitssprachenunterricht als Basis plurilingualer Erziehung (MARILLE)
Authors: Boeckmann Klaus-Börge
Published: May 2011

This project is unusual as an ECML project in that it explicitly does not deal with foreign or second languages. Our working term ‘majority language’, used in the project title, denotes a language variously referred to as a ‘national’ or ‘official’ language, a ‘language of instruction’ or a ‘language of education’ in Beacco & Byram's 2007 report (http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/guide_niveau3_EN.asp), but that has recently been termed a ‘language(s) of schooling’ in the 2009 project of that name by the Council of Europe's Language Policy Division (www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Schoollang_EN.asp). Such a language is usually the native language of a majority of pupils in a country, but not necessarily in an individual class or school, where many other native languages might be represented.
The Council of Europe's European Centre for Modern Languages
Authors: Martyniuk Waldemar
Published: May 2011

The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), a Council of Europe Partial Agreement based in Graz, Austria, has been serving the community of language education professionals in its 34 member states for over 15 years now. This unique intergovernmental centre, integrated within the Council of Europe's Department of Language Education and Policy, offers concrete approaches to the issues and challenges facing Europe's multicultural societies in a period of intensive change and mobility.
The Walker conjecture for chains in ℝd
Authors: FARBER MICHAEL , HAUSMANN JEAN-CLAUDE , SCHÜTZ DIRK
Published: May 2011

A chain is a configuration in ℝd of segments of length ℓ1, . . ., ℓn−1 consecutively joined to each other such that the resulting broken line connects two given points at a distance ℓn. For a fixed generic set of length parameters the space of all chains in ℝd is a closed smooth manifold of dimension (n − 2)(d − 1) − 1. In this paper we study cohomology algebras of spaces of chains. We give a complete classification of these spaces (up to equivariant diffeomorphism) in terms of linear inequalities of a special kind which are satisfied by the length parameters ℓ1, . . ., ℓn. This result is analogous to the conjecture of K. Walker which concerns the special case d=2.
Non-linear effects on canonical MEMS models
Authors: BRUBAKER NICHOLAS D. , PELESKO JOHN A.
Published: May 2011

In modelling electrostatically actuated micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, researchers have typically relied on a small-aspect ratio to form a leading-order theory. In doing so, small gradient terms are dropped. Although this approximation has been fruitful, its consequences have not been investigated. Here, this approximation is re-examined, and a new theory which includes often neglected small curvature terms is presented. Furthermore, the solution set of the new theory is explored for the unit disk domain and compared to the standard theory. Also, the analytical results are compared to experimental data.
Cardiac computed tomography and conventional angiography in the diagnosis of congenital cardiac disease in children: recent trends and radiation doses
Authors: Gherardi Guy G. , Iball Gareth R. , Darby Michael J. , Thomson John D.R.
Published: May 2011

Background

The use of imaging that employs ionising radiation is increasing in the setting of paediatric cardiology. Children's high radiosensitivity and the lack of contemporary radiation data warrant a review of the radiation doses from the latest “state-of-the-art” angiography and computed tomography systems.

Objectives

In children aged less than 16 years with congenital cardiac disease, we aimed to report: recent trends in the use of diagnostic angiography and cardiac dual-source computed tomography; the characteristics, lesions, and imaging histories of patients undergoing these procedures; and the average radiation doses imparted by each modality.

Study design

Retrospective review of consecutive cases undergoing cardiac computed tomography or diagnostic angiography in a teaching hospital between January, 2008 and December, 2009. Radiation doses were converted to effective doses (millisievert) using published conversion factors.

Results

Angiography was performed 3.7 times more often than computed tomography. Computed tomography examinations increased by 92.5%, whereas angiography decreased by 26.4% in 2009 compared with 2008. Patients undergoing computed tomography were younger and weighed less than those undergoing angiography, but lesions were similar between the 2 groups. Multiple lifetime angiography was more prevalent than multiple lifetime computed tomography (p < 0.001). The median procedural dose – range – from angiography and computed tomography was 5 (0.2–27.8) and 1.7 (0.5–9.5) millisieverts, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Despite not being completely analogous investigations, computed tomography should be considered prior to angiography and not withheld on radiation dose concerns, given that it imparts lower and more consistent doses than conventional angiography.
Impact of the 26 December 2003 Bam Earthquake on Activities of Daily Living
and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living of Older People
Authors: Ardalan Ali , Mazaheri Monir , Mowafi Hani , VanRooyen Michael , Teimoori Fariba , Abbasi Reza
Published: May 2011

Introduction: This study compares self-reported Activities of Daily Living
(ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) status among elderly survivors of
the 2003 Bam Earthquake before, two months after, and five years after the event, and
explores related determinants.

Methods: A two-stage cluster survey was conducted on 210 elderly survivors
in the earthquake-stricken area five years after the event.

Results: Both ADL and IADL scores decreased two months after earthquake
compared to prior status (p <0.001). No differences were observed
between two months and five years after the event (p >0.05).
Access to medical services were not related to level of ADL or IADL (p =
0.52 and p = 0.74, respectively). Elderly survivors with lower functional
capability in terms of ADL experienced more problems in access to relief items
(p = 0.04), but no similar association was found for IADL
(p = 0.26).

Conclusion: The Bam earthquake adversely affected functional capacity of the
elderly. Disaster responders must take into account functional capacity of elders when
planning for medical and relief operations.
Transferable knowledge: an interview with Bent Flyvbjerg
Authors: Kirkeby Inge Mette
Published: May 2011

The question of the nature of knowledge is vital in understanding the relation between research and practice. This question is vital, not least for architectural researchers since they often have to struggle with a rationalist ideal that research-based knowledge must be context-independent. But architects ‘know’ that this kind of knowledge does not cover the need for knowledge in architecture and design, a field between the humanities, social sciences and technology. Several volumes of arq contain articles and letters on this subject.
Thinking between diagram and image: the ergonomics of abstraction and imitation
Authors: Lueder Christoph
Published: May 2011

The work of the American painter Jackson Pollock speaks to us not only through exhibitions of paintings hung on gallery walls, but also through the films and photographs [1] of Hans Namuth which exposed Pollock's phased working process to the public. In the first of two distinct phases Pollock is seen immersed in, and in intimate interaction with, a large horizontal canvas. This records traces of his movement and expressive gestures in heterogeneous media. A second phase is then triggered by a pivotal operation: the horizontal recording and working surface is transposed to a vertical viewing plane. Leo Steinberg recounts that Pollock: ‘would tack the canvas on to a wall – to get acquainted with it, he used to say; to see where it wanted to go. He lived with the painting in its uprighted state, as with a world confronting his human posture’.
An analysis of the content of food industry pledges on marketing to children
Authors: Hawkes Corinna , Harris Jennifer L
Published: May 2011

Objective

To identify pledges made by the food industry to change food marketing to children worldwide, examine their content and discuss their potential to reduce the harmful effects of food marketing to children.

Design

A search for pledges and specific commitments made by participating companies and a content analysis of their scope and criteria used to define the marketing covered or excluded.

Setting

Global.

Subjects

Food industry pledges.

Results

Between 2005 and 2009, the food industry developed thirteen pledges on food marketing to children, involving fifty-two food companies. Two of the pledges were global, two were regional and nine applied to specific countries. Three were specific to the soft drinks industry and to the fast-food industry, with the rest being food industry wide. Ten of the pledges required companies to publish individual commitments; a total of eighty-two such commitments were published, many of which extended beyond the minimum standards set in the pledges. All pledges included definitions of children and child-targeted media, as well as the communication channels and marketing techniques covered, and permitted companies to set criteria for foods that are exempted from any restrictions. There were many similarities between the pledges and individual commitments; however, there were also many differences.

Conclusions

The development of pledges on food marketing to children in such a short span of time is impressive. However, limitations and inconsistencies in the pledges and commitments suggest that the food industry has a long way to go if its pledges are to comprehensively reduce the exposure and power of marketing to children.
Ndc80 Regulates Meiotic Spindle Organization, Chromosome Alignment, and Cell Cycle Progression in Mouse Oocytes
Authors: Sun Shao-Chen , Zhang Ding-Xiao , Lee Seung-Eun , Xu Yong-Nan , Kim Nam-Hyung
Published: May 2011

Ndc80 (called Hec1 in human), the core component of the Ndc80 complex, is involved in regulation of both kinetochore-microtubule interactions and the spindle assembly checkpoint in mitosis; however, its role in meiosis remains unclear. Here, we report Ndc80 expression, localization, and possible functions in mouse oocyte meiosis. Ndc80 mRNA levels gradually increased during meiosis. Immunofluorescent staining showed that Ndc80 was restricted to the germinal vesicle and associated with spindle microtubules from the Pro-MI to MII stages. Ndc80 was localized on microtubules and asters in the cytoplasm after taxol treatment, while Ndc80 staining was diffuse after disruption of microtubules by nocodazole treatment, confirming its microtubule localization. Disruption of Ndc80 function by either siRNA injection or antibody injection resulted in severe chromosome misalignment, spindle disruption, and precocious polar body extrusion. Our data show a unique localization pattern of Ndc80 in mouse oocytes and suggest that Ndc80 may be required for chromosome alignment and spindle organization, and may regulate spindle checkpoint activity during mouse oocyte meiosis.
Optimal Dividends Under a Ruin Probability Constraint
Authors: Dickson D. C. M. , Drekic S.
Published: May 2011

We consider a classical surplus process modified by the payment of dividends when the insurer's surplus exceeds a threshold. We use a probabilistic argument to obtain general expressions for the expected present value of dividend payments, and show how these expressions can be applied for certain individual claim amount distributions. We then consider the question of maximising the expected present value of dividend payments subject to a constraint on the insurer's ruin probability.
Modelling the Claim Duration of Income Protection Insurance Policyholders using Parametric Mixture Models
Authors: Pitt D. G. W.
Published: May 2011

This paper considers the modelling of claim durations for existing claimants under income protection insurance policies. A claim is considered to be terminated when the claimant returns to work. Data used in the analysis were provided by the Life and Risk Committee of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. Initial analysis of the data suggests the presence of a long-run probability, of the order of 7%, that a claimant will never return to work. This phenomenon suggests the use of mixed parametric regression models as a description of claim duration which include the prediction of a long-run probability of not returning to work. A series of such parametric mixture models was investigated, and it was found that the generalised F mixture distribution provided a good fit to the data and also highlighted the impact of a number of statistically significant predictors of claim duration.
On Immunisation andS-Convex Extremal Distributions
Authors: Courtois C. , Denuit M.
Published: May 2011

The paper concerns the interest risk management of insurance companies or banks. Classes of stochastic order relations for arbitrary discrete random variables are used to find extremal strategies of immunisation in the context of deterministic immunisation theory. In a special case, the results obtained by Hürlimann (2002) are extended to conditions for immunisation under arbitraryS-convex orS-concave shift factors of the term structure of interest rates. The notion of the Shiu measure is generalised to an immunisation risk measure, accounting for more moments of the asset and liability risks.
Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Credibility Modelling
Authors: Gangopadhyay A. , Gau W.-C.
Published: May 2011

Current methods in credibility theory often rely on parametric models, e.g., a linear function of past experience. During the last decade, the existence of high speed computers and statistical software packages allowed the introduction of more sophisticated and flexible modelling strategies. In recent years, some of these techniques, which made use of the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach to modelling, have been incorporated in credibility theory. However, very few of these methods made use of additional covariate information related to risk, or collection of risks; and at the same time account for the correlated structure in the data. In this paper, we consider a Bayesian nonparametric approach to the problem of risk modelling. The model incorporates past and present observations related to risk, as well as relevant covariate information. This Bayesian modelling is carried out by sampling from a multivariate Gaussian prior, where the covariance structure is based on a thin-plate spline. The model uses the MCMC technique to compute the predictive distribution of future claims based on available data.
‘Freedom with Publicity’ — The Actuarial Profession and United Kingdom Insurance Regulation from 1844 to 1945
Authors: Booth P. M.
Published: May 2011

From 1870, in the United Kingdom, a generally liberal legal framework for life insurance existed which commanded wide support, particularly from the actuarial profession. Despite its apparent liberalism, however, it is likely that the regulatory framework impeded market entry, particularly of mutual companies. The liberal framework broke down in a number of incremental steps from 1946. This paper traces the development of U.K. life assurance regulation for 101 years from the mid-Victorian period, analyses contemporary reflections on the legal framework within the actuarial profession, and examines the appropriateness of the legal framework for achieving specific economic objectives for long-term insurance regulation.
Automatic Fraud Detection — Does it Work?
Authors: Lægreid I.
Published: May 2011

The aim of automatic fraud detection is to assist claims handlers by selecting claims which are potentially fraudulent. Such methods must be based on information routinely available. The present paper makes use of logistic regression and the validity of these models as demonstrated on fresh data from household and motor insurance. A second contribution is a strategy for selecting claims that should receive further attention.
Zone-Adaptive Control Strategy for a Multiperiodic Model of Risk
Authors: Malinovskii V. K.
Published: May 2011

This paper is intended to illustrate the adaptive control approach in insurance. A zone-adaptive control strategy harmonising the requirements of principles of solvency and equity is considered in the simplistic framework of a diffusion multiperiodic risk model. Other works by the author set similar adaptive control strategies in a more realistic Poisson-exponential multiperiodic risk model. There is much scope for further generalisations.
Froot and Stein Revisited Once Again
Authors: Guillén Montserrat , Høgh Nils , Nielsen Jens Perch , Pérez-Marín Ana M.
Published: May 2011

Høgh, Linton and Nielsen (2006) showed that the famous result in the award winning paper of Froot and Stein (1998) is not correct in the sense that their result does not follow from their assumptions. In this paper we show that the economic intuition behind the paper of Froot and Stein (1998) is correct and that their result can be obtained when the market is reformulated in a continuous time setting and modern market theory is employed.
Mean Square Error of Prediction in the Bornhuetter–Ferguson Claims Reserving Method
Authors: Alai D. H. , Merz M. , Wüthrich M. V.
Published: May 2011

The prediction of adequate claims reserves is a major subject in actuarial practice and science. Due to their simplicity, the chain ladder (CL) and Bornhuetter–Ferguson (BF) methods are the most commonly used claims reserving methods in practice. However, in contrast to the CL method, no estimator for the conditional mean square error of prediction (MSEP) of the ultimate claim has been derived in the BF method until now, and as such, this paper aims to fill that gap. This will be done in the framework of generalized linear models (GLM) using the (overdispersed) Poisson model motivation for the use of CL factor estimates in the estimation of the claims development pattern.
Mortality in Ireland at Advanced Ages, 1950-2006: Part 1: Crude Rates
Authors: Whelan S. F.
Published: May 2011

We examine the data and techniques underlying the estimation of mortality rates at older ages in Ireland since 1950. Previous attempts to elucidate the level and trends in mortality at advanced ages in Ireland have been frustrated by significant non-random biases arising from age exaggeration and age heaping, together with a lack of correspondence, growing with increasing age, between the exposed-to-risk estimated from census data and the death count from registration data. Applying the method of extinct generations, we re-estimate crude mortality rates and report the somewhat unexpected result that mortality rates were lower, and did not increase as steeply with age, than those recorded in the official Irish Life Tables. The reestimated crude rates show, for both sexes, a very slight decrease in mortality rates between the 1950s and 1980s up to age 90 years, with no improvement discernible at older ages. Improvements at advanced ages in Ireland have lagged behind those in England and Wales and other developed countries over the same period. The companion paper,Mortality in Ireland at Advanced Ages, 1950–2006: Part 2: Graduated Rates, Whelan (2009), graduates the crude rates and extends the method of extinct generations to estimate mortality rates of more recent, still surviving, generations.
Mortality in Ireland at Advanced Ages, 1950-2006: Part 2: Graduated Rates
Authors: Whelan S. F.
Published: May 2011

We graduate the Irish mortality experience from 1950 to 2003 by mathematical formulae from ages 75 years and upwards. The shape of the mortality curve at advanced ages is shown to be different to that recorded in the official tables, with the curve best fitted with Kannisto's version of Perks's Law. Mortality rates show only a modest trend of improvement in the early decades, below improvements in other developed countries. We evaluate the various approaches suggested to date to extend the method of extinct generations so mortality rates for non-extinct generations can be estimated. It is shown that the key advantage of this method is not in correcting for age misstatements but in achieving a close correspondence between death counts and the exposed to risk. This insight allows a rather straightforward approach to estimating the mortality of non-extinct generations. Applying the approach, we show that there has been an acceleration in the rate of improvement in more recent decades, but secular improvements in Irish mortality at advanced ages still lag behind those of England and Wales.
Chain-Ladder as Maximum Likelihood Revisited
Authors: Kuang D. , Nielsen B. , Nielsen J. P.
Published: May 2011

It has long been known that maximum likelihood estimation in a Poisson model reproduces the chain-ladder technique. We revisit this model. A new canonical parametrisation is proposed to circumvent the inherent identification problem in the parametrisation. The maximum likelihood estimators for the canonical parameter are simple, interpretable and easy to derive. The boundary problem where all observations in one particular development year or on particular underwriting year is zero is also analysed.
Modelling Income Protection Claim Termination Rates by Cause of Sickness II: Mortality of UK Assured Lives
Authors: Ling S. Y. , Waters H. R. , Wilkie A. D.
Published: May 2011

This is the second of three papers in which we present methods and results for the estimation and modelling of claim termination rates for Income Protection (IP) insurance, allowing for different causes of claim. In the first paper we discussed recoveries. In this and the third paper we develop models for the mortality of IP claimants.

We model this mortality as the sum of two components: a base, or background, mortality, which is a function of age and calendar year, but not of the specific cause of sickness or its current duration, and a cause-specific element which does depend on the current duration of the sickness. In this paper we discuss the modelling of the base mortality. In particular, we use data supplied by the Continuous Mortality Investigation relating to UK assured lives from 1975 (males) and 1983 (females) to 2003 to develop models of mortality which are functions of sex, age and calendar year. Such models are of interest in their own right, particularly at a time when expected future lifetimes are increasing.

The modelling of the cause-specific component of the mortality model is discussed in Paper III.
Calendar Year Effects, Claims Inflation and the Chain-Ladder Technique
Authors: Brydon D. , Verrall R. J.
Published: May 2011

This paper examines the chain-ladder technique using the recently developed theory for age-period-cohort models. The theory was set out by Kuang et al. (2008a), and we believe that it has some significant implications for claims reserving and the chain-ladder technique. This paper applies the age-period-cohort model using the over-dispersed Poisson framework, and examines a number of experiments in order to understand better how the chain-ladder technique deals with calendar year effects. The conclusions from these investigations are that the basic chain-ladder technique may have some fundamental difficulties in many circumstances. We would therefore recommend that it should be used with caution, and that the data are examined in detail before any projections are made. This has particular importance in the context of solvency calculations since the chain-ladder technique can impose some specific patterns into the projections.
Entwicklung von Lebenszielen in der Familie
Authors: Neuenschwander Markus P. , Frank Nicole
Published: May 2011

Zusammenfassung. Lebensziele sind wichtige Referenzen für soziales Handeln. Ausgehend von der Selbstbestimmungstheorie wurden Sozialisationsprozesse in der Familie untersucht, die das Entstehen der Lernmotivation in der Sek II und der Lebensziele im jungen Erwachsenenalter erklärten. Es wurden Daten des Längsschnittprojekts Familie-Schule-Beruf (FASE B) mit 134 Schülerinnen und 83 Schülern im Kanton Bern (Schweiz) ausgewertet (Erhebungsjahre 2002, 2006, 2008; 1. Messung im 8. Schuljahr). Hierarchische Regressionsanalysen belegten zwei Sozialisationsmuster: (1) Autonomie orientierte Elternreaktionen, vermittelt über ermutigende Elternmotivierung und intrinsische Lernmotivation, sagten das Lebensziel psychosoziale Gesundheit vorher. (2) Ergebnis orientierte Elternreaktionen, vermittelt über sozial vergleichende Elternmotivierung, sagten die materiellen Lebensziele vorher. In der Diskussion werden außerfamiliäre Bedingungen für die Entwicklung von Lebenszielen beurteilt.
Computerbasierte Mathematikförderung mit den „Rechenspielen mit Elfe und Mathis I”
Authors: Lenhard Alexandra , Lenhard Wolfgang , Schug Melanie , Kowalski Anna
Published: May 2011

Zusammenfassung. „Rechenspiele mit Elfe und Mathis I” ( W. Lenhard & A. Lenhard, 2010 ) ist ein computerbasiertes Mathematik-Trainingsprogramm für die erste bis dritte Grundschulklasse, das sich an den nationalen Bildungsstandards der Kultusministerkonferenz orientiert und zahlreichen lernpsychologischen Prinzipien folgt. 87 Schüler der ersten und zweiten Klassenstufe führten das Trainingsprogramm über einen Zeitraum von zehn Wochen durch. Dabei wurde jeweils eine Schulstunde in Mathematik pro Woche durch eine Trainingssitzung mit dem Computerprogramm ersetzt, bei der die Kinder in Kleingruppen arbeiteten. Die 116 Schüler der Kontrollgruppe erhielten in der gleichen Zeit regulären Mathematikunterricht. Nach einem Matching der Ausgangsleistung zeigte sich in der Experimentalgruppe in beiden Klassenstufen im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe ein signifikant größerer Lernfortschritt bei einer Effektstärke von d = .59 (1. Klasse) bzw. d = .62 (2. Klasse). Eine nutzbringende Anreicherung konventionellen Mathematikunterrichts durch die Rechenspiele erscheint folglich möglich.