bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE REVOLUTION IN CORPORATE RISK MANAGEMENT: A DECADE OF INNOVATIONS IN PROCESS AND PRODUCTS
Authors: Culp Christopher L.
Published: April 2005

The explosion of corporate risk management programs in the early 1990s was a hasty and ill‐conceived reaction by U.S. corporations to the great “derivatives disasters” of that period. Anxious to avoid the fate of Barings and Procter & Gamble, most top executives were more concerned about crisis management than risk management. Many companies quickly installed (often outrageously priced) value‐at‐risk (VaR) systems without paying much attention to how such systems fit their specific business requirements. Focused myopically on loss avoidance and technical risk measurement issues, the corporate risk management revolution of the '90s thus got underway in a disorganized, ad hoc fashion, producing a curious amalgam of policies and procedures with no clear link to the corporate mission of maximizing value.

But as the risk management revolution unfolded over the last decade, the result has been the “convergence” of different risk management perspectives, processes, and products. The most visible sign of such convergence is a fairly recent development called “alternative risk transfer,” or ART. ART forms consist of the large and growing collection of new risk transfer and financing products now being offered by insurance and reinsurance companies. As just one example, a new class of security known as “contingent capital” gives a company the option over a specified period—say, the next five years—to issue new equity or debt at a pre‐negotiated price. And to hold down their cost, such “pre‐loss” financing options are typically designed to be “triggered” only when the firm is most likely to need an infusion of new capital to avoid underinvestment or financial distress.

But underlying—and to a large extent driving—this convergence of insurance and capital markets is a more fundamental kind of convergence: the integration of risk management with corporate financing decisions. As first corporate finance theorists and now practitioners have come to realize, decisions about a company's optimal capital structure and the design of its securities cannot be made without first taking account of the firm's risks and its opportunities for managing them. Indeed, this article argues that a comprehensive, value‐maximizing approach to corporate finance must begin with a risk management strategy that incorporates the full range of available risk management products, including the new risk finance products as well as established risk transfer instruments like interest rate and currency derivatives. The challenge confronting today's CFO is to maximize firm value by choosing the mixture of securities and risk management products and solutions that gives the company access to capital at the lowest possible cost.
THE STATE OF U.S. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S WRONG?
Authors: Holmstrom Bengt , Kaplan Steven N.
Published: April 2005

Largely as a result of failures at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and other prominent American companies, U.S. corporate governance practices have come under attack. These much publicized failures and the resulting popular outcry have served as catalysts for legislative and regulatory changes that include the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 and new governance guidelines from the NYSE and NASDAQ. But is the U.S. corporate governance system really as bad as critics suggest? And will the recent legislative and regulatory changes lead to a more effective system?

The authors begin by noting that the broad evidence is not consistent with a failed U.S. governance system. During the past two decades, the U.S. economy and stock market have performed well both on an absolute basis and relative to other countries, even in the wake of the corporate scandals in 2001. Moreover, the most notable changes in U.S. corporate governance in the 1980s and 1990s‐including the institutionalization of U.S. share‐holders and the dramatic increase in equity‐based pay‐have served mainly (though not always) to strengthen the accountability of U.S. managers to their shareholders.

The authors' message, then, is that while parts of the U.S. corporate governance system gave way under the exceptional strain created by the bull market of the 1990s, the overall system‐which includes corrective market forces as well as oversight by the public and government‐has reacted quickly and decisively to address its weaknesses. The net effect of the recent legislative and regulatory changes has been to make a good governance system an even better one. But, as the authors caution, perhaps the greatest risk now facing the U.S. financial market system (of which corporate governance is a critical part) is that of overregulation.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ETHICS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Authors: Brickley James A. , Smith Clifford W. , Zimmerman Jerold L.
Published: April 2005

Effective corporate leadership involves more than developing a good strategic plan and setting high ethical standards. It also means coming up with an organizational design that encourages the company's managers and employees to carry out its business plan and maintain its ethical standards.

In this article, the authors use the term organizational architecture to refer to three key elements of a company's design:

the assignment of decision‐making authority–who gets to make what decisions;

performance evaluation–the key measures of performance for evaluating business units and individual employees; and

compensation structure–how employees are rewarded for meeting performance goals.

In well‐designed companies, each of these elements is mutually reinforcing and supportive of the company's overall business strategy. Decision‐making authority is assigned to managers and employees who have the knowledge and experience needed to make the best investment and operating decisions. And to ensure that those decision makers have the incentive as well as the knowledge to make the best decisions, the corporate systems used to evaluate and reward their performance are based on measures that are linked as directly as possible to the corporate goal of creating value.

Some of the most popular management techniques of the past two decades, such as reengineering, TQM, and the Balanced Scorecard, have often had disappointing results because they address only one or two elements of organizational architecture, leaving the overall structure out of balance. What's more, a flawed organizational design can lead to far worse than missed opportunities to create value. As the authors note, the recent corporate scandals involved not just improper behavior by senior executives, but corporate structures that, far from safeguarding against such behavior, in some ways encouraged it. In the case of Enron, for example, top management's near‐total focus on boosting reported earnings (a questionable corporate goal to begin with) combined with decentralized decision making and loose oversight at all levels of the company to produce an enormously risky high‐leverage strategy that ended up bringing down the firm.
INTERVAL METHODS IN KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION
Authors: KREINOVICH VLADIK
Published: April 2005

This section is maintained by Vladik Kreinovich. Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@cs.utep.edu, or by regular mail to: Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
SIGNALING IN THE ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL SYMBIOSIS
Authors: Harrison Maria J.
Published: April 2005

Many microorganisms form symbioses with plants that range, on a continuous scale, from parasitic to mutualistic. Among these, the most widespread mutualistic symbiosis is the arbuscular mycorrhiza, formed between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and vascular flowering plants. These associations occur in terrestrial ecosystems throughout the world and have a global impact on plant phosphorus nutrition. The arbuscular mycorrhiza is an endosymbiosis in which the fungus inhabits the root cortical cells and obtains carbon provided by the plant while it transfers mineral nutrients from the soil to the cortical cells. Development of the symbiosis involves the differentiation of both symbionts to create novel symbiotic interfaces within the root cells. The aim of this review is to explore the current understanding of the signals and signaling pathways used by the symbionts for the development of the AM symbiosis. Although the signal molecules used for initial communication are not yet known, recent studies point to their existence. Within the plant, there is evidence of arbuscular mycorrhiza-specific signals and of systemic signaling that influences phosphate-starvation responses and root development. The landmark cloning of three plant signaling proteins required for the development of the symbiosis has provided the first insights into a signaling pathway that is used by AM fungi and by rhizobia for their symbiotic associations with legumes.
Structural differences in two biochemically defined populations of cardiac mitochondria
Authors: Riva Alessandro , Tandler Bernard , Loffredo Felice , Vazquez Edwin , Hoppel Charles
Published: April 2005

To determine whether there are structural differences in two topologically separated, biochemically defined mitochondrial populations in rat heart myocytes, the interior of these organelles was examined by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. On the basis of a count of 159 in situ subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM, i.e., those that directly abut the sarcolemma), these organelles possess mainly lamelliform cristae (77%), whereas the cristae in in situ interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM, i.e., those situated between the myofibrils, n = 300) are mainly tubular (55%) or a mixture of tubular and lamelliform (24%). Isolated SSM ( n = 374), similar to their in situ counterparts, have predominantly lamelliform cristae (75%). The proportions of crista types in isolated IFM ( n = 337) have been altered, with only 20% of these organelles retaining exclusively tubular cristae, whereas 58% are mixed; of the latter, lamelliform cristae predominate. This finding suggests that, in contrast to SSM, the cristae in IFM are structurally plastic, changing during isolation. These observations on >1,000 organelles provide the first quantitative morphological evidence for definitive differences between the two populations of cardiac mitochondria.
Deletion of the eNOS gene has a greater impact on the pulmonary circulation of male than female mice
Authors: Miller Alyson A. , Hislop Alison A. , Vallance Patrick J. , Haworth Sheila G.
Published: April 2005

Nitric oxide is involved in development and postnatal adaptation of the pulmonary circulation. This study aimed to determine whether genetic deletion of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) would lead to maldevelopment of the pulmonary arteries in fetal life, compromise adaptation to extrauterine life, and be associated with a pulmonary hypertensive phenotype in adult life and if any abnormalities were detected, were they sex dependent. Morphometric analyses were made on lung tissue from male and female fetal, newborn, 14-day-old, and adult endothelial NOS-deficient (eNOS−/−) or inducible NOS-deficient (iNOS−/−) and wild-type mice. Hemodynamic studies were carried out on adult mice with deletion of either eNOS or iNOS genes. We found that in eNOS−/− mice, lung development was normal in fetal, newborn, and adult lungs. Pulmonary arterial muscularity was greater than normal in both male and female eNOS−/− during fetal life and at birth, but the abnormality persisted only in male mice. Right ventricular hypertrophy was present in 14-day-old and adult male eNOS−/− but not in female mice. Adult male eNOS−/− mice had higher mean right ventricular and systemic pressures than female eNOS−/− mice ( P < 0.05). Thus deletion of the eNOS gene was associated with structural evidence of pulmonary hypertension in both sexes during fetal life, but pulmonary hypertension persisted only in the male. In neither sex did iNOS or neuronal NOS appear to compensate for the eNOS deletion. Adult iNOS−/− mice did not have structural or hemodynamic evidence of pulmonary hypertension. Possible compensatory mechanisms are discussed.
Proteasome inhibition induces TNFR1 shedding from human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells
Authors: Levine Stewart J. , Adamik Barbara , Hawari Feras I. , Islam Aminul , Yu Zu-Xi , Liao Da-Wei , Zhang Jing , Cui Xinle , Rouhani Farshid N.
Published: April 2005

The type 1 55-kDa TNF receptor (TNFR1) is an important modulator of lung inflammation. Here, we hypothesized that the proteasome might regulate TNFR1 shedding from human airway epithelial cells. Treatment of NCI-H292 human airway epithelial cells for 2 h with the specific proteasome inhibitor clasto-lactacystin β-lactone induced the shedding of proteolytically cleaved TNFR1 ectodomains. Clasto-lactacystin β-lactone also induced soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1) release from the A549 pulmonary epithelial cell line, as well as from primary cultures of human small airway epithelial cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Furthermore, sTNFR1 release induced by clasto-lactacystin β-lactone was not a consequence of apoptosis or the extracellular release of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicles. The clasto-lactacystin β-lactone-induced increase in TNFR1 shedding was associated with reductions in cell surface receptors and intracytoplasmic TNFR1 stores that were primarily localized to vesicular structures. As expected, the broad-spectrum zinc metalloprotease inhibitor TNF-α protease inhibitor 2 (TAPI-2) attenuated clasto-lactacystin β-lactone-mediated TNFR1 shedding, which is consistent with its ability to inhibit the zinc metalloprotease-catalyzed cleavage of TNFR1 ectodomains. TAPI-2 also reduced TNFR1 on the cell surface and attenuated the clasto-lactacystin β-lactone-induced reduction of intracytoplasmic TNFR1 vesicles. This suggests that TNFR1 shedding induced by clasto-lactacystin β-lactone involves the zinc metalloprotease-dependent trafficking of intracytoplasmic TNFR1 vesicles to the cell surface. Together, these data are consistent with the conclusion that proteasomal activity negatively regulates TNFR1 shedding from human airway epithelial cells, thus identifying previously unrecognized roles for the proteasome and zinc metalloproteases in modulating the generation of sTNFRs.
Oxygen-dependent gene expression in fishes
Authors: Nikinmaa Mikko , Rees Bernard B.
Published: April 2005

The role of oxygen in regulating patterns of gene expression in mammalian development, physiology, and pathology has received increasing attention, especially after the discovery of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a transcription factor that has been likened to a “master switch” in the transcriptional response of mammalian cells and tissues to low oxygen. At present, considerably less is known about the molecular responses of nonmammalian vertebrates and invertebrates to hypoxic exposure. Because many animals live in aquatic habitats that are variable in oxygen tension, it is relevant to study oxygen-dependent gene expression in these animals. The purpose of this review is to discuss hypoxia-induced gene expression in fishes from an evolutionary and ecological context. Recent studies have described homologs of HIF in fish and have begun to evaluate their function. A number of physiological processes are known to be altered by hypoxic exposure of fish, although the evidence linking them to HIF is less well developed. The diversity of fish presents many opportunities to evaluate if inter- and intraspecific variation in HIF structure and function correlate with hypoxia tolerance. Furthermore, as an aquatic group, fish offer the opportunity to examine the interactions between hypoxia and other stressors, including pollutants, common in aquatic environments. It is possible, if not likely, that results obtained by studying the molecular responses of fish to hypoxia will find parallels in the oxygen-dependent responses of mammals, including humans. Moreover, novel responses to hypoxia could be discovered through studies of this diverse and species-rich group.
Taste discrimination between NaCl and KCl is disrupted by amiloride in inbred mice with amiloride-insensitive chorda tympani nerves
Authors: Eylam Shachar , Spector Alan C.
Published: April 2005

The amiloride-sensitive salt transduction pathway is thought to be critical for the discrimination between sodium and nonsodium salts in rodents. In rats, lingual application of amiloride appears to render NaCl qualitatively indistinguishable from KCl. In this study, we tested four strains of mice for salt discriminability. In one strain (C57BL/6J), chorda tympani nerve (CT) responses to NaCl are attenuated by amiloride, and in the other three strains (BALB/cByJ, 129P3/J, DBA/2J) they are not. Under water-restriction conditions, these mice (7 mice/strain) were trained in a gustometer to lick for water from one reinforcement spout in response to a five-lick presentation of NaCl and to lick from another in response to KCl [salt concentration was varied (0.1–1 M) to render intensity irrelevant]. Mice were then tested with the stimuli dissolved in amiloride hydrochloride, and the latter was used as the reinforcer as well. Each concentration of amiloride (0.1–100 μM) was used on 2 separate days with control sessions interposed. Mice from all four strains were able to discriminate NaCl from KCl reliably. Amiloride impaired this discrimination in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, performance on NaCl trials appeared to be more affected by amiloride than that on KCl trials in all four strains. Thus, in contrast to the predictions based on CT recordings, discrimination in all four strains appeared to depend on the amiloride-sensitive transduction pathway, which, in the case of BALB/cByJ, 129P3/J, and DBA/2J (and perhaps C57BL/6 as well), may exist in taste buds innervated by nerves other than the CT.
Heterogeneity in Fetal Immunocompetence during the Second Trimester of Gestation
Authors: Tse Doris B. , Ching Elbert , Yousefzadeh Nora , Roque Hank , Young Bruce K.
Published: April 2005

Objective: To address the role that alloreactivity may play and better define the window for histoincompatible stem cell transplantation in utero. Subjects, Material and Methods: We studied 9 fetal blood specimens obtained by cardiocentesis during elective abortions in the second trimester by multicolor flow cytometry and in vitro stimulation. Results: Lymphocytes ranged from adult levels (3/9) to >90% leukocytes. Six specimens had T cells within adult range. T cells in the other specimens were reduced, while B cells were conversely elevated. This variability did not correlate with gestational age, or leukocyte composition. Following 4 h of mitogenesis, fetal CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from 1 of 5 specimens showed a response similar to that of maternal T cells, while the other 4 specimens showed a diminished response (0.3 ± 0.2-fold). This heterogeneity did not correlate with gestational age, or lymphocyte subset distribution. Following 18 h of in vitro mitogenesis, fetal T cells from 2 specimens showed a response similar to that of maternal T cells (0.8 ± 0.2-fold). Despite that, one specimen gave a 3-fold greater response in a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction vs. maternal cells compared to the other specimen. Conclusion: We determine that fetal immunocompetence differs greatly during the second trimester and assessment of host vs. donor reactivity prior to in utero transplantation is likely to potentiate more favorable outcomes.
Too Late Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Toxoplasmosis: A Case Report
Authors: Nowakowska Dorota , Respondek-Liberska Maria , Golab Elzbieta , Stray-Pedersen Babill , Szaflik Krzysztof , Dzbenski Tadeusz H. , Wilczynski Jan
Published: April 2005

Objective: We describe a case of severe fetal hydrocephalus due to toxoplasmosis which could not be diagnosed until late gestational age due to the lack of a serologic surveillance program during pregnancy; moreover, this case points to the usefulness of molecular biology tools in the diagnostic process. Abnormal ultrasound in the 2ndtrimester was noticed and Toxoplasma gondii was demonstrated in amniotic fluid at the 28th week of gestation both by PCR and by mice inoculation. Fansidar and folinic acid were administered. The newborn suffered from progressive hydrocephalus, seizures, and pathological muscular tonus; ultrasound examination showed massive cerebral calcifications. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral choroidoretinitis. Congenital toxoplasmosis was confirmed by the detection of anti- T. gondii IgM and IgA in the neonatal serum. Conclusion: The presented case is an example of severe fetal toxoplasmosis diagnosed and treated in utero.
Antenatal Presentation of Isolated Femoral Hypoplasia Discovered at 18 Weeks of Gestation
Authors: Cuillier F. , Cartault F. , Moreau M.L. , Lemaire P.
Published: April 2005

Prenatal diagnosis performed by ultrasound scan is now a routine part of antenatal care in France. A case of congenital short femur in an otherwise healthy infant is described. Antenatal diagnosis was made at 18 weeks of gestation and ultrasonic follow-up was performed. The right femur was shorter than the left. Further sonographic exploration demonstrated unilateral femoral hypoplasia without another anomaly. In this case, the occurrence of congenital short femur was sporadic. The diagnosis was confirmed after delivery. Prenatal sonographic features, differential diagnosis, prognosis and management are discussed. This case illustrates the importance of ultrasound as an early detector of certain congenital anomalies and as a useful tool in their follow-up.
Detection of Viral Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Amniotic Fluid: Association with Fetal Malformation and Pregnancy Abnormalities
Authors: Reddy Uma M. , Baschat Ahmet A. , Zlatnik Marya G. , Towbin Jeffrey A. , Harman Christopher R. , Weiner Carl P.
Published: April 2005

Objective: To first test the hypothesis that the presence of viral nucleic acid in amniotic fluid (AF) is associated with an abnormal pregnancy outcome, and second, to determine if the overall rate of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity and the distribution of virus types vary geographically. Study Design: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus B19, adenovirus, enterovirus, herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and respiratory syncytial virus nucleic acids were sought in 423 AF samples obtained for clinical indications: 284 from the East Coast (EC) and 139 from the Midwest (MW). Results: Gestational age at sampling was 19.1 weeks for EC and 20.1 weeks for MW. 13.5% of karyotypically normal singleton pregnancies (57/423) had a positive AF PCR. 11% of AF PCR from the EC while 18% of AF PCR from the MW were positive (p = 0.06). The most commonly detected viruses were adenovirus (77%), enterovirus (12%), and CMV and parvovirus B19 (5% each). Twenty-four percent of sonographically abnormal pregnancies (33/136) had a positive AF PCR compared to only 8.4% (24/287) of normal pregnancies (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A positive AF PCR is associated with an increased rate of fetal structural malformations, intrauterine growth restriction, hydrops and other fetal abnormalities. There were no significant geographic differences in the incidence of AF viral PCR positivity.
Tuberculous Effusion: ADA Activity Correlates with CD4+ Cell Numbers in the Fluid and the Pleura
Authors: Gaga M. , Papamichalis G. , Bakakos P. , Latsi P. , Samara I. , Koulouris N.G. , Alchanatis N. , Orphanidou D.
Published: April 2005

Background: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a commonly used marker in the diagnosis of tuberculous effusion and there is evidence that its production is linked to T cells and monocytes. Data on the correlation between ADA and T cells or macrophages in tuberculous effusions are conflicting. Furthermore, no studies have examined a possible correlation between pleural tissue infiltration and ADA. Objectives: We undertook this study to examine cell subsets in the fluid and the pleura in tuberculous effusion and their correlation to ADA. The use of cell subsets as a marker in the differential diagnosis was also examined. Methods: Pleural fluid from 36 patients with tuberculous and 34 patients with malignant effusion as well as pleural tissue biopsies from 16 patients with tuberculous pleurisy were examined. The APAAP and the avidin-biotin complex immunocytochemical methods were used to examine CD4+ T cells and macrophages (CD68+), while ADA activity was measured by the Giusti colorimetric method. Results: Our results showed that, in pleural fluid, CD4+ cells and ADA were significantly higher in tuberculous compared to malignant effusion (p < 0.001 for all measurements). In pleural tissue biopsies, macrophages were the predominant cells but CD4+ T cells were also abundant. A significant correlation was found between ADA and CD4+ numbers in pleural fluid and tissue (r = 0.45, p < 0.01; r = 0.75, p < 0.001, respectively). ADA had high sensitivity and specificity for differential diagnosis while cell subsets did not. Conclusions: These results indicate that ADA activity correlates to CD4+ T cell infiltration in the pleura and the fluid. Moreover, ADA but no cell subsets may be used as markers of tuberculous effusion.
Utility of Rapid On-Site Evaluation of Transbronchial Needle Aspirates
Authors: Diacon Andreas H. , Schuurmans Macé M. , Theron Johan , Louw Mercia , Wright Colleen A. , Brundyn Karen , Bolliger Chris T.
Published: April 2005

Background: Rapid on-site evaluation has been proposed as a method to improve the yield of transbronchial needle aspiration. Objectives: This study investigated whether on-site analysis facilitates routine diagnostic bronchoscopy in terms of sampling, yield and cost. Methods: Patients with lesions accessible for transbronchial needle aspiration on computed tomography were investigated. A cytopathologist screened the needle aspirates on site for the presence of diagnostic material. The bronchoscopic sampling process was adjusted according to the results. In 90 consecutive patients with neoplastic disease (n = 70; 78%), non-neoplastic disease (n = 16; 18%) or undiagnosed lesions (n = 4; 4%) we aspirated 162 lung lesions (paratracheal tumours or lymph nodes: 7%; tracheobronchial lymph nodes: 68%; other: 25%). Results: The diagnostic yield of needle aspiration was 77 and 25% in patients with neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions, respectively. Sampling could be terminated in 64% of patients after needle aspiration had been performed as the only diagnostic modality, and on-site analysis identified diagnostic material from the first site aspirated in 50% of patients. Only in 2 patients (2%) diagnostic aspirates were not recognized on site. On-site analysis was cost effective due to savings for disposable diagnostic tools, which exceeded the extra expense for the on-site cytology service provided. Conclusions: Rapid on-site analysis of transbronchial aspirates is a highly useful, accurate and cost-effective addition to routine diagnostic bronchoscopy.
Psychological Implications of Respiratory Health and Disease
Authors: Chetta Alfredo , Foresi Antonio , Marangio Emilio , Olivieri Dario
Published: April 2005

The possibility that a subject’s psychological status may influence respiratory sensations and that chronic respiratory disease may have psychological consequences has sparked great interest among clinicians and researchers. This paper reviews the existing research on the association between respiratory symptom perception and the psychological status and between chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and psychological disturbances. Moreover, it focuses on the role of stressful events in determining asthma exacerbations. The recent literature suggests that in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, the evaluation of breathlessness perception, psychological disturbances and the recording of any stressful events should be considered as relevant as the physical and functional assessment of respiration.
Role of Word-External Contexts in Native Speakers’ Identification of Vowel Length in Japanese
Authors: Hirata Yukari , Lambacher Stephen G.
Published: April 2005

Five groups of native Japanese listeners were assigned to five conditions differing in word-external contexts. In the Intact condition, three types of target disyllables, /mVmV/, /mV:mV/, and /mVmV:/ were spoken in a carrier sentence at two speaking rates. In the other four conditions, the target disyllables of the Intact condition were excised from the original carrier sentence (Excised); embedded in the carrier sentence of the other rate (Mismatch); presented only with the preceding three syllables (Preceding), and presented only with the following three syllables (Following). The accuracy for identifying the word types was higher for the Intact than Excised and Mismatch conditions, indicating that the presence of the carrier sentence with an appropriate rate was important for accurate identification.It was also found that either the preceding or the following short phrase contained sufficient information for identifying the word types. Further, there were effects of the preceding and following phrases on both the first and second vowels of the targets, suggesting that the distant speech materials more than two phonemes away from a target in both sides can affect identification accuracy. Implications are discussed in terms of the adjacency principle for rate normalization.
Increasing High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Dyslipidemia by Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibition
Authors: Forrester James S. , Makkar Rajenda , Shah P.K.
Published: April 2005

Reduced HDL cholesterol may be a risk factor comparable in importance to increased LDL cholesterol. Interventions that raise HDL are antiatherosclerotic, presumably through acceleration of reverse cholesterol transport and by antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects. In the hypercholesterolemic rabbit, HDL levels can be increased by >50% by inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a molecule that plays a central role in HDL metabolism. This HDL-raising effect is antiatherosclerotic in moderately severe hyperlipidemia but appears to be ineffective in the presence of severe hypertriglyceridemia. In humans, mutations resulting in CETP inhibition have been associated with both reduced and increased risk of atherosclerosis. Proposed explanations for these apparently disparate observations are that the antiatherosclerotic effect of CETP inhibition varies with either the metabolic milieu or the degree of CETP inhibition. We now have pharmacological inhibitors of CETP that are capable of increasing HDL by as much as 50% to 100% in humans. The importance of this development is that reduced HDL is a risk factor independent of LDL and that these new agents alter HDL by a magnitude comparable to that of statins on LDL. Clinical trials, now beginning, will need to identify the patient subsets in which CETP inhibition may be more or less effective.
Real versus Template-Based Natural Language Generation: A False Opposition?
Authors: Deemter Kees van , Theune Mariët , Krahmer Emiel
Published: April 2005

This article challenges the received wisdom that template-based approaches to the generation of language are necessarily inferior to other approaches as regards their maintainability, linguistic well-foundedness, and quality of output. Some recent NLG systems that call themselves “template-based” will illustrate our claims.
Improving Energy Efficiency by Five Percent and More per Year?
Authors: Blok Kornelis
Published: April 2005

Reduction of specific energy consumption by 1% to 2% per year is typically what is considered feasible for end‐use energy applications. This article tries to answer the question of whether much higher rates, for example 5% and more, are feasible fornew equipment, installations, and buildings.

After examining some end‐use functions in industry, buildings, and the transport sector, it is concluded that for the foreseeable future—that is, not more than 10 to 20 years into the future—such high rates of reduction of specific energy consumption are indeed possible. For the longer term, no definitive proof is available, but there are also no indications that such high rates could not be maintained.

The effect of the reduction of specific energy consumption on total energy use depends on the growth of energy‐using activities and on the replacement rates of capital stock. Taking these into account, it is estimated that for industrialized countries a reduction of absolute total energy use by 50% in 50 years compared with the current levels is possible.

Such a reduction requires a huge effort in innovation; however, the possibilities for stimulating innovation seem not to be exhausted yet.
Adopting Lead‐Free Electronics: Policy Differences and Knowledge Gaps
Authors: Schoenung Julie M. , Ogunseitan Oladele A. , Saphores Jean Daniel M. , Shapiro Andrew A.
Published: April 2005

For more than a decade, the use of lead (Pb) in electronics has been controversial: Indeed, its toxic effects are well documented, whereas relatively little is known about proposed alternative materials. As the quantity of electronic and electrical waste (e‐waste) increases, legislative initiatives and corporate marketing strategies are driving a reduction in the use of some toxic substances in electronics. This article argues that the primacy of legislation over engineering and economics may result in selecting undesirable replacement materials for Pb because of overlooked knowledge gaps. These gaps include the need for: assessments of the effects of changes in policy on the flow of e‐waste across state and national boundaries; further reliability testing of alternative solder alloys; further toxicology and environmental impact studies for high environmental loading of the alternative solders (and their metal components); improved risk assessment methodologies that can capture complexities such as changes in waste management practices, in electronic product design, and in rate of product obsolescence; carefully executed allocation methods when evaluating the impact of raw material extraction; and in‐depth risk assessment of alternative end‐of‐life (EOL) options.

The resulting environmental and human health consequences may be exacerbated by policy differences across political boundaries. To address this conundrum, legislation and policies dealing with Pb in electronics are first reviewed. A discussion of the current state of knowledge on alternative solder materials relative to product design, environmental performance, and risk assessment follows. Previous studies are reviewed, and consistent with their results, this analysis finds that there is great uncertainty in the trade‐offs between Pb‐based solders and proposed replacements. Bridging policy and knowledge gaps will require increased international cooperation on materials use, product market coverage, and e‐waste EOL management.
Rational or demoralized responses to work restructuring in Hong Kong?
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu
Published: April 2005

Owing to the paucity of data demonstrating workers’ reactions to work restructuring, the study examines possible reactions in terms of job performance, attendance at training, and voicing of discontent. It predicts the effects of work restructuring and background characteristics with reference to the exit-voice-loyalty model and demoralization theory. A telephone survey of a random sample of households collected data from 1176 workers in Hong Kong. Supportive of the demoralization theory, work restructuring over the previous past year appeared to reduce workers’ intended job performance, attendance at training, and voicing of discontent. These findings hold for workers with various characteristics and restructuring in work outcomes, work processes, and staffing. Demoralization theory offers a reasonable explanation of the findings regarding the negative effects of work restructuring. In addition, income and social class have profound influences on workers’ reactions.
Subtextual gendering processes: A study of Japanese retail firms in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong May M.L.
Published: April 2005

This study examined equal opportunities for women employees in two Japanese-owned retail companies (Tairo and Okadaya) in Hong Kong. This article initially discusses the various explanations for gender inequality put forward by scholars. Since equal opportunities legislation - specifically the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) - was introduced in Hong Kong in 1996, little research has been able to explain why gender inequality persists. The issue can alternatively be understood by examining the subtextual gendering processes. Concealed gendering processes (re)produce gender inequality based on hegemonic power, through structural, cultural, interaction and identity arrangements. Accounts of female staff at various hierarchies reveal that they are subject to these organizational and individual arrangements to various extents under the cover of SDO, which it was claimed, the companies implemented.
An Experimental Study of Bolt-Hole Clearance Effects in Single-lap, Multibolt Composite Joints
Authors: McCarthy M. A. , Lawlor V. P. , Stanley W. F.
Published: April 2005

An experimental study on the effects of variable bolt-hole clearance in single-lap, multibolt composite joints is presented. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that clearance effects in multibolt joints have been quantified experimentally. Joints with different clearances in each hole have been tested and the effects on load distribution, quasi-static strength, fatigue life, and failure modes are reported. Instrumented bolts have been used for measuring load distribution and specialized jigs have been used for positioning the bolts in the holes and drilling the joints. The clearances examined ranged from neat-fit to clearances slightly larger than those allowed in the aircraft industry. Earlier finite element studies with linear elastic material properties have indicated a significant effect on load distribution, and have postulated significant effects on strength due to reduced contact areas between bolts and holes, with correspondingly increased bearing stresses. The present experimental results confirm that clearance has major effects on the load distribution; the measured load distribution effects agree well with a three-dimensional finite element analysis with a nonlinear contact analysis. However, no significant effect on the ultimate quasi-static strength has been found, which is in line with earlier experimental studies on single-bolt joints. On the other hand, clearance has been found to have quite significant effects on fatigue life, which represents the first published data on this issue to the authors’ knowledge. For both quasi-static and fatigue loadings, clearance had a stronger influence on failure initiation loads than on ultimate failure loads, indicating that clearance is of concern when designing for no damage (e.g., limit load design of aircraft).
Internet-based Composite Repair
Authors: Chu Won-Shik , Ahn Sung-Hoon
Published: April 2005

As composite materials are gaining wide acceptance in aircraft structures, the repair of damaged composites is becoming an important issue. Composite repair, however, has been performed more or less in a manual fashion, an integrated repair system is desirable. In this paper, an Internet-based advisory service (Repair Advisory Service, RAS) for composite repair is proposed to increase the efficiency of the repair process. Based on the client-server architecture, RAS offers time-effective sharing of engineering knowledge between remote locations, easy maintenance and update of the application software, and ubiquitous access to the services. The web browser is used as the user interface, which provides an easy access to the service and software friendly environment. The RAS system provides integrated design and repair tools for repair technicians and engineers as follows: (1) A design software for scarf repair and lap repair estimates the tensile failure and shear failure of repaired structures. (2) A structural repair manual is provided in the PDF document for viewing, and a web search engine can search the document. (3) A fabrication module of RAS generates a CNC toolpath to cut repair patches. (4) A CNC-based prepreg cutting machine has been developed to implement an automated composite repair.

A scenario for the web-based remote repair was proposed, and a test repair was performed on an aircraft wing. The RAS service is open to public and available at http://fab.snu.ac.kr/ras.
A Framework for HLA-Based Interactive Simulations on the Grid
Authors: Rycerz Katarzyna , Bubak Marian , Malawski Maciej , Sloot Peter
Published: April 2005

This article presents the design and feasibility of a system that supports execution of High Level Architecture (HLA)-distributed interactive simulations in an unreliable Grid environment. The article presents an overall architecture of a system based on experience gained from previous designs. The most important operational components of the system are presented, and actual performance issues are discussed. The design of the architecture is based on the Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) concept that allows for modularity and compatibility with Grid services already being developed. The issue of migration to the recently proposed Web Services Resource Framework (WSRF) is discussed as well.
Integrating heterogeneous data warehouses using XML technologies
Authors: Tseng Frank S.C. , Chen Chia-Wei
Published: April 2005

Data warehousing has been widely adopted by contemporary enterprises. For inter-organizational information sharing, the need cannot be over-emphasized to conduct researches on the integration of heterogeneous data warehouses to overcome the challenging situations today. That makes it urgent to establish a systematic integration methodology for integrating heterogeneous data warehouses via the Internet or proprietary extranets. Traditionally, researchers usually employed a canonical format as the integration medium for logical data integrations among heterogeneous systems. In this paper, to fully utilize the power of the Internet, we propose a framework and develop a prototype to integrate heterogeneous data warehouses by XML technologies. We first formally define the elements in data warehousing and discuss various semantic conflicts occurring among heterogeneous data cubes. Then, we propose the system architecture and related resolution procedures for all kinds of semantic conflicts. For local data cubes with different schemas, we define a global XML Schema to integrate the local cube structures, and transform each local cube respectively into an XML document conforming to the global XML Schema. These transformed XML documents obtained from local cubes will be manipulated by pre-defined XQuery commands to form a unified XML document, which can be regarded as the global cube. The integrated global cube can be easily stored and manipulated in native XML databases. The proposed methodology enables global users to browse or pose multi-dimensional expressions (MDX) on the global cube to obtain a result in the same way as they perform locally.
Science and Technology Studies on Trial:
Authors: Lynch Michael , Cole Simon
Published: April 2005

This paper discusses materials from a legal case, People v. Hyatt (2001). This was a criminal case in which one of the authors (Simon Cole) agreed to appear as an expert witness for the defense. Cole’s expertise derived from his research in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), and so his appearance in the case exemplified STS research engaging in a public controversy about a contested form of ‘scientific’ knowledge. Cole’s STS work and his testimony proved useful to defendants seeking to restrict the admissibility of forensic fingerprint evidence in court, but before he could testify in the Hyatt trial, his own expertise was subjected to an admissibility hearing. During his testimony, Cole faced a number of dilemmas as he attempted to accommodate his own conception of science and STS with the terms and procedures recognized by the court. The hearing was transcribed, and the coauthors of this paper discussed the details of the transcript. Their discussion itself was recorded and transcribed, and portions of the two transcripts are juxtaposed in this paper. The paper discusses Cole’s difficulties and the dilemmas they exemplify, as a situated demonstration of some of the difficulties STS scholars face in their attempts to engage the ‘public sphere’.
The re-emergence of memory recovery: return of seduction theory and birth of survivorship
Authors: Hult Jose
Published: April 2005

This paper comprises an analysis of an aspect of the history of psychiatric/psychological knowledge. The case in point is the transience of the notion of memory recovery in the context of childhood sexual abuse. By transience is meant that the concept of memory recovery apparently vanished and re-emerged despite the fact that its source, childhood sexual abuse, did not disappear. Such abuse is a fairly common phenomenon worldwide, whereas memory recovery seems to be temporally and locally limited. Is it possible to say that psychiatric/psychological knowledge of memory recovery is also context-dependent and culture-bound? If so, what would this mean in relation to the applicability of this knowledge?
Deficiency in type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor in mice protects against oxygen-induced lung injury
Authors: Ahamed Karmene , Epaud Ralph , Holzenberger Martin , Bonora Monique , Flejou Jean-François , Puard Julien , Clement Annick , Henrion-Caude Alexandra
Published: April 2005

Background

Cellular responses to aging and oxidative stress are regulated by type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R). Oxidant injury, which is implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of respiratory diseases, acutely upregulates IGF-1R expression in the lung. This led us to suspect that reduction of IGF-1R levels in lung tissue could prevent deleterious effects of oxygen exposure.

Methods

Since IGF-1R null mutant mice die at birth from respiratory failure, we generated compound heterozygous mice harboring a hypomorphic (Igf-1r

neo
) and a knockout (Igf-1r
-) receptor allele. These IGF-1Rneo/- mice, strongly deficient in IGF-1R, were subjected to hyperoxia and analyzed for survival time, ventilatory control, pulmonary histopathology, morphometry, lung edema and vascular permeability.

Results

Strikingly, after 72 h of exposure to 90% O2, IGF-1Rneo/- mice had a significantly better survival rate during recovery than IGF-1R+/+ mice (77% versus 53%, P < 0.05). The pulmonary injury was consistently, and significantly, milder in IGF-1Rneo/- mice which developed conspicuously less edema and vascular extravasation than controls. Also, hyperoxia-induced abnormal pattern of breathing which precipitated respiratory failure was elicited less frequently in the IGF-1Rneo/- mice.

Conclusion

Together, these data demonstrate that a decrease in IGF-1R signaling in mice protects against oxidant-induced lung injury.
Interstitial lung disease in children – genetic background and associated phenotypes
Authors: Hartl Dominik , Griese Matthias
Published: April 2005

Interstitial lung disease in children represents a group of rare chronic respiratory disorders. There is growing evidence that mutations in the surfactant protein C gene play a role in the pathogenesis of certain forms of pediatric interstitial lung disease. Recently, mutations in the ABCA3 transporter were found as an underlying cause of fatal respiratory failure in neonates without surfactant protein B deficiency. Especially in familiar cases or in children of consanguineous parents, genetic diagnosis provides an useful tool to identify the underlying etiology of interstitial lung disease. The aim of this review is to summarize and to describe in detail the clinical features of hereditary interstitial lung disease in children. The knowledge of gene variants and associated phenotypes is crucial to identify relevant patients in clinical practice.