bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The power of health information – the use of cohort monitoring in managing patients with chronic non‐communicable diseases
Authors: Maher Dermot
Published: October 2012

En dépit de leur énorme charge de morbidité et de mortalité, les maladies chroniques non transmissibles dans les pays à faibles et moyens revenus ont souvent été négligées, avec une approche de soins primaires peu structurée pour leur prise en charge et un manque de suivi systématique et de surveillance des soins. Un modèle d’évaluation systématique de la prise en charge des MNT à travers le suivi de cohorte s’appuie sur l’expérience du déploiement des interventions de deux maladies infectieuses chroniques, la tuberculose et le VIH.
“Free, Compulsory and (Not) Secular”: The Failed Idea in Australian Education*
Authors: Byrne Catherine
Published: October 2012

The nineteenth century radically transformed education from a church function to a state duty. During the early to late 1800s, Australian legislators debated the foundations of education for their new society. Decades of acrimonious argument, and sustained (but failed) attempts to create a workable denominational system led the colonies to explore more radical options. To minimize religious division, Australia's proposal was for public education to be “free, compulsory and secular.” New South Wales legislated these then politically progressive principles in the Public Instruction Act of 1880, following Victoria in 1872, and Queensland and South Australia in 1875. No state defined the term “secular” and each interpreted it differently. Prolonged, ambiguous applications of the secular principle continue to create confusion and division today. This article examines constructions of the “secular” in education and compares the approaches of Henry Parkes in New South Wales and George Higinbotham in Victoria. It follows the erosion of secular intent in public and parliamentary debates from early settlement to 1880.
On the Road to Modernity: Textile Workers and Post‐socialist Transformations in Slovenia
Authors: VODOPIVEC NINA
Published: October 2012

This article explores how processes of transformation since 1989 have affected textile workers' lives in Slovenia. I am concerned with the way in which the changes in politics and society as well as people's changed reference frames have served to redefine textile workers' perceptions of the socialist past and their current understanding of both working and broader living environments. The legacies of socialism are presented within the framework of various interpretations and perceptions of post‐socialist modernity. I illustrate my points by quoting a number of interviews made with workers, retired workers and other factory staff in the first years of this decade. The article does not intend to reconstruct the socialist past, but to explore the intertwinements between the past and post‐socialist present while highlighting textile workers' perspectives and experiences. With their focus on the level of everyday practices, fieldwork and oral history can help us to recognize that changes in post‐socialism are not simple and unidirectional. Following such analytical orientations the article addresses macro and micro levels to reveal the various ways in which people contest or contradict, follow or oppose institutional changes. The idea is not only to add people and a case study to the larger story but to question the story itself and its one‐sidedness that tells us about ‘successful transition’ by giving out numbers, percentages and political categorizations. The aim is to point at the inequalities such discourses produce, the power relations in which they are located and the lived realities that are hidden behind them.
Opposition to Pro‐Immigrant Public Policy: Symbolic Racism and Group Threat
Authors: Berg Justin Allen
Published: October 2012

This study examines the relationship between symbolic racism and native‐born citizens’ policy opinions toward legal and undocumented immigration. With data from the 1994GeneralSocialSurvey and theNPR/KaiserFoundation/KennedySchool ofGovernment 2004ImmigrationSurvey, the results from logit regression models indicate that symbolic racism significantly predicts opposition to legal immigration, immigrant access to federal aid, and standard costs for college, citizenship forU.S.‐born children, and work permits for undocumented immigrants. The effects are independent of group threat and other factors. Symbolic racism explained more variation in policy opinions toward government assistance, while group threat explained more variation toward immigration levels and citizenship status. Depending on the issue, native‐born citizens likely derive their immigration policy opinions from moral ideologies in addition to intergroup competition.
A Comparison Between the Conventional Stated Preference Technique and an Inferred Valuation Approach
Authors: Yadav Lava , van Rensburg Thomas M. , Kelley Hugh
Published: October 2012

Contrary to conventional stated preference valuation techniques that employ a direct questioning approach, the inferred valuation method utilises indirect questioning where respondents are asked for their belief regarding others’ values for a good or service. In this study, using choice experiments, we compare the results obtained through the two valuation techniques for environmental features of the Burren landscape in western Ireland. Consistent with previous studies, stated values using the conventional approach are found to be significantly higher than those obtained through the inferred valuation approach. In particular, this study highlights the dissimilarities in relative preferences observed between the two landscape attributes (rocky limestone pavements and orchid‐rich grasslands) from the two questioning formats. While respondents were indifferent between the two habitats, they believed the ‘average other’ to be significantly more concerned about the conservation of the rocky limestone pavements. We attribute this divergence in preferences to be a consequence of additional normative motives perceived by respondents with regard to the conservation of orchid‐rich grasslands.
The Obama Presidency: Hope, Change, and Reality
Authors: Rockman Bert A.
Published: October 2012

Objectives

The purpose of this article is to assess specifically whether President Barak Obama has been a transformational leader and, more generally, the utility of the concept of transformational leadership.

Methods

The article explores the differences between the aspirations of leaders, their rhetoric, and the hopes of leaders’ passionate partisan followers and the much harsher contextual constraints influencing what leaders, and especially U.S. presidents, can hope to achieve.

Results

The Obama presidency, in particular, has shown significant sensitivity to its contextual opportunities. In general, it has seized the opportunities it did have to achieve outcomes that it defined as important but these opportunities have been sharply constricted as well.

Conclusions

The notion of transformational leadership, and the rhetoric that accompanies it, is massively asymmetric. Leadership takes place when strategic opportunities arise, and these more frequently than not are rare.
Environmental and genetic effects shape the development of personality traits in the mangrove killifishKryptolebias marmoratus
Authors: Edenbrow M. , Croft D. P.
Published: October 2012

Consistent individual differences in behaviour are well documented, for example, individuals can be defined as consistently bold or consistently shy. To date our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning consistent individual differences in behaviour (also termed behavioural types (BTs)) remains limited. Theoretical work suggests life‐history tradeoffs drive BT variation, however, empirical support is scarce. Moreover, whilst life‐history is known to be phenotypically plastic in response to environmental conditions during ontogeny, the extent to which such plasticity drives plasticity in behavioural traits and personality remains poorly understood. Using a natural clonal vertebrate,Kryptolebias marmoratus, we control for genetic variation and investigate developmental plasticity in life‐history and three commonly studied behavioural traits (exploration, boldness, aggression) in response to three ecologically relevant environments; conspecific presence, low food and perceived risk. Simulated predation risk was the only treatment that generated repeatable behaviour i.e. personality during ontogeny. Treatments differed in their effects on mean life‐history and behavioural scores. Specifically, low food fish exhibited reduced growth rate and exploration but did not differ from control fish in their boldness or aggression scores. Conspecific presence resulted in a strong negative effect on mean aggression, boldness and exploration during ontogeny but had minimal effect on life‐history traits. Simulated predation risk resulted in increased reproductive output but had minimal effect upon average behavioural scores. Together these results suggest that life‐history plasticity/variation may be insufficient in driving variation in personality during development. Finally, using offspring derived from each rearing environment we investigate maternal effects and find strong maternal influence upon offspring size, but not behaviour. These results highlight and support the current understanding that risk perception is important in shaping personality, and that social experience during ontogeny is a major influence upon behavioural expression.
Picturing the Pictures
Authors: Baxter Mike
Published: October 2012

Lights, camera, action! Mike Baxter sits back to enjoy his favourite classic movies – and to distinguish the styles of the great directors.
Amanda Cox
Authors: Champkin Julian
Published: October 2012

Amanda Cox won the American Statistical Association's award for excellence in statistical reporting this year. But she denies that she is a statistician, or that what she does is statistics. Julian Champkin talked to her.
Beware, Win or Lose
Authors: Brimicombe Allan , Cafe Rebecca
Published: October 2012

A six-pack, the big match on television — and in the wake of alcohol-fuelled emotion, violence against a partner. Did domestic violence increase when the World Cup was on?Allan Brimicombe and Rebecca Cafe tested the truth of an official analysis.
Squamous cell carcinoma arising from pilonidal sinus
Authors: Pandey Mithilesh K , Gupta Puneet , Khanna Ajay K
Published: October 2012

Pilonidal sinus is usually present in the sacrococcygeal region. The common presentations are cellulitis, abscess or sinus. Rarely malignant change may be seen in chronic pilonidal sinus. We report a case of chronic pilonidal sinus complicated with squamous cell carcinoma.
Delay in Seeking Medical Help in Patients with New-Onset Erectile Dysfunction Remained High Over and Despite the PDE5 Era—An Ecological Study
Authors: Salonia Andrea , Ferrari Matteo , Saccà Antonino , Pellucchi Federico , Castagna Giulia , Clementi Maria Chiara , Matloob Rayan , Briganti Alberto , Rigatti Patrizio , Montorsi Francesco
Published: October 2012

Introduction

It is common knowledge among researchers that erectile dysfunction (ED) is an important sentinel marker of cardiovascular and overall men’s health.

Aim

Determine whether the delay of time between ED onset and seeking medical help (DSH), considered as a proxy of awareness of the importance of ED for overall men’s health, has shortened during the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5) era.

Methods

Complete data from 619 patients seeking first medical help for new-onset ED as their primary disorder between July 2000 and July 2010 were analyzed (i.e., DSH, ED severity as defined by the International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function [IIEF-EF] domain score, patient’s awareness of any PDE5, and Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]). Analysis of variance tested DSH throughout the 10-year time frame. Cox regression models tested the association between predictors and DSH.

Main Outcome Measures

Assess if DSH has shortened throughout PDE5 era. Evaluate potential predictors of DSH.

Results

Overall, mean DSH was 30.2 months (median 12.0; range 5–300 months). DSH shortened throughout the analyzed 10-year period (F = 1.918; P = 0.047), with a significant drop only from year 2009 (DSH up to year 2008 vs. from year 2009: 31.0 months [12.0] vs. 7.5 months [6.0], respectively; P < 0.001). Age, CCI, educational status, and ED severity did not significantly change over time. As a whole, 560 patients (90.5%) were aware of PDE5 at the time of their first office visit. PDE5 awareness emerged as an univarible and multivariable predictor of a shortened DSH. Conversely, DSH was not clearly associated with age, CCI, educational status, or ED severity.

Conclusion

Delay in seeking medical help in new-onset ED patients remained high over the PDE5 era, with a significant drop only from the year 2009. PDE5 awareness emerged as an independent predictor of shortening of this delay.
Believer beware: The Challenges of Commercial Religion
Authors: Edge Peter W.
Published: October 2012

In a wide range of circumstances religious activity and commercial activity may overlap, leading to what may fairly, albeit novelly, be categorised as commercial religion. This overlap is potentially problematic to law, raising as it does the possibility of inappropriate over-regulation of religious activity and religious claims and the possibility of inappropriate under-regulation of commercial activity and claims. One way to solve this problem is to create a binary divide between the commercial and the religious, so that any situation might be categorised as one or the other, and the appropriate legal framework and philosophies applied. This is the preferred route under the European Convention on Human Rights. Such a separation does not, however, address the complexity of regulating commercial religion in practice, as demonstrated by considering the regulation of commercial religion in UK consumer law. There are, however, strategies which may serve to reblend the commercial and religious elements.
Antibodies in research of thymosin β4: investigation of cross‐reactivity and influence of fixatives
Authors: Knop Jana , App Christine , Hannappel Ewald
Published: October 2012

Antibodies against thymosin β4 are available from various sources and have been used in immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and Western blot analyses. None of these antibodies have been fully characterized for specificity and influence of fixation techniques. This presents a difficulty because many tissues express more than one member of the β‐thymosin family; in addition, highly homologous sequences are typical elements of β‐thymosins. It is also important to scrutinize the influence of fixatives on the antibody‐binding capability. Fixatives such as formaldehyde are well known as cross‐linking reagents. Chemical modifications within the thymosin β4 molecule might change the putative epitope recognized by the antibody. These considerations suggest that investigations on thymosin β4 antibodies available to the scientific community are important and necessary before any experiment can be performed to exclude cross‐reactivity with other β‐thymosins that are coexistent in the examined tissue and to prove antibody binding after fixation steps.
Genetic modification of chicken germ cells
Authors: Park Tae Sub , Han Jae Yong
Published: October 2012

Over the past two decades numerous reports have demonstrated that the genetic modification of poultry genomes has great potential for improving poultry production; moreover, it may be used as a powerful tool for the production of industrial proteins. To date, transgenic techniques have been established for generating transgenic birds that express recombinant human proteins in hen eggs, as well as tissue‐specific genes as an animal model. The production of transgenic birds is a promising approach that could have practical applications in agriculture and biopharmacology, in addition to advancing our understanding of avian biology. Finally, germ cell–mediated transgenesis could provide a more efficient strategy for creating gene‐targeted insertions and deletions in avian species.
Singlet Oxygen‐Related Photooxidative Stability and Antioxidant Changes of Diacylglycerol‐Rich Oil Derived from Mixture of Olive and Perilla Oil
Authors: Kim Nakyung , Choe Eunok
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  This study investigated the oxidative stability and antioxidants changes in diacylglycerol (DAG)‐rich oil under singlet oxygen. DAG‐rich oil was derived from triacylglycerol (TAG) oil of extra virgin olive and perilla oil mixture by hydrolysis and re‐esterification using lipases. The oxidation of oils was performed at 25 °C for 48 h under singlet oxygen produced with chlorophyll b under light, and was evaluated by headspace oxygen consumption and peroxide value (POV). The oxidation of DAG‐rich oil was higher and faster in the co‐presence of light and chlorophyll than in their single presence. DAG‐rich oil was more oxidation‐susceptible than TAG oil. There was no significant change in fatty acid and lipid subclass compositions in DAG‐rich oil during the photooxidation. Tocopherols were degraded, whereas polyphenols weren't during phootooxidation of DAG‐rich oil. The oxidation of DAG‐rich oil was well‐correlated with tocopherol contents, not with polyphenol contents, indicating that tocopherols were effective antioxidants in the singlet oxygen‐related phootooxidation of DAG‐rich oil. The results suggested that the oxidative stability of DAG‐rich oil under singlet oxygen be improved by a precise control through retention of tocopherols.

Practical Application:  The results of this study can be applied to the utilization of diacylglycerol oils to the area of functional edible oils with good oxidative stability.
Antioxidant Activity of Ripe and Unripe Pepino Fruit (Solanum muricatum Aiton)
Authors: Sudha Govindan , Sangeetha Priya Marimuthu , Indhu Shree Rajan Babu , Vadivukkarasi Sabapathy
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  Ripe and unripe exotic pepino fruit were evaluated for antioxidant activity, total phenols, and flavonoid content. The antioxidant potency was investigated by employing various established in vitro systems, such as 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2–2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenthiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging, reducing power, ferrous ion chelation, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and lipid peroxidation. The EC50 values of ripe ethanolic extract on DPPH radical, reducing power, ferrous ion chelation, ABTS radical, FRAP, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxidation (brain), and lipid peroxidation (liver) were obtained to be 2.20, 2.81, <5.00, 34.06, 8.53, 1.30, 1.75, and 0.51 mg/mL, respectively. However, the EC50 values for unripe fruit extract were noted to be 3.75, 3.40, 11.25, 40.12, 9.75, 0.80, 1.91, and 0.63 mg/mL, respectively. Ripe fruit exhibited the highest values of antioxidant activity in all the scavenging assays except for hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Ripe pepino had higher total phenol and flavonoid content than unripe fruit. This study suggests that possible mechanism of the biological activities may be due to free radical scavenging and antioxidant characteristics, which may be due to the presence of polyphenols in the fruit extracts.

Practical Application:  The ripe and unripe pepino fruit have excellent antioxidant properties, so the results obtained in this study clearly indicate that pepino fruit has a significant potential to use as a natural antioxidant agent and possibly as a food supplement.
Four Applications of Embodied Cognition
Authors: Davis Joshua Ian , Benforado Adam , Esrock Ellen , Turner Alasdair , Dalton Ruth C. , van Noorden Leon , Leman Marc
Published: October 2012

This article presents the views of four sets of authors, each taking concepts of embodied cognition into problem spaces where the new paradigm can be applied. The first considers consequences of embodied cognition on the legal system. The second explores how embodied cognition can change how we interpret and interact with art and literature. The third examines how we move through architectural spaces from an embodied cognition perspective. And the fourth addresses how music cognition is influenced by the approach. Each contribution is brief. They are meant to suggest the potential reach of embodied cognition, increase the visibility of applications, and inspire potential avenues for research.
Embodied Cognition as a Practical Paradigm: Introduction to the Topic, The Future of Embodied Cognition
Authors: Davis Joshua Ian , Markman Arthur B.
Published: October 2012

Embodied cognition pertains to the consequences on thought and emotion of living with our particular human sensory and motor systems. The consequences are quite varied, and researchers across the cognitive sciences have made great discoveries in line with this principle. However, while we offer this principle, it is necessarily broad, and searching for a single unifying theme has not brought researchers together behind a clearly defined endeavor. Rather than attempt to do so, we embrace the variation and specificity in research endeavors across the cognitive sciences to forge a practical sense in which embodied cognition can be a useful paradigm within which to think and work. This topic, The Future of Embodied Cognition, includes contributions from eight sets of authors communicating how embodied cognition has and will influence specific approaches within their disciplines. Through this format, the lessons from each contribution can be easily shared with colleagues across disciplines. As these lessons continue to be shared, a paradigm that is of practical use will emerge, and its coherence across disciplines will follow. To illustrate the practical aspect of this approach, in this introductory paper, we take one lesson from each contribution that must be shared and illustrate how each lesson can apply to a single, specific topic of study.
Patient satisfaction after gut‐directed hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Lindfors P. , Ljótsson B. , Bjornsson E. , Abrahamsson H. , Simrén M.
Published: October 2012

Background  Gut‐directed hypnotherapy is an effective treatment option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, clinical observations suggest that patient satisfaction with hypnotherapy is not always associated with improvement in IBS symptoms.

Methods  We evaluated 83 patients with IBS treated with gut‐directed hypnotherapy (1 h week−1, 12 weeks). After the treatment period, patients reported their satisfaction with the treatment (ranging from 1 = not at all satisfied, to 5 = very satisfied) and completed questionnaires to assess IBS symptom severity, quality of life, cognitive function, sense of coherence, depression, and anxiety before and after treatment.

Key Results  After hypnotherapy improved IBS symptom severity, quality of life, cognitive function, and anxiety were seen. Thirty patients (36%) were very satisfied with the treatment and 57 (69%) patients scored 4 or 5 on the patient satisfaction scale. Patient satisfaction was associated with less severe IBS symptoms and better quality of life after the treatment. In a multiple linear regression analysis, only the quality of life domain sexual relations was independently associated with patient satisfaction after hypnotherapy, explaining 22% of the variance. Using 25% reduction of IBS symptom severity to define an IBS symptom responder, 52% of the responders were very satisfied with hypnotherapy, but this was also true for 31% in the non‐responder group.

Conclusions & Inferences  Patient satisfaction with gut‐directed hypnotherapy in IBS is associated with improvement of quality of life and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, other factors unrelated to GI symptoms also seems to be of importance for patient satisfaction, as a substantial proportion of patients without GI symptom improvement were also very satisfied with this treatment option.
Are the Bio‐ and Chemiluminescence States of the Firefly Oxyluciferin the Same as the Fluorescence State?
Authors: Navizet Isabelle , Roca‐Sanjuán Daniel , Yue Ling , Liu Ya‐Jun , Ferré Nicolas , Lindh Roland
Published: October 2012

A usual strategy in both experimental and theoretical studies on bio‐ and chemiluminescence is to analyze the fluorescent properties of the bio‐ and chemiluminescence reaction product. Recent findings in a coelenteramide and Cypridina oxyluciferin model raise a concern on the validity of this procedure, showing that the light emitters in each of these luminescent processes might differ. Here, the thermal decomposition path of the firefly dioxetanone and the light emission states of the Firefly oxyluciferin responsible for the bio‐, chemiluminescence, and fluorescence of the molecule are characterized using ab initio quantum chemistry and hybrid quantum chemistry/molecular mechanics methods to determine if the scenario found in the coelenteramide and Cypridina oxyluciferin study does also apply to the Firefly bioluminescent systems. The results point out to a unique emission state in the bio‐, chemiluminescence, and fluorescence phenomena of the Firefly oxyluciferin and, therefore, using fluorescence properties of this system is reasonable.
Impact of Cooling Air Injection on the Primary Combustion Zone of a Swirl Burner
Authors: Marosky A. , Seidel V. , Bless S. , Sattelmayer T. , Magni F.
Published: October 2012

In most dry, low NOx combustor designs, the front panel impingement cooling air is directly injected into the combustor primary zone. As this air partially mixes with the swirling flow of premixed reactants from the burner prior to completion of heat release, it reduces the effective equivalence ratio in the flame and has a beneficial effect on NOx emissions. However, the fluctuations of the equivalence ratio in the flame potentially increase heat release fluctuations and influence flame stability. Since both effects are not yet fully understood, isothermal experiments are made in a water channel, where high speed planar laser-induced fluorescence (HSPLIF) is applied to study the cooling air distribution and its fluctuations in the primary zone. In addition, the flow field is measured with high speed particle image velocimetry (HSPIV). Both mixing and flow field are also analyzed in numerical studies using isothermal large eddy simulation (LES), and the simulation results are compared with the experimental data. Of particular interest is the influence of the injection configuration and cooling air momentum variation on the cooling air penetration and dispersion. The spatial and temporal quality of mixing is quantified with probability density functions (PDF). Based on the results regarding the equivalence ratio fluctuations, regions with potential negative effects on combustion stability are identified. The strongest fluctuations are observed in the outer shear layer of the swirling flow, which exerts a strong suction effect on the cooling air. Interestingly, the cooling air dilutes the recirculation zone of the swirling flow. In the reacting case, this effect is expected to lead to a decrease of the temperature in the flame-anchoring zone below the adiabatic flame temperature of the premixed reactant, which may have an adverse effect on flame stability.
Algae Based Hydroprocessed Fuel Use on a Marine Gas Turbine
Authors: Quiñones Martín , Leung Richard , Williams Sherry
Published: October 2012

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Philadelphia conducted a full scale gas turbine engine test using Rolls Royce engine models 501-K34 and 250-KS4 to assess engine performance and fuel combustion characteristics of an algae based hydroprocessed fuel. The fuel, hereafter described as alternate fuel, consisted of a 50/50 blend of NATO F-76 fuel and the algae based formulation. It is the first time that the U.S. Navy has used a nonpetroleum based fuel on a marine gas turbine. The test was conducted at the DDG 51 Land Based Engineering Site (LBES) of NSWCCD during Jan. 16–21, 2011. The alternate fuel test conducted on the 501-K34 engine consisted of seven cycles of engine operation, one using NATO F-76 fuel to develop a baseline run and six cycles using alternate fuel. Each cycle was 7 h and 20 min in duration and was composed of 27 distinct load scenarios. The total duration of the test was 44 h. The 250-KS4 engine was used as the starter mechanism for the 501-K34 engine. During the test, parameters for combustion temperature, fuel demand, fuel manifold pressure, engine start time, and operation under various load conditions were recorded. This paper discusses the results of the above test by comparing engine operation using alternate fuel to engine performance using NATO F-76 fuel.
Hole-Pattern and Honeycomb Seal Rotordynamic Forces: Validation of CFD-Based Prediction Techniques
Authors: Nielsen Kenny Krogh , Jønck Kasper , Underbakke Harald
Published: October 2012

This paper deals with modeling of hole-pattern and honeycomb seals. These are frequently used as balance piston seals in high pressure centrifugal compressor applications as they have the potential to facilitate superior rotordynamic damping characteristics while providing good leakage control. On the other hand it is also well-established that the rotordynamic performance of hole-pattern and honeycomb seals is very sensitive to convergence and divergence in the streamwise direction. The Isotseal bulk-flow code has shown difficulties in predicting the rotordynamic coefficients for convergent seal geometries or in cases with negative preswirl. This has led to increased interest in CFD-based analysis of seal dynamics. CFD-based models generally have less assumptions and are applicable for complex geometries or operating ranges not covered by bulk-flow codes. The CFD-based Instationary Perturbation Model (IPM) is utilized for the analysis of the hole-pattern and honeycomb seals. The rotordynamic forces are obtained by means of a time-dependent perturbation of the rotor position with respect to the stator. A sequence of perturbation frequencies is utilized to obtain the frequency dependence of the rotordynamic seal force coefficients. A strong effort has been put into validating the CFD-based perturbation modeling techniques against published experimental seal test data and the paper describes selected validation cases. A constant-clearance hole-pattern seal and a convergent honeycomb seal are analyzed and the results are compared to experimental results. The frequency dependence of the rotordynamic stiffness and damping characteristics of the seals is very well-captured for both types of seals.Finally, the IPM method was applied to a convergent hole-pattern seal to investigate the effects of eccentricity on the rotordynamic coefficients. The results are consistent with available experimental data.
A Theory in Finite Differences for Computation of Interchanging Principal Stresses and Principal Axes Rotation
Authors: Stefanov S. H.
Published: October 2012

Suppose consecutive ordinates of three arbitrary and nonproportional stress-time functions of plane state of stress are entered into a computer by a little finite time step. The theory proposed solves the following problem: correct computation of the ordinates of the principal stress-time functions and the angle of principal axes rotation. This problem is not as simple as researchers approached it prior to the computer era. First of all, the correct solution for the principal stresses and the principal axes rotation require correct interchange of the principal stresses while computing them, i.e., correct interchange of the plus/minus signs in the well-known equations for them. For the interchange analysis, an ellipse of stress transformation in the three-dimensional stress-coordinate space is revealed. By changing a coordinate scale, the ellipse turns into a circumference that is an analog to, but different from, a Mohr circle. The correct solution also requires treating the principal axes rotation in little finite differences per little time differences during which little finite elements appear as building the stressing path in the three-dimensional stress-coordinate space. Based on the ellipse/circumference mentioned, three interchange conditions are revealed. The third one is the most important. And, a necessity is also revealed for dividing some stressing path's elements into two subelements. Based on all the findings, the main commands of an algorithm for computing the ordinates of the principal stress-time functions and the angle of principal axes rotation are presented. The correct solution of the problem has been achieved thanks to new notions taken from the so-called integration of damage differentials (IDD) theory. In fact, the paper presents a new contribution to the variable plane stress state analysis.
Physico-Genetic Determinants in the Evolution of Development
Authors: Newman Stuart A.
Published: October 2012

Animal bodies and the embryos that generate them exhibit an assortment of stereotypic morphological motifs that first appeared more than half a billion years ago. During development, cells arrange themselves into tissues with interior cavities and multiple layers with immiscible boundaries, containing patterned arrangements of cell types. These tissues go on to elongate, fold, segment, and form appendages. Their motifs are similar to the outcomes of physical processes generic to condensed, chemically excitable, viscoelastic materials, although the embryonic mechanisms that generate them are typically much more complex. I propose that the origins of animal development lay in the mobilization of physical organizational effects that resulted when certain gene products of single-celled ancestors came to operate on the spatial scale of multicellular aggregates.
Bacterial Quorum Sensing and Metabolic Incentives to Cooperate
Authors: Dandekar Ajai A. , Chugani Sudha , Greenberg E. Peter
Published: October 2012

Cheat Control

In quorum-sensing induction, a
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
population growing on a single carbon source, such as casein, will reach a density where the levels of signaling molecules they collectively secrete triggers the cells to synthesize and secrete proteases to digest the casein. However, it is metabolically costly to secrete proteases, and the system is prone to mutant “cheats.” These cheats do not respond to quorum sensing and do not go to the cost of synthesizing protease, but they do profit from the breakdown products that allow all the cells—cheats and cooperators alike—to grow.

Dandekar
et al.

(p.
264
) found that quorum signaling–insensitive
P. aeruginosa
cheats could not synthesize nucleotide hydrolase and were thus unable to grow if casein was replaced by adenosine. This allowed cooperators to outgrow the cheats, leading to a stable equilibrium between cheats and cooperators. This principle of regulation may be applicable to other bacterial quorum-sensing systems and might be exploited in the development of drugs that disrupt bacterial cooperation.
Physical Biology Returns to Morphogenesis
Authors: Keller Ray
Published: October 2012

Understanding how cells coordinately shape an organism is grounded in a history of biophysical analyses of the molecules, mechanics, and forces that govern cell movements.
Legionnaires' Disease Caused by Legionella londiniensis
Authors: Stallworth Christina , Steed Lisa , Fisher Mark A. , Nolte Frederick S.
Published: October 2012

Legionella londiniensishas been isolated from aqueous environments. However, to our knowledge, this organism has never been isolated from clinical specimens. A case of Legionnaires' disease in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient caused by this organism is described, which confirms thatL. londiniensiscan be an opportunistic pathogen.
Enterovirus 71 VPg Uridylation Uses a Two-Molecular Mechanism of 3D Polymerase
Authors: Sun Yuna , Wang Yaxin , Shan Chao , Chen Cheng , Xu Peng , Song Mohan , Zhou Honggang , Yang Cheng , Xu Wenbo , Shi Pei-Yong , Zhang Bo , Lou Zhiyong
Published: October 2012

VPg uridylylation is essential for picornavirus RNA replication. The VPg uridylylation reaction consists of the binding of VPg to 3D polymerase (3D
pol
) and the transfer of UMP by 3D
pol
to the hydroxyl group of the third amino acid Tyr of VPg. Previous studies suggested that different picornaviruses employ distinct mechanisms during VPg binding and uridylylation. Here, we report a novel site (Site-311, located at the base of the palm domain of EV71 3D
pol
) that is essential for EV71 VPg uridylylation as well as viral replication. Ala substitution of amino acids (T313, F314, and I317) at Site-311 reduced the VPg uridylylation activity of 3D
pol
by >90%. None of the Site-311 mutations affected the RNA elongation activity of 3D
pol
, which indicates that Site-311 does not directly participate in RNA polymerization. However, mutations that abrogated VPg uridylylation significantly reduced the VPg binding ability of 3D
pol
, which suggests that Site-311 is a potential VPg binding site on enterovirus 71 (EV71) 3D
pol
. Mutation of a polymerase active site in 3D
pol
and Site-311 in 3D
pol
remarkably enables
trans
complementation to restore VPg uridylylation. In contrast, two distinct Site-311 mutants do not cause
trans
complementation
in vitro
. These results indicate that Site-311 is a VPg binding site that stabilizes the VPg molecule during the VPg uridylylation process and suggest a two-molecule model for 3D
pol
during EV71 VPg uridylylation, such that one 3D
pol
presents the hydroxyl group of Tyr3 of VPg to the polymerase active site of another 3D
pol
, which in turn catalyzes VPg→VPg-pU conversion. For genome-length RNA, the Site-311 mutations that reduced VPg uridylylation were lethal for EV71 replication, which indicates that Site-311 is a potential antiviral target.
Epitope-Specific CD8+T Cells Play a Differential Pathogenic Role in the Development of a Viral Disease Model for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Myoung Jinjong , Kang Hyun Seok , Hou Wanqiu , Meng Liping , Dal Canto Mauro C. , Kim Byung S.
Published: October 2012

Theiler's virus-induced demyelinating disease has been extensively investigated as a model for persistent viral infection and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the role of CD8+T cells in the development of disease remains unclear. To assess the role of virus-specific CD8+T cells in the pathogenesis of demyelinating disease, a single amino acid substitution was introduced into the predominant viral epitope (VP3 from residues 159 to 166 [VP3159-166]) and/or a subdominant viral epitope (VP3173-181) of susceptible SJL/J mice by site-directed mutagenesis. The resulting variant viruses (N160V, P179A, and N160V/P179A) failed to induce CD8+T cell responses to the respective epitopes. Surprisingly, mice infected with N160V or N160V/P179A virus, which lacks CD8+T cells against VP3159-166, did not develop demyelinating disease, in contrast to wild-type virus or P179A virus lacking VP3173-181-specific CD8+T cells. Our findings clearly show that the presence of VP3159-166-specific CD8+T cells, rather than viral persistence itself, is strongly correlated with disease development. VP3173-181-specific CD8+T cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of these virus-infected mice expressed higher levels of transforming growth factor β, forkhead box P3, interleukin-22 (IL-22), and IL-17 mRNA but caused minimal cytotoxicity compared to that caused by VP3159-166-specific CD8+T cells. VP3159-166-specific CD8+T cells exhibited high functional avidity for gamma interferon production, whereas VP3173-181-specific CD8+T cells showed low avidity. To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that the induction of the IL-17-producing CD8+T cell type is largely epitope specific and that this specificity apparently plays a differential role in the pathogenicity of virus-induced demyelinating disease. These results strongly advocate for the careful consideration of CD8+T cell-mediated intervention of virus-induced inflammatory diseases.
Characterization of CD8+T Cell Function and Immunodominance Generated with an H2O2-Inactivated Whole-Virus Vaccine
Authors: Walker Joshua M. , Raué Hans-Peter , Slifka Mark K.
Published: October 2012

CD8+T cells play an important role in protection against both acute and persistent viral infections, and new vaccines that induce CD8+T cell immunity are currently needed. Here, we show that lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-specific CD8+T cells can be generated in response to a nonreplicating H2O2-inactivated whole-virus vaccine (H2O2-LCMV). Vaccine-induced CD8+T cell responses exhibited an increased ability to produce multiple cytokines at early time points following immunization compared to infection-induced responses. Vaccination with H2O2-LCMV induced the expansion of a narrow subset of the antigen-specific CD8+T cells induced by LCMV strain Arm infection, resulting in a distinct immunodominance hierarchy. Acute LCMV infection stimulated immunodominance patterns that shifted over time or after secondary infection, whereas vaccine-generated immunodominance profiles remained remarkably stable even following subsequent viral infection. Vaccine-induced CD8+T cell populations expanded sharply in response to challenge and were then maintained at high levels, with responses to individual epitopes occupying up to 40% of the CD8+T cell compartment at 35 days after challenge. H2O2-LCMV vaccination protected animals against challenge with chronic LCMV clone 13, and protection was mediated by CD8+T cells. These results indicate that vaccination with an H2O2-inactivated whole-virus vaccine induces LCMV-specific CD8+T cells with unique functional characteristics and provides a useful model for studying CD8+T cells elicited in the absence of active viral infection.
A Wii virtual activity severe thumb metacarpal injury
Authors: Galanopoulos Ilias , Garlapati Anand Kumar , Ashwood Neil , Kitsis Christos
Published: October 2012

In this paper we present a case of a severe thumb bone injury sustained during simulated sporting activity using a Wii games console. Although several types of injury related to this form of physical activity have been encountered during the last few years with increasing frequency, this particular basal thumb fracture has not been reported in the literature yet. This was a complex Rolando type of fracture similar to those obtained doing the actual activity mimicked by the game. Ensuring a safe environment and adequate preparation before undertaking sport is key to prevent injury and the same principles are needed when undertaking virtual sport.
THE PARITY WRITHE POLYNOMIALS FOR VIRTUAL KNOTS AND FLAT VIRTUAL KNOTS
Authors: IM YOUNG HO , KIM SERA , LEE DONG SOO
Published: October 2012

We introduce a polynomial invariant with two variables for an oriented virtual knot, which refines the odd writhe polynomial with one variable due to Cheng by using a modified version of the warping degree. Our invariant is a Vassiliev invariant of degree one, reduces to one variable for a checkerboard colorable virtual knot, vanishes for classical knots, and detects non-invertibility and non-amphicheirality for some cases. We raise some examples to show effectiveness of our invariant. Moreover we define a similar invariant for a flat virtual knot.
Dynamic warp subdivision for integrated branch and memory divergence tolerance
Authors: Meng Jiayuan , Tarjan David , Skadron Kevin
Published: October 2012

SIMD organizations amortize the area and power of fetch, decode, and issue logic across multiple processing units in order to maximize throughput for a given area and power budget. However, throughput is reduced when a set of threads operating in lockstep (a warp) are stalled due to long latency memory accesses. The resulting idle cycles are extremely costly. Multi-threading can hide latencies by interleaving the execution of multiple warps, but deep multi-threading using many warps dramatically increases the cost of the register files (multi-threading depth x SIMD width), and cache contention can make performance worse. Instead, intra-warp latency hiding should first be exploited. This allows threads that are ready but stalled by SIMD restrictions to use these idle cycles and reduces the need for multi-threading among warps. This paper introduces
dynamic warp subdivision
(DWS), which allows a single warp to occupy more than one slot in the scheduler without requiring extra register file space. Independent scheduling entities allow divergent branch paths to interleave their execution, and allow threads that hit to run ahead. The result is improved latency hiding and memory level parallelism (MLP). We evaluate the technique on a coherent cache hierarchy with private L1 caches and a shared L2 cache. With an area overhead of less than 1%, experiments with eight data-parallel benchmarks show our technique improves performance on average by 1.7X.
Thread tailor
Authors: Lee Janghaeng , Wu Haicheng , Ravichandran Madhumitha , Clark Nathan
Published: October 2012

Extracting performance from modern parallel architectures requires that applications be divided into many different threads of execution. Unfortunately selecting the appropriate number of threads for an application is a daunting task. Having too many threads can quickly saturate shared resources, such as cache capacity or memory bandwidth, thus degrading performance. On the other hand, having too few threads makes inefficient use of the resources available. Beyond static resource assignment, the program inputs and dynamic system state (e.g., what other applications are executing in the system) can have a significant impact on the right number of threads to use for a particular application.

To address this problem we present the Thread Tailor, a dynamic system that automatically adjusts the number of threads in an application to optimize system efficiency. The Thread Tailor leverages offline analysis to estimate what type of threads will exist at runtime and the communication patterns between them. Using this information Thread Tailor dynamically combines threads to better suit the needs of the target system. Thread Tailor adjusts not only to the architecture, but also other applications in the system, and this paper demonstrates that this type of adjustment can lead to significantly better use of thread-level parallelism in real-world architectures.
NoHype
Authors: Keller Eric , Szefer Jakub , Rexford Jennifer , Lee Ruby B.
Published: October 2012

Cloud computing is a disruptive trend that is changing the way we use computers. The key underlying technology in cloud infrastructures is virtualization -- so much so that many consider virtualization to be one of the key features rather than simply an implementation detail. Unfortunately, the use of virtualization is the source of a significant security concern. Because multiple virtual machines run on the same server and since the virtualization layer plays a considerable role in the operation of a virtual machine, a malicious party has the opportunity to attack the virtualization layer. A successful attack would give the malicious party control over the all-powerful virtualization layer, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the software and data of any virtual machine. In this paper we propose removing the virtualization layer, while retaining the key features enabled by virtualization. Our NoHype architecture, named to indicate the removal of the hypervisor, addresses each of the key roles of the virtualization layer: arbitrating access to CPU, memory, and I/O devices, acting as a network device (e.g., Ethernet switch), and managing the starting and stopping of guest virtual machines. Additionally, we show that our NoHype architecture may indeed be "no hype" since nearly all of the needed features to realize the NoHype architecture are currently available as hardware extensions to processors and I/O devices.