bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMPRIMITIVE PARAMETRIZATION OF ANALYTIC CURVES AND FACTORIZATIONS OF ENTIRE FUNCTIONS
Authors: NG TUEN WAI
Published: April 2007

Let f(z) and g(z) be transcendental entire functions.
Fuchs and Song proved that if (f(z); g(z)) parametrizes
some complex algebraic curve, then f and g must have a transcendental common right factor. The
paper proves this result by a different method that also allows a similar result to be proved for some
transcendental curves. This result is then used to solve some factorization problems of entire functions.
ALL GROUPS ARE OUTER AUTOMORPHISM GROUPS OF SIMPLE GROUPS
Authors: DROSTE MANFRED , GIRAUDET MICHÈLE , GÖBEL RÜDIGER
Published: April 2007

It is shown that each group is the outer automorphism group of a simple group. Surprisingly, the proof
is mainly based on the theory of ordered or relational structures and their symmetry groups. By a
recent result of Droste and Shelah, any group is the outer automorphism group Out (Aut T) of the
automorphism group Aut T of a doubly homogeneous chain (T, [les ]). However, Aut T is never simple.
Following recent investigations on automorphism groups of circles, it is possible to turn (T, [les ]) into a
circle C such that Out (Aut T) [bcong ] Out (Aut C). The unavoidable normal subgroups in Aut T evaporate in
Aut C, which is now simple, and the result follows.
THE SECOND TRANSPOSE OF A DERIVATION
Authors: DALES, H. G. , RODRÍGUEZ-PALACIOS A. , VELASCO M. V.
Published: April 2007

Let A be a Banach algebra, and let D: A → A* be a continuous derivation, where A* is the topological
dual space of A. The paper discusses the situation when the second transpose D**: A** → (A**)* is also
a derivation in the case where A** has the first Arens product.
METRICAL THEOREMS ON PRIME VALUES OF THE INTEGER PARTS OF REAL SEQUENCES II
Authors: HARMAN GLYN
Published: April 2007

Let [ ] denote the integer part. Among other results in [3] we gave a complete
solution to the following problem.

PROBLEM. Given an increasing sequence an ∈ ℝ+,
n = 1, 2, …, where an → ∞ as
n → ∞, are there infinitely many primes in the sequence
[αan] for almost all α?
COMPLETE SCALE OF ISOMORPHISMS FOR ELLIPTIC PSEUDODIFFERENTIAL BOUNDARY-VALUE PROBLEMS
Authors: KOZHEVNIKOV A.
Published: April 2007

The aim of the paper is to establish a complete scale of isomorphisms for elliptic pseudodifferential
boundary value problems generated by the operators of the Boutet de Monvel algebra. The result is an
extension of the corresponding known results on elliptic differential boundary value problems. Because
for any elliptic pseudodifferential boundary value problem there exists a parametrix belonging to the
Boutet de Monvel algebra, the proof presented is much shorter than the known proof for differential
problems. Systems that are elliptic in the sense of Douglis and Nirenberg are also considered.
TROTTER PRODUCT FORMULA FOR NONSELF-ADJOINT GIBBS SEMIGROUPS
Authors: CACHIA VINCENT , ZAGREBNOV VALENTIN A.
Published: April 2007

The trace-norm convergence of the Trotter product formula is proved for nonself-adjoint Gibbs semigroups.
For any m-sectorial generators A and B such that e−tReA
is in the trace-class for t > 0, the Trotter product formula converges in the trace-norm.
With smallness conditions on B with respect to A,
we give error bound estimates of the convergence rate in this topology.
HYPERSURFACES IN A UNIT SPHERE Sn+1(1) WITH CONSTANT SCALAR CURVATURE
Authors: CHENG QING-MING
Published: April 2007

The paper considers n-dimensional hypersurfaces with constant scalar curvature of a unit sphere Sn−1(1).
The hypersurface Sk(c1)×Sn−k(c2) in a unit sphere Sn+1(1) is characterized, and it is shown that there
exist many compact hypersurfaces with constant scalar curvature in a unit sphere Sn+1(1) which are not
congruent to each other in it. In particular, it is proved that if M is an n-dimensional (n > 3) complete
locally conformally flat hypersurface with constant scalar curvature n(n−1)r in a unit sphere Sn+1(1), then r > 1−2/n, and

(1) when r ≠ (n−2)/(n−1), if

then M is isometric to S1(√1−c2)×Sn−1(c), where S is the squared norm of the second fundamental
form of M;

(2) there are no complete hypersurfaces in Sn+1(1) with constant scalar curvature n(n−1)r and with
two distinct principal curvatures, one of which is simple, such that r = (n−2)/(n−1) and
DISTRIBUTION OF BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS AND DIGITAL FUNCTIONS
Authors: BARAT GUY , GRABNER PETER J.
Published: April 2007

The distribution of binomial coefficients in residue classes modulo prime powers and with respect to
the p-adic valuation is studied. For this purpose, general asymptotic results for arithmetic functions
depending on blocks of digits with respect to q-ary expansions are established.
SPECIAL LINEAR GROUPS GENERATED BY TRANSVECTIONS AND EMBEDDED PROJECTIVE SPACES
Authors: CUYPERS HANS , STEINBACH ANJA
Published: April 2007

A characterization is given of the ‘special linear groups’ T(Ψ, W) as linear groups generated by a
non-degenerate class Σ of abstract root groups such that the elements of A ∈ Σ are transvections.
STRICTLY SINGULAR, NON-COMPACT OPERATORS EXIST ON THE SPACE OF GOWERS AND MAUREY
Authors: ANDROULAKIS G. , SCHLUMPRECHT T.
Published: April 2007

A strictly singular non-compact operator on the Gowers and Maurey space GM is constructed.
A KNOWLEDGE-BASED LUNG NODULE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR HELICAL CT IMAGES
Authors: SU HONGSHUN , SANKAR RAVI , QIAN WEI
Published: April 2007

In this paper, we describe a knowledge-based system for segmenting and labeling lung nodule on helical CT images. The system was developed under a blackboard environment that incorporates a lung knowledge model, image processing model, inference engine and a blackboard. Lung model, which contains both analogical and propositional knowledge about lung in the form of semantic networks, was used to guide the interpretation process. The system works in a hierarchical structure, from large structures to the final nodule candidates by focusing on the interested region step by step. The symbolic variables, introduced to accomplish high-level inference, were defined by fuzzy confidence functions in the lung model. Composite fuzzy functions were applied to evaluate the plausibility of the mapping between the image and lung model objects. Anatomical lung segments knowledge was embedded in the system to direct 3D validation of suspicious objects. Structures were identified and abnormal objects were reported. The experimental results obtained demonstrate the proof of concept and the potential of the automated knowledge-based lung nodule detection system.
MULTI-LEARNER BASED RECURSIVE SUPERVISED TRAINING
Authors: IYER LAXMI R. , RAMANATHAN KIRUTHIKA , GUAN SHENG-UEI
Published: April 2007

In this paper, we propose the multi-learner based recursive supervised training (MLRT) algorithm, which uses the existing framework of recursive task decomposition, by training the entire dataset, picking out the best learnt patterns, and then repeating the process with the remaining patterns. Instead of having a single learner to classify all datasets during each recursion, an appropriate learner is chosen from a set of three learners, based on the subset of data being trained, thereby avoiding the time overhead associated with the genetic algorithm learner utilized in previous approaches. In this way MLRT seeks to identify the inherent characteristics of the dataset, and utilize it to train the data accurately and efficiently. We observed that empirically MLRT performs considerably well as compared with RPHP and other systems on benchmark data with 11% improvement in accuracy on the SPAM dataset and comparable performances on the VOWEL and the TWO-SPIRAL problems. In addition, for most datasets, the time taken by MLRT is considerably lower than that of the other systems with comparable accuracy. Two heuristic versions, MLRT-2 and MLRT-3, are also introduced to improve the efficiency in the system, and to make it more scalable for future updates. The performance in these versions is similar to the original MLRT system.
Relevancy-based access control and its evaluation on versioned XML documents
Authors: Iwaihara Mizuho , Hayashi Ryotaro , Chatvichienchai Somchai , Anutariya Chutiporn , Wuwongse Vilas
Published: April 2007

Integration of version and access control of XML documents has the benefit of regulating access to rapidly growing archives of XML documents. Versioned XML documents provide us with valuable information on dependencies between document nodes, but, at the same time, presenting the risk of undesirable data disclosure. In this article, we introduce the notion of relevancy-based access control, which realizes protection of versioned XML documents by various types of relevancy, such as version dependencies, schema similarities, and temporal proximity. We define a new path query language XVerPath over XML document versions, which can be utilized for specifying relevancy-based access-control policies. We also introduce the notion of relevancy class, for collectively and compactly specifying relevancy-based policies. Regarding efficient processing of access requests, we propose the packed version model, which realizes space-efficient difference-based archives of versioned XML documents and, at the same time, providing efficient evaluation of XVerPath queries. Experimental results show reasonable performance superiority over conventional methods, which do not utilize version differences.
Modeling network intrusion detection alerts for correlation
Authors: Zhou Jingmin , Heckman Mark , Reynolds Brennen , Carlson Adam , Bishop Matt
Published: April 2007

Signature-based network intrusion-detection systems (NIDSs) often report a massive number of simple alerts of low-level security-related events. Many of these alerts are logically involved in a single multi-stage intrusion incident and a security officer often wants to analyze the complete incident instead of each individual simple alert. This paper proposes a well-structured model that abstracts the logical relation between the alerts in order to support automatic correlation of those alerts involved in the same intrusion. The basic building block of the model is a logical formula called a
capability
. We use
capability
to abstract consistently and precisely all levels of accesses obtained by the attacker in each step of a multistage intrusion. We then derive inference rules to define logical relations between different capabilities. Based on the model and the inference rules, we have developed several novel alert correlation algorithms and implemented a prototype alert correlator. The experimental results of the correlator using several intrusion datasets demonstrate that the approach is effective in both alert fusion and alert correlation and has the ability to correlate alerts of complex multistage intrusions. In several instances, the alert correlator successfully correlated more than two thousand Snort alerts involved in massive scanning incidents. It also helped us find two multistage intrusions that were missed in auditing by the security officers.
Compressed full-text indexes
Authors: Navarro Gonzalo , Mäkinen Veli
Published: April 2007

Full-text indexes provide fast substring search over large text collections. A serious problem of these indexes has traditionally been their space consumption. A recent trend is to develop indexes that exploit the compressibility of the text, so that their size is a function of the compressed text length. This concept has evolved into
self-indexes
, which in addition contain enough information to reproduce any text portion, so they
replace
the text. The exciting possibility of an index that takes space close to that of the compressed text, replaces it, and in addition provides fast search over it, has triggered a wealth of activity and produced surprising results in a very short time, which radically changed the status of this area in less than 5 years. The most successful indexes nowadays are able to obtain almost optimal space and search time simultaneously.

In this article we present the main concepts underlying (compressed) self-indexes. We explain the relationship between text entropy and regularities that show up in index structures and permit compressing them. Then we cover the most relevant self-indexes, focusing on how they exploit text compressibility to achieve compact structures that can efficiently solve various search problems. Our aim is to give the background to understand and follow the developments in this area.
Topic tracking with time granularity reasoning
Authors: Li Baoli , Li Wenjie , Lu Qin
Published: April 2007

Temporal information is an important attribute of a topic, and a topic usually exists in a limited period. Therefore, many researchers have explored the utilization of temporal information in topic detection and tracking (TDT). They use either a story's publication time or temporal expressions in text to derive temporal relatedness between two stories or a story and a topic. However, past research neglects the fact that people tend to express a time with different granularities as time lapses. Based on a careful investigation of temporal information in news streams, we propose a new strategy with time granularity reasoning for utilizing temporal information in topic tracking. A set of topic times, which as a whole represent the temporal attribute of a topic, are distinguished from others in the given on-topic stories. The temporal relatedness between a story and a topic is then determined by the highest coreference level between each time in the story and each topic time where the coreference level between a test time and a topic time is inferred from the two times themselves, their granularities, and the time distance between the topic time and the publication time of the story where the test time appears. Furthermore, the similarity value between an incoming story and a topic, that is the likelihood that a story is on-topic, can be adjusted only when the new story is both temporally and semantically related to the target topic. Experiments on two different TDT corpora show that our proposed method could make good use of temporal information in news stories, and it consistently outperforms the baseline centroid algorithm and other algorithms which consider temporal relatedness.
Addressing small computers in the first OS course
Authors: Nutt Gary
Published: April 2007

Small computers are emerging as important components of the contemporary computing scene. Their operating systems vary from specialized software for an embedded system to the same style of OS used on a generic desktop or server computer. This article describes a course in which systems are classified by their hardware capability and the traditional OS topic areas are then dissected, augmented, reassembled, and reorganized to illustrate the aspects of each topic as applicable to each class of small computers. Ultimately, the course covers the same material as a conventional OS course, but from a new perspective.
Interview with George Lucas
Authors: Lee Newton , Lucas George
Published: April 2007

In this special January 2007 issue on Interactive Entertainment, the Interviews column features a video interview with George Lucas on October 4th, 2006 at the University of Southern California.

On that same day, George Lucas formally announced his donation of $175 million to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, formerly known as USC School of Cinema-Television. The reason that George Lucas renamed the world-renowned film school is due to the growing importance of interactive media in Hollywood and worldwide.

Computer games have, for many years, captured the attention of Hollywood moguls such as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. George, Steven, and many supporters of USC have decided that formal education on interactive media and gaming should be given equal priority and funding as traditional movie making and television production. Therefore, instead of appending "Interactive Media" to "Cinema- Television," the USC school simply changed its name to "Cinematic Arts."

The implication for interactive entertainment cannot be understated. George Lucas has essentially proclaimed that interactive media and gaming are a part of cinematic arts. Will there be a George Lucas or Steven Spielberg-like genius in next-generation interactive entertainment that will win an Oscar? You bet there will be in the near future.

In the video interview, you will hear George Lucas' answers to the following questions as well as his comments at the USC School of Cinematic Arts on October 4th:

1. Is your educational foundation "edutopia" doing anything about the digital divide, especially in terms of access to interactive entertainment?

2. One of the themes in all of your movies is human relationship to machines and technology - either controlling them, or being controlled by them. Is that true?

3. What do you think about the future of entertainment technology?
Scholarship
Authors: Lee Newton
Published: April 2007

In this special January 2007 issue on Interactive Entertainment, the Interviews column also features the keynote speeches by our distinguished editorial board members Quincy Jones and Alan Kay at the American Film Institute for the ACM Computers in Entertainment Scholarship Awards Reception on November 4, 2006. We also show the interview videos with two of the three scholarship winners: Will Bamford and Jurgen Scheible.
Planning algorithms for interactive storytelling
Authors: Barros Leandro Motta , Musse Soraia Raupp
Published: April 2007

Interactive storytelling (IS) is an important research topic in the broader area of interactive digital entertainment. Research in IS focuses in the search for techniques that allow the creation of systems that can generate stories that change as a consequence of a player's actions. There have been numerous articles attempting to reach this goal by employing a planning algorithm as part of the solution, but they typically do not discuss in detail why a given planning algorithm was used. Given this reality, this article makes two main contributions. First, it proposes an initial set of criteria that can be used to evaluate how well a given planning algorithm fits IS systems. Second, on the basis of these criteria, it presents an analysis using available planning systems.
An aircraft cabin wireless system for games and video entertainment
Authors: Folden Dwayne , Jackson Trent , Panique Michael , Tiensvold Rianon , Wolff Richard S. , Howard Todd , Julian Eric , Junkert Levi , Lopez David , Oudshoorn Michael J.
Published: April 2007

Current aircraft cabin systems utilize a wired network topology and offer only limited passenger entertainment services. In this article we explore the feasibility of utilizing a wireless network to reduce cabin wiring and reconfiguration costs and to provide passengers with a high-quality entertainment experience, including personalized video and audio as well as state-of-the-art computer games. The problem is to determine whether this is feasible given the computer system demands of state-of-the-art network-based games, combined with the design constraints imposed by the aircraft cabin environment and the bandwidth demands of streaming video. These constraints have both hardware and network design factors. In both cases, the study assumes functionality that would be commercially available in the 2008 timeframe and beyond. We develop several architectures, and through a combination of emulation and simulation, assess the viability of each alternative. We show that a highly distributed architecture, utilizing trends in mobile gaming devices and high-speed (802.11a/n) wireless LANs, together with MPEG-4 encoded video, yield a promising approach to providing passengers with a highquality entertainment.
Pervasive game flow
Authors: Jegers Kalle
Published: April 2007

Player enjoyment is perhaps the most important issue in successful game design, but so far it has not been addressed in the area of pervasive games. Departing from the general gameflow model, this article presents an initial outline for a new model of pervasive player enjoyment, that is, the pervasive gameflow model, which is described and discussed in terms of additions and elaborations to the general gameflow model. It is intended to serve as a departure point for further empirical studies on player enjoyment in pervasive games.
Around the universe in twelve days
Authors: Davison Chris
Published: April 2007

A strategic exploration of the ongoing evolution of computers and entertainment
Ca2+ Signaling in the Inner Ear
Authors: Mammano Fabio , Bortolozzi Mario , Ortolano Saida , Anselmi Fabio
Published: April 2007

The inner ear contains delicate sensory receptors that have adapted to detect the minutest mechanical disturbances. Ca2+ ions are implicated in all steps of the transduction process, as well as in its regulation by an impressive ensemble of finely tuned feedback control mechanisms. Recent studies have unveiled some of the key players, but things do not sound quite right yet.
Transport and Peripheral Bioactivities of Nitrogen Oxides Carried by Red Blood Cell Hemoglobin: Role in Oxygen Delivery
Authors: Sonveaux Pierre , Lobysheva Irina I. , Feron Olivier , McMahon Timothy J.
Published: April 2007

The biology of NO (nitric oxide) is poorly explained by the activity of the free radical NO (·NO) itself. Although·NO acts in an autocrine and paracrine manner, it is also in chemical equilibrium with other NO species that constitute stable stores of NO bioactivity. Among these species, S-nitrosylated hemoglobin ( S-nitrosohemoglobin; SNO-Hb) is an evolved transducer of NO bioactivity that acts in a responsive and exquisitely regulated manner to control cardiopulmonary and vascular homeostasis. In SNO-Hb, O2sensing is dynamically coupled to formation and release of vasodilating SNOs, endowing the red blood cell (RBC) with the capacity to regulate its own principal function, O2delivery, via regulation of blood flow. Analogous, physiological actions of RBC SNO-Hb also contribute to central nervous responses to blood hypoxia, the uptake of O2from the lung to blood, and baroreceptor-mediated control of the systemic flow of blood. Dysregulation of the formation, export, or actions of RBC-derived SNOs has been implicated in human diseases including sepsis, sickle cell anemia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Delivery of SNOs by the RBC can be harnessed for therapeutic gain, and early results support the logic of this approach in the treatment of diseases as varied as cancer and neonatal pulmonary hypertension.
Structure and Function of ABC Transporters
Authors: Linton Kenneth J.
Published: April 2007

ATP binding cassette transporters are ubiquitous integral membrane proteins that actively transport ligands across biological membranes, a process critical for most aspects of cell physiology. These proteins are important clinically and economically. Their dysfunction underlies a number of human genetic diseases, and the ability of some to pump cytotoxic molecules from cells confers resistance to antibiotics, herbicides, and chemotherapeutic drugs. Recent structure analyses interpreted in light of a large body of biochemistry has resulted in the ATP-switch model for function in which the paired nucleotide binding domains switch between an ATP-dependent closed conformation and a nucleotide-free, open conformation to drive the translocation of ligand.
The Ins and Outs of Secretion from Pancreatic β-Cells: Control of Single-Vesicle Exo- and Endocytosis
Authors: MacDonald Patrick E. , Rorsman Patrik
Published: April 2007

Exocytosis of insulin-containing secretory vesicles in pancreatic β-cells is crucial to maintenance of plasma glucose levels. They fuse with the plasma membrane in a regulated manner to release their contents and are subsequently recaptured either intact or through conventional clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Here, we discuss these mechanisms in β-cells at the single-vesicle level.
Having and Sharing: Theological Perspectives from India on Consumerism and Exclusion
Authors: Sebastian J. Jayakiran
Published: April 2007

This article seeks to understand and interpret the theological implications of poverty and prosperity coexisting in a globalized world. After offering examples of the present economic realities and disparities, questions are raised regarding the co-option of the local by the global and of the global by the local, then the specific challenges posed by cultural difference and the quest for partnership in an economically unequal and unjust context are analysed. Through several instances from the history of the early church, the article shows how cultural heterogeneity, material disparity and attention to charity guided the theology and the practice of the early teachers of faith in matters regarding having and sharing. At that time, charity, partnership, and attention to the strangers in their midst were not mere expressions of faith in God, but consequences of the experience of God emerging through that faith.
The Leadership Book
Authors: Thompson Karen J. , Beak Joel
Published: April 2007

Inspired by the educational benefits of project-based learning, a class project for leadership courses is described that takes interview assignments to a new level. Students use the findings from their interviews with managers to develop a book on leadership that they have had a hand in from start to finish. The project provides a comprehensive approach to linking the concepts and realities of leadership and engages students in a collaborative learning activity that challenges them as both individuals and group members. The project also provides numerous skill-building opportunities that maximize the value of the project. The six phases of the project are described in detail, along with suggestions for the project's timeline and assessment mechanisms. Options for altering the project's length are discussed as well as its potential for use in other management courses.
Artistic Undertones of Humanistic Leadership Education
Authors: Cowan David A.
Published: April 2007

Leaders are increasingly called on to function in ways that demand creative smarts as much as book smarts and street smarts. Consequently, more attention is being given to artistic potentialities of leadership. To help create relevant educational opportunities, the author responds in three ways. First is to identify a framework of characteristics that provide an artistic context for leadership in action. Second is to establish an integrative foundation for such characteristics and to translate the resultant pattern into an integral array of leadership competencies. Third is to develop a diverse array of artistic catalysts and activities to promote these competencies.
Enhancing Leadership Skill Development By Creating Practice/Feedback Opportunities in the Classroom
Authors: Hess Peter W.
Published: April 2007

Efforts to enhance students' management action and leadership skills are generally based on behavior modeling and experiential learning models. The classroom practicum approach to developing leadership skills described in this article enhances student learning by integrating a greater emphasis on the transfer phase of the learning process than is typical with either approach. By engaging students in opportunities for extended practice and informed feedback, this approach seeks to better achieve the conditions known to result in improved learning. Just as important, the classroom practicum approach seeks to achieve these conditions through a course design that is practicable even in classes with larger enrollments.
Choosing a Values-Based Leader
Authors: Reilly Anne H. , Ehlinger Sara
Published: April 2007

Scandals throughout corporate America have encouraged companies to seek leaders who can sustain profitability and embody positive values within the organization. This group exercise highlights some of the key challenges involved in choosing a values-based leader. Participants assess three hypothetical companies' values during a period of change and then select one of six potential candidates for the CEO position based on the alignment between individual, leader, and organizational values. The exercise may be used in undergraduate, master of business administration (MBA), and executive MBA classes. Participants have especially enjoyed the surprises that emerge during the debriefing stage.
Race, Abuse, and Female Criminal Violence
Authors: Makarios Matthew D.
Published: April 2007

Gender-specific research on the relationship between childhood abuse and delinquency in females is an important emerging topic in criminology. Feminist criminologists have pointed toward childhood abuse as a key turning point in young girls' lives that leads toward delinquency but have yet to empirically address how this relationship varies along racial lines. This study uses prospective cohort data to test for interactions among child abuse, race, and violent criminal arrest in females. In doing so, it addresses the differences in the effects of abuse across gender and across race in females. Results provide some support for feminist literature finding that although all abused children were more likely to be later arrested for a violent offense, the effects were significantly stronger for abused girls than boys. Still, race and gender interactions reveal no racial differences in the effects of abuse on females.
Age and Educational Differences in African American Women's Sexual Assault Experiences
Authors: Long LaDonna M. , Ullman Sarah E. , Starzynski Laura L. , Long Susan M. , Mason Gillian E.
Published: April 2007

Although research on sexual assault and its postassault consequences has grown, information on knowledge of postassault experiences for African American women remains limited. A large sample of African American women ( N = 495) were surveyed about their sexual assault experiences, attributions of blame, disclosure, and social reactions received following assault. Age, educational attainment, and sexual assault severity were examined in relation to postassault factors. Exploratory analyses were conducted to identify potential differences in sexual assault experiences and postassault outcomes for African American women. Although African American women reported similar sexual assault characteristics, their postassault reactions and experiences differed according to their age and educational attainment.
“I'm Just Not Good in Relationships“
Authors: Pollack Shoshana
Published: April 2007

This article examines how risk discourses carry specific gendered meanings within the context of women-centered correctional practices. Based on interviews with 52 women who served federal prison sentences in Canada, the author examines how abused women are constructed as violent and the discursive and practical implications of this construction. Feminist-informed victimization narratives merge with correctional risk discourses to govern criminalized women's relationships once they are released into the community. Correctional policy and programming encourages self-regulatory strategies that constitute abused women as at risk of being violent in the context of relationships.
Condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of R134a inside microfin tubes: Effect of fin height and fin angle
Authors: Al-Dadah R K , Naser A D
Published: April 2007

In this paper, the effects of fin height and fin angle on condensation heat transfer inside microfin tubes were investigated. One smooth and six microfin tubes with outer diameters of 9.52 mm were used to condense R134a at 30 °C and a mass flux range 157–347 kg/m2s. Each of the microfin tubes tested had 60 fins and a spiral angle of 18°. In three of these tubes only the fin height was altered to 0.15, 0.20, or 0.25 mm while the fin angle remained at 30°. The remaining microfin tubes had altered fin angles to 40, 50, or 60°, with the fin heights remaining at 0.20 mm. Experimental results showed that microfin tubes had distinct performance advantages over the smooth tube. Particularly, the microfin tube with fin height of 0.20 mm and fin angle of 50° produced condensation heat transfer coefficients 215–250 per cent higher than those of the smooth tube, with average increases in pressure drops at 115–160 per cent. Four frequently cited correlations were used to predict the heat transfer coefficient for condensation inside smooth tubes. Of these correlations, the predictive method proposed by Cavallini et al. [1] that takes into account the wide range of flow patterns encountered in condensation at various mass fluxes was found to best predict the experimental results. For microfin tubes, the model by Yu and Koyama [2] predicted the experimental results with least deviation from experimental results compared to that of Cavallini et al. [3, 4] and that of Kedzierski and Goncalves [5].
Experimental measurements and theoretical predictions of flowfield and temperature distribution inside a wall solar chimney
Authors: Papaefthimiou V D , Katsanos C O , Vrachopoulos M G , Filios A E , Koukou M K , Layrenti F G
Published: April 2007

The behaviour of solar chimneys in their general form has been studied and certified both theoretically and experimentally. The wall solar chimney concept, however, has been studied only theoretically and has not been certified at a laboratory level. To meet this objective, experimental and theoretical work is being carried out so as to obtain a clear understanding of the system's operation. A small-scale test room has been designed and constructed at the campus of the Technological Educational Institution of Halkida located in the agricultural area of Psachna in Greece. Wall solar chimneys have been constructed and put at each wall and orientation so as to be used to evaluate and measure their thermal behaviour and to certify their efficiency in satisfying the requirements for heating and air conditioning in buildings. A mathematical model has been developed that faces the problem as a natural convection one between two vertical parallel plates. First results have been compared with experimental measurements and show that the model predicts with sufficient accuracy the flowfield and temperature distribution measurements inside the solar chimney for the current configuration.
Three-step input shaper for damping tubular step motor vibrations
Authors: Gürleyük S S , Hacioglu R , Cinal Ş
Published: April 2007

Input shaping technique is used to improve the performance of many flexible systems. Employing specified train of impulses convolved with a reference command can effectively reduce residual vibrations. Zero vibration, zero vibration derivative and specified insensitive or extra insensitive, and zero vibration derivative-derivative shapers are wellknown types of input shapers. These shapers improve the robustness of the system with respect to modelling errors. In this article, a coherent input shaping scheme with all positive threeimpulse sequences is developed, which is preferable to derivative shaper types. The proposed method is used for damping the tubular step motor vibrations. The method allows generating the impulse amplitudes without additional derivative constraints. The technique is also evaluated by analysing the robustness. Experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed method.
A progressive optimization for the inverse design of blade profile based on sequential quadratic programming
Authors: Nan X Y , Liu B , Jin J
Published: April 2007

In this paper, the potential-stream function method, a very efficient computational method for the inverse design of two-dimensional compressor blades in transonic flow conditions is presented. By investigating the influence of the prescribed velocity coefficient distribution on the blade surface, it is found that the non-physical solution usually obtained by the general inverse method could be effectively avoided by adjusting the local velocity coefficient distribution. The objective functions were set-up for the leading edge, trailing edge closing problems, and outlet flow angle, respectively, for the numerical optimization on the basis of sequential quadratic programming. The optimum blade profiles with satisfactory performance and reasonable geometric shape can be obtained by this improved optimization method.
Epimedium-Derived Phytoestrogen Flavonoids Exert Beneficial Effect on Preventing Bone Loss in Late Postmenopausal Women: A 24-Month Randomized, Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Zhang Ge , Qin Ling , Shi Yinyu
Published: April 2007

Epimedium brevicornum maxim, a nonleguminous medicinal plant, has been found to be rich in phytoestrogen flavonoids. Results from a 24-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids were able to exert beneficial effects on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women, without resulting in a detectable hyperplasia effect on the endometrium.

Introduction: We performed a 24-mo randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial for evaluating the effect of the Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids (EPFs) on BMD, bone turnover biochemical markers, serum estradiol, and endometrial thickness in postmenopausal women.

Materials and Methods: One hundred healthy late postmenopausal women, with a natural menopausal history within 10 ∼18 yr and with a BMD T-score at the lumbar spine between −2 and −2.5 SD, were randomized into EPF treatment group (n = 50; a daily dose of 60 mg Icariin, 15 mg Daidzein, and 3 mg Genistein) or placebo control group (n = 50). All participants received 300 mg element calcium daily. BMD, bone turnover biochemical markers, serum estradiol, and endometrial thickness were measured at baseline and 12 and 24 mo after intervention.

Results: Eighty-five participants completed the trial. The patterns of BMD changes were significantly different between the EPF treatment group and placebo control group by repeated-measures ANOVA (p = 0.045 for interaction between time and group at femoral neck; p = 0.006 for interaction between time and group at lumbar spine). BMD was found with a decreased tendency in the placebo control group at 12 (femoral neck: −1.4%, p = 0.104; lumbar spine: −1.7%, p = 0.019) and 24 mo (femoral neck: −1.8%, p = 0.048; lumbar spine: −2.4%, p = 0.002), whereas EPF treatment maintained BMD at 12 (femoral neck: 1.1%, p = 0.285; lumbar spine:1.0%, p = 0.158) and 24 mo (femoral neck: 1.6%, p = 0.148; lumbar spine: 1.3%, p = 0.091). The difference in lumbar spine between the two groups was significant at both 12 (p = 0.044) and 24 mo (p = 0.006), whereas the difference in the femoral neck was marginal at 12 mo (p = 0.061) and significant at 24 mo (p = 0.008). Levels of bone biochemical markers did not change in the placebo control group. In contrast, EPF intervention significantly decreased levels of deoxypyrdinoline at 12 (−43%, p = 0.000) and 24 mo (−39%, p = 0.000), except for osteocalcin at 12 (5.6%, p = 0.530) and 24 mo (10.7%, p = 0.267). A significant difference in deoxypyrdinoline between the two groups was found at both 12 (p = 0.000) and 24 mo (p = 0.001). Furthermore, neither serum estradiol nor endometrial thickness was found to be changed in either groups during the clinical trial.

Conclusions: EPFs exert a beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women without resulting in a detectable hyperplasia effect on the endometrium.
Bone Remodeling Rate and Remodeling Balance Are Not Co-Regulated in Adulthood: Implications for the Use of Activation Frequency as an Index of Remodeling Rate
Authors: Compston Juliet E , Vedi Shobna , Kaptoge Stephen , Seeman Ego
Published: April 2007

Use of activation frequency as a measure of remodeling rate assumes co-regulation of remodeling rate and remodeling balance. In iliac crest biopsy specimens from 57 healthy subjects 19–80 yr of age, no correlations were shown between these variables, an observation that challenges the use of activation frequency as an estimate of remodeling rate.

Introduction: The histomorphometric derivation of activation frequency assumes that the remodeling rate is dependent on the duration of the remodeling cycle and the amount of bone formed in individual remodeling units. This implies that remodeling balance and remodeling rate are co-regulated. We tested this assumption in normal human adult cancellous bone.

Materials and Methods: Relationships between indices of bone formation at the basic multicellular unit (BMU) level (wall width and mineral apposition rate) and indices of remodeling rate (mineralizing perimeter and osteoid perimeter) were examined in iliac crest biopsies obtained from 57 healthy adults (24 men) 19–80 yr of age.

Results: Univariate analysis revealed a negative correlation between wall width and osteoid perimeter (r = −0.38; p = 0.0004), but there was no correlation between wall width and mineralizing perimeter or between mineral apposition rate and either mineralizing or osteoid perimeter. After adjustment for age and sex, the association between wall width and osteoid perimeter was no longer observed. Both wall width and mineral apposition rate correlated negatively with age (r = −0.75, p < 0.0001 and r = −0.27, p = 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that remodeling balance and remodeling rate are not co-regulated in adult human bone. Activation frequency, as currently derived from histomorphometric variables, may therefore be unreliable as an indicator of remodeling rate.
Polyethylene Particle–Induced Bone Resorption in α-Calcitonin Gene–Related Peptide–Deficient Mice
Authors: Wedemeyer Christian , Neuerburg Carl , Pfeiffer Anne , Heckelei Anja , Bylski David , von Knoch Fabian , Schinke Thorsten , Hilken Gero , Gosheger Georg , von Knoch Marius , Löer Franz , Saxler Guido
Published: April 2007

This study investigates the impact of α-CGRP on bone metabolism after implantation of polyethylene particles. α-CGRP knockout mice showed less osteolysis compared with wildtype mice. The local neurogenic microenvironment might be a crucial factor in particle-induced osteolysis.

Introduction: Periprosthetic osteolysis is the major reason for aseptic loosening in joint arthroplasty. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of α-calcitonin gene–related peptide (α-CGRP) deficiency on bone metabolism under conditions of polyethylene particle–induced osteolysis.

Materials and Methods: We used the murine calvarial osteolysis model based on polyethylene particles in 14 C57BL 6 mice and 14 α-CGRP–deficient mice divided into four groups of 7 mice each. Groups 1 (C57BL/J 6) and 3 (α-CGRP knockout) received sham surgery, and groups 2 (C57BL/J 6) and 4 (α-CGRP knockout) were treated with polyethylene particles. Qualitative and quantitative 3D analyses were performed using μCT. In addition, bone resorption was measured within the midline suture by histological examination. The number of osteoclasts was determined by counting the TRACP+ cells. Calvarial bone was tested for RANKL expression by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry.

Results: Bone resorption was significantly reduced in α-CGRP–deficient mice compared with their corresponding wildtype C57BL 6 mice as confirmed by histomorphometric data (p < 0.001) and μCT (p < 0.01). Osteoclast numbers were significantly reduced in group 3 and the particle subgroup compared with group 1 (p < 0.001). We observed a >3-fold increase of basal RANKL mRNA levels within group 1 compared with group 3. Additional low RANKL immunochemistry staining was noted in groups 3 and 4.

Conclusions: In conclusion, α-CGRP knockout mice did not show the expected extended osteolysis compared with wildtype mice expressing α-CGRP. One of the most reasonable explanations for the observed decrease in osteolysis could be linked to the osteoprotegerin (OPG)/RANK/RANKL system in α-CGRP–deficient animals. As a consequence, the fine tuning of osteoclasts mediating resorption in α-CGRP–null mice may be deregulated.
Hemopoietic Stem Cells with Higher Hemopoietic Potential Reside at the Bone Marrow Endosteum
Authors: Haylock David N. , Williams Brenda , Johnston Hayley M. , Liu Mira C.P. , Rutherford Kate E. , Whitty Genevieve A. , Simmons Paul J. , Bertoncello Ivan , Nilsson Susan K.
Published: April 2007

It is now evident that hemopoietic stem cells (HSC) are located in close proximity to bone lining cells within the endosteum. Accordingly, it is unlikely that the traditional method for harvesting bone marrow (BM) from mice by simply flushing long bones would result in optimal recovery of HSC. With this in mind, we have developed improved methodologies based on sequential grinding and enzymatic digestion of murine bone tissue to harvest higher numbers of BM cells and HSC from the endosteal and central marrow regions. This methodology resulted in up to a sixfold greater recovery of primitive hemopoietic cells (lineage−Sca+Kit+ [LSK] cells) and HSC as shown by transplant studies. HSC from different anatomical regions of the marrow exhibited important functional differences. Compared with their central marrow counterparts, HSC isolated from the endosteal region (a) had 1.8-fold greater proliferative potential, (b) exhibited almost twofold greater ability to home to the BM following tail vein injection and to lodge in the endosteal region, and (c) demonstrated significantly greater long-term hemopoietic reconstitution potential as shown using limiting dilution competitive transplant assays.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Concise Review: Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells—Basic and Clinical Implications for Novel Cell-Based Therapies
Authors: Schäffler Andreas , Büchler Christa
Published: April 2007

Compared with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSC) do have an equal potential to differentiate into cells and tissues of mesodermal origin, such as adipocytes, cartilage, bone, and skeletal muscle. However, the easy and repeatable access to subcutaneous adipose tissue and the simple isolation procedures provide a clear advantage. Since extensive reviews focusing exclusively on ADSC are rare, it is the aim of this review to describe the preparation and isolation procedures for ADSC, to summarize the molecular characterization of ADSC, to describe the differentiation capacity of ADSC, and to discuss the mechanisms and future role of ADSC in cell therapy and tissue engineering. An initial effort has also been made to differentiate ADSC into hepatocytes, endocrine pancreatic cells, neurons, cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and endothelial/vascular cells. Whereas the lineage-specific differentiation into cells of mesodermal origin is well understood on a molecular basis, the molecular key events and transcription factors that initially allocate the ADSC to a lineage-specific differentiation are almost completely unknown. Decoding these molecular mechanisms is a prerequisite for developing novel cell therapies.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.