bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmentally persistent free radicals decrease cardiac function and increase pulmonary artery pressure
Authors: Mahne Sarah , Chuang Gin C. , Pankey Edward , Kiruri Lucy , Kadowitz Philip J. , Dellinger Barry , Varner Kurt J.
Published: September 2012

Epidemiological studies have consistently linked inhalation of particulate matter (PM) to increased cardiac morbidity and mortality, especially in at risk populations. However, few studies have examined the effect of PM on baseline cardiac function in otherwise healthy individuals. In addition, airborne PM contain environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR) capable of redox cycling in biological systems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nose-only inhalation of EPFRs (20 min/day for 7 days) could decrease baseline left ventricular function in healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats. The model EPFR tested was 1,2-dichlorobenzene chemisorbed to 0.2-μm-diameter silica/CuO particles at 230°C (DCB230). Inhalation of vehicle or silica particles served as controls. Twenty-four hours after the last exposure, rats were anesthetized (isoflurane) and ventilated (3 l/min), and left ventricular function was assessed using pressure-volume catheters. Compared with controls, inhalation of DCB230 significantly decreased baseline stroke volume, cardiac output, and stroke work. End-diastolic volume and end-diastolic pressure were also significantly reduced; however, ventricular contractility and relaxation were not changed. DCB230 also significantly increased pulmonary arterial pressure and produced hyperplasia in small pulmonary arteries. Plasma levels of C-reactive protein were significantly increased by exposure to DCB230, as were levels of heme oxygenase-1 and SOD2 in the left ventricle. Together, these data show that inhalation of EPFRs, but not silica particles, decreases baseline cardiac function in healthy rats by decreasing cardiac filling, secondary to increased pulmonary resistance. These EPFRs also produced systemic inflammation and increased oxidative stress markers in the left ventricle.
Design of Multilevel Sequential Rotation Feeding Networks Used for Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antenna Arrays
Authors: Chen Aixin , Yang Chuo , Chen Zhizhang , Zhang Yanjun , He Yingyi
Published: September 2012

Sequential rotation feeding networks can significantly improve performance of the circularly polarized microstrip antenna array. In this paper, single, double, and multiple series-parallel sequential rotation feeding networks are examined. Compared with conventional parallel feeding structures, these multilevel feeding techniques present reduction of loss, increase of bandwidth, and improvement of radiation pattern and polarization purity. By using corner-truncated square patch as the array element and adopting appropriate level of sequential rotation series-parallel feeding structures as feeding networks, microstrip arrays can generate excellent circular polarization (CP) over a relatively wide frequency band. They can find wide applications in phased array radar and satellite communication systems.
Asymptotic Parameter Estimation for a Class of Linear Stochastic Systems Using Kalman‐Bucy Filtering
Authors: Kan Xiu , Shu Huisheng , Che Yan
Published: September 2012

The asymptotic parameter estimation is investigated for a class of linear stochastic systems with unknown parameter θ : dXt = (θα(t) + β(t)Xt)dt + σ(t)dWt. Continuous‐time Kalman‐Bucy linear filtering theory is first used to estimate the unknown parameter θ based on Bayesian analysis. Then, some sufficient conditions on coefficients are given to analyze the asymptotic convergence of the estimator. Finally, the strong consistent property of the estimator is discussed by comparison theorem.
Eradication of Pulmonary Aspergillosis in an Adolescent Patient Undergoing Three Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantations for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Döring Michaela , Zierl Angelika , Mezger Markus , Lang Peter , Handgretinger Rupert , Müller Ingo
Published: September 2012

Systemic fungal infections are a major cause of infection-related mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies. This report addresses the case of an adolescent patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who underwent three allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations and developed pulmonary aspergillosis. Combination therapy with liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB, 3 mg/kg bw/day) and caspofungin (CAS, 50 mg/day) during the first allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improved the pulmonary situation. After shifting the antifungal combination therapy to oral voriconazole (2 × 200 mg/day) and CAS, a new pulmonal lesion occurred alongside the improvements in the existing pulmonary aspergillosis. An antifungal combination during a second HSCT with L-AmB (3 mg/kg bw/day) and CAS showed an improvement in the pulmonary aspergillosis. A combination therapy with CAS and L-AmB (1 mg/kg bw/day) during the third HSCT led once again to progress the pulmonary aspergillosis, after increasing the L-AMB to 3 mg/kg bw/day for recovery. The presented case provides an example of how, despite severe immunosuppression, a combination of antifungal drugs administered intravenously at therapeutic dosages may be more efficient than either intravenous monotherapy or combinations of intravenous and oral antifungals in selecting pediatric and adolescent patients with proven fungal infections.
Cisplatin Sensitivity Mediated by WEE1 and CHK1 Is Mediated by miR-155 and the miR-15 Family
Authors: Pouliot Lynn M. , Chen Yu-Chi , Bai Jennifer , Guha Rajarshi , Martin Scott E. , Gottesman Michael M. , Hall Matthew D.
Published: September 2012

Resistance to platinum-based therapies arises by multiple mechanisms, including by alterations to cell-cycle kinases that mediate G2–M phase arrest. In this study, we conducted parallel high-throughput screens for microRNAs (miRNA) that could restore sensitivity to cisplatin-resistant cells, and we screened for kinases targeted by miRNAs that mediated cisplatin resistance. Overexpression of the cell-cycle kinases WEE1 and CHK1 occurred commonly in cisplatin-resistant cells. miRNAs in the miR-15/16/195/424/497 family were found to sensitize cisplatin-resistant cells to apoptosis by targeting WEE1 and CHK1. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies showed that miR-15 family members controlled the expression of WEE1 and CHK1. Supporting these results, we found that in the presence of cisplatin altering expression of miR-16 or related genes altered cell cycle distribution. Our findings reveal critical regulation of miRNAs and their cell-cycle–associated kinase targets in mediating resistance to cisplatin. Cancer Res; 72(22); 5945–55. ©2012 AACR.
GF-15, a Novel Inhibitor of Centrosomal Clustering, Suppresses Tumor Cell Growth In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Raab Marc S. , Breitkreutz Iris , Anderhub Simon , Rønnest Mads H. , Leber Blanka , Larsen Thomas O. , Weiz Ludmila , Konotop Gleb , Hayden Patrick J. , Podar Klaus , Fruehauf Johannes , Nissen Felix , Mier Walter , Haberkorn Uwe , Ho Anthony D. , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Anderson Kenneth C. , Clausen Mads H. , Krämer Alwin
Published: September 2012

In contrast to normal cells, malignant cells are frequently aneuploid and contain multiple centrosomes. To allow for bipolar mitotic division, supernumerary centrosomes are clustered into two functional spindle poles in many cancer cells. Recently, we have shown that griseofulvin forces tumor cells with supernumerary centrosomes to undergo multipolar mitoses resulting in apoptotic cell death. Here, we describe the characterization of the novel small molecule GF-15, a derivative of griseofulvin, as a potent inhibitor of centrosomal clustering in malignant cells. At concentrations where GF-15 had no significant impact on tubulin polymerization, spindle tension was markedly reduced in mitotic cells upon exposure to GF-15. Moreover, isogenic cells with conditional centrosome amplification were more sensitive to GF-15 than parental controls. In a wide array of tumor cell lines, mean inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for proliferation and survival were in the range of 1 to 5 μmol/L and were associated with apoptotic cell death. Importantly, treatment of mouse xenograft models of human colon cancer and multiple myeloma resulted in tumor growth inhibition and significantly prolonged survival. These results show the in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacy of a prototype small molecule inhibitor of centrosomal clustering and strongly support the further evaluation of this new class of molecules. Cancer Res; 72(20); 5374–85. ©2012 AACR.
Inactivating All Three Rb Family Pocket Proteins Is Insufficient to Initiate Cervical Cancer
Authors: Shin Myeong-Kyun , Sage Julien , Lambert Paul F.
Published: September 2012

Human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) is associated etiologically with many human cervical cancers. It encodes 3 oncogenes E5, E6, and E7. Of these oncogenes, E7 has been found to be the dominant driver of cervical cancer in mice. More than 100 cellular proteins have been reported to associate with HPV-16 E7, which is thought to dysregulate the cell cycle in part by binding and inducing the degradation of pRb and its related pocket protein family members, p107 and p130. The ability of E7 to inactivate the pRb family correlates with its ability to induce head and neck cancers in mice. We previously showed that the inactivation of pRb is itself not sufficient to recapitulate the oncogenic properties of E7 in cervical carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated mice that were deficient in multiple pocket proteins, including mice that lacked pRb, p107, and p130. Strikingly, combined loss of two or all 3 pocket proteins resulted in development of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, but not frank cervical carcinoma. These findings strongly argue that the oncogenic properties of HPV-16 E7 in human cervical carcinogenesis may involve disruption of E7 binding proteins beyond simply the pRb family members. Cancer Res; 72(20); 5418–27. ©2012 AACR.
Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Nonischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Tokuda Michifumi , Tedrow Usha B. , Kojodjojo Pipin , Inada Keiichi , Koplan Bruce A. , Michaud Gregory F. , John Roy M. , Epstein Laurence M. , Stevenson William G.
Published: September 2012

Background—

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in nonischemic heart diseases can be challenging, and outcomes across different diseases are incompletely defined. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes after catheter ablation for nonischemic VT in a large cohort and to compare the electrophysiological findings and outcomes according to the type of underlying disease.

Methods and Results—

Of the 891 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for ventricular arrhythmias, 226 patients (52±14 years; 79% men) with sustained VT due to nonischemic heart disease were included. The primary end point was all-cause death or heart transplantation. Secondary end points were a composite of death, heart transplantation, or readmission because of VT recurrence within 1 year of discharge. Underlying heart diseases were dilated cardiomyopathy in 119 (53%), valvular heart disease in 34 (15%), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in 37 (16%), congenital heart disease in 16 (7%), cardiac sarcoidosis in 13 (6%), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 7 (3%) patients. After ablation, inability to induce any VT was achieved in 55%, and another 20% had inducible VTs modified. Major complications occurred in 5%. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy had better outcomes than dilated cardiomyopathy for primary (
P
=0.002) and secondary end points (
P
=0.004). Sarcoidosis had worse outcome than dilated cardiomyopathy for secondary end point (
P
=0.002). At 1 year after the last ablation (a mean of 1.4±0.6 procedures, 1–4), freedom from death, heart transplantation, and readmission for VT recurrence were achieved in 173 (77%) patients.

Conclusions—

In patients with recurrent VT due to nonischemic heart disease, catheter ablation is often useful, although the outcome varies according to the nature of the underlying heart disease.
Wains: A Pattern-Seeking Artificial Life Species
Authors: de Buitléir Amy , Russell Michael , Daly Mark
Published: September 2012

We describe the initial phase of a research project to develop an artificial life framework designed to extract knowledge from large data sets with minimal preparation or ramp-up time. In this phase, we evolved an artificial life population with a new brain architecture. The agents have sufficient intelligence to discover patterns in data and to make survival decisions based on those patterns. The species uses diploid reproduction, Hebbian learning, and Kohonen self-organizing maps, in combination with novel techniques such as using pattern-rich data as the environment and framing the data analysis as a survival problem for artificial life. The first generation of agents mastered the pattern discovery task well enough to thrive. Evolution further adapted the agents to their environment by making them a little more pessimistic, and also by making their brains more efficient.
Response of Freshwater Flux and Sea Surface Salinity to Variability of the Atlantic Warm Pool
Authors: Wang Chunzai , Zhang Liping , Lee Sang-Ki
Published: September 2012

The response of freshwater flux and sea surface salinity (SSS) to the Atlantic warm pool (AWP) variations from seasonal to multidecadal time scales is investigated by using various reanalysis products and observations. All of the datasets show a consistent response for all time scales: A large (small) AWP is associated with a local freshwater gain (loss) to the ocean, less (more) moisture transport across Central America, and a local low (high) SSS. The moisture budget analysis demonstrates that the freshwater change is dominated by the atmospheric mean circulation dynamics, while the effect of thermodynamics is of secondary importance. Further decomposition points out that the contribution of the mean circulation dynamics primarily arises from its divergent part, which mainly reflects the wind divergent change in the low level as a result of SST change. In association with a large (small) AWP, warmer (colder) than normal SST over the tropical North Atlantic can induce anomalous low-level convergence (divergence), which favors anomalous ascent (decent) and thus generates more (less) precipitation. On the other hand, a large (small) AWP weakens (strengthens) the trade wind and its associated westward moisture transport to the eastern North Pacific across Central America, which also favors more (less) moisture residing in the Atlantic and hence more (less) precipitation. The results imply that variability of freshwater flux and ocean salinity in the North Atlantic associated with the AWP may have the potential to affect the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.
On the Cascading of Dense Shelf Waters in the Irminger Sea
Authors: Falina Anastasia , Sarafanov Artem , Mercier Herlé , Lherminier Pascale , Sokov Alexey , Daniault Nathalie
Published: September 2012

Hydrographic data collected in the Irminger Sea in the 1990s–2000s indicate that dense shelf waters carried by the East Greenland Current south of the Denmark Strait intermittently descend (cascade) down the continental slope and merge with the deep waters originating from the Nordic Seas overflows. Repeat measurements on the East Greenland shelf at ~200 km south of the Denmark Strait (65°–66°N) reveal that East Greenland shelf waters in the Irminger Sea are occasionally as dense (σ0 > 27.80) as the overflow-derived deep waters carried by the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). Clear hydrographic traces of upstream cascading of dense shelf waters are found over the continental slope at 64.3°N, where the densest plumes (σ0 > 27.80) originating from the shelf are identified as distinct low-salinity anomalies in the DWBC. Downstream observations suggest that dense fresh waters descending from the shelf in the northern Irminger Sea can be distinguished in the DWBC up to the latitude of Cape Farewell (~60°N) and that these waters make a significant contribution to the DWBC transport.
Comparison of Airborne In Situ, Airborne Radar–Lidar, and Spaceborne Radar–Lidar Retrievals of Polar Ice Cloud Properties Sampled during the POLARCAT Campaign
Authors: Delanoë Julien , Protat Alain , Jourdan Olivier , Pelon Jacques , Papazzoni Mathieu , Dupuy Régis , Gayet Jean-Francois , Jouan Caroline
Published: September 2012

This study illustrates the high potential of RALI, the French airborne radar–lidar instrument, for studying cloud processes and evaluating satellite products when satellite overpasses are available. For an Arctic nimbostratus ice cloud collected on 1 April 2008 during the Polar Study using Aircraft, Remote Sensing, Surface Measurements and Models, of Climate, Chemistry, Aerosols, and Transport (POLARCAT) campaign, the capability of this synergistic instrument to retrieve cloud properties and to characterize the cloud phase at scales smaller than a kilometer, which is crucial for cloud process analysis, is demonstrated. A variational approach, which combines radar and lidar, is used to retrieve the ice-water content (IWC), extinction, and effective radius. The combination of radar and lidar is shown to provide better retrievals than do stand-alone methods and, in general, the radar overestimates and the lidar underestimates IWC. As the sampled ice cloud was simultaneously observed by CloudSat and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellites, a new way to assess satellite cloud products by combining in situ and active remote sensing measurements is identified. It was then possible to compare RALI to three satellite ice cloud products: CloudSat, CALIPSO, and the Cloud-Aerosol-Water-Radiation Interactions (ICARE) center’s radar–lidar project (DARDAR).
Criminality and Family Formation
Authors: Zoutewelle-Terovan Mioara , van der Geest Victor , Liefbroer Aart , Bijleveld Catrien
Published: September 2012

In this article, the authors study the effects of family formation on criminal careers for 540 high-risk men and women in the Netherlands. In a prospective design, spanning 21 years, the authors analyzed complete data on offending, marriage, parenthood, and a large set of background information. Random effects were used to model the relation between family-life events and offending, controlling for possible confounders. Findings for men support the hypothesis that marriage promotes desistance from serious offending. Males additionally benefit from parenthood, and from having a first child in particular. Furthermore, although parenthood reduces offending more strongly than marriage, the “full family package” brings the most benefit. Female offending patterns were not significantly influenced by marital status or motherhood.
The Victim-Offender Overlap, Intimate Partner Violence, and Sex
Authors: Muftić Lisa R. , Finn Mary A. , Marsh Erin A.
Published: September 2012

This study examines the overlap between victimization and offending within officially recorded incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using official police data, 1,256 individuals are initially differentiated by their role as the victim or the offender in an IPV incident and then categorized into four distinct groups (e.g., as victims, persistent offenders, desistent offenders, or victim-offenders) based on their role in further officially recorded IPV incidents during an 18-to 30-month follow-up period. Of particular interest is the victim-offender category, which involves individuals who switched roles from the original IPV incident (e.g., IPV victims who later became IPV offenders or IPV offenders who later became IPV victims). Results suggest that important distinctions exist across categories related to sex and crime exposure. Compared with victims who were predominately female and offenders who were predominately male, victim-offenders were the most gender symmetric and exhibited greater contacts with the justice process prior to and after the original IPV incident. Implications from these findings, as well as limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Measuring the Reading Complexity and Oral Comprehension of Canadian Youth Waiver Forms
Authors: Eastwood Joseph , Snook Brent , Luther Kirk
Published: September 2012

The reading complexity of a sample of Canadian police youth waiver forms was assessed, and the oral comprehension of a waiver form was examined. In Study 1, the complexity of 31 unique waiver forms was assessed using five readability measures (i.e., waiver length, Flesch–Kincaid grade level, Grammatik sentence complexity, word difficulty, and word frequency). Results showed that the waivers are lengthy, are written at a relatively high grade level, contain complex sentences, and contain difficult and infrequent words. In Study 2, high school students ( N = 32) were presented orally with one youth waiver form and asked to explain its meaning. Results showed that participants understood approximately 40% of the information contained in the waiver form. The likelihood of the rights of Canadian youths being protected and the need to create a standardized and comprehensible waiver form are discussed.
Race-Ethnicity and Health Trajectories
Authors: Brown Tyson H. , O’Rand Angela M. , Adkins Daniel E.
Published: September 2012

Racial-ethnic disparities in static levels of health are well documented. Less is known about racial-ethnic differences in age trajectories of health. The few studies on this topic have examined only single health outcomes and focused on black-white disparities. This study extends prior research by using a life course perspective, panel data from the Health and Retirement Study, and multilevel growth curve models to investigate racial-ethnic differences in the trajectories of serious conditions and functional limitations among blacks, Mexican Americans, and whites. We test three hypotheses on the nature of racial-ethnic disparities in health across the life course (aging-as-leveler, persistent inequality, and cumulative disadvantage). Results controlling for mortality selection reveal that support for the hypotheses varies by health outcome, racial-ethnic group, and life stage. Controlling for childhood socioeconomic status, adult social and economic resources, and health behaviors reduces but does not eliminate racial-ethnic disparities in health trajectories.
Resurgent Ethnicity among Asian Americans
Authors: Walton Emily
Published: September 2012

In this study I investigate the associations of neighborhood socioeconomic and social environments with the health of Asian Americans living in both Asian ethnic neighborhoods and non-Asian neighborhoods. I use a sample of 1962 Asian Americans from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS, 2003-04). Three key findings emerge. First, absolute levels of socioeconomic and social resources do not differ greatly between the Asian ethnic neighborhoods and non-Asian neighborhoods in which Asian Americans live. Second, the ethnic neighborhood context conditions the effects of neighborhood education on health so that higher neighborhood education is related to better self-rated health among Asian Americans only when they live in Asian ethnic neighborhoods. Finally, the social environment, measured by everyday discrimination and social cohesion, does not differ in its health effects for individuals living in Asian ethnic and non-Asian neighborhoods. Together, these findings illuminate the complex ways that racial and ethnic neighborhood concentration impacts health.
Miles to Go before We Sleep
Authors: Williams David R.
Published: September 2012

Large, pervasive, and persistent racial inequalities exist in the onset, courses, and outcomes of illness. A comprehensive understanding of the patterning of racial disparities indicates that racism in both its institutional and individual forms remains an important determinant. There is an urgent need to build the science base that would identify how to trigger the conditions that would facilitate needed societal change and to identify the optimal interventions that would confront and dismantle the societal conditions that create and sustain health inequalities.
Explaining Temporary and Permanent Motor Vehicle Theft Rates in the United States A Crime-Specific Approach
Authors: Roberts Aki , Block Steven
Published: September 2012

Objectives:

To apply crime-specific models based on differing potential offender pools and opportunity structures to temporary and permanent motor vehicle theft (MVT).

Method:

Using 310 U.S. cities with 50,000 or more residents, the current study developed and examined crime-specific multivariate models for temporary and permanent MVT rates. To evaluate the distinctiveness of crime-specific variables’ associations with each MVT type, the study also predicted each MVT rate via measures theoretically specific to the other.

Results:

Among temporary-specific variables, young male population and the percentage of households without a vehicle were positively associated with temporary MVT. Permanent-specific measures of adult male property offender pool size, percentage of households with high disposable income, unemployment, U.S.-Mexico border proximity, and auto-related businesses were associated with permanent MVT (though in an unexpected direction for disposable income). Some variables were associated with both types of MVT, but young male population was uniquely associated with temporary MVT while unemployment rate, distance to U.S.-Mexico border and number of auto-related businesses were specific to permanent MVT.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that specific prevention approaches are needed for each type of MVT. Shortcomings of the research include potential misclassification of temporary and permanent MVT and lack of some potentially important opportunity variables.
Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Chronic Tinnitus
Authors: Peng Zhe , Chen Xiu‐Qi , Gong Shu‐Sheng
Published: September 2012

Objective

This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment for chronic tinnitus.

Data Sources

Relevant electronic databases and a reference list of articles published up to January 2012 were searched. Randomized controlled clinical trials of all types of rTMS treatment for patients with chronic tinnitus were included.

Review Methods

A literature search was conducted with structured criteria to select studies evaluated for systematic review.

Results

Five trials (160 participants) were included in this review. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment showed benefits in the short term, but the long‐term effects are questionable. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the visual analog scale (VAS) were the major assessment methods used. After active TMS stimulation, the reduction in the THI total score and VAS was significant compared with baseline at the first time point assessed and in the short term (2 weeks and 4 weeks). The longest follow‐up time was 26 weeks after treatment, and the shortest follow‐up time was 2 weeks. No severe side effects were reported from the use of rTMS. Differences in age, hearing level, duration of tinnitus of the included patients, and the condition of sham treatment may influence the effect.

Conclusion

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation could be a new therapeutic tool for the treatment of chronic tinnitus, and thus far we have not been able to demonstrate any substantial risk from rTMS treatment. However, the long‐term effects of rTMS treatment for tinnitus are not clear and will require further study.
An act of GRACE? What do contemporary understandings in psychology have to contribute to the future of gifted education?
Authors: Hymer Barry J.
Published: September 2012

Drawing on a variety of research domains and traditions, this article presents a contemporary and evidence-led model for understanding the development of gifts and talents. In so doing and arguing largely – but not exclusively – from within the stance of social-constructivism, it is suggested that accounts of gift-development that emphasise the role of innate capacities lead frequently to tired debates around identification, labelling and resourcing, and away from the more vital discourses around gifted provision and gift-creation. The implications for classroom practice deriving from traditional and emerging ontological and epistemological conceptualisations of giftedness are presented.
The Media Creates Us in Its Image
Authors: Stivers Richard
Published: September 2012

Propaganda in all its forms is the culture of a mass society. The media transmits propaganda to form public opinion and recreate the human being. Reversing the Western ideal of a rational and free individual, the media creates a childish conformist ensconced in the peer group, who acts unconsciously.
Word, Words, Words
Authors: Foltz Franz , Foltz Frederick
Published: September 2012

The authors explore how technique via propaganda has replaced the word with images creating a mass society and limiting the ability of people to act as individuals. They begin by looking at how words affect human society and how they have changed over time. They explore how technology has altered the meaning of words in order to create a more efficient world. Words become disconnected from time and space through the use of timeless images. The institutions of society support the humiliation of the word to create a world where technique can flourish. Ellul provides a way of reconciling the loss of power for words via a Christian living as cross-bearers. Only individuals and not the institution are capable of changing society. Ellul believes that the salvation of the word and restoration of a more humane society depends on individuals living the faith.
The Meaning of the Global City
Authors: Toly Noah
Published: September 2012

Jacques Ellul’s book, The Meaning of the City, widely recognized as one of the most important twentieth century theological reflections on the city, was also one of his most controversial scholarly contributions. Many urbanists interpreted the book as demeaning the city and diminishing the importance of urban policy, planning, design, architecture, and activism at a time when cities around the world had experience profound crises. This article reexamines The Meaning of the City and its relevance to twenty-first century urbanism.
Cross-National Heterogeneity in Retail Spending
Authors: Kshetri Nir , Bebenroth Ralf
Published: September 2012

Economies worldwide vary greatly in terms of how much their consumers spend on various types of retail activities. The purpose of this article is to examine how the regulatory characteristics as well as the natures and strategies of businesses are related to retail spending. Random effect time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) models linear in parameters were employed for forty-eight economies using annual data for the 1999–2008 period. The results provided strong support that economic freedom, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, and access and availability as measured by the density of retail stores positively affect retail spending. It was also found that tax and social security contributions as a proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) is positively related to per capita grocery retail spending.
Process–form linkages in meander morphodynamics
Authors: Güneralp İnci , Marston Richard A.
Published: September 2012

Meandering rivers are one of the most dynamic earth-surface systems. They play an important role in terrestrial-sediment fluxes, landscape evolution, and the dynamics of riverine ecosystems. Meandering rivers have been of fundamental interest to researchers across a wide range of disciplines, from fluvial geomorphology to fluid mechanics, from river engineering to landscape ecology, owing to the intriguing complexity of meander morphodynamics. This interest also comes from the socio-economic concerns due to the river hazards caused by bank erosion, channel change, and flooding, as well as the adverse responses of meandering rivers to human- and climate-induced changes in the environmental conditions. An in-depth, process-based understanding of the dynamics of meandering river–floodplain systems is critical in order to investigate the responses of these systems to the changes in environmental conditions. Over the last few decades, there have been significant advances in river meandering research, with contributions from both theoretical modeling and experimental and field-based research. This paper presents a detailed overview of river meandering research, particularly focusing on the advances in the process-based understanding of meander morphodynamics. It also discusses the standing challenges in addressing the dynamics of real meandering rivers and their floodplain patterns and processes, and potential future directions in river meandering research. The paper advocates the crucial need for bridging theoretical modeling with field- and laboratory-based research in order to inform accurate assessments of river-hazard risks and facilitate ecologically sound river-management and restoration practices with the aim of supporting healthy ecosystems.
Exploding the Myth of the Gūjara Identity of the Imperial Pratihāras
Authors: Sharma Shanta Rani
Published: September 2012

Presenting new evidence from lately discovered inscriptions and a critical investigation of the earlier available epigraphic and literary material, this article conclusively disproves the Gūjar identification of the Imperial Pratihāras.
Science of Medicine and Hospitals in India during the Delhi Sultanate Period
Authors: Siddiqui Iqtidar Husain
Published: September 2012

The Arab conquerors of Iran found Bimaristan there functioning as a centre of public health care. Later, the Muslim rulers in Central Asia and Khurasan changed its Persian name to Arabic Dārul-Shifa. The Sultans of Delhi also built dārul-shifas. Another development that took place in India was the beginning of the process of synthesizing Muslim system of medicines and the indigenous Ayurvedic system. This process continued during the Mughal period as well.
Working at the Ichapur Gunpowder Factory in the 1790s (Part I)
Authors: Lucassen Jan
Published: September 2012

The Gunpowder Manufacture at Ichapur near Calcutta in the 1790s engaged in busy years 2,000–2,500 skilled labourers and therefore was one of the world’s largest factories. Besides, the wages and secondary benefits (including a pension scheme for victims of work accidents since 1783) of these migrant workers were comparatively reasonable and—more significantly—the result of several forms of collective action. This remarkable case study raises many questions regarding long-term trends in the labour history and migration history of India, where accepted wisdom stresses the emergence of mobility since the 1840s and poor performance of the industrial workers since the end of the nineteenth century.
Dynamic design approach of an ultra-precision machine tool used for optical parts machining
Authors: Liang Yingchun , Chen Wanqun , Sun Yazhou , Chen Guoda , Wang Tao , Sun Yang
Published: September 2012

The article presents a dynamic design approach of an ultra-precision machine tool based on the morphology requirements of the workpiece. Compared with common parts, optical parts not only have as many high requirements for surface finish and flatness, but also topographic properties, which leads to a big difference in design with traditional machine tools. This approach, from the topographic properties and functional requirements of the workpiece, demonstrates how to design and analyze the kinematic chain and configuration of the machine tool. Then, a finite element model and mathematical model are established to predict the topographic properties of the workpiece. The design and optimization of an ultra-precision flycutting machine tool is employed as a case study to elaborate the approach in detail. Preliminary machining trials have been carried out and provided evidence of the approach being helpful to design and optimize the ultra- precision machine tool used for optical parts machining.
On–off motion of a hydraulic free-piston engine
Authors: Hu Jibin , Wu Wei , Yuan Shihua , Jing Chongbo
Published: September 2012

The current paper presents the on–off characteristics of a compression ignition single-piston hydraulic free-piston engine. A pilot control circuit and a control method for on–off control of the engine are introduced. Detailed piston motion under on–off control of the engine is investigated. The results indicate that the piston on–off motion of 1 cycle can be divided into a pilot phase and a wave phase. The piston motion in the pilot phase is determined by the flow capacity of the frequency control valve. The piston acceleration during the accelerated compression process peaks in the pilot phase. The wave phase consists of a rebound stage, a decaying stage and a creep stage. The rebound stage determines the initial conditions of the other two stages and affects the piston frequency control. The control method proposed is immune from the bottom-dead-centre cycle variation. A high piston frequency results in a better engine fuel economy.
An optimal preview driver model applied to a non-linear vehicle and an impaired driver
Authors: Le Thanh Phuc , Stiharu Ion
Published: September 2012

This paper proposes an improved driver model based on the one introduced by MacAdam in 1981 where optimal preview control is applied. The details of the optimal preview driver model are derived. The modified model incorporating the steering angle into the performance index is used to compute the steering input. The parameters associated with reaction time and preview time characterize the adaptation of the driver to the changes of the vehicle, the road and the environment. The modified model exhibits better performance and its parameters are well related to the performance of the driver. The driver model is then coupled with a non-linear vehicle. Initial tests are performed to identify the driver’s parameters. The coupling of the driver and the non-linear vehicle introduces enhanced path-following. An impaired driver model can be obtained by reducing the optimal parameters. When the safety criteria are chosen, the threshold for safe driving is identified.
Too Close for Comfort, or Too Far to Care? Finding Humor in Distant Tragedies and Close Mishaps
Authors: McGraw A. Peter , Warren Caleb , Williams Lawrence E. , Leonard Bridget
Published: September 2012

Humor is ubiquitous and often beneficial, but the conditions that elicit it have been debated for millennia. We examine two factors that jointly influence perceptions of humor: the degree to which a stimulus is a violation (tragedy vs. mishap) and one’s perceived distance from the stimulus (far vs. close). Five studies show that tragedies (which feature severe violations) are more humorous when temporally, socially, hypothetically, or spatially distant, but that mishaps (which feature mild violations) are more humorous when psychologically close. Although prevailing theories of humor have difficulty explaining the interaction between severity and distance revealed in these studies, our results are consistent with the proposal that humor occurs when a violation simultaneously seems benign. This benign-violation account suggests that distance facilitates humor in the case of tragedies by reducing threat, but that closeness facilitates humor in the case of mishaps by maintaining some sense of threat.
Arctic coastal freshwater ecosystem responses to a major saltwater intrusion: A landscape-scale palaeolimnological analysis
Authors: Thienpont Joshua R , Johnson Daniel , Nesbitt Holly , Kokelj Steven V , Pisaric Michael FJ , Smol John P
Published: September 2012

Because of decreasing sea-ice extent and increasingly frequent Arctic storms, low-lying coastal ecosystems are at heightened risk from marine storm surges. A major Arctic storm event originating in the Beaufort Sea in September 1999 resulted in the flooding of a large area of the outer alluvial plain of the Mackenzie Delta (Northwest Territories, Canada), and has been previously shown to have caused unprecedented impacts on the terrestrial ecosystems on a regional scale. We use diatoms preserved in lake sediment cores to gain a landscape perspective on the impact of the storm on freshwater systems, and to determine if other such events have occurred in the recent past. Our results indicate that five lakes located at the coastal edge of the low-lying Mackenzie Delta show strong, synchronous, and previously unobserved increases in the relative abundance of brackish-water diatom taxa coincident with the timing of the 1999 storm surge. These changes were not observed at a control site located farther inland. The degree to which the storm surge impacted the chemical and biological limnology of the lakes varied, and was not explained by measured physical variables, suggesting the degree of impact is likely related to a combination of factors including distance from the coast, the size:volume ratio of the lake and its catchment, and water residence time. We show that the 1999 storm surge resulted in unmatched broadscale impacts on the freshwater ecosystems of the outer Mackenzie Delta, and that while minimal recovery may be occurring in some of the systems, the lakes studied remain chemically and biologically impacted more than a decade after the inundation event.
Long-term forest dynamics at Gribskov, eastern Denmark with early-Holocene evidence for thermophilous broadleaved tree species
Authors: Overballe-Petersen Mette Venås , Nielsen Anne Birgitte , Hannon Gina E , Halsall Karen , Bradshaw Richard HW
Published: September 2012

We report on a full-Holocene pollen, charcoal and macrofossil record from a small forest hollow in Gribskov, eastern Denmark. The Fagus sylvatica pollen record suggests the establishment of a small Fagus population at Gribskov in the early Holocene together with early establishment of other thermophilous broadleaved trees, including Quercus sp., Tilia sp. and Ulmus sp. The macrofossils contribute to the vegetation reconstruction with evidence for local presence of species with low pollen productivity or easily degraded pollen types such as Populus. The charcoal record shows frequent burning during two periods of the early Holocene and from c. 3000 cal. BP to present. The early-Holocene part of the record indicates a highly disturbed forest ecosystem with frequent fires and abundant macrofossils of particularly Betula sp. and Populus sp. The sediment stratigraphy and age–depth relationships give no clear indication of post-depositional disturbance, although a possible short-lived hiatus occurs around 6500 cal. BP. The early pollen record from thermophilous trees could indicate that there may have been some downwash following sediment desiccation through wood peat layers deposited between c. 6500 and 10,000 cal. BP, but the overall biostratigraphy is consistent with other Danish small hollow records.
The efficacy of brain F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in neuropsychiatric lupus patients with normal brain magnetic resonance imaging findings
Authors: Lee S-W , Park M‐C , Lee S-K , Park Y-B
Published: September 2012

Brain involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the early detection and treatment of brain involvement in SLE is of utmost importance; however, a confirmative diagnostic tool for neuropsychiatric SLE is yet to be developed. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of 18F-FDG-PET for detection of brain involvement in patients with SLE with normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Twenty patients with SLE, who presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms despite normal brain MRI findings and who underwent brain 18F-FDG-PET, were enrolled. The most common neuropsychiatric manifestation was headache (45%), followed by seizure (20%) and mood disorder (20%). 18F-FDG-PET revealed significant glucose metabolic abnormalities in 15 of 20 patients (75%). The temporal (55%) and the occipital (55%) lobes were the most susceptible brain regions, followed by the frontal lobe (50%). However, neuropsychiatric symptoms were not geographically correlated to 18F-FDG-PET findings. Two patients with abnormal 18F-FDG-PET findings underwent follow-up brain 18F-FDG-PET after remission, which showed complete resolution of abnormal glucose metabolism. Our data suggest that 18F-FDG-PET may be an additional diagnostic modality complementary to MRI, when MRI is unable to provide evidence of brain involvement in patients with SLE.
Bistable arches for morphing applications
Authors: Pontecorvo Michael E , Barbarino Silvestro , Murray Gabriel J , Gandhi Farhan S
Published: September 2012

This article examines the bistable behavior of an arch for morphing applications. The arch has a cosine profile, is clamped at both ends, and is restrained axially by a spring at one end. Fabrication and testing of several Delrin and NiTiNOL arch specimens (with varying arch height, thickness, and spring stiffness) were followed by ANSYS finite element modeling, and the ANSYS simulation results showed good overall agreement with the test results. A parametric study was conducted using the ANSYS model to assess the influence of arch thickness, height, and spring stiffness on the bistable behavior. The results indicated that lower arch thickness, larger arch height, and higher spring stiffness tend to promote bistability; lower arch thickness and height reduce peak strains as the arch moves between equilibrium states, but increasing spring stiffness has a smaller effect; and higher arch thickness, height, and spring stiffness increase the snap-through force, which in turn increases the actuation force requirement as well as load carrying capability of the bistable morphing arch. If the arch slenderness ratio is unchanged, change in arch span (size) does not change the maximum stress while increasing the peak snap-through force proportionally.
A supersonic broadband microjet actuator using piezohydraulic actuation
Authors: Hogue Joshua , Kumar Rajan , Oates William S , Alvi Farrukh
Published: September 2012

A supersonic piezohydraulic microjet flow control actuator has been developed using a 400-µm-diameter micronozzle capable of producing pulsed microjet flow over a broad frequency range from quasi-static to 1.6 kHz. Such flow control actuators are useful in providing ideal control inputs for controlling flow properties to improve aerodynamic performance, for example, reduce or eliminate flow separation and mitigate noise from propulsion systems and other aircraft components. The design of the piezohydraulic microjet is presented in combination with experimental results to quantify the internal system dynamic characteristics in comparison with the microjet flow. The microjet actuator couples a piezoelectric stack actuator and a hydraulic circuit to amplify the 20-µm stack actuator displacement to an amplitude that is necessary to throttle flow through the 400-µm-diameter micronozzle. Unsteady pressure measurements at the microjet exit are correlated with the piezoelectric stack actuator displacement and voltage input to provide comparisons between the internal electromechanical actuation and external pulsed flow behavior. Phase-conditioned micro-Schlieren imagery is also utilized to quantify the flow field. The results illustrate broadband supersonic pulsed microjet actuation frequencies that approach 1 kHz: frequencies that are much higher than currently achieved with broadband actuators with this control authority.