bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A quantitative evaluation of the high resolution HARMONIE model for critical weather phenomena
Authors: van der Plas E. V. , Wichers Schreur B. , Kok K.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. The high resolution non-hydrostatic Harmonie model (Seity et al., 2012) seems capable of delivering high quality precipitation forecasts. The quality with respect to the European radar composite is assessed using the Model Evaluation Tool, as distributed by the NCAR DTC (Developmental Testbed Center, 2012), and compared to that of the reference run of Hirlam (Unden et al., 2002), the current operational NWP model at KNMI. Both neighbourhood and object-based verification methods are compared for a week with several high intensity precipitation events in July 2010. It is found that Hirlam scores very well in most metrics, and that in spite of the higher resolution the added value of the Harmonie model is sometimes hard to quantify. However, higher precipitation intensities are better represented in the Harmonie model with its higher resolution. Object-based methods do not yet yield a sharp distinction between the different models, as it proves difficult to construct a meaningful and distinguishing metric with a solid physical basis for the many settings that can be varied.
Variability and trends in Laptev Sea ice outflow between 1992–2011
Authors: Krumpen T. , Janout M. , Hodges K. I. , Gerdes R. , Girard-Ardhuin F. , Hölemann J. A. , Willmes S.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. Variability and trends in seasonal and interannual ice area export out of the Laptev Sea between 1992 and 2011 are investigated using satellite-based sea ice drift and concentration data. We found an average winter (October to May) ice area transport across the northern and eastern Laptev Sea boundaries (NB and EB) of 3.48 × 105 km2. The average transport across the NB (2.87 × 105 km2) is thereby higher than across the EB (0.61 × 105 km2), with a less pronounced seasonal cycle. The total Laptev Sea ice area flux significantly increased over the last decades (0.85 × 105 km2/decade, p > 0.95), dominated by increasing export through the EB (0.55 × 105 km2/decade, p > 0.90), while the increase in export across the NB is small (0.3 × 105 km2/decade) and statistically not significant. The strong coupling between across-boundary SLP gradient and ice drift velocity indicates that monthly variations in ice area flux are primarily controlled by changes in geostrophic wind velocities, although the Laptev Sea ice circulation shows no clear relationship with large-scale atmospheric indices. Also there is no evidence of increasing wind velocities that could explain the overall positive trends in ice export. Following Spreenet al. (2011), we therefore assume that changes in ice flux rates may be related to changes in the ice cover such as thinning and/or a decrease in concentration. The use of a back-propagation method revealed that most of the ice that is incorporated into the Transpolar Drift is formed during freeze-up and originates from the central and western part of the Laptev Sea, while the exchange with the East Siberian Sea is dominated by ice coming from the Central and South-Eastern Laptev Sea. Furthermore, our results imply that the late winter (February to May) ice area flux may at least partially control the summer sea ice extent in the Laptev Sea.
Constraining projections of summer Arctic sea ice
Authors: Massonnet F. , Fichefet T. , Goosse H. , Bitz C. M. , Philippon-Berthier G. , Holland M. M. , Barriat P.-Y.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. We examine the recent (1979–2010) and future (2011–2100) characteristics of the summer Arctic sea ice cover as simulated by 29 Earth system and general circulation models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 (CMIP5). As was the case with CMIP3, a large inter-model spread persists in the simulated summer sea ice losses over the 21st century for a given forcing scenario. The initial 1979–2010 sea ice properties (including the sea ice extent, thickness distribution and volume characteristics) of each CMIP5 model are discussed as potential constraints on the September sea ice extent (SSIE) projections. Our results suggest first that the SSIE anomalies (compared to the 1979–2010 model SSIE) are related in a complicated manner to the initial 1979–2010 sea ice model characteristics, due to the large diversity of the CMIP5 population (at a given time, some models are in an ice-free state while others are still on the track of ice loss). In a new diagram (that does not consider the time as an independent variable) we show that the transition towards ice-free conditions is actually occuring in a very similar manner for all models. For these reasons, some quantities that do not explicitly depend on time, such as the year at which SSIE drops below a certain threshold, are likely to be constrained. In a second step, using several adequate 1979–2010 sea ice metrics, we effectively reduce the uncertainty as to when the Arctic could become nearly ice-free in summertime (between 2041 and 2060 for a high climate forcing scenario).
The Effect of Material Modeling on Finite Element Analysis of Human Breast Biomechanics
Authors: Ruggiero Leonardo , Sol Hugo , Sahli Hichem , Adriaenssens Sigrid , Adriaenssens Nele
Published: July 2012

Purpose

Finite element analysis has been used extensively in the study of biomechanical modeling of the breast. However, issues regarding the complexity of material models and the influences of geometric boundary conditions on the accuracy of a breast Finite Element (FE) model are still under debate. This work demonstrates the importance of material modeling in FE models of the breast.

Methods

A simple hemispherical geometry is used to model the shape of a human breast. Different material models are being investigated to accurately model changes in terms of displacement, stress, and reaction forces distribution.

Results

The results obtained using nonlinear material models are compared with those obtained employing their linear approximation. Results have shown that differences, in terms of displacement, ranging between 20% and more than 80%, may occur and that large differences are present in terms of maximum principal stresses when the displacement is correctly approximated.

Conclusions

This study clearly shows that, in a FE model, simulating large deformations material modeling strongly influences the accuracy of the solution.
Arteriovenous Fistula Failure: Is There a Role for Accessory Draining Vein Embolization?
Authors: Nikam Milind , Popuri Radha K. , Inaba Akimichi , Taylor Usamah , Farquharson Finn , Mitra Sandip , Chalmers Nicholas
Published: July 2012

Purpose

Arterio-venous fistulae (AVFs) are accepted as the best form of haemodialysis vascular access (VA) but are plagued by high primary failure. Accessory drainage veins (ADVs) may account for up to 40% of these failures. Furthermore, they may also lead to low flow in ‘mature’ AVFs.

Methods

We analysed the results of 42 patients who underwent endovascular coiling of ADVs at our centre over a 4-year period.

Results

Indications were failure to mature in 34%, low flow or cannulation difficulty in 56% and thrombosis in 10% of cases. 95% procedures involved a combination of angioplasty and coiling with only 5% patients having coiling of ADV alone. Forearm AVFs constituted the majority of the cases as opposed to upper arm AVFs (74% vs. 26% respectively). Primary patency at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months was 90%, 87%, 76%, 70% and 55% respectively. Successful dialysis was achieved in 10 of the 14 fistulae that had hitherto failed to mature. Coil migration was observed in 1 patient, which led to fistula occlusion.

Conclusion

Coil embolisation of ADVs is an effective treatment option for dysfunctional fistulae that can be performed at the same time as angioplasty.
Nutritional Status of Participating and Non-participating Pupils in the Ghana School Feeding Programme
Authors: Danquah A. O. , Amoah A. N. , Steiner-Asiedu M. , Opare-Obisaw C.
Published: July 2012

The Ghana Demographic Health Survey indicates that the major nutritional challenges in Ghana among school children are protein-energy malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies. School Feeding Programmes are one of the main interventions addressing malnutrition and its related effects on children’s health and education. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of Ghana School Feeding Programme on nutritional status of school children in Atwima-Nwabiagya District of Ashanti Region, Ghana. A total of 234 pupils between 9 and 17 years of age, comprising 114 participants and 120 non-participants from three participating and three non-participating schools, respectively, with similar characteristics, took part in the study. It was hypothesized that the nutritional status of participants was better than that of non-participants. Results did not indicate any association between the school lunch and nutritional status. There was no statistically significant difference in the nutritional status of participants and non-participants. The programme did not impact the nutritional status of participants.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Polyphenols from Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Leaves: Chemical Composition, Economic Evaluation and Chemometric Approach
Authors: Cavalcanti Rodrigo N. , Navarro-Díaz Helmut J. , Santos Diego T. , Rostagno Mauricio A. , Meireles M. Angela A.
Published: July 2012

The increasing demand for high-quality products and economically and environmentally friendly technologies, as well as restrictive legislative actions, has stimulated scientific research on the extraction, purification and identification of bioactive compounds from natural sources. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is commonly used in traditional medicine due to its pharmacological properties, such as its anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxicity, anti-lipoperoxidation, antidiabetic, anti-cancer and antimicrobial activities. The use of industrial residues as sources of bioactive compounds has emerged as an economically viable solution to the problem of solid waste treatment. In this context, this work aimed to evaluate the SC-CO2 extraction of polyphenols from pomegranate leaves, evaluating the influence of temperature (40 and 50°C) and pressure (10-30 MPa) on extraction yield (EY), total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) and the cost of manufacturing (COM) of the extracts. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of multivariate data, making the visualization more straightforward and manageable. A high EY and TPC and low COM were obtained at the most effective operational conditions of 50°C and 30 MPa. The lack of correlation between EY-AA and TPC-AA indicated the coextraction of non-phenolic compounds. This assumption was corroborated by GC-MS analysis, which showed high levels of eicosanol, squalene, linoleic acid and tocols. Even though SC-CO2 extraction resulted in a high TPC (257-389 mg.g-1) compared to the literature data, the low EY (0.21-0.67 %) and non-phenolic presence suggest that SC-CO2 extraction may be a good purification pretreatment for the removal of non-polyphenolic compounds prior to further polyphenol extraction.
Global Business Ethics: Regulation, Code, or Self-Restraint
Authors: Cavanagh Gerald F.
Published: July 2012

Three strategies for developing just and consistent global business practices are examined: 1) international treaties and agreements, 2) global codes of business conduct, and 3) voluntary self-restraint. International agreements investigated are: NAFTA, Global Warming Treaty, OECD Anti-Bribery Treaty and Infant Formula Agreement. The codes examined are the Caux Round Table’sPrinciples for Business, The Global Sullivan Principlesand The United NationsGlobal Compact with Business. Each of these three strategies is probed for its relative strengths and weaknesses, and its prospects for developing ethical business practices—especially in the areas of improving the environment, human rights and working conditions.
The Obligations of Transnational Corporations: Rawlsian Justice and the Duty of Assistance
Authors: Hsieh Nien-hê
Published: July 2012

Building on John Rawls’s account of the Law of Peoples, this paper examines the grounds and scope of the obligations of transnational corporations (TNCs) that are owned by members of developed economies and operate in developing economies. The paper advances two broad claims. First, the paper argues that there are conditions under which TNCs have obligations to fulfill a limited duty of assistance toward those living in developing economies, even though the duty is normally understood to fall on the governments of developed economies. Second, by extending Rawls’s account to include a right to protection against arbitrary interference, the paper argues that TNCs can be said to have negative and positive obligations in the areas of human rights, labor standards, and environmental protection, as outlined in the U.N. Global Compact. More generally, the paper aims to further our understanding of the implications of Rawls’s account of justice.
The Evolution of Shell’s Stakeholder Approach: A Case Study
Authors: Wei-Skillern Jane
Published: July 2012

Shell’s efforts to integrate the stakeholder management approach into its business practice worldwide involved the gradual development of a long-term, comprehensive strategy. This paper draws on stakeholder management theory and Shell’s experience to identify critical factors that contribute to the process of institutionalizing the principle of stakeholder management in a global company. A key lesson to be drawn from the case is the necessity of ensuring that the process allows for continuous learning, adaptation, and refinement.
Spirituality and Archetype in Organizational Life
Authors: Hart David W. , Neil Brady F.
Published: July 2012

Spirituality is an undeniable human need and is thus the subject of increasing interest among management scholars and practitioners. In this article, we propose using archetypal psychology as a framework for understanding the human need for spirituality more clearly because it provides important insights into spirituality and organizational life. Because most spiritual needs reside in the deepest aspects of the self, an archetypal approach helps us recognize not only that we have spiritual needs but alsowhywe have them. We present three common archetypes and their implications in a management context. That is followed by an application of the archetypal approach to some of the more spiritually corrosive aspects of organizational life and a discussion of the implications of archetypes as a source of motivation.
Distributive Justice and the Rules of the Corporation: Partial Versus General Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Beck John H.
Published: July 2012

Progressives have advocated reforms of rules governing corporations to achieve greater distributive justice, but Maitland (2001) has argued that corporate rules are distributively neutral and that changing the rules will have no long run impact on distributive justice. These different conclusions stem from the use of two different methods of economic analysis, partial equilibrium and general equilibrium models. A change in the rules governing corporations in a “large” sector of the economy is appropriately analyzed using a general equilibrium analysis, supporting the conclusion that changes in the rules may affect distributive justice in the long run. However, a partial equilibrium analysis of a change in the rules of corporations affecting a “small” part of the economy such as a single firm or even all firms in a small state supports the claim that such changes cannot affect distributive justice.
Can Corporations be Citizens? Corporate Citizenship as a Metaphor for Business Participation in Society
Authors: Moon Jeremy , Crane Andrew , Matten Dirk
Published: July 2012

This paper investigates whether, in theoretical terms, corporations can be citizens. The argument is based on the observation that the debate on “corporate citizenship” (CC) has only paid limited attention to the actual notion of citizenship. Where it has been discussed, authors have either largely left the concept of CC unquestioned, or applied rather unidimensional and decontextualized notions of citizenship to the corporate sphere. The paper opens with a critical discussion of a major contribution to the CC literature, the work of Logsdon and Wood (Wood and Logsdon 2001; Logsdon and Wood 2002). It continues with a consideration of the nature and role of metaphors for business and of the contestable nature of the political concept of citizenship. It evaluates corporations as citizens through a four-dimensional framework of democratic citizenship offered by Stokes (2002). The analysis suggests that corporations do not easily fit the “liberal minimalist” model of citizenship. It finds, however some possibilities for fit with the three more participatory models. The paper concludes by cautioning against basing corporate citizenship on legal and administrative status or identity, and mapping out specific criteria by which we might determine whether corporations could be considered as citizens by virtue of their participation in processes of governance.
Business Ethics and Internal Social Criticism
Authors: Sonenshein Scott
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this paper is to present an understanding of business ethics based on a theory of internal social criticism. Internal social criticism focuses on how members of a business organization debate the meanings of their shared traditions for the purpose of locating and correcting hypocrisy. Organizations have thick moral cultures that allow them to be self-governing moral communities. By considering organizations as interpretive moral communities, I challenge the conventional notion that moral criticism is based primarily on exogenous moral principles delivered by outside critics. I describe an interpretive process of business ethics and develop a theoretical model of internal social criticism. I also propose that organizational identification serves as a mechanism for inducing ethical behavior. I conclude by calling for more research that understands the development and use of existing moral principles inside of organizations.
The Corporate Social Responsibility of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Idealism without Illusion and Realism without Resignation
Authors: Leisinger Klaus M.
Published: July 2012

In recent years society has come to expect more from the “socially-responsible” company and the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in particular has resulted in some critics saying that the “Big Pharma” companies have not been living up to their social responsibilities. Corporate social responsibility can be understood as the socio-economic product of the organizational division of labor in complex modern society. Global poverty and poor health conditions are in the main the responsibilities of the world’s national governments and international governmental organizations, which possess society’s mandate and appropriate organizational capabilities. Private enterprises have neither the societal mandate nor the organizational capabilities to feed the poor or provide health care to the sick in their home countries or in the developing world. Nevertheless, private enterprises do have responsibilities to society that can be categorized as what they must do, what they ought do, and what they can do.
Child Workers, Globalization, and International Business Ethics: A Case Study in Brazil’s Export-Oriented Shoe Industry
Authors: French J. Lawrence , Wokutch Richard E.
Published: July 2012

Disputes regarding the ethics of work by children have intensified in recent years, with little resolution. The impasses stem from failure to recognize the diverse forms of child work and a lack of empirical research regarding its causes and consequences. We report on data gathered in Brazil’s export-oriented shoe industry, which is notorious for the employment of children. Central findings are: 1) the causes of child work have less to do with backwardness and more to do with how shoe workers are integrated into the global order; 2) local employers and children regard this work as benign, but the U.S. government sees it as hazardous to children and unfair to U.S. producers; 3) efforts to remove children from the shoe industry have been frustrated by local resistance and raise ethical questions; and 4) in certain circumstances, efforts to eliminate hazards from the workplace are morally superior to campaigns to remove child workers from employment.
Ethical Investing: Ethical Investors and Managers
Authors: Hudson Richard
Published: July 2012

“Ethical investing” is interpreted in the following paper to be the use of non-financial normative criteria by investors in the choice of securities for their portfolios.

Ethical investors may aim at fulfilling duties they feel they have, possibly including increasing the amount of good in society through the consequences of their buying and selling behavior. The main duties are those of not-profiting from bad corporate behavior and of punishing bad (or rewarding good) firms. The main consequence desired is that managers manage corporations in a more ethical manner. But ethical investors (as opposed to some other kinds of investors who are also interested in normative issues) also aim at receiving returns based on the market risk of their investments.

If the aim of managers is to maximize shareholder wealth, then ethical investors can fulfill their duties or achieve their desired consequences only if their trading activities affect shareholder wealth, i.e., share price. A theoretical argument is presented to show that this trading activity will not affect share price or return. In addition, reference is made to results of empirical studies which show that ethical stocks yield market returns, i.e., that the share price of ethical firms is unaffected by the actions of ethical investors.

If the trading activity of ethical investors fails to affect share price and return, then these investors fail to fulfill any of their goals or to achieve their ends.
An Employee-Centered Model of Corporate Social Performance
Authors: Van Buren III Harry J.
Published: July 2012

Although the concept of corporate social performance (CSP) has become more clearly specified in recent years, an analysis of CSP from the perspective of one particular stakeholder group has been largely ignored in this research: employees. It is proposed that employees merit specific attention with regard to assessments of corporate social performance. In this paper, a model for evaluating and measuring CSP at the employee level is proposed, and implications for evaluating contemporary employment policies and practices are offered. An iterative process for systematically including normative content in the CSP model across stakeholder groups is also offered.
The Three Pillars of Corporate Social Reporting as New Governance Regulation: Disclosure, Dialogue, and Development
Authors: Hess David
Published: July 2012

In this article I examine corporate social reporting as a form of New Governance regulation termed “democratic experimentalism.” Due to the challenges of regulating the behavior of corporations on issues related to sustainable economic development, New Governance regulation—which has a focus on decentralized, participatory, problem-solving-based approaches to regulation—is presented as an option to traditional command-and-control regulation. By examining the role of social reporting under a New Governance approach, I set out three necessary requirements for social reporting to be effective: disclosure, dialogue with stakeholders, and the moral development of the corporation. I then assess current social reporting practices against these requirements and find significant problems. In response, I propose one option for solving those problems, and encourage future researchers to consider the demands of these three requirements and the possible trade-offs between them when attempting to find ways to improve social reporting practices.
The Impossibility of the Separation Thesis: A Response to Joakim Sandberg
Authors: Harris Jared D. , Freeman R. Edward
Published: July 2012

Distinguishing “business” concerns from “ethical” values is not only an unfruitful and meaningless task, it is also an impossible endeavor. Nevertheless, fruitless attempts to separate facts from values produce detrimental second-order effects, both for theory and practice, and should therefore be abandoned. We highlight examples of exemplary research that integrate economic and moral considerations, and point the way to a business ethics discipline that breaks new ground by putting ideas and narratives about businesstogetherwith ideas and narratives about ethics.
Understanding the Separation Thesis: Precision after the Decimal Point?: A Response to Joakim Sandberg
Authors: Wempe Ben
Published: July 2012

Sandberg documents with admirable precision nine rather diverging renderings of Freeman’s call for the rejection of the separation thesis (ST). A more careful consideration of the propriety of importing phrases such as “the rejection of ST” from more established academic disciplines so as to serve in the field of normative business ethics would seem to make that precision premature and maybe even superfluous. This may well be generalized to an observation concerning current working methods in normative business ethics.
Moral Commitments and the Societal Role of Business: An Ordonomic Approach to Corporate Citizenship
Authors: Pies Ingo , Hielscher Stefan , Beckmann Markus
Published: July 2012

This article introduces an “ordonomic” approach to corporate citizenship. We believe that ordonomics offers a conceptual framework for analyzing both the social structure and the semantics of moral commitments. We claim that such an analysis can provide theoretical guidance for the changing role of business in society, especially in regard to the expectation and trend that businesses take a political role and act as corporate citizens. The systematicraison d'êtreof corporate citizenship is that business firms can and—judged by the criterion of prudent self-interest—“should” take on an active role in rule-finding discourses and rule-setting processes with the intent of realizing a win-win outcome of the economic game. We identify—and illustrate—four ways that corporate citizens can employ moral commitments as a factor of production to enhance their processes of economic value creation.
Private Security Companies and Institutional Legitimacy: Corporate and Stakeholder Responsibility
Authors: Elms Heather , Phillips Robert A.
Published: July 2012

The private provision of security services has attracted a great deal of recent attention, both professional and popular. Much of that attention suggests the questioned moral legitimacy of the private vs. public provision of security. Linking the literature on moral legitimacy and responsibility from new institutional and stakeholder theories, we examine the relationship between moral legitimacy and responsible behavior by both private security companies (PSCs) and their stakeholders. We ask what the moral-legitimacy-enhancing responsibilities of both might be, and contribute to both literatures and their managerial implications by detailing the content of those responsibilities, emphasizing the reciprocal nature of moral obligations. We suggest that the moral legitimacy of the industry depends upon responsible behavior by both PSCsandtheir stakeholders.
Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Salience in Family Firms
Authors: Mitchell Ronald K. , Agle Bradley R. , Chrisman James J. , Spence Laura J.
Published: July 2012

The notion of stakeholder salience based on attributes (e.g., power, legitimacy, urgency) is applied in the family business setting. We argue that where principal institutions intersect (i.e., family and business); managerial perceptions of stakeholder salience will be different and more complex than where institutions are based on a single dominant logic. We propose that (1) whereas utilitarian power is more likely in the general business case, normative power is more typical in family business stakeholder salience; (2) whereas in a general business context legitimacy is socially constructed; for family stakeholders, legitimacy is based on heredity; and (3) whereas temporality and criticality are somewhat independent in general-business urgency, they are linked in the family business case because of family ties and family-centered non-economic goals. We apply this theoretical framework to position and integrate the contributions to this special section ofBusiness Ethics Quarterlyon “Stakeholder Theory, Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Family Enterprise.”
Is Business Ethics Getting Better? A Historical Perspective
Authors: Ciulla Joanne B.
Published: July 2012

This address uses the question “Is business ethics getting better?” as a heuristic for discussing the importance of history in understanding business and ethics. The paper uses a number of examples to illustrate how the same ethical problems in business have been around for a long time. It describes early attempts at the Harvard Business School to use business history as a means of teaching students about moral and social values. In the end, the author suggests that history may be another way to teach ethics, enrich business ethics courses, and develop the perspective and vision in future business leaders.
Vecino Economics: Gendered Economy and Micaceous Pottery Consumption in Nineteenth Century Northern New Mexico
Authors: Eiselt B. Sunday , Darling J. Andrew
Published: July 2012

Economic reforms introduced by the Bourbon Monarchy after A.D. 1750 ushered in an Hispanic social formation in the northern Rio Grande identified as Vecino. Aspects of Vecino gendered economy are examined through a detailed analysis of five ceramic assemblages from the Chama and Taos Valleys of New Mexico. Geochemical (NAA) and stylistic clues identify the ethnic identities of producers and their relationships to Vecino consumers. Evidence for ceramic production by Vecino women during the nineteenth century is evaluated on the basis of detailed paste analysis of plain and micaceous ceramics as well as the occurrence of pottery-producing tools and clay-cleaning debris. Analytical results reveal that Jicarilla women dominated the production of micaceous cook ware to supply Vecino kitchens. Implications for understanding Vecino economics and the constitution of female-based systems of economic value are considered.
The Chaco Pilgrimage Model: Evaluating the Evidence From Pueblo Alto
Authors: Plog Stephen , Watson Adam S.
Published: July 2012

Most recent attempts to understand the complex nature of the prehispanic occupation of Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico often have postulated that the canyon was a center for pilgrimage fairs and ceremonies that attracted hundreds if not thousands of individuals from the surrounding region who may have resided in the canyon for significant periods of time. Scholars first proposed this model in the 1980s based on what they perceived as the unusual nature of Pueblo Alto, a Chacoan great house. In particular, they suggested that normal household activity and refuse disposal could not explain the deposition patterns in the Alto trash mound, the unusual number of ceramic vessels, and characteristics of the fauna recovered from the settlement. We evaluate this argument focusing primarily on the ceramic and faunal evidence and conclude that neither the ceramic nor the faunal data support the occurrence of periodic fairs, festivals, dances or pilgrimages of the scale that have been postulated.
Dogs of War: Potential Social Institutions of Conflict, Healing, and Death in a Fort Ancient Village
Authors: Cook Robert A.
Published: July 2012

Interpreting ritual activity at ancient sites, such as Sun Watch Village in the Middle Ohio Valley, can be difficult without clear and specific historical connections to later groups. This Fort Ancient site yielded evidence of ritual use of dogs and wolves that resemble those documented for several Central Algonquian and Siouan/Plains tribes. Although these ethnographic groups have not been conclusively linked as direct descendants of Middle Ohio valley populations, this information can be used as multiple specific analogies for understanding such “culturally unaffiliated” cases. At Sun Watch Village, local customs of dog and wolf ritualism became established at a time of increasing warfare and the appearance of Mississippians in the Fort Ancient region. Mississippians may have contributed to developing authority positions in individual villages that were coping with local population growth and in-migration of peoples within an increasingly hostile social landscape.
The Cultural Evolution of Material Wealth-Based Inequality at Bridge River, British Columbia
Authors: Prentiss Anna Marie , Foor Thomas A. , Cross Guy , Harris Lucille E. , Wanzenried Michael
Published: July 2012

A fundamental problem for anthropological archaeology lies in defining and explaining the evolutionary origins of social inequality. Researchers have offered a range of models emphasizing variability in the roles of managers, aggrandizers, ecological variability, and historical contexts. Recent studies suggest that the form of emergent inequality may have varied significantly between groups, implying that pathways to inequality may have varied as well. Unfortunately it has been difficult to test many of these models using archaeological data given their requirements for fine-grained assessments of spatiotemporal variability in many data classes. Recent research at the Bridge River site in British Columbia provides the opportunity to explore the utility of a range of explanatory models associated with early social inequality. Results of the study suggest that inequality, measured as significant variability in accumulation of a range of material wealth items, came late to the Bridge River site (ca. 1200–1300 cal. B.P.) and was associated with a period of demographic packing and apparent declining access to some critical subsistence resources. Assessment of interhousehold variability in demography, wealth accumulation, and occupational longevity suggests that markers of significant affluence manifested only in newly established houses. An important implication is that material wealth-based inequality may not have been hereditary in nature at Bridge River during the period prior to 1100 cal. B.P.
Innovation and Prestige Among Northern Hunter-Gatherers: Late Prehistoric Native Copper Use in Alaska and Yukon
Authors: Cooper H. Kory
Published: July 2012

Several different ethnolinguistic groups in south-central Alaska and southwestern Yukon used native copper. This indigenous innovation diffused throughout the region with the majority of use occurring from A .D. 1000 to 1700. The relatively recent origin of this technology and its continued use long after European contact provide an opportunity to examine the process of innovation among hunter-gatherers using archaeology, metallurgy, and ethnohistory. The analysis of these data using a Behavioral Archaeology framework demonstrates that native copper was used for both practical and prestige technology among groups of varying social complexity. Northern Athabascans did not use native copper overtly as prestige technology, but its many supernatural associations suggest it was a “prestigious” material. Furthermore, native copper provided northern Athabascan aggrandizer-innovators the opportunity to acquire prestige and power through their monopolization of trade relationships and subsequent control of the movement of native copper.
Broadband impedance spectroscopy of some Li+ and Vo** conducting solid electrolytes
Authors: Orliukas A. F. , Bohnke O. , Kežionis A. , Kazlauskas S. , Venckutė V. , Petrulionis D. , Žukauskas T. , Šalkus T. , Dindune A. , Kanepe Z. , Ronis J. , Kunigelis V.
Published: July 2012

The solid electrolyte Li3Ti1.5(PO4)3 compound has been synthesized by solid state reaction and studied by X-ray diffraction. At room temperature the compound belongs to rhombohedral symmetry (space group R3 ̅c) with six formula units in the unit cell. Li3Ti1.5(PO4)3, Li3xLa2/3–xTiO3 (where x = 0.12) Li+-ion conducting, Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9, (ZrO2)92(Y2O3)8 with fast oxygen vacancy transport ceramic samples were investigated in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 3 GHz in the temperature interval (300-700) K by impedance spectroscopy methods. Two dispersion regions in ionic conductivity spectra for investigated ceramic samples have been found. The dispersions have been attributed to relaxation processes in grain boundaries and in grains of the ceramics.
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Simulation Software in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Involving Non-Coplanar Beams with Partial Breast Irradiation as a Model
Authors: Glaser S. , Warfel B. , Price J. , Sinacore J. , Albuquerque K.
Published: July 2012

Virtual reality simulation software (VRS - FocalSim Version 4.40 with VRS prototype, Computerized Medical Systems, St. Louis, MO) is a new radiation dose planning tool that allows for 3D visualization of the patient and the machine couch (treatment table) in relationship to the linear accelerator. This allows the radiation treatment planner to have a “room's-eye-view” and enhances the process of virtual simulation. The aim of this study was to compare VRS to a standard planning program (XiO - Version 4.50, Computerized Medical Systems, St. Louis, MO) in regards to the time it took to use each program, the angles chosen in each, and to determine if there was a dosimetric benefit to using VRS. Ten patients who had undergone left-sided lumpectomies were chosen to have treatment plans generated. A partial breast irradiation (PBI) treatment plan by external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was generated for each patient using two different methods. In the first method the full plan was generated using XiO software. In the second method beam angles were chosen using the VRS software, those angles were transferred to XiO, and the remaining part of the plan was completed using XiO (since VRS does not allow dose calculations). On average, using VRS to choose angles took about 10 minutes longer than XiO. None of the five gantry angles differed significantly between the two programs, but four of the five couch angles did. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) data showed a significantly better conformality index, and trends toward decreased hot spots and increased coverage of the planed treatment volume (PTV) when using VRS. However, when angels were chosen in VRS a greater volume of the ipsilateral breast received a low dose of radiation (between 3% and 50% of the prescribed dose) (VRS = 23.06%, XiO = 19.57%, p < 0.0005). A significant advantage that VRS provided over XiO was the ability to detect potential collisions prior to actual treatment of the patient in three of the ten patients studied. The potential to save time with VRS by not having to redo plans because of a collision increases clinic efficiency.
Radiation Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Using Simultaneously Integrated Boost (SIB) Protocol: A Comparison Planning Study between Intensity Modulated Arc Radiotherapy vs. Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy
Authors: Liu Tonghai , Chen Jinhu , Gong Guanzhong , Zhang Guifang , Bai Tong , Sun Tao , Lu Jie , Ma Changsheng , Yin Yong
Published: July 2012

The aim of this paper is to compare the dosimetric difference between intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) and conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) protocol. Ten patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma underwent SIB protocol were retrospectively studied. The plan target volume (PTV) of NPC contained nasopharynx gross target volume and the positive neck lymph nodes, PTV1 contained the high-risk sites of microscopic extension and the whole nasopharynx and PTV2 contained the low-risk sites. The prescription dose of PTV was 66 Gy/30 fractions, and for PTV1 60 Gy/30 fractions and for PTV2 54 Gy/30 fractions. IMAT (two 358° arcs) and IMRT (7 fields) plans were designed for each patients using SIB strategies. The monitor unit (MU), treatment time (T) and dosimetric difference between IMRT and IMAT were compared. IMAT can achieve better conformal index (CI) than IMRT ( P < 0.05) for all PTVs, while no significant difference were found in homogeneity index (HI) ( P > 0.05). There's no significant difference found in radiation dose of brain stem, lenses and parotids, while the maximum dose of spinal cord of IMAT was higher than IMRT ( P < 0.05). The monitor unit of IMRT (1308 ± 213) was more than IMAT (606 ± 96) ( P < 0.05), while the treatment time of IMRT (540 ± 160S) was more than IMAT (160 ± 10S). This study shows that IMAT using SIB strategies for NPC radiotherapy can achieve similar target coverage with better conformity with less MU and delivery time comparing to IMRT.
Enhancing the Cellular Delivery of Nanoparticles Using Lipo‐Oligoarginine Peptides
Authors: Lee Jae Sam , Tung Ching‐Hsuan
Published: July 2012

Nanoparticles have great potential as nanotherapeutics, delivery vectors, and molecular imaging agents due to their flexible properties. Although intracellular and nuclear delivery of nanoparticles is desirable for therapeutic applications, it remains a challenge. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a powerful tool for the intracellular delivery of various cargoes. Here it is reported that functionalization of nanoparticles with a myristoylated oligoarginine CPP promotes cellular uptake without increased toxicity. It is evident that the myristoylated CPP is much more effective in transporting nanoparticles than the unmodified CPPs.
Effect of agitation on the fluidization behavior of a gas–solid fluidized bed with a frame impeller
Authors: Wang Jia‐Jun , Han Ying , Gu Xue‐Ping , Feng Lian‐Fang , Hu Guo‐Hua
Published: July 2012

The effect of agitation on the fluidization performance of a gas–solid fluidized bed with a frame impeller is experimentally and numerically investigated. A 3‐D unsteady computational fluid dynamics method is used, combining a two‐fluid model and the kinetic theory of granular flow. The rotation of the impeller is implemented with a multiple reference frame method. The numerical model is validated using experimental data of the bed pressure drop and pressure fluctuation. Although the minimum fluidizing velocity and bed pressure drop are independent of the impeller agitation, a sufficiently high agitation speed yields higher fluidization performance with reduced bubble diameters and internal circulations of particles. The fluidized bed can be divided into three zones: inlet zone where the gas distribution plays a major role, agitated fluidization zone where the impeller agitation has a positive effect on fluidization, and free fluidization zone where the impeller agitation has no effect on fluidization. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1066–1074, 2013
Growth status among low‐income Mexican and Mexican‐American elementary school children
Authors: Winham Donna M.
Published: July 2012

Objectives:

Childhood obesity remains a problem among Latino children in the United States. Acculturation to an American diet and sedentary lifestyle may be causative factors. The research purpose was to assess child growth status, including sitting height, in relation to acculturation among Mexican and Mexican‐American children.

Methods:

Anthropometric measures of weight, height, and sitting height were taken in a cross‐sectional survey of Mexican and Mexican‐American elementary school children (N = 484) in Phoenix, Arizona. Height‐for‐age (HAZ), weight‐for‐age (WAZ), and body mass index (BMI) Z‐scores were calculated based on the Centers for Disease Control 2000 growth reference. Sitting height Z‐scores (SHZ) were determined from the NHANES III reference values. Questions about language usage were asked of the children as a proxy for acculturation. Differences in growth measures and acculturation between those born in the United States or Mexico were evaluated by chi‐square or t‐tests.

Results:

The mean HAZ value (−0.23) was close to the reference median. There were no significant differences in HAZ or SHZ by birth country or gender. WAZ values for boys were significantly higher than for girls. More girls (64%) than boys (54%) had normal BMIs. More Mexican‐born boys (28%) were obese than Mexican‐born girls (17%; P = 0.026) in comparison to the US‐born boys (31%) and girls (24%; P = n.s.). Acculturation scale score and male gender predicted a small percentage of the variation in BMIZ.

Conclusions:

Environmental and cultural factors that promote obesity among low‐income Mexican and Mexican‐American children are similar regardless of birth country but boys may be at greater risk of obesity than girls. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2012. © 2012 The Authors. American Journal of Human Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity in Luo, Kamba, and Maasai of rural Kenya
Authors: Christensen D.L. , Faurholt‐Jepsen D. , Boit M.K. , Mwaniki D.L. , Kilonzo B. , Tetens I. , Kiplamai F.K. , Cheruiyot S.C. , Friis H. , Borch‐Johnsen K. , Wareham N.J. , Brage S.
Published: July 2012

Background:

Although habitual physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and cardio‐respiratory fitness (CRF) are now well‐established determinants of metabolic disease, there is scarcity of such data from Africa. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured PAEE and CRF in different ethnic populations of rural Kenya.

Methods:

A cross‐sectional study was done among 1,099 rural Luo, Kamba, and Maasai of Kenya. Participants were 17–68 years old and 60.9% were women. Individual heart rate (HR) response to a submaximal steptest was used to assess CRF (estimated VO2max). Habitual PAEE was measured with combined accelerometry and HR monitoring, with individual calibration of HR using information from the step test.

Results:

Men had higher PAEE than women (∼78 vs. ∼67 kJ day−1 kg−1, respectively). CRF was similar in all three populations (∼38 and ∼43 mlO2·kg−1 min−1 in women and men, respectively), while habitual PAEE measures were generally highest in the Maasai and Kamba. About 59% of time was spent sedentary (<1.5 METs), with Maasai women spending significantly less (55%). Both CRF and PAEE were lower in older compared to younger rural Kenyans, a difference which was most pronounced for PAEE in Maasai (−6.0 and −11.9 kJ day−1 kg−1 per 10‐year age difference in women and men, respectively) and for CRF in Maasai men (−4.4 mlO2·min−1 kg−1 per 10 years). Adjustment for hemoglobin did not materially change these associations.

Conclusion:

Physical activity levels among rural Kenyan adults are high, with highest levels observed in the Maasai and Kamba. The Kamba may be most resilient to age‐related declines in physical activity. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Thermal and dielectric studies of PEG/C/AST nanocomposites
Authors: Klonos Panagiotis , Kaprinis Stelios , Zarko Vladimir I. , Peoglos Vassilis , Pakhlov Evgenij M. , Pissis Polycarpos , Gun'ko Vladimir M.
Published: July 2012

C/AST/PEG nanocomposites with fumed AST (89 wt % Al2O3, 10 wt % SiO2, 1 wt % TiO2), activated carbon, and poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, were prepared in a wide range of PEG and C/AST (1 : 9) contents. Thermal transitions (mainly in a PEG phase) were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The dynamic behavior was investigated by thermally stimulated depolarization current and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The PEG crystallinity degree decreases in the nanocomposites, in particular at CPEG ≤ 40 wt %. A significant fraction of amorphous polymer is immobilized at a filler surface making no contribution to the glass transition, whereas the rest exhibits a lower glass transition temperature, when compared with bulk polymer, because of loosened molecular packing of the chains. Several relaxations arising from the polymer matrix, the filler, and their combination were identified and analyzed. The segmental α‐relaxation of the PEG matrix was found to become faster in the nanocomposites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013