bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scaling the duration of activity relative to body mass results in similar locomotor performance and metabolic costs in lizards
Authors: Donovan E. R. , Gleeson T. T.
Published: October 2008

This study examines the physiological response to locomotion in lizards following bouts of activity scaled to body mass. We evaluate this method as a way to compare locomotor energetics among animals of varying body mass. Because most of the costs of brief activity in reptiles are repaid during recovery we focus on the magnitude and duration of the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Lizards ranging from 3 g to 2400 g were run on a treadmill for durations determined by scaling the run time of each animal to the 1/4 power of body mass and allowing each animal to run at its maximum speed for that duration. This protocol resulted in each species traveling the same number of body lengths and incurring similar factorial increases in V̇O2. Following activity, EPOC volume (ml O2) and the cost of activity per body length traveled (ml O2 per body length) scaled linearly with body mass. This study shows that the mass-specific costs of activity over an equivalent number of body lengths are similar across a broad range of body mass and does not show the typical patterns of allometric scaling seen when cost of locomotion are expressed on a per meter basis. Under field conditions larger animals are likely to travel greater absolute distances in a given bout of activity than smaller animals but may travel a similar number of body lengths. This study suggests that if locomotor costs are measured on a relative scale (ml O2 per body length traveled), which reflects these differences in daily movement distances, that locomotor efficiency is similar across a wide range of body mass.
Running biomechanics: shorter heels, better economy
Authors: Scholz M. N. , Bobbert M. F. , van Soest A. J. , Clark J. R. , van Heerden J.
Published: October 2008

Better running economy (i.e. a lower rate of energy consumption at a given speed) is correlated with superior distance running performance. There is substantial variation in running economy, even among elite runners. This variation might be due to variation in the storage and reutilization of elastic energy in tendons. Using a simple musculoskeletal model, it was predicted that the amount of energy stored in a tendon during a given movement depends more critically on moment arm than on mechanical properties of the tendon, with the amount of stored energy increasing as the moment arm gets smaller. Assuming a link between elastic energy reutilization and overall metabolic cost of running, a smaller moment arm should therefore be associated with superior running economy. This prediction was confirmed experimentally in a group of 15 highly trained runners. The moment arm of the Achilles tendon was determined from standardized photographs of the ankle, using the position of anatomical landmarks. Running economy was measured as the rate of metabolic energy consumption during level treadmill running at a speed of 16 km h–1. A strong correlation was found between the moment arm of the Achilles tendon and running economy. Smaller muscle moment arms correlated with lower rates of metabolic energy consumption (r2=0.75, P<0.001).
The mechanism of flight guidance in honeybee swarms: subtle guides or streaker bees?
Authors: Schultz Kevin M. , Passino Kevin M. , Seeley Thomas D.
Published: October 2008

When a honeybee swarm takes off to fly to its new home site, less than 5%of the bees in the swarm have visited the site and thereby know in what direction the swarm must fly. How does the small minority of informed bees indicate the swarm's flight direction to the large majority of uninformed bees? Previous simulation studies have suggested two possible mechanisms of visual flight guidance: the informed bees guide by flying in the preferred direction but without an elevated speed (subtle guide hypothesis) or they guide by flying in the preferred direction and with an elevated speed(streaker bee hypothesis). We tested these hypotheses by performing a video analysis that enabled us to measure the flight directions and flight speeds of individual bees in a flying swarm. The distributions of flight speed as a function of flight direction have conspicuous peaks for bees flying toward the swarm's new home, especially for bees in the top of the swarm. This is strong support for the streaker bee hypothesis.
Differential recovery from exercise and hypoxia exposure measured using 31P- and 1H-NMR in white muscle of the common carpCyprinus carpio
Authors: Hallman Troy M. , Rojas-Vargas Anibal C. , Jones David R. , Richards Jeffrey G.
Published: October 2008

Phosphocreatine (PCr) was reduced to equivalent levels in carp white muscle by high-intensity exhaustive exercise and exposure to hypoxia at 15°C and 25°C in order to assess the influence of intracellular pH(pHi), temperature and lactate levels on PCr recovery in vivo. High-intensity exercise resulted in a significantly lower pHi compared with hypoxia exposure and the rate of PCr depletion and tissue acidification during hypoxia exposure was significantly higher in carp held at 25°C compared with those at 15°C. During recovery, PCr and pHi returned towards normoxia/resting levels at a faster rate following hypoxia exposure than after exercise. The lower pHi in exercised carp caused a greater perturbation to cellular energy status(assessed as the free energy of ATP hydrolysis; ΔfG′) and resulted in a higher [ATP]/[ADPfree] ratio, which may limit mitochondrial ATP production and contribute to the slower recovery from exercise compared with recovery from hypoxia exposure. Rates of recovery from exercise and hypoxia exposure were not affected by acclimation temperature (15 and 25°C), suggesting that the processes involved in acclimation compensate for the Q10 effects of temperature on metabolic processes. Finally, using a dual 31P-NMR and 1H-NMR analysis technique, we demonstrated that the greater tissue acidification observed after high-intensity exercise compared with hypoxia exposure occurred at similar white muscle lactate concentrations.
The effects of CO2 and external buffering on ammonia excretion and Rhesus glycoprotein mRNA expression in rainbow trout
Authors: Nawata C. Michele , Wood Chris M.
Published: October 2008

Rhesus (Rh) proteins were recently characterized as ammonia gas(NH3) channels. Studies indicate, however, that Rh proteins also facilitate CO2 transport in a green alga and in human erythrocytes. Previously, we reported that Rh mRNA expression in various rainbow trout tissues responded to high environmental ammonia. To determine whether or not Rh proteins may also be involved in CO2 transport in rainbow trout,we examined the effects of a 12 h exposure to external hypercapnia (1%CO2 in air) on Rh mRNA expression in the gill, skin and erythrocytes. External hypercapnic conditions lowered the water pH and facilitated ammonia excretion; therefore, we also studied the effects of hypercapnia and normocapnia in the presence of 10 mmol l–1Hepes-buffered water. Hepes treatment prevented water acidification, but resulted in elevated plasma ammonia levels and reduced ammonia excretion rates. Hypercapnia exposure without buffering did not elicit changes in Rh mRNA expression in the gill or skin. However, Rhcg2 mRNA expression was downregulated in the gills and upregulated in the skin of both normocapnia- and hypercapnia-exposed fish in Hepes-buffered water. mRNA expression of a newly cloned Rhbg2 cDNA was downregulated in the skin of fish exposed to buffered water, and Rhag mRNA expression in erythrocytes was decreased with exposure to normocapnia in buffered water but not with hypercapnia exposure in either buffered or unbuffered water. With the aid of Hepes buffering, we were able to observe the effects of both CO2 and ammonia on Rh mRNA expression. Overall, we conclude that high CO2 did not directly elicit changes in Rh mRNA transcription levels in the gill and skin, and that the changes observed probably reflect responses to high plasma ammonia, mirroring those in trout exposed to high environmental ammonia. Therefore a dual function for gill and skin Rh proteins in CO2 and ammonia transport is not evident from these results. Rhag expression, however, responded differentially to high CO2 and high ammonia, suggesting a possible dual role in the erythrocytes.
Thermal tolerance in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Yeates Laura C. , Houser Dorian S.
Published: October 2008

Water and air temperature are potentially limiting factors to the pole-ward distributions of coastal bottlenose dolphins. This study assessed the lower critical temperature of captive bottlenose dolphins to air temperature(LCTa) and water temperature (LCTw) through the use of open flow respirometry. Five dolphins, ranging from 14 to 33 years of age and acclimated to the waters of the southern California coast(14.2–22.5°C), were subjected to water temperatures ranging from 0.2 to 18.0°C. Two of the animals were additionally subjected to air temperatures ranging from –2.4 to 17.8°C while maintaining water temperature approximately 3°C above their individual LCTw. The LCTw ranged from 5.5 to 10.6°C and generally decreased with increasing animal mass; for dolphins in excess of 187 kg, the LCTwranged from 5.5 to 5.7°C. No LCTa could be determined across the range of air temperatures tested. Core body temperature remained within the limits of normal body temperatures reported for dolphins but demonstrated a direct relationship to water temperature in three subjects and varied across a range of 1.5°C. Air and water temperature had a minimal synergistic effect on dolphin thermoregulation, i.e. water temperature exerted the predominant impact on thermoregulation. For dolphins in excess of 187 kg,water temperature alone would appear to be insufficient to limit the use of habitat north of current bottlenose dolphin ranges along the coastal United States. However, thermal impacts to smaller dolphins, in particular adolescents, neonates and accompanying females, may work in concert with other factors (e.g. prey distribution, predator avoidance, social interactions) to influence coastal residency patterns and population structure.
Comparison of smooth and hairy attachment pads in insects: friction,adhesion and mechanisms for direction-dependence
Authors: Bullock James M. R. , Drechsler Patrick , Federle Walter
Published: October 2008

Adhesive pads on the legs of animals can be classified as either `smooth'or `hairy' (fibrillar). It has been proposed that the hairy design conveys superior and controllable adhesion. However, no study has yet compared the basic performance of both systems. As such, we measured single-pad friction and adhesion forces in sample hairy (Gastrophysa viridula) and smooth(Carausius morosus) pads and simultaneously recorded contact area. Adhesion and friction forces per unit pad area were very similar in smooth and hairy systems. Insect pads of both types adhere via a thin film of liquid secretion. As found previously for the smooth system, forces in the fibrillar system strongly decreased with larger amounts of fluid secretion present, suggesting that the fluid mainly serves to maximize contact on rough substrates. One essential prerequisite for the control of surface attachment during locomotion is the direction-dependence of adhesive pads. We compared the mechanisms of direction-dependence in smooth and hairy systems by performing proximal and distal slides. Both types of pad exhibited a large drop in friction when moved away from the body, although this effect was more extreme for the hairy system. Direction-dependence is explained in both smooth and fibrillar systems by the instability of the tarsal chain, causing the whole pad to peel off. In the fibrillar pads, anisotropy additionally arises from the direction-dependence of individual setae.
Control of discontinuous gas exchange inSamia cynthia: effects of atmospheric oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture
Authors: Terblanche John S. , Marais Elrike , Hetz Stefan K. , Chown Steven L.
Published: October 2008

The evolution of discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) in insects is highly controversial. Adaptive hypotheses which have obtained experimental support include a water savings mechanism for living in dry environments (hygric hypothesis), a reduction in oxidative damage due to a high-performance oxygen delivery system (oxidative damage hypothesis), and the need for steep intratracheal partial pressure gradients to exchange gases under the hypercapnic and/or hypoxic conditions potentially encountered in subterranean environments (chthonic hypothesis). However, few experimental studies have simultaneously assessed multiple competing hypotheses within a strong inference framework. Here, we present such a study at the species level for a diapausing moth pupa, Samia cynthia. Switching gas conditions from controlled normoxic, normocapnic and intermediate humidity to either high or low oxygen, high or low moisture, elevated carbon dioxide, or some combination of these, revealed that DGE was abandoned under all conditions except high oxygen, and high or low gas moisture levels. Thus, support is found for the oxidative damage hypothesis when scored as maintenance of DGE. Modulation of DGE under either dry or hyperoxic conditions suggested strong support for the oxidative damage hypothesis and some limited support for the hygric hypothesis. Therefore, this study demonstrates that the DGE can be maintained and modulated in response to several environmental variables. Further investigation is required using a strong-inference, experimental approach across a range of species from different habitats to determine how widespread the support for the oxidative damage hypothesis might be.
What errors do peer reviewers detect, and does training improve their ability to detect them?
Authors: Schroter Sara , Black Nick , Evans Stephen , Godlee Fiona , Osorio Lyda , Smith Richard
Published: October 2008

Objective

To analyse data from a trial and report the frequencies with which major and minor errors are detected at a general medical journal, the types of errors missed and the impact of training on error detection.

Design

607 peer reviewers at the BMJ were randomized to two intervention groups receiving different types of training (face-to-face training or a self-taught package) and a control group. Each reviewer was sent the same three test papers over the study period, each of which had nine major and five minor methodological errors inserted.

Setting

BMJ peer reviewers.

Main outcome measures

The quality of review, assessed using a validated instrument, and the number and type of errors detected before and after training.

Results

The number of major errors detected varied over the three papers. The interventions had small effects. At baseline (Paper 1) reviewers found an average of 2.58 of the nine major errors, with no notable difference between the groups. The mean number of errors reported was similar for the second and third papers, 2.71 and 3.0, respectively. Biased randomization was the error detected most frequently in all three papers, with over 60% of reviewers rejecting the papers identifying this error. Reviewers who did not reject the papers found fewer errors and the proportion finding biased randomization was less than 40% for each paper.

Conclusions

Editors should not assume that reviewers will detect most major errors, particularly those concerned with the context of study. Short training packages have only a slight impact on improving error detection.
Fatal haemorrhage from varicose veins: is the correct advice being given?
Authors: Cocker DM , Nyamekye IK
Published: October 2008

Summary

A case report is presented illustrating the occasional sinister nature of varicose veins, revealing the need for assessment of haemorrhage risk of the patient and appropriate advice.
eHealth as a challenge to ‘expert’ power: a focus group study of internet use for health information and management
Authors: Donnelly Louise S , Shaw Rachel L , van den Akker Olga BA
Published: October 2008

Summary

Objective

To investigate current use of the internet and eHealth amongst adults.

Design

Focus groups were conducted to explore participants' attitudes to and reasons for health internet use.

Main outcome measures

The focus group data were analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis.

Results

Three superordinate themes exploring eHealth behaviours were identified: decline in expert authority, pervasiveness of health information on the internet and empowerment. Results showed participants enjoyed the immediate benefits of eHealth information and felt empowered by increased knowledge, but they would be reluctant to lose face-to-face consultations with their GP.

Conclusions

Our findings illustrate changes in patient identity and a decline in expert authority with ramifications for the practitioner–patient relationship and subsequent implications for health management more generally.
The contribution of animal models to the study of obesity
Authors: Speakman John , Hambly Catherine , Mitchell Sharon , Król Elżbieta
Published: October 2008

Obesity results from prolonged imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure. Animal models have provided a fundamental contribution to the historical development of understanding the basic parameters that regulate the components of our energy balance. Five different types of animal model have been employed in the study of the physiological and genetic basis of obesity. The first models reflect single gene mutations that have arisen spontaneously in rodent colonies and have subsequently been characterized. The second approach is to speed up the random mutation rate artificially by treating rodents with mutagens or exposing them to radiation. The third type of models are mice and rats where a specific gene has been disrupted or overexpressed as a deliberate act. Such genetically-engineered disruptions may be generated through the entire body for the entire life (global transgenic manipulations) or restricted in both time and to certain tissue or cell types. In all these genetically-engineered scenarios, there are two types of situation that lead to insights: where a specific gene hypothesized to play a role in the regulation of energy balance is targeted, and where a gene is disrupted for a different purpose, but the consequence is an unexpected obese or lean phenotype. A fourth group of animal models concern experiments where selective breeding has been utilized to derive strains of rodents that differ in their degree of fatness. Finally, studies have been made of other species including non-human primates and dogs. In addition to studies of the physiological and genetic basis of obesity, studies of animal models have also informed us about the environmental aspects of the condition. Studies in this context include exploring the responses of animals to high fat or high fat/high sugar (Cafeteria) diets, investigations of the effects of dietary restriction on body mass and fat loss, and studies of the impact of candidate pharmaceuticals on components of energy balance. Despite all this work, there are many gaps in our understanding of how body composition and energy storage are regulated, and a continuing need for the development of pharmaceuticals to treat obesity. Accordingly, reductions in the use of animal models, while ethically desirable, will not be feasible in the short to medium term, and indeed an expansion in activity using animal models is anticipated as the epidemic continues and spreads geographically.
A sheep model for fracture treatment in osteoporosis: Benefits of the model versus animal welfare
Authors: Egermann M , Goldhahn J , Holz R , Schneider E , Lill C A
Published: October 2008

Animal models are necessary to evaluate new options for the treatment of fractures in osteoporotic bone. They permit both the biological response of a living system and the influence of the pathological processes to be taken into account. A sheep model for osteoporosis was established by combining oestrogen deficiency, calcium and vitamin D-deficient diet with steroid medication. Bone mineral density (BMD) was reduced by >30% after 12 weeks of combined treatment. Osteoporosis similar to the human situation with corresponding changes in the micro-architecture and mechanical properties of bone was observed. This publication focuses on the impressive results obtained with the model and contrasts them with considerations of animal welfare. Considerable side-effects associated with steroid medication became manifest. Animals in the treatment groups showed signs of infection of various degrees due to the immunosuppressive effect of the medication. The infections were mostly caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Antibody testing revealed a 100% prevalence of infection in this breed of sheep. A modification of the steroid treatment, i.e. less-frequent injections, reduced the incidence of side-effects. This sheep model shows a significant and reproducible reduction in cancellous BMD of >30%, including relevant changes in biomechanical properties and increased fracture risk. However, the severity of the side-effects cannot be overlooked. The model must be improved if it is to be used in the future. Options to reduce the side-effects are discussed.
Collection and cryopreservation of preimplantation embryos of Cavia porcellus
Authors: Dorsch M M , Glage S , Hedrich H J
Published: October 2008

Individual differences and a rather long-lasting reproductive cycle, as well as the relatively small number of oocytes that mature during one reproductive cycle makes it difficult to establish a cryopreserved stock of preimplantation embryos of the guineapig ( Cavia porcellus) when compared with other laboratory rodents. Only a few data for superovulation protocols that can be used for routine laboratory use in guineapigs are available. However, a huge number of different strains exist for many purposes and the establishment of a frozen repository makes sense. Here, we describe the successful freezing of preimplatation embryos of the strain 2BS with a two-step freezing protocol in a freezing medium containing 1,2-propanediol as cryoprotectant. Human menopausal gonodotrophin induced superovulation in the embryo donors.
Biomedical imaging in the safety evaluation of new drugs
Authors: Wang Yi-Xiang J , Yan Sen-Xiang
Published: October 2008

Toxicology accounts for approximately one-third of attrition in new drug development and is a major concern in the pharmaceutical industry. This paper reviews the role of biomedical imaging in the safety evaluation of new candidate drugs. Ex vivo high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of specimens can provide a quick overview of the specimens. Volumetric measurements of tissue structures and lesions can be made with higher precision and reproducibility than histology approaches. As opposed to histology, in vivo animal imaging permits longitudinal studies of the same animals over an extended period of time, with individual animals serving as their own control. Therefore, the number of animals required for a study can be significantly reduced and the intra-subject variability is minimized. Repeated in vivo imaging allows monitoring of the occurrence and progression, or regression, of various structural and functional abnormalities. Compared with other biological assays, imaging can provide anatomically specific information about tissue abnormality. Imaging offers the opportunity to carry forward the same methodology in animal experiments into human studies and has an important role in clinical trials when other safety biomarkers for early toxicities are not available.
Antibiograms of pathogenic bacteria isolated from laboratory rabbits in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Okewole E A , Olubunmi P A
Published: October 2008

Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of 21 bacterial isolates from some clinically ill New Zealand rabbits were evaluated against 12 commonly used antibiotics by the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion sensitivity testing method. The 21 isolates consisted of six Bordetella bronchiseptica, eight Pasteurella multocida, four Staphylococcus aureus and three Pseudomonas alcaligenes that were associated with snuffles, pneumonia, otitis media, genital infections and conjunctivitis in these groups of caged rabbits. The four bacteria species were all sensitive to kanamycin, gentamycin and enrofloxacin, with variable sensitivity to the other antibiotics tested. The results of this antibiogram could serve as a field guide in the treatment of very acute bacterial diseases of rabbit prior to the availability of the results of local sensitivity tests. Such sensitivity tests should be reviewed yearly to update this antibiogram.
Use of soft hydrothermal processing to improve and recycle bedding for laboratory animals
Authors: Miyamoto T , Li Z , Kibushi T , Yamasaki N , Kasai N
Published: October 2008

Cage bedding for laboratory rodents can influence animal wellbeing and thus the experimental data. In addition, a large amount of used bedding containing excrement is discharged as medical waste from life science institutes and breeding companies. We developed a ground-breaking system to improve fresh bedding and recycle used bedding by applying a soft hydrothermal process with high-temperature and high-pressure dry steam. The system removes both harmful organic components and aromatic hydrocarbons that can affect animals’ metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the improved fresh bedding and the recycled used bedding treated by the system. The results showed that 68-99% of the predominant aromatic hydrocarbons were removed from fresh bedding treated at 0.35 MPa and 140°C for 120 min (‘improved bedding’). In addition, 59.4-99.0% of predominant harmful organic compounds derived from excrement were removed from used bedding treated at 0.45 MPa and 150°C for 60 min (‘recycled bedding’). The soft hydrothermal treatment increased the number of acidic functional groups on the bedding surface and gave it the high adsorptive efficiency of ammonia gas. Harmful substances such as microorganisms, heavy metals and pesticides decreased below the detection limit. The results clearly showed that the improved and recycled bedding is safer for laboratory rodents and has the potential to ameliorate conditions in primary and secondary enclosures (e.g. cages and animal rooms) used for maintaining laboratory animals. This process may be one of the most advanced techniques in providing an alternative to softwood and other bedding, economizing through the recycling of used bedding and reducing bedding waste from animal facilities.
Quantitative rat liver function test by galactose single point method
Authors: Young T H , Tang H S , Chao Y C , Lee H S , Hsiong C H , Pao L H , Hu O Y P
Published: October 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the galactose single point (GSP) method, a residual liver function test recently recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration, which can be a useful tool for rat liver function measurement. Rats were treated either with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) alone (1 mL/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) for one day or with isoniazid (INH) alone (150 mg/kg, i.p.) or (in order to ameliorate the effects of INH) with a combination of INH and bis- p-nitrophenyl phosphate (BNPP) (25 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 days. Hepatotoxicity was assayed by plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities and scores of histological activity index-necroinflammation (HAI-NI) of the respective liver specimens. The GSP method in rats was defined by the galactose blood level after 60 min. Significant differences in GSP values were observed between controls and the CCl4-treated rats. After 21 days of treatment, no significant changes in AST and ALT values were observed among the control, INH and INH-BNPP groups. There were significant differences in average GSP values for controls ( P < 0.001) and INH-BNPP ( P < 0.001) compared with INH alone. Highly significant correlations ( P < 0.001) were obtained between GSP and scores of HAI-NI for all the groups. GSP was concluded to be a more sensitive biomarker of INH-induced hepatotoxicity than AST or ALT in the rats. The GSP method has been proved to be a simple and useful tool for the quantitative determination of liver function in rats, which can possibly be extended to other animals.
The Performance Implications of Designing Multiple Channels to Fit with Strategy and Environment
Authors: Kabadayi Sertan , Eyuboglu Nermin , Thomas Gloria P.
Published: October 2008

Applying a configuration-theoretic approach to study multiple channels, the authors hypothesize that multiple-channel systems make their greatest contributions to firm performance when their structures are properly aligned with their firms' business-level strategies and with environmental conditions. A conceptual model incorporating these variables is supported in an empirical study of responses from executives at 291 electronic component manufacturers. The results confirm the existence of two theoretically ideal configurations. As hypothesized, channels in these ideal configurations make greater contributions to their firms' performance than do channels in alternative configurations. Moreover, a profile deviation analysis shows that a channel system's contribution to its firm's performance is greatest when that channel system's structural profile is closest to the profiles of top-contributing channel systems operating under similar strategic and environmental conditions. The authors present specific guidelines to help managers design distribution systems for different combinations of environment (e.g., with high and low dynamism, munificence, and diversity) and strategy (cost leadership and differentiation).
Innovation's Effect on Firm Value and Risk: Insights from Consumer Packaged Goods
Authors: Sorescu Alina B. , Spanjol Jelena
Published: October 2008

What is the relationship between innovation and firm value? Does the type of innovation make a difference? To answer these questions, the authors examine how breakthrough and incremental innovations affect three different facets of firm performance: normal profits, economic rents, and total firm risk. They argue that each of these metrics is of independent interest to shareholders and managers and that examining one without the others results in an incomplete picture of the true financial value of innovation. Using data on more than 20,000 new products from consumer packaged goods industries, the authors find that breakthrough innovation is associated with increases in both normal profits and economic rents and that, on average, each breakthrough innovation in the sample is associated with an increase in firm value of $4.2 million. Breakthrough innovation is also associated with increases in the risk of the innovating firm, but this higher risk is offset by above-normal stock returns. In contrast, incremental innovation is associated with increases in normal profits only and has no impact on economic rents or firm risk.
Upcoming Computing System Challenges – The HiPEAC Vision Anstehende Herausforderungen der Computer Industrie – Die HiPEAC Vision
Authors: De Bosschere Koen
Published: October 2008

Over the last decades, we have witnessed an exponential increase in sequential computing performance, but since few years this progress is slowing down. This paper describes the current evolutions in technology and architecture that cause this slowdown, and lists the major research challenges that need to be tackled in the coming years to further continue this exponential performance growth. If the computing industry fails to solve these challenges soon, this will for the first time lead to a stop of the exponential performance growth, which might eventually impact the economic growth of western economies.
Invasive Algorithms and Architectures Invasive Algorithmen und Architekturen
Authors: Teich Jürgen
Published: October 2008

In this seminal paper, we introduce the notion of invasive algorithms and corresponding parallel computing architectures also called invasive. The main idea of invasion is to add to a given single-processor program the ability to explore neighbor processors and to copy itself to such processors in a phase of invasion, and then to execute the given problem in parallel based on the available (invasible) region on a given multi-processor architecture. After this parallel execution, the program may perform a retreat and resume execution again sequentially on the single processor. In order to support invasion, new architectural concepts as well as means to support invasion on reconfigurable MPSoCs are provided. We do believe that invasion will become an important step towards self-organizing behavior which will be needed in the massively parallel MPSoC area beyond the year 2020 with unrivaled performance and resource efficiency numbers as one of the main challenges for MPSoCs apart from their programming. In case of invasion, an algorithm is able to spread itself for parallel execution based on availability of processing resources.
Towards Dynamic Software/Hardware Transformation in AMIDAR Processors Auf dem Weg zur dynamischen Software/Hardware Transformation in AMIDAR Prozessoren
Authors: Döbrich Stefan , Hochberger Christian
Published: October 2008

Reconfigurable architectures have shown their ability to provide high performance and high efficiency in the past. Unfortunately, almost all existing architectures require the usage of heavy weight tool sets to map an application to the reconfigurable fabric. Thus, these architectures can not be dynamically adapted to the requirements of the running applications. The AMIDAR concept fills this gap and has shown its ability to adapt itself to running applications. In this contribution we elaborate on the automatic integration of application specific functional units into the running application code.
Beschreibung und Verifikation räumlicher und zeitlicher Eigenschaften mobiler Systeme Specification and Verification of Spatio-Temporal Properties of Mobile Systems
Authors: Schäfer Andreas
Published: October 2008

Dieser Aufsatz gibt einen Überblick über eine formale Methode zur Analyse mobiler Realzeitsysteme. Beispiele solcher Systeme sind Fahrzeugsteuerungen und mobile Roboter. Es wird eine spatio-temporale Logik entwickelt, mit der sowohl die Systeme modelliert als auch die gewünschten Eigenschaften beschrieben werden können. Für diese Logik werden die theoretischen Grundlagen wie Entscheidbarkeit und Axiomatisierbarkeit untersucht und daraus der Prototyp eines automatischen Verifikationswerkzeuges entwickelt. Die Anwendung wird anhand einer aus der Industrie stammenden Fallstudie demonstriert.
Neuroimaging-Use Trends in Nonacute Pediatric Headache Before and After Clinical Practice Parameters
Authors: Graf William D. , Kayyali Husam R. , Alexander John J. , Simon Steven D. , Morriss Michael C.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES. The objective of this study was to determine trends in diagnostic neuroimaging-use rates in nonacute pediatric headache before and after publication of clinical practice guidelines.

METHODS. Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis was conducted of neuroimaging rates for 725 children and adolescents who were aged 3 to 18 years with nonacute headache and normal neurologic examination and were evaluated in a single pediatric neurology clinic during study years 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. Following recommendations of current practice parameters, patients with conditions that justify consideration for neuroimaging (eg, progressive headache, abnormal neurologic examination) were excluded from this analysis. We recorded the origin of any neuroimaging request at the time of the clinic visit and any abnormal neuroimaging findings that led to major clinical consequences.

RESULTS. Overall, the mean rate of neuroimaging for patients with nonacute headache was 45%. Use rates remained steady during the 13-year study period (range: 41%–47%). The majority of neuroimaging studies were ordered originally by primary care providers. The proportion of neuroimaging studies that were ordered by primary care providers increased significantly from 1992 to 2004.

CONCLUSIONS. In the evaluation of patients who had nonacute pediatric headache and were referred to a child neurology clinic, neuroimaging-use rates remained stable during the past decade. An increasing proportion of neuroimaging studies are ordered by primary care providers. The influence of evidence-based medicine on medical decision-making may be partly responsible for curbing increases in neuroimaging overuse. The perceived value of neuroimaging by physicians and consumers deserves ongoing study.
The Sacred Paradox of English Law
Authors: Hanson Sharon
Published: October 2008

Extending the application of the work of Bailey (1997, 1998) and Smart (1998) to law, this article explores in more detail the construction of English law as an implicit religion, arguing that English law carries within it a ‘sacred paradox’ created by the tension between two aspects of law’s religious patterning. The first aspect is the secularising tendency within law, which is patterned by Christianity and constructs law as an implicit religion. The second aspect is a powerful motivational Christian discourse embedded in the texts of law. Again patterned by Christianity, it constructs within the law as an implicit religion a strong voice of the explicit religion of the implicit religious form.

The article sets out in detail the proposed basic theoretical model of the sacred paradox of English law. It argues that the contours of this sacred paradox can be located in the language of certain types of legal judgement; particularly at the micro level of figurative language, and the macro level of narrative structure and discourse. Concrete examples of law, as an implicit religion in conflict with the structuring influence of its explicit templating religion, Christianity, are given through the analysis of the language of two law cases dealing with New Religious Movements: a conflict that reveals the sacred paradox at the very heart of English law.
Living with Implicit Religion, 1967-2007
Authors: Bailey Edward
Published: October 2008

The Editor of this journal shares personal reflections on ‘life with Implicit Religion’, these last 30 or 40 years.
What is Christian Art?
Authors: Austin Michael
Published: October 2008

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State Power as a Vehicle for the Expression and Propagation of Implicit Religion
Authors: Wender Andrew M.
Published: October 2008

The ‘war on terrorism’ spearheaded by the United States provides a telling example of how state power may act to express and propagate a specific mode of implicit religion, and, moreover, how this variety of implicit religion demonstrates the permeable boundaries between explicit religion and implicit religion. In representing a liberal, democratic capitalist, nationalist ideology that is peculiar for its conflation of evangelical Protestantism together with naturalistic principles, US state power functions as a secular social and political entity, which is simultaneously experienced as a manifestation of the sacred or holy. Employing juridical weaponry ranging from domestic legislation to global military, political, and economic measures, the ‘war on terrorism’ depicts the US as a worldly deliverer of transcendent virtue, anointed to save the world

from the evil of ‘terrorism’. On a domestic level, this depiction bespeaks a form of implicit religion that parallels the idea of US civil religion made famous by Bellah, and relies on a concept of terrorism that discursively asserts the implicit

sacredness of US national ideology. Meanwhile, on an international scale, the US attempt to compel worldwide conversions to liberal capitalism equates to an effort at pursuing global salvation; this, by carrying forth an implicit religious crusade in which a secular ideology functions as a site for the experiencing of transcendence.
Review Article
Authors: Johnson Stephen M
Published: October 2008

It’s about time this book gets more attention and broader use. An ambitiously critical and idealistic exploration of the plurality of American ideals that are driving and bedeviling my poor rich nation, Gothic Perspectives On The American Experience historically surveys literary and cinematic expressions of loyal opposition to our political and cultural establishments. It is a good and very useful book. It is valuable for its opinionated selection of evidence in support of a controversial reading of our history and a challenging evaluation of our present.
Targeted Therapies for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: An Overview of Toxicity and Dosing Strategies
Authors: Hutson Thomas E. , Figlin Robert A. , Kuhn John G. , Motzer Robert J.
Published: October 2008

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader should be able to: Evaluate the recommended clinical doses and the associated safety data for targeted therapies in RCC.Identify clinical circumstances for which dose modifications should be considered in RCC patients treated with targeted therapies.Employ prescribing guidelines for the management of drug-related toxicities.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

The targeted therapies sunitinib, sorafenib, temsirolimus, and bevacizumab (when used in combination with interferon-α2a) have dramatically improved outcomes for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Clinical application of these novel agents outside the trial setting, however, may present some challenges for treating individual patients with unique needs. In some patients, dose modifications may be considered for potential drug interactions and for management of severe cases of hematologic or nonhematologic toxicities. The more common grade 3 or 4 side effects with sunitinib and sorafenib include hypertension, fatigue, hand–foot syndrome, elevated lipase, lymphopenia, and neutropenia. Congestive heart failure is a less common but serious side effect that warrants treatment discontinuation. Temsirolimus exhibits a different side-effect profile, with the more common grade 3 or 4 side effects being metabolic in nature (i.e., elevated triglycerides, elevated glucose, hypophosphatemia) as a result of its inhibitory effects on the mammalian target of rapamycin–regulated lipid and glucose pathways. Asthenia, rash, and dyspnea also occur in patients receiving temsirolimus. Virtually all of the side effects associated with these agents can be managed effectively in the majority of patients with medical treatment or supportive interventions. Recognition and prompt management of side effects are important to avoid unnecessary dose reductions that may result in suboptimal efficacy.
Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases
Authors: Alberts Steven R. , Wagman Lawrence D.
Published: October 2008

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader should be able to: Explain the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer and the shifting goals of therapy—from palliation to prolongation of life.Select among the evolving treatment options for patients with unresectable, not optimally resectable, and resectable liver metastases.Discuss the unresolved research issues, including the optimal timing of perioperative chemotherapy and the role of biologic agents in the management of liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent malignant disease in industrialized nations. The annual incidence of invasive CRC in the U.S. is among the highest in the world, and the liver is the only metastatic site in approximately one third of patients. Without treatment, patients with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis; however, long-term survival benefits and even cure have been reported in patients undergoing surgical resection of metastases. In addition, advances in chemotherapy, imaging, and surgical techniques have increased the proportion of patients who are eligible for resection. Combination therapy with fluorouracil and leucovorin has been the mainstay of treatment for metastatic CRC; however, the introduction of newer agents, such as oxaliplatin and irinotecan, and targeted agents, such as cetuximab and bevacizumab, has yielded improvements in response rates (RRs) and survival. Maximizing the exposure of hepatic metastases to high target concentrations of cytotoxic drugs using hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) increases RRs further than with systemic chemotherapy; however, the impact of HAI on survival is unclear. As the goals of chemotherapeutic treatment for metastatic CRC increasingly shift from palliation to prolongation of survival, improvement in RRs, and downsizing of tumors in order to enable or optimize resection, treatment in a multidisciplinary environment involving a medical oncologist, radiologist, and surgical oncologist with hepatobiliary expertise will become central to deciding the best course of therapy and timing of surgery.
A comparison of the bearing capacity of flat and conical circular foundations on sand
Authors: White D. J. , Teh K. L. , Leung C. F. , Chow Y. K.
Published: October 2008

This paper describes a series of centrifuge model tests investigating the vertical bearing capacity of flat and conical circular foundations on sand, which are representative of the spudcan foundations of offshore jack-up units. It is found that at shallow embedment the bearing capacity factor, Nγ, mobilised by a conical footing is significantly lower—by a factor of up to 2—than that for a flat footing. Plasticity solutions indicate that this discrepancy cannot be attributed to the theoretical differences in Nγ that arise from the roughness and geometry of the cone: these theoretical differences are minor (<10%). Instead, it is proposed that in dense sand the pre-shearing induced by the conical shape of the footing leads to a form of progressive failure, so a lower operative friction angle is applicable to conical foundations than for flat footings. Since accurate solutions for Nγ exist, the key uncertainty in the prediction of bearing capacity is the appropriate friction angle, which is affected by this progressive failure mechanism. A back-analysis that incorporates Bolton's stress–dilatancy correlations in an iterative calculation for bearing capacity is introduced, using recently published definitive values of Nγ. This framework is calibrated using centrifuge model test data. The progressive failure mechanism is captured in a simple fashion by varying Bolton's m parameter, which controls the dilatant contribution to peak strength. This back-analysis is used to create simple charts that illustrate the effects of stress level, density and progressive failure on the operative friction angle and Nγ. These charts are compared with existing guidance for spudcan bearing capacity.
Response of caisson breakwater subjected to repeated impulsive loading
Authors: ZHANG X.Y. , LEE F.H. , LEUNG C.F.
Published: October 2008

An examination is made of the cyclic behaviour of a caisson breakwater in sand under repeated loads that can be divided into two categories: loads that are only applied in the landward direction and those applied in both landward and seaward directions. Wave loading on the model caisson was simulated on the centrifuge using an in-flight wave actuator system. The results show that regular non-reversal loading leads to a rapid stabilisation of movements with low excess pore pressure. On the other hand, much larger excess pore pressure and caisson movement were induced within much fewer cycles under reversal loading. For loose sand beds subjected to large reversal loadings, liquefaction was observed especially beneath the heel of the caisson. The difference in caisson response to non-reversal and reversal loading may be largely attributed to differences in sand behaviour under non-reversal and reversal cyclic shearing. As very different responses are produced by the two types of loading, it is suggested that, instead of non-reversal loading, caisson model tests should be conducted using reversal loading, which is more representative of actual wave loadings.