bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Flow Prediction and Improvement of Holes Arrangement of a Film-Cooled Turbine Blade Using a Feature-Based Jet Model
Authors: Burdet André , Abhari Reza S.
Published: April 2007

A feature-based jet model has been proposed for use in three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prediction of turbine blade film cooling. The goal of the model is to be able to perform computationally efficient flow prediction and optimization of film-cooled turbine blades. The model reproduces in the near-hole region the macroflow features of a coolant jet within a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes framework. Numerical predictions of the 3D flow through a linear transonic film-cooled turbine cascade are carried out with the model, with a low computational overhead. Different cooling holes arrangements are computed, and the prediction accuracy is evaluated versus experimental data. It is shown that the present model provides a reasonably good prediction of the adiabatic film-cooling effectiveness and Nusselt number around the blade. A numerical analysis of the interaction of coolant jets issuing from different rows of holes on the blade pressure side is carried out. It is shown that the upward radial migration of the flow due to the passage secondary flow structure has an impact on the spreading of the coolant and the film-cooling effectiveness on the blade surface. Based on this result, a new arrangement of the cooling holes for the present case is proposed that leads to a better spanwise covering of the coolant on the blade pressure side surface.
High-Resolution Film Cooling Effectiveness Comparison of Axial and Compound Angle Holes on the Suction Side of a Turbine Vane
Authors: Waye Scot K. , Bogard David G.
Published: April 2007

Film cooling adiabatic effectiveness for axial and compound angle holes on the suction side of a simulated turbine vane was investigated to determine the relative performance of these configurations. The effect of the surface curvature was also evaluated by comparing to previous curvature studies and flat plate film cooling results. Experiments were conducted for varying coolant density ratio, mainstream turbulence levels, and hole spacing. Results from these measurements showed that for mild curvature, 2r∕d≈160, flat plate results are sufficient to predict the cooling effectiveness. Furthermore, the compound angle injection improves adiabatic effectiveness for higher blowing ratios, similar to previous studies using flat plate facilities.
Unsteady Flow Field of an Axial-Flow Turbine Rotor at a Low Reynolds Number
Authors: Matsunuma Takayuki
Published: April 2007

The unsteady flow field of an annular turbine rotor was investigated experimentally using a laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) system. Detailed measurements of the time-averaged and time-resolved distributions of the velocity, flow angle, turbulence intensity, etc., were carried out at a very low Reynolds number condition, Reout=3.5×104. The data obtained were analyzed from the viewpoints of both an absolute (stationary) frame of reference and a relative (rotating) frame of reference. The effect of the turbine nozzle wake and secondary vortices on the flow field inside the rotor passage was clearly captured. It was found that the nozzle wake and secondary vortices are suddenly distorted at the rotor inlet, because of the rotating potential field of the rotor. The nozzle flow (wake and passage vortices) and the rotor flow (boundary layer, wake, tip leakage vortex, and passage vortices) interact intensively inside the rotor passage.
Experimental Investigations of Clocking in a One-and-a-Half-Stage Transonic Turbine Using Laser Doppler Velocimetry and a Fast Response Aerodynamic Pressure Probe
Authors: Schennach O. , Woisetschläger J. , Fuchs A. , Göttlich E. , Marn A. , Pecnik R.
Published: April 2007

The current paper presents experimental clocking investigations of the flow field in midspan in a high-pressure transonic turbine with a downstream vane row (1.5 stage machine). Laser-Doppler-velocimetry measurements were carried out in order to record rotor phase resolved velocity, flow angle, and turbulence distributions upstream and downstream of the second vane row at several different vane-vane positions. Additionally, a fast-response aerodynamic pressure probe was used to get the total pressure distribution downstream of the second vane row for the same positions. Altogether, the measurements were performed for ten different first vane to second vane positions (clocking positions) for measurements downstream of the second vane row and two different clocking positions for measurements upstream of the second vane row. The paper shows that different clocking positions have a significant influence on the flow field downstream of the second vane row. Furthermore, different measurement lines upstream of the second vane row indicate that clocking has nearly no influence on the flow field close to the rotor exit.
A PSYCHOGENETIC ALGORITHM FOR BEHAVIORAL SEQUENCE LEARNING
Authors: MANIEZZO VITTORIO , ROFFILLI MATTEO
Published: April 2007

This work presents an original algorithmic model of some essential features of psychogenetic theory, as was proposed by J. Piaget. Specifically, we modeled some elements of cognitive structure learning in children from birth to four months of life. We are in fact convinced that the study of well-established cognitive models of human learning can suggest new, interesting approaches to problem so far not satisfactorily solved in the field of machine learning. Further, we discussed the possible parallels between our model and subsymbolic machine learning and neuroscience. The model was implemented and tested in some simple experimental settings, with reference to the task of learning sensorimotor sequences.
LEARNING FUZZY CLASSIFIER SYSTEMS: ARCHITECTURE AND EXPLORATION ISSUES
Authors: BONARINI ANDREA , MATTEUCCI MATTEO , RESTELLI MARCELLO
Published: April 2007

Introducing fuzzy logic in knowledge representation is a general technique to improve flexibility and performances of knowledge based and control software. Many researchers propose to introduce fuzzy logic representation in learning algorithms. Interesting features arise when fuzzy sets substitute the interval-based classification of input in a learning system; some of them imply an improvement in performance others an increased structural complexity in the architecture of the system and in the learning process. Focusing on Learning Classifier Systems, the introduction of fuzzy logic produces some new interesting features in this class of learning algorithms from many points of view: a new approach to classifier competition, the birth of competition vs. cooperation dilemma, and the introduction of an appropriate fuzzy interface with external world. In this paper, we discuss a fuzzyfication of the classical architecture of a learning classifier system (Holland's approach) and the improvements deriving from the use of fuzzy logic. In this work we especially discuss the competition vs. cooperation dilemma, analyzing the influence of exploration policy on the performance of crisp and fuzzy versions of learning classifier systems. We mainly focus on the use of fuzzy classifier systems to implement behaviors for reactive autonomous agents in the mobile robotics domain.
Angiotensin II-mediated oxidative stress promotes myocardial tissue remodeling in the transgenic (mRen2) 27 Ren2 rat
Authors: Whaley-Connell Adam , Govindarajan Gurushankar , Habibi Javad , Hayden Melvin R. , Cooper Shawna A. , Wei Yongzhong , Ma Lixin , Qazi Mahnaz , Link Daniel , Karuparthi Poorna R. , Stump Craig , Ferrario Carlos , Sowers James R.
Published: April 2007

Angiotensin II (ANG II) contributes to cardiac remodeling, hypertrophy, and left ventricular dysfunction. ANG II stimulation of the ANG type 1 receptor (AT1R) generates reactive oxygen species via NADPH oxidase, which facilitates this hypertrophy and remodeling. This investigation sought to determine whether cardiac oxidative stress and cellular remodeling could be attenuated by in vivo AT1R blockade (AT1B) (valsartan) or superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic (tempol) treatment in a rodent model of chronically elevated tissue levels of ANG II, the transgenic (mRen2) 27 rat (Ren2). Ren2 rats overexpress the mouse renin transgene with resultant hypertension, insulin resistance, proteinuria, and cardiovascular damage. Young (6–7 wk old) male Ren2 and age-matched Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with valsartan (30 mg/kg), tempol (1 mmol/l), or placebo for 3 wk. Heart tissue NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity and immunohistochemical analysis of subunits NOX2, Rac1, and p22phox, heart tissue malondialdehyde, and insulin-stimulated protein kinase B (Akt) activation were measured. Structural changes were assessed with cine MRI, transmission electron microscopy, and light microscopy. Increases in septal wall thickness and altered systolic function (cine MRI) were associated with perivascular fibrosis and increased mitochondria in Ren2 on light and transmission electron microscopy ( P < 0.05). AT1B, but not tempol, reduced blood pressure ( P < 0.05); significant improvements were seen with both AT1B and tempol on NOX activity, subunit expression, malondialdehyde, and insulin-mediated activation/phosphorylation of Akt (each P < 0.05). Collectively, these data suggest cardiac oxidative stress-induced structural and functional changes are driven, in part, by AT1R-mediated increases in NADPH oxidase activity.
Chemical Factors Determine Olfactory System Beta Oscillations in Waking Rats
Authors: Lowry Catherine A. , Kay Leslie M.
Published: April 2007

Recent studies have pointed to olfactory system beta oscillations of the local field potential (15–30 Hz) and their roles both in learning and as specific responses to predator odors. To describe odorant physical properties, resultant behavioral responses and changes in the central olfactory system that may induce these oscillations without associative learning, we tested rats with 26 monomolecular odorants spanning 6 log units of theoretical vapor pressure (estimate of relative vapor phase concentration) and 10 different odor mixtures. We found odorant vapor phase concentration to be inversely correlated with investigation time on the first presentation, after which investigation times were brief and not different across odorants. Analysis of local field potentials from the olfactory bulb and anterior piriform cortex shows that beta oscillations in waking rats occur specifically in response to the class of volatile organic compounds with vapor pressures of 1–120 mmHg. Beta oscillations develop over the first three to four presentations and are weakly present for some odorants in anesthetized rats. Gamma oscillations show a smaller effect that is not restricted to the same range of odorants. Olfactory bulb theta oscillations were also examined as a measure of effective afferent input strength, and the power of these oscillations did not vary systematically with vapor pressure, suggesting that it is not olfactory bulb drive strength that determines the presence of beta oscillations. Theta band coherence analysis shows that coupling strength between the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex increases linearly with vapor phase concentration, which may facilitate beta oscillations above a threshold.
Changes in Higher Order Aberrations and Contrast Sensitivity after Implantation of a Phakic Artisan Intraocular Lens
Authors: Chung So-Hyang , Lee Seung Jae , Lee Hyung Keun , Seo Kyoung Yul , Kim Eung Kweon
Published: April 2007

Purpose: To evaluate higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and contrast sensitivity (CS), and investigate their relationship, after implantation of a phakic Artisan intraocular lens (IOL) for high myopia. Methods: A prospective study including 25 eyes of 15 patients with high myopia (greater than –8.00 D) who underwent phakic Artisan IOL implantation was carried out. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction, and pupil diameter were measured at baseline and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. HOAs were measured by Wavescan® (VISX Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., USA) from the 3.0 mm pupil entrance, and CS was measured using the VCTS® 6500 (Vistech consultants, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, USA) under photopic conditions. The area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF), defined as the integration of the fitted third order polynomial of the log CS units between the fixed limits of 0.18 (1.5 CPD) and 1.25 (18 CPD) on the log spatial frequency scale, was calculated. Results: UCVA LogMAR improved from 1.58 at baseline to 0.22 at 3 months, and spherical equivalent refraction was –0.77 ± 0.34 D at 3 months. The total HOAs had increased slightly at 1 month. CS had decreased significantly at all cycles per degree (p < 0.05) at 1 month, but returned to baseline values at 3 months. Postoperative AULCSF did not correlate with total HOAs under photopic conditions, but correlated with UCVA LogMAR at 1 month (p = 0.037). Conclusions: Phakic Artisan IOL implantation for the correction of high myopia resulted in a small increase of HOAs under photopic conditions. At 1 month, CS was decreased, but returned to baseline at 3 months under photopic conditions. Postoperative AULCSF did not correlate with total HOAs at 1 month.
Discriminating Ability of Humphrey Matrix Perimetry in Early Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Hong Samin , Chung Woosuk , Hong Young Jae , Seong Gong Je
Published: April 2007

Purpose: To determine the discriminating ability of some parameters provided by Humphrey Matrix perimetry for early glaucoma detection. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was performed. Sixty-five primary open-angle glaucoma patients with early-stage visual field defects on standard automated perimetry (mean deviation = –1.98 ± 1.93 dB) and 56 healthy subjects were included. All subjects performed the Humphrey Matrix perimetry with a threshold 30-2 strategy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for each parameter and calculated the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to seek the best discriminating parameter for early glaucoma detection. Results: The AUCs of Humphrey Matrix perimetry with the mean deviation, pattern standard deviation, Glaucoma Hemifield Test, number of points that have a p < 5% in pattern deviation plot (PDP) and number of points that have a p < 1% in PDP were 0.795, 0.808, 0.689, 0.985 and 0.946, respectively. Conclusion: Humphrey Matrix perimetry allowed accurate discrimination between normal and early glaucomatous eyes. The number of points that had a p < 5% in PDP was the best discriminating parameter for early glaucoma detection using Humphrey Matrix perimetry.
The Hamburg CO2-Competition: A Description and Summary of Major Lessons Learned
Authors: Bode Sven , Lehmkuhl David
Published: April 2007

In order to promote CO2 emission reductions at the local level, the Ministry of Environment of the State of Hamburg, Germany, in 2001 initiated the “Hamburg CO2 Competition” together with the Hamburgische Electricitäts-Werke AG (HEW), the local utility. This proactive step contrasted with activities at the federal level where decision makers were quite hesitant to adopt concrete actions to tackle climate change. A total of 175,000 Euro were made available to buy CO2 emission reductions from projects in Hamburg. The calculation of the latter was based on the rules for the project-based Kyoto mechanisms—Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This paper describes the structure of the Competition and provides an overview of the lessons learnt regarding implementation and monitoring. It shows how local players, including local authorities, can initiate the implementation of emission reduction instruments without federal agencies taking the lead.
In the Long Shadows of Inaction: The Quiet Building of a Climate Protection Movement in the United States
Authors: Moser Susanne C.
Published: April 2007

Many observers perceive the US as an obstructionist force in global efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions. Federal leadership—despite rhetoric—remains absent even as the scientific consensus about the urgency of climate change and public acceptance of the reality of the problem are growing. This situation has created fertile ground for bottom-up political mobilization and action to reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Using an actor-centered model of social movement evolution, this paper surveys the signs in civic society, the private sector, and at local and state government levels for the emergence of a climate protection movement in the United States. Diverse initiatives are networked and expanding, thus creating pressure for more federal action. This paper paints a more optimistic and realistic picture of actual efforts in climate protection in the United States, the immensity of the challenges remaining notwithstanding.
The Johnson Administration, the Shah of Iran, and the Changing Pattern of U.S.-Iranian Relations, 1965–1967: “Tired of Being Treated like a Schoolboy”
Authors: Johns Andrew L.
Published: April 2007

This article explores a key period in the relationship between the United States and Iran in the shadow of the Vietnam conflict and the overarching Cold War. It shows how U.S.-Iranian relations shifted considerably from early 1965—when the shah of Iran stepped up his efforts to reduce his dependence on the United States—to November 1967, when U.S. economic development assistance to Iran formally ended. The Johnson administration's overwhelming concern with the Vietnam conflict led to the neglect of potentially critical foreign policy issues and allies, but the lack of success in Vietnam simultaneously accentuated the importance of maintaining key alliance relationships, especially with Iran. The article underscores the centrality of domestic political considerations in forming and understanding foreign policy, both in the United States and in other countries. It also suggests that Third World leaders understood the nature of the Cold War and used the superpower conflict to their advantage to a much greater degree than previously recognized.
Amenities and Pitfalls of a Reputational Theory of Compliance with International Law
Authors: Burgstaller Markus
Published: April 2007

Since there is no coercive power in the international system comparable to that which enforces the laws of a state, the question what motivates states to comply with international law remains among the most perplexing ones in international relations. For a long time, however, scholars have generally avoided the causal question 'why states obey international law'. Nevertheless, recent research agendas in international law and international relations have converged around the issues of norm creation and norm compliance. One influential strand of the compliance scholarship–commonly labelled reputational theory – is at the core of this article. Starting with some general characteristics of compliance with norms, mainly two contemporary theories of compliance with international law are dealt with. First, a variant of rationalist theory, Jack Goldsmith's and Eric Posner's monograph The Limits of International Law, is discussed. It shows that although these two authors seem to have some sympathy for a reputational theory of compliance with international law, they tend to stress the shortcomings of such an approach. To the contrary, Andrew Guzman's work, as exemplified in his article A Compliance-Based Theory of International Law, more readily embraces reputational concerns. It turns out that the essential thesis of a reputational theory is that reputation can alter the equilibrium: it causes future relationships to be affected by today's actions. Accounting for reputational effects, a decision to violate international law will increase today's payoff but reduce tomorrow's. International law succeeds when it alters a state's payoffs in such a way as to achieve compliance with an agreement when, in the absence of such law, states would behave differently. A reputational theory of compliance with international law is particularly well suited for areas such as international financial and economic law, i.e.for situations in which competitive market forces induce compliance with international law mainly because enforcement and monitoring are strong. Reputational incentives, like all incentives, act at the margin.
The Effect of Omeprazole on the Bioavailability and Safety of Garenoxacin in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Krishna Gopal , Kisicki James C. , Olsen Steven , Grasela Dennis M. , Wang Zaiqi
Published: April 2007

The effect of coadministration of omeprazole on the bioavailability of oral garenoxacin was evaluated in an open‐label study in 14 healthy subjects. Single‐dose pharmacokinetics of garenoxacin were determined with and without steady‐state omeprazole. Following an oral dose of garenoxacin 600 mg on day 1, serial blood samples were obtained over the next 72 hours. Omeprazole 40 mg once daily was administered from days 4 to 10. A second pharmacokinetic assessment of garenoxacin was conducted on day 8. Geometric means for the maximum observed concentration and area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity were 9.6 μg/mL (18.2%) and 132.0 μg·h/mL (18.9%), respectively, for garenoxacin alone and 9.3 μg/mL (21.6%) and 140.4 μg·h/mL (22.1%), respectively, for coadministered garenoxacin and omeprazole. The 90% confidence interval for the ratio of geometric means (with/without omeprazole) for both variables was contained within 0.80 to 1.25, and the bioavailability of garenoxacin was not affected by the concomitant administration of omeprazole.
Pharmacodynamics of Vildagliptin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes During OGTT
Authors: He Yan‐Ling , Wang Yibin , Bullock Julie M. , Deacon Carolyn F. , Holst Jens Juul , Dunning Beth E. , Ligueros‐Saylan Monica , Foley James E.
Published: April 2007

This randomized, open‐label, placebo‐controlled, 7‐period crossover study assessed dose‐response relationships following single oral doses (10–400 mg) of vildagliptin in 16 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Plasma levels of parent drug, dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 activity, glucose, insulin, and glucagon were measured during 75‐g oral glucose tolerance tests performed after an overnight fast, 30 minutes after drug administration. The tmax for parent drug was observed between 0.5 and 1.5 hours postdose. Both Cmax and AUC0–8 h increased dose proportionately. Both onset and duration of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibition were dose dependent, but >90% inhibition occurred within 45 minutes and was maintained for ≥4 hours after each dose. Glucose excursions and glucagon levels during oral glucose tolerance tests were significantly and similarly decreased after each dose of vildagliptin, and insulin levels were significantly and similarly increased after each dose level. Unlike findings during mixed‐meal challenges, vildagliptin increases plasma insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance tests in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Effect of Clopidogrel on the Steady‐State Pharmacokinetics of Fluvastatin
Authors: Ayalasomayajula Surya P. , Vaidyanathan Sujata , Kemp Charisse , Prasad Pratapa , Balch Alfred , Dole William P.
Published: April 2007

This study assessed the effects of clopidogrel, a CYP 2C9 inhibitor, on fluvastatin pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. The effects of combined clopidogrel‐fluvastatin treatment on platelet function were also determined. Subjects received 80 mg fluvastatin (extended‐release formulation) alone on days 1 through 9, 80 mg fluvastatin and 300 mg clopidogrel (loading dose) on day 10, and 80 mg fluvastatin and 75 mg clopidogrel (maintenance dose) on days 11 through 19. Compared to treatment with fluvastatin alone, fluvastatin AUC was similar and Cmaxincreased marginally (15.7%) with concomitant treatment with clopidogrel. Platelet aggregation was inhibited by clopidogrel by 33% two hours after the loading dose and by 47% at steady state, similar to that reported for clopidogrel alone treatment. The authors conclude that coadministration of fluvastatin and clopidogrel has no clinically relevant effect on fluvastatin pharmacokinetics or on platelet inhibition by clopidogrel.
Molecular Pharmacokinetics of Catharanthus (Vinca) Alkaloids
Authors: Levêque Dominique , Jehl François
Published: April 2007

This review focuses on the published data regarding the molecular determinants (enzymes, transporters, orphan nuclear receptors) of Catharanthus (vinca) alkaloids pharmacokinetics in humans. The clinical impact of these determinants (drug disposition, drug‐drug interactions) is also discussed.
The Effect of Etoricoxib on the Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of Warfarin
Authors: Schwartz Jules I. , Agrawal Nancy G. B. , Hartford Alan H. , Cote Josee , Hunt Thomas L. , Verbesselt Rene , Eckols Dane R. , Gottesdiener Keith M.
Published: April 2007

The effects of etoricoxib on pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters of warfarin were determined in healthy men and women. Subjects titrated with warfarin to an international normalized ratio for prothrombin time of 1.4 to 1.7 during a 28‐day prestudy period were randomly assigned in crossover fashion to be coadministered etoricoxib (120 mg) or matching placebo over two 21‐day continuous periods. On day 21, a 24‐hour pharmacokinetic profile of both S(−) and R(+) warfarin, as well as international normalized ratio values, were determined. Etoricoxib increased the international normalized ratio by 13% (90% confidence interval: 8%, 19%; P ≤.001). Etoricoxib had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of S(−) warfarin but led to a modest increase in the AUC24 h (∼10%) of R(+) warfarin. This increase in the international normalized ratio is not likely to be clinically important in most patients; however, the international normalized ratio of patients coadministered oral anticoagulants and etoricoxib should be closely monitored, particularly during initiation of therapy.
Privatization, Public Goods, and the Ironic Challenge of Free Trade Agreements
Authors: Gerbasi Jennifer , Warner Mildred E.
Published: April 2007

Use of quasi-markets for provision of public goods requires clear property rights, a predictable adjudication process, and low transaction costs. These may be undermined by new restrictions on government action found in the new generation of free trade agreements. These trade agreements privilege foreign over domestic investors, replace public courts with private arbitration, supplant traditional standards for legislation by requirements to be “least trade restrictive,” and forward a new definition of “takings” that requires governmental compensation for lost potential profits from regulatory action. These features undermine the governance structure necessary to reduce transaction costs of delivering complex public services through private contracts.
Assessing Collaborative Capacity in a Multidimensional World
Authors: Weber Edward P. , Lovrich Nicholas P. , Gaffney Michael J.
Published: April 2007

Collaborative capacity is central to long-term problem-solving success and poses a challenge for public management scholars—How does one measure collaborative capacity? The authors treat collaborative capacity as an outcome and develop a multidimensional collaborative capacity assessment framework that measures whether capacity is enhanced, stays the same, or is diminished. The framework is applied to two collaborations involving endangered species in the United States. Although traditional measures of compliance show little difference, the full framework finds a stark contrast in long-term problem-solving capacity. One case evinces high overall capacity, whereas the second case registers low, even diminished, capacity.
In Praise of Bureaucracy? A Dissent From Australia
Authors: Matheson Craig
Published: April 2007

This article explores whether bureaucracy creates alienation, through a case study of the Australian Public Service. By examining the structural determinants of seven job characteristics, it shows that alienation is generated by six features of bureaucracy: its clerical work, control imperative, organizational structures, impersonality, instrumental rationality, and language. The author argues that by de-bureaucratizing and closely aligning individual and organizational goals we can reduce alienation and increase worker productivity. The author concludes that by enabling civil servants to be efficient, equitable, nonpartisan, and accountable, bureaucracy does safeguard liberal democracy, but that in so doing it also generates alienation or “psychic entropy.”
Are Effects of Emotion Expression on Trait Impressions Mediated by Babyfaceness? Evidence From Connectionist Modeling
Authors: Zebrowitz Leslie A. , Kikuchi Masako , Fellous Jean-Marc
Published: April 2007

Two studies provided evidence that bolsters the Marsh, Adams, and Kleck hypothesis that the morphology of certain emotion expressions reflects an evolved adaptation to mimic babies or mature adults. Study 1 found differences in emotion expressions' resemblance to babies using objective indices of babyfaceness provided by connectionist models that are impervious to overlapping cultural stereotypes about babies and the emotions. Study 2 not only replicated parallels between impressions of certain emotions and babies versus adults but also showed that objective indices of babyfaceness partially mediated impressions of the emotion expressions. babyface effects were independent of strong effects of attractiveness, and babyfaceness did not mediate impressions of happy expressions, to which the evolutionary hypothesis would not apply.
Mindfulness and the Intention-Behavior Relationship Within the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Chatzisarantis Nikos L. D. , Hagger Martin S.
Published: April 2007

The present study examined moderating effects of mindfulness on the intention-behavior relationship within the theory of planned behavior. Mindfulness describes a quality of consciousness characterized by heightened clarity and awareness of present experiences and functioning. Study 1 showed that mindfulness moderated the intention-behavior relationship in a leisure-time physical activity context such that intentions predicted physical activity among mindful individuals and not among less-mindful individuals. Study 2 measured counterintentional habits relating to binge-drinking and found that habitual binge-drinking obstructed the enactment of physical activity intentions among individuals acting less mindfully but not among individuals acting mindfully. Finally, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that the effects of mindfulness on physical activity were independent of effects observed for habit and variables contained in the theory of planned behavior. These findings suggest that mindfulness is a useful construct that helps understand the intention-behavior relationship within the theory of planned behavior.
Those Speedos Become Them
Authors: Martins Yolanda , Tiggemann Marika , Kirkbride Alana
Published: April 2007

Objectification Theory proposes that membership in sexually objectifying Western societies gradually socializes women to adopt an observer's perspective on their physical self. This leads to negative consequences, including body shame and restricted eating behavior. The authors extend this framework to investigate a subgroup of men, namely gay men, who also exist in a subculture that emphasizes and values physical appearance. Study 1 investigated trait differences in self-objectification and body image among gay and heterosexual men. Analyses indicated that gay men scored higher on self-objectification, body shame, body dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness. In Study 2, the authors experimentally manipulated state self-objectification and found that for gay men, increasing state self-objectification resulted in greater body shame and dissatisfaction and more restrained eating. Together, these results offer strong support to Objectification Theory as a useful framework from within which to view the experience of gay men.
On the Self-Regulation of Implicit and Explicit Prejudice
Authors: Legault Lisa , Green-Demers Isabelle , Grant Protius , Chung Joyce
Published: April 2007

The present study identifies a broad taxonomy of motives underlying the desire to regulate prejudice and assess the impact of motivation to regulate prejudice on levels of explicit and implicit prejudice. Using self-determination theory as the foundation, six forms of motivation to regulate prejudice are proposed. In Study 1 (N = 257), an exploratory factor analysis reveals evidence for the six proposed dimensions. In Study 2 (N = 198), the six-factor taxonomy of motivation to regulate prejudice is further validated using a confirmatory factor analysis, and construct validity is obtained. In Study 3 (N = 62), motivation to regulate prejudice is manipulated before participants complete the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and explicit measures of prejudice. Results reveal that those with highly self-determined regulation of prejudice demonstrate lower implicit and explicit prejudice than their less self-determined counterparts. Results are discussed in terms of an increased understanding of the motivation to control prejudice.
Reliability of Navigated Knee Stability Examination
Authors: Pearle Andrew D. , Solomon Daniel J. , Wanich Tony , Moreau-Gaudry Alexandre , Granchi Carinne C. , Wickiewicz Thomas L. , Warren Russell F.
Published: April 2007

Background

Clinical examination remains empirical and may be confusing in the setting of rotatory knee instabilities. Computerized navigation systems provide the ability to visualize and quantify coupled knee motions during knee stability examination.

Hypothesis

An image-free navigation system can reliably register and collect multiplanar knee kinematics during knee stability examination.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Coupled knee motions were determined by a robotic/UFS testing system and by an image-free navigation system in 6 cadaveric knees that were subjected to (1) isolated varus stress and (2) combined varus and external rotation force at 0°, 30°, and 60°. This protocol was performed in intact knees and after complete sectioning of the posterolateral corner (lateral collateral ligament, popliteus tendon, and popliteofibular ligament). The correlation between data from the surgical navigation system and the robotic positional sensor was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. The 3-dimensional motion paths of the intact and sectioned knees were assessed qualitatively using the navigation display system.

Results

Intraclass correlation coefficients between the robotic sensor and the navigation system for varus and external rotation at 0°, 30°, and 60° were all statistically significant at P < .01. The overall intraclass correlation coefficient for all tests was 0.9976 (P < .0001). Real-time visualization of the coupled motions was possible with the navigation system. Post hoc analysis of the knee motion paths during loading distinguished distinct rotatory patterns.

Conclusion

Surgical navigation is a precise intraoperative tool to quantify knee stability examination and may help delineate pathologic multiplanar or coupled knee motions, particularly in the setting of complex rotatory instability patterns. Repeatability of load application during clinical stability testing remains problematic.

Clinical Relevance

Surgical navigation may refine the diagnostic evaluation of knee instability.
Phase Sensitivity Analysis of Circadian Rhythm Entrainment
Authors: Gunawan Rudiyanto , Doyle Francis J.
Published: April 2007

As a biological clock, circadian rhythms evolve to accomplish a stable (robust) entrainment to environmental cycles, of which light is the most obvious. The mechanism of photic entrainment is not known, but two models of entrainment have been proposed based on whether light has a continuous (parametric) or discrete (nonparametric) effect on the circadian pacemaker. A novel sensitivity analysis is developed to study the circadian entrainment in silico based on a limit cycle approach and applied to a model of Drosophila circadian rhythm. The comparative analyses of complete and skeleton photoperiods suggest a trade-off between the contribution of period modulation (parametric effect) and phase shift (nonparametric effect) in Drosophila circadian entrainment. The results also give suggestions for an experimental study to (in)validate the two models of entrainment.
Review: On Mathematical Modeling of Circadian Rhythms, Performance, and Alertness
Authors: Klerman Elizabeth B. , Hilaire Melissa St.
Published: April 2007

Mathematical models of neurobehavioral performance and alertness have both basic science and practical applications. These models can be especially useful in predicting the effect of different sleep-wake schedules on human neurobehavioral objective performance and subjective alertness under many conditions. Several relevant models currently exist in the literature. In principle, the development and refinement of any mathematical model should be based on an explicit modeling methodology, such as the Box modeling paradigm, that formally defines the model structure and calculates the set of parameters. While most mathematical models of neurobehavioral performance and alertness include homeostatic, circadian, and sleep inertia components and their interactions, there may be fundamental differences in the equations included in these models. In part, these may be due to differences in the assumptions of the underlying physiology. Because the choice of model equations can have a dramatic influence on the results, it is necessary to consider these differences in assumptions when examining the results from a model and when comparing results across models. This article presents principles of mathematical modeling and examples of how such procedures can be applied to the development and refinement of mathematical models of neurobehavioral performance and alertness. This article also presents several methods of testing and comparing these models, suggests different uses of the models, and discusses problems with current models.
The Cultural Roots of Estonia's Successful Transition: How Historical Legacies Shaped the 1990s
Authors: Bennich-Björkman Li
Published: April 2007

This article investigates the cultural roots of Estonia's surprisingly successful transitions in the 1990s. Taking the point of departure in historical institutionalism, two layers of political cultural legacies are identified as particularly crucial in preparing Estonia for the democratic government installed after independence. First, the article argues that even in a Baltic context, Estonia stood out as a hotbed for social initiatives and elite networks during Communist times. Second, to understand why such liberalisation within the authoritarian Communist regime started earlier in Estonia than elsewhere in the Soviet Union, there is a need to acknowledge the importance that the historical experiences of the inter-war republic played. Estonia then developed a civic culture that partly survived even during the Päts regime from 1934 to 1939. These experiences surfaced once the yolk of Stalinism was lifted in the 1950s and shaped Estonia under Communism into a society of “collective mobilization” where democratically inclined counter-elites could form.
Nursing in 2050: Emerging Views of Nursing Theory-Based Practice
Authors: Mitchell Gail J.
Published: April 2007

In this column, nurses affiliated with Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness and King's conceptual framework for nursing respond to questions about how nursing practice might evolve with the technological, medical, and moral developments of the year 2050. The authors offer thoughtful and hopeful imaginings about how nurses will rely on nursing theory to guide their ways of thinking and being with in the year 2050 and beyond.
Improving External and Internal Validity of a Model of Midlife Women's Maternal-Student Role Stress
Authors: Gigliotti Eileen
Published: April 2007

This study's purpose was to improve both the external and internal validity of Gigliotti's model of maternal-student role stress in midlife women. It was found that the model is generalizeable to midlife women who are non-degreed undergraduate students of varied marital and immigration status and varied college major, thus improving external validity. It was also found that investigating particular types of children's situation-specific social support improved internal validity. These results support the propositions of the Neuman systems model as well as Meleis and others' transition framework. An interventional study is proposed as the next step in this program of research.
Evolution and the social sciences
Authors: Dunbar Robin I.M.
Published: April 2007

When the social sciences parted company from evolutionary biology almost exactly a century ago, they did so at a time when evolutionary biology was still very much in its infancy and many key issues were unresolved. As a result, the social sciences took away with them an understanding of evolution that was in fact based on 18th- rather than 19th-century biology. I argue that contemporary evolutionary thinking has much more to offer the social sciences than most people have assumed. Contemporary evolutionary research on human behaviour focuses on two main issues at the micro-social scale: understanding the trade-offs in individual decision-making and understanding the cognitive constraints that limit flexibility of decisions. I offer examples of both of these approaches. Finally, I consider the broader question of the macro-social scale.
Explorations into the sociology of criminal justice and punishment
Authors: Karstedt Susanne
Published: April 2007

Law has been a close partner to sociology from its very beginning, and the partnership often has proven to be extremely prolific for sociology. Grand theories as well as vital conceptual tools can be counted among its offspring. Both disciplines share the common ground of socio-legal studies, which has developed into a nearly independent interdisciplinary enterprise where legal scholars and sociologists happily meander between the normative and the analytical. From the vast array of topics in the field of socio-legal studies I select the sociology of criminal justice and punishment in order to demonstrate the characteristics of this relationship. The partnership between sociology and law emerged as part of the modernization project in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the sociology of punishment was part of this endeavour. Rooted in a strong tradition of old (Durkheim) and new (Elias, Foucault) classics, recent developments in this field are leaving the idea of an `unproblematically modern punishment' (Whitman, 2005a) behind, and new fields of inquiry for comparative lawyers and sociologists are opening up.
I. Feminist Research Practice
Authors: Guimaraes Estefania
Published: April 2007

This article focuses on the ethics of my own conduct during the course of recording interactions between women and the police to whom they were reporting abuse in a women's police station in Brazil. Using conversation analysis I explore how my own research practice changed over the course of the data collection phase. I began with a commitment to `objectivity' and abandoned that as I increasingly felt a debt to women who let me record their interactions, learnt progressively more about police work, and felt a moral responsibility as a feminist to intervene if I thought I could help women. I present one data extract from my first day in the police station and show how I try to disengage from a woman's attempts to elicit my involvement in her case. Then I show one data extract from my last day in the police station, in which I actively intervene in the situation, giving advice to a woman about what should be included in the police report. My research contributes to other work on the ethics of feminist research method in being based on fine-grained analysis of actually recorded (rather than remembered) interactions.
IV. When May Calls Home
Authors: Kitzinger Celia , Jones Danielle
Published: April 2007

Using conversation analysis, this article analyses the opening moments of naturally occurring telephone conversations between a woman with Alzheimer's disease and her daughter and son-in-law. Drawing on the large body of work on ordinary conversational openings between adults without cognitive impairments, we show that this Alzheimer's patient is a virtually fully competent interactant in the routinized aspects of call-openings (summons—answer, recognitions, greetings, `howaryou', and the pre-emption of `how- aryou's to do urgency). We show, however, that in the very act of displaying these cognitive and social competencies in conversation with her daughter, she also reveals serious memory loss, which has devastating consequences for the mother—daughter relationship. In developing this research, we hope to enable families better to cope with the consequences of Alzheimer's disease.
V. Problem Presentation and Advice-giving on a Home Birth Helpline
Authors: Shaw Rebecca , Kitzinger Celia
Published: April 2007

The rate of home births in the UK is very low (around 2%) and many women who would like to give birth at home find it impossible to get midwifery cover or are advised of medical contraindications. The Home Birth Helpline offers support and expertise for women in this situation. Based on the analysis of 80 recorded calls, this article uses conversation analysis (CA) to explore how callers present their reason for calling the helpline, and what this shows about the culturally shared medicalized culture of birth. This research is an example of feminist CA in that it contributes both to the study of childbirth as a key women's health issue and to the study of helpline interaction from a conversation analytic perspective
The Impact of State Corporate Taxes on FDI Location
Authors: Agostini Claudio A.
Published: April 2007

This article examines the effects of state corporate income taxes on the location of foreign direct investment in the United States, taking into account the endogeneity of taxes and the outside options of investors. States have a set of characteristics that influence investors' decisions; some of them are not observable by a researcher, but states may take them into account when they set taxes. States also can act strategically with respect to other states when setting taxes. Both behaviors bias the estimated tax effects because they create correlation between the error term and the tax rate. I adapt a discrete-choice model of differentiated products to estimate the tax effects. This approach allows me both to control for the outside options of investors and to use instrumental variables to solve the problem of tax endogeneity. I find the tax elasticity to be consistently about —1.
Medicaid's Nursing Home Coverage and Asset Transfers
Authors: Bassett William F.
Published: April 2007

Medicaid covers the costs of a long nursing home stay. This coverage may create an incentive for the elderly to transfer their assets to their children to qualify for Medicaid before entering a nursing home. Previous researchers had found little evidence that such behavior was widespread or that asset transfers were large. However, data from the Study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) suggest that the self-assessed probability of entering a nursing home is a significant determinant of the likelihood of making an asset transfer. The budgetary implications of these Medicaid-induced asset transfers were probably fairly small at the time of the study, but not insignificant, and are likely to have risen steadily since.