bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Strategic Integration of Assessment and Development Practices: Succession Planning and New Manager Development
Authors: Mabey Christopher
Published: February 2007

Christopher Mabey and Paul Iles review various dimensions of the ‘strategic’ integration of human resource policies and explore ways in which such integration might be promoted through a career management focus. the argument is illustrated with reference to the use of development centres in the National and Provincial Building Society and a new management development programme at Rank Xerox respectively.

Christopher Mabey is Head of the Centre for Human Resource and Change Management at the Open University Business School and Paul Iles is Professor of Human Resource Development at the Liverpool Business School and Director of its Centre for Human Resource Development.
Performance Related Pay In Operation: A Case Study From the Electronics Industry
Authors: Procter Stephen J. , McArdle Louise , Rowlinson Michael , Forrester Paul , Hassard John
Published: February 2007

Stephen Procter, Louise McArdle, Michael Rowlinson, Paul Forrester and John Hassard draw on the evidence of a longitudinal case study of a large electronics company to discuss the problems arising from the introduction and operation of a performance related pay system. These included resource constraints, difficulties in criteria selection, and subjectivity. Underlying these problems was the workforce's lack of confidence in the principle as well as the appication of the system. the authors conclude that companies face great difficulty in using such systems to effect cultural change: the necessary culture may already have to exist for such pay systems to work.

Stephen Procter, Paul Forrester and John Hassard, respectively, are lecturers and Professor in the School of Management and Economics at the University of Keele, Louise McArdle is in the Department of Organisation Studies at the University of Central Lancashire, and Michael Rowlinson is in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Southampton.
Training Strategies In Small Service Sector Firms: Employer and Employee Perspectives
Authors: Abbott Brian
Published: February 2007

Brian Abbott, who is a Research Assistant in the Small Business Research Centre at Kingston University, examines both employer and employee views towards the level and character of training provision in small service sector firms. He challenges the widely held belief that small firms universally offer inferior levels of training and demonstrates that the level and character of training are largely dependent on the industrial sector in which the firm is located. He goes on to examine the implications of employers’ views on the newly established Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs).
Training In the Printing Industry: an Investigation Into the Recruitment, Training and Retraining Agreement.
Authors: Stuart Mark
Published: February 2007

Mark Stuart, who is a Research Fellow in the School of Business and Economic Studies at the University of Leeds, discusses the issues and problems of formulating and implementing training policy within specific industries. He presents an investigation of the Recruitment, Training and Retraining Agreement covering the UK printing industry and, as well as identifying the intrinsic strengths and weaknesses of such joint managementtrade union initiatives, considers the detailed impact at workplace level.
Human Resource Management: the Views of Personnel Directors1
Authors: Gennard John , Kelly James
Published: February 2007

John Gennard and James Kelly, who are Professor and Senior Lecturer respectively in the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of Strathclyde, use data from semi‐structured interviews with a number of personnel directors to consider whether, in their view, there is a new HRM paradigm and, if so, whether there is revolution/discontinuity or evolution/continuity with personnel management. They suggest that the contrast between the majority of those interviewed, who considered there to be no difference between HRM and personnel management, and a significant minority, who did, could largely be explained in terms of the extent to which the function was well established and/or needed to signal to other key actors that a new ‘order’ was necessary.
Organisational Change and the Tensions of Decentralisation: the Case of Royal Mail
Authors: Lucio Miguel Martinez , Noon Mike
Published: February 2007

Miguel Martinez Lucio and Mike Noon, who are Lecturers in Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour respectively at the Cardiff Business School, draw on a case study of Royal Mail to explore the reasons for decentralisation and the issues this poses for managers and employees. They argue that the restructuring of Royal Mail was the result of three different imperatives for change: market, technological and political – pressurising managers to decentralise the formal structures of management‐trade union relations. Decentralisation of these structures, however, has been far from a straightforward process: it has led to considerable tensions in the management of industrial relations, created scope for the development of new workplace industrial relations institutions and agendas, and given rise to a constant process of management reform.
The Trade Union Response to Hrm In the Uk: the Case of the Tgwu
Authors: Fisher John
Published: February 2007

John Fisher has for many years worked closely with the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) as a specialist tutor. In this article he tracks and explains the significant movement in this union's response to human resource management. At national and workplace level he observes a shift from an ‘oppositional’ stance to a more complex position. This combines a lingering suspicion of HRM with a new recognition of the need for involvement in the HRM process. the article represents the first report of this significant set of moves from a union long‐noted for its implacable opposition to human resource management initiatives.
Front Line Work In the ‘New Model Service Firm’: Australian and Japanese Comparisons
Authors: Korczynski Marek , Shire Karen , Frenkel Steve , Tarn Mary
Published: February 2007

This article assesses the claims of the management literature regarding two important aspects of front line service work; job content and relations with the immediate supervisor. It does this, firstly, by examining the relevant research literatures and, secondly, by presenting evidence from two firms based in Australia and from one based in Japan. These firms were chosen as approximating to the ideal type of the ‘new model service firm’. Evidence on knowledge, skills and creativity in the three sites suggests important commonalities with, and differences from, the ‘routine worker’ ideal type. the major difference lay in the considerable amount of internal contextual knowledge that was required in the role. Relations with the immediate supervisor were examined by focusing on the social relations of control and learning. the evidence on control and learning, cumulatively, indicated a tendency towards the supervisor adopting less of a direct control role and adopting more of a hierarchical teaching role.
Workforce Reduction In Australia and New Zealand: A Research Note
Authors: Wagar Teny , Gilson Clive
Published: February 2007

Relatively few studies have examined the incidence of permanent workforce reduction and factors related to workforce reduction behaviour. In this study, such issues are addressed using data from more than 1,450 organisations in Australia and New Zealand. On average, about 36 per cent of respondents reported a permanent reduction of the workforce over the past three years (with an average reduction of almost 19 per cent of the workforce). Several factors, including product or service demand, pressure to focus on short‐term profits or budget goals, a major change in organisational strategy, the quality of the relationship between the employer and employees, the organisation's expressed commitment to job security and the age of the organisation, distinguished organisations that had or had not engaged in a permanent employee retrenchment.
OFFICIAL REVISIONS TO SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ACCOUNTS DATA: MAGNITUDES AND IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Van Walbeek Corné
Published: February 2007

This paper investigates the bias and dispersion in official revisions of eight national accounting growth rates. The growth in GDP, consumption expenditure and personal disposable income by households has been subject to significant upward revisions and bias, especially after 1994. No significant bias was found in the revisions to the other national accounting aggregates. The official revisions are subject to a high degree of dispersion. Based on the 1984‐2003 period, there is a 30 per cent probability that the “final” growth rate in GDE deviates by more than 5 percentage points from the first release growth rate. For most magnitudes, other than exports and imports, the dispersion in South Africa's official revisions is similar to that of a sample of OECD countries. Using two examples, it is shown that the vintage of the data has a profound impact on the magnitude and significance of regression results based on such data.
Estimating variation among individuals in migration direction
Authors: Thorup Kasper , Rabøl Jørgen , Erni Birgit
Published: February 2007

Among‐individual variation in mean migration directions is the basis of evolution of new migration routes and has important consequences for our understanding of the migratory orientation system. This variation in migration directions is also of interest for modelling of migratory flight paths. In test series with caged migrants, the variation among individuals is generally much smaller than the variation within individuals making the variation among individuals difficult to detect with small sample sizes. No methods exist for estimating among‐individual variance for directional data. We therefore used simulations to estimate the variation among individual mean migration directions. Among‐individual variation was found to be present in at least half of the 34 series analysed. In the 21 series with first‐time migrants, our estimates of the variation among individuals ranged from r=0.20 (mean vector length) to >0.99, with median 0.93 and 86% less than 1. We found slightly more variation among individuals in displaced birds and in experiments with manipulated cues. Test series with experienced migrants, presumably having varying goal areas, showed similar estimates (median 0.94 and 77% less than 1).
Post-Expansion Tube Response Under Mechanical and Hydraulic Expansion—A Comparative Study
Authors: Seibi A. C. , Karrech A. , Pervez T.
Published: February 2007

This paper presents a mathematical model of post-expansion tube response under mechanical expansion. The stress, pressure, and displacement waves propagating through the tube-fluid system and their effect on the tube response are studied. The model takes into account coupling between the solid tube and surrounding fluid at the borehole/expanded tube annulus, as well as the damping effect on tube structural response. The paper also conducts a comparative study aiming at studying the post-expansion tubular fluid response and identifying the different features between hydraulic and mechanical solid tube expansion. The results showed that the mechanical expansion is less harmful to the tube structural integrity. Unlike the hydraulic expansion, which resulted in local stress buildup along the tube, the mechanical expansion was characterized by low equivalent stress throughout its length and a smooth dying out response.
Analysis of voice source characteristics using a constrained polynomial representation of voice source signals
Authors: Kaburagi Tokihiko , Kawai Kouji , Abe Shinya
Published: February 2007

To analyze the characteristics of voice source signals from speech, a model is presented in the form of polynomial function by expanding the definition of the Rosenberg model. In combination with the all-pole assumption of the vocal-tract filter, methods are described for the pitch-synchronous speech analysis and temporal search of the glottal opening and closing instants. Because the source and filter models are both linear, the parameter estimation problem can be conveniently solved. In addition, the temporal search method can refine the locations of the glottal events and improve the accuracy of the parameter estimation. Analyses of non-nasalized voiced speech are conducted using an electroglottographic device from which the initial estimate of the temporal information is given.
The freshwater dolphin Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis produces high frequency whistles
Authors: May-Collado Laura J. , Wartzok Douglas
Published: February 2007

Because whistles are most commonly associated with social delphinids, they have been largely overlooked, ignored, or presumed absent, in solitary freshwater dolphin species. Whistle production in the freshwater dolphin, the boto (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis), has been controversial. Because of its sympatry with tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis), a whistling species, some presume tucuxi whistles might have been erroneously assigned to the boto. Using a broadband recording system, we recorded over 100 whistles from boto dolphins in the Yasuní River, Ecuador, where the tucuxi dolphins are absent. Our results therefore provide conclusive evidence for whistle production in Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis. Furthermore, boto whistles are significantly different from tucuxi whistles recorded in nearby rivers. The Ecuadorian boto whistle has a significantly greater frequency range (5.30–48.10kHz) than previously reported in other populations (Peru and Colombia) that were recorded with more bandwidth limited equipment. In addition, the top frequency and the range are greater than in any other toothed whale species recorded to date. Whistle production was higher during resting activities, alone or in the presence of other animals. The confirmation of whistles in the boto has important implications for the evolution of whistles in Cetacea and their association with sociality.
Patterned burst-pulse vocalizations of the northern right whale dolphin,Lissodelphis borealis
Authors: Rankin Shannon , Oswald Julie , Barlow Jay , Lammers Marc
Published: February 2007

Vocalizations from the northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis, were recorded during a combined visual and acoustic shipboard survey of cetacean populations off the west coast of the United States. Seven of twenty single-species schools of L. borealis produced click and pulsed vocalizations. No whistles were detected during any of the encounters. Clicks associated with burst-pulse vocalizations were lower in frequency and shorter in duration than clicks associated with echolocation. All burst-pulse sounds were produced in a series containing 6–18 individual burst-pulses. These burst-pulse series were stereotyped and repeated. A total of eight unique burst-pulse series were detected. Variation in the temporal characteristics of like units compared across repeated series was less than variation among all burst-pulses. These stereotyped burst-pulse series may play a similar communicative role as do stereotyped whistles found in other delphinid species.
Underwater implosion of glass spheres
Authors: Turner Stephen E.
Published: February 2007

Underwater implosion experiments were conducted with thin-wall glass spheres to determine the influence that structural failure has on the pressure pulse. Four experiments were conducted with glass spheres having an outside diameter of 7.62cm, thickness of 0.762mm, and an estimated buckling pressure of 7.57MPa. The experiments were performed in a pressure vessel at a hydrostatic pressure of 6.996MPa. The average peak pressure of the implosion pressure pulse was 26.1MPa, measured at a radial distance of 10.16cm from the sphere center. A computational fluid structure interaction model was developed to assess how the failure rate of the glass structure influences the pressure time history. The model employed a specified glass failure sequence that is uniform in time and space. It was found that for the conditions of the test, a glass failure rate of 275m∕s provided a reasonable representation of the test data. The test data and the model results show that the failure time history of the structure has a significant influence on an implosion pressure pulse. Computational prediction of an implosion pressure pulse needs to include the failure time history of the structure; otherwise it will overpredict the pressure time history.
Echolocation clicks from killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on herring (Clupea harengus)
Authors: Simon Malene , Wahlberg Magnus , Miller Lee A.
Published: February 2007

Echolocation clicks from Norwegian killer whales feeding on herring schools were recorded using a four-hydrophone array. The clicks had broadband bimodal frequency spectra with low and high frequency peaks at 24 and 108kHz, respectively. The −10dB bandwidth was 35kHz. The average source level varied from 173to202dB re 1μPa (peak-to-peak) @ 1m. This is considerably lower than source levels described for Canadian killer whales foraging on salmon. It is suggested that biosonar clicks of Norwegian killer whales are adapted for localization of prey with high target strength and acute hearing abilities.
Scattering of a Bessel beam by a sphere
Authors: Marston Philip L.
Published: February 2007

The exact scattering by a sphere centered on a Bessel beam is expressed as a partial wave series involving the scattering angle relative to the beam axis and the conical angle of the wave vector components of the Bessel beam. The sphere is assumed to have isotropic material properties so that the nth partial wave amplitude for plane wave scattering is proportional to a known partial-wave coefficient. The scattered partial waves in the Bessel beam case are also proportional to the same partial-wave coefficient but now the weighting factor depends on the properties of the Bessel beam. When the wavenumber-radius product ka is large, for rigid or soft spheres the scattering is peaked in the backward and forward directions along the beam axis as well as in the direction of the conical angle. These properties are geometrically explained and some symmetry properties are noted. The formulation is also suitable for elastic and fluid spheres. A partial wave expansion of the Bessel beam is noted.
Comment on “Analysis of the time-reversal operator for scatterers of finite size,” by D. H. Chambers [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 411–419 (2002)]
Authors: Chen Xudong
Published: February 2007

This letter concerns the paper “Analysis of the time-reversal operator for scatterers of finite size” [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 411–419 (2002)]. The number of possible eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the time reversal operator for a finite sphere given in the paper is much more than the correct number, which is proven to be the total number of multipole moments induced inside the finite sphere.
On the diffuse field reciprocity relationship and vibrational energy variance in a random subsystem at high frequencies
Authors: Langley R. S.
Published: February 2007

A recent paper has shown that under certain conditions the cross-spectral matrix of the forces exerted by a vibrational or acoustic wave field on its surrounding boundaries can be expressed in terms of (i) the energy of the wave field, and (ii) the direct field dynamic stiffness matrix of the boundary. This “diffuse field reciprocity relation” was derived using wave mechanics, and it is not immediately clear how the required wave field properties translate to conditions on the vibrational modes of the system or the applied forcing. This issue is addressed here by deriving an extended version of the reciprocity relation using modal methods, and the conditions required for the extended version to reduce to the existing relation are delineated. It is shown that the existing diffuse field reciprocity relation leads to an anomalous result when used to predict the energy variance of a subsystem, and that this anomaly is resolved by using the present extended version of the relation. A supplementary result arising from the analysis is that for systems with a sufficient degree of randomness the ensemble average of the dynamic stiffness matrix of a random subsystem is equal to the inverse of the ensemble average of the receptance matrix.
Variability and uncertainty in masking by competing speech
Authors: Freyman Richard L. , Helfer Karen S. , Balakrishnan Uma
Published: February 2007

This study investigated the role of uncertainty in masking of speech by interfering speech. Target stimuli were nonsense sentences recorded by a female talker. Masking sentences were recorded from ten female talkers and combined into pairs. Listeners’ recognition performance was measured with both target and masker presented from a front loudspeaker (nonspatial condition) or with a masker presented from two loudspeakers, with the right leading the front by 4ms (spatial condition). In Experiment 1, the sentences were presented in blocks in which the masking talkers, spatial configuration, and signal-to-noise (S-N) ratio were fixed. Listeners’ recognition performance varied widely among the masking talkers in the nonspatial condition, much less so in the spatial condition. This result was attributed to variation in effectiveness of informational masking in the nonspatial condition. The second experiment increased uncertainty by randomizing masking talkers and S-N ratios across trials in some conditions, and reduced uncertainty by presenting the same token of masker across trials in other conditions. These variations in masker uncertainty had relatively small effects on speech recognition.
Acoustic cues discriminating German obstruents in place and manner of articulation
Authors: Hoelterhoff Julia , Reetz Henning
Published: February 2007

This study focuses on the extraction of robust acoustic cues of labial and alveolar voiceless obstruents in German and their acoustic differences in the speech signal to distinguish them in place and manner of articulation. The investigated obstruents include the affricates [pf] and [ts], the fricatives [f] and [s] and the stops [p] and [t]. The target sounds were analyzed in word-initial and word-medial positions. The speech data for the analysis were recorded in a natural environment, deliberately containing background noise to extract robust cues only. Three methods of acoustic analysis were chosen: (1) temporal measurements to distinguish the respective obstruents in manner of articulation, (2) static spectral characteristics in terms of logarithmic distance measure to distinguish place of articulation, and (3) amplitudinal analysis of discrete frequency bands as a dynamic approach to place distinction. The results reveal that the duration of the target phonemes distinguishes these in manner of articulation. Logarithmic distance measure, as well as relative amplitude analysis of discrete frequency bands, identifies place of articulation. The present results contribute to the question, which properties are robust with respect to variation in the speech signal.
In Vitro and In Vivo Activities of PD 0305970 and PD 0326448, New Bacterial Gyrase/Topoisomerase Inhibitors with Potent Antibacterial Activities versus Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Positive and Fastidious Organism Groups
Authors: Huband Michael D. , Cohen Michael A. , Zurack Margaret , Hanna Debra L. , Skerlos Laura A. , Sulavik Mark C. , Gibson Glenn W. , Gage Jeffrey W. , Ellsworth Edmund , Stier Michael A. , Gracheck Stephen J.
Published: February 2007

PD 0305970 and PD 0326448 are new bacterial gyrase and topoisomerase inhibitors (quinazoline-2,4-diones) that possess outstanding in vitro and in vivo activities against a wide spectrum of bacterial species including quinolone- and multidrug-resistant gram-positive and fastidious organism groups. The respective MICs (μg/ml) for PD 0305970 capable of inhibiting ≥90% of bacterial strains tested ranged from 0.125 to 0.5 versus staphylococci, 0.03 to 0.06 versus streptococci, 0.25 to 2 versus enterococci, and 0.25 to 0.5 versus
Moraxella catarrhalis
,
Haemophilus influenzae
,
Listeria monocytogenes
,
Legionella pneumophila
, and
Neisseria
spp. PD 0326448 MIC
90
s were generally twofold higher versus these same organism groups. Comparative quinolone MIC
90
values were 4- to 512-fold higher than those of PD 0305970. In testing for frequency of resistance, PD 0305970 and levofloxacin showed low levels of development of spontaneous resistant mutants versus both
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. Unlike quinolones, which target primarily
gyrA
and
parC
, analysis of resistant mutants in
S. pneumoniae
indicates that the likely targets of PD 0305970 are
gyrB
and
parE
. PD 0305970 demonstrated rapid bactericidal activity by in vitro time-kill testing versus streptococci. This bactericidal activity carried over to in vivo testing, where PD 0305970 and PD 0326448 displayed outstanding
Streptococcus pyogenes
50% protective doses (PD
50
s) (oral dosing) of 0.7 and 3.6 mg/kg, respectively (ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin PD
50
s were >100 and 17.7 mg/kg, respectively). PD 0305970 was also potent in a pneumococcal pneumonia mouse infection model (PD
50
= 3.2 mg/kg) and was 22-fold more potent than levofloxacin.
Inhibition of Interleukin-22 Attenuates Bacterial Load and Organ Failure during Acute Polymicrobial Sepsis
Authors: Weber Georg F. , Schlautkötter Sylvia , Kaiser-Moore Simone , Altmayr Felicitas , Holzmann Bernhard , Weighardt Heike
Published: February 2007

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a recently discovered proinflammatory cytokine, structurally related to IL-10. Since IL-22 is induced by lipopolysaccharide in vivo, we studied the role of IL-22 in a model of polymicrobial peritonitis. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed marked induction of IL-22 and IL-22 receptor in spleen and kidney during the course of sepsis. The biological activity of IL-22 is modulated by IL-22-binding protein (IL-22BP), which is considered a natural antagonist of IL-22. To further analyze the role of IL-22 during septic peritonitis, mice were treated with recombinant IL-22BP generated as Fcγ2a fusion protein. IL-22BP-Fc completely blocked IL-22-induced STAT3 activation in hepatocytes in vitro. Treatment of mice with IL-22BP-Fc 4 h before sepsis induction led to enhanced accumulation of neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes and a reduced bacterial load at the site of infection. In addition, IL-22 blockade led to an enhanced bacterial clearance in liver and kidney and reduced kidney injury. These results imply an important proinflammatory role of IL-22 during septic peritonitis, contributing to bacterial spread and organ failure. IL-22 therefore appears to play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes in vivo.
Muropeptide Modification-Amidation of Peptidoglycand-Glutamate Does Not Affect the Proinflammatory Activity ofStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Kraus Dirk , Kalbacher Hubert , Buschmann Julia , Berger-Bächi Brigitte , Götz Friedrich , Peschel Andreas
Published: February 2007

Peptidoglycan muropeptides, potent proinflammatory components, are amidated inStaphylococcus aureusfor unknown reasons. To study whether this modification may modulate proinflammatory capacity, cytokine induction by isogenicS. aureusstrains with different amidation levels and by synthetic amidated/nonamidated muramyldipeptides was evaluated. However, amidation did not significantly affect cytokine induction. This finding contributes to defining peptidoglycan receptor specificities and indicates that further rationales for muropeptide amidation have to be considered.
Assessment of the ethical review process for non-pharmacological multicentre studies in Germany on the basis of a randomised surgical trial
Authors: Seiler C M , Kellmeyer P , Kienle P , Büchler M W , Knaebel H-P
Published: February 2007

Objective:To examine the current ethical review process (ERP) of ethics committees in a non-pharmacological trial from the perspective of a clinical investigator.

Design:Prospective collection of data at the Study Centre of the German Surgical Society on the duration, costs and administrative effort of the ERP of a randomised controlled multicentre surgical INSECT Trial (INterrupted or continuous Slowly absorbable sutures—Evaluation of abdominal Closure Techniques Trial, ISRCTN 24023541) between November 2003 and May 2005.

Setting:Germany.

Participants:18 ethics committees, including the ethics committee handling the primary approval, responsible overall for 32 clinical sites throughout Germany. 8 ethics committees were located at university medical schools (MSU) and 10 at medical chambers. Duration was measured as days between submission and receipt of final approval, costs in euros and administrative effort by calculation of the product of the total number of different types of documents and the mean number of copies required (primary approval acting as the reference standard).

Results:The duration of the ERP ranged from 1 to 176 (median 31) days. The median duration was 26 days at MSUs compared with 34 days at medical chambers. The total cost was €2947. 1 of 8 ethics committees at universities (€250) and 8 of 10 at medical chambers charged a median fee of €162 (mean €269.70). The administrative effort for primary approval was 30. Four ethics committees required a higher administrative effort for secondary approval (37, 39, 42 and 104).

Conclusion:The ERP for non-pharmacological multicentre trials in Germany needs improvement. The administrative process has to be standardised: the application forms and the number and content of the documents required should be identical or at least similar. The fees charged vary considerably and are obviously too high for committees located at medical chambers. However, the duration of the ERP was, with some exceptions, excellent. A centralised ethics committee in Germany for multicentre trials such as the INSECT Trial can simplify the ERP for clinical investigators in and outside the country.
Efficacy of Moxibustion after Rolling Correction in Dairy Cows with Abomasal Displacement
Authors: Lee J. Y. , Lee M. R. , Kim J. H. , Han T. S. , Kang S. S. , Bae C. S. , Kim D. H. , Kim G. , Choi S. H.
Published: February 2007

This study was performed to assess the efficacy of moxibustion after rolling correction in dairy cows with abomasal displacement (AD). The experimental group comprised 86 Holstein cows with left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) and right displacement of the abomasum (RDA), with a mean age of 3.8 with AD during a 2-year period. The cows were rolled for correction of AD. After the rolling procedure, moxibustion was conducted on six acupoints once a day during the course of treatment. After repositioning the abomasums, the bilateral points of BL-20, BL-21 and BL-26 were then stimulated. During the follow-up of 1 week, 67 (93.1%) of 72 LDA and 12 (85.7%) of 14 RDA cows were released as cured after moxibustion. In conclusion, moxibustion effectively treats AD following rolling correction in dairy cows.
THE ASYMPTOTIC ITERATION METHOD FOR THE EIGENENERGIES OF THE ASYMMETRICAL QUANTUM ANHARMONIC OSCILLATOR POTENTIALS $V(x)=\sum_{j=2}^{2\alpha}A_{j}x^{j}$
Authors: BARAKAT T. , AL-DOSSARY O. M.
Published: February 2007

The asymptotic iteration method is used to calculate the eigenenergies for the asymmetrical quantum anharmonic oscillator potentials [Formula: see text], with (α = 2) for quartic, and (α = 3) for sextic asymmetrical quantum anharmonic oscillators. An adjustable parameter β is introduced in the method to improve its rate of convergence. Comparing the present results with the exact numerical values, and with the numerical results of the earlier works, it is found that asymptotically, this method gives accurate results over the full range of parameter values Aj.
The Nature and Value of Ecosystem Services: An Overview Highlighting Hydrologic Services
Authors: Brauman Kate A. , Daily Gretchen C. , Duarte T. Ka’eo , Mooney Harold A.
Published: February 2007

Ecosystem services, the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems, are a powerful lens through which to understand human relationships with the environment and to design environmental policy. The explicit inclusion of beneficiaries makes values intrinsic to ecosystem services; whether or not those values are monetized, the ecosystem services framework provides a way to assess trade-offs among alternative scenarios of resource use and land- and seascape change. We provide an overview of the ecosystem functions responsible for producing terrestrial hydrologic services and use this context to lay out a blueprint for a more general ecosystem service assessment. Other ecosystem services are addressed in our discussion of scale and trade-offs. We review valuation and policy tools useful for ecosystem service protection and provide several examples of land management using these tools. Throughout, we highlight avenues for research to advance the ecosystem services framework as an operational basis for policy decisions.
Industry, Environmental Policy, and Environmental Outcomes
Authors: Press Daniel
Published: February 2007

This chapter reviews recent literature assessing the impacts of regulatory policies on the environmental performance of manufacturing firms. After showing substantial industry and national variation in resource consumption and pollution impacts, the review examines the role environmental policy instruments play in changing industry's burdens on the environment. Policies clearly shape industrial impacts, although the effect seems to be diminishing. Moving to uncouple economic and environmental performance, the review examines how regulations affect competitiveness, innovation, and capital flight. Similarly, corporate environmental voluntarism promises—and sometimes delivers—improved environmental performance; however, meaningful indicators are still few and far between. The article concludes with a call for research that further explains why some sectors perform better than others, and what lessons policy makers can draw upon, especially to move firms toward the best performance that is technologically possible and environmentally sustainable.
Carbon and Climate System Coupling on Timescales from the Precambrian to the Anthropocene
Authors: Doney Scott C. , Schimel David S.
Published: February 2007

Over a range of geological and historical timescales, warmer climate conditions are associated with higher atmospheric levels of CO2, an important climate-modulating greenhouse gas. Coupled carbon-climate interactions have the potential to introduce both stabilizing and destabilizing feedback loops into Earth's system. Here we bring together evidence on the dominant climate, biogeochemical and geological processes organized by timescale, spanning interannual to centennial climate variability, Holocene millennial variations and Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles, and million-year and longer variations over the Precambrian and Phanerozoic. Our focus is on characterizing, and where possible quantifying, internal coupled carbon-climate system dynamics and responses to external forcing from tectonics, orbital dynamics, catastrophic events, and anthropogenic fossil-fuel emissions. One emergent property is clear across timescales: atmospheric CO2can increase quickly, but the return to lower levels through natural processes is much slower. The consequences of human carbon cycle perturbations will far outlive the emissions that caused them.
Models of Decision Making and Residential Energy Use
Authors: Wilson Charlie , Dowlatabadi Hadi
Published: February 2007

Research traditions across the social sciences have explored the drivers of individual behavior and proposed different models of decision making. Four diverse perspectives are reviewed here: conventional and behavioral economics, technology adoption theory and attitude-based decision making, social and environmental psychology, and sociology. The individual decision models in these traditions differ axiomatically. Some are founded on informed rationality or psychological variables, and others emphasize physical or contextual factors from individual to social scales. Each perspective suggests particular lessons for designing interventions to change behavior. Throughout the review, these lessons are applied to decisions affecting residential energy use. Examples are drawn from both intuitive and reasoning-based types of decision as well as from a range of decision contexts that include capital investments in weatherization and repetitive behaviors such as appliance use. Areas of difference and similarity between various theoretical approaches and their practical implications are highlighted. Conclusions are drawn on how to develop a more integrated approach to both behavioral research and intervention design in a residential energy context.
Adiposity profile in the dwarf rat: an unusually lean model of profound growth hormone deficiency
Authors: Davies Jeffrey S. , Gevers Evelien F. , Stevenson Amy E. , Coschigano Karen T. , El-Kasti Muna M. , Bull Melanie J. , Elford Carole , Evans Bronwen A. J. , Kopchick John J. , Wells Timothy
Published: February 2007

This study describes the previously uncharacterized ontogeny and regulation of truncal adipose reserves in the profoundly GH-deficient dwarf ( dw/dw) rat. We show that, despite normal proportionate food intake, dw/dw rats develop abdominal leanness and hypoleptinemia (circulating leptin halved in dw/dw males, P < 0.05) during puberty. This contrasts with the hyperleptinemia seen in moderately GH-deficient Tgr rats (circulating leptin doubled at 6 wk of age, P < 0.05) and in GH receptor-binding protein (GHR/BP)-null mice (circulating leptin doubled; P < 0.05). This lean/hypoleptinemic phenotype was not completely normalized by GH treatment, but dw/dw rats developed abdominal obesity in response to neonatal MSG treatment or maintenance on a high-fat diet. Unlike Tgr rats, dw/dw rats did not become obese with age; plasma leptin levels and fat pad weights became similar to those in wild-type rats. In contrast with truncal leanness, tibial marrow adiposity was normal in male and doubled in female dwarves ( P < 0.01), this increase being attributable to increased adipocyte number ( P < 0.01). Neonatal MSG treatment and high-fat feeding elevated marrow adiposity in dw/dw rats by inducing adipocyte enlargement ( P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that, despite lipolytic influence of GH, severe GH deficiency in dw/dw rats is accompanied by a paradoxical leanness. This lean/hypoleptinemic phenotype is not solely attributable to reduced GH signaling and does not appear to result from a reduction in nutrient intake or the ability of dw/dw adipocytes to accumulate lipid. Disruption of preadipocyte differentiation or adipocyte proliferation in the dw/dw rat may lead to the development of this unusually lean/hypoleptinemic phenotype.
Maternal stress alters endocrine function of the feto-placental unit in rats
Authors: Mairesse Jérôme , Lesage Jean , Breton Christophe , Bréant Bernadette , Hahn Tom , Darnaudéry Muriel , Dickson Suzanne L. , Seckl Jonathan , Blondeau Bertrand , Vieau Didier , Maccari Stefania , Viltart Odile
Published: February 2007

Prenatal stress (PS) can cause early and long-term developmental effects resulting in part from altered maternal and/or fetal glucocorticoid exposure. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of chronic restraint stress during late gestation on feto-placental unit physiology and function in embryonic (E) day 21 male rat fetuses. Chronic stress decreased body weight gain and food intake of the dams and increased their adrenal weight. In the placenta of PS rats, the expression of glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1) was decreased, whereas GLUT3 and GLUT4 were slightly increased. Moreover, placental expression and activity of the glucocorticoid “barrier” enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 was strongly reduced. At E21, PS fetuses exhibited decreased body, adrenal pancreas, and testis weights. These alterations were associated with reduced pancreatic β-cell mass, plasma levels of glucose, growth hormone, and ACTH, whereas corticosterone, insulin, IGF-1, and CBG levels were unaffected. These data emphasize the impact of PS on both fetal growth and endocrine function as well as on placental physiology, suggesting that PS could program processes implied in adult biology and pathophysiology.
Amino acid repletion does not decrease muscle protein catabolism during hemodialysis
Authors: Raj Dominic S. C. , Adeniyi Oladipo , Dominic Elizabeth A. , Boivin Michel A. , McClelland Sandra , Tzamaloukas Antonios H. , Morgan Nancy , Gonzales Lawrence , Wolfe Robert , Ferrando Arny
Published: February 2007

Intradialytic protein catabolism is attributed to loss of amino acids in the dialysate. We investigated the effect of amino acid infusion during hemodialysis (HD) on muscle protein turnover and amino acid transport kinetics by using stable isotopes of phenylalanine, leucine, and lysine in eight patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Subjects were studied at baseline (pre-HD), 2 h of HD without amino acid infusion (HD-O), and 2 h of HD with amino acid infusion (HD+AA). Amino acid depletion during HD-O augmented the outward transport of amino acids from muscle into the vein. Increased delivery of amino acids to the leg during HD+AA facilitated the transport of amino acids from the artery into the intracellular compartment. Increase in muscle protein breakdown was more than the increase in synthesis during HD-O (46.7 vs. 22.3%, P < 0.001). Net balance (nmol·min−1·100 ml−1) was more negative during HD-O compared with pre-HD (−33.7 ± 1.5 vs. −6.0 ± 2.3, P < 0.001). Despite an abundant supply of amino acids, the net balance (−16.9 ± 1.8) did not switch from net release to net uptake. HD+AA induced a proportional increase in muscle protein synthesis and catabolism. Branched chain amino acid catabolism increased significantly from baseline during HD-O and did not decrease during HD+AA. Protein synthesis efficiency, the fraction of amino acid in the intracellular pool that is utilized for muscle protein synthesis decreased from 42.1% pre-HD to 33.7 and 32.6% during HD-O and HD+AA, respectively ( P < 0.01). Thus amino acid repletion during HD increased muscle protein synthesis but did not decrease muscle protein breakdown.
Nocturnal free fatty acids are uniquely elevated in the longitudinal development of diet-induced insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia
Authors: Kim Stella P. , Catalano Karyn J. , Hsu Isabel R. , Chiu Jenny D. , Richey Joyce M. , Bergman Richard N.
Published: February 2007

Obesity is strongly associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, both primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes. It has been thought that increased fasting free fatty acids (FFA) may be responsible for the development of insulin resistance during obesity, causing an increase in plasma glucose levels, which would then signal for compensatory hyperinsulinemia. But when obesity is induced by fat feeding in the dog model, there is development of insulin resistance and a marked increase in fasting insulin despite constant fasting FFA and glucose. We examined the 24-h plasma profiles of FFA, glucose, and other hormones to observe any potential longitudinal postprandial or nocturnal alterations that could lead to both insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia induced by a high-fat diet in eight normal dogs. We found that after 6 wk of a high-fat, hypercaloric diet, there was development of significant insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia as well as accumulation of both subcutaneous and visceral fat without a change in either fasting glucose or postprandial glucose. Moreover, although there was no change in fasting FFA, there was a highly significant increase in the nocturnal levels of FFA that occurred as a result of fat feeding. Thus enhanced nocturnal FFA, but not glucose, may be responsible for development of insulin resistance and fasting hyperinsulinemia in the fat-fed dog model.
Detrimental role of homocysteine in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Prathapasinghe Gamika A. , Siow Yaw L. , O Karmin
Published: February 2007

Ischemia followed by reperfusion is a major cause for renal injury in both native kidney and renal allografts. Hyperhomocysteinemia, a condition of elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level, is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Recent evidence suggests that Hcy, at higher levels, may be harmful to other organs such as the kidney. In this study, we investigated the role of Hcy in ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury. The left kidney of a Sprague-Dawley rat was subjected to either 30-min or 1-h ischemia followed by 1- or 24-h reperfusion. Ischemia-reperfusion caused a significant increase in peroxynitrite formation and lipid peroxidation in kidneys, which reflected oxidative stress. The number of apoptotic cells in those kidneys was also markedly increased. Hcy levels were elevated 2.9- and 1.5-fold in kidneys subjected to ischemia alone or ischemia-reperfusion, respectively. Further investigation revealed that elevation of Hcy level in the kidney upon ischemia-reperfusion was due to reduced activity of cystathionine-β-synthase, a key enzyme in Hcy metabolism. Administration of anti-Hcy antibodies into the kidney not only abolished ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and cell death in the kidneys but also restored renal function after 1 h of reperfusion. However, such a protective effect was not sustained after 24 h of reperfusion. In conclusion, ischemia-reperfusion impairs Hcy metabolism in the kidney. Hcy, at elevated levels, is capable of inducing oxidative stress and renal injury. Neutralization of Hcy with antibodies offers transient functional benefit against ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and renal injury. These results suggest that Hcy may play a detrimental role in the kidney during ischemia-reperfusion.
Renal hyporesponsiveness to atrial natriuretic peptide in congestive heart failure results from reduced atrial natriuretic peptide receptor concentrations
Authors: Bryan Paula M. , Xu Xin , Dickey Deborah M. , Chen Yingjie , Potter Lincoln R.
Published: February 2007

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide decrease blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy by activating natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A), a transmembrane guanylyl cyclase also known as guanylyl cyclase A. Inactivation of NPR-A is a potential mechanism for the renal hyporesponsiveness observed in congestive heart failure (CHF) but direct data supporting this hypothesis are lacking. We examined whether NPR-A activity was reduced in CHF, and if so, by what mechanism. In two separate trials, CHF was induced in mice by 8-wk transverse aortic constriction. Sham controls underwent surgery without constriction. The constricted animals developed severe heart failure as indicated by increased heart weight, increased left ventricular end diastolic and systolic diameters, and decreased left ventricular ejection fractions. Kidney membranes were assayed for guanylyl cyclase activity or used to purify NPR-A by sequential immunoprecipitation/SDS-PAGE. Maximal ANP-dependent guanylyl cyclase activities were reduced by 44 or 43% in kidney membranes from CHF animals in two independent trials. Basal cyclase activities were also reduced by 31% in the second trial. The amount of phosphorylated NPR-A was reduced by 25 or 24% in kidney membranes from CHF animals as well. SYPRO Ruby staining suggested that NPR-A protein levels were similar between treatments in the first trial. However, more accurate estimates of NPR-A protein levels by immunoprecipitation/Western analysis in the second trial indicated that NPR-A protein was reduced by 30%. We conclude that reduced NPR-A protein levels, not receptor dephosphorylation, explain the renal hyporesponsiveness to natriuretic peptides in CHF.