bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of Midlatitude Storm Intensification to Perturbations in the Sea Surface Temperature near the Gulf Stream
Authors: Booth James F. , Thompson LuAnne , Patoux Jérôme , Kelly Kathryn A.
Published: November 2011

The Gulf Stream region is a primary location for midlatitude storm cyclogenesis and growth. However, the influence of sea surface temperature (SST) on storms in the region is still under question, particularly after a storm has developed. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, a storm that intensified as it transited northward across the Gulf Stream is simulated multiple times using different SST boundary conditions. These experiments test the storm response to changes in both the absolute value of the SST and the meridional SST gradient. Across the different simulations, the storm strength increases monotonically with the magnitude of the SST perturbations, even when the perturbations weaken the SST gradient. The storm response to the SST perturbations is driven by the latent heat release in the storm warm conveyor belt (WCB). During the late stages of development, the surface fluxes under the storm warm sector regulate the supply of heat and moisture to the WCB. This allows the surface fluxes to govern late-stage intensification and control the storm SST sensitivity. The storm warm front also responds to the SST perturbations; however, the response is independent of that of the storm central pressure. These modeling results suggest that the SST beneath the storm can have just as important a role as the SST gradients in local forcing of the storm.
Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening in Public Health Outreach Campaigns
Authors: Schneider Tamera R. , Feufel Markus A. , Berkel Hans J.
Published: November 2011

Objective: Research on public outreach campaigns is presented.

Background: One study examines the effects of instruction design on adherence to cancer self-screening instructions. A second study examines the effect of persuasive announcements on increasing screening campaign participation.

Method: The first study examined adherence to screening (operationalized as returning results for evaluation) given standard instructions, or one of three other versions: persuasive, human factored, or a combination of the two. The second study investigated combining persuasion with a campaign announcement to increase participation (operationalized as picking up a test kit).

Results: The first study found that among first-time participants, the persuasive and human-factored instructions evoked higher result return rates than did the standard. The second study found that participation was significantly increased by adding persuasion to the campaign announcement.

Conclusion: Enhancing motivation and reducing cognitive barriers increase adherence to test instructions and increase participation.

Application: These are simple, cost-effective strategies that increase adherence to cancer screening in public outreach campaigns, which may reduce cancer-specific mortality.
Bearing witness, journalism and moral responsibility
Authors: Tait Sue
Published: November 2011

While the dimensions of what it means to ‘witness’ are interrogated within recent scholarship on ‘media witnessing’, what it means to ‘ bear witness’ is rarely explained. Bearing witness conceptually organizes what journalism does, and names a subject position for audiences other than voyeurism, but what it means requires clarification. I detail the plasticity of bearing witness within the discourses of media witnessing in order to demonstrate the resulting paucity of the explanatory labour the term is able to perform for studies of news media. Central to the lack of clarity within this literature is the conflation of eye-witnessing and bearing witness. I argue that a distinction must be made between these concepts in order to elucidate the ways practices of bearing witness exceed seeing. Following Zelizer, I argue that bearing witness refers to practices of assuming responsibility for contemporary events, and thus bearing witness extends beyond seeing through practices of enacting responsibility. I consider what practices of responsibility might mean for journalists and their audiences through an analysis of the structures of address and response within the columns Nicholas Kristof wrote about Darfur between 2004 and 2009.
‘Act now and sign our joint statement!’ What role do online global group petitions play in transnational movement networks?
Authors: Strange Michael
Published: November 2011

The article focuses on a frequently used but under-researched protest medium through which transnational movement networks express their collective demands – what are termed here ‘global group petitions’ (GGPs), and activists themselves call ‘sign-on statements’ or ‘joint statements’. GGPs are online petitions typically framed as ‘global’ and linking sometimes hundreds of advocacy groups behind a common set of critical statements contesting global politics. Despite a burgeoning literature examining the use of digital media by movement networks, the article shows that GGPs are a distinct form of activism which to date has been overlooked by social science. Studying GGPs helps explore a series of issues central to understanding the role of advocacy groups in global politics, including their internal power relations (i.e. between North and South). Presenting empirical analysis and interviews with activists relating to five GGPs used in the course of a single transnational movement network – against negotiations to expand the World Trade Organization’s General Agreement on Trade-in-Services – the article concludes that whilst GGPs are not as ‘global’ or representative of a movement network as they may claim, their value is in facilitating momentum and a process of dialogue between potential advocacy partners.
Algorithm for recommending answer providers in community-based question answering
Authors: Zheng Xiaolin , Hu Zhongkai , Xu Aiwu , Chen DeRen , Liu Kuang , Li Bo
Published: November 2011

Obtaining answers from community-based question answering (CQA) services is typically a lengthy process. In this light, the authors propose an algorithm that recommends answer providers. A two-step framework is developed, in which a query likelihood language model is constructed that enables the determination of the interests of answer providers. The model is then used to identify answer providers who are interested in answering questions related to the identified topics. At the same time, a maximum entropy model is designed to estimate answer quality. Finally, an answer-quality-based algorithm is developed to model the expertise of answer providers for the purpose of differentiating answer providers of various capacities. The proposed scheme leverages answer provider interest and expertise, allowing for more effective differentiation. Experiments on real-world data from Baidu Knows, a renowned Chinese CQA service similar to Yahoo! Answers, reveal significant improvements over the baseline methods, and test results demonstrate the effective of the novel approach.
ATOB algorithm: an automatic ontology construction for Thai legal sentences retrieval
Authors: Boonchom Vi-sit , Soonthornphisaj Nuanwan
Published: November 2011

Ontology plays an important role in knowledge representation, especially in the domain of information retrieval. However, building ontology remains a challenging problem because it is a time-consuming task for experts. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose a novel approach called the Automatic Thai Legal Ontology Building (ATOB) algorithm for automatic legal ontology building and to improve the court sentences retrieval process. The ATOB can automatically generate seed ontology and expand the ontology using Thai legal terminology, i.e. TLlexicon. The expansion process is terminated automatically by the threshold parameter. Moreover, the ATOB applies the concept of the ant colony algorithm to improve the court sentences retrieval process. We conclude that the effective ontology should be weight-embedded. The empirical results demonstrate that the performance of the ATOB algorithm is better than that of the traditional search method. The performance figures for the ATOB framework measured in terms of precision, recall, F-measure and diversity are 0.90, 0.91, 0.90 and 0.39, respectively.
Ecological Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Implications for Immunotoxicity
Authors: Barron Mace G.
Published: November 2011

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest environmental disaster and response effort in U.S. history, with nearly 800 million liters of crude oil spilled. Vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico were contaminated with oil, including deep-ocean communities and over 1,600 kilometers of shoreline. Multiple species of pelagic, tidal, and estuarine organisms; sea turtles; marine mammals; and birds were affected, and over 20 million hectares of the Gulf of Mexico were closed to fishing. Several large-scale field efforts were performed, including assessments of shoreline and wildlife oiling and of coastal waters and sediments. The assessment of injuries, damages, and restoration options for the DWH spill is ongoing. Although petroleum and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon component of oils are known to affect the immune systems of aquatic organisms and wildlife, immunotoxicity is not typically assessed during oil spills and has not been a focus of the DHW assessment. The effects of oil spill contaminants on immune responses are variable and often exposure dependent, but immunotoxic effects seem likely from the DHW spill based on the reported effects of a variety of oils on both aquatic and wildlife species.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Bolon Brad
Published: November 2011

Autoimmune disease (AIDx) results from failure to sustain tolerance to self molecules. Dozens of AIDx involving one or multiple organ systems afflict 3% or more of people worldwide (>75% women). Predisposing factors for AIDx include genetic background, hormonal status, pathogens, and xenobiotic exposures. The incidence of AIDx is higher in individuals living in developed nations, including recent immigrants. Patients may have several AIDx simultaneously. Certain AIDx can prevent other AIDx. A history of AIDx raises the risk for developing hematopoietic neoplasia. Some common mechanisms for losing self-tolerance include reduced deletion or enhanced activation of autoreactive CD4+ T-helper (Th) lymphocytes, defective immunomodulation by CD4+ regulatory (Treg) and CD8+ suppressor (Ts) T-lymphocytes, dysregulated signaling (leading to a relative increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines), comparable structure between self-antigens and foreign molecules, or expression of new epitopes on previously hidden or xenobiotic-modified self proteins. Organ-specific AIDx is generally a cell-mediated (Th1 or Th17) process, while multi-organ AIDx also incorporates a robust autoantibody (Th2) component. Cytokine signatures of different AIDx overlap incompletely; for a given AIDx, different patients have divergent cytokine profiles. Newer anti-AIDx agents are based on our increasing knowledge of AIDx pathogenesis and usually attempt to reverse lymphocyte dysfunction, quell pro-inflammatory signaling, or restore self-tolerance.
Land Policy in Vietnam
Authors: McPherson Malcolm F.
Published: November 2011

Land policy is crucial to Vietnam’s socioeconomic development. Yet, land policy in Vietnam often is short-sighted, resulting in inequities and a form of commons tragedy. In this essay, the author reviews the evolving land policy in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, pointing out inconsistencies and shortcomings. The essay concludes with recommendations to improve policy and the long-term well-being of Vietnam and its people; specifically, several events should occur for Vietnam to achieve middle-income status by 2020, as the government of Vietnam intends. Rapid industrialization and modernization should continue; land currently used for agriculture (particularly rice) need to be converted to industrial parks; residential areas, and infrastructure; and all land should be used in ways that yields the highest social returns. Public investment should help boost agricultural (and land) productivity; and environmental (and land) management should ensure that the institutions and incentives support environmental sustainability.
Synthesis and evaluation of properties of novel aromatic poly(ether-imide) with benzazole pendent groups and flexible ether linkages
Authors: Toiserkani Hojjat
Published: November 2011

Three types of new bis(ether-amine) monomers such as 5-(2-benzimidazole)-1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene (3), 5-(2-benzoxazole)-1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene (4), and 5-(2-benzothiazole)-1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene (5) were prepared in three steps, starting from the reaction of 3,5-dihydroxybenzioc acid with 4-fluronitrobenzene in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of potassium carbonate, followed by catalytic reduction of the intermediate dinitro-carboxylic acids, and subsequent condensation of the resulting diamino-carboxylic acids and 1,2-phenylenediamine, 2-aminophenol or 2-aminothiophenol in polyphosphoric acid (PPA), respectively. Three series of modified poly(ether-imide)s (PEIs) bearing pendent benzimidazole, benzoxazole or benzothiazole groups were prepared from the bis(ether-amine)s with dianhydrides by a conventional two-stage process that included ring-opening polycondensation forming the poly(amic acid)s (PAA) and further thermal or chemical imidization forming poly(ether-imide)s. For comparative purposes, reference poly(ether-imide)s were also prepared by reacting bis(ether-amine) lacking pendent groups namely 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene (6) with the same dianhydrides under similar conditions. The modified polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities between 0.52 and 0.83 dL g−1. Experimental results indicated that all the PEIs had glass transition temperature between 221 and 283 °C, the decomposition temperature at 10% weight loss between 480 and 572 °C under nitrogen.
Analysis of acoustic emission signals and surface integrity in the high-speed turning of Inconel 718
Authors: Pawade R S , Joshi S S
Published: November 2011

Acoustic emission (AE) signals from the machining deformation zone have been used in the past to monitor and study the cutting tool wear and failure, the chip formation mechanism, and the machined surface quality on work materials other than Inconel 718. The machined surface quality generated during the machining of superalloys is a function of the deformation process that occurred in the machining zone. It is known that the interaction between the machining parameters, the cutting tool, and the work material characteristics govern the deformation process. AE signals are capable of capturing the deformation zone activities and hence it is felt that an analysis of the AE signals during machining could help to determine the quality of the machined surface. Therefore, in this work, the dependence of the machining deformation on the surface generation mechanism was assessed in terms of the energy, number of counts, and mean frequency amplitude of the AE signals. Further, the AE characteristics were analysed as a function of the cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut, and tool edge geometry. The analysis revealed that the frequency amplitude of the AE signals is influenced by the cutting speed. The feed rate and edge geometry are found to influence the number of counts generated during machining deformation. AE signals with fewer perturbations in the energy and counts profiles indicate a better-quality surface with the least alterations. Thus, in general, the AE signal variations have been found to be useful to correlate abnormal events during machining, such as higher thrust forces, chip form variation, and surface anomalies produced in the machining of Inconel 718.
Numerical modelling of high-speed ball end milling with cutter inclination angle
Authors: Chen X X , Zhao J , Li Y E , Han S G , Cao Q Y , Li A H
Published: November 2011

This paper describes the development of a simulation model for ball end milling with inclination angle based on a finite element method. The Johnson–Cook model and isotropic hardening rule were used to describe the properties of the workpiece material, and re-meshing technology was adopted to obtain accurate results. The Cockcroft–Latham criteria rule was used to determine the chip formation. The ball end mill was modelled, and then imported into a finite element analysis system for simulation of machining process. The heat conducted into the cutter was taken into account in the present simulation, giving a better accordance with the actual machining process. Thirty combinations of cutting parameters and inclination angle of the ball end milling process were simulated in the finite element environment, and the corresponding ball end milling experiments were conducted in a five-axis machine. Evolution of the chip and the effective stress predicted in the shear zone during simulation were presented. The cutting forces derived from the simulation were compared with the experimental results, and the overall trend of the maximum cutting forces in each direction showed a good agreement with the experimentally measured values. The potential possibility to study five-axis ball end milling with both inclination angle in feed and cross-feed direction was pointed out.
Aerodynamic analysis and design of Busemann biplane: towards efficient supersonic flight
Authors: Maruyama D , Kusunose K , Matsushima K , Nakahashi K
Published: November 2011

Aiming to realize a low-drag supersonic transport, Busemann biplane concept was adopted in this study. Two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) biplanes were analysed and designed to improve their aerodynamic performance using computational fluid dynamics. It was confirmed that 3D biplane wings have better aerodynamic-performance areas than 2D biplane airfoils. A winglet is also useful for improvement of their aerodynamic performance. Aerodynamic characteristics of these biplanes at their off-design conditions were also analysed. In 3D wings, a flow choking and its attendant hysteresis as starting problems, which arise when the biplanes accelerate from low Mach numbers, disappear at lower Mach numbers than those in 2D airfoils. It was confirmed that hinged slats and flaps are effective to settle these issues. Finally, interference effects of a body with the biplanes were investigated. When the biplane wings are affected by the expansion waves from the body, their aerodynamic performance at the design Mach number and the starting Mach number are better and lower than those of their isolated wings, respectively. A 3D biplane wing obtained by an inverse-design method was applied to the body. The wing of this wing–body configuration achieves higher aerodynamic performance than the 2D flat-plate airfoil at sufficient lift conditions, which is the almost identical performance of 2D biplane airfoils.
Does academic management accounting lag practice? A cliometric study
Authors: MacDonald Laura D. , Richardson Alan J.
Published: November 2011

The schism between accounting practice and the accounting academy has been a lament of accountants for many decades. This schism has two aspects – the schism between research and practice and the schism between education and practice. This article focuses on the later schism and uses a statistical approach to compare the dates of introduction of new management accounting concepts into accounting education and the professional body of knowledge over the period 1967 to 1997. The results indicate that, on average, accounting education lags practice and the length of the lag has increased since the early 1980s. The study contributes to the growing use of cliometrics (quantitative analysis) in accounting history, provides new empirical data on the accounting schism and offers insights for the profession and academy on the pattern of knowledge transfer. The use of new sources and a different research method offer additional insights on the established themes of “relevance lost” and the “accounting lag” in the management accounting and accounting history literatures.
Standardizing oil and gas accounting in the US in the 1970s: Insights from the perspective of regulatory capture
Authors: Cortese Corinne
Published: November 2011

Attempts by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to standardize oil and gas accounting in the 1970s has been referred to as the “most politicised accounting argument ever” ( Van Riper, 1994 , p.56). Marking the only instance in which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has declined to support the FASB’s standards, the failure of the FASB to limit accounting method choice has had lasting implications with divergent methods still practised by oil and gas companies today. This study presents a narrative of this development and specifically examines the events through the lens of regulatory capture theory to show that the industry was successful in capturing the regulatory process and securing its preferred outcome.
Team Meeting Attitudes
Authors: O’Neill Thomas A. , Allen Natalie J.
Published: November 2011

Although most work teams use meetings as a tool for accomplishing their objectives, there is little research examining meeting-related variables in teams. In this article, we propose a new construct, team meeting attitudes (TMA), that involves individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and evaluations of team meetings. We constructed a scale that measures individuals’ TMA, and we report on the scale’s psychometric properties, including test-retest reliabilities, over four measurement occasions. Using a sample of engineering project design teams, intraclass correlations of repeated measurements suggested that TMA appeared to emerge over time. Moreover, our TMA scale, aggregated to the team level using the mean, had direct effects on time spent in team meetings, perceptions of team meeting effectiveness, and team potency. Mean TMA were also indirectly related to team task performance through team potency. These findings were interpreted as supportive of activity regulation and action theories because teams with high means on TMA may have members who view team meetings as conducive to goal accomplishment and not as interruptive.
Designing Research With Hospice and Palliative Care Populations
Authors: Wohleber Ashley M. , McKitrick Daniel S. , Davis Shawn E.
Published: November 2011

Research in palliative care and hospice populations is important for improving quality of care, quality of life, and provider understanding of individuals at the end of life. However, this research involves many potential challenges. This review seeks to inform and assist researchers targeting to design studies targeting hospice and palliative care patients by presenting a thorough review of the published literature. This review covers English-language articles published from 1990 through 2009 listed in the PsycInfo, Medline, or CINAHL research databases under relevant keywords. Articles on pediatric hospice were not included. Issues discussed include study design, informed consent, and recruitment for participants. Synthesized recommendations for researchers in these populations are presented.
The Impact of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on China’s Destination Brand
Authors: Li Xiang (Robert) , Kaplanidou Kyriaki (Kiki)
Published: November 2011

This study investigates the impact of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on China’s destination brand perception—in terms of destination image and personality—held by American leisure travelers. The results show that although American travelers’ collective perception of China as a travel destination did not change substantially before and after the Games, various subgroups within this population appeared to have different levels of susceptibility to perception change during this process. Furthermore, the study confirmed that event media could influence respondents’ destination perceptions. The findings emphasize the importance of media in image development, and market segmentation in international destination marketing. The results also illustrate the challenge of changing a destination’s brand perception, particularly in long-haul source markets.
Young people’s stories of self–harm: A narrative study
Authors: Hill Kerry , Dallos Rudi
Published: November 2011

This study explores the way in which adolescents who have engaged in self-harm make sense of their self-harm and its relationship to the events that have occurred in their lives. The six adolescents (aged between 13 and 18 years) who had been engaging in self-harm were invited to tell their life stories. The analysis explored both the content and the structure of these narratives in order to identify what they regarded to be key events in their lives and also what appeared to have been defended and less fully integrated features of their lives. A primary finding was that the adolescents perceive a severe lack of understanding from others about self-harm, which appeared to inhibit them from developing coherent narratives. They also found it difficult to discuss and integrate the difficulties behind their self-harm, giving narratives that were poorly integrated with little true resolution. One prominent story shared by this group was a story of self–harm as a way of directing their anger inwards. The findings highlight the importance for adolescents of access to conversations where difficult past events can be processed and understood within the context of a life story, and the implications for identity formation.
Factor analysis of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Brown Molly , Kaplan Carly , Jason Leonard
Published: November 2011

This study examined the properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in a sample of 111 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Exploratory factor analysis identified two factors. The mean score for the Somatic-Affective factor was significantly higher than the Cognitive factor. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed for BDI-II total score, the two factor scores, and the BDI for Primary Care (BDI-PC). The BDI-PC and Cognitive factor demonstrated superior validity. Results suggest patients endorse BDI-II somatic items that overlap with CFS symptoms at a high rate. Factor scores should be evaluated separately, or the BDI-PC should be utilized with this population.
Investigating the therapeutic potential of a heritage-object focused intervention: a qualitative study
Authors: Lanceley Anne , Noble Guy , Johnson Michelle , Balogun Nyala , Chatterjee Helen , Menon Usha
Published: November 2011

This study explores the therapeutic potential of heritage-object handling in nurse-patient encounters with women facing cancer. Ten women participated in an object-focused conversation with a nurse specialist. Sessions were audio-tape recorded and transcribed. Kleinian theory framed the analysis to reveal the individual ways women ‘used’ the object in the session. Professionally observed heritage-object handling provides an aid to discussion with patients and has potential as an assessment platform for therapeutic work or as an intervention approach in its own right. Further longitudinal controlled trials are needed to evaluate such benefits, particularly given the depth of the talk revealed in this study.
Physically based volumetric efficiency model for diesel engines utilizing variable intake valve actuation
Authors: Kocher L , Koeberlein E , Van Alstine D G , Stricker K , Shaver G
Published: November 2011

Advanced diesel engine architectures employing flexible valve trains enable emissions reductions and fuel economy improvements. Flexibility in the valve train allows engine designers to optimize the gas exchange process in a manner similar to how common rail fuel injection systems enable optimization of the fuel injection process. Modulating valve timings directly impacts the volumetric efficiency of the engine since it directly controls how much mass is trapped in the cylinders. In fact, it will be shown that the control authority of valve timing modulation over volumetric efficiency, that is, the range of volumetric efficiencies achievable due to modulation of the valve timing, is three times larger than the range achievable by modulation of other engine actuators such as the exhaust gas recirculation valve or the variable geometry turbocharger. Traditional empirical or regression-based models for volumetric efficiency, while suitable for conventional valve trains, are therefore challenged by flexible valve trains. The added complexity and additional empirical data needed for wide valve timing ranges limit the usefulness of these methods. A simple physically based volumetric efficiency model was developed to address these challenges. The model captures the major physical processes occurring over the intake stroke, and is applicable to both conventional and flexible intake valve trains. The model inputs include temperature and pressure in both the intake and exhaust manifolds, intake and exhaust valve event timings, engine cylinder bore, stroke, connecting rod lengths, engine speed, and effective compression ratio. The model is physically based, requires no regression tuning parameters, is generalizable to other engine platforms, and has been experimentally validated using an advanced multi-cylinder diesel engine equipped with a fully flexible variable intake valve actuation system. Experimental data were collected over a wide range of the operating space of the engine and augmented with air handling actuator and intake valve timing sweeps to maximize the range of conditions used to thoroughly experimentally validate the model for a total of 286 operating conditions. The physically based volumetric efficiency model will be shown to predict the experimentally calculated volumetric efficiency to within 5 per cent for all cases with a root mean square error of less than 2.5 per cent for the entire dataset. The physical model developed differs from previous physical modelling work through the novel application of effective compression ratio, incorporation of no tuning parameters, and extensive validation on a unique engine test bed with fully flexible intake valve actuation.
[Un]Comfortable in My Own Skin
Authors: Newman Joshua I.
Published: November 2011

This article offers a reflexive [re]discovery of my own Whiteness, my own Southern-ness, and my own masculinity through ethnographic engagement with the “New Sporting South”; reporting on the juxtaposition of my new [critical performance scholar] self onto the spaces and social relations once inhabited by my old [working class, parochial, “Southern”] self. Although this article is primarily a retrospective on my return to Southern sporting fields in Mississippi, Tennessee, and North Carolina, it is also a critical inspection of the performative politics of engaged cultural studies research on the body. For mine is a political project, bent on contextualizing, and thus problematizing, the seemingly banal nature of Southern sporting fixtures such as college football and stock car racing. The more time I spent in these spaces of the New Sporting South, “observing” the sport cultures from which I sprung, the better I was able to trace a series of ostensibly inescapable patterns of oppression: (a) the cultures of racism, sexism, and patriarchy are still highly active within these local sporting spectacles; (b) my White skin, Southern drawl, “hillbilly” vernacular, and masculine deportment allowed access to the most exclusive/divisive of these social spaces (whereas others might have been denied); (c) to prolong engagement with various groups, I was forced to “perform” my “old” Southern self (laughing at racist jokes, admiring Confederate-flag emblazoned garb, and so on); and (d) in an effort to create change (through critical interrogation of the sporting empirical), I was most often “read” as a [re]productive agent of these regressive cultural politics. To this end, I argue that any politically-“progressive” outcomes from this type of qualitative research must be weighed against the symbolic violence created therein.
Component ranking in Great Britain transmission system based on either equipment failures or sabotage
Authors: Setréus J , Månsson D , Hilber P , Arnborg S
Published: November 2011

In the long-term and operational planning of the power transmission system (PTS), one challenge is to identify components critical to system reliability. In this paper, the importance of each component for system reliability and vulnerability are quantified for two scenarios in a model of the Great Britain (GB) PTS. The scenarios are: (1) technical failures based on statistical data and (2) sabotage where the attacker has the ability to immobilize two contiguous components. In a novel method approach, the total importance of each component is based on three separate indices that include the system impact on (i) security margin, (ii) load, and (iii) generation. The final result of the GB system screening, including nearly 7000 components and 50 million outage events, is a ranking list indicating the 30 most critical components for each of the two scenarios. The results show that a component ranking that only includes risks of technical failures cannot be used to describe critical sabotage threats. Based on the results, the system operator can perform further and more detailed analysis on a few components and then make the necessary investments to improve the system reliability for equipment failures and strengthen the system vulnerability against sabotage.
Evolutionary relationships and diversification of barhl genes within retinal cell lineages
Authors: Schuhmacher Laura-Nadine , Albadri Shahad , Ramialison Mirana , Poggi Lucia
Published: November 2011

Background

Basic helix-loop-helix and homeodomain transcription factors have been shown to specify all different neuronal cell subtypes composing the vertebrate retina. The appearance of gene paralogs of such retina-specific transcription factors in lower vertebrates, with differently evolved function and/or conserved non-coding elements, might provide an important source for the generation of neuronal diversity within the vertebrate retinal architecture. In line with this hypothesis, we investigated the evolution of the homeobox Barhl family of transcription factors, barhl1 and barhl2, in the teleost and tetrapod lineages. In tetrapod barhl2, but not barhl1, is expressed in the retina and is important for amacrine cell specification. Zebrafish has three barhl paralogs: barhl1.1, barhl1.2 and barhl2, but their precise spatio-temporal retinal expression, as well as their function is yet unknown.

Results

Here we performed a meticulous expression pattern comparison of all known barhl fish paralogs and described a novel barhl paralog in medaka. Our detailed analysis of zebrafish barhl gene expression in wild type and mutant retinas revealed that only barhl1.2 and barhl2 are present in the retina. We also showed that these two paralogs are expressed in distinct neuronal lineages and are differently regulated by Atoh7, a key retinal-specific transcription factor. Finally, we found that the two retained medaka fish barhl paralogs, barhl1 and barhl2, are both expressed in the retina, in a pattern reminiscent of zebrafish barhl1.2 and barhl2 respectively. By performing phylogenetic and synteny analysis, we provide evidence that barhl retinal expression domain is an ancestral feature, probably lost in tetrapods due to functional redundancy.

Conclusions

Functional differences among retained paralogs of key retina-specific transcription factors between teleosts and tetrapods might provide important clues for understanding their potential impact on the generation of retinal neuronal diversity. Intriguingly, within teleosts, retention of zebrafish barhl1.2 and its medaka ortholog barhl1 appears to correlate with the acquisition of distinct signalling mechanisms by the two genes within distinct retinal cell lineages. Our findings provide a starting point for the study of barhl gene evolution in relation to the generation of cell diversity in the vertebrate retina.
Folate network genetic variation, plasma homocysteine, and global genomic methylation content: a genetic association study
Authors: Wernimont Susan M , Clark Andrew G , Stover Patrick J , Wells Martin T , Litonjua Augusto A , Weiss Scott T , Gaziano J Michael , Tucker Katherine L , Baccarelli Andrea , Schwartz Joel , Bollati Valentina , Cassano Patricia A
Published: November 2011

Background

Sequence variants in genes functioning in folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism are hypothesized to lead to changes in levels of homocysteine and DNA methylation, which, in turn, are associated with risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods

330 SNPs in 52 genes were studied in relation to plasma homocysteine and global genomic DNA methylation. SNPs were selected based on functional effects and gene coverage, and assays were completed on the Illumina Goldengate platform. Age-, smoking-, and nutrient-adjusted genotype--phenotype associations were estimated in regression models.

Results

Using a nominal P ≤ 0.005 threshold for statistical significance, 20 SNPs were associated with plasma homocysteine, 8 with Alu methylation, and 1 with LINE-1 methylation. Using a more stringent false discovery rate threshold, SNPs inFTCD,SLC19A1, andSLC19A3genes remained associated with plasma homocysteine. Gene by vitamin B-6 interactions were identified for both Alu and LINE-1 methylation, and epistatic interactions with theMTHFRrs1801133 SNP were identified for the plasma homocysteine phenotype. Pleiotropy involving theMTHFD1LandSARDHgenes for both plasma homocysteine and Alu methylation phenotypes was identified.

Conclusions

No single gene was associated with all three phenotypes, and the set of the most statistically significant SNPs predictive of homocysteine or Alu or LINE-1 methylation was unique to each phenotype. Genetic variation in folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism, other than the well-known effects of theMTHFRc.665C>T (known as c.677 C>T, rs1801133, p.Ala222Val), is predictive of cardiovascular disease biomarkers.
Characterization of a novel PTEN mutation in MDA-MB-453 breast carcinoma cell line
Authors: Singh Gobind , Odriozola Leticia , Guan Hong , Kennedy Colin R , Chan Andrew M
Published: November 2011

Background

Cowden Syndrome (CS) patients with germ line point mutations in the PTEN gene are at high risk for developing breast cancer. It is believed that cells harboring these mutant PTEN alleles are predisposed to malignant conversion. This article will characterize the biochemical and biological properties of a mutant PTEN protein found in a commonly used metastatic breast cancer cell line.

Methods

The expression of PTEN in human breast carcinoma cell lines was evaluated by Western blotting analysis. Cell line MDA-MB-453 was selected for further analysis. Mutation analysis of the PTEN gene was carried out using DNA isolated from MDA-MB-453. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to generate a PTEN E307K mutant cDNA and ectopic expressed in PC3, U87MG, MCF7 and Pten
-/- mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFS). Histidine (His)-tagged PTEN fusion protein was generated in Sf9 baculovirus expression system. Lipid phosphatase and ubiquitination assays were carried out to characterize the biochemical properties of PTEN E307K mutant. The intracellular localization of PTEN E307K was determined by subcellular fractionation experiments. The ability of PTEN E307K to alter cell growth, migration and apoptosis was analyzed in multiple PTEN-null cell lines.

Results

We found a mutation in the PTEN gene at codon 307 in MDA-MB-453 cell line. The glutamate (E) to lysine (K) substitution rendered the mutant protein to migrate with a faster mobility on SDS-PAGE gels. Biochemically, the PTEN E307K mutant displayed similar lipid phosphatase and growth suppressing activities when compared to wild-type (WT) protein. However, the PTEN E307K mutant was present at higher levels in the membrane fraction and suppressed Akt activation to a greater extent than the WT protein. Additionally, the PTEN E307K mutant was polyubiquitinated to a greater extent by NEDD4-1 and displayed reduced nuclear localization. Finally, the PTEN E307K mutant failed to confer chemosensitivity to cisplatinum when re-expressed in Pten
-/- MEFS.

Conclusions

Mutation at codon 307 in PTEN C2 loop alters its subcellular distribution with greater membrane localization while being excluded from the cell nucleus. This mutation may predispose breast epithelial cells to malignant transformation. Also, tumor cells harboring this mutation may be less susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics.
A web-based appointment system to reduce waiting for outpatients: A retrospective study
Authors: Cao Wenjun , Wan Yi , Tu Haibo , Shang Fujun , Liu Danhong , Tan Zhijun , Sun Caihong , Ye Qing , Xu Yongyong
Published: November 2011

Background

Long waiting times for registration to see a doctor is problematic in China, especially in tertiary hospitals. To address this issue, a web-based appointment system was developed for the Xijing hospital. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the web-based appointment system in the registration service for outpatients.

Methods

Data from the web-based appointment system in Xijing hospital from January to December 2010 were collected using a stratified random sampling method, from which participants were randomly selected for a telephone interview asking for detailed information on using the system. Patients who registered through registration windows were randomly selected as a comparison group, and completed a questionnaire on-site.

Results

A total of 5641 patients using the online booking service were available for data analysis. Of them, 500 were randomly selected, and 369 (73.8%) completed a telephone interview. Of the 500 patients using the usual queuing method who were randomly selected for inclusion in the study, responses were obtained from 463, a response rate of 92.6%. Between the two registration methods, there were significant differences in age, degree of satisfaction, and total waiting time (P< 0.001). However, gender, urban residence, and valid waiting time showed no significant differences (P> 0.05). Being ignorant of online registration, not trusting the internet, and a lack of ability to use a computer were three main reasons given for not using the web-based appointment system. The overall proportion of non-attendance was 14.4% for those using the web-based appointment system, and the non-attendance rate was significantly different among different hospital departments, day of the week, and time of the day (P< 0.001).

Conclusion

Compared to the usual queuing method, the web-based appointment system could significantly increase patient's satisfaction with registration and reduce total waiting time effectively. However, further improvements are needed for broad use of the system.
Protection against Fas-induced fulminant hepatic failure in liver specific integrin linked kinase knockout mice
Authors: Donthamsetty Shashikiran , Mars Wendy M , Orr Anne , Wu Chuanyue , Michalopoulos George K
Published: November 2011

Background

Programmed cell death or apoptosis is an essential process for tissue homeostasis. Hepatocyte apoptosis is a common mechanism to many forms of liver disease. This study was undertaken to test the role of ILK in hepatocyte survival and response to injury using a Jo-2-induced apoptosis model.

Methods

For survival experiments, ILK KO and WT mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of the agonistic anti-Fas monoclonal antibody Jo-2 at the lethal dose (0.4 μg/g body weight) or sublethal dose (0.16 μg/g body weight). For further mechanistic studies sublethal dose of Fas monoclonal antibody was chosen.

Results

There was 100% mortality in the WT mice as compared to 50% in the KO mice. We also found that hepatocyte specific ILK KO mice (integrin linked kinase) died much later than WT mice after challenge with a lethal dose of Fas agonist Jo-2. At sublethal dose of Jo-2, there was 20% mortality in KO mice with minimal apoptosis whereas WT mice developed extensive apoptosis and liver injury leading to 70% mortality due to liver failure at 12 h. Proteins known to be associated with cell survival/death were differentially expressed in the 2 groups. In ILK KO mice there was downregulation of proapoptotic genes and upregulation of antiapoptotic genes.

Conclusions

Mechanistic insights revealed that pro-survival pathways such as Akt, ERK1/2, and NFkB signaling were upregulated in the ILK KO mice. Inhibition of only NFkB and ERK1/2 signaling led to an increase in the susceptibility of ILK KO hepatocytes to Jo-2-induced apoptosis. These studies suggest that ILK elimination from hepatocytes protects against Jo-2 induced apoptosis by upregulating survival pathways. FAK decrease may also play a role in this process. The results presented show that the signaling effects of ILK related to these functions are mediated in part mediated through NFkB and ERK1/2 signaling.
The effect of exercise training on left ventricular function in young elite athletes
Authors: De Luca Alessio , Stefani Laura , Pedrizzetti Gianni , Pedri Stefano , Galanti Giorgio
Published: November 2011

Background

Regular training, in particular endurance exercise, induces structural myocardial adaptation, so-called "athlete's heart". In addition to the 2D standard echo parameters, assessment of myocardial function is currently possible by deformation parameters (strain, rotation and twist). Aim of study is to assess the role of rotation and twist parameters for better characterize the heart performance in trained elite young athletes from different kind of sports. Eventually, verify early on any possible impact due to the regular sport activity not revealed by the standard parameters.

Methods

50 young athletes (16 cyclists, 17 soccer players, 17 basket players) regularly trained at least three times a week for at least 9 months a year and 10 young controls (mean age 18.5 ± 0.5 years) were evaluated either by to 2D echocardiography or by a Speckle Tracking (ST) multi-layer approach to calculate Left Ventricle (LV) endocardial and epicardial rotation, twist, circumferential strain (CS) and longitudinal strain (LS). Data were compared by ANOVA test.

Results

All the found values were within the normal range. Left Ventricle Diastolic Diameter (LVDD 51.7 ± 2.6 mm), Cardiac Mass index (CMi 114.5 ± 18.5 g/m2), epi-CS, epi-LS, epicardial apex rotation and the Endo/Epi twist were significantly higher only in cyclists. In all the groups, a physiological difference of the Endo/Epi basal circumferential strain and twist values have been found. A weak but not significant relationship between the Endo and twist values and LVDD (r2 = 0.44, p = .005) and CMi was also reported in cyclists.

Conclusions

Progressive increase of apical LV twist may represent an important component of myocardial remodelling. This aspect is particularly evident in the young cyclists group where the CMi and the LVDD are higher. ST multilayer approach completes the LV performance evaluation in young trained athletes showing values similar to adults.
Mass spectrometry based on a coupled Cooper-pair box and nanomechanical resonator system
Authors: Jiang Cheng , Chen Bin , Li Jin-Jin , Zhu Ka-Di
Published: November 2011

Nanomechanical resonators (NRs) with very high frequency have a great potential formass sensing with unprecedented sensitivity. In this study, we propose a scheme formass sensing based on the NR capacitively coupled to a Cooper-pair box (CPB) drivenby two microwave currents. The accreted mass landing on the resonator can be measuredconveniently by tracking the resonance frequency shifts because of mass changes inthe signal absorption spectrum. We demonstrate that frequency shifts induced byadsorption of ten 1587 bp DNA molecules can be well resolved in the absorptionspectrum. Integration with the CPB enables capacitive readout of the mechanicalresonance directly on the chip.