bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatigue performance of metallic reverse‐bent joints
Authors: FESSEL G. , BROUGHTON J. G. , FELLOWS N. A. , DURODOLA J. F. , HUTCHINSON A. R.
Published: August 2009

Adhesively bonded lap shear joints have been investigated widely and several ideas have been proposed for improving joint strength by reducing bondline stress concentrations. These include application of adhesive fillets at the overlap ends and use of adhesive with graded properties in the overlap area. Another, less common, approach is to deform the substrates in the overlap area in order to obtain a more desirable bondline stress distribution.

Previous work carried out by the authors on a number of different substrate materials indicated that a reverse‐bent joint geometry is useful for increasing joint strength. Results from static stress analysis and experimental testing demonstrated that significant improvements could be achieved. This paper presents results of further work carried out to assess the fatigue performance of reverse‐bent joints. Substrates with different yield and plastic deformation characteristics were used and the effects of different overlap lengths on strength were examined. The results of this research show that the improvements obtained under static tests conditions translate to even higher benefits in fatigue. The paper also explains the failure mechanism of the joints under fatigue loading.
Work Hours and Caseload as Predictors of Physician Burnout: The Mediating Effects by Perceived Workload and by Autonomy
Authors: Shirom Arie , Nirel Nurit , Vinokur Amiram D.
Published: August 2009

We tested a model in which perceived workload and autonomy were hypothesised to mediate the effects of work hours and caseload on physician burnout. The study was based on data provided by 890 specialists representing six medical specialties. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Controlling for the effects of gender, seniority, and the specialists' academic affiliation, we found that the study data fit the hypothesised model—reflecting these hypotheses—quite well. As expected, workload predicted higher levels of global burnout and physical fatigue, while autonomy predicted lower levels of global burnout. Work hours and caseload predicted global burnout only indirectly, via their effects on either perceived workload or autonomy. These findings suggest that public policies, designed to reduce physician work hours in order to reduce burnout and improve patients' safety, should take into account physician perceived workload and autonomy.

Nous avons mis à l'épreuve un modèle centré sur l'hypothèse selon laquelle la charge de travail perçue et l'autonomie régulaient l'impact de la durée du travail médical et administratif sur le burnout des médecins. La recherche a exploité des données fournies par 890 spécialistes relevant de six spécialités médicales. On a fait appel à une modélisation en équations structurales pour valider nos hypothèses. En contrôlant l'action du genre, de l'âge et du type de spécialité, il est apparu que les données correspondaient parfaitement au modèle hypothétique. Comme prévu, la charge de travail prédisait des niveaux plus élevés de burnout global et de fatigue physique, alors que l'autonomie débouchait sur des niveaux plus faibles de burnout global. La durée du travail ne prédisait qu'indirectement le burnout global, par l'entremise des retombées sur la charge de travail perçue et l'autonomie. Ces résultats montrent que la réglementation publique qui envisage de réduire le temps de travail des médecins dans le souci d'atténuer le burnout et d'améliorer la sécurité des malades devrait prendre en considération la charge de travail perçue et l'autonomie des médecins.
Stages of condom use and decisional balance among college students
Authors: Tung W‐C. , Farmer S. , Ding K. , Tung W‐K. , Hsu C‐H.
Published: August 2009

Aims:  To explore sexual behaviours and condom use and differences in specific items of perceived benefits and barriers to condoms using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) stages among college students in southern Taiwan.

Background:  The TTM suggests that individuals in the action or maintenance stage exhibit higher levels of perceived benefits and lower levels of perceived barriers related to condom use than people in the precontemplation, contemplation or preparation stage.

Methods:  This was a descriptive, cross‐sectional design with cluster sampling among college students from two universities in southern Taiwan. Participants completed self‐administered questionnaires, including demographic data, Sexual History and Condom Use Scale and Condom Use Decisional Balance Scale.

Results:  Of the 279 participants, 57% were sexually active, of these only 11.9% used condoms consistently. Respondents in the TTM stage of action/maintenance perceived greater benefits in relation to feeling more responsible (P = 0.031) and protecting their partners as well as themselves (P = 0.028), and perceived more barriers in believing that using condom needs to rely on partner's cooperation (P = 0.046) than participants in precontemplation. Participants in precontemplation and contemplation perceived more barriers related to worry about making their partner angry if condoms were used than those in action/maintenance (P = 0.008).

Conclusion:  Low levels of condom use among Taiwanese college students remain a significant public health concern. HIV prevention programmes for college students in Taiwan may be enhanced if they incorporate readiness to change and perceived benefits and barriers. Future research should include a larger sample with diverse groups.
Nurses' positive attitudes to nutritional management but limited knowledge of nutritional assessment in Korea
Authors: Kim H. , Choue R.
Published: August 2009

Background:  Nurses' involvement in nutritional management has received greater emphasis as an accountable factor for the nutritional status of patients. Studies have shown that there are deficiencies in awareness of the importance of nutritional assessment and limited nutritional knowledge in nurses.

Aim:  The purpose of this study was to investigate nutritional attitudes and knowledge of nurses working in the hospital environment.

Methods:  A questionnaire survey was conducted. It is focused on nutritional management with regard to assessment of nutritional status and implementation of nutritional care. Nurses were recruited from the university hospital in Seoul, Korea.

Findings:  A majority of nurses had positive attitudes towards patients' nutritional status and had a high desire to receive nutritional information. However, they had limited knowledge of nutrition, especially nutritional assessment criteria which are basic to the evaluation of patient's nutritional status. Nurses did not perform the nutritional assessment appropriately in practice.

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that nurses have limited nutritional knowledge and they use nutritional assessment criteria poorly in clinical settings. This study provides a framework for developing nutritional management programmes and a standardized protocol for nutritional assessment.
The prevalence, characteristics and correlates of falls in Korean community‐dwelling older adults
Authors: Shin K.‐R. , Kang Y. , Hwang E.‐H. , Jung D.
Published: August 2009

Background:  The risk factors for falls that have been reported in Caucasian older adults may not be the same for Korean older adults.

Objective:  To examine the prevalence, characteristics and correlates of falls among community‐dwelling older adults in Korea.

Methods:  A stratified random sampling method was conducted to recruit participants, and 335 were eligible to participate from September 2006 to March 2007. Socio‐demographic data, history of disease and medications, activities of daily living (ADL), cognitive status, health behaviour and fall incidents were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample. The prevalence of falls was obtained. Univariate analyses for risk factors of falls using chi‐square and t‐test statistics, and multivariate logistic regression analyses for correlates of falls were performed.

Results:  Of the 335 older adults, 48 (15%) elderly had experienced falls. There was a significant difference between older adults who fell and those who did not fall with regard to ADL and exercise behaviour. Non‐fallers had higher ADL scores and showed higher levels of adherence to exercise than fallers. The independent risk factor for falls was ADL.

Conclusions/implications:  In this study, an individual's functional status and exercise engagement were significant factors that differentiated fallers and non‐fallers. Therefore, an effective fall prevention programme should be focused on encouraging older adults to participate in regular exercise.
Innovative self‐management programme for diabetics following coronary care unit admission
Authors: Wu C‐J. (Jo) , Chang A.M. , McDowell J.
Published: August 2009

Background:  Evidence indicates self‐management programmes based on improving self‐efficacy in managing diabetes can reduce the risk of a further cardiac event. Many current cardiac rehabilitation or diabetes self‐management programmes do not address the needs of people with both type 2 diabetes and a critical cardiac condition in their transition from coronary care unit (CCU) to home.

Aims/Methods:  The aim was to develop and pilot test a Cardiac–Diabetes Self‐Management Program (CDSMP) using an experimental design.

Findings/Conclusion:  Results demonstrated the feasibility of the CDSMP for CCU patients with type 2 diabetes in their transition to home, and a full study is warranted.
The Effect of Marriage on Education of Immigrants: Evidence from a Policy Reform Restricting Marriage Migration*
Authors: Nielsen Helena Skyt , Smith Nina , Çelikaksoy Aycan
Published: August 2009

We investigate the effect of immigrants’ marriage behavior on dropout from education. To identify the causal effect, we exploit a recent Danish policy reform that generated exogenous variation in marriage behavior by a complete abolishment of marriage migration for immigrants below 24 years. The reform influenced immigrants from countries with a high historical rate of marriage migration more than immigrants from country groups with a low rate. We find that the dropout rate for males increases by 25 percentage points as a consequence of marriage to a marriage migrant, whereas the effect for females is small and mostly insignificant.
How Important are Financial Frictions in the United States and the Euro Area?
Authors: Queijo von Heideken Virginia
Published: August 2009

This paper aims to evaluate whether frictions in credit markets are important for business cycles in the United States and the euro area. I modify the DSGE financial accelerator model developed by Bernanke, Gertler and Gilchrist (1999) by adding such frictions as price indexation to past inflation, sticky wages, consumption habits and variable capital utilization. When estimating the model using Bayesian methods, I find that financial frictions are relevant in both areas. According to the posterior odds ratio, the data clearly favor the model with financial frictions, both in the United States and the euro area. Moreover, financial frictions are larger in the euro area.
Will non‐humans be saved? An argument in ecotheology*
Authors: Latour Bruno
Published: August 2009

The growing interest in ecology has had the unexpected effect of granting new relevance to a theology interested not so much in the salvation of humans as in the salvation of the whole creation – non‐humans included. Since science studies has for many years probed several alternatives to the modernist divide between subject and object, it is interesting to combine the tools of science studies and theology to elicit a new contrast between nature and creation. Using tools from an anthropological inquiry of the moderns, the article draws a different connection between religion and science that bypasses the notion of nature.

L'intérêt croissant pour l'écologie a eu pour effet inattendu de remettre en lumière une théologie qui s'intéresse moins au salut des humains qu'à celui de toute la Création, non‐humains compris. À l'heure où des études scientifiques explorent depuis de nombreuses années différentes alternatives à la dichotomie moderniste entre sujet et objet, il est intéressant d'associer les outils de ces études et ceux de la théologie pour établir une nouvelle différenciation entre nature et création. À l'aide des outils d'étude anthropologique des modernes, le présent article établit un lien différent entre religion et science, qui s'affranchit de la notion de nature.
Hazardous waste: the semiotics of ritual hygiene in Cuban popular religion
Authors: Wirtz Kristina
Published: August 2009

Using a semiotic framework to examine different categorizations of ritually produced ‘hazardous waste’ in Cuban popular religions, I argue that the ways in which waste is produced and treated generate its social indexical value and its potential to act on people. I suggest a focus on the interactions between the materiality of ritual waste and its circulation as an object of discourse. In this view, subjectification and objectification processes are shown to be related, and the agency of subjects and objects is constituted within what Webb Keane calls the same ‘representational economy’. Ethnographically, I describe two different but overlapping explanatory frameworks in how religious practitioners and the Cuban state construe the dangers of ritual waste: a religious framework in which certain kinds of waste are spiritually charged, and an epidemiological framework based on long‐standing metaphors of racialized contagion.

À partir de l'analyse, dans un cadre sémiotique, de différentes catégorisations de « déchets dangereux » produits par les rituels des religions populaires cubaines, l'auteure avance que la manière dont les déchets sont produits et traités génère leur valeur indexique sociale et leur capacité d'agir sur les gens. Elle suggère de se concentrer sur les interactions entre la matérialité des déchets rituels et leur circulation en tant qu'objet de discours. Selon cette approche, il apparaît que les processus de subjectification et d'objectification sont liés et que l'agencéité des sujets et des objets est constituée dans le cadre d'une même «économie représentationnelle », selon l'expression de Webb Keane. Du point de vue ethnographique, l'auteure décrit deux cadres différents, mais qui se recoupent, pour expliquer la manière dont les praticiens religieux et l'État cubain envisagent les dangers des déchets rituels : un cadre religieux dans lequel certains types de déchets portent une charge spirituelle, et un cadre épidémiologique, basé sur d'anciennes métaphores de contagion racialisée.
Absent powers: magic and loss in post‐socialist Mongolia
Authors: Højer Lars
Published: August 2009

Across contemporary Mongolia, people feel that precious religious knowledge has been lost during socialism, and that an unbridgeable gap between pre‐socialist and post‐socialist times has emerged. Instead of viewing this as a passive lack of knowledge, however, this article explores the procreative aspects of absent knowledge. It is argued that such absence is a precondition for the efficacy of certain religious images and practices because it directs people's attention towards a compelling unknown. Here, religious knowledge is effective only insofar as it is revealed as a concealed but potent presence through magico‐religious charms and (post‐)socialist imaginations. It is argued that the presence of absent knowledge is a cause that does not contain its effects, and, hence, that relations to the unknown are also unknown relations.

Les habitants de la Mongolie contemporaine ont le sentiment que des savoirs religieux précieux se sont perdus pendant l'ère socialiste et qu'un fossé infranchissable s'est creusé entre les époques pré‐ et post‐socialiste. Au lieu d'y voir un manque de connaissances passif, l'auteur explore ici les aspects procréatifs de l'absence de connaissances. Il avance que cette absence est une condition nécessaire à l'efficacité de certaines images et pratiques religieuses, parce qu'elle attire l'attention des gens vers un inconnu irrésistible. Les connaissances religieuses ne sont efficaces ici que pour autant qu'elles soient révélées comme une présence cachée mais puissante, grâce à des charmes magico‐religieux et à l'imaginaire (post‐)socialiste. L'auteur affirme que la présence de connaissances absentes est une cause qui ne contient pas ses effets et que, de ce fait, les relations à l'inconnu sont aussi des relations inconnues.
On the Epidemiological Microfoundations of Sticky Information*
Authors: Nunes Ricardo
Published: August 2009

We estimate and compare two models in which households periodically update their expectations. The first model assumes that households update their expectations towards survey measures. In the second model, households update their expectations towards rational expectations (RE). While the literature has used these specifications indistinguishably, we argue that there are important differences. The two models imply different updating probabilities, and the data seem to prefer the second one. We then analyse the properties of both models in terms of mean expectations, median expectations, and a measure of disagreement among households. The model with periodical updates towards RE also seems to fit the data better along these dimensions.
Intact neurovascular coupling during executive function in migraine without aura: Interictal near-infrared spectroscopy study
Authors: Schytz HW , Ciftçi K , Akin A , Ashina M , Bolay H
Published: August 2009

An altered neurovascular coupling has been proposed in migraine. We aimed to investigate neurovascular coupling during a mental task interictally in patients with migraine without aura (MO) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Twelve migraineurs and 12 healthy controls were included. Using NIRS, we recorded the magnitude and latency of cortical changes in oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhaemoglobin (Hb) during the colour-word matching Stroop test via 16 channels covering the forehead. We found no differences in the magnitude of responses between migraineurs and healthy subjects in the incongruent Stroop task subtracted by the neutral Stroop task on either side of the frontal cortex for HbO2 (left, P = 0.984; right, P = 0.406) or Hb (left, P = 0.689; right, P = 0.406) values. No differences in error rate ( P = 0.611) or reaction time ( P = 0.936) were found between healthy subjects and MO patients for incongruent tasks. The present study suggests that vascular reactivity and oxygen supply during a mental task in patients with MO are intact interictally.
Understanding Expertise
Authors: LUNTLEY MICHAEL
Published: August 2009

abstract

It is sometimes said that experts know and decide ‘in the moment’, not by theoretical or propositionally articulated reflection. What differentiates expert from novice is not that the former know a lot more than the latter, but that their knowledge and the way they use it is qualitatively different. Although this idea is common in the education literature, especially the literature on professional education, it has received little sustained philosophical treatment. I shall argue that the idea of a distinct expert epistemology is not warranted. I argue that what differentiates the epistemic standpoint of experts is not what or how they know, let alone how they deploy knowledge in decision‐making, but their capacity for learning. This capacity for learning is plausibly a function of their epistemic station broadly conceived, in particular the nature of their capacities for attention.
Should endometrial polyps be removed in patients with postmenopausal bleeding?—an assessment of study designs and report of a failed randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN73825127)
Authors: Timmermans A , Veersema S , van Kerkvoorde TC , van der Voet LF , Opmeer BC , Bongers MY , Mol BWJ
Published: August 2009

We describe the design of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of endometrial polyp removal in women with postmenopausal bleeding. We designed a trial in which patients with postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickness >4 mm undergo hysteroscopy. If during hysteroscopy an endometrial polyp was diagnosed, patients were asked to participate in this trial and after informed consent allocated to immediate removal of the polyp or expectant management. This trial suffered from lack of recruitment related both to doctors seeking for informed consent as well as to patients’ unwillingness to participate in this trial. However, a randomised controlled trial on this subject is still necessary to evaluate the efficacy of uterine cavity evaluation in the diagnostic work‐up of women with postmenopausal bleeding, focussing on benign pathology. Therefore, we propose an alternative design, which might be more feasible.
Determination of Scattering and Absorption Coefficients for Plasma‐Sprayed Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Eldridge Jeffrey I. , Spuckler Charles M. , Markham James R.
Published: August 2009

The temperature dependence of the scattering and absorption coefficients for a set of freestanding plasma‐sprayed 8 wt% yttria‐stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was determined at temperatures up to 1360°C in a wavelength range from 1.2 μm up to the 8YSZ absorption edge. The scattering and absorption coefficients were determined by fitting the directional‐hemispherical reflectance and transmittance values calculated by a four‐flux Kubelka–Munk method to the experimentally measured hemispherical‐directional reflectance and transmittance values obtained for five 8YSZ thicknesses. The scattering coefficient exhibited a continuous decrease with increasing wavelength and showed no significant temperature dependence. The scattering is primarily attributed to the relatively temperature‐insensitive refractive index mismatch between the 8YSZ and its internal voids. The absorption coefficient was very low (<1 cm−1) at wavelengths between 2 μm and the absorption edge and showed a definite temperature dependence that consisted of a shift of the absorption edge to shorter wavelengths and an increase in the weak absorption below the absorption edge with increasing temperature. The shift in the absorption edge with temperature is attributed to strongly temperature‐dependent multiphonon absorption. While TBC hemispherical transmittance beyond the absorption edge can be predicted by a simple exponential decrease with thickness, below the absorption edge, typical TBC thicknesses are well below the thickness range where a simple exponential decrease in hemispherical transmittance with TBC thickness is expected. [Correction added after online publication August 11, 2009: “edge to a shorter wavelengths” has been updated as “edge to shorter wavelengths.”]
Preparation of Nanohydroxyapatite by a Sol–Gel Method Using Alginic Acid as a Complexing Agent
Authors: Velu Geetha , Gopal Buvaneswari
Published: August 2009

Single‐phase calcium hydroxyapatite (HAP) was synthesized by a sol–gel route using calcium nitrate solution and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate solution as Ca and P sources and alginic acid as a chelating agent. The dried gel was heat‐treated at different temperatures in the range of 110°–900°C. Structural evolution from sol to gel and from the gel to HAP was studied by the powder X‐ray diffraction method, Infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analyses. The formation temperature of HAP was confirmed to be ∼300°C. Examination of the product obtained at 300°C under TEM suggested the development of hexagonal‐shaped nanoparticles, with the average particle size in the range of 50–100 nm.
Synthesis and Consolidation of BaAl2Si2O8:Eu: Development of an Integrated Process for Luminescent Smart Ceramic Materials
Authors: Sinha Kaustav , Pearson Brett , Casolco Said R. , Garay Javier E. , Graeve Olivia A.
Published: August 2009

A novel, integrated, fast, and inexpensive process for the preparation of dense Ba(1−x)EuxAl2Si2O8 thin ceramic specimens for damage sensor applications is reported. The processing approach involves a combination of combustion synthesis for the preparation of the powders and spark plasma sintering (SPS) for the consolidation of the specimens to densities close to 100% of relative density. The synthesis of the porous powders by combustion resulted in particle (agglomerate) sizes that were on average 421 nm, as determined from dynamic light scattering, and in the almost complete reduction of the initial Eu3+ activators to Eu2+. The powders densified to grain sizes of around 250 nm due to a collapse of the porous powder structure and minimal grain growth during SPS. Thermal treatment of the powders and sintered specimens improved the intensity of the emissions at 373 and 745 nm and diminished the emission at 485 nm. The luminescence phenomena from the specimens were a result of two mechanisms: (1) the removal of strain in the lattice due to thermal treatment, and (2) a charge transfer mechanism between Eu2+ and Eu3+.
Alumina/Silicon Carbide Laminated Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Sglavo Vincenzo M. , De Genua Francesca , Molinari Alberto , Casari Francesco
Published: August 2009

Ceramic laminates composed of alumina/silicon carbide composite layers were produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Monolithic composite disks containing up to 30 vol% of silicon carbide were fabricated by stacking together and cosintering by SPS green layers prepared by tape casting water‐based suspensions. An engineered laminate with a specific layer combination that is able to promote the stable growth of surface defects before final failure was also designed and produced. Fully dense materials with an optimum adhesion between the constituting layers and a homogeneous distribution of the two phases were obtained after SPS. Monolithic composites showed an increasing strength with SiC load, and biaxial strength values as high as 700 MPa were observed for a SiC content of 30 vol%. The engineered laminate showed a peculiar crack propagation that is responsible for the high strength value of about 600 MPa and for the evident insensitivity to surface defects.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Effects of Peritoneal Fluid from Endometriosis Patients on Interferon‐γ‐Induced Protein‐10 (CXCL10) and Interleukin‐8 (CXCL8) Released by Neutrophils and CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Kim Ji‐Yeon , Lee Dong‐Hyung , Joo Jong‐Kil , Jin Jun‐O , Wang Ji‐Won , Hong Young‐Seoub , Kwak Jong‐Young , Lee Kyu‐Sup
Published: August 2009

Problem  Intraperitoneal immuno‐inflammatory changes may be associated with the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We evaluated the effects of peritoneal fluid obtained from patients with endometriosis (ePF) on the release of interferon‐γ‐induced protein‐10 (IP‐10/CXCL10) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8/CXCL8) by neutrophils, CD4+ T cells, and monocytes.

Method of study  Neutrophils, CD4+ T cells, and monocytes were cultured with ePF and the chemokine levels in the supernatants were then measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results  The addition of ePF to cultures of CD4+ T cells led to a significant increase in the release of IP‐10 when compared with control PF without endometriosis (cPF). There was a positive correlation between the levels of IL‐8 and IP‐10 in ePF (R = 0.89, P = 0.041), but not between the levels of IP‐10 and IL‐8 released by neutrophils, CD4+ T cells, and monocytes. The levels of IP‐10 in ePF were positively correlated with the release of IP‐10 by ePF‐treated neutrophils (R = 0.89, P < 0.001), CD4+ T cells (R = 0.93, P < 0.001), and monocytes (R = 0.70, P = 0.01). Moreover, the addition of ePF significantly enhanced the interferon‐γ‐induced release of IP‐10 by nuetrophils and CD4+ T cells.

Conclusion  These findings suggest that neutrophils and T cells release differential levels of IP‐10 and IL‐8 in response to stimulation with ePF, and that these cells are a major source of IP‐10 in the PF of endometriosis patients.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α‐Associated Mechanisms Affecting the Embryonic Response to Cyclophosphamide
Authors: Mammon Keren , Savion Shoshana , Orenstein Hasida , Fein Amos , Torchinsky Arkady , Toder Vladimir
Published: August 2009

Problem  We have previously shown that TNF‐α−/− embryos are more sensitive to the exposure to cyclophosphamide (CP) compared with TNF‐α+/+ embryos; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Thus, in our present study, we tried to identify those molecules that might be responsible for the protective effect of the cytokine.

Method of study  CP‐treated TNF‐α−/− and TNF‐α+/+ embryos were analyzed for changes in apoptosis by TUNEL and flow cytometry, while cell proliferation was analyzed by BrdU incorporation. The expression of Bax, bcl‐2, p53, the p65 subunit of NF‐κB and IκBα was assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

Results  CP‐treated TNF‐α−/− embryos exhibited a more profound decrease in their weight, which was accompanied by an earlier appearance of cellular damage and apoptotic cells and an earlier decrease in cell proliferation in the embryonic brain compared with TNF‐α+/+ embryos. Also, an increased percentage of Bax‐positive cells and a decreased percentage of bcl‐2‐positive cells were detected in TNF‐α−/− embryos 48 hr after exposure, which were accompanied by a decreased percentage of p53‐positive cells.

Conclusion  Our data implicate TNF‐α to be involved in the protection of the embryo against CP teratogenicity, possibly via alteration in Bax, bcl‐2 or p53 expression.
Managers' Active Support when Implementing Teams: The Impact on Employee Well‐Being
Authors: Nielsen Karina , Randall Raymond
Published: August 2009

Research has shown that a variety of organisational change interventions can be effective but the powerful positive results of an intervention do not always generalise to other similar settings. Problems with implementation and a difficult intervention context have been shown to undermine the effectiveness of promising interventions. The impact that middle managers have on the change process and intervention outcomes has not been widely researched. This longitudinal intervention study was carried out in the elderly care sector in a large Danish local government organisation (N = 188), where poor social support, and lack of role clarity and meaningful work had been identified as significant problems. To tackle these problems, teamwork was implemented, with teams having some degree of self‐management. It examined whether middle managers' active support for the intervention mediated its impact on working conditions, well‐being and job satisfaction. Structural equation modelling showed that middle managers' active involvement in implementing the change partially mediated the relationship between working conditions at time 1 and time 2. Working conditions at time 2 were in turn related to time 2 job satisfaction and well‐being. These results suggest that the degree to which employees perceive their middle managers to play an active role in implementing change is related to intervention outcomes.
Laparoscopic obesity surgery in an Asian Institute: A 10‐year prospective study with review of literature
Authors: Lee Wei‐Jei , Ser Kong‐Han , Lee Yi‐Chih , Su Yen‐Hao , Chen Shu‐Chun , Tsou Jun Juin , Chen Jung‐Chien
Published: August 2009

Objective: Obesity surgery is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity and leads to dramatic improvement in related co‐morbidities. The aim of this study was to present the long‐term results of a prospective trial studying the efficacy of laparoscopic obesity surgery in a group of oriental patients.

Method: From April 1998 to March 2009, 2385 patients who underwent obesity surgery in a single bariatric center in Asia were recruited. Various procedures have been adopted so far, including laparoscopic vertical banded gastric partition in 652 patients (27.3%), laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB) in 1228 patients (51.5%), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in 226 patients (9.5%), laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in 128 patients (5.4%), gastric balloon in 68 patients (2.8%) and laparoscopic revision surgery in 83 patients (3.5%). We evaluated the clinical data and effect of obesity surgery on different procedures.

Results: Overall, the major complication rate and mortality were 1.5% and 0.12%. There was an increase of surgical risk in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic revision surgery patients. The mean total weight loss for the population was 28.1%, 33.9%, 21.3% 18.7% and 17.4% at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 years after surgery, respectively. LGB had a better weight loss (30.1%) than that of the restrictive‐type procedures (20.9%) at 5 years after surgery. After surgery, most of the obesity‐associated co‐morbidities were resolved or improved in these patients.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic obesity surgery resulted in significant and sustained weight loss in morbidly obese Asian patients with resolution of associated co‐morbidities. LGB had a better result in weight reduction than other restrictive procedures.
A Note on the Public Interest and Ethical Behaviour
Authors: Henderson Scott , Henderson Erin
Published: August 2009

The Joint Code of Professional Conduct of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia has made the protection of the public interest the primary responsibility of chartered accountants. We argue that the traditional accounting practices to safeguard the interests of clients and employers are likely to be contrary to the public interest and represent unethical behaviour in terms of the code. We also argue that although there may be breaches of the code they are unlikely to result in disciplinary action as there is a low probability of complaints against members of the Institute.
Without `Reinventing the Wheel‘: Business Accounting Applied to the Public Sector
Authors: Christensen Mark
Published: August 2009

This article considers why a business accounting model was applied in an early adoption of public‐sector accrual accounting. The history of that change shows that large private‐sector consulting firms were active in the promotion and implementation of a commercial model of public‐sector accrual accounting. It is argued here that the consulting firms' actions are best understood using concepts of mimetic isomorphism and the interplay between self‐interest and perceived public interest. They formed an epistemic community in which self‐interest was present but with a zealous belief that private‐sector accounting was an inherently righteous objective for the public sector.
`Sector Neutrality‘ and NPM‘Incentives’: Their Use in Eroding the Public Sector
Authors: Newberry Susan
Published: August 2009

Despite New Zealand̂s public‐sector reformers' claims that financial reporting changes promote competitive neutrality and improved accountability and transparency, privatisation‐favouring “incentives” were designed into the system at a hidden detailed level. That distorted system has been encompassed within the accounting profession's standard‐setting activities through standard‐setters' erroneous claims, in Australia and New Zealand, that the accounting profession's conceptual framework and accounting standards are sector‐neutral. These claims help to conceal the fact that the public‐sector financial management system has been designed to be partial, with its incentives structured to erode the public sector and favour privatisation.
The Department of Defence — Australia's Most Profitable Business?
Authors: Barton Allan
Published: August 2009

In its financial statements, the Department of Defence is portrayed as being a highly profitable enterprise which is largely self‐funding, yet it sells nothing and is dependent on budget appropriations for its income. The applicability of AAS and many of the New Public Management reforms to the public sector is questioned following an analysis of the departments financial statements.
Accrual Accounting and Budgeting Systems Issues in Australian Governments
Authors: BARTON ALLAN
Published: August 2009

Much confusion has resulted from the adoption of two accrual accounting and budgeting systems by Australian governments — the Government Finance Statistics system and the Australian Accounting Standards system — as each reports vastly different results. Which set of results should be believed and approved by parliament? Further, termination of the former cash accounting system has deprived governments of important information. The systems are examined here, and use of an enhanced GFS system, which incorporates the cash system, is recommended.
What We Might Know (But Aren't Sure) About Public‐Sector Accrual Accounting
Authors: CHRISTENSEN MARK
Published: August 2009

This article responds to the preceding paper by Allan Barton by reviewing the practitioner and academic literature on accrual accounting in a general government sector context. It considers why that literature has a preponderance of assertion and is underweight in evidence. It argues that Barton's paper, while being a useful addition to the calls for improvements to the model of accrual accounting applied to GGS organisations, has flaws in its assertions as to the superiority of accrual accounting per se. These flaws are an absence of supporting evidence and a confusion between internal and external accounting.
An Empirical Examination of the Market Returns and Financial Performance of Entities Engaged in Sustainability Reporting
Authors: JONES STEWART , FROST GEOFF , LOFTUS JANICE , VAN DER LAAN SANDRA
Published: August 2009

The importance of sustainability reporting to external stakeholders is reflected in the advent of various reporting guidelines and government inquiries. However, evidence of the inadequacy of such reporting, coupled with limited evidence of its use by market participants (such as investors and creditors) for resource‐allocation decisions, raises questions about the overall value‐relevance of sustainability reporting. This study seeks to identify, in the Australian context, whether the level of sustainable reporting is associated with a range of financial and market performance attributes of the firm.
Aerothermal Challenges in Syngas, Hydrogen-Fired, and Oxyfuel Turbines—Part I: Gas-Side Heat Transfer
Authors: Chyu Minking K. , Mazzotta Danny W. , Siw Sean C. , Karaivanov Ventzislav G. , Slaughter William S. , Alvin Mary Anne
Published: August 2009

To meet the performance goals of advanced fossil power generation systems, future coal-gas fired turbines will likely be operated at temperatures higher than those in the current commercial natural gas-fired systems. The working fluid in these future turbines could contain substantial moisture (steam), mixed with carbon dioxide, instead of air or nitrogen in conventional gas turbines. As a result, the aerothermal characteristics among the advanced turbine systems are expected to be significantly different, not only from the natural gas turbines but also will be dependent strongly on the compositions of turbine working fluids. Described in this paper is a quantitative comparison of thermal load on the external surface of turbine airfoils that are projected to be utilized in different power cycles the U.S. Department of Energy plans for the next 2 decades. The study is pursued with a computational simulation, based on the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics analysis. While the heat transfer coefficient has shown to vary strongly along the surface of the airfoil, the projected trends were relatively comparable for airfoils in syngas and hydrogen-fired cycles. However, the heat transfer coefficient for the oxyfuel cycle is found to be substantially higher by about 50–60% than its counterparts in syngas and hydrogen turbines. This is largely caused by the high steam concentration in the turbine flow. Results gained from this study overall suggest that advances in cooling technology and thermal barrier coatings are critical for developments of future coal-based turbine technologies with near zero emissions.
Hydronic Coil Performance Evaluation With Nanofluids and Conventional Heat Transfer Fluids
Authors: Strandberg Roy , Das Debendra K.
Published: August 2009

The performance of hydronic heating coils with nanoparticle enhanced heat transfer fluids (nanofluids) is evaluated and compared with their performance with a conventional heat transfer fluid comprised of 60% ethylene glycol (EG) and 40% water, by mass (60% EG). The nanofluids analyzed are comprised of either CuO or Al2O3 nanoparticles dispersed in the 60% EG solution. The heating coil has a finned tube configuration commonly used in commercial air handling and ventilating systems. Coil performance is modeled using methods that have been previously developed and validated. The methods are modified by incorporating Nusselt number correlations for nanofluids that have been previously documented in the literature. Similarly, correlations for nanoparticle thermophysical properties that have been documented in the literature are employed. The analyses show that heating coil performance may be enhanced considerably by employing these nanofluid solutions as a heat transfer medium. The model predicts a 16.6% increase in coil heating capacity under certain conditions with the 4% Al2O3/60% EG nanofluid, and a 7.4% increase with the 2% CuO/60% EG nanofluid compared with heating capacity with the base fluid. The model predicts that, for a coil with the Al2O3/60% EG nanofluid, liquid pumping power at a given heating output is reduced when compared with a coil with the base fluid.
Reduction in Pollutants Emissions From Domestic Boilers—Computational Fluid Dynamics Study
Authors: Gasser Hassan  , Pourkashanian Mohamed , Ingham Derek , Ma Lin , Taylor Stephen
Published: August 2009

This study is concerned with building a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the combustion process occurring in the combustion chamber of some domestic boilers. The burner used in this boiler is a conventional cylindrical premix burner with small inlet holes on its surface. A two-dimensional CFD model is built to simulate the combustion chamber domain, and the partially premixed combustion model with a postprocessor for NOx calculations is used to simulate the combustion process inside the combustion chamber. A complete description of the formation characteristics of NOx produced from the boiler is discussed in detail. A comparison between the CFD numerical results and the experimental measurements at different boiler loads is performed in order to validate the numerical model and investigate the accuracy of the CFD model. The validated CFD model is used to investigate the effect of different boundaries temperatures and the mixture inlet velocity on the flue gas average temperature, residence time, and hence the CO and NOx concentrations produced from the combustion chamber. The concept of changing the mixture inlet velocity is found to be an effective method to improve the design of the burner in order to reduce the pollutant emissions produced from the boiler with no effect on the boiler efficiency.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of a Mesoscale Combustor: An Exercise in Verification and Validation
Authors: Weathers Jeffrey W. , Taylor Robert P. , Weathers James B.
Published: August 2009

With the simulation of engineering processes via numerical methods on the rise comes the need for a quantitative measure of the agreement between computational results and experimental measurements. The use of quantitative methods in the comparison of the results of numerical and experimental analyses supersedes the traditional qualitative approach. In the present paper, the importance of the role of modeling assumptions in a verification and validation effort is illustrated through a mesoscale combustor example. The various types of uncertainties encountered in the experimentation and numerical simulation are investigated. Through the investigation the initial modeling assumptions proved to be insufficient, producing a comparison error outside of the acceptable range. Thus, the modeling assumptions were sequentially revised, minimizing the comparison error and producing a successful verification and validation effort.
Investigation of Potential Benefits of Using Bricks of High Thermal Capacity and Conductivity in a Rotating Calcining Kiln
Authors: Zhao Lei , Wang Ting
Published: August 2009

Petroleum coke is processed into calcined coke in a rotary kiln, where the temperature profiles of flue gas and coke bed are highly nonuniform due to different flow and combustion mechanisms. Motivated by saving energy costs, the effect of refractory brick’s thermal properties on potential energy savings is investigated. This study focuses on investigating potential energy savings by replacing inner one-third of existing bricks with higher thermal capacity (Cp) and/or higher thermal-conductivity (k) bricks. This paper investigates the postulation: the bricks with higher thermal capacity could store more thermal energy during the period in contact with the hot gas and would release more heat to the cock bed when the bricks rotate to the position in contact with the coke bed. A rotational transient marching conduction numerical simulation is conducted using the commercial software FLUENT. The impact of brick heat capacity and thermal conductivity on transporting thermal energy to the coke bed is analyzed. The results show the following: (a) Increasing the heat capacity of brick layer reduces brick temperature, which helps increase the heat transfer between the hot gas and brick. In other words, it does help brick to store more heat from the hot gas, but heat transfer between brick and coke is reduced, which is opposite to the original postulation. (b) Higher brick thermal conductivity decreases brick temperature, thus increases heat transfer between hot gas and the brick layer. The heat transfer from brick to coke bed is also increased but not significantly. (c) Since usually a brick with a higher Cp value also has a higher k-value, simulation of a brick layer with both four times higher Cp and k-values actually shows a reduction in the brick temperature, and hence a degradation of the heat transfer between the brick and coke bed. Therefore, replacing the existing brick layer with a high Cp- and/or high k-value brick is not recommended.
An introduction to inertial navigation
Authors: Baird William H.
Published: August 2009

In most introductory physics courses, the first equations encountered are the kinematic equations. Though the emphasis at this level tends to be on cases of constant acceleration, many real-world examples of motion are not so simple. We describe the use of inexpensive hobbyist-grade accelerometers and spreadsheet software to explore inertial navigation via numerical integration of the measured acceleration.
Quadrupolar contact fields: Theory and applications
Authors: Gray C. G. , Karl G. , Novikov V. A.
Published: August 2009

Contact terms for the electric dipole and magnetic dipole fields are well known. We give a simple derivation of the contact term of the electric quadrupole field. We then consider applications to the surface potential across a vapor/liquid interface of a nonpolar fluid, an extension of Jackson’s theorems for the mean electric fields for spherical regions of space with and without a fixed system of charges, and hyperfine interactions due to the electric quadrupole-monopole and quadrupole-quadrupole interactions of two bound particles of spin one or greater.
Chaos control: The problem of a bouncing ball revisited
Authors: Vargas M. Cristina , Huerta D. A. , Sosa Victor
Published: August 2009

The problem of a body bouncing on a periodically oscillating surface is revisited to demonstrate chaos control. When the bouncing body is magnetic, it is possible to modify its behavior by adding a magnetic driving force. The mechanism of chaos control may be understood by means of a mechanical analysis which shows that the main result of applying the driving force is to shift the bifurcation diagram in such a way that chaotic behavior is replaced by periodic behavior and vice versa. A simple experiment is presented, along with a numerical simulation, that provides insight into chaos control.