bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A SPEECH SYNTHESIZER USING FACIAL EMG SIGNALS
Authors: TSUJI TOSHIO , BU NAN , ARITA JUN , OHGA MAKOTO
Published: December 2008

This paper proposes a novel phoneme classification method using facial electromyography (EMG) signals. This method makes use of differential EMG signals between muscles for phoneme classification, which enables a speech synthesizer to be constructed using fewer electrodes. The EMG signal is derived as a differential between monopolar electrodes attached to two different muscles, unlike conventional methods in which the EMG signal is derived as a differential between bipolar electrodes attached to the same muscle. Frequency-based feature patterns are then extracted using a filter bank, and the phonemes are classified using a probabilistic neural network, called a reduced-dimensional log-linearized Gaussian mixture network (RD-LLGMN). Since RD-LLGMN merges feature extraction and pattern classification processes into a single network structure, a lower-dimensional feature set that is consistent with classification purposes can be extracted; consequently, classification performance can be improved. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method with a fewer number of electrodes can achieve a considerably high classification accuracy.
ANAFS COMPUTATION OF H-COMPONENT OF THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: VERMA NISHCHAL K. , HANMANDLU M.
Published: December 2008

This paper presents a computational technique for modeling the Earth's magnetic field using the framework of Adaptive Non-Additive Fuzzy System (ANAFS). The defuzzified output constructed from both the premise and consequent parts of the GFM rules takes the form of Choquet integral. Premise and consequent parameters of non-additive fuzzy model are then updated for each online data based on the estimation error to make the adaptive system. The resulting model is applied on the real data, i.e. H-component of the magnetic field obtained from the magnetometer and the training and prediction results are found to be better and can be used for modeling such a complex system whose mathematical or physical modeling is very difficult to obtain. Thus, this work makes an important contribution to the field of fuzzy modeling of real life complex systems.
DIVERSITY-BASED INFORMATION EXCHANGE AMONG MULTIPLE SWARMS IN PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION
Authors: YEN GARY G. , DANESHYARI MOAYED
Published: December 2008

This paper proposes a method to exchange information among multiple swarms in particle swarm optimization (PSO) to facilitate evolutionary search. The algorithm is developed to solve problems having landscapes with a large number of local optima. Each swarm maintains two sets of particles; one set includes the particles to be shared with other swarms, while the other involves the particles to be replaced by individuals from other swarms. The proposed algorithm also provides a new design to search for neighboring swarms in order to share common interests among the swarm's neighborhood. The particle's movement is according to one variation of PSO with three basic terms, each one to lead the particles toward the best particle in the swarm, in the neighborhood, and in the whole population. Demonstrated through a suite of benchmark test functions, the proposed algorithm shows competitive performance with improved convergence speed.
Advances in Imaging Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry for Biological Samples
Authors: Boxer Steven G. , Kraft Mary L. , Weber Peter K.
Published: December 2008

Imaging mass spectrometry combines the power of mass spectrometry to identify complex molecules based on mass with sample imaging. Recent advances in secondary ion mass spectrometry have improved sensitivity and spatial resolution, so that these methods have the potential to bridge between high-resolution structures obtained by X-ray crystallography and cyro-electron microscopy and ultrastructure visualized by conventional light microscopy. Following background information on the method and instrumentation, we address the key issue of sample preparation. Because mass spectrometry is performed in high vacuum, it is essential to preserve the lateral organization of the sample while removing bulk water, and this has been a major barrier for applications to biological systems. Recent applications of imaging mass spectrometry to cell biology, microbial communities, and biosynthetic pathways are summarized briefly, and studies of biological membrane organization are described in greater depth.
Atmospheric Iron Deposition: Global Distribution, Variability, and Human Perturbations
Authors: Mahowald Natalie M. , Engelstaedter Sebastian , Luo Chao , Sealy Andrea , Artaxo Paulo , Benitez-Nelson Claudia , Bonnet Sophie , Chen Ying , Chuang Patrick Y. , Cohen David D. , Dulac Francois , Herut Barak , Johansen Anne M. , Kubilay Nilgun , Losno Remi , Maenhaut Willy , Paytan Adina , Prospero Joseph M. , Shank Lindsey M. , Siefert Ronald L.
Published: December 2008

Atmospheric inputs of iron to the open ocean are hypothesized to modulate ocean biogeochemistry. This review presents an integration of available observations of atmospheric iron and iron deposition, and also covers bioavailable iron distributions. Methods for estimating temporal variability in ocean deposition over the recent past are reviewed. Desert dust iron is estimated to represent 95% of the global atmospheric iron cycle, and combustion sources of iron are responsible for the remaining 5%. Humans may be significantly perturbing desert dust (up to 50%). The sources of bioavailable iron are less well understood than those of iron, partly because we do not know what speciation of the iron is bioavailable. Bioavailable iron can derive from atmospheric processing of relatively insoluble desert dust iron or from direct emissions of soluble iron from combustion sources. These results imply that humans could be substantially impacting iron and bioavailable iron deposition to ocean regions, but there are large uncertainties in our understanding.
Loss of Sea Ice in the Arctic
Authors: Perovich Donald K. , Richter-Menge Jacqueline A.
Published: December 2008

The Arctic sea ice cover is in decline. The areal extent of the ice cover has been decreasing for the past few decades at an accelerating rate. Evidence also points to a decrease in sea ice thickness and a reduction in the amount of thicker perennial sea ice. A general global warming trend has made the ice cover more vulnerable to natural fluctuations in atmospheric and oceanic forcing. The observed reduction in Arctic sea ice is a consequence of both thermodynamic and dynamic processes, including such factors as preconditioning of the ice cover, overall warming trends, changes in cloud coverage, shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns, increased export of older ice out of the Arctic, advection of ocean heat from the Pacific and North Atlantic, enhanced solar heating of the ocean, and the ice-albedo feedback. The diminishing Arctic sea ice is creating social, political, economic, and ecological challenges.
Wally's Quest to Understand the Ocean's CaCO3 Cycle
Authors: Broecker W.S.
Published: December 2008

Aspects of the production and dissolution of CaCO3 hard parts dominate the literature regarding contemporary marine chemistry and paleoceanography. During my long career I have contributed more than 200 papers related to this subject. In this prefatory article in the first volume of the Annual Review of Marine Science, I recount what I consider to be the highlights of my attempts to understand the cycle of CaCO3 in today's ocean and in oceans of the past. These studies began in the Bahamas in the early 1960s and then quickly graduated to the world ocean. Although much of my research has involved stable and radioisotopes contained in shells and coral directed toward reconstruction of the late Quaternary operation of the earth system, in this review I concentrate on carbonate chemistry and, in particular, the compensation in the deep sea for the overproduction of CaCO3 by marine organisms.
Maternal prenatal undernutrition alters the response of POMC neurons to energy status variation in adult male rat offspring
Authors: Breton Christophe , Lukaszewski Marie-Amélie , Risold Pierre-Yves , Enache Mihaela , Guillemot Johann , Rivière Guillaume , Delahaye Fabien , Lesage Jean , Dutriez-Casteloot Isabelle , Laborie Christine , Vieau Didier
Published: December 2008

Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal undernutrition predisposes the offspring to development of energy balance metabolic pathologies in adulthood. Using a model of a prenatal maternal 70% food-restricted diet (FR30) in rats, we evaluated peripheral parameters involved in nutritional regulation, as well as the hypothalamic appetite-regulatory system, in nonfasted and 48-h-fasted adult offspring. Despite comparable glycemia in both groups, mild glucose intolerance, with a defect in glucose-induced insulin secretion, was observed in FR30 animals. They also exhibited hyperleptinemia, despite similar visible fat deposits. Using semiquantitative RT-PCR, we observed no basal difference of hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression, but a decrease of the OB-Rb and an increase of insulin receptor mRNA levels, in FR30 animals. These animals also exhibited basal hypercorticosteronemia and a blunted increase of corticosterone in fasted compared with control animals. After fasting, FR30 animals showed no marked reduction of POMC mRNA levels or intensity of β-endorphin-immunoreactive fiber projections. By contrast, NPY gene expression and immunoreactive fiber intensity increased. FR30 rats also displayed subtle alterations of food intake: body weight-related food intake was higher and light-dark phase rhythm and refeeding time course were modified after fasting. At rest, in the morning, hyperinsulinemia and a striking increase in the number of c-Fos-containing cells in the arcuate nucleus were observed. About 30% of the c-Fos-expressing cells were POMC neurons. Our data suggest that maternal undernutrition differently programs the long-term appetite-regulatory system of offspring, especially the response of POMC neurons to energy status and food intake rhythm.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Keywords: Exploring Mobile Image-Based Web Searching
Authors: Tollmar Konrad , Möller Ted , Nilsved Björn
Published: December 2008

Using images of objects as queries is a new approach to search for information on the Web. Image-based information retrieval goes beyond only matching images, as information in other modalities also can be extracted from data collections using an image search. We have developed a new system that uses images to search for web-based information. This paper has a particular focus on exploring users' experience of general mobile image-based web searches to find what issues and phenomena it contains. This was achieved in a multipart study by creating and letting respondents test prototypes of mobile image-based search systems and collect data using interviews, observations, video observations, and questionnaires. We observed that searching for information based only on visual similarity and without any assistance is sometimes difficult, especially on mobile devices with limited interaction bandwidth. Most of our subjects preferred a search tool that guides the users through the search result based on contextual information, compared to presenting the search result as a plain ranked list.
Lymphoplasmacytic Sclerosing Pancreatitis and Retroperitoneal Fibrosis
Authors: Koo Ng Nigel K. F. , Bong Jin J. , Williamson Robin C.
Published: December 2008

Although cases of lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis (LSP) associated with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis have been reported, the association is rare. We describe a 74-year-old man who presented with obstructive jaundice and weight loss. Nineteen months earlier, he had been diagnosed with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis and treated with bilateral ureteric stents. Initial investigations were suggestive of a diagnosis of LSP, however, a malignant cause could not be ruled out. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy and frozen sections confirmed the diagnosis of LSP. An internal biliary bypass was performed using a Roux loop of jejunum, and the patient made an uneventful recovery. This case illustrates the difficulty in distinguishing LSP from pancreatic carcinoma preoperatively.
Developmental and Reproductive Effects of SE5-OH: An Equol-Rich Soy-Based Ingredient
Authors: Matulka Ray A. , Matsuura Ikuo , Uesugi Tohru , Ueno Tomomi , Burdock George
Published: December 2008

Consumption of the isoflavones daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and their structural analogues is generally considered beneficial to human health. Equol is not found in soy, but is converted from daidzein by human gut bacterial flora. Research indicates that between 30–50% of the population is capable of converting daidzein to equol; therefore, there has been recent development of a new equol-rich functional food that relies on bacterial conversion of daidzein to equol under strictly controlled conditions. Therefore, a new equol-rich soy product (SE5-OH) has been developed, based on the bacterial conversion of daidzein; and its reproductive and developmental toxicity has been evaluated in a two-generation study and a developmental toxicity study with Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day by gavage. SE5-OH contains approximately 0.65% equol, 0.024% daidzein, 0.022% genistein, and 0.30% glycitein. From the reproductive study, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for SE5-OH determined for both male and female rats is 1000 mg/kg/day (6.5 mg equol/kg/day). In the developmental toxicity phase of the study, no effects by SE5-OH were found in the embryo-fetus at any of the doses tested. The NOAEL for developmental effects of SE5-OH is 2000 mg/kg/day (13 mg equol/kg/day).
Tissue Doppler Imaging in the Estimation of Intracardiac Filling Pressure in Decompensated Patients With Advanced Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Mullens Wilfried , Borowski Allen G. , Curtin Ronan J. , Thomas James D. , Tang W.H.
Published: December 2008

Background—

The ratio of early transmitral velocity to tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/Ea) has been correlated with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) in a wide variety of cardiac conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability of mitral E/Ea for predicting PCWP in patients admitted for advanced decompensated heart failure.

Methods and Results—

Prospective consecutive patients with advanced decompensated heart failure (ejection fraction ≤30%, New York Heart Association class III to IV symptoms) underwent simultaneous echocardiographic and hemodynamic evaluation on admission and after 48 hours of intensive medical therapy. A total of 106 patients were included (mean age, 57±12 years; ejection fraction, 24±8%; PCWP, 21±7 mm Hg; mitral E/Ea ratio, 20±12). No correlation was found between mitral E/Ea ratio and PCWP, particularly in those with larger left ventricular volumes, more impaired cardiac indexes, and the presence of cardiac resynchronization therapy. Overall, the mitral E/Ea ratio was similar among patients with PCWP >18 and ≤18 mm Hg, and sensitivity and specificity for mitral E/Ea ratio >15 to identify a PCWP >18 mm Hg were 66% and 50%, respectively. Contrary to prior reports, we did not observe any direct association between changes in PCWP and changes in mitral E/Ea ratio.

Conclusion—

In decompensated patients with advanced systolic heart failure, tissue Doppler–derived mitral E/Ea ratio may not be as reliable in predicting intracardiac filling pressures, particularly in those with larger LV volumes, more impaired cardiac indices, and the presence of cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Salt Intake Augments Hypotensive Effects of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4
Authors: Gao Feng , Sui Dexin , Garavito R. Michael , Worden R. Mark , Wang Donna H.
Published: December 2008

To test the hypothesis that activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel conveys a hypotensive effect that is enhanced during salt load, male Wistar rats fed a normal-sodium (0.5%) or high-sodium (HS; 4%) diet for 3 weeks were given 4α-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4α-PDD), a specific TRPV4 activator, in the presence or absence of capsazepine, a selective TRPV1 blocker, ruthenium red, a TRPV4 blocker, or TRPV4 small hairpin RNA that selectively knockdowns TRPV4. 4α-PDD (1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg IV) dose-dependently decreased mean arterial pressure (
P
<0.05). HS enhanced 4α-PDD–induced depressor effects as well as 4α-PDD–mediated release of calcitonin gene–related peptide and substance P (
P
<0.001). Ruthenium red markedly blunted (
P
<0.001), whereas capsazepine slightly attenuated (
P
<0.05) 4α-PDD–induced depressor effects in HS and normal-sodium diet rats. Ruthenium red alone increased baseline mean arterial pressure in both HS and normal-sodium diet rats with a greater magnitude in the former (
P
<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that HS increased TRPV4 expression in dorsal root ganglia and mesenteric arteries (
P
<0.05) but not the renal cortex and medulla. Gene-silencing approach revealed that TRPV4 small hairpin RNA downregulated TRPV4 expression leading to blunted 4α-PDD–induced hypotension (
P
<0.05). Thus, TRPV4 activation decreases blood pressure in rats given a normal-sodium diet. HS enhances TRPV4 expression in sensory nerves/mesenteric arteries and TRPV4-mediated depressor effects and calcitonin gene–related peptide/substance P release such that HS causes a greater increase in blood pressure when TRPV4 is blocked. Our data indicate that TRPV4 activation may constitute a compensatory mechanism in preventing salt-induced increases in blood pressure.
Angiotensin II Decreases Nitric Oxide Synthase 3 Expression via Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in the Thick Ascending Limb
Authors: Ramseyer Vanesa D. , Garvin Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2008

NO produced by NO synthase type 3 (NOS3) in medullary thick ascending limbs (mTHALs) inhibits Cl
−
reabsorption. Acutely, angiotensin II stimulates thick ascending limb NO production. In endothelial cells, NO inhibits NOS3 expression. Therefore, we hypothesized that angiotensin II decreases NOS3 expression via NO in mTHALs. After 24 hours, 10 and 100 nmol/L of angiotensin II decreased NOS3 expression by 23±9% (n=6;
P
<0.05) and 50±5% (n=7;
P
<0.001), respectively, in primary cultures of rat mTHALs. NO synthase inhibition by 4 mmol/L of
N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride prevented angiotensin II from decreasing NOS3 expression (Δ=−5±8%; n=5). In the presence of
N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, the addition of exogenous NO (1 μmol/L spermine NONOate) restored the angiotensin II–induced decreases in NOS3 expression (−22±6%; n=7;
P
<0.013). In addition, NO scavenging with 10 μmol/L of carboxy-PTIO abolished the effect of angiotensin II in NOS3 expression (Δ=−1±8% versus carboxy-PTIO alone; n=6). Angiotensin II increases superoxide, and superoxide scavenges NO. Thus, we tested whether scavenging superoxide enhances the angiotensin II–induced reduction in NOS3 expression. Surprisingly, treatment with 100 μmol/L of Tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, blocked the angiotensin II–induced decrease in NOS3 expression (Δ=−3±7%; n=6). This effect was not because of increased hydrogen peroxide. We concluded that angiotensin II–induced decreases in NOS3 expression in mTHALs require both NO and superoxide. Decreased NOS3 expression by angiotensin II in mTHALs could contribute to increased salt retention observed in angiotensin II–induced hypertension.
Intrarenal Angiotensin III Infusion Induces Natriuresis and Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor Translocation in Wistar-Kyoto but not in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Padia Shetal H. , Kemp Brandon A. , Howell Nancy L. , Gildea John J. , Keller Susanna R. , Carey Robert M.
Published: December 2008

In Sprague-Dawley rats, renal angiotensin (Ang) type 2 receptors (AT
2
Rs) mediate natriuresis in response to renal interstitial (RI) D
1
-like receptor stimulation or RI Ang III infusion. After D
1
-like receptor activation, apical membrane (AM) but not total renal proximal tubule cell AT
2
R expression is increased, suggesting that AM AT
2
R translocation may be important for natriuresis. The onset of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) is preceded by defects in renal sodium excretion. The present study examines AT
2
R-mediated natriuresis in response to RI Ang III infusion in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) and SHRs. WKYs and SHRs received RI Ang III infusion after 24 hours of systemic AT
1
R blockade with candesartan. In WKYs, urine sodium excretion rate increased from 0.043±0.01 to 0.191±0.06 μmol/min (
P
<0.05) in response to Ang III infusion, but identical conditions failed to increase the urine sodium excretion rate in SHRs. The increase in the urine sodium excretion rate was blocked by coinfusion of PD-123319, a selective AT
2
R antagonist. On confocal microscopy images, Ang III–infused WKYs demonstrated greater renal proximal tubule cell AM AT
2
R fluorescence intensity compared with SHRs (5385±725 versus 919±35;
P
<0.0001), and Western blot analysis demonstrated increased AM (0.050±0.003 versus 0.038±0.003;
P
<0.01) but not total cell AT
2
R expression in WKYs. In SHRs, AM AT
2
R expression remained unchanged in response to RI Ang III infusion. Thus, RI Ang III infusion elicits natriuresis and renal proximal tubule cell AT
2
R translocation in WKYs. Identical manipulations fail to induce natriuresis or AT
2
R translocation in SHRs, suggesting that defects in AT
2
R-mediated natriuresis and trafficking may be important to the development of hypertension in SHRs.
Engaging Italian and Australian social workers in evaluation
Authors: McNamara Patricia , Neve Elisabetta
Published: December 2008

English

For social work researchers, engaging managers and practitioners in evaluation has always proved complex. A recent international seminar facilitated a comparison of challenges and opportunities for undertaking collaborative research evaluations in Italy and Australia. Issues concerning motivation and resistance regarding the evaluation process are discussed, along with the role for social work education.

French

Pour les chercheurs en travail social, impliquer les managers et les praticiens dans l’évaluation a toujours été complexe. Un séminaire international récent a facilité la comparaison des challenges et des opportunités pour entreprendre des recherches collaboratives sur les évaluations en Italie et en Australie. Les problèmes concernant la motivation et la résistance au regard du processus d’évaluation sont discutés, de même que le rôle de la formation en travail social.

Spanish

Para los investigadores de trabajo social siempre ha sido una tarea compleja el enganchar a los ‘managers’ y trabajadores en tareas de evaluación. Un seminario internacional reciente ha facilitado una comparación de los retos y oportunidades para colaborar en evaluaciones en Italia y Australia. Se examinan cuestiones de motivación para la evaluación y resistencia a la misma, junto con el papel de la educación en el trabajo social.
Deconstructing motivations
Authors: Wehbi Samantha
Published: December 2008

English

This article proposes that a critical examination of international placements is crucial in fostering the internationalization of social work without reproducing oppressive power relations. It presents a discussion of some of the reasons underlying students’ choice to undertake international placements as well as implications for research and teaching.

French

Cet article émet l’idée qu’un examen critique des placements internationaux est essentiel pour stimuler l’internationalisation du travail social sans reproduire les rapports de pouvoir oppressifs. Il présente en discussion certaines des raisons à l’origine des choix des étudiants d’entreprendre des stages à l’international ainsi que les implications pour la recherche et l’enseignement.

Spanish

Se propone que un examen crítico de los lugares de prácticas internacionales es crítico para fomentar la internacionalización del trabajo social sin reproducir relaciones opresivas de poder. Se examinan algunas de las razones que hay por debajo de la decisión de los estudiantes al elegir prácticas internacionales, así como algunas implicaciones para la investigación y la enseñanza.
Addressing issues of globalization in the training of public child welfare workers
Authors: Collins Mary Elizabeth , Sook Hyun Kim  , Clay Cassandra , Perlstein Judith
Published: December 2008

English

This article describes the implementation of a course module devoted to international child welfare for social work students. The module utilized adult learning theory and was guided by three perspectives: an ecological model of practice, social and economic justice, and cultural competence. The article describes successes and challenges and offers guidance to social work educators.

French

Cet article décrit la mise en oeuvre d’un module de formation consacré à la protection internationale de l’enfance, destiné aux étudiants en travail social. Le module utilise la théorie de la formation d’adultes et est orienté selon trois perspectives: le modèle écologique des pratiques, la justice sociale et économique, et la compétence culturelle. L’article décrit les succès et les défis et offre une guidance des formateurs en travail social.

Spanish

Se describe la implementación de un módulo en un curso para trabajadores sociales dedicado al bienestar infantil internacional. El módulo utilizó teoría de aprendizaje adulto bajo tres perspectivas: un modelo ecológico de práctica, justicia social y económica, y competencia cultural. Se describen los éxitos y los retos y se ofrecen sugerencias a los educadores de trabajo social.
Distinct Functions of Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle PPARγ in Regulation of Blood Pressure and Vascular Tone
Authors: Ningning Wang  , Symons J. David , Hui Zhang  , Zhanjun Jia  , Gonzalez Frank J. , Tianxin Yang
Published: December 2008

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are peroxisome proliferators—activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activators that exhibit antihypertensive and vasculoprotective effects. Here we describe the use of Tie2Cre/flox and SM22Cre/flox mice, which respectively lacked PPARγ in the endothelium and the smooth muscle, to study vascular function of PPARγ. Rosiglitazone (RGZ) induced a similar blood pressure (BP)—lowering effect in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt—treated PPARγf/f and SM22Cre/flox mice, whereas Tie2Cre/flox mice were completely resistant to this effect. The femoral arteries lacking endothelial PPARγ exhibited increased reactivity to various vasoconstrictors without a significant alteration in acetylcholine-induced relaxation. In sharp contrast, the vasculature lacking smooth muscle PPARγ had blunted sensitivity to α1-adrenergic agents but enhanced sensitivity to acetylcholine. Our results demonstrated endothelium but not smooth muscle as the site for TZD-induced BP-lowering effect and also uncovered distinct functions of endothelial and smooth muscle PPARγ in regulation of vascular tone.
Individual Differences and the Potential Tradeoffs Between the Values of a Participatory Economy
Authors: Panayotakis Costas
Published: December 2008

This paper argues that a closer attention to the variability of such subjective characteristics as preferences, life philosophies and attitudes towards work, individual talents, and levels of intelligence raises a number of issues of relevance to the literature on participatory economics (and, to a lesser extent, to that on market socialism). In particular, it is argued that a thoroughgoing integration of such subjective characteristics into the literature on participatory economics reveals a number of previously unrecognized tradeoffs between the values that a participatory economy would seek to promote.
A Borrowed Approach for a More Effective Business Education
Authors: Blaylock Bruce K. , McDaniel Janet L. , Falk Charles F. , Hollandsworth Randy , Kopf Jerry M.
Published: December 2008

Have business programs become “too focused on scientific research?” and “graduating students who are ill-equipped to wrangle with complex, unquantifiable issue?” In the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Management Education, Campbell et al. argue the deficiencies in undergraduate business education must be addressed with changes in pedagogy rather than changes in curriculum. Unfortunately, specific recommendations beyond team projects and team teaching are scarce. One strategy for obtaining new ideas is to examine the pedagogy of other professional programs and see what, if anything, business schools could learn. The purpose of this article is to examine one of the primary pedagogies used by nursing schools to integrate theory and practice, clinical laboratories. By adopting the clinical model, business schools will simultaneously improve student learning, offer a new assessment approach to evaluate learning, and provide businesses with more relevant information about employment potential.
Applying to College
Authors: Tierney William G.
Published: December 2008

This article suggests that unlike their well-off counterparts who apply to college in the fall and know they will go somewhere when the applications have been sent, low-income students face unique challenges that extend the process in a manner entirely different from the wealthy. The notion that college-going is a cultural interpretation is circumscribed by constantly shifting forces rather than a rational choice. The author offers portraits of three 17-year-old male Latino youth who attend the same school to demonstrate how different their stances are toward college. The purpose is to move away from the essentialized notions of student identity. Even with three seemingly similar students the manner in which they interpret how to go about applying for college differs. The narrative strategy works from a standpoint that has sought to understand the meanings of applying to college from the perspectives of the three youth with whom the author has worked.
Populists, Outsiders and Anti-Establishment Politics
Authors: Barr Robert R.
Published: December 2008

In this article, I attempt to clarify the relationships among three contemporary concepts that are often used interchangeably or conflated in the literature: anti-establishment politics, political outsiders and populism. In order to make sense of these manifestations of public discontent, I argue that one must examine the nature of political appeals, political actors' locations vis-à-vis the party system and the linkages between citizens and government. Doing so, furthermore, helps clarify the meaning of populism, one of the most elusive concepts in political science. The definition of populism I offer allows us to synthesize much of the literature on the subject while weeding out unnecessary and secondary characteristics. Importantly, too, this definition allows us to separate competing claims of `direct democracy' and thus populists from non-populists.
Europeanization as Heresthetics
Authors: Dardanelli Paolo
Published: December 2008

This article is a theoretical and empirical contribution to the study of the Europeanization of political parties. On the theoretical side, it draws on the concepts of heresthetics and two-level games to conceptualize a Europeanization mechanism that has so far been overlooked in the literature. It shows that Europeanization can be a heresthetic tool in party competition, notably in terms of opening up a new dimension that may result in a realignment of alliances able to turn losers into winners. It then applies this conceptualization to party competition over the issue of self-government for Scotland from 1974 to 1997 and shows how it can to a large extent account for a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the anti- and pro-devolution camps between 1979 and 1997. It concludes by relating these theoretical and empirical findings back to the debate on the Europeanization of political parties and identifies avenues for further research.
Rigorous Interdisciplinary Pedagogy
Authors: Penny Simon
Published: December 2008

The emergence of media-arts and digital cultural practices has provided a highly charged context for the development of interdisciplinary pedagogy, combining as it does, practices and traditions from historically, culturally and theoretically wildly divergent disciplines. This article addresses aspects of effective interdisciplinary educational process, attending to questions of pedagogy, theory and institutional pragmatics. In my analysis, the key components of such a project are: deep technical training and understanding; deep training in artmaking and cultural practice; deep theoretical and historical contextualization, and an open and rigorous interdisciplinary context which maximally facilitates the negotiation of these often divergent ways of thinking and making. In building such interdisciplinary practice in the context of a campus, one abruptly confronts the discontinuity between the rapidly changing fluidity of the contemporary moment and the relative stasis of institutionalized disciplines which have an investment in maintaining their identity in the face of such change. Implicit in the project then, is not simply the development of a context for deep interdisciplinary invention, but the formation of practitioners who are neither artists nor engineers, or who are equal parts both. In either case, this formation confounds the disciplines and creates a vacuum of institutional context, which has resounding implications for the survival and flourishing of such initiatives and their practitioners.
Making Convergence Work in the Newsroom
Authors: Verweij Peter
Published: December 2008

The process of convergence has had significant effects on and consequences for the working habits and roles of journalists. This article, based on observations at The Times and Die Burger, and on a convergence experiment at The School of Journalism at Rhodes University, will focus on this impact. Convergence has transformed the journalist from `a lonely wolf' into a (multimedia) team player. Enhancing at the same time the limits of decision making in the production of news by reporters and editors. The success of this transformation is more related to the social structure and organization of the newsroom, than to technology. Converged newsrooms offer more opportunities for the public to be informed and involved in a story, and offer the reporter and editor more integrated tools to tell the story.
Queering the HRD Curriculum: Preparing Students for Success in the Diverse Workforce
Authors: Chapman Diane D. , Gedro Julie
Published: December 2008

The problem and the solution . Although human resource development (HRD) programs frequently place value on embracing diversity and contributing to social change, seldom do curricula contain course work focused on issues of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) communities. Thus, HRD practitioners may not have skills or insights needed to support LGBT inclusion in the workplace. The authors look to HRD literature and their experiences to explore the implications of self-disclosure for instructors and students in HRD courses and the benefits of incorporating LGBT issues in the curriculum as an HRD intervention. Implications concerning identity management, marginalization, community building, and visibility are discussed.The article concludes with practical insights for HRD faculty on how queering the curriculum can be accomplished.
Production of Korean Case Particles in a Korean—English Bilingual Child With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Lee Soyoung , Gorman Brenda K.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Korean case particles in a Korean—English bilingual child with specific language impairment (SLI). The child's production of four types of Korean case particles were compared to those of three typically developing children during probe and storytelling tasks. The Korean—English bilingual child with SLI produced the vocative and the nominative for person case particles similar to children matched on age and mean length of utterance (MLU). He produced the nominative for object and accusative case particles similar to the MLU-matched child but exhibited lower performance than that of his age-matched peers. The results suggest that longer duration of Korean case particles in the phrase-final position may provide perceptual salience and not pose particular difficulty for the Korean—English bilingual with SLI. Frequent omission of the accusative by the child with SLI and his MLU-matched peer, however, supports the argument that frequency effect in linguistic input influences morphological development.
The Impact of Different Dog-related Stimuli on Engagement of Persons With Dementia
Authors: Marx Marcia S. , Cohen-Mansfield Jiska , Regier Natalie G. , Dakheel-Ali Maha , Srihari Ashok , Thein Khin
Published: December 2008

Objective: To provide further empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in nursing home residents with dementia.

Methods: Participants were 56 residents of 2 suburban Maryland nursing homes and had a diagnosis. Activities of daily living performance was assessed via the minimum data set and cognitive functioning assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Engagement with dog-related stimuli was systematically assessed via the observational measurement of engagement.

Results: Mean engagement duration was significantly lower for the small dog. Highest mean engagement duration was found for the puppy video, followed by the real dog and lowest was for the dog-coloring activity. Positive attitudes were found toward the real dogs, robotic dog, the puppy video, and the plush dog. No significant differences were found in engagement duration among our dog-related stimuli.

Conclusions: Nursing homes should consider animal-assisted therapy and dog-related stimuli, as they successfully engage residents with dementia.
Effect of notch root radius on fracture toughness of Ti–18Al–8Nb alloy
Authors: Paradkar A. , Gogia A. K. , Kamat S. V.
Published: December 2008

The effect of notch root radius on the mode I fracture toughness of Ti–18Al–8Nb alloy in beta solution treated and water quenched condition was investigated. The apparent fracture toughness KIA was found to be independent of the notch root radius below a critical notch root radius ρ0 and subsequently increase linearly with the square root of notch root radius ρ1/2 beyond ρ0. The critical notch root radius in this alloy was found to be ∼50 μm. The results were explained on the basis of strain controlled fracture model.
Parametric and non-parametric modelling of earing and hardness of deep drawn cups
Authors: Lela B. , Duplančić I. , Bajić D.
Published: December 2008

This study compares different approaches in modelling the earing phenomenon and hardness of cups in deep drawing process. The blank holder force (BHF), annealing temperature and annealing time of blanks before deep drawing process have been chosen as the three influential parameters on the earing and hardness. To obtain mathematical models for the earing and hardness of the deep drawn cups, the methodology of artificial neural networks have been used. Bayesian network, radial basis function network, Gaussian processes and multilayer perceptron are four different ANN approaches that have been used for the modelling. The research has been conducted on a cold rolled Al–Fe–Si (AA8011A) aluminium sheet. After obtaining the mathematical models describing the influence of BHF and annealing on hardness and earing, a comparison of the proposed models has been performed. A search for the optimal parameters of deep drawing process has been carried out.
Influence of nitrogen on tensile properties of 316LN SS
Authors: Ganesan V. , Mathew M. D. , Sankara Rao K. B.
Published: December 2008

The influence of nitrogen on tensile properties of 316L stainless steels has been studied for nitrogen levels of 0·07, 0·11, 0·14 and 0·22 wt-%. Tensile tests have been carried out at several temperatures in the range 300–1123 K. Nitrogen was found to be beneficial for tensile strength at all the test temperatures. Yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were found to increase linearly with increase in nitrogen content at all the test temperatures. Tensile ductility showed a non-monotonic variation with nitrogen content and test temperature. Equations have been developed to predict yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of 316L stainless steel as a function of nitrogen content and tensile test temperature.
Insights into granite petrogenesis from quantitative assessment of the field distribution of enclaves, xenoliths and K-feldspar megacrysts in the Monte Capanne pluton, Italy
Authors: Gagnevin D. , Daly J. S. , Poli G.
Published: December 2008

A detailed field study to determine quantitatively the distribution of K-feldspar megacrysts, mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) and metasedimentary xenoliths has been carried out in the Monte Capanne pluton (Elba, Italy) with a view to evaluating the utility of this approach to petrogenetic investigations. Mafic microgranular enclaves are inferred to result from interactions between mafic and felsic magmas, while xenoliths attest to crustal assimilation occurring in the Monte Capanne magma chamber. In particular, we emphasize, based on our field data, that both processes are intimately linked, such that xenolith dissolution during assimilation was triggered by replenishment with hot mafic magma. It is suggested that the previously defined ‘San Piero’ and ‘San Francesco’ facies do not differ substantially, and are thus amalgamated and renamed as the ‘Pomonte’ facies. Results also indicate that the abundance of K-feldspar megacrysts is positively correlated with the volumetric abundance of MME in the Sant’ Andrea facies, which we link to a recharging, mingling and textural coarsening event that occurred at a rather late stage of magma-chamber evolution prior to emplacement. This study demonstrates how petrogenetic processes can be deciphered by detailed field quantitative analyses of granite-forming components, thus complementing geochemical investigations.
Zircon dissolution in a ductile shear zone, Monte Rosa granite gneiss, northern Italy
Authors: Dempster T. J. , Martin J. C. , Shipton Z. K.
Published: December 2008

The sizes, distributions and shapes of zircon grains within variably deformed granite gneiss from the western Alps have been studied. Zircon shows numerous indicators of a metamorphic response in both the host gneiss and a 5 cm wide continuous ductile shear zone, within which the zircon grain sizes range from <1 urn to >50 μm. However, the very fine grain sizes are virtually absent from grain boundaries. Within this zone, zircons consistently have more rounded and embayed margins, which are interpreted as evidence of dissolution in response to fluid influx during shearing. Zircons are preferentially located near metamorphic muscovite in both the host gneiss and the shear zone and tend to show the poorest crystal shape, indicating that fluids linked to the formation and presence of muscovite may enhance both the crystallization of zircon and its subsequent dissolution. Larger zircon crystals typically show a brittle response to deformation when adjacent to phyllosilicates, with fractures consistently perpendicular to the (001) mica cleavage. The variety of metamorphic behaviour observed for zircon indicates that it may be highly reactive in sub-solidus mid-crustal metamorphic environments.
The wulfenite—stolzite series: centric or acentric structures?
Authors: Secco L. , Nestola F. , Dal Negro A.
Published: December 2008

Three natural crystals of the wulfenite (PbMoO4)—stolzite (PbWO4) series were investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the symmetry is I41/a from nearly pure wulfenite to intermediate compositions, in contrast to previous work which claimed a symmetry change to 74 symmetry (acentric) for intermediate compositions compared with I41/a (centric space group) for the end-members. The results reported here show that the reflections violating I41/a symmetry observed in this work and in a previous study are related primarily to λ/2 effects, even if Renninger effects are not excluded. Consequently, we find that the I41/a symmetry is retained throughout the wulfenite— stolzite.
Age-related Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders: comparison with EBV-positive classic Hodgkin lymphoma in elderly patients
Authors: Asano Naoko , Yamamoto Kazuhito , Tamaru Jun-Ichi , Oyama Takashi , Ishida Fumihiro , Ohshima Koichi , Yoshino Tadashi , Nakamura Naoya , Mori Shigeo , Yoshie Osamu , Shimoyama Yoshie , Morishima Yasuo , Kinoshita Tomohiro , Nakamura Shigeo
Published: December 2008

Age-related Epstein-Barr virus–associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (aEBVLPD) is a disease group characterized by EBV-associated large B-cell lymphoma in elderly without predisposing immunodeficiency. In nearly one- third of cases, aEBVLPD occurs as a polymorphous subtype with reactive cell-rich components, bearing a morphologic similarity to classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The aim of this study was to clarify clinicopathologic differences between the polymorphic subtype of aEBVLPD (n = 34) and EBV+ cHL (n = 108) in patients aged 50 years or older. Results showed that aEBVLPD was more closely associated with aggressive clinical parameters than cHL, with a higher age at onset (71 vs 63 years); lower male predominance (male-female ratio, 1.4 vs 3.3); and a higher rate of involvement of the skin (18% vs 2%), gastrointestinal tract (15% vs 4%), and lung (12% vs 2%). aEBVLPD was histopathologically characterized by a higher ratio of geographic necrosis, greater increase (> 30%) in cytotoxic T cells among background lymphocytes, higher positivity for CD20 and EBNA2, and absence of CD15 expression. As predicted by the clinical profile, aEBVLPD had a significantly poorer prognosis than EBV+ cHL (P < .001). The polymorphous subtype of aEBVLPD constitutes an aggressive group with an immune response distinct from EBV+ cHL, and requires the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.