bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contraction and Cation Contents of Skeletal Soleus and EDL Muscles in Age‐Matched Control and Diabetic Rats
Authors: CHONKAR APURVA , HOPKIN RICHARD , ADEGHATE ERNEST , SINGH JAIPAUL
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Skeletal muscle atrophy and neuropathy are two of the major long‐term complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). This article investigates the effect of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced type 1 DM on contraction and cation contents in soleus and EDL muscles compared to age‐matched control rats. Adult Wistar rats were humanely killed and the soleus and EDL muscles located and excised rapidly and placed in organ baths. The muscles were electrically stimulated (EFS, 50 V, 1 ms, 1–50 Hz) and isometric contraction monitored using a chart recorder. At the end of the experiments the muscles were blotted, weighed, and dissolved in concentrated nitric acid for the measurements of cation contents. Diabetic rats have significantly (P < 0.05) reduced body and muscle weights and significantly (P < 0.05) elevated blood glucose (29.65 ± 0.33 mM, n= 10) compared to control (6.06 ± 0.21 mM, n= 10). EFS evoked frequency dependent contraction in both soleus and EDL muscles of healthy control rats. The response was significantly (P < 0.05, n= 8) increased in EDL compared to soleus. In the diabetic soleus and EDL muscles the force of contraction was significantly (P < 0.05, n= 8) reduced in both muscle types compared to control. The levels of total sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), zinc (Zn2+), copper (Cu2+), and iron (Fe2+) were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in diabetic soleus and EDL muscles compared to control. The results indicate that STZ‐induced skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with marked reductions in both the force of contraction and cation contents in EDL and soleus muscles of the rat.
Audit of a Diabetes Clinic at Tawam Hospital, United Arab Emirates, 2004–2005
Authors: AFANDI B. , AHMAD S. , SAADI H. , ELKHUMAIDI S. , KARKOUKLI M.A. , KELLY B. , ASSAF H. , MATEAR D.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  The aim of this audit was to determine the current management of patients with diabetes compared to international standards and to benchmark the results against current international standards. A retrospective audit of medical records of diabetic patients attending Tawam Hospital, a tertiary healthcare facility in the Al Ain region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates was performed. A random sample of 30 patients (5% of the target group) was selected from the total number of 600 patients who visited the diabetes clinics in August 2005. An audit form was developed based on the priority aims and measures contained in the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) Guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Data analysis was carried out based on measurement specifications in the ICSI Guidelines. All patients had their blood pressure checked at their most recent appointment. All except one patient had an HbA1c test and a lipid profile performed during the study period. Although 75% of patients were referred for a dilated eye examination, only 47% complied. Approximately two‐thirds of all patients had evidence of self‐monitoring of blood glucose. Less than half of the patients were referred to the nutritionist and only a relatively small proportion of patients had advice on diet and exercise documented in their medical record. There was also lack of documentation, particularly for smoking status, foot examination, and body mass index (BMI). All patients received aspirin (ASA) treatment. The majority had a systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or less; just under half of patients had HbA1c of less than 7%. In comparison to the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) targets, we exceeded targets in three areas in relation to HbA1c testing, ASA treatment, and self‐report monitoring blood glucose. We did not meet the stated target of 75% for patients having a dilated eye exam due to lack of patient compliance (more than three‐quarters of all patients were referred but did not attend for appointment). Documentation of a comprehensive foot examination was present for only one‐quarter of all patients compared to the recommended target of three‐quarters of patients. Documentation of advice on diet and exercise was present for 40%, which did not meet the CDC target of 60%. Overall, the audit highlighted that Tawam Hospital is providing a good level of care to diabetic patients and compares favorably with international targets; however, key recommended actions have been identified for implementation to improve patient care and maintain a continuous improvement process through effective monitoring with prioritization to those related to preventative care.
The Performance and Construction of Subjectivities of Early Adolescent Girls in Book Club Discussion Groups
Authors: Broughton Mary Ariail
Published: December 2006

This study examines the performance and construction of subjectivities of four early adolescent, sixth-grade girls as they read and discussed a novel about two adolescent Mexican children seeking a new life in America. Using data gathered through ethnographic methods such as participant-observation, interviews, dialogue journals, and book club discussions, the author describes the participants as they performed their subjectivities in various contexts, focusing specifically on their performances while reading and discussing the novel in book club groups. The girls' conversations about themselves suggested that they engaged in ongoing constructions of their subjectivities as they interacted with the text and with each other. Analysis of data was inductive and was informed by theories of experiential response as developed by Louise Rosenblatt and others. The discussion groups provided a fertile environment in which the girls could reflect on the text, share responses, argue opposing viewpoints, and negotiate shared meanings. During the discussions of the novel, the girls debated a variety of personal and social issues, sometimes recognizing and verbally acknowledging shifts in their values, beliefs, and attitudes as they negotiated meanings and clarified understandings.
Tom and Joshua: Perceptions, Conceptions and Progress in Meaning-Based Reading Instruction
Authors: Knapp Nancy Flanagan
Published: December 2006

Based on interviews and observations collected during a year in a second-grade classroom, this article presents case studies of two at-risk readers, Tom and Joshua. It describes their perceptions of in-school and out-of-school reading-related activities; their conceptions of reading, learning to read, and themselves as readers; and their responses to their teacher's learner-centered, meaning-based reading instruction. Both boys were enabled to participate in the classroom literacy community and both made progress in reading, but each brought different experiences and conceptions to the class, and so responded differently to the opportunities the class offered. Their stories illustrate the instructional significance of children's conceptions about reading; reaffirm the importance of flexible, meaning-based reading instruction; and demonstrate the power of looking past the “at-risk” label to understand the thoughts, beliefs, resources, and concerns of children who struggle with learning to read.
Literacy Lessons: The Convergence of Expectations, Practices, and Classroom Culture
Authors: Fairbanks Colleen M. , Broughton Mary A.
Published: December 2006

This paper examines the experiences that construct classroom culture in one sixth-grade language arts classroom and adolescent girls' negotiation and responses to their experience as class members. Over the course of the year, data were collected through classroom observations, monthly videotapes of class, interviews with the girls as they viewed their participation in class, and a teacher interview. Emergent themes based on analysis of observations and interviews with the girls included the girls' perceptions of their language arts experiences, their sense of themselves as students, being good, and boredom and disengagement. Findings revealed a classroom culture based primarily on procedures in which the purposes of literacy learning centered on the skills required for state-mandated testing. The girls' responses to this classroom culture suggested that they were adopting an orientation to literacy similar to their teacher's, even as they expressed a desire for a more personally meaningful curriculum. They were often bored and developed ways to manage their disengagement to avoid trouble with the teacher. Implications for ongoing research are discussed.
“Us Boys like to Read Football and Boy Stuff”: Reading Masculinities, Performing Boyhood
Authors: Dutro Elizabeth
Published: December 2006

In this qualitative study, I explore how one group of fifth grade African American boys performed masculinity through classroom reading practices. I focus on two aspects of boys' experiences with masculinity: first, how reading practices made visible some of the ways that masculinities were performed in the classroom, particularly how boys defined themselves in relation to each other and to girls; and, second, how boys' performances of masculinity were disrupted through a particular reading experience in which they were required to read texts that they had previously rejected on the basis of gender. Interest in masculinity has recently increased, both in literacy and other humanities and social science fields. Yet, few studies have examined the intersection of masculinity and literacy in classrooms, particularly for boys of color. This study grounds boys' practices of masculinity and reading in recent discussions of masculinity in the popular press and theories of performance, critical and poststructuralist theories and scholarship on the intersections of race and gender. Drawing on interviews, fieldnotes, and transcripts of small group discussions, I show how the boys' performances of masculinity, particularly the relationship between dominant and subordinated masculinities and dichotomous notions of masculine/feminine, both shaped and were shaped by boys' choices of what to read and their conversations about books. These boys' experiences point to the complexities and possibilities of engaging masculinities in literacy classrooms and encouraging boys to adopt a different discourse of masculinity that is less reliant on defining itself in opposition to femininity and other masculinities.
Spotlighting Social Class: An Exploration of One Adolescent's Language and Literacy Practices
Authors: Payne-Bourcy Laura , Chandler-Olcott Kelly
Published: December 2006

Drawing on five years of data, this case study presents an exploration of the influences of social class on one adolescent's language and literacy practices as she moved from high school in an isolated rural community to college in an urban environment. The study draws on several theoretical frameworks, including multiple literacies (Gallego & Hollingsworth, 2000), Gee's (1996) theory of Discourses, and sociocultural conceptions of social class (Anyon, 1981; Fine & Weis, 1998). Although Crystal, the focal informant, was a successful learner by most conventional standards, she experienced considerable struggle to stay in school and to adopt the dominant discourses of postsecondary education. As a rural high school student, she used a variety of language and literacy practices to “pose” as middle class. When she crossed to college, some of these practices served her better than others. Ultimately, she became alienated by college courses that did not acknowledge language competencies related to her status as a working-class person and that did not allow links between her interests in popular culture and her formal assignments. Implications for practice include the following: that secondary literacy teachers make social class a more salient category for inquiry and that college instructors make deliberate attempts to learn about the preferred discourse practices of their students. The study also suggests the importance of “insider” knowledge in studying the influence of social class on literacy and the need for further research examining how learners negotiate workplace discourses after college.
A National Survey of Spelling Instruction: Investigating Teachers' Beliefs and Practice
Authors: Fresch Mary Jo
Published: December 2006

Information about current spelling instructional practices across the United States was sought in this national survey with a random sample of teachers of grades 1 through 5. Respondents reported current practices and noted their level of agreement or disagreement to theoretical statements about spelling. Teachers responded to open-ended statements regarding concerns and problems they encounter in teaching spelling. The results suggest teachers rely on a traditional model for instruction. They are aware of more recent research on developmentally appropriate practice but do not necessarily implement those ideas. Implications from this study include provision for professional development, examination of purchased materials in relation to theories of appropriate individual instruction, and support for teachers who want to change instruction to match their beliefs.
The Impact of a Reading-Focused Integrated Learning System on Phonological Awareness in Kindergarten
Authors: Cassady Jerrell C. , Smith Lawrence L.
Published: December 2006

Children with and without access to a reading-focused Integrated Learning System (ILS) in their daily reading instruction were compared at three points (beginning, middle, end) through their kindergarten year on phonological awareness and concepts about print. The results demonstrated no significant differences in learning print concepts. However, repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that the children with access to the ILS in their classroom significantly outperformed the comparison group at the second and third testing sessions on phonological awareness, despite no group differences at baseline. The results are interpreted to support the assertion that ILSs can improve the emergent literacy process for young children, provided they are embedded in a sound reading curriculum that is directed by a committed and active reading teacher. Finally, differences between the present study and related investigations are discussed.
The Learning and Perceptions of Teacher Researchers and Facilitators in a Literacy-Focused, Teacher-Research Course: A Content Analysis of System, Learner, and Spheres of Influence
Authors: Massey Dixie , Duffy Ann
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this research was to add to the knowledge base of teacher research in literacy education by focusing on the inquiry processes and learning of literacy teacher researchers from their perspectives. We accomplished this goal through presenting the voices of the teacher researchers, providing individual and collective voices and perspectives that are sometimes missing in discussions of literacy teacher-research inquiries. Using qualitative content analysis methodologies, our results indicated that these educators learned about themselves as system members, learners, and change agents within varying spheres of influence. We provide discussion and implications for research and practice, including conducting teacher research beyond the support of a university community and the constraints that teacher researchers face in this current political climate.

It has been like putting a spotlight on the classroom to see where we are going, and where we have been.
Interaction Quality during Partner Reading
Authors: Meisinger Elizabeth B. , Schwanenflugel Paula J. , Bradley Barbara A. , Stahl Steven A.
Published: December 2006

The influence of social relationships, positive interdependence, and teacher structure on the quality of partner reading interactions was examined. Partner reading, a scripted cooperative learning strategy, is often used in classrooms to promote the development of fluent and automatic reading skills. Forty-three pairs of second grade children were observed during partner reading sessions taking place in 12 classrooms. The degree to which the partners displayed social cooperation (instrumental support, emotional support, and conflict management) and on/off task behavior was evaluated. Children who chose their own partners showed greater social cooperation than those children whose teacher selected their partner. However, when the positive interdependence requirements of the task were not met within the pair (neither child had the skills to provide reading support or no one needed support), lower levels of on-task behavior were observed. Providing basic partner reading script instruction at the beginning of the year was associated with better social cooperation during partner reading, but providing elaborated instruction or no instruction was associated with poorer social cooperation. It is recommended that teachers provide basic script instruction and allow children to choose their own partners. Additionally, pairings of low ability children with other low ability children and high ability children with other high ability children should be avoided. Teachers may want to suggest alternate partners for children who inadvertently choose such pairings or adjust the text difficulty to the pair. Overall, partner reading seems to be an enjoyable pedagogical strategy for teaching reading fluency.
“Anyone Can Be an Expert in Something”: Exploring the Complexity of Discourse Conflict and Alignment for Two Fifth Grade Students
Authors: Rogers Rebecca , Light Rebecca , Curtis LaKena
Published: December 2006

Tntegrating funds of knowledge — the resources, processes, and strategies attached to family and community proficiencies — has widely been accepted as a worthwhile pedagogical intervention. In this article, we argue that two of the primary assumptions underlying such interventions have yet to be explored. First, because funds of knowledge are acquired rather than learned, children may not be readily able to locate and talk about such resources. Second, students often come to classrooms and schools with deeply embedded cultural models of what language, literacy, and learning in school are and should be. These cultural models are acquired through participation in the home, community, and school. In this article, we illustrate how some of the beliefs associated with funds of knowledge — narrow definitions of literacy, for example — run counter to the goals of integrating local resources into the academic curriculum. We studied the complexity of integrating funds of knowledge in a fifth-grade classroom of African-American students in a large Midwestern city. Situated within an action research framework, we collaboratively planned, collected, and analyzed data over a 10-week period. We learned that the network of spoken and written discourse practices that comprised the students' cultural knowledge either conflicted or aligned with the Discourse of the school. We share findings from the entire class and then focus on two in-depth case studies that demonstrate the complexity of alignment and conflict. This research sheds light on how elementary students develop problematic literate identities and offer suggestions to redirect such development.
Verbal and Nonverbal Predictors of Spelling Performance
Authors: Sadoski Mark , Willson Victor L. , Holcomb Angelia , Boulware-Gooden Regina
Published: December 2006

Verbal and nonverbal predictors of spelling performance in Grades 1-12 were investigated using the national norming data from a standardized spelling test. Verbal variables included number of letters, phonemes, syllables, digraphs, blends, silent markers, r-controlled vowels, and the proportion of grapheme-phoneme correspondence. The nonverbal variable was word concreteness. Word frequency was also included. Results showed that only three variables were consistently strong predictors of spelling performance: proportion of grapheme-phoneme correspondence, number of syllables, and word concreteness. Results are theoretically interpreted in terms of Dual Coding Theory and stages of spelling development. Instructional implications include increased attention to word concreteness in teaching and testing spelling.
Early Literacy Screening in Kindergarten: Widespread Implementation in Virginia
Authors: Invernizzi Marcia , Justice Laura , Landrum Timothy J. , Booker Keonya
Published: December 2006

Early success in reading is predicated on a child's ability to accurately and effectively master core literacy constructs (e.g., phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, concept of word, and grapheme-phoneme correspondence) and to exercise these understandings in a comfortable sociocultural context. In recent years, educators, legislators, and policymakers have shown great interest in creating an effective and instructionally useful diagnostic screening tool for identifying children at risk for early reading difficulties. In response to this charge, the Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening-Kindergarten (PALS-K) was developed. Through Fall 2003, more than 430,000 kindergarten students in Virginia had been screened using PALS-K. The purposes of this paper are to (a) describe the PALS-K instrument, (b) examine its effectiveness in screening for poor beginning literacy skills, and (c) discuss the educational and policy implications of the results of statewide literacy screening efforts.
Interactions That Scaffold Reading Performance
Authors: Rodgers Emily M.
Published: December 2006

In this article, findings from case study research of two effective literacy teachers are presented in order to describe in rich detail the nature of effective scaffolding. The teachers worked one-to-one with first-grade students who were experiencing extreme difficulty in learning to read. The complexity of scaffolding is described in terms of the instructional decisions that teachers must make on a moment-by-moment basis about the kind of help (what to work on) and level or amount of help to provide at points of difficulty during reading.
Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction
Authors: Stahl Steven A. , Heubach Kathleen M.
Published: December 2006

This paper reports the results of a two-year project designed to reorganize basal reading instruction to stress fluent reading and automatic word recognition. The reorganized reading program had three components: a redesigned basal reading lesson that included repeated reading and partner reading, a choice reading period during the day, and a home reading program. Over two years of program implementation, students made significantly greater than expected growth in reading achievement in all 14 classes. All but two children who entered second grade reading at a primer level or higher (and half of those who did not) were reading at grade level or higher by the end of the year. Growth in fluency and accuracy appeared to be consistent over the whole year. Students' and teachers' attitudes toward the program were positive. In evaluating individual components, we found that self-selected partnerings seemed to work best and that children chose partners primarily out of friendship. Children tended to choose books that were at or slightly below their instructional level. In addition, children seemed to benefit instructionally from more difficult materials than generally assumed, with the greater amount of scaffolding provided in this program.
Moments by Which Change is Made: A Cross-Case Exploration of Teacher Mediation and Student Participation in Literacy Events
Authors: Maloch Beth
Published: December 2006

This five-month qualitative study explored the fluctuating participation and constructions of self of two African-American boys across a variety of literacy events in a third-grade classroom. The boys' experiences prior to their arrival in the classroom afforded them particular kinds of capital but not necessarily the capital privileged in schools. In particular, they struggled with reading and were identified as resource students (i.e., students in need of supplemental instruction). Thus, in many ways, they entered school at a disadvantage. The teacher played critical roles in mediating the boys' participation and their opportunities to reconstruct their identities. Data sources, including expanded field notes, video-and audiotape records, teacher interview transcripts, and artifacts were analyzed using the constant-comparative method, cross-case analysis, and discourse analysis. Guided by notions of cultural capital, positional identities, improvisations, and teacher scaffolding, data analysis occurred in two broad phases: across multiple events and across literature discussion group sessions. Analysis yielded three factors related to their participation: academic requirements, relationships with others, and degree of choice in the task. Of the classroom events explored, literature discussion groups, in particular, offered opportunities for the boys to participate in more active ways. Analysis across literature discussion groups revealed two barriers the boys had to overcome to be recognized as legitimate participants: preparation for the literature discussion groups and learning the conversational norms. The teacher's strategic and timely scaffolding helped the boys negotiate these barriers, making possible important moments when their capital was legitimated and their contributions to the group recognized.
Negotiating the Slippery Slope: School Change and Literacy Achievement
Authors: Au Kathryn H.
Published: December 2006

Newspaper headlines from across the United States reflect the turmoil in public education today, with some states protesting federal requirements for testing, some states lowering proficiency requirements, other states raising proficiency requirements, and even kindergarten and preschool children facing higher academic expectations. These headlines, reflecting the accountability pressures of higher standards and high-stakes tests, are having predictable effects upon educators in schools. My home state of Hawaii is no exception. “Teachers say they're the ones being left behind,” stated a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser, while the line below read, “Morale low, frustration high among many” (DePledge, 2004).
Broadening the Interpretive Lens: Considering Individual Development along with Sociocultural Views of Learning to Understand Young Children's Interactions during Socially Mediated Literacy Events
Authors: Matthews Mona W. , Cobb Mark B.
Published: December 2006

Sociocultural theories provide a useful lens for interpreting behaviors as individuals enter contexts requiring social interactions. These theories help us understand that learning is stimulated and nourished by interactions with others, supporting a view that learning is essentially a socially inspired process. This emphasis on the social and cultural origins of knowledge, however, often minimizes dynamics related to individual development that influence how we respond to others and how others respond to us. Most relevant to this argument is information related to the influence of (a) the child's history of relationships, (b) the child's understanding of others and others' behavior, and (c) the child's cognitive perspective on the world. To account for these influences, the authors propose a model of collaborative literacy events (CLEs). The model merges understandings related to a sociocultural theory and individual development to broaden interpretations of children's behavior during socially mediated literacy events.
Black Adolescent Girls' Use of Literacy Practices to Negotiate Boundaries of Ascribed Identity
Authors: Sutherland LeeAnn M.
Published: December 2006

This qualitative study highlights the interconnectedness of literature, literacy practices, identity, and social positioning within a framework of a common enactment of multicultural education: adding literature by and about people of color to the language arts curriculum. The study provides a window on the meaning-making of six 16-year-old Black girls as they studied The Bluest Eye (Morrison, 1994) in their high school English class. Drawing primarily on group and individual interview data, this research shows participants spending little time analyzing the literature per se. Instead, spurred by incidents in the novel, they used the text as a launching point from which they analyzed their own life experiences. Socially positioned as young Black women, participants have found that they are expected by people in their school, community, and outside their community to behave in particular ways as a reflection of their assumed values and ways of being in the world. They also have experienced the effects of a Eurocentric standard of beauty, so central to the novel, being applied in their own lives. As they read and discussed the text, participants represented and constructed identities as they validated, modified, or contested the ability of others' ascriptions of identity to act as boundaries in their lives. This research shows how ascribed identities serve as boundaries, how literacy practices enable negotiation of those boundaries, and how participants' co-constructed identities as young Black women mattered to them as they studied literature with which they were expected to “connect.”
Responsive Teaching Toward Responsive Teachers: Mediating Transfer through Intentionality, Enactment, and Articulation
Authors: Dozier Cheryl L. , Rutten Ilene
Published: December 2006

Using a framework for responsive teaching as the theoretical foundation, this study examines ways teacher educators mediate teachers' transfer of responsive teaching. Guided by Bransford & Schwartz (1999) in defining transfer as preparation for future learning, our research explored teachers' transfer of learning as the teachers developed self-extending systems (Clay, 1991, 2001) as responsive literacy specialists. The intensive teaching of one student and the accompanying instructional tools used in the Literacy Lab fostered the development of responsive teaching in a variety of ways. Primary data sources included videotaped lessons, community conversations, and reflective essays. Analysis of the data revealed three elements that mediated transfer: intentionality, enactment, and articulation. Since transfer of responsive teaching does not happen automatically for all teachers, this study discusses the centrality of intentionally creating a range of spaces to enact and articulate transfer.
Adipose Tissue-Derived Factors: Impact on Health and Disease
Authors: Trujillo Maria E. , Scherer Philipp E.
Published: December 2006

The endocrine functions of the adipose organ are widely studied at this stage. The adipose organ, and in particular adipocytes, communicate with almost all other organs. Although some adipose tissue pads assume the functions as distinct “miniorgans,” adipocytes can also be present in smaller numbers interspersed with other cell types. Although fat pads have the potential to have a significant systemic impact, adipocytes may also affect neighboring tissues through paracrine interactions. These local or systemic effects are mediated through lipid and protein factors. The protein factors are commonly referred to as adipokines. Their expression and posttranslational modifications can undergo dramatic changes under different metabolic conditions.

Due to the fact that none of the mutations that affect adipose tissue trigger embryonic lethality, the study of adipose tissue physiology lends itself to genetic analysis in mice. In fact, life in the complete absence of adipose tissue is possible in a laboratory setting, making even the most extreme adipose tissue phenotypes genetically amenable to be analyzed by disruption of specific genes or overexpression of others.

Here, we briefly discuss some basic aspects of adipocyte physiology and the systemic impact of adipocyte-derived factors on energy homeostasis.
Neonatal Screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism in The Netherlands: Cognitive and Motor Outcome at 10 Years of Age
Authors: Kempers Marlies J. E. , van der Sluijs Veer Liesbeth , Nijhuis-van der Sanden Ria W. G. , Lanting Caren I. , Kooistra Libbe , Wiedijk Brenda M. , Last Bob F. , de Vijlder Jan J. M. , Grootenhuis Martha A. , Vulsma Thomas
Published: December 2006

Context: Patients with thyroidal congenital hypothyroidism (CH-T) born in The Netherlands in 1981–1982 showed persistent intellectual and motor deficits during childhood and adulthood, despite initiation of T4 supplementation at a median age of 28 d after birth.

Objective: The present study examined whether advancement of treatment initiation to 20 d had resulted in improved cognitive and motor outcome.

Design/Setting/Patients: In 82 Dutch CH-T patients, born in 1992 to 1993 and treated at a median age of 20 d (mean, 22 d; range, 2–73 d), cognitive and motor outcome was assessed (mean age, 10.5 yr; range, 9.6–11.4 yr). Severity of CH-T was classified according to pretreatment free T4 concentration.

Main Outcome Measure: Cognitive and motor outcome of the 1992–1993 cohort in comparison to the 1981 to 1982 cohort was the main outcome measure.

Results: Patients with severe CH-T had lower full-scale (93.7), verbal (94.9), and performance (93.9) IQ scores than the normative population (P < 0.05), whereas IQ scores of patients with moderate and mild CH-T were comparable to those of the normative population. In all three severity subgroups, significant motor problems were observed, most pronounced in the severe CH-T group. No correlations were found between starting day of treatment and IQ or motor outcome.

Conclusions: Essentially, findings from the 1992–1993 cohort were similar to those of the 1981–1982 cohort. Apparently, advancing initiation of T4 supplementation from 28 to 20 d after birth did not result in improved cognitive or motor outcome in CH-T patients.
Rac-WAVE-mediated actin reorganization is required for organization and maintenance of cell-cell adhesion
Authors: Yamazaki Daisuke , Oikawa Tsukasa , Takenawa Tadaomi
Published: December 2006

During cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion, the actin cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic reorganization in epithelial cells. Rho-family small GTPases, which regulate actin dynamics, play pivotal roles in cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion; however, the precise molecular mechanisms that underlie cell-cell adhesion formation remain unclear. Here we show that Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous protein (WAVE)-mediated reorganization of actin, downstream of Rac plays an important role in normal development of cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesions in MDCK cells. Rac-induced development of cadherin-dependent adhesions required WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization. The process of cell-cell adhesion is divided into three steps: formation of new cell-cell contacts, stabilization of these new contacts and junction maturation. WAVE1 and WAVE2 were expressed in MDCK cells. The functions of WAVE1 and WAVE2 were redundant in this system but WAVE2 appeared to play a more significant role. During the first step, WAVE2-dependent lamellipodial protrusions facilitated formation of cell-cell contacts. During the second step, WAVE2 recruited actin filaments to new cell-cell contacts and stabilized newly formed cadherin clusters. During the third step, WAVE2-dependent actin reorganization was required for organization and maintenance of mature cell-cell adhesions. Thus, Rac-WAVE-dependent actin reorganization is not only involved in formation of cell-cell adhesions but is also required for their maintenance.
Empirical model for impact response of motorcycle front spoked wheel-tyre assembly
Authors: Tan K S , Wong S V , Radin Umar R S , Hamouda A M S , Megat Ahmad M M H
Published: December 2006

An experimental study on the response of the motorcycle front wheel-tyre assembly in a frontal impact was conducted. A topological approach was employed whereby the post-impact projected deformation area of the wheel was selected as the response variable. Design factors included in the design of experiment were impact speed (S), impact mass (M), inflation pressure level of the tyre (P), contact geometry of the striker (G), and the offset distance of the impact location from the axle (D). A 2v5-1 fractional factorial design with four replications was applied. Statistical software, Minitab version 13, was employed in the experimental design and data analysis. The impact tests were conducted using the in-house developed pendulum impact test rig. A factorial analysis was performed to identify the significant factors influencing the responses of the wheel-tyre assembly. It was found that the influential effects for the response, excluding the torn-off cases, are the main effects S, M, P, and D, and interaction effects SM and PG. On the other hand, for the response including the torn-off cases, the main effects are the same but the interaction effects are slightly different, namely SM, MD, MG, and PG. These factors were then incorporated in the establishment of the empirical models for predicting the impact response of the wheel-tyre assembly. Regression analysis was also carried out to evaluate the yielded empirical models. Curves demonstrating the behaviour of the wheel under various impact conditions investigated were generated based on the empirical models. A comparison was also made with the findings where maximum residual crush was the response variable.
On-board monitoring and diagnosis for spark ignition engine air path via adaptive neural networks
Authors: Sangha M S , Yu D L , Gomm J B
Published: December 2006

This paper presents a new method for on-board fault diagnosis for the air path of spark ignition (SI) engines. The method uses a radial basis function (RBF) neural network to classify predefined possible faults from engine measurements, reporting fault occurrence as well as the type and size of a fault. After diagnosing faults in each sample interval, the weights and widths of the RBF fault classifier are updated with the measurements and appropriately selected target outputs. Consequently, the network can adapt to the time-varying dynamics of the engine and environment change so that the false alarm rate is greatly reduced and the required network size is also reduced. The developed scheme is assessed with various faults simulated on a mean value engine benchmark model and compared with a fixed-parameter RBF classifier. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Use of in-cylinder pressure measurement and the response surface method for combustion feedback control in a diesel engine
Authors: Reitz R , von der Ehe J
Published: December 2006

An engine control algorithm was designed and implemented on a heavy-duty diesel engine. The goal was to develop a control system that could adjust split injection parameters to accommodate changes in operating parameters such as fuel and ambient air conditions, and mechanical wear during engine operation. An in-cylinder pressure transducer was chosen for the closed-loop feedback signal to be used in conjunction with the control algorithm. The control algorithm incorporated a version of the response surface method (RSM) to adjust the fuel injection parameters and to locate the optimum settings. Optimizations of double injections at 821 r/min and 25 per cent load and 0, 15, and 30 per cent exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) were first performed using a combination of the genetic algorithm (GA) and the RSM to provide baseline cylinder pressure data and to develop control criteria. These optima were then used to calibrate the control system by providing target values for the RSM control algorithm. Tests were conducted using a heat release estimate to control heat release phasing and magnitude. The control algorithm was able to adjust the timing of the first and second injections, as well as the amount of fuel injected in each pulse to phase combustion properly.
Study of electric arc parameters during the extraction phase for automotive connectors
Authors: El Abdi R , Elmanfalouti A , Benjemaa N
Published: December 2006

Comfort, safety, communication, control with assistance (antilock brake system, seat heating, multimedia, etc.), and safeguarding the environment are many factors that are included in the new generation of vehicles. The increase in the number of electronic and electric systems leads to a high level of vehicle control. To answer this high electric power demand, it will be necessary to triple the voltage of the batteries (from 14 to 42 V). The objective of this work is to study the arc phenomenon that can occur in an accidental way during the use of a high electric power and particularly during the extraction phase of the male part from the female part of the automotive connector. It was observed that this can be characterized by both its energy and its temperature. The amplification of the contact current from 14 to 42 V d.c. considerably increases arc damage.
Simulation of vehicle kinematics in rollover tests with quaternions
Authors: Hu Y , Neal-Sturgess C E , Hassan A M
Published: December 2006

The paper provides a method to simulate the vehicle kinematics in rollover tests. There are several rollover tests in use: SAE J2114 dolly rollover, ditch rollover, corkscrew, curb trip, and soil trip. Sensors located on board the vehicle record the various accelerations and make it possible to reconstruct the whole event with high accuracy, which is difficult in real-world accidents.

Euler parameters, as a useful method to describe the orientation of a rigid body, have been widely used in three-dimensional multi-body and rollover crash simulations. A method based on the Euler parameters derived from the test data is used to simulate the vehicle rollover kinematics in a SAE J2114 dolly rollover test. The detailed procedure from the raw data to the Euler parameters is described and the influence of gravity included in the test data is removed by projecting to a local vehicle reference system.

The method is validated by simulating the dolly rollover test in MADYMO, using a simple rigid body model to represent the vehicle. Good agreement is obtained from the comparison between the simulated vehicle orientation and the test video, and the comparison between simulated displacements and calculated displacements using the recorded test accelerations at the same points. This demonstrated that the method proposed is a useful and effective method for simulating vehicle kinematics in rollover tests.
An investigation of instability in a domestic gas boiler by simulation
Authors: Tauzia X , Etchebarne T , Chesse P , Hetet J-F , Chalet D
Published: December 2006

The experimental investigation of a domestic gas boiler revealed an unstable operation mode under certain circumstances and geometry. This paper presents the development, validation, and analysis of the modelling of a complete sealed gas boiler. The modelling uses a non-dimensional/one-dimensional non-linear solution of the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations. The sealed vessel is divided into three zones separated by the burner and the heat exchanger. A special focus is placed on the burner which was determined to play a major role in the occurrence of instabilities. The comparison between measured and simulated results shows a good agreement at steady state. The investigation of unstable configurations reveals the ability of the simulation model to locate unstable zones in a qualitative manner and provides the influence of the control parameters over the system's stability. An attempt is made at explaining the differences observed in the quantitative results. Finally, a few potential solutions to prevent or reduce unstable zones are evaluated with the simulation model.
An investigation of the flowfield through a variable geometry turbine stator with vane endwall clearance
Authors: Spence S. W T. , O'Neill J. W. , Cunningham G
Published: December 2006

Variable geometry turbines provide an extra degree of flexibility in air management in turbocharged engines. The pivoting stator vanes used to achieve the variable turbine geometry necessitate the inclusion of stator vane endwall clearances. The consequent leakage flow through the endwall clearances impacts the flow in the stator vane passages and an understanding of the impact of the leakage flow on stator loss is required. A numerical model of a typical variable geometry turbine was developed using the commercial CFX-10 computational fluid dynamics software, and validated using laser doppler velocimetry and static pressure measurements from a variable geometry turbine with stator vane endwall clearance. Two different stator vane positions were investigated, each at three different operating conditions representing different vane loadings. The vane endwall leakage was found to have a significant impact on the stator loss and on the uniformity of flow entering the turbine rotor. The leakage flow changed considerably at different vane positions and flow incidence at vane inlet was found to have a significant impact.
Computational fluid dynamics investigating three-dimensional physical characteristics in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Authors: Ferng Y. M. , Su A , Chiu Y. C.
Published: December 2006

A full scope three-dimensional model is proposed in this paper to investigate the local flowfields and electrochemical parameters within a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Based on the computational fluid dynamics, this model cristics of flowfields and electrochemical parameters can be obtained. The predicted relationships between cell voltage and current density (i.e. performance curve) correspond well to the experimental data. The positive effects of both the temperature and pressure on the cell performance are precisely captured. In addition, the present model can also reasonably simulate the concentration polarization effect that decreases the cell performance, as the cell is operated at the higher current density.
Modelling, analysis, and irreversibility reduction of the triple-pressure reheat H-system combined cycle
Authors: Bassily A. M.
Published: December 2006

The triple-pressure reheat H-system combined cycle is considered the most efficient combined cycle that is commercially available. The gas turbine of the H-system combined cycle is cooled using a closed loop of steam and an open loop of air. Compared with the regular triple-pressure reheat combined cycle, the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) of the H-system has a different configuration and a reduced load since superheating of steam is partially performed by the gas turbine. In this paper, the triple-pressure reheat H-system combined cycle was modelled, including detailed modelling of the HRSG and the expansion and cooling processes of the gas turbine. The performance of the H-system combined cycle was analysed and a feasible technique to reduce the irreversibility of the HRSG was introduced. The reduced-irreversibility triple-pressure reheat steam-air gas turbine-cooled (H-system) combined cycle was compared with the regularly designed triple-pressure reheat H-system combined cycle, which is the typical design for a commercial combined cycle. The effects of varying the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) on the performance of all cycles were presented and discussed. The results indicate that the reduced-irreversibility H-system combined cycle is 1.45–1.65 per cent higher in efficiency and 2.5 per cent higher in the total specific work than the regularly designed H-system combined cycle when all compared at the same values of TIT and minimum temperature difference for pinch points (PPm)- The reduced-irreversibility H-system combined cycle was 1.35 per cent higher in efficiency than the most efficient commercially available H-system combined cycle when compared at the same value of TIT. Economical analysis of the reduced-irreversibility cycle was performed and showed that applying the introduced technique could result in an annual saving of ten million US dollars for a 440 MW power plant.