bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The hydrodynamics of ship-like sections in heave, sway, and roll motions predicted using an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier—Stokes method
Authors: Quérard A B G , Temarel P , Turnock S R
Published: February 2009

The application of strip theory for predicting ship seakeeping response in waves relies on sectional added mass and viscous damping. A Reynolds averaged Navier—Stokes (RANS) approach is adopted to obtain two-dimensional hydrodynamic coefficients that include viscous and rotational flow effects as well as free surface wave generation. Calculations are made for circular and rectangular sections of cylinders swaying, heaving, and rolling in the presence of a free surface, for a range of frequencies. The predicted hydrodynamic coefficients are compared with available experimental and numerical results. The method is successfully validated for sway of a submerged circular cylinder. Good agreement is obtained for sway and heave of a rectangular cylinder at a free surface. For roll, the results are highly sensitive to the mesh applied due to the vortex shedding that occurs at the sharp corners, even at relatively low roll amplitudes. The appropriate density of mesh influences the convection of the vortex, the production of vorticity, and the position of the vortex core. These all have a large impact on fluid damping. A hybrid-based zonal mesh generation approach is proposed to maintain a compromise between necessary mesh refinement and the overall number of cells. Using this technique and a small fixed time step leads to improved predictions of the roll hydrodynamic coefficients, particularly for fluid damping.
The stability of a damaged roll-on roll-off vessel with water on deck
Authors: Pawowski M , Tuzcu C
Published: February 2009

The stability of a damaged roll-on roll-off vessel with water on the vehicle deck is discussed. It is shown that the heeling moment that heels the ship beyond the static angle of equilibrium in calm water comes from water on deck, elevated above sea level by the dynamic action of waves. Three methods of calculating the heel angle with water on deck are discussed. In addition, the critical heel angle associated with the point of no return is analysed. Finally, the paper argues that the GZ curve for the damaged ship should correspond to the concept of minimum stability, which is not very well known within the profession.
The social behaviours of inhibited children in and out of preschool
Authors: Coplan Robert J. , DeBow Adrienne , Schneider Barry H. , Graham Allison A.
Published: February 2009

The goal of the present study was to explore the social behaviours of inhibited children in familiar social contexts, including: (1) free play with peers at preschool and (2) social activities at home and in the community. The initial participants were N =248 preschool children between the ages of 42 and 66 months. From this initial data, two smaller groups of inhibited (N =12) and uninhibited comparison (N =12) children were identified. These children were observed during free play at preschool and parents completed daily logs of children's social activities outside of school. Among the findings, inhibited children were observed to display more reticent (on looking, unoccupied) and anxious behaviours during free play preschool than uninhibited children. As well, inhibited children participated less in structured social activities outside school and were more likely to engage in dyadic play at home with a single friend as compared to their uninhibited counterparts.
Roles and Responsibilities of Itinerant Specialist Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Authors: Foster Susan , Cue Katie
Published: February 2009

The Roles and Responsibilities of itinerant specialist teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students were examined. Data were collected through surveys of practicing teachers, interviews, and school observations. Questions focused on tasks itinerant teachers perform most often in their jobs, where they learned these tasks, and whether they would be interested in continuing education for a particular task. Tasks most frequently listed by respondents involved direct work with deaf and hard of hearing students followed by consultation with regular education teachers, developing individualized education plans, coordinating meetings and support services, providing information to parents, and managing equipment such as hearing aids and FM systems. Only 17% of the respondents said they learned these skills through teacher preparation programs, compared with 65% who learned on the job, and many expressed interest in taking workshops or courses in specific skill areas.
Mental Health and Self-Image Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
Authors: Mejstad Lena , Heiling Kerstin , Svedin Carl Göran
Published: February 2009

Mental health and self-image among deaf and hard of hearing children (ages 11–18 years) in southern Sweden was investigated. The children ( N = 111) attended special schools for the deaf ( n = 28), special schools for the hard of hearing ( n = 23), and regular schools where hard of hearing children were mainstreamed ( n = 60). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) was used to screen mental health and the “I Think I Am” questionnaire Ouvinen-Birgerstam (1982, 1984) to measure self-esteem. The study shows that hard of hearing children seem to do as well, as a group, as other children in Swedish society. Mean SDQ and ITIA scores indicated that the mainstreamed students and the students in special schools for the hard of hearing had higher levels of rated mental health and self-image than the students in schools for the deaf.
What Could Be Worse than the Butterfly Effect?
Authors: Bishop Robert C.
Published: February 2009

Our understanding of classical mechanics (CM) has undergone significant growth in the latter half of the twentieth century and in the beginning of the twenty-first. This growth has much to do with the explosion of interest in the study of nonlinear systems in contrast with the focus on linear systems that had colored much work in CM from its inception. For example, although Maxwell and Poincaré arguably were some of the first to think about chaotic behavior, the modern study of chaotic dynamics traces its beginning to the pioneering work of Edward Lorenz (1963). This work has yielded a rich variety of behavior in relatively simple classical models that was previously unsuspected by the vast majority of the physics community (see Hilborn 2001). Chaos is a property of nonlinear systems that is usually characterized by sensitive dependence on initial conditions (SDIC). In CM the behavior of simple physical systems is described using models (such as the harmonic oscillator) that capture the main features of the systems in question (Giere 1988).
Speaking of Something: Plato'sSophistand Plato's Beard
Authors: Thomas Christine J.
Published: February 2009

The Eleatic Visitor speaks forcefully when he insists, ‘Necessarily, wheneverthere is speech, it is speech of something; it isimpossiblefor it not to be of something’ (Soph.262e6-7). For ‘if it were not of anything, it would not be speech at all; for we showed that it is impossible for there to be speech that is speech of nothing’ (Soph.263c9-11). Presumably, at 263c10, when he claims to have ‘shown’ that it is impossible for speech to be of nothing, the Visitor is referring back to the Parmenidean puzzles atSophist237ff.
A longitudinal analysis of family migration and the gender gap in earnings in the united states and great britain
Authors: Cooke Thomas J. , Boyle Paul , Couch Kenneth , Feijten Peteke
Published: February 2009

This article uses longitudinal data for the United States and Great Britain to examine the impact of residential mobility and childbirth on the earnings of women, their family earnings, and the related division of earnings by gender. This project is the _ rst to compare explicitly the impact of childbirth and family migration on women’s earnings, and it extends prior cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on isolated countries by providing a direct contrast between two major industrialized nations, using comparable measures. The results indicate that families respond in similar ways in both countries to migration and childbirth. In response to both migration and childbirth, women’s earnings fall at the time of the event and recover slowly afterward, but the magnitude of the impact is roughly twice as large for childbirth as for migration. However, migration but not the birth of a child is also associated with a significant increase in total family earnings because of increased husbands’ earnings. As a result, the effect of migration on the relative earnings of wives to husbands is similar to the effect of childbirth. These results suggest that family migration should be given consideration in the literature on the gender earnings gap.
Leave No Schools Behind: The Importance of a College Culture in Urban Public High Schools
Authors: Holland Nicole E. , Farmer-Hinton Raquel L.
Published: February 2009

Creating a college culture that is available to all K-12 public school students helps prepare individuals for postsecondary academic and career endeavors. Establishing and maintaining a college culture requires structural and organizational arrangements that facilitate students' access to critical human and material resources. These arrangements should create frequent opportunities for students to access school-based social support networks that help them identify necessary academic coursework and appropriately plan for higher education. This study provides a conceptual framework for college culture and uses districtwide data to empirically examine the relationship between school size and high school seniors' self-reports of their involvement with the college culture in urban public high schools.
The Impact of High School Size on Math Achievement and Dropout Rate
Authors: Werblow Jacob , Duesbery Luke
Published: February 2009

The study explores the ways in which school size influences two important student outcomes commonly used in school effects research: growth in mathematics achievement and dropout rate. Past research suggests that smaller high schools can lead to increased benefits for students. In this study, multilevel analytic models of the first two waves of the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 are used to better understand mediating factors in the small school size effect. Results support the benefits of smaller schools: students in smaller schools were less likely to drop out than their counterparts in large high schools. The relationship between high school size and math gain, however, is curvilinear; students attending very small (< 674) or very large (> 2592) schools have the largest math gains, while students in schools with intermediate enrollment sizes demonstrated smaller math gains. Implications for school size decision making are discussed in light of these results.
The Silence of Fear: Making Sense of Student (Mis)behavior
Authors: Peterek-Bonner Emily
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this personal narrative is to retrospectively analyze the actions and reactions of a young, female, white teacher who was faced with the reality of the dichotomy of race and power in a large school system. When an African American male student brings a gun to school, the teacher's personal assumptions come to the forefront, bringing confusion and fear. Simultaneously, the power exerted by the administration to keep the situation out of the public eye maintains any pervasive racial tensions that exist in the school. This piece reflects on and deconstructs the complexities of this situation through the lens of critical race theory.
Microarray-Based Genomic DNA Profiling Technologies in Clinical Molecular Diagnostics
Authors: Shen Yiping , Wu Bai-Lin
Published: February 2009

Background: Microarray-based genomic DNA profiling (MGDP) technologies are rapidly moving from translational research to clinical diagnostics and have revolutionized medical practices. Such technologies have shown great advantages in detecting genomic imbalances associated with genomic disorders and single-gene diseases.

Content: We discuss the development and applications of the major array platforms that are being used in both academic and commercial laboratories. Although no standardized platform is expected to emerge soon, comprehensive oligonucleotide microarray platforms—both comparative genomic hybridization arrays and genotyping hybrid arrays—are rapidly becoming the methods of choice for their demonstrated analytical validity in detecting genomic imbalances, for their flexibility in incorporating customized designs and updates, and for the advantage of being easily manufactured. Copy number variants (CNVs), the form of genomic deletions/duplications detected through MGDP, are a common etiology for a variety of clinical phenotypes. The widespread distribution of CNVs poses great challenges in interpretation. A broad survey of CNVs in the healthy population, combined with the data accumulated from the patient population in clinical laboratories, will provide a better understanding of the nature of CNVs and enhance the power of identifying genetic risk factors for medical conditions.

Summary: MGDP technologies for molecular diagnostics are still at an early stage but are rapidly evolving. We are in the process of extensive clinical validation and utility evaluation of different array designs and technical platforms. CNVs of currently unknown importance will be a rich source of novel discoveries.
Coamplification at Lower Denaturation Temperature-PCR Increases Mutation-Detection Selectivity of TaqMan-Based Real-Time PCR
Authors: Li Jin , Wang Lilin , Jänne Pasi A , Makrigiorgos G Mike
Published: February 2009

Background: DNA genotyping with mutation-specific TaqMan® probes (Applied Biosystems) is broadly used in detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms but is less so for somatic mutations because of its limited selectivity for low-level mutations. We recently described coamplification at lower denaturation temperature-PCR (COLD-PCR), a method that amplifies minority alleles selectively from mixtures of wild-type and mutation-containing sequences during the PCR. We demonstrate that combining COLD-PCR with TaqMan technology provides TaqMan genotyping with the selectivity needed to detect low-level somatic mutations.

Methods: Minor-groove binder-based or common TaqMan probes were designed to contain a nucleotide that matches the desired mutation approximately in the middle of the probe. The critical denaturation temperature (Tc) of each amplicon was then experimentally determined. COLD-PCR/TaqMan genotyping was performed in 2 steps: denaturation at the Tc, followed by annealing and extension at a single temperature (fast COLD-PCR). The threshold cycle was used to identify mutations on the basis of serial dilutions of mutant DNA into wild-type DNA and to identify TP53 (tumor protein p53) and EGFR [epidermal growth factor receptor (erythroblastic leukemia viral (v-erb-b) oncogene homolog, avian)] mutations in tumors.

Results: COLD-PCR/TaqMan genotyping identified G>A mutations within TP53 exon 8 (codon 273 mutation hot spot) and C>T mutations within the EGFR gene (drug-resistance mutation T790M) with a selectivity improvement of 15- to 30-fold over regular PCR/TaqMan genotyping. A second round of COLD-PCR/TaqMan genotyping improved the selectivity by another 15- to 30-fold and enabled detection of 1 mutant in 2000 wild-type alleles. Use of COLD-PCR/TaqMan genotyping allowed quantitative identification of low-level TP53 and T790 mutations in colon tumor samples and in non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines treated with kinase inhibitors.

Conclusions: The major improvement in selectivity provided by COLD-PCR enables the popular TaqMan genotyping method to become a powerful tool for detecting low-level mutations in clinical samples.
mRNA Expression and BRAF Mutation in Circulating Melanoma Cells Isolated from Peripheral Blood with High Molecular Weight Melanoma-Associated Antigen-Specific Monoclonal Antibody Beads
Authors: Kitago Minoru , Koyanagi Kazuo , Nakamura Takeshi , Goto Yasufumi , Faries Mark , O'Day Steven J , Morton Donald L , Ferrone Soldano , Hoon Dave S B
Published: February 2009

Background: The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of melanoma patients by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis correlates with a poor prognosis. The assessment of CTCs from blood has been difficult because of lack of a good monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against surface cell antigens to capture melanoma cells.

Methods: Blood was collected prospectively from 57 melanoma patients (43 test and 14 test-development cases) and 5 healthy donors. High molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA)-specific mAbs bound to immunomagnetic beads were used to isolate CTCs. mRNA and/or DNA were extracted from CTCs. Testing for the expression of a melanoma-associated gene panel (MLANA, MAGEA3, and MITF) with qRT-PCR and for the presence of BRAFmt (a BRAF gene variant encoding the V600E mutant protein) verified the beads-isolated CTCs to be melanoma cells. A peptide nucleic acid-clamping PCR assay was used for BRAFmt analysis.

Results: Spiking of peripheral blood cells (PBCs) with melanoma cells showed that the beads-based detection assay can detect approximately 1 melanoma cell in 5 × 106 PBCs. qRT-PCR analysis detected MLANA, MAGEA3, and MITF expression in 19 (44%), 29 (67%), and 19 (44%) of the patients, respectively. At least one biomarker of the panel was positive in 40 (93%) of the 43 melanoma patients. BRAFmt was detected in 17 (81%) of the 21 assessed stage IV melanoma patients.

Conclusion: The assay of bead capture coupled with the PCR has utility for assessing CTCs in melanoma patients, which can then be characterized for both genomic and transcriptome expression.
Circulating Prostate Tumor Cells Detected by Reverse Transcription-PCR in Men with Localized or Castration-Refractory Prostate Cancer: Concordance with CellSearch Assay and Association with Bone Metastases and with Survival
Authors: Helo Pauliina , Cronin Angel M , Danila Daniel C , Wenske Sven , Gonzalez-Espinoza Rita , Anand Aseem , Koscuiszka Michael , Väänänen Riina-Minna , Pettersson Kim , Chun Felix K-H , Steuber Thomas , Huland Hartwig , Guillonneau Bertrand D , Eastham James A , Scardino Peter T , Fleisher Martin , Scher Howard I , Lilja Hans
Published: February 2009

Background: Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays have been used for analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), but their clinical value has yet to be established. We assessed men with localized prostate cancer or castration-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC) for CTCs via real-time RT-PCR assays for KLK3 [kallikrein-related peptidase 3; i.e., prostate-specific antigen (PSA)] and KLK2 mRNAs. We also assessed the association of CTCs with disease characteristics and survival.

Methods: KLK3, KLK2, and PSCA (prostate stem cell antigen) mRNAs were measured by standardized, quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays in blood samples from 180 localized-disease patients, 76 metastatic CRPC patients, and 19 healthy volunteers. CRPC samples were also tested for CTCs by an immunomagnetic separation system (CellSearch™; Veridex) approved for clinical use.

Results: All healthy volunteers were negative for KLK mRNAs. Results of tests for KLK3 or KLK2 mRNAs were positive (≥80 mRNAs/mL blood) in 37 patients (49%) with CRPC but in only 15 patients (8%) with localized cancer. RT-PCR and CellSearch CTC results were strongly concordant (80%–85%) and correlated (Kendall τ, 0.60–0.68). Among CRPC patients, KLK mRNAs and CellSearch CTCs were closely associated with clinical evidence of bone metastases and with survival but were only modestly correlated with serum PSA concentrations. PSCA mRNA was detected in only 7 CRPC patients (10%) and was associated with a positive KLK mRNA status.

Conclusions: Real-time RT-PCR assays of KLK mRNAs are highly concordant with CellSearch CTC results in patients with CRPC. KLK2/3-expressing CTCs are common in men with CRPC and bone metastases but are rare in patients with metastases diagnosed only in soft tissues and patients with localized cancer.
Ice Hockey Facility Safety: Litigated Case Studies Involving Ice Hockey Injuries
Authors: Lucenko Leonard K.
Published: February 2009

This paper will discuss the duties facility owners and operators owe participants and spectators in the ice skating and ice hockey environment. These duties have been established by case law, standards in the industry, and the safety and risk management literature in sports and recreation. There will also be a discussion of court cases that illustrate the importance of incorporating risk management principles and industry standards into operating procedures. The consequences, when these principles are not followed, will also be addressed based on results of litigated cases.
Comparison of CANDU Fuel Bundle Finite Element Model with Unirradiated Mechanical Load Experiments
Authors: Lampman Timothy J. , Popescu Adrian , Freire-Canosa Jose
Published: February 2009

A requirement of spent nuclear fuel is to maintain its structural integrity at all times to enable its safe and efficient handling during storage, transportation, and placement in a deep geological repository. In Canada, commercial spent fuel is currently stored in light water pools for about ten years before being transferred to dry storage where storage may extend up to 100 years. Investigations on the fuel structural integrity evolution during dry storage are being performed for spent CANDU fuel bundles. A CANDU nuclear fuel bundle is a cylindrical assembly approximately 0.1 m in diameter and 0.5 m in length made of 28 or 37 fuel elements held together by welding two endplates at both ends. The welds have a circular notch of less than 10 μm diameter. Significant hydraulic, mechanical, and thermal loads during bundle irradiation in the reactor may lead to bundle deformation, which when coupled with the sharp weld notch can result in significant stress enhancement at the notch tip and possibly activate delayed hydride cracking (DHC) during dry storage. To better understand the stress levels in CANDU fuel during dry storage, a finite element model of CANDU fuel bundles is under development. The stress distribution in the bundle and the stress intensity factor at each weld notch can be evaluated by the model for the spent fuel geometry and dry storage conditions. This paper discusses the agreement between the finite element model and validation experiments using unirradiated 28-element CANDU fuel bundles tested in the elastic and plastic regime.
Association of serum fetuin A with truncal obesity and dyslipidemia in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients
Authors: Chen Hung-Yuan , Chiu Yen-Lin , Hsu Shih-Ping , Pai Mei-Fen , Lai Chun-Fu , Peng Yu-Sen , Kao Tze-Wah , Hung Kuan-Yu , Tsai Tun-Jun , Wu Kwan-Dun
Published: February 2009

Background

Fetuin A, a predictor of cardio-vascular (CV) mortality in dialysis patients has been associated with dyslipidemia in non-diabetic coronary artery disease. Truncal obesity is linked to dyslipidemia and also predicts CV mortality. This study had aimed to investigate the associations among fetuin A, truncal obesity, and dyslipidemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

One hundred and nine non-diabetic HD patients were evaluated. Waist circumference, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fetuin A, and lipoprotein levels (i.e. total cholesterol (T-CHO), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), non-HDL-C, and triglyceride (TG)) were measured for analysis of correlations. The patients were divided into tertiles by fetuin A concentrations.

Results

Data from 63 women and 46 men aged 60±13 years were analyzed. Patients in the highest tertile of fetuin A (0.33–0.51 g/l) had higher serum creatinine, albumin, T-CHO, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and TG, more truncal obesity and lower hs-CRP than patients in the lowest tertile (allP<0.05). In multi-variable linear regression analysis, fetuin A was independently associated with TG level and total iron binding capacity after adjustments for age, hemoglobin, albumin, calcium, body mass index, and hs-CRP. Patients in the highest fetuin A tertile had 3.2- and 4.4-fold higher incidence of truncal obesity (P=0.038) and hyper-triglyceridemia (P=0.015) independent of nutritional status and inflammation.

Conclusion

Fetuin A is positively associated with truncal obesity and dyslipidemia, which are independent of malnutrition and inflammation. It may predict visceral adiposity and dyslipidemia, especially TG and TG-rich lipoproteins, in HD patients.
Quantum Dot Nanodevice with Electron-Lattice Coupling
Authors: Král Karel
Published: February 2009

The electronic current-voltage characteristics of a nanotransistor is studied. The nanotransistor is assumed to consist of a quantum dot active region connected to the source and drain wires and also attached to a gate. The electric current is shown to be influenced by the coupling of electrons to the longitudinal optical phonons, namely, by the up-conversion of the electrons to the higher excited states in a quantum dot, due to a nonadiabatic effect of the lattice vibrations. In the nanotransistor with asymmetric source and drain contacts the up-conversion leads to a spontaneous electric current, or to a spontaneous voltage between the electrodes. We remind existing experiments which might be related to the effect considered.
A Cathodoluminescence Study of the Defects Created by the Degradation of High Power AlGaAs/GaAs Multiemitter Laser Bars
Authors: Martín-Martín Alonso , Avella Manuel , Iñiguez M. Pilar , Jiménez Juan , Oudart Myriam , Nagle Julien
Published: February 2009

In this work we study the defects responsible for the degradation of high power AlGaAs based laser bars. The mirror and cavity degradations are studied by spectral cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. Following the analysis of the CL images the main defects generated during the laser operation are revealed, both facet and intracavity defects are observed. A thermomechanical model is used to describe the very beginning of the defect formation. The defects are formed by a local plastic deformation induced by local heating at defects.
Comparative Characteristics of GaAs Detectors and Silicon Pixel Detectors with Internal Amplification
Authors: Koltsov Gennady I. , Murashev V. N. , Chubenko A. P. , Mukhamedshin R. A. , Britvich G. I. , Chernykh A. V. , Chernykh S. V.
Published: February 2009

Comparative analysis of GaAs semiconductor radiation detectors and silicon pixel ones with internal amplification elaborated for detection of nuclear radiation is carried out. Electrophysical and spectral characteristics are compared.

Both the detector types have high sensitivity to α, β and γ radiation and can be applied in space and accelerator experiments for energy determination of elementary particles as well as in astrophysics, transmission and reflecting electron microscopy, medicine, biology and so on.
An Overview of the Mechanical Properties of FeAl
Authors: Baker Ian
Published: February 2009

This paper presents an overview of the mechanical properties of the iron aluminide FeAl. Both the strength and ductility depend on a variety of parameters, including vacancy concentration, the environment (principally water vapor), alloy stoichiometry, temperature and grain size. The effects of alloying elements, particularly boron, are also briefly discussed. The review emphasizes how much of our current understanding of the strength and ductility of iron aluminides emanated from the discovery of the importance of both water vapor and thermal vacancies on these properties.
The Effects of Annealing Temperature on Tensile Properties in a Fine-grained Fe3Al-based Alloy Containning κ-Fe3AlC Carbide Particles
Authors: Takei Akira , Kobayashi Satoru , Takasugi Takayuki
Published: February 2009

The effects of annealing temperature on the room temperature tensile properties were investigated in a fine-grained Fe3Al based-alloy, and the correlation between microstructure, texture and tensile properties was discussed. Tensile elongation showed a peak as a function of annealing temperature. The highest elongation was obtained in the recrystallized samples annealed at 700°C. The decrease in the elongation with increasing annealing temperature above 700°C is attributed to the increase in the fraction of <100> oriented grains with respect to the tensile direction. A high sensitivity to environmental embrittlement was observed in the partially recrystallized samples annealed at 650°C.
Applied Linguistics: thematic pursuits or disciplinary moorings?
Authors: Halliday M.A.K. , Burns Anne
Published: February 2009

This is a condensed and edited version of the conversation which was recorded on 21 December, 2005 at Macquarie University, Sydney. This paper has been published as Halliday (2007).
Task and play in the words and minds of children
Authors: Kim Yongho , Kellogg David
Published: February 2009

This paper is a critical appreciation of the increasingly common practice of using tasks which focus on the pragmatics of language use rather than the semantics of language usage in primary level foreign language learning. We examine, sympathetically, the reasoning behind it but find that the language classroom is no place to try to differentiate strictly between a focus on form and a focus on meaning. The same thing holds true for the playground. We contend that rote-play, role-play and rule-based games form a recognizable sequence of development, and we use a modest body of data to demonstrate noticeable cross-sectional differences: the same group of children will use more complete utterances in chants and songs compared to role-play, rule-based games and a questionnaire survey task. Our task-based activity gives even less complete structures and turns out to be rather heavily teacher-centred, and we attribute this to the necessity of presenting both rules that are constitutive of the activity (such as game rules) and precepts oriented towards a single, specific result. On this basis, we argue that play may offer more scope for creativity as well as a more psychological realistic model for primary language learning.
Intercultural communication in a development project in Samoa
Authors: Byrnes Fran
Published: February 2009

Through the study of selected project events and their associated discourses this research explores how participants in a development project used cultural and professional resources, including communication resources; and the consequences resulting (for them and for others) from this use. The project is explored as a ‘soft’ system of social interactions and processes; and as a ‘Third Space’ (Bhabha 1990) where traditional boundaries of socio-cultural organisation, or of professions, are destabilised and where newly-constructed practices, orders of discourse, identities and representations are required. The research takes a critical and ideological stance, underpinned by a belief in the value and possibility of social action. While not primarily a call to action, the study presents its interpretations in the context of larger ethical and political challenges, with a view to informing change, specifically what deliberate action might be taken to improve processes and practices in future projects. Recommendations for change, based on the research findings, are concerned with determining principles and codes of practice for: (i) identifying and developing intercultural competence in project situations (ii) training for intercultural project work, including ongoing participant research (iii) improving project systems and (iv) using relevant approaches/techniques in organisational change management.
Managing knowledge of urban sustainability assessment
Authors: Thomson C. S. , El-Haram M. A. , Hardcastle C.
Published: February 2009

Urban sustainability assessment is increasingly being seen not just as a technical process to determine the likely sustainability performance of development projects but also as a valuable tool in mediation between many associated stakeholders with differing visions, numerous requirements and variations in expertise. This emerging role presents new and considerable challenges for the management of knowledge—during its generation, flow and capture—to ensure the meaningful engagement of stakeholders in the decision-making process. This paper explores the role of knowledge management in aiding the delivery of urban sustainability assessments within development projects with multiple stakeholders. The paper outlines the requirements identified by the sustainable urban environments—metrics, models and toolkits (SUEMOT) research consortium for developing a knowledge management system (KMS) designed to aid the management of knowledge generated during an assessment, through facilitation of its flow and transfer between those involved in an assessment and those involved in future assessments. The system is developed around integration of two knowledge management strategies—personalisation and codification. A methodology for the development of the system is presented, stressing the need to integrate strategies around a practical understanding of the role of a sustainability assessment within the development project lifecycle and the knowledge requirements associated with its context.
Cost–benefit analysis of town centre car parks
Authors: Ibeas A. , Dell'Olio L. , Gonzalez F. , Moura J. L.
Published: February 2009

This paper studies the profitability of building a leisure area combined with an underground car park. The particular case studied shows the doubt surrounding the profitability of the work due to the high construction costs of the car park and the uncertainty surrounding the area's future usage. A cost–benefit analysis is therefore performed considering four alternative projects: a car park of one or two floors built using sheet piling and a car park of one or two floors built using concrete screens. Applying the corresponding sensitivity analysis shows that, depending on the tariff charged, one building method may be more profitable than another.
The role of plantations in managing the world's forests in the Anthropocene
Authors: Paquette Alain , Messier Christian
Published: February 2009

The public view of tree plantations is somewhat ambiguous. While planting a single tree is generally considered good for the environment, planting a million trees raises concerns in some circles. Although plantations are often used to compensate for bad forestry practices, to willingly simplify otherwise complex forest ecosystems, or as a strategy for allowing the current petroleum‐based economy to continue on its course, we believe plantations have a legitimate place in the sustainable management of forests. Multi‐purpose plantations, designed to meet a wide variety of social, economic, and environmental objectives, can provide key ecosystem services, help preserve the world's remaining primary forests, and sequester an important proportion of the atmospheric carbon released by humans over the past 300 years.
Saturation and Temperature Effects on the Development of Reducing Conditions in Soils
Authors: Vaughan Karen L. , Rabenhorst Martin C. , Needelman Brian A.
Published: February 2009

Oxidation‐reduction (redox) reactions regulate many chemical processes that occur in soils. Saturation, C availability, microorganisms, and temperature dictate the rate and type of redox reactions that will occur. The measurement of redox potential enables researchers to predict the stability of redox‐sensitive species, such as Fe oxides. We determine the amount of time Mid‐Atlantic Piedmont floodplain soils must be saturated at a given temperature before becoming reduced with respect to ferrihydrite. Three representative floodplains in Maryland and Delaware were selected for this study. Redox potential, pH, temperature, and depth to water table were measured in six profiles over a 2‐yr period. At lower temperatures, longer periods of saturation were required to induce soil reduction with respect to ferrihydrite (p < 0.0001). The soils were reduced with respect to ferrihydrite after the soils were saturated for 2 to 20 d depending on the 14‐d average soil temperature ranging from 1 to 21°C. When the soil temperature was between 1 and 3.9°C, saturation was required for 20 d before the onset of reducing conditions. At 4 to 6.9°C, 11 d of saturation were required, while at 7 to 8.9°C, 7 d of saturation were required. When the soil temperature was above 9°C, reduction occurred after approximately 2 d. This investigation reveals the importance of considering soil temperature when relating length of saturation to reduction, specifically pertaining to floodplain soils in the Mid‐Atlantic Piedmont physiographic province.
Forest Floor Composition and Ammonia Loss from Urea in a Loblolly Pine Plantation
Authors: Kissel D.E. , Cabrera M.L. , Vaio N. , Craig J.R. , Rema J.A. , Morris L.A.
Published: February 2009

Surface application of urea to pine forests may lead to ammonia (NH3) volatilization, which can reduce forest production. The objective of this study was to characterize urea reactions with the forest soil and to determine how various forest floor components interact with weather to affect NH3loss. Three field studies were performed in a midrotation loblolly pine (Pinus taedaL.) plantation with up to three treatments in each study, where NH3volatilization chambers were fertilized with 200 kg N ha−1that contained either (i) intact forest floor, (ii) forest floor removed by hand raking, or (iii) forest floor burned. In a complementary laboratory study, NH3loss was evaluated from cores comprised of: (i) mineral soil only, (ii) mineral soil + humus layer, (iii) mineral soil + humus + old needles, and (iv) mineral soil + humus + old needles + new needles. Loss of NH3in the field was generally greatest when urea was applied to a mineral soil with no forest floor, resulting in a loss of 53 and 59% of the applied N in two 29‐d studies. Loss of NH3was intermediate from a complete forest floor (11 and 35% loss), and rates of loss appeared to be most affected by relative humidity. Losses were least from a recently burned forest floor (6 and 7% loss), due partly to slower urea hydrolysis. Loss of NH3in the laboratory study was also greater from the bare soil than from the complete forest floor. Retention of NH4+in the soil layers was related to the soil pH buffering capacity below pH 7. Because the humus layer was shown to have a large pH buffering capacity to retain NH4+, these results suggest forest management that enhances humus formation should increase NH4+sorption and decrease NH3volatilization.
Negative Wien Effect Measurements for Exploring Polarization Processes of Cations Interacting with Negatively Charged Soil Particles
Authors: Wang Yu-Jun , Li Cheng-Bao , Wang Wei , Jiang Jun , Zhou Dong-Mei , Xu Renku , Friedman Shmulik P.
Published: February 2009

The Wien effect, that is, the dependence of the electrical conductivity of dilute suspensions of soil particles on electrical field strength, was explored in the intermediate field‐strengths range of 0.9 × 106 to 5 × 106 V m−1, at higher resolution than in previous studies. This enabled the detection of a local minimum in the electrical conductivity–field strength relationship in which the declining phase is termed the negative Wien effect. Suspensions of clay‐size soil particles of three soil types, with various mono‐, di‐, and trivalent cations, were tested. A negative Wien effect was observed with homoionic soil particles saturated with divalent cations, with electrodialyzed soil particles, and with suspensions of black soil particles that contained organic matter. Two quantifiers of the declining and increasing slopes: (i) polarizability (counter ion polarization and re‐adsorption); (ii) ion‐stripping intensity—on the respective sides of the local minimum were used for characterizing the interaction between the soil particles and the counter ions. The higher mean ion‐stripping intensities found for the Na+ suspensions—twice those for the K+ suspensions—reflect the easier stripping off of the Na cations and the stronger adsorption of the K cations. The mean ion‐stripping intensities of all divalent cations for the three soils were lower than those determined for the monovalent ones, which reflects the tighter binding of the divalent cations. The Ca2+ and Zn2+ ions were stripped off most easily from the surfaces of soil particles, and tighter binding was found for Pb2+ to brown soil and black soil, and for Cd2+ to yellow‐brown soil. In general, lower polarizabilities were correlated with higher ion‐stripping intensities (e.g., for Ca2+ and Zn2+). However, the exceptions (e.g., the polarizabilities of Cu2+ and Pb2+) shed more light on the interaction between the soil particles and the cations. The proposed method of characterization is superior to other methods for characterizing soil particle–counter ion interactions because it characterizes adsorption directly and not via exchange measurement, and it is less laborious than, for example, exchange isotherm measurements.
The Influence of Tree Species, Nitrogen Fertilization, and Soil C to N ratio on Gross Soil Nitrogen Transformations
Authors: Christenson L. M. , Lovett G. M. , Weathers K. C. , Arthur M. A.
Published: February 2009

To investigate controls on gross N transformations in forest soils, a 15N pool dilution technique was used on soils of single‐species plots of five major tree species (red oak [Quercus rubra L.], sugar maple[Acer saccharum Marsh.], hemlock [Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr], beech [Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.] and yellow birch [Betula alleghaniensis Britton]) in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Catskill forest soils had high rates of gross mineralization and NH4+ consumption, indicating rapid NH4+ cycling, a pattern not captured by net N mineralization assays. Sugar maple had the highest rates of gross mineralization and NH4+ consumption. Rates of gross nitrification were similar to rates of net nitrification for all species. Sugar maple had the highest gross nitrification rates, while hemlock and red oak had the lowest rates. There were no significant species differences in NO3− consumption. Fertilization of the plots did not significantly alter N cycling rates with the exception of yellow birch, where N fertilization decreased NO3− consumption. We observed a significant negative relationship between net nitrification and soil C/N ratio in both organic and mineral horizons, but our results indicate that the mechanism underlying that relationship was different in the two horizons. In the mineral horizon, limitation of net nitrification in soils of high C/N ratio probably resulted from low gross NH4+ production. In organic horizons, low NH4+ production was not a significant factor and higher NO3− consumption explained some of the pattern. Understanding the roles individual tree species as well as excess N input play in regulation of the N cycle will improve forest management and prediction of forest responses to elevated N deposition.
Changes in Forest Soil Carbon and Nitrogen after a Thirty‐Year Interval
Authors: Kiser L. C. , Kelly J. M. , Mays P. A.
Published: February 2009

Increases in atmospheric C have resulted in concerns about global warming and interest in finding the means to sequester atmospheric C through land management strategies. The purposes of this study were to: (i) compare changes in mineral soil C after a 30‐yr interval, and (ii) examine the potential roles of soil N, soil texture, and topography in these changes. The Camp Branch watershed is a second‐growth, oak‐dominated, mixed hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau in central Tennessee. In July 1976, soil samples were collected at permanently identified points and archived. These points were resampled in July 2006 and both the archived and new samples of the 0‐ to 10‐cm increment of the mineral soil were analyzed for C and N. Comparisons revealed that the changes in C and N were distinct to each of the eight soil series occurring on the site. Comparison of 2006 samples to 1976 samples indicated that changes in C concentration ranged from −13.1 to 12.0%. Changes in C mass ranged from −11.3 to 8.3%. Increases in C were most closely associated with increases in the C/total N ratio. The change in C was positively correlated with the change in exchangeable inorganic N (r2 = 0.31, P < 0.0001). An overstory inventory indicated a decline in oak domination and site‐specific changes in basal area, density, and stand age. Since regression analysis revealed that the change in C was not predicted by topographic factors or soil texture, we speculate that changes in forest cover influenced the changes in mineral soil C.
Thermomechanical Theory of Capillary Soil Water
Authors: Prunty Lyle
Published: February 2009

Thermomolecular pressure difference (TPD) and the mechanocaloric effect (MCE) are distinct, observable phenomena. Predictions of both arise in a general manner from linear irreversible thermodynamics. Analysis of water as a single mobile substance in capillary media independent of the usual irreversible thermodynamic concepts nevertheless has been shown to lead to the same results. Equations for water vapor, liquid water, and heat transport according to irreversible thermodynamic theory, including the Onsager reciprocity principle, are presented. Application of these equations to simple capillary geometries serves to illustrate the TPD and MCE effects. Results to be expected in degraded conditions (random porous media), relative to the structured capillary results are discussed. Before today, Onsager reciprocity is not generally enforced in models of simultaneous soil water and heat transport. At the same time, however, current models are reputedly inadequate or at least in need of refinement.
Nitrogen Management for Subsurface Drip Irrigated Cotton: Ammonium Thiosulfate, Timing, and Canopy Reflectance
Authors: Yabaji Rajikumari , Nusz Jason W. , Bronson Kevin F. , Malapati Adi , Booker Jon D. , Nichols Robert L. , Thompson T. L.
Published: February 2009

In subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems, water constraints to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production are greatly minimized and N management becomes the main priority. Injecting N fertilizer into SDI systems should, in theory, be as efficient as the irrigation delivery system itself. The objective of this study was to test duration of N injections, addition of the nitrification inhibitor ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), and using canopy spectral reflectance to guide N injections in a 2‐yr study of SDI cotton in Lubbock, TX. For a 1400 kg ha−1 expected lint yield, the N fertilizer rate was 170 kg N ha−1 minus the 0‐ to 0.6‐m soil NO3–N and an estimate of irrigation water NO3 (20 and 30 kg N ha−1 for 2005 and 2006). We tested injection of urea–NH4NO3 (UAN) between first square and early bloom, and first square and peak bloom. There was no effect of timing or ATS on lint yield. Reflectance‐based N management up to peak bloom resulted in savings of 28 and 17 kg UAN‐N ha−1 for 2005 and 2006, respectively, compared with soil‐test‐based N fertigation. Lint yields were similar between reflectance‐based UAN management (1814 kg ha−1) and UAN injected up to peak bloom based on soil test NO3 (1880 kg ha−1). Nitrogen fertilizer recovery at first open boll was not affected by treatment but was high (62–75%). Flux of N2O + N2 was low (800–2100 g N ha−1) in both years and was not different between fertilized and unfertilized plots. Residual 0‐ to 1.2‐m soil profile NO3 after 2 yr was not affected by N fertigation treatments. Nitrogen fertilizer injections in SDI cotton are utilized very efficiently, and spectral‐reflectance‐based approaches have potential to reduce N fertilizer inputs.