bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
B1 mapping by Bloch‐Siegert shift
Authors: Sacolick Laura I. , Wiesinger Florian , Hancu Ileana , Vogel Mika W.
Published: April 2010

A novel method for amplitude of radiofrequency field (B) mapping based on the Bloch‐Siegert shift is presented. Unlike conventionally applied double‐angle or other signal magnitude–based methods, it encodes the B1 information into signal phase, resulting in important advantages in terms of acquisition speed, accuracy, and robustness. The Bloch‐Siegert frequency shift is caused by irradiating with an off‐resonance radiofrequency pulse following conventional spin excitation. When applying the off‐resonance radiofrequency in the kilohertz range, spin nutation can be neglected and the primarily observed effect is a spin precession frequency shift. This shift is proportional to the square of the magnitude of B. Adding gradient image encoding following the off‐resonance pulse allows one to acquire spatially resolved B1 maps. The frequency shift from the Bloch‐Siegert effect gives a phase shift in the image that is proportional to B. The phase difference of two acquisitions, with the radiofrequency pulse applied at two frequencies symmetrically around the water resonance, is used to eliminate undesired off‐resonance effects due to amplitude of static field inhomogeneity and chemical shift. In vivo Bloch‐Siegert B1 mapping with 25 sec/slice is demonstrated to be quantitatively comparable to a 21‐min double‐angle map. As such, this method enables robust, high‐resolution B mapping in a clinically acceptable time frame. Magn Reson Med 63:1315–1322, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
SWIFT detection of SPIO‐labeled stem cells grafted in the myocardium
Authors: Zhou Rong , Idiyatullin Djaudat , Moeller Steen , Corum Curt , Zhang Hualei , Qiao Hui , Zhong Jia , Garwood Michael
Published: April 2010

We report initial results from studies using sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT) to detect superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particle–labeled stem cells in the rat heart. In experiments performed on phantoms containing titanium balls or SPIO–labeled cells, frequency‐shifted signals surrounding the paramagnetic objects produced a pileup artifact visualized by SWIFT. Total signal intensity was retained to a much greater extent by SWIFT as compared to gradient echo imaging. SWIFT imaging of excised and in vivo hearts showed (a) reduced blooming artifact as compared with gradient echo imaging, which helped reduce ambiguity in the detection of SPIO–labeled cells; (b) enhancement of off‐resonance signals relative to the background in the imaginary component of images; and (c) detailed myocardial anatomy in magnitude images, which provided anatomic reference. These features suggest SWIFT can facilitate the detection of SPIO–laden cells in the cardiovascular system. Magn Reson Med 63:1154–1161, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
q‐space and conventional diffusion imaging of axon and myelin damage in the rat spinal cord after axotomy
Authors: Farrell Jonathan A. D. , Zhang Jiangyang , Jones Melina V. , DeBoy Cynthia A. , Hoffman Paul N. , Landman Bennett A. , Smith Seth A. , Reich Daniel S. , Calabresi Peter A. , van Zijl Peter C. M.
Published: April 2010

Parallel and perpendicular diffusion properties of water in the rat spinal cord were investigated 3 and 30 days after dorsal root axotomy, a specific insult resulting in early axonal degeneration followed by later myelin damage in the dorsal column white matter. Results from q‐space analysis (i.e., the diffusion probability density function) obtained with strong diffusion weighting were compared to conventional anisotropy and diffusivity measurements at low b‐values, as well as to histology for axon and myelin damage. q‐Space contrasts included the height (return to zero displacement probability), full width at half maximum, root mean square displacement, and kurtosis excess of the probability density function, which quantifies the deviation from gaussian diffusion. Following axotomy, a significant increase in perpendicular diffusion (with decreased kurtosis excess) and decrease in parallel diffusion (with increased kurtosis excess) were found in lesions relative to uninjured white matter. Notably, a significant change in abnormal parallel diffusion was detected from 3 to 30 days with full width at half maximum, but not with conventional diffusivity. Also, directional full width at half maximum and root mean square displacement measurements exhibited different sensitivities to white matter damage. When compared to histology, the increase in perpendicular diffusion was not specific to demyelination, whereas combined reduced parallel diffusion and increased perpendicular diffusion was associated with axon damage. Magn Reson Med 63:1323–1335, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fast inversion recovery magnetic resonance angiography of the intracranial arteries
Authors: Tan Ek T. , Huston John , Campeau Norbert G. , Riederer Stephen J.
Published: April 2010

Inversion‐prepared pulse sequences can be used for noncontrast MR angiography (MRA) but suffer from long scan times when acquired using conventional nonaccelerated techniques. This work proposes a subtraction‐based spin‐labeling, three‐dimensional fast inversion recovery MRA (FIR‐MRA) method for imaging the intracranial arteries. FIR‐MRA uses alternating cycles of nonselective and slab‐selective inversions, leading to dark‐blood and bright‐blood images, respectively. The signal difference between these images eliminates static background tissue and generates the angiogram. To reduce scan time, segmented fast gradient recalled echo readout and parallel imaging are applied. The inversion recovery with embedded self‐calibration method used allows for parallel acceleration at factors of 2 and above. An off‐resonance selective inversion provides effective venous suppression, with no detriment to the depiction of arteries. FIR‐MRA was compared against conventional three‐dimensional time‐of‐flight angiography at 3 T in eight normal subjects. Results showed that FIR‐MRA had superior vessel conspicuity in the distal vessels (P < 0.05), and equal or better vessel continuity and venous suppression. However, FIR‐MRA had inferior vessel sharpness (P < 0.05) in four of nine vessel groups. The clinical utility of FIR‐MRA was demonstrated in three MRA patients. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Patient reported outcomes: The ICIQ and the state of the art
Authors: Coyne Karin , Kelleher Con
Published: April 2010

Introduction

Following the first International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI) in 1998, a multidisciplinary committee was established to develop a universally applicable, brief urinary incontinence patient‐reported outcome (PRO) questionnaire: the ICIQ‐UI Short Form. The project was expanded to recommend and develop high quality, validated questionnaires for all lower pelvic dysfunction related to incontinence. The ICI Modular Questionnaire project (ICIQ) was then established to include a wider spectrum of urinary, bowel and vaginal symptoms and their impact on health related quality of life (HRQL). Three aims underpin the ICIQ project:

To recommend high quality, validated PRO questionnaires.

To promote wider use of questionnaires to standardize assessment of lower pelvic dysfunction and its impact on HRQL.

To facilitate communication in different patient settings and patient groups.

Conclusion

The authors, both ICIQ committee members, debated the title. If the conceptualization of the ICIQ is correct, the PROs recommended by the ICIQ need to be under constant evolution and improvement to ensure the aims of the ICIQ project. A modular questionnaire design, recognized and implemented internationally, would add greatly to the universal inclusion, interpretation and understanding of PRO data in clinical practice and clinical research. However, in order to achieve the goals of the ICIQ project, we must ensure that the scientific quality of PRO development, documentation and validation meets current scientific standards, as well as societal and governmental regulatory guidelines. These topics are discussed along with recommendations for future areas of research and need for the ICIQ committee to explore these issues. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:645–651, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Is the urothelium intelligent?
Authors: Birder L.A. , Kanai A.J. , Cruz F. , Moore K. , Fry C.H.
Published: April 2010

The urothelium separates the urinary tract lumen from underlying tissues of the tract wall. Previously considered as merely an effective barrier between these two compartments it is now recognized as a more active tissue that senses and transduces information about physical and chemical conditions within the urinary tract, such as luminal pressure, urine composition, etc. To understand this sensory function it is useful to consider the urothelium and suburothelium as a functional unit; containing uroepithelial cells, afferent and efferent nerve fibers and suburothelial interstitial cells. This structure responds to alterations in its external environment through the release of diffusible agents, such as ATP and acetylcholine, and eventually modulates the activity of afferent nerves and underlying smooth muscles. This review considers different stresses the urothelium/suburothelium responds to; the particular chemicals released; the cellular receptors that are consequently affected; and how nerve and muscle function is modulated. Brief consideration is also to regional differences in the urothelium/suburothelium along the urinary tract. The importance of different pathways in relaying sensory information in the normal urinary tract, or whether they are significant only in pathological conditions is also discussed. An operational definition of intelligence is used, whereby a system (urothelium/suburothelium) responds to external changes, to maximize the possibility of the urinary tract achieving its normal function. If so, the urothelium can be regarded as intelligent. The advantage of this approach is that input–output functions can be mathematically formulated, and the importance of different components contributing to abnormal urinary tract function can be calculated. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:598–602, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Urgency: All or none phenomenon?
Authors: De Wachter Stefan , Hanno Phil
Published: April 2010

Urgency is the key symptom of a very prevalent symptom complex, the overactive bladder syndrome. Addressing urgency as a hallmark for detrusor overactivity is for physicians very comfortable, but appears to be an oversimplification of a very complex symptom entity. This overview tries to put the relevant literature on urgency against the question whether urgency is an all or none phenomenon, and summarizes the current views on how urgency is perceived. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:616–617, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Continence products: Research priorities to improve the lives of people with urinary and/or fecal leakage
Authors: Fader Mandy , Bliss Donna , Cottenden Alan , Moore Katherine , Norton Christine
Published: April 2010

Although many successful treatments for incontinence exist they are not effective or suitable for all people. Inconspicuous and dependable management with continence products and devices plays a crucial part in maintaining quality of life. We aim to briefly review what is known and not known in the field of continence products and devices and set out suggested priorities for research and development. The field of continence product research encompasses techniques and designs from basic laboratory science, through to clinical trials of products and to evaluations of service delivery models. Priorities for research include determining prevalence and costs of product use, development of patient reported outcomes, and development of methods for measuring skin health and for quantifying urine/faecal leakage. Product development priorities include better washable pads for women, absorbent products for fecal incontinence and flatus filters. Clinical trials of different product categories (e.g., devices for men) are needed, as are qualitative studies of patient experiences of product use. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:640–644, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Performance of a Petrov–Galerkin algebraic multilevel preconditioner for finite element modeling of the semiconductor device drift‐diffusion equations
Authors: Lin Paul T. , Shadid John N. , Tuminaro Ray S. , Sala Marzio
Published: April 2010

This study compares the performance of a relatively new Petrov–Galerkin smoothed aggregation (PGSA) multilevel preconditioner with a nonsmoothed aggregation (NSA) multilevel preconditioner to accelerate the convergence of Krylov solvers on systems arising from a drift‐diffusion model for semiconductor devices. PGSA is designed for nonsymmetric linear systems, Ax=b, and has two main differences with smoothed aggregation. Damping parameters for smoothing interpolation basis functions are now calculated locally and restriction is no longer the transpose of interpolation but instead corresponds to applying the interpolation algorithm to AT and then transposing the result. The drift‐diffusion system consists of a Poisson equation for the electrostatic potential and two convection–diffusion‐reaction‐type equations for the electron and hole concentration. This system is discretized in space with a stabilized finite element method and the discrete solution is obtained by using a fully coupled preconditioned Newton–Krylov solver. The results demonstrate that the PGSA preconditioner scales significantly better than the NSA preconditioner, and can reduce the solution time by more than a factor of two for a problem with 110 million unknowns on 4000 processors. The solution of a 1B unknown problem on 24 000 processor cores of a Cray XT3/4 machine was obtained using the PGSA preconditioner. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Lagrangian finite element approach for the analysis of fluid–structure interaction problems
Authors: Cremonesi M. , Frangi A. , Perego U.
Published: April 2010

A Lagrangian finite element method for the analysis of incompressible Newtonian fluid flows, based on a continuous re‐triangulation of the domain in the spirit of the so‐called Particle Finite Element Method, is here revisited and applied to the analysis of the fluid phase in fluid–structure interaction problems. A new approach for the tracking of the interfaces between fluids and structures is proposed. Special attention is devoted to the mass conservation problem. It is shown that, despite its Lagrangian nature, the proposed combined finite element‐particle method is well suited for large deformation fluid–structure interaction problems with evolving free surfaces and breaking waves. The method is validated against the available analytical and numerical benchmarks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tumour suppressor CYLD is a negative regulator of the mitotic kinase Aurora‐B
Authors: Sun Lei , Gao Jinmin , Huo Lihong , Sun Xiaoou , Shi Xingjuan , Liu Min , Li Dengwen , Zhang Chuanmao , Zhou Jun
Published: April 2010

The familial cylindromatosis tumour suppressor CYLD contains three cytoskeleton‐associated protein glycine‐rich (CAP‐Gly) domains and a deubiquitinase domain. The tumour‐suppressing function of CYLD has been attributed to its deubiquitinase domain, which removes lysine‐63‐linked polyubiquitin chains from target proteins, leading to the inhibition of cell survival and proliferation. In this study, we have detected an interaction of CYLD with the mitotic kinase Aurora‐B. The interaction is mediated by the third CAP‐Gly domain of CYLD and results in suppression of Aurora‐B activity. Mechanistic studies reveal that the inhibition of Aurora‐B activity by CYLD is independent of its deubiquitinase activity. Instead, CYLD interacts with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and promotes the ability of PP2A to bind and dephosphorylate Aurora‐B at threonine‐232. Cylindromatosis‐associated truncating mutations of CYLD abolish its interaction with PP2A, its enhancing effect on the PP2A/Aurora‐B interaction, and its inhibitory effect on Aurora‐B activity. These findings uncover Aurora‐B and PP2A as novel binding partners of CYLD and suggest that CYLD negatively regulates Aurora‐B activity through acting on the PP2A axis. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Candidate driver genes in focal chromosomal aberrations of stage II colon cancer
Authors: Brosens Rebecca PM , Haan Josien C , Carvalho Beatriz , Rustenburg François , Grabsch Heike , Quirke Philip , Engel Alexander F , Cuesta Miguel A , Maughan Nicola , Flens Marcel , Meijer Gerrit A , Ylstra Bauke
Published: April 2010

Chromosomal instable colorectal cancer is marked by specific large chromosomal copy number aberrations. Recently, focal aberrations of 3 Mb or smaller have been identified as a common phenomenon in cancer. Inherent to their limited size, these aberrations harbour one or few genes. The aim of this study was to identify recurrent focal chromosomal aberrations and their candidate driver genes in a well‐defined series of stage II colon cancers and assess their potential clinical relevance. High‐resolution DNA copy number profiles were obtained from 38 formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded colon cancer samples with matched normal mucosa as a reference using array comparative genomic hybridization. In total, 81 focal chromosomal aberrations were identified that harboured 177 genes. Statistical validation of focal aberrations and identification of candidate driver genes were performed by enrichment analysis and mapping copy number and mutation data of colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancer and glioblastomas to loci of focal aberrations in stage II colon cancer. This analysis demonstrated a significant overlap with previously identified focal amplifications in colorectal cancer, but not with cancers from other sites. In contrast, focal deletions seemed less tumour type‐specific since they also showed significant overlap with focal deletions of other sites. Focal deletions detected were significantly enriched for cancer genes and genes frequently mutated in colorectal cancer. The mRNA expression of these genes was significantly correlated with DNA copy number status, supporting the relevance of focal aberrations. Loss of 5q34 and gain of 13q22.1 were identified as independent prognostic factors of survival in this series of patients. In conclusion, focal chromosomal copy number aberrations in stage II colon cancer are enriched in cancer genes that contribute to and drive the process of colorectal cancer development. DNA copy number status of these genes correlates with mRNA expression and some are associated with clinical outcome. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase morphology development in a low interfacial tension immiscible polyolefin blend during die extrusion and melt spinning
Authors: Yang Jinhai , White James L. , Jiang Qibo
Published: April 2010

We describe the development of phase morphology in polypropylene (PP)/ethylene–butene copolymer (EBM) blends in both extrusion through dies and in subsequent melt spinning to form filaments. This immiscible blend has a very low interfacial tension around 0.69 dynes/cm. In the die extrusion process, at low extrusion rates, the dispersed PP phase was sheared into fibrils; at higher extrusion rates, the PP fibrils formed an encapsulation layer near the die wall first, then it broke into droplets because of both interfacial tension and long residence time. These droplets agglomerated together to form a network. In melt spinning, the dispersed phase was also drawn down into fibrils, which coalesced into a continuous layer on the outer surface of the filaments at higher drawdown rates. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1969–1977, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Survivor centrality among breast cancer survivors: implications for well‐being
Authors: Helgeson Vicki S.
Published: April 2010

Objective: The goal of this research was to examine the extent to which 10‐year breast cancer survivors integrated cancer into their self‐concept (i.e. survivor centrality), identify predictors of survivor centrality, and determine the relation of survivor centrality to well‐being.

Methods: Breast cancer survivors (n=240) were interviewed 10 years following the initial diagnosis. They completed measures of survivor centrality, illness valence (i.e. positive or negative views of illness), and well‐being (positive and negative affect, mental and physical functioning, psychological distress, benefit finding).

Results: There were few predictors of the kinds of women who were more likely to integrate breast cancer into their self‐concepts, but survivor centrality was related to engaging in behaviors that suggested survivorship was relevant to women's daily lives, such as becoming involved in breast cancer activities. Survivor centrality was related to three markers of negative psychological well‐being: more negative affect, poorer mental functioning, and greater psychological distress. However, in the case of negative affect and psychological distress, this relation was moderated by illness valence, such that survivor centrality was only related to negative psychological well‐being when the illness was viewed in less positive terms.

Conclusions: Women vary in the extent to which they define themselves in terms of the breast cancer experience. Survivor centrality in and of itself is not always indicative of adjustment to disease. When women have a more negative view of being a breast cancer survivor, survivor centrality is more likely to signify potential problems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adjustable and negative thermal expansion from multilayered systems
Authors: Grima Joseph N. , Oliveri Ludovica , Ellul Brian , Gatt Ruben , Attard Daphne , Cicala Gianluca , Recca Giuseppe
Published: April 2010

A construct in the form of a multi‐layered system built from conventional materials having different mechanical and thermal properties is proposed. This construct can exhibit pre‐determined values of thermal expansion which could also be negative. It is shown that for maximising negative thermal expansion (NTE) there should be a combination of thin layers of stiff materials having a high positive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) bonded with thicker layers of a soft material having low CTE values and, more importantly, having Poisson's ratio as high as possible. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Surface characterization of bone graft substitute materials conditioned in cell culture medium
Authors: Mladenovic Z. , Sahlin‐Platt A. , Bengtsson Å. , Ransjö M. , Shchukarev A.
Published: April 2010

Biomaterials are widely used in clinical practice as bone graft substitutes for treating patients with bone defects. A molecular level understanding of the chemical processes at the interface between the biomaterial and the biological environment is crucial to succeed in tissue regeneration and to predict the treatment outcome. In this study, we used three different bone graft substitute materials (BioGlass 45S5—synthetic, Bio‐Oss—bovine derived and Algipore—derived from algae) which were incubated in an α‐minimum essential medium (α‐MEM) during 1, 3 and 7 days. Initial surface composition of the biomaterials and the chemistry of their solid–solution interface were monitored by XPS with a fast‐frozen samples technique. The XPS analysis showed that the equilibrium at the solid‐solution interface is reached within 24 h. The Na/Cl atomic ratio at equilibrium indicates a negatively charged surface for Bio‐Oss. In contrast, the other two materials gained a positive surface charge, which resulted in pronounced adsorption of amino acids at the interface from the medium. The surface chemical reconstruction and charge generation mechanism responsible for this effect are discussed with regard to bulk composition of the materials and possible proliferation and differentiation cell patterns that could be expected at the interface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Information and communication technology for process management in healthcare: a contribution to change the culture of blame
Authors: Quaglini Silvana
Published: April 2010

Statistics on medical errors and their consequences has astonished, during the previous years, both healthcare professionals and ordinary people. Mass‐media are becoming more and more sensitive to medical malpractices. This paper elaborates on the well‐known resistance of the medical world to disclose actions and processes that could have caused some damages; it illustrates the possible causes of medical errors and, for some of them, it suggests solutions based on information and communication technology. In particular, careflow management systems and process mining techniques are proposed as a means to improve the healthcare delivery process: the former by facilitating task assignments and resource management, the latter by discovering not only individuals' errors, but also the chains of responsibilities concurring to produce errors in a complex patient's pathway. Both supervised and unsupervised process mining will be addressed. The former compares real processes with a known process model (e.g., a clinical practice guideline or a medical protocol), whereas the latter mines processes from raw data, without imposing any model. The potentiality of these techniques is illustrated by means of examples from stroke patient management. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling and scenario simulation for decision support in management of requirements activities in software projects
Authors: Ambrósio Bernardo Giori , Braga José Luis , Resende‐Filho Moisés A.
Published: April 2010

There are many tools and techniques readily available to support the work in requirements activities of software development processes. As a consequence, the high frequency of errors still occurring in requirements activities suggests that the misunderstanding of the relationships among key decisions is the probable reason for this. The present work presents a system dynamics model constructed to make it possible for users to better understand the relations among key decision variables in requirements activities. The model was parameterized with data taken from previous studies and from a software development company so as to run two sets of simulations with three scenarios each. Optimistic, baseline and pessimistic scenarios are created on the basis of different assumptions regarding risk factors related to requirements volatility and people turnover. We used our simulation results to foresee the effects of these risk factors on the quality and cost of work in requirements activities. Up‐to‐date results from the software engineering literature strongly support the simulation outcomes obtained in our research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of reflective discussions following inquiry‐based laboratory activities on students' views of nature of science
Authors: Yacoubian Hagop A. , BouJaoude Saouma
Published: April 2010

This research investigated the effect of reflective discussions following inquiry‐based laboratory activities on students' views of the tentative, empirical, subjective, and social aspects of nature of science (NOS). Thirty‐eight grade six students from a Lebanese school participated in the study. The study used a pretest–posttest control‐group design and focused on collecting mainly qualitative data. During each laboratory session, students worked in groups of two. Later, experimental group students answered open‐ended questions about NOS then engaged in reflective discussions about NOS. Control group students answered open‐ended questions about the content of the laboratory activities then participated in discussions of results of these activities. Data sources included an open‐ended questionnaire used as pre‐ and posttest, answers to the open‐ended questions that experimental group students answered individually during every session, transcribed videotapes of the reflective discussions of the experimental group, and semi‐structured interviews. Results indicated that explicit and reflective discussions following inquiry‐based laboratory activities enhanced students' views of the target NOS aspects more than implicit inquiry‐based instruction. Moreover, implicit inquiry‐based instruction did not substantially enhance the students' target NOS views. This study also identified five major challenges that students faced in their attempts to change their NOS views. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 1229–1252, 2010
Von der „ville en crise” zur Metropolitan European Growth Area: aktuelle Transformationsprozesse der Metropolregion Marseille — Aix-en-Provence
Authors: Megerle Heidi
Published: April 2010

The seaport Marseille fought for decades with the image of a “ville en crise” after losing the colonial overseas markets. The planning of a free-trade-area in the Mediterranean region as well as the changeing of paradigms in the French regional planning system led to significant dynamics. This correlated with one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects (Euroméditerranée) in Europe. The great cities of the Mediterranean region play an important role for the achievement of the Lisbon strategy. In close co-operation with adjoining communities the metropolitan region Marseille-Aix-en-Provence strives for a key position in the northern part of the Mediterranean.
Einheitliche Regionalplanung für die Metropole Ruhr: ein Erfolgsmodell?
Authors: Lageman Bernhard , Neumann Uwe , Schmidt Christoph M.
Published: April 2010

Responsibilities for regional planning in the Ruhr conurbation have now been assigned to the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR). This represents an important step towards giving greater attention to the needs of the entire region. This is an essential step, given the increasing competition among potential operating locations. RVR, acting as the regional planning unit, will face a balancing act between individual municipalities' own interests and the interests of the Ruhr as a whole. The success achieved by RVR will depend on its attaining universal acceptance and applying political skills. The Ruhr metropolitan area, as defined by the RVR boundaries, is far better equipped than any single town or city to maintain a viable position as potential operating sites contending internationally for investors' favour.
Contrasting effects of clipping and nutrient addition on reproductive traits of Heteropappus altaicus at the individual and population levels
Authors: Wu Ming‐Yu , Niu Shu‐Li , Wan Shi‐Qiang
Published: April 2010

This study was conducted to examine the effects of clipping and nutrient addition on plant traits of a dominant perennial forb species, Heteropappus altaicus (Willd.) Novopokr. (Compositae), at both the individual and population levels in a temperate steppe in northern China. A nested experimental design was used with clipping as the main factor and nutrient, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and both, addition as the second factor. The main effect of clipping reduced plant height, aboveground biomass (AGB) per plant, and pollen production per floret by 15.8, 34.3, 28.0% (all p < 0.05), respectively, but enhanced reproductive allocation and population density by 8 and 28.2% (both p < 0.05), respectively, suggesting contrary effects of clipping on H. altaicus traits at the individual and population levels. N addition significantly stimulated plant height, AGB per plant, reproductive allocation, pollen diameter, and pistil length, but decreased population density. The main effects of P addition also stimulated the plant traits at individual level, but did not change population traits. The significant interactions of clipping and nitrogen addition were observed on AGB per plant, pollen production, and population density. The differential responses of H. altaicus at the individual and population levels to clipping and nutrient addition indicate that the future dynamics of H. altaicus in the temperate steppe are uncertain and need long‐term research to demonstrate.
Strategic interdependence, governance effectiveness and supplier performance: A dyadic case study investigation and theory development
Authors: Mahapatra Santosh K. , Narasimhan Ram , Barbieri Paolo
Published: April 2010

Inter‐organizational exchange governance approaches are often characterized as two broad types: relational and transactional. However, in fast changing business contexts, the contextual contingencies do not present ideal conditions for practicing purely relational or transactional approach. Understanding the dynamic of key contextual factors and their effects on a firm's resource capabilities and inter‐organizational power structure is crucial for identifying the appropriate governance structure over time. In this paper we explore the exchanges between an OEM and five of its strategic suppliers that operate in high‐end, short product life cycle motorbike industry, to understand the key contextual factors and the relationships among business context, governance structure, and exchange practices in a dyadic context. It is observed that firms deviate from the conventional choices of either transactional or relational governance to a combination of contractual and relational aspects to make the governance structure effective. Based on case studies, a theoretical framework is proposed to explain the rationale, feasibility and effectiveness of combining contractual and relational aspects in different contexts. The framework suggests that the degree of strategic interdependence between the trading partners fundamentally drives the effectiveness of governance structure and exchange practices.
Effect of multiple-micronutrient supplementation on maternal nutrient status, infant birth weight and gestational age at birth in a low-income, multi-ethnic population
Authors: Brough Louise , Rees Gail A. , Crawford Michael A. , Morton R. Hugh , Dorman Edgar K.
Published: April 2010

Poor nutrient intake during pregnancy can adversely affect both infant and maternal health. The aim was to investigate the efficacy of multiple-micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy in a socially deprived population in the developed world. We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of multiple-micronutrient supplementation including 20 mg Fe and 400 μg folic acid, from the first trimester of pregnancy in 402 mothers, in East London, UK. Nutrient status was measured at recruitment, and at 26 and 34 weeks of gestation. Infants were weighed at birth. At recruitment the prevalence of anaemia was 13 %, vitamin D insufficiency 72 %, thiamin deficiency 12 % and folate deficiency 5 %, with no differences between groups. Only 39 % of women completed the study; rates of non-compliance were similar in both groups. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that participants receiving treatment had higher mean Hb at 26 weeks of gestation (110 (sd10)v.108 (sd10) g/l;P = 0·041) and 34 weeks of gestation (113 (sd12)v.109 (sd10) g/l;P = 0·003) and packed cell volume concentrations at 26 weeks of gestation (0·330 (sd0·025)v.0·323 (sd0·026) l/l;P = 0·011) and 34 weeks of gestation (0·338 (sd0·029)v.0·330 (sd0·028) l/l;P = 0·014) compared with controls. Analysis of compliant women showed supplemented women had higher median concentrations of serum ferritin, erythrocyte folate and 25-hydroxyvitamin D later in gestation than controls. In the compliant subset (n149), placebo mothers had more small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants (eight SGAv.thirteen;P = 0·042) than treatment mothers. Baseline micronutrient deficiencies were common; the multiple-micronutrient supplement was well-tolerated and improved nutrient status. Multiple-micronutrient supplements from early pregnancy may be beneficial and larger studies are required to assess impact on birth outcomes and infant development.
Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and cervical spine problems: is Epley's manoeuvre contraindicated, and is a proposed new manoeuvre effective and safer?
Authors: Rashad U M
Published: April 2010

Background:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is one of the commonest peripheral vestibular causes of vertigo. The particle repositioning manoeuvre (Epley's manoeuvre) has become the ‘gold standard’ treatment for this disorder. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can affect any age group but is commoner in older patients. Cervical spine problems (e.g. spondylosis and disc prolapse) are commoner in this age group. Epley's manoeuvre necessitates passive neck movements. Such movements may not be wise in patients at risk of cervical spine fracture.

Patients and methods:

This study included 40 patients complaining of vertigo and diagnosed as having benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. A new particle repositioning manoeuvre was designed for these patients, as an alternative to Epley's manoeuvre.

Results:

At one week review, 36 patients (90 per cent) reported total relief from vertigo. Three patients reported a major improvement in their vertigo, and their residual vertigo was relieved by performing the new manoeuvre again after two weeks. Further clinical reviews at one month, three months, six months and one year found that seven patients had suffered minor attacks of typical benign paroxysmal positional vertigo after three months. All seven were relieved of their symptoms after undergoing the new particle repositioning manoeuvre again.

Conclusion:

The proposed new manoeuvre is simple, effective and safe for treating patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and cervical spine problems.
The Harris sheet in a dusty plasma
Authors: LAZERSON SAMUEL A.
Published: April 2010

In 1962 E. G. Harris published a solution to the problem of a current sheet separating regions of oppositely directed magnetic field in a fully ionized plasma. The resulting solution has become known as the ‘Harris sheet’ and has been of great utility to the plasma physics community. In this paper, the footsteps of Harris are retraced with the addition of a multiply charged massive dust component. A set of highly nonlinear differential equations for a current sheet in a dusty plasma are presented. An analytic solution, similar to that of Harris, is found for the depleted electron regime. This solution is of great relevance to many astrophysical and laboratory dusty plasmas. Current sheet thickness and asymptotic field strength are calculated for various dusty plasma environments.
Universal Welfare by ‘Other Means’? Social Tax Expenditures and the Australian Dual Welfare State
Authors: STEBBING ADAM , SPIES-BUTCHER BEN
Published: April 2010

International debates about the comparative institutional structures of welfare states have focused on social expenditure and the inclusiveness of social policy. However, these debates have not accounted for the significant rise of fiscal welfare and, in particular, social tax expenditures (STEs) in our understanding of welfare regimes. The growth of STEs has been particularly significant in Australia. While there has been recognition that STEs contribute to a second tier of welfare provision in some policy domains, there has been no systematic attempt to account for them within the institutional structure of the Australian welfare state. In this article, we chart the rise of STEs, the reasons for their growth in the Australian political economy and conceive of them as forming a second institutional layer of a dual welfare state. We conclude by suggesting that this analysis has broader implications for other, particularly liberal, welfare regimes.
Modelling international collective responsibility: the case of grave humanitarian crises
Authors: PELTONEN HANNES
Published: April 2010

Since its popular appearance in 2001, the responsibility to protect has gained wide attention. Yet, the meaning of responsibility in the R2P report has remained unexamined. The first task of this article is to conceptualise responsibility as it seems to arise from the R2P report. It is argued that the responsibility in the report is collective in nature, and analogous to obligations erga omnes and collective responsibility to extinguish fires before the institutionalisation of fire departments. The second task is to provide a model of collective responsibility with criteria that allow dividing the burden of fulfilling the common responsibility among the members of the collective. The model bridges the conceptual level with the level of practice.
Saving liberal peacebuilding
Authors: PARIS ROLAND
Published: April 2010

Liberal peacebuilding has become the target of considerable criticism. Although much of this criticism is warranted, a number of scholars and commentators have come to the opinion that liberal peacebuilding is either fundamentally destructive, or illegitimate, or both. On close analysis, however, many of these critiques appear to be exaggerated or misdirected. At a time when the future of peacebuilding is uncertain, it is important to distinguish between justified and unjustified criticisms, and to promote a more balanced debate on the meaning, shortcomings and prospects of liberal peacebuilding.
Financial governance and transnational deliberative democracy
Authors: GERMAIN RANDALL
Published: April 2010

Recent concern with the institutional underpinning of the international financial architecture has intersected with broader debates concerning the possibility of achieving an adequate deliberative context for decisions involving transnational economic governance. Scholars working within traditions associated with international political economy, deliberative democracy, cosmopolitanism and critical theory have informed this broader debate. This article uses this debate to ask whether the structure of financial governance at the global level exhibits the necessary conditions to support deliberative democracy. In particular, it considers the extent to which publicness and a public sphere have become part of the broader structure of financial governance. Although in some ways financial governance is a hard case for this debate, an argument can be made that a public sphere has emerged as an important element of the international financial architecture. At the same time, the analysis of the role of the public sphere in financial governance reveals important lessons which public sphere theorists and deliberative democracy advocates need to consider in order to extend their analysis into the realm of global political economy.
ORDERING CONVOLUTIONS OF HETEROGENEOUS EXPONENTIAL AND GEOMETRIC DISTRIBUTIONS REVISITED
Authors: Mao Tiantian , Hu Taizhong , Zhao Peng
Published: April 2010

Let Sn(a1, …, an) be the sum of n independent exponential random variables with respective hazard rates a1, …, an or the sum of n independent geometric random variables with respective parameters a1, …, an. In this article, we investigate sufficient conditions on parameter vectors (a1, …, an) and $(a_{1}^{\ast},\ldots,a_{n}^{\ast})$ under which Sn(a1, …, an) and $S_{n}(a_{1}^{\ast},\ldots,a_{n}^{\ast})$ are ordered in terms of the increasing convex and the reversed hazard rate orders for both exponential and geometric random variables and in terms of the mean residual life order for geometric variables. For the bivariate case, all of these sufficient conditions are also necessary. These characterizations are used to compare fail-safe systems with heterogeneous exponential components in the sense of the increasing convex and the reversed hazard rate orders. The main results complement several known ones in the literature.
INDEXABILITY OF BANDIT PROBLEMS WITH RESPONSE DELAYS
Authors: Caro Felipe , Yoo Onesun Steve
Published: April 2010

This article considers an important class of discrete time restless bandits, given by the discounted multiarmed bandit problems with response delays. The delays in each period are independent random variables, in which the delayed responses do not cross over. For a bandit arm in this class, we use a coupling argument to show that in each state there is a unique subsidy that equates the pulling and nonpulling actions (i.e., the bandit satisfies the indexibility criterion introduced by Whittle (1988). The result allows for infinite or finite horizon and holds for arbitrary delay lengths and infinite state spaces. We compute the resulting marginal productivity indexes (MPI) for the Beta-Bernoulli Bayesian learning model, formulate and compute a tractable upper bound, and compare the suboptimality gap of the MPI policy to those of other heuristics derived from different closed-form indexes. The MPI policy performs near optimally and provides a theoretical justification for the use of the other heuristics.
A PATH GUESSING GAME WITH WAGERING
Authors: Pendergrass Marcus
Published: April 2010

We consider a two-player game in which the first player (the Guesser) tries to guess, edge-by-edge, the path that second player (the Chooser) takes through a directed graph. At each step, the Guesser makes a wager as to the correctness of her guess and receives a payoff proportional to her wager if she is correct. We derive optimal strategies for both players for various classes of graphs, and we describe the Markov-chain dynamics of the game under optimal play. These results are applied to the infinite-duration Lying Oracle Game, in which the Guesser must use information provided by an unreliable Oracle to predict the outcome of a coin toss.
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF ORAL AND WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK IN THE ESL CLASSROOM
Authors: Sheen Younghee
Published: April 2010

This article examines whether there is any difference between the effect of oral and written corrective feedback (CF) on learners’ accurate use of English articles. To this end, the current research presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, immediate-posttest, delayed-posttest design, using 12 intact intermediate English-as-a-second-language classes with adult learners of various first language backgrounds. Five groups were formed: oral recasts (n= 26), oral metalinguistic (n= 26), written direct correction (n= 31), written direct metalinguistic (n= 32), and control (n= 28). All four experimental groups completed two 30-min communicative narrative tasks. For the oral CF groups, students were asked to retell a story during which CF was provided. For the written CF groups, students were first asked to rewrite a story and then given CF. The acquisition of English articles was measured by means of a speeded dictation test, a written narrative test, and an error correction test. One-way ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons indicated that all CF groups, except for oral recasts, significantly outperformed the control group in the immediate and delayed posttests. These findings show that, whereas implicit oral recasts that involve article errors were not facilitative to learning, the other CF types were effective in helping learners improve the grammatical accuracy of English articles irrespective of language analytic ability. Overall, these results suggest that the degree of explicitness of both oral and written CF—rather than the medium in which the CF is provided—is the key factor that influences CF effectiveness.