bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Effects of GHRH Antagonists on Human GH-Secreting Adenoma Tissue
Authors: Szalontay Luca , Benveniste Ronald J. , Schally Andrew V. , Vidaurre Irving , Nadji Mehrdad , Zarandi Marta , Block Norman L. , Kovacs Magdolna
Published: February 2012

Experimental data indicate that antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) could be used clinically in disorders characterized by excessive GHRH/growth hormone (GH) secretion, but direct evidence for the effectiveness of GHRH antagonists on human pituitary tissue is still lacking. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of our GHRH antagonists MZ-4-71 and JV-1-36 and the somatostatin (SST) analog RC-160 on superfused pituitary cells obtained from a human GH-secreting adenoma. Using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated profuse expression of the GHRH receptor and its major splice variant SV1 and an increase in the expression of Gsa protein in the adenoma tissue. Exposure of the tumor cells to exogenous pulses of GHRH induced definite GH responses, causing a 3- to 5-fold elevation of the basal GH level. The antagonists MZ-4-71 and JV-1-36 did not alter basal GH secretion, indicating that the adenoma cells did not secrete GHRH in an autocrine manner. However, both antagonists prevented the stimulatory effect of exogenous GHRH. Similarly to the GHRH antagonists, neither SST-14 nor the SST analog RC-160 had an effect on the basal GH secretion of the tumor cells, but both peptides inhibited the stimulatory effect of exogenous GHRH, with RC-160 being more potent than SST. Our study provides direct evidence for the effectiveness of potent GHRH antagonists such as MZ-4-71 and JV-1-36 on human pituitary GH-secreting adenoma tissue and strongly suggests that these drugs could be used for therapy of GHRH-associated forms of acromegaly, particularly for those patients in whom surgery fails or is not an option.
Post-Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Septic Shock and Severe Hemorrhage: A Study of Risk Factors
Authors: Wang Yanbo , Jiang Fengming , Wang Yan , Hou Yuchuan , Zhang Haifeng , Chen Qihui , Xu Ning , Lu Zhihua , Hu Jinghai , Lu Ji , Wang Xiaoqing , Hao Yuanyuan , Wang Chunxi
Published: February 2012

Objective: To identify the risk factors predicting septic shock and severe hemorrhage in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 420 renal calculi patients who underwent ultrasound-guided PCNL from March 2005 to May 2011. Data on patients who experienced infectious shock requiring anti-shock therapy and severe renal bleeding requiring angiographic renal embolization or nephrectomy were compared with other patients using univariate analyses. Results: Of 420 patients, 10 (2.4%) suffered septic shock and 4 (1%) had severe hemorrhage. The two significant risk factors for infectious shock were preoperative urine white blood cell count and operation time. For severe bleeding the absence of hydronephrosis and puncture time were significant risk factors. Operation time >90 min was associated with both septic shock and severe renal bleeding (p = 0.017). In contrast, the risk of encountering severe renal bleeding was higher if a nephroscope rather than a ureteroscope was used (p = 0.045). Conclusions: Operation time was a risk factor for both septic shock and severe hemorrhage. The patients without hydronephrosis before operation were more likely to suffer severe renal bleeding. Reducing intraoperative puncture time can reduce the probability of severe post-PCNL hemorrhage. The use of a comparatively gross nephroscope passage was likely to result in severe renal bleeding.
Regional Patterns of Use of a Medical Management Strategy for Patients With Non–ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Roe Matthew T. , White Jennifer A. , Kaul Padma , Tricoci Pierluigi , Lokhnygina Yuliya , Miller Chadwick D. , van't Hof Arnoud W. , Montalescot Gilles , James Stefan K. , Saucedo Jorge , Ohman E. Magnus , Pollack Charles V. , Hochman Judith S. , Armstrong Paul W. , Giugliano Robert P. , Harrington Robert A. , Van de Werf Frans , Califf Robert M. , Newby L. Kristin
Published: February 2012

Background—

Regional differences in the profile and prognosis of non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS) patients treated with medical management after angiography remain uncertain.

Methods and Results—

Using data from the Early Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibition in Non–ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes (EARLY ACS) trial, we examined regional variations in the use of an in-hospital medical management strategy in NSTE ACS patients who had significant coronary artery disease (CAD) identified during angiography, factors associated with the use of a medical management strategy, and 1-year mortality rates. Of 9406 patients, 8387 (89%) underwent angiography and had significant CAD; thereafter, 1766 (21%) were treated solely with a medical management strategy (range: 18% to 23% across 4 major geographic regions). Factors most strongly associated with a medical management strategy were negative baseline troponin values, prior coronary artery bypass grafting, lower baseline hemoglobin values, and greater number of diseased vessels; region was not a significant factor. One-year mortality was higher among patients treated with a medical management strategy compared with those who underwent revascularization (7.8% versus 3.6%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.21–1.76), with no significant interaction by region (interaction probability value=0.42).

Conclusions—

Approximately 20% of NSTE ACS patients with significant CAD in an international trial were treated solely with an in-hospital medical management strategy after early angiography, with no regional differences in factors associated with medical management or the risk of 1-year mortality. These findings have important implications for the conduct of future clinical trials, and highlight global similarities in the profile and prognosis of medically managed NSTE ACS patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00089895.
Health Outcomes With Catheter Ablation or Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Reynolds Matthew R. , Gunnarsson Candace L. , Hunter Tina D. , Ladapo Joseph A. , March Jamie L. , Zhang Mingdong , Hao Steven C.
Published: February 2012

Background—

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) face significant risks of stroke and heart failure. The objective of this study was to determine whether AF ablation reduces the long-term risk of stroke or heart failure compared with antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

Methods and Results—

A coding algorithm was used to identify AF patients treated with catheter ablation (n=3194) or antiarrhythmic drugs without ablation (n=6028) between 2005 and 2009 using The MarketScan Research Database from Thomson Reuters From this sample, 801 pairs were propensity matched, based on 15 demographic and clinical characteristics and baseline medication use. Rates of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and heart failure hospitalizations for up to 3 years were examined. Patients treated with catheter ablation had a significantly lower rate of stroke or TIA (3.4% per year) than a group of patients with AF managed with antiarrhythmic drugs only (5.5% per year), with an unadjusted hazard ratio of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.44–0.86;
P
=0.005). The rates for heart failure hospitalization were 1.5% per year in the ablation group and 2.2% per year in the antiarrhythmic drug group, with an unadjusted hazard ratio of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.42–1.15;
P
=0.158). These results were minimally altered in Cox proportional hazards models, which further adjusted for potential confounders not well balanced by the propensity matching.

Conclusions—

In a large propensity-matched community sample, AF ablation was associated with a reduced risk of stroke/TIA and no significant difference in heart failure hospitalizations compared with antiarrhythmic drug therapy. These findings require confirmation with randomized study designs.
Abnormal Termination of Ca
2+
Release Is a Common Defect of RyR2 Mutations Associated With Cardiomyopathies
Authors: Tang Yijun , Tian Xixi , Wang Ruiwu , Fill Michael , Chen S.R. Wayne
Published: February 2012

Rationale:

Naturally occurring mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) have been associated with both cardiac arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. It is clear that delayed afterdepolarization resulting from abnormal activation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
release is the primary cause of RyR2-associated cardiac arrhythmias. However, the mechanism underlying RyR2-associated cardiomyopathies is completely unknown.

Objective:

In the present study, we investigate the role of the NH
2
-terminal region of RyR2 in and the impact of a number of cardiomyopathy-associated RyR2 mutations on the termination of Ca
2+
release.

Methods and Results:

The 35-residue exon-3 region of RyR2 is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. Single-cell luminal Ca
2+
imaging revealed that the deletion of the first 305 NH
2
-terminal residues encompassing exon-3 or the deletion of exon-3 itself markedly reduced the luminal Ca
2+
threshold at which Ca
2+
release terminates and increased the fractional Ca
2+
release. Single-cell cytosolic Ca
2+
imaging also showed that both RyR2 deletions enhanced the amplitude of store overload-induced Ca
2+
transients in HEK293 cells or HL-1 cardiac cells. Furthermore, the RyR2 NH
2
-terminal mutations, A77V, R176Q/T2504M, R420W, and L433P, which are associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular displasia type 2, also reduced the threshold for Ca
2+
release termination and increased fractional release. The RyR2 A1107M mutation associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy had the opposite action (ie, increased the threshold for Ca
2+
release termination and reduced fractional release).

Conclusions:

These results provide the first evidence that the NH
2
-terminal region of RyR2 is an important determinant of Ca
2+
release termination, and that abnormal fractional Ca
2+
release attributable to aberrant termination of Ca
2+
release is a common defect in RyR2-associated cardiomyopathies.
Thailand: Post-Crisis Rebalancing
Authors: Sussangkarn Chalongphob , Nikomborirak Deunden
Published: February 2012

Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Thailand has become highly dependent on exports as the main engine of economic growth. In 2008, the ratio of export to GDP was about 76.5 percent. The global economic crisis triggered by the sub-prime loans debacle in the United States has prompted Thailand to rethink its high dependence on export. This paper examines the options for external and internal economic rebalancing strategies for Thailand. External rebalancing will require Thailand to rely more on regional markets and less on the Western markets for its exports. The paper examines the possibility of promoting greater intra-regional trade and Thailand's regional trade strategies. As for internal rebalancing, the paper emphasizes the need to boost domestic public and private investment in terms of both quantity and quality to narrow the current saving–investment gap, bearing in mind the need to ensure fiscal sustainability. Finally, the paper examines broader rebalancing strategies that will help Thailand to become less dependent on exports. These include the need to (1) improve productivity; (2) increase economic efficiency; (3) deepen the production structure and create new dynamic industries; and (4) generate new growth poles.
When Fast-Growing Economies Slow Down: International Evidence and Implications for China
Authors: Eichengreen Barry , Park Donghyun , Shin Kwanho
Published: February 2012

Using international data starting in 1957, we construct a sample of cases where fast-growing economies slow down. The evidence suggests that rapidly growing economies slow down significantly, in the sense that the growth rate downshifts by at least 2 percentage points, when their per capita incomes reach around US$ 17,000 in year-2005 constant international prices, a level that China should achieve by or soon after 2015. Among our more provocative findings is that growth slowdowns are more likely in countries that maintain undervalued real exchange rates.
The Coming Demographic Impact on China's Growth: The Age Factor in the Middle-Income Trap
Authors: Cai Fang
Published: February 2012

Thanks to successful economic growth, social development, and strict implementation of family planning policies, the demographic transition in China has been accomplished at a much earlier stage of development than in other countries. I call this outcome “aging before affluence.” As a result of this demographic transition, China has already passed through its Lewis turning point, and its demographic dividend from the decline in the population dependence ratio is about to end. I identify a potential nexus between “aging before affluence” and the “middle-income trap.” China is losing comparative advantage in labor-intensive industries, but China is not ready to gain comparative advantage in technology-intensive and capital-intensive industries. For China to avoid the middle-income trap, it must (1) transform economic growth to a consumption-driven pattern; (2) shift the labor-intensive industries to the central and western regions; and (3) speed up technological catching up.
Delays in Multilateral Trade Negotiations: An Experimental Study
Authors: Sung Hankyoung
Published: February 2012

This paper aims to derive policy implications for real trade negotiations from experiments on multilateral legislative bargaining games. The experiment results reveal that the existence of a strong player with veto power could delay the games. Considering the similarity between the games with the veto player and multilateral trade negotiations such as the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), this paper argues that strong countries such as the G-4 (the United States, the European Community, Brazil, and India) may cause delays in the negotiations. Based on experimental findings, this paper suggests group negotiations as a policy option for the DDA.
Middle-Class African American Pilots
Authors: Evans Louwanda , Feagin Joe R.
Published: February 2012

This article examines the experiences of African Americans employed in the historically white airline industry. We conducted in-depth interviews with African American pilots currently employed in our nation’s commercial aviation industry. In recent decades, a strong argument has been made that race has been declining in significance as African American professionals make great strides in levels of education and positions of power. As our research suggests, this perspective does not take into account the often racialized experiences or the marginalization African Americans face once they have entered various industries. Ultimately, our research suggests that an extensive theory of systemic racism remains necessary in order to understand the mechanisms by which middle-class African Americans maneuver and cope with racism in predominately white work spaces.
Locke, God, and Civil Society
Authors: Tate John William
Published: February 2012

Timothy Stanton is the latest in a line of Locke scholars who, in focusing on Locke’s theological commitments, have sought to place these at the center of his political philosophy. Stanton insists that those who interpret Locke’s political philosophy in more material terms, centered on individual liberty, government authority, and the need to reconcile both via consent, apply to it a misleading “picture” and fail to perceive its essentials. By showing that this is precisely how Locke himself intended his political philosophy to be understood, with the theology substantially removed, this article shows how Stanton is profoundly mistaken in his interpretation of Locke.
Eighteen-month-olds learn novel words through overhearing
Authors: Gampe Anja , Liebal Kristin , Tomasello Michael
Published: February 2012

The prototypical word learning situation in western, middle-class cultures is dyadic: an adult addresses a child directly, ideally in a manner sensitive to their current focus of attention. But young children also seem to learn many of their words in polyadic situations through overhearing. Extending the previous work of Akhtar and colleagues, in the current two studies we gave 18-month-old infants opportunities to acquire novel words through overhearing in situations that were a bit more complex: they did not socially interact with the adult who used the new word before the word learning situation began, and the way the adult used the new word was less transparent in that it was neither a naming nor a directive speech act. In both studies, infants learned words equally well (and above chance) whether they were directly addressed or had to eavesdrop on two adults. Almost from the beginning, young children employ diverse learning strategies for acquiring new words.
Of Animals and Objects
Authors: Rudman Laurie A. , Mescher Kris
Published: February 2012

Although dehumanizing women and male sexual aggression are theoretically aligned, the present research provides the first direct support for this assumption, using the Implicit Association Test to assess two forms of female dehumanization: animalization and objectification. In Study 1, men who automatically associated women more than men with primitive constructs (e.g., animals, instinct, nature) were more willing to rape and sexually harass women, and to report negative attitudes toward female rape victims. In Study 2, men who automatically associated women with animals (e.g., animals, paw, snout) more than with humans scored higher on a rape-behavioral analogue, as well as rape proclivity. Automatically objectifying women by associating them with objects, tools, and things was also positively correlated with men’s rape proclivity. In concert, the research demonstrates that men who implicitly dehumanize women (as either animals or objects) are also likely to sexually victimize them.
Evaluation of a phonological reading programme for children with Down syndrome
Authors: Baylis Pamela , Snowling Margaret J
Published: February 2012

This article reports the evaluation of a 10-week phonologically-based literacy programme involving 10 children with Down syndrome (DS). At the outset, each child relied on a whole word method of reading with no apparent use of decoding strategies. The reading and phonological skills of the children were assessed twice prior to undertaking the training (baseline), at the end of training and after three months. The literacy programme targeted phonological skills at the onset–rime level, alphabet work, word analysis and whole word reading within the context of reading books. The results showed a significant improvement in word reading skill and alphabet knowledge for the group, with 4 children developing a decoding strategy for the reading of unfamiliar words. Reading progress was maintained for the majority of children three months after the training programme had finished. Thus, a teaching programme incorporating phonological word analysis can be beneficial to individuals with DS but there is considerable variability in response.
Manipulating word properties: Targeting vocabulary learning for children with and without speech sound inaccuracies
Authors: McDowell Kimberly D , Carroll Jeri
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the relations between speech sound accuracy, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, and (2) to examine the effect of word properties of neighborhood density and phonotactic probability on word learning within a storybook context, for children with and without speech sound inaccuracies. Fifty K–1 children (aged 5–6 years; 25 with, 25 without speech sound inaccuracies) completed inclusionary measures of oral language, speech sound accuracy, hearing screening, oral–motor screening, and nonverbal intelligence. Participants completed study-specific measures of standardized receptive and expressive vocabulary, stimuli-specific vocabulary knowledge, and phonological awareness. Twice weekly, for 30 minutes, an 11-week storybook-based intervention took place, targeting word learning, with words selected based on density and probability. Storybooks were researcher generated to intentionally manipulate the word properties of the stimuli words. Each storybook contained two stimuli words, four exposures per word per reading. Results indicated that both speech sound accuracy and vocabulary predicted unique variance in phonological awareness in children with speech sound inaccuracies. No statistically significant differences in the absolute number of words children learned emerged. Group differences were noted in emerging word knowledge with typically developing children outperforming children with speech sound inaccuracies. Differences were noted in the types of words that children learned. Results suggest that children with speech sound inaccuracies may be at risk for later reading difficulties. Speech language pathologists need to be targeting words that promote change within a child’s phonological system (sublexical) and his/her lexical system.
Intervention for co-occurring speech and language difficulties: Addressing the relationship between the two domains
Authors: Seeff-Gabriel Belinda , Chiat Shula , Pring Tim
Published: February 2012

Although many children are referred with difficulties in both their speech and their language, the literature offers relatively little guidance on their therapy. Should clinicians treat these difficulties independently? Or should treatment depend on the potential impact of one domain on the other? This study aimed to investigate the relationship between speech and morphosyntax in treatment for a 5-year-old boy, B, with speech and language difficulties. Therapy targeted the production of regular past tenses and plurals. B had the necessary phonology for the former but not the latter. Therapy therefore directly targeted production of the past tense but targeted plurals by treating the production of the necessary phonology. After therapy, B successfully produced regular past tenses for both treated and untreated verbs. Irregular verbs did not improve. Treatment for production of word-final /s/ was successful and generalized to untreated words but not to the production of /s/ in initial or medial positions. Plurals formed by adding /s/ but not those by adding /z/ benefited. Similar treatment for production of word-final /z/ was also successful and appeared to generalize to words with /z/ in initial and medial positions. However, although plurals were now marked, they were usually realized as [dz]. The results of this single-case study demonstrate that intervention for children with speech and language impairments should take account of the aspects of speech and morphology that are impaired, and the ways these may impact on each other.
Communicating Uncertainty in Economic Evaluations
Authors: Koffijberg H. , de Wit G. A. , Feenstra T. L.
Published: February 2012

Background. In cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), it is common to compare a single, new intervention with 1 or more existing interventions representing current practice ignoring other, unrelated interventions. Sectoral CEAs, in contrast, take a perspective in which the costs and effectiveness of all possible interventions within a certain disease area or health care sector are compared to maximize health in a society given resource constraints. Stochastic league tables (SLT) have been developed to represent uncertainty in sectoral CEAs but have 2 shortcomings: 1) the probabilities reflect inclusion of individual interventions and not strategies and 2) data on robustness are lacking. The authors developed an extension of SLT that addresses these shortcomings. Methods. Analogous to nonprobabilistic MAXIMIN decision rules, the uncertainty of the performance of strategies in sectoral CEAs may be judged with respect to worst possible outcomes, in terms of health effects obtainable within a given budget. Therefore, the authors assessed robustness of strategies likely to be optimal by performing optimization separately on all samples and on samples yielding worse than expected health benefits. The approach was tested on 2 examples, 1 with independent and 1 with correlated cost and effect data. Results. The method was applicable to the original SLT example and to a new example and provided clear and easily interpretable results. Identification of interventions with robust performance as well as the best performing strategies was straightforward. Furthermore, the robustness of strategies was assessed with a MAXIMIN decision rule. Conclusion. The SLT extension improves the comprehensibility and extends the usefulness of outcomes of SLT for decision makers. Its use is recommended whenever an SLT approach is considered.
Multinatural geographies for the Anthropocene
Authors: Lorimer Jamie
Published: February 2012

The recent diagnosis of the Anthropocene represents the public death of the modern understanding of Nature removed from society. It also challenges the modern science-politics settlement, where natural science speaks for a stable, objective Nature. This paper reviews recent efforts to develop ‘multinatural’ alternatives that provide an environmentalism that need not make recourse to Nature. Focusing on biodiversity conservation, the paper draws together work in the social and natural sciences to present an interdisciplinary biogeography for conservation in the Anthropocene. This approach is developed through an engagement with the critiques of neoliberal natures offered by political ecology.
Results of Meniscus Allograft Transplantation Using Bone Fixation
Authors: Kim Jong-Min , Lee Bum-Sik , Kim Keong-Hwan , Kim Kyung-Ah , Bin Seong-Il
Published: February 2012

Background: Meniscus allograft transplantation (MAT) has shown efficacy in relieving pain and improving knee joint function, but objective evaluation in a large number of patients is necessary to verify this effect.

Hypothesis: Meniscus allograft transplantation relieves pain and improves function of the involved knee joint. Objective evaluation provides evidence of allograft integrity.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Of the 115 knees that underwent MAT from December 1996 to February 2009, 110 (95.7%) were followed up for more than 2 years and were enrolled in this study. Of these, 83 underwent lateral MAT, and 27 underwent medial MAT. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the modified Lysholm score and Knee Society pain score. All knees underwent postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or second-look arthroscopy to evaluate the integrity and position of the allografts, with allograft status classified as satisfactory, fair, or poor.

Results: At a mean follow-up of 49.4 months, clinical improvement was achieved in 104 of the 110 knees (94.5%). Mean modified Lysholm score increased from 72.7 preoperatively to 92.3 at final follow-up ( P < .001), and mean preoperative Knee Society pain score increased from 32.5 to 47.7 ( P < .001). Of the 110 knees, 90 were evaluated by postoperative MRI alone, 2 by second-look arthroscopy alone, and 18 by both. Magnetic resonance imaging showed 12 gross tears and 6 small tears in the allograft. Mean extrusion of the allograft was 3.7 mm, and mean relative percentage of extrusion was 42.6%. Second-look arthroscopy showed 6 gross tears and 1 small flap tear. Classification by clinical outcome, MRI, and second-look arthroscopy graded 90 allografts (81.8%) as satisfactory, 8 (7.3%) as fair, and 12 (10.9%) as poor.

Conclusion: Meniscus allograft transplantation using bone fixation resulted in significant symptomatic and functional improvements. Magnetic resonance imaging or second-look arthroscopy was necessary to assess allograft status even after favorable clinical outcome. Meniscus allograft transplantation with bone fixation is considered effective for symptomatic, totally meniscectomized knees.
Compliance and Practices in Transition Planning
Authors: Landmark Leena Jo , Zhang Dalun
Published: February 2012

This study examined the extent to which transition components of students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were compliant with IDEIA 2004; the extent to which transition components provided evidence of best practices; the association among disability, ethnicity, compliance, and practices; and the relationship between compliance and best practices. The sample included African American, European American, and Hispanic students with developmental, emotional, and learning disabilities. Low levels of full compliance were found in these IEPs. Approximately half of the substantiated transition practices were found in the IEPs. Disability and ethnicity were associated with the probability of an IEP being compliant and/or having evidence of best practices. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between compliance and practices.
An Application of the What Works Clearinghouse Standards for Evaluating Single-Subject Research
Authors: Maggin Daniel M. , Briesch Amy M. , Chafouleas Sandra M.
Published: February 2012

The use of single-subject research in the development and evaluation of academic, psychological, and behavioral interventions has led to the experimental validation of an array of treatment options for a diverse set of educational challenges. However, the synthesis of these bodies of research has been the subject of considerable debate. In an effort to utilize the findings from studies using single-subject methodologies to identify effective educational practices, the What Works Clearinghouse developed a set of criteria to evaluate the strength of evidence for various strategies. In this article, an application of these standards is demonstrated using a body of self-management intervention studies drawn from a recently published systematic review. The utility of the standards for identifying evidence-based practices validated with single-subject research methods is discussed. In addition, a comparison of the What Works Clearinghouse procedures to previously developed methods for identifying evidence-based practices with single-subject research is provided, and implications for research and practice are described.
Assessing the performance of TiAlSiN coating on bandsaw tooth when cutting Ti-17 alloy
Authors: Khan Fahd N , Daadbin Ali , Persson Martin , Haider Julfikar , Hellbergh Håkan
Published: February 2012

Cutting tool industries face an enormous challenge in finding the conditions that result in economically viable machining of titanium alloys such as Ti-17. The generation of high thermal and mechanical stresses in cutting tools during machining of titanium alloys accelerates tool wear and this significantly affects tool life, productivity and product quality. The application of advanced coatings on cutting tools has become an important way to improve the tool performance when machining titanium alloys. Recently, nano-structured TiAlSiN coatings have attracted increasing attention as an alternative to traditional TiN coatings, mainly due to its superior oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures and improved mechanical properties, which are ideal for machining titanium alloys. Very little attention has been given to the investigation of primary machining operations such as bandsawing. In this investigation, tungsten carbide-tipped bandsaw teeth were coated with TiAlSiN coating. The coating was characterized for structural, chemical and mechanical properties. Machining tests were carried out on Ti-17 alloy in a modified lathe using uncoated and TiAlSiN-coated bandsaw teeth. Forces were measured during the cutting tests and the specific cutting energy was calculated using the obtained force and material removal rate data. Wear modes and mechanisms in the bandsaw teeth were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The results show that a TiAlSiN-coated bandsaw tooth performed better than an uncoated bandsaw tooth in terms of wear and specific cutting energy.
Colorless Green Ideas (Can) Prime Furiously
Authors: Yee Eiling , Ahmed Sarah Z. , Thompson-Schill Sharon L.
Published: February 2012

That similar words can prime one another is not news. However, this phenomenon can be exploited to make inferences about the organization of conceptual representations. What types of similarity matter? Although there is evidence that similarity of function, shape, and even manner of manipulation is reflected in semantic memory, evidence for organization on the basis of color similarity is sparse. This lack of evidence is surprising: Intuition suggests that color is a prominent feature of many object concepts. The research reported here clarifies this puzzle and illustrates the dynamic nature of conceptual representations. Our research demonstrates color-based priming (e.g., “emerald” primes “cucumber”) in participants who completed a Stroop color-naming task before a priming task. Notably, the size of the Stroop effect predicted the size of the priming effect. When the order of tasks was reversed, priming effects were eliminated. By demonstrating that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors can influence conceptual activation, our findings have implications for theories of semantic memory.
Modeling fecundity in the presence of a sterile fraction using a semi-parametric transformation model for grouped survival data
Authors: McLain Alexander C , Sundaram Rajeshwari , Buck Louis Germaine M
Published: February 2012

The analysis of fecundity data is challenging and requires consideration of both highly timed and interrelated biologic processes in the context of essential behaviors such as sexual intercourse during the fertile window. Understanding human fecundity is further complicated by presence of a sterile population, i.e. couples unable to achieve pregnancy. Modeling techniques conducted to date have largely relied upon discrete time-to-pregnancy survival or day-specific probability models to estimate the determinants of time-to-pregnancy or acute effects, respectively. We developed a class of semi-parametric grouped transformation cure models that capture day-level variates purported to affect the cycle-level hazards of conception and, possibly, sterility. Our model's performance is assessed using simulation and longitudinal data from one of the few prospective cohort studies with preconception enrollment of women followed for 12 menstrual cycles at risk for pregnancy.
Sample size determination for disease prevalence studies with partially validated data
Authors: Qiu Shi-Fang , Poon Wai-Yin , Tang Man-Lai
Published: February 2012

Summary

Disease prevalence is an important topic in medical research, and its study is based on data that are obtained by classifying subjects according to whether a disease has been contracted. Classification can be conducted with high-cost gold standard tests or low-cost screening tests, but the latter are subject to the misclassification of subjects. As a compromise between the two, many research studies use partially validated datasets in which all data points are classified by fallible tests, and some of the data points are validated in the sense that they are also classified by the completely accurate gold-standard test. In this article, we investigate the determination of sample sizes for disease prevalence studies with partially validated data. We use two approaches. The first is to find sample sizes that can achieve a pre-specified power of a statistical test at a chosen significance level, and the second is to find sample sizes that can control the width of a confidence interval with a pre-specified confidence level. Empirical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the performance of various testing procedures with the proposed sample sizes. The applicability of the proposed methods are illustrated by a real-data example.
Semi-active bicycle suspension fork using adaptive sliding mode control
Authors: Yeh Fu-Kuang , Chen Young-Yi
Published: February 2012

In this paper, an adaptive sliding mode controller design for semi-active bicycle suspension forks with magnetorheological (MR) dampers is addressed. First, the mathematical equations of a quarter-vehicle suspension system for a bicycle fork are proposed. Next, the adaptive sliding mode control is utilized to design the robust controller with sprung and unsprung mass parameter estimations using the MR damper for eliminating external disturbances, such as wind gusts, load variations of bicycle body due to different riders, and rough terrain, etc. Accordingly, the Lyapunov stability theory is proposed to conduct the exponential stability analysis of the bicycle suspension system. By an equivalent control concept and limiting process, the approach trajectory is verified as being always continuous even when the suspension system is entered into the sliding surface vector under suffering from discontinuous switching conditions. Finally, the effectiveness of the adaptive sliding mode controller is demonstrated by computer simulations.
Dimensions and Perceptional Differences of Exhibition Destination Attractiveness
Authors: Jin Xin , Weber Karin , Bauer Thomas
Published: February 2012

The meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) industry has evolved into a vital sector of business tourism. The vast majority of research to date has focused on the convention/meeting sector, with studies on convention site selection being especially prominent. In contrast, the exhibition sector and particularly, exhibition destination attractiveness, have received relatively little research attention. This study aims to address this research gap by examining, from the exhibitors’ perspective, key factors for an attractive and successful exhibition destination. Based on 616 survey responses from exhibitors collected at nine trade fairs in four cities in Mainland China, study findings highlighted the critical importance of two types of cluster effects—“host city leadership in the industry” and “host city/region as a source of exhibitors”—to an exhibition destination’s attractiveness for exhibitors. Accessibility, venue facilities, and the destination’s leisure and economic environment were considered less important. Implications of the study results are discussed and directions for future research provided.
Which long coalition? The creation of the anti-slavery coalition
Authors: Noel Hans
Published: February 2012

How are party coalitions shaped and reshaped? Elected officials choose coalitions to win elections, but they must work to maintain those coalitions. Non-elected political actors, advancing an ideology at odds with the party coalition, can undermine the party. This article explores this possibility in the case of partisan change on slavery in the Antebellum United States. Intellectuals in 1850 divided into two camps over slavery and the other major issues of the day at a time when slavery cross-cut the two parties in Congress. The ideological division matches one that develops in Congress a decade later, suggesting that the parties responded not just to electoral incentives, but also to this elite division.
Two routes to personalized politics
Authors: Balmas Meital , Rahat Gideon , Sheafer Tamir , Shenhav Shaul R
Published: February 2012

This article describes two opposing types of political personalization: centralizing and decentralizing personalization. The first implies the centralization of political power in the hands of a few leaders, while the latter indicates a diffusion of group power among its components: individual politicians. We start by proposing definitions of the types and subtypes of centralized and decentralized personalization and review the literature in search of evidence of their occurrence. We then demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed typology by examining personalization trends in various aspects of Israeli politics and conclude with a discussion of the challenges that personalization set for liberal democracies.
Voting systems in parallel and the benefits for small parties
Authors: Thrasher Michael , Borisyuk Galina , Rallings Colin , Sloan Luke
Published: February 2012

In simple plurality voting systems smaller parties facing resource constraints may struggle to field candidates, particularly when the number of electoral districts is large. In the absence of a strong coordinating party organization, the pattern of contestation may also be sub-optimal – the small party fields candidates where support is minimal, ignoring other electoral districts where voters would support the party if it had stood a candidate. This article considers how and whether the separate operation of an Additional Member voting system running parallel to a simple plurality system assists smaller parties by providing low-cost information about the spatial distribution of voter support. Using aggregate voting data collected at the London ward level for both simple plurality local council elections and the separate mixed-member proportional system used to elect the Greater London Assembly we test whether the Green Party demonstrated an ability to modify and optimize its pattern of contestation. There appears to be little evidence of either a contagion or learning effect in respect of the location of Green candidates, suggesting that a free but valuable data source is unexploited.
Making music behave: Metadata and the digital music commodity
Authors: Morris Jeremy W.
Published: February 2012

This article offers a case study of the Compact Disc Database and ID3 tags, two instrumental information technologies for digital music on computers. Using an interpretive analysis of the technical and cultural features of the Compact Disc Database and ID3 tags as well as press releases and journalistic accounts detailing the rise of these services, this article places digital metadata within the broader history of recorded music specifically and digital objects more generally. Started as hobby projects, the Compact Disc Database and ID3 tags have evolved into central components of the digital music ecosystem. As keystone technologies, they contributed to the emergence of a digital music commodity. Since both technologies derive much of their value from user contributions, this article also contributes to current theorization on the role of users in the production of digital commodities.
Integration of a discrete multi-component fuel evaporation model with a G-equation flame propagation combustion model and its validation
Authors: Yang Shiyou , Ra Youngchul , Reitz Rolf D , VanDerWege Brad , Yi Jianwen
Published: February 2012

A discrete multi-component fuel evaporation model has been successfully integrated with a G-equation flame propagation combustion model. In the discrete multi-component fuel evaporation model, the individual components of the fuel during the evaporation process are tracked, and the characteristics of the fuel components are determined from fuel libraries. In the G-equation flame propagation combustion model, five improved sub-models developed previously by the authors are used. Two new methods that are necessary for the integration are proposed. To consider the change of local fuel vapor mixture composition, a ‘blending cetane number approach’ is proposed that formulates the relationship between the fuel vapor mixture cetane number and the mole fraction and cetane number of each component. With the mixture cetane number, the research octane number can be calculated locally, and with this research octane number, the flame speed can be calculated. In the combustion stage, a ‘group chemistry method’ is proposed in which one representative species can be selected to represent several fuel components that belong to the same chemical family. This treatment makes it possible to use a smaller size of multi-component fuel chemical kinetic mechanism. Each sub-model included in the integrated model was validated to see if the integration process was correct or not, and finally the integrated model was tested to model complicated gasoline direct injection engine cases. Simulations of single-droplet and spray evaporation with discrete multi-component fuel cases from normal evaporation to flash boiling were performed and compared with available experimental data. The match between simulations and experiments is excellent. The G-equation flame propagation combustion model was also validated with experimental data. Evaporation and the combustion process were simulated for a gasoline direct injection engine. The simulated in-cylinder pressures are in good agreement with the experimental data.
Pre-ignition and ‘super-knock’ in turbo-charged spark-ignition engines
Authors: Kalghatgi Gautam T , Bradley Derek
Published: February 2012

Earlier studies of pre-ignitions at hot surfaces are first reviewed. The concept of a critical radius of a hot pocket of gas, closely related to the laminar flame thickness, that is necessary to initiate a propagating flame, has been used successfully to predict relative tendencies of different fuel–air mixtures to pre-ignite. As the mixture is compressed, the thickness of potential laminar flames decreases, and when this becomes of the order of the thermal sheath thickness at the hottest surface, pre-ignition can occur there, creating a propagating flame. Measured engine pre-ignition ratings are shown to correlate well with laminar flame thicknesses. Predictions are made concerning the effects of changes in intake temperature and pressure on the pre-ignition of different fuels.

A growing current concern is occasional gas-phase, autoignitive, pre-ignitions that can occur in turbo-charged engines, giving rise to very severe autoignition and knock. It is concluded from the evidence of engine pressure records and autoignition delay times of the mixtures that such pre-ignitions have not arisen from autoignition of the fuel, but of a mixture with a smaller autognition delay time than stoichiometric n-heptane–air. One possibility is that autoignition occurs at hot spots containing some lubricating oil. It is shown that such pre-ignitions, particularly with catalytic enhancement, could initiate a propagating flame, rather than autoignitive propagation.

In the later, much more severe autoignition arising after pre-ignition, autoignitive propagation velocities at a hot spot are estimated from computed values of the ignition delay times and assumed reactivity gradients in the fuel–air mixture at the hot spot. The severity of the associated pressure pulse is dependent upon the ratios [Formula: see text], of the acoustic speed to the localised autoignitive velocity, and [Formula: see text], of the residence time of the acoustic wave in the hot spot to the short excitation time in which most of the chemical energy is released. The regime in which a localised detonation can be generated in the hot spot is defined by a peninsula on a plot of [Formula: see text] against [Formula: see text]. A locus is plotted on this figure corresponding to the growing measured intensities of the engine knock as the pressure increases. This is based on computed autoignition delays and excitation times, for an appropriate surrogate fuel. These changes are characterised by [Formula: see text] tending to unity and [Formula: see text] tending to ever-higher values, with increasingly intense, localised, developing detonations.