bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Materials Testing Mode on Mechanical Behavior Under Temperature Influence in Complex Deformation Processes
Authors: Anurag S. , Guo Y. B.
Published: May 2009

Complex deformation processes such as forming and machining involve large strain, high strain rate, high temperatures, strain rate/temperature coupling, and potential loading history effects. The conventional empirical and semi-empirical plasticity models are not adequate for characterizing dynamic mechanical behavior of work materials at the complex loading scenarios. The accuracy of characterizing the dynamic mechanical behavior in deformation processes using any constitutive models is strongly affected by materials testing data in which a constitutive model is fitted. Tension or compression tests have been widely used to approximate material properties in various manufacturing processes. However, it has been a critical question whether tension or compression test should be utilized for capturing the true nature of complex material deformations. In this study, the influences of two material testing modes on mechanical behavior of AISI52100 steel (62 HRc) were investigated using the internal state variable (ISV) plasticity model. Twenty material constants have been found by nonlinear fitting the ISV plasticity model to the base line test data obtained from each deformation mode. It has shown that the material testing modes have profound effects on some materials constants of the ISV model. The stress sensitivity study to ISV model parameters has identified the critical material constants for reflecting the nature of material deformation. The different testing modes have significant influence on the material constants associated with isotropic hardening rather than kinematic hardening.
A Study on the Effects of Flow Channel Configurations on the Cooling Behavior of a Water-Cooled Chip
Authors: Nien Chia-Yuan , Wang Chung-Yueh , Liu Chien-Chen , Tsang Yen-Min , Chen Chun-Yen , Mia Ya-Han , Teng Jyh-Tong
Published: May 2009

This work intended to study the impact of flow channel configurations on the thermal resistances associated with the behavior of cooling of a chip. The geometric configurations of the channels were manufactured in-house with three designs — (1) circular, (2) cylindrical columns, and (3) improved circular. Experimental results were obtained under various testing conditions, such as the channel configurations, volume rates of the working fluid, and powers generated by the chip (simulated by heated rod). In addition, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology was used to numerically simulate the operation of the heat spreader for the flow channels under study. The experimental results indicated that a minimum value of 0.16 °C/W was achieved for the flow channel with the improved circular design (with a heat source of 150 W and a volumetric flow rate of 0.5 L/min). The value of thermal resistance obtained for this flow channel design is 88.9% of that obtained for the circular flow channel design. Compared with the experimental results, the average deviation of 14.4% was obtained for the results obtained from simulating the heat spreader by the CFD software — Icepak version 4.2.6. This demonstrates the adequacy of using the CFD software to simulate the water-cooled heat-dissipating devices.
Numerical Prediction and Experimental Validation of Transient Temperature Profiles During Reheating Preform in Stretch Blow Molding
Authors: Huang Han-Xiong , Deng Yan-Hong
Published: May 2009

Reheating of the preform represents an important stage in the two-stage stretch blow molding (SBM) process. This work aimed at developing a temperature acquisition system with an emphasis on the design of both thermocouples and brush mechanism, which leads the acquisition system to be used to measure in real time the transient temperature profiles within the wall of the reheated preform as it rotates. The measured temperature distributions both through the thickness of the preform and along its length were then compared with numerical results predicted by solving a thermal model for the preform reheating in the SBM. Both the radiative and convective heat transfers were considered in the simulation. After being verified by experimental dada, the thermal model was used to predict the transient temperature profiles within reheated preform under different conditions, such as preform thickness, air convection coefficient, and reheating time. This work helps to better deepen the understanding of the preform reheating in the two-stage SBM process.
Dynamics of Single Cavitation Bubble Oscillation Inside an Elastic Tube
Authors: Sankin Georgy N. , Zhong Pei
Published: May 2009

Understanding the dynamics of bubble oscillation in tissue-constrained media such as within blood vessels is important for many current and potential therapeutic ultrasound applications. Cavitation is a primary mechanism responsible for vessel rupture and tissue injury in shock wave lithotripsy [1]. In sonoporation cavitation can be used to increase permeability of biological membranes. Particularly, ultrasound contrast agents are widely used for imaging of blood vessels and for enhancement of ultrasound-mediated gene delivery [2]. Modeling of non-linear oscillations of bubbles in acrylic capillaries in a high-intensity focused ultrasound field revealed a clear dependence of bubble displacement and fragmentation on tube diameter [3]. However, the effect of elastic boundary on bubble dynamics may differ significantly from that of a rigid boundary [4, 5]. In this study, experimental investigation of the dynamics of bubble oscillation in an elastic tube was performed and preliminary results from tubes of different inner diameters are presented.
An Analytical Model for Bubble Growth and Heat Transfer in Microchannels
Authors: Cerza Martin , Garcia Sonia M. F. , Nickerson Joshua L.
Published: May 2009

Forced liquid convection microchannel cooling systems present an alternative to the forced air-convection schemes and offer higher thermal performance. With regard to forced liquid convection, two-phase convection offers superior performance to liquid only convection. This paper presents results developed from a bubble heat transfer growth model applied to microchannel geometry and incorporates these results into a model for the averaged bubble heat transfer coefficient. Results are shown for water and FC-72. The bubble heat transfer model shows that the bubble growth rates and subsequent averaged heat transfer coefficient are functions of the film thickness between the bubble and the microchannel wall, the slip velocity between the bubble and the fluid comprising the bubble base, the wall heat flux and the subsequent liquid superheat in the microchannel just upstream of the bubble leading edge.
HIFU-Induced Gene Activation in a Cell-Embedded Tissue Mimicking Phantom
Authors: Yuan Fang , Pua Chris , Zhong Pei , Liu Yunbo
Published: May 2009

The synergistic integration of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablation and HIFU-induced gene therapy represents a promising approach in improving the overall efficacy and quality of cancer therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated that HIFU can induce GFP gene activation under the control of hsp70B promoter in a murine tumor model [1]. Thermal stress has been identified as the primary mechanism to regulate the gene expression. However, the natural heterogeneity and opacity of solid tumors has hindered direct correlation of site-specific gene expression level with in situ thermal dosimetry. We have developed a homogeneous and transparent cell-embedded tissue mimicking phantom as an alternative for simultaneous assessment of temperature distribution, HIFU lesion formation, and gene expression.
Off Design Performance Prediction of Steam Turbines
Authors: Senthil Murugan R. , Subbarao P. M. V.
Published: May 2009

Steam turbines in coal fired power plants are designed for some fixed operating conditions. When operated at those fixed conditions, the turbines are supposed to give maximum cycle efficiency. But off-design conditions occur several times due to condenser variation, environmental change, plant aging, etc. Performance at those off-design conditions affects economy of operation. Hence prediction of performance at off-design conditions is necessary. In this work a 210 MW steam turbine is designed using available design data. Calculated data matched available data quite satisfactorily. Design condition heat cycle data and other available technical data were used for design. Three off-design conditions, varying steam flow rate, varying condenser pressure, and varying inlet steam parameters were considered for study of off-design performance. These effects were suitably incorporated to recalculate performance of the same turbine at these conditions. Performance characteristics are obtained by varying one off-design condition at a time. Specific examples also are solved by simultaneously considering all three mentioned off-design variables using actual field data. Off-design performance predictions were found to be satisfactory.
The Thickness of the Liquid Microlayer Between a Sliding Bubble and a Heated Wall: Comparison of Models to Experimental Data
Authors: Li Xin , Hollingsworth D. Keith , Witte Larry C.
Published: May 2009

Sliding vapor bubbles are known to create high heat transfer coefficients along the surfaces against which they slide. The details of this process remain unclear and depend, in part, on the evolution of the liquid microlayer that forms between the bubble and the surface. A mechanistic model of the micro-layer thickness verified by direct observation of the microlayer thickness is needed. This paper describes a comparison of measurements from a recent set of experiments to the results of microlayer models from the literature and to the predictions of a new model presented here for the first time. The measurements were produced by a laser-based method developed to measure the thickness of the liquid microlayer between a cap-shaped sliding bubble and an inclined heated wall. Microlayer thicknesses of 22 to 55 microns were obtained for saturated FC-87 and a uniform-temperature surface inclined at 2° to 15° from the horizontal. The basis of each model, input requirements, limitations, and performance relative to this data set are discussed.
Nonlinear Control of Multiple Equilibrium Systems and Unknown Sinusoidal Disturbance by Using Backstepping Technique and Neural-Fuzzy Controller
Authors: Nobari Nona Abolfathi , Alizadeh Danial
Published: May 2009

Controlling nonlinear systems have always been a challenging problem. Complexity is mostly the result of nonlinear systems behavior dependence on initial conditions and input. Linearization techniques are such kinds of nonlinear systems analysis tools, which can give suitable results in neighborhood of equilibrium points. In addition, phase portraits are very efficient for visualizing the behavior of system in equilibrium points’ neighborhood. In this paper, designing a controller for a low order dynamic system with multiple equilibrium points in presence of a sinusoidal disturbance with unknown amplitude and unknown bounded frequency is investigated. The proposed controller is based on a combination of the backstepping method, Lyapunov based techniques and neuro-fuzzy strategies. At first, the mathematical dynamic model is presented and all equilibrium points are found. Lyapunov-based techniques and backstepping method are combined in order to control the system under influence of sinusoidal disturbance with unknown amplitude but fixed frequency. Finally, a neuro-fuzzy controller is designed and added to main controller to tolerate the frequency variation of the disturbance. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the controller in omission of a sinusoidal disturbance with random variable frequency and amplitude.
Introducing Modern Laboratory Experiences to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Students
Authors: Lu Frank K. , Panicker Philip K. , Webb M. Byron
Published: May 2009

Amongst some of the more challenging aspects of engineering education is in imparting hands-on experience for the students. Despite the fact that engineering requires practical know-how, this challenge is in itself being compromised as the engineering curriculum over the past few decades increasingly moves away from workshops and laboratories toward classroom lectures and dependence on computer-based training. This paper describes a laboratory experience early in a mechanical and aerospace engineering student’s career which provides an adequate preparation for understanding all aspects of modern digital data acquisition systems. This laboratory experience is coupled with classroom lectures and projects. The laboratories comprise of modules that cover a variety of topics which expose the students to digital data acquisition techniques, data processing and analysis, uncertainty analysis and comparison with theory. Moreover, instead of generic experiments, most of the experiments were built around ordinary items and processes. The laboratory experience is based around National Instruments hardware, controlled via LabVIEW™. Data processing is via MS EXCEL. These platforms are ubiquitous and provide good exposure to similar hardware and software.
Development of Curriculum in Micro Assembly and Nano Manufacturing
Authors: Cecil J.
Published: May 2009

This paper discusses the creation of new curriculum in micro assembly and nano manufacturing for undergraduate and graduate engineering students at New Mexico State University. Virtual Engineering tools are used to enhance the learning experience of students. Students are exposed to Information models and modeling techniques, which are used to create information intensive models of various processes in these two domains.
Packaging and Performance of a Piezo-Optic Voltage Sensor
Authors: Seeley Charles E. , Koste Glen , Tran Ben , Dermis Tom
Published: May 2009

There is growing interest in sensor technology that is immune to electro-magnetic interference. By nature, development of this technology covers multiple physical domains including electronics, optics, mechanics and materials. This paper discusses the design, fabrication and characterization of a piezooptic voltage sensor. The sensor utilizes piezoelectric fibers with interdigitated electrodes coupled to an optical wave guide via a dielectric matrix. The unknown voltage energizes the piezoelectric fibers to deform fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) on the waveguide. Therefore, a measurable change in wavelength is related to the unknown voltage. The sensor is fabricated using a high quality, repeatable lamination process that does not require the handling of individual piezoelectric fibers. Characterization tests indicate the utility of the sensor in a simulated mission profile. Issues such as hysteresis, creep and optical polarization dependence were also identified.
Manipulation of Organic and Inorganic Colloidal Particles by Dielectrophoretic Forces
Authors: Asmatulu Ramazan , Siginer Dennis
Published: May 2009

Recently, manipulation of the micro and nanoscale objects has been of great interest in verity of engineering and scientific areas. Dielectrophoretic force (DEP) induced technique is predominantly used in the manipulation process in a liquid medium. The phenomenon behind DEP involves the creation of electric forces on particles to generate momentum in nonuniform electric fields, usually coming from AC electric fields. In the present study, we will discuss about the effects of DEP for the manipulation of organic and inorganic particles at micro and nanoscale in detail.
Could Acupuncture Needle Sensation be a Predictor of Analgesic Response?
Authors: Benham Alex , Johnson Mark I
Published: June 2009

During acupuncture some patients experience distinct sensations which are often referred to as needle sensation. Needle sensation may be related to treatment outcome, although what constitutes adequate acupuncture needle sensation is not known. In this paper, we debate the possibility of using the self-report of the overall intensity of needle sensation as a predictor of analgesic outcome to acupuncture. We describe how our approach to establish criteria to determine adequacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation interventions in clinical trials has been used to inform our search for markers of adequacy of procedural technique for acupuncture. We describe previous research which has focused on developing tools to capture the nature of the descriptors used by patients when they self-report needle sensation and reveal that little attention has been given to its role in outcome. We demonstrate that needle sensation is a complex phenomenon with subjects using multiple descriptors to report their experience. We argue that the intensity of the overall experience of needle sensation may prove useful as a gross marker of the adequacy of acupuncture. We briefly describe our research which isolates individual components of needling technique, such as depth of needle penetration and bidirectional needle rotation, in order to assess their contribution to overall needle sensation intensity.
Contrasting patterns of resource utilization between juvenile estuarine predators: the influence of relative prey size and foraging ability on the ontogeny of piscivory
Authors: Scharf Frederick S. , Buckel Jeffrey A. , Juanes Francis
Published: May 2009

In aquatic systems, ontogenetic patterns of resource utilization strongly influence growth and survival, particularly during early life stages. We compared prey resource use and evaluated potential factors affecting the timing of the shift to piscivorous feeding in two juvenile estuarine fish predators: striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ) and bluefish ( Pomatomus saltatrix ). In New York Bight estuaries, bluefish shift to piscivory earlier in ontogeny and consume larger relative prey fish sizes compared with striped bass. Predator gape allometries are similar and did not determine maximum prey sizes eaten. Experimental results revealed marked differences in foraging abilities between predators, with bluefish realizing much greater foraging efficiency compared with striped bass feeding on identical fish prey. Both predators demonstrated lower feeding efficiency and grew relatively poorly when feeding on invertebrates compared with fish prey. When held together under limited prey conditions, bluefish exploited a greater proportion of available prey at the expense of striped bass. Our findings highlight the importance of the availability of appropriately sized forage fishes to the ontogeny of piscivory and provide evidence that predator–prey size relationships and disparate foraging abilities can generate inter- and intra-specific variation in patterns of resource utilization and predator growth.
Verification of Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) shell growth rings by tracking cohorts in fishery closed areas
Authors: Hart Deborah R. , Chute Antonie S.
Published: May 2009

We tracked the growth of large cohorts of sea scallops ( Placopecten magellanicus ) at four sites located in areas closed to scallop fishing and compared the observed growth with that inferred from rings on sea scallop shells collected at the same sites. Stochastic growth transition matrices were constructed for each site based on the shell growth increments, assuming annual ring formation. These matrices were used to predict the annual growth of the scallops, which were compared with direct observations of growth obtained by repeated sampling. Additionally, the observed growth of the scallops was used to estimate the parameters of a stochastic von Bertalanffy model for each site, which were used to estimate the mean annual growth increments as a function of starting shell height. These were compared with the mean growth increments on the shells. There was a close correspondence, in most cases, between the observed growth and the growth inferred from the shell rings, implying that the shell rings were formed annually. The lack of fishing mortality in the areas meant that there was no confounding of size-selective fishing with growth and allowed us to track cohorts longer than would otherwise have been possible.
Ecological and economic considerations in the conservation and management of the Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax)
Authors: Hannesson Rögnvaldur , Herrick, Samuel , Field John
Published: May 2009

In this paper, we consider economic and ecological issues associated with the Pacific sardine ( Sardinops sagax ) as a commercially harvested species relative to its importance as prey for species of commercial, recreational, and ecological significance. Using economic theory and ecosystem modeling results for the California Current, we investigate whether sardines might be more valuable as forage than as commercial landings. Our analysis considers various conditions under which this would be justified. For example, ex-vessel prices of commercially important sardine predators near the high end of their respective ranges in recent years and the ex-vessel price of sardine at the low end of its respective range would favor leaving more sardine as forage fish. However, even if it were advisable to reduce the volume of the sardine fishery to leave more forage for other, more valuable species, it does not necessarily imply that the sardine fishery should be shut down altogether. Rather, our results indicate that consideration of the trade-offs is a key element of ecosystem-based fishery management.
A FUZZY-NEURAL FLUCTUATION SMOOTHING RULE FOR SCHEDULING JOBS WITH VARIOUS PRIORITIES IN A SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING FACTORY
Authors: CHEN TOLY , LIN YU-CHENG
Published: June 2009

A fuzzy-neural fluctuation smoothing rule is proposed in this study to improve the performance of scheduling jobs with various priorities in a semiconductor manufacturing factory. The fuzzy-neural fluctuation smoothing rule is modified from the well-known fluctuation smoothing rule by improving the accuracy of estimating the remaining cycle time of a job, which is done by applying Chen's fuzzy-neural approach with multiple buckets. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, production simulation is also applied in this study. According to experimental results, incorporating a more accurate remaining cycle time estimation mechanism did improve the scheduling performance especially in reducing the average cycle times. Besides, the fuzzy-neural fluctuation smoothing rule was also shown to be a Pareto optimal solution for scheduling jobs with various priorities in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY LINGUISTIC QUANTIFIERS BASED ON INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY-VALUED FUZZY MEASURES AND INTEGRALS
Authors: CUI LICONG , LI YONGMING , ZHANG XIAOHONG
Published: June 2009

In this paper, we generalize Ying's model of linguistic quantifiers [M.S. Ying, Linguistic quantifiers modeled by Sugeno integrals, Artificial Intelligence, 170 (2006) 581-606] to intuitionistic linguistic quantifiers. An intuitionistic linguistic quantifier is represented by a family of intuitionistic fuzzy-valued fuzzy measures and the intuitionistic truth value (the degrees of satisfaction and non-satisfaction) of a quantified proposition is calculated by using intuitionistic fuzzy-valued fuzzy integral. Description of a quantifier by intuitionistic fuzzy-valued fuzzy measures allows us to take into account differences in understanding the meaning of the quantifier by different persons. If the intuitionistic fuzzy linguistic quantifiers are taken to be linguistic fuzzy quantifiers, then our model reduces to Ying's model. Some excellent logical properties of intuitionistic linguistic quantifiers are obtained including a prenex norm form theorem. A simple example is presented to illustrate the use of intuitionistic linguistic quantifiers.
CORRELATION COEFFICIENT BETWEEN GENERALIZED ATANASSOV'S INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY SETS
Authors: PARK JIN HAN , LIM KI MOON , LEE BU YOUNG
Published: June 2009

Based on the geometrical representation of generalized Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy sets (GA-IFSs), we take into account all three parameters describing GA-IFSs, propose a method to calculate the correlation coefficient for GA-IFSs in a finite set and a probability space, respectively, and discuss some properties of correlation and correlation coefficient of GA-IFSs.
Underground hydrogen storage in the UK
Authors: Stone Howard B. J. , Veldhuis Ivo , Richardson R. Neil
Published: May 2009

To utilize the full potential of hydrogen energy in the UK a number of economic, technical and environmental factors must be considered. An important factor in replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen will be the practicality of storing a sufficient quantity to smooth out fluctuations in demand and provide a strategic reserve. This paper investigates the potential for large-scale underground hydrogen storage in the UK by considering the technical, geological and physical issues of storage, the locations of salt deposits, legal and economic aspects. In addition, reference is made to the equations of state applicable to this type of storage. The results of this investigation show that the UK has a number of potential locations where underground storage would provide a strategic reserve of hydrogen.
Sequent calculi and abstract machines
Authors: Ariola Zena M. , Bohannon Aaron , Sabry Amr
Published: May 2009

We propose a sequent calculus derived from the λ―μμ˜-calculus of Curien and Herbelin that is expressive enough to directly represent the fine details of program evaluation using typical abstract machines. Not only does the calculus easily encode the usual components of abstract machines such as environments and stacks, but it can also simulate the transition steps of the abstract machine with just a constant overhead. Technically this is achieved by ensuring that reduction in the calculus always happens at a bounded depth from the root of the term. We illustrate these properties by providing
shallow encodings
of the Krivine (call-by-name) and the CEK (call-by-value) abstract machines in the calculus.
Gem #42
Authors: Barnes John
Published: May 2009

Welcome to the final gem before we take a break for the summer, which is the sixth chapter of John Barnes' new booklet: Safe and Secure Software: An Introduction to Ada 2005.

Over the coming months, we will be publishing all thirteen chapters of the booklet. In the attachment at the bottom of Gem #30 you can access the contents and bibliography for the entire booklet.

The gems series will recommence in September. In the meantime, we hope you have a wonderful summer!
Persistently Elevated Level of IL-8 inChlamydia trachomatisInfected HeLa 229 Cells is Dependent on Intracellular Available Iron
Authors: Vardhan Harsh , Dutta Raini , Vats Vikas , Gupta Rishein , Jha Rajneesh , Jha Hem Chandra , Srivastava Pragya , Bhengraj Apurb Rashmi , Singh Mittal Aruna
Published: May 2009

Chlamydia trachomatisis a leading cause of sexually transmitted infection worldwide and responsible for myriad of immunopathological changes associated with reproductive health. Delayed secretion of proinflammatory chemokine interleukin (IL)-8 is a hallmark of chlamydial infection and is dependent on chlamydial growth. We examined the effect of iron chelators on IL-8 production in HeLa 229 (cervix epitheloid cell, CCL2) cells infected withC. trachomatis. IL-8 production was induced by Iron chelator DFO and Mimosine, however, synergy with chlamydial infection was obtained with DFO only. Temporal expression of proinflammatory secreted cytokines IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-8 did not show synchrony inChlamydia trachomatisinfected cells. Secretion of IL-8 from Hela cells infected withC. trachomatiswas not dependent on IL-1 beta and TNF- alpha induction. These results indicate towards involvement of iron in chlamydia induced IL-8 production.
LegionellaAntibodies in a Danish Hospital Staff with Known Occupational Exposure
Authors: Rudbeck M. , Viskum S. , Mølbak K. , Uldum S. A.
Published: May 2009

Although legionnaires' disease frequently is acquired in health care institutions, little is known about the occupational risk ofLegionellainfection among health care workers. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to analyse antibody levels among exposed hospital workers and to determine the correlation between antibodies toLegionellaand self-reported symptoms. The study included 258 hospital employees and a reference group of 708 healthy blood donors. Hospital workers had a higher prevalence ofLegionellaantibody titres (1 : 128) than blood donors (odds ratio 3.4; 95% CI 2.4–4.8). Antibody levels were not higher among staff members at risk of frequent aerosol exposure than among less exposed employees. There was no consistent association between a history of influenza-like symptom complex and the presence of antibodies. The results indicate that hospital workers have a higher risk ofLegionellainfections than the general population. However, since no excess morbidity was associated with seropositivity, mostLegionellainfections may be asymptomatic.
Association Analysis of Genes Involved in the Maintenance of the Integrity of the Extracellular Matrix with Intracranial Aneurysms in a Japanese Cohort
Authors: Ruigrok Ynte M. , Rinkel Gabriel J.E. , Wijmenga Cisca , Kasuya Hidetoshi , Tajima Atsushi , Takahashi Tomoko , Hata Akira , Inoue Ituro , Krischek Boris
Published: June 2009

Background: An association between versican (CSPG2), perlecan (HSPG2), fibrillin 2 (FBN2) and collagen 4A1 (COL4A1) gene variants and intracranial aneurysms (IA) has been reported in 2 studies analyzing Dutch IA patients. The aim of this study was to verify these associations in a Japanese IA population. In addition, a meta-analysis on the association of these genes and IA for the combined Dutch and Japanese populations was performed. Methods: The associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes identified in the Dutch study were genotyped in 632 Japanese IA patients and 808 healthy control subjects using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: A similar association to that previously found in the Dutch population was found for the CSPG2 (rs251124) and HSPG2 (rs3767137) SNPs, although both associations were not statistically significant in the Japanese population (CSPG2 OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.98–1.41, p = 0.08; HSPG2 OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90–1.32). Combining the Dutch and Japanese data for a meta-analysis showed an overall association between the CSPG2 SNP and IA (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12–1.48, p = 0.0005) and the HSPG2 SNP and IA (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.39, p = 0.002). No differences in SNP frequency were observed for FBN2 and COL4A1 between Japanese patients and controls. Conclusions: By analyzing HSPG2, CSPG2, FBN2 and COL4A1, we were able to replicate the association of CSPG2 and show that there is a trend for HSPG2 towards association in the Japanese IA population by means of a meta-analysis combining the Dutch and Japanese results. The association of FBN2 and COL4A1 could not be replicated in the Japanese IA population.
Multifaceted Effects of Selective Inhibitor of Phosphodiesterase III, Cilostazol, for Cerebral Vasospasm after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in a Dog Model
Authors: Yamaguchi-Okada Mitsuo , Nishizawa Shigeru , Mizutani Atsushi , Namba Hiroki
Published: June 2009

Background: Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterase type III (PDE III) may be involved in the pathophysiology of vasospasm and a PDE III inhibitor, cilostazol, is thus expected to attenuate vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We tested the therapeutic effects of cilostazol on angiographic and morphological vasospasm. Method: Twenty-one mongrel dogs were divided into 4 groups: (1) control (n = 3); (2) SAH (n = 6); (3) SAH with low-dose treatment (n = 6), and (4) SAH with high-dose treatment (n = 6). We used the established double-hemorrhage model of SAH achieved by injecting autologous blood. Angiography was performed on day 0 and day 7. The animals were euthanized after a second angiogram, and Western blotting was performed to analyze phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells of the basilar artery. The basilar artery was sectioned for immunohistochemistry of SM1, SM2 and SMemb to analyze phenotypic changes (SM1, SM2 for the contractile type of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain and SMemb for the synthetic type). Intact endothelial cells were counted under a microscope. Results: Severe vasospasm was obtained in the SAH group (42 ± 1%). Cilostazol attenuated angiographic vasospasm in both treatment groups (63 ± 2 and 74 ± 4%, respectively). Prevention of endothelial damage and phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells were observed in both treatment groups (p < 0.05 vs. control, ANOVA). Conclusion: Cilostazol attenuates vasospasm following SAH in dogs by suppressing phenotypic changes in the basilar artery and preventing endothelial damage. Therefore, we anticipate that cilostazol may be useful in the management of vasospasm.
Perforated gastric corpus in a strangulated paraesophageal hernia: a case report
Authors: Shafii Alexis E , Agle Steven C , Zervos Emmanuel E
Published: June 2009

Introduction

Patients with paraesophageal hernias often present secondary to chronic symptomatology. Infrequently, acute intestinal ischemia and perforation can occur as a consequence of paraesophageal hernias with potentially dire consequences.

Case presentation

An 86-year-old obtunded male presented to the emergency department with hypotension and severe back and abdominal pain. An emergency abdominal CT scan was ordered with a presumptive diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. CT topograms revealed extensive free intra-abdominal air and herniated abdominal viscera into the right hemithorax. Prior to completion of the CT study, the patient sustained a cardiopulmonary arrest. Surgery was consulted, but the patient was unable to be revived. Post-mortem examination revealed gross contamination within the abdomen and a giant, incarcerated, hiatal hernia with organoaxial volvulus and ischemic perforation.

Conclusion

Current recommendations call for prompt repair of giant hiatal hernias before they become symptomatic due to the increased risk of strangulation. Torsion of the stomach in large hiatal hernias frequently leads to a fatal complication such as this warranting elective repair as soon as possible.
Household exposure to pesticides and bladder exstrophy in a newborn baby boy: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Martin Marlene , Rodriguez Kristina , Sánchez-Sauco Miguel , Zambudio-Carmona Gerardo , Ortega-García Juan Antonio
Published: June 2009

Introduction

Bladder exstrophy is a rare urogenital abnormality. Other urogenital malformations have been associated with exposure to hormonal pesticide disruptors during critical developmental periods. This is the first report in the literature to associate household exposure to pesticides with bladder exstrophy.

Case presentation

We describe the pediatric environmental history of a newborn baby boy with isolated bladder exstrophy. In this case the pediatric environmental history includes the constitutional, genealogical, genetic and environmental factors related to bladder exstrophy, which revealed a cockroach infestation in the parents' home and the daily use of bug spray to kill them. The mother used one bottle of spray every 2 days (1000cc) and more in the summer, when the problem was worse. During gestational weeks 0-12, the mother intensively used a domestic pesticide consisting of a mixture of pyrethroids (cyfenothrin 0.5%, and tetramethrin 0.31%) and pyriproxyfen (0.01%). She described repeated episodes of mild to moderate poisoning that are associated with the use of household pesticides. The mother is a housewife and the father works as a fumigator of fruit fields and he reported gastrointestinal symptoms associated with the use of occupational pesticides. However, he did not believe he carried traces of these products into the home and his wife washed his work clothes separately. The pyrethroids and pyriproxyfen were detected in a urine sample obtained from the child 4 months after he was born. No other risk factors were identified.

Conclusions

A detailed and carefully conducted pediatric environmental history, which includes information about home pesticide use, should be carried out for all children with bladder exstrophy. Domestic exposure to pesticides during critical developmental periods may have deleterious effects for the fetus.
An immunomodulatory protein, Ling Zhi-8, induced activation and maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells by the NF-κB and MAPK pathways
Authors: Lin Yu-Li , Liang Yu-Chih , Tseng Yu-Shan , Huang Hsin-Yi , Chou Shu-Yu , Hseu Ruey-Shyang , Huang Ching-Tsan , Chiang Bor-Luen
Published: June 2009

Mushroom product induces a Th1 response and may possess a potential effect in regulating immune responses.

Ganoderma lucidum, an oriental medicinal mushroom, has been widely used in Asia to promote health and longevity. LZ-8 is a protein derived from the fungus G. lucidum and has immunomodulatory capacities. In this study, we investigated the immune modulatory effects of rLZ-8 on human monocyte-derived DCs. Treatment of DC with rLZ-8 resulted in the enhanced cell-surface expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, and HLA-DR, as well as the enhanced production of IL-12 p40, IL-10, and IL-23, and the capacity for endocytosis was suppressed in DCs. In addition, treatment of DCs with rLZ-8 resulted in an enhanced, naïve T cell-stimulatory capacity and increased, naïve T cell secretion of IFN-γ and IL-10. Neutralization with antibodies against TLR4 inhibited the rLZ-8-induced production of IL-12 p40 and IL-10 in DCs. rLZ-8 can stimulate TLR4 or TLR4/MD2-transfected HEK293 cells to produce IL-8. These results suggested an important role for TLR4 in signaling DCs upon incubation with rLZ-8. Further study showed that rLZ-8 was able to augment IKK, NF-κB activity, and also IκBα and MAPK phosphorylation. Further, inhibition of NF-κB by helenalin prevented the effects of rLZ-8 in the expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, and HLA-DR and production of IL-12 p40 and IL-10 in various degrees. To confirm the in vitro data, we investigated the effect of rLZ-8 further on antigen-specific antibody and cytokine production in BALB/c mice. Immunization with OVA/rLZ-8 showed that the anti-OVA IgG2a, IFN-γ, and IL-2 were increased significantly compared with OVA alone in BALB/c mice. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrated that rLZ-8 can effectively promote the activation and maturation of immature DCs, preferring a Th1 response, suggesting that rLZ-8 may possess a potential effect in regulating immune responses.
Ireland: From Racism without “Race” to Racism without Racists
Authors: Garner Steve
Published: May 2009

The Irish have been relentlessly racialized in their diaspora settings, yet little historical work engages with “race” to understand Irish history on the island of Ireland. This article provides an interpretation of two key periods of Irish history—the second half of the sixteenth century and the period since 1996—through the lens of racialization. I argue that Ireland's history is exceptional in its capacity to reveal key elements of the history of the development of race as an idea and a set of practices. The English colonization of Ireland was underpinned by a form of racism reliant on linking bodies to unchanging hierarchically stacked cultures, without reference to physical differences. For example, the putative unproductiveness of the Gaelic Irish not only placed them at a lower level of civilization than the industrious English but it also authorizes increasingly draconian ways of dealing with the Irish populace. The period since 1996, during which Ireland has become a country of immigration, illustrates how racism has undergone a transformation into the object of official state policies to eliminate it. Yet it flourishes as part of a globalized set of power relations that has brought immigrants to the developing Irish economy. In response to immigration the state simultaneously exerts neoliberal controls and reduces pathways to citizenship through residence while passing antiracism legislation. Today, the indigenous nomadic Travellers and asylum seekers are the ones that are seen as pathologically unproductive. Irish history thus demonstrates that race is not only about color but also very much about culture. It also illustrates notable elements of the West's journey from racism without race to racism without racists.
Antinomies of Total War
Authors: Kimoto Takeshi
Published: May 2009

At a critical time in the Asia-Pacific war, the second generation of the Kyoto School of philosophy engaged in a discourse of war represented as Sekaishi-teki tachiba to Nihon (The World Historical Position and Japan) (1943). This book consists of three roundtable discussions organized by Kōsaka Masa'aki, Nishitani Keiji, Kōyama Iwao, and the historian Suzuki Shigetaka. These discussions aimed to legitimate Japanese empire and its war efforts through a “philosophy of world history.” In particular, in the last session, “The Philosophy of Total War,” the participants provided a philosophical determination of the current warfare as “total war.” In this essay, I first critically examine the current debates on this topic, touching in particular on the newly discovered and published documents attesting to the wartime collaboration of the Kyoto School with the Japanese Navy. I then analyze how the Kyoto School conceived of the notion of total war and sought to philosophize the imperial war efforts as a world historical mission. I call attention to both the novelty and the hyperbolic nature of total war, which the Kyoto School insists has no boundaries, spatial or temporal, nullifying the traditional distinctions between war and other areas of social life and even between wartime and peacetime in a postwar period. While explicating the particular issues involved in the problematic, such as overcoming modern capitalism, their criticism of Western imperialism, and the agenda of the Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere, I show that each aspect of total war was haunted by a specific kind of self-contradiction that I call antinomy. Specifically, I focus on the temporal aspects of this sort of war and its ambiguous beginnings and ends, revealing how the Kyoto School philosophers tried in vain to mediate these aporetic dimensions of time of war.
Para-existential Forces of Invention: Nakai Masakazu's Theory of Technology and Critique of Capitalism
Authors: Moore Aaron Stephen
Published: May 2009

In the 1930s, many Kyoto School philosophers as well as other intellectuals inquired into the nature of technology (gijutsu) amid the growth of heavy industrial capitalism, rapid mobilization for war, and the proliferation of technology throughout all areas of life. This essay examines Nakai Masakazu's thoughts on technology as it relates to what he perceived as the disciplining of the creative, practical-political energies of the masses by capitalist commodification and specialization. Instead of only defining technology as the instrumental means of production or the technical, instrumental rationality of capitalism and bureaucratic control, Nakai inquired into the essence of technology as manifested in everyday mass culture. Similar to other contemporary thinkers on technology in Japan and elsewhere, Nakai viewed technology as acts of invention and poiesis in the world; however, he located this essence of technology within the interstices of modern capitalist life—in mass-mediated subjectivity, in the sensations and forms of contemporary cinema, and in the “bodily technologies” of sports, for example.

By examining Nakai's thoughts on the essence of technology, I wish to analyze the relation between Kyoto School philosophy and the political in wartime Japan, because these have often been viewed in isolation from each other or framed simplistically in terms of political complicity or resistance to fascism. Nakai's thought during the prewar and wartime periods in particular is often either overlooked in favor of his postwar activities in the Hiroshima Culture Movement or seen as mainly engaging in a politics of building some type of counterhegemony or collective resistance against fascism through his organization of periodicals inspired by the Popular Front in Europe, such as Doyōbi (Saturday) and Sekai Bunka (World Culture), for which he was arrested along with others in 1937. However, as I demonstrate, Nakai also primarily sought inventive sites of the political through his understanding of technology within modern capitalist life—or, in his language, different “points of departure,” “acts within acts,” para-existential “middles” of chance and opportunity, and uncanny sensations irreducible to sight, sound, or understanding. At stake for Nakai in such concepts were the critical, transformative energies of the people themselves, which were increasingly subject to the various disciplinary regimes of capital and the state.
Functional Outcome at School Age of Preterm Infants With Periventricular Hemorrhagic Infarction
Authors: Roze Elise , Van Braeckel Koenraad N. J. A. , van der Veere Christa N. , Maathuis Carel G. B. , Martijn Albert , Bos Arend F.
Published: May 2009

OBJECTIVES. Our objective was to determine motor, cognitive, and behavioral outcome at school age in preterm children with periventricular hemorrhagic infarction and to identify cerebral risk factors for adverse outcome.

METHODS. This was a prospective cohort study of all preterm infants who were <37 weeks' gestation, had periventricular hemorrhagic infarction, and were admitted between 1995 and 2003. Ultrasound scans were reviewed for characteristics of periventricular hemorrhagic infarction and other cerebral abnormalities. At 4 to 12 years of age, motor outcome was assessed by the Gross Motor Function Classification System and the Manual Ability Classification System, by a neurologic examination (Touwen), an intelligence test (Wechsler Intelligence Scale III/Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised), and tests for visual-motor integration, visual perception, and verbal memory. Behavior was assessed by using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function.

RESULTS. Of 38 infants, 15 (39%) died. Twenty-one of the 23 survivors were included in the follow-up. Four infants were neurologically normal, 1 had minor neurologic dysfunction, 13 had unilateral spastic cerebral palsy, and 3 had bilateral cerebral palsy. Coordination, associated movements, and fine manipulative abilities were affected most according to the neurologic examination. Gross Motor Function Classification System scores were level 1 (7 children), level 2 (7 children), level 3 (1 child), and level 4 (2 children). Manual Ability Classification System scores were normal (4 children), level 1 (8 children), level 2 (7 children), and level 3 (2 children). The mean and median total IQ was 83. Visual perception was normal in 88% of children, visuomotor integration was normal in 74%, and verbal memory was normal in 50%. Behavior was normal in 53% of children, and executive functions were normal in 65% and 29% of children (by parent and teacher report, respectively). Characteristics of the periventricular hemorrhagic infarction were not related to functional motor outcome and intelligence. Posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation was a risk factor for poorer total and performance intelligence and abnormal fine manipulative abilities.

CONCLUSIONS. The majority of surviving preterm children with periventricular hemorrhagic infarction had cerebral palsy with limited functional impairment at school age. Intelligence was within 1 SD of the norm of preterm children without lesions in 60% to 80% of the children. Verbal memory, in particular, was affected. Behavioral and executive function problems occurred slightly more than in preterm infants without lesions. The functional outcome at school age of preterm children with periventricular hemorrhagic infarction is better than previously thought.