bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Class Politics and Agricultural Exceptionalism in California's Organic Agriculture Movement
Authors: Getz Christy , Brown Sandy , Shreck Aimee
Published: November 2008

Opposition within the organic agriculture community to a state regulatory initiative intended to close a loophole on the prohibition of stoop labor in California agriculture illuminates critical tensions around the “labor question” underpinning California's rapidly expanding organic sector. Through an exploration of the contradictions between the political economic realities of organic agriculture, the lived realities of farm workers, and the ideological framework of “agricultural exceptionalism” espoused in the organic community, this article challenges widely held assumptions that organic agriculture embodies a more socially sustainable form of production. We conclude that these tensions must be confronted if any progress is to be made toward the incorporation of social justice into definitions of agro-food system sustainability.
Deliberating Democracy: Scenes from a Brazilian Municipal Health Council
Authors: Cornwall Andrea
Published: November 2008

Brazil's health councils appear to offer inspiring examples of what Fung and Wright (2003) term “empowered participatory governance.” But what happens in practice? This article narrates an episode in the life of a municipal health council in northeast Brazil, in which democracy itself came under deliberation. It seeks to locate normative assumptions embedded in theories of deliberative democracy and participatory governance in everyday conduct in one of these institutions. It suggests that assessing the democratizing potential of the myriad new spaces that now populate governance landscapes the world over calls for far closer attention to be paid to power, political culture, and politics.
Going Stupid with EcoLab
Authors: Standish Russell K.
Published: November 2008

The very simple model known as Stupid Model was proposed in 2005. Stupid Model could be implemented within a couple of hours, and was later extended to demonstrate the use of common ABM platform functionality. Implementations of the model in several agent-based modeling platforms were provided, and platforms were compared for ease of implementation and performance. In this paper, Stupid Model is implemented in the EcoLab simulation platform (a C++ based modeling platform), demonstrating that it is a feasible platform for these sorts of models. The performance of the implementation is compared with the Repast, Mason and Swarm versions.
A Novel Approach to Adaptive Single Phase Autoreclosure Scheme for EHV Power Transmission Lines Based on Learning Error Function of ADALINE
Authors: Vahidi Behrooz , Jannati Mohsen , Hosseinian Seyed Hossein
Published: November 2008

In modern interconnected power systems, almost 70—90% of faults in high voltage Power Transmission Lines (PTLs) are intrinsically transient. The necessity of rapid fault clearing results in fast developing of protection equipments. Moreover, need for reliable supplying of loads, lead to improvements in single-phase autoreclosure (SPAR) equipments. An ADAptive LInear NEuron (ADALINE) is suitable for important applications such as protection of power systems and digital relays. In this paper, a novel simple adaptive SPAR algorithm is introduced. This algorithm is based on learning error function of an ADALINE. It can be distinguished by fault type (transient fault or a permanent fault), and if the fault is permanent, autoreclosure should be blocked. This leads to improve the performance and efficiency of SPAR. Electromagnetic transients program-based simulation results show that the autoreclosure scheme based on learning error function of ADALINE on a typical 400 kV circuit for various system and fault conditions improves the reliability of fault discrimination.
Simulation-Based Optimization Algorithms for Finite-Horizon Markov Decision Processes
Authors: Bhatnagar Shalabh , Abdulla Mohammed Shahid
Published: November 2008

We develop four simulation-based algorithms for finite-horizon Markov decision processes. Two of these algorithms are developed for finite state and compact action spaces while the other two are for finite state and finite action spaces. Of the former two, one algorithm uses a linear parameterization for the policy, resulting in reduced memory complexity. Convergence analysis is briefly sketched and illustrative numerical experiments with the four algorithms are shown for a problem of flow control in communication networks.
L'économie miraculeuse de la religion: essai sur le capital social
Authors: Lehmann David
Published: November 2008

L'expansion rapide des religions fondamentalistes ou prônant la conversion, au sein de populations dévastées par la pauvreté, pose la question de savoir si de tels mouvements peuvent créer du capital social, puisqu'ils semblent souvent constituer les seules institutions, dans un contexte dominé par la méfiance, la politique personnaliste et souvent, aussi, par la violence. Cette question, est étudiée en commençant par une évaluation de l'importance de la vie institutionnelle moderne dans la construction du capital social, et en notant les conséquences de ses variantes “chaudes” et “froides”, la première étant plus participative, mais également moins institutionnalisée. L'auteur développe ensuite une version modifiée de l'approche du choix rationnel, qui tient compte des problématiques du pouvoir et de la sorcellerie, pour expliquer pourquoi même des adeptes très pauvres font des dons à leurs Églises. L'auteur montre alors que dans ces mouvements on a plotôt tendòance à observer “bonding social capital”, où les personnes en situation similaire sont liées par des liens intimes de dépendance mutuelle, plutôt que “bridging social capital”, qui lie des populations variées par des mécanismes institutionnels plus solides. Cela est confirmé par l'engagement limité des pentecôtistes dans la vie politique active, même si les leaders religieux de ces mouvements sont très habiles dans la fourniture de votes quand cela est requis par leurs politiciens préférés.
Les bienfaits pédagogiques de la religiosité parmi les élèves hongrois de trois pays
Authors: Pusztai Gabriella
Published: November 2008

Des études antérieures ont montré que les écoles confessionnelles hongroises influencent favorablement le parcours scolaire d'élèves aux antécédents défavorables. De ces observations, il résulte que ces écoles réduisent l'inégalité de capital culturel, grâce à des relations organiques et à la cohésion dont les parents et enfants de la communauté scolaire font preuve. L'auteure a pour objectif de démontrer que la théorie du capital social permet d'interpréter les différences de réussite entre élèves. Son intérêt se porte sur les structures et sur la teneur des relations entre élèves, dans le cadre de la communauté et des normes de la doctrine religieuse. Son analyse se fonde sur des données recueillies dans les régions frontalières de trois pays d'Europe centrale et de l'est, à savoir la Hongrie, la Roumanie et l'Ukraine.
Religion versus Rubbish: Deprivation and Social Capital in Inner-City Birmingham
Authors: Karner Christian , Parker David
Published: November 2008

In the context of current debates about integration and social cohesion, the authors examine religiously underpinned social capital—capable of both bonding and bridging parts of the community—in a deprived part of inner-city Birmingham. On the basis of a series of qualitative interviews with key social actors and a critical engagement with relevant sociological theory, they demonstrate that an understanding of the locality must encompass the following key dimensions. First, local social capital needs to be understood as a response to social exclusion and infrastructural deprivation. Second, there is evidence of local conflict and interethnic cooperation as well as of a local habitus of shared dispositions and strategies. Third, local, religiously inflected social capital significantly intersects with transnational concerns, connections and movements. Fourth, religion plays a crucial role both in facilitating networks/initiatives and as a key motivational force for local activists.
Gain-scheduling fuzzy temperature controller for one-way input system
Authors: Huang Shiuh-Jer , Wang Chen-Chuan
Published: November 2008

In many chemical and semiconductor manufacturing processes, temperature is an important control parameter for obtaining the desired product quality. Generally, the temperature control system has non-linear time-varying, slow response, time-delay and one-way control input characteristics. It is difficult to estimate accurately the dynamic model and design a general-purpose temperature controller to achieve good control performance. Here a model-free intelligent gain-scheduling fuzzy control strategy is proposed to design a temperature controller for an iron closed chamber with heater input only. The concept of gain scheduling is employed to adjust the mapping ranges of fuzzy membership functions during the control process for improving the control performance. The experimental results show that the steady-state errors of the step input responses are always less than 0.2°C without overshoot by using this control scheme. It is suitable for industrial temperature control systems.
Reducing the impact of task overruns in resource-constrained embedded systems in which a time-triggered software architecture is employed
Authors: Hughes Zemian M. , Pont Michael J.
Published: November 2008

In embedded systems with severe resource constraints, a `time-triggered hybrid' (TTH) scheduler can be employed as an alternative to a fully pre-emptive design. A TTH approach allows the system designer to create a static schedule made up of 1) a collection of tasks that operate co-operatively and 2) a single — short — pre-emptive task. Although well matched to the needs of an important group of embedded systems (including control and data acquisition systems), the predictable performance of a TTH scheduler can be jeopardized if tasks exceed their predicted worst-case execution times. To address this problem, a novel TTH framework is described in this paper, which has `Task Guardians' associated with both the co-operative tasks and the pre-emptive task. The resulting framework is shown to have very limited resource requirements but highly predictable behaviour, even in the event of task overruns. Finally, a simplified design (supporting only co-operative tasks) is also described.
Non-linear model predictive control for models with local information and uncertainties
Authors: Ažman Kristjan , Kocijan Juš
Published: November 2008

Gaussian processes are a probabilistic, non-parametric approach to modelling that allows easy merging of ordinary measured data and local linear models. This can be of particular importance in the identification of non-linear dynamic systems from experimental data, where there is usually more data available around the equilibrium points and only sparse data is available far from them. The utility of the Gaussian process model for predictive control is investigated in this paper and is illustrated on a simple first-order vehicle dynamics.
Solutions to right coprime factorizations and generalized Sylvester matrix equations
Authors: Bin Zhou  , Yan Zhi-Bin
Published: November 2008

In this paper, an explicit solution to right coprime factorization of transfer function based on Krylov matrix and Pseudo-Controllability Indices is investigated. The proposed approach only needs to solve a series of linear equations. Based on these solutions to right coprime factorization, a complete, analytical, and explicit solution to the generalized Sylvester matrix equation AV - VF = BW with F being an arbitrary known matrix with arbitrary eigenvalues, is proposed. The primary feature of this solution is that the matrix F does not need to be transformed into any canonical form. The results provide great convenience to the computation and analysis of the solution to this class of equations, and can perform important functions in many analysis and design problems in control systems theory.
School Psychology in China (PRC), Hong Kong and Taiwan
Authors: Ding Yi , Kuo Yi-Lung , Van Dyke Don C.
Published: November 2008

Although China (People's Republic of China [PRC]), Hong Kong and Taiwan have many similarities in language, culture, values, Confucian traditions, family systems and other social-environmental variables, school psychological services in the three regions are distinctly different in both history and practice. Few studies in the psychology literature have addressed these differences or compared the psychological services provided to school-aged children in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This article describes the developmental history, practitioner training facilities and scope of school psychological services in these regions. Highlighted are the causal pathways linking culture, social economy, professional perspectives and political ideas to the practice of school psychology. A cross-regional comparison is made with respect to social-economic characteristics, developmental models and educational/psychological systems indigenous to each region.
Some of My Best Friends——Experiences of Bullying Within Friendships
Authors: Mishna Faye , Wiener Judith , Pepler Debra
Published: November 2008

This study provides one of the first assessments of bullying among friends based on the perceptions of victimized children and their parents and teachers, with respect to actual situations that they raised for discussion. The qualitative methodology privileges the `lived experience' of study participants. Interviews were conducted with children in 4th and 5th grades who self-identified as victimized, and with their parents and teachers. Bullying by a child considered a friend can be particularly confusing. It can be difficult for the child to recognize that a friend is bullying and for parents and teachers to identify these interactions as bullying. Themes that emerged included the child's awareness of being bullied by friends; the adults' awareness that the child was bullied by friends; impact on the friendship and differentiating bullying from conflict in friendship. This exploratory research suggests that bullying among friends is an important issue that demands further investigation.
Bullies, Victims and Bully-Victims
Authors: Georgiou Stelios N. , Stavrinides Panayiotis
Published: November 2008

This study aimed at examining the differences between bullies, victims, bully-victims and students that are non involved in peer violence in terms of their temperament, their degree of deviation from the typical in appearance or behaviour and the degree of their peer acceptance. Furthermore, the study compared the attributions used by the members of the above groups to explain the causes of peer violence. The participants were 377 Greek Cypriot early adolescents (mean age 11.6). It was found that bully-victims were more temperamental, more different than the typical student and more isolated socially than the other three groups to a statistically significant level ( p < 0.05). Also, the same group members tended to use external attributions for explaining the causes of peer violence.
Peer Victimization in Korean Preschool Children
Authors: Shin Yoolim , Hye Yeon Kim
Published: November 2008

This research investigated the influence of child characteristics, parenting behaviours and teacher-child relationships in order to ascertain peer victimization among 297 Korean preschool children. Peer victimization, child social behaviours and teacher-child relationships were assessed through teacher reports. Parents completed parenting behaviour questionnaires. Results suggested independent contributions from neglectful/rejected parenting, aggression, withdrawal and conflict in teacher-child relationships. Moreover, parental neglect/rejection moderated the association between aggression and peer victimization. Implications of the results for intervention initiatives are discussed.
Preliminary Results of a Comprehensive Approach to Prevent Antisocial Behaviour in Preschool and Primary School Pupils in Luxembourg
Authors: Petermann Franz , Natzke Heike
Published: November 2008

This pilot study evaluated the preliminary short- and middle-term impact of a nation-wide, school-based prevention initiative on antisocial behaviour of preschool and primary school pupils in Luxembourg. Seventeen preschool and reception classes ( n = 183) were assigned to intervention and comparison conditions. The intervention included social-emotional skills training for both preschool and reception class pupils together with teacher workshops. Three waves of data (pre-test, post-test and 12-month-follow up) were analysed. Univariate analyses of variances with repeated measurements, together with analyses of covariance, for this 2 × 3 design show significant intervention effects: a reduction in oppositional defiant and aggressive behaviour as well as an increase in social and emotional competencies for reception class pupils after a 12-month follow-up period. Preschool pupils displayed an improvement in their social and emotional competencies at post-test, but these effects were lost one year after the intervention was completed.
Temperament Styles of Children from South Africa and the United States
Authors: Oakland Thomas , Pretorius Jenny D. , Dong Hun Lee
Published: November 2008

Four bipolar temperament qualities (i.e. extroversion— introversion, practical—imaginative, thinking—feeling and organized— flexible) of 800 South African children, ages 9—10, 11—12, 13—14 and 15—17, first are described and then compared to temperament qualities of 800 US children of the same ages. South African children do not differ in their preferences for extroversion—introversion and more frequently prefer practical to imaginative, feeling to thinking and organized to flexible styles. In contrast to South African boys, South African girls are more likely to prefer extroverted and feeling styles. Two bipolar temperament styles display age changes: practical—imaginative and organized—flexible styles. South African and US children do differ on all four temperament styles. Compared to US children, South African children are more likely to prefer introverted, practical, feeling and organized styles; these differences generally were found between boys and girls from the two countries. Age difference appears on two bipolar temperament qualities between the two countries thinking—feeling and organized—flexible styles.
Multiple Perspectives on the Challenges for Knowledge Transfer between Higher Education Institutions and Industry
Authors: Lockett Nigel , Kerr Ron , Robinson Sarah
Published: November 2008

Knowledge transfer (KT) has been identified as an essential element of innovation, driving competitive advantage in increasingly knowledge-driven economies, and as a result recent UK Government reports have sought to increase awareness of the importance of KT within higher education institutions (HEIs).There is therefore a need for relevant empirical research that examines, from multiple perspectives, how KT policy is translated into practice within HEI contexts.This article responds to this need by presenting an in-depth qualitative case study based on over 50 semi-structured interviews with university-based academic and non-academic participants and representatives of small firms involved in InfoLab21, a high profile `centre of excellence' for research, development and commercialization of information and communications technology (ICT) in north-west England, UK. The study considers what the key practices of KT are and what promotes and/or hinders their development. Four overarching themes are identified: (1) motivation and reward mechanisms; (2) process management and evaluation; (3) clustering and brokerage; and (4) trust and bridge building. Each theme is considered from multiple perspectives and areas for further research are suggested.
Entrepreneurial Ventures in Higher Education
Authors: Jones Oswald , Macpherson Allan , Woollard David
Published: November 2008

This article examines the creation and growth of a Centre for Enterprise (CfE), based in Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Business School, which grew in 6 years to a total of 21 staff. In the article we draw on the concept of `strategic space' to demonstrate the way in which a number of crises were negotiated during the CfE's growth.We demonstrate that issues of strategy and people management were particularly significant `tipping points' in pursuing a growth strategy.This strategy was incremental and evolutionary rather than based on the classical rational model associated with Ansoff. In order to develop both research and business support capabilities in the CfE, strategy emerged as `crises of knowing' that were resolved in response to the specific institutional contexts in which the CfE was located. In summary, the CfE's strategic orientation focused on building an organization that was entrepreneurial, flexible and responsive to new opportunities.
Reach-in and Reach-out
Authors: Whitehurst Fiona , Siedlok Frank , Race Julia
Published: November 2008

This article presents an unusual case of university—industry interaction whereby a group of small businesses came together to persuade a university to establish an MSc in Pipeline Engineering.We identify that the course contributed to regional development in four ways. First, it provided graduates for local industry. Second, it linked local firms with pipeline engineers worldwide and raised the region's profile within that network. Third, it strengthened the research base of the university through the recruitment of pipeline engineers from industry and fourth, it facilitated the possibility of joint research between the university and local firms.We question whether this model is transferable to other industry sectors/universities. We conclude that this outreach activity has been shaped by the `reach-in' to the university of the local business community and propose a revised model of university interaction with regional industry.Traditionally universities have been seen as `reaching out' to regional industry and the collaborations have been viewed as being instigated by the university and often research based. Our revised model proposes an alternative mechanism whereby collaborations can be instigated by industry and through a teaching route.
Students as Transferors of Knowledge
Authors: Clark Gordon , Dawes Frank , Heywood Alan , Mclaughlin Tara
Published: November 2008

Measuring the success of knowledge transfer from universities to firms has traditionally been seen as an unproblematic activity, apart from the practical issues of how to measure the new jobs and sales that have been created.This article problematizes the concept of`success' in terms of its definition, measurement and interpretation. It explores critically one approach to policy evaluation by assessing a programme of knowledge transfer to SMEs using university students. It reviews critically different definitions of success and methods of assessing success. It provides guidance on how to predict success, which may be useful for other programmes of knowledge transfer.An agenda for future research in this area is proposed that links this paper's approach to other methods of evaluation.
Catalyzing innovation and knowledge sharing
Authors: Cullen John
Published: November 2008

Generation Y are the first generation to fully put the process of `prosumption' into practice. Individuals are proactively seeking to generate and share creative outputs as a result of their online activities, and this produces a set of fundamental questions for business librarians, information management specialists and consultants: does our profession adhere to a logic of service- delivery, which is rapidly becoming obsolete in the context of service- innovation. Suggestions for how information specialists (called librarian 2.0 in this article) can participate in the creation of value for users are offered.
What's new
Authors: Foster Allan
Published: November 2008

Regular readers of this column will realise that this is not a random ragbag of business information news stories. There are clear recurrent themes and strategic directions being taken by both the consumers and providers of business information. We have grouped the items under the key agenda areas — the way the information industry is restructuring in the face of the harshest economic climate in more than 20 years; the richness of the many new business information products that have been developed or reworked in some way; the myriad paths of technology development, through software and hardware innovation, affecting business information use; and, last but not least, the growing impact of social networks and their nexus with established business information products.
Business information through Spain's Chambers of Commerce
Authors: Muñoz Cañavate Antonio , Hípola Pedro
Published: November 2008

From different public and private requirements, mechanisms have been set in action that allow for companies to obtain information in order to make decisions with a stronger foundation. This article is focused on the description of an entire information system for the business world, developed in the realm of the Chambers of Commerce of Spain, which has given rise to the creation of an authentic network of inter-chamber information. In Spain, the obligatory membership of businesses to the Chambers of Commerce in their geographic areas, and therefore the compulsory payment of member quotas, has traditionally generated some polemics, above all because many firms have not perceived a material usefulness of the services offered by these Chambers. Notwithstanding, the 85 Chambers currently existing in Spain, as well as the organization that coordinates them — the Upper Council or Consejo Superior de Cámaras de Comercio — and the company created expressly to commercialize information services online, Camerdata, have developed genuinely informative tools that cover a good part of the information demands that a business might claim, and these are described here.
National Media Regulation in the Era of Free Trade
Authors: Puppis Manuel
Published: November 2008

There is a growing emphasis on free trade in global media governance, which could rock the foundations of media regulation in western democracies. While the US government pushes for the further liberalization of audiovisual services under the umbrella of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), other countries are less enthusiastic. They see the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a threat to their media culture. This article discusses the implications of the GATS for societal regulation of the media and the role of UNESCO's new Convention on Cultural Diversity (CCD). The conclusion is that the liberalization of audiovisual services will prevent several media regulation measures: quota regulations, support programmes for the audiovisual industry and the funding of public service broadcasting are all potentially at risk. Additionally, UNESCO's efforts to promote and protect cultural diversity appear unlikely to stop this development. I
Innovation or Normalization in E-Campaigning?
Authors: Schweitzer Eva Johanna
Published: November 2008

■ Scholars have seldom tested the innovation and normalization paradigm of e-campaigning over time. Particularly outside the US, there is a lack of comparative analyses of candidate or party websites that deal with the concept's temporal validity and scope. The article addresses this research gap through a longitudinal content and structural analysis of German party websites in the 2002 and 2005 national elections. The results provide empirical evidence of a twofold development of federal e-campaigns: while the major party websites evolved over time in information density, interactivity and sophistication (innovation), the minor parties were throughout characterized by an underutilization of structural website functions (normalization). On the content level, however, the major parties also adhered primarily to traditional offline strategies such as metacommunication or negative campaigning (normalization). Hence, a theoretical refinement of these basic concepts emerged according to a party's political status and the unit of analysis used. ■
Research Note: Making News Based on Public Opinion Polls
Authors: Sonck Nathalie , Loosveldt Geert
Published: November 2008

■ By widely disseminating news reports about opinion poll results, news media give politicians and citizens a particular indication of people's opinions. Problems arise when journalistic statements are based on opinion polls that do not conform to methodological standards or when a `biased' image of `public opinion' is published. In order to study the intertwined relationship between news media, opinion polling and public opinion, it has to be understood how the media present polls in the news. Using a content analysis of newspaper articles, this study addresses the question of how the media manufacture news based on opinion polls. Because to date there are few empirical studies available for Belgium, this research focuses on the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) case through an analysis of print articles about opinion polls published in six newspapers between 2000 and 2006. The results show that a recent quantitative growth in poll news does not go hand in hand with a similar increase in the quantity of methodological poll information disclosed. Predominantly, poll-related articles disclose on average between 0.5 and 2.5 methodological aspects and a large number of the articles (69 percent) do not contain any methodological evaluation of the poll results. Furthermore, more poll articles consist of an informative report of poll results (54 percent) than a mere subjective analysis of polls (26 percent) and if polls are compared with each other, they are mostly compared longitudinally. ■
A comparison of intra-operative cell-saving strategies upon immediate post-operative outcomes after CPB-assisted cardiac procedures
Authors: Marcoux JE , Rosin M , McNair E , Smith G , Lim HJ , Mycyk T
Published: November 2008

Cardiotomy suction has been associated with adverse outcomes under routine conditions in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We hypothesized that the routine use of a cell saver (CS) in place of the cardiotomy sucker would have no negative impact on transfusion rate (TR), chest tube drainage (CTD), ventilation time (VT) or intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS) while avoiding the detrimental effects of cardiotomy suction. Retrospective data were collected from 69 patients where a cell saver was not used (NCS). Prospective data were collected from 219 patients who were followed after the implementation of an intra-operative cell saver. No significant increase in transfusion rate, chest tube drainage or ventilation time was found between the NCS group and the CS group. However, post-operative hemoglobin concentrations were significantly higher in the CS group (0.0001) and the CS group spent significantly less time in the ICU (p=0.018).
Endogenous erythropoietin and a single bolus of 40,000 IU of epoetin alpha do not protect the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury during extracorporeal circulation for cardiac surgery
Authors: Mocini D , Muso P , Guendouz E , De Marco L , Mele L , Cini R , Sordini P , Alois A , Costantino A , Arima S , Gentili C , Santini M
Published: November 2008

Erythropoietin (EPO) exerts a tissue-protective activity in several non-haematopoietic tissues such as heart, brain, spinal cord and muscle. We evaluated the relationship between pre-operative endogenous EPO blood levels and myocardial damage in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Furthermore, we investigated whether pre-operative administration of a single bolus of 40,000 IU epoetin alpha (EPOα) would reduce troponin I or creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) after on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Sixty-seven patients (45 CABG, 22 valvular surgery) were enrolled. EPO was measured in the pre-surgical period and correlated to post-surgical troponin I and CK-MB peaks. Subsequently, forty patients scheduled for CABG were randomized into two groups, receiving, respectively, a) standard medical and surgical treatment (20 patients) and b) the same treatment plus 40,000 IU of EPOα in a single bolus injection in the immediate pre-surgical period (20 patients). In our population, we did not find any correlation between pre-surgical EPO and post-surgical troponin I or CK-MB peaks (p Pearson > 0.05). Furthermore, patients treated with EPOα did not show differences compared to the control group in either troponin I (1.7±1.8 vs 2.6±3.4, p>0.05) or CK-MB (19.6 ±13.2 vs 17.1±12.6, p>0.05) peaks measured in the post-surgical period.
Clinical impact and biomaterial evaluation of autologous platelet gel in cardiac surgery
Authors: Gunaydin S , McCusker K , Sari T , Onur MA , Gurpinar A , Sevim H , Atasoy P , Yorgancioglu C , Zorlutuna Y
Published: November 2008

We compared the clinical efficacy of autologous platelet gel (APG) and gelatine (CONT), including biomaterial evaluation. In a prospective, randomized, controlled trial, 64 patients undergoing complex coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and/or aortic surgery, in whom the surgeon was able to identify a bleeding site for which conventional means to stop bleeding were impractical or proved unsuccessful, were enrolled. Aortic punch biopsy from each patient was harvested in explant cell (EC) culture media. Hemostasis success for the “oozing” category was 89% in APG and 60% in CONT (p< 0.05). For the “heavy bleeding” category, the success rates were 92% in APG and 45% in CONT (p<0.01). Contact of gelatine inhibited EC proliferation and APG increased cell cycling and EC quantity. Phagocytic capacity (PC) was significantly higher in the APG group (p<0.001). APG was significantly better than CONT with respect to hemostatic success rate, effects on wound healing and increased resistance to infection (PC).
The minimized extracorporeal circulation system causes less inflammation and organ damage
Authors: Kofidis T , Baraki H , Singh H , Kamiya H , Winterhalter M , Didilis V , Emmert M , Woitek F , Haverich A , Klima U
Published: November 2008

The minimized extracorporeal circulation system (MECC) is being used to reduce priming volume and blood/polymer contact during cardiac procedures. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and potential advantages of the system in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. We included two groups of patients destined for CABG in a prospective, randomized study: Group A was operated on the usual pump (n = 30) while Group B was operated using the MECC (n = 50). Pre-operative demographics, intra-operative times and values as well as a series of post-operative outcome data (blood loss, transfusion requirements, ventilation time, ICU and hospital stay) were recorded. CK, CK-MB, troponin-T, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured. Pre-operative and post-operative lung function were assessed. In the MECC-operated group, patients developed less post-operative troponin-T (0.2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.5 ng/mL, p=0.031) and less IL-8 (13.8 ± 5 vs. 22.5 ± 0.5 µg/L, p = 0.05). While blood loss was comparable in both groups, packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma were given less frequently in the MECC group (p = 0.015 resp. 0.022). The one-tailed Student’s t-test revealed shorter bypass time in the MECC group (74 ± 17 vs. 82 ± 24 min). There was no difference in ventilation and ICU-time (patients were not treated in a fast-track fashion). The FEV1 was better in the MECC group (relative values: 70.1 ± 18.2% vs. 61.1 ± 12.3%, p = 0.02). Utilization of the MECC may cause less cytokine (IL-8) liberation, owing to less blood/tubing contact, as well as less red blood cell and fresh frozen plasma demand. It may also be the circuit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Interleukin-6 may predict survival in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment
Authors: Risnes I , Wagner K , Ueland T , Mollnes TE , Aukrust P , Svennevig JL
Published: November 2008

The cytokine network and its association with complement activation during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is complex. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) differs from CPB in duration of days to weeks rather than hours. However, few studies have analyzed the levels of inflammatory mediators during ECMO treatment. Plasma samples from 22 patients [nine neonates, one infant, four children and eight adults (14 males and eight female)] who underwent ECMO treatment were collected prior to, during and after treatment, and analyzed for concentrations of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and parameters of complement activation. Seven children were treated for cardiac and seven for pulmonary failure and, in the adult group, four were treated for cardiac and four for pulmonary failure. ECMO was performed with veno-arterial (VA) bypass in all children and five adults, and with veno-venous (VV) bypass in three adults. Fourteen patients survived (64%) and eight (36%) patients died during follow-up. A marked (~99%) and rapid (i.e., within two days) decrease in IL-6 was seen in survivors. The non-survivors were characterized by persistently high IL-6 levels throughout the observation period (i.e., until death). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels showed a similar pattern as the IL-6, with higher levels in non-survivors throughout the observation period. However, in contrast to IL-6, the differences between survivors and non-survivors reached statistical significance, but only at the end of the observation period. It is possible that early measurements of IL-6 in ECMO patients could give prognostic information beyond that of CRP.
Planning High-quality Paths and Corridors Amidst Obstacles
Authors: Wein Ron , van den Berg Jur , Halperin Dan
Published: November 2008

The motion-planning problem, involving the computation of a colli sion-free path for a moving entity amidst obstacles, is a central prob lem in fields such robotics and game design. In this paper we study the problem of planning high-quality paths. A high-quality path should have some desirable properties: it should be short, avoiding long detours, and at the same time it should stay at a safe distance from the obstacles, namely it should have clearance. We suggest a quality measure for paths, which balances between the above criteria of minimizing the path length while maximizing its clearance. We analyze the properties of optimal paths according to our measure, and devise an approximation algorithm to compute near-optimal paths amidst polygonal obstacles in the plane. We also apply our quality measure to corridors. Instead of planning a one-dimensional motion path for a moving entity, it is often more convenient to let the entity move in a corridor, where the exact motion path is determined by a local planner. We show that planning an optimal corridor is equivalent to planning an optimal path with bounded clearance.
Planning Time-Minimal Safe Paths Amidst Unpredictably Moving Obstacles
Authors: van den Berg Jur , Overmars Mark
Published: November 2008

In this paper we discuss the problem of planning safe paths amidst unpredictably moving obstacles in the plane. Given the initial positions and the maximum speeds of the moving obstacles, which we assume are disk-shaped, the regions that are possibly not collision-free are disks that grow over time. We present an approach to compute the time-minimal path between two points in the plane that avoids these growing disks. The generated paths are thus guaranteed to be collision-free with respect to the moving obstacles while being executed. We present an algorithm that runs in O (n3 log n) time (n being the number of obstacles) for the case where the moving obstacles have the same maximum speed, and a fast implementation for the general case that is capable of planning paths amidst many growing disks within milliseconds.
Nonparametric Second-order Theory of Error Propagation on Motion Groups
Authors: Yunfeng Wang  , Chirikjian Gregory S.
Published: November 2008

Error propagation on the Euclidean motion group arises in a number of areas such as in dead reckoning errors in mobile robot navigation and joint errors that accumulate from the base to the distal end of kinematic chains such as manipulators and biological macromolecules. We address error propagation in rigid-body poses in a coordinate-free way. In this paper we show how errors propagated by convolution on the Euclidean motion group, SE13 3, can be approximated to second order using the theory of Lie algebras and Lie groups. We then show how errors that are small (but not so small that linearization is valid) can be propagated by a recursive formula derived here. This formula takes into account errors to second order, whereas prior efforts only considered the first-order case. Our formulation is non-parametric in the sense that it will work for probability density functions of any form (not only Gaussians). Numerical tests demonstrate the accuracy of this second-order theory in the context of a manipulator arm and a flexible needle with bevel tip.
Path Deformation Roadmaps: Compact Graphs with Useful Cycles for Motion Planning
Authors: Jaillet Léonard , Simeon Thierry
Published: November 2008

In this paper we describe a new approach to sampling-based motion planning with Probabilistic Roadmap Planner (PRM) methods. Our aim is to compute good quality roadmaps which encode the multiple connectedness of the configuration space inside small but yet representative graphs which capture the different varieties of free paths well. The proposed Path Deformation Roadmaps (PDRs) rely on a notion of path deformability indicating whether or not a given path can be continuously deformed into another existing path. By considering a simpler form of deformation than that allowed between ho motopic paths, we propose a method that extends the Visibility-PRM technique to construct compact roadmaps which encode richer and more suitable information than representative paths of the homotopy classes. PDRs contain additional useful cycles between paths in the same homotopy class that can be hardly deformed into each other. Experimental results show that the technique enables small roadmaps to reliably capture the multiple connectedness of complex spaces in various problems involving free-flying and articulated robots in both two- and three-dimensional environments.
Motion Planning for Legged Robots on Varied Terrain
Authors: Hauser Kris , Bretl Timothy , Latombe Jean-Claude , Harada Kensuke , Wilcox Brian
Published: November 2008

In this paper we study the quasi-static motion of large legged robots that have many degrees of freedom. While gaited walking may suffice on easy ground, rough and steep terrain requires unique sequences of footsteps and postural adjustments specifically adapted to the terrain's local geometric and physical properties. In this paper we present a planner that computes these motions by combining graph searching to generate a sequence of candidate footfalls with probabilistic sample-based planning to generate continuous motions that reach these footfalls. To improve motion quality, the probabilistic planner derives its sampling strategy from a small set of motion primitives that have been generated offline. The viability of this approach is demonstrated in simulation for the six-legged Lunar vehicle ATHLETE and the humanoid HRP-2 on several example terrains, including one that requires both hand and foot contacts and another that requires rappelling.
The Strange Case of Ethnography and International Relations
Authors: Vrasti Wanda
Published: November 2008

Over the past couple of decades a growing number of International Relations (IR) scholars have adapted and adopted ethnographic research and writing modes, hoping that ethnography would introduce an emancipatory research agenda and refurbish the discipline's parochial vestiges. This article discusses the promising and problematic implications of this move. It argues that the `ethnographic turn' in IR ignores recent anthropological literature on the topic and employs a selective and often instrumental notion of what ethnography is and does. By reviewing some of the most prominent ethnographic contributions made by feminist and social constructivist authors, this article demonstrates that, in international relations, the complexity of ethnography has been reduced to (1) an empiricist data-collection machine, (2) a writing style, or (3) a theoretical sensibility. However, this intervention also hopes to encourage students of global politics to rewrite international relations from an ethnographical stance and take full advantage of ethnography's radical promise.
Embedded Liberalism in Counterpoint: Reading Woody Guthrie's Reciprocal Economy
Authors: Aitken Rob
Published: November 2008

`Culture' and cultural analysis have recently become important to our understanding of world politics and international studies. Cultural analysis has been less central, however, to work in International Political Economy (IPE). This article is an experiment in thinking through the possibilities of one cultural methodology — contrapuntal analysis — and the potential it might have in opening up discussions of cultural analysis in IPE. To explore these possibilities, this article works though a cultural reading of `embedded liberalism'; a moment key to founding narratives in both critical and mainstream strands of IPE. The article uses a strategy of counterpoint — the attempt to place objects in relational relief in order to stress atonal contrast — as a way to highlight `other' stories of embedded liberalism. To make this case, the article retells the story of Woody Guthrie's conception of debt as a relational practice of belonging. Guthrie's alternative conception of finance, formulated in the 1940s, can, I argue, help place our conventional stories of embedded liberalism in counterpoint. This is a critical gesture, moreover, which might also help provoke more relational analyses of our own globalised and neo-liberal present.
Libraries and the First Nations People of Canada
Authors: Bartleman James
Published: November 2008

Plenary address presented at the World Library and Information Congress: 74th IFLA General Conference And Council, 10—14 August 2008, Québec City, Canada. Describes the author's childhood as a member of the First Nations People of Canada and his discovery of the value of books and libraries. Describes the social conditions of young people living in poor First Nation communities in Canada and his efforts to establish libraries, summer reading camps, reading clubs and creative writing literary awards for children and youth in these communities.
Ideological toxicology: invalid logic, science, ethics about low-dose pollution
Authors: Shrader-Frechette K
Published: November 2008

As illustrated by the case of ethanol, claim H is that, for some biological endpoints, low-dose toxins and carcinogens exhibit hormesis, a beneficial or adaprive response characterized by biphasic dose reponses and resulting from compensatory biological processes following an initial disruption in homeostasis. From this uncontroversial claim H, however, the paper argues that some toxicologists invalidly infer HG (that H is generalizable across biological model, endpoint measured, and chemical class) and HD (that a strong case can be made for the use of hormesis H as a default assumption in the risk-assessment/regulation process), Evaluating HG and HD, this paper argues for 5 claims. While (1) H is true, (2) HG falls victim to several logical fallacies and therefore is logically, scientifically, and ethically invalid. (3) Because it relies on logical fallacies, confuses necessary and sufficient conditions, and violates at least 5 sets of ethical norms, HD is logically, scientifically, and ethically invalid. (4) Five remedies could help address HG-HD flaws and failure to adequately assess low-dose exposures. (5) Three objections to these criticisms of HG and HD are easily answered.