bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CSR in publicly owned enterprises: opportunities and barriers
Authors: Lauesen Linne Marie
Published: October 2011

Purpose

CSR in water utilities in Denmark faces various challenges in getting to the same level as in private organisations. The water utilities are newly privatised, hybrid organisations that are both professionally and politically driven. The purpose of this paper is an examination of the opportunities and barriers in CSR in these publicly owned enterprises (POEs). The research question is: why do the opportunities of CSR in POEs seem more beneficial than for normal private businesses, while the barriers seem to slow the progression? The opportunities lie in the closeness to and willingness of the political decision‐makers of the city. The barriers to CSR in POEs stem from the legal regulatory framework, which dictates efficiencies, price and cost reductions and limits the ethical investments of the POEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of the paper is a comparative study and analysis of the current legislative and organisational framework for the POEs compared to the contemporary CSR approaches of Matten and Moon, Wartick and Wood, and Mitchellet al.

Findings

The findings show that a schism seems to exist in CSR of hybrid organisations, which is hard to overcome.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper and its contribution to the CSR literature lies in its pointing out the issues in opportunities and barriers in CSR in public, hybrid organisations that need to be solved before CSR can be fully implemented in public service companies at the same level as in private businesses.
The effects of firms' advertising disclosures as a reflection of CSR practices on consumer responses
Authors: Wang Alex
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This research aims to probe the relevance of CSR by testing the relations among consumers' attitudes toward firms' advertising disclosures, attitudes toward CSR practices, perceived trust toward firms, attitudes toward firms, and behavioral intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an online survey with a convenient sampling consisting of college students. In particular, this study uses mobile phone companies' advertising disclosures in general as the focus of its survey questions.

Findings

The results reveal that consumers' positive attitudes toward firms' advertising disclosures enhance their attitudes toward firms' CSR practices and perceived trust toward firms, whereas consumers' attitudes toward CSR practices mediate the effect of their attitudes toward advertising disclosures on enhancing their perceived trust toward firms. Moreover, consumers' attitudes toward firms mediate the effect of their perceived trust toward firms on enhancing their behavioral intentions.

Practical implications

Despite the inherent limitations of this study, which have to be confirmed in future research, the results may encourage firms to practice their advertising disclosures responsibly. Moreover, the results of this study may help investigate the extent to which firms may benefit from reinforcing their advertising disclosures.

Originality/value

This paper adds value to the existing literature on CSR and promotes the effective management of socially responsible business through implementing more responsible advertising practices.
Criminal entrepreneurship, white‐collar criminality, and neutralization theory
Authors: Gottschalk Petter , Smith Robert
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply neutralization theory to white‐collar criminals to discuss criminal entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework of neutralization techniques is applied to criminal entrepreneurship and white‐collar criminality.

Findings

A legal entrepreneur is a person who operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risk. Similarly, the criminal entrepreneur's task is to discover and exploit opportunities, defined most simply as situations in which there are a profit to be made in criminal activity.

Research limitations/implications

Examples of criminal entrepreneurship committed by otherwise legal entrepreneurs are commonly labeled as white‐collar criminality. This paper discusses how criminal entrepreneurship by white‐collar criminals can be explained by neutralization theory, as white‐collar criminals tend to apply techniques of neutralization used by offenders to deny the criminality of their actions.

Practical implications

Policing white‐collar criminality should be expanded to understand criminal entrepreneurs when applying neutralization theory to deny crime activities.

Social implications

Neutralization theory illustrates how serious white‐collar crime is denied by the offender.

Originality/value

As can be seen by this brief discussion of criminal entrepreneurship, white‐collar criminality and corporate and organized crime, there is a need for a concentrated research effort to clarify and explain these conflated conflicts. By discussing them in context this paper has made a contribution to the literature by introducing the concepts of entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial judgment into the debate. Moreover, in discussing neutralization theory, some fresh insights can be gained into the mind of the criminal entrepreneur.
Selection of Six Sigma key ingredients (KIs) in Korean companies
Authors: Hyun Cho Ji , Hoon Lee Jae , Geun Ahn Dong , Soon Jang Joong
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the key ingredients of Six Sigma in order to grasp and understand its essential characteristics and then identify suitable ingredients and complements in consideration of vision, strategies, capability, and circumstance of a company.

Design/methodology/approach

The study outlines the range of research in Korean enterprises, suppliers, and SMEs. Potential ingredients collected from previous studies about critical success factors, ingredients of Six Sigma and TQM, and criteria of quality awards (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Award, Deming Prize, Korean National Quality Award) are classified into 11 categories based on Six Sigma expert opinions and affinity analysis. Also, questionnaires are surveyed from champions, master black belts and black belts in 90 Korean companies that have more than three years of experience in implementing Six Sigma. Statistical analysis with factor analysis and hypothesis testing has been done to select the key ingredients and to find the differences among the diverse types of companies.

Findings

By using factor analysis, three main factors are derived for each category respectively, and consequently 30 factors in 11 categories are concluded as the key ingredients of Six Sigma in Korean companies. There is a significant difference in importance of Six Sigma key ingredients according to company size, business type, and implementation phase.

Research limitations/implications

A study may be conducted to identify Six Sigma success factors according to corporate characteristics from key ingredients identified in this study in future.

Originality:/value

The paper investigates the key ingredients of Six Sigma based on a survey of diverse sizes, industries, and implementation phases of Korean companies. Compared with other studies conducted by empirical methods, the survey data are statistically analysed and the evaluation results are represented as quantitative indicators.
On the implementation of ISO 9001:2000: a comparative investigation
Authors: Al‐Rawahi Abdullah M.S. , Bashir Hamdi A.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study investigating the association between organizational differences and some aspects relating to the implementation of ISO 9001:2000.

Design/methodology/approach

Data required for this study were collected from 42 ISO 9001:2000‐certified organizations of different size and sector type in the Sultanate of Oman. The Kruskal‐Wallis test was adopted for testing 12 research hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that there is no strong evidence to suggest that the motives for implementation, the process and cost of achieving certification, the perceived benefits, and the shortcomings differ significantly according to organization size or sector type.

Practical implications

The main outcome of this study is that the issue of organization size or sector type should not be a factor for an organization in deciding certification. This outcome is of value to organizations that are interested investing in ISO certification.

Originality/value

Several studies have been carried out investigating aspects relating to the implementation of the ISO 9001:2000 quality management standard in organizations operating in different countries. However, the issue of whether these aspects differ according to organization size or sector type has not been sufficiently and appropriately addressed in the literature. This paper reports on the results of a study investigating these issues.
Market pressures: youth justice reform in an age of austerity
Authors: Angel Harry
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to give the author's opinion regarding youth justice reform and austerity cuts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores current policies and legislation relating to the youth criminal justice system, the role of rehabilitation, prevention and restoration.

Findings

The conclusion to this piece is that, in the opinion of the author, youth justice reform is not succeeding under the current circumstances.

Originality/value

The paper takes many aspects into consideration to support the argument, including the Independent Commission on Youth Crime, current journalism and research on the subject and popular culture references.
Sustaining place through community walking initiatives
Authors: Dobson Stephen
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarise findings from collaborative research with Sheffield City Council to help contribute to a national healthy walks initiative. The primary purpose of the initiative is to help encourage a more active lifestyle through the uptake of regular walking. Highlighted here are some of the Sheffield urban walks which aimed to engage specifically with those living in more deprived urban communities. Reawakening the participants’ sense of enquiry and motivation to explore their everyday historic urban surroundings was an important stage in increasing the potential sustainable impact of the walking programme.

Design/methodology/approach

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project used an Action Research/collaborative approach to help develop the English Heritage GIS tool (Historic Landscape Characterisation) as both a catalyst for exploring the temporality of space and as a practical desk‐based means for defining potential walking routes.

Findings

The healthy walking initiative is used to illustrate how cross‐domain working can provide a powerful means to engage new audiences and it is asserted here that any form of community walking has the potential to increase the sense of custodianship of place.

Originality/value

(Re)awakening of attachment is explored here through engagement with an embedded and everyday material time‐depth. There are many urban residential areas which are not formally addressed by the urban designer, landscape architect, conservation officer or heritage professional and so require the engaged citizen to recognise the potential impacts of incremental change upon their surroundings.
Gazi: what's next?
Authors: Kume Vasilika
Published: October 2011

Subject area

Entrepreneurial issues with sub-themes on leadership, decision making, environmental scanning and strategic management, change management.

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate business and management; MBA/Master's management courses.

Case overview

The case “Gazi,” examines the life, career and leadership style of a successful entrepreneur. In Gazi case we meet a 25-year-old guy who understood instinctively how to bring markets and products together. His first endeavor was selling spare parts, together with his family members. With time passing he is engaged in a number of ventures, all of them successful. It is the case when an entrepreneur is in a crossroad: he possesses the necessary finances but lacks ideas. The question is: what's next? This case illustrates the management challenges faced in moving from a very centralized economy to a free market one. It also raises issues having to do with the management of changes that are viewed as radical by those being affected.

Expected learning outcomes

The goal is for students to assess the characteristics of a leader and entrepreneur, and try to provide solutions to dilemmas that accompany it. Next goal is studying the Albanian business environment, and achievements to date presented, to provide suggestions on the strategy that should follow Gazi, as well as alternatives to the appropriate business.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes.
The impact of intuition and supervisor–nurse relationships on empowerment and affective commitment by generation
Authors: Farr‐Wharton Rod , Brunetto Yvonne , Shacklock Kate
Published: October 2011

courtney‐pratt h., fitzgerald m., ford k., marsden k. & marlow a. (2012) Quality clinical placements for undergraduate nursing students: a cross‐sectional survey of undergraduates and supervising nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(6), 1391–1401.

Aim.  This article reports a generational cohort and leader‐member exchange theoretical frameworks‐guided study of the influence of the supervisor–subordinate relationship on three generational nurse cohorts’ use of intuition, perceptions of empowerment and affective commitment.

Background.  Within a global context of nurse shortages, knowledge about factors influencing nurse retention is urgently sought. We postulated that nurses’ use of intuition is the key to their empowerment and consequent commitment to the organization, and that impact would vary among the three large nurse generations.

Methods.  A self‐report survey was used to gather data in 2008, which were then analysed using correlations, regression analysis, manova and path analysis. Data were obtained from 900 Baby Boomer and Generations X and Y nurses, randomly chosen from seven private hospitals across Australia.

Results.  The findings confirm the important impact of supervisor–nurse relationships upon all three generations’ use of intuition. The findings add new knowledge about the differing importance of using intuition for Generation X, Generation Y and Baby Boomer nurses’ perceptions of empowerment, suggesting it is more important to Baby Boomers and Generation X than to Generation Y. Further, the impact of using intuition differs significantly among the generational cohorts.

Conclusions.  The findings suggest the need for a more differentiated tailored style – sensitive to varying needs of the generations. Improving supervisor–nurse relationships is also critical, because of their impact upon nurses’ use of intuition, perceptions of empowerment and affective commitment. Poor relationships lead to increased nurse replacement costs.
Preliminary enquiry into the availability, price and quality of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in the private health sector of six malaria‐endemic countries
Authors: Albertini A. , Djalle D. , Faye B. , Gamboa D. , Luchavez J. , Mationg M. L. , Mwangoka G. , Oyibo W. , Bennett J. , Incardona S. , Lee E.
Published: October 2011

Objectives  This enquiry aimed to provide a snap‐shot of availability, price and quality of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in private health facilities at selected sites in six malaria‐endemic countries in Africa, South East Asia and South America.

Methods  In each study site, data collectors surveyed private healthcare facilities which were selected based on accessibility from their home institution. Using a questionnaire, information was recorded about the facility itself and the malaria RDT(s) available. Where possible, a small number of RDTs were procured and quality control tested using a standardized procedure.

Results  Of the 324 private healthcare facilities visited, 35 outlets (mainly private clinics and hospitals) were found to supply 10 different types of RDTs products. RDT prices across the six countries ranged from US$1.00 to $16.81. Five of the 14 malaria RDTs collected failed quality control testing.

Conclusions  In the private outlets sampled, the availability of RDTs was limited. Some of the RDTs whose quality we tested demonstrated inadequate sensitivity. This presents a number of risks. Given the more widespread distribution of antimalarials currently planned for private sector facilities, parasite‐based diagnosis in this sector will be essential to adhere to the WHO guidelines for effective case management of malaria. Considerable regulation and quality control are also necessary to assure the availability of accurate and reliable RDTs, as well as adequate case management and provider adherence to RDT results. Public sector engagement is likely to be essential in this process.
Tanshinone IIA attenuates cyclic strain‐induced endothelin‐1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: Hong Hong‐Jye , Hsu Feng‐Lin , Tsai Shih‐Chang , Lin Cheng‐Hsin , Liu Ju‐Chi , Chen Jin‐Jer , Cheng Tzu‐Hurng , Chan Paul
Published: October 2011

1. Tanshinone IIA, one of the active components of the Radix of Salvia miltiorrhiza, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, the intracellular mechanism of action of tanshinone IIA remain to be determined. The aims of the present study were to test the hypothesis that tanshinone IIA alters strain‐induced endothelin (ET)‐1 expression and nitric oxide (NO) production, as well as to identify the putative signalling pathways involved, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

2. Cultured HUVEC were exposed to cyclic strain in the presence of 1–10 μmol/L tanshinone IIA. Expression of ET‐1 was examined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and ELISA. Phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and activating transcription factor (ATF) 3 was assessed by western blot analysis.

3. Tanshinone IIA (3 and 10 μmol/L) inhibited strain‐induced ET‐1 expression. In contrast, NO production, eNOS phosphorylation and ATF3 expression were enhanced by tanshinone IIA. The eNOS inhibitor NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME; 100 μmol/L), the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase inhibitor LY294002 (5  μmol/L) and the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H‐[1,2,4] oxadiazolo [4,3‐a] quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ; 10  μmol/L) inhibited tanshinone IIA‐induced increases in ATF3 expression. Moreover, treatment of HUVEC with either an NO donor (3,3‐bis [aminoethyl]‐1‐hydroxy‐2‐oxo‐1‐triazene; 500  μmol/L) or an ATF3 activator (carbobenzoxy‐l‐leucyl‐l‐leucyl‐l‐leucinal; 5 μmol/L) resulted in the repression of strain‐induced ET‐1 expression. The inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA on strain‐induced ET‐1 expression was significantly attenuated by l‐NAME, ODQ and the transfection of small interfering RNA for ATF3.

4. In conclusion, tanshinone IIA inhibits strain‐induced ET‐1 expression by increasing NO and upregulating ATF3 in HUVEC. The present study provides important new insights into the molecular pathways that may contribute to the beneficial effects of tanshinone IIA in the cardiovascular system.
Anti‐glomerular basement membrane disease in Auckland
Authors: Taylor D. M. , Yehia M. , Simpson I. J. , Thein H. , Chang Y. , de Zoysa J. R.
Published: October 2011

Background:  Anti‐glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody‐mediated disease is rare and classically presents with the syndrome of glomerulonephritis and pulmonary haemorrhage.

Aim:  This aim of this report was to determine the incidence, clinical features, management and outcomes of anti‐GBM disease in Auckland between 1998 and 2008.

Methods:  Potential patients were identified by a search for positive anti‐GBM antibody serology, diagnostic renal biopsy, or in‐hospital admissions using International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 codes between 1998 and 2008. A retrospective case notes review of all potential cases was performed with data censored at 31 December 2010.

Results:  Twenty‐three cases were identified. The rate of anti‐GBM disease was estimated at 1.79 per million person‐years. There were 12 men and 11 women. The median age was 45 years, range 12–74 years. Sixteen patients were European, three were Pacific peoples, three were NZ Maori and one was Chinese. Eleven were regular smokers and eight ex‐smokers, significantly higher proportions than the population (P≤ 0.001). Smokers were significantly more likely to have respiratory disease (P= 0.03). The mean creatinine at presentation was 474 µmol/L. All patients had a renal biopsy; 20 had crescentic glomerulonephritis. One patient recovered renal function without treatment. Twenty‐two were immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids. Seventeen received plasmapheresis. Eighteen were alive, eight with end‐stage renal disease, two with chronic kidney disease and eight with normal renal function.

Conclusions:  Anti‐GBM disease is a rare condition, which is not overrepresented among indigenous people. With aggressive therapy the prognosis has improved; however, the morbidity and mortality of this condition remain significant.
Relationships between HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors (statin) use and strength, balance and falls in older people
Authors: Haerer W. , Delbaere K. , Bartlett H. , Lord S. R. , Rowland J.
Published: October 2011

Aims

To investigate associations between HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) use and muscle strength, balance, mobility and falls in older people.

Methods

Five hundred community‐dwelling people aged 70–90 years provided information about their medication use and undertook tests of lower limb strength, postural sway, leaning balance (maximal balance range and coordinated stability tests) and functional mobility. Participants were then followed up for 12 months with respect to falls.

Results

After adjusting for general health in analyses of covariance procedures, statin users had poorer maximal balance range than non‐statin users (P = 0.017). Statin and non‐statin users did not differ with respect to strength, postural sway, mobility or falls experienced in the follow‐up year.

Conclusion

In a sample of healthy older people, statin use was not associated with muscle weakness, postural sway, reduced mobility or falls. Statin users, however, had poorer leaning balance which may potentially increase fall risk in this group.
RecentPhilosophicalWork on theConnection betweenMusic and theEmotions
Authors: MATRAVERS DEREK
Published: October 2011

This study asserts that philosophical interest in the connection between music and the emotions lies in the light it could throw on the nature of expression. Expression in turn is interesting because of the light it could throw on the nature of understanding and of value. Three different sorts of theory are considered: those that rely on experienced resemblance, those that rely on some imaginative state and those that rely on an aroused feeling. It is suggested, following Malcolm Budd, that room might be found for all these accounts.
Homer'sProphecy:anEssay onMusic'sPrimaryEmotions
Authors: ZENTNER MARCEL
Published: October 2011

In hisOdyssey, Homer described a particular kind of music‐evoked emotion, a tapestry of wonder, dazzle, entrancement and enchantment which has been largely ignored in recent work on music and emotion. In this article, our work on the characterization and classification of music‐evoked emotion, which allowed us to identify 45 emotion terms relating to emotive states typically and recurrently induced by music, will be recapitulated. A model with nine emotion clusters, sometimes referred to as the GEMS model, provides a higher‐order representation of the interrelationships between these emotive states. Strikingly, the first of these basic music emotions, ‘wonder’, is akin to the emotion described by Homer 2,800 years ago. After elucidating the other primary music emotions, I will turn to the question of how emotions are elicited by music and will present our ‘induction rule model’ as an explanatory frame. This will be followed by a brief overview of measures of music‐induced emotion, where I will present some new findings on the neurobiology of the GEMS emotions. In the final section these empirical findings will be contextualised within current psychological and philosophical views of music and emotion.
Effects of proteose‐peptone fractions from yak milk on lipoprotein lipase lipolysis
Authors: HE SHENG‐HUA , MA YING , WANG JIA‐QI , LI QI‐MING , TANG SHANHU , LI HAI‐MEI
Published: October 2011

The lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was purified almost 3800‐fold from yak skimmilk by Heparin‐Sepharose CL‐6B column chromatography; nonhydrophobic fraction of proteose‐peptone (NHFPP) and hydrophobic fraction of proteose‐peptone (HFPP) from yak milk whey were separated by Phenyl‐Sepharose‐6FF column chromatography. The HFPP was subjected to hydroxyapatite chromatography, and two fractions were collected: one fraction did not absorb onto the calcium phosphate matrix (HA1); the other fraction contained all the protein components of HFPP (HA2). The effects of the proteose‐peptone fractions on lipoprotein lipase lipolysis were studied. The results of experiments showed that NHFPP and HA1 enhanced the LPL lipolysis; in contrast, the HFPP and HA2 inhibited LPL lipolysis.
The association of depression and multimorbidity in the elderly: implications for the assessment of depression
Authors: SPANGENBERG Lena , FORKMANN Thomas , BRÄHLER Elmar , GLAESMER Heide
Published: October 2011

Background:  Depression and multimorbidity are common in the elderly. Assessing depression might be difficult because of the overlap of depressive and somatic symptoms, possibly leading to confounded results.

Methods:  This study investigates the frequency of depression, multimorbidity and their association, the potential impact of multimorbidity on the assessment of depression by the Patient Health Questionnaire, and whether using a cut point might cause misleading results in the elderly German population (60–85 years, n= 1659).

Results:  Depressive syndromes are significantly more frequent in multimorbid respondents. Multimorbidity is associated with higher item scores, especially in the somatic items, and multimorbid respondents show higher depression severity levels in comparison to non‐multimorbid persons.

Conclusion:  There are associations between multimorbidity and depressive symptoms, therefore potentially confounding prevalence rates. As such, causal pathways of these associations should be studied under a longitudinal perspective in future studies.
Moderating effect of Islamic religiosity on the relationship between chronic medical conditions and psychological well‐being among elderly Malays
Authors: ABOLFATHI MOMTAZ Yadollah , HAMID Tengku Aizan , IBRAHIM Rahimah , YAHAYA Nurizan , ABDULLAH Siti Suhailah
Published: October 2011

Background:  Research has found that physical health decline in later life is associated with poor psychological well‐being. This study aimed to examine the possible moderating effect of Islamic religiosity on the relationship between chronic medical conditions and psychological well‐being.

Methods:  The sample for this study consisted of 1415 elderly Malay Muslims. It was obtained from a cross‐sectional survey entitled ‘Patterns of Social Relationship and Psychological Well‐Being among Older Persons in Peninsular Malaysia’, which conducted from 2007 to 2009, using a multistage stratified sampling procedure. Data collection was performed through face‐to‐face interviews. A four‐step moderated hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS software for Windows and the ‘ModGraph‐2’ software program was used to test the hypothesis.

Results:  Results of bivariate analysis showed, at certain levels of chronic medical conditions, older persons with a high level of religiosity reported significantly higher levels of psychological well‐being compared to their counterparts with a low level of religiosity. Four‐step moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the negative effect of chronic medical conditions on psychological well‐being is reduced by both personal and social religiosity (β= 0.07, P≤ 0.01), after controlling for selected sociodemographic factors.

Conclusion:  Taken together, these findings indicate that the depressogenic effect of physical illness is decreased by religiosity in chronically ill elderly people. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed and recommendations for future research are proposed.
Effects of Added Kaolinite on Sintering of Freeze‐Cast Kaolinite–Silica Nanocomposite I. Microstructure and Phase Transformation
Authors: Li Wenle , Lu Kathy , Walz John Y.
Published: October 2011

In our previous study, the effects of added kaolinite on the microstructure and strength of freeze‐cast composites of kaolinite platelets and silica nanoparticles were reported. This current article details the results of an investigation into the effects of the kaolinite on the microstructure and phase transformation of these materials during sintering. It is found that upon sintering at 1000°C, grain growth and phase transformation of the silica nanoparticles in the silica/kaolinite composites are hindered, and even completely inhibited, at sufficient concentrations of added kaolinite. Nonetheless, reduction in the size of the nanoparticles suggests that diffusion from silica nanoparticles to kaolinite platelets is occurring. Upon increasing the sintering temperature to 1250°C, boundaries between the two species completely disappear and new peaks are observed in the X‐ray diffraction pattern of the composite that are not present in the patterns of either silica‐only or kaolinite‐only samples. These findings indicate that a transitioning interfacial phase forms at higher temperatures.
Frequency Dependence of Coercive Field in Soft Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3 (0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.60) Bulk Ceramics
Authors: Chen Xuefeng , Dong Xianlin , Zhang Hongling , Cao Fei , Wang Genshui , Gu Yan , He Hongliang , Liu Yusheng
Published: October 2011

Frequency (f) dependence of coercive field (Ec) of six Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3 (0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.60) bulk ceramics with different compositions was investigated at various frequencies (1–100 Hz). Scaling relations of Ec against f, Ec ∝ fβ, were obtained, where the value of exponent β varied with the ceramics composition. These exponents were far smaller than that of the theoretic prediction because the domain wall motion played a major role in the frequency region. In addition, the values of the exponents were of obvious discrepancy for different phase structures with tetragonal, rhombohedral, and morphotropic phases, but nearly similar for the same phase structure with different compositions, suggesting that different domain structures influence the scaling behaviors.
Density‐dependent and ‐independent effects on the joint use of space by predators and prey in terrestrial arthropod food‐webs
Authors: Birkhofer Klaus , Wolters Volkmar , Diekötter Tim
Published: October 2011

The spatial distribution of predators and their prey is affected by their joint use of space. While the formation of such spatial patterns may be driven by density‐dependent and ‐independent factors our knowledge on the contribution of different land‐use activities on the formation of spatial patterns between predators and prey remains very limited. Agriculture is one of the most prevailing land‐use activities with strong effects on invertebrate densities and structural habitat conditions. Here, we used replicated conventionally and organically managed winter wheat fields to investigate the effects of agricultural land‐use on the spatial patterns of generalist predators and decomposer prey. We then identified the explanatory power of density‐dependent (prey and predator activity density) and density‐independent (vegetation structure) predictors for the observed spatial patterns. Generalist predators were regularly distributed only in conventionally managed fields and this pattern intensified with decreasing Collembola prey availability and increasing spider activity density. Segregation between carabid and spider predators was strongest in fields with lowest wheat plant height, suggesting more intense intraguild interactions in structurally less complex habitats. Collembola were aggregated independent of management and aggregation was strongest in fields with highest Collembola and carabid activity density. Spiders and Collembola prey were associated, but higher aphid densities under conventional management weakened or interrupted this spatial relationship. We conclude that active control of crop plant physiognomy by growth hormones and herbicides in conventionally managed fields promotes predator–predator segregation and that a high availability of aphid prey seems to decouple predator–Collembola prey associations. Our results emphasise the need for a more mechanistic understanding of the effects of land‐use on the formation of spatial patterns and species interactions, especially under scenarios of environmental change and an ongoing loss of biodiversity.
Identification of Sex‐Determining Region Y (SRY) in Maternal Plasma after Paternal Lymphocyte Immunization: Is it Possible?
Authors: Machado Isabela N. , Levi José E. , Lima Simone B. S. , Barini Ricardo
Published: October 2011

Citation Machado IN, Levi JE, Lima SBS, Barini R. Identification of Sex‐Determining Region Y (SRY) in Maternal Plasma after Paternal Lymphocyte Immunization: Is it Possible? Am J Reprod Immunol 2012; 67: 231–234

Problem  Women treated with allogeneic immunization using paternal lymphocytes often request laboratory molecular tests using cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal plasma. There is concern whether the treatment can interfere with its results. This study evaluated the applicability of fetal sex determination using fragments of sex‐determining region Y (SRY) in the plasma of women submitted to paternal lymphocyte immunization.

Method of study  Non‐pregnant women blood samples were collected at two different moments: prior to paternal lymphocyte immunization and after three doses of the immunotherapy, in a prospective study. For women who became pregnant, another sample was collect during the first trimester. Amplification of the fragment of the Y chromosome (SRY) was performed using real‐time PCR.

Results  The SRY gene was not identified in any of the plasma samples of the 50 non‐pregnant women submitted to paternal lymphocyte immunization at either of the two moments evaluated. For the 26 pregnant women, the results of the identification of sex ‐determining in maternal plasma were completely in agreement with the infant sex.

Conclusion  Paternal lymphocyte immunization does not affect the results of SRY fragment investigation in the plasma of women submitted to paternal lymphocyte immunization therapy.
Oncogene‐induced senescence and melanoma: where do we stand?
Authors: Peeper Daniel S.
Published: October 2011

In recent years, many groups have detected biomarkers of cellular senescence in a plethora of neoplastic lesions, in model systems, and humans. Indeed, we have come to realize that oncogene‐induced senescence (OIS) acts as a potent barrier to oncogenic transformation, operating alongside cell death programs. We have begun to uncover some of its underlying principles, but many fundamental questions remain. In this perspective, some of the ‘knowns’ and ‘unknowns’ of OIS are discussed, with a focus on melanomagenesis.
A New Rhamphorhynchid Pterosaur (Pterosauria) from the Middle Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Western Liaoning, China
Authors: LÜ Junchang , BO Xue
Published: October 2011

A new Sordes‐like pterosaur Jianchangopterus zhaoianus gen. et sp. nov. is erected based on a almost complete skeleton with skull preserved. It is characterized by the following characters: seven and six pairs of upper jaw and lower jaw teeth respectively; the development of a recess on maxilla; the evenness of the dental margin in lateral view; a distinct central ridge along dorsal surface of the mandibular symphysis; wing phalanx 4 with strongly curved shaft approximately 96% the length of the wing phalanx 1. The discovery of a Sordes‐like pterosaur Jianchangopterus, and other taxa from the same formation indicates that pterosaurs reached great diversities during the Middle to Upper Jurassic period.
Two Lunar Mare Soil Simulants
Authors: LI Yongquan , LIU Jianzhong , ZOU Yongliao , OUYANG Ziyuan , ZHENG Yongchun , YUE Zongyu
Published: October 2011

Two new lunar mare soil simulants, NAO‐2 and NAO‐3, have been created in National Astronomical Observatories (NAO), Chinese Academy of Sciences. These two simulants were produced from low‐titanium basalt and high‐titanium basalt respectively. The chemical composition, mineralogy, particle size distribution, density, angle of internal friction, and cohesion of both simulants have been analyzed, indicating that some characteristics of NAO‐2 and NAO‐3 are similar to those of Apollo 14 and Apollo 11 landing site soils. NAO‐2 and NAO‐3 will be of great benefit to the scientific and engineering research on lunar soil.
Coercion, Peace, and the Issue of Jihad
Authors: Abdelkader Deina
Published: October 2011

This essay analyzes different perspectives on the issue of jihad; based on this analysis, it sheds light on the contemporary application and understanding of the word in the Muslim world.
Transnational Civic Education Inquiry in the Lands of Contention
Authors: Coleman Mary
Published: October 2011

Transnational civic education as defined here refers to the systematic study of nations throughout the world as they struggle with lawlessness and recover governance values and ideas consistent with human dignity and the rule of law. Analytical reasoning is heralded as one approach to dissecting nations' civic cultures. One hundred Palestinian teachers examined the civic education documents and practices of seven nations, including Romania, the United States, and Palestine. They read original legal texts, conducted oral histories, learned content analysis, and learned horizontal human rights debate practices.
Postcombustion CO2 Capture for Combined Cycles Utilizing Hot-Water Absorbent Regeneration
Authors: Jonshagen Klas , Sammak Majed , Genrup Magnus
Published: October 2011

The partly hot-water driven CO2 capture plant offers a significant potential for improvement in performance when implemented in a combined-cycle power plant (CCPP). It is possible to achieve the same performance with a dual-pressure steam cycle as in a triple-pressure unit. Even a single-pressure plant can attain an efficiency competitive with that achievable with a triple-pressure plant without the hot-water reboiler. The underlying reasons are better heat utilization in the heat recovery unit and less steam extraction to the absorbent regenerating unit(s). In this paper, the design criteria for a combined cycle power plant utilizing hot-water absorbent regeneration will be examined and presented. The results show that the most suitable plant is one with two steam pressure levels. The low-pressure level should be much higher than in a conventional combined cycle in order to increase the amount of heat available in the economizer. The external heat required in the CO2 capture plant is partly supplied by the economizer, allowing temperature optimization in the unit. The maximum value of the low-pressure level is determined by the reboiler, as too great a temperature difference is unfavorable. This work evaluates the benefits of coupling the economizer and the reboiler in a specially designed CCPP. In the CO2 separation plant both monoethanolamine (MEA) and ammonia are evaluated as absorbents. Higher regeneration temperatures can be tolerated in ammonia-based plants than in MEA-based plants. When using a liquid heat carrier the reboiler temperature is not constant on the hot side, which results in greater temperature differences. The temperature difference can be greatly reduced by dividing the regeneration process into two units operating at different pressures. The possibility of extracting more energy from the economizer to replace part of the extracted steam increases the plant efficiency. The results show that very high efficiencies can be achieved without using multiple pressure-levels.
Transition of Crack Propagation Path Under Varied Levels of Load in Bimodal Grain Size Al-Mg Alloy
Authors: Ladani Leila , Nelson Steven
Published: October 2011

Mechanical fatigue crack nucleation and propagation is modeled in bimodal grain size aluminum alloy. A multiscale modeling approach in conjunction with a continuum based damage modeling technique, successive initiation, is used to determine microstructural site of crack nucleation and its propagation through different regions of the materials. Analyses conducted for material with different coarse grain volume ratios under different load amplitudes showed that damage initiates at the interface of coarse grains and the ultrafine grain matrix. It propagates initially through coarse grains with higher initial damage rate. Once the coarse grains lose their load bearing capacity, the load is transferred to the ultrafine matrix and it fails rather quickly. Comparison between different large grain volume ratios shows that the small distance between large grains at high coarse grain volume ratios facilitates crack bridging between coarse grains and results in very high crack propagation rate in coarse grains which eventually results in catastrophic failure of the whole structure.
Extending Fluorescence Thermometry to Measuring Wall Surface Temperatures Using Evanescent-Wave Illumination
Authors: Kim Myeongsub , Yoda Minami
Published: October 2011

Cooling microelectronics with heat flux values of hundreds of kW/cm2 over hot spots with typical dimensions well below 1 mm will require new single- and two-phase thermal management technologies with micron-scale addressability. However, experimental studies of thermal transport through micro- and mini-channels report a wide range of Nusselt numbers even in laminar single-phase flows, presumably due in part to variations in channel geometry and surface roughness. These variations make constructing accurate numerical models for what would be otherwise straightforward computational simulations challenging. There is, therefore, a need for experimental techniques that can measure both bulk fluid and wall surface temperatures at micron-scale spatial resolution without disturbing the flow in both heat transfer and microfluidics applications. We report here the evaluation of a nonintrusive technique, fluorescence thermometry (FT), to determine wall surface and bulk fluid temperatures with a spatial resolution of O(10 μm) for water flowing through a heated channel. Fluorescence thermometry is typically used to estimate water temperature fields based on variations in the emission intensity of a fluorophore dissolved in the water. The accuracy of FT can be improved by taking the ratio of the emission signals from two different fluorophores (dual-tracer FT or DFT) to eliminate variations in the signal due to (spatial and temporal) variations in the excitation intensity. In this work, two temperature-sensitive fluorophores, fluorescein and sulforhodamine B, with emission intensities that increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing temperature, are used to further improve the accuracy of the temperature measurements. Water temperature profiles were measured in steady Poiseuille flow at Reynolds numbers of 3.3 and 8.3 through a 1 mm2 heated minichannel. Water temperatures in the bulk flow (i.e., away from the walls) were measured using DFT with an average uncertainty of 0.2 °C at a spatial resolution of 30 μm. Temperatures within the first 0.3 μm next to the wall were measured using evanescent-wave illumination of a single temperature-sensitive fluorophore with an average uncertainty of less than 0.2 °C at a spatial resolution of 10 μm. The results are compared with numerical predictions, which suggest that the water temperatures at an average distance of ∼70 nm from the wall are identical within experimental uncertainty to the wall surface temperature.
Saint-Venant’s Principle in Dynamics of Structures
Authors: Karp B. , Durban D.
Published: October 2011

Research studies aiming at examination and formulation of a dynamic analog to Saint-Venant’s principle (DSVP) are critically reviewed. Article concentrates on isotropic homogeneous linear elastic response over a range of structural geometries including waveguides, with either free or constrained lateral surfaces, half space, wedges and cones. Nearly 140 DSVP related references are covered starting with early ideas by Boley. A special chapter is dedicated to available experimental work on end effects and decay rate in dynamically excited structures. Current thinking on possible versions of DSVP is classified into several categories, one of which, the dynamic equivalence, is compatible with much of known experimental data and has been tacitly applied at various engineering situations. That observation provides inspiring ground for renewed interest in both practical and theoretical aspects of DSVP.
A robust and efficient approach to detect 3D rectal tubes from CT colonography
Authors: Yang Xiaoyun , Slabaugh Greg
Published: October 2011

Purpose:

The rectal tube (RT) is a common source of false positives (FPs) in computer‐aided detection (CAD) systems for CT colonography. A robust and efficient detection of RT can improve CAD performance by eliminating such “obvious” FPs and increase radiologists' confidence in CAD.

Methods:

In this paper, we present a novel and robust bottom‐up approach to detect the RT. Probabilistic models, trained using kernel density estimation on simple low‐level features, are employed to rank and select the most likely RT tube candidate on each axial slice. Then, a shape model, robustly estimated using random sample consensus (RANSAC), infers the global RT path from the selected local detections. Subimages around the RT path are projected into a subspace formed from training subimages of the RT. A quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) provides a classification of a subimage as RT or non‐RT based on the projection. Finally, a bottom‐top clustering method is proposed to merge the classification predictions together to locate the tip position of the RT.

Results:

Our method is validated using a diverse database, including data from five hospitals. On a testing data with 21 patients (42 volumes), 99.5% of annotated RT paths have been successfully detected. Evaluated with CAD, 98.4% of FPs caused by the RT have been detected and removed without any loss of sensitivity.

Conclusions:

The proposed method demonstrates a high detection rate of the RT path, and when tested in a CAD system, reduces FPs caused by the RT without the loss of sensitivity.
How Proteins Fold
Authors: Sosnick Tobin R. , Hinshaw James R.
Published: October 2011

Computational and experimental results provide support for defined protein folding pathways.
Iran's Alaei Brothers to Continue AIDS Work After Release From Prison
Authors: Bhattacharjee Yudhijit
Published: October 2011

On 14 October, Arash and Kamiar Alaei spoke with
Science
about their plans after spending 3 years in jail for being convicted of conspiring with U.S. agents to overthrow the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.