bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tyroservatide Therapy for Tumor Growth, Invasion and Metastasis of Lewis Lung Carcinoma and Human Lung Carcinoma A549
Authors: Zheng Minna , Lu Rong , Che Xuchun , Li Jinping , Zhou Chunlei , Wang Li , Xu Qiong , Cao Huiling , Li Qiuli , Yao Zhi
Published: January 2007

Objectives: The tripeptide tyroservatide (tyrosyl-seryl-valine, p-Tyr-Ser-Val-NH2, YSV) has been shown to have anti-tumor effects on experimental hepatocarcinoma. The study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of YSV on tumor growth, invasion and metastasis of lung cancers. Methods: Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of YSV were evaluated in three experimental systems. In C57BL/6 mice, a spontaneous metastasis model of Lewis lung cancer was used to study the anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effects of YSV. A549 human lung carcinoma was used to create an orthotopic model in nude mice to investigate the anti-metastasis effect of YSV. Finally, an in vitro model using the B16F10 melanoma cell line was selected to observe the effect of YSV on adhesion and invasion, and to use immunocytochemistry to assay the expression of ICAM-1. Results: YSV inhibited subcutaneous tumor growth of Lewis lung carcinoma (p < 0.05) and markedly decreased lung metastases in the spontaneous metastasis model of Lewis lung cancer and the orthotopic model of A549 human lung carcinoma. In vitro, YSV reduced adhesion and invasion as well as the expression of ICAM-1 in tumor cells. Conclusion: YSV was able to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis in lung cancer.
Risk for Acute Renal Failure in Patients Hospitalized for Decompensated Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Chittineni Harini , Miyawaki Nobuyuki , Gulipelli Sailaja , Fishbane Steven
Published: January 2007

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is an important cause of hospital admissions and is associated with an increased risk for development of acute renal failure (ARF). The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of ARF, to ascertain risk factors for its development, and to determine whether ARF impacts hospital outcomes. Methods: Review was conducted of 509 hospital medical records of patients hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of CHF during 2004. ARF was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of 0.5 mg/dl compared to the admission value. Multivariable analysis was used to identify independent predictors of ARF. Results: Most patients had reduced renal function at the time of admission with mean serum creatinine of 1.45 ± 0.72 and calculated creatinine clearance of 43.1 ml/min. ARF developed during the hospitalization in 21% of patients, with a peak increase in serum creatinine of 0.5–3.3 mg/dl. Most cases occurred on hospital days 4–6 (69.5% of cases). ARF was associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality and increased length of hospital stay. Risk factors for ARF included diabetes, elevated admission serum creatinine and reduced serum sodium and echocardiographic demonstration of diastolic dysfunction. Neither diuretic nor ACEI/ARB treatment was associated with increased risk. Conclusion: ARF is a common complication among patients hospitalized for CHF, and is associated with increased risk for adverse outcomes. Certain clinical characteristics present at the time of admission help identify patients at increased risk.
Long-Term Employee Illness and Frustration of the Contract of Employment
Authors: Guthrie Robert , Meredith Frances
Published: January 2007

This article considers the issues that arise when a worker becomes incapacitated for work and the contract of employment is put in peril by reason of long-term absence from work. The doctrine of frustration of the contract of employment and its contemporary application is the starting point for discussion. Most typically in the employment context this arises as a consequence of the death or serious injury of the worker. In examining the interaction of these concepts the article examines the contemporary application of the case of Finch v Sayers ([1976] 2 NSWLR 540), which has been influential in the interpretation of the application of the doctrine of frustration of contract in employment matters. In the final section the decision in Finch v Sayers is reconsidered having regard to contemporary influences and changes in labour market regulation. At the time of writing the Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Act 2005 (Cth) had only recently been enacted. An additional brief comment on some possible implications for frustration of contract of employment concludes the article.
Frame Extension in a Mature Social Movement: British Trade Unions and Part-time Work, 1967-2002
Authors: Heery Edmund , Conley Hazel
Published: January 2007

Since the 1960s, British trade unions have developed a policy for representing the interests of part-time workers, a significant process of frame extension within a mature social movement. This article seeks to account for this change. It concludes that change was a product of the growth of feminist activism within unions, the deployment of instrumental and solidarity frames and a response to political opportunities provided by both the British state and European Union.
‘Part-time and Part-committed’?: The Challenges of Part-time Work in Policing
Authors: Charlesworth Sara , Whittenbury Kerri
Published: January 2007

In police services, both in Australia and internationally, attention has been focused on increasing the representation of women. The availability of part-time work has been identified as a key mechanism to retain women who have been recruited. To date, however, the take-up of part-time work remains low. It is also concentrated in administrative work and non-operational policing work. In this article, we draw on research in Victoria Police around the experiences of, and attitudes towards, part-time work. The research suggests that there are a number of policy constraints to the take up of part-time work, particularly by police officers. There are also significant cultural barriers to both increasing and integrating part-time work, which influence attitudes to part-time work at all levels of the organization. However, these barriers are intertwined with and reinforced by institutional structures and processes that position part-time work as ‘other’ and a gendered understanding of police work. In increasing access to part-time work, the challenge for police services is to address both institutional and cultural barriers to the integration of part-time and full-time work.
Regulating Clothing Outwork: A Sceptic’s View
Authors: Weller Sally
Published: January 2007

By applying the strategies of international anti-sweatshop campaigns to the Australian context, recent regulations governing home-based clothing production hold retailers responsible for policing the wages and employment conditions of clothing outworkers who manufacture clothing on their behalf. This article argues that the new approach oversimplifies the regulatory challenge by assuming (1) that Australian clothing production is organized in a hierarchical ‘buyer-led’ linear structure in which core retail firms have the capacity to control their suppliers’ behaviour; (2) that firms act as unitary moral agents; and, (3) that interventions imported from other times and places are applicable to the contemporary Australian context. After considering some alternative regulatory approaches, the article concludes that the new regulatory strategy effectively privatizes responsibility for labour market conditions - a development that cries out for further debate.
Parental Leave in Australia: Beyond the Statistical Gap
Authors: Whitehouse Gillian , Baird Marian , Diamond Chris , Soloff Carol
Published: January 2007

Information on the uptake of parental leave policies and the work experiences of parents prior to and following the birth of a child is extremely limited in Australia. In this research note we outline the development of, and some initial findings from, a survey designed to fill this statistical gap. We discuss methodological issues associated with collecting this type of data and present preliminary snapshots of the use of maternity and paternity leave in Australia in 2005. Our goal is to identify pathways beyond the statistical gap, both in the sense of providing basic statistics that are currently ‘missing’ and in extending the range and quality of information available on parental leave in Australia.
Gender and procreative ideologies among the Kolams of Maharashtra
Authors: Kumar Pushpesh
Published: January 2007

Procreative ideologies, alternatively called conception beliefs, are ideas concerning the male and female contributions to biological reproduction. Expressed through the metaphor of ‘seed’ and ‘earth’ in many South Asian cultures, these ideologies have been found to be demonstrably gendered, acting sometimes as a central variable in mediating men's and women's access to material and symbolic resources. Many gender-sensitive ethnographies have demonstrated the power of this metaphorical understanding in regulating and controlling the body and sexuality of women, and affecting the everyday lives of men and women as gendered subjects. The present article examines and evaluates the operation of procreative ideology in the case of the Kolams, a ‘primitive’ tribal community in south-eastern Maharashtra.
What the signboard hides
Authors: Iversen Vegard , Raghavendra P.S.
Published: January 2007

In India, there are strong and intimate links between traditional notions of caste, purity and pollution and the preparation and consumption of food. This article studies trajectories of social change within small South Indian eating places, popularly known as Udupi hotels. During the second half of the 20th century such enterprises absorbed a large number of unskilled migrants, mainly from Karnataka's coastal belt. We explore the relationship between caste and employability within the industry and the impact of caste on individual career progress. Combining case studies of enterprises from villages, small towns and cities with data from in-depth interviews with a sample of hotel workers, we argue that small South Indian eating places are elusive social arenas that can shed new light on the nature, persistence and change in caste-based exclusion in important markets for unskilled labour in modern India.
Mamta
Authors: Chaudhary Nandita , Bhargava Pooja
Published: January 2007

In every cultural setting, language provides an essential framework within which reality is configured. Cultural ideas acquire form and are sustained through language. The social fields created through chosen words and their connected meanings effectively function as key terms in defining cultural knowledge. Motherhood is an important role in Indian society. The eventuality of becoming a mother is of vital consequence, especially for Indian women, and much cultural content revolves around this issue. Consequently, the language of motherhood is also highlighted in everyday linguistic usage, in particular through the notion of mamta. This article explores the everyday understanding of twenty men and women living in Delhi regarding the term mamta, set against the social role of motherhood in India. The findings of the study indicate a vibrant social space and personal attention dedicated to the notion of motherhood in general and mamta in particular. Predominantly, mamta was understood as ‘mother's love’ for her offspring—generated quite ‘naturally’ through bearing a child—that is heightened in situations of vulnerability and need.
Towards a sociology of money and family in the Indian diaspora
Authors: Singh Supriya
Published: January 2007

The linking of money, family and migration has become increasingly important with the rise in Indian remittances to US$ 21.7 billion in 2004, the largest amount of remittances in the world. The economic importance of remittances has meant that they have primarily been studied as money flows resulting from direct migration. Some attention has been paid to their economic impact at the local, regional and national levels in India. In this article, I argue that sociologists and anthropologists have much to contribute to the study of remittances, as a social phenomenon linked to family and migration. The emergence of a transnational Indian family also means the development of a special kind of transnational family money, where money is equated with or measured against filial care. In the global context of migration, remittances are one of the ways families negotiate shifting arrangements of care, responsibility and security for the young, for women and for the elderly. These perspectives will help develop the sociology of money in India, connecting it to migration, family, marriage and gender relationships.
Autonomous Helicopter Tracking and Localization Using a Self-surveying Camera Array
Authors: Matsuoka Masayoshi , Chen Alan , Singh Surya P. N. , Coates Adam , Ng Andrew Y. , Thrun Sebastian
Published: January 2007

A Self-surveying Camera Array (SSCA) is a vision-based local-area positioning system consisting of multiple ground-deployed cameras that are capable of self-surveying their extrinsic parameters while tracking and localizing a moving target. This paper presents the self-surveying algorithm being used to track a target helicopter in each camera frame and to localize the helicopter in an array-fixed frame. Three cameras are deployed independently in an arbitrary arrangement that allows each camera to view the helicopter's flight volume. The helicopter then flies an unplanned path that allows the cameras to calibrate the relative locations and orientations by utilizing a self-surveying algorithm that is extended from the well-known structure from motion algorithm and the bundle adjustment technique. This yields the cameras'extrinsic parameters enabling real-time helicopter positioning via triangulation. This paper also presents results from field trials, which verify the feasibility of the SSCA as a readily-deployable system applicable to helicopter tracking and localization. The results demonstrate that, compared to the differential GPS solution as true reference, the SSCA alone is capable of positioning the helicopter with meter-level accuracy. The SSCA has been integrated with onboard inertial sensors providing a reliable positioning system to enable successful autonomous hovering.
An Efficient Extension to Elevation Maps for Outdoor Terrain Mapping and Loop Closing
Authors: Pfaff Patrick , Triebel Rudolph , Burgard Wolfram
Published: January 2007

Elevation maps are a popular data structure for representing the environment of a mobile robot operating outdoors or on not-flat surfaces. Elevation maps store in each cell of a discrete grid the height of the surface at the corresponding place in the environment. However, the use of this 2½-dimensional representation, is disadvantageous when utilized for mapping with mobile robots operating on the ground, since vertical or overhanging objects cannot be represented appropriately. Furthermore, such objects can lead to registration errors when two elevation maps have to be matched. In this paper, an approach is proposed that allows a mobile robot to deal with vertical and overhanging objects in elevation maps. The approach classifies the points in the environment according to whether they correspond to such objects or not. Also presented is a variant of the ICP algorithm that utilizes the classification of cells during the data association. Additionally, it is shown how the constraints computed by the ICP algorithm can be applied to determine globally consistent alignments. Experiments carried out with a real robot in an outdoor environment demonstrate that the proposed approach yields highly accurate elevation maps even in the case of loops. Experimental results are presented demonstrating that that the proposed classification increases the robustness of the scan matching process.
3D Position Tracking in Challenging Terrain
Authors: Lamon Pierre , Siegwart Roland
Published: January 2007

The intent of this paper is to demonstrate how the accuracy of 3D position tracking can be improved by considering rover locomotion in rough terrain as a holistic problem. Although the selection of good sensors is crucial to accurately track the rover's position, it is not the only aspect to consider. Indeed, the use of an unadapted locomotion concept severely affects the signal to noise ratio of the sensors, which leads to poor motion estimates. In this work, a mechanical structure allowing smooth motion across obstacles with limited wheel slip is used. In particular, this enables the use of odometry and inertial sensors to improve the position estimation in rough terrain. A method for computing 3D motion increments based on the wheel encoders and chassis state sensors is developed. Because it accounts for the kinematics of the rover, this method provides better results than the standard approach. To further improve the accuracy of the position tracking and the rover's climbing performance, a controller minimizing wheel slip has been developed. The algorithm runs online and can be adapted to any kind of passive wheeled rover. Finally, sensor fusion using 3D-Odometry, inertial sensors and visual motion estimation based on stereovision is presented. The experimental results demonstrate how each sensor contributes to increase the accuracy and robustness of the 3D position estimation.
D-SLAM: A Decoupled Solution to Simultaneous Localization and Mapping
Authors: Wang Zhan , Huang Shoudong , Dissanayake Gamini
Published: January 2007

The main contribution of this paper is the reformulation of the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem for mobile robots such that the mapping and localization can be treated as two concurrent yet separated processes: D-SLAM (decoupled SLAM). It is shown that SLAM with a range and bearing sensor in an environment populated with point features can be decoupled into solving a nonlinear static estimation problem for mapping and a low-dimensional dynamic estimation problem for localization. This is achieved by transforming the measurement vector into two parts: one containing information relating features in the map and another with information relating the map and robot. It is shown that the new formulation results in an exactly sparse information matrix for mapping when it is solved using an Extended Information Filter (EIF).Thus a significant saving in the computational effort can be achieved for large-scale problems by exploiting the special properties of sparse matrices. An important feature of D-SLAM is that the correlation among features in the map are still kept and it is demonstrated that the uncertainty of the feature estimates monotonically decreases. The algorithm is illustrated and evaluated through computer simulations and experiments.
Optimal Rough Terrain Trajectory Generation for Wheeled Mobile Robots
Authors: Howard Thomas M. , Kelly Alonzo
Published: January 2007

An algorithm is presented for wheeled mobile robot trajectory generation that achieves a high degree of generality and efficiency. The generality derives from numerical linearization and inversion of forward models of propulsion, suspension, and motion for any type of vehicle. Efficiency is achieved by using fast numerical optimization techniques and effective initial guesses for the vehicle controls parameters. This approach can accommodate such effects as rough terrain, vehicle dynamics, models of wheel-terrain interaction, and other effects of interest. It can accommodate boundary and internal constraints while optimizing an objective function that might, for example, involve such criteria as obstacle avoidance, cost, risk, time, or energy consumption in any combination. The algorithm is efficient enough to use in real time due to its use of nonlinear programming techniques that involve searching the space of parameterized vehicle controls. Applications of the presented methods are demonstrated for planetary rovers.
Eccentric Loading, Shock-Wave Treatment, or a Wait- and-See Policy for Tendinopathy of the Main Body of Tendo Achillis
Authors: Rompe Jan D. , Nafe Bernhard , Furia John P. , Maffulli Nicola
Published: January 2007

Background

Few randomized controlled trials compare different methods of management in chronic tendinopathy of the main body of tendo Achillis.

Purpose

To compare the effectiveness of 3 management strategies—group 1, eccentric loading; group 2, repetitive low-energy shock-wave therapy (SWT); and group 3, wait and see—in patients with chronic tendinopathy of the main body of tendo Achillis.

Study Design

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods

Seventy-five patients with a chronic recalcitrant (>6 months) noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy were enrolled in a randomized controlled study. All patients had received unsuccessful management for >3 months, including at least (1) peritendinous local injections, (2) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and (3) physiotherapy. A computerized random-number generator was used to draw up an allocation schedule. Analysis was on intention-to-treat basis.

Results

At 4 months from baseline, the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA)-A score increased in all groups, from 51 to 76 points in group 1 (eccentric loading), from 50 to 70 points in group 2 (repetitive low-energy SWT), and from 48 to 55 points in group 3 (wait and see). Pain rating decreased in all groups, from 7 to 4 points in group 1, from 7 to 4 points in group 2, and from 8 to 6 points in group 3. Fifteen of 25 patients in group 1 (60%), 13 of 25 patients in group 2 (52%), and 6 of 25 patients in Group 3 (24%) reported a Likert scale of 1 or 2 points (“completely recovered” or “much improved”). For all outcome measures, groups 1 and 2 did not differ significantly. For all outcome measures, groups 1 and 2 showed significantly better results than group 3.

Conclusion

At 4-month follow-up, eccentric loading and low-energy SWT showed comparable results. The wait- and-see strategy was ineffective for the management of chronic recalcitrant tendinopathy of the main body of the Achilles tendon.
Efficacy of Continuous Intra-articular Bupivacaine Infusion for Postoperative Analgesia after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Parker Richard D. , Streem Kathleen , Schmitz Leah , Group Marguerite , Martineau Paul A.
Published: January 2007

Background

The increasing trend toward outpatient surgery has stimulated the development of techniques focused on decreasing perioperative and postoperative pain. Pain control infusion pumps are gaining in popularity in orthopaedic procedures to control postoperative pain.

Hypothesis

Continuous infusion of bupivacaine via a catheter placed intra-articular into the knee after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using ipsilateral autograft quadrupled semitendinosus will decrease postoperative pain scores and narcotic and NSAID consumption.

Study Design

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: Three randomized study groups of 21 subjects were evaluated

group I, 0.25% bupivacaine infused intra-articular at 4 mL/hour for 72 hours (study); Group II, 0.9% saline infused intra-articular at 4 mL/hr for 72 hours (placebo); Group III, no intra-articular infusion catheter (control). Each subject received general anesthesia and preemptive intra-articular anesthesia. Visual analog scale pain scores and analgesic use were compiled for the 96-hour study period.

Results

With the exception of significantly higher total narcotic usage in the control group compared with the study group only for the time period of 48 to 72 hours, there were no other statistically significant differences between each of the study groups with respect to pain and narcotic and NSAID use for the entire study period.

Conclusion

The continuous infusion of intra-articular bupivacaine via pain control infusion pumps after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using ipsilateral autograft quadrupled semitendinosus cannot be supported when postoperative visual analog scale pain scores and analgesic use are the rationale for justification.
Quadriceps Inhibition Induced by an Experimental Knee Joint Effusion Affects Knee Joint Mechanics during a Single-Legged Drop Landing
Authors: Palmieri-Smith Riann M. , Kreinbrink Jennifer , Ashton-Miller James A. , Wojtys Edward M.
Published: January 2007

Background

Arthrogenic quadriceps muscle inhibition accompanies knee joint effusion and impedes rehabilitation after knee joint injury.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that an experimentally induced knee joint effusion would cause arthrogenic quadriceps muscle inhibition and lead to increased ground reaction forces, as well as sagittal plane knee angles and moments, during a single-legged drop landing.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Nine subjects (4 women and 5 men) underwent 4 conditions (no effusion, lidocaine injection, “low” effusion [30 mL], and “high” effusion [60 mL]) and then performed a single-legged drop landing. Lower extremity muscle activity, peak sagittal plane knee flexion angles, net sagittal plane knee moments, and peak ground reaction forces were measured.

Results

Vastus medialis and lateralis activity were decreased during the low and high effusion conditions (P < .05). However, increases in peak ground reaction forces and decreases in peak knee flexion angle and net knee extension moments occurred only during the high effusion condition (P < .05).

Conclusions

Knee joint effusion induced quadriceps inhibition and altered knee joint mechanics during a landing task. Subjects landed with larger ground reaction forces and in greater knee extension, thereby suggesting that more force will be transferred to the knee joint and its passive restraints when quadriceps inhibition is present.

Clinical Relevance

Knee joint effusion results in arthrogenic quadriceps muscle inhibition, increasing loading about the knee that may potentially increase the risk of future knee joint trauma or degeneration.
Revision of Failed Arthroscopic Bankart Repairs
Authors: Sisto Domenick J.
Published: January 2007

Background

The results following open revision surgery following a failed arthroscopic Bankart procedure are not well documented.

Purpose

To evaluate the results of patients with a failed arthroscopic Bankart repair treated with a traditional, open Bankart repair.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Thirty patients (28 male and 2 female) who had a mean age of 24 years (range 15-36) at the time of operation were evaluated. The mean interval from the time of the operation to the final follow-up was 46 months (range 24-55). The rating systems of Rowe and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) were recorded preoperatively and at the time of the final evaluation.

Results

After open repair, mean modified Rowe scores improved from 25 preoperatively to 84.2 points. The results were excellent in 2 (6.7%), good in 24 (80%), and fair in 4 (13.3%); there were no poor results. The UCLA shoulder score improved from a mean of 17 points preoperatively to 29 points (P = .001 for all comparisons). Twenty-six patients (87%) did not have an anchor placement inferior to the 4-o'clock position for a right shoulder or the 8-o'clock position for the left shoulder after the index arthroscopic repair. There were no rotator interval closures performed at the index arthroscopic Bankart repair, and 10 patients (33%) required an interval closure at the open revision procedure. Twenty-five patients (83%) immobilized the operated arm in a sling for less than 2 weeks following the index arthroscopic repair.

Conclusion

Patients with failed arthroscopic Bankart repairs can be successfully treated with a revision, open Bankart repair. Inadequate postoperative immobilization, large rotator intervals, and improper anchor placement are possible risk factors that may increase the incidence of failure of an arthroscopic Bankart repair.
Novel Polyurethane Electrical Insulator Coatings Based on Amide-Ester-Ether Polyols Derived from Castor Oil and Re-cycled Poly(ethylene terphthalate)
Authors: Yeganeh Hamid , Moeini Hamid Reza
Published: January 2007

In order to utilize renewable resource raw materials as well as trying to recycle polymeric materials, three new polyols (PEEA1-3) were prepared. Bottle grade recycled poly(ethylene terphthalate) was subjected to transesterification and an amidation reaction with different molecular weights of poly(ethylene glycol) and diethanol amine. The intermediate hydroxyl-terminated compounds were chain extended via an esterification reaction with adipic acid and the products were reacted with castor oil. Polyurethane networks were prepared through the reaction of PEEA1-3 with librated isocyanate groups of a blocked isocyanate curing agent made from trimethylol propane, toluene diisocyanate and N-methyl aniline. All of the starting materials and final cured films were characterized by conventional methods. The curing condition was optimized via gel content measurements. The crosslink density of the samples was determined via an equilibrium swelling method, using the Flory-Rehner equations. The effects of structural parameters on the physical, electrical, mechanical, and dynamic mechanical properties of the polyurethane coatings were evaluated. Investigation of the results showed that the prepared green coatings have environmental benefits as well as high performance as metal insulator coatings.
Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Polyurethane Aryl Cyanate Ester Resin
Authors: Pazhanikumar T. , Sivasankar B. , Sugumaran T.
Published: January 2007

Polyurethane-based aryl cyanate ester resin (PU-CER) with a biphenyl backbone obtained from polymeric 4,4‘-diphenylmethanediisocyanate, bisphenol A and cyanogen bromide was synthesized to get a polymer with better functional properties such as better adhesion and impact resistance. Synthesis of polyurethane based 4,4‘-(oxy biphenyl propane) cyanate ester involved two steps of polyurethane hydroxyl-terminated prepolymer (PU-PP) formation and esterification (PU-CER). PU-CER was cyclotrimerized to yield a triazine ring-containing polymer that possesses better adhesion at high temperature and has greater impact strength. PU-PP and PU-CER were characterized by wet chemical analysis, spectral methods and thermal methods. PU-CER showed better thermal stability and adhesion with single part polyurethane lamination adhesive and also functioned as a better toughening agent in two-part epoxy laminate system..
A Pattern Recognition Model for Predicting a Financial Crisis in Turkey: Turkish Economic Stability Index
Authors: Boduroğlu İ İlkay , Erenay Zeynep
Published: January 2007

Using the pattern recognition paradigm, we have designed a scalar composite leading indicator that predicts a financial crisis in Turkey about six months in advance. Logistic regression was employed to distinguish between near-crisis months and safe months from January 1998 through October 2000, which is the last month before the most recent crisis in Turkey. Thus trained and once validated, the Turkish Economy Stability Index (TESI) was then successfully tested using independent data from the 1994 crisis. One of the two dimensionless attributes that we integrated into TESI, the capital adequacy ratio of banks, a precursor of banking crises, was selected from among seven precursors of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The other one, the ratio of international reserves to short term outstanding external debt, is itself a precursor of currency crises. Our method for designing TESI may easily be applied to other emerging markets provided that they have had at least one financial crisis in recent history.
A Novel Economic-Based Scheduling Heuristic for Computational Grids
Authors: Sonmez Omer Ozan , Gursoy Attila
Published: January 2007

In the economic-based computational grids we need effective schedulers not only to minimize the makespan but also to minimize the costs that are spent for the execution of the jobs. In this work, a novel economy driven job scheduling heuristic is proposed and a simulation application is developed by using GridSim toolkit to investigate the performance of the heuristic. The simulation-based experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic both in terms of parameter sweep and sequential workflow type of applications.
Computational Modeling of Hermetic Reciprocating Compressors
Authors: Yaşar O. , Koçaş M.
Published: January 2007

Detailed experimental measurements of a compressor (pressure, temperature, speed) are not easily available because of size, cost, and access difficulties. A comprehensive computer model is necessary to obtain pressure-volume diagrams for the compressor. The valve is a key component of a compressor as it determines both the efficiency and reliability of the compressor. The valves operate as a result of pressure differences between the ports and the gas chamber. Undesired vibrations and fatigue fracture of thin valves (0.2 mm steel sheet) have not been well understood and experimental difficulties do not allow a thorough analysis of the causes. Initial investigations and modifications to KIVA-3V showed this code can be used to model both gas and suction valve motion. Since the code was written for internal combustion engines, its adaptation to compressors proved to be a difficult task, particularly because of the orientation and complexity of valves. Extensive modifications were made to model an angularly moving valve system, however as we moved down from engine scale (10 cm) to compressor scale (1 cm), grid resolution became a challenge from time to time. Preliminary results showed that the design of the suction valve and the chamber impacts the pressure difference between the input port and the gas chamber. The higher the piston speed, the lower the pressure of the gas, making it perhaps more plausible to avoid premature valve closings at higher speeds. Even though it is still under investigation, valve location and the orientation of its loose end makes a difference to the pressure, suggesting that new designs may be necessary by manufacturers. Experimental data will be needed to validate our model and verify our observations. Future steps include adding a discharge valve and a fluid-solid interface (FSI) module to the modified KIVA-3V code in order to predict the motion of the valves as a result of their interaction with the chamber gas.
Quartic Non-Polynomial Splines Approach to the Solution of a System of Second-Order Boundary-Value Problems
Authors: Siraj-ul-Islam  , Tirmizi Ikram A. , Haq Fazal
Published: January 2007

Quartic non-polynomial spline functions are used to develop numerical methods for computing approximations to the solution of systems of second-order boundary-value problems associated with obstacle, unilateral, and contact problems. It is shown that the present methods give approximations, which are better than those produced by other collocation, finite-difference and spline methods. Convergence analysis of the method for obstacle problems is discussed. Numeric example’s given to illustrate practical usefulness of the new approach.
Lossless and Near-Lossless Compression of Ecg Signals with Block-Sorting Techniques
Authors: Arnavut Ziya
Published: January 2007

In this work, we investigate the lossless and near-lossless compression of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals with different block-sorting transformations. We show that transformations with smaller context depths are a better choice for ECG signal compression when speed and memory utilization are considered. Further, we show that compression results of our proposed technique is better than other well known techniques, such as bzip2, gzip, and the shorten waveform coder.
A Parallel Implementation: Real Space Green’s Function Technique
Authors: Onat Berk , Durukanoğlu Sondan , Dağ Hasan
Published: January 2007

We develop an MPI-based parallel algorithm to implement the real space Green’s function technique for calculating the vibrational density of states corresponding to a solid. The Hamiltonian describing the interactions between the atoms within the system is obtained from the embedded atom method. The parallel implementation speeds up calculation by an order of magnitude. The parallel implementation details and results are presented in this paper.
Data Partitioning with a Functional Performance Model of Heterogeneous Processors
Authors: Lastovetsky Alexey , Reddy Ravi
Published: January 2007

In this paper, we address the problem of optimal distribution of computational tasks on a network of heterogeneous computers when one or more tasks do not fit into the main memory of the processors and when relative speeds vary with the problem size. We propose a functional performance model of heterogeneous processors that integrates many essential features of a network of heterogeneous computers having a major impact on its performance such as the processor heterogeneity, the heterogeneity of memory structure, and the effects of paging. Under this model, the speed of each processor is represented by a continuous function of the size of the problem whereas traditional models use single numbers to represent the speeds of the processors. We formulate a problem of partitioning of an n-element set over p heterogeneous processors using this model and design an algorithm of the complexity O(p × log2n) solving the problem.
Performance Comparison of Coscheduling Algorithms for Non-Dedicated Clusters Through a Generic Framework
Authors: Choi Gyu Sang , Agarwal Saurabh , Kim Jin-Ha , Das Chita R. , Yoo Andy B.
Published: January 2007

In this paper, we address several key issues in designing coscheduling algorithms for clusters. First, we propose a generic framework for deploying coscheduling techniques by providing a reusable and dynamically loadable kernel module. Second, we implement several communication-driven coscheduling algorithms [ dynamic coscheduling (DCS), spin block (SB) and periodic boost (PB)] on a 16- node Linux cluster using the above framework. Third, with exhaustive experimentation using mixed workloads, we observe that unlike PB, which provided the best performance on a Solaris platform, the SB scheme outperforms all other techniques on a Linux platform. Finally, we investigate the impact of several job placement strategies, multiprogramming level (MPL), communication intensity and CPU and I/O intensive jobs on the performance of these coscheduling schemes. The experimental results show that the blocking-based coscheduling scheme (SB) has better tolerance to system workload variation compared with the spin-based schemes (DCS and PB), and overall, the blocking-based coscheduling scheme seems a better choice for non-dedicated Linux clusters.
High Resolution Aerospace Applications Using the NASA Columbia Supercomputer
Authors: Mavriplis Dimitri J. , Aftosmis Michael J. , Berger Marsha
Published: January 2007

This paper focuses on the parallel performance of two high-performance aerodynamic simulation packages on the newly installed NASA Columbia supercomputer. These packages include both a high-fidelity, unstructured, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver, and a fully-automated inviscid flow package for cut-cell Cartesian grids. The complementary combination of these two simulation codes enables high-fidelity characterization of aerospace vehicle design performance over the entire flight envelope through extensive parametric analysis and detailed simulation of critical regions of the flight envelope. Both packages are industrial-level codes designed for complex geometry and incorporate customized multigrid solution algorithms. The performance of these codes on Columbia is examined using both MPI and OpenMP and using both the NUMAlink and InfiniBand interconnect fabrics. Numerical results demonstrate good scalability on up to 2016 CPUs using the NUMAlink4 interconnect, with measured computational rates in the vicinity of 3 TFLOP/s, while InfiniBand showed some performance degradation at high CPU counts, particularly with multigrid. Nonetheless, the results are encouraging enough to indicate that larger test cases using combined MPI/OpenMP communication should scale well on even more processors.
New life course dynamics?
Authors: Vinken Henk
Published: January 2007

A new life course model is gaining in importance. This life course model is de-standardized, biographized and dynamized. De-standardization, for instance, decouples social roles and life course phases. Biographization stresses biographical reflexivity, especially in the form of imagining one’s biographical future and monitoring the fit of this future with one’s own preferences. Dynamization also prioritizes a constant flow of changes. This article looks at the cultural and social determinants of this new life course model. It focuses on career orientations and addresses the role of classic social inequalities as well as work values and time perceptions. Our pilot study (2002, N 961) reports on the support for five career anchors (e.g. the Entrepreneur, the Localist) and four career concepts (e.g. Expert or Transitory) of Dutch young people. It seems that young people under 30 years of age (as opposed to those over 30) keep their career options open, do not favour only one specific career anchor, and support a career concept that reflects dynamic change. Work values hardly and future orientations moderately influence young people’s career orientations.
Social transitions and anomie among post-communist Bulgarian youth
Authors: Ådnanes Marian
Published: January 2007

Bulgarian society after 1989 has been characterized as a typical risk society, both causing and caused by anomie. The present article tested the standardized anomie scale for underlying dimensions, measured the level of anomie among 560 Bulgarian university students, and explored factors associated with feelings of anomie. A factor analysis revealed three dimensions of anomie: one reflecting individual psychological reactions, indicating personal helplessness towards the post-communist transition, and two reflecting feelings of nostalgia and normlessness in the face of that transition. The level of anomie was considerably higher in Bulgarian students than Swedish students, and lower in Albanian students, suggesting that social circumstances make a difference to the level. Separate regression analysis revealed that psychological anomie reflects a situation of strain, explained by poor income, socio-economic loss, disappointment with reform, and strong feelings of hopelessness for the future. Nevertheless, this dimension of anomie reflected support for the democratic intentions of reform, and a certain political engagement. Psychological anomie and feelings of normlessness were more frequently reported by female students. Unlike psychological anomie, anomic attitudes of nostalgia and normlessness did not reflect a situation of socio-economic loss or strain. Whereas nostalgia mainly reflected disapproval of, and resistance to, reform, the association between normlessness and aspirations for a future career reflected a positive and progressive mentality.
Socialization practices of Moroccan families after migration
Authors: Pels Trees , De Haan Mariëtte
Published: January 2007

This article compares the pre-migration and post-migration socialization practices of Moroccan families in The Netherlands. Our main theoretical interest is in continuity and change in the reconstruction of socialization practices in new contexts and how the nature of this reconstruction can be understood. The article addresses social organization in general, the social organization of the family, values and goals related to upbringing and practices of upbringing. The findings indicate a changed power balance in the family, a diminishing distance between parents and children, and a more egalitarian style of parenting. These changes are interpreted against the idea of the ‘loss of locality’ and the reproduction of old practices in new contexts in which cultural differences do not count ‘as such’but become the input for a complex process in which both local and more global developments, both resistance to change and attempts to adapt constantly interact.
Self-concept consistency and future orientation during the transition to adulthood
Authors: Adamson Lena , Ferrer-Wreder Laura , Kerpelman Jennifer
Published: January 2007

The aim of the study, upon which this article is based, was to investigate self-concept consistency and orientation towards the future in a sample of Swedish late adolescents (mean age 18.5). The introject part of structural analysis of social behaviour questionnaire, a future index, and an incomplete sentence task were administered to 132 participants. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that participants with an inconsistent self-concept had a significantly more negative view of their future relative to those with a consistent self-concept. Qualitative analyses were consistent with quantitative findings but also revealed similarities among respondents in terms of ‘what’ they think about, when they think about their futures. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of theoretical models of self-concept consistency and successful developmental transitions to adulthood.
Growth factor independence-1 (Gfi-1) plays a role in mediating specific granule deficiency (SGD) in a patient lacking a gene-inactivating mutation in the C/EBPϵ gene
Authors: Khanna-Gupta Arati , Sun Hong , Zibello Theresa , Lee Han Myung , Dahl Richard , Boxer Laurence A. , Berliner Nancy
Published: January 2007

Neutrophil-specific granule deficiency (SGD) is a rare congenital disorder marked by recurrent bacterial infections. Neutrophils from SGD patients lack secondary and tertiary granules and their content proteins and lack normal neutrophil functions. Gene-inactivating mutations in the C/EBPϵ gene have been identified in 2 SGD patients. Our studies on a third SGD patient revealed a heterozygous mutation in the C/EBPϵ gene. However, we demonstrate elevated levels of C/EBPϵ and PU.1 proteins in the patient's peripheral blood neutrophils. The expression of the transcription factor growth factor independence-1 (Gfi-1), however, was found to be markedly reduced in our SGD patient despite the absence of an obvious mutation in this gene. This may explain the elevated levels of both C/EBPϵ and PU.1, which are targets of Gfi-1 transcriptional repression. We have generated a growth factor–dependent EML cell line from the bone marrow of Gfi-1+/− and Gfi-1+/+ mice as a model for Gfi-1–deficient SGD, and demonstrate that lower levels of Gfi-1 expression in the Gfi-1+/− EML cells is associated with reduced levels of secondary granule protein (SGP) gene expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate a positive role for Gfi-1 in SGP expression, in that Gfi-1 binds to and up-regulates the promoter of neutrophil collagenase (an SGP gene), in cooperation with wild-type but not with mutant C/EBPϵ. We hypothesize that decreased Gfi-1 levels in our SGD patient, together with the mutant C/EBPϵ, block SGP expression, thereby contributing to the underlying etiology of the disease in our patient.