bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE RELATIONSHIP OF STAFFING PRACTICES TO ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
Authors: TERPSTRA DAVID E. , ROZELL ELIZABETH J.
Published: September 2010

Scholars have noted the relative lack of research on the contribution of effective staffing practices to organizational level measures of performance (Schmitt & Schneider, 1983). We collected survey data from the heads of the HRM departments of 201 organizations regarding the extent of use of five staffing practices supported by the academic literature. We also investigated whether organizations that used more of these practices had higher levels of profitability and sales growth than organizations that used fewer of them. We found a significant positive relationship between organizations’use of the five staffing practices and both annual profit and profit growth across all industries. However, the strength of the relationship between the use of the staffing practices and organizational performance was found to vary by industry type. We also found that the extent of use of the staffing practices was related to both industry type and organizational size. Our study provides some initial data on the possible positive impact of these staffing practices on organizational level outcomes.
THE DECISION TO IMPLEMENT GAINSHARING: THE ROLE OF WORK CLIMATE, EXPECTED OUTCOMES, AND UNION STATUS
Authors: COLLINS DENIS , HATCHER LARRY , ROSS TIMOTHY L.
Published: September 2010

This study empirically examines several factors that may predict management decisions to implement high‐involvement gainsharing plans, interventions that pay company‐wide bonuses for performance improvements and encourage employee involvement in work decisions. It addresses the question: why does one facility that considers implementing a gainsharing plan decide to do so, while another facility does not? In 59 facilities (32 nonunion and 27 union) considering the implementation of a gainsharing plan, 485 upper‐level managers evaluated the work climate in their facilities (participation, identity, cooperation, and expected plan support) and rated the anticipated outcomes of the intervention. Union status had no direct relationship with the implementation decision. A significant interaction showed that implementation was positively related to participation and expected outcomes in the nonunion facilities, but was unrelated to these variables in the unionized facilities. The results provided little support for a “transformation” model of plan implementation and moderate support for a "compatibility" model.
SELF‐REPORTED ASSERTIVE JOB‐SEEKING BEHAVIORS OF MINIMALLY EDUCATED JOB HUNTERS
Authors: SCHMIT MARK J. , AMEL ELISE L. , RYAN ANN MARIE
Published: September 2010

Little research attention has focused on the job‐search behavior of minimally educated workers. The primary objective of the studies reported was to examine the relationship of self‐reported assertive job‐hunting behavior to acquisition of employment among minimally educated workers. The results of three studies provide: (a) construct validity evidence for the Assertive Job‐Hunting Survey (AJHS; Becker, 1980), (b) evidence for construct similarity across minimally educated job seeker and college student populations, (c) evidence of a significant relationship between the AJHS and both subjective and objective job acquisition criteria in postdictive and predictive research designs, and (d) evidence that the AJHS, a measure of a non‐cognitive variable, can make a unique contribution to the prediction of job acquisition beyond cognitive ability measures.
Photoluminescence Piezospectroscopy: A Multi‐Purpose Quality Control and NDI Technique for Thermal Barrier Coatings
Authors: Gell Maurice , Sridharan Swetha , Wen Mei , Jordan Eric H.
Published: September 2010

Many thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications have been hampered by the lack of accurate quality control, nondestructive inspection, remaining life assessment, and lifetime prediction tools for TBCs. Photoluminescence piezospectroscopy (PLPS) has the potential to provide these capabilities. The PLPS technique provides for the measurement of stress in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) and for the determination of TGO type (α, θ, γ alumina) and distribution. The capability of PLPS for these various applications will be described based on specimen and engine component measurements.
Mechanical Properties/Database of Plasma‐Sprayed ZrO2‐8wt% Y2O3 Thermal Barrier Coatings
Authors: Choi Sung R. , Zhu Dongming , Miller Robert A.
Published: September 2010

Mechanical behavior of free‐standing, plasma‐sprayed ZrO2‐8wt% Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings, including strength, fracture toughness, fatigue, constitutive relation, elastic modulus, and directionality, have been determined under various loading‐specimen configurations. This paper presents and describes a summary of mechanical properties of the plasma‐sprayed coating material to provide them as a design database.
NON‐NEWTONIAN CANNED LIQUID FOOD, UNSTEADY FLUID MECHANICS AND HEAT TRANSFER PREDICTION FOR PASTEURIZATION AND STERILIZATION
Authors: MORAGA NELSON , TORRES ALEJANDRA , GUARDA ABEL , GALOTTO MARÍA JOSÉ
Published: September 2010

Unsteady fluid mechanics and natural convective heat transfer during pasteurization and sterilization for aqueous (CMC solution) and fatty (soybean oil) liquid foods were numerically predicted by means of noncommercial computational program developed in this work. This software is based on the finite volume method and the food simulants are assumed to be non‐Newtonian fluids with a temperature‐dependent power‐law viscosity model. Different cylindrical container materials were analyzed (LDPE, PA, PP, galvanized steel), with h/d equal to 0.53, 1.56 and 3.12. Results obtained show that the time required for sterilization is strongly dependent on the liquid food rheological behavior. A recirculating flow pattern was found inside the cylindrical container for the aqueous food stimulant. The Tshz variation with the dimensionless time was faster heating when the h/d decreases. The fastest heating pasteurization and sterilization processes were obtained for CMC solutions inside cylindrical packages with a pseudoplastic behavior.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

There is a vast body of literature about transport phenomena of thermal treatment of packaged food. However, this literature is restricted when the analyzed foods show a non‐Newtonian behavior. The methodology described in this paper aims to contribute to the understanding of pasteurization and sterilization of packaged non‐Newtonian liquid foods through the implementation of a fast and accurate tool for the optimization of the operational parameters in these treatments, as well as in the design of packaging materials. Commercially available computational fluid dynamics is a powerful tool for the analysis of transient heat transfer packages that allow it to simulate almost any geometry or even import it as Computer Aided Design (CFX, FLUENT and others). Also, rheological properties can be introduced by applying user‐defined functions. The noncommercial computational program developed in this work allows modifying operation, rheological and design parameters without restrictions. The versatility of these tools can complement experimental studies decreasing the time required to the design of the package and its associated costs.

On the other hand, an accurate prediction of the unsteady fluid mechanics and natural convective heat transfer during thermal treatments allows estimating the adequate conditions to preserve the quality of packaged foods, along with reduction in energy consumption, resulting in low contamination.
Calcific annuli in the aorta of a dog
Authors: DEAR M. G.
Published: September 2010

This report describes a case with calcific annuli in the aorta, together with severe mitral insufficiency of the heart as well as myocarditis and bronchitis. Physical, radiographic, electrocardiographic, biochemical and haematological features are reported. The incidence of calcification of the cardiovascular system, the site and nature of the calcific lesion and haeniodynamic correlates with the combination of coarctation of the aorta and mitral insufficiency in man are discussed.

Résumé. On rapporte un cas de calcifications annulaires de l'aorte, accompagnées d'insuffisance mitrale, de myocardite et de bronchite; on décrit les constatations d'ordre physique, radiologique, électrocardiographique, biochimique et hématologique. On discute la fréquence des calcifications du système cardiovasculaire, leur siège, leur nature, leurs implications hémodynamiques et les rapports qui existent entre elles et l'association du rétrécissement aortique et l'insuffisance mitrale dans l'espèce humaine.

Zusammenfassung. Dieser Bericht beschreibt einen Fall von calcifizierten Annuli in der Aorta in Verbindung mit schwerer Mitralinsuffizienz des Herzens, Myocarditis und Bronchitis. Körperliche, röntgenologische, elektrokardiographische, biochemische und hämatologische Befunde werden angegeben. Korrelationen der Häufigkeit der Calcifizierung des cardiovasculären Systems, des Ortes und des Charakters dieser Läsion und der Blutdruckverhältnisse mit der Kombination von Aortenisthmusstenose und Mitralinsuffizienz beim Menschen werden besprochen.
Renal function in dogs with lymphosarcoma and associated hypercalcaemia
Authors: Weller R. E. , Hoffinan W. E.
Published: September 2010

Renal function was investigated in 12 dogs with lymphosarcoma and accompanying hypercalcaemia. There was no age or breed predilection. Renal function was evaluated using the endogenous clearance of creatinine to estimate glomerular filtration rate and urinary and fractional excretion of endogenous substances. Standard serum biochemical determinations and urinalyses were also employed. Serum calcium concentrations were high (>2·99 mmol/litre) in ail dogs, while serum phosphorus concentrations approximated or were below those of normocal‐caemic dogs in most cases. Hypercalcaemic nephropathy and impaired renal function were evident in all 12 dogs studied. Ten of the dogs (83 per cent) were isosthenuria and 11 (92 per cent) were hypercalciuric. Endogenous creatinine clearance was reduced by more than 50 per cent in all dogs examined. Urinary and fractional excretions of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride and potassium were increased over reference values. The observed alterations in renal function could be attributed to the direct effects of a high concentration of intrarenal calcium on renal tubular function and haemodynamics and to the presence of a renotropic factor that interacted specifically with the parathyroid hormone receptor in the kidney.
Treatment of distal diaphyseal fractures using hybrid external skeletal fixation in three dogs
Authors: Clarke S. P. , Carmichael S.
Published: September 2010

Stabilisation of distal diaphyseal/metaphyseal fractures or osteotomies of the tibia and the radius is challenging due to the small fragment size, with innovative implants and external skeletal fixation systems described for their management. Hybrid external skeletal fixation is a novel external fixation system for use in small animals. This case series describes the management of distal diaphyseal fractures with IMEX‐SK hybrid external skeletal fixation in three canine patients. Fracture healing was achieved in all cases, with frame removal after 5 to 10 weeks. Minimal complications were encountered in two cases. IMEX‐SK hybrid external skeletal fixation constructs provide the veterinary surgeon with another option in the management of distal diaphyseal/metaphyseal fractures.
The Hippocratic Bargain and Health Information Technology
Authors: Rothstein Mark A.
Published: September 2010

Since the fourth century, B.C.E., the Oath of Hippocrates has been the starting point in analyzing the obligations of physicians to protect the privacy and confidentiality interests of their patients. The pertinent provision of the Oath reads as follows: “What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account must be spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.”

This part of the Oath is subject to more than one interpretation, but its commonly accepted meaning provides the ethical foundation for the physician’s duty of confidentiality. The Oath expressly declares that a physician’s obligation of confidentiality applies beyond matters of medical care. At a time when there were no hospitals or physician offices, patients received medical care in their homes or in public places. Physicians treating patients in their homes could be expected to see and hear a wide range of activities that might be considered embarrassing, immoral, or even illegal.
Generation of Chemisorbed Benzyl Radicals on Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Arce Valeria B. , Rosso Janina A. , Oliveira Fernando J. V. E. , Airoldi Claudio , Soria Delia B. , Gonzalez Mónica C. , Allegretti Patricia E. , Mártire Daniel O.
Published: September 2010

Functionalized silica nanoparticles (NP) were obtained by esterification of the silanol groups of fumed silica nanoparticles with benzyl alcohol. These particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, total organic carbon, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, UV‐visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. NP suspensions in water/acetonitrile mixtures were used as quenchers of benzophenone (BP) phosphorescence in time‐resolved experiments at the excitation wavelength of 266 nm. The phosphorescence signals obtained in the presence of the nanoparticles were fitted to biexponential decays. Both decays were accelerated in the presence of increasing amounts of NP. A model, including the reversible adsorption of BP on the NP, which was supported by computer simulations accounts for the observed results. Laser flash‐photolysis experiments with excitation at 266 nm of NP suspensions in water/acetonitrile in the presence of BP generated benzyl radicals that were attached to the silica surface. These radicals were detected at their absorption maxima (320 nm) by transient optical techniques.
Runoff management during the September 2008 floods in the Belford catchment, Northumberland
Authors: Wilkinson M.E. , Quinn P.F. , Welton P.
Published: September 2010

On 5–6th September 2008, prolonged rainfall in the north east of England resulted in flooding in many towns. Belford lies within this region and has a history of flooding, but on this occasion, flooding was minimal. Numerous houses and businesses are at a risk of flooding but traditional flood defence measures are not considered to be cost effective. In the year before the storm, a series of runoff attenuation features had been developed in the Belford catchment (∼6 km2) as part of Farm Integrated Runoff Management plans. Water‐level data from the stream and pilot feature indicated the effectiveness of the feature in storing and slowing runoff during the September 2008 storm. These data indicated that the pilot feature held runoff for approximately 8 h. The effect that this had on the travel time of the peak was significant: it increased from 20 to 35 min.
Review of rainfall frequency estimation methods
Authors: Svensson C. , Jones D.A.
Published: September 2010

This review outlines nationwide methods for point rainfall frequency estimation currently in use in nine different countries: Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. For the United Kingdom, the Flood Studies Report method from 1975 is described as well as the current Flood Estimation Handbook method. The focus is on return periods relevant to reservoir design, in the region of 100–10 000 years. There is considerable difficulty in estimating long return period rainfalls from short data records and there is no obviously ‘best’ way of doing it. Each country's method is different, but most use some form of regionalisation to transfer information from surrounding sites to the target point. Several of the methods are variations of a regionalisation method that combines a local estimate of an index variable (typically the mean or the median annual maximum rainfall) with a regionally derived growth curve to obtain a design rainfall estimate. Three of the methods use regions centred on the site of interest, rather than fixed‐boundary regions. Different statistical distributions and fitting methods are used, with the Generalised Extreme Value distribution being the most common.
Exercises of Executive Stock Options on the Vesting Date
Authors: Fu Xudong , Ligon James A.
Published: September 2010

We investigate the motives for executives to exercise executive stock options on the options’ vesting date versus a later early exercise. We find that executives frequently exercise on the vesting date, executives with a greater need for portfolio diversification and riskier underlying stocks are more likely to exercise their options on the vesting date versus a later early exercise, and private information appears less relevant to vesting date exercises.
Momentum and the Disposition Effect: The Role of Individual Investors
Authors: Hur Jungshik , Pritamani Mahesh , Sharma Vivek
Published: September 2010

We hypothesize that disposition effect‐induced momentum documented in Grinblatt and Han (2005) should be stronger in stocks with greater individual investors’ presence since individual investors are more prone to the disposition effect. We find strong evidence for our hypothesis for a large sample of NYSE/AMEX/NASDAQ stocks from the end of 1980 to 2005. Our results hold across different momentum strategies using alternative ways of defining individual investors’ presence in a stock and maintain even after controlling for variables known to drive momentum. Furthermore, we find that our results are stronger for hard‐to‐value stocks consistent with the findings of Kumar (2009).
Le secteur des hautes technologies au Canada: une poussée récente de petites firmes à la recherche de la croissance
Authors: Amesse Fernand , Lamy Pierre
Published: September 2010

Cet article fait état des recherches poursuivies depuis 1985 sur les caractéristiques et l'évolution du secteur des hautes technologies au Canada. Nous y discutons extensivement des problèmes méthodologiques reliés à la définition du secteur des hautes technologies et au développement d'une banque de données.

Les premiers résultats révèlent que ce secteur comptait, en 1983, pour 4,2% de l'emploi manufacturer. Il est essentiellement concentré à Toronto, Montréal et Ottawa. C'est un univers de firmes petites et jeunes puisque 60% des firmes ont moins de 50 employés et que 54% ont été créées depuis 1972. Bien que le secteur ait crǔ à un laux annuel de 8,7% en termes d'emplois de 1979 à 1983, on observe tout de měme que près d'une firme sur trois n'a connu aucune croissance.

This article reviews research in progress since 1985 on the characteristics and development of high technology industries in Canada. Particular attention is given to methodological problems associated with the definition of high technology sector and to the creation of a data bank. Early results show that the high technology sector in 1983 accounted 4,2 percent of employment in all manufacturing industries. It is essentially concentrated in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. It is a population of small, young firms where 60 percent have fewer than 50 employees and 54 percent where established after 1972. Although the aggregate growth of the high technology employment was 8,7 percent annually during the period 1979–83, nearly one out of three firms experienced no growth.
Social Structuration of the Field of Entrepreneurship: A Case Study
Authors: Déry Richard , Toulouse Jean‐Marie
Published: September 2010

As part of the emergence of an epistemology specific to the field of entrepreneurship research, this article aims to reveal the social structuration of knowledge in entrepreneurship, through the empirical study of articles published in the Journal of Business Venturing between its founding in 1986, and 1993. This research, by virtue of its empirical approach based on methods of network analysis widely used in the sociology of science and technology, tends to substitute a social representation of the field of entrepreneurship research for the essentially cognitive and formal representation characteristic of most epistemological reflections in this field. At the end of this study, the field of entrepreneurship research appears as an intricate network, where researchers and institutions are involved in a social and collective game of strategic struggles and alliances. Furthermore, this field of research appears as a largely fragmented space fraught with the traps inherent to disciplinary introversion.

S'inscrivant dans l'émergence d'une épistémologie propre au champ de recherche en entrepreneurship, l'article vise à mettre au jour la structuration sociale des connaissances en entrepreneurship, par l'étude empirique das articles parus dans le Journal of Business Venturing depuis sa fondation en 1986 jusqu'en 1993. Par sa démarche empirique fondée sur les méthodes d'analyse de réseau largement utilisées en sociologie des sciences et des techniques, cette recherche conduit alors à substituer une représentation sociale du champ de recherche en entrepreneurship à la représentation essentiellement cognitive et formelle qui marque la plupart des réflexions d'ordre épistémologique que l'on trouve dans le champ. Au terme de cette recherche, le champ de recherche en entrepreneurship se présente sous la forme d'un enchevêtrement de réseaux oà chercheurs et institutions sont engagés dans un jeu social et collectif de luttes et d'alliances stratégiques. En outre, le champ de recherche se présente comme un espace largement fragmenté au prise avec les pièges inhérents au cloisonnement disciplinaire.
Nuclear Waste Vitrification in the United States: Recent Developments and Future Options
Authors: Vienna John D.
Published: September 2010

Nuclear power plays a key role in maintaining current worldwide energy growth while minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions. A disposition path for used nuclear fuel (UNF) must be found for this technology to achieve its promise. One likely option is to recycle UNF and immobilize the high‐level waste (HLW) by vitrification. Vitrification is the technology of choice for immobilizing HLW from defense and commercial fuel reprocessing around the world. Recent advances in both recycling technology and vitrification show great promise in closing the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle in an efficient fashion. This article summarizes the recent trends, developments, and future options in waste vitrification for both defense waste cleanup and closing the nuclear fuel cycle in the United States.
Modeling Material-Degradation-Induced Elastic Property of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
Authors: Bawolin N. K. , Li M. G. , Chen X. B. , Zhang W. J.
Published: September 2010

The mechanical properties of tissue engineering scaffolds play a critical role in the success of repairing damaged tissues/organs. Determining the mechanical properties has proven to be a challenging task as these properties are not constant but depend upon time as the scaffold degrades. In this study, the modeling of the time-dependent mechanical properties of a scaffold is performed based on the concept of finite element model updating. This modeling approach contains three steps: (1) development of a finite element model for the effective mechanical properties of the scaffold, (2) parametrizing the finite element model by selecting parameters associated with the scaffold microstructure and/or material properties, which vary with scaffold degradation, and (3) identifying selected parameters as functions of time based on measurements from the tests on the scaffold mechanical properties as they degrade. To validate the developed model, scaffolds were made from the biocompatible polymer polycaprolactone (PCL) mixed with hydroxylapatite (HA) nanoparticles and their mechanical properties were examined in terms of the Young modulus. Based on the bulk degradation exhibited by the PCL/HA scaffold, the molecular weight was selected for model updating. With the identified molecular weight, the finite element model developed was effective for predicting the time-dependent mechanical properties of PCL/HA scaffolds during degradation.
Integrating Parameter Estimation Solutions From the Time and Time-Scale Domains
Authors: McCusker James R. , Danai Kourosh
Published: September 2010

A method of parameter estimation was recently introduced that separately estimates each parameter of the dynamic model [1]. In this method, regions coined as parameter signatures, are identified in the time-scale domain wherein the prediction error can be attributed to the error of a single model parameter. Based on these single-parameter associations, individual model parameters can then be estimated for iterative estimation. Relative to nonlinear least squares, the proposed Parameter Signature Isolation Method (PARSIM) has two distinct attributes. One attribute of PARSIM is to leave the estimation of a parameter dormant when a parameter signature cannot be extracted for it. Another attribute is independence from the contour of the prediction error. The first attribute could cause erroneous parameter estimates, when the parameters are not adapted continually. The second attribute, on the other hand, can provide a safeguard against local minima entrapments. These attributes motivate integrating PARSIM with a method, like nonlinear least-squares, that is less prone to dormancy of parameter estimates. The paper demonstrates the merit of the proposed integrated approach in application to a difficult estimation problem.
Tracking Control for Nonholonomic Wheeled Mobile Robot With Wheel Slip Dynamics
Authors: Tian Yu , Sidek Shahrul Naim , Sarkar Nilanjan
Published: September 2010

In order to model a Wheeled Mobile Robot (WMR) system to improve its maneuverability in a real environment, wheel dynamics, which may violate no-slipping and pure rolling constraints, needs to be studied. In this paper, wheel dynamics with slip is modeled and introduced into the robot overall dynamics. Wheel slip phenomenon is captured and at the same time accommodated. Considering both lateral and longitudinal slip phenomena due to traction, a WMR system becomes an underactuated dynamic system with second order nonholonomic constraints. Position tracking control law is developed to asymptotically stabilize the system while it is converging to the desired trajectory, if the traction is not saturated. Simulation results are provided to validate the theoretical results.
Generation of Optimal Fire-Line for Fighting Wildland Fires Using Genetic Algorithms
Authors: HomChaudhuri Baisravan , Zhao Sheng , Cohen Kelly , Kumar Manish
Published: September 2010

Every year all over the world, wildfires do extensive damages to the human lives, properties and natural resources. National Interagency Fire Center data provides a detailed description of the severe damages caused by the wildfires every year. Forest Fire Decision Support Systems (FFDSS) have been developed all over the world during the last thirty years with the purpose of fire detection, fire behavior prediction, and risk assessment. But optimized wildland fire containment strategies are largely lacking in these FFDSS. In this paper, decision making strategies have been formulated for wildland fire suppression so that the total burned area and hence the damage is minimized. This goal is achieved by the application of optimization tools such as the Genetic Algorithms (GA). For a given number of resources, the GA will determine their best utilization strategy so that the total area burnt is minimized. For generating optimal strategies for resource utilization, the Genetic Algorithm uses an advanced fire propagation model that predicts the propagation of wildland fires under given environmental conditions and topography. The fire-fighting strategy considered in this paper is fireline generation. Using the Genetic Algorithm, the optimal fireline is built that minimizes the area of land burned. GA also provides the proper locations of the attacking crews so that the fireline is built before the fire escapes. Using these intelligent decision making strategies, the damage caused due to a forest fire can be minimized significantly.
Design and Validation of a High Energy Density Elastic Accumulator Using Polyurethane
Authors: Pedchenko Alexander , Barth Eric J.
Published: September 2010

Hydraulic accumulators (HAs) have been used successfully in regenerative braking systems by companies such as Ford and Eaton Corp. to increase fuel efficiency of heavy vehicles by as much as 25–35%. However, the relatively low gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of conventional HAs prohibit their use in average-sized passenger vehicles. In an attempt to address this problem, an elastomer will be used to construct a HA that will use strain as the primary energy storing mechanism. By using strain in the composition material, as opposed to compression of a precharged gas, this accumulator should virtually eliminate heat losses due to extended holding times. Because its gravimetric and volumetric elastic energy storage density values are among the highest of any material, polyurethane was the elastomer chosen as the constituent material. Using a curable type of polyurethane, an α-prototype is currently being manufactured to provide empirical data for validation.
Non-Uniform Velocity Profile Compensation for an Electric Bicycle Based on Repetitive Control With Sinusoidal and Non-Sinusoidal Internal Models
Authors: Fan Xuan , Iwase Masami , Tomizuka Masayoshi
Published: September 2010

This paper considers the application of repetitive control in improving the comfort of electric bicycle riders under uphill riding condition. A particular problem addressed is the nonuniform torque input from the rider. The human torque input can be decomposed into two parts: the DC or near-DC local average torque and the fluctuating torque. The latter is due to nonuniform pedal torque production by the rider and is near periodic. It makes the acceleration and the velocity of the bicycle non-uniform, which is pronounced at low speeds. This makes uphill climbing a difficult task for the rider. Repetitive control will be used in this paper to compensate for this component during low speed uphill riding. We will consider both sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal periodic models for the non-uniform torque generated by the rider. The time-varying characteristic of the rider input will be dealt with by both time domain and pedal-angle domain methods. Simulation results for both cases will be shown and compared.
An Optimal Power Management Strategy for Hydraulic Hybrid Output Coupled Power-Split Transmission
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Ivantysynova Monika
Published: September 2010

Power-split drive represents a class of Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that combines the convenience of CVT with the high overall transmission efficiency. In its hybrid configuration, a high pressure accumulator is used to capture the braking energy that is regenerated to aid the engine power during the next propulsion event. Output coupled power split drives are particularly suited for small and medium duty vehicle applications. In this work, optimal power management strategy has been designed based on Dynamic Programming approach. Although the control strategy obtained by Dynamic Programming is non-causal, it represents the benchmark solution against which other implementable power management schemes can be compared. Another control strategy based on instantaneous optimization is also discussed where a given cost function is minimized at every instant. It results in a sub-optimal solution that is practical and implementable. Finally, Dynamic Programming results are utilized to discuss the possible improvements that can be made to the instantaneous optimization based control strategy.
Effect of Installed Hydraulic Corner Power on the Energy Consumption and Performance of Multi-Actuator Displacement Controlled Mobile Machines
Authors: Zimmerman Joshua , Ivantysynova Monika
Published: September 2010

In this paper a displacement controlled actuation system is presented as an alternative to using control valves in mobile hydraulic systems. Differences in the inherent characteristics pertaining to efficiency and productivity of the two systems are discussed. Due to these differences an initial observation seems to be that the total required corner power of the pumps installed in the displacement controlled system must be much greater than that of a valve controlled system. An excavator system is selected as a sample application and analysis is performed to determine how much installed corner power is required by the displacement controlled system to maintain at least the same overall productivity as the valve controlled system. The energy consumed by the displacement controlled system is also examined with respect to the installed corner power.
Stabilization of a tungsten ⟨310⟩ cold field emitter
Authors: Kasuya Keigo , Katagiri Souichi , Ohshima Takashi , Kokubo Shigeru
Published: September 2010

Cold-field-emission current from a tungsten ⟨310⟩ emitter in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) gun, evacuated by an ion pump and a supplementary nonevaporative getter pump, was stabilized. It was verified that the probe current from a local (310) crystal plane exhibits different time variations in comparison to that of total current. As for the probe current under a pressure of 2×10−9 Pa, a stable plateau region—which lasted about 4 h—appeared just after flashing of the emitter. By observing emission patterns, it was verified that these different emission characteristics are originated from the anisotropy of current decay in accordance with crystal planes. With low-temperature “mild flashings” at 700 °C, the plateau region was extended to 12 h, which is long enough for practical SEM application. The superior properties of the plateau region, namely, high current, low noise, and small current variation, will enhance the performance and usability of electron microscopes.
Hemispheric Aerosol Vertical Profiles: Anthropogenic Impacts on Optical Depth and Cloud Nuclei
Authors: Clarke Antony , Kapustin Vladimir
Published: September 2010

Clean or Dirty

Aerosols strongly affect atmospheric properties and processes—including visibility, cloud formation, and radiative behavior. Knowing their effects in both clean and polluted air is necessary in order to understand their influence (see the Perspective by

Baltensperger

).
Clarke and Kapustin
(p.
1488
) examine vertical atmospheric profiles collected above the Pacific Ocean, where air quality is affected by the transport of polluted air from the west, and find significant regional enhancements in light scattering, aerosol mass, and aerosol number associated with combustion. Aerosol particle concentrations in this region can exceed values in clean, unperturbed regions by over an order of magnitude. Thus combustion affects hemispheric aerosol optical depth and the distribution of cloud condensation nuclei.

Pöschl
et al.

(p.
1513
) discuss the composition of aerosols above the Amazon Basin, in the pristine conditions of the rainy season. The aerosols in this region are derived mostly from gaseous biogenic precursors, plants, and microorganisms, and particle concentration is orders of magnitude lower than in polluted continental regions.
Seismic Images of the Biggest Crash on Earth
Authors: Kind Rainer , Yuan Xiaohui
Published: September 2010

Several large seismic experiments are providing a large-scale and detailed picture of the Indian tectonic plate diving underneath Tibet.
Differential Arginylation of Actin Isoforms Is Regulated by Coding Sequence–Dependent Degradation
Authors: Zhang Fangliang , Saha Sougata , Shabalina Svetlana A. , Kashina Anna
Published: September 2010

Making Modifications

Arginylation of β-actin regulates cell motility and the actin cytoskeleton, but how differential arginylation of the two highly similar actin isoforms—β and γ—is achieved in vivo is unclear.

Zhang
et al.

(p.
1534
; see the Perspective by

Weygand-Durasevic and Ibba

) describe a cotranslational mechanism that selectively regulates the arginylation of proteins through degradation and is dependent on the nucleotide coding sequence coupled to the translation speed. The work provides an explanation for the different N-terminal arginylation states of β- and γ-actin in vivo and suggests translation rate affected by nucleotide coding sequence confers different posttranslational states to proteins and selectively regulates protein degradation.
Relating Introspective Accuracy to Individual Differences in Brain Structure
Authors: Fleming Stephen M. , Weil Rimona S. , Nagy Zoltan , Dolan Raymond J. , Rees Geraint
Published: September 2010

Naval Gazing

Simple perceptual tasks, such as detecting the contrast between light and dark bars in a grating, have been a mainstay of psychophysical research for decades. This kind of task makes it possible to obtain both an objective measure of how accurate subjects are and a subjective measure of how confident they are in their judgments.

Fleming
et al.

(p.
1541
; see the Perspective by

Lau and Maniscalco

) have taken this approach one step further by constructing a measure of how accurate subjects are in their confidence judgments. This capacity for introspection, which can be regarded as one facet of metacognition (thinking about thinking), is shown to vary across individuals and to correlate positively with the gray matter volume of the frontopolar cortex (the frontmost region of the brain) and also with white matter in the tracts of the corpus callosum that connect these regions in the left and right hemispheres.
Melting of Peridotite to 140 Gigapascals
Authors: Fiquet G. , Auzende A. L. , Siebert J. , Corgne A. , Bureau H. , Ozawa H. , Garbarino G.
Published: September 2010

Under Pressure

In order to understand the behavior of materials in the solid deep Earth, it is important to be able to estimate how a material melts at high pressure. To this end,

Fiquet
et al.

(p.
1516
) performed experiments using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell coupled to in situ synchrotron measurements of peridotite rock—a mixture of minerals thought to represent Earth's upper mantle—across a wide pressure range. The results suggest that liquid phases may exist at very high pressure values, such that seismically anomalous zones near the boundary between the core and the mantle may result from isolated pockets of melt. Along similar lines, the base of primitive Earth's mantle may have acquired its trace element signature from partial melting of certain mineral phases higher up in the mantle.
Aerosols in Clearer Focus
Authors: Baltensperger Urs
Published: September 2010

Two studies provide insight into aerosol characteristics and cloud formation in regions with widely different aerosol concentrations.
A Test of the Snowball Theory for the Rate of Evolution of Hybrid Incompatibilities
Authors: Matute Daniel R. , Butler Ian A. , Turissini David A. , Coyne Jerry A.
Published: September 2010

Rolling Snowballs

The genetic incompatibilities that separate ongoing speciation events have been hypothesized by the Dobzhansky-Muller model of speciation to snowball—that is, accumulate mutations causing postzygotic isolation at a faster rate than the linear accumulation of mutations. This occurs because of potential deleterious epistatic interactions in hybrids involving two or more interacting genes. Testing QTLs (quantitative trait loci) in seed and pollen sterility between multiple species pairs in the plant group
Solanum
,
Moyle and Nakazato
(p.
1521
) show that hybrid female (seed) sterility accumulates exponentially between increasingly distant species pairs, although not for hybrid male (pollen) sterility. In contrast, loci contributing to differences in other traits show no evidence for nonlinear accumulation over time.

Matute
et al.

(p.
1518
) come to similar conclusions through the use of deletion mapping in comparisons between two pairs of species of
Drosophila
. The number of genes causing postzygotic isolation grows as fast as the square of the number of substitutions between two species. Thus, a hybrid snowball effect is found in both plants and animals.
Quantum Walks Through a Waveguide Maze
Authors: Hillery Mark
Published: September 2010

Compared to classical objects, a quantum object such as a photon will randomly search through a maze in fewer steps.
New Roles for Codon Usage
Authors: Weygand-Durasevic Ivana , Ibba Michael
Published: September 2010

Nucleotide coding of actin is linked to the rate of translation, polypeptide modification, and stability.
Should Confidence Be Trusted?
Authors: Lau Hakwan , Maniscalco Brian
Published: September 2010

The ability to monitor the efficacy of one's own perception is associated with differences in the structure of specific brain regions.
A Never-Ending Story
Authors: Sjöberg Britt-Marie
Published: September 2010

Revealing another way cells make DNA building blocks, this time with manganese.
China Clamps Down on Illegal Fossil Trading
Authors: Stone Richard
Published: September 2010

China's powerful State Council last week issued a regulation designed to rein in rampant pillaging of the country's magnificent fossil beds, which have yielded the first feathered dinosaurs and other blockbuster finds.
Physicist Tapped to Turn Embattled Institute Into a Fully Fledged University
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: September 2010

Appointed president-elect of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology this summer, physicist Jonathan Dorfan will steer OIST through the final phase of start-up and enroll its first graduate students in 2012.
Science
interviewed him about his plans for the university.
No Vaccines in the Time of Cholera
Authors: Enserink Martin
Published: September 2010

The threat of a major cholera epidemic looms over flood-stricken Pakistan. So why is a new, relatively cheap vaccine unlikely to make a difference?
Score One for Hunting at Olduvai
Authors: Balter Michael
Published: September 2010

Were early humans mighty hunters, or did they scavenge carcasses left behind by other carnivores? At the meeting, the hunting partisans presented evidence from a 1.3-million-year-old Olduvai site called BK that, they say, argues against the scavenging hypothesis.
Burying Man's Best Friend, With Honor
Authors: Balter Michael
Published: September 2010

At the meeting, a graduate student suggested that dog burials might be correlated with the use of dogs as hunting partners when the world warmed in the post–Ice Age Holocene period about 10,000 years ago.
Evaluating the Orthopoxvirus Type I Interferon-Binding Molecule as a Vaccine Target in the Vaccinia Virus Intranasal Murine Challenge Model
Authors: Golden Joseph W. , Hooper Jay W.
Published: September 2010

The biological threat imposed by orthopoxviruses warrants the development of safe and effective vaccines. We developed a candidate orthopoxvirus DNA-based vaccine, termed 4pox, which targets four viral structural components, A33, B5, A27, and L1. While this vaccine protects mice and nonhuman primates from lethal infections, we are interested in further enhancing its potency. One approach to enhance potency is to include additional orthopoxvirus immunogens. Here, we investigated whether vaccination with the vaccinia virus (VACV) interferon (IFN)-binding molecule (IBM) could protect BALB/c mice against lethal VACV challenge. We found that vaccination with this molecule failed to significantly protect mice from VACV when delivered alone. IBM modestly augmented protection when delivered together with the 4pox vaccine. All animals receiving the 4pox vaccine plus IBM lived, whereas only 70% of those receiving a single dose of 4pox vaccine survived. Mapping studies using truncated mutants revealed that vaccine-generated antibodies spanned the immunoglobulin superfamily domains 1 and 2 and, to a lesser extent, 3 of the IBM. These antibodies inhibited IBM cell binding and IFN neutralization activity, indicating that they were functionally active. This study shows that DNA vaccination with the VACV IBM results in a robust immune response but that this response does not significantly enhance protection in a high-dose challenge model.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Identifies Evidence for Recombination and Two Distinct Lineages of
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Authors: Bolt Frances , Cassiday Pamela , Tondella Maria Lucia , DeZoysa Aruni , Efstratiou Androulla , Sing Andreas , Zasada Aleksandra , Bernard Kathryn , Guiso Nicole , Badell Edgar , Rosso Marie-Laure , Baldwin Adam , Dowson Christopher
Published: September 2010

We describe the development of a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
, the causative agent of the potentially fatal upper respiratory disease diphtheria. Global changes in diphtheria epidemiology are highlighted by the recent epidemic in the former Soviet Union (FSU) and also by the emergence of nontoxigenic strains causing atypical disease. Although numerous techniques have been developed to characterize
C. diphtheriae
, their use is hindered by limited portability and, in some instances, poor reproducibility. One hundred fifty isolates from 18 countries and encompassing a period of 50 years were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Strain discrimination was in accordance with previous ribotyping data, and clonal complexes associated with disease outbreaks were clearly identified by MLST. The data produced are portable, reproducible, and unambiguous. The MLST scheme described provides a valuable tool for monitoring and characterizing endemic and epidemic
C. diphtheriae
strains. Furthermore, multilocus sequence analysis of the nucleotide data reveals two distinct lineages within the population of
C. diphtheriae
examined, one of which is composed exclusively of biotype belfanti isolates and the other of multiple biotypes.
High-Resolution Melting Curve Analysis for Rapid Detection of Rifampin and Isoniazid Resistance in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Clinical Isolates
Authors: Choi Go Eun , Lee Sun Min , Yi Jongyoun , Hwang Sang Hyun , Kim Hyung Hoi , Lee Eun Yup , Cho Eun Hae , Kim Jee Hee , Kim Hwa-Jung , Chang Chulhun L.
Published: September 2010

We evaluated high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis as a tool for detecting rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) resistance in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in an accurate, affordable, and rapid manner. Two hundred seventeen
M. tuberculosis
clinical isolates of known resistance phenotype were used. Twenty-nine known
rpoB
mutant DNAs, including rare mutations, were also included. Four pairs of primers were designed:
rpoB
-F/R (for codons 516 to 539 of
rpoB
),
rpoB
-516F/R (for codons 508 to 536 of
rpoB
),
katG
-F/R (for the codon 315 region of
katG
), and
inhA
-F/R (for the nucleotide substitution of C to T at position −15 of
inhA
). An HRM curve was generated for each isolate after real-time PCR differentiated the mutant from the wild-type strains. DNA sequencing of the target regions was performed to confirm the results of the HRM curve analysis. All but one of the 73 RIF-resistant (RIF-R) strains and all 124 RIF-susceptible (RIF-S) isolates were correctly identified by HRM curve analysis of
rpoB
. Twenty-seven of 29 known
rpoB
mutants were detected. In HRM curve analysis of
katG
and
inhA
, 90 INH-R strains that harbored
katG
or
inhA
mutations, or both, and all INH-S strains were correctly identified. Ten phenotypically INH-R strains not harboring
katG
or
inhA
mutations were not detected. The HRM curve analysis will be a useful method for detection of RIF and INH resistance in
M. tuberculosis
in a rapid, accurate, simple, and cost-effective manner.