bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbiota of Severe Early Childhood Caries before and after Therapy
Authors: Tanner A.C.R. , Kent R.L. , Holgerson P. Lif , Hughes C.V. , Loo C.Y. , Kanasi E. , Chalmers N.I. , Johansson I.
Published: August 2011

Severe early childhood caries (ECC) is difficult to treat successfully. This study aimed to characterize the microbiota of severe ECC and evaluate whether baseline or follow-up microbiotas are associated with new lesions post-treatment. Plaque samples from 2- to 6-year-old children were analyzed by a 16S rRNA-based microarray and by PCR for selected taxa. Severe-ECC children were monitored for 12 months post-therapy. By microarray, species associated with severe-ECC (n = 53) compared with caries-free (n = 32) children included Slackia exigua (p = 0.002), Streptococcus parasanguinis (p = 0.013), and Prevotella species (p < 0.02). By PCR, severe-ECC-associated taxa included Bifidobacteriaceae (p < 0.001), Scardovia wiggsiae (p = 0.003), Streptococcus mutans with bifidobacteria (p < 0.001), and S. mutans with S. wiggsiae (p = 0.001). In follow-up, children without new lesions (n = 36) showed lower detection of taxa including S. mutans, changes not observed in children with follow-up lesions (n = 17). Partial least-squares modeling separated the children into caries-free and two severe-ECC groups with either a stronger bacterial or a stronger dietary component. We conclude that several species, including S. wiggsiae and S. exigua, are associated with the ecology of advanced caries, that successful treatment is accompanied by a change in the microbiota, and that severe ECC is diverse, with influences from selected bacteria or from diet.
Sociology by Any Other Name
Authors: Burke Meghan A. , Banks Kira Hudson
Published: August 2011

This article suggests that the way in to sociology may not always be through the front door. The authors demonstrate how students in a three-day campus diversity program develop a sociological imagination despite not having a formal affiliation with the sociology department. In particular, students demonstrate a move from color blindness into racial consciousness and a shift from individual prejudice into institutional privilege when understanding both diversity issues and their own personal biographies. In short, despite not knowing the phrase, they develop a sociological imagination. While the goal is not to diminish the significance of traditional sociology classrooms, the authors argue that programs like theirs may diminish resistance to learning about privilege and inequalities once students enter the classroom. Such programs may also have the benefit of attracting students to the discipline and creating a more welcoming environment for related programs and events on campus. It is one model of public sociology that other campus communities may mirror outside of the traditional classroom environment.
Learning Interdisciplinarity
Authors: Rooks Daisy , Winkler Celia
Published: August 2011

The authors explore the challenges inherent in traversing the multiple boundaries between sociology and social work, and the academy and the community, by examining a service learning course on hunger and homelessness taught by two sociology professors and two social workers on the staff of a community service organization. The authors draw on instructional team meetings and correspondence, observation of class sessions, and formal and informal course evaluations to analyze three “moments”: the planning process, a pivotal class session, and students’ final presentations. They found that both their teaching and students’ learning were enriched by disciplinary differences in knowledge claims, the design and utility of qualitative research, and the process of drawing conclusions from, and making arguments using, qualitative data. The authors conclude that experiential learning has value beyond providing students hands-on experiences. It can also provide a laboratory in which students and instructors can explore the similarities and differences between sociology, social work, and other disciplines.
Response to trauma in children: An examination of effective intervention and post-traumatic growth
Authors: Little Steven G. , Akin-Little Angeleque , Somerville Matthew P.
Published: August 2011

It is clear that exposure to traumatic events is not uncommon in childhood and adolescence and psychologists working in schools should have some training in meeting the needs of this segment of the population. This manuscript summarizes the incidence of trauma in children worldwide and then discusses interventions for trauma (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy & Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools) which have been empirically validated for use with children and/or adolescents. A summary of a project (Project Fleur-de-lis) which attempted to integrate these two treatment approaches into a systematic intervention system is also discussed. In addition, the concept of post-traumatic growth, cultural considerations in working with children from diverse societies, and training needs of school psychologists are addressed.
The development of a multi-level model for crisis preparedness and intervention in the Greek educational system
Authors: Hatzichristiou Chryse , Issari Philia , Lykitsakou Konstantina , Lampropoulou Aikaterini , Dimitropoulou Panayiota
Published: August 2011

This article proposes a multi-level model for crisis preparedness and intervention in the Greek educational system. It presents: a) a brief overview of leading models of school crisis preparedness and intervention as well as cultural considerations for contextually relevant crisis response; b) a description of existing crisis intervention practices in Greek schools; and c) a model for crisis preparedness and intervention based on specific needs and characteristics of the Greek context. The proposed model consists of several domains including development of a synthetic conceptual framework, education and training, intervention, publications, and collaboration/partnerships. Finally, basic principles that need to be taken into account for the development of a multi-level model with cross-cultural and cross-national considerations regarding crisis preparedness and intervention are discussed.
Coping with natural disasters in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: The psychological state of elementary school children as assessed by their teachers
Authors: Siswa Widyatmoko C. , Tan Edwin T. , Conor Seyle D. , Haksi Mayawati E. , Cohen Silver Roxane
Published: August 2011

The nation of Indonesia is in an area of geological instability, resulting in repeated and severe natural disasters. As a result, Indonesian residents are likely to be exposed repeatedly to significant traumatic events. Researchers and clinicians working in such areas face the challenge of assessing large groups of people exposed to trauma and identifying culturally-specific as well as culturally-invariant symptoms of distress. The current study addressed these issues by using teachers as a point of contact for working with affected children. Elementary school teachers from 16 schools affected by a major earthquake in Central Java, Indonesia in 2006 reported on the continuing symptoms exhibited by their students approximately two years later. Teachers identified—in their own words—behavioral problems that children had developed following the earthquake. On average, 4.5% (SD = 5.0%) of children were identified as exhibiting problematic behavior two years after the earthquake (individual school rates ranged from 0.5% to 17.12%), with negative school-based behaviors (e.g. lack of academic motivation) reported as the most common symptom. Other symptoms were consistent with Western-identified posttraumatic stress, and two culturally-specific symptoms were identified. Teachers can serve as an effective first-line resource for assessing the psychological state of children exposed to natural disasters.
Facilitating long-term recovery from natural disasters: Psychosocial programming for tsunami-affected schools of Sri Lanka
Authors: Nastasi Bonnie K. , Jayasena Asoka , Summerville Meredith , Borja Amanda P.
Published: August 2011

This article reports the findings of a school-based intervention project conducted in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka 15 to 18 months after the December 2004 Tsunami. The work responds to the need for culturally relevant programming to address long-term psychosocial recovery of children and adolescents affected by large scale disasters. Program developers used a participatory action research process to adapt and implement a school-based program previously tested with the general population of Sri Lankan students. Qualitative analysis of student products (e.g. ecomaps, stories, text) was used to determine whether the program provided a context to address both tsunami-specific stressors and non-tsunami (but developmentally and contextually relevant) stressors for students in grades 5, 7, and 9. Findings indicated that program activities differentially elicited identification and discussion of stressors related to tsunami experiences and to ‘normal’ culturally-relevant developmental challenges. The feasibility of combining a recovery focus with universal school-based mental health programming thus holds promise for extending crisis intervention and disaster response models to include long-term psychosocial recovery and for the role of school-based mental health professionals in these efforts.
Traumatic loss and natural disaster: A case study of a school-based response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Authors: Clettenberg Stacey , Gentry Judy , Held Matthew , Mock Lou Ann
Published: August 2011

This article tracks the trajectory and impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the communities of Houston/Harris County, Texas, USA, the schools, children, and families; along with the community partnerships that addressed the trauma and upheaval. Following the influx of individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita into the Houston/Harris County area, expertise regarding trauma, particularly childhood trauma, coupled with an effective vehicle for the delivery of mental health services, was in great demand. As illustrated by the Houston experience, schools were a tremendous asset because of their access to students and families who needed effective trauma informed relief services. As told from the viewpoint of DePelchin Children’s Center, a nonprofit community mental health agency, this case study examines the connection between the Houston Independent School District and DePelchin that supplied an immediate, as well as long term, mental health response to the trauma experienced by the families and individuals who fled Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Houston area experiences have direct implications for those working in schools to service the trauma-focused mental health needs of children and their families.
Diversity Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Authors: Unzueta Miguel M. , Binning Kevin R.
Published: August 2011

The reported studies suggest that concern for the in-group motivates Asian Americans and African Americans to define diversity specifically, that is, as entailing both minorities’ numerical and hierarchical representation, while motivating White Americans to define diversity broadly, that is, as entailing either minorities’ high numerical and/or hierarchical representation in an organization. Studies 2–4 directly assess if a concern for the in-group affects conceptions of diversity by measuring Black and White participants’ racial identity centrality, an individual difference measure of the extent to which individuals define themselves according to race. These studies suggest that the tendency to conceive diversity in ways protective of the in-group is especially pronounced among individuals who identify strongly with their racial in-group.
Why Do(n’t) Your Partner’s Efforts at Self-Improvement Make You Happy? An Implicit Theories Perspective
Authors: Hui Chin Ming , Bond Michael Harris , Molden Daniel C.
Published: August 2011

People often try to improve their interpersonal skills to satisfy romantic partners. However, when and why a partner appreciates these efforts is an important but underaddressed question. The present research explored how people’s theories that interpersonal abilities are either fixed entities or can be changed incrementally affect their responses to relationship partner’s efforts at self-improvement. Study 1 validated a new measure for these theories and showed that, compared to the former entity theorists, the latter incremental theorists were less likely to attribute recalled instances of partners’ negative behaviors to dispositional causes and perceive these behaviors as fixed and stable. An experiment that induced these different implicit theories (Study 2) and a longitudinal study (Study 3) further demonstrated that perceptions of partners’ self-improvement efforts led to greater increases in relationship security and quality among incremental than among entity theorists. How implicit theories may shape the interpersonal dynamics of self-improvement is discussed.
An unsupervised approach to automatic classification of scientific literature utilizing bibliographic metadata
Authors: Joorabchi Arash , Mahdi Abdulhussain E.
Published: August 2011

This article describes an unsupervised approach for automatic classification of scientific literature archived in digital libraries and repositories according to a standard library classification scheme. The method is based on identifying all the references cited in the document to be classified and, using the subject classification metadata of extracted references as catalogued in existing conventional libraries, inferring the most probable class for the document itself with the help of a weighting mechanism. We have demonstrated the application of the proposed method and assessed its performance by developing a prototype software system for automatic classification of scientific documents according to the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme. A dataset of 1000 research articles, papers, and reports from a well-known scientific digital library, CiteSeer, were used to evaluate the classification performance of the system. Detailed results of this experiment are presented and discussed.
Perceptions, quality and motivational needs in image tagging human computation games
Authors: Goh Dion H. , Lee Chei Sian
Published: August 2011

Human computation games (HCGs) are applications that use games to harness human intelligence to perform various computational tasks. That is, users perform computations as a byproduct of being entertained while playing a game. Such games are increasing in popularity and it is critical to examine how different types of HCG affect players’ perceptions and performance. In addition, understanding their motivational appeal to different players is also important to good HCG design. In the present research, we focus on image tagging HCGs, where users play games to generate keywords for images. Three versions were created: a collaborative HCG which required players to cooperate, a competitive HCG where players worked against each other, and a control non-game manual tagging application. The applications were evaluated to uncover the quality of the tags, users’ perceptions of these variants, and the influence of motivational needs on usage intention. Results suggest that, while participants reported liking the collaborative and competitive HCGs over the control application, those using the latter seemed to generate better quality tags. Further, using the trichotomy of needs theory, we found that an individual’s need for achievement and power influenced intention to use the various applications.
Kant, Adorno and the work of art
Authors: Skees Murray W.
Published: August 2011

The concept of autonomy has had a central place in the German aesthetic tradition since the eighteenth century, specifically, after Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgment. Although Kant denied that aesthetic judgments yield cognitive truth, aesthetic judgments are autonomous in that they do not rely on or presuppose a concern with the object's purpose, utility, or even its actual existence. For Theodor Adorno, the autonomy of art lies in the work of art, in its production, not specifically in the aesthetic judgments of the subject. This article shows that by shifting autonomy from aesthetic judgments to art production, Adorno effectively makes art the reservoir for human freedom. Although this point is often eluded to in Adorno scholarship by individuals such as Tom Huhn and Lambert Zuidervaart, it is often passed over without additional explanation and discussion.
Reason and receptivity in critical theory
Authors: Rush Fred
Published: August 2011

Nikolas Kompridis' Critique and Disclosure is a sustained argument for the proposition that critical social theory in the tradition of the Frankfurt School is best carried forward by rejecting central aspects of Habermas' neo-Kantian version of it. The most promising future direction for critical theory according to Kompridis involves a reconsideration of the resources of hermeneutic phenomenology, especially renewed attention to the Heideggerian concept ‘disclosure’. To this end, Kompridis develops a distinctive dialectical version of this concept. I agree that Kantian versions of critical theory are philosophically suspect, and that critical theory is most conceptually vital and politically trenchant when turned away from ‘discourse ethics' and the like. I am a bit less sanguine than is Kompridis with a turn to Heidegger, however, and raise several issues having to do with that aspect of Kompridis' account. This caution is not rooted simply in the historical fact that critical theory from its inception has attempted to immunize itself against phenomenology; it is rather a conceptual matter. In my judgment, Kompridis does not need to develop, as he does, an intricate account of overlap between what he holds best about critical theory and Heidegger’s ontology. If one were looking for historical antecedents that do not come freighted with what Horkheimer derided as ‘irrationalism’, one would do better to investigate early German Romanticism, in which there is an explicitly interpretive yet dialectical methodology on offer. Moreover, the central doctrines of Jena Romanticism exhibit more positive points of contact with the earlier, more skeptical forms of critical theory that Kompridis might favor, e.g. Adorno’s.
The future of critical theory? Kompridis on world-disclosing critique
Authors: Sinnerbrink Robert
Published: August 2011

Nikolas Kompridis has recently argued that the future of critical theory depends upon a critical appropriation of Heidegger’s concept of ‘world disclosure’, and hence on a transformation of critical theory into a form of ‘world-disclosing critique’ oriented towards the future. This article engages in a critical dialogue with Kompridis' account of world-disclosing critique, arguing that critical theory should embrace it as an innovative way of retrieving the forgotten tradition of aesthetic critique of modernity.
Situating receptivity
Authors: Schoolman Morton
Published: August 2011

In Critique and Disclosure: Critical Theory between Past and Future, Nikolas Kompridis proposes a new model of critique for critical theory based on the unlikely alliance he constructs between Habermas and Heidegger while seeking to avoid the philosophical shortcomings of both. Focusing on his accounts of ‘receptivity’, arguably the central concept in his new model of critique, I argue sympathetically that although his rejection of some and appropriation of certain features of Habermas' theory serve his philosophical aims, his allegiance to Heidegger’s ontology would thwart his interest in receptivity as an alternative model of critique stressing the interpretation of meaning and learning over validity and rationality. Kompridis must be attentive to the conditions that enable or constrain receptivity, yet this is a theoretical move unavailable to him within his Heideggerian framework. To secure the work learning performs in his critical model Kompridis must relinquish ontology and cultivate an approach situating receptivity in the political and socially contingent contexts in which it is conditioned.
Glasswing Butterflies
Authors: Cashmore Ellis , Cleland Jamie
Published: August 2011

Only one association football (soccer) player in history has declared his homosexuality during his professional active playing career. Before or since that player’s death in 1998, no other professional footballer player has come out. The prohibitively traditional culture of association football is popularly regarded as being responsible for this. Fans habitually use homophobic epithets to abuse players. In recent years, England’s governing organizations have cautiously addressed this state of affairs, though ineffectually. The present study uses online methods to explore fans’ and industry professionals’ perspectives on gay players and the impact their failure to come out has had on the sport. The article, which is based on the responses of 3,500 participants, seeks to answer three questions: (1) Why do fans, who urge gay players to come out, use homophobic language to barrack players? (2) If gay players disclosed their sexual orientations publicly what effect would this have on them personally, on football culture generally and on conceptions of masculinity in sports? (3) What prevents gay football players coming out? The overwhelming majority (93%) of participants in the study oppose homophobia and explained the homophobic abuse as good-humored banter or, in their argot, “stick.” An unusual logic is employed to make this intelligible. Participants argue that an athlete’s ability to play football is the only criterion on which he is judged and his sexuality is of little consequence to their evaluations. Although few participants encourage forcible outing, the majority welcome openly gay players, whose impact would be transformative. Football clubs and agents are cited as the principal impediments to a more open and enlightened environment: participants argue that they pressure gay players to keep their sexuality hidden and so contribute to a culture of secrecy, which permits and perhaps commissions continued homophobic abuse. Participants speculate that the continued absence of openly gay players actually reproduces the apparent prejudices. One fan concludes, “The homophobia in football will remain for longer if no gay players come out.”
Goals with limited vision: a qualitative study of coping with vision-related goal interference in midlife
Authors: Boerner Kathrin , Wang Shu-wen
Published: August 2011

Objective: To investigate how middle-aged adults manage their goal pursuits in the face of visual disability.

Design: Cross-sectional qualitative study.

Setting: Vision rehabilitation agency.

Subjects: 216 middle-aged adults with visual impairment.

Methods: Telephone interviews composed of structured and open-ended assessments of life goals and the strategies used to cope with vision-related goal interference.

Results: Individuals reported strategies that reflected the broader domains found in prior research with older adults: internal resource use, new approach use, technology use, help use, and psychological self-regulation. The most frequently reported strategy was help use ( n = 192), followed by new approach use ( n = 166), internal resource use ( n = 162), technology use ( n = 159) and psychological self-regulation ( n = 130). Across domains, the most frequently reported strategies were instrumental informal help, instrumental formal help, optical aids, and invest effort. Specific strategy domains emerged as more typical in response to interference with particular types of goals; for example, help use was reported by a majority for interference with functional and psychological goals, but only by half for interference with social goals.

Conclusions: Study findings revealed a rich array of strategies used by middle-aged adults with vision impairment in their daily lives to deal with vision-related goal interference. Results suggest that rehabilitation services should consider multiple methods of coping and their goal-related function when working with middle-aged adults with disabilities.
Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation of the Talus Partially Restores Contact Mechanics of the Ankle Joint
Authors: Fansa Ashraf M. , Murawski Christopher D. , Imhauser Carl W. , Nguyen Joseph T. , Kennedy John G.
Published: August 2011

Background: Autologous osteochondral transplantation procedures provide hyaline cartilage to the site of cartilage repair. It remains unknown whether these procedures restore native contact mechanics of the ankle joint.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to characterize the regional and local contact mechanics after autologous osteochondral transplantation of the talus.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric lower limb specimens were used for this study. Specimens were loaded using a 6 degrees of freedom robotic arm with 4.5 N·m of inversion and a 300-N axial compressive load in a neutral plantar/dorsiflexion. An osteochondral defect was created at the centromedial aspect of the talar dome and an autologous osteochondral graft from the ipsilateral knee was subsequently transplanted to the defect site. Regional contact mechanics were analyzed across the talar dome as a function of the defect and repair conditions and compared with those in the intact ankle. Local contact mechanics at the peripheral rim of the defect and at the graft site were also analyzed and compared with the intact condition. A 3-dimensional laser scanning system was used to determine the graft height differences relative to the native talus.

Results: The creation of an osteochondral defect caused a significant decrease in force, mean pressure, and peak pressure on the medial region of the talus ( P = .037). Implanting an osteochondral graft restored the force, mean pressure, and peak pressure on the medial region of the talus to intact levels ( P = .05). The anterior portion of the graft carried less force, while mean and peak pressures were decreased relative to intact ( P = .05). The mean difference in graft height relative to the surrounding host cartilage for the overall population was −0.2 ± 0.3 mm (range, −1.00 to 0.40 mm). Under these conditions, there was no correlation between height and pressure when the graft was sunken, flush, or proud.

Conclusion/Clinical Relevance: Placement of the osteochondral graft in the most congruent position possible partially restored contact mechanics of the ankle joint. Persistent deficits in contact mechanics may be due to additional factors besides graft congruence, including structural differences in the donor cartilage when compared with the native tissue.
Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction With a Divergent Patellar Transverse 2-Tunnel Technique
Authors: Panni Alfredo Schiavone , Alam Mahbub , Cerciello Simone , Vasso Michele , Maffulli Nicola
Published: August 2011

Background: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is the primary passive restraint to lateral patellar dislocation and there is increasing awareness of its role in recurrent lateral patellar instability.

Purpose: This study was conducted to prospectively analyze the functional results of a modified MPFL reconstruction technique in recurrent patellar dislocation.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Forty-eight patients (51 knees) with at least 3 episodes of lateral patellar dislocation who had been treated with a 6-month rehabilitation protocol were included in this study. All patients practiced sports regularly. Reconstruction was with a semitendinosus tendon using a divergent 2-tunnel technique. Outcome was evaluated with the Kujala, Larsen, modified Lysholm, and Fulkerson outcome scores. Patient satisfaction with range of motion, pain, and sporting activities was also assessed.

Results: Three patients were lost at the final follow-up, giving a follow-up rate of 94%. The mean follow-up was 33 months. There was no patella dislocation postoperatively. The mean Kujala score improved significantly ( P < .01) from 56.7 ± 17.7 (2 × standard deviation) preoperatively to 86.8 ± 14.4 postoperatively. The mean Larsen score improved significantly ( P < .01) from 12.4 ± 3.2 to 17.1 ± 2.7. The mean Fulkerson score improved significantly ( P < .01) from 59.2 ± 21.8 to 90.1 ± 14. The mean modified Lysholm score improved significantly ( P < .01) from 57.6 ± 19.6 to 88.1 ± 16.2. Sixty-four percent of patients returned to the same type of sport at the same level, 16% reduced the level or type of sport for reasons unrelated to the surgery, while 20% reduced the level of sport or changed it for reasons related to surgery. Eighty-seven percent were either satisfied or very satisfied with the pain relief achieved. The patellar tilt decreased significantly from a preoperative mean of 11.1° to 8.9° at the last follow-up ( P = .02). The mean preoperative Insall-Salvati ratio of 1.1 decreased to 1.06, although the change was not significant ( P = .1).

Conclusion: The results of modified MPFL reconstructions are encouraging, with minimal risks of redislocation and an overall patient satisfaction rate of over 80%. These early and medium-term results are comparable with those of other MPFL reconstruction techniques reported in the literature.
Economics Against Democracy
Authors: Branco Manuel Couret
Published: August 2011

The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that mainstream liberal economics is intrinsically contradictory to the democratic ideal. The first stage of this demonstration concerns the deconstruction of the naturalization process of economics, in other words the process through which putative economic laws became equivalent to natural laws, which transformed economic decisions into technical issues supposedly free from democratic debate. The second stage concerns the ways in which the market has managed to legitimize its hegemony in society and the reasons why this contributes to the erosion of democracy.

JEL classification: A13, B00, P10
Challenging the Presumption in Favor of Markets
Authors: Donnaruma Colin , Partyka Nicholas
Published: August 2011

There is a pervasive presumption in the literature on political economy that substantial use of competitive markets is appropriate and necessary for organizing economic activity. Markets, however, are undemocratic, inefficient, and incentivize anti-social behavior. These short-comings are often minimized or accepted as necessary evils because of the belief that there is no alternative to market structures. This belief is mistaken. Sophisticated alternative models of economic organization, such as participatory economics, have been proposed which are substantially more consistent with important social values. We contend that in light of these alternatives, the presumption in favor of markets should be reversed and market proponents should carry the burden of proof of demonstrating why, given their numerous shortcomings, markets should continue to occupy a privileged position as the default mode of economic organization.

JEL classification: A13, L10, P16
Participatory Economic Democracy in Action
Authors: Marquetti Adalmir , Schonerwald da Silva Carlos E. , Campbell Al
Published: August 2011

This paper is a case study of a particularly important and well known experiment in participatory economic democracy, participatory budgeting (PB) in Porto Alegre under the Workers’ Party. Its intention is to draw both positive and negative lessons from this experience. There are three fundamental parts to the paper. The first part sets the frame for understanding this experiment by reviewing several relevant considerations of participatory democracy in general, and then describing the institutional structure of Porto Alegre’s PB. The second part is an empirical investigation for this case of three central issues in participatory economic democracy: participation, the nature of choices, and the resulting redistribution. A third part considers a number of limitations of the PB process as it occurred in Porto Alegre from the perspective of economic democracy.

JEL classification: H72, R50
The Fonds de Solidarité
Authors: Morin Philippe
Published: August 2011

This article illustrates the uniqueness of Canada’s first workers’ funds—the Fonds de solidarité—in terms of its historical background and the precedents that laid the ground for its creation. The differences and similarities with comparable initiatives in other countries will be highlighted. The article concludes by evaluating the controversial union strategy of acquiring and investing in firms within the capitalist system in order to achieve greater economic democracy.

JEL classification: J54, J51
Effects of combustor geometry on hydrogen–air premixed flame combustion in an annular microcombustor
Authors: Jejurkar S Y , Mishra D P
Published: August 2011

Heat losses at the walls and heat release are two competitive rate processes in microcombustion, and a microcombustor design must balance them appropriately for optimal performance. The primary objective of this work was to study the effects of some design variables on the processes influencing microcombustor characteristics and performance. A new compact and lightweight premixed hydrogen–air annular microcombustor was studied using a detailed computational fluid dynamics model validated against experimental data from literature. Heat reflux and flame stabilization were achieved by inserting a hollow tube in the combustion zone, which was also thermally isolated to reduce heat losses. It was found that the flame structure was insensitive to the thickness of inner tube, while wall temperature was not. On the other hand, a compact flame was obtained for larger aspect ratios, and wall temperature field did not alter significantly. Performance improved marginally with a higher thermal conductivity hollow tube. However, larger aspect ratio resulted in inferior thermal performance and non-isothermal walls. Thus, a configuration with smaller aspect ratio and thin-walled inner tube, possibly with a high thermal conductivity, was found to be desirable for good thermal performance. Finally, the model predictions indicated suitability of the design for intended applications.
Robust design optimization in aeronautics using stochastic analysis and evolutionary algorithms
Authors: Pons-Prats J , Bugeda G , Zárate F , Oñate E
Published: August 2011

Uncertainties are a daily issue to deal with in aerospace engineering and applications. Robust optimization methods commonly use a random generation of the inputs and take advantage of multi-point criteria to look for robust solutions accounting with uncertainty definition. From the computational point of view, the application to coupled problems, like computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or fluid–structure interaction (FSI), can be extremely expensive. This study presents a coupling between stochastic analysis techniques and evolutionary optimization algorithms for the definition of a stochastic robust optimization procedure. At first, a stochastic procedure is proposed to be applied into optimization problems. The proposed method has been applied to both CFD and FSI problems for the reduction of drag and flutter, respectively.
Evolutionary algorithms in airborne surveillance systems: image enhancement via optimal sightline control
Authors: Anderson D
Published: August 2011

Airborne electro-optic systems require precise control of the camera line-of-sight vector to prevent unwanted and possibly mission-critical degradation of image quality. This is particularly true for long-range surveillance missions or operation in low signal-to-noise ratio environments. Recent work has shown that pixel smear during camera integration (jitter) can be reduced if adaptive friction compensation ‘shapes’ the jitter frequency content in addition to reducing the energy content. This article expands upon that work by automating the tuning process for the sightline control parameters using a genetic algorithm (GA) with a novel fitness function – the average modulation transfer function. The efficacy of this cost function is illustrated first through tuning of the traditional rate loop proportional + integral controller gains and second via tuning of a bespoke adaptive friction compensator. It is shown in both cases that controllers tuned using the GA with this fitness function are significantly better than the current root-mean-square figure of merit typically employed in stabilization loop design.
New discoveries in ultrasonic consolidation nano-structures using emerging analysis techniques
Authors: Johnson K , Edmonds H C , Higginson R L , Harris R A
Published: August 2011

This paper examines the influence of ultrasonic consolidation (UC) on the bonding interface and challenges existing opinion regarding the mechanism of oxide dispersal during UC bond formation. The findings presented in this paper were achieved through the use of dual beam focused ion beam (DBFIB) etching and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enabling the close examination of the weld interface, sub-grain morphology, and dislocation structure in ultrasonically consolidated aluminium (Al) 3003-T0 samples.

As a result of this investigation, it has been established that a persistent oxide layer between bonded foils often remains after UC with this material. The level of sub-grain refinement in ultrasonically consolidated components was seen to decrease as the distance from the weld interface increases. This trend was characterised by the nanoscale sub-grain and gradient sub-grain regions, between which a distinct stepped transition was apparent. Direct contact with the sonotrode surface during the deposition of each new layer was also seen to cause significantly more sub-grain refinement than interface dynamics alone. Nano-grain colonies were also discovered in areas surrounding material flaws, manganese particles, or non-planar interface regions, and persistent dislocation slip bands were seen near the UC weld interface. In light of these results, the context of previously proposed methods of bond formation in UC is discussed.
Analysis of the flow in a transonic centrifugal compressor stage from choke to surge
Authors: Trébinjac I , Bulot N , Buffaz N
Published: August 2011

Numerical and experimental investigations were conducted in a transonic centrifugal compressor stage composed of a backswept splittered unshrouded impeller and a vaned diffuser. Unsteady three-dimensional simulations were performed with the code elsA that solves the turbulent-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, at three operating points: choked flow, peak efficiency, and near surge. Numerical results were validated with experimental data coming from laser Doppler anemometry and unsteady pressure measurements.

This article focuses on the change in flow structures when the operating point moves from choke to surge. The main changes in the impeller consist in an enlargement of the wake (of the jet-wake flow structure) and an increase in the exit time-averaged flow angle. Consequently, in the diffuser passage, the main flow trajectory moves towards the vane pressure side, and the boundary layer separation transfers from pressure side to suction side.

The interaction between the vane bow shock wave and the impeller blade leads to pressure waves α+, which propagate in the diffuser passage. These pressure waves generate alternately opposite and favourable pressure gradients, which drive the boundary layers to periodic separation. From choke to surge, the intensity of the pressure waves α+ increases. The interaction also leads to subsonic pockets Г, which are torn out from the vane-leading edge bow shock and swept along the vane suction side. The induced change in the shock shape and location combined with the severe hub/suction side corner separation are thought to be at the origin of the surge inception.
A new rule space representation scheme for rule induction in classification and control applications
Authors: Bigot S
Published: August 2011

Over the past few decades, several covering algorithms have been developed to automate the acquisition of knowledge from a set of examples. These algorithms employ a specific search process for extracting IF–THEN rules. They rely heavily on statistical measures to guide the search for rules; however, the information carried by these measures is limited and does not always lead to the best results. This paper presents two new algorithms which employ a new knowledge representation scheme to optimize the search and reduce the role of statistical measures, namely RULES-5 Plus for classification problems (discrete outputs) and RULES-F Plus for control applications (numerical outputs).
Non-linear proportional–integral–derivative synthesis for unstable non-linear systems using describing function inversion with experimental verification
Authors: Li S C , Nassirharand A
Published: August 2011

This paper demonstrates a new non-linear proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller synthesis approach using a describing function inversion technique for unstable systems where a mathematical model may not be available. The approach is applied to an inverted pendulum experimental set-up whose dynamic behaviour is very sensitive to the amplitude level of excitation. The procedure involves stabilization of the unstable system followed by generation of the describing function models of the stabilized closed-loop system. Then, the corresponding unstable open-loop frequency domain models at various operating regimes are extracted. A controller at nominal conditions is designed, followed by obtaining the corresponding desired open-loop frequency domain model. A set of controllers that force the open-loop behaviour of the system mimic, which is desired at various operating regimes, is designed by optimization. Finally, the controller gains are inverted using a describing function inversion technique followed by experimental verification. The non-linear PID design is compared with two other alternative designs. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is a viable and effective non-linear controller synthesis technique for use with unstable non-linear systems.
The role of trade unions in European pension reforms: From ‘old’ to ‘new’ politics?
Authors: Ebbinghaus Bernhard
Published: August 2011

Trade unions played a substantial role in the ‘old politics’ of expanding pension systems in Europe; they are still active in the ‘new politics’ of pension reforms. Given the electoral impact and political veto points, governments may seek to overcome reform blockage in political decision-making and implementation by seeking social consensus with trade unions and employers. Various modes of social governance in addition to political interest politics allow trade union influence: institutionalized forms of self-administration of pension insurance, self-regulation via negotiated occupational pensions, institutional consultation of interest groups and tripartite concertation (or social pacts) between government and the social partners.
Carbendazim combined with imazalil or cypermethrin potentiate DNA damage in hepatocytes of mice
Authors: Đikić D , Mojsović-Ćuić A , Čupor I , Benković V , Horvat-Knežević A , Lisičić D , Oršolić N
Published: August 2011

Traces of pesticides imazalil, cypermethrin and carbendazim are detected in plants used for human consumption. To explore whether their application in oral combinations will induce DNA breaks in hepatocytes, a subchronic in vivo experiment was performed in Swiss mice. Doses of 10 mg kg–1 of imazalil (im) and cypermethrin (cy), and 20 mg kg–1 of carbendazim (car) and their combinations (im, 10 mg kg–1 + cy, 10 mg kg–1; im, 10 mg kg–1 + car, 20 mg kg–1; car, 20 mg kg–1 + cy, 10 mg kg–1) were applied daily for 28 days. Afterward, DNA damage in hepatocytes was evaluated by comet assay. Individually, imazalil and cypermethrin damaged DNA at alkali-labile sites, while the tail moment (TM) of carbendazim alone was similar to control but with higher tail length. In combination with carbendazim clastogen, properties of imazalils and cypermethrins were potentiated compared to all other treatments and control. There were pronounced sex differences in pattern of fragmentation between treated groups. Higher long tail nuclei (LTN) in females indicate that certain cells in females were especially prone to total nucleus disintegration. Due to synergistic effects, low environmentally present concentrations of imazalil and cypermethrin in food, and especially their mixtures with carbendazim have genotoxic potential that could be particularly dangerous over prolonged exposure in mammalian organism.
Inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress measurements in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with or without metabolic syndrome
Authors: Lozovoy MAB , Simão ANC , Hohmann MSN , Simão TNC , Barbosa DS , Morimoto HK , Reiche EMV , Cecchini R , Dichi I
Published: August 2011

The aims of the present study were to report the frequency of metabolic syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); to verify differences in inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress in SLE patients with or without metabolic syndrome; and to assess which metabolic syndrome components are associated with oxidative stress and disease activity. The study included 58 SLE patients and 105 controls. SLE patients were divided in two groups, with and without metabolic syndrome. 41.4% patients met the criteria for metabolic syndrome compared with 10.5% controls. Patients with SLE and metabolic syndrome had significantly raised serum uric acid, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipid hydroperoxides, and protein oxidation when compared with patients with SLE without metabolic syndrome. Lipid hydroperoxides were correlated with CRP, whereas protein oxidation was associated with waist circumference and uric acid. There was a positive association between serum C3 and C4 and glucose and between C3 and CRP. SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) scores were positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). In conclusion, SLE patients have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and this syndrome directly contributes to increase inflammatory status and oxidative stress. Inflammatory processes, being overweight/obese, and uric acid may favor oxidative stress increases in patients with SLE and metabolic syndrome. C3 and C4 may have a positive acute-phase protein behavior in patients with SLE.
Is Young Maternal Age a Risk Factor for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Anaemia in India? An Examination in Urban and Rural Areas
Authors: Kavitha N.
Published: August 2011

The present research work aims to study the effect of young maternal age on the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and anaemia using National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) data for India. Analysis has been done for currently married women in the reproductive age group and who had their first birth in the age group 29 or below. Data have been analysed for urban and rural areas separately. The bivariate analysis showed that per cent of women who had their first birth during adolescence is higher in rural areas than urban areas. Further, women who had their first birth during adolescence reported a higher prevalence of STDs and anaemia than women who had their first birth at later ages in both settings. Logistic regression analysis has been used to examine the net influence of maternal age on the prevalence of anaemia and STDs. The multivariate findings revealed that the likelihood of prevalence of STDs and anaemia (urban areas) was higher among adolescent women than among adult women.