bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Nixon Doctrine and Nakasone Yasuhiro’s Unsuccessful Challenge to Japan’s Defense Policy, 1969-1971
Authors: Hoey Fintan
Published: June 2012

The Nixon Doctrine of 1969 heralded a new approach wherein the United States sought to limit military commitments, particularly of ground forces, in Asia. This departure was seized on by Nakasone Yasuhiro as an opportunity to push for “autonomous defense” at the risk of undermining the Mutual Security Treaty of 1960. For Premier Satō, however, the treaty was the cornerstone of Japan’s relationship with the United States and vital to the security of Japan and Northeast Asia. Such a divergence of views went to the heart of Japan’s security relationship with the United States. On the one hand, America would cajole and pressure Japan to assume more of the regional defense burden, while on the other, Japanese elites resisted such pressure due to fears of alienating and alarming both Japan’s neighbors and the Japanese public. The Nixon Doctrine and Nakasone’s ideas on “autonomous defense” posed a major challenge to the postwar consensus on defense and Japan’s security ties to the United States. Ultimately, however, they were not able to undermine this consensus which lasted long after the end of the Cold War.
Ending Impunity: The Case for War Crimes Trials in Liberia
Authors: Jalloh Chernor , Marong Alhagi
Published: June 2012

This article argues that Liberia owes a duty under both international humanitarian and human rights law to investigate and prosecute the heinous crimes, including torture, rape and extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians, committed in that country by the warring parties in the course of fourteen years of brutal conflict. Assuming that Liberia owes a duty to punish the grave crimes committed on its territory, the article then evaluates the options for prosecution, starting with the possible use of Liberian courts. The authors argue that Liberian courts are unable, even if willing, to render credible justice that protects the due process rights of the accused given the collapse of legal institutions and the paucity of financial, human and material resources in post-conflict Liberia. The authors then examine the possibility of using international accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, an ad hoc international criminal tribunal as well as a hybrid court for Liberia. For various legal and political reasons, the authors conclude that all of these options are not viable. As an alternative, they suggest that because the Special Court for Sierra Leone has already started the accountability process for Liberia with the indictment of Charles Taylor in 2003, and given the close links between the Liberian and Sierra Leonean conflicts, the Special Court would be a more appropriate forum for international prosecutions of those who perpetrated gross humanitarian and human rights law violations in Liberia.
Genomics, Insurance and Human Rights: Is there a Place for Regulatory Frameworks in Africa?
Authors: Nmehielle Vincent O.
Published: June 2012

This article examines the human rights dimension of genetic discrimination in Africa, exploring the place of regulatory frameworks while taking into account the disadvantaged position of the average African. This is in response to the tendency of insurance companies toward making health insurance decisions on the basis of individual genetic information, which could result in genetic discrimination or health insurance discrimination based on a person's genetic profile. The author considers such questions as the intersection between human rights (right to life, health, privacy, human dignity and against genetic discrimination) in relation to the insurance industry, as well as the obligations of state and non-state actors to promote, respect, and protect the enjoyment of these rights. The article argues that African nations should not stand aloof in trying to balance the competing interests (scientific, economic and social) presented by the use of genetic information in the health care context and that ultimately it is the responsibility of states to develop domestic policies to protect their most vulnerable citizens and to prevent entrenched private discrimination based on an individual's genes.
Enforcing Fundamental Rights in Nigerian Courts – Processes and Challenges
Authors: Nwafor Anthony O.
Published: June 2012

Fundamental rights provisions have continued to feature very prominently in the successive constitutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The enforcement procedure, however, remains identical to the one provided in 1979, in the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules. The parliament has remained aloof to these obvious realities of the procedural complications. Social, political and economic factors have continued to constitute the greatest hindrances to the citizens' desire to seek redress for the infringement of their rights. This article evaluates the provisions on fundamental rights in the Nigerian constitution, and considers the extent of enforceability under the rules and jurisdiction of courts as provided in the constitution. Alternative dispute resolution may be the panacea for the legal and economic hindrances on rights enforcement. Recommendations are accordingly made for the government to facilitate and encourage the citizens to have recourse to mediatory process in less difficult cases.
The Foundations of Rights in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: A Historical and Philosophical Account
Authors: Kaime Thoko
Published: June 2012

This article examines the cultural-based critiques of the international human rights paradigm generally and children's rights in particular, with specific reference to Africa. In this regard, the paper attempts to identify gaps in the analyses of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Towards that end, the paper proceeds in three parts. In the first section, it situates the discussion within the general framework of children's rights at international law. In the next section, it turns to an examination of the culture-based critiques of the idea of universal rights. Finally, in the fourth and fifth sections, it analyses the documents and literature that focus on the rights and welfare of the child. In the concluding section, the author raises several important questions regarding the propriety of this special category of human rights in the African context.
Author of one’s fate: Fatalism and agency in Indo-Persian histories
Authors: Anooshahr Ali
Published: June 2012

A shift of worldviews can be observed in the historical writings of three Indo-Persian authors ‘Abd al-Malik ‘Isami, Rizq Allah Mushtaqi and Nizam al-Din Ahmad. Whereas ‘Isami viewed history as the unfolding of events predetermined by divine fate; Nizam al-Din considered human agency to be the main mover of events. Mushtaqi displayed ambivalence between the two. His text can thus be read as the expression of a worldview under disintegration and re-composition in the transition from the Sultanate to the Mughal period. This change of attitude bears similarities to other ‘Early Modern Features’ of the late sixteenth century.
Calibration of Response Data Using MIRT Models With Simple and Mixed Structures
Authors: Zhang Jinming
Published: June 2012

It is common to assume during a statistical analysis of a multiscale assessment that the assessment is composed of several unidimensional subtests or that it has simple structure. Under this assumption, the unidimensional and multidimensional approaches can be used to estimate item parameters. These two approaches are equivalent in parameter estimation if the joint maximum likelihood method is used. However, they are different from each other if the marginal maximum likelihood method is applied. A simulation study is conducted to further compare the unidimensional and multidimensional approaches with the marginal maximum likelihood method. The simulation results indicate that when the number of items is small, the multidimensional approach provides more accurate estimates of item parameters, whereas the unidimensional approach prevails if the number of items in each subtest is large enough. Furthermore, the impact of the violation of the simple structure assumption is also investigated theoretically and numerically. The results demonstrate that when a set of response data does not have a simple structure but is specified as such in calibration, the models will be incorrectly estimated and the correlation coefficients between abilities will be overestimated.
Commoditizing Nonhuman Animals and Their Consumers
Authors: McLeod-Kilmurray Heather
Published: June 2012

There is increasing research on the effects of industrial livestock production on the environment and human health, but less on the effects this has on animal welfare and ecological justice. The concept of ecological justice as a tool for achieving sustainability is gaining traction in the legal world. Klaus Bosselman defines ecological justice as consisting of three elements: intragenerational justice, intergenerational justice, and interspecies justice. While the first two have been extensively discussed, interspecies justice has received less attention. It is argued that the neglect of interspecies justice in the practice of industrial livestock production leads to both intragenerational and intergenerational injustices. The article focuses primarily on an animal welfare perspective, addressing the extreme harm and oppression of animals entailed by their commoditization for industrial food production. The destructive impact of this mode of food production on environmental resources and its massive contributions to climate change also lead to the impoverishment of the food, environmental, social, and economic health of present and future generations. The article describes the legal mechanisms that have permitted, and indeed encouraged, the move to industrial livestock production, and suggests changes that could reduce the three kinds of ecological injustices which industrial livestock production produces.
Stochastic inversion of facies from seismic data based on sequential simulations and probability perturbation method
Authors: Grana Dario , Mukerji Tapan , Dvorkin Jack , Mavko Gary
Published: June 2012

We presented a new methodology for seismic reservoir characterization that combined advanced geostatistical methods with traditional geophysical models to provide fine-scale reservoir models of facies and reservoir properties, such as porosity and net-to-gross. The methodology we proposed was a stochastic inversion where we simultaneously obtained earth models of facies, rock properties, and elastic attributes. It is based on an iterative process where we generated a set of models of reservoir properties by using sequential simulations, calculated the corresponding elastic attributes through rock-physics relations, computed synthetic seismograms and, finally, compared these synthetic results with the real seismic amplitudes. The optimization is a stochastic technique, the probability perturbation method, that perturbs the probability distribution of the initial realization and allows obtaining a facies model consistent with all available data through a relatively small number of iterations. The probability perturbation approach uses the Tau model probabillistic method, which provides an analytical representation to combine single probabilistic information into a joint conditional probability. The advantages of probability perturbation method are that it transforms a 3D multiparameter optimization problem into a set of 1D optimization problems and it allowed us to include several probabilistic information through the Tau model. The method was tested on a synthetic case where we generated a set of pseudologs and the corresponding synthetic seismograms. We then applied the method to a real well profile, and finally extended it to a 2D seismic section. The application to the real reservoir study included data from three wells and partially stacked near and far seismic sections, and provided as a main result the set of optimized models of facies, and of the relevant petrophysical properties, to be the initial static reservoir models for fluid flow reservoir simulations.
Regelung von Straßenfahrzeugen: Ein Zeitzeugenbericht aus dem Institut von Prof. W. Oppelt, TH Darmstadt
Authors: Hartwich Erwin , Zimdahl Walter
Published: June 2012

Die Verfasser dieses Beitrags waren Studierende an der TH Darmstadt und nach Abschluss ihres Studiums wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter am Institut für Regelungstechnik (IRT) der TH Darmstadt, das im Oktober 1956 als erstes Institut in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland auf diesem Fachgebiet unter der Leitung von Prof. Winfried Oppelt gegründet wurde. Sie nehmen den 100. Geburtstag ihres Lehrers und Förderers zum Anlass, als Zeitzeugen beispielhaft über ihre automobiltechnischen Arbeiten aus den Anfangsjahren des Instituts zu berichten und einige Schlaglichter auf die weitere Entwicklung bis heute zu werfen.
Menstrual blood transplantation for ischemic stroke: Therapeutic mechanisms and practical issues
Authors: Rodrigues Maria Carolina O. , Dmitriev Dmitriy , Rodrigues Antonio , Glover Loren E. , Sanberg Paul R. , Allickson Julie G. , Kuzmin-Nichols Nicole , Tajiri Naoki , Shinozuka Kazutaka , Garbuzova-Davis Svitlana , Kaneko Yuji , Borlongan Cesar V.
Published: June 2012

Cerebrovascular diseases are a major cause of death and long-term disability in developed countries. Tissue plasmin activator (tPA) is the only approved therapy for ischemic stroke, strongly limited by the short therapeutic window and hemorrhagic complications, therefore excluding most patients from its benefits. The rescue of the penumbra area of the ischemic infarct is decisive for functional recovery after stroke. Inflammation is a key feature in the penumbra area and it plays a dual role, improving injury in early phases but impairing neural survival at later stages. Stem cells can be opportunely used to modulate inflammation, abrogate cell death and, therefore, preserve neural function. We here discuss the possible role of stem cells derived from menstrual blood as restorative treatment for stroke. We highlight the availability, proliferative capacity, pluripotentiality and angiogenic features of these cells and explore their present and future experimental and clinical applications.
Why Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Is Not a True Medical Syndrome
Authors: Lindstrøm Jon A.
Published: June 2012

Critics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have repeatedly argued that there is no proof for the condition being symptomatic of an organic brain disease and that the current “ADHD epidemic” is an expression of medicalization. To this, the supporters of ADHD can retort that the condition is only defined as a mental disorder and not a physical disease. As such, ADHD needs only be a harmful mental dysfunction, which, like other genuine disorders, can have a complex and obscure etiology. This article argues that such a line of argument fails to save ADHD as a valid diagnostic category. Given the general diagnostic logic of theDSM–IVand how ADHD has been defined in terms of everyday (male) child behaviors, there are compelling grounds to disbelieve that ADHD can be a true medical syndrome united by some type of harmful dysfunction. Indeed, strong logical and empirical reasons will be adduced to show that people may qualify for ADHD diagnosis without suffering from any type of underlying pathology.
Focus Group and Health Teaching With Traditional Birth Attendants in Njeru, Uganda
Authors: Carr Katherine Camacho , White Ruth
Published: June 2012

The Safe Motherhood Initiative identifies the presence of skilled birth attendants at delivery as the single most critical intervention for safe motherhood. This article reports the findings from a focus group with traditional birth attendants (TBAs) conducted at the request of the Namwezi Health Center and the Njeru town council in Uganda as part of a community needs assessment. The purposes of the focus group included the identification of the problems encountered by the TBAs during antenatal, birth, and postpartum care for mother and newborn and how these problems were managed to assess the educational needs of the TBAs and plan for appropriate education and skills training for them. With a high prevalence of HIV, malaria, neonatal tetanus, and maternal morbidity and mortality in this region, TBAs were in need of education to promote hygiene, including hand washing, handling of bodily fluids, and disposal of the placenta; instruction on cord cutting, tying, and care; malaria prevention in pregnancy; and the management of common complications of childbirth and the newborn. “Too much bleeding” was identified as the primary maternal complication, and bleeding from the umbilical cord and preterm delivery were identified as the most common baby problems. Complication narratives from the TBAs indicated a need for continued training in the management of the common complications of childbirth and the neonatal period to improve maternal and newborn survival.
Knowledge of the Birth Process Among Undergraduates: Impact of Screening of a Documentary Featuring Natural Childbirth in Low-Risk Pregnancies
Authors: Kavanagh Katherine F. , Joyce Stephanie M. , Nicklas Jennifer , Nolte Joy V. , Morgan Lauren G. , Lou Zixin
Published: June 2012

PURPOSE: Little is known about knowledge of birthing practices, among young adults in the United States; specifically, knowledge regarding the impact of these practices on mothers and newborn. Therefore, the purpose was to assess U.S. undergraduates’ knowledge regarding risks of cesarean deliveries (medically indicated or not), before and after viewing a documentary featuring unmedicated vaginal birth in low-risk pregnancy and subsequent expert panel discussion.

STUDY DESIGN: Uncontrolled before/after study.

MAJOR FINDINGS: Of the 225 attendees, 206 completed the pretest (91.5%) and 163 completed the posttest (72.4%). Of the 206 completing the pretest, 152 identified as undergraduates, and 123 (80%) of these 152 completed the posttest. Results indicate exposure to the documentary and expert discussion panel resulted in significant increases in knowledge of risks of cesarean deliveries, regardless of gender. In addition, witnessing or viewing birth in the media was significantly associated, at posttest, with greater increases in knowledge of some risks.

MAIN CONCLUSION: These findings are important in light of the increasing trend in cesarean deliveries in the United States. Educating this population and providing credible information on delivery options should be informed by further research into these domains.
From Home to Hospital: Mistreatment of Childbearing Women and Barriers to Facility-Based Birth in Nicaragua
Authors: Radoff Kari A. , Levi Amy , Thompson Lisa M.
Published: June 2012

Worldwide, women continue to die during childbirth despite efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Nicaragua, particularly the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), possesses extremely high rates of maternal mortality. It has been suggested that promoting facility-based birth is an effective method to reduce maternal mortality through providing essential obstetric and emergency obstetric care to the most women. A significant barrier to increasing rates of facility-based birth globally is mistreatment of women patients in health care settings. This case report illustrates the mistreatment of childbearing women during facility-based birth in the RAAN, including verbal abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and use of unnecessary medical interventions.
The Relationship between Sensory Processing Patterns and Sleep Quality in Healthy Adults
Authors: Engel-Yeger Batya , Shochat Tamar
Published: June 2012

Background. Sleep quality affects a person's performance and quality of life. Poor sleep was recently associated with hyperarousability and difficulties in processing sensory input.

Purpose. To examine the relationships between sensory-processing difficulties (SPD) and sleep quality in healthy adults.

Methods. The 185 participants, aged 21 to 60 (mean 33.64 ± 8.69), completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Findings. Sleep quality significantly correlated with sensory-processing patterns characterized by hypersensitivity. These patterns were manifested in specific modalities (tactile, visual, and auditory), which significantly predicted sleep quality.

Implications. Sleep quality may be related to predisposing, sensory-processing patterns, particularly to hypersensitivity. Occupational therapists should refer to the possible relationship between SPD and sleep quality when treating individuals with SPD or poor sleepers. This may assist in implementing the optimal intervention based on the person's specific needs and contribute to performance and quality of life.
Quantum-chemical investigation of the 1-methylthymine dimer photoproduct: Pyrimidine-(6-4)-pyrimidone adduct
Authors: Ristic Miroslav , Petkovic Milena , Etinski Mihajlo
Published: June 2012

One of the products of a photochemical reaction induced by UV irradiation of
1-methyltimine dimmer is pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone. Due to the low yield of
this product, it is difficult to examine its geometry and vibrational
spectrum. In this study we used quantum chemical methods to characterize
pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone structure. Its three conformers were optimized and
their structures were compared. Their vibrational frequencies in the harmonic
approximation are briefly discussed. It is shown that the most significant
changes in the infrared spectra arise from formation of hydrogen bonds. All
calculations have been performed both in vacuum and in D2O.
Stochastic resonance in a realistic model for surface adsorption
Authors: Sierra J. , Wio Horacio
Published: June 2012

We study a model for a monolayer single adsorbate system used to describe pattern formation on adsorbates with lateral interactions, when it is submitted to pressure oscillations. Through numerical and analytical (based on a two-state approximation) methods to analyze the existence of stochastic resonance in such a bistable system. This is a first step toward the study of resonant phenomena in adsorbate systems with moving fronts and/or with presence of micro-reactors or spots.
Influence of ice concentration and floe-size distribution on cluster formation in sea-ice floes
Authors: Herman Agnieszka
Published: June 2012

At medium ice concentrations, sea ice consists of separate floes of different sizes interacting with each other through inelastic collisions, in a way similar to two-dimensional polydisperse granular gases. The dynamics of this type of ice cover is poorly understood. In this paper, a molecular-dynamics sea-ice model based on simplified momentum equations and a hard-disk collision model is used to analyze processes of cluster formation in sea-ice floes. The clusters, formed due to size-dependent equilibrium velocities of floes under a given forcing, have statistical properties dependent on the average ice concentration and on the parameters of the floe-size distribution. In particular, in terms of the size of the largest cluster in the system, two regimes are observed: one at low and one at high ice concentration. At high ice concentration, the dominating cluster spans the entire model domain and contains the majority of floes. The exponent of the cluster-size distribution increases with increasing exponent of the floe-size distribution. The results are discussed from the point of view of the collisional contribution to the internal stress in the ice, as well as from the role of clustering in the floe-formation processes. Thus, they may contribute to the formulation of more reliable sea-ice rheology models valid at medium ice concentrations.
Conciliating the nonadditive entropy approach and the fractional model formulation when describing subdiffusion
Authors: Kosztołowicz Tadeusz , Lewandowska Katarzyna
Published: June 2012

We consider here two different models describing subdiffusion. One of them is derived from Continuous Time Random Walk formalism and utilizes a subdiffusion equation with a fractional time derivative. The second model is based on Sharma-Mittal nonadditive entropy formalism where the subdiffusive process is described by a nonlinear equation with ordinary derivatives. Using these two models we describe the process of a substance released from a thick membrane and we find functions which determine the time evolution of the amount of substance remaining inside this membrane. We then find ‘the agreement conditions’ under which these two models provide the same relation defining subdiffusion and give the same function characterizing the process of the released substance. These agreement conditions enable us to determine the relation between the parameters occuring in both models.
Multi-strange baryon elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE detector
Authors: Yin Zhongbao
Published: June 2012

We present the results on elliptic flow with multi-strange baryons produced in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 2.76 TeV. The analysis is performed with the ALICE detector at LHC. Multi-strange baryons are reconstructed via their decay topologies and the v
2 measurements are analyzed with the two-particle scalar product method. The p
T differential v
2 values are compared to the viscous hydrodynamical (VISH2+1) model calculation and to the STAR measurements in Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 200 GeV. We found that the model describes ≡ and Ωv
2 measurements within uncertainties. The differential v
2 of ≡ and Ω is similar to the STAR measurements at 200 GeV in Au-Au collisions.
Differences between group X and group V secretory phospholipase A2 in lipolytic modification of lipoproteins
Authors: Kamitani Shigeki , Yamada Katsutoshi , Yamamoto Shigenori , Ishimoto Yoshikazu , Ono Takashi , Saiga Akihiko , Hanasaki Kohji
Published: June 2012

Secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) are a diverse family of low molecular mass enzymes (13–18 kDa) that hydrolyze the sn-2 fatty acid ester bond of glycerophospholipids to produce free fatty acids and lysophospholipids. We have previously shown that group X sPLA2 (sPLA2-X) had a strong hydrolyzing activity toward phosphatidylcholine in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) linked to the formation of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of macrophages. Here, we show that group V sPLA2 (sPLA2-V) can also cause the lipolysis of LDL, but its action differs remarkably from that of sPLA2-X in several respects. Although sPLA2-V released almost the same amount of fatty acids from LDL, it released more linoleic acid and less arachidonic acid than sPLA2-X. In addition, the requirement of Ca2+ for the lipolysis of LDL was about 10-fold higher for sPLA2-V than sPLA2-X. In fact, the release of fatty acids from human serum was hardly detectable upon incubation with sPLA2-V in the presence of sodium citrate, which contrasted with the potent response to sPLA2-X. Moreover, sPLA2-X, but not sPLA2-V, was found to specifically interact with LDL among the serum proteins, as assessed by gel-filtration chromatography as well as sandwich enzyme-immunosorbent assay using anti-sPLA2-X and anti-apoB antibodies. Surface plasmon resonance studies have revealed that sPLA2-X can bind to LDL with high-affinity (Kd = 3.1 nM) in the presence of Ca2+. Selective interaction of sPLA2-X with LDL might be involved in the efficient hydrolysis of cell surface or intracellular phospholipids during foam cell formation.
An Integrated Young Interferometer Based on UV-Imprinted Polymer Waveguides for Label-Free Biosensing Applications
Authors: Wang M. , Hiltunen J. , Liedert C. , Hakalahti L. , Myllylä R.
Published: June 2012

We demonstrate a polymer-rib waveguide Young interferometer sensor fabricated by UV imprinting. An inverted-rib waveguide structure was utilized to simplify the fabrication process. In this configuration, grooves were formed on the undercladding layer by UV imprinting and the core material was spin coated on top to fill the grooves. A glucose-water solution was used to characterize the sensor response against bulk refractive index changes. Recorded sensing responses show a linear correspondence with the refractive index changes of glucose solutions with a detection limit of about 10−5. To verify the polymer sensor’s biosensing capability, an immunoassay was performed with c-reactive proteins (CRP) and human CRP-specific antibodies adsorbed on the waveguide surface. A CRP solution in a PBS (phosphate buffered saline) buffer with a concentration of 2 µg/ml (16 nM) produced a marked response, exceeding the noise level over two hundred times. Based on these values, a detection limit of about 2.4 pg/mm2 was determined for surface sensing of molecular adsorption. With the proposed waveguide configuration, the fabrication of polymer sensors can be ultimately transferred to roll-to-roll mass production to produce low-cost disposable sensors.
Use of the efficiency factor to account for previous straining on the tensile behavior of paper
Authors: Coffin Douglas W.
Published: June 2012

The presented results suggest that the concept of efficiency factor previously used to demonstrate that changes in inter-fiber bonding in paper do not change the shape of the stress-strain curve can be extended to describe the changes that are observed in the tensile response of paper subjected to previous straining. It is found that the pre-yielding response for samples that have fully recovered from previous straining scales with changes in maximum tangent modulus. This deformation is mainly recoverable. When the scaling holds, one can extract a reasonable approximation of the initial recoverable deformation, which is separate from the plastic deformation. In essence, the efficiency factor acts as a stress magnification factor that easily can be incorporated into a constitutive equation. Tracking the change in efficiency factor with straining allows one to account for the loss of observed compliance for the entire range of recoverable deformation.
Analysis of the plastic and elastic energy during the deformation and rupture of a paper sample using thermography
Authors: Hyll Caroline , Vomhoff Hannes , Nygårds Mikael
Published: June 2012

Thermography has been used to quantitatively analyze the plastic and elastic energy during deformation of paper. Sack paper samples were subjected to uniaxial tensile testing until rupture occurred. The temperature of the sample was simultaneously recorded with an infrared camera. The mechanical energy invested in the deformation was determined based on the force and deformation data. The thermal energy that accumulated in the sample during testing was estimated using the temperature measurements. Here, special attention was put on using the correct emittance values for the sack paper by measuring it with a new method. When comparing exerted mechanical energy with released thermal energy up to the time of sample rupture, about 40% to 60% of the mechanical energy could be detected as thermal energy. The lacking share of heat was most likely lost due to cooling of the sample during the experiments, as a lower share of detected mechanical energy was obtained for longer experiments. When comparing the increase in thermal energy during rupture to the elastic energy stored in the sample, an agreement of better than 90% was found.
An analytic procedure for determination of fracture toughness of paper materials
Authors: Mäkelä Petri , Fellers Christer
Published: June 2012

The aim of the present work was to develop an analytic procedure for determination of the fracture toughness of paper materials based on laboratory material test data. Isotropic deformation theory of plasticity was used to model the tensile material behaviour of six different commercial paper grades. Closed-form analytic expressions for calibrating the material model based on tensile test data were developed. The analytically calibrated material model was shown to predict the non-linear tensile stress-strain behaviour of the investigated paper grades excellently. A closed-form analytic expression for determination of fracture toughness was developed based on the used material model and J-integral theory. The fracture toughness of the investigated paper grades was determined analytically based on laboratory fracture toughness test data. The suggested analytic procedure for determination of the fracture toughness was shown to be in excellent agreement with determinations of fracture toughness based on finite element analysis.
Significance of surface and bulk light scattering in microgloss and microgloss nonuniformity of coated papers: Influence of pigment characteristics and calendering conditions
Authors: Takahashi Tsuyoshi , Farnood Ramin
Published: June 2012

A custom-made imaging reflectometer was used to study the microgloss properties of coated papers. To quantify the relative contributions of surface and bulk scattering to the total intensity of reflected light, a pair of polarizer lenses was employed. The mean value and the standard deviation of local grey level of captured images at micro-scale (with a spatial resolution of 16 μm x 16 μm) were determined to quantify the average microgloss and microgloss nonuniformity of samples, respectively. It was found that surface microgloss; i.e. local light reflection in the specular direction due to surface light scattering, increased linearly with increasing the total microgloss of paper. However, bulk microgloss; i.e. local light reflection in the specular direction due to the bulk scattering, remained nearly constant for a wide range of coated papers with varying coating weight, formulation and calendering condition. The relative contribution of bulk scattering to the total microgloss increased as the sheet progressively became less glossy. On the other hand, microgloss nonuniformity was governed by the local variation in surface light scattering and was affected by pigment particle size, pigment morphology and calendering conditions. Finally, both surface microgloss and surface microgloss nonuniformity were power-law functions of the surface texture parameter (Lc/λ)/(σh/λ)2where Lc, σhand λ are correlation length, RMS surface roughness, and wavelength of incident light, respectively.
Specks masking by the coating layer in coated paper made from deinked pulp
Authors: Huber Patrick , Lyannaz Laurent , Carré Bruno
Published: June 2012

Production of lightweight coated paper (LWC) utilises more and more deinked pulp (DIP), for both economical and environmental reasons. A critical requirement on DIP quality for such grades is the cleanliness of the pulp. Indeed, the coating layer may not fully cover specks in the base paper. The objective of this work was to determine the required specifications of the coating layer to produce LWC with DIP base paper. The specks masking phenomena by the coating layer was studied from both optical measurements on coated handsheets made from DIP, and computer simulations of specks contrast reduction. The impact of coating layer parameters (coat weight and optical properties), base paper parameters (grammage and optical properties) and specks nature (grammage and optical properties) on specks masking is studied.
Conductivity of inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS-SWCNTs on uncoated papers
Authors: Angelo Peter D. , Farnood Ramin R. , Sodhi Rana N. , Cole Gregory B.
Published: June 2012

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene): poly (styrene-sulfonate), or PEDOT:PSS, as well as singlewalled carbon nanotubes, were incorporated into an inkjet ink. Handsheets were prepared which contained varying amounts of TiO2filler, internal sizing agent, fixation agent, and either softwood or hardwood kraft pulp. The ink was jetted onto the handsheets to form conductive layers with apparent conductivity as high as 0.018 S/cm on internally alkyketene dimer-sized softwood kraft handsheets with no other additives. Internal sizing increased conductivity at low filler loadings by preventing PEDOT:PSS from penetrating into the substrate, resulting in a conductive ink film on the surface of the sample. Unsized handsheets allowed more rapid absorption, and therefore deeper penetration, of the PEDOT:PSS ink, which resulted in a more diffuse conductive layer. The inclusion of a polyethyleneimine retention aid for TiO2filler decreased conductivity significantly even in unfilled sheets by interaction with PSS-counterions. A positively charged fixation agent, poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride, reduced PEDOT conductivity through the retention of nonconductive PSS-anions.
Queering it Right, Getting it Wrong
Authors: Kollias Hector
Published: June 2012

This article seeks to interrogate the moment of queer theory's ‘birth’ out of French influences, or what is designated by the umbrella term ‘French Theory’. It specifically points to the operations of transformation and dislocation, subversion and perversion of French theoretical influences at work in two distinctive ‘pairings’ of French ‘progenitor’ and American queer ‘offspring’: Jacques Derrida with Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Jacques Lacan with Judith Butler.
Interdisciplinarity, Cultural Studies, Queer: Historical Contexts and Contemporary Contentions in France
Authors: Downing Lisa
Published: June 2012

This article offers a comparative examination of the status of ‘interdisciplinarity’, ‘cultural studies’ and ‘queer’ in the discipline of French studies in the Anglophone world and in France. It is argued that, while the intellectual origins of both interdisciplinarity and queer theory are French, a series of disavowals and appropriations has de-gallicized them. On the one hand, the cultural hegemony of English studies in the USA and the UK has led to a colonization and anglicization of continental thought. On the other, the resistance to cultural studies within the Hexagone has meant that work done in critical sexuality studies within the Anglo-American world over the past forty years is only now beginning to be felt within French-speaking contexts. In tracing this double history of dislocation, the article contextualizes the difficulty of thinking queer in properly French terms — and the importance of doing so.
Case Studies and Benchmark Examples for the Use of Grading Entropy in Geotechnics
Authors: Imre Emöke , Lörincz Jànos , Szendefy Janos , Trang Phong Q. , Nagy Laszlo , Singh Vijay P. , Fityus Stephen
Published: June 2012

The grading entropy concept can be adapted to the field of geotechnics, to establish criteria for phenomena such as particle packing, particle migration and filtering, through a quantified expression of the order/disorder in the grain size distribution, in terms of two entropy-based parameters. In this paper, the grading entropy theory is applied in some geotechnical case studies, which serve as benchmark examples to illustrate its application to the characterisation of piping, softening and dispersive soils, and to filtering problems in the context of a leachate collection system for a landfill site. Further, since unstable cohesive (dispersive) soils are generally improved by lime, the effect of lime addition is also considered, on the basis of some measurements and a further application of the grading entropy concept, which allows evolutions in the entropy of a soil to be considered as its grading is modified. The examples described support the hypothesis that the potential for soil erosion and particle migration can be reliably identified using grading entropy parameters derived from grading curve data, and applied through an established soil structure stability criteria and a filtering rule. It is shown that lime modification is not necessarily helpful in stabilizing against particle migration.
The Effect of Toll-Like Receptor 4 on Macrophage Cytokines During Endotoxin Induced Uveitis
Authors: Yang Shuo , Lu Hong , Wang Jing , Qi Xin , Liu Xuhui , Zhang Xiaolong
Published: June 2012

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signal activation of macrophages can lead to endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). Previously, our research group has demonstrated a higher expression of TLR4 in vivo during EIU than normal. In this study, we analyzed levels of peritoneal macrophage cytokines from C3H/HeN mice with LPS stimulation in vitro to elucidate the effect of TLR4 on cytokines during EIU.
Metabolomic and Lipidomic Analysis of the Heart of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Coactivator 1-β Knock Out Mice on a High Fat Diet
Authors: McCombie Gregor , Medina-Gomez Gema , Lelliott Christopher J , Vidal-Puig Antonio , Griffin Julian L
Published: June 2012

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivators (PGC-1) are transcriptional coactivators with an important role in mitochondrial biogenesis and regulation of genes involved in the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation in oxidative tissues including cardiac tissue. These coactivators are thought to play a key role in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. In this study we have used a combined metabolomic and lipidomic analysis of cardiac tissue from the PGC-1β null mouse to examine the effects of a high fat diet on this organ. Multivariate statistics readily separated tissue from PGC-1β null mice from their wild type controls either in gender specific models or in combined datasets. This was associated with an increase in creatine and a decrease in taurine in the null mouse, and an increase in myristic acid and a reduction in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for both genders. The most profound changes were detected by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of intact lipids with the tissue from the null mouse having a profound increase in a number of triglycerides. The metabolomic and lipodomic changes indicate PGC-1β has a profound influence on cardiac metabolism.
Influence of Maternal Bifidobacteria on the Development of Gut Bifidobacteria in Infants
Authors: Mikami Katsunaka , Kimura Moto , Takahashi Hidenori
Published: June 2012

Intestinal microbiota plays an important role in human health by influencing metabolic activities that result in the creation of energy and absorbable nutrients, a barrier to the colonization of pathogens, and stimulation of the immune system. The development of fecal microbiota in neonates is crucial because those bacteria are the first to colonize the sterile intestine of the neonates and, thus, have a significant effect on the host. Initial colonization is also relevant to the ﬁnal composition of the permanent microbiota in adults. Bifidobacteria are predominant in the fecal microbiota of infants, and, therefore, they are important to an understanding of how commensal bifidobacteria is established in the intestine of infants. While the mother’s bifidobacteria are considered to significantly influence the infant’s bifidobacteria, it is not clear whether a specific bifidobacterial strain transmits vertically from mother to infant and what factors of the mother before delivery influence the establishment of intestinal bifidobacteria in infants. This review focuses on the impact of maternal bifidobacteria on the development of gut bifidobacteria in the infant and suggests that there is cumulative evidence regarding bifidobacterial transfer from the maternal gut or breast milk to the infant gut.
Are Green Taxes a Good Way to Help Solve State Budget Deficits?
Authors: Zhou Rong , Segerson Kathleen
Published: June 2012

States are increasingly turning to environmental taxes as a means of raising revenue. These taxes are often thought to generate a double dividend: an environmental dividend stemming from the environmental improvement, and an economic dividend resulting from use of the revenue from environmental taxes to reduce other distortionary taxes (e.g., income or sales taxes). We review the economic literature on the double-dividend hypothesis, and show explicitly that the conditions under which the second dividend exists are less likely to hold when the amount of revenue that would be raised by an optimal environmental tax is small relative to the tax revenue from other taxes. We then present estimates of the potential revenue that could be raised from two environmental taxes in Connecticut. The results suggest that, because of their small tax base, environmental taxes are likely to have limited potential to raise revenue to finance state government budget deficits and/or reduce other distortionary taxes. Overall, environmental taxes could still generate significant gains for society if they lead to significant improvements in environmental quality. However, without more evidence of the existence of a double dividend, states should not try to justify these taxes on the basis of raising revenue more efficiently.
ASSOCIATIVE CLASSIFICATION OF MAMMOGRAMS BASED ON PARALLEL MINING OF IMAGE BLOCKS
Authors: Shooshtari Mohsen Alavash , Maghooli Keivan , Badie Kambiz
Published: June 2012

One of the main objectives of data mining as a promising multidisciplinary field in computer science is to provide a classification model to be used for decision support purposes. In the medical imaging domain, mammograms classification is a difficult diagnostic task which calls for development of automated classification systems. Associative classification, as a special case of association rules mining, has been adopted in classification problems for years. In this paper, an associative classification framework based on parallel mining of image blocks is proposed to be used for mammograms discrimination. Indeed, association rules mining is applied to a commonly used mammography image database to classify digital mammograms into three categories, namely normal, benign and malign. In order to do so, first images are preprocessed and then features are extracted from non-overlapping image blocks and discretized for rule discovery. Association rules are then discovered through parallel mining of transactional databases which correspond to the image blocks, and finally are used within a unique decision-making scheme to predict the class of unknown samples. Finally, experiments are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Results show that the proposed framework proved successful in terms of accuracy, precision, and recall, and suggest that the framework could be used as the core of any future associative classifier to support mammograms discrimination.
INDUCTION OF NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION OF EMBRYONIC RAT CORTICAL NEUROSPHERES BY NERVE GROWTH FACTOR AND FETAL BOVINE SERUM ON THE NONADHERENT AND ADHERENT SUBSTRATES
Authors: Hung Chih-Huang , Li Yi-Chen , Young Tai-Horng
Published: June 2012

Regulating neural stem cells will greatly aid in developing regenerative medicine for the repair purpose of central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we explored the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the differentiation of neural stem cells from embryonic rat cerebral cortex on nonadherent and adherent substrates at neurosphere level. The results showed that NGF could not promote adhesion and differentiation of neural stem cells when neurospheres were cultured on nonadherent tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) substrates under serum-free condition. However, when 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) was added to the culture system, FBS could induce the attachment of neurospheres onto an originally nonadherent substrate and almost all of the neurosphere-forming cells would migrate away from the spheres with the protoplasmic astrocyte morphology. Furthermore, when NGF was added into the FBS-containing medium, a significant number of differentiated neurons developed and distributed on the astrocyte layer. For comparison, adherent poly-D-lysine (PDL) substrates were also used. It was found that NGF could enhance differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons on PDL under serum-free condition but neurons and astrocytes could not migrate far away from the spheres. Similar to the TCPS results were also observed on PDL that differentiated neurons migrated out from the spheres and developed on the astrocyte layer when the medium contained NGF and FBS. Since the development of neurons needs glia cells to form a cellular substratum and to support neuronal migration to appropriate location, these results provide evidences that FBS-induced glia cells, serving as an architectural support layer, are essential for the growth and migration of NGF-induced neurons.