bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transport in Medieval England
Authors: Langdon John , Claridge Jordan
Published: November 2011

Medieval transport might strike the uninitiated as inherently primitive, but developments in the technology and infrastructure of getting goods and people around in the Middle Ages were constantly occurring. In the case of medieval England, they contributed critically to the commercialization in the country, particularly for the period from 1066 to around 1300. Nor was the story one of gradual and inexorable progress, but one of many twists and turns, as transport adjusted to major shifts in the social and economic environment, particularly when the Black Death struck in the middle of the 14th century. In broad terms, it appears that inland water transport developed quite significantly in the early medieval period (up to, say, 1300), but that land transport gradually improved to the extent that river navigation, while remaining important in certain parts of the country, especially the east, began an overall decline (although coastal shipping continued to be important). A key factor in this was the building of bridges, which were critical in integrating the road network. However, a particularly salient and as yet unexplained paradox was that, as commercial traffic increased, the legal and social framework for the upkeep of road and river transport networks seemingly relaxed, so that enforcement of the maintenance provisions of bridges and roads became more uncertain. Despite this, the excitement for travel continued to grow, for religious and other reasons, and began to be reflected in a growing popularity of maps, from displaying local institutions and communities to depictions of the world and cosmos (the so‐called mappae mundi). Thus, over recent decades, medieval English transport has become situated more securely within larger social, economic and cultural visions of the period, as documentary, archaeological and iconographic studies with strong transport orientations have become more common and inventive.
State Prelates in Renaissance France and England: New Light on the Formation of Early Modern States1
Authors: Michon Cédric
Published: November 2011

This paper analyses the genesis of the Modern State in France and England through one of its components. It shows how bishops and other church leaders played a considerable role in both governments, being something like the ‘third pillar’ of government, but to different effect. While French prelates were of noble birth and shared values and attitudes of the nobility, their English counterparts were nearly all social upstarts, shaped by the universities they had attended rather than by the clans into which they had been born. So, while the church constituted yet another avenue by which aristocratic values permeated French political life, in England, State prelates used their university contacts – the ‘Cambridge Connection’– as a kind of extended family to face the aristocratic opposition. State prelates were a special instance of the growth of the Renaissance state, and in England as in France, specialization ultimately diminished the value of multi‐purpose state servants learned in canon and civil law. That is the reason why state prelates disappeared from their political role after 1560 in England and after 1600 in France.
Aquagenic Wrinkling of the Palms and the Potential Role for Genetic Testing
Authors: Park Ligaya , Khani Cherise , Tamburro Joan
Published: November 2011

Abstract:  Aquagenic wrinkling of the palms (AWP) is a condition characterized by excessive wrinkling, palmar edema, and whitish papules accompanied by pain, pruritus, or discomfort after brief immersion of the hands in water. It is well documented to be associated with cystic fibrosis (CF), with several theories regarding the pathogenesis having been proposed. We report a case of two sisters with AWP in whom CF has not been diagnosed and review the literature on AWP and its association with CF and CF carrier status. Because diagnosis of mild forms CF or knowledge of an underlying CF genetic mutation is frequently unknown, identification of AWP may represent the only sign of such mutations. The dermatologist plays an integral role in early detection of AWP, and the importance of genetic testing in such patients cannot be overlooked. We recommend various measures to apply in clinical practice to ensure diagnosis and decrease morbidity and mortality in patients.
Silver Distribution and Release from an Antimicrobial Denture Base Resin Containing Silver Colloidal Nanoparticles
Authors: Monteiro Douglas Roberto , Gorup Luiz Fernando , Takamiya Aline Satie , de Camargo Emerson Rodrigues , Filho Adhemar Colla Ruvolo , Barbosa Debora Barros
Published: November 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate a denture base resin containing silver colloidal nanoparticles through morphological analysis to check the distribution and dispersion of these particles in the polymer and by testing the silver release in deionized water at different time periods.

Materials and Methods: A Lucitone 550 denture resin was used, and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by reduction of silver nitrate with sodium citrate. The acrylic resin was prepared in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions, and silver nanoparticle suspension was added to the acrylic resin monomer in different concentrations (0.05, 0.5, and 5 vol% silver colloidal). Controls devoid of silver nanoparticles were included. The specimens were stored in deionized water at 37°C for 7, 15, 30, 60, and 120 days, and each solution was analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Results: Silver was not detected in deionized water regardless of the silver nanoparticles added to the resin and of the storage period. Micrographs showed that with lower concentrations, the distribution of silver nanoparticles was reduced, whereas their dispersion was improved in the polymer. Moreover, after 120 days of storage, nanoparticles were mainly located on the surface of the nanocomposite specimens.

Conclusions: Incorporation of silver nanoparticles in the acrylic resin was evidenced. Moreover, silver was not detected by the detection limit of the atomic absorption spectrophotometer used in this study, even after 120 days of storage in deionized water. Silver nanoparticles are incorporated in the PMMA denture resin to attain an effective antimicrobial material to help control common infections involving oral mucosal tissues in complete denture wearers.
Virologic and clinical features of primary infection with human parvovirus 4 in subjects with hemophilia: frequent transmission by virally inactivated clotting factor concentrates
Authors: Sharp Colin P. , Lail Alice , Donfield Sharyne , Gomperts Edward D. , Simmonds Peter
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND: Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is a newly discovered parvovirus prevalent in injecting drug users and other groups with histories of parenteral exposure including persons with hemophilia exposed to non–virally inactivated clotting factor concentrates. To investigate its potential ongoing transmission to persons with hemophilia treated with plasma‐derived, virally inactivated clotting factors, we screened a large cohort of persons with hemophilia for antibody seroconversion to PARV4 over a 5‐year observation period.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Samples from 195 persons with hemophilia enrolled in the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study cohort were screened for PARV4 antibodies at the start and end of a 5‐year period of treatment with exclusively virally inactivated clotting factor concentrates. Samples collected at intermediate time points from subjects seroconverting over the study period were screened to narrow down the seroconversion time and investigate immunoglobulin (Ig)M responses, duration of acute viremia, and clinical presentations.

RESULTS: PARV4 seroprevalence at the outset of the study was 44%. Over the observation period, nine subjects (seven human immunodeficiency virus positive) seroconverted for anti‐PARV4 (incidence, 1.7%/year). Infected subjects showed relatively prolonged durations of viremia (mean, 7 months) and weak, transient IgM responses during acute infections. Clotting factors inactivated by solvent/detergent or by wet or dry heat were infectious. The most common clinical presentations were rashes and exacerbation of hepatitis.

CONCLUSION: This study identifies PARV4 as a transfusion‐transmissible agent that is resistant to viral inactivation. Of concern, infections may still regularly occur in those exposed to plasma‐derived blood products. Urgent evaluation of the incidence of PARV4 in treated individuals and disease associations of PARV4 infections is required.
Reassessing the Human Health Benefits from Cleaner Air
Authors: Cox Louis Anthony (Tony)
Published: November 2011

Recent proposals to further reduce permitted levels of air pollution emissions are supported by high projected values of resulting public health benefits. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment (CAAA) will produce human health benefits in 2020, from reduced mortality rates, valued at nearly $2 trillion per year, compared to compliance costs of $65 billion ($0.065 trillion). However, while compliance costs can be measured, health benefits are unproved: they depend on a series of uncertain assumptions. Among these are that additional life expectancy gained by a beneficiary (with median age of about 80 years) should be valued at about $80,000 per month; that there is a 100% probability that a positive, linear, no‐threshold, causal relation exists between PM2.5concentration and mortality risk; and that progress in medicine and disease prevention will not greatly diminish this relationship. We present an alternative uncertainty analysis that assigns a positive probability of error to each assumption. This discrete uncertainty analysis suggests (with probability >90% under plausible alternative assumptions) that the costs of CAAA exceed its benefits. Thus, instead of suggesting to policymakers that CAAA benefits are almost certainly far larger than its costs, we believe that accuracy requires acknowledging that the costs purchase a relatively uncertain, possibly much smaller, benefit. The difference between these contrasting conclusions is driven by different approaches to uncertainty analysis, that is, excluding or including discrete uncertainties about the main assumptions required for nonzero health benefits to exist at all.
Public Perceptions of Hurricane Modification
Authors: Klima Kelly , Bruine de Bruin Wändi , Morgan M. Granger , Grossmann Iris
Published: November 2011

If hurricane modification were to become a feasible strategy for potentially reducing hurricane damages, it would likely generate public discourse about whether to support its implementation. To facilitate an informed and constructive discourse, policymakers need to understand how people perceive hurricane modification. Here, we examine Florida residents’ perceptions of hurricane modification techniques that aim to alter path and wind speed. Following the mental models approach, we conducted a survey study about public perceptions of hurricane modification that was guided by formative interviews on the topic. We report a set of four primary findings. First, hurricane modification was perceived as a relatively ineffective strategy for damage reduction, compared to other strategies for damage reduction. Second, hurricane modification was expected to lead to changes in projected hurricane path, but not necessarily to the successful reduction of projected hurricane strength. Third, more anger was evoked when a hurricane was described as having changed from the initially forecasted path or strength after an attempted modification. Fourth, unlike what we expected, participants who more strongly agreed with statements that recognized the uncertainty inherent in forecasts reported more rather than less anger at scientists across hurricane modification scenarios. If the efficacy of intensity‐reduction techniques can be increased, people may be willing to support hurricane modification. However, such an effort would need to be combined with open and honest communications to members of the general public.
Communicating Food Risks in an Era of Growing Public Distrust: Three Case Studies
Authors: Lofstedt Ragnar
Published: November 2011

The communication and regulation of risk has changed significantly over the past 30 years in Europe and to a noticeable but lesser extent in the United States. In Europe, this is partly due to a series of regulatory mishaps, ranging from mad cow disease in the United Kingdom to contamination of the blood supply in France. In the United States, general public confidence in the American government has been gradually declining for more than three decades, driven by a mix of cultural and political conflicts like negative political advertising, a corrosive news media, and cuts in regulatory budgets. While the former approach is based on an objective assessment of the risk, the latter is driven more by the perception of the risk, consumer sentiment, political will, and sectoral advocacy. In this article, the author examines three U.S.‐based food case studies (acrylamide, bisphenol A, and artificial food colorings) where regulations at the local and state levels are increasingly being based on perceived risk advocacy rather than on the most effective response to the risk, be it to food safety or public health, as defined by regulatory interpretation of existing data. In the final section, the author puts forward a series of recommendations for how U.S.‐based regulators can best handle those situations where the perceived risk is markedly different from the fact‐based risk, such as strengthening the communication departments of food regulatory agencies, training officials in risk communication, and working more proactively with neutral third‐party experts.
Competing Statistical Methods for the Fitting of Normal Species Sensitivity Distributions: Recommendations for Practitioners
Authors: Hickey Graeme L. , Craig Peter S.
Published: November 2011

A species sensitivity distribution (SSD) models data on toxicity of a specific toxicant to species in a defined assemblage. SSDs are typically assumed to be parametric, despite noteworthy criticism, with a standard proposal being the log‐normal distribution. Recently, and confusingly, there have emerged different statistical methods in the ecotoxicological risk assessment literature, independent of the distributional assumption, for fitting SSDs to toxicity data with the overall aim of estimating the concentration of the toxicant that is hazardous to % of the biological assemblage (usually with small). We analyze two such estimators derived from simple linear regression applied to the ordered log‐transformed toxicity data values and probit transformed rank‐based plotting positions. These are compared to the more intuitive and statistically defensible confidence limit‐based estimator. We conclude based on a large‐scale simulation study that the latter estimator should be used in typical assessments where a pointwise value of the hazardous concentration is required.
Inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signalling induces colorectal cancer cell apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway
Authors: Du Wan , Hong Jie , Wang Ying‐Chao , Zhang Yan‐Jie , Wang Ping , Su Wen‐Yu , Lin Yan‐Wei , Lu Rong , Zou Wei‐Ping , Xiong Hua , Fang Jing‐Yuan
Published: November 2011

Abnormalities in the JAK2/STAT3 pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC), including apoptosis. However, the exact mechanism by which dysregulated JAK2/STAT3 signalling contributes to the apoptosis has not been clarified. To investigate the role of both JAK2 and STAT3 in the mechanism underlying CRC apoptosis, we inhibited JAK2 with AG490 and depleted STAT3 with a small interfering RNA. Our data showed that inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signalling induced CRC cellular apoptosis via modulating the Bcl‐2 gene family, promoting the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm) and the increase of reactive oxygen species. In addition, our results demonstrated that the translocation of cytochrome c (Cyt c), caspase activation and cleavage of poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) were present in apoptotic CRC cells after down‐regulation of JAK2/STAT3 signalling. Moreover, inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signalling suppressed CRC xenograft tumour growth. We found that JAK2/STAT3 target genes were decreased; meanwhile caspase cascade was activated in xenograft tumours. Our findings illustrated the biological significance of JAK2/STAT3 signalling in CRC apoptosis, and provided novel evidence that inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Therefore, JAK2/STAT3 signalling may be a potential target for therapy of CRC.
Regional and temporal variation in hysterectomy rates and surgical routes for benign diseases in the Netherlands
Authors: HANSTEDE MIRIAM M. F. , BURGER MARTIJN J. , TIMMERMANS ANNE , BURGER MATTHÉ P. M.
Published: November 2011

Abstract  Objective. To provide descriptive statistics on hysterectomy for benign gynecological conditions in the Netherlands and to analyze regional and temporal variations in hysterectomy rates and surgical routes. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Dutch hospitals. Population. All women with a hysterectomy for benign gynecological conditions in the Netherlands in 1995–2005. Methods. This study is based on an analysis of the Dutch registry of hospital admissions for 1995–2005. Main outcome measures. The age‐adjusted hysterectomy rate and age‐ and diagnosis‐adjusted proportion of vaginal hysterectomies for each Dutch healthcare region and time period. Results. The average annual crude hysterectomy rate for benign disease only, was 17.2 per 10 000 women of all ages. The vaginal route was chosen for 50.8% of the patients. During the study period, the number of hysterectomies for bleeding disorders declined almost 25%. Among 27 Dutch healthcare regions, the age‐adjusted hysterectomy rates for bleeding disorders and pelvic organ prolapse varied 2.2‐ and 2.3‐fold, respectively. The average annual age‐ and diagnosis‐adjusted proportion of vaginal hysterectomies varied from 43.4 to 63.8%. The regional differences with regard to rate and proportion declined slightly over time. Conclusions. The Netherlands is among the countries with the lowest hysterectomy rates and the highest proportion of vaginal hysterectomies. The regional differences indicate that a further decrease in the hysterectomy rates and an increase in the proportion of vaginal hysterectomies are possible.
Indigenous or Imported Knowledge in Brazilian Management Studies: A Quest for Legitimacy?
Authors: Rodrigues Suzana B. , Duarte Roberto Gonzalez , Carrieri Alexandre de Padua
Published: November 2011

This article reflects upon the evolution of Brazilian management studies in light of the debate provoked byManagement and Organization Review, 5(1), in a special edition on ‘The Future of Chinese Management Research’. Despite an impressive growth in publications, Brazilian management and organization studies have had litde conversation with mainstream international scholarship. The article offers some explanations as to why this might be so and suggests some alternatives for enhancing the international impact of Brazilian studies and advancing the country's reputation in the field. We suggest two routes through which Brazilian management studies could enhance international legitimacy: an outside-in approach, which draws upon established international contributions to theory to inform the investigation, but uses the Brazilian context to enlighten these same theories, and an inside-out approach that draws upon indigenous questions and research design to develop a theory relevant to the Brazilian context, which ultimately contributes to the enhancement of existing or to the creation of new theories. In addition, this article suggests that ambidextrous policies provide a better fit for research strategies intended to foster both approaches.
Understanding the Disproportionately Low Marriage Rate Among African Americans: An Amalgam of Sociological and Psychological Constraints
Authors: Chambers Anthony L. , Kravitz Aliza
Published: November 2011

African Americans have the lowest marriage rate of any racial and ethnic group in America. Although the low marriage rate among African Americans has been largely examined through a sociological lens by documenting structural barriers, which has important policy implications, researchers have not sufficiently examined the psychological and interpersonal barriers to marriage or the interpersonal manifestations of sociological constraints. Examining this problem on an interpersonal, microsystem level of analysis is integral, as no policy can repair the fragility of African American relationships or change what happens between a couple behind closed doors. We present the disproportionately low marriage rate problem as a complex matrix of sociological and interpersonal constraints demanding a culturally sensitive, contextual analysis for understanding the question “Why are African Americans not getting married?” We address this question in the context of constraint theory and relationship development. Policy, education, and clinical implications are discussed.
Re‐visioning Romantic‐Era Gothicism: An Introduction to Key Works and Themes in the Study of H.P. Lovecraft
Authors: Smith Philip
Published: November 2011

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an author, letter writer and poet who lived between 1890 and 1937. His works blend science fiction with Gothic themes. Lovecraft was, by the majority of accounts (including his own), a bad writer. He was also an outspoken racist for the majority of his life to a degree which makes much of his work, to a modern reader, politically grotesque. Despite the above, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Lovecraft’s work can be found in the genealogy of almost all modern science fiction and horror. This essay introduces the major concepts in critical responses to the fictional prose works of H.P. Lovecraft. The author examines the recurring themes of language, genre, literary influences, xenophobia, cosmic indifferentism, dreams, time and the influence of Lovecraft. This essay does not, due to length limitations, seek to be inclusive of all Lovecraft criticism, but instead presents key themes and works. Nor does it address the totality of Lovecraft’s work and focuses, instead on readings of his fictional prose works.
Predictors for Poststroke Outcomes: The Tel Aviv Brain Acute Stroke Cohort (TABASCO) Study Protocol
Authors: Ben Assayag Einor , Korczyn Amos D. , Giladi Nir , Goldbourt Uri , Berliner A. Sholmo , Shenhar-Tsarfaty Shani , Kliper Efrat , Hallevi Hen , Shopin Ludmila , Hendler Talma , Baashat Dafna Ben , Aizenstein Orna , Soreq Hermona , Katz Noomi , Solomon Zahava , Mike Anat , Usher Sali , Hausdorff Jeff M. , Auriel Eitan , Shapira Itzhak , Bornstein Natan M.
Published: November 2011

Background

Recent studies have demonstrated that even survivors of mild stroke experience residual damage, which persists and in fact increases in subsequent years. About 45% of stroke victims remain with different levels of disability. Identifying factors associated with poststroke cognitive and neurological decline could potentially yield more effective therapeutic opportunities.

Aims and hypothesis

We hypothesize that data based on biochemical, neuroimaging, genetic and psychological measures can, in aggregate, serve as better predictors for subsequent disability, cognitive and neurological deterioration, and suggest possible interventions.

Design

The Tel-Aviv Brain Acute Stroke Cohort (TABASCO) study is an ongoing, prospective cohort study that will recruit approximately 1125 consecutive first-ever mild–moderate stroke patients. It is designed to evaluate the association between predefined demographic, psychological, inflammatory, biochemical, neuroimaging and genetic markers, measured during the acute phase, and long-term outcome: subsequent cognitive deterioration, vascular events (including recurrent strokes), falls, affect changes, functional everyday difficulties and mortality.

Discussion

This study is an attempt to comprehensively investigate the long-term outcome of mild–moderate strokes. Its prospective design will provide quantitative data on stroke recurrence, the incidence of other vascular events and the evaluation of cognitive, affective and functional decline. Identifying the factors associated with poststroke cognitive and functional decline could potentially yield more effective therapeutic approaches.
We Remember? The Catholic Church and the Holocaust
Authors: Lawson Tom
Published: November 2011

The furore surrounding the response of the Catholic Church and especially Pope Pius XII to the Holocaust shows no sign of abating. Scholars are as likely to proclaim Pius XII the great defender of Jewish interests during the Second World War as they are to find him ‘Hitler’s Pope’ and enthusiastic supporter of Nazi antisemitism. This article surveys the scholarship in this area, and demonstrates that this is a discourse concerned with more than just a narrow past. It is concerned with much broader issues such as the fundamental relationship between Christianity, antisemitism and National Socialism, but it is also a conflict concerned with how we access the past, about what represents moral action, and about the purpose of the Catholic Church in the world today.
Social Exclusion and the Desire to Reconnect
Authors: DeWall C. Nathan , Richman Stephanie B.
Published: November 2011

People have a fundamental need to belong that, when satisfied, is linked to a variety of indicators of well‐being. The current article discusses what happens when social relationships go awry, namely through social exclusion. It seeks to resolve discrepancies in the literature by proposing that responses to social exclusion depend primarily on the prospect of social acceptance. When people feel socially excluded, they want to regain acceptance and thus may respond in ways that can help them do so. When the possibility of acceptance is not forthcoming, however, socially excluded people become selfish and antisocial. Evidence for this pattern was found at behavioral, cognitive, and biological levels. The motivation to gain acceptance may drive people to engage in negative health behaviors, such as smoking. Thus, excluded people demonstrate sensitivity to possible social acceptance, but they can exude an air of selfishness and hostility when there is no possibility of satisfying their need to belong.
Social Stigma and its Consequences for the Socially Stigmatized
Authors: Frost David M.
Published: November 2011

This paper presents an integrative review of current and classic theory and research on social stigma and its consequences for the socially stigmatized. Specific attention is paid to stigma‐related processes surrounding race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The origins and perpetration of social stigma are discussed alongside perspectives on how stigmatized groups and individuals experience stigma‐related stress. Consideration is given to responses to stigma in the form of coping, social support, and meaning‐making processes. Both the potential negative and positive consequences of social stigma are highlighted in this review through the integration of predominant social psychological theory with emerging critical and feminist theories of positive marginality and resistance. The paper culminates in a theoretical process model designed to provoke future theory and research that share its integrative aims.
Sociology and Studies of Gender, Caregiving, and Inequality
Authors: Oliker Stacey
Published: November 2011

This review focuses on scholarship that illuminates the ties between gendered care and persistent gender inequality. After an overview of work on gender and care across the disciplines, it examines sociologies of care and suggests how sociology might further enrich research and theory in this area. I explore the areas of work–family intersection, state care policy, and the organization of paid care work. I argue that the sociology of caregiving needs to better understand institutional effects on care and the interactions that transmit and resist them, organizational influences on paid care work, and how care policies relate to gender equality.
Problem‐Solving Courts: Theory and Practice
Authors: Castellano Ursula
Published: November 2011

Problem‐solving courts (PSCs) are a popular and fast‐growing alternative to the usual way of handling criminal cases. In place of the adversarial process, they provide court‐supervised treatment to certain groups of offenders by addressing the underlying causes of criminal behavior. They take on a variety of forms including drug courts, mental health courts, domestic violence courts, veterans’ courts, and homeless courts. PSCs, as relatively new innovations in the criminal justice system, are still evolving in scope and in practice. This article then attempts to synthesize what we know about these specialty dockets. To do so, this article (1) explores the origins and developments of PSCs as well as highlights their defining characteristics; (2) examines the theoretical approaches and empirical findings of contemporary research on problem‐solving courts; (3) critically discusses whether this new approach to old problems compromises core judicial principles; and (4) suggests directions for further research to better understand the cautionary promise of problem‐solving justice.
Suppressor of cytokine signal 3 and IL28 genetic variation predict the viral response to peginterferon and ribavirin
Authors: Miyaaki Hisamitsu , Ichikawa Tatsuki , Yatsuhashi Hiroshi , Taura Naota , Miuma Satoshi , Usui Tetsuya , Mori Sayaka , Kamihira Shimeru , Tanaka Yasuhito , Mizokami Masashi , Nakao Kazuhiko
Published: November 2011

Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS 3) in the liver, the SNPs in the IL28B locus, and the outcome of interferon therapy.

Methods:  Prior to interferon treatment, we immunostained 67 liver specimens from chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who were receiving peginterferon alpha‐2b/ribavirin therapy for suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), and compared the expression of SOCS3, IL28 polymorphisms and other clinical factors between the patients and compared their eventual outcomes.

Results:  Significant differences between the low SOCS3 group and high SOCS3 group were found in age, as well as in the platelet, transaminase, gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase levels. The incidence of high SOCS3 was not significantly different between subjects with the TT genotype and the TG genotype (TT : TG = 71%:29%, P = 0.250). In a multivariate analysis, age (≥65 years old) (odds ratio 0.221 [0.120–0.966], P = 0.045), IL28B gene (genotype TT) (odds ratio 5.422 [1.254–23.617], P = 0.024) and SOCS3 (high) (odds ratio 0.308 [0.104–0.948], P = 0.040) were significant predictors of the interferon response. In patients with the TT genotype, those with low SOCS3 immunostaining showed a high sustained virological response (69%), while the sustained virological rate was low (27%) in the patients with high SOCS3 immunostaining.

Conclusions:  Using a combination of the SOCS3 immunostained area in the liver and the expression of IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms might be a useful predictor of hepatitis C virus clearance by interferon therapy.
Novel scoring system as a useful model to predict the outcome of patients with acute liver failure: Application to indication criteria for liver transplantation
Authors: Naiki Takafumi , Nakayama Nobuaki , Mochida Satoshi , Oketani Makoto , Takikawa Yasuhiro , Suzuki Kazuyuki , Tada Shin‐ichiro , Ichida Takafumi , Moriwaki Hisataka , Tsubouchi Hirohito ,   the Intractable Hepato‐Biliary Disease Study Group supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan
Published: November 2011

Aim:  In Japan, the indication for liver transplantation in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) is currently determined according to the guideline published in 1996. However, its predictive accuracy has fallen in recent patients. Thus, we attempted to establish a new guideline.

Methods:  The subjects were 1096 ALF patients enrolled in a nationwide survey. All patients showed a prothrombin time <40% of the standardized value and grade II or more severe hepatic encephalopathy. A multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed in 698 patients seen between 1998 and 2003 to identify significant parameters determining the outcome of patients. The extracted parameters were graded as numerical scores. An established scoring system was validated in patients seen between 2004 and 2008.

Results:  Six parameters were identified and graded as 0, 1 and/or 2; the interval between disease onset and development of hepatic encephalopathy, prothrombin time, serum total bilirubin concentration, the ratio of direct to total bilirubin concentration, peripheral platelet count and the presence of liver atrophy. When the prognosis of the patients with total score of 5 or more was judged as “death”, the predictive accuracy was 0.80 with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value greater than 0.70. The values were similarly high in patients for validation.

Conclusion:  Novel scoring system for predicting the outcome of ALF patients may be useful to determine the indication of liver transplantation, since the system showed high predictive accuracy even after validation.
Risk Analysis Techniques for Improving Fire Safety Onboard Ships
Authors: Kar A. R. , Dutta B. B.
Published: November 2011

It is widely known that fire on board ships is one of the major ship accidents resulting in loss of life and property. There exist international rules and regulations for ship design with reference to fire safety. These rules are primarily prescriptive with a provision for alternative design. For any novel or new type of design which is particularly very common these days for the design of Cruise Liner or Large Passenger Ships, the prescriptive part of the rule is found to be inadequate, so there is a need to resort to the provision of alternative design. This alternative design can be based on Risk Based approach. It is now well recognized by ‘International Maritime Organization’ that Risk Based approach is the most potential way out for bringing in innovation and improving safety in Marine industry. Though, Fire safety encompasses many aspects of Ship Design and Construction, however, various systems installed on board ships for detection and suppression of fire play an important role in controlling and improving the level of fire safety. In general these systems are installed as per the requirement of applicable regulation without having clear understanding of the failure mechanisms, function of the system and their interactions. This understanding is essentially required in order to improve the system reliability as well as effectively dealing with various accident scenarios. This paper describes some of the techniques which can easily be used and implemented for the purpose improving the clarity of systems installed on board ships for effectively and reliably dealing with fire accident on board ships. Some Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Event Tree Analysis (ETA) for various systems and fire scenarios will be described/presented in this paper.
Pipeline Risk Assessment Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Authors: Yasseri Sirous F. , Mahani R. B.
Published: November 2011

Deciding on the effectiveness of risk reduction measures is a common problem that involves tradeoffs among multiple different and generally qualitative criteria. Often risk mitigation measures implemented for pipeline risk reduction cannot be easily quantified, but it can be ranked. Hence, there is a need to identify which risk reduction measure is the most effective amongst the competing options. This paper uses Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to select optimal solutions that best satisfies all of the decision maker’s requirements. This paper presents the development of an AHP model and the derivation of a quality index. The model is used for a hypothetical case study of various remediation works to an existing pipeline. The advantages of using such a technique are also discussed. This proposed model of risk assessment is useful for risk management during the planning and building stages of a new pipeline, as well as for modification and changes of use for an existing pipeline.
Experimental Investigation on VIV of the Flexible Model Under Full Scale Re Number
Authors: Fu Shixiao , Ren Tie , Li Runpei , Wang Xuefeng
Published: November 2011

In this paper, VIV of a flexible model within full scale Re number regime are studied. The experiments were carried out in the towing tank by towing the flexible model with a constant forward speed. The bending stiffness of the flexible model was specially designed and controlled by a steel core pipe, whose diameter and wall thickness were selected according to the structural naturally frequency, vortex-shedding frequency and strength requirements under VIV conditions. The cylindrical rubber was bundled onto the core pipe to increase the diameter of the pipe to the full scale riser’s diameter, so that the model has the full scale hydrodynamic diameter, and therefore the full scale Re number. The strain information in both IL and CF directions of the model was measured by the optical fiber strain gages. The data was analyzed by the modal super position method. The VIV characters at both IL and CF directions under full scale Re number were studied.
Maintenance Integrity: Managing Flange Inspections on Aging Offshore Production Facilities
Authors: Ratnayake R. M. Chandima , Samarakoon S. M. S. M. K. , Markeset Tore
Published: November 2011

The flange inspection associated with piping on offshore production facilities is a time-consuming activity as the flanges should physically be opened in order to perform close visual inspections. In order to sustain maintenance integrity, a number of inspections are allocated for a subsystem based on factors such as: condition of the medium flowing in the line, risk perception of the pipeline system, and the date of installation. Inspection teams recommend inspections based on the data, experience, and exposure to offshore production facilities, as well as the intuition and intentions of those individuals involved with inspection planning and with carrying out implementation during the preventive maintenance shutdowns. However, there is a tendency for the operating company representatives to raise queries with the contractor company representatives about the number of flanges to be opened during the preventive maintenance shutdown as flange inspection consumes a considerable portion of time and resources. Hence, it is vital to interpret sensibly the importance of recommending close visual inspections for flanges if the maintenance integrity is to be sustained. This study focuses on analyzing the historical data limited to flanges on flowlines over the last fifteen years. The final results provide a snapshot of the present status of the flanges of the production facility.
Pullout Capacity of Suction Piles in Clay Under Eccentric Vertical Loads
Authors: Kim Y. S. , Cho Y. , Bang S. , Jones K. D.
Published: November 2011

As part of a study on the determination of the suction pile vertical pullout loading capacity, five centrifuge model tests have been conducted on a model suction pile embedded in clay. Details of the centrifuge model test procedures and results are described. Variable in the centrifuge model tests includes the point of the mooring line attachment which was varied from the top to the bottom along the side of the model suction pile. The effect of this parameter on the suction pile vertical pullout capacity is described and discussed in detail. Test results indicate that the loading capacity increases, reaches its peak, and then decreases as the loading point moves downward.
On the Necessity of Technology Qualification in the Offshore Wind Energy Industry
Authors: Samarakoon S. M. S. M. K. , Gudmestad O. T.
Published: November 2011

Wind farm technology can be considered as one of the best available techniques to deliver renewable energy. Similarly, the number of wind farms has been growing rapidly owing to their contribution to sustainable development. Recently also, there has been a growing awareness of the need to develop a plentiful number of wind farms offshore rather than onshore. This is due to the consideration that the offshore wind farms are more beneficial than onshore with respect to their exposure to higher wind speeds while covering extensive areas. Less turbulence offshore also allows the turbines to harvest the available energy more effectively than onshore and to reduce the fatigue on turbines. Furthermore, most of the offshore wind farms are located in remote areas, which helps to avoid noise effects and the visual burden (shadows) on society. However, the malfunctioning of the turbines in offshore wind farms after a few months or years from their commissioning is a one of the challenging issue. The outcome of the failures leads to large financial losses owing to cost-intensive repairs and weather-related delays. Therefore, identification of potential failures at the early stages of development through a technology qualification procedure will help to minimize the loss of financial resources by increasing the reliability of the systems and the availability of wind power. Basically, appraisal of risk and reliability aspects is playing a key role in this qualification process in order to confirm that the system will perform as intended. This study identifies some recent historical failures in offshore wind farms causing significant financial losses. Further, it discusses the reasons of the failures and the possibility to overcome future obstacles in developing offshore wind farms using a technology qualification procedure. Finally, this paper discusses whether the existing technology qualification procedure can be directly applied for offshore wind farms, and what important modifications are necessary.
Scour Around Vertical Pile Foundations for Offshore Wind Turbines due to Long-Crested and Short-Crested Nonlinear Random Waves
Authors: Myrhaug Dag , Ong Muk Chen
Published: November 2011

This paper provides a practical stochastic method by which the maximum scour depth around vertical piles exposed to long-crested (2D) and short-crested (3D) nonlinear random waves can be derived. The approach is based on assuming the waves to be a stationary narrow-band random process, adopting the Forristall (2000) wave crest height distribution representing both 2D and 3D nonlinear random waves, and using the regular wave formulas for scour depth by Sumer et al. (1992b). An example of calculation is provided. Tentative approaches to related random wave-induced scour cases are also suggested.
Tripping Analysis and Design Consideration of Permanent Means of Access Structure
Authors: Ma Ming , Jang Beom-Seon , Hughes Owen F.
Published: November 2011

An efficient Rayleigh-Ritz approach is presented for analyzing the lateral-torsional buckling (“tripping”) behavior of permanent means of access (PMA) structures. Tripping failure is dangerous and often occurs when a stiffener has a tall web plate. For ordinary stiffeners of short web plates, tripping usually occurs after plate local buckling and often happens in plastic range. Since PMA structures have a wide platform for a regular walk-through inspection, they are vulnerable to elastic tripping failure and may take place prior to plate local buckling. Based on an extensive study of finite element linear buckling analysis, a strain distribution is assumed for PMA platforms. The total potential energy functional, with a parametric expression of different supporting members (flat bar, T-stiffener and angle stiffener), is formulated, and the critical tripping stress is obtained using eigenvalue approach. The method offers advantages over commonly used finite element analysis because it is mesh-free and requires only five degrees of freedom; therefore the solution process is rapid and suitable for design space exploration. The numerical results are in agreement with NX NASTRAN [1] linear buckling analysis. Design recommendations are proposed based on extensive parametric studies.
Numerical Computation of Suspended Sediment Around a Marine Pipeline Close to the Flat Seabed
Authors: Ong Muk Chen , Holmedal Lars Erik , Myrhaug Dag
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this paper is to investigate suspended sediment transport around a marine pipeline near the seabed by solving the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations with the standard k-ε model. High Reynolds number flow simulations are considered in the present study. The suspended sediments are seeded upstream of the pipeline. Particle trajectories of the suspended sediments downstream of the pipeline have been visualized by using a Lagrangian approach. Effects of the gap (i.e. the normal distance between the pipeline and the seabed) and the sediment weight (i.e. taking into account sediment settling velocity) have been investigated and discussed.
Effect of Design Parmeters on Aero-Acoustic and Aerodynamic Performance of Wells Turbines
Authors: Starzmann R. , Carolus T. H. , Tease K. , Arlitt R.
Published: November 2011

A Wells turbine is an axial turbine, which is capable of extracting energy from an oscillating airflow. In an oscillating water column (OWC) power plant the Wells turbine is operated along its complete characteristic curve from no load to overload and back. Not only maximum efficiency but also damping, pneumatic power, overload capacity and noise emission are crucial parameters which need to be taken into account when designing a turbine for an OWC system. Based on a classical blade element approach a number of rotors were designed varying the hub-tip ratio and the solidity systematically. Three-dimensional numerical RANS simulations are carried out to predict the characteristic curves and extract the optimum operating coefficients as well as the stall margin. Selected rotors are manufactured as scaled down models. A steady state test rig, equipped with highly efficient silencers to ensure low noise air supply, is used to measure the complete aerodynamic and aero-acoustic characteristic curves. The results indicate how the turbines’ performance is affected by the choice of the hub-tip ratio and solidity.
A Study on the Fatigue Life of Glass Reinforced Polymer Composites for Tidal Turbine Blades
Authors: Kennedy Ciaran R. , Leen Sean B. , O´ Bra´daigh Conchu´r M.
Published: November 2011

This paper is concerned with the development of a fatigue life prediction methodology for ocean energy structures. To this end, a programme of fatigue testing of glass fibre reinforced laminates is employed to characterise the strain-life behaviour of two candidate material combinations. The test specimens are made from quasi-isotropic laminates of both vinyl ester and epoxy matrices. A preliminary finite element model of a tidal turbine blade is developed to identify the relevant stresses and strains under representative hydrodynamic loading. The hydrodynamic (blade) loads are calculated using a stream tube momentum model, based on tidal current velocities predicted by a sinusoidal equation. The comparative behaviour of the candidate materials is assessed in the context of the turbine blade model.