bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patent licensing of Stackelberg manufacturer in a differentiated product market
Authors: Li Yue , Yanagawa Takashi
Published: April 2011

The present paper analyzes the patent licensing behavior of a Stackelberg leader of manufacturing firms with an in‐house R&D division in a differentiated product market where the firm is able to choose between fixed‐fee licensing and royalty licensing. The findings are compared with the conclusions reached on the Stackelberg competition model in a homogeneous product market, and those under Cournot competition in a differentiated product market. This paper also examines two‐part tariff licensing and its findings are compared with those of previous studies.
On the impact of trade on the industrial structures of nations
Authors: Oyama Daisuke , Sato Yasuhiro , Tabuchi Takatoshi , Thisse Jacques‐François
Published: April 2011

This paper investigates the impact of progressive trade openness on the formation of entrepreneurship in a two‐country occupation choice model with monopolistic competition. We show that trade opening gives rise to a non‐monotonic process of international specialization, in which the share of entrepreneurial firms in the large (small) country first increases (decreases) and then decreases (increases), with the global economy exhibiting first deindustrialization and then reindustrialization.
Ability to stop thinking and strategy choice in dilemma games
Authors: Nishimura Kazuo , Okada Akira , Tobinaga Yoshikazu
Published: April 2011

In this study we analyze the relationship between individuals’ ability to stop thinking and their strategy choices in dilemma‐type games. The results show that individuals can be roughly divided into two groups, those with the ability to stop thinking and those without it, and that subjects with the ability to stop thinking generally have a tendency to express their opinions clearly. The results of the survey verify the relationship between the ability to stop thinking and the strategy choice in dilemma games. The dilemma games used in the survey were the hawk–dove game, the telephone game and the work game. In all of these, subjects were asked to choose between cooperative behavior and non‐cooperative behavior. The survey results show that subjects without the ability to stop thinking had a tendency to choose cooperative behavior.
Fundamental difficulty underlying international harmonization of competition policies
Authors: Yano Makoto , Honryo Takakazu
Published: April 2011

The international harmonization of competition policies is widely perceived as a prime area for international policy discussion. We demonstrate that this harmonization, unlike a general tariff reduction, cannot be guided by the principle of reciprocity. Towards this end, we build a two‐country partial equilibrium model with non‐tradable service sectors. The governments play a game in which they choose the degrees of competition in their respective service sectors. In a Nash equilibrium, one country chooses the perfectly competitive policy whereas the other country chooses an imperfectly competitive policy. This equilibrium cannot be transformed into the first‐best state by the principle of reciprocity.
Lancasterian logic of taste and preference
Authors: Billot Antoine
Published: April 2011

The aim of this paper is to reconcile the natural meaning of a taste defined as a subset of attributes and the theoretical modeling of a preference defined as a binary relation over alternatives. For that purpose, in a Lancasterian framework we first introduce attributes, addresses, alternatives and subjective associations between attributes. Second, we define tastes as subsets of attributes resulting from a specific mapping T over the powerset of attributes and we establish the two conditions, monotonicity and normalization of the mapping T, under which tastes can be said to be well‐formed; that is, formally relevant as a representation of the subjective associations between attributes (Theorem 1). Third, we exhibit the formal properties, reflexivity and transitivity of the subjective associations that structure the attributes set if tastes are well‐formed (Theorem 2). Finally, we prove that whenever tastes are consistently represented by preferences, tastes are well‐formed iff preferences are totally weak‐ordered (Theorem 3).
Factors Influencing Variability in Groundwater Monitoring Data Sets
Authors: McHugh T.E. , Beckley L.M. , Liu C.Y. , Newell C.J.
Published: April 2011

“Random” variability in groundwater monitoring data sets reduces the ability to identify long‐term concentration trends. This, in turn, increases the time and cost required to evaluate the effectiveness of natural attenuation and other groundwater remedies. To better understand the factors influencing variability in groundwater monitoring results, we have analyzed three large groundwater monitoring data sets. For the three data sets, the long‐term trend in contaminant concentration in each well accounted for an average of 30% to 40% of the overall variation in contaminant concentration. Understanding the causes of the remaining variability would support the development of improved groundwater monitoring methods. All three data sets show large differences in the temporal monitoring records between individual wells (e.g., coefficient of variation for monitoring results from individual wells ranges from 0.08 to 4.6) indicating that well and aquifer factors are more important contributors to variability than sample collection and analysis factors. However, the depth to groundwater (R2 = 0.020) and distance between water level and screened interval (R2 = 0.049) accounted for only a portion of the differences in variability between wells and other aquifer characteristics evaluated and were not correlated with the observed variability in monitoring results. Unidentified factors were apparently much more important contributors to variability than these factors. The monitoring data sets exhibited two distinct timescales for variability: Time‐independent variability that was apparent even when wells were re‐sampled within a few days and a long‐term variability likely associated with the long‐term concentration trend. The observation of time‐independent variability suggests that frequent monitoring of contaminated monitoring wells serves primarily to characterize sources of variability unrelated to the long‐term trend of primary interest.
Impact of RMB Appreciation on Trade and Labor Markets of China and the USA: A Multi‐country Comparative General Equilibrium Model
Authors: Li Xin , Xu Dianqing
Published: April 2011

Since the recent economic crisis, the undervaluation of China's exchange rate has been a focus in the debate on the global policy mix. Using a non‐competitive input–output table, we establish a comparative‐static general equilibrium model to simulate the impact of real exchange rate changes on Sino–US trade and labor markets. The simulation shows that the impacts of a 10‐percent RMB revaluation on the trade surplus of China and the labor market of the USA are more modest than is generally perceived, and the negative impact on the output of the non‐processing industry in China is more significant than that on the processing industry. The Sino–US trade imbalance will continue to deteriorate, China's non‐processing trade surplus will decline and the processing trade will increase, with the combined effect being small. For the USA, labor‐intensive goods imported from China will shift to different Asian countries instead of transferring back to the US market. The simulation results indicate that the impacts of an RMB revaluation on both Chinese and US labor markets would be limited.
Influence of International Openness on Corporate Environmental Performance in China
Authors: Bu Maoliang , Liu Zhibiao , Gao Yanyan
Published: April 2011

This paper examines how international openness influences China's corporate environmental performance. A unique firm‐level dataset is constructed by combining two databases: the Annual Industrial Survey and the China GreenWatch Program Rating System. The empirical results obtained from a series of ordered probit models indicate that openness has a positive relation to corporate environmental performance in China. However, the two main market‐opening strategies in China, exporting and attracting foreign investment, have different effects on environmental performance. The results reveal that foreign investment plays a substantial and positive role that can support the environmental spillovers in China. However, the effect of exporting is insignificant. The environmental pressure from foreign customers to improve Chinese firms' environmental performance presents a challenge. Our study indicates that China could make environmental quality improvements through increased international openness, as is likely the case for other developing countries.
Vertical Specialization and Trade Growth in Northeast Asia
Authors: Hwang Yun Seop , Song Jun , Kim Soo Eun
Published: April 2011

As the global economy has become further integrated, the international production chain has become more sophisticated, with diversified stages of production located in different countries. Economic theorists have argued that the fragmentation of the global production chain is partly attributable to the high growth in international trade over the past several decades. In this study, we examine vertical specialization in China, Japan and Korea, and its contribution to these nations' trade. Using a multilevel model, it is illustrated that vertical specialization has encouraged increases in trade among all three countries. In particular, China's outcome is remarkable considering how recently it became a member of the WTO.
Religion and Science in America
Authors: Zeller Benjamin
Published: April 2011

Many people assume that the history of religion and science in America is one of conflict. However, this is not the case. While an examination of the relationship between religion and science in America shows a variety of ways that they have related, there are few cases of outright conflict. This article takes a historical approach to the topic of religion and science in America. It looks to how both Native Americans and colonial‐era Americans fused religion and science into a single system, the reasons that this approach began to falter during the early republic and antebellum era, and the twentieth‐century repercussions. It treats the history of natural theology, natural philosophy, Baconian science, fundamentalism, and the post‐Einstein “new physics” of relativity and quantum science. Special attention is paid the famous Scopes Trial, as well as the contemporary Intelligent Design movement.
Theo‐Politics in the Holy Land: Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism
Authors: Aldrovandi Carlo
Published: April 2011

This article focuses on the ‘theo‐political’ core of US Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism. The political militancy characterizing two Millenarian/Messianic movements such as Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism constitutes a still under‐researched and under‐theorized aspect that, at present, is paramount to address for its immediate and long terms implications in the highly sensitive and volatile Israeli‐Palestinian issue, in the US and Israeli domestic domain, and in the wider international community. Although processes of the ‘sacralisation of politics’ and ‘politicisation of religions’ have already manifested themselves in countless forms over past centuries, Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism are unprecedented phenomena given their unique hybridized nature, political prominence and outreach, mobilizing appeal amongst believers, organizational‐communicational skills and degree of institutionalization.
London’s Frantic Quest for the Muslim Holy Grail: The Post‐9/11 Evolution of the Relationship Between Whitehall and the British Muslim Community
Authors: Vidino Lorenzo
Published: April 2011

Over the last 20 years most European governments have sought to find individuals and organizations that could be identified as representatives of their Muslim communities. These efforts have been frustrated by the extreme fragmentation that characterizes these communities, which, in turn, has caused them to lack a unified leadership. In the mid‐1990s British authorities sought to overcome this situation by supporting and treating as sole government interlocutor the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella body uniting hundreds of British Muslim organizations. Tensions after the 9/11 and, later, 7/7 terrorist attacks raised thorny and previously unexpected issues in the relationship between MCB and Whitehall, leading to its progressive deterioration and, in 2009, to a temporary suspension of contacts. The article examines the evolution of this relationship and the various factors that influenced it.
The Utility of Animal Models in Understanding Links between Psychosocial Processes and Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Grippo Angela J.
Published: April 2011

A bidirectional association between mood disorders and cardiovascular disease has been described; however, the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie this link have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this review is first to describe some of the important behavioral neurobiological processes that are common to both mood and cardiovascular disorders. Second, this review focuses on the value of conducting research with animal models (primarily rodents) to investigate potential behavioral, physiological, and neural processes involved in the association of mood disorders and cardiovascular disease. In combination with findings from human research, the study of mechanisms underlying mood and cardiovascular regulation using animal models will enhance our understanding of the association of depression and cardiovascular disease, and can promote the development of novel interventions for individuals with these comorbid conditions.
Reworking Postfordism: Labor Process Versus Employment Relations
Authors: Vidal Matt
Published: April 2011

The Fordism/postfordism framework has been widely used, but also heavily criticized, in the social sciences. I outline the central points of debate over the use of this framework for analysis of work organization, including the range of models offered as successors to Fordism. I then suggest that, while some criticisms of the concept of postfordism have highlighted important problems and issues, the Fordist/postfordist framework can be elaborated as an analytically coherent, theoretically illuminating approach to the historical, institutional, and comparative analysis of work and employment. Although researchers appear to be using the concept of postfordism increasingly less frequently over the last decade, I argue that it provides a unifying framework within which to analyze work and employment relations in the current phase of capitalism, which is characterized by an apparent variety of new organizational forms within a broader context of increasing disconnectedness of economic institutions. Lean production has become established as the predominant postfordist labor process, widespread in manufacturing but also increasingly being implemented in services. However, this must be distinguished from a broader set of changes in employment relations.
Barcode haplotype variation in north American agroecosystem lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: GREENSTONE MATTHEW H. , VANDENBERG NATALIA J. , HU JING H.
Published: April 2011

DNA barcodes have proven invaluable in identifying and distinguishing insect pests, most notably for determining the provenance of exotic invasives, but relatively few insect natural enemies have been barcoded. We used Folmer et al.’s (1994) universal invertebrate primers and Hebert et al.’s (2004) for Lepidoptera, to amplify 658 bp at the 5′ end of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) gene in five species of lady beetles from crop fields in six states in the US Mid‐Atlantic, Plains and Midwest: three native species, Hippodamia convergens Guérin‐Méneville, H. parenthesis (Say) and Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer); and two exotic species, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus. Sequence divergences within species were low, never exceeding 0.9% (Kimura 2‐parameter distances). Sequence divergences between the two Hippodamia species ranged from 14.7 to 16.4%, mirroring the relationships found for other arthropod taxa. Among the exotic species, C. septempunctata sequences were as variable as those of the three native species, while H. axyridis populations comprised a single haplotype. Limited data on two Coleomegilla subspecies, C. m. lengi Timberlake and C. m. fuscilabris (Mulsant), are consistent with their belonging to the same species, although morphological and reproductive data indicate that they represent separate species. Our results support the general utility of COI barcodes for distinguishing and diagnosing coccinellid species, but point to possible limitations in the use of barcodes to resolve species assignments in recently divergent sibling species.
DNA barcodes for Mexican Cactaceae, plants under pressure from wild collecting
Authors: YESSON CHRIS , BÁRCENAS ROLANDO T. , HERNÁNDEZ HÉCTOR M. , De La LUZ RUIZ‐MAQUEDA MARÍA , PRADO ALBERTO , RODRÍGUEZ VÍCTOR M. , HAWKINS JULIE A.
Published: April 2011

DNA barcodes could be a useful tool for plant conservation. Of particular importance is the ability to identify unknown plant material, such as from customs seizures of illegally collected specimens. Mexican cacti are an example of a threatened group, under pressure because of wild collection for the xeriscaping trade and private collectors. Mexican cacti also provide a taxonomically and geographically coherent group with which to test DNA barcodes. Here, we sample the matK barcode for 528 species of Cactaceae including approximately 75% of Mexican species and test the utility of the matK region for species‐level identification. We find that the matK DNA barcode can be used to identify uniquely 77% of species sampled, and 79–87% of species of particular conservation importance. However, this is far below the desired rate of 95% and there are significant issues for PCR amplification because of the variability of primer sites. Additionally, we test the nuclear ITS regions for the cactus subfamily Opuntioideae and for the genus Ariocarpus (subfamily Cactoideae). We observed higher rates of variation for ITS (86% unique for Opuntioideae sampled) but a much lower PCR success, encountering significant intra‐individual polymorphism in Ariocarpus precluding the use of this marker in this taxon. We conclude that the matK region should provide useful information as a DNA barcode for Cactaceae if the problems with primers can be addressed, but matK alone is not sufficiently variable to achieve species‐level identification. Additional complementary regions should be investigated as ITS is shown to be unsuitable.
An Analysis of the Eco‐Efficiency of Remanufactured Personal Computers and Mobile Phones
Authors: Quariguasi‐Frota‐Neto João , Bloemhof Jacqueline
Published: April 2011

Remanufacturing, long perceived as an environmentally friendly initiative, is supported by a number of governments. Yet, the assumption that remanufacturing is desirable to society has never been systematically investigated. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness and eco‐efficiency of remanufacturing in the personal computer and mobile phone industries. We investigate whether remanufacturing substantially reduces the environmental impact, as measured by cumulative energy demand (CED), generated over the life cycles (LCs) of these products, and the size of any reduction. We also examine the relative eco‐efficiency of remanufacturing compared with virgin manufacturing for these two products, where eco‐efficiency includes both willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for the products as well as the energy consumed in producing the products. Our main findings are the following. One, remanufacturing is an effective way to reduce the total energy consumed during the LCs of personal computers and mobile phones, with one notable exception, when the life spans of remanufactured products are substantially shorter than the life spans of their new counterparts. Two, a remanufactured personal computer or mobile phone is not always more eco‐efficient than a corresponding new product. Three, the WTP for remanufactured personal computers and mobile phones, and consequently, their eco‐efficiencies, are a function of the prices of the correspondent new products at launch and years elapsed between launch and remanufacturing. Four, remanufactured units are sold at a discount relative to the price of new personal computers and mobile phones. Five, on the whole, the market for remanufactured mobile phones is more eco‐efficient than the market for new mobile phones. Six, the market for remanufactured computers is more eco‐efficient than the market for new computers. Lastly, because the group of remanufactured products is heterogeneous, not all remanufactured units are more eco‐efficient than the average new computer and mobile phone. We conclude with a discussion of the impact of our findings on European WEEE and WEEE‐like legislation.
Beyond the Nuclear Umbrella: Re‐thinking the Theory and Practice of Nuclear Extended Deterrence in East Asia and the Pacific
Authors: Tanter Richard , Hayes Peter
Published: April 2011

This paper provides an overview of the Nautilus Institute's exploration of two inter‐linked but highly contested aspects of the strategic nuclear situation on the Korean peninsula: the complexity and uncertainty associated with US assurances of nuclear extended deterrence to South Korea (and Japan), and the potential contribution of a nuclear‐weapon‐free zone to shifting the current impasse concerning North Korean nuclear weapons. The theoretical inquiry into the current state of nuclear extended deterrence is followed by an examination of the necessity, viability and desirability of reformed versions of nuclear extended deterrence (such as collective deterrence), and of three conceivable generic alternatives to reliance upon nuclear extended deterrence: namely nuclear rejection, nuclear recession, and conventional deterrence (possibly combined with existential nuclear deterrence). A bilateral nuclear‐weapon‐free zone, with the door held open to North Korea to join at a later stage, would act as a circuit‐breaker in the stalemated nuclear confrontation; prefigure a US negative security guarantee to North Korea in a future rapprochement; and reduce ongoing regional anxieties by locking both South Korea and Japan into a legally binding non‐nuclear security posture.
Changing Dynamics of US Extended Nuclear Deterrence on the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Seongwhun Cheon
Published: April 2011

Extended nuclear deterrence has been a cornerstone of US defense and foreign policy and a foundation of ROK–US security ties. This paper analyzes the changing dynamics of US extended nuclear deterrence on the Korean peninsula since the eruption of the North Korean nuclear crisis. It focuses on the negative security assurance and explains how US extended nuclear deterrence for South Korea is adversely affected by the new negative security assurance of the Obama administration. It also investigates the history of security guarantees to North Korea provided by the USA and emphasizes how the USA's repeated security guarantees – in its attempt to denuclearize North Korea – have weakened the nuclear umbrella over South Korea. In addition, the paper points out that some policies of the USA at the negotiations to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis can only be explained by US politicians' drive for a positive political legacy. Therefore, some safeguard measures are necessary to supplement the diminishing US nuclear umbrella on the Korean peninsula. The unique threat to South Korea makes it a suitable place to actively apply the new concept of regionally tailored deterrence architecture and implement a dual‐track approach to negotiations for resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis by preparing to redeploy US tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. Finally, the paper explicates South Korea's non‐nuclear weapon policy and proposes a new concept of the South Korean alliance security assurance.
North Korean Nuclear Nationalism and the Threat of Nuclear War in Korea
Authors: Hayes Peter , Bruce Scott
Published: April 2011

This essay reviews the status of nuclear threat in Korea and analyzes the appropriate policy response to the emergence of the DPRK as a nuclear‐armed state. We suggest that as of 2009, the DPRK made the ROK the main target of its nuclear strategy rather than the USA, as was the case from 1991–2009. The sinking of the ROK corvette Cheonan in 2010 provides a mini‐case‐study of the collision of ROK and DPRK historical trajectories, and portends continuing clashes involving nuclear threat that need to be managed to avoid escalation to nuclear next‐use. The artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November 2010 may be the second in what proves to be a series of such risky provocations. We conclude the paper by outlining the advantages of a ROK–Japan‐only nuclear‐weapon‐free zone relative to alternative ROK responses to the threat posed by the DPRK nuclear breakout. In an Epilogue, we reflect on the methodological difficulties posed by the DPRK in interpreting its nuclear statements.
Human dendritic cells promote an antiviral immune response when stimulated by CVT-E002
Authors: Ilarraza Ramses , Wu Yingqi , Davoine Francis , Ebeling Cory , Adamko Darryl J
Published: April 2011

Objectives

There is interest in developing new compounds to enhance the immune response to airway virus infections. CVT-E002 is a patented ginseng extract shown to decrease symptoms of virus infection in clinical trials. We hypothesized that the mechanism for this antiviral effect could be through modulation of dendritic cells leading to enhanced T-cell activation.

Methods

Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) exposed to CVT-E002 (or not) were co-cultured with autologous T cells, with or without virus (respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus). Effects of CVT-E002 on cell function were determined through flow cytometry, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and ELISA.

Key findings

moDC cultured with CVT-E002 or virus induced greater activation of T cells, as measured by CD25 expression and BrdU incorporation, compared with untreated moDC. Responding T cells were CD4+CD45RO+. Co-cultures of CVT-E002 treated moDC with T cells responded with increased release of Th1-type cytokines (interferon-gamma, tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-12). CVT-E002-treated moDC showed increased expression of CD83, CD80 and CD86. Lipopolysaccharide levels were not detected in CVT-E002 and antagonists for Toll-like receptor-4 did not inhibit CVT-E002-induced moDC maturation.

Conclusions

CVT-E002 induced moDC maturation, which caused increased memory T-cell activation and Th1-type cytokine response.
Cognitive ability, academic achievement and academic self‐concept: Extending the internal/external frame of reference model
Authors: Chen Ssu‐Kuang , Hwang Fang‐Ming , Yeh Yu‐Chen , Lin Sunny S. J.
Published: April 2011

Background. Marsh's internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model depicts the relationship between achievement and self‐concept in specific academic domains. Few efforts have been made to examine concurrent relationships among cognitive ability, achievement, and academic self‐concept (ASC) within an I/E model framework.

Aim. To simultaneously examine the influences of domain‐specific cognitive ability and grades on domain self‐concept in an extended I/E model, including the indirect effect of domain‐specific cognitive ability on domain self‐concept via grades.

Sample. Tenth grade respondents (628 male, 452 female) to a national adolescent survey conducted in Taiwan.

Method. Respondents completed surveys designed to measure maths and verbal aptitudes. Data on Maths and Chinese class grades and self‐concepts were also collected.

Results. Statistically significant and positive path coefficients were found between cognitive ability and self‐concept in the same domain (direct effect) and between these two constructs via grades (indirect effect). The cross‐domain effects of either ability or grades on ASC were negatively significant.

Conclusions. Taiwanese 10th graders tend to evaluate their ASCs based on a mix of ability and achievement, with achievement as a mediator exceeding ability as a predictor. In addition, the cross‐domain effects suggest that Taiwanese students are likely to view Maths and verbal abilities and achievements as distinctly different.
The Effect of Prestrain on Ductile Fracture Toughness of Reeled Pipeline Steels
Authors: Tkaczyk Tomasz , O’Dowd Noel P. , Nikbin Kamran
Published: April 2011

The reel-lay method is a cost efficient alternative to the S-lay and J-lay methods for small to medium size steel offshore pipelines. The quality of the pipeline construction is enhanced by on-shore welding and inspection under controlled conditions. However, reeled pipelines are subjected to at least two symmetrical plastic strain cycles during installation. The plastic straining associated with reeled installation modifies the axial tensile response of the pipe material. Also, it has been suggested that plastic straining may reduce fracture toughness. In this work, small scale tests representative of conditions experienced under reeling of steel pipelines have been carried out. The fracture resistance curves obtained for the material in the as-received and strained conditions have been compared. No significant effect of the reeling strain cycle on the fracture toughness during subsequent straining was observed.
Assessment of Piping Field Failures and Burst Tests on Carbon Steel Pipes With Local Wall Thinning Using ASME Section XI Code Case N-597-2
Authors: Hasegawa Kunio , Meshii Toshiyuki , Scarth Douglas A.
Published: April 2011

One of the more common modes of degradation in power plant piping has been wall thinning due to erosion-corrosion or flow-accelerated corrosion. Extensive work has been performed to understand flow-accelerated corrosion mechanisms and develop fracture criteria of locally thinned pipes since the tragic events at Surry Unit 2 and Mihama Unit 3. A large number of tests have been performed on carbon steel pipes, elbows, and tees with local wall thinning. In addition, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides procedures in Code Case N-597-2 for the evaluation of wall thinning in pipes. This paper provides validation of the evaluation procedures in Code Case N-597-2 by comparing with the field rupture data and pipe burst test data. The allowable wall thinning from the Code Case N-597-2 procedures is shown to maintain adequate margins against rupture.
Study on Hardness and Elastic Modulus of Surface Nanostructured 304 Stainless Steel Using Two Mechanical Methods
Authors: Ma Gang , Ling Xiang
Published: April 2011

Ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) can be used to create a thin nanostructured surface layer that plays a significant role in enhancing the overall strength, fatigue life, and corrosion resistance of the treated material. The hardness and elastic modulus of surface nanostructured 304 stainless steel treated by UIT have been investigated by nanoindentation and microhardness measurements. The hardness of the top nanostructured surface layer and its elastic modulus are about 38% and 30% higher, respectively, than those of the bulk material in the nanohardness testing. Also, the hardness is increased by about 23% in the Vickers microhardness testing. The nanohardness of the nanostructured surface layers decreases with depth and then trends to stable values. A hardened layer is found in the impact zone and the thickness is approximately 450–500 μm. All results demonstrated that the surface nanocrystallization can effectively enhance the mechanical properties of the 304 stainless steel.
On the Linear Temperature Dependence of Phonon Thermal Boundary Conductance in the Classical Limit
Authors: Duda John C. , Norris Pamela M. , Hopkins Patrick E.
Published: April 2011

We present a new model for predicting thermal boundary conductance in the classical limit. This model takes a different form than those of the traditionally used mismatch theories in the fact that the temperature dependence of thermal boundary conductance is driven by the phononic scattering mechanisms of the materials comprising the interface as opposed to the heat capacities of those materials. The model developed in this work assumes that a phonon on one side of an interface may not scatter at the interface itself but instead scatter with phonons in the adjacent material via the scattering processes intrinsic in the adjacent material. We find that this model is in good agreement with classical molecular dynamics simulations of phonon transport across a Si/Ge interface.
Convective Heat Transfer in a Rotor Stator System Air Gap With Multiple Suctions of Fluid Through the Stator
Authors: Pellé Julien , Harmand Souad
Published: April 2011

The experimental work presented in this paper relates to the local convective heat transfer on the rotor surface in the airgap of a discoidal rotor stator system. The stator used in these experiments is a multiperforated disk in which an air suction due to the rotation of the rotor comes through and enters the airgap. A thermal balance equation was used to identify the local convective heat transfer coefficient, with temperatures as boundary conditions, which have been measured by infrared thermography. The influence of the suctions is discussed for an interdisk dimensionless spacing interval G ranging from 0.01 to 0.16 and for Re between 129,000 and 516,000. Results are compared with precedent studies in which we obtained Nusselt numbers with a closed rotor stator system in which stator is a full disk and a rotor stator system with one hole at the stator center. It is shown that multiperforated stator can or cannot improve the rotor cooling, depending on G and Re.
Throughput Bottleneck Prediction of Manufacturing Systems Using Time Series Analysis
Authors: Li Lin , Chang Qing , Xiao Guoxian , Ambani Saumil
Published: April 2011

Throughput bottlenecks define and constrain the productivity of a production line. The most cost-effective way to improve system throughput is to mitigate bottlenecks toward a balanced system. Most of the currently used bottleneck detection schemes found in literature utilize long-term analysis to identify the bottlenecks for a known period and ignore the operation dynamics leading to bottleneck shifts. This paper proposes a method for predicting the throughput bottlenecks of a production line using autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model. We consider the production blockage and starvation times of each station to be a time series used to predict throughput bottlenecks. It is realized that the blockage and starvation times of a production line are critical indicators reflecting the production system dynamics and its internal material flow. As the first attempt in literature for throughput bottleneck prediction, the results demonstrate that the ARMA model can accurately predict blockage and starvation information of each station and hence can accurately predict the system throughput bottleneck, which will lead to the most significant production improvement.
Modeling and Analysis of Operator Effects on Process Quality and Throughput in Mixed Model Assembly Systems
Authors: Abad Andres G. , Paynabar Kamran , Jin Jionghua Judy
Published: April 2011

With the increase of market fluctuation, assembly systems moved from a mass production scheme to a mass customization scheme. Mixed model assembly systems (MMASs) have been recognized as enablers of mass customization manufacturing. However, effective implementation of MMASs requires, among other things, a highly proactive and knowledgeable workforce. Hence, modeling the performance of human operators is critically important for effectively operating these manufacturing systems. But, certain cognitive factors have seldom been considered when it comes to modeling process quality of MMASs. Thus, the objective of this paper is to introduce an integrated modeling framework by considering the factors—both intrinsic (such as work experience, mental deliberation time, etc.) and extrinsic (such as task complexity)—that affect the operator’s performance. The proposed model is justified based on the findings presented in the psychological literature. The effect of these factors on process operation performance is also investigated; these performance measures include process quality, throughput, and process capability in regard to handling complexity induced by product variety in MMASs. Two examples are used to demonstrate potential applications of the proposed model.
Pilot Testing of Methods for Evaluation of Acupuncture for Emesis during Radiotherapy: A Randomised Single Subject Experimental Design
Authors: Enblom Anna , Tomasson Annica , Hammar Mats , Steineck Gunnar , Börjeson Sussanne
Published: April 2011

Background

Many acupuncture studies are of weak methodological quality, possibly due to lack of pilot testing. This pilot study tested design features, including test of feasibility, compliance to treatment and data collection, level of blinding success and the patients’ potential perceived effects of the treatment, in preparation for an efficacy study.

Method

A modified single subject experimental design was conducted. 10 cancer patients were randomised to verum penetrating acupuncture or non-penetrating sham needles for 30 min 2–3 times/week during radiotherapy over abdomen/pelvis. They answered test-retested emesis questions (r=0.527–1.0) covering nausea, vomiting, use of antiemetics, wellbeing and activities of daily living.

Results

Overall, the patients completed 98% of the 345 emesis-questionnaire days and 101 of the 115 offered treatments. All patients believed they received verum acupuncture. 10 patients experienced antiemetic effects, seven relaxation, five pain-reduction and five experienced sleep improvement. Two types of nausea questions showed absolute concordance (r=1.0) (n of observations=456). Nausea was experienced by one of five verum acupuncture treated patients (duration median 0% of the radiotherapy-days) and four of five sham acupuncture treated patients (duration median 24% of the radiotherapy-days). Patients experiencing nausea rated decreased wellbeing and performance of daily activities compared to patients free from nausea.

Conclusions

All patients were blinded, complied with verum/sham treatments and data-collection, and believed they had effects of the received treatment. The methods for verum/sham treatment and data collection may thus be used in an adequately powered randomised controlled study of the effect of acupuncture for radiotherapy-induced emesis.
MRI of the knee in asymptomatic adolescent swimmers: a controlled study
Authors: Soder Ricardo Bernardi , Mizerkowski Mariana Damian , Petkowicz Rose , Baldisserotto Matteo
Published: April 2011

Background

Swimming is a widespread sporting activity generally regarded as an ideal form of exercise, which has little or no impact on the knees. However, overuse or repetitive microtrauma injuries may often affect the knee joint of young competitive swimmers. These early lesions are frequently asymptomatic for a considerable period of time before causing discomfort or joint pain.

Purpose

The aim of the present study is to use MRI to evaluate the knee joints of asymptomatic young elite swimmers and to compare them with age- and sex-matched controls who do not practice any impact sports regularly.

Study design

Cross-sectional case–control study.

Material and methods

The authors performed a cross-sectional controlled study to evaluate 54 knees of 27 asymptomatic male adolescents aged 14–15 years, paired by age and weight. Participants were divided in two groups: 13 elite swimmers and 14 control adolescents. The authors performed all the exams using a 0.35-T open-field MRI unit and evaluated by two experienced radiologists blinded to study groups. The images were evaluated to detect the presence or absence of abnormalities.

Results

One or more imaging abnormalities were detected in 18 knees in the group of swimmers (69.2%; p=0.013). The most prevalent findings in the athletes were infrapatellar fat pad edema (53.8%; p=0.049), followed by bone marrow edema (26.9%; p=0.022), edema of prefemoral fat pad (19%; p=0.022) and joint effusion (15.3%; p=0.047).

Conclusion

Significantly more MRI abnormalities were found in the knee joints of asymptomatic adolescent elite swimmers. This high prevalence of positive imaging findings in swimmers may correspond to benign changes or preclinical lesions, which should be evaluated in a follow-up study.
Understanding provision of chemotherapy to patients with end stage cancer: qualitative interview study: Table 1
Authors: Buiting Hilde M , Rurup Mette L , Wijsbek Henri , van Zuylen Lia , den Hartogh Govert
Published: April 2011

Objective

To examine health professionals' experiences of and attitudes towards the provision of chemotherapy to patients with end stage cancer.

Design

Purposive, qualitative design based on in-depth interviews.

Setting

Oncology departments at university hospitals and general hospitals in the Netherlands.

Participants

14 physicians and 13 nurses who cared for patients with metastatic cancer.

Results

Physicians and nurses reported trying to inform patients fully about their poor prognosis and treatment options. They would carefully consider the (side) effects of chemotherapy and sometimes doubted whether further treatment would contribute to patients' quality of life. Both groups considered the patients' wellbeing to be important, and physicians seemed inclined to try to preserve this by offering further chemotherapy, often followed by the patient. Nurses were more often inclined to express their doubts about further treatment, preferring to allow patients to make the best use of the time that is left. When confronted with a treatment dilemma and a patient's wish for treatment, physicians preferred to make compromises, such as by “trying out one dose.” Discussing death or dying with patients while at the same time administering chemotherapy was considered contradictory as this could diminish the patients' hope.

Conclusions

The trend to greater use of chemotherapy at the end of life could be explained by patients' and physicians' mutually reinforcing attitudes of “not giving up” and by physicians' broad interpretation of patients' quality of life, in which taking away patients' hope by withholding treatment is considered harmful. To rebalance the ratio of quantity of life to quality of life, input from other health professionals, notably nurses, may be necessary.
High resolution linkage maps of the model organism Petunia reveal substantial synteny decay with the related genome of tomato
Authors: Bossolini Eligio , Klahre Ulrich , Brandenburg Anna , Reinhardt Didier , Kuhlemeier Cris
Published: April 2011

Two linkage maps were constructed for the model plant Petunia. Mapping populations were obtained by crossing the wild species Petunia axillaris subsp. axillaris with Petunia inflata, and Petunia axillaris subsp. parodii with Petunia exserta. Both maps cover the seven chromosomes of Petunia, and span 970 centimorgans (cM) and 700 cM of the genomes, respectively. In total, 207 markers were mapped. Of these, 28 are multilocus amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and 179 are gene-derived markers. For the first time we report on the development and mapping of 83 Petunia microsatellites. The two maps retain the same marker order, but display significant differences of recombination frequencies at orthologous mapping intervals. A complex pattern of genomic rearrangements was detected with the related genome of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), indicating that synteny between Petunia and other Solanaceae crops has been considerably disrupted. The newly developed markers will facilitate the genetic characterization of mutants and ecological studies on genetic diversity and speciation within the genus Petunia. The maps will provide a powerful tool to link genetic and genomic information and will be useful to support sequence assembly of the Petunia genome.
Evolutionary trends of microsatellites during the speciation process and phylogenetic relationships within the genusSecale
Authors: Ren T.H. , Chen F. , Zou Y.T. , Jia Y.H. , Zhang H.Q. , Yan B.J. , Ren Z.L.
Published: April 2011

Eleven weedy or wild species or subspecies of the genus Secale L. were compared with a set of cultivated rye accessions, based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to analyze their phylogenetic relationships. A total of 846 bands were amplified from reactions using 12 screening primers, including 79 loci with a mean of 10.1 alleles per locus. The number of amplified bands for each primer ranged from 12 to 134, with a mean of 70.5 amplified bands per primer. The presence and distribution of amplified bands in different accessions demonstrate that a rapid evolutionary trend of microsatellite repeats occurred during the speciation process from the perennial wild form to annual cultivated rye. In addition, variation, amplification, and deletion of microsatellites in genomes revealed phylogenetic relationships in the genus Secale. Analysis of the presence, number, and distribution of amplified bands in genomes, as well as the comparison with genetic similarity (GS) indices based on ISSR, indicate that Secale strictum subsp. africanum (Stapf) Hammer, Secale strictum anatolicum (Boiss.) Hammer, Secale sylvestre Host, and Secale strictum subsp. strictum (C. Presl) Hammer emerged in succession from a common ancestor of Secale following geographic separation and genetic differentiation. The annual weedy rye evolved from S. strictum subsp. strictum, which was domesticated as present-day cultivated rye. Data from ISSR analyses separated all investigated accessions of the genus Secale into three distinct groups. These results support the division of the genus Secale into three species: the annual wild species S. sylvestre; the perennial wild species S. strictum, including several differential subspecies forms such as strictum, africanum, and anatolicum; and S. cereale, including cultivated and weedy rye as subspecies forms.
Chestnut cultivar diversification process in the Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands, and Azores
Authors: Pereira-Lorenzo Santiago , Costa Rita Maria Lourenço , Ramos-Cabrer Ana María , Ciordia-Ara Marta , Ribeiro Carla Alexandra Marques , Borges Olga , Barreneche Teresa
Published: April 2011

This is a large-scale molecular study based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci of the diversification process in chestnut cultivars from Portugal and Spain, from the northern Iberian Peninsula to the Canary Islands and the Azores. A total of 593 grafted chestnut trees (Castanea sativa Mill.) were analysed with 10 SSRs: 292 from Portugal and 301 from Spain. Some of the trees studied were more than 300 years old. Accessions were analysed using a model-based Bayesian procedure to assess the geographical structure and to assign individuals to reconstructed populations based on the SSR genotypes. We found 356 different genotypes with a mean value of clonality of 33% owing to grafting. Mutations accounted for 6%, with hybridization being the main diversification process that can explain the great diversity found. Ten main cultivar groups were detected: four in northern Spain, five in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and one in southern Spain related to the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. This work demonstrated that cultivar origin and the diversification process was a combination of clonal propagation of selected seedlings, hybridization, and mutations, which allowed high levels of diversity to be maintained with respect to selected clones for fruit production. Furthermore, seedlings and graft sticks facilitated the transport to new destinations in the colonization process, transporting sometimes more than 3000 km if we consider the Azores and the Canary Islands.