bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operator Stress and Display Design
Authors: Hancock Peter A. , Szalma James L.
Published: April 2011

These design guidelines, based on knowledge of how operators perform under time and task pressure, can lead to better decision making in emergencies.

IT IS NEAR THE END OF A LONG SHIFT, some hours past midnight, and the combined effects of caffeine, nicotine, and sugared snacks are no longer sufficient to sustain the alertness of tired and weary operators. Circadian rhythms are at their lowest ebb while oppressive, routine operations have so long persisted that chronic boredom reigns supreme. Suddenly a warning sounds, then another, then another — the systems displays are producing a cascade of flashing lights and tone alarms.

Operators rush to workstations, where information begins to overflow like a virtual Niagara of bytes. The apprehension in the air is tangible. It is evident to everyone that a coherent response must be made soon if the situation is to be recovered. As a result, time pressure is now added to anxiety and information overload and rapidly shifts the situation from boredom to terror (Hancock, 1997a). The answers to the problem are somewhere in the system, but a massive noise-to-signal problem is building by the minute. Unfortunately, the resolution is spread across a tapestry of displays. Like pieces of a dynamic jigsaw puzzle, the solution resides in separate parts distributed across many minds, but team communication and team cohesion are rapidly failing, overwhelmed by the demands of information overload and the destructive effects of situational stress. If someone doesn't do something soon…
10 Principles to Avoid Xp-Asperation
Authors: Hedge Alan
Published: April 2011

Perhaps being an HF/E expert makes the frustration of trying to use inadequately designed software even more acute.
Human Factors Engineering and Acquisition Reform
Authors: Adams Louis M. , Aust Randall B. , Osgood Robert K. , McKinney Randal C.
Published: April 2011

Though acquisition reform has shaken things up in U.S. government contract work, it has opened more doors for HF/E considerations in improving human-system performance.
“Why do we Bump into Things While Walking?” — Revisited
Authors: Cohen H. Harvey
Published: April 2011

Perception and expectancy play major roles in trip-and-fall incidents.
Display Design in the F/A-18 Hornet
Authors: Cummings Missy
Published: April 2011

Advanced automation in high-performance aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet can make it difficult for pilots to detect system problems.
Virtual Jack in a Virtual Machine
Authors: Jeffkins Alison , Eger Tammy , Salmoni Alan , Whissell Robert
Published: April 2011

Computer simulation is beneficial for investigating visibility during mobile mining equipment operation.
A Superior Tool for Airline Operations
Authors: Dorneich Michael C. , Whitlow Stephen D. , Miller Christopher A. , Allen John A.
Published: April 2011

The job of the airline dispatcher can be greatly enhanced with a new tool for making diversion decisions that satisfy safety and schedule needs.
Qn-the-Job Training: Tips for Ensuring Success
Authors: Derouin Renée E. , Parrish Tiffany J. , Salas Eduardo
Published: April 2011

Organizations can get better return on investment by following the training guidelines described here
Training in Virtual and Augmented Realities: An Interview with Bruce Knerr
Authors: Hamilton Roger M. , Holmquist John P.
Published: April 2011

This U.S. Army psychologist shares his perspective on the challenges of and future directions for virtual and augmented reality training systems.
The Tale of a Two-Faced Tiger
Authors: Hancock P. A.
Published: April 2011

By recognizing the commonalities across apparently dissimilar accident types, designers can help reduce their frequency and impact.
New Displays for the Space Shuttle Cockpit
Authors: Mccandless Jeffrey W. , Hilty Bruce R. , McCann Robert S.
Published: April 2011

Color is critical in reducing workload and enhancing situation awareness for shuttle astronauts.
Laws & Rules
Authors: Peacock Brian
Published: April 2011

Whose Agenda Is It Anyway? — Robert's Rules of Order
Leadership During the Product Development Process: Making the Best of a Limited Schedule
Authors: McLoone Hugh
Published: April 2011

Leadership During the Product Development Process: Making the Best of a Limited Schedule
A Checklist for Crew Resource Management Training
Authors: Salas Eduardo , Wilson Katherine A. , Burke C. Shawn , Wightman Dennis C. , Howse William R.
Published: April 2011

Following this checklist will help to ensure proper design, delivery, and evaluation of CRM training — and ensure transfer of training to the job.
Sitting on Seats, Working All Day
Authors: Corlett E. Nigel
Published: April 2011

Why sit on a seat when it may be worse for your back than standing up?
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, but Nothing Blew!
Authors: Sugarman Robert C.
Published: April 2011

Accident analysis often requires reaction time estimates usually to determine a relatively simple reaction to a single stimulus, such as pressing the brake when a traffic event occurs. It is harder to find data for complex actions that are required to escape from a danger. Faced with the need to bound the time required to carry out cognitive functions and whole-body actions, the author turned to data from predetermined time systems – in particular, methods-time measurement – to show that a fatality could not have been prevented even if a warning signal had been given.
The Utility Compensated Effects of a Wage Tax on Human Capital and Consumption Decisions
Authors: Ahsan Syed M. , Tsigaris Panagiotis
Published: April 2011

In this article, the authors show that a wage tax, which neither alters the relative price of current versus future consumption nor distorts the relative expected return (vis-à-vis the cost) to investing in human capital, leads to biases at both these margins. The authors find that the common assumptions of decreasing absolute risk aversion and nondecreasing relative risk aversion are sufficient for a wage tax increase to yield a stimulating effect on human capital as well as current consumption. Finally, the authors reinterpret the above findings in the context of the well-known analysis of taxation of financial assets in a two-period portfolio choice model.
Lubrication studies of head-disk interfaces in a controlled environment: Part 1: Effects of disk texture, lubricant thermal treatment and lubricant additive on the durability of the head-disk interface
Authors: Zhao X , Bhushan B
Published: April 2011

Decomposition and tribological performance of Z-Dol and X-1P lubricants on the magnetic recording thin-film disks are studied during sliding in a high-vacuum environment. Gaseous products generated from the head-disk interfaces and frictional force are detected and monitored as functions of the sliding distance by using a quadrupole mass spectrometer and friction measurements. The thin-film disks with mechanical and laser texture were used and different thermal treatments were applied to the lubricant films. The effects of the disk texture, lubricant thermal treatment and lubricant additive on the degradation and durability of head-disk interface, are studied in detail. Experimental results show that, firstly, fluorocarbon fragments are generated from lubricants during a period of sliding with a low and stable coefficient of friction, followed by a sharp rise in the frictional force and generation of gaseous products of diamond-like carbon overcoat material. The disk texture has effects on the decomposition of the lubricant and durability of the head-disk interface; the laser-textured disk surface caused Z-Dol lubricant to decompose at lower sliding distances and with more gaseous species compared with the mechanically textured disk. Thermal treatment of the lubricant films and the application of X-1P as an additive to the Z-Dol lubricant improved the durability of the head-disk interfaces.
Stiffness of an arbitrarily crowned roller compressed between two plates
Authors: Horng T. L. , Ju S. H.
Published: April 2011

This paper derives a stiffness equation for the arbitrarily crowned roller compressed between two plates. The roller is first divided into three parts: two crowned parts and one cylindrical part. The superposition method is introduced to obtain the roller stiffness. Three-dimensional finite element analyses were used to validate the accuracy of the stiffness equation, in which rollers with circular, quadratic, cubic, fourth-order power and exponential profiles were analysed. Comparisons with finite element results indicate that the accuracy of the stiffness equation derived in this paper is acceptable.
Effects of approximations regarding stress and temperature profiles on the solution in thermal elastohydrodynamically lubricated line contacts
Authors: Kazama T
Published: April 2011

The assumptions of both a Couette flow dominance and a quadratic temperature profile across the film are commonly used in the analysis of thermal non-Newtonian elastohydrodynamic lubrication. In such calculations, the conduction across the film and the energy dissipation are assumed to be the main phenomena in the prediction of temperature rise. Consequently the gradients of the physical properties across the film as well as the reverse flow and the heat convection in all directions are assumed to have no or little impact on the general characteristics of the temperature profiles and therefore can be neglected. The objective of this paper is to assess the quality of these approximations. A comparison between both the simplified and the complete non-Newtonian thermal approach is made for the line contact problem. The complete solution is based upon the resolution of a two-dimensional energy equation, which is fully coupled with the non-Newtonian Reynolds equation. The analysis reveals some local discrepancies between both the simplified and the complete solutions. These differences are clearly visible at the inlet of the contact where a bump in the temperature profiles disappears in the simplified approach. The results also show a significant difference in the levels of temperature predicted within the high-pressure region between the simplified and complete approach. In regard to the friction coefficient, the simplified calculation forecasts a lower coefficient than that obtained with the complete formulation.
Analysis of water-lubricated journal bearings with multiple axial grooves
Authors: Majumdar B C , Pai R , Hargreaves D J
Published: April 2011

The steady state and dynamic characteristics including whirl instability of water-lubricated journal bearings having three axial grooves are obtained theoretically. The Reynolds equation is solved numerically by the finite difference method satisfying the appropriate boundary conditions. The dynamic behaviour in terms of stiffness and damping coefficients of film and stability are found using a first-order perturbation method. It has been shown that both load capacity and stability improve when smaller groove angles are used.
Valvetrain friction and wear: Influence of surface engineering and lubricants
Authors: Gangopadhyay A , Soltis E , Johnson M. D.
Published: April 2011

Customer demand and legislative pressure are continually challenging automotive manufacturers to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles. Several technologies are currently being evaluated to meet this challenge. Tribology can play a significant role in bringing some of these technologies to a more mature state and can also make enhancements to existing technologies to reduce frictional losses in the powertrain. Although the valvetrain contributes only 6-10 per cent of the total frictional loss in an engine, all opportunities are explored to reduce frictional losses further, provided they are cost effective. This paper describes attempts to reduce frictional losses in directacting mechanical bucket tappet type valvetrains through surface finish, surface texture and coatings. It was observed that surface finish and surface texture could reduce frictional losses, but engine oil formulation also plays a significant role. Improvements were observed with non-friction-modified oils, but with friction-modified oils the overall friction was lower but no additional friction benefit could be observed with surface finish or surface texture. This paper also addresses wear concern associated with implementation of proposed GF-4 low-phosphorus engine oils. The wear was measured by a radiotracer technique. It was observed that, if the engine oils are formulated properly, low-phosphorus engine oils provide similar or better wear protection compared with GF-3 oils containing 0.1 per cent phosphorus.
Are our families still Confucian? Representations of family in East Asian television dramas
Authors: Kang Myungkoo , Kim Sooah
Published: April 2011

Given the changes of the modern family, this study seeks to compare the ways in which television dramas of four East Asian societies, namely Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan, represent the family and family relationships. By analysing their similarities and differences, the study attempts to explore changes of family in these supposedly Confucian East Asian societies. Three analytic categories were proposed: the structure and form of the family as represented in dramas; family relationships; individuality and the family. The study found that the historical trajectories of East Asian countries are articulated in the different familial representations across the television dramas of the countries in the region surveyed. The common assumption that all East Asian countries have the same model of the Confucian family therefore needs to be re-examined along the more specific national conditions.
The spatial supplement: landscape and perspective in W.G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn
Authors: Weston Daniel
Published: April 2011

For cultural geographers, uncertainties inhabit the concept of ‘landscape’. The term shuttles between describing embodied practice of immersion in an environment, and indicating representational strategies for looking at an environment. This article provides a reading of W.G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn as a platform from which to offer a critique of current understandings of landscape from a critical perspective that looks to assimilate the findings of cultural geography and literary studies. Sebald’s record of an ambulatory journey through coastal Suffolk aims not to resolve the instabilities of ‘landscape’, but to collapse into one another its discrete meanings: it is through the history of previous artistic visitation, coupled with his own sensory involvement, that Sebald engages with and inhabits the landscape that he describes. Derrida’s notion of ‘supplementarity’ is employed to provide purchase by which to recognize the interdependence of practice and representation in the production of landscape in Sebald’s text, and in a widely applicable understanding of the term’s complexities.
Rosa Luxemburg on disappointment and the politics of commitment
Authors: Michaelis Loralea
Published: April 2011

This article explores the conceptual commitments underlying Luxemburg’s repudiation of the discourse of disappointment which had overtaken the European socialist movement during the First World War. My analysis brushes against the grain of the traditional interpretation of Luxemburg’s admonitions ‘to be cheerful despite everything and anything’ as arising from her allegiance to a Marxist philosophy of history which decrees that socialism must inevitably prevail and so refuses to give way to disappointment or despair. The philosophy of history which Luxemburg absorbed from Marx, notably through the Eighteenth Brumaire, prophesies the ultimate victory of socialism but ordains that the actual events and experiences through which this victory is prepared will consist in catastrophes rather than conquests. In Luxemburg, I suggest, we can see more clearly how the experience of failure could make the realization of socialism more rather than less certain, and in terms that refer more directly to the inner situation of the socialist activist than the abstract assurances on which Marx relied: failure occasions the opportunity for deeper learning but, more importantly, it is in the experience of failure that the commitment on which the realization of socialism depends is tested and, in Luxemburg’s hands at least, forged.
Cognitive Control Dynamics for Reaching a Satisficing Performance in Complex Dynamic Situations
Authors: Hoc J. M. , Amalberti R.
Published: April 2011

The study of dynamic situations, in which the human operator can exert only partial control (such as in industrial process control, aircraft piloting, or air traffic control), has offered rare opportunities to examine the dynamics of cognitive control. Unlike most of the laboratory approaches to the study of cognition, this kind of study has stressed that several cognitive modes can act in parallel and that the distribution of control among the modes can evolve over time in relation to task requirements and human operator states. This article is a review of the arguments, developed in the literature on dynamic situations and by the authors themselves, in favor of a dynamic adjustment of cognitive control to situational features (integrating both the environment and the human) as a major component of adaptation. The main criterion used by the human operator to adjust cognitive control is situation mastery, as a guarantee that a satisficing performance will be reached with an acceptable quantity of resources. Two main dimensions are proposed to characterize cognitive control modes: the level of abstraction (symbolic/subsymbolic) and the origin (internal-anticipative, external-reactive) of the data used for control. Metacognition is considered as a means to distribute the cognitive control within these dimensions in order to ensure situation mastery. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of this perspective on cognitive control dynamics are drawn. From a theoretical viewpoint, the approach stresses the need to consider the cognitive system degrees of freedom to adapt to situations, and that therefore several solutions are possible in order to perform the same task. On the methodological side, the access to the diverse cognitive control modes, to their parallelism, and to the cognitive control dynamics requires new methodological approaches. The practical implications consist in developing support systems that keep the degrees of freedom open for adaptation and in trying to manage consistency.
Automation-Level Transference Effects in Simulated Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Control
Authors: Calhoun Gloria L. , Ruff Heath A. , Draper Mark H. , Wright Evan J.
Published: April 2011

Supervisory control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) raises many questions concerning the balance of system autonomy with human interaction for effective operator situation awareness and system performance. The reported experiment used a UAV simulation environment to evaluate two applications of autonomy levels across two primary control tasks: allocation (assignment of sensor tasks to vehicles) and router (determining vehicles’ flight plans). In one application, the autonomy level was the same across these two tasks. In the other, the autonomy levels differed, one of the two tasks being more automated than the other. Trials also involved completion of other mission-related secondary tasks as participants supervised three UAVs. The results showed that performance on both the primary tasks and many secondary tasks was better when the level of automation was the same across the two sequential primary tasks. These findings suggest that having the level of automation similar across closely coupled tasks reduces mode awareness problems, which can negate the intended benefits of a fine-grained application of automation. Several research issues are identified to further explore the impact of automation-level transference in supervisory control applications involving the application of automation across numerous tasks.
Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue on Improving Human-Robot Interaction in Complex Operational Environments
Authors: McDermott Patricia L. , Riley Jennifer M. , Gillan Douglas J. , Cuevas Haydee M.
Published: April 2011

The past decade has seen a proliferation in the use of robots in a broad range of complex domains, such as urban search and rescue, military operations (including explosive ordnance disposal and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), scientific exploration in underwater and space expeditions, law enforcement (e.g., bomb squads), manufacturing, and health care (e.g., telerobotic surgery). Remotely controlled ground, aerial, sea-surface, and underwater robotic vehicles are serving as tools to safely extend the sensory and psychomotor capabilities of humans to remote environments while keeping humans safe. More importantly, with the ever-increasing technological sophistication in their design and capabilities, robots are becoming more than mere tools. They now can be seen as quasi–team members whose tasks and behaviors must be integrated with the task requirements and expectations of their human teammates. Yet without the necessary research base to inform design, sizeable investments will likely be made into developing robotic systems that are ineffective or, at best, not optimal. Toward this end, the goal of this two-part special issue is to present examples of the latest research on human-robot interaction that demonstrate how theories and empirical findings can be translated into practical, useful guidance for improving human-robot team performance across various domains.
Structural evaluation of Al–4Mn–5Al2O3 (wt-%) nanocomposite produced by mechanical–thermal synthesis and powder technology methods
Authors: Razavi Tousi S S , Yazdani Rad R , Manafi S A
Published: April 2011

Production of Al–5Al2O3–4Mn (wt-%) nanocomposite via ball milling and subsequent heat treating of the milled samples was investigated. Duration of milling time was considered as a variable by which microstructure of the matrix is influenced. The structural evaluation of samples was performed by means of X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and hardness measurement. The steady state time was found to be 3–7 h, prolonged milling time that had no effect on melting point, hardness, morphology and integral breadth of X-ray reflections of milled powders. A maximum hardness of 275 HV was obtained due to the nanocrystalline structure of Al matrix and a uniform dispersion of nano- and submicron second phase particles.
Endothelial cell activation by antiphospholipid antibodies is modulated by Krüppel-like transcription factors
Authors: Allen Kristi L. , Hamik Anne , Jain Mukesh K. , McCrae Keith R.
Published: April 2011

Antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by thrombosis and/or recurrent pregnancy loss in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAs). The majority of APLAs are directed against phospholipid-binding proteins, particularly β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI). Anti-β2GPI antibodies activate endothelial cells in a β2GPI-dependent manner through a pathway that involves NF-κB. Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) play a critical role in regulating the endothelial response to inflammatory stimuli. We hypothesized that activation of endothelial cells by APLA/anti-β2GPI antibodies might be associated with decreased expression of KLFs, which in turn might facilitate cellular activation mediated through NF-κB. Our experimental results confirmed this hypothesis, demonstrating markedly decreased expression of KLF2 and KLF4 after incubation of cells with APLA/anti-β2GPI antibodies. Restoration of KLF2 or KLF4 levels inhibited NF-κB transcriptional activity and blocked APLA/anti-β2GPI–mediated endothelial activation despite NF-κB p65 phosphorylation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that inhibition of NF-κB transcriptional activity by KLFs reflects sequestration of the cotranscriptional activator CBP/p300, making this cofactor unavailable to NF-κB. These findings suggest that the endothelial response to APLA/anti-β2GPI antibodies reflects competition between KLFs and NF-κB for their common cofactor, CBP/p300. Taken together, these observations are the first to implicate the KLFs as novel participants in the endothelial proinflammatory response to APLA/anti-β2GPI antibodies.
Antigen-Specific IgG ameliorates allergic airway inflammation via Fcγ receptor IIB on dendritic cells
Authors: Ishikawa Yumiko , Kobayashi Kazuyuki , Yamamoto Masatsugu , Nakata Kyosuke , Takagawa Tetsuya , Funada Yasuhiro , Kotani Yoshikazu , Karasuyama Hajime , Yoshida Masaru , Nishimura Yoshihiro
Published: April 2011

Background

There have been few reports on the role of Fc receptors (FcRs) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in asthma. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of inhibitory FcRs and antigen presenting cells (APCs) in pathogenesis of asthma and to evaluate antigen-transporting and presenting capacity by APCs in the tracheobronchial mucosa.

Methods

In FcγRIIB deficient (KO) and C57BL/6 (WT) mice, the effects of intratracheal instillation of antigen-specific IgG were analysed using the model with sensitization and airborne challenge with ovalbumin (OVA). Thoracic lymph nodes instilled with fluorescein-conjugated OVA were analysed by fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, we analysed the CD11c+MHC class II+cells which intaken fluorescein-conjugated OVA in thoracic lymph nodes by flow cytometry. Also, lung-derived CD11c+APCs were analysed by flow cytometry. Effects of anti-OVA IgG1 on bone marrow dendritic cells (BMDCs)in vitrowere also analysed. Moreover, in FcγRIIB KO mice intravenously transplanted dendritic cells (DCs) differentiated from BMDCs of WT mice, the effects of intratracheal instillation of anti-OVA IgG were evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).

Results

In WT mice, total cells and eosinophils in BAL fluid reduced after instillation with anti-OVA IgG1. Anti-OVA IgG1 suppressed airway inflammation in hyperresponsiveness and histology. In addition, the number of the fluorescein-conjugated OVA in CD11c+MHC class II+cells of thoracic lymph nodes with anti-OVA IgG1 instillation decreased compared with PBS. Also, MHC class II expression on lung-derived CD11c+APCs with anti-OVA IgG1 instillation reduced. Moreover, in vitro, we showed that BMDCs with anti-OVA IgG1 significantly decreased the T cell proliferation. Finally, we demonstrated that the lacking effects of anti-OVA IgG1 on airway inflammation on FcγRIIB KO mice were restored with WT-derived BMDCs transplanted intravenously.

Conclusion

Antigen-specific IgG ameliorates allergic airway inflammation via FcγRIIB on DCs.
Reactive oxygen species and transcript analysis upon excess light treatment in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana vs a photosensitive mutant lacking zeaxanthin and lutein
Authors: Alboresi Alessandro , Dall'Osto Luca , Aprile Alessio , Carillo Petronia , Roncaglia Enrica , Cattivelli Luigi , Bassi Roberto
Published: April 2011

Background

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are unavoidable by-products of oxygenic photosynthesis, causing progressive oxidative damage and ultimately cell death. Despite their destructive activity they are also signalling molecules, priming the acclimatory response to stress stimuli.

Results

To investigate this role further, we exposed wild typeArabidopsis thalianaplants and the double mutantnpq1lut2to excess light. The mutant does not produce the xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin, whose key roles include ROS scavenging and prevention of ROS synthesis. Biochemical analysis revealed that singlet oxygen (1O2) accumulated to higher levels in the mutant while other ROS were unaffected, allowing to define the transcriptomic signature of the acclimatory response mediated by1O2which is enhanced by the lack of these xanthophylls species. The group of genes differentially regulated innpq1lut2is enriched in sequences encoding chloroplast proteins involved in cell protection against the damaging effect of ROS. Among the early fine-tuned components, are proteins involved in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, chlorophyll catabolism, protein import, folding and turnover, synthesis and membrane insertion of photosynthetic subunits. Up to now, theflumutant was the only biological system adopted to define the regulation of gene expression by1O2. In this work, we propose the use of mutants accumulating1O2by mechanisms different from those activated influto better identify ROS signalling.

Conclusions

We propose that the lack of zeaxanthin and lutein leads to1O2accumulation and this represents a signalling pathway in the early stages of stress acclimation, beside the response to ADP/ATP ratio and to the redox state of both plastoquinone pool. Chloroplasts respond to1O2accumulation by undergoing a significant change in composition and function towards a fast acclimatory response. The physiological implications of this signalling specificity are discussed.
Oncostatin M promotes STAT3 activation, VEGF production, and invasion in osteosarcoma cell lines
Authors: Fossey Stacey L , Bear Misty D , Kisseberth William C , Pennell Michael , London Cheryl A
Published: April 2011

Background

We have previously demonstrated that both canine and human OSA cell lines, as well as 8 fresh canine OSA tumor samples, exhibit constitutive phosphorylation of STAT3, and that this correlates with enhanced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2). While multiple signal transduction pathways can result in phosphorylation of STAT3, stimulation of the cytokine receptor gp130 through either IL-6 or Oncostatin M (OSM) is the most common mechanism through which STAT3 is activated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of IL-6 and OSM stimulation on both canine and human OSA cell lines to begin to determine the role of these cytokines in the biology of OSA.

Methods

RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to interrogate the consequences of OSM and IL-6 stimulation of OSA cell lines. OSA cells were stimulated with OSM and/or hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and the effects on MMP2 activity (gel zymography), proliferation (CyQUANT), invasion (Matrigel transwell assay), and VEGF production (Western blotting, ELISA) were assessed. The small molecule STAT3 inhibitor LLL3 was used to investigate the impact of STAT3 inhibition following OSM stimulation of OSA cells.

Results

Our data demonstrate that the OSM receptor (OSMR), but not IL-6 or its receptor, is expressed by all human and canine OSA cell lines and canine OSA tumor samples; additionally, OSM expression was noted in all tumor samples. Treatment of OSA cell lines with OSM induced phosphorylation of STAT3, Src, and JAK2. OSM stimulation also resulted in a dose dependent increase in MMP2 activity and VEGF expression that was markedly reduced following treatment with the small molecule STAT3 inhibitor LLL3. Lastly, OSM stimulation of OSA cell lines enhanced invasion through Matrigel, particularly in the presence of rhHGF. In contrast, both OSM and HGF stimulation of OSA cell lines did not alter their proliferative capacity.

Conclusions

These data indicate OSM stimulation of human and canine OSA cells induces STAT3 activation, thereby enhancing the expression/activation of MMP2 and VEGF, ultimately promoting invasive behavior and tumor angiogenesis. As such, OSM and its receptor may represent a novel target for therapeutic intervention in OSA.
Assessment right atrial thrombus by real-time three dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in patient with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Bai Wenjuan , Li Hui , Zhang Qing , Rao Li
Published: April 2011

We report a case of a 52-year-old patient with dilated cardiomyopathy who presented with worsening heart failure. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and real-time three dimensional transthoracic echocardiography showed severe dilated cardiac chambers, impaired ejection fraction and a mobile right atrial thrombus 2.6 × 1.0 cm in size, traversing the right atrial cavity during the whole cardiac cycle. After one week therapeutic anticoagulation, echocardiography confirmed no evidence of residual thrombus.
A community based participatory approach to improving health in a Hispanic population
Authors: Dulin Michael F , Tapp Hazel , Smith Heather A , Urquieta de Hernandez Brisa , Furuseth Owen J
Published: April 2011

Background

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg region has one of the fastest growing Hispanic communities in the country. This population has experienced disparities in health outcomes and diminished ability to access healthcare services. This city is home to an established practice-based research network (PBRN) that includes community representatives, health services researchers, and primary care providers. The aims of this project are: to use key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) within a practice-based research network (PBRN) to identify a single disease or condition that negatively affects the Charlotte Hispanic community; to develop a community-based intervention that positively impacts the chosen condition and improves overall community health; and to disseminate findings to all stakeholders.

Methods/design

This project is designed as CBPR. The CBPR process creates new social networks and connections between participants that can potentially alter patterns of healthcare utilization and other health-related behaviors. The first step is the development of equitable partnerships between community representatives, providers, and researchers. This process is central to the CBPR process and will occur at three levels -- community members trained as researchers and outreach workers, a community advisory board (CAB), and a community forum. Qualitative data on health issues facing the community -- and possible solutions -- will be collected at all three levels through focus groups, key informant interviews and surveys. The CAB will meet monthly to guide the project and oversee data collection, data analysis, participant recruitment, implementation of the community forum, and intervention deployment. The selection of the health condition and framework for the intervention will occur at the level of a community-wide forum. Outcomes of the study will be measured using indicators developed by the participants as well as geospatial modeling.

On completion, this study will: determine the feasibility of the CBPR process to design interventions; demonstrate the feasibility of geographic models to monitor CBPR-derived interventions; and further establish mechanisms for implementation of the CBPR framework within a PBRN.
Factors that contribute to long-term survival in patients with leukemia not in remission at allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Koh Hideo , Nakamae Hirohisa , Hagihara Kiyoyuki , Nakane Takahiko , Manabe Masahiro , Hayashi Yoshiki , Nishimoto Mitsutaka , Umemoto Yukari , Nakamae Mika , Hirose Asao , Inoue Eri , Inoue Atsushi , Yoshida Masahiro , Bingo Masato , Okamura Hiroshi , Aimoto Ran , Aimoto Mizuki , Terada Yoshiki , Koh Ki-Ryang , Yamane Takahisa , Ohsawa Masahiko , Hino Masayuki
Published: April 2011

Background

There has been insufficient examination of the factors affecting long-term survival of more than 5 years in patients with leukemia that is not in remission at transplantation.

Method

We retrospectively analyzed leukemia not in remission at allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) performed at our institution between January 1999 and July 2009. Forty-two patients with a median age of 39 years received intensified conditioning (n = 9), standard (n = 12) or reduced-intensity conditioning (n = 21) for allo-HCT. Fourteen patients received individual chemotherapy for cytoreduction during the three weeks prior to reduced-intensity conditioning. Diagnoses comprised acute leukemia (n = 29), chronic myeloid leukemia-accelerated phase (n = 2), myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) (n = 10) and plasma cell leukemia (n = 1). In those with acute leukemia, cytogenetic abnormalities were intermediate (44%) or poor (56%). The median number of blast cells in bone marrow (BM) was 26.0% (range; 0.2-100) before the start of chemotherapy for allo-HCT. Six patients had leukemic involvement of the central nervous system. Stem cell sources were related BM (7%), related peripheral blood (31%), unrelated BM (48%) and unrelated cord blood (CB) (14%).

Results

Engraftment was achieved in 33 (79%) of 42 patients. Median time to engraftment was 17 days (range: 9-32). At five years, the cumulative probabilities of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD were 63% and 37%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 85 months for surviving patients, the five-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of leukemia-free survival rate and overall survival (OS) were 17% and 19%, respectively. At five years, the cumulative probability of non-relapse mortality was 38%. In the univariable analyses of the influence of pre-transplant variables on OS, poor-risk cytogenetics, number of BM blasts (>26%), MDS overt AML and CB as stem cell source were significantly associated with worse prognosis (p = .03, p = .01, p = .02 and p < .001, respectively). In addition, based on a landmark analysis at 6 months post-transplant, the five-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS in patients with and without prior history of chronic GVHD were 64% and 17% (p = .022), respectively.

Conclusion

Graft-versus-leukemia effects possibly mediated by chronic GVHD may have played a crucial role in long-term survival in, or cure of active leukemia.
Relative hydraulic conductivity in the vadose zone from magnetic resonance sounding — Brooks-Corey parameterization of the capillary fringe
Authors: Costabel Stephan , Yaramanci Ugur
Published: April 2011

The magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) method is used for noninvasive one-dimensional assessment of aquifer structures, i.e., for estimating the vertical water content and hydraulic conductivity distributions in the saturated zone. So far, MRS interpretation schemes for estimating the hydraulic conductivity as a function of the saturation degree in the vadose zone have not been developed. In this study we developed a new inversion scheme for MRS to estimate the relative hydraulic conductivity [Formula: see text], which is the ratio of the unsaturated and saturated conductivities. The new approach is based on the Brooks-Corey parameterization (BCP) of the capillary fringe; that is, the water content distribution of the capillary fringe is considered to be equivalent to the water retention curve in equilibrium state. The BCP inversion directly provides estimates of Brooks-Corey parameters from MRS data, which allows for the calculation of [Formula: see text] as a function of the saturation degree. In doing so, the water table must be given as a priori information for the MRS inversion. We tested the feasibility of this approach with a field example and its reliability and limitations with a set of synthetic models.
Randomized, Open-Label Phase III Trial of Docetaxel Plus High-Dose Calcitriol Versus Docetaxel Plus Prednisone for Patients With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Scher Howard I. , Jia Xiaoyu , Chi Kim , de Wit Ronald , Berry William R. , Albers Peter , Henick Brian , Waterhouse David , Ruether Dean J. , Rosen Peter J. , Meluch Anthony A. , Nordquist Luke T. , Venner Peter M. , Heidenreich Axel , Chu Luis , Heller Glenn
Published: April 2011

Purpose

To compare the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus high-dose calcitriol (DN-101) to docetaxel plus prednisone in an open-label phase III trial.

Patients and Methods

Nine hundred fifty-three men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) were randomly assigned to Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Study of Calcitriol Enhancing Taxotere (ASCENT; 45 μg DN-101, 36 mg/m2docetaxel, and 24 mg dexamethasone weekly for 3 of every 4 weeks) or control (5 mg prednisone twice daily with 75 mg/m2docetaxel and 24 mg dexamethasone every 3 weeks) arms. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

At an interim analysis, more deaths were noted in the ASCENT arm, and the trial was halted. The median-follow-up for patients alive at last assessment was 11.7 months. Median OS was 17.8 months (95% CI, 16.0 to 19.5) in the ASCENT arm and 20.2 months (95% CI, 18.8 to 23.0) in the control arm (log-rank P = .002). Survival remained inferior after adjusting for baseline variables (hazard ratio, 1.33; P = .019). The two arms were similar in rates of total and serious adverse events. The most frequent adverse events were GI (reported in 75% of patients), and blood and lymphatic disorders (48%). Docetaxel toxicity leading to dose modification was more frequent in the ASCENT (31%) than in the control arm (15%).

Conclusion

ASCENT treatment was associated with shorter survival than the control. This difference might be due to either weekly docetaxel dosing, which, in a prior study, showed a trend toward inferior survival compared with an every-3-weeks regimen, or DN-101 therapy.
Reference Points and Effort Provision
Authors: Abeler Johannes , Falk Armin , Goette Lorenz , Huffman David
Published: April 2011

A key open question for theories of reference-dependent preferences is: what determines the reference point? One candidate is expectations: what people expect could affect how they feel about what actually occurs. In a real-effort experiment, we manipulate the rational expectations of subjects and check whether this manipulation influences their effort provision. We find that effort provision is significantly different between treatments in the way predicted by models of expectation-based, reference-dependent preferences: if expectations are high, subjects work longer and earn more money than if expectations are low. (JEL D12, D84, J22)
Performance Pay and Multidimensional Sorting: Productivity, Preferences, and Gender
Authors: Dohmen Thomas , Falk Armin
Published: April 2011

This paper studies the impact of incentives on worker self-selection in a controlled laboratory experiment. Subjects face the choice between a fixed and a variable payment scheme. Depending on the treatment, the variable payment is a piece rate, a tournament, or a revenue-sharing scheme. We find that output is higher in the variable-payment schemes compared to the fixed-payment scheme. This difference is largely driven by productivity sorting. In addition, different incentive schemes systematically attract individuals with different attitudes, such as willingness to take risks and relative self-assessment as well as gender, which underlines the importance of multidimensional sorting. (JEL C91, D81, D82, J16, J31)
Collaborating
Authors: Bonatti Alessandro , Hörner Johannes
Published: April 2011

This paper examines moral hazard in teams over time. Agents are collectively engaged in a project whose duration and outcome are uncertain, and their individual efforts are unobserved. Free-riding leads not only to a reduction in effort, but also to procrastination. Collaboration among agents dwindles over time, but does not cease as long as the project has not succeeded. In addition, the delay until the project succeeds, if it ever does, increases with the number of agents. We show why deadlines, but not necessarily better monitoring, help to mitigate moral hazard. (JEL D81, D82, D83)
How Does a Retailer's Service Plan Affect a Manufacturer's Warranty?
Authors: Jiang Bo , Zhang Xubing
Published: April 2011

A service plan is a type of optional warranty beyond manufacturers' base warranties that retailers offer to consumers. In this paper, we examine how a service plan affects the role played by a manufacturer's base warranty. Analysis shows that when consumers can assess product quality (i.e., the probability of product failure), the manufacturer's warranty is negatively affected by the presence of a service plan. In the presence of such a plan, a base warranty is offered only when the manufacturer is very cost-efficient in providing a warranty relative to the retailer. In this case, although the double-marginalization problem is aggravated, offering a (limited) base warranty reduces the total warranty cost in the channel and provokes the retailer into enlarging the service plan coverage. When consumers cannot assess product quality, a high-quality manufacturer is motivated to offer a base warranty to signal its quality. In the presence of a service plan, however, a very cost-efficient manufacturer is discouraged from doing so.

This paper was accepted by Preyas Desai, marketing.
Contract Complexity and Performance Under Asymmetric Demand Information: An Experimental Evaluation
Authors: Kalkanci Basak , Chen Kay-Yut , Erhun Feryal
Published: April 2011

Exploring the tension between theory and practice regarding complexity and performance in contract design is especially relevant. The goal of this paper is to understand why simpler contracts may commonly be preferred in practice despite being theoretically suboptimal. We study a two-tier supply chain with a single supplier and a single buyer to characterize the impact of contract complexity and asymmetric information on performance and to compare theoretical predictions to actual behavior in human subject experiments. In the experiments, the computerized buyer faces a newsvendor setting and has better information on end-consumer demand than the human supplier. The supplier offers either a quantity discount contract (with two or three price blocks) or a price-only contract, contracts that are commonplace in practice, yet different in complexity. Results show that, contrary to theoretical predictions, quantity discounts do not necessarily increase the supplier's profits. We also observe a more equitable distribution of profits between the supplier and the buyer than what theory predicts. These observations can be described with three decision biases (the probabilistic choice bias, the reinforcement bias, and the memory bias) and can be modeled using the experience-weighted attraction learning model. Our results demonstrate that simpler contracts, such as a price-only contract or a quantity discount contract with a low number of price blocks, are sufficient for a supplier designing contracts under asymmetric demand information.

This paper was accepted by Christian Terwiesch, operations and supply chain management.
On Network Theory
Authors: Borgatti Stephen P. , Halgin Daniel S.
Published: April 2011

Research on social networks has grown considerably in the last decade. However, there is a certain amount of confusion about network theory—for example, what it is, what is distinctive about it, and how to generate new theory. This paper attempts to remedy the situation by clarifying the fundamental concepts of the field (such as the network) and characterizing how network reasoning works. We start by considering the definition of network, noting some confusion caused by two different perspectives, which we refer to as realist and nominalist. We then analyze two well-known network theories, Granovetter's strength of weak ties theory [Granovetter, M. S. 1973. The strength of weak ties. Amer. J. Sociol. 78(6) 1360–1380] and Burt's structural holes theory [Burt, R. S. 1992. Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition. Havard University Press, Cambridge, MA], to identify characteristic elements of network theorizing. We argue that both theories share an underlying theoretical model, which we label the network flow model, from which we derive additional implications. We also discuss network phenomena that do not appear to fit the flow model and discuss the possibility of a second fundamental model, which we call the bond model. We close with a discussion of the merits of model-based network theorizing for facilitating the generation of new theory, as well as a discussion of endogeneity in network theorizing.