bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An iterative deadlock prevention approach for automated manufacturing systems
Authors: Hu H.S.
Published: August 2009

This paper considers an iterative deadlock prevention policy in the context of the automated manufacturing systems (AMS) that constitute one of the major production technologies in modern industry. Owing to the specialty of an AMS, the reachability graph (RG) of its given Petri net model shows powerful analysis and control capability to crack such a hard nut. However, the fact that the number of nodes involved in an RG grows exponentially with the size of a Petri net model makes all the RG-based policies infeasible. The approach conducted in this paper illustrates that the bad nodes in an RG can be extracted iteratively by a set of mixed integer programming formulations so that the explicit enumeration of all nodes of the RG is avoided. The proposed approach promises a computationally efficient policy that guarantees a nearly optimal liveness-enforcing supervisor.
Fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation model of HVAC schemes in optimal combination weighting method
Authors: Wang JJ , Jing YY , Zhang CF
Published: August 2009

Six heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) schemes, constant air volume, variable air volume, fan-coil, induction unit, variable refrigerant volume and distributed HVAC system are evaluated and compared in multi-criteria. Because of the uncertainty of qualitative criteria, this paper presents a fuzzy multi-criteria model to select the optimal HVAC system. The methods of fuzzy set theory, linguistic value, analytic hierarchy process, entropy weighting and optimal weighting are used to obtain the criteria weights. Fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is employed to get the ranking of HVAC schemes. Finally, the application of the fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation model demonstrates detailedly the computation and evaluation procedure in the selection of HVAC schemes.

Practical applications: The fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation model combined with the optimal weighting method in this paper is believed by the authors to contribute to the selection and comparison of HVAC systems or schemes in the building. It is proposed that both qualitative and quantitative criteria existing in reality are used to evaluate HVAC schemes and the decision-making method combines both subjectivity and objectivity. In addition, simple and practical computation and evaluation procedure is easily applied by HVAC designers or decision-makers. Such an approach could become a powerful tool to make an optimal selection for HVAC schemes.
Reforming Policy to Promote Local Broadband Networks
Authors: Hoplight Tapia Andrea , Powell Alison , Ortiz Julio Angel
Published: August 2009

Most existing assessments of local Wi-Fi projects have concentrated on either top-down, government-driven endeavors, or bottom-up projects developed by volunteers or community organizations. In both Canada and the United States, existing local Wi-Fi projects—both top down and bottom up—have failed to fulfill expectations that they could increase digital inclusion. Current policy frameworks may play some role in these failures. This article argues for a policy approach that favors hybrid public broadband that is neither completely bottom up nor top down, and for the development of policy frameworks that support hybrid public broadband.
Neck Myoclonia With Absence Seizures: Report of 3 Cases
Authors: Zhixian Yang  , Xiaoyan Liu  , Jiong Qin  , Yuwu Jiang
Published: August 2009

Absence seizures associated with myoclonic phenomena can be seen in typical absences, myoclonic absences, eyelid myoclonia, and perioral myoclonia, all of which have diagnostic electroclinical features. The authors report 3 patients who encountered prominently rhythmic neck myoclonias with and without absences (loss of awareness). The descriptive symptoms of attacks by witnesses were head shaking or turning repeatedly instead of absences. The seizures were induced by hyperventilation in all 3 cases. Two cases had a history of previous febrile seizures. In all patients, video-electroencephalography showed a one-to-one correspondence relationship between the 2.5- to 3.5-Hz generalized spike and wave discharges and the rhythmic myoclonic jerks of the neck, which was further confirmed by sternocleidomastoideus electromyography recording in 1 patient. Seizures had been controlled by 1 or 2 antiepileptic drugs. Neck myoclonia with absences might be classified either as 1 special subtype of typical absence or as an independent seizure type. Paying close attention to the special phenomenon will help to clarify the clinical spectrum of this seizure.
Neurological Problems of Jazz Legends
Authors: Pearl Phillip L.
Published: August 2009

A variety of neurological problems have affected the lives of giants in the jazz genre. Cole Porter courageously remained prolific after severe leg injuries secondary to an equestrian accident, until he succumbed to osteomyelitis, amputations, depression, and phantom limb pain. George Gershwin resisted explanations for uncinate seizures and personality change and herniated from a right temporal lobe brain tumor, which was a benign cystic glioma. Thelonious Monk had erratic moods, reflected in his pianism, and was ultimately mute and withdrawn, succumbing to cerebrovascular events. Charlie Parker dealt with mood lability and drug dependence, the latter emanating from analgesics following an accident, and ultimately lived as hard as he played his famous bebop saxophone lines and arpeggios. Charles Mingus hummed his last compositions into a tape recorder as he died with motor neuron disease. Bud Powell had severe posttraumatic headaches after being struck by a police stick defending Thelonious Monk during a Harlem club raid.
Oral Administration of the Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) Analogue, Taltireline Hydrate, in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Kato Zenichiro , Okuda Miho , Okumura Yu , Arai Takahiro , Teramoto Takahide , Nishimura Masaaki , Kaneko Hideo , Kondo Naomi
Published: August 2009

Spinal muscular atrophy is an entity of neurodegenerative disorders at the anterior horn neuron of the spinal cord caused by telomeric survival motor neuron gene abnormality. There is no definitive treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, but recent reports have indicated the efficacy of intravenous injection, but not oral administration, of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). We treated an 18-year-old male patient with spinal muscular atrophy type III by oral administration of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, taltireline hydrate. His muscle strength increased significantly after the therapy, and he showed no clinical or laboratory identifiable adverse effects, including thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression that had been observed with intravenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone therapy. Oral administration of this thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue should be noted as a promising therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.
Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis of Severe Epilepsy Syndromes of Early Childhood
Authors: Zupanc Mary L.
Published: August 2009

The developing brain is particularly susceptible to seizures. Diffuse central nervous system pathology or injury in early infancy, when the brain is most vulnerable, may lead to catastrophic epilepsies such as Ohtahara's epileptic encephalopathy and early myoclonic epileptic encephalopathy. These epileptic encephalopathies are difficult to treat and have poor prognoses. As the brain undergoes programmed synaptogenesis, apoptosis, and myelination, the epilepsy phenotypes and electroencephalography (EEG) findings change, producing age-dependent epileptic encephalopathies. Specifically, as they grow older, 40% to 60% of infants with infantile spasms and a concomitant hypsarrhythmia on EEG will develop Lennox-Gastaut syndrome with tonic and atonic seizures, associated with a synchronous, generalized 1.5- to 2-Hz spike and slow wave discharges on EEG. In the context of age-dependent epileptic encephalopathies, as an epilepsy syndrome is evolving, it is often difficult to accurately diagnose the specific epilepsy syndrome in a young child who presents with seizures. It is the clinical evolution of the seizure types and the EEG that helps the clinician make an accurate diagnosis. As more is known about the underlying pathophysiology for the various epilepsy syndromes, not only the clinical picture and EEG but also a genetic blood test will be used to accurately diagnose a specific epilepsy syndrome. A case in point would be severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (classically known as Dravet syndrome) and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy-borderland/ borderline, which are associated with specific mutations in the sodium ion channel gene SCN1A.
Severe Epilepsy Syndromes of Early Childhood: The Link Between Genetics and Pathophysiology With a Focus on SCN1A Mutations
Authors: Stafstrom Carl E.
Published: August 2009

Advances in genetics have increased our understanding of the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms that cause severe epilepsy syndromes of early childhood. Many of the mutations associated with these syndromes are located in genes coding for ion channels or their accessory subunits, giving rise to the concept of epilepsy ``channelopathies.'' In particular, the SCN1A gene coding for the pore-forming a-subunit of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.1 appears to be a common target for epilepsy syndrome-specific mutations. An SCN1A mutation can potentially result in either a gain or loss of sodium channel function. Epilepsies linked to SCN1A mutations range from a relatively benign syndrome called generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus to severe childhood epilepsies such as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (Dravet syndrome). The availability of genetic tests for SCN1A mutations is expanding awareness of the spectrum of diseases mediated by this gene and is beginning to permit genotype— phenotype correlations. Eventually, such information might enable clinicians to select an appropriate therapeutic regimen for patients with specific epilepsy gene mutations.
Managing Severe Epilepsy Syndromes of Early Childhood
Authors: Wheless James W.
Published: August 2009

Managing severe epilepsy syndromes of early childhood is challenging as the seizures are typically resistant to treatment and may cause disabling mental and behavioral problems in later life. A comprehensive treatment plan includes pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and surgical options. This article reviews clinical studies examining the efficacies of antiepileptic medications in reducing seizure frequency in Dravet syndrome, Doose syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The benefits of the ketogenic diet for children with these severe epilepsies, together with the advantages of vagus nerve stimulation and corpus callosotomy in those patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, are also discussed. Special treatment considerations for each syndrome are also highlighted to improve the management of patients with these syndromes.
Fever During Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Admission Is Independently Associated With Increased Morbidity
Authors: Gordijn Maartje S. , Plotz Frans B. , Kneyber Martin C. J.
Published: August 2009

Aims: To investigate the occurrence and etiology of fever at anytime during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and to study its possible effects on clinical outcome in a heterogeneous population of critically ill children. Methods: Retrospective, observational single-center study, comprising 202 patients aged 0 to 18 years, admitted during a 6-month period between January and June 2004. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Fever was defined by a core temperature ≥38.3°C. Outcomes of interest were duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and PICU stay. Statistical analyses were done using nonparametric univariate analysis and multivariate Cox’s regression analysis. Results: Fever during PICU stay occurred in 82 of 202 children (40.6%). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of febrile patients were compared to data of nonfebrile patients. In 76 of the febrile patients (92.7%), fever occurred in the first 48 hours of admission and was associated with primary diagnosis in all cases. Six patients developed fever after 48 hours of admission and 8 patients developed a new febrile period after 48 nonfebrile hours. At least 50% of the late-onset fever was caused by cultured proven nosocomial infections, in the other cases a nosocomial infection was suspected. Fever after 48 hours of PICU admission or a secondary episode of fever was independently associated with prolonged length of ventilatory support and prolonged length of PICU stay. Conclusions: Fever in critically ill children occurs frequently during PICU stay. Fever after 48 hours of admission or new episodes of fever after 48 nonfebrile hours were mainly caused by nosocomial infections and was independently associated with prolonged length of ventilatory support and PICU stay.
Clinical Utility of the Mini-Mental Status Examination When Assessing Decision-Making Capacity
Authors: Pachet Arlin , Astner Kevin , Brown Lenora
Published: August 2009

The main objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between cognitive deficits, as measured by the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and decision-making capacity and to determine whether the sensitivity and specificity of the MMSE varied based upon the patient population assessed. Using a sample size of 152 patients and varying cutoff scores, the MMSE demonstrated extremely poor sensitivity. In contrast, the MMSE had excellent specificity when scores of 19 or less were obtained. In our sample, not one patient, regardless of diagnosis, was deemed to have capacity if their MMSE score was below 20. However, reliance on the MMSE for scores above 19 would too frequently lead to misclassification and incorrect assumptions about a patient’s decision-making abilities. Although a score below 20 consistently yielded findings of incapability in our sample, it remains our opinion that the MMSE should not be used as a stand-alone tool to make determinations related to capacity, especially when considering the complexities associated with capacity evaluations and the vital areas, such as executive functioning and individual values and beliefs, which are omitted by the MMSE.
Sensation Seeking and the Use of the Internet
Authors: López-Bonilla Jesús Manuel , López-Bonilla Luis Miguel
Published: August 2009

Sensation seeking is a personality trait, which has been studied mainly from the perspective of behavior problems. The current study extends that research to consider the use of the Internet. The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS), created by Hoyle, Stephenson, Palmgreen, Lorch, and Donohew, was used. This article examined the relationship between sensation seeking and the use of the Internet from the gender perspective. The BSSS is invariant when the population studied is separated between non-Internet users, Internet users, and online buyers. However, some significant differences between the four dimensions of the scale appear when the authors introduce the gender variable.
Women Pursuing Careers in Trades and Construction
Authors: Ericksen Julia A. , Schultheiss Donna E. Palladino
Published: August 2009

The purpose of this article is to review the extant literature on women in skilled trades and construction to identify specific gaps in our knowledge of the career development processes and needs of this understudied and underserved population. Our aim is to stimulate the interest of scholars and their engagement in research and practice relevant to noncollege women with interests in these occupations. Such research is needed to guide successful career interventions, inform public policy, and promote equal opportunity for women in the pursuit of their careers.
Amphotericin B-induced nephrotoxicity: characterization of blood and urinary biochemistry and renal morphology in mice
Authors: Tonomura Y. , Yamamoto E. , Kondo C. , Itoh A. , Tsuchiya N. , Uehara T. , Baba T.
Published: August 2009

This study was conducted to characterize blood and urinary biochemistry, and renal morphology, after single or 1-week repeated dosing of mice with the polyene macrolide antibiotic, amphotericin B (AMB). AMB was intravenously administered to mice at 2 or 4 mg/kg for the single-dose experiment or once daily at 1 or 2 mg/kg for 1 week for the repeated-dose experiment. The most prominent histopathological findings included necrosis of the tubular epithelial cells in the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop in the renal outer medulla at a single dose of 2 or 4 mg/kg, and the severity of the lesion was dose-dependent. Blood chemistry and urinalysis revealed several changes suggestive of renal dysfunction such as reduction of plasma filtration ability (increases in plasma creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, a decrease in creatinine clearance) and polyuria accompanied with dehydration (decrease in renal water reabsorption, increases in plasma total protein and albumin) at a dose of 4 mg/kg in the single-dose experiment. Among the parameters analyzed, urinary lactate dehydrogenase was the most sensitive and reliable parameter for the prediction of AMB-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. These data provided comprehensive information on the nephrotoxicity of AMB and indicate useful markers for the sensitive detection of AMB-induced renal injury in mice.
Effect of thimerosal on Ca2+ movement and viability in human oral cancer cells
Authors: Kuo LN , Huang CJ , Fang YC , Huang CC , Wang JL , Lin KL , Chu ST , Chang HT , Chien JM , Su HH , Chi CC , Chen WC , Tsai JY , Liao WC , Tseng LL , Jan CR
Published: August 2009

The effect of thimerosal on cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i ) in human oral cancer cells (OC2) is unclear. This study explored whether thimerosal changed basal [Ca2+]i levels in suspended OC2 cells using fura-2. Thimerosal at concentrations between 1and 50 μM increased [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner. The Ca2+ signal was reduced partly by removing extracellular Ca 2+. Thimerosal-induced Ca2+ influx was not blocked by L-type Ca2+ entry inhibitors and protein kinase C modulators (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate [PMA] and GF109203X). In Ca2+-free medium, 50 μM thimerosal failed to induce a [Ca2+]i rise after pretreatment with thapsigargin (an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump inhibitor). Inhibition of phospholipase C with U73122 did not change thimerosal-induced [Ca2+]i rises. At concentrations between 5 and 10 μM, thimerosal killed cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The cytotoxic effect of 8 μM thimerosal was potentiated by prechelating cytosolic Ca2+ with the Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetate/acetomethyl (BAPTA/ AM). Flow cytometry data suggested that 1—7 μM thimerosal-induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Collectively, in OC2 cells, thimerosal-induced [Ca2+]i rises by causing phospholipase C-independent Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and Ca2+ influx through non—L-type Ca2+ channels. Thimerosal killed cells in a concentration-dependent manner through apoptosis.
America Crowning the Unipolar Moment
Authors: Gaan Narottam
Published: August 2009

The Cold War ended and the former Soviet Union collapsed only to wipe out all obstacles in the way of American ascension to the unipolar moment in the international realm. With all its political, economic and military power, it wants all countries to toe its line. No doubt, America emerged unrivalled and supreme to script unopposed the political and economic life of the countries in the South at the expense of their individualities and independence on its own liberal market economy, culminating in the spread of globalisation. The American economy, built on Hobbesian and Lockean possessive individualism to provide a commodious living to its citizens at the cost of nature and other human beings, has been the coping stone for other countries to shape their political and economic life. In that way, with its multinational corporations (MNCs) and transnational corporations (TNCs) becoming accessories to the American grand game plan of shaping the political and economic destiny of these countries, their sovereignty and independence got a quietus. Without any opposition as it was used to getting from the erstwhile Soviet Union during the Cold War phase, America bethought it as if it was a divine invocation to civilise and democratise the entire world on its own script and dialogue. Its much criticised military adventurism in Afghanistan and Iraq and the wiping out of Saddam Hussein is a glaring illustration of its intention to dominate the world. The American rise to the status of a superpower augurs ill for the countries in the South, as their political and economic freedom remain tied to American interests in the name of globalisation. India is no exception to this. In the post-Cold War period, the celerity with which Indian policy makers jumped on to the American bandwagon in its foreign policy and strategic outlook comes as a testament to India's readiness to give a decent burial to its long hallowed and envisaged foreign policy founded on non-alignment, independence and inviolability of sovereignty. This article is an attempt at exploring how the American rise to the unipolar moment could be the harbinger of an era which threatens the sovereignty and independence of countries in the global South, like India.
The Energy Crisis and the South Asian Security
Authors: Chaudhury Anasua Basu Ray
Published: August 2009

The contemporary security discourse has come a long way from the conventional perspective of strategic studies. In a world confronting depleting resources, the idea of security is incomplete today without the idea of energy security. Unless a country has access to scarce energy resources, its huge stockpiling of arms and ammunitions can hardly make it safe. Therefore, contemporary security studies include concerns for energy security along with concerns for other non-traditional security issues. Moreover, there are certain problems faced by members of contemporary societies, which cannot be efficiently dealt with by the nation-state system alone. So, there may be a requirement of some transnational initiatives, along with the state system, which can try to solve some of the present-day problems of human society. Keeping these in mind, this article attempts to re-examine the question of common security as part of human security in South Asia in view of the growing energy crisis in the region.
India–Bangladesh Relations
Authors: Sikri Veena
Published: August 2009

This article examines the prospects for India–Bangladesh relations in the wake of the massive victory achieved by the Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in the December 2008 elections. The analysis is based on the promise for change contained in the Awami League manifesto. This manifesto is a comprehensive document covering the whole gamut of issues including security, terrorism, fundamentalism, economic development with social justice, improved communications and infrastructure, as well as the need for good relations with neighbouring countries. On all these issues, Sheikh Hasina's perspective is a staunchly nationalist one. The implementation of her ideas for change provides an excellent template for moving India–Bangladesh relations forward. The article provides an in-depth analysis of this, covering five broad issues—namely, security, connectivity, border management, the sector of water resources and the sector of trade, investment and economic cooperation.
The Pre-history of the Non-Aligned Movement
Authors: Mišković Nataša
Published: August 2009

This article focuses on the pre-history of the Non-Aligned Movement and of the friendship between Pandit Nehru and Tito from Yugoslavia. It explores the various levels of contacts between Indians and Yugoslavs in the second half of the 1940s, among communists, diplomats, United Nations delegation members and participants of a Yugoslav trade delegation to South Asia. Special attention is given to the question of why Yugoslavia was a rather uninteresting or even hostile country to India in the years immediately after the end of World War II, but grew to be an attractive partner in the aftermath of Tito's break with Stalin, when the country tried to survive between the Anglo–American and Soviet blocs.
Design of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems: A Topology Optimization Approach Based on Multilayer Plates and Shells
Authors: Rupp Cory J. , Evgrafov Anton , Maute Kurt , Dunn Martin L.
Published: August 2009

We develop a computational approach to analyze and design piezoelectric energy harvesting systems composed of layered plates and shells connected to an electrical circuit. The finite element method is used to model the coupled electromechanics of the piezoelectric harvesting structure and a lumped parameter model for the dynamics of the electrical circuit. We assume the harvester is subjected to a prescribed harmonic base excitation and that the structural and electrical responses are linear. We use topology optimization to design the layout of a multilayer structure consisting of structural, piezoelectric, and electrode layers, as well as the electrical circuit. The flexibility of our formalism admits the definition of specific system-level objectives, e.g., maximize the power harvested, in an algebraic fashion. After describing our analysis and design approaches, we present examples that demonstrate the versatility of our approach and show how it can be used to explore general behavior and develop overarching design principles for piezoelectric energy harvesting devices. For the objective of maximizing the power harvested, we investigate: (i) optimal designs for various piezoelectric to substrate thickness ratios, (ii) the effect of mass loading on optimal design, and (iii) the sensitivity of designs to shape variations.
Flexible Skin Development for Morphing Aircraft Applications via Topology Optimization
Authors: Joo James J. , Reich Gregory W. , Westfall James T.
Published: August 2009

This article describes the development of engineered composite skins for morphing aircraft applications. Some of these applications suggest that materials with low in-plane stiffness and relatively high out-of-plane stiffness may be required. To this end, a two-step design process has been developed in order to synthesize skins to meet these requirements. The first step in the process is to determine bulk material properties for the skin and the layout of attachments between the skin and underlying substructure. This results in a distribution of bulk properties across the skin. The second step utilizes these property values as constraints to match the found bulk property in a multi-phase material optimization in order to determine the layout of a set of microscopic multi-phase material unit cells. As a first attempt, a 2D engineered skin design using a proposed two-step process is demonstrated in this article, and material fabrication process using a rapid prototyping (RP) technique and test result are discussed.
A Comparative Study of Statistical Outlier Analysis and ANN Methods for Damage Detection and Assessment in Composite Structures
Authors: Kesavan Ajay , John Sabu , Li Henry , Herszberg Israel
Published: August 2009

This article introduces some of the experimental and analytical work in damage detection applied to polymeric composite T-joints used in maritime structures. Two methods of damage detection are discussed — A statistics-based outlier technique and one using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The SHM using ANNs system was found to be capable of not only detecting the presence of multiple delaminations in a composite structure, but also capable of determining the location and extent of all the delaminations present in the T-joint structure, regardless of the load (angle and magnitude) acting on the structure. The system developed, relies on the examination of the strain distribution of the structure under operational loading. Finally, on testing the SHM system developed with strain signatures of composite T-joint structures, subjected to variable loading, embedded with all possible damage configurations (including multiple damage scenarios), an overall damage (location and extent) prediction accuracy of 88.32% was achieved. These results are presented and discussed in detail in this article.
Design and Characterization of a Variable-Length Piezocomposite Transducer for Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Salas Ken I. , Cesnik Carlos E.S.
Published: August 2009

A modally selective, variable-length anisotropic piezocomposite transducer is designed for guided wave (GW) structural health monitoring applications. The transducer dimensions needed to maximize individual modes are selected based on 3D elasticity models for GW excitation by finite dimensional transducers. This theory is used to determine these transducer dimensions as a function of the wave phase velocity, and normalized by the substrate thickness. The design and fabrication of the transducer are subsequently described, and a set of experimental tests is conducted in pristine isotropic structures to characterize the actuation and sensing performance of the device. It is shown that the transducer dimensions can be tailored to obtain specific symmetric to antisymmetric mode transmission and sensing ratios.
Finite Element Modeling of a Slewing Non-linear Flexible Beam for Active Vibration Control with Arrays of Sensors and Actuators
Authors: Gilardi G. , Buckham B.J. , Park E.J.
Published: August 2009

In this article, a new finite element model (FEM) of an Euler—Bernoulli beam, developed through an absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF), is presented for simulation and analysis of the performance of surface-bonded piezoelectric actuators in suppressing non-linear transverse vibrations that are induced by very fast slewing. The elastic deformations experienced are an order of magnitude larger than cases considered to date, and the model employs a unique cubic spline approximation to the beam’s deformed elastic line that is in terms of node positions and curvatures. To ensure relevant commentary on the vibration suppression properties of the distributed piezoelectric actuators, a material damping model was introduced in the continuum equations to capture the non-linear damping of the very slender beam that is observed in experiments. Following the ANCF methodology, the constitutive damping moment is formulated in terms of the absolute nodal coordinates with care taken to ensure the calculation is singularity free. Galerkin’s method of weighted residuals is applied to discretize the revised equations of motion derived for the beam continuum. The FE beam model exploits a synergy between the twisted spline geometry and the lumped mass approximation to halve the size of the matrix equations that must be solved on each time step. However, this condensation of the matrix equations requires the use of interelement boundaries at the edges of the surface-bonded piezos. Using a single-link flexible manipulator as an example, a number of static and dynamic simulation examples that illustrate the validity of our FEM are presented, including comparisons to theoretical and other existing numerical solutions in literature. In addition, active vibration control examples are presented using proportional- and derivative-based hub motion and piezoelectric actuator controls in suppressing dramatic vibrations induced by fast slewing.
Intravascular Papillary Endothelial Hyperplasia of the Renal Vein
Authors: Pelosi Giuseppe , Sonzogni Angelica , Viale Giuseppe
Published: August 2009

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) is a benign, florid proliferation of endothelial cells forming hyaline papillae covered by monolayered cells, which has rarely been described in the renal vein, most often being equated to tumors because of the difficulties in correctly interpreting imaging findings and accordingly treated by nephrectomy. If the kidney is end-staged for preexisting medical diseases, the risk of overtreatment is obviously negligible, but overdiagnosing IPEH as an intravascular tumor, either benign or malignant, may be perilous for the patient because of the possible consequences on the clinical management.
Synchronous Follicular Lymphoma, Kaposi Sarcoma, and Castleman’s Disease in a HIV-Negative Patient With EBV and HHV-8 Coinfection
Authors: Koreishi Aashiyana F. , Saenz Adam J. , Arcila Maria E. , Hedvat Cyrus , Fleming Stephen , Teruya-Feldstein Julie
Published: August 2009

The authors describe the case of a 65-year-old woman who was HIV negative and had a lymph node biopsy that showed concurrent follicular lymphoma (FL; grade 3A), Kaposi sarcoma (KS), and Castleman’s disease (CD) with coinfection by human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The lymphoma was positive for CD20, CD10, and BCL6 and negative for BCL2. Flow cytometry showed a clonal lambda B-cell population, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed a clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement, confirming a neoplastic B-cell process. Focally, the FL component showed numerous EBER1-positive cells, with rare HHV-8-positive cells. The KS component showed strong HHV-8 expression with rare EBER1-positive cells. The CD component showed scattered HHV-8, viral interleukin-6, and EBER1-positive cells. The simultaneous occurrence of a FL, KS, and CD in an HIV-negative patient expands the spectrum of HHV-8-positive neoplasms and suggests the possibility of HHV-8 rendering mature B-cells hyperresponsive to antigenic stimulation, providing an expanded target for second site mutations or cytokine-driven hyperplasia, culminating in lymphoma.
Review of Chris Jordan’s Photographic and Computer Image Exhibition, Running the Numbers, Curated by Chris Bruce, Director of the Washington State University Museum of Art
Authors: Rosa Eugene A.
Published: August 2009

Many contemporary artists are integrating ecological themes into their work. Few, however, can rival the centrality of the ecological themes in the work of photographer and computer artist Chris Jordan. Recognizing the vast dispersion of consumption and waste practices, and their consequential invisibility, of the hundreds of millions of individuals that make up America’s consumers, Jordan uses his camera and computer to collect their consumables or detritus in one place. The result is an evocative collection of images that confronts us with our culture of consumption --and of our waste. This collection now forms a traveling exhibition curated and first shown at Washington State University and now on its way over the next two years to three other art museums (Haverford College, Austin Museum of Art and Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art) and two science centers (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Pacific Science Center). This review examines the artistic features of the Jordon exhibition only lightly in favor of developing the larger context of the works presented and presenting a critique of the overemphasis on the liberal ideology underlying its intended message.
Conjoint Analysis in Entrepreneurship Research
Authors: Lohrke Franz T. , Holloway Betsy Bugg , Woolley Thomas W.
Published: August 2009

We review conjoint analysis (CA) usage in recent entrepreneurship research to assess how researchers have used the method to study entrepreneurial decision making. We first provide a brief overview of the method and present an exemplar study. We next examine how 16 studies published in leading entrepreneurship journals from 1999 to 2008 used CA, highlight topics these studies have investigated most frequently, and suggest reasons why studies, in general, have not used the method with greater frequency, despite its many advantages in studying decision making. We conclude by suggesting potential future research applications in an attempt to encourage greater CA usage in entrepreneurship research.
When a “Home” Becomes a “House”: Care and Caring in the Flood Recovery Process
Authors: Sims Rebecca , Medd Will , Mort Maggie , Twigger-Ross Clare
Published: August 2009

This article focuses on the spatialities of care that are revealed, disrupted, and produced by the dependencies and vulnerabilities associated with flood recovery. It is based on a case study of the summer floods of June 2007 in Hull, Northeast England. The authors use a real-time, diary-based methodology to document and understand the everyday experiences of individuals following the floods. In contrast to the literature, which looks at the impact of care and caring on the home, they ask what we can learn about caring when the home is disrupted. Focusing on the diaries, the authors explore what flood reveals about the emotional and physical landscapes of caring in the context of recovery and illustrate the intimate connections that exist between ideas of dwelling and caring. In drawing on the accounts of carers (who are often also those displaced by flood), they explore the tensions and intersections between the spatialities of caring work as these are enacted between the routines of everyday “normal” life and the specific disruptions generated by flood.
The Question of Movement in Dwelling
Authors: Tirado Francisco , Callén Blanca , Cassián Nizaiá
Published: August 2009

The authors explore transformations in the surveillance and discipline framework proposed by Foucault (technologies that “allow to see,” the panoptic as a completely closed space) by analyzing new Global Positioning System (GPS) care technologies. The authors contrast the antinomadic characteristics of traditional care practices for people with dementia with the new “in-movement” GPS care devices. They outline three main displacements: the definition of a new space that erases the distance between separated social and sanitary spaces; the lifting of the boundary between the home and the neighborhood; and finally, we point out the importance of movement in this process. These devices show the emergency of new micropractices of power and control: a new anatomy of surveillance. Grounded on movement, they transform physical barriers into risk alarms that do not block users' way; instead, they generate information that mobilizes others. The authors refer to the notion of kinevalue to explain how these devices turn living organisms' motility properties into a value that can be managed, as well as the central feature around which new exercises of patients' security and caregiving may be deployed. Through the analysis of a pilot project on GPS telecare devices carried out by the Spanish Red Cross, the authors suggest a new diagram of the control and management of subjects based on their movement, called “kinepolitics.”
Cost-effectiveness in fall prevention for older women
Authors: Hektoen Liv F. , Aas Eline , Lurås Hilde
Published: August 2009

Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of implementing an exercise-based fall prevention programme for home-dwelling women in the !80-year age group in Norway. Methods: The impact of the home-based individual exercise programme on the number of falls is based on a New Zealand study. On the basis of the cost estimates and the estimated reduction in the number of falls obtained with the chosen programme, we calculated the incremental costs and the incremental effect of the exercise programme as compared with no prevention. The calculation of the average healthcare cost of falling was based on assumptions regarding the distribution of fall injuries reported in the literature, four constructed representative case histories, assumptions regarding healthcare provision associated with the treatment of the specified cases, and estimated unit costs from Norwegian cost data. We calculated the average healthcare costs per fall for the first year. Results: We found that the reduction in healthcare costs per individual for treating fall-related injuries was 1.85 times higher than the cost of implementing a fall prevention programme. Conclusions: The reduction in healthcare costs more than offset the cost of the prevention programme for women aged !80 years living at home, which indicates that health authorities should increase their focus on prevention. The main intention of this article is to stipulate costs connected to falls among the elderly in a transparent way and visualize the whole cost picture. Cost-effectiveness analysis is a health policy tool that makes politicians and other makers of health policy conscious of this complexity.
Impact of work, health and health beliefs on new episodes of pain-related and general absence-taking
Authors: Frost Poul , Haahr Jens P. , Andersen Johan H.
Published: August 2009

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of physical and psychosocial workloads, and self-reported health aspects and health beliefs, on the risk of new episodes of pain-related and general sickness absence. Methods: This was a cohort study with 2 years of follow-up of 3583 employed participants, 18—64 years of age. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about workloads, physical and mental health, fear avoidance and other health beliefs. Sickness absence data were collected from company reports, supplemented by self-report of the health problem to which absence was attributed, and by linkage to a central register of state-funded income loss compensation. Results: Sickness absence of at least 14 days and pain-related absence of at least 7 days was experienced by 24.9% and 5.2%, respectively, while 14.2% received state-funded income loss compensation. Physical work demands, working in the public sector, pain intensity, care-seeking behaviour, female gender and compensated sickness absence in the year prior to follow-up were the most important predictors of new episodes of sickness absence. Pain-related absence was associated with the same variables and also with high body mass index, but effect sizes differed. Psychosocial workloads, health anxiety and fear avoidance beliefs were unrelated to any of the absence measures used. Conclusion: Risk factors for general absence and for pain-related absence in unselected working populations are similar but of different effect sizes. A potential primary prevention area could be the provision of accommodating workplaces for employees with pain problems. The mechanisms behind the influence of care-seeking behaviour warrant further research.
Three-point Frequency Tracking Method
Authors: Pai P. Frank
Published: August 2009

This paper presents and evaluates in detail a harmonics tracking method (HTM) for tracking the instantaneous frequency and amplitude of a vibration signal by processing only three most recent data points. Teager—Kaiser algorithm (TKA) is a popular four-point method for online frequency tracking, but its accuracy is easily destroyed by measurement noise due to the use of finite difference. Moreover, because a signal is assumed to be a pure harmonic in TKA, any moving average in the signal can destroy the accuracy of TKA. On the other hand, HTM uses a constant and a pair of harmonics to fit three recent data points and estimate the instantaneous frequency and amplitude, and it dramatically reduces the influence of any moving average. Moreover, noise filtering is an implicit capability of HTM even if only three points are processed, and this capability increases with the number of processed points. However, HTM depends on TKA to provide the first frequency estimation in order to start online tracking. To compare HTM and TKA and evaluate the accuracy of HTM, Hilbert— Huang transform (HHT) is used to extract accurate time-varying frequency and amplitude by processing the whole data set without assuming the signal to be harmonic. Frequency and amplitude tracking of different amplitude- and/or frequency-modulated signals and nonlinear nonstationary dynamic signals is studied. Results show that HTM is more accurate, robust, and versatile than TKA for online frequency tracking. Moreover, the frequencies and amplitudes tracked by HTM have about the same accuracy as those extracted by HHT, but without the edge effect that HHT suffers from.
Onset of Resin Micro-cracks in Unidirectional Glass Fiber Laminates with Integrated SHM Sensors: Numerical Analysis
Authors: Huang Yi , Ghezzo Fabrizia , Nemat-Nasser Sia
Published: August 2009

The embedment of micro-sensors and micro-devices into composite laminates for structural health monitoring systems leads to stress/strain concentrations due to geometrical and material discontinuities around such embedded inclusions, with high potential to initiate premature failures. This article presents the efforts to estimate the effects of these stress/strain concentrations induced by the integration of rectangular-shape sensors within unidirectional fiber-glass composites. The micro-crack initiation sites and the failure load are predicted using finite-element simulations. Good agreement has been found between the numerical results and the experimental findings presented in an accompanying paper.
Patient-Reported Recovery After Abdominal and Pelvic Surgery Using the Convalescence and Recovery Evaluation (CARE): Implications for Measuring the Impact of Surgical Processes of Care and Innovation
Authors: Hedgepeth Ryan C. , Stuart Wolf J. , Dunn Rodney L. , Wei John T. , Hollenbeck Brent K.
Published: August 2009

Background. Recovery is an integral part of the surgical process and measuring it provides insight into the impact of surgical innovation. This study used a recently validated instrument, the Convalescence and Recovery Evaluation (CARE), to measure return to baseline health after surgery and explore clinical factors associated with recovery. Study design. Patient health was measured among 96 patients before and after abdominal and pelvic surgery. Patients were grouped by time to recovery of 90% of baseline status. χ2 Tests and logistic models were used to measure relationships between recovery time and patient characteristics, processes of care, and outcomes. Results. Return to baseline health was reached by 44% of patients within 2 weeks, 28% between 2 and 4 weeks, and 28% after 4 weeks. Patients who recovered faster were younger, female, single, and undergoing ambulatory surgery for benign diseases. Patients who were married, underwent surgery for cancer, or had bowel surgery were more likely to require longer recovery time. Conclusions. Several patient and clinical characteristics were found to be associated with recovery after surgery. CARE appears to be sensitive to these factors and may be useful for informed decision making, assessing changes in processes of care, and evaluating the impact of surgical innovations on recovery.
Constructing a Mixed Methods Design to Explore the Older Driver—Copilot Relationship
Authors: Vrkljan Brenda H.
Published: August 2009

This methodological discussion outlines the process of constructing a mixed methods design using a research project that explored the older driver—copilot relationship and how vehicular technology might influence this relationship, including potential implications on driving safety. The decisions involved with determining a mixed methods design are outlined. A visual model and associated description contextualize the process of determining key design features. Challenges associated with using a hybrid design and strategies used to overcome these challenges are discussed.