bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sliding mode control-based active power control for wind farm with variable speed wind generation system
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Xu Hongbing , Zou Jianxiao , Zheng Gang
Published: October 2012

Active power control in wind farm, implemented with hierarchical structure (including the central wind farm active power control system and the control system of variable speed wind generation system), has significantly improved the wind-farm-generated power. However, the interaction between the control system of variable speed wind generation system and the central wind farm active power control system has not been considered in the control system design of both sides. The wind generation system with active power control in wind farm, as a high-order nonlinear large-scale system, will not only autonomous operating with maximum power capture, but also being demanded to regulate power output according to the power set points ordered by the central wind farm active power control system. Therefore, robust active power control of wind farm is clearly necessary. In this article, sliding mode is used to design the active power control system for wind farm, which makes the output power of wind farm track the active power order from the power grid operator asymptotically. Particularly, the control system of the variable speed wind generation system is designed with cascaded structure: the input of the internal rotational speed control loop of the wind generation system is controlled by the external power loop which tracks the specified power set point. Then, based on the dynamic model of wind farm, the central wind farm active power control system is designed to control the total output power of wind farm by using the sliding mode control method. Furthermore, in order to ensure the given power set point is within the regulation capability of the wind generation system, the proportional distribution strategy is utilized to specify the power set point according to the available output power of each wind generation system, which is quantified by ultra-short term power prediction model. The proposed approach is illustrated by implementing it to the active power control of a wind-farm model in simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the method based on proportional-integral control.
An analysis of flow and heat transfer in separated flows over blocked surface
Authors: Yemenici O , Firatoglu ZA
Published: October 2012

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of flat and blocked surfaces were experimentally examined under the influence of the free stream velocity of 3, 5, 10 and 15 m/s encompassing laminar, transitional and turbulent flows. A constant-temperature hot wire anemometer was used for the velocity and turbulent intensity measurements, and copper-constant thermocouples and a micro-manometer for temperature and static pressures measurements, respectively. The flow over blocked surface separated in front of the first block and attached on it, then circulated between blocks, and then reattached behind the last block. The results showed that the flow separation before the first block occurred earlier in laminar–laminar separated–reattached flow than the transitional and turbulent flows and turbulent–turbulent separated–reattached flow leading to a shorter reattachment region with high free-stream turbulence. The presence of the separation and reattachment caused the heat transfer enhancement, which was more pronounced in the laminar flow and new empirical equations were developed for the local Stanton numbers.
Experimental studies of autoignition and soot formation of diesel surrogate fuels
Authors: Diez Alvaro , Crookes Roy J , Løvås Terese
Published: October 2012

Computational simulation has undergone vast development for internal-combustion engine research as a time- and cost-saving tool. Yet combustion simulation for conventional hydrocarbon petroleum fuels faces difficult challenges since such fuels have very complex compositions, consisting of many different molecular species, for which data are sparse. The use of surrogate fuels for combustion simulation could provide a solution to this problem. In this investigation, n-heptane and mixtures of n-heptane and toluene were studied within a broad range of potential surrogate diesel fuels, and the ignition delay and soot formation trends were compared with those of diesel fuel. Ignition delays show good agreement with those for diesel fuel and it was also possible to replicate partially the soot formation behaviour for certain engine conditions. Further investigation is needed to find a surrogate fuel that closely matches over the range of operating conditions of a diesel engine.
Ride comfort uncertainty analysis and reliability design of a passenger vehicle undergoing random road excitation
Authors: Kim Bum Seok , Yoo Hong Hee
Published: October 2012

The vibration of a vehicle often causes discomfort, fatigue and even serious injury to passengers. Therefore, reducing vibration levels to a tolerable range is one of the most important goals in vehicle design. Since ride comfort is determined by road roughness and vehicle properties, the uncertainty of ride comfort results from the uncertainties of road roughness and vehicle property data. A quantitative measuring index of ride comfort defined by the International Standards Organization is employed in the present study. A general multi-body dynamics formulation is employed to obtain a dynamic response, and a statistical method employing the first order sensitivity information is used to evaluate the ride comfort uncertainty. The effects of individual and overall design variable uncertainties on the ride comfort uncertainty are investigated, and probability distributions of ride comfort are obtained for the reliability analysis and design of a vehicle.
Finance as the key to unlocking community potential: savings, funds and the ACCA programme
Authors: Archer Diane
Published: October 2012

This paper describes how the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) programme seeks to use finance to augment community-driven development processes in 19 nations and enable their scaling up to the city and national levels. The lack of accessible and flexible finance is a key stumbling block for the majority of community development processes in Asia. The paper begins by examining how this programme approaches the issue of finance in the wider context of community-driven upgrading, and elaborates the role that community networks can play in encouraging collective activities. It then explains how community finance leads to the establishment of community development funds (CDFs), financial platforms made up of contributions from different sources, including community savings, ACCA seed funds and contributions from local/national government or other actors. These both encourage collaboration and increase the scale of what can be done. The paper gives examples of how CDFs can operate at different levels: locally, between groups of communities with shared problems and goals; on a citywide scale (107 citywide funds are now in operation); or at a national level, as in the Philippines, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
A conversation about change-making by communities: some experiences from ACCA
Authors: Papeleras Ruby , Bagotlo Ofelia , Boonyabancha Somsook
Published: October 2012

This paper is from a transcript of a conversation between Ruby Papeleras and Ofelia Bagotlo, two community leaders in the Homeless People’s Federation Philippines Inc. and Somsook Boonyabancha from the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights. The community leaders reflect on the difficulties that community organizations face in finding solutions – for instance, getting land and getting local governments, donors and activists to respect their priorities. They describe the steps towards building an urban poor movement – learning to trust ourselves, building this trust by establishing community savings groups and instigating initiatives (which show other groups their capabilities and other urban poor groups what is possible), drawing everyone in and using their different skills in surveying and undertaking community initiatives. They also discuss how the flexible funding for small projects available through the ACCA programme helps catalyze local activities while they wait for government. Small grants or revolving fund loans can be managed by communities, so the financial management makes people more powerful in terms of planning, prioritizing, decision-making and implementing projects. Small projects also help prepare communities for larger, more difficult housing projects and bolster their negotiations for land (showing their capacity to pay and invest). With no solutions on offer from government or the private sector, community people begin to take over, creating a movement in which people are finding alternative solutions that are cheap, efficient, easy, quick, equitable and full of the social elements that are missing from government-provided housing. From this they show local governments what they can do. Small projects are a bridge to link different individuals and agencies, and provide a language for dialogue between them.
Testing a rapid climate change adaptation assessment for water and sanitation providers in informal settlements in three cities in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Heath Tom T , Parker Alison H , Weatherhead E Keith
Published: October 2012

Climate change is expected to affect the poor in low- and middle-income countries most, particularly in the next few decades, through increased flooding and droughts. A very large number of these poor live in informal urban settlements, where they rely on water kiosks and pit latrines and where there is usually inadequate provision for drainage. Despite an abundance of publications on climate change, there is little advice that is specific to those providing water and sanitation services to the urban poor in these countries. This paper presents a Rapid Climate Adaptation Assessment (RCAA) for water and sanitation providers that generates recommendations on climate proofing for local service providers, utilities and local governments. Overall, the RCAA converts regional climate predictions into recommendations for local adaptations. The methodology was developed through fieldwork with communities in Lusaka (Zambia), Naivasha (Kenya) and Antananarivo (Madagascar). The paper describes the methodology, summarizes the results of its application (and the implications for adaptation) and discusses its wider application and limitations. In most cases, the proposed adaptations are not new actions, and could be described as “good water management”.
Assessing the ACCA programme: turning Asia’s community upgrading initiatives into an open university
Authors: Carcellar Fr. Norberto , Kerr Thomas
Published: October 2012

One of the cornerstones of academic legitimacy is the concept of peer review, in which any book, journal article or scholarly exploration that gets published is first assessed by academics from the same sphere of expertise, who are best placed to understand that work. This has not transferred into mainstream development practice, where most development projects (even those being implemented by the urban poor themselves) are not assessed by community groups and NGO supporters who are their peers, but by outside professionals who visit the project briefly. Although these professionals have no expertise in living in informal settlements on very low incomes or avoiding eviction or negotiating with local governments, they pronounce judgement on the project. These supply-driven kinds of assessments and the principle of “judgement by neutral outsiders” does not fit with the concept of demand-driven development processes that are implemented in different ways by different groups in different places, in response to very different local contexts, needs and capacities. The implementation of the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) programme has sought to build a new, more horizontal system for assessing, learning from and refining the hundreds of projects it supported in different countries. Teams of community leaders, and their partner NGOs who are actively implementing their own ACCA projects, assess the work of their peers in other nations through visits to ACCA projects and discussions with the people who are implementing them. This paper describes the six assessment trips organized so far and how this more demand-driven assessment process is helping adjust and correct problems in the implementation processes in various cities. This has also opened up a large new space for two-way learning, sharing and building mutual assistance links across Asia, and helping expand the range of what community people see as possible.
How poor communities are paving their own pathways to freedom
Authors: Boonyabancha Somsook , Carcellar Fr. Norberto , Kerr Thomas
Published: October 2012

This paper suggests that what may appear to be insoluble problems of urban poverty and exclusion in Asian cities can be solved; and that the greatest force to do this already exists, in rough form, in the people who experience that poverty and exclusion themselves and have the greatest motivation to change it. It notes how most government programmes and formal development interventions ignore this force or seek to suppress it, so it remains a potential, not an actual, force for change. The paper describes how the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) programme, using a few simple tools and conditions and a modest, flexible budget, is trying to unlock that force at scale, opening up new space, new collaborations and new possibilities that are beginning to resolve these problems. The paper describes several of the tools and conditions that are part of the ACCA intervention – the support for collective processes, partnerships, finance and land tenure; for many initiatives on the ground; for moving to work at city scale; for communities prioritizing what gets support; and for building a platform for negotiation and partnership in each city. These are helping people to solve their problems and pave their own literal and metaphorical pathways to freedom, and to legitimate and valued citizenship in their cities.
Urban poverty reduction: learning by doing in Asia
Authors: Boonyabancha Somsook , Mitlin Diana
Published: October 2012

This paper describes the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) programme that was initiated by the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) in 2009. ACCA seeks to catalyze and support community initiatives, citywide upgrading and partnerships between community organizations and local governments. By January 2012, it had helped fund initiatives in 708 settlements in 153 cities in 19 different Asian nations. In each city, small grants support community-led initiatives that encourage citywide networks to form, where members share skills with each other and learn to negotiate with their local governments. Further support was available as local governments engaged and then came to support this process, including the formation of jointly managed community development funds. The paper also describes how the design of ACCA drew on earlier work, and ends with a reflection on what has been learnt with regard to more effective ways of reducing urban poverty. This explores the two underlying dimensions: first, the creation of institutions based on relations of reciprocity; and second, the strengthening of relations between low-income community organizations such that they can create a synergy with the state. One key lesson is the need for financial systems that allow the urban poor to be the key agents in addressing their problems and in bringing in city governments to work with them. This collaboration can lead to the urban poor being recognized as legitimate and highly productive residents and citizens of the city.
Together we are strong: networks, platforms and the social relations that support a people’s process
Authors: Leonhardt Maurice
Published: October 2012

This paper describes people’s process, community networks and platforms of work between communities and professionals in Asia; also how these networks, which have reduced the isolation of low-income and disadvantaged communities, have built their confidence, produced finance to support their priorities, legitimized and capacitated their organizations and catalyzed effective action. Networked and informed community groups are increasingly able to lead development processes and work together with government agencies, politicians and other stakeholders, from academics to NGOs. By being unified through a common group or association, community members gain strength in numbers and shared financial capital, opening up many more opportunities than if they worked individually. By giving examples of national networks of the urban poor in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Mongolia and elsewhere, this paper seeks to demonstrate the value of networks in supporting a people’s process of development.
Financing urban agriculture
Authors: Cabannes Yves
Published: October 2012

For most small urban farmers, the lack of access to financing is a major bottleneck in their capacity to maintain and expand their activities, and more generally in the potential for scaling up affordable food production in cities. This paper reports on action research undertaken by local teams in 17 cities of different size in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In each city, the teams examined how urban farmers are financing their activities along the value chain, essentially with their own resources, what the gaps are between their needs and the existing practices of public and private institutions with regard to finance, and what mechanisms and innovations can help to close this gap. Financing is defined here as a complex, dynamic combination of resource mobilization, both monetary and non-monetary, plus savings, subsidies and credits.
Off the map: the health and social implications of being a non-notified slum in India
Authors: Subbaraman Ramnath , O’brien Jennifer , Shitole Tejal , Shitole Shrutika , Sawant Kiran , Bloom David E , Patil-Deshmukh Anita
Published: October 2012

Approximately half of all slums( 1 ) in India are not recognized by the government. Lack of government recognition, also referred to as “non-notified status” in the Indian context, may create entrenched barriers to legal rights and basic services such as water, sanitation and security of tenure. In this paper, we explore the relationship between non-notified status and health outcomes in Kaula Bandar, a slum in Mumbai, India. We illustrate this relationship using the findings of a four-year long series of studies in the community. By comparing Kaula Bandar’s statistics with those from other Mumbai slums captured by India’s National Family Health Survey–3, we show that Kaula Bandar has relative deficiencies in several health and social outcomes, including educational status, child health and adult nutrition. We then provide an explanatory framework for the role that Kaula Bandar’s non-notified status may play in generating poor health outcomes, by discussing the health consequences of the absence of basic services. We also highlight the criminalization by the government of activities necessary for fulfilling access to fundamental needs such as water, toilets and shelter. We argue that the policy vacuum surrounding non-notified slums such as Kaula Bandar results in governance failures that lead to poor health outcomes. Our findings highlight the need for cities in India and other developing countries to establish and fulfill minimum humanitarian standards in non-notified slums for the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, solid waste removal, electricity and education.
Incorporating cities into the post-2012 climate change agreements
Authors: LefÈvre Benoit
Published: October 2012

This paper examines the legal, political, technical, economic and financial implications of fitting commitments by cities into the post-2012 climate change agreement. It notes the widespread recognition of the importance of cities and local governments to this agreement and describes the many challenges to including these governments within it – technical, political and economic. There are also the difficulties in reaching agreement on how targets can take into account differences in capacity to act and differences in the sectors where city governments have jurisdiction. As the post-2012 climate change negotiations are already a highly complicated process, the inclusion of sub-national governments into the agreement needs to constitute a “solution” rather than a “new problem”. The objective of this paper is to offer a framework and to identify key elements that need to be taken into account when developing a roadmap that seeks empowerment of local governments in the UN post-2012 framework on climate change.
From practice to theory: emerging lessons from Asia for building urban climate change resilience
Authors: Brown Anna , Dayal Ashvin , Rumbaitis Del Rio Cristina
Published: October 2012

This paper aims to capture and analyze emerging experiences, lessons and tensions evident from several years of work underway through the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network, a network of secondary cities in South and Southeast Asia that have engaged in a process to analyze vulnerabilities and plan and implement measures to address them. With the support of the Rockefeller Foundation and numerous partners, these cities have identified more than 59 specific resilience-building measures, of which 23 are being implemented. Through this work we see 10 critical urban climate change resilience action areas that cities must consider in order to strengthen their ability to anticipate, prepare for and respond to the types of sudden and slow onset impacts. These are: climate sensitive land use and urban planning; institutional coordination mechanisms and capacity support; drainage, flood and solid waste management; water demand and conservation systems; emergency management and early warning systems; responsive health systems; resilient housing and transport systems; strengthening of ecosystem services; diversification and protection of climate-affected livelihoods; and education and capacity building of citizens. We present case studies of how these measures are implemented in specific cities and highlight the tensions and challenges that have emerged. Primary tensions arise around the powerful political economy forces that influence decisions in cities; ensuring that the risks and benefits of resilience-building measures are distributed equitably; aligning incentives of various stakeholders in cities; and developing the mandates, coordination and capacities needed to manage a multi-scale and multi-sector issue as complex as urban climate change resilience. This empirical base of practice provides important learning to help guide further the refinement of both theory and practice in the nascent field of urban climate change resilience.
Deconstructing the complex perceptions of gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation among transgender individuals
Authors: Nagoshi Julie L , Brzuzy Stephan/ie , Terrell Heather K
Published: October 2012

Conventional heteronormative beliefs about the nature of gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation are fundamentally challenged by the experiences of many transgender individuals. Eleven self-identified transgender individuals were interviewed about their definitions of, understanding of the relationships between, and perceptions of their own gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The questions focused on how transgender individuals define gender roles vs gender identity, how they defined themselves on these dimensions, and how they perceived the relationships among gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation. All of the participants understood gender roles to be social constructs and viewed gender identity as being more fluid, compared to essentialist, binary, heteronormative ideas about gender. Most viewed sexual orientation as being dynamically related to gender identity. These findings are discussed in terms of an emerging transgender theory of the nature of gender that transcends essentialist, traditional ideas, as well as social constructionist views of feminist and queer theories.
Cardioprotective effect of lycopene against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats
Authors: Ojha S , Goyal S , Sharma C , Arora S , Kumari S , Arya DS
Published: October 2012

The present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of lycopene (LCP) against isoproterenol (ISP)-induced myocardial infarction (MI), by assessing hemodynamic, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Wistar male albino rats were orally administered with LCP (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg) or with vehicle for 30 days, with concurrent subcutaneous injections of ISP (85 mg/kg) on days 28 and 29. ISP significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (SAP, DAP and MAP, respectively) and heart rate (HR). ISP also decreased contractility (+LVdP/dt), relaxation (−LVdP/dt) and increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). In addition to functional impairment, ISP also caused a significant ( p < 0.05) decrease in antioxidants, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), glutathione (GSH), cardiac injury marker enzymes, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as induced lipid peroxidation, malonaldialdehyde (MDA) and histopathological alterations in heart. However, pretreatment with LCP significantly ( p < 0.05) attenuated ISP-induced cardiac dysfunction as evidenced by improved SAP, DAP, MAP, HR, (±)LVdP/dt and reduced LVEDP. Pretreatment with LCP also significantly ( p < 0.05) prevented the depletion of antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GSHPx and GSH), myocyte injury marker enzymes (CK-MB and LDH) and inhibited lipid peroxidation and MDA formation in the heart. Furthermore, reduced necrosis, edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells on histopathological examination also depicted the protective effect of LCP against the deleterious effect of ISP. Based on the results, it is suggested that LCP possesses significant cardioprotective potential and may serve as an adjunct in treatment and prophylaxis of MI.
Exposures to 1,3-dimethylamylamine-containing products reported to Texas poison centers
Authors: Forrester MB
Published: October 2012

1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is an ingredient in a number of weight loss and exercise performance enhancing products. However, information on the safety of DMAA-containing products is limited. Exposures to DMAA-containing products reported to Texas poison centers during 2010–2011 were identified and selected factors were examined. A total of 56 exposures were found, of which 75.0% were reported during 2011. OxyElite Pro™ was the reported product in 80.4% of the exposures. The patients were 51.8% male and 55.4% age ≤5 years. The patient was managed on site (such as at home) in 57.1% of the cases, and the exposure was known or expected to result in an outcome that was classified as not serious in 80.4%. The most frequently reported clinical effects were tachycardia (28.6%), nausea (16.1%), and vomiting (12.5%). The most common treatments were dilution (41.1%), food (19.6%), and activated charcoal (14.3%). It should be noted that the adverse clinical effects may be due to other ingredients in the DMAA-containing products, such as caffeine.
Hormesis
Authors: Calabrese EJ , Iavicoli I , Calabrese V
Published: October 2012

This article offers a broad assessment of the hormetic dose response and its relevance to biomedical researchers, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry, and public health scientists. This article contains a series of 61 questions followed by relatively brief but referenced responses that provides support for the conclusion that hormesis is a reproducible phenomenon, commonly observed, with a frequency far greater than other dose–response models such as the threshold and linear nonthreshold dose–response models. The article provides a detailed background information on the historical foundations of hormesis, its quantitative features, mechanistic foundations, as well as how hormesis is currently being used within medicine and identifying how this concept could be further applied in the development of new therapeutic advances and in improved public health practices.
The library profession under pressure in Japan: Change in the construction state
Authors: Vårheim Andreas , Ide Eisaku , Iju Moriano
Published: October 2012

In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, with increasing unemployment, the small effects of economic stimulus packages and debt-ridden economies with deflationary tendencies, many economists see the downward economic trajectory of Japan as a possible route for the rest of the advanced OECD economies. In this context, the way Japanese public library services are affected by the ‘hard times’ is of interest regarding prospective developments in public libraries in the OECD countries outside Japan, and regarding the design of policies for maintaining high quality library services in a prolonged economic downturn. From 1997 the number of permanently employed librarians declined, and funds for materials shrank. Interviews with librarians, library directors, and leading officials at prefectural and ministerial levels, show that these changes were even more dramatic than the statistics reveal. Tentative explanations for the changes relating to the Japanese political economy are discussed. Hypotheses regarding both Japan specific policies and institutions, and imported neo-liberal policies and institutions are put forward.
Modelling variables that contribute to faculty willingness to collaborate with librarians: The case of the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal
Authors: Amante Maria João , Extremeño Ana Isabel , da Costa António Firmino
Published: October 2012

This article discusses key variables that shape the willingness of faculty to work with librarians in higher education establishments. We use the Librarian-Library/Faculty Relationship Model to highlight the variables which faculty members consider to be the most relevant in that relationship. The article begins with a discussion of the causes of tensions between faculty and librarians. This is followed by a descriptive and co-relational study of the ISCTE-IUL University Institute of Lisbon library. The study uses qualitative and quantitative methods, namely a focus group and a survey. There was a good fit between the Librarian-Library/Faculty Relationship Model and the data (CMIN/DF=4.067), and the model explained 58% of the dependent variable, namely faculty willingness to collaborate with librarians. Our final model confirmed the relationships proposed in our initial model, and allowed us to identify a range of new relationships, which may contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of different socio-cultural processes (included as variables in the model) affecting the relationship between faculty and librarians, so as to what factors shape the willingness of faculty to collaborate with librarians. The model shows that 14% of the willingness of faculty to collaborate with librarians can be attributed to key attributes of faculty, namely gender, age, department, academic qualification, professional category, and the length of career.
Free fatty acids are associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance but not inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Ormseth MJ , Swift LL , Fazio S , Linton MF , Raggi P , Solus JF , Oeser A , Bian A , Gebretsadik T , Shintani A , Stein CM
Published: October 2012

Free fatty acids (FFAs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Inflammatory cytokines promote lipolysis and increase FFAs, a cause of endothelial dysfunction and increased atherosclerosis risk. We hypothesized that increased inflammation is associated with increased FFAs, resulting in insulin resistance and atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We measured clinical variables, serum FFAs, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA), inflammatory cytokines, markers of endothelial activation, cholesterol concentrations and coronary artery calcium in 156 patients with SLE and 90 controls. We compared FFAs in patients with SLE and controls using Wilcoxon rank sum tests and further tested for the independent association between FFAs and disease status with adjustment for age, race and sex using multivariable regression models. We assessed the relationship between FFAs and continuous variables of interest using Spearman correlation and multivariable regression analysis. Levels of FFAs were higher in patients with SLE than controls (0.55 mmol/l (0.37–0.71) vs 0.44 mmol/l (0.32–0.60), P = 0.02). Levels of FFAs remained significantly higher among patients with SLE after adjustment for age, race and sex ( P = 0.03) but not after further adjustment for body mass index ( P = 0.13). FFA levels did not differ according to the usage of current immunosuppressive medications in univariate and adjusted analysis (all P > 0.05). Among patients with SLE, concentrations of FFAs were higher among those with metabolic syndrome compared to those without (0.66 mmol/l (0.46–0.81) vs 0.52 mmol/l (0.35–0.66), P < 0.001). FFAs were positively correlated with insulin resistance (HOMA) (rho = 0.23, P = 0.004, P adjusted = 0.006) and triglyceride levels (rho = 0.22, P = 0.01, P adjusted = 0.004). FFAs were not associated with inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) (all P > 0.05) but were positively associated with levels of E-selectin (rho = 0.33, P = < 0.001, P adjusted = 0.001) and ICAM-1 (rho = 0.35, P < 0.001, P adjusted = 0.001). FFAs were correlated with coronary artery calcium score (rho = 0.20, P = 0.01) but this was attenuated after adjustment for age, race and sex ( P = 0.33). From our study we concluded that FFAs are elevated in patients with SLE, particularly those with metabolic syndrome. FFAs in patients with SLE are not associated with markers of generalized inflammation but are associated with insulin resistance and markers of endothelial activation
A Study of the Motivations of British Hospice Volunteers
Authors: Claxton-Oldfield Stephen , Claxton-Oldfield Jane , Paulovic Stefan , Wasylkiw Louise
Published: October 2012

In all, 162 British hospice volunteers completed the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV) of Claxton-Oldfield, Wasylkiw, Mark, and Claxton-Oldfield.1 The IMHPCV taps into 5 different categories of motives for becoming a hospice palliative care volunteer: altruism, civic responsibility, leisure, self-promotion, and personal gain. Altruistic motives were the most influential reasons for choosing to join hospice; personal gain motives were the least influential reasons for becoming a hospice volunteer. Altruistic motives were found to be a significant predictor of volunteers’ length of service to the hospice. Compared to previously collected data from a sample of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers,1 the current study’s sample of British hospice volunteers scored significantly different on 2 of the 5 categories of motives on the IMHPCV.
Advance Directives and Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders Among Patients With Terminal Cancer in Palliative Care Units in Japan
Authors: Kizawa Yoshiyuki , Tsuneto Satoru , Hamano Jun , Nagaoka Hiroka , Maeno Takami , Shima Yasuo
Published: October 2012

Objective:

To examine the current status of advance directives (ADs) and do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders among patients with terminal cancer in palliative care units (PCUs) in Japan.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective chart review of the last 3 consecutive patients who died in 203 PCUs before November 30, 2010.

Results:

The percentages of patients who had ADs during the final hospitalization for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluid administration, tube feeding, antibiotic administration, and who had appointed a health care proxy were 47%, 46%, 42%, 19%, 18%, and 48%, respectively. Seventy-six percent of the patients had a DNR order. Of the patients with decision-making capacity, 68% were involved in the DNR decision.

Conclusions:

These findings may reflect positive changes in patients’ attitudes toward ADs, in Japan.
A Novel Approach for Assessing the Progression of Deep Venous Thrombosis by Area of Venous Thrombus in Ultrasonic Elastography
Authors: Wang Chao , Wang Lei , Zhang Yuhui , Chen Ming
Published: October 2012

Exact age determination of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is important for an appropriate treatment. The purpose of this present study is to assess the age of acute DVT with the area of venous thrombi in elasticity imaging during the thrombosis procession. The thrombus area is obtained from a specially designed program. It was applied to clot specimens induced in human great saphenous (n = 15) at selected time points following the initiation of thrombosis. The relative mean proportion of blood clots was 50.01% ± 12.44% at day 1; 69.94% ± 8.19% at day 3; 81.93% ± 6.15% at day 6; and 92.37% ± 4.06% at day 9. The results indicated that the thrombus area increased significantly over time, while the normalized strain values inside the thrombus changed only a little. The pathological analyses also showed the same results. Therefore, we conclude that the area of venous thrombi in elasticity imaging may be a novel function for acute DVT staging.
Comparison and performance analysis of some active vibration control algorithms
Authors: Orivuori Juha , Zenger Kai
Published: October 2012

In this paper, a survey comparing some of the present linear control algorithms for the active control of sinusoidal tonal disturbances is made. The design procedure for each of the methods is presented in detail and the similarities in the design are pointed out. The methods are studied in a common framework in order to allow analytical comparison. The focus of the analysis is in the best obtainable control performance in terms of the vibration mitigation, the controller robustness and the sensitivity to process noise and model errors. In addition, some issues related to the transient behavior of the algorithms, such as the convergence rate, are evaluated in time-domain simulations . The purpose of this study is to establish a clear view on the differences and similarities between the present algorithms and to provide some insight for a system specialist, on how to choose an appropriate control algorithm for a particular problem. It will be shown that the choice for an appropriate algorithm is problem dependent.
Up in Smoke
Authors: Clark Brett , Jorgenson Andrew K. , Auerbach Daniel
Published: October 2012

Structural human ecology, ecological modernization theory, and international political economy perspectives are engaged to assess the extent to which coal consumption is influenced by various demographic factors, socioeconomic characteristics, and international relationships. Results of panel analyses for a sample of 66 countries from 1990 to 2005 indicate that both total population size and economic development increase levels of coal consumption. Additional findings suggest that export-oriented manufacturing increases coal consumption in developing nations but not in developed nations. The authors conclude by reflecting on the theoretical implications of the study and the policy relevance of the results for dealing with the human causes and consequences of climate change.
Victim Precipitation
Authors: Muftić Lisa R. , Hunt Donald E.
Published: October 2012

Studies assessing the overlap between victimization and offending have yet to include an examination of this phenomenon within victim precipitated homicide. In recognition of this gap in the literature, this study draws from official police data pertaining to 895 homicide incidents in Dallas, Texas to test the hypothesis that the victim-offender overlap is most prevalent within victim precipitated homicides, particularly when victims’ offending histories are considered. Results from a series of bivariate and multivariate models find that victims with criminal histories (i.e., victim-offenders) are most concentrated within victim precipitated homicides. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are presented.
Herding and Homicide Across Nations
Authors: Altheimer Irshad
Published: October 2012

This article examined the extent that Nisbett and Cohen’s herding hypothesis can account for cross-national variation in homicide. Three research questions were addressed. First, to what extent does herding influence homicide cross-nationally? Second, do different types of herding influence homicide differently? Third, are the effects of herding on homicide more pronounced in weak nation states? Little support was found for the proposition that herding influences homicide. Additionally, no consistent support was provided for the notion that the effects of herding on homicide are more pronounced in weak states. These results lend no support to Nisbett and Cohen’s proposition that there is a worldwide link between herding and violence.
A mixed lubrication model with consideration of starvation and interasperity cavitations
Authors: Wang Wen-Zhong , Li Shanshan , Shen Dian , Zhang Shengguang , Hu Yuan-Zhong
Published: October 2012

This article presents a mixed lubrication model for point contacts with considering the inlet starvation and interasperity cavitations. The pressure distribution on the entire computational domain is obtained through solving a unified Reynolds equation system without identifying hydrodynamic or asperity contact regions. The Jacobsson–Floberg–Olsson mass-conservative boundary conditions are incorporated in the lubrication analysis based on Elrod’s algorithm. The inlet oil supply condition which may bring about starvation and local cavitation phenomenon is considered by defining the inlet lubricant thickness distribution. The fast Fourier transform based technique is employed to speed up the surface deformation calculation. A unique solution scheme is constructed to solve full film region, cavitation region, and contact region simultaneously. The model has been applied to the lubrication problems of textured surface under starved conditions. Numerical examples are analyzed and the results show that the present model can be used to investigate the lubrication performance under starved conditions, and that the solution methods are computationally efficient and robust.
Low yield of genetic testing for known vascular connective tissue disorders in patients with fibromuscular dysplasia
Authors: Poloskey Stacey L , Kim Esther SH , Sanghani Ruchi , Al-Quthami Adeeb H , Arscott Patricia , Moran Rocio , Rigelsky Christina M , Gornik Heather L
Published: October 2012

Patients with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) may have clinical features consistent with Mendelian vascular connective tissue disorders. The yield of genetic testing for these disorders among patients with FMD has not been determined. A total of 216 consecutive patients with FMD were identified. Clinical characteristics were collected and genetic test results reviewed for abnormalities in the following genes: transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 and 2 ( TGFβR1 and TGFβR2), collagen 3A1, fibrillin-1, smooth muscle α-actin 2, and SMAD3. A total of 63 patients (63/216; 29.2%) were referred for genetic counseling with testing performed in 35 (35/63; 55.6%). The percentage of patients with a history of arterial or aortic dissection, history of aortic aneurysm, systemic features of a connective tissue disorder, and a family history of sudden death was significantly larger in the group that underwent genetic testing (62.9% vs 18.2%, p < 0.001; 8.6% vs 1.7%, p = 0.02; 51.4% vs 17.1%, p < 0.001; and 42.9% vs 22.7%, p = 0.04, respectively). Two patients were found to have distinct variants in the TGFβR1 gene (c.611 C>T, p.Thr204lle and c.1285 T>C, p.Tyr429His). The yield of genetic testing for vascular connective tissue disorders was low in a high-risk subset of FMD patients. However, two patients with a similar phenotype had novel and distinct variants in the TGFβR1 gene, a finding which merits further investigation.
Health and identity: Self-positioning in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome and juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Fuchs Coralie E , van Geelen Stefan M , van Geel Rolf , Sinnema Gerben , van de Putte Elise M , Hermans Hubert JM , Kuis Wietse
Published: October 2012

The aim of this study is to gain more insight into basic aspects of identity, in relation to adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In dialogical self theory, identity is regarded as incorporating multiple self-positions, such as ‘I as tired’, ‘I as pessimistic’, or ‘I as decisive’. Physical and psychosocial impairment might alter the organization of these self-positions. The Personal Position Repertoire procedure, a quantitative method to analyse the prominence of self-positions, the Child Health Questionnaire, assessing health-related functioning, and the Checklist Individual Strength, measuring fatigue, were completed by 42 adolescents with CFS, 37 adolescents with JIA and 23 healthy teenagers. Adolescents with JIA report impaired physical functioning and general health. However, they position themselves very similar to healthy teenagers – i.e. as strong and healthy. While this self-positioning approach might be adequate and sustainable in adolescence, it could prove too strenuous to maintain throughout adult life. Adolescents with CFS, besides indicating severe physical difficulties, also report more psychosocial problems. They position themselves as significantly less strong and more unwell. With this emphasis on positions relating to their illness, there seems to be little room left for stronger positions. It is regarded of clinical importance to address these issues in this crucial developmental period.
Structured parallel therapy with parents in time-limited psychotherapy with children experiencing difficult family situations
Authors: Haugvik Marianne
Published: October 2012

The aim of this article is to discuss how parallel therapy work with parents can be structured to achieve the goals of therapy with their children. Time-limited psychotherapy with children is a structured therapeutic method, where the goal and the number of sessions are contracted together with the child and parents. In this study, we focus on parallel parental therapy for three separate families whose children are experiencing difficult family situations. Six main themes emerge from our interviews with the parents and an analysis of session notes: The parents expressed positive experiences with the therapy; their perspectives about the family situation changed; they reported positive changes on behalf of the children, and they reported an increasing number of factors to explain these changes. In addition, a number of positive changes in the family situation itself were reported, and the parents were increasingly concerned with understanding their children’s expressions. Our findings indicate that this therapy method gives parents an opportunity for reflection and mentalization, which is found to be crucial to the child’s mental health. Based on these findings, we suggest some guidelines for effectively engaging in therapy work with parents.