bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional finite element simulation of fracture and fatigue behaviours of alumina microstructures for hip prosthesis
Authors: Kim K , Forest B , Geringer J
Published: September 2011

This paper describes a two-dimensional (2D) finite element simulation for fracture and fatigue behaviours of pure alumina microstructures such as those found at hip prostheses. Finite element models are developed using actual Al2O3 microstructures and a bilinear cohesive zone law. Simulation conditions are similar to those found at a slip zone in a dry contact between a femoral head and an acetabular cup of hip prosthesis. Contact stresses are imposed to generate cracks in the models. Magnitudes of imposed stresses are higher than those found at the microscopic scale. Effects of microstructures and contact stresses are investigated in terms of crack formation. In addition, fatigue behaviour of the microstructure is determined by performing simulations under cyclic loading conditions. It is shown that crack density observed in a microstructure increases with increasing magnitude of applied contact stress. Moreover, crack density increases linearly with respect to the number of fatigue cycles within a given contact stress range. Meanwhile, as applied contact stress increases, number of cycles to failure decreases gradually. Finally, this proposed finite element simulation offers an effective method for identifying fracture and fatigue behaviours of a microstructure provided that microstructure images are available.
A prototype receiver for medium temperature conversion of solar radiation to heat
Authors: Stefanović V , Bojić M , Pavlović S , Apostolović N , Nikolić I , Djordjević Z , Ćatić D
Published: September 2011

In this article, a solar receiver prototype (marked as P2CC, parabolic-and-circular collector) is described for medium temperature conversion of solar radiation in heat. The investigated concentrator has a tubular receiver and two identical reflectors, one from each side of the tubular receiver. The tubular receiver is a concentric tube consisting of a metal tube (absorber) inside the glass tube. Each reflector curve is defined using three curves where one curve is parabola and two curves are circular arcs. The demonstrated prototype has the reception angle of 110° at concentration ratio CR = 1.38, with the significant reception of diffuse radiation. The hydraulic measurements reveal the pressure drop up to 200 Pa. Thermal measurements discover the high efficiency of the P2CC of up to 75 per cent. The prototype application would mean significant savings of electric energy which is now used for preparation of warm water, and in central and long-distance heating systems.
Reading the Newsstand
Authors: Iqani Mehita
Published: September 2011

The article discusses the relationship between the semiotics of magazine cover display and the geography of their retail spaces (newsstands). Based on a participant observation of newsstands, the article provides a reflexive account of the semiotic characteristics of diverse newsstands that arguably create a (limited yet significant) sense of “placelessness.” Newsstands are empirical objects that have been little studied. They are thus theoretically contextualized with reference to scholarship addressing magazines as well as the cultural geography of retail space. In the context of the latter, the spectacle and surveillance are highlighted as key framing concepts. The article then gives an account of the methodological approach adopted to study newsstands—participant observation, in particular a form modeled on the flâneur. The resulting account argues that newsstand semiotics create a sense of “placelessness” through three structural features evident at every newsstand visited: (a) the display of surveillance technologies, (b) the plentifulness of commodity stocks and imagery, and (c) a spectacular sense of luxurious full color textuality. The article concludes by arguing that the study of the semiotics of newsstands contributes to scholarship addressing the cultures of urban spaces of consumption, which in turn holds great potential for extending debates about the discursive and social power of media texts such as magazines.
An overview of slurry erosion control by the application of high velocity oxy fuel sprayed coatings
Authors: Goyal D K , Singh H , Kumar H
Published: September 2011

Slurry erosion of turbine components is a serious problem in most of the hydraulic power plants all around the world. Although some counter measures such as catchment area treatment to reduce the amount of sand particles going through the turbine components and modifying the hydraulic shape of turbine to reduce slurry erosion have been taken, still slurry erosion is responsible for heavy economic losses. Research is also in progress for improving the surface properties of the turbine components by the application of thermal sprayed coatings. Among various thermal spray processes, high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) spray process is a relatively industrially established and economical process. In this paper, an attempt has been made to describe HVOF thermal spray technology. Further, this paper presents a tutorial introduction, comprehensive history, and review of research work done on the use of this technique to provide protection against slurry erosion of some metals and alloys with a special emphasis on the hydraulic turbine steels.
An adaptive procedure for tool life prediction in face milling
Authors: Zhang D D
Published: September 2011

Accurate prediction of tool life is essential to guarantee surface quality and economics of cutting operations in face milling. This article presents a procedure for tool life prediction through in-process adaptation of tool wear rate based on indirect measures. The procedure effectively accounts for the uncertainty of tool wear progress owing to the complexity of the machining process. First, sensor fusion of spindle motor current AC and DC portions is taken to estimate the actual tool wear through relevance vector machine. Then, a tool life prediction model relating flank wear with cutting time is proposed for tracking the progress of tool wear under certain cutting settings. Further, a recursive least square algorithm is developed to update the parameters of the tool life prediction model by considering the error between the predicted tool wear and the estimated tool wear. Finally, the updated model capturing the uncertainty of tool wear progress is used to predict tool life in face milling. Tool life experiments validate that the adaptive procedure can quickly track the progress of tool wear, and make more accurate prediction of tool life compared with the procedure with constant model parameters.
Assessment of body image: Psychometric properties of the Body Image Questionnaire
Authors: Penelo Eva , Espinoza Paola , Portell Mariona , Raich Rosa M.
Published: September 2011

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Body Image Questionnaire (QÜIC) in Spanish adolescents. The sample comprised 254 girls and 189 boys, aged 12–15. Principal component analyses showed that the 18 satisfaction items could be summarized using two moderately interrelated dimensions, torso and head/limbs, with satisfaction with chest/breast and genitals loading on a different factor for boys (torso) and girls (head/limbs). The QÜIC measures of body satisfaction, body problems, general physical appearance and conformity with weight and height presented satisfactory test-retest reliability, internal consistency and convergent validity. Our findings support the use of the QÜIC when assessing body image.
From nitrate town to internment camp: the cultural biography of Chacabuco, northern Chile
Authors: Vilches Flora
Published: September 2011

Chacabuco is one of the many abandoned nitrate or ‘saltpeter’ towns in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The nitrate industry flourished from about 1880 to 1930, introducing a new system of production and social relations in the country. Founded in 1924, Chacabuco was active only until 1938, when synthetic nitrate developed by German chemists in the early 20th century began to dominate the industry. Unlike other nitrate ghost towns, Chacabuco later became an internment camp for a short period (1973–1974) during Pinochet’s military dictatorship. Chacabuco’s architecture of surveillance worked well for the military as they reused the nitrate workers’ residential units as cells for political prisoners. This article examines this change of use as well as other issues of continuity and change between the two occupations of the town. The author also discusses the ways in which archaeology may offer parallel and complementary evidence to documentary and oral sources.
The real thing? Souvenir objects in the West African collections at the Manchester Museum
Authors: Poulter Emma K
Published: September 2011

The significance of the ‘souvenir object’ has been the subject of increasing scholarly interest since Nelson HH Graburn’s seminal work on tourist art, published in 1976 . The production of the souvenir has been shown to be shaped by expectations and desires on the part of both the consumer and the producer, with the form of the souvenir object embodying these negotiated meanings. In this article, the author examines how the production of ‘made-for-sale’ objects shaped networks of meaning, understanding and memory within and between the locales of West Africa and the north-west of England during the 20th century. She considers how the demand for objects, set in motion by Europeans visiting, living or working in West Africa at this time, is reflected through the West African collections at the Manchester Museum. Via a series of case studies looking at functional as well as non-functional souvenir objects in the collection, she examines the biographies of made-for-sale objects and the traces of memory they manifest. In so doing, she adds to the body of research recontextualizing souvenir objects in museum collections.
Maternal and paternal self-rated health and BMI in relation to lifestyle in early pregnancy: The Salut Programme in Sweden
Authors: Eurenius Eva , Lindkvist Marie , Sundqvist Magdalena , Ivarsson Anneli , Mogren Ingrid
Published: September 2011

Aim: This study’s aim was to increase knowledge about maternal and paternal self-rated health and body mass index in relation to lifestyle during early pregnancy. Methods: Study subjects were expectant parents visiting antenatal care (2006—07) as part of the Salut Programme in northern Sweden. During early pregnancy, 468 females and 413 male partners completed questionnaires. The questions addressed sociodemography, self-rated general health, weight and height, satisfaction with weight, and lifestyle, such as dietary habits, physical activity, sleeping pattern, and alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. Results: Most rated their general health as good, very good, or excellent, although women less often than men (88% and 93%). The sex difference was more prominent when restricting the comparison to self-rated health being very good or excellent - 49% of the women compared to 61% of the men. Being overweight or obese was common (53% of the men and 30% of the women). Few participants fulfilled the national recommendations with respect to a health-enhancing lifestyle; this was somewhat more common for women than men. Expectant parents with normal body mass index and vigorous physical activity were more likely to have very good or excellent self-rated health. Conclusions: Most expectant parents perceived their general health as good, although this perception was less for women than men. Being overweight and having a non-health-enhancing lifestyle were more common for men than women. Thus, there is need for more powerful health-promoting interventions for expectant parents.
Familial aggregation of schizophrenia: The moderating effect of age at onset, parental immigration, paternal age and season of birth
Authors: Svensson Anna C. , Lichtenstein Paul , Sandin Sven , Öberg Sara , Sullivan Patrick F. , Hultman Christina M.
Published: September 2011

Aims: An abundance of evidence has firmly established the familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine how age at onset, parental characteristics and season of birth modify the familiality in schizophrenia. Methods: A population-based cohort was created by linking the Swedish Multi-Generation and Hospital Discharge Registers. Among 5,075,998 full siblings born between 1932 through to 1990, 16,346 cases of schizophrenia were identified. Familial aggregation was measured by the sibling recurrence-risk ratio, defined as the risk of schizophrenia among full siblings of schizophrenia patients compared with the risk among siblings of unaffected people. Results: We found a statistically significantly lower recurrence-risk ratio in siblings of later onset cases (7.2; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 6.7–7.9) than of early onset cases (10.8; 95% CI 9.4–12.2). A lower recurrence-risk ratio was observed among offspring to fathers above 40 years (6.3; 95% CI 5.3–7.3) as compared with offspring of younger fathers (8.6; 95% CI 8.0–9.3). Further, among offspring to parents born outside Sweden the recurrence-risk ratio was statistically significantly lower (maternal immigrants 4.8; 95% CI 4.0–5.7, paternal immigrants 5.7; 95% CI 4.6–6.9) than among offspring to parents born in Sweden. Conclusions: The familial aggregation of schizophrenia was reduced by higher age at onset, advancing paternal age and immigrant status of parents.
Hip avulsion fractures
Authors: Hamed Yosef , Ashwood Neil
Published: September 2011

An avulsion fracture is a separation of a small fragment of a bone cortex at the site of a ligament or tendon attachment. It is commonly seen in adolescent athletes. The mechanism of injury is either a sudden violent muscular contraction or an excessive amount of muscle stretch across an open epiphysis. This may also occur where the bone has been weakened by osteoporosis or local lesion. The common sites of avulsion injuries are the tibial tubercle and the medial epicondyle. However, hip avulsion fractures are not uncommon. They may occur in adolescents, young adults and in elderly people. There are various protocols for management depending on the patient’s age, mechanism of injury and the underlying pathology.
Plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals: Impaired fasting glucose re-visited
Authors: Bhat SL , Abbasi F , Blasey C , Reaven GM , Kim SH
Published: September 2011

Background: In individuals with varying glucose tolerance, glucose and insulin comparisons are usually made based on response to oral glucose challenge. However, an oral glucose tolerance test may not reflect daylong glucose and insulin excursions in response to meals. To better understand individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), we compared insulin action as well as plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals in individuals with normal fasting glucose (NFG; n = 141) and IFG ( n = 148) concentrations.

Methods: Insulin action was quantified by determining steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations during the insulin suppression test. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured before and hourly after two mixed meals.

Results: SSPG concentrations were significantly higher in the IFG group (11.8 ± 3.6 vs. 9.1 ± 3.8 mmol/l). Mean hourly daylong glucose (6.4 ± 0.07 vs. 5.5 ± 0.04 mmol/l) and insulin (390 ± 20 vs. 279 ± 15 pmol/l) concentrations were also higher in those with IFG ( p < 0.001). Daylong incremental meal-stimulated glucose response, however, was comparable ( p = 0.77) in the two groups, whereas the incremental insulin response was 44% higher in the IFG group.

Conclusion: Although individuals are currently defined as having IFG based on fasting plasma glucose concentration, our data show that these individuals with IFG also are insulin resistant and have higher daylong insulin concentrations.
Three Time Scales of Neural Self-Organization Underlying Basic and Nonbasic Emotions
Authors: Lewis Marc D. , Liu Zhong-xu
Published: September 2011

Our model integrates the nativist assumption of prespecified neural structures underpinning basic emotions with the constructionist view that emotions are assembled from psychological constituents. From a dynamic systems perspective, the nervous system self-organizes in different ways at different time scales, in relation to functions served by emotions. At the evolutionary scale, brain parts and their connections are specified by selective pressures. At the scale of development, connectivity is revised through synaptic shaping. At the scale of real time, temporary networks of synchronized activity mediate responses to situations. To the degree that humans share common emotional functions, neural structuration is similar across scales, giving rise to “basic” emotions. However, unique developmental and situational factors select for neural configurations mediating emotional variants.
Mucorales-specific T cells emerge in the course of invasive mucormycosis and may be used as a surrogate diagnostic marker in high-risk patients
Authors: Potenza Leonardo , Vallerini Daniela , Barozzi Patrizia , Riva Giovanni , Forghieri Fabio , Zanetti Eleonora , Quadrelli Chiara , Candoni Anna , Maertens Johan , Rossi Giulio , Morselli Monica , Codeluppi Mauro , Paolini Ambra , Maccaferri Monica , Del Giovane Cinzia , D'Amico Roberto , Rumpianesi Fabio , Pecorari Monica , Cavalleri Francesca , Marasca Roberto , Narni Franco , Luppi Mario
Published: September 2011

Mucorales-specific T cells were investigated in 28 hematologic patients during the course of their treatment. Three developed proven invasive mucormycosis (IM), 17 had infections of known origin but other than IM, and 8 never had fever during the period of observation. Mucorales-specific T cells could be detected only in patients with IM, both at diagnosis and throughout the entire course of the IM, but neither before nor for long after resolution of the infection. Such T cells predominantly produced IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-10, and to a lesser extent IL-17 and belonged to either CD4+ or CD8+ subsets. The specific T cells that produced IFN-γ were able to directly induce damage to Mucorales hyphae. None of the 25 patients without IM had Mucorales-specific T cells. Specific T cells contribute to human immune responses against fungi of the order Mucorales and could be evaluated as a surrogate diagnostic marker of IM.
Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 3 (FHL3) caused by deep intronic mutation and inversion in UNC13D
Authors: Meeths Marie , Chiang Samuel C. C. , Wood Stephanie M. , Entesarian Miriam , Schlums Heinrich , Bang Benedicte , Nordenskjöld Edvard , Björklund Caroline , Jakovljevic Gordana , Jazbec Janez , Hasle Henrik , Holmqvist Britt-Marie , Rajić Ljubica , Pfeifer Susan , Rosthøj Steen , Sabel Magnus , Salmi Toivo T. , Stokland Tore , Winiarski Jacek , Ljunggren Hans-Gustaf , Fadeel Bengt , Nordenskjöld Magnus , Henter Jan-Inge , Bryceson Yenan T.
Published: September 2011

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is an autosomal recessive, often-fatal hyperinflammatory disorder. Mutations in PRF1, UNC13D, STX11, and STXBP2 are causative of FHL2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. In a majority of suspected FHL patients from Northern Europe, sequencing of exons and splice sites of such genes required for lymphocyte cytotoxicity revealed no or only monoallelic UNC13D mutations. Here, in 21 patients, we describe 2 pathogenic, noncoding aberrations of UNC13D. The first is a point mutation localized in an evolutionarily conserved region of intron 1. This mutation selectively impairs UNC13D transcription in lymphocytes, abolishing Munc13-4 expression. The second is a 253-kb inversion straddling UNC13D, affecting the 3′-end of the transcript and likewise abolishing Munc13-4 expression. Carriership of the intron 1 mutation was found in patients across Europe, whereas carriership of the inversion was limited to Northern Europe. Notably, the latter aberration represents the first description of an autosomal recessive human disease caused by an inversion. These findings implicate an intronic sequence in cell-type specific expression of Munc13-4 and signify variations outside exons and splice sites as a common cause of FHL3. Based on these data, we propose a strategy for targeted sequencing of evolutionary conserved noncoding regions for the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies.
mRNA expression profiles of primary high-grade central osteosarcoma are preserved in cell lines and xenografts
Authors: Kuijjer Marieke L , Namløs Heidi M , Hauben Esther I , Machado Isidro , Kresse Stine H , Serra Massimo , Llombart-Bosch Antonio , Hogendoorn Pancras CW , Meza-Zepeda Leonardo A , Myklebost Ola , Cleton-Jansen Anne-Marie
Published: September 2011

Background

Conventional high-grade osteosarcoma is a primary malignant bone tumor, which is most prevalent in adolescence. Survival rates of osteosarcoma patients have not improved significantly in the last 25 years. Aiming to increase this survival rate, a variety of model systems are used to study osteosarcomagenesis and to test new therapeutic agents. Such model systems are typically generated from an osteosarcoma primary tumor, but undergo many changes due to culturing or interactions with a different host species, which may result in differences in gene expression between primary tumor cells, and tumor cells from the model system. We aimed to investigate whether gene expression profiles of osteosarcoma cell lines and xenografts are still comparable to those of the primary tumor.

Methods

We performed genome-wide mRNA expression profiling on osteosarcoma biopsies (n = 76), cell lines (n = 13), and xenografts (n = 18). Osteosarcoma can be subdivided into several histological subtypes, of which osteoblastic, chondroblastic, and fibroblastic osteosarcoma are the most frequent ones. Using nearest shrunken centroids classification, we generated an expression signature that can predict the histological subtype of osteosarcoma biopsies.

Results

The expression signature, which consisted of 24 probes encoding for 22 genes, predicted the histological subtype of osteosarcoma biopsies with a misclassification error of 15%. Histological subtypes of the two osteosarcoma model systems,i.e. osteosarcoma cell lines and xenografts, were predicted with similar misclassification error rates (15% and 11%, respectively).

Conclusions

Based on the preservation of mRNA expression profiles that are characteristic for the histological subtype we propose that these model systems are representative for the primary tumor from which they are derived.
Costs of Home Versus Inpatient Treatment for Fever and Neutropenia: Analysis of a Multicenter Randomized Trial
Authors: Hendricks Ann M. , Loggers Elizabeth Trice , Talcott James A.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

For patients with cancer who have febrile neutropenia, relative costs of home versus hospital treatment, including unreimbursed costs borne by patients and families, are poorly characterized. We estimated costs from a randomized trial of patients with low-risk febrile neutropenia for whom outpatient care was feasible, comparing inpatient treatment with discharge to home care after inpatient observation.

Methods

We collected direct medical and self-reported indirect costs for 57 inpatient and 35 outpatient treatment episodes of patients enrolled in a randomized trial from 1996 through 2000. Charges from hospital bills were converted to costs using Medicare cost-to-charge ratios. Patients kept daily logs of out-of-pocket payments and time spent by informal caregivers providing care. Dollar amounts were standardized to June 2008.

Results

Mean total charges for the hospital arm were 49% higher than for the home treatment arm ($16,341 v $10,977; P < .01). Mean estimated total costs for the hospital arm were 30% higher ($10,143 v $7,830; P < .01). Inspection of sparse available data suggests that payments made were similar by treatment arm. Inpatients and their caregivers spent more out of pocket than their outpatient counterparts (mean, $201 v $74; P < .01). Informal caregivers for both treatment arms reported similar time caring and lost from work.

Conclusion

Home intravenous antibiotic treatment was less costly than continued inpatient care for carefully selected patients with cancer having febrile neutropenia without significantly increased indirect costs or caregiver burden.
Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Tasquinimod in Men With Minimally Symptomatic Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Pili Roberto , Häggman Michael , Stadler Walter M. , Gingrich Jeffrey R. , Assikis Vasileios J. , Björk Anders , Nordle Örjan , Forsberg Goran , Carducci Michael A. , Armstrong Andrew J.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The activity of the novel antitumor agent tasquinimod (TASQ) with S100A9 as a molecular target was investigated in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and minimal symptoms.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial in men assigned (at a ratio of two to one) to either oral once-daily TASQ 0.25 mg/d escalating to 1.0 mg/d over 4 weeks or placebo. The primary end point was the proportion of patients without disease progression at 6 months, defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Group, Prostate Cancer Working Group (PCWG2), or pain criteria, excluding prostate-specific antigen.

Results

Two hundred one men (134 assigned to TASQ; 67 to placebo) were evaluable, and baseline characteristics were well balanced. Six-month progression-free proportions for TASQ and placebo groups were 69% and 37%, respectively (P < .001), and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.6 versus 3.3 months (P = .0042). In PCWG2 CRPC clinical subgroups, PFS in months was as follows: nodal metastases, 6.1 versus 3.1; bone metastases, 8.8 versus 3.4; and visceral metastases, 6.0 versus 3.0 for patients receiving TASQ versus placebo, respectively. Bone alkaline phosphatase levels were stabilized in the TASQ group, whereas the impact on PSA kinetics was less pronounced. Adverse events (AEs) occurring more frequently in the TASQ arm included GI disorders, fatigue, musculoskeletal pains, and elevations of pancreatic and inflammatory biomarkers. Grade 3 to 4 AEs, including asymptomatic elevations of laboratory parameters, were reported in 40% of patients receiving TASQ versus 10% receiving placebo; deep vein thrombosis (4% v 0%) was more common in the TASQ arm.

Conclusion

TASQ significantly slowed progression and improved PFS in patients with metastatic CRPC with an acceptable AE profile.
Clinical Trial Participation and Time to Treatment Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: Does Age at Diagnosis or Insurance Make a Difference?
Authors: Parsons Helen M. , Harlan Linda C. , Seibel Nita L. , Stevens Jennifer L. , Keegan Theresa H.M.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Because adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer have experienced variable improvement in survival over the past two decades, enhancing the quality and timeliness of cancer care in this population has emerged as a priority area. To identify current trends in AYA care, we examined patterns of clinical trial participation, time to treatment, and provider characteristics in a population-based sample of AYA patients with cancer.

Methods

Using the National Cancer Institute Patterns of Care Study, we used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate demographic and provider characteristics associated with clinical trial enrollment and time to treatment among 1,358 AYA patients with cancer (age 15 to 39 years) identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

Results

In our study, 14% of patients age 15 to 39 years had enrolled onto a clinical trial; participation varied by type of cancer, with the highest participation in those diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (37%) and sarcoma (32%). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that uninsured, older patients and those treated by nonpediatric oncologists were less likely to enroll onto clinical trials. Median time from pathologic confirmation to first treatment was 3 days, but this varied by race/ethnicity and cancer site. In multivariate analyses, advanced cancer stage and outpatient treatment alone were associated with longer time from pathologic confirmation to treatment.

Conclusion

Our study identified factors associated with low clinical trial participation in AYA patients with cancer. These findings support the continued need to improve access to clinical trials and innovative treatments for this population, which may ultimately translate into improved survival.
Translating Colonial Fortunes: Dilemmas of Inheritance in Muslim and English Laws across a Nineteenth-Century Diaspora
Authors: Gilsenan Michael
Published: September 2011

This article argues for the importance of concepts of translation, conversion, and articulation in the study of inheritance and the transmission of goods among diasporic populations. It focuses on the Hadhrami migrations to Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century, migrations that crisscrossed multiple jurisdictions, local, British, Dutch, and that of the Ottoman Empire. Properties of different kinds were held in different places under different legal rulings. Colonial and Islamic legal practices in the colonial period are illuminated by a detailed treatment of a complex petition to Queen Victoria by a Hadhrami claiming that he and his wife had been denied their proper inheritance due to them under Islamic law. The article explores the implications of the interrelations of such legal practices in relation to conflicts over wills and dispositions of properties across diasporic space and the problems of translation facing Muslims in colonial courts.
On Measuring the Effects of Fiscal Policy in Recessions
Authors: Parker Jonathan A
Published: September 2011

We do not have a good measure of the effects of fiscal policy in a recession because the methods that we use to estimate the effects of fiscal policy—both those using the observed outcomes following different policies in aggregate data and those studying counterfactuals in fitted model economies—almost entirely ignore the state of the economy and estimate “the” government multiplier, which is presumably a weighted average of the one we care about—the multiplier in a recession—and one we care less about—the multiplier in an expansion. Notable exceptions to this general claim suggest this difference is potentially large. Our lack of knowledge stems significantly from the focus on linear dynamics: vector autoregressions and linearized (or close-to-linear) dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. Our lack of knowledge also reflects a lack of data: deep recessions are few and nonlinearities hard to measure. The lack of statistical power in the estimation of nonlinear models using aggregate data can be addressed by exploiting estimates of partial-equilibrium responses in disaggregated data. Microeconomic estimates of the partial-equilibrium causal effects of a policy can discipline the causal channels inherent in any DSGE model of the general equilibrium effects of policy. Microeconomic studies can also provide measures of the dependence of the effects of a policy on the states of different agents, which is a key component of the dependence of the general-equilibrium effects of fiscal policy on the state of the economy. (JEL E12, E13, E32, E62, H50)
How Are the Mighty Fallen: Rejected Classic Articles by Leading Economists
Authors: Gans Joshua S , Shepherd George B
Published: September 2011

The authors asked the world's leading economists to describe instances in which journals rejected their articles. More than sixty essays, by a broadly diverse group that includes fifteen Nobel Prize winners, indicate that most have suffered publication rejection, often frequently. Indeed, journals have rejected many papers that later became classics. The authors discuss the prize-winners’ experiences, other notable cases, and rejections by John Maynard Keynes when he edited the Economic Journal. Finally, they search in economists’ almost universal experience of rejection for patterns and lessons about the publication process.
Perspectives on Growth Theory
Authors: Solow Robert M
Published: September 2011

This essay relates recent developments in growth theory to problems and ideas that first engaged R. F. Harrod, E. Domar, and their neoclassical successors. The body of ‘new growth theory’ began by finding special ways to assume that there are constant returns to capital. It is shown that this is a very nonrobust assumption, thus not a good basis for growth theory. More promising is the attempt to create a genuinely endogenous theory of the process of innovation. This notion has always been present in the literature or just beneath the surface. Current ideas, for all their ingenuity, may be too mechanical.
The Contingent Valuation Debate: Why Economists Should Care
Authors: Portney Paul R
Published: September 2011

The contingent valuation method, wherein sample surveys are used to elicit individuals’ willingness to pay for certain types of policies, is playing an important role in government decision-making. The most prominent applications are in the valuation of damages to natural resources from oil spills. But the contingent valuation method will be more important still if it is used to expand the range of impacts included in applied benefit-cost analyses. This paper explains the origins of the contingent valuation method and the route through which it came to be the center of both an academic and a legal debate.
Purchasing Under Asymmetric Demand and Cost Information: When Is More Private Information Better?
Authors: Kostamis Dimitris , Duenyas Izak
Published: September 2011

We study a supply chain consisting of one supplier and one OEM (original equipment manufacturer). The OEM faces stochastic demand for a final product that requires assembly of two major components, one of which is procured exclusively from the supplier. In the absence of competition, the supplier is able to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the OEM in the form of a menu of price-quantity contracts. The OEM possesses private information across two dimensions: (1) demand forecasts about the final product, and (2) production cost of the in-house component. Both pieces of information are relevant to the total supply chain profit, thus affecting the supplier's optimal offer. By initially assuming an exogenous information structure, we characterize the supplier's optimal contract menu for a simple case and demonstrate that more dimensions of asymmetric information are not always preferable for the OEM but could be beneficial for the supply chain. We subsequently examine whether this preference for one less dimension of private information implies disclosure of private information to the supplier when the information structure is endogenized. Our results indicate that if OEMs that are indifferent between disclosing and keeping information private choose to disclose it, disclosure of any verifiable information from all OEMs is always an equilibrium, whereas nondisclosure might fail to be an equilibrium. We also consider the possibility of the OEM and the supplier contracting at the ex-ante stage, i.e., before the OEM observes his private information. When both dimensions of the OEM's private information are verifiable and the cost of disclosing information is small enough, an ex-ante agreement on information disclosure is always possible; otherwise its feasibility depends on the problem parameters.
Multiple Variable Proportionality in Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Cook Wade D. , Zhu Joe
Published: September 2011

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) provides an optimization methodology for deriving an efficiency score for each member of a set of peer decision-making units. Under the original DEA model it was assumed that there is constant returns to scale (CRS). This idea was later extended to the more general case that allowed for variable returns to scale (VRS). In both of these structures, it is assumed that the returns to scale (RTS) classification, consistent with the classical definition, applies to the entire (input, output) bundle. In many settings it can be the case that the output bundle can be separated into distinct subsets or business units wherein an RTS-type behavior may be different for one subgroup than for another. We refer to such situations as involving multiple variable proportionality (MVP). Examples of MVP can occur when there are different product subgroupings in a company, different wards in hospitals, different programs in a university, and so on. Identification of such differential behavior can provide management with important insights regarding the most productive proportionality size (MPPS) in each of those subgroups. In the current paper we introduce DEA-based tools that address those situations where MVP exists.
American Options Under Stochastic Volatility
Authors: Chockalingam Arun , Muthuraman Kumar
Published: September 2011

The problem of pricing an American option written on an underlying asset with constant price volatility has been studied extensively in literature. Real-world data, however, demonstrate that volatility is not constant, and stochastic volatility models are used to account for dynamic volatility changes. Option pricing methods that have been developed in literature for pricing under stochastic volatility focus mostly on European options. We consider the problem of pricing American options under stochastic volatility, which has had relatively much less attention from literature. First, we develop a transformation procedure to compute the optimal-exercise policy and option price and provide theoretical guarantees for convergence. Second, using this computational tool, we explore a variety of questions that seek insights into the dependence of option prices, exercise policies, and implied volatilities on the market price of volatility risk and correlation between the asset and stochastic volatility. The speed and accuracy of the procedure are compared against existing methods as well.
Tight Bounds for Some Risk Measures, with Applications to Robust Portfolio Selection
Authors: Chen Li , He Simai , Zhang Shuzhong
Published: September 2011

In this paper we develop tight bounds on the expected values of several risk measures that are of interest to us. This work is motivated by the robust optimization models arising from portfolio selection problems. Indeed, the whole paper is centered around robust portfolio models and solutions. The basic setting is to find a portfolio that maximizes (respectively, minimizes) the expected utility (respectively, disutility) values in the midst of infinitely many possible ambiguous distributions of the investment returns fitting the given mean and variance estimations. First, we show that the single-stage portfolio selection problem within this framework, whenever the disutility function is in the form of lower partial moments (LPM), or conditional value-at-risk (CVaR), or value-at-risk (VaR), can be solved analytically. The results lead to the solutions for single-stage robust portfolio selection models. Furthermore, the results also lead to a multistage adjustable robust optimization (ARO) solution when the disutility function is the second-order LPM. Exploring beyond the confines of convex optimization, we also consider the so-called S-shaped value function, which plays a key role in the prospect theory of Kahneman and Tversky. The nonrobust version of the problem is shown to be NP-hard in general. However, we present an efficient procedure for solving the robust counterpart of the same portfolio selection problem. In this particular case, the consideration of the robustness actually helps to reduce the computational complexity. Finally, we consider the situation whereby we have some additional information about the chance that a quadratic function of the random distribution reaches a certain threshold. That information helps to further reduce the ambiguity in the robust model. We show that the robust optimization problem in that case can be solved by means of semidefinite programming (SDP), if no more than two additional chance inequalities are to be incorporated.
Anti-Müllerian hormone as a predictive endocrine marker for embryo production in the goat
Authors: Monniaux Danielle , Baril Gérard , Laine Anne-Lyse , Jarrier Peggy , Poulin Natividad , Cognié Juliette , Fabre Stéphane
Published: September 2011

Recently, we demonstrated the relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) circulating concentrations, ovarian follicles, and embryo production in cattle. However, they have not yet been established in a species with a seasonal breeding activity. Thus, goats were subjected to repeated in vivo embryo production during the breeding season, at the end of the breeding season, and at the end of the anestrus season. Embryo production after FSH treatment was highly repeatable for each goat. Plasma AMH concentrations, measured before the first FSH treatment, were highly correlated with the number of collected, transferable, and freezable embryos, resulting from the three sessions of embryo production. Plasma AMH concentrations transiently decreased after each exogenous FSH treatment, but they showed little change with season, and no relationship was observed between AMH and endogenous FSH concentrations during seasonal transitions. Follicles of 1–5 mm in diameter were the main target of the FSH treatment and were major contributors to circulating AMH concentrations. Granulosa cell AMH expression decreased as the follicle approached terminal development, while the expression of maturation markers (CYP19A1 and FSHR) increased. In conclusion, circulating AMH concentrations can be predictive of the capacity of a donor goat to produce high or low numbers of high-quality embryos. This prediction could be accurately made from a single blood measurement of AMH during either breeding or anestrus seasons. Variability in the number of gonadotropin-responsive follicles of 1–5 mm in diameter between individuals resulted in the differences in circulating AMH concentrations measured between individuals.
Nanomorphing with Ultrafast Lasers and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Hunt Alan J.
Published: September 2011

Classically, the limit for optical machining is on the order of the wavelength of the incident light. However, by taking advantage of precise, nonlinear damage mechanisms that occur for femtosecond laser pulses, damage can be achieved on a scale an order of magnitude lower, allowing precise removal of very small amounts of material to produce holes mere tens of nanometers wide. Femtosecond laser nanomachining can be carried out in a variety of dielectrics, and in transparent substrates machining can be sub-surface, in contrast to other nanomachining techniques such as using an electron beam or focused ion beam. We focus on the use of glass, as it is in many ways an ideal material for use in biological applications due to its chemical, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. By precisely placing laser pulses in glass, three dimensional nano and microfluidic channels and devices can be formed including nozzles, mixers, and separation columns. Recent advances in this technique allow the formation of high aspect ratio nanochannels from single pulses, thus helping address the fabrication speed limitations presented by serial processing. These nanochannels have a range of applications including the fabrication of nanoscale pores and nanowells that may serve as vias between fluidic channels, or from channels to a surface. These nanochannels have applications as a standalone technique for fabrication of nanopores and nanowells, but can also complement other fabrication techniques by allowing precisely placed jumpers that can connect channels that are out of plane. We discuss applications for diagnostic microfluidic devices, and basic cell biology research.
Bridgman Growth of SrI2
Authors: Alaribe Leonard , Disch Christian , Fauler Alex , Engels Ralf , Keller Egbert , Cecilia Angelica , Santos Rolo Tomy dos , Fiederle Michael
Published: September 2011

Eu2+– activated strontium iodide is a promising material for x-ray and gamma ray detector. A lot of difficulties are though encountered growing strontium iodide crystals due to the high oxygen-sensitivity, hygroscopic property and high impurity concentration. Single crystals of SrI2:Eu were grown from zone refined starting materials in silica ampoules. The crystals showed good optical qualities. The light yield of two samples cut from the same ingot was determined to be 53 000 photons/MeV and 119±22 photons/keV for a 0.4 cm3 sample and a 360 μm sample respectively, indicating some level of light trapping in the bulk sample.
Raman Spectroscopy for Probing guest-host interactions in Metal Organic Frameworks
Authors: Nijem Nour , Roodenko Katy , Zhao Yonggang , Li Jing , Chabal Yves J.
Published: September 2011

Spectroscopic techniques such as IR and Raman are very powerful to understand guest-host interactions. Although these techniques are complementary, Raman spectroscopy has not been widely implemented as a tool to characterize these interactions. This study illustrates the use of Raman spectroscopy not only to probe the interactions experienced by a guest molecule but also to detect structural changes occurring in the framework upon loading. Weak interactions of adsorbed molecules with the framework are reflected in frequency and intensity variations in both Raman and IR absorption lines, as shown for the case of CO2, N2 and CH4 with Zn(bdc)(ted)0.5.
Precipitates formation and its impact in friction stir welded and post-heat-treated Inconel 718 alloy
Authors: Song Kuk Hyun , Kim Han Sol , Kim Won Yong
Published: September 2011

In order to investigate the formation of precipitates such as MC carbides and intermetallic compounds in the friction stir welded and post-heat-treated Inconel 718 alloy, this work was carried out. Furthermore, the microstructural and mechanical properties of welds and post-heat-treated material were evaluated to identify the effect on precipitates formed during post-heat-treatment. Friction stir welding (FSW) was performed at a rotation speed of 200 rpm and welding speed of 150 mm/min; heat treatment was performed after welding at 720 °C for 8 hours in vacuum. As a result, the grain size due to FSW was notably refined from 5–20 μm in the base material to 1–3 μm in the stir zone; this was accompanied by dynamic recrystallization, which resulted in enhancements in the mechanical properties as compared to the base material. In particular, applying heat treatment after FSW led to improvements in the mechanical properties of the welds—the microhardness and tensile strength increased by more than 50% and 40% in fraction, respectively, as compared to FSW alone.
Variability in the trophic position of larval fishes in theupper Paraná floodplain based on δ15N
Authors: Manetta Gislaine I , Bialetzki Andréa , Martinelli Luiz A , Benedito Evanilde
Published: September 2011

The upper Paraná River floodplain is composed of several marginal lagoons, making it a natural breeding ground for many fish species at developmental stages. The aim of this study is to estimate the trophic positions of these fishes based on feed intake (measured via diet) and nitrogen assimilation (measured via δ15N). The monthly samplings were concentrated during the spawning season in the Ivinheima River, which is located in the upper Paraná River floodplain. The specimens were grouped into preflexion, flexion and postflexion stages. Trophic positions were estimated based on the isotope value of nitrogen and on diet. During the developmental stages of P. squamosissimus, there were significant differences in the isotope values of δ15N; for H. edentatus, however, no significant differences were found. During the developmental stages, both species were classified as either at or above the third trophic level. Once this information is obtained for other species and components of the ecosystem, it will not only provide a more precise view of the energy allocation and flow in the ecosystem, but will also make possible for management measures to promote sustainability in this environment.