bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expectations, Learning, and Business Cycle Fluctuations
Authors: Eusepi Stefano , Preston Bruce
Published: October 2011

This paper develops a theory of expectations-driven business cycles based on learning. Agents have incomplete knowledge about how market prices are determined and shifts in expectations of future prices affect dynamics. Learning breaks the tight link between fundamentals and equilibrium prices, inducing periods of erroneous optimism or pessimism about future returns to capital and wages which subsequent data partially validate. In a real business cycle model, the theoretical framework amplifies and propagates technology shocks. Moreover, it produces agents' forecast errors consistent with business cycle properties of forecast errors for a wide range of variables from the Survey of Professional Forecasters. JEL: C53, D83, D84, E32, E37
Music Downloads and the Flip Side of Digital Rights Management
Authors: Vernik Dinah A. , Purohit Devavrat , Desai Preyas S.
Published: October 2011

Digital rights management (DRM) is an important yet controversial issue in the information goods markets. Although DRM is supposed to help copyright owners by protecting digital content from illegal copying or distribution, it is controversial because DRM imposes restrictions on even legal users, and there are many industry practitioners who believe that the industry would be better off without DRM. In this paper, we model consumers' utilities and their incentives to purchase legal products versus pirate illegal ones. This allows us to endogenize the level of piracy and understand how it is influenced by the presence or absence of DRM. Our analysis suggests that, counterintuitively, download piracy might decrease when the firm allows legal DRM-free downloads. Furthermore, we find that a decrease in piracy does not guarantee an increase in firm profits and that that copyright owners do not always benefit from making it harder to copy music illegally. By analyzing the competition among the traditional retailer, the digital retailer, and pirated sources of information goods, we get a better understanding of the competitive forces in the market and provide insights into the role of digital rights management.
Structural Workshop Paper—Discrete-Choice Models of Consumer Demand in Marketing
Authors: Chintagunta Pradeep K. , Nair Harikesh S.
Published: October 2011

Marketing researchers have used models of consumer demand to forecast future sales, to describe and test theories of behavior, and to measure the response to marketing interventions. The basic framework typically starts from microfoundations of expected utility theory to obtain an econometric system that describes consumers' choices over available options, and to thus characterize product demand. The basic framework has been augmented significantly to account for quantity choices, to accommodate purchases of several products on a single purchase occasion (multiple discreteness and multicategory purchases), and to allow for asymmetric switching between brands across different price tiers. These extensions have enabled researchers to bring the analysis to bear on several related marketing phenomena of interest. This paper has three main objectives. The first objective is to articulate the main goals of demand analysis—forecasting, measurement, and testing—and to highlight several considerations associated with these goals. Our second objective is to describe the main building blocks of individual-level demand models. We discuss approaches built on direct and indirect utility specifications of demand systems, and we review extensions that have appeared in the marketing literature. The third objective is to explore a few emerging directions in demand analysis, including considering demand-side dynamics, combining purchase data with primary information, and using semiparametric and nonparametric approaches. We hope researchers new to this literature will take away a broader perspective on these models and see the potential for new directions in future research.
Chemistry and haematology sample rejection and clinical impact in a tertiary laboratory in Cape Town
Authors: Jacobsz Lourens A. , Zemlin Annalise E. , Roos Mark J. , Erasmus Rajiv T.
Published: October 2011

Recent publications report that up to 70% of total laboratory errors occur in the pre-analytical phase. Identification of specific problems highlights pre-analytic processes susceptible to errors. The rejection of unsuitable samples can lead to delayed turnaround time and affect patient care.

A retrospective audit was conducted investigating the rejection rate of routine blood specimens received at chemistry and haematology laboratories over a 2-week period. The reasons for rejection and potential clinical impact of these rejections were investigated. Thirty patient files were randomly selected and examined to assess the impact of these rejections on clinical care.

A total of 32,910 specimens were received during the study period, of which 481 were rejected, giving a rejection rate of 1.46%. The main reasons for rejection were inappropriate clotting (30%) and inadequate sample volume (22%). Only 51.7% of rejected samples were repeated and the average time for a repeat sample to reach the laboratory was about 5 days (121 h). Of the repeated samples, 5.1% had results within critical values. Examination of patient folders showed that in 40% of cases the rejection of samples had an impact on patient care.

The evaluation of pre-analytical processes in the laboratory, with regard to sample rejection, allowed one to identify problem areas where improvement is necessary. Rejected samples due to factors out of the laboratory’s control had a definite impact on patient care and can thus affect customer satisfaction. Clinicians should be aware of these factors to prevent such rejections.
‘Seeing tunes.’ The role of visual gestures in tune interpretation
Authors: Borràs-Comes Joan , Prieto Pilar
Published: October 2011

One of the unresolved questions in audiovisual prosody is the relative contribution of acoustic and visual cues to the expression of prosodic meaning. Though the majority of studies on audiovisual prosody have found a complementary mode of processing whereby sight provides relatively weak and redundant information in comparison with strong auditory cues, other work has found that sight provides information more efficiently than hearing. In Catalan, a pitch range contrast in a rising-falling nuclear configuration conveys a difference between a contrastive focus statement and an echo question. The main goal of this study is to investigate the relative contribution of visual cues in conveying this distinction. Twenty native speakers of Central Catalan participated in two identification tasks in which they had to decide between a focus statement and a question interpretation. Experiment 1 used a pitch range auditory continuum combined with two congruent and incongruent videotapes showing the facial gestures that are characteristic of the two pragmatic meanings. Experiment 2 used the same auditory continuum in combination with another continuum for facial gestures produced using a digital image-morphing technique. The responses and reaction times obtained in both experiments revealed a consistent reliance on visual cues in the listener's decisions, but also a consistent effect of the auditory stimulus. We argue that although facial gestures are the most influential elements that Catalan listeners rely on to decide between contrastive focus and echo question interpretations, bimodal integration with the acoustic cues is necessary for perceptual processing to be accurate and fast. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for models of audiovisual processing.
ASL sign lowering as undershoot: A corpus study
Authors: Russell Kevin , Wilkinson Erin , Janzen Terry
Published: October 2011

American Sign Language (ASL) signs that are located on the forehead in their canonical form are often articulated lower during natural signing. Previous studies have examined this phenomenon from a phonetic perspective, treating it as a form of undershoot, and from a variationist sociolinguistic perspective, treating it as a categorical process. This study sees if the findings and explanations of these studies can be extended to the lowering of signs formed in locations other than the forehead. In a corpus of natural conversational signing from six signers, we measure the vertical displacement of over 3000 tokens of signs canonically formed at the face, head, or neck. While there is some apparent evidence for a categorical lowering process in a minority of signs and considerable evidence for undershoot, neither alone can explain the full range of displacement patterns across all signs and locations. Undershoot must be carefully planned and controlled: no matter how sloppy the signing, signers systematically avoid contacting their eyes. The results can be explained if there is a somatosensory forward-modelling mechanism that can veto undesirable gestural scores and whose decisions are incorporated during learning into the phonological distributions representing the locations of signs.
Dynamical account of how /b, d, g/ differ from /p, t, k/ in Spanish: Evidence from labials
Authors: Parrell Benjamin
Published: October 2011

This study examines articulatory lenition of intervocalic stops in Spanish and tests the theories that 1) /b, d, g/ have an intended target for closure equal to that of /p, t, k/ and 2) spirantization of /b, d, g/ is caused by undershoot due to their short duration phrase medially. Consistent with past acoustic studies, subjects produce /b/ with incomplete closure phrase medially and complete closure phrase initially. Additionally, /b/ is shorter than /p/ phrase medially though not initially. For /b/, though not for /p/, there is a correlation between constriction degree and duration, consistent with the theory of dynamical undershoot. The results from the study are accurately modeled with a virtual target for /b/ slightly beyond the point of articulator contact. Such a target results in full closure at long durations (such as found phrase initially) and incomplete closure at shorter durations. Based on this evidence, it is proposed that /b, d, g/ differ from /p, t, k/ in three ways: they are shorter, lack a devoicing gesture, and have a target closer to – but still beyond – the point of articulator contact.
Towards a gestural characterization of liquids: Evidence from Spanish and Russian
Authors: Proctor Michael
Published: October 2011

The production of intervocalic liquid consonants by five speakers of Spanish and four speakers of Russian was examined using ultrasound. Liquids in both languages were found to be united by a lower susceptibility to vocalic coarticulation than coronal obstruents produced in the same environments. Tongue body articulation in the Spanish lateral resembled that of a mid-front vowel; dorsal posture in the Spanish trill resembled that of a mid-back vowel. Tongue body articulation in Russian non-palatalized laterals resembled that of a mid-back vowel, and Russian non-palatalized trills were produced with a dorsal posture resembling that of a mid-central vowel.

These results are consistent with the hypothesis that coronal liquid consonants consist of a consonant-like coronal component and an intrinsic vowel-like dorsal component (Delattre and Freeman, Linguistics 44: 29– 68, 1968; Sproat and Fujimura, Journal of Phonetics 21: 291–311, 1993). Liquid segments are modeled as recurrent stable constellations in which a tongue-tip gesture is coordinated with a tongue-body gesture (Browman and Goldstein, Gestural syllable position effects in American English, AIP Press, 1995). Differences between ‘clear’ and ‘pharyngealized’ liquids are attributed to differences in dorsal target locations. Rhotic allophony is argued to result from the interaction of articulatory and aerodynamic factors. Spanish liquid vocalization is modeled as lenition of tongue tip gestures, and Slavic liquid metathesis as a change in intergestural coupling relationships.
Distinct Cell Guidance Pathways Controlled by the Rac and Rho GEF Domains of UNC-73/TRIO in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Marcus-Gueret Nancy , Schmidt Kristopher L , Stringham Eve G
Published: October 2011

The cytoskeleton regulator UNC-53/NAV2 is required for both the anterior and posterior outgrowth of several neurons as well as that of the excretory cell while the kinesin-like motor VAB-8 is essential for most posteriorly directed migrations in Caenorhabditis elegans. Null mutations in either unc-53 or vab-8 result in reduced posterior excretory canal outgrowth, while double null mutants display an enhanced canal extension defect, suggesting the genes act in separate pathways to control this posteriorly directed outgrowth. Genetic analysis of putative interactors of UNC-53 or VAB-8, and cell-specific rescue experiments suggest that VAB-8, SAX-3/ROBO, SLT-1/Slit, and EVA-1 are functioning together in the outgrowth of the excretory canals, while UNC-53 appears to function in a parallel pathway with UNC-71/ADAM. The known VAB-8 interactor, the Rac/Rho GEF UNC-73/TRIO operates in both pathways, as isoform specific alleles exhibit enhancement of the phenotype in double-mutant combination with either unc-53 or vab-8. On the basis of these results, we propose a bipartite model for UNC-73/TRIO activity in excretory canal extension: a cell autonomous function that is mediated by the Rho-specific GEF domain of the UNC-73E isoform in conjunction with UNC-53 and UNC-71 and a cell nonautonomous function that is mediated by the Rac-specific GEF domain of the UNC-73B isoform, through partnering with VAB-8 and the receptors SAX-3 and EVA-1.
Emlődaganatos betegek primer szisztémás terápiája során elért eredményeink (2007–2010)
Authors: Zapf István , Tizedes György , Pavlovics Gábor , Kovács Gyula , Kálmán Endre , Szalai Gábor , Kövér Erika , Farkas Róbert , Horváth Örs Péter
Published: October 2011

Absztrakt

Bevezetés:A műtét előtti onkológiai kezelés az előrehaladott emlőrákok mellett az utóbbi években a primeren operábilis esetekben is egyre nagyobb teret hódít. Retrospektív vizsgálatunk célja volt a primer szisztémás terápián (PST) átesett emlőtumoros betegek radiológiai és szövettani leleteinek kiértékelése az alkalmazott sebészi kezelés tükrében.Anyag és módszerek:Klinikánkon 2007 márciusa és 2010 januárja között 114 esetben előzte meg preoperatív kemoterápia az emlőműtétet, ebből 22 esetben a kezelés indikációja lokális irresecabilitas volt. 92 esetben az onkoteam a beteg fiatal kora, magas gradusú daganat vagy axillaris nyirokcsomó-metastasis miatt döntött a PST mellett. A betegek 6 ciklus 5-Fluorouracil-Epirubicin-Cyclophosphamid vagy Taxotere-Epirubicin kezelésben részesültek, melyet radiológiai kontroll, majd műtét követett. Vizsgálatainkban a preoperatív staging eredményeket hasonlítottuk össze a műtéti specimenből meghatározott patológiai staging eredményekkel.Eredmények:A PST után az operált betegek 17%-nál komplett, 21%-nál jelentős, míg 43%-nál mérsékelt regressziót értünk el. A preoperatív kezelésre 19%-uk nem reagált. A feldolgozás során észlelt T és N stádiumok csökkenése nem minden esetben korrelált egymással, illetve a PST-re adott radiológiai és hisztológiai válasz is eltérő volt.Konklúzió:Az alkalmazott PST a daganat méretének csökkentésére kifejezetten hatásosnak bizonyult, de a nyirokcsomóstátusz változása tekintetében kevésbé volt hatásos. A residualis DCIS miatt gyakran nem tudjuk annyira csökkenteni a resectio volumenét, mint amennyire a daganat méretének csökkenése azt megengedné.
Review on unidirectional light emission from ultralow-loss modes in deformed microdisks
Authors: Wiersig Jan , Unterhinninghofen Julia , Song Qinghai , Cao Hui , Hentschel Martina , Shinohara Susumu
Published: October 2011

In microdisk cavities, whispering-gallery optical modes are confined
by total internal reflection at the boundary of the disk. The small
mode volumes and the ultralow losses of the modes offer a high potential
for several applications, such as low-threshold lasing. The uniform
in-plane light emission from an ideal disk with circular cross section,
however, is a significant drawback. In this chapter we review the recent
progress in microdisk design for unidirectional light emission from
modes with low losses. We compare and discuss the pros and cons of
various approaches. One important aspect is the ray-wave correspondence
in such deformed microdisks.
Synthesis and Kinetic Studies on Controlled Release of 6-Thioguanine Entrapped Polyethylene Glycol-Co-Polylactic Acid Polymer Nanoparticles
Authors: Kannaiyan Sathishkumar , Narayanan T.G.Ashwin , Sarathy P.Karthick , Sudhakar Nagarjun , Krishnan Rama
Published: October 2011

Poly lactic acid-polyethylene glycol (PLA-co-PEG) copolyester was synthesized from oligomer of L-lactic acid and poly ethylene glycol (PEG) using stannous octoate as catalyst. 6-Thioguanine containing Poly lactic acid-polyethylene glycol (PLA-co-PEG) nanocapsules were prepared in the presence and absence of gold nanoparticles via the W/O/W emulsification solvent-evaporation method. The morphologies of prepared nanocapsules changed substantially because of the presence of gold nanoparticles. From SEM and TEM measurements, the average size of the polymer nanocapsules and gold nanoparticles were found to be in range of 230-260 nm and 18-20 nm, respectively. In general the drug release was quicker in Phosphate buffer saline (pH 7.4) compared to 0.1M hydrochloric acid and this may be due to higher solubility, higher swelling and penetration properties of PLA-co-PEG in PBS compared to HCl. Polymer nanocapsules with gold show a prolonged controlled release with higher encapsulation efficiency (75%) compared to that of polymer nanocapsules (45%) in the absence of gold nanoparticles. It may be due to the more entrapping efficiency of gold and less diffusivity of drugs from the nanocapsules. Application of in vitro drug release data to various kinetic equations indicated Higuchi model, indicating a uniform distribution of thioguanine in the nanocapsules.
Field pattern of the vertical dipole antenna above a Lossy half-space
Authors: Rancic Milica , Rancic Predrag
Published: October 2011

The field pattern of the vertical dipole antenna (VDA) placed above a homogenous and isotropic medium is determined in this paper. The unknown current distribution (UCD) on the antenna is evaluated by solving the system of integral equations of Hallen?s type (SIE-H) using a point-matching method (MoM) and a polynomial current approximation. The influence of the Lossy half-space, expressed by the Sommerfeld?s integral kernel (SIK), was modeled with a new, very simple and accurate approximate expression. In the surroundings of the antenna, this expression is valid for all positions of the antenna conductors, as well as all possible combinations of the electrical parameters of the ground. A certain number of numerical results were compared to the corresponding ones from the references.
Mixed method of model reduction for uncertain systems
Authors: Selvaganesan N.
Published: October 2011

A mixed method for reducing a higher order uncertain system to a stable reduced order one is proposed. Interval arithmetic is used to construct a generalized Routh table for determining the denominator polynomial of the reduced system. The reduced numerator polynomial is obtained using factor division method and the steady state error is minimized using gain correction factor. The proposed method is illustrated using a numerical example.
Eddy current testing of metallic sheets with defects using force measurements
Authors: Brauer Hartmut , Ziolkowski Marek
Published: October 2011

The problem of determining defects in structures using eddy current methods was investigated. The goal of this work is to demonstrate that the forces generated by the eddy currents and acting back on the magnet system can be used to detect defects in the object. Numerical simulations and experimental investigations have been performed. This novel technique has been found to be sensitive enough to detect even deep defects in an Aluminium bar moving relative to the field-generating magnet system.
Calibration of ultrasonic sensors of a mobile robot
Authors: Paunovic Ivan , Todorovic Darko , Bozic Miroslav , Djordjevic Goran
Published: October 2011

The paper discusses a mobile robot localization. Due to cost and simplicity of signal processing, the ultrasonic sensors are very suitable for this application. However, their nonlinear characteristics requires thorough calibrating procedure in order to achieve reliable readings from the obstacles around the robot. Here we describe SMR400 ultrasonic sensor and its calibration procedure. The suggested calibration procedure was tested through a number of experiments, and the results are presented in this paper. .
Application of SVM methods for mid-term load forecasting
Authors: Bozic Milos , Stojanovic Milos
Published: October 2011

This paper presents an approach for the medium-term load forecasting using Support Vector Machines (SVMs). The proposed SVM model was employed to predict the maximum daily load demand for the period of a month. Analyses of available data were performed and the most important features for the construction of SVM model are selected. It was shown that the size and the structure of the training set may significantly affect the accuracy of predictions. The presented model was tested by applying it on real-life load data obtained from distribution company 'ED Jugoistok' for the territory of city Nis and its surroundings. Experimental results show that the proposed approach gives acceptable results for the entire period of prediction, which are in range with other solutions in this area.
Reduction of torque ripple in DTC for induction motor using input-output feedback linearization
Authors: Belkacem Sebti , Naceri Farid , Abdessemed Rachid
Published: October 2011

Direct torque control (DTC) is known to produce fast response and robust control in AC adjustable-speed drives. However, in the steady-state operation, notable torque, flux, and current pulsations occur. In this paper a nonlinear DTC of IM drives is presented based on a Space Vector PWM scheme combined with Input-Output Feedback Linearization (IOFL) technique. The variation of stator and rotor resistance due to changes in temperature or frequency deteriorates the performance of DTC controller by introducing errors in the estimated flux linkage and the electromagnetic torque. As a result, this approach will not be suitable for high power drives such as those used in tractions, as they require good torque control performance at considerably lower frequency. Finally, extensive simulation results are presented to validate the proposed technique. The system is tested at different speeds and a very satisfactory performance has been achieved.
Improving quality of medical image compression using biorthogonal CDF wavelet based on lifting scheme and SPIHT coding
Authors: Beladgham Mohammed , Bessaid Abdelhafid , Abdelmounaim Moulay , Abdelmalik Taleb
Published: October 2011

As the coming era is that of digitized medical information, an important challenge to deal with is the storage and transmission requirements of enormous data, including medical images. Compression is one of the indispensable techniques to solve this problem. In this work, we propose an algorithm for medical image compression based on a biorthogonal wavelet transform CDF 9/7 coupled with SPIHT coding algorithm, of which we applied the lifting structure to improve the drawbacks of wavelet transform. In order to enhance the compression by our algorithm, we have compared the results obtained with wavelet based filters bank. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to traditional methods in both lossy and lossless compression for all tested images. Our algorithm provides very important PSNR and MSSIM values for MRI images.
Philosophy of … Philosophy and …: Taking the Conditions We Find Ourselves in Seriously
Authors: Smeyers Paul , Zahir Amrita
Published: October 2011

Starting from Peters' characterization of philosophy of education, the article elaborates the development offered by the Blackwell Guide (i.e. a field of study that involves a variety of approaches, including philosophical analysis with problems rooted in the use of language in educational discourse, addressing the assumptions and values embedded in other disciplinary approaches in the study of education, and exploring what education might be or might become). Taking into account recent developments of educational research, it is argued that room should be made for other forms of study than empirical, be it quantitative or qualitative types of research. A critical discussion of the preoccupation with method — as well as more generally in educational research, in philosophy of education in particular — is offered. It is argued that the conditions we find ourselves in today, for example the demand for performativity in educational contexts, should be taken seriously and that this has implications for what we address in philosophy of education.

Applying Sidorkin's ontological concept of dialogue, this reply extends Smeyers' argument that explorations in philosophy of education are insufficiently related to educational issues and to non-philosopher audiences, something that needs to occur in order for philosophers of education to escape from becoming extinct in the current climate of performativity, by focusing on how philosophers of education should bring together interest and substance to inform problems of policy and practice in education in a less monological way.
From the Scientistic to the Humanistic in the Construction of Contemporary Educational Knowledge
Authors: Bridges David , Thompson Christiane
Published: October 2011

The starting point for this article is a lecture given fifty years ago by C.P. Snow under the title ‘The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution’, in which Snow critiques what he sees as the damaging intellectual division between the arts and humanities on the one side and the sciences on the other. Fifty years later this problem is, perhaps, better considered in terms of the hegemony of science, or, more accurately, in terms of a very restricted notion of science which the author refers to as ‘scientism’. Scientism privileges a very narrow empiricist view of science and in particular experimental methods which allow the measurement of physical and, by extension, human and social phenomena. The article illustrates a number of ways in which such scientism operates to exclude alternative perspectives on experience rooted in the humanities from social and educational enquiry and discourse. It challenges scientism in two ways. First, it argues that it represents an impoverished view of science itself, which, properly understood, draws on a much wider range of methods and methodologies, some of which bring it much closer to humanistic forms of enquiry than the narrow empiricism that is popularly advanced as its defining characteristic. Then the article begins to illustrate, more positively, the sort of contributions to educational understanding that draw essentially from the academic traditions of the humanities. These include: (i) the exploration of human conscious experience and intentionality; (ii) narratives (including auto/biography); (iii) descriptive writing; (iv) normativity; (v) literary, perhaps even ‘romantic’, sensibility.

In this reply, the statement by David Bridges that scientism has taken hold of educational inquiry today is critically discussed. While it is argued that standardisation of educational research indeed brings about problematic consequences, it is also shown that the dichotomy of scientism and humanist perspective — as Bridges uses it — comes up short it terms of describing the current state of affairs. Referring to an announcement from the German Ministry of Education, it is demonstrated that the usage of the term ‘evidence’ is not evident in the context of standardised research: educational philosophy has to analyze the social contexts in which educational knowledge is fabricated. Generally it is necessary to employ plural research strategies in order not to reduce educational reality and the perspective that we have of it.
Philosophy of Education: A Thorn in the (Clay) Foot of the Educational System
Authors: Soëtard Michel , Casale Rita
Published: October 2011

The article tries to defend the thesis that our educational systems are not doing well (which is not at all original), that the philosophy of education, more often than not, accompanies, justifies and reinforces the malaise of the system (which is already more original), and that it should, without a doubt, question itself in order to know how to support the betterment of education in our societies in crisis.

The author tries to show how far the arguments supported by Soëtard — despite their critical attitude and purpose — may in a certain sense be compatible after all with the situation of the philosophy of education and even more with the situation of the educational system. Finally, the author suggests an alternative to Soëtard's philosophy of education: where Soëtard speaks of a philosophie de l'action pédagogique, the author prefers to speak of a philosophy of education as a critique.
Philosophy and the Rationalisation of Educative Action: The Example of Personal Autonomy
Authors: Foray Philippe , Maxwell Bruce
Published: October 2011

In France, the philosophy of education is not accustomed to reflect on the concept of the ‘education system’. Often, the ‘humanistic’ purposes that it gives to education are far away from the real goals of a systematic education. Often also, it is confined to a critical attitude, whose constructive side is missing. Which form of philosophical practice is desirable vis-à-vis the transformations of the education systems? How to develop an at the same time normative and critical thought, which take account of the current evolutions? This is what this contribution is concerned with, using the limited example of personal autonomy.

In this reply to Philippe Foray's article ‘Philosophy and the Rationalisation of Educative Action’, the author salutes Foray's call to anchor the project of articulating aims of education in the realities of contemporary education but claims that Foray's plea to re-imagine the philosophy of education is arbitrarily restricted. The notion that defending high-level directives should preoccupy educational philosophy is rejected. Far from characterising educational philosophy prior to mass, state-managed educational systems, the author argues, a more faithful rendering of the history of the field demonstrates that the responsibility of stating education's ends was largely imposed on educational philosophy by the rationalisation of educational systems itself. In conclusion, contemporary practical ethics is advanced as a model for a more expansive conception of educational philosophy's potential contribution to educational research, policy and practice.
Necessary Transformation or Safe Permanence? A Philosophical Approach to the Desire for Change
Authors: Drouin-Hans Anne-Marie
Published: October 2011

What is proposed is a meditation on the phrase ‘transformation of the educational system’, paying attention to the sense of the words, and showing what the desire for educational change can reveal. After explaining to what extent ‘educational system’ is a quasi-oxymoron, the meaning of ‘transformation’ has to be compared to those of revolution and utopia. The claim to be transforming the educational system is an attempt to adapt education to social and political situations and constraints. The case of the Langevin-Wallon project in France, which was never applied, helps when wondering what has to be adapted to what. What sort of reciprocity is there between school and society? The organisation of knowledge itself can be submitted to a transformation. Jeremy Bentham's Chrestomathia expresses such a conception through an unheeded and somehow utopian project. The desire for something new is in itself problematical, and the very fact of it being new cannot be an aim.
Self-Study Research and the Development of Teacher Educators' Professional Identities
Authors: Lunenberg Mieke , Korthagen Fred , Zwart Rosanne
Published: October 2011

This article presents the results of a study on the project ‘Teacher Educators Study Their Own Practices’. Nine teacher educators participated and conducted a self-study into their own practices. The leading question of this article is whether their self-studies contributed to the development of their professional identities. Data sources were digital logbooks, exit interviews, and follow-up questionnaires. The results show that conducting self-study research supports theoretical growth, ongoing development, the production of knowledge, and the enhancement of self-confidence. What these results could mean for the teacher educators themselves and their practices, and for the professional community of teacher educators, is discussed in the final section of this article.
On the Reception of Foucauldian Ideas in Pedagogical Research
Authors: Ostrowicka Helena
Published: October 2011

The article is devoted to the presentation of the reception of Foucauldian ideas in Polish pedagogical research over the past twenty years. This movement of thought is described as an oscillation between heterotopia and utopia, autonomy and heteronomy, emancipation and repression. As results of this analysis indicate, Polish pedagogues are most interested in those of Foucault's analyses which undertake an inquiry into the problems of discursive power or reveal the generative conditions shaping particular discursive formations. The concepts of disciplinary and pastoral power are adopted and utilised for analysing power relations inscribed in discourses of gender, market, childhood, youth, disability, homelessness and subjectivity. Apart from this, the article discusses the Polish reception of Foucauldian texts devoted to the critique of the autonomous subject and to his project of heterotopology. In conclusion, the author points to the inspirations issuing from the works of the French philosopher which encourage us to depart from a dualistic mode of reasoning.
Interruptions and Failure in Higher Education: Evidence from ISEG-UTL
Authors: Lopes Margarida Chagas , Fernandes Graça Leão
Published: October 2011

Failure in higher education (HE) is the outcome of multiple time-dependent determinants. Interruptions in students' individual school trajectories are one of them, and that is why research on this topic has been attracting much attention these days. From an individual point of view, it is expected that interruptions in school trajectory, whatever the reason, influence success in undergraduate programmes, and this success is measured either by time required to obtain a degree, by the scores obtained in some more ‘critical’ subjects in these programmes, or by the number of enrolment registrations. The study of the impact of interruptions on failure in HE is also important to help education institutions fight this problem, and to support policy measures related to the articulation between upper secondary and HE programmes. In previous research the authors have shed some light on the determinants of failure in the first year of HE studies. In this article, the authors' major concern is to find some evidence of the effect of interruptions on HE failure among students using a life-cycle approach. They are interested to know whether such effects are related to gender and/or specific graduation programme. They also want to investigate whether work experience may counterbalance the effect of interruption on academic success. They hope to be able to derive some useful recommendations to address policy making in the fields of pedagogic methodologies in HE, articulation between academic and occupational learning in the framework of the Bologna Process, and public funding/fellowship policies in HE.
Islet Cholesterol Accumulation Due to Loss of ABCA1 Leads to Impaired Exocytosis of Insulin Granules
Authors: Kruit Janine K. , Wijesekara Nadeeja , Fox Jocelyn E. Manning , Dai Xiao-Qing , Brunham Liam R. , Searle Gavin J. , Morgan Garry P. , Costin Adam J. , Tang Renmei , Bhattacharjee Alpana , Johnson James D. , Light Peter E. , Marsh Brad J. , MacDonald Patrick E. , Verchere C. Bruce , Hayden Michael R.
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE

The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is essential for normal insulin secretion from β-cells. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the impaired insulin secretion in islets lacking β-cell ABCA1.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Calcium imaging, patch clamp, and membrane capacitance were used to assess the effect of ABCA1 deficiency on calcium flux, ion channel function, and exocytosis in islet cells. Electron microscopy was used to analyze β-cell ultrastructure. The quantity and distribution of proteins involved in insulin-granule exocytosis were also investigated.

RESULTS

We show that a lack of β-cell ABCA1 results in impaired depolarization-induced exocytotic fusion of insulin granules. We observed disturbances in membrane microdomain organization and Golgi and insulin granule morphology in β-cells as well as elevated fasting plasma proinsulin levels in mice in the absence of β-cell ABCA1. Acute cholesterol depletion rescued the exocytotic defect in β-cells lacking ABCA1, indicating that elevated islet cholesterol accumulation directly impairs granule fusion and insulin secretion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlight a crucial role of ABCA1 and cellular cholesterol in β-cells that is necessary for regulated insulin granule fusion events. These data suggest that abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism may contribute to the impaired β-cell function in diabetes.
WldS Enhances Insulin Transcription and Secretion via a SIRT1-Dependent Pathway and Improves Glucose Homeostasis
Authors: Wu Jingxia , Zhang Fang , Yan Menghong , Wu Dongmei , Yu Qiujing , Zhang Yi , Zhou Ben , McBurney Michael W. , Zhai Qiwei
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE

WldS (Wallerian degeneration slow), a fusion protein from a spontaneous mutation containing full-length nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1, has NAD biosynthesis activity and protects axon from degeneration robustly. NAD biosynthesis is also implicated in insulin secretion in β-cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of WldS on β-cells and glucose homeostasis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using the WldS mice, we measured the expression of WldS in pancreas and analyzed the effect of WldS on glucose homeostasis. The direct effect of WldS on insulin transcription and secretion and the related mechanisms was measured in isolated islets or β-cell lines. Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1), an NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, is involved in insulin secretion. Thus, WldS mice with SIRT1 deficiency were generated to study whether the SIRT1-dependent pathway is involved.

RESULTS

WldS is highly expressed in the pancreas and improves glucose homeostasis. WldS mice are resistant to high-fat diet–induced glucose intolerance and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemia. WldS increases insulin transcription dependent on its NAD biosynthesis activity and enhances insulin secretion. SIRT1 is required for the improved insulin transcription, secretion, and resistance to STZ-induced hyperglycemia caused by WldS. Moreover, WldS associates with SIRT1 and increases NAD levels in the pancreas, causing the enhanced SIRT1 activity to downregulate uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression and upregulate ATP levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that WldS combines an insulinotropic effect with protection against β-cell failure and suggest that enhancing NAD biosynthesis in β-cells to increase SIRT1 activity could be a potential therapeutic approach for diabetes.
Prolonged Caloric Restriction in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Decreases Plasma CETP and Increases Apolipoprotein AI Levels Without Improving the Cholesterol Efflux Properties of HDL
Authors: Wang Yanan , Snel Marieke , Jonker Jacqueline T. , Hammer Sebastiaan , Lamb Hildo J. , de Roos Albert , Meinders A. Edo , Pijl Hanno , Romijn Johannes A. , Smit Johannes W.A. , Jazet Ingrid M. , Rensen Patrick C.N.
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE

Using a mouse model for human-like lipoprotein metabolism, we observed previously that reduction of the hepatic triglyceride (TG) content resulted in a decrease in plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and an increase in HDL levels. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of prolonged caloric restriction in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, resulting in a major reduction in hepatic TG content, on plasma CETP and HDL levels.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 27 obese (BMI: 37.2 ± 0.9 kg/m2) insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (14 men and 13 women, aged 55 ± 2 years) who received a 16-week very low calorie diet (VLCD). At baseline and after a 16-week VLCD, plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and CETP were measured. Furthermore, functionality of HDL with respect to inducing cholesterol efflux from human monocyte cells (THP-1) was determined.

RESULTS

A 16-week VLCD markedly decreased plasma CETP concentration (−18%; P < 0.01) and increased plasma apolipoprotein (apo)AI levels (+16%; P < 0.05), without significantly affecting plasma HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipids. Although a VLCD results in HDL that is less lipidated, the functionality of HDL with respect to inducing cholesterol efflux in vitro was unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

The marked decrease in hepatic TG content induced by a 16-week VLCD is accompanied by a decrease in plasma CETP concentration and an increase in apoAI levels, without improving the cholesterol efflux properties of HDL in vitro.
Effects of MK-0941, a Novel Glucokinase Activator, on Glycemic Control in Insulin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Meininger Gary E. , Scott Russell , Alba Maria , Shentu Yue , Luo Edmund , Amin Himal , Davies Michael J. , Kaufman Keith D. , Goldstein Barry J.
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and safety of MK-0941, a glucokinase activator (GKA), when added to stable-dose insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In this double-blind study, 587 patients taking stable-dose insulin glargine (±metformin ≥1,500 mg/day) were randomized (1:1:1:1:1) to MK-0941 10, 20, 30, or 40 mg or matching placebo t.i.d. before meals (a.c.). This study included an initial 14-week, dose-ranging phase followed by a 40-week treatment phase during which patients were to be uptitrated as tolerated to 40 mg (or placebo) t.i.d. a.c. The primary efficacy end point was change from baseline in A1C at Week 14.

RESULTS

At Week 14, A1C and 2-h postmeal glucose (PMG) improved significantly versus placebo with all MK-0941 doses. Maximal placebo-adjusted least squares mean changes from baseline in A1C (baseline A1C 9.0%) and 2-h PMG were −0.8% and −37 mg/dL (−2 mmol/L), respectively. No significant effects on fasting plasma glucose were observed at any dose versus placebo. By 30 weeks, the initial glycemic responses noted at 14 weeks were not sustained. MK-0941 at one or more doses was associated with significant increases in the incidence of hypoglycemia, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and proportion of patients meeting criteria for predefined limits of change for increased diastolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients receiving stable-dose insulin glargine, the GKA MK-0941 led to improvements in glycemic control that were not sustained. MK-0941 was associated with an increased incidence of hypoglycemia and elevations in triglycerides and blood pressure.
Influence of endurance exercise on serum concentrations of iron and acute phase proteins in racing sled dogs
Authors: Kenyon Christine L. , Basaraba Randall J. , Bohn Andrea A.
Published: October 2011

Objective—To determine effects of long-distance racing exercise on iron status in endurance racing sled dogs, with or without anemia.

Design—Prospective cohort study.

Animals—114 dogs that participated in the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (59 and 55 dogs that did or did not complete the race, respectively).

Procedures—Stored serum samples obtained from 85 endurance-racing sled dogs that were expected to participate in the race were used to establish study reference intervals and prerace group values for iron-related variables. Blood samples collected from 114 study dogs before (ie, baseline) and after participation in the race were used to determine PCV and serum total protein concentrations before and after racing and assess iron-related variables after racing.

Results—Mean values for PCV and serum total protein concentration were decreased after racing, compared with baseline values in the same dogs. Mean serum iron concentration was low, and mean serum ceruloplasmin and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were high in dogs after racing, compared with prerace group values. Mean serum ferritin concentration was high in dogs that did not complete the race, compared with the prerace group value and that of dogs that finished the race; 4 of 113 (3.5%) study dogs had low ferritin concentrations (< 73 ng/mL) after racing, suggestive of possible iron deficiency.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Decreased PCV and serum total protein concentrations were consistently detected, whereas iron deficiency appeared to be uncommon, in study dogs after race participation. High serum concentrations of ceruloplasmin and CRP after racing suggested that changes indicative of iron deficiency may be masked by inflammation. Alternatively, changes in serum iron and CRP concentrations may reflect a physiologic response.
Clinical and diagnostic imaging findings in dogs with zygomatic sialadenitis: 11 cases (1990–2009)
Authors: Cannon Matthew S. , Paglia Danielle , Zwingenberger Allison L. , Boroffka Susanne A. E. B. , Hollingsworth Steven R. , Wisner Erik R.
Published: October 2011

Objective—To describe clinical and diagnostic imaging features of zygomatic sialadenitis in dogs.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—11 dogs with zygomatic sialadenitis and 20 control dogs without evidence of retrobulbar disease.

Procedures—Medical records were searched for dogs with zygomatic sialadenitis that underwent some combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasonography. Signalment, clinical signs, results of clinicopathologic tests, cytologic and histologic diagnosis, treatment, qualitative disease features, and disease course were recorded. Images obtained via MRI or CT were analyzed for pre- and postcontrast signal intensity or density, respectively; zygomatic salivary gland area was determined. Results were compared with those of control dogs that underwent the same imaging procedures (n = 10/method). Ultrasonographic images of affected dogs were assessed qualitatively.

Results—Most (9/11) affected dogs were medium- or large-breed males (mean age, 8 years) with unilateral disease. Affected dogs had clinical signs of retrobulbar disease and cytologic or histologic evidence of zygomatic sialadenitis. Sialoceles were detected in 7 affected glands. Compared with values for control dogs, MRI findings in affected dogs (n = 7) included gland enlargement, T1-weighted hypointensity, T2-weighted hyperintensity, and increased contrast enhancement; CT features in affected dogs (2) included gland enlargement and hypodensity on unenhanced images. Retrobulbar masses were identified via ultrasonography in 9 of 10 orbits examined, and zygomatic salivary gland origin was detected in 4.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Visualization of anatomic structures for diagnosis of zygomatic sialadenitis and evaluation of adjacent structures was excellent via MRI and CT Ultrasonography was less definitive but useful for sample collection.