bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Genetic Rat Models of Arterial Hypertension Show Different Mechanisms by Which Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis Is Increased
Authors: Kronenberg Golo , Lippoldt Andrea , Kempermann Gerd
Published: December 2006

To investigate strain differences and genetic effects on different aspects of neurogenesis, we compared young adult spontaneously hypertensive/hyperactive rats (SHR) and stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP) with the genetic control WKY strain. In both hypertensive/hyperactive strains, the number of newly generated neurons and the number of lineage-determined cells as detected by doublecortin (DCX) immunoreactivity were significantly increased. SHRSP had significantly more DCX-positive cells than the other groups. Whereas cell proliferation as measured by Ki67 expression was increased in SHR, we found no difference between SHRSP and WKY. In summary, we found increased net neurogenesis in both hypertensive/hyperactive strains. However, this phenotype was based on different mechanisms in the course of neuronal development: cell proliferation in SHR and cell survival in SHRSP. In addition, we found that within strains the number of DCX-positive cells was not predictive of the net number of new neurons and that the increase in neurogenesis was not significantly correlated with blood pressure in SHR and WKY. However, in both SHR and SHRSP, cell proliferation showed an association with blood pressure recordings.
A Comparison Study of the Vertical Bias of Pyramidal Cells in the Hippocampus and Neocortex
Authors: Casanova Manuel F. , Switala Andrew E. , Trippe Juan
Published: December 2006

In this study, we employed morphometric image analysis of the hippocampus proper and temporal lobe neocortex in postmortem tissue to determine vertical bias quantified as ΔΘ, angular dispersion, as well asan index of alignment of cellular elements relative to the radial plane. The radial alignment of cellular elements was consistent with a minicolumnar organization of the cortex. Photomicrographs were taken of the left-hemisphere hippocampal CA3/1 subfields of 13 fetal subjects ranging in gestational age from 19 weeks to 36 weeks and 19 normal individuals aged 4 months to 98 years. For comparison, micrographs from the temporal lobe (Brodmann areas 21 and 22) were similarly processed for layers III and V, where the x-axes of the transformed coordinate system were taken to be the layer III/IV and IV/V borders, respectively. Computerized image analysis measurements of the angular dispersion for the temporal lobe region and hippocampus proper differed significantly within the same brains (p < 0.001). The neocortical layer III exhibited the highest values for ΔΘ, indicating a high degree of columnar organization. Values for ΔΘ in the hippocampal CA subfields were lower but demonstrated significance for the radial alignment of neurons in this area. Values for ΔΘin layer V were intermediate between those of layer III and the hippocampus, consistent with increasing degrees of radial columnar organization of infragranular layers of the neocortex in comparison with the hippocampus and of supragranular in comparison with infragranular neocortical layers. Pyramidal cell arrays within allocortical areas and the neocortex constitute different modular arrangements. This morphological variability may be the expression of evolutionary differences in cortical development.
The ‘Double Lung Point’: An Ultrasound Sign Diagnostic of Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn
Authors: Copetti Roberto , Cattarossi Luigi
Published: December 2006

Background: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is a mild form of neonatal respiratory distress which early in its course needs to be differentiated from other severe respiratory disorders. At present the diagnosis is based on radiological findings and clinical course. Lung sonography in TTN has not yet been assessed. Objectives: The aim of the study was to define the ultrasonographic appearance of TTN and evaluate its clinical relevance. Methods: Lung sonography was performed in 32 newborn infants with radiological and clinical signs of TTN within the first hour after birth and the findings were compared with those of 60 normal infants, 29 with respiratory distress syndrome, 6 with pneumonia, 5 with pulmonary hemorrhage and 5 with atelectasis. Results: In the infants with TTN, lung sonography showed a difference in lung echogenicity between the upper and lower lung areas. There were very compact comet-tail artifacts in the inferior fields while these were rare in the superior fields. We designated this finding the ‘double lung point’ and it was not observed in healthy infants, infants with respiratory distress syndrome, actelectasis, pneumothorax, pneumonia, or pulmonary hemorrhage. Sensitivity and specificity of the double lung point was 100% for the diagnosis of TTN. Conclusion: We found lung sonography reliable for the early diagnosis of TTN. We suggest that it should become the first approach for imaging of neonatal respiratory distress although further prospective studies with good blinding need to be performed.
Mechanisms Controlling Vascular Tone in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Implications for Vasodilator Therapy
Authors: Cogolludo Angel , Moreno Laura , Villamor Eduardo
Published: December 2006

Pulmonary vasoconstriction is believed to be an early component of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) is a major trigger for pulmonary vasoconstriction; however, it is now well known that contractions and relaxations may also be elicited through Ca2+-independent mechanisms. A variety of intracellular protein kinases and cyclic nucleotides have been identified as key determinants in controlling pulmonary vascular tone. Herein, we provide an overview of the main signaling pathways, which include protein kinase C, Rho kinases and cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP). This review also focuses on the role of store-operated Ca2+ channels and voltage-gated K+ channels, which are currently considered especially attractive in the pulmonary circulation and may represent new targets in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Upregulation of Cyclooxygenases by Retinoic Acid in Rat Mesangial Cells
Authors: Alique Matilde , Lucio-Cazaña Francisco Javier , Moreno Victoria , Xu Qihe , Konta Tsuneo , Nakayama Kenji , Furusu Akira , Sepulveda Juan C. , Kitamura Masanori
Published: December 2006

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) increases the expression of COX-1 and COX-2 and the production of PGE2, a prostaglandin with anti-inflammatory effects in human mesangial cells (MC). COX-2 increased through a transcriptional mechanism independent of retinoic acid receptors (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR) and dependent on extracellular regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), that became phosphorylated 5 min after ATRA addition. Here, in rat MC, ATRA also upregulated COX isoenzymes and PGE2 production, but not in the same way as in human MC: (1) PGE2 production increased only slightly; (2) RAR and RXR were involved in the transcriptional upregulation of COX-2 by ATRA since the RAR-pan-antagonist AGN193109 or the RXR-pan-antagonist HX531 abolished the induction of COX-2 mRNA whereas the RAR-pan-agonist TTNPB or the RXR-pan-agonist AGN194204 induced expression of COX-2, and (3) ERK1/2 phosphorylation, though important for COX-2 upregulation, took more than 1 h. Therefore the regulation of COX by ATRA exhibits striking differences between human and rat MC.
Clinical, Anthropometric and Upper Airway Anatomic Characteristics of Obese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Authors: Hora Francisco , Nápolis Lara Maris , Daltro Carla , Kodaira Sérgio Keidi , Tufik Sérgio , Togeiro Sônia Maria , Nery Luiz Eduardo
Published: December 2006

Background: Obese subjects are at increased risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, the individual role of local (i.e., upper airway-related) and general (clinical and whole-body anthropometric) characteristics in determining OSAS in obese patients is still controversial. Objectives: To contrast the clinical, anthropometric and upper airway anatomical features of obese subjects presenting or not presenting with OSAS. Methods: Thirty-seven obese (BMI ≧30 kg/m2) males with OSAS and 14 age- and gender-matched obese controls underwent clinical and anthropometric (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio and neck circumference) evaluation. In a subgroup of subjects (18 and 11 subjects, respectively), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during wakefulness was used to study the upper airway anatomy. Results: OSAS patients showed significantly higher BMI, waist-to-hip ratio and neck circumference as compared to controls (p < 0.05). They also referred to nonrepairing sleep, impaired attention, and previous car accidents more frequently (p < 0.05). The transversal diameter of the airways (TDAW) at the retroglossal level by MRI was found to be an independent predictor of the presence and severity of OSAS (p < 0.05). Parapharyngeal fat increase, however, was not related to OSAS. A TDAW >12 mm was especially useful to rule out severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index >30, negative predictive value = 88.9%, likelihood ratio for a negative test result = 0.19). Conclusions: MRI of the upper airway can be used in association with clinical and anthropometric data to identify obese males at increased risk of OSAS.
All Creation Groans: Romans 8:22 in Light of the Biblical Sources
Authors: Braaten Laurie
Published: December 2006

It is widely held that Romans 8:22 contains a hendiadys portraying creation as "groaning in travail." This paper argues that the two terms connote diverse ideas and therefore should be translated as "groaning and in travail." The thesis of this paper is that the groaning of creation is creation's mourning due to ongoing human sin and a concomitant divine judgment — as attested nine times in the Hebrew prophets, but most fully expressed in Joel 1-2. This view challenges the prevailing interpretation that creation's plight is due to her distress originating from the curse of the Fall (Gen 3:17). Furthermore, Israelite mourning customs require that the entire community join the mourner in order to restore the mourner to the proper place in the social order. This practice elucidates Paul's references to believers joining with the groaning creation in Romans 8, where creation is presented as an object of God's redemption.
The Butcher, the Baker, and the Carpenter: Chinese Sojourners in the Spanish Philippines and their impact on Southern Fujian (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries)
Authors: Chia Lucille
Published: December 2006

This article considers the impact on southern Fujian of the trade with and migration to the Spanish Philippines by examining the links of the Chinese there with their native places, particularly in the half century after the resumption of Chinese maritime trade in 1684. To understand the local history of Minnan, it is necessary to look both at the extensive network of Minnanese in Southeast Asia (Nanyang) and China, and at the important social and economic distinctions between Zhangzhou and Quanzhou prefectures in Fujian. Cet article fait l'analyse des eff ets sur le sud du Fujian (Minnan) du commerce avec et la migration aux Philippines en examinant les liens des Chinois là avec leur pays natal, particulièrement pendant les cinquant ans suivant la reprise du commerce maritime chinois en 1684. Pour comprendre l'histoire locale du Minnan il faut examiner à la fois le réseau étendu des naturels du Minnan qui se trouvaient en l'Asie du sud-est (Nanyang) et en Chine, et les distinctions économiques et sociales entre les préfectures de Zhangzhou et Quanzhou au Fujian.
Estimated Decadal Changes in the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heat Flux 1993–2004
Authors: Wunsch Carl , Heimbach Patrick
Published: December 2006

Results from a global 1° model constrained by least squares to a multiplicity of datasets over the interval 1992–2004 are used to describe apparent changes in the North Atlantic Ocean meridional overturning circulation and associated heat fluxes at 26°N. The least squares fit is both stable and adequately close to the data to make the analysis worthwhile. Changes over the 12 yr are spatially and temporally complex. A weak statistically significant trend is found in net North Atlantic volume flux above about 1200 m, which drops slightly (−0.19 ± 0.05 Sv yr−1; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) but with a corresponding strengthening of the outflow of North Atlantic Deep Water and inflow of abyssal waters. The slight associated trend in meridional heat flux is very small and not statistically significant. The month-to-month variability implies that single-section determinations of heat and volume flux are subject to serious aliasing errors.
The Sources and Mixing Characteristics of the Agulhas Current
Authors: Beal Lisa M. , Chereskin Teresa K. , Lenn Yueng D. , Elipot Shane
Published: December 2006

Recent observations taken at four principal latitudes in the Agulhas Current show that the watermass properties on either side of its dynamical core are significantly different. Inshore of its velocity core are found waters of predominantly Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and equatorial Indian Ocean origin, while offshore waters are generally from the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and the southeast Indian Ocean. For the most part, the inshore waters approach the Agulhas Current through the Mozambique Channel, while those offshore are circulated within the southern Indian Ocean subtropical gyre before joining the current. These disparate water masses remain distinct during their 1000-km journeys along the South African continental slope, despite the convergence, extreme velocity shears, and high eddy kinetic energies found within the Agulhas Current. Both potential vorticity conservation and kinematic arguments are discussed as potential inhibitors of along-isopycnal mixing. It is concluded that a high cross-stream gradient of potential vorticity is the dominant mechanism for watermass separation near the surface, while the kinematic steering of water particles by the current is dominant at intermediate depths, where cross-stream potential vorticity is homogeneous. Hence, three lateral mixing regimes for the Agulhas Current are suggested. The surface and thermocline waters are always inhibited from mixing, by the presence of both a strong, cross-frontal potential vorticity gradient and kinematic steering. At intermediate depths mixing is inhibited by steering alone, and thus in this regime periodic mixing is expected during meander events (such as Natal pulses), when the steering level will rise and allow cross-frontal exchange. Below the steering level in the deep waters, there is a regime of free lateral mixing. The deep waters of the Agulhas Current are homogeneous in the cross-stream sense, being from the same North Atlantic source, and their salinity steadily (and rather rapidly) decreases to the north. Here, it is suggested that mixing must be dominated by vertical processes and a large vertical mixing coefficient of order 10 cm2 s−1 is estimated.
Form Drag due to Flow Separation at a Headland
Authors: McCabe Ryan M. , MacCready Parker , Pawlak Geno
Published: December 2006

Observational and model estimates of the form drag on Three Tree Point, a headland located in a tidal channel of Puget Sound, Washington, are presented. Subsurface, Three Tree Point is a sloping ridge. Tidal flow over this ridge gives rise to internal lee waves that lead to wave drag and enhanced mixing. At the same time, horizontal flow separation produces a headland eddy that distorts the surface height field in the lee of the point. Two observational methods for estimating the portion of the form drag associated with deformation of the surface height field, referred to here as the “external” form drag, are also introduced. Drogued drifters and ship-mounted acoustic current profiles from different days are used to indirectly map the flood-tide surface height field. Data are derived from a depth shallow enough that baroclinic pressure gradient forcing may be neglected, and yet deep enough that wind stress may also be ignored. This leaves an approximate balance between the acceleration and surface height pressure gradient, permitting, in this case, two independent estimates of the surface height (to within a constant). These fields are used to calculate the external form drag at the headland. Drag estimates from both observational datasets agree well. External form drag decreases offshore of the headland as expected, and is highly dependent on tidal phase, with maximum drag leading peak flood currents by 1–2 h at this location. Form drag is much larger than model estimates of the frictional drag, implying that it is the dominant mechanism extracting energy from the barotropic tide. A kinematic argument is also presented to show why the external form drag should increase in importance relative to the frictional drag as the topographic slope and tidal excursion increase.
The Martyrdom of Polycarp
Authors: Parvis Sara
Published: December 2006

The Martyrdom of Polycarp, if it were indeed authentic and datable to the mid-second century, would give us an important glimpse of developing attitudes to martyrdom in this period, and also offer corroboration of Irenaeus' claim to be in touch with apostolic teaching. A brief examination of the cases for and against this dating and the work's genuineness shows that, despite a number of odd features, especially the failure of Polycarp's trial to follow established Roman legal practice, there is still no compelling reason not to see it as a unified work, nor to date it any later than 156.1
Latin American Reading of the Bible: Experiences, Challenges and its Practice
Authors: Míguez Néstor O.
Published: December 2006

This article is a brief and unpretentious survey of the historical development of biblical interpretation in Latin America in the last part of the twentieth century, in order to help the reader to understand its present context. We consider the question of interrelatedness of subjects, methods and context. We reflect on the existing conditions of biblical reading in the continent, according to the new experiences and situations in the framework of globalization.
Principals and practice: Rhetoric and the moral character of managers
Authors: Holt Robin
Published: December 2006

Milton Friedman argues that moral development is not a proper concern for managers in their public role as agents of principals. For managers the sole criterion of good behaviour is the lawful promotion of the owners' interests; their moral development is presumed an entirely personal affair. From a critical perspective, Alasdair Mac In tyre also argues that moral concerns are antithetical to the technical and instrumental activities that characterize management. In this article, I argue that this separation of morality and management is neither necessary nor desirable. The purpose is to show that the development of a moral character is integral to good managerial practice. I describe this moral character as the more or less successful development of phronesis: a sensitivity to the appropriateness and limits of value convictions set within communities of practically oriented, purposive action. To further expand on this, I discuss the relevance of Aristotle's theory of rhetoric and how rhetorical practice might contribute to the phronetic development of managers.
The social construction of clients by service agents in reformed welfare administration
Authors: Rosenthal Patrice , Peccei Riccardo
Published: December 2006

This article explores categorization and labelling in organizations through a study of the social construction of clients by service agents in reformed British welfare administration. We analyse the content of client typologies and show how these are embedded in the nature of front-line service work and the organizational context as structured by social authorities. We find a pervasive categorization and valorization of clients according to their perceived attitudes to work, on the reported basis of their body language and demeanour in initial service interactions. This is embedded in a more complex system of social construction, encompassing diverse criteria such as capacity for aggression, gratitude and social status and age. We show how the criteria used by staff to make sense of overlapping groups of clients differs between the main sample in post-reform sites and those working in pre-reform benefit offices. We consider the research and practical implications of our study, the latter relating to the espoused strategy of personalized and flexible treatment of clients in an era of new public management reforms.
Applying Cell-DEVS Methodology for Modeling the Environment
Authors: Wainer Gabriel
Published: December 2006

Recent research efforts have focused on the analysis of environmental systems using cellular models. Although most of the existing solutions are based on the cellular automata formalism, this technique has some problems that constrain its power, usability and feasibility for studying large complex systems. Instead, combining cellular automata with discrete event systems specifications (DEVS) showed excellent results in terms of quality and performance. Despite these encouraging results, the environmental science/engineering community still prefers more traditional approaches, as DEVS-based techniques require a fundamental change of the modeling and simulation paradigm, while entailing expertise in advanced programming, distributed computing, etc. Cell-DEVS and the CD++ toolkit were created to address these problems: they simplify the construction of complex cellular models by allowing simple and intuitive model specification. The discrete event nature of the formalism provides better precision and performance, and models can run in different simulation environments (single user, real-time, distributed/parallel) without special expertise required. Environmental applications can be easily constructed, making it possible for users with basic training in the techniques and software tools to face the study of complex problems. We present the definition of different models of environmental applications, including the pollution on a basin, fire spreading, watershed formation and viability of a population, focusing on how to define such applications using Cell-DEVS methodology, using an approach that facilitates this paradigm shift.
Attitude Control of a Free-Flying Space Robot using a Novel Torque Generation Device
Authors: Pathak Pushparaj Mani , Mukherjee Amalendu , Dasgupta Anirvan
Published: December 2006

In this paper we present a new torque generation device that can be used to control the attitude of space robots. The device is based on the principle of continuously variable transmission. A detailed analytical study of the device has been performed, and the behavior and stability of the overall system have been studied. Bond graph modeling has been used to conceive the device. The advantage of using this device is that many control strategies are possible for the control of a space vehicle.
Tag Questions in British and American English
Authors: Tottie Gunnel , Hoffmann Sebastian
Published: December 2006

This large-scale corpus study charts differences between British English and American English as regards the use of “canonical” tag questions such as It's raining, isn't it?, It's not raining, is it?, or It's raining, is it? Several thousand instances of question tags were extracted from the British National Corpus and the Longman Spoken American Corpus, yielding nine times as many tag questions in colloquial British English as in colloquial American English (but also important register differences in British English). Polarity types and operators in tags also differ in the two varieties. Preliminary results concerning pragmatic functions point to a higher use of “facilitating” tags involving interlocutors in conversation in American English. Speaker age is important in both varieties, with older speakers using more canonical tag questions than younger speakers.
‘As if a little bird is sitting on your finger...’: metaphor as a key instrument in training professional musicians
Authors: Schippers Huib
Published: December 2006

Various researchers over the past decades have established that verbal behaviour constitutes a substantial portion of total instruction time in music. The use of metaphor in these educational practices and the supporting music literature is rich and frequent. Numerous scholars support the view that metaphor in learning and teaching music touches the essence of making music, and cannot be dismissed as ‘impressionistic twaddle’. However, in the formal training of musicians, teaching strategies revolving around metaphor are rarely made explicit. Taking examples from various practices across the world, this article explores the use of metaphor and its potential for communicating greater understanding of technique, structure and musical meaning. The conclusions from this exercise support the argument that there is great potential in fully acknowledging the role of this teaching tool towards competent, sensitive and creative musicianship, both at professional and amateur levels.
Musicians as teachers: developing a positive view through collaborative learning partnerships
Authors: Bennett Dawn , Stanberg Andrea
Published: December 2006

Previous research with classical instrumental musicians has highlighted the intrinsic benefits of teaching in addition to the perhaps more obvious benefits of securing a regular income. Yet, despite the presence of educational activities in the portfolio of most musicians, teaching remains on the periphery of many music performance programmes in universities and conservatoria. The hierarchical inference in musicians' self-report of success as a soloist, instrumentalist or teacher is perpetuated in the separation of education and performance students during their university education. This study investigated the effects of providing a positive engagement with teaching through a unit of study delivered to a combined cohort of 2nd-year undergraduate music education, composition and performance students. The unit was designed to increase students' understanding of the realities of professional practice, and to form productive and mutually beneficial partnerships: promoting a better appreciation of career development and self-identity during the formative years of tertiary study. Students' responses were gauged with the use of surveys implemented at the commencement and conclusion of the unit. Performance and composition majors reported a positive change in their perception of the role of teaching in their careers, and music education majors reflected a growing awareness of the benefits of working in partnership with performers. The study demonstrated that positive teaching experiences during the training of musicians increases the likelihood that students will plan a positive engagement with teaching.
Inuit student teachers' agency, positioning and symbolic action: reflections from a qallunaat on music teaching in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Russell Joan
Published: December 2006

This article examines how three Inuit student teachers in the Nunavut Teacher Education Program invested their social and cultural capital during a music course for classroom teachers, which the author taught in the Canadian Arctic. She describes how, through the musical games they invented for use in Inuit classrooms, these students positioned themselves as agents of their own learning and as wielders of power in the context of emergent Inuit education. Three examples of their invented musical games are presented to illustrate these processes. The author concludes that in increasingly culturally diverse teaching contexts it is important to be conscious of our students' habitus – the embedded history, the unconscious set of ideas, beliefs and emotions that guide how we think, feel and act – in our decisions regarding content, goals and evaluations of achievement.
A confirmatory approach to differential item functioning on an ESL reading assessment
Authors: Abbott Marilyn L.
Published: December 2006

In this article, I describe a practical application of the Roussos and Stout (1996) multidimensional analysis framework for interpreting group performance differences on an ESL reading proficiency test. Although a variety of statistical methods have been developed for flagging test items that function differentially for equal ability examinees from different ethnic, linguistic, or gender groups, the standard differential item functioning (DIF) detection and review procedures have not been very useful in explaining why DIF occurs in the flagged items (Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 1999). To address this problem, Douglas, Roussos and Stout (1996) developed a confirmatory approach to DIF, which is used to test DIF hypotheses that are generated from theory and substantive item analyses. In the study described in this paper, DIF and differential bundle functioning (DBF) analyses were conducted to determine whether groups of reading test items, classified according to a bottom-up, top-down reading strategy framework, functioned differentially for equal ability Arabic and Mandarin ESL learners. SIBTEST (Stout and Roussos, 1999) analyses revealed significant systematic group differences in two of the bottom-up and two of the top-down reading strategy categories. These results demonstrate the utility of employing a theoretical framework for interpreting group differences on a reading test.
Investigating the performance of alternative types of grammar items
Authors: Dávid Gergely
Published: December 2006

Some educational contexts almost mandate the application of multiple-choice (MC) testing techniques, even if they are deplored by many practitioners in the field. In such contexts especially, research into how well these types of item perform and how their performance may be characterised is both appropriate and desirable. The focus of this paper is on a modified type of MC item dubbed “multitrak”, which was used to test grammar in the Hungarian national admissions test for English between 1993 and 2004. Multitrak items were evaluated in relation to three better-known MC item types and were shown to provide more information about candidates in the ability range represented by Levels B2 and C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), as well as allowing a focus on more difficult content than the other item types in the study.
The relative significance of syntactic knowledge and vocabulary breadth in the prediction of reading comprehension test performance
Authors: Shiotsu Toshihiko , Weir Cyril J.
Published: December 2006

In the componential approach to modelling reading ability, a number of contributory factors have been empirically validated. However, research on their relative contribution to explaining performance on second language reading tests is limited. Furthermore, the contribution of knowledge of syntax has been largely ignored in comparison with the attention focused on vocabulary. This study examines the relative contribution of knowledge of syntax and knowledge of vocabulary to L2 reading in two pilot studies in different contexts -a heterogeneous population studying at the tertiary level in the UK and a homogenous undergraduate group in Japan -followed by a larger main study, again involving a homogeneous Japanese undergraduate population. In contrast with previous findings in the literature, all three studies offer support for the relative superiority of syntactic knowledge over vocabulary knowledge in predicting performance on a text reading comprehension test. A case is made for the robustness of structural equation modelling compared to conventional regression in accounting for the differential reliabilities of scores on the measures employed.
The Impact of Ownership on Small Firm Behaviour and Performance
Authors: Ghobadian Abby , O'Regan Nicholas
Published: December 2006

The impact of ownership on organizational performance has attracted the interest of a large number of scholars. The empirical research predominately focuses on the impact of ownership structures on organizational performance, and to a lesser extent on the relationship between ownership type and performance. The relationship between ownership and other organizational factors has received little attention. In this article we examine the relationship between independent and subsidiary plants/operating units and leadership style, culture, emphasis on dimensions of the strategy making process, barriers to the implementation of strategy and a matrix of performance measures. Overall we found that independent firms performed better along some but not all dimensions of performance. In addition, they placed less emphasis on dimensions of the strategy making process, faced more implementation barriers, and were more likely to have a transformational style of management. We found differences along dimensions of culture, but no significant difference in cultural strength.
Impact of Functional Integration and Spatial Proximity on the Post-entry Performance of Knowledge Intensive Business Service Firms
Authors: Koch Andreas , Strotmann Harald
Published: December 2006

Knowledge intensive business service firms (KIBS) are an important element of modern economies, and are thus attracting increasing interest in scientific research. In the existing literature, it is argued that due to the important role of knowledge, innovation and user-producer interaction in the KIBS sector, functional integration and spatial proximity are particularly decisive for a firm's development. Nevertheless, due to the absence of suitable micro data there is a lack of studies empirically analysing the impact of functional integration and spatial proximity using micro firm data. Based upon new firm micro data from three German metropolitan regions, this article supplements the literature by giving a multivariate empirical analysis of the determinants of post-entry performance of KIBS. The results of the estimates of fi rm growth equations show that functional linkages to knowledge providers, customers and cooperation partners matter indeed for the performance of young KIBS. Regarding spatial proximity, however, a high diversifi cation of geographical reach is proven to be especially crucial.
Morphostratigraphic principles in glacier reconstruction -a perspective from the British Younger Dryas
Authors: Lukas Sven
Published: December 2006

Glacier reconstruction enables the calculation of palaeoglaciological and palaeoclimatic variables such as the equilibrium-line altitude and palaeo-precipitation values. Such data are important for our understanding of past atmosphere-cryosphere interactions and as input variables to constrain numerical models effectively. Numerical dating is crucial to constrain the age of glacial events, but, due to absence of dateable material and/or contamination problems, ice masses can frequently be constrained satisfactorily only in a few locations. Thus, extrapolation and interpolation of geomorphological evidence is required to establish the extent of glaciers at a given time for the whole ice mass. Using examples from areas in Britain that were last covered by glaciers during the Younger Dryas, geomorphological approaches are reviewed and potential pitfalls highlighted. A multiproxy morphostratigraphic approach that utilizes clear landsystem contrasts inside and outside dated glacial limits is developed and tested in an area where numerical dates are sparse. Landform assemblages suitable in this respect are the type and frequency of moraines, river terrace sequences, glaciofluvial landforms, raised beaches, the upslope terminations of sediment cover (‘drift limits’), periglacial trimlines and periglacial features such as blockfields, solifluction lobes and thick talus accumulations. It is concluded that, if multiple lines of geomorphological evidence converge, these can be used to confine the extent of past glaciers in a given area and to guide dating programmes.
Progress in modeling the impact of land cover change on the global climate
Authors: Salmun Haydee , Molod Andrea
Published: December 2006

The prediction of the impact of anthropogenic land use change on the climate system hinges on the ability to properly model the interaction between the heterogeneous land surface and the atmosphere in global climate models. This paper contains a review of techniques in general use for modeling this interaction in general circulation models (GCMs) that have been used to assess the impact of land use change on climate. The review includes a summary of GCM simulations of land cover change using these techniques, along with a description of the simulated physical mechanisms by which land cover change affects the climate. The vertical extent to which surface heterogeneities retain their individual character is an important consideration for the land-atmosphere coupling, and the description of a recently developed technique that improves this aspect of the coupling is presented. The differences in the simulated climate between this new technique and a technique in general use include the presence of a boundary layer feedback mechanism that is not present in simulations with the standard technique. We postulate that the new technique when implemented in a GCM has the potential to guide an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which anthropogenic land use change affects climate.
Stress Relaxation and Thermal Analysis of Hybrid Biofiber Reinforced Rubber Biocomposites
Authors: Jacob Maya , Jose Seno , Thomas Sabu , Varughese K. T.
Published: December 2006

Natural rubber was reinforced using two hybrid biofibers namely sisal and oil palm. The stress relaxation characteristics of sisal/oil palm hybrid fiber reinforced natural rubber composites was analyzed with special reference to fiber loading and chemical modifications. It was seen that the rate of relaxation decreased with fiber content and was found to be maximum in gum compound. Chemical modification of the fiber surface was found to affect the degree of adhesion and thereby the nature of relaxation. The thermal stability of the composites was also investigated with reference to loading and chemical treatment. The kinetics of thermal degradation was also analyzed. Activation energy was calculated from two methods: the Horowitz and Metzger method and the Coats-Redfern method.
Analysis of Transverse Cracking in [90n/±θm]s Composite Laminates
Authors: Zhang Hui , Minnetyan Levon
Published: December 2006

A variational model is presented to analyze the effect of transverse cracking in [90n/±τm]s composite laminates under uniaxial tensile loading. Crack geometry in the model is an unknown function which is determined by the derived governing equation rather than assumed shape functions. Analysis shows that the crack shape varies with crack density. Predicted results for stiffness reduction in [90n/m]s and [m/90n]s laminates indicate that the stacking sequence of laminates is important to the stiffness degradation with damage of composite materials.
Delamination in Hybrid FRP Laminates under Low Velocity Impact
Authors: Roy Tarapada , Chakraborty Debabrata
Published: December 2006

The present article deals with assessment of impact-induced delamination in hybrid fiber reinforced plastic laminated composites. Studies have been conducted on single material graphite/epoxy and kevlar/epoxy laminates as well as graphite/epoxy-kevlar/epoxy hybrid laminates to determine their responses to impact loading. Eight-noded layered solid elements have been used for finite element modeling of FRP laminates. Newmark-method along with Hertzian contact law has been used for transient dynamic finite element analysis. Stresses at the interfaces have been calculated using least-square formulation proposed by Hinton and Campbell. Based on the stresses calculated, delamination at the interfaces have been assessed using appropriate delamination criterion. It has been observed that even though the contact force magnitude is much less in the case of kevlar/epoxy laminates compared to that in graphite/epoxy laminates, the number of interfaces where delamination occurs as well as the delamination extent is greater in the case of kevlar/epoxy laminates. From the present study it could be observed that kevlar/epoxy-graphite/epoxy laminate is a better choice for guarding against impact-induced failure in laminated composites.
A Split Jewish Diaspora: Its Dramatic Consequences
Authors: Edrei Arye , Mendels Doron
Published: December 2006

This article proposes that a language divide and two systems of communication have brought to a serious gap between the western Jewish Diaspora and the eastern one. Thus the western Greek-speaking Jews lost touch with the Halakhah and the Rabbis, a condition that had far-reaching consequences on Jewish history thereafter. The Rabbis paid a high price for keeping their Halakhah in oral form, losing in consequence half of their constituency. An oral law did not develop in the western diaspora, whereas the existing eastern one was not translated into Greek. Hence it is not surprising that western Jews contributed nothing to the development of the oral law in the east. The Jewish communities that were isolated from the Rabbinic network served as a receptive basis for the development of an alternative Christian network by Paul and the apostles, which enabled it to spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. The Jews that remained ‘biblical’ surfaced in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Social Identity and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas
Authors: Simpson Brent
Published: December 2006

This article presents a refined explanation of why minimal group identities affect cooperation in social dilemmas. The refined approach builds on key tenets of social identity theory to argue that identity affects cooperation by leadings actors to maximize ingroup outcomes and minimize ingroup inequalities. A key implication of the argument is that social identity is predicted to reduce actors' responses to the ‘greed component’ in social dilemmas (the incentive to ‘free-ride’ on others' cooperation), but that it will not affect actors' responses to the ‘fear component’ (the motivation to avoid being ‘suckered’). These predictions stand in contrast to those of two existing explanations of social identity and cooperation. The three arguments are tested against the results of two new experiments. Overall, the results support the refined approach.
A Formal Model of Exit and Voice
Authors: Gehlbach Scott
Published: December 2006

I re-examine Hirschman's classic text Exit, Voice, and Loyalty through a game-theoretic interpretation of the relationship between exit and voice. The model, which is general and applicable to diverse environments, treats exit as a costly decision, which may be prevented through an appropriate choice of policy by the leadership of an organization. Voice – the capacity of an organization's members to participate in the setting of policy – is similarly costly, but provides a share of the surplus from avoiding exit. The formalization sheds light on the static and dynamic effects of exit, the conditions for the development of voice, the impact of loyalty, and the decision of organizational leaders to suppress voice and exit. I illustrate the model by revisiting Hirschman's analysis of exit and voice in the collapse of East German communism.
Some Problems of Wave Propagation in a Micropolar Elastic Medium with Voids
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Deswal Sunita
Published: December 2006

The effect of liquid on the propagation of waves in a micropolar elastic layer with voids immersed in an infinite liquid has been investigated. In case I the frequency equations for symmetric and antisymmetric vibrations have been obtained and some special cases have been deduced. Case II is concerned with wave propagation in a micropolar elastic solid with voids. Reflection of micropolar elastic waves at the free surface of a micropolar elastic body with voids is discussed. In case III, propagation of Rayleigh waves in a micropolar elastic body with voids and particle motion for Rayleigh waves are discussed. Numerical computations of the amplitude ratios for different reflected waves have been performed and plotted against the angle of emergence. The frequency equation of Rayleigh wave propagation is obtained and phase velocity as a function of Poisson’s ratio, frequency ratio, non-dimensional micropolar constant and normalized wave number have been plotted graphically for a particular model.
Digital Dynamic Photoelastic and Numerical Stress Analyses of a Strip
Authors: Wang Wei-Chung , Tsai Ying-Huang
Published: December 2006

In this paper, a digital dynamic photoelastic system was assembled to record the photoelastic fringe pattern produced by an ultrasonic wave incident on a strip. To verify the accuracy of the experimental results, the commercially available finite element method (FEM) software package ANSYS was employed, stress components at all nodes were obtained and the corresponding maximum shear stresses were calculated by using Matlab. For the case of a standing wave only, reconstructed photoelastic fringes were plotted and superimposed on the experimentally obtained fringe pattern to visually compare the extent to which they matched. The difference between the reconstructed fringes and thinned experimentally obtained photoelastic fringes was then calculated to check quantitatively the accuracy of the match.
Democratizing Global Environmental Governance? Stakeholder Democracy after the World Summit on Sustainable Development
Authors: Bäckstrand Karin
Published: December 2006

One of the most pressing problems confronting political scientists today is whether global governance has democratic legitimacy. Drawing on an analysis of the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, this article advances and empirically deploys an ideal-typical model of a new approach to key areas of global governance—‘stakeholder democracy’. This work is located in the context of the changing practices of global governance, in which concerns about legitimacy, accountability, and participation have gained prominence. Sustainability is an arena in which innovative experiments with new hybrid, pluri-lateral forms of governance, such as stakeholder forums and partnership agreements institutionalizing relations between state and non-state actors, are taking place. A central argument is that sustainability governance imperfectly exemplifies new deliberative stakeholder practices with general democratic potential at the global level. In examining these governance arrangements, we draw together the nascent elements of this new ‘model’, such as its distinctive takes on political representation and accountability.
Theory as a Hermeneutical Mechanism: The Democratic-Peace Thesis and the Politics of Democratization
Authors: Ish-Shalom Piki
Published: December 2006

This article seeks to explain the influence of the democratic-peace thesis on politics by offering a new understanding of theory: as a hermeneutical mechanism of attaching meaning to political concepts. The hermeneutical mechanism is understood as a three-stage model in which theoretical constructions transform into public conventions and then into political convictions. By using discourse-tracing—analyzing the process in which the theoretical discourse was transformed into political discourse—the article explores two case studies in which the democratic-peace thesis played a political role: the Israeli Right and its criticism of the Oslo accords, and the American neoconservatives and their policies in the Middle East. En route, I will apply Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony to reconstruct constructivism from a purely social theory to a sociopolitical theory that considers seriously the political dimension of social reality. The model that is developed here advances our metatheoretical understanding of theory as offering a holistic understanding of reality, rather than a mere limited explanation of specific phenomena; highlights theory’s involvement in real-world politics; and emphasizes theory’s political capital, with the resulting moral responsibility of theoreticians.