bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monopolists' Profit Tax Evasion Revisited
Authors: Wu T. C. Michael , Yang C. C.
Published: November 2011

This article revisits the issues of neutrality and separability for a monopolistic firm. It is shown that as long as the monopolistic firm has objectives other than maximizing profit, then in general: (1) profit taxes will not be neutral, and (2) the firm’s production and evasion decisions will not be separable from each other. The authors argue that the nonneutrality result of profit taxes is quite robust; however, there are plausible exceptions to the nonseparability result of profit taxes.
Final Report of the Amended Safety Assessment of PVM/MA Copolymer and Its Related Salts and Esters as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Burnett Christina L. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: November 2011

Polyvinyl methyl ether/maleic acid (PVM/MA) copolymer, and its related salts and esters, are used in cosmetics, mainly as binders, film formers, and hair fixatives. Animal and human data relevant to the use of these ingredients in cosmetic products were reviewed by the CIR Expert Panel. The Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe for use in cosmetic products.
Living in several languages: Language, gender and identities
Authors: Burck Charlotte
Published: November 2011

Living in several languages encompasses experiencing and constructing oneself differently in each language. The research study on which this article is based takes an intersectional approach to explore insider accounts of the place of language speaking in individuals’ constructions of self, family relationships and the wider context. Twenty-four research interviews and five published autobiographies were analysed using grounded theory, narrative and discursive analysis. A major finding was that learning a new language inducted individuals into somewhat ‘stereotyped’ gendered discourses and power relations within the new language, while also enabling them to view themselves differently in the context of their first language. This embodied process could be challenging and often required reflection and discursive work to negotiate the dissimilarities, discontinuities and contradictions between languages and cultures. However, the participants generally claimed that their linguistic multiplicity generated creativity. Women and men used their language differences differently to ‘perform their gender’. This was particularly evident in language use within families, which involved gendered differences in the choice of language for parenting – despite the fact that both men and women experience their first languages as conveying intimacy in their relationships with their children. The article argues that the notion of ‘mother tongue’ (rather than ‘first language’) is unhelpful in this process as well as in considering the implications of living in several languages for systemic therapy.
Primary teachers, policy, and physical education
Authors: Petrie Kirsten , lisahunter
Published: November 2011

This article focuses on the challenges arising for primary school teachers who have responsibility for teaching physical education (PE) and who are working in particularly complex and contestable policy contexts. In New Zealand provision of physical education is identified as occurring amidst multiple, and not necessarily compatible, sets of expectations, associated with government priorities, initiatives focusing on children’s health, sport, and improved national achievement outcomes. This article examines the contemporary educational policy landscape, and the effect constantly shifting policy initiatives have on teachers’ work in physical education in primary schools. Key themes characterizing primary PE teaching/teachers’ situation currently centre on pressures to adhere to policies that have stricter accountability measures, the utilization of ‘external providers’, limited time for teacher learning and what appears to paralysis by policy. Discussion considers possible alternative approaches to the development of policy that would arguably better support teachers of physical education in primary schools.
Impact-induced vibration in complex flexible multi-body systems: numerical and experimental investigation of press machines
Authors: Shimada H , Shabana A A
Published: November 2011

This article is concerned with the numerical and experimental investigations of impact-induced vibrations in highly non-linear complex multibody system applications. In order to accurately model the impact response of such complex systems, a computational procedure based on the integration of finite element and multibody system algorithms is used. This procedure, which employs the finite element floating frame of reference formulation, allows for defining arbitrary joint constraint and forcing functions, for accurately capturing the coupling between the rigid body motion and the elastic deformation, and for modeling the impact forces between rigid and flexible bodies in the multibody system model. The system equations of motion are developed using the augmented Lagrangian formulation that allows for the use of sparse matrix techniques. The algorithm used in this study ensures that the kinematic constraint equations are satisfied at the position, velocity, and acceleration levels. The impact-induced vibration of a highly non-linear press machine is numerically and experimentally examined in this study. In order to accurately model the dynamic behavior of such a press machine, it is necessary to model the transfer feeder elastic deformations resulting from the impulsive impact forces. The deformations of the transfer press system as well as those of its frame are modeled in this investigation using the floating frame of reference formulation that allows for effectively reducing the number of degrees of freedom by filtering out very high-frequency modes of vibration using component mode synthesis techniques. The formulations of several relative angle and angular velocity kinematic constraints that are required to model this multibody system are developed in order to model transfer feeder complex rotational components. The numerical results obtained using the three-dimensional multibody system transfer press model developed in this study are validated using experimental results.
Model-based ethanol blend estimation in flexible-fuel vehicles
Authors: Zope R , Franchek M , Grigoriadis K , Surnilla G , Smith S
Published: November 2011

This paper presents a model-based strategy estimating the ethanol content of an ethanol–gasoline blended fuel in flexible fuel vehicles. A steady-state parametric model relating engine speed, throttle angle, and air–fuel ratio to the fuel injector pulse-width is developed from physics. The parameters of this model are adapted and linked to percentage of ethanol content via a suitably defined metric. The proposed steady-state model structure is experimentally validated on a 2005 5.4L V8 Ford engine. The developed ethanol content estimation methodology is justified based on the combustion chemistry and physics involved. The methodology developed has a distinct advantage over previously proposed methods as it uses only the existing sensor set on a production vehicle.
Community-Based Care Coordination
Authors: Findley Sally , Rosenthal Michael , Bryant-Stephens Tyra , Damitz Maureen , Lara Marielena , Mansfield Carol , Matiz Adriana , Nourani Vesall , Peretz Patricia , Persky Victoria W. , Ramos Valencia Gilberto , Uyeda Kimberly , Viswanathan Meera
Published: November 2011

Care coordination programs have been used to address chronic illnesses, including childhood asthma, but primarily via practice-based models. An alternative approach employs community-based care coordinators who bridge gaps between families, health care providers, and support services. Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) sites developed community-based care coordination approaches for childhood asthma. Using a community-based care coordination logic model, programs at each site are described along with program operational statistics. Four sites used three to four community health workers (CHWs) to provide care coordination, whereas one site used five school-based asthma nurses. This school-based site had the highest caseload (82.5 per year), but program duration was 3 months with 4 calls or visits. Other sites averaged fewer cases (35 to 61 per CHW per year), but families received more (7 to 17) calls or visits over a year. Retention was 43% to 93% at 6 months and 24% to 75% at 12 months. Pre–post cross-site data document changes in asthma management behaviors and outcomes. After program participation, 93% to 100% of caregivers had confidence in controlling their child’s asthma, 85% to 92% had taken steps to reduce triggers, 69% to 100% had obtained an asthma action plan, and 46% to 100% of those with moderate to severe asthma reported appropriate use of controller medication. Emergency department visits for asthma decreased by 36% to 63%, and asthma-related hospitalizations declined by 26% to 78%. More than three fourths had fewer school absences. In conclusion, MCAN community-based care coordination programs improved management behaviors and decreased morbidity across all sites.
Applying the Performance Partnership Model to Smoking Cessation
Authors: Revell Connie C. , Meriwether Margaret B.
Published: November 2011

A wide array of partners can be convened around a single measurable outcome, such as driving down smoking prevalence, through the use of an innovative approach called the performance partnership model. This approach has certain key characteristics that make it different from ordinary coalition building, such as following four steps leading to a baseline, a target, an action plan, and an impact measurement plan. It also employs great speed and focus to keep partners engaged, and it has led to demonstrable progress on smoking cessation nationwide.
Building the Evaluation Capacity of California’s Local Tobacco Control Programs
Authors: Treiber Jeanette , Cassady Diana , Kipke Robin , Kwon Nicole , Satterlund Travis
Published: November 2011

Successful evaluation capacity building requires a dynamic balance between responding to local agency needs and ensuring that local staff have appropriate skills to conduct rigorous evaluations. In 2004, the California Tobacco Control Program established the Tobacco Control Evaluation Center (TCEC), based at a public research university, to provide evaluation technical assistance to approximately 100 local agencies implementing tobacco control programs. TCEC has been responsive to local needs, for instance, by answering 512 technical assistance requests in the first 5 years of operation and by tailoring training according to needs assessment results. About 50% of the technical assistance requests were for new data collection instruments ( n = 255). TCEC has sought proactively to improve local evaluation skills, most recently in a data analysis and report writing skill building campaign that included a webinar, newsletter, and seven regional training meetings. Preliminary analysis suggests a 20% improvement in scores for the local final evaluation reports as a result of this campaign. It is concluded that evaluation technical assistance can be provided effectively by a university as long as the local context is kept in mind, and a balance of responsive and proactive technical assistance is provided.
Addressing Tobacco Use in Homeless Populations
Authors: Porter Janet , Houston Lisa , Anderson Robert H. , Maryman Kristi
Published: November 2011

A diverse group of panelists met for one day on October 21, 2009, in Washington, DC, for the purpose of addressing the high tobacco use prevalence rates in homeless populations; identifying appropriate policy, cessation practices and models for implementation in this population; and providing targeted recommendations for researchers, homeless service providers, tobacco control advocates, and policy makers. The panel was convened by Break Free Alliance, one of six national networks funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health. The panelists worked through a process of problem identification, generation of responses, analysis and prioritization, development of recommendations, and arrival of final decisions reached by consensus. The resulting recommendations for addressing tobacco use in homeless populations focused on tobacco non-use policy implementation, cessation programming, and expansion of partnerships and collaborations between tobacco control advocates and social service providers. The panel also identified unanswered research questions that can serve to develop a framework for future initiatives to reduce tobacco use among homeless persons. The expert panel model serves as one approach for engaging nontraditional partners and building consensus among leaders from a variety of sectors to address tobacco use in special populations.
Outcomes From a Cross-Site Evaluation of a Comprehensive Pediatric Asthma Initiative Incorporating Translation of Evidence-Based Interventions
Authors: Mansfield Carol , Viswanathan Meera , Woodell Carol , Nourani Vesall , Ohadike Yvonne U. , Lesch Julie Kennedy , Malveaux Floyd J. , Bryant-Stephens Tyra , Findley Sally , Lara Marielena , Matiz Adriana , Ramos Valencia Gilberto , Rosenthal Michael , Persky Victoria W. , Uyeda Kimberly , Williams Rhonda , Banda Elizabeth , Ramirez-Diaz Erline , Morales Reyes Beatriz , Montoya Jorge , West Caroline
Published: November 2011

This article reports on an evaluation of the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) initiative using pooled cross-site data on patient-reported outcomes pre- and postintervention to quantify the changes experienced by children in five program sites supported by the network. The results show a consistent pattern of improvement across all measured outcomes, including symptoms, hospital and emergency department use, school absences, and caregiver confidence. Children who started with uncontrolled asthma experienced larger improvements than children with controlled asthma at baseline. However, even considering the significant gains made by children with uncontrolled asthma at baseline, after 12 months, most of the outcomes for these children were significantly worse than the 12-month outcomes for children with controlled asthma at baseline. The evaluation of the MCAN initiative offers a model that can be used in cases where resources must be balanced between evaluation and delivering services to children. The design process and results from the common survey instrument provide information for future initiatives seeking to translate evidence-based interventions in a community-based setting.
Effect of minimum quantity lubrication with Al2O3 nanoparticles on surface roughness, tool wear and temperature dissipation in machining Inconel 600 alloy
Authors: Vasu V , Pradeep Kumar Reddy G
Published: November 2011

Eco-friendly machining processes are gaining importance to avoid environmental pollution. Even though cutting fluids have a reasonably low cost, their handling and carrying costs are very high and also, owing to their toxic nature, dumping of used fluids is a big problem because it can be hazardous to workers and also to the environment. To avoid these problems, a minimal-cutting-fluid technique called minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) was used in machining. Owing to the development of nanomaterials by nanotechnology techniques, the effectiveness of the cutting fluids can be increased by dispersing them. In the present work a vegetable-oil-based MQL with different volume fraction of Al2O3 (aluminium oxide) nanoparticles is used as the cutting fluid for machining Inconel 600 alloy. Experimental results for three different conditions – dry, MQL, MQL + Al2O3 nanoparticles – are plotted. It is observed that surface finish and temperature dissipation of the workpiece increase with different volume fractions of Al2O3 nanoparticle addition. It is also possible to observe a decrease in cutting forces and tool wear rate, and a reduction in the negative environmental effects, owing to Al2O3 nanoparticle addition to MQL in machining Inconel 600 alloy.
Reliability analysis of generalized multi-state k-out-of-n systems
Authors: Chaturvedi S K , Basha S H , Amari S V , Zuo M J
Published: November 2011

The recently proposed generalized multi-state k-out-of- n system model provides more flexibility in describing practical systems. In this model, there are n components in the system where each component and the system can be in one of M + 1 possible states: 0, 1, 2, …, M. The system is in below state j if there exists an integer value l, (1  ≤ i ≤ j) such that at least kl components are in states below l. Although the model has several practical applications, existing methods for computing either the exact or approximate reliability of these systems are computationally inefficient and limited to very small systems. This paper proposes an efficient method and a detailed algorithm to compute the exact reliability of multi-state k-out-of- n systems with independent and identically distributed components. The method is based on conditional probabilities and is applicable for all cases of multi-state k-out-of- n systems with respect to the recent definitions of this system.
Global analysis of gene expression in NGF-deprived sympathetic neurons identifies molecular pathways associated with cell death
Authors: Kristiansen Mark , Menghi Francesca , Hughes Rosie , Hubank Mike , Ham Jonathan
Published: November 2011

Background

Developing sympathetic neurons depend on nerve growth factor (NGF) for survival and die by apoptosis after NGF withdrawal. This process requires de novo gene expression but only a small number of genes induced by NGF deprivation have been identified so far, either by a candidate gene approach or in mRNA differential display experiments. This is partly because it is difficult to obtain large numbers of sympathetic neurons for in vitro studies. Here, we describe for the first time, how advances in gene microarray technology have allowed us to investigate the expression of all known genes in sympathetic neurons cultured in the presence and absence of NGF.

Results

We have used Affymetrix Exon arrays to study the pattern of expression of all known genes in NGF-deprived sympathetic neurons. We identified 415 up- and 813 down-regulated genes, including most of the genes previously known to be regulated in this system. NGF withdrawal activates the mixed lineage kinase (MLK)-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-c-Jun pathway which is required for NGF deprivation-induced death. By including a mixed lineage kinase (MLK) inhibitor, CEP-11004, in our experimental design we identified which of the genes induced after NGF withdrawal are potential targets of the MLK-JNK-c-Jun pathway. A detailed Gene Ontology and functional enrichment analysis also identified genetic pathways that are highly enriched and overrepresented amongst the genes expressed after NGF withdrawal. Five genes not previously studied in sympathetic neurons - trib3, ddit3, txnip, ndrg1 and mxi1 - were validated by real time-PCR. The proteins encoded by these genes also increased in level after NGF withdrawal and this increase was prevented by CEP-11004, suggesting that these genes are potential targets of the MLK-JNK-c-Jun pathway.

Conclusions

The sympathetic neuron model is one of the best studied models of neuronal apoptosis. Overall, our microarray data gives a comprehensive overview of, and provides new information about, signalling pathways and transcription factors that are regulated by NGF withdrawal.
Comprehensive analysis of RET common and rare variants in a series of Spanish Hirschsprung patients confirms a synergistic effect of both kinds of events
Authors: Núñez-Torres Rocio , Fernández Raquel M , Acosta Manuel Jesus , Enguix-Riego Maria del Valle , Marbá Martina , Carlos de Agustín Juan , Castaño Luis , Antiñolo Guillermo , Borrego Salud
Published: November 2011

Background

RET is the major gene associated to Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) with differential contributions of its rare and common, coding and noncoding mutations to the multifactorial nature of this pathology. In the present study, we have performed a comprehensive study of our HSCR series evaluating the involvement of both RET rare variants (RVs) and common variants (CVs) in the context of the disease.

Methods

RET mutational screening was performed by dHPLC and direct sequencing for the identification of RVs. In addition Taqman technology was applied for the genotyping of 3 RET CVs previously associated to HSCR, including a variant lying in an enhancer domain within RET intron 1 (rs2435357). Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS v.17.0 to analyze the distribution of the variants.

Results

Our results confirm the strongest association to HSCR for the "enhancer" variant, and demonstrate a significantly higher impact of it in male versus female patients. Integration of the RET RVs and CVs analysis showed that in 91.66% of cases with both kinds of mutational events, the enhancer allele is in trans with the allele bearing the RET RV.

Conclusions

A gender effect exists on both the transmission and distribution of rare coding and common HSCR causing mutations. In addition, these RET CVs and RVs seem to act in a synergistic way leading to HSCR phenotype.
Treatment guided by rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Tanzanian children: safety and alternative bacterial diagnoses
Authors: Mtove George , Hendriksen Ilse CE , Amos Ben , Mrema Hedwiga , Mandia Victor , Manjurano Alphaxard , Muro Florida , Sykes Alma , Hildenwall Helena , Whitty Christopher JM , Reyburn Hugh
Published: November 2011

Background

WHO guidelines for the treatment of young children with suspected malaria have recently changed from presumptive treatment to anti-malarial treatment guided by a blood slide or malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT). However, there is limited evidence of the safety of this policy in routine outpatient settings in Africa.

Methods

Children 3-59 months of age with a non-severe febrile illness and no obvious cause were enrolled over a period of one year in a malaria endemic area of Tanzania. Treatment was determined by the results of a clinical examination and RDT result, and blood culture and serum lactate were also collected. RDT-negative children were followed up over 14 days.

Results

Over the course of one year, 965 children were enrolled; 158 (16.4%) were RDT-positive and treated with artemether-lumefantrine and 807 (83.4%) were RDT-negative and treated with non-anti-malarial medicines. Compared with RDT-positives, RDT-negative children were on average younger with a lower axillary temperature and more likely to have a history of cough or difficulty in breathing. Six (0.6%) children became RDT-positive after enrolment, all of whom were PCR-negative for Plasmodium falciparum DNA at enrolment. In addition, 12 (1.2%) children were admitted to hospital, one with possible malaria, none of whom died. A bacterial pathogen was identified in 9/965 (0.9%) children, eight of whom were RDT-negative and one was RDT-positive, but slide-negative. Excluding three children with Salmonella typhi, all of the children with bacteraemia were ≤12 months of age. Compared to double-read research slide results RDTs had a sensitivity of 97.8% (95%CI 96.9-98.7) and specificity of 96.3% (95%CI 96.3-98.4).

Conclusions

Use of RDTs to direct the use of anti-malarial drugs in young children did not result in any missed diagnoses of malaria although new infections soon after a consultation with a negative RDT result may undermine confidence in results. Invasive bacterial disease is uncommon in children with non-severe illness and most cases occurred in infants with a current fever.
Site-specific endometrial injury improves implantation and pregnancy in patients with repeated implantation failures
Authors: Huang Shang Yu , Wang Chin-Jung , Soong Yung-Kuei , Wang Hsin-Shih , Wang Mei Li , Lin Chieh Yu , Chang Chia Lin
Published: November 2011

Background

To test whether a site-specific hysteroscopic biopsy-induced injury in the endometrium during the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycle improves subsequent embryo implantation in patients with repeated implantation failure, a total of 30 patients who have had good responses to controlled ovulation stimulation but have failed to achieve pregnancy after two or more transfers of good-quality embryos were recruited in this prospective study.

Methods

A single, site-specific hysteroscopic biopsy-induced injury was generated on the posterior endometrium at midline 10-15 mm from the fundus during the D4-D7 period of the ongoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycle in six patients.

Results

Patients received endometrial biopsy protocol achieved a pregnancy rate of 100%. By contrast, only 46% of patients with similar clinical characteristics (N = 24) achieved pregnancy without the hysteroscopic biopsy-induced endometrium injury (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our proof-of-concept study demonstrates that a site-specific hysteroscopic endometrium injury performed during the ongoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle, instead of injuries received during prior cycles, significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with repeated implantation failure.
The application of carbon nanotubes in target drug delivery systems for cancer therapies
Authors: Zhang Wuxu , Zhang Zhenzhong , Zhang Yingge
Published: November 2011

Among all cancer treatment options, chemotherapy continues to play a major role in killing free cancer cells and removing undetectable tumor micro-focuses. Although chemotherapies are successful in some cases, systemic toxicity may develop at the same time due to lack of selectivity of the drugs for cancer tissues and cells, which often leads to the failure of chemotherapies. Obviously, the therapeutic effects will be revolutionarily improved if human can deliver the anticancer drugs with high selectivity to cancer cells or cancer tissues. This selective delivery of the drugs has been called target treatment. To realize target treatment, the first step of the strategies is to build up effective target drug delivery systems. Generally speaking, such a system is often made up of the carriers and drugs, of which the carriers play the roles of target delivery. An ideal carrier for target drug delivery systems should have three pre-requisites for their functions: (1) they themselves have target effects; (2) they have sufficiently strong adsorptive effects for anticancer drugs to ensure they can transport the drugs to the effect-relevant sites; and (3) they can release the drugs from them in the effect-relevant sites, and only in this way can the treatment effects develop. The transporting capabilities of carbon nanotubes combined with appropriate surface modifications and their unique physicochemical properties show great promise to meet the three pre-requisites. Here, we review the progress in the study on the application of carbon nanotubes as target carriers in drug delivery systems for cancer therapies.
An autoimmune disease prevented by anti-retroviral drugs
Authors: Beck-Engeser Gabriele B , Eilat Dan , Wabl Matthias
Published: November 2011

Background

Both Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, a Mendelian mimic of congenital infection, and the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus can result from mutations in the gene encoding the enzyme Trex1. In mice, the absence of Trex1 causes severe myocarditis. The enzyme is thought to degrade endogenous retroelements, thus linking them to autoimmune disease. However, inhibition of reverse transcription by the inhibitor zidovudine (AZT) did not ameliorate the disease, weakening the link to retroelements.

Findings

Here, we show that two other FDA-approved drugs that inhibit reverse transcriptase can ameliorate the myocarditis in Trex1-null mouse.

Conclusions

The result suggests that retroelements contribute to this hereditary form of autoimmunity, and that treatment with retroelement inhibitors might ameliorate Aicardi-Goutières syndrome in humans.
Genome-wide analysis of chromatin features identifies histone modification sensitive and insensitive yeast transcription factors
Authors: Cheng Chao , Shou Chong , Yip Kevin Y , Gerstein Mark B
Published: November 2011

We propose a method to predict yeast transcription factor targets by integrating histone modification profiles with transcription factor binding motif information. It shows improved predictive power compared to a binding motif-only method. We find that transcription factors cluster into histone-sensitive and -insensitive classes. The target genes of histone-sensitive transcription factors have stronger histone modification signals than those of histone-insensitive ones. The two classes also differ in tendency to interact with histone modifiers, degree of connectivity in protein-protein interaction networks, position in the transcriptional regulation hierarchy, and in a number of additional features, indicating possible differences in their transcriptional regulation mechanisms.
Small-scale modeling of onshore seismic experiment: A tool to validate numerical modeling and seismic imaging methods
Authors: Bretaudeau François , Leparoux Donatienne , Durand Olivier , Abraham Odile
Published: November 2011

The seismic imaging methods currently in the development stage need to be tested for experimental validation under controlled conditions. Yet natural media are very complex, and moreover, the parameters along the measurement profile prove difficult to evaluate independently of the seismic method itself. To satisfy this need, the ultrasonic measurement laboratory (MUSC) presented in this research has been devised to experimentally model seismic field measurements by using reduced-scale models. This facility is composed of small-scale models of the underground, an optical table with two moving arms, a laser interferometer, and adapted piezoelectric transducers used as the seismic sources. The source system has been adapted to simulate the behavior of a point-surface seismic source. This is essential to reproduce the spatial energy distribution of a surface seismic source and supersedes the sources used in the past for other reduced-scale seismic experimental models. The comparisons of experimental data collected with MUSC and numerical data simulated by means of finite-element viscoelastic modeling indicate very good agreement of time arrivals and amplitudes for a range of propagation distances until the amplitude has decreased to the system noise level. These results demonstrate that the MUSC laboratory is a system with plenty of promise for validating seismic imaging methods through testing on a perfectly known propagation model prior to field application.
Airborne geophysical mapping of the Australian continent
Authors: Minty Brian R. S.
Published: November 2011

Many countries have significant coverage of publicly funded airborne magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometric surveys that are available to explorers as precompetitive information to encourage exploration. However, individual surveys are generally small, and after decades of data acquisition, explorers are faced with the problem of how to effectively combine the individual surveys into coherent regional compilations. The Australian government’s response was to fly a baseline survey over the whole of Australia at approximately 75-km flight line spacing. This has enabled all of Australia’s public-domain magnetic and gamma-ray spectrometric surveys to be leveled to common datums using new techniques facilitated by the baseline control provided by the new traverses. This adds significant value to these data, as they can now be used for the interpretation of regional-scale features and for direct comparison of geophysical signatures from different parts of the continent. Also, quantitative modeling and analysis of the data can now be carried out over much larger areas.
Optimizing the Frequency of Follow-Up Visits for Patients Treated for Localized Primary Cutaneous Melanoma
Authors: Turner Robin M. , Bell Katy J.L. , Morton Rachael L. , Hayen Andrew , Francken Anne Brecht , Howard Kirsten , Armstrong Bruce , Thompson John F. , Irwig Les
Published: November 2011

Purpose

To develop more evidence-based guidelines for the frequency of patient follow-up after treatment of localized (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage I or II) melanoma.

Methods

We used data from Melanoma Institute Australia on an inception cohort of 3,081 consecutive patients first diagnosed with stage I or II melanoma between January 1985 and December 2009. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models were used to characterize the time course and predictors for recurrence and new primaries. We modeled the delay in diagnosis of recurrence or new primary as well as the number of monitoring visits required using two monitoring schedules: first, according to 2008 Australian and New Zealand guidelines and, second, with fewer visits, especially for those at lowest risk of recurrence.

Results

For every 1,000 patients beginning follow-up, 229 developed recurrence and 61 developed new primary within 10 years. There was only a small difference in modeled delay in diagnosis (extra 44.9 and 9.6 patients per 1,000 for recurrence and new primary, respectively, with delay greater than 2 months) using a schedule that requires far fewer visits (3,000 fewer visits per 1,000 patients) than recommended by current guidelines. AJCC substage was the most important predictor of recurrence, whereas age and date of primary diagnosis were important predictors of developing new primary.

Conclusion

By providing less intensive monitoring, more efficient follow-up strategies are possible. Fewer visits with a more focused approach may address the needs of patients and clinicians to detect recurrent or new melanoma.
Phase II Study of Intraperitoneal Paclitaxel Plus Cisplatin and Intravenous Paclitaxel Plus Bevacizumab As Adjuvant Treatment of Optimal Stage II/III Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Konner Jason A. , Grabon Diana M. , Gerst Scott R. , Iasonos Alexia , Thaler Howard , Pezzulli Sandra D. , Sabbatini Paul J. , Bell-McGuinn Katherine M. , Tew William P. , Hensley Martee L. , Spriggs David R. , Aghajanian Carol A.
Published: November 2011

Purpose

Intraperitoneal (IP) cisplatin and intravenous (IV) or IP paclitaxel constitute a standard therapy for optimally debulked ovarian cancer. Bevacizumab prolongs progression-free survival (PFS) when included in first-line IV chemotherapy. In this study, the safety and feasibility of adding bevacizumab to a first-line IP regimen were assessed.

Patients and Methods

Treatment was as follows: paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 IV over 3 hours day 1, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 IP day 2, and paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 IP day 8. Bevacizumab 15 mg/kg IV was given after paclitaxel on day 1 beginning in cycle 2. After six cycles of chemotherapy, bevacizumab was given every 3 weeks for 17 additional treatments. The primary end point was safety and tolerability determined by whether 60% of patients completed six cycles of IV/IP chemotherapy.

Results

Of 41 treated patients, 30 (73%) received six cycles of IV/IP chemotherapy and 35 (85%) received at least four cycles. Three (27%) of those who discontinued chemotherapy did so because of complications related to bevacizumab (hypertension, n = 2; perforation, n = 1). Grades 3 to 4 toxicities included neutropenia (34%), vasovagal syncope (10%), hypertension (7%), nausea/vomiting (7%), hypomagnesemia (7%), and abdominal pain (7%). There were three grade 3 small bowel obstructions (7%) during cycles 3, 9, and 15. One patient died following rectosigmoid anastomotic dehiscence during cycle 4. Estimated median PFS is 28.6 months (95% CI, 19.1 to 38.9 months). Three patients (7%) had IP port malfunction.

Conclusion

The addition of bevacizumab to this IP regimen is feasible; however, bevacizumab may increase the risk of bowel obstruction/perforation. The observed median PFS is similar to that seen with IP/IV chemotherapy alone.
Time and relative dimensions on line: Doctor Who, wikis and the production of narrative/history
Authors: Booth Paul
Published: November 2011

The wiki illustrates an entwining of history and narrative, a relation that becomes obvious through comparisons with the long-form television programme Doctor Who. In this article I examine the fan-created wiki for this long-running British television series, http:/ tardis.wikia.com,
to articulate the interconnectedness of narrative and history on wikis. Tardis.wikia illustrates an important tension present within editable digital archives: that is, wikis represent the archival of knowledge as both a historical misrepresentation as well as a necessary step in equating
‘knowledge’ with historical truth. Wikis represent a particularly salient view of how memory, culture and history collide in a ‘Web 2.0’ world. By looking at four different functions of history in the narrative of Doctor Who, and then examining how these functions become
represented on tardis.wikia, I illustrate some of the ideology, production, historical memory and editability of our contemporary digital culture, and show how traditional media forms can often offer a useful heuristic for understanding new media technologies.
The Faustian cyborg: Technology, subjectivity and the spirit of silent comedy in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining
Authors: Dudenhoeffer Larrie
Published: November 2011

This essay traces the tendencies of the cinema towards the cyborgist re-composition of a film’s characters, mise-en-scène, and spectatorship. It first discusses the early silent comedies of Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd in relation to Martin Heidegger’s
exposition of technology as Gestell or Enframing, as essentially “a way of revealing” what we call material realities or truths that in modern times dovetails into the challenge to take these truths, submit them to manufacture, and order them into standing reserves. After arguing
that the films of these comedians represent the cinematic apparatus as at once a simple, complex, and Rube Goldberg-style machine – while also reenacting its automaticity through the recursive functioning of certain slapstick routines – the essay moves on to consider Stanley Kubrick’s
The Shining (1980) as an “emulator” of the workings of this sort of cinematic reflexivity as it connects up with advances in cybernetic technologies and information systems. The Shining serves as a tutor text of the re-versioning of the cinema into an intelligent machine, and this
essay therefore recommends the counter-notion of Disenframing as a way of resisting certain agendas of the epistemo-technological regime that this machine instances, namely its reduction of the subject’s flesh to the status of a tool or instrument and its concentration of such “instruments”
into a new form of standing reserve.
Deconstructing ideological notions of otherness in Far from Heaven
Authors: Camara Sakile , White Theresa , Drummond Darlene K. , Jackson II Ronald L.
Published: November 2011

Using a critical cultural studies framework, and the tenets of critical media literacy, this project began as an opportunity for 76 racially mixed students (i.e. Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, Bi-racial, Whites and other) to deconstruct a popular film text, Far from Heaven (2002), and to
examine how students process otherness within this film, as well as construct communication strategies to talk about issues of sexuality, race and gender. The goal of this study is to encourage students to reflect on and think critically about how characters were stereotyped and positioned
in the film, and also to address the need for educators to incorporate critical media literacy into their pedagogical strategies so that students can become more critically aware. We begin this study by offering a literature review of the tenets of critical media literacy, and then reconceptualizing
otherness within critical communication studies by redefining otherness in structural terms. Consequently, we describe student interpretations of otherness within the film, their capacity to enact rules for characters in the film, as well as their personal use of metaphors that presumes knowledge
of history. We conclude by sharing implications and suggestions for applying critical cultural skills to ideas of otherness in an effort to train students in the development of using critical media literacy skills in the classroom. We argue that the use of film texts in the classroom creates
an approachable climate to scrutinize sexual orientation, gender roles and race.
A review of the use of psychophysiological methods in game research
Authors: Kivikangas J. Matias , Chanel Guillaume , Cowley Ben , Ekman Inger , Salminen Mikko , Järvelä Simo , Ravaja Niklas
Published: November 2011

This article reviews the psychophysiological method in game research. Psychophysiological measurements provide an objective, continuous, real-time, noninvasive, precise and sensitive way to assess the game experience. However, the best results require controlled experiments with careful
monitoring of variables, large enough sample sizes and expertise in electrical signal processing. We briefly explain the theory behind the method and present the most useful measures: electromyography (EMG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electroencephalography (EEG) and cardiac measures. We
review previous studies that have used psychophysiological measures in game research and illustrate some future directions. Our article covers several research lines using the psychophysiological method in game studies, and offers a comprehensive list of references for those interested in
the field.
Sound matters: Towards an enactive approach to hearing media
Authors: Schmidt Lisa
Published: November 2011

This article explores and proposes a model of hearing based upon an emergent line of thought known as the ‘enactive’ or ‘embodied cognition’ approach. This approach views the various modes of perception (sight, hearing, etc.) as styles of relating rather than
processes carried out in the brain. Put another way, these approaches envision experience as constituted by embodied, perceptual relationships to the world. According to the phenomenological perspective of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, every self is constituted by perceptual, embodied relations within
a lifeworld. For Merleau-Ponty, and for scholars like Francisco Varela, Alva Noë and Shaun Gallagher, this is no metaphor. It is a material description of the ordinary and everyday relations that constitute our selves in the world. As Noë reports, breakthroughs in neuroanatomical
and neuropsychological research methods have led to considerable excitement and energy being poured into cognitive studies. It is thought that by these means we might even be able to ‘see’ consciousness at work. Yet Noë is highly sceptical of this ambition because an ‘explanatory
gap’ remains between the data (images of brain activity, etc.) and true understanding of perceptual experience. Working from this critique, Noë and Kevin O’Regan have argued convincingly for a sensory-motor account of vision and consciousness. Currently, there is virtually
nothing written on the possibilities for an enactive model of hearing. Therefore, my goal in this article is to initiate a sketch of such a model. I contend that this alternative approach may prove to be very enlightening with respect to studies of film and television reception, which otherwise
tend not to notice the meaning-making activities of the body.
‘Connecting hearing to viewing and knowing to feeling’: Sound as evocation in non-fiction film with particular reference to No Escape (Cox, 2009)
Authors: Cox Geoffrey
Published: November 2011

This article investigates the early historical context of the relationship between sound and image in film, and how contemporary theorists have drawn on this to suggest new creative aesthetic modes. The practical realization of such suggestions will be illustrated primarily by an analysis
of my own film No Escape (Cox, 2009), which explores the combination of live piano music, diegetic sound and image. It draws on my collaborative work as sound designer and composer with film-maker Keith Marley, whereby we have attempted to challenge the perceived relationship between sound
and image in documentary film (e.g. Cider Makers, Keith Marley, 2007 and A Film About Nice, Keith Marley and Geoffrey Cox, 2010), a relationship seen as stratified or hierarchical in the sense that sound is often treated by film-makers as subordinate to image in a genre that is dominated by
what Bill Nichols calls a ‘discourse of sobriety’.
Generalized Nonaveraging Integer Sequences
Authors: Tseng Dennis
Published: November 2011

Let the sequence
Microporous Membrane Technology for Measurement of Soil-Water Characteristic Curve
Authors: Nishiumura Tomoyoshi , Koseki Junichi , Fredlund Delwyn G. , Rahardjo Harianto
Published: November 2011

High air entry ceramic disks are commonly used for the control of matric suction in triaxial and direct shear tests and in tests for obtaining the soil-water characteristic curve. Geotechnical engineers have made increasing use of high air entry ceramic disks in order to measure or control matric suctions during unsaturated soil testing. One of the limitations associated with the use of high air entry ceramic disks has been the time required in order for equilibrium conditions to be established across the disk. Improving the efficiency associated with establishing suction equilibrium is of considerable interest to geotechnical engineers. Pressure membrane technology involving the use of microporous membranes is one possible technology that could result in improved performance for the measurement or control of matric suctions. If microporous membrane technology can be used, the end result could provide considerable time and cost savings, particularly in the measurement of soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs). In this study, a new apparatus was developed to make use of a microporous membrane for the measurement of the SWCC with matric suction of up to 25 kPa. The maximum AEV (i.e., air-entry value) of the membrane is 250 kPa. This paper presents the results of laboratory SWCC measurements on several soil types using pressure membrane technology. Comparisons are made between the soil-water characteristic curves measured using a conventional pressure plate apparatus and those obtained from the new micro membrane apparatus.
A Lesson in Patriotism: Lycurgus' Against Leocrates, the Ideology of the Ephebeia, and Athenian Social Memory
Authors: Steinbock Bernd
Published: November 2011

This paper seeks to contextualize Lycurgus' use of the historical example of King Codrus' self-sacrifice within Athenian social memory and public discourse. In doing so, it offers a solution to the puzzle of Lycurgus' calling Codrus one of the ἐπώνυμοι τῆς χώρας (Lycurg. 88). I make the case that Codrus was one of the forty-two eponymous age-set heroes (Ath. Pol. 53.4–7) who played an important role in the Athenian military and socio-political system. I contend that devotion to the city's gods and heroes and knowledge of their mythology were essential parts of the religious and ideological instruction of Athenian ephebes. Consequently, Lycurgus' citation of the Ephebic Oath, the self-sacrifices of King Codrus and the daughters of Erechtheus, as well as his repeated invocation of the city's gods and shrines, must be seen as integral elements of his indictment of Leocrates for cowardice and treason, behavior that is diametrically opposed to the hoplite ethos and religious devotion that were instilled into young ephebes. Lycurgus thus brings the jurors' memories of their own ephebate into the courtroom and taps into emotions and values that lie at the heart of Athenian collective identity.