bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Legal Hierarchy Revisited – The Status of Obligations Erga Omnes
Authors: Linderfalk Ulf
Published: February 2011

Increasingly, international legal arguments exploit the peculiar nature of obligations erga omnes. This practice raises questions about the precise legal status of norms expressing such obligations relative to other norms of international law. According to an oft-made suggestion, whether a norm is part of the international jus cogens or not, when it expresses obligations erga omnes it is hierarchically superior to all other norms of non-peremptory international law. This essay inquires into the justification of this theory – throughout the essay referred to as “the Theory on the Superior Status of Erga Omnes Obligations”. As shown in section 2, irrespective of whether inferential legal evidence exists or not, the Theory on the Superior Status of Obligations Erga Omnes can be explained by reference to the non-reciprocal character of such obligations. However, logic requires that the theory be restated to include also interdependent obligations and obligations erga omnes partes. As shown in section 3, although inferential legal evidence provides some support for the Theory on the Superior Status of Obligations Erga Omnes, the evidence is not entirely consistent. As shown in section 4, if the theory on the superior status of obligations erga omnes is adopted and applied on a wide scale, this will have detrimental effects on the overall understanding of international law. Rather than a more properly functioning international legal system, confusion and disorganization will ensue.
The Hague Judgments Convention
Authors: Nielsen Peter Arnt
Published: February 2011

The Hague Judgments Convention of 2005 is the first global convention on international jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. The author explains the political and legal background of the Convention, its content and certain crucial issues during the negotiations of it. Finally, the author discusses the perspectives for international trade given that, in 2009, the USA and the European Union signed the Convention.
Language Rights in Relations with Public Administration: European Perspectives
Authors: Ulasiuk Iryna
Published: February 2011

The preservation of linguistic diversity has recently become a major concern to many researchers, politicians and leaders of linguistic communities in Europe. The issue of linguistic minorities has taken on a particular urgency because of the increasing recognition of the threat of extinction faced by many minority languages. The need for immediate action has become obvious. Europe has slowly but steadily started to come up with responses to how to keep the most vulnerable languages from extinction and guarantee rights to speakers of such languages at the same time. Today we can talk about the emergence of a European minimum standard of protection of language rights as it has developed since the 1990s in the European conventions and their monitoring activities. There is general understanding that three areas of the use of languages – education, administrative affairs and the media – are determinant for the survival of minority languages. The present article focuses on one of such areas, which has revealed to be particularly contentious and a source of ever-increasing concern. It investigates the guarantees provided in the Council of Europe's instruments pertaining to the use of minority languages before public authorities, the practical difficulties and ways of their overcoming in the implementation of the rights enshrined in European treaties.
“The old battle is to be fought again”: Reginald Stuart Poole, Edward William Lane, and the Mid-Nineteenth-Century Genesis-Geology Debate
Authors: Klaver Jan Marten Ivo
Published: February 2011

In 1856 a small octavo volume with the title Genesis of the Earth and of Man was anonymously published. It argued for the existence of preadamites as a solution to the mid-Victorian debate about the veracity of the biblical account of creation in the light of geological discoveries, and as such it was widely read and commented. This essay examines the author's main theses, places it in the scholarly tradition of Biblical chronology, and analyzes it in the context of mid-nineteenth-century apologetic literature. It also surveys the contemporary reaction to the book and discusses the possibility that the book was written by the orientalist Edward William Lane.
Insects as vectors of foodborne pathogenic bacteria
Authors: Blazar Jeffrey , Allard Marc , Lienau E. Kurt
Published: February 2011

Food safety is an important consideration worldwide. To maintain and improve our current knowledge of foodborne disease outbreaks, we must understand some of the more imminent issues related to food safety. A variety of agents are responsible for transmitting the estimated 76 million cases of illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens every year. This review explores why insects pose a serious health concern, in terms of worldwide food safety initiatives, by looking at evidence in published Food safety is an important consideration worldwide. To maintain and improve our current knowledge of foodborne disease outbreaks, we must understand some of the more imminent issues related to food safety. A variety of agents are responsible for transmitting the estimated 76 million cases of illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens every year. This review explores why insects pose a serious health concern, in terms of worldwide food safety initiatives, by looking at evidence in published literature. We highlight at least eleven different species of insects, including the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer); secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius); synanthropic flies [flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria (L.); house fly, Musca domestica (L.); fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen); and stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)], American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.); German cockroach, Blatella germanica (L.); Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis (L.); Pacific beetle cockroach, Diploptera punctata (Eschscholtz); and Speckled feeder cockroach, Nauphoeta cinerea (Olivier), which act as vectors for Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli and illustrate how these insects are successful vectors of foodborne disease outbreaks. We propose that insects be considered as one of the latest issues in food safety initiatives. Not only are some insects extremely important contributors to diseases, but now we suggest that more research into insects as potential carriers of E. coli and Salmonella spp., and therefore as contributing to foodborne disease outbreaks, is granted.
Anthropogenic disturbances and rare tiger beetle habitats: benefits, risks, and implications for conservation
Authors: Knisley C. Barry
Published: February 2011

This review summarizes the literature and some primary data on the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on tiger beetle habitats, including how this may help or harm populations of rare species, and how understanding these effects is important in tiger beetle conservation and management. The main focus is on U.S. species but relevant literature from other regions of the world is included. First I discuss tiger beetle habitats and the importance of open patches, then review how human disturbances may be essential for creating these open areas of habitat but may also negatively impact populations and act as limiting factors. The factors discussed are: (1) vehicles, bicycles and pedestrian foot traffic; (2) livestock grazing and other animal activities; (3) soil movement and deposition; (4) irrigation and cultivation; and (5) dams, diversions and shoreline structures. Finally, I review the threat of encroaching vegetation from natural succession and invasive species into rare tiger beetle habitats and how implementing disturbance regimes may counter this threat and be used in conservation and management of rare tiger beetles.
Scapegoating One's Comrades in the USSR, 1934-1937
Authors: Chase William
Published: February 2011

This article examines two cases of scapegoating—that of Ludwig Magyar in December 1934, and that of Gevork Alikhanov in June 1937—and applies theories of group identity and behavior to explore what motivated people to scapegoat their comrades, why the groups selected particular people for scapegoating, and what these incidences reveal about the groups that engaged in this ritual. Within political groups, such behaviors are obviously inseparable from the politics of the moment. The cases examined here illustrate some key political shifts in Stalinist party policy between late 1934 and mid-1937, as manifest in a single party organization. The changes affected its members' behavior, which offers insights into intra-party fractures. The essay confines its focus to two meetings of the party organization of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI). Whereas in December 1934 the members of the party organization unanimously voted to expel Magyar from their ranks, in June 1937 rank-and-file members of the organization re-directed efforts by the party organization's leaders to scapegoat Alikhanov and attacked the party organization's leaders. Examining how this group of Stalinists behaved allows one to view scapegoating as both a Stalinist and universal social behavior. Appreciating the prominence of universal social behavior within a Stalinist political context is essential to moving beyond many scholars' unwarranted obsession with Soviet and Stalinist exceptionalism.
History, Myth, and Memory: A Biography of a Stalin Portrait
Authors: Corbesero Susan
Published: February 2011

During the troublous post-war and post-Soviet periods, the iconography of Stalin has served as a powerful interpreter of the past. Since World War II, portraits and attendant mass reproductions of the notorious Soviet leader have conveyed a historical memory that fused the triumphalist mythology of the Second World War and the cult of Stalin. Appropriated for political, national, nostalgic and commercial purposes, these iconic vehicles have functioned as integral “vectors of memory” in times of political change. In that vein, this article traces the remarkably dynamic and influential life of Aleksandr Laktionov's Portrait of I. V. Stalin (1949) in order to illuminate how its meaning and use, past and present, reflects and refracts the political landscape that deploys it.
Serbia between East and West
Authors: Konitzer Andrew
Published: February 2011

This article critically examines contemporary narratives which frame Serbian politics as a conflict between supporters of a pro-European Union (EU) policy and supporters of closer ties with Russia. Contrary to this narrative, contemporary Serbian political actors increasingly present policies and platforms oriented towards both the European Union and Russia. These developments reflect the contradictory legacies arising from the history of Serbian and Russian diplomatic relations along with the sometimes ambivalent implications of Russia's stance on the issue of Kosovo's independence, Serbian public attitudes towards Russia, and recent developments in Serbian-Russian economic relations. Given the long time frame for EU membership and the current impasse over issues like Kosovo and Serbia's potential NATO membership, Serbia's leaders currently enjoy the luxury of simultaneously deepening ties with both the EU and Russia. However, a future linkage between Kosovo's independence and EU membership and/or the possibility of Serbia's joining NATO will likely present Serbian political elites with mutually-exclusive choices bearing important implications for their relations with either Russia or the EU.
Autocracy Defeats Military Reform on Eve of First World War
Authors: von Hagen Mark
Published: February 2011

Steinberg reconstructs the history of the Russian Imperial General Staff during the final decades of the autocracy and highlights the reformist vision of War Minister Alexei Kuropatkin. The aim of the reformers was to create a general staff on the Prussian/German model that would allow Russia to fight the new wars of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, wars marked by increasingly large conscript armies and the application of ever more lethal weaponry made possible by Europe's industrial revolutions. The reforms also focused on officer education and aimed at creating leadership for the management and coordination of the troops in wartime. Unfortunately for Russia, these reforms foundered on the resistance of the autocrat himself and the structure of privilege that gave family connections and noble privilege power over merit and competence. They also met resistance from an older tradition of military leadership and education that favored elan over technical expertise with modern weaponry. The first test against a modern enemy during the Russo-Japanese War ended in humiliating defeat and the marginalization of the General Staff Academy by Nicholas II and his entourage, save for his uncle, the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Even with the Grand Duke's encouragement of the reformers, what they could accomplish was too little and too late for the next large confrontation that sealed the fate of the Russian Empire, World War I.
Gareth Richard Vaughan Jones (1905-1935) (Part 1)
Authors: Colley Margaret Siriol
Published: February 2011

A short biography of Gareth Jones, Foreign Aff airs Adviser to British Prime Minister Lloyd George and an early visitor to the Soviet Union, who exposed the Ukrainian famine and daily life under communist rule, Fragments of his letters and a 1930 article in the New Chronicle are included.
Rogozhin in Dostoevsky's The Idiot: Enigma, Allegory and Visual Imagery
Authors: Weickhardt George G.
Published: February 2011

Rogozhin, one of the main characters of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, appears infrequently in the novel, and the author does not give him the philosophical depth of his other great criminal characters. His relationships with Prince Myshkin and Nastasia are nonetheless among the main themes and driving forces of the plot. Driven by jealousy, he eventually murders Nastasia and drives the Prince back to insanity. Rogozhin is presented and given depth by visual imagery, including his gloomy house, the Holbein painting in it, and the knife with which he eventually kills Nastasia. His Old Believer family is also important in defi ning him. The article addresses this visual imagery and Rogozhin's Old Believer roots.
Effects of Wave Breaking on the Near-Surface Profiles of Velocity and Turbulent Kinetic Energy
Authors: Melsom Arne , SÆtra Øyvind
Published: February 2011

A theoretical model for the near-surface velocity profile in the presence of breaking waves is presented. Momentum is accumulated by growing waves and is released upon wave breaking. In effect, such a transition is a process involving a time-dependent surface stress acting on the mean current. In this paper, conventional theory for the Stokes drift is expanded to fourth-order accuracy in wave steepness. It is shown that the higher-order terms lead to an enhancement of the surface Stokes drift and a slight retardation of the Stokes volume flux. Furthermore, the results from the wave theory are used to obtain a bulk parameterization of momentum exchange during the process of wave breaking. The mean currents are then obtained by application of a variation of the “level 2.5” turbulence closure theory of Mellor and Yamada. When compared with the traditional approach of a constant surface stress, the mean Eulerian current exhibits a weak enhancement in the near-surface region, compensated by a negative shift deeper in the water column. However, it is found that the results of Craig and Banner and the results of Craig are not significantly affected by the present theory. Hence, this study helps to explain why the Craig and Banner model agrees well with observations when a realistic, time-varying surface stress acts on the drift currents.
Coronary Artery Endothelial Dysfunction Associated With Sleep Apnea
Authors: Kadohira Tadayuki , Kobayashi Yoshio , Iwata Yo , Kitahara Hideki , Komuro Issei
Published: February 2011

There is little information about coronary artery endothelial dysfunction in patients with sleep apnea. We evaluated relation between severity of sleep apnea and coronary artery endothelial dysfunction. In all, 26 patients without significant coronary stenoses were enrolled. Endothelial function was estimated by measuring coronary vasoreactivity in response to acetylcholine infusion (10-7 mol/L) into coronary arteries. Vasoconstriction rate was defined as ([lumen diameter after isosorbide dinitrate injection - lumen diameter after acetylcholine injection]/lumen diameter after isosorbide dinitrate injection × 100). Vasoconstriction rate was calculated at each major coronary artery and the highest value was used for that patient. Overnight sleep study was performed and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was calculated as the mean number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep. There was significant correlation between AHI and vasoconstriction rate (P = .04). There is significant correlation between severity of sleep apnea and endothelial function of coronary arteries.
The Management of Asymptomatic Carotid Plaque Disease: Our Assumptions When We are Less Radical
Authors: Makris Gregory C. , Nicolaides Andrew , Geroulakos George
Published: February 2011

The management of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) has been the subject of extensive debate. Current evidence suggests that the annual risk of stroke in patients with CAS and without previous cerebrovascular symptoms is 1% which makes carotid endarterectomy unjustifiable. Conservative treatment with statins and antiplatelets, the identification of the high risk individuals as well as aggressive life style modifications are considered sufficient measures for the protection of these patients. However, there are reasons to believe that this approach may be less effective than we think. Best medical treatment is only effective when compliance is adequate and lipid or blood pressure target levels are achieved. However this is not always the case and the same applies regarding life style modification changes such as smoking. In addition, there is no consensus regarding the identification of the high risk individuals despite recent encouraging evidence. The introduction of a structured network of risk factor modification clinics in conjunction with the vascular clinics and the identification of ways to objectively risk-stratify patients with asymptomatic CAS could enable us to optimize the management of these patients when we decide to be less radical.
X-34, A Fluorescent Derivative of Congo Red: A Novel Histochemical Stain for Alzheimer's Disease Pathology
Authors: Styren, Scot D. , Hamilton Ronald L. , Styren Gisele C. , Klunk William E.
Published: February 2011

X-34, a lipophilic, highly fluorescent derivative of Congo red, was examined as a histochemical stain for pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). X-34 intensely stained neuritic and diffuse plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuropil threads, and cerebrovascular amyloid. Comparison to standard methods of demonstrating AD pathology showed that X-34 correlated well with Bielschowsky and thioflavin-S staining. X-34 staining of NFTs correlated closely with anti-TAU antibody staining. A 1:1 correspondence of X-34 and anti-Aβ antibody staining of plaques and cerebrovascular amyloid was observed. Both X-34 and thioflavin-S staining were eliminated by formic acid pretreatment, suggesting that β-sheet secondary protein structure is a necessary determinant of staining. X-34 may be a general amyloid stain, like Congo red, because it also stains systemic amyloid deposits due to λ-light chain monoclonal gammopathy. In conclusion, X-34 is a highly fluorescent marker for β-sheet structures and intensely labels amyloid plaques, NFTs, neuropil threads, and vascular amyloid in AD brains. It can be used with both paraffin-embedded and frozen tissues as well as in combination with immunohistochemistry for double labeling. The intensity of staining and the simplicity and reproducibility of the technique suggest that it may be a useful addition to the standard techniques for evaluation of AD neuropathology.
Ultrastructural and Morphometric Studies Related to Expression of the Cell Adhesion Molecule PECAM-1/CD31 in Developing Rat Lung
Authors: Marszalek Andrzej , Daa Tsutomu , Kashima Kenji , Nakayama Iwao , Yokoyama Shigeo
Published: February 2011

It has recently been postulated that platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31) might play a role in vascular tube formation. To evaluate the role of PECAM-1/CD31 in the formation of the capillary network in vivo, we conducted an ultrastructural immunohistochemical evaluation of the localization of PECAM-1/CD31 and its developmentally regulated expression in the periphery of the lungs of fetal, newborn, and adult rats. PECAM-1/CD31 was present mainly on luminal surfaces and at the junctions between endothelial cells. Moreover, in fetal lung, products of the immunoreaction were also found on the abluminal surfaces of endothelial cells. To relate those findings to the developmental changes in the capillary area of the lung, we performed a morphometric study of electronmicrographs. The cross-sectional area of blood vessels at the periphery of the lungs was significantly greater in 15–19-day-old fetuses than in postpartum animals ( p < 0.0001). Disappearance of the expression of PECAM-1/CD31 on the abluminal endothelial surface paralleled the changes in the cross-sectional area of blood vessels that occurred during the perinatal period.
Trends in the Educational Gradient of U.S. Adult Mortality From 1986 Through 2006 by Race, Gender, and Age Group
Authors: Montez Jennifer Karas , Hummer Robert A. , Hayward Mark D. , Woo Hyeyoung , Rogers Richard G.
Published: February 2011

The educational gradient of U.S. adult mortality became steeper between 1960 and the mid-1980s, but whether it continued to steepen is less clear given a dearth of attention to these trends since then. This study provides new evidence on trends in the education-mortality gradient from 1986 through 2006 by race, gender, and age among non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks using data from the 2010 release of the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File. Results show that for White and Black men, the gradient steepened among older ages because declines in mortality risk across education levels were greater among the higher educated. The gradient steepened among White women, and to a lesser extent among Black women, because mortality risk decreased among the college-educated but increased among women with less than a high school diploma. Greater returns to higher education and compositional changes within educational strata likely contributed to the trends.
Beyond on or with: Questioning power dynamics and knowledge production in ‘child-oriented’ research methodology
Authors: Hunleth Jean
Published: February 2011

By taking a reflexive approach to research methodology, this article contributes to discussions on power dynamics and knowledge production in the social studies of children. The author describes and analyzes three research methods that she used with children — drawing, child-led tape-recording and focus group discussions. These methods were carried out during 15 months of research in a low-income urban settlement in Zambia with children (ages 8—12) caring for sick parents or guardians. The research raises two points concerning current conceptions of children’s research methodology. First, it is necessary to investigate what so-called ‘child-oriented’ research methodologies accomplish for adult researchers. Second, acknowledging that children have their own reasons for participating in research and investigating these reasons may offer a more comprehensive view of children’s experiences and needs.
Experimental demonstration of a vehicle stability control system in a split-μ manoeuvre
Authors: Pi D-W , Chen N , Zhang B-J
Published: February 2011

In this paper a sliding-mode yaw moment controller and fuzzy logic wheel slip controller are proposed to enhance vehicle stability in a split- μ manoeuvre. The proposed wheel slip controller shows good performance in improving vehicle handling in a braking manoeuvre. However, when a braking manoeuvre was conducted under the split- μ condition, the yaw moment generated by the asymmetric braking forces may cause the vehicle-handling stability to deteriorate. The sliding-mode yaw moment controller was introduced to regulate the wheel slip controller to improve the vehicle-handling performance. A target slip allocation algorithm was employed to coordinate the control conflict between the anti-lock braking system and vehicle stability control. First, the proposed control system was evaluated through pure computer simulation and a hardware in-the-loop simulation system. Then an experimental test was also introduced to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control system.
Modelling the effects of condensation and evaporation of water on the transient temperatures inside the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine
Authors: Haworth L C , Dobson R
Published: February 2011

A one-dimensional model of the transient temperatures in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, including the effects of condensation and evaporation of water, is used to predict the warm-up characteristics of the exhaust system. The aim of the model is to reproduce theoretically a ‘plateau’ observed in the experimentally measured temperatures in the catalytic converter, and to predict whether this plateau influences the light-off of the catalyst. The results of the numerical simulation are compared with the temperatures measured in a Volkswagen 1.6 l engine exhaust system. The simulation results exhibit the temperature plateau, but with some deviations from the experimental results. It was found that both evaporation and condensation must be included in the simulation for the plateau to be successfully modelled. It is concluded that in the real system these processes occur simultaneously as a series of microtimescale events as the system strives towards an equilibrium moisture condition. This moisture behaviour is responsible for the step up to the plateau temperature, but it was found that the final temperatures achieved by the system are not significantly influenced by the moisture behaviour. The presence of the moisture in the exhaust gas therefore decides the temperature profile during the early stages of warm-up (up to approximately 100 s after ignition) but is not expected to delay the light-off of the catalytic converter.
When Does Feeling of Fluency Matter?
Authors: Tsai Claire I. , Thomas Manoj
Published: February 2011

It has been widely documented that fluency (ease of information processing) increases positive evaluation. We proposed and demonstrated in three studies that this was not the case when people construed objects abstractly rather than concretely. Specifically, we found that priming people to think abstractly mitigated the effect of fluency on subsequent evaluative judgments (Studies 1 and 2). However, when feelings such as fluency were understood to be signals of value, fluency increased liking in people primed to think abstractly (Study 3). These results suggest that abstract thinking helps distinguish central decision inputs from less important incidental inputs, whereas concrete thinking does not make such a distinction. Thus, abstract thinking can augment or attenuate fluency effects, depending on whether fluency is considered important or incidental information, respectively.
Static and Fatigue Failures of Adhesively Bonded Laminate Joints in Moist Environments
Authors: Katnam K. B. , Crocombe A. D. , Sugiman H. , Khoramishad H. , Ashcroft I. A.
Published: February 2011

Advanced structural adhesives are now an important joining technique in automobile and aerospace applications. The perceived uncertainty in the long-term structural performance of bonded members when subjected to static/fatigue loads in aggressive environments is probably restricting an even more widespread use of this joining technology. In this article, the effect of moisture on the static and fatigue resistances of adhesively bonded laminate joints was investigated. Experimental tests were performed on both aged and unaged adhesively bonded laminate joints for static and fatigue responses. Further, using a cohesive zone approach for the adhesive bondlines, a combined diffusion–stress analysis was developed to predict the progressive damage observed in the joints tested experimentally. The numerical predictions were found to be in good agreement with the experimental test results.
Gendered nationalism
Authors: Johns Robert , Bennie Lynn , Mitchell James
Published: February 2011

Recent major surveys of the Scottish electorate and of Scottish National Party (SNP) members have revealed a distinct gender gap in support for the party. Men are markedly more likely than women to vote for the SNP and they comprise more than two-thirds of its membership. In this article, we use data from those surveys to test various possible explanations for the disproportionately male support for the SNP. While popular accounts have focused on the gendered appeal of recent leaders and on the party’s fluctuating efforts at achieving gender equality in its parliamentary representation, we find much stronger support for a different explanation. Women are less inclined to support and to join the SNP because they are markedly less supportive of its central objective of independence for Scotland. Since men and women barely differ in their reported national identities, the origins of this gender gap in support for independence presents a puzzle for further research.
Violence and voice: using a feminist constructivist grounded theory to explore women’s resistance to abuse
Authors: Allen Mary
Published: February 2011

This article describes the rationale for the choice of constructivist grounded theory methodology in a research project which explored women’s responses to intimate partner violence. In view of the very sensitive subject matter of the study, and the long standing and predominant influence of feminist theory in understanding both the causality and dynamics of such violence, a methodology was sought which reflected feminist approaches to research. The article explores the debates regarding the existence or even the possibility of a ‘feminist methodology’. In concluding that there is no specific feminist methodology, the article outlines the rational for the choice of episodic narrative interviews and constructivist grounded theory as methodologies which uphold the goals and values of feminist research. The application of constructivist grounded theory in the analysis of the data and its suitability in the development of a theoretical analysis of women’s responses to intimate partner violence is presented and discussed.
A Snapshot of the Modeling and Simulation Community and Education
Authors: Kölsch Mathias
Published: February 2011

The Department of Defense’s need for modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and professionals is growing at a rapid pace. From research to development, from training to acquisition, from requirements analysis to testing, M&S has become invaluable to achieve the best performance, lowest cost and risk, best-trained and best-prepared, adaptive and effective modern services. The demands on M&S professionals are constantly changing, adapting to different foci in application areas, shifting with increasing civilian workforce expertise and availability, and reallocating with budget priorities. Hence, instrumental to relevant education and training is adaptation to the current situation and setting sustainable long-term directions.We took a snapshot of the M&S community in the US Army and their education via a survey of senior personnel, querying the importance of M&S-related skills and the perceived proficiency of entry- and senior-level professionals. The goal was to obtain validation for education and training programs, and to determine areas for improvement.

The most important skills were found to be communications, fundamental concepts of M&S, distributed simulations, training systems, computer networks, program management, and VV&A (Verification, Validation and Accreditation). M&S education seems to be on the right track since the greatest expertise was observed in the areas of greatest importance (highly correlated, Pearson 0.74). Disconcertingly, however, we also found greater lack in more important skills than in less important ones, particularly for entry-level professionals.

We propose a three-pronged approach for shaping the future of training and education in M&S that addresses the observed shortfalls: (1) proper focus of the technical education, combined with (2) stronger emphasis on communication (e.g., through completion of a technical thesis including oral defense), better system overview (e.g., training systems, the greater processes of program management, and VV&A), and stronger emphasis on the distributed and networked environment we live in; finally, (3) conduct concerted, interdisciplinary research and education efforts in human, social, cultural, and behavioral M&S.
A Novel Low-Cost Simulator for Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair
Authors: Kurashima Yo , Feldman Liane , Al-Sabah Salman , Kaneva Pepa , Fried Gerald , Vassiliou Melina
Published: February 2011

Despite the advantages of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair over the open approach in selected situations, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) remains a challenge to teach and learn. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a low-cost adaptable simulator for evaluation and training of LIHR. McGill Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Simulator (MLIHS) is a physical simulator that accurately represents inguinal anatomy. MLIHS permits to perform both transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) and totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repairs. Six experienced surgeons performed TAPP repairs using MLIHS. They were surveyed to establish face validity, and were scored using a previously validated global rating scale (maximum score = 25). Experienced surgeons considered MLIHS a useful tool for evaluating and training of LIHR. The mean (SD) global rating scores were 24.0 (± 0.6). The experienced surgeons considered MLIHS very useful for training and assessment. MLIHS is a valuable and affordable tool for training and evaluation of LIHR.
Quasi-Continuous Autodriven System With Multiple Rates for Distraction Osteogenesis
Authors: Li Wu Zheng  , Wong Martin C. M. , Lim Kwong Cheung
Published: February 2011

Introduction. For a given rate of distraction a greater frequency of distraction improves bone formation. However, the current distractors used in clinic are activated manually and produces intermittent advancement. Method. The authors developed an automatic driver that is capable of producing quasi-continuous distraction at a set of rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm/d. Using a customized in vitro experimental system, the function and stability of the autodriven system were tested during loading. Results. The angular displacement of the automatic driver was quite regular while driving a constant torque of 4.268 × 10−3 kg m. The driving achieved the target speed with the constant torque. Conclusions. The automatic driven system provides a useful tool to assess the tissue healing at variable distraction rates with quasi-continuous traction. It demonstrates a potential for clinical application to shorten the treatment course of distraction osteogenesis.
Expression of an endotoxin-free S-layer/allergen fusion protein in gram-positive Bacillus subtilis 1012 for the potential application as vaccines for immunotherapy of atopic allergy
Authors: Ilk Nicola , Schumi Christian-Thomas , Bohle Barbara , Egelseer Eva Maria , Sleytr Uwe B
Published: February 2011

Background

Genetic fusion of the major birch pollen allergen (Bet v1) to bacterial surface-(S)-layer proteins resulted in recombinant proteins exhibiting reduced allergenicity as well as immunomodulatory capacity. Thus, S-layer/allergen fusion proteins were considered as suitable carriers for new immunotherapeutical vaccines for treatment of Type I hypersensitivity. Up to now, endotoxin contamination of the fusion protein which occurred after isolation from the gram-negative expression host E. coli had to be removed by an expensive and time consuming procedure. In the present study, in order to achieve expression of pyrogen-free, recombinant S-layer/allergen fusion protein and to study the secretion of a protein capable to self-assemble, the S-layer/allergen fusion protein rSbpA/Bet v1 was produced in the gram-positive organism Bacillus subtilis 1012.

Results

The chimaeric gene encoding the S-layer protein SbpA of Lysinibacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 as well as Bet v1 was cloned and expressed in B. subtilis 1012. For that purpose, the E. coli-B. subtilis shuttle vectors pHT01 for expression in the B. subtilis cytoplasm and pHT43 for secretion of the recombinant fusion protein into the culture medium were used. As shown by western blot analysis, immediately after induction of expression, B. subtilis 1012 was able to secret rSbpA/Bet v1 mediated by the signal peptide amyQ of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Electron microscopical investigation of the culture medium revealed that the secreted fusion protein was able to form self-assembly products in suspension but did not recrystallize on the surface of the B. subtilis cells. The specific binding mechanism between the N-terminus of the S-layer protein and a secondary cell wall polymer (SCWP), located in the peptidoglycan-containing sacculi of Ly. sphaericus CCM 2177, could be used for isolation and purification of the secreted fusion protein from the culture medium. Immune reactivity of rSbpA/Bet v1 could be demonstrated in immunoblotting experiments with Bet v1 specific IgE containing serum samples from patients suffering birch pollen allergy.

Conclusions

The impact of this study can be seen in the usage of a gram-positive organism for the production of pyrogen-free self-assembling recombinant S-layer/allergen fusion protein with great relevance for the development of vaccines for immunotherapy of atopic allergy.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young Maine Coon cats caused by the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation - the clinical significance of having the mutation
Authors: Godiksen Mia TN , Granstrøm Sara , Koch Jørgen , Christiansen Michael
Published: February 2011

Background

In Maine Coon (MC) cats the c.91G > C mutation in the geneMYBPC3, coding for cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C), is associated with feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM). The mutation causes a substitution of an alanine for a proline at residue 31 (p.A31P) of cMyBP-C. The pattern of inheritance has been considered autosomal dominant based on a single pedigree. However, larger studies are needed to establish the significance of cats being heterozygous or homozygous for the mutation with respect to echocardiographic indices and the probability of developing fHCM. The objective of the present study was to establish the clinical significance of being homozygous or heterozygous for the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation in young to middle-aged cats.

Methods

The cohort consisted of 332 MC cats, 282 cats < 4 years (85%). All cats were examined by 2-D and M-mode echocardiography. DNA was extracted from blood samples or buccal swabs and screened for the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation in exon 3 of the gene, using polymerase chain reaction followed by DNA sequencing.

Results

The fHCM prevalence was 6.3% in the cohort. Eighteen cats were homozygous and 89 cats were heterozygous for the mutation. The odds ratio for having fHCM for homozygous cats was 21.6 (95% confidence interval 7.01-66.2) - when the group of equivocal cats was categorized as non-affected. Overall, 50% of the cats that were homozygous for the mutation had fHCM. p.A31P heterozygosity was not associated with a significant odds ratio for fHCM. In cats in the 4 to 6 years of age range a similar, non significant, odds ratio was seen in heterozygous cats. Only two cats over four years were homozygous and both were diagnosed with fHCM.

Conclusion

As there is no significant odds ratio associated with being heterozygous for the pA31P cMyBP-C mutation at this age, the mutation must have a very low penetrance in this group. From our data it would appear that most MC cats that develop fHCM due to the p.A31P mutation prior to the age of approximately 6 years do so because they are homozygous for this mutation.
Small risk of developing symptomatic tick-borne diseases following a tick bite in the Netherlands
Authors: Tijsse-Klasen Ellen , Jacobs Jac J , Swart Arno , Fonville Manoj , Reimerink Johan H , Brandenburg Afke H , van der Giessen Joke WB , Hofhuis Agnetha , Sprong Hein
Published: February 2011

Background

In The Netherlands, the incidence of Lyme borreliosis is on the rise. Besides its causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., other potential pathogens like Rickettsia, Babesia and Ehrlichia species are present in Ixodes ricinus ticks. The risk of disease associated with these microorganisms after tick-bites remains, however, largely unclear. A prospective study was performed to investigate how many persons with tick-bites develop localized or systemic symptoms and whether these are associated with tick-borne microorganisms.

Results

In total, 297 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from 246 study participants who consulted a general practitioner on the island of Ameland for tick bites. Ticks were subjected to PCR to detect DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp. or Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp.. Sixteen percent of the collected ticks were positive for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., 19% for Rickettsia spp., 12% for Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. and 10% for Babesia spp.. At least six months after the tick bite, study participants were interviewed on symptoms by means of a standard questionnaire. 14 out of 193 participants (8.3%) reported reddening at the bite site and 6 participants (4.1%) reported systemic symptoms. No association between symptoms and tick-borne microorganisms was found. Attachment duration ≥24 h was positively associated with reddening at the bite site and systemic symptoms. Using logistic regression techniques, reddening was positively correlated with presence of Borrelia afzelii, and having 'any symptoms' was positively associated with attachment duration.

Conclusion

The risk of contracting acute Lyme borreliosis, rickettsiosis, babesiosis or ehrlichiosis from a single tick bite was <1% in this study population.
Factors predicting the outcome of customised foot orthoses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective cohort study
Authors: van der Leeden Marike , Fiedler Karin , Jonkman Annelies , Dahmen Rutger , Roorda Leo D , van Schaardenburg Dirkjan , Dekker Joost
Published: February 2011

Background

Conservative management of foot problems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may consist of the prescription of customised foot orthoses. Indications for foot orthoses are not clear and the effectiveness of the intervention is highly variable among patients. Knowledge on which patients benefit the most from foot orthoses can help to select patients eligible for this type of intervention. The objective of the present study was to determine clinical and demographic factors that predict the outcome of customised foot orthoses on pain and disability in patients with RA.

Methods

A total of 135 RA patients who were supplied with customised foot orthoses were included in this prospective cohort study. Pain and disability were measured before and after the intervention period using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for foot pain, the Foot Function Index (FFI), the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and a 10‐meter walking test. The intervention period consisted of one or more appointments with the podiatrist during which the foot orthoses were customised.

Swollen foot joint count, foot deformity scores, forefoot peak pressure, disease duration, age, gender, body mass index and baseline values of the outcome measures were selected as potential factors predicting outcome. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with change in pain and disability (at P < 0.05).

Results

Disease duration was negatively associated with the change scores in NRS foot pain (P = 0.018), WOMAC pain (P = 0.001), FFI disability (P = 0.003) and WOMAC physical function (P = 0.002). Age was negatively associated with the change score in 10 meter walking time (P = 0.008). For all outcome measures baseline values were positively associated with the change scores (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Shorter disease duration predicted greater improvements in self‐reported foot pain and disability, and younger age predicted greater improvements in walking time after intervention with foot orthoses. Also, higher baseline values of pain and disability predicted greater improvements. Referral for conservative management with foot orthoses in the early stage of RA seems important when aiming to achieve reduction in pain and improvement in daily activities.
Temporal lobe necrosis: a dwindling entity in a patient with nasopharyngeal cancer after radiation therapy
Authors: Dassarath Meera , Yin Zhongyuan , Chen Jing , Liu Hongli , Yang Kunyu , Wu Gang
Published: February 2011

Introduction

Our objective was to report a case of misdiagnosed temporal lobe necrosis (TLN) in a patient with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) after radiation therapy.

Case Presentation

We report a case of a 45 years old Chinese woman who developed moderate to severe headache and dizziness 1 year after 2D radiation therapy for NPC. Subsequent MRI scanning revealed a big enhancing mass in the right temporal lobe. The initial diagnosis was metastatic or intracranial extension of NPC, or a primary intracranial malignancy. She was referred to the neurosurgery department where a maximal surgical resection of the lesion was performed. A diagnosis of TLN was made according to the final histology.

Conclusion

TLN still matters in the IMRT era. The diagnostic quagmire of TLN lies in its close resemblance to neoplasm on clinical presentation and imaging. Reviewing the patient's treatment plan to scrutinize the dose to the temporal lobes is an important prerequisite for diagnosis.