bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Progressive Ankylosis Protein Regulates Cementum Apposition and Extracellular Matrix Composition
Authors: Foster B.L. , Nagatomo K.J. , Bamashmous S.O. , Tompkins K.A. , Fong H. , Dunn D. , Chu E.Y. , Guenther C. , Kingsley D.M. , Rutherford R.B. , Somerman M.J.
Published: March 2011

Background/Aims: Tooth root cementum is sensitive to modulation of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), an inhibitor of hydroxyapatite precipitation. Factors increasing PPi include progressive ankylosis protein (ANK) and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1) while tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase hydrolyzes PPi. Studies here aimed to define the role of ANK in root and cementum by analyzing tooth development in Ank knock-out (KO) mice versus wild type. Materials and Methods: Periodontal development in KO versus control mice was analyzed by histology, histomorphometry, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, electron microscopy, and nanoindentation. Cementoblast cultures were used in vitro to provide mechanistic underpinnings for PPi modulation of cell function. Results: Over the course of root development, Ank KO cervical cementum became 8- to 12-fold thicker than control cervical cementum. Periodontal ligament width was maintained and other dentoalveolar tissues, including apical cementum, were unaltered. Cervical cementum uncharacteristically included numerous cells, from rapid cementogenesis. Ank KO increased osteopontin and dentin matrix protein 1 gene and protein expression, and markedly increased NPP1 protein expression in cementoblasts but not in other cell types. Conditional ablation of Ank in joints and periodontia confirmed a local role for ANK in cementogenesis. In vitro studies employing cementoblasts indicated that Ank and Enpp1 mRNA levels increased in step with mineral nodule formation, supporting a role for these factors in regulation of cementum matrix mineralization. Conclusion: ANK, by modulating local PPi, controls cervical cementum apposition and extracellular matrix. Loss of ANK created a local environment conducive to rapid cementogenesis; therefore, approaches modulating PPi in periodontal tissues have potential to promote cementum regeneration.
Transcriptional Remodeling of Ion Channel Subunits by Flow Adaptation in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells
Authors: Kefaloyianni Eirini , Coetzee William A.
Published: March 2011

Endothelial cells (ECs) are constantly exposed to blood flow-induced shear forces in the vessels and this is a major determinant of endothelial function. Ion channels have a major role in endothelial function and in the control of vascular tone. We hypothesized that shear force is a general regulator of ion channel expression, which will have profound effects on endothelial function. We examined this hypothesis using large-scale quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Human coronary artery ECs were exposed to two levels of flow-induced shear stress for 24 h, while control cells were grown under static conditions. The expression of ion channel subunits was compared between control and flow-adapted cells. We used primers against 55 ion channel and exchanger subunits and were able to detect 54 subunits. Five dyn/cm2 of shear induced downregulation of 1 (NCX1) and upregulation of 18 subunits, including KCa2.2, KCa2.3, CX37, Kv1.5 and HCN2. Fifteen dyn/cm2 of shear stress induced the expression of 30 ion channel subunits, including KCa2.3, KCa2.2, CX37, Kir2.3 and KCa3.1. Our data demonstrate that substantial remodeling of endothelial ion channel subunit expression occurs with flow adaptation and suggest that altered ion channel expression may significantly contribute to vascular pathology associated with flow-induced alterations.
Can Ultrasound Be Used as the Primary Screening Modality for the Localization of Parathyroid Disease prior to Surgery for Primary Hyperparathyroidism? A Review of 440 Cases
Authors: Levy Joshua M. , Kandil Emad , Yau Lillian C. , Cuda Jonathan D. , Sheth Sheila N. , Tufano Ralph P.
Published: March 2011

Background/Aims: Sestamibi scintigraphy and neck ultrasonography have both been proposed as screening modalities for the detection of abnormal parathyroid glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. As a result, many surgeons use both techniques prior to surgery. The goal of this study was to independently evaluate both ultrasound and sestamibi as single-modality preoperative screening tools for primary hyperparathyroidism. Methods: A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism from January 1999 to December 2009. Imaging results were compared to surgical findings. Results: 440 patients were found to meet inclusion criteria. Sensitivities for correct localization of a single parathyroid adenoma for sestamibi versus ultrasound were: 83% (95% CI 78–86) versus 72% (95% CI 67–76). Ultrasound operator had no influence on sensitivity, and ultrasound identified nodular thyroid disease in 31% of patients. Conclusion: Ultrasonography alone can be used as the primary screening modality in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Ultrasound sensitivity is conserved despite operator variability, and identifies concomitant thyroid pathology.
Role of CcpA in Polyhydroxybutyrate Biosynthesis in a Newly Isolated Bacillus sp. MA3.3
Authors: Lopes M.S.L. , Steinert N. , Rojas J.D. , Hillen W. , Gomez J.G.C. , Silva L.F.
Published: March 2011

The ccpA gene was inactivated in the polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-producing strain Bacillus sp. MA3.3 in order to reduce glucose catabolite repression over pentoses and develop improved bacterial strains for the production of PHB from lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Mutant Bacillus sp. MSL7 ΔCcpA are unable to grow on glucose and ammonia as sole carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Supplementation of glutamate as the nitrogen source or the substitution of the carbon source by xylose allowed the mutant to partially recover its growth performance. RT-PCR showed that CcpA stimulates the expression of the operon (gltAB),responsible for ammonia assimilation via glutamate in Bacillus sp. MA3.3. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the supplementation of xylose or glutamate was capable of stimulating gltAB operon expression independently of CcpA. In PHB production experiments in mineral media, it has been observed that the glucose catabolite repression over the pentoses was partially released in MSL7. Although the carbohydrate consumption is faster in the ccpA mutant, the biomass and PHB biosynthesis are lower, even with supplementation of glutamate. This is attributed to an increase of acetyl-CoA flux towards the tricarboxylic acid cycle observed in the mutant.
PEG-rhGH Therapy for Small for Gestational Age Rats and Effects on Their Metabolic Parameters
Authors: Xu Yanping , Ke Huang , Liang Li , Wang Xiumin , Pei Jin , Du Lizhong
Published: March 2011

Aims: To determine whether administration of long-acting polyethylene glycol moiety covalently linked to recombinant human growth hormone (PEG-rhGH) can be efficacious in the treatment of small for gestational age (SGA) rats and to characterize its effects on metabolic parameters. Methods: 20 pregnant rats were randomly divided into undernourished and standard nourished groups. SGA or appropriate for gestational age (AGA) offspring from each were then randomly assigned to receive either PEG-rhGH or normal saline (NS). Once-weekly subcutaneous injections of PEG-rhGH (2 µg/g/week) were administered starting at 21–42 days. Glycometabolism, blood pressure (BP), hormone and biochemical levels were analyzed at 21, 42 and 70 days. Results: SGA rats at 21 days were lighter and shorter than AGAs (34.77 ± 2.11 vs. 48.83 ± 1.78 g, 10.42 ± 0.22 vs. 12.99 ± 0.17 cm, p < 0.05). At 42 days, SGA animals experienced a greater body weight gain. BP was higher in NS-treated SGA than in the AGA group at 70 days (138.16 ± 3.02 vs. 112.26 ± 5.42 mm Hg, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, NS-treated SGA exhibited higher glucose levels at 60 and 90 min than the AGA groups. No differences in hormone levels between the SGA and AGA groups were found at the end of PEG-rhGH treatment. Conclusion: These data suggest that PEG-rhGH treatment does not increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in adolescent aged rats.
Indoxyl Sulfate Downregulates Renal Expression of Klotho through Production of ROS and Activation of Nuclear Factor-ĸB
Authors: Shimizu Hidehisa , Bolati Dilinaer , Adijiang Ayinuer , Adelibieke Yelixiati , Muteliefu Gulinuer , Enomoto Atsushi , Higashiyama Yukihiro , Higuchi Yusuke , Nishijima Fuyuhiko , Niwa Toshimitsu
Published: March 2011

Background/Aim: Klotho, an anti-aging gene, is expressed in the kidneys, and its renal expression is decreased in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The present study aimed to examine whether renal expression of Klotho is regulated by indoxyl sulfate, a uremic toxin, using rat kidneys and human proximal tubular cells (HK-2). Methods: The effect of indoxyl sulfate on renal expression of Klotho was examined using (1) Dahl salt-resistant normotensive rats (DN), (2) Dahl salt-resistant normotensive indoxyl sulfate-administered rats (DN+IS), (3) Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats (DH), and (4) Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive indoxyl sulfate-administered rats (DH+IS). The effects of indoxyl sulfate, inhibitors of nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) and an antioxidant on the expression of Klotho in HK-2 cells were examined. Results: DH+IS and DN+IS rats showed decreased expression of Klotho mRNA in the kidneys as compared with DH and DN rats, respectively. Indoxyl sulfate suppressed the expression of Klotho mRNA and protein in HK-2 cells, whereas an antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, and NF-ĸB inhibitors, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and isohelenin, alleviated these effects. Conclusions: Indoxyl sulfate downregulates Klotho expression in kidneys through production of reactive oxygen species and activation of NF-ĸB in proximal tubular cells. Indoxyl sulfate may be involved in reduced renal expression of Klotho in CKD.
Clinical Outcomes in Patients With the Concomitant Use of Clopidogrel and Proton Pump Inhibitors After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Harjai Kishore J. , Shenoy Chetan , Orshaw Pam , Usmani Samer , Boura Judy , Mehta Rajendra H.
Published: March 2011

Background—

The concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) with clopidogrel is suspected to be associated with an adverse impact on clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. We sought to evaluate whether the use of PPIs with clopidogrel was associated with worse clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with the use of clopidogrel alone.

Methods and Results—

We studied 2651 consecutive patients discharged alive after coronary stenting for stable or unstable coronary artery disease between 2001 and 2007. All patients received aspirin indefinitely and a thienopyridine for 1 to 12 months. Patients were categorized into 2 groups: those taking a PPI [PPI (+), n=751] and those not taking a PPI [PPI (−), n=1900] at discharge. The primary end points were the 6-month incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (composite of death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis) and net adverse clinical events (NACE) (composite of MACE and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction major or minor bleeding), which were evaluated using propensity-adjusted Cox regression analysis. In addition, propensity-matched analysis was performed in 685 pairs of patients. The PPI (+) group was older and had more comorbid conditions than the PPI (−) group. In propensity-adjusted as well as propensity-matched analyses, the use of PPIs was not associated with an increased risk of MACE or NACE.

Conclusions—

The use of PPIs with dual antiplatelet therapy was not associated with any adverse influence on MACE or NACE after PCI.
Impact of a Depression Care Management Program for Hospitalized Cardiac Patients
Authors: Huffman Jeff C. , Mastromauro Carol A. , Sowden Gillian , Fricchione Gregory L. , Healy Brian C. , Januzzi James L.
Published: March 2011

Background—

Depression is independently associated with poor outcomes among patients with acute cardiac disease. Collaborative care depression management programs have been used in outpatients to improve depression outcomes, but such a program had never been initiated in the hospital or used for patients with a wide range of cardiac illnesses.

Methods and Results—

This was a prospective, randomized trial of a low-intensity, 12-week collaborative care program versus usual care for 175 depressed patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmia, or heart failure. Study outcomes, assessed using mixed regression models to compare groups at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months, included mental health (depression, cognitive symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mental health-related quality of life) and medical (physical health-related quality of life, adherence to medical recommendations, and cardiac symptoms) outcomes. Collaborative care subjects (n=90) had significantly greater improvements on all mental health outcomes at 6 and 12 weeks, including rates of depression response (collaborative care, 59.7% versus usual care 33.7%; odds ratio, 2.91;
P
=0.003 at 6 weeks; 51.5% versus 34.4%; odds ratio, 2.02;
P
=0.04 at 12 weeks), though these effects decreased after intervention. At 6 months, intervention subjects had significantly greater self-reported adherence and significantly reduced number and intensity of cardiac symptoms.

Conclusions—

Among patients with a broad range of cardiac diagnoses, a collaborative care depression management program initiated during hospitalization led to significant improvements in multiple clinically important mental health outcomes and had promising effects on relevant medical outcomes after intervention.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00847132.
Variability of Air–Sea Interactions over the Indian Ocean Derived from Satellite Observations
Authors: Gautier Catherine , Peterson Peter , Jones Charles
Published: March 2011

Novel ways of monitoring the large-scale variability of the southwest monsoon in the Indian Ocean are presented using multispectral satellite datasets. The fields of sea surface temperature (SST), surface latent heat flux (LHF), net surface solar radiation (SW), precipitation (P), and SW − LHF over the Indian Ocean are analyzed to characterize the seasonal and interannual variability with special emphasis on the period 1988–90. It is shown that satellite data are able to make a significant contribution to the multiplatform strategy necessary to describe the large-scale spatial and temporal variability of air–sea interactions associated with the Indian Ocean Monsoon. The satellite data analyzed here has shown for the first time characteristics of the interannual variability of air–sea interactions over the entire Indian Ocean. Using monthly means of SST, LHF, SW, P, and the difference SW − LHF, the main features of the seasonal and interannual variability of air–sea interactions over the Indian Ocean are characterized. It is shown that the southwest monsoon strongly affects these interactions, inducing dramatic exchanges of heat between air and sea and large temporal variations of these exchanges over relatively small timescale (with regards to typical oceanic timescales). The analyses indicate an overall good agreement between satellite and in situ (ship) estimates, except in the southern Indian Ocean, where ship sampling is minimal, the disagreement can be large. In the latitudinal band of 10°N–15°S, differences in climatological in situ estimates of surface sensible heat flux and net longwave radiation has a larger influence on the net surface heat flux than the difference between satellite and in situ estimates of SW and LHF.
Northern Hemispheric Interdecadal Variability: A Coupled Air–Sea Mode
Authors: Timmermann A. , Latif M. , Voss R. , Grötzner A.
Published: March 2011

A coupled air–sea mode in the Northern Hemisphere with a period of about 35 years is described. The mode was derived from a multicentury integration with a coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model and involves interactions of the thermohaline circulation with the atmosphere in the North Atlantic and interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere in the North Pacific.

The authors focus on the physics of the North Atlantic interdecadal variability. If, for instance, the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation is anomalously strong, the ocean is covered by positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. The atmospheric response to these SST anomalies involves a strengthened North Atlantic Oscillation, which leads to anomalously weak evaporation and Ekman transport off Newfoundland and in the Greenland Sea, and the generation of negative sea surface salinity (SSS) anomalies. These SSS anomalies weaken the deep convection in the oceanic sinking regions and subsequently the strength of the thermohaline circulation. This leads to a reduced poleward heat transport and the formation of negative SST anomalies, which completes the phase reversal.

The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans seem to be coupled via an atmospheric teleconnection pattern and the interdecadal Northern Hemispheric climate mode is interpreted as an inherently coupled air–sea mode. Furthermore, the origin of the Northern Hemispheric warming observed recently is investigated. The observed temperatures are compared to a characteristic warming pattern derived from a greenhouse warming simulation with the authors’ coupled general circulation model and also with the Northern Hemispheric temperature pattern associated with the 35-yr climate mode. It is shown that the recent Northern Hemispheric warming projects well onto the temperature pattern of the interdecadal mode under consideration.
Sensitivity of the Simulated Annual Cycle of Sea Surface Temperature in the Equatorial Pacific to Sunlight Penetration
Authors: Schneider Edwin K. , Zhu Zhengxin
Published: March 2011

The annual cycle of sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial Pacific is compared for two simulations with a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model. The simulations differ only in the optical properties of the ocean: sunlight penetrates below the topmost layer of the ocean model in one case but is completely absorbed in the top layer in the other. The simulation without the sunlight penetration produces an unrealistic annual cycle of SST with a strong semiannual component in the equatorial Pacific, whereas the simulation with sunlight penetration is more realistic. The change in the character of the annual cycle results from an increase in the effective heat capacity of the ocean associated with an increase in the depth of the mixed layer directly forced by the sunlight penetration. This produces a smaller amplitude of the annual cycle of SST at latitudes close to but off the equator. The zone of intense tropical convection then remains closer to the equator, leading to a reduced semiannual cycle of zonal wind stress at the equator. The reduction in the unrealistic semiannual wind stress forcing leads to a more realistic annual cycle in SST.

The simulation of the annual mean SST is also improved by the inclusion of the sunlight penetration, with a better simulation of the warm pool in the western equatorial Pacific and associated improvements in the atmospheric circulation. This improvement is also attributed to the increase in the mixed layer depth, which changes the ocean heat flux in the western equatorial Pacific by reducing the sensitivity of SST to upwelling.
Understanding Climate Sensitivity to Tropical Deforestation in a Mechanistic Model
Authors: Zeng Ning
Published: March 2011

An analysis is provided to explain the sensitivity of regional climate to tropical deforestation based on an intermediate-level mechanistic model for land–atmosphere interaction. The analytical framework is made possible by the fact that feedback to local thermodynamics from large-scale dynamics is negligible, so the determining processes take place in situ. The analytical method accurately reproduces the intermediate-level numerical model results for an albedo change scenario and further provides insight into the mechanisms. A three-way balance among large-scale adiabatic cooling, moist convective heating, and radiative heating allows two positive feedback mechanisms, moisture convergence feedback and evaporation feedback, that give rise to the high sensitivity. The analysis also highlights a deficiency in column energy balance commonly used in tropical simple models, which results in a sensitivity that is likely too high. In light of these findings, some immediate needs for further advancing understanding of the problem are discussed.
The Role of Vegetation in the Dynamics of West African Monsoons
Authors: Zheng Xinyu , Eltahir Elfatih A. B.
Published: March 2011

The focus of this paper is the role of meridional distribution of vegetation in the dynamics of monsoons and rainfall over West Africa. A moist zonally symmetric atmospheric model coupled with a simple land surface scheme is developed to investigate these processes. Four primary experiments have been carried out to examine the sensitivity of West African monsoons to perturbations in the meridional distribution of vegetation. In the control experiment, the authors assume a distribution of vegetation that resembles the natural vegetation cover in West Africa. Each perturbation experiment is identical to the control experiment except that a change in vegetation cover is imposed for a latitudinal belt that is 10° in width. The results of the numerical experiments demonstrate that West African monsoons and therefore rainfall distribution depend critically on the location of the vegetation perturbations. Changes in vegetation cover along the border between the Sahara desert and West Africa (desertification) may have a minor impact on the simulated monsoon circulation. However, coastal deforestation may cause the collapse of the monsoon circulation and have a dramatic impact on the regional rainfall. The observed deforestation in West Africa is then likely to be a significant contributor to the observed drought.
Reconstruction of Monthly Mean 700-mb Heights from Surface Data by Reverse Specification
Authors: Klein William H. , Dai Ying
Published: March 2011

This paper demonstrates an objective method of computing monthly mean 700-mb height anomalies (H) at 108 grid points in the Western Hemisphere for a 40-yr period as a function of concurrent anomalies of monthly mean sea level pressure (P), at the same 108 points used for H, and monthly mean surface air temperature (T) averaged over 112 areas in North America. The authors applied a forward stepwise program to derive linear multiple regression equations that explained 81% of the variance of H by means of only 3.5 variables, averaged over all months and grid points. The stability of these equations held up well on 6 yr of independent data in terms of explained variance, root-mean-square error, and the spatial anomaly correlation coefficient. Therefore, it seems feasible to reconstruct maps of H for the first half of the twentieth century as a function of data on P and T only.
Forging a comparative institutional advantage in Argentina: Implications for theory and praxis
Authors: Friel Daniel
Published: March 2011

This article argues that the incorporation of a revised version of the varieties of capitalism approach into international business literature and institution-based theory in strategy would enable scholars and practitioners to improve their understanding of how individual institutions and combinations thereof provide a basis for developing human resource practices suited to emerging markets. It elaborates on the varieties of capitalism approach by coining the term recessive institution to describe how firms draw on latent institutions to pursue policies not in accord with the dominant institutional context in which they operate. This article draws on the varieties of capitalism approach for Latin America to demonstrate how an industrial district and a large company in Argentina formed a comparative institutional advantage for producing mid-range, high quality products by using recessive institutions. It concludes by highlighting this article’s implications for human resource scholars and executives while also suggesting avenues for future research.
Employment relations in global production networks: Initiating transfer of practices via union involvement
Authors: Fichter Michael , Helfen Markus , Sydow Jörg
Published: March 2011

International Framework Agreements (IFAs) represent a still small but growing and particularly interesting contribution to the global regulation of employment relations. IFAs enable global union federations (GUFs) to become actively involved in co-designing employment relations within transnational corporations (TNCs) and their global production networks. Based upon theoretical insights into the challenges of transferring practices in and across organizations, we present and discuss a model of practice transfer for global production networks based on empirical data from a content analysis of IFAs and from interviews with representatives of TNCs, GUFs, and other experts. Our study contributes to an organizational theory of practice transfer. But more importantly, it aims at a better integration of IHRM and international industrial relations by looking more closely at the particular role of GUFs as external actors.
Sexual orientation discrimination: Exploring the experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual employees in Turkey
Authors: Bilgehan Ozturk Mustafa
Published: March 2011

This article explores workplace sexual orientation discrimination in the context of Turkey, a developing country displaying a unique set of gendered intersectionalities permeating the employment sphere. Using a multifarious theoretical backdrop steeped in a combinatorial analytical approach sustained by post-structural constructs, queer theory and relational perspectives, this study locates homophobic practices at work in terms of their variegated determinants, instantiations and possibilities for transformation. Open-ended, unstructured, probing interviews support the exploratory effort in gaining an authentic sense of meaning as evidenced by personal experience, and conditioned by contextual detail in the working lives of 20 lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. This allows for the emergence of an account of how sexual orientation discrimination is diffused through a plethora of work environments in Turkey and at what particular ideational levels of signification emergent processes may combat such discriminatory practices.
Understanding compassion capability
Authors: Lilius Jacoba M , Worline Monica C , Dutton Jane E , Kanov Jason M , Maitlis Sally
Published: March 2011

We elaborate a theory of the foundations of a collective capability for compassion through a detailed analysis of everyday practices in an organizational unit. Our induced theory of compassion capability draws on the findings of an interview study to illustrate and explain how a specific set of everyday practices creates two relational conditions — high quality connections and a norm of dynamic boundary permeability — that enable employees of a collective unit to notice, feel and respond to members’ suffering. By articulating the mechanisms that connect everyday practices and a work unit’s compassion capability, we provide insight into the relational micro-foundations of a capability grounded in individual action and interaction.
Processing of multi-walled carbon nanotube-reinforced TiNi composites by hot pressed sintering
Authors: Xue Feng  , Jiehe Sui  , Wei Cai
Published: March 2011

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced TiNi matrix composites were synthesized successfully by employing elemental powders. Two methods have been used to control the interfacial reaction between CNTs and Ti, which heightened the quality of CNTs (graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (GMWCNTs)) and shortened the time of over-eutectic temperature sintering (two-stage hot pressed sintering). It was found that a major TiNi parent phase with different proportions of intermetallic compound phases had been obtained by varying the second stage sintering temperatures. The specimens with second stage sintering temperature at 1050°C exhibited predominant mechanical properties, and the GMWCNTs retained their original size.
Investigation of the effect of single wall carbon nanotubes on interlaminar fracture toughness of woven carbon fiber—epoxy composites
Authors: Thakre Piyush R. , Lagoudas Dimitris C. , Riddick Jaret C. , Gates Thomas S. , Frankland Sarah-Jane V. , Ratcliffe James G. , Jiang Zhu  , Barrera Enrique V.
Published: March 2011

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were introduced in the interlaminar region of woven carbon fiber—epoxy composites and the mode-I delamination behavior was investigated. Pristine (P-SWCNT) and functionalized (F-SWCNT) nanotubes were sprayed in the mid-plane of these laminates and delamination was initiated using a teflon pre-crack insert. The composite laminates were produced using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. The interlaminar fracture toughness (ILFT) represented by mode-I critical strain energy release rate (GIc) for the initiation of delamination was measured using double cantilever beam tests. The specimens with pristine nanotubes and functionalized nanotubes showed a small effect on the ILFT. The specimens with P-SWCNTs showed stable crack growth and the potential for enhanced crack bridging along with slightly higher GIc than F-SWCNT specimens. Scanning electron microscopy images showed enhanced fiber—matrix interfacial bonding in the specimens with F-SWCNTs. However, large unstable crack propagation was observed in these F-SWCNT specimens from load—displacement curves and crack propagation videos. This research helps in understanding the differences in mechanisms by addition of functionalized and unfunctionalized (pristine) nanotubes to the woven carbon fiber—epoxy matrix composite laminates.
An Intercultural Examination of Cooperation in the Commons
Authors: Carpenter Jeffrey , Cardenas Juan Camilo
Published: March 2011

We design a real-time, intercultural common pool resource experiment using participants from cultures that derive different benefits from a global public good (extraction vs. conservation of biodiversity resources) to analyze the effect of group affiliation on cooperative behavior. We also collect survey attitudes toward conservation to augment our experimental results. We find that when participants interact interculturally, extraction choices change significantly and that these changes can be attributed to an amplification of the relationship between attitudes and choices cued by the intercultural treatment.
Outside the Head and Outside Individualism-Collectivism
Authors: Lamoreaux Marika , Morling Beth
Published: March 2011

Cultural differences and similarities can be documented not only at the level of the psyche (people’s motivations, beliefs, emotions, or cognitions) but also via shared, tangible representations of culture (such as advertising, texts, architecture, and so on). In this report, the authors present the results of some exploratory meta-analyses of cultural products. Data were sufficient to analyze a variety of cultural traits: positivity, modernity, high (vs. low) context, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance, as well as other dimensions. Thus, this article documents cultural products that measured traits other than individualism-collectivism, the trait the authors analyzed in an earlier article. The data reinforce the value of studying cultural products and fit with recent calls to branch out from the familiar, individualism-collectivism construct into new axes of cultural difference.
Choice-based Letting, Ethnicity and Segregation in England
Authors: Manley David , van Ham Maarten
Published: March 2011

Choice-based letting (CBL) has been widely introduced to the social housing sector in England to give applicants more freedom in where they live. Concerns have been expressed that giving people more choice in residential locations has the potential to increase neighbourhood segregation. It has also been argued that a lack of real choice, not self-segregation, might be a cause of social and ethnic segregation. In social housing, real choice might not be available and the most vulnerable are likely to access the easiest housing options: often in deprived and segregated neighbourhoods. This paper analyses the probability that households applying for social housing using different allocation systems end up in deprived or ethnically concentrated neighbourhoods. Using unique data representing lettings made in the social housing sector in England, it is shown that ethnic minorities, and especially those using CBL, are the most likely to end up in deprived and ethnic concentration neighbourhoods.
Making the Most of Diversity? The Intercultural City Project and a Rescaled Version of Diversity in Auckland, New Zealand
Authors: Collins Francis Leo , Friesen Wardlow
Published: March 2011

Contemporary policy approaches to ‘cultural diversity’ are increasingly focusing on ‘the urban’, marking a considerable departure from configurations like biculturalism and multiculturalism in which the space of the nation was viewed as the key arena for the making of diverse and cohesive societies. In this context, this paper analyses the Intercultural City Project (ICP), a multicity planning initiative developed by the private consultancy Comedia, focusing on the ICP’s deployment in Auckland, New Zealand, where it was used to rethink issues surrounding diversity and urban planning. The analysis focuses on three key issues that emerge in the ICP: the targeting of cultural diversity and interaction; the rescaled ‘urban’ version of diversity; and the connections between this model of diversity and neo-liberal urban policies.
Common Interest Development and the Changing Roles of Government and Market in Planning
Authors: Chen Simon C. Y.
Published: March 2011

World-wide, common interest development (CID) and its governance, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), are developing rapidly. However, numerous conflicts have given rise to the need to redefine governmental and market roles in current HOA governance. This paper examines the successful development of the NangKang Software Park (NKSP) in Taiwan and draws conclusions for alternative government and other parties involved in neighbourhood management. There are several factors contributing to NKSP’s success, one being early governmental participation in the institutional design, which assisted in minimising potential conflicts. Another is NKSP’s external property management company, whose rent-seeking incentives were hindered through market competition. A third element of NKSP’s success was its HOA’s human resource management in its industrial neighbourhood. The results from this study suggest that HOA governance may be very suitable for industrial districts and may also provide a globally applicable solution for CID and HOA development.
A Difficult Mix
Authors: Bretherton Joanne , Pleace Nicholas
Published: March 2011

This paper explores attempts to enhance social capital, reduce negative area effects and improve life chances in deprived neighbourhoods by promoting social diversity. The paper draws on the results of two recent studies. The first study examined resident perceptions of new, high-density, mixed-tenure housing that was designed to provide socially diverse and cohesive communities. The second study examined the housing allocations policies of UK social landlords, focusing on their attempts to balance their role in housing high-need homeless households with their role in the sustainment of neighbourhood social diversity. After reviewing the results of each study, the paper concludes that the management of perceived, and actual, risks to social cohesion from some poorer households is a central concern in the promotion of socially diverse neighbourhoods.
Constructing a future weather file for use in building simulation using UKCP09 projections
Authors: Watkins R. , Levermore GJ , Parkinson JB
Published: March 2011

In the future with climate change, building designers may need to demonstrate to clients that their buildings will continue to provide a comfortable environment under future weather conditions. Building simulation modelling can be used to this end provided that suitable weather files can be constructed. This article describes the use of the latest climate projections from UKCIP (UKCP09 data) and a method of constructing an hourly weather file for the following parameters: dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, solar irradiation (direct and diffuse), wind speed and wind direction. For a given future scenario, the approach used first selects appropriate months from 3000 years of UKCP09 data to construct a Test Reference Year (TRY). Unfortunately, the UKCP09 hourly data has no wind or cloud data, and the solar irradiance is uncorrected at low sun angles. This article describes algorithms for calculating wind speed and cloud cover from the UKCP09 data. From this data, a TRY can be constructed and formatted to be suitable for use with commonly used simulation packages.

Practical applications: Building professionals increasingly seek reassurance on how a proposed building will perform under a future rather than historical climate. This article describes a method of processing the latest future climate projections (UKCP09 data released in June 2009) and generating a Test Reference Year (TRY) with the full complement of weather parameters suitable for use by commonly used building simulation programmes.
Growing Up Without Siblings and Adult Sociability Behaviors
Authors: Trent Katherine , Spitze Glenna
Published: March 2011

The authors use data from the National Survey of Families and Households to examine a range of sociability behaviors for adults who grew up with and without siblings. Compared with adults who grew up with siblings, adults who grew up without siblings have less frequent social activities with relatives, and the difference is greater among those who did not live with both parents growing up. Differences in engaging in certain social events between adults who grew up without and with siblings vary by age. Differences in participation in sports-, youth-, or school-related group activities for those who grew up without and with siblings vary by gender. Thus, there are some differences in adult sociability behaviors between those who grew up with and without siblings; however, the pattern of findings in this study suggests that these differences are not large or pervasive across a range of sociability behaviors and may grow smaller with age.
Exploring innovating cultures in small and medium-sized enterprises: Findings from Central Switzerland
Authors: Wolf Patricia , Kaudela-Baum Stephanie , Meissner Jens O.
Published: March 2011

To date, knowledge about innovating culture in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains a puzzle. In literature, entrepreneurship studies focus primarily on the entrepreneur or founder in start-ups. Most other SME innovation studies deliver a fragmented picture as they investigate singular aspects of innovating culture. Therefore, studies exploring the role of culture in SME innovation holistically are rare. This article presents the findings from a longitudinal study exploring innovating cultures in SMEs. The study applied an explorative research design based upon semi-structured and narrative interviews with those responsible for innovation management in 85 Central Swiss SMEs. From this data, four different SME innovation profiles representing clearly discernible innovating cultures were developed. The findings provide in-depth insights into SME innovation reality, thereby enhancing the understanding of the role of culture in SME innovation and providing a framework for improving innovation management.
Symptoms of Depression in Israeli Adolescents Following a Suicide Bombing
Authors: Barile John P. , Grogan Kathryn E. , Henrich Christopher C. , Brookmeyer Kathryn A. , Shahar Golan
Published: March 2011

This report investigated the potential role of gender in moderating the effects of terror attack exposure on depression symptoms in middle school students from Dimona, Israel ( N = 90). Specifically, the effects of three aspects of terror attacks were investigated: physical exposure, relational exposure, and media exposure. Ninety early adolescents were assessed for terror exposure and depression before and after a suicide bombing in a town market. Results indicate that the effects of relational exposure to the suicide bombing—knowing others directly affected by a suicide bombing—on depression symptoms differed by gender. Adolescent girls who knew people affected by the suicide bombing reacted with higher levels of depressive symptoms while similarly exposed adolescent boys did not. It may be that girls, as compared to boys, express greater sympathy for victims, and are hence more vulnerable to disruptions of their social network, resulting in a heightened depressive vulnerability.
The shortsighted brain: Neuroeconomics and the governance of choice in time
Authors: Dow Schüll Natasha , Zaloom Caitlin
Published: March 2011

The young field of neuroeconomics converges around behavioral deviations from the model of the human being as Homo economicus, a rational actor who calculates his choices to maximize his individual satisfaction. In a historical moment characterized by economic, health, and environmental crises, policymakers have become increasingly concerned about a particular deviation for which neuroeconomics offers a biological explanation: Why do humans value the present at the expense of the future? There is contentious debate within the field over how to model this tendency at the neural level. Should the brain be conceptualized as a unified decision-making apparatus, or as the site of conflict between an impetuous limbic system at perpetual odds with its deliberate and provident overseer in the prefrontal cortex? Scientific debates over choice-making in the brain, we argue, are also debates over how to define the constraints on human reason with which regulative strategies must contend. Drawing on ethnographic and archival research, we explore how the brain and its treatment of the future become the contested terrain for distinct visions of governmental intervention into problems of human choice-making.
Divorce in Early Modern Rural Japan: Household and Individual Life Course in Northeastern Villages, 1716-1870
Authors: Kurosu Satomi
Published: March 2011

Drawing data from the local population registers in two northeastern agricultural villages, this study examines the patterns and factors associated with divorce in preindustrial Japan. Divorce was easy and common during this period. More than two thirds of first marriages dissolved in divorce before individuals reached age fifty. Discrete-time event history analysis is applied to demonstrate how economic condition and household context influenced the likelihood of divorce for females. Risk of divorce was extremely high in the first three years and among uxorilocal marriages. Propensity of divorce increased upon economic stress in the community and among households of lower social status. Presence of parents, siblings, and children had strong bearings on marriage to continue.
U.S. Marital Disruptions and their Economic and Social Correlates, 1860-1948
Authors: Cvrcek Tomas
Published: March 2011

A new estimate of U.S. marital disruptions shows an increase in desertions relative to divorces after 1900. Desertions were the more volatile component of marital disruptions because of their greater responsiveness to general economic conditions. Large marriage cohorts, formed in the years of economic expansion, disrupted in greater numbers: an increase in the marriage rate by 10 per 1,000 unmarried women raised the proportion of disrupted marriages by 7.3 percentage points. Conversely, during years of recession, many poorer couples were discouraged from marriage; smaller marriage cohorts with more resilient marriages were formed and their lifetime marriage disruption rate was lower.
Quasi-Federalism and the Administration of Equality and Human Rights: Recent Developments and Future Prospects – A Preliminary Analysis from the UK's Devolution Programme
Authors: Chaney Paul
Published: March 2011

Following the UK's move to quasi-federalism in the 1990s, the Parliament and Assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland gained powers over the promotion of equality of opportunity in the exercise of devolved functions. Constitutional law also placed human rights obligations on the regional administrations. Analysis reveals that the first years of devolution have seen a rapid growth and territorialization of regulatory bodies, such as commissioners, inspectorates, ombudsmen – whose remit includes these cross-cutting issues. Given the rise of distinctive sub-state ‘equalities infrastructures’ in the devolved nations, a key question is whether the dynamics of self-reinforcing feedback processes predicted by historical institutionalism offer the potential for more effective equality and human rights practice at the meso-level. While the discussion reveals a significant increase in the state's capacity to monitor and regulate, examples of innovation and policy transfer – and a cautious, yet generally positive, assessment by policy actors – a number of issues and shortcomings are also identified. These include limited government oversight and a lack of inter-agency coordination. Overall, the emerging evidence suggests that, from a functional institutionalist perspective, devolution has made advances in embedding the regulation of equality and human rights in the regional state; however, historical institutionalism indicates that, while devolution may be viewed as a ‘critical juncture’, notions of ‘path dependency’ towards more effective equalities practice are, as yet, unfounded and significant challenges remain.
Effect of Atorvastatin Monotherapy and Low-Dose Atorvastatin/Ezetimibe Combination on Fasting and Postprandial Triglycerides in Combined Hyperlipedemia
Authors: Lee Sang-Hak , Park Sungha , Kang Seok-Min , Jang Yangsoo , Chung Namsik , Choi Donghoon
Published: March 2011

Postprandial triglyceride (TG) levels are easy to measure and are associated with future cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of statin monotherapy and low-dose statin/ezetimibe on lipid parameters including fasting and postprandial TG. After a 4-week dietary run-in period, 78 patients with combined hyperlipidemia were randomized into 1 of 2 treatment groups for 8 weeks: atorvastatin 20 mg or atorvastatin/ezetimibe 5 mg/5 mg. An oral fat load test was performed before and after the drug-treatment period. The low-dose combination had a tendency to decrease fasting TG more than atorvastatin monotherapy. The combination regimen showed a greater reduction in postprandial TG (−13% ± 42% and −34% ± 30%, in the atorvastatin and combination groups, respectively, P = .03) and total cholesterol (TC; P = .03). The changes in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were not different between the 2 groups. The reduction in apo B/A1 was greater in the combination group (−32% ± 19% and −42% ± 13%, in the atorvastatin and combination groups, respectively, P = .02). In conclusion, these results demonstrated a potential beneficial effect of low-dose atorvastatin/ezetimibe combination treatment on postprandial TG control after comparable LDL-C lowering in patients with combined hyperlipidemia.