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Terms modified by Advanced Selected AbstractsDynamic study of cerebral bioenergetics and brain function using in vivo multinuclear MRS approachesCONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 2 2005Wei Chen Abstract One of the greatest merits of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodology used in biomedical research and clinical settings is its capability of measuring various physiological parameters in vivo. Besides MR imaging (MRI), which has been routinely applied to obtain vital information in living organs at normal and diseased states, in vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS) provides an invaluable tool for determining metabolites, chemical reaction rates, bioenergetics, and their dynamic changes in the human and animals noninvasively. These MRS capabilities are further enhanced at high/ultrahigh magnetic fields because of significant gain in NMR detection sensitivity and improvement in the spectral resolution. Recent progress has shown that in vivo MRS holds great promise in many biomedical research areas,in particular, brain research. This article provides a broad review of (i) in vivo multinuclear MRS approaches, (ii) advanced MRS methodologies, and (iii) MRS applications for determining cerebral metabolism as well as bioenergetics at resting brain state and their dynamic changes in response to brain activation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 27A: 84-121, 2005 [source] The role of organizational size in the adoption of green supply chain management practices in ChinaCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2008Qinghua Zhu Abstract Economic globalization, increasing resource scarcity and environmental degradation have caused green supply chain management (GSCM) to become an important competitive approach for organizations involved in international trade. Using survey data collected from over 200 China-based organizations, we compare the implementation levels of five GSCM practices among small-, medium- and large-sized organizations in China. We find that medium- and large-sized organizations are more advanced than their smaller-sized counterparts on most aspects, but not necessarily all, of these GSCM practices. Future research includes possible studies on GSCM practices and promotion, especially targeting small manufacturing organizations. In addition, the influence of globalization and foreign direct investment, especially after China's entry into the WTO, could be more carefully examined. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Relationship between eye preference and binocular rivalry, and between eye-hand preference and reading ability in childrenDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2008J. Fagard Abstract One goal of the experiment presented here was to check, in children, the relationship between eye preference when sighting at different angles and eye dominance in binocular rivalry. In addition, since it is sometimes argued that a crossed pattern of eye-hand preference might put children at risk of difficulties in learning to read, we evaluated the relationship between this pattern and reading achievement in first and sixth graders. Results showed that a majority of children are right-eyed for monosighting, and that intrinsic preference and spatial factor influence the choice of eye. As many children were right- or left-eye dominant, and eye dominance was not related to eye preference. We found no relationship between eye-hand preference and reading proficiency, thus not confirming that a crossed pattern of eye-hand preference might put children at risk of difficulties in learning to read. Consistent handers were more advanced in reading than inconsistent handers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 789,798, 2008 [source] Critical period of sensitivity for effects of cadmium on frog growth and development,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2009Jackson A. Gross Abstract Cadmium is a ubiquitous pollutant in aquatic environments that can alter organismal physiology and ecology. Previous experiments found that ecological Cd exposures increased the growth and development of two North American anurans. However, the generality of these effects among species, the time period over which they occur, and the mechanisms responsible remain conjectural. The goal of the present study was to determine the critical period of sensitivity of Rana pipiens exposed to ecologically relevant levels of Cd. We exposed tadpoles to Cd (0 [control], 1.0, and 10.0 ,g/L) from Gosner stage (GS) 25 to metamorphic climax. We assessed effects of Cd on amphibian length, survival, and development during premetamorphosis (GS 25,30) and prometamorphosis (GS 31,42). After 14 d of exposure, we staged tadpoles and recorded snout-vent length. Tadpoles were then pooled according to treatment and stage (GS , 29 or GS , 30) and allowed to undergo metamorphic development. Tadpoles exposed to 10 ,g/L were significantly larger and more advanced in development by 14 d. Survival to forelimb emergence exceeded 90% in all treatments, and time to metamorphic climax was not different from that in controls. Body burdens of Cd were positively correlated with increasing treatment. Early amphibian development (premetamorphosis) was shown to be the critical period of sensitivity for growth and development. Whereas the freshwater criterion for Cd appears to be protective for survival, a lack of knowledge remains about the sublethal effects of chronic exposures of metal pollutants, especially as they relate to tissue concentrations at various stages of amphibian life history. [source] Literary Discussions and Advanced Speaking Functions: Researching the (Dis) ConnectionFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2004Richard Donato PhD Motivating this study was the need for research to determine how discussion in advanced undergraduate literature courses provides discourse opportunities to students to develop advanced language functions, as defined in the ACTFL Guidelines. Despite claims that literature classes play an additional role in developing language proficiency, this issue has not received serious research attention. In this study, classroom transcripts were analyzed for the following features: (1) discourse structure of the literary discussion; (2) the use of teacher questions; (3) verb tense distribution; and (4) student uptake. The analysis attempted to uncover how literary discussion afforded opportunities for students to describe, to narrate in major timeframes, to use extended discourse, to share opinions and arguments, to explore alternatives, and to hypothesize,all advanced and superior level speaking functions. The study also included instructor and student interviews to determine their views of foreign language literature classes and to see if what was observed could be explained by the goals the instructor and students had expressed. The findings suggest that simply having a literary discussion does not ensure that students will be pushed to use the language in advanced ways even when faced with tasks requiring critical thinking and advanced language use. One issue that this study reveals is that, for students to experience speaking in the advanced ranges of proficiency, discussions must enable complex thinking in complex language. Other findings suggest that literature instructors should be aware of the discourse opportunities that arise in literary discussions, should make speaking expectations and advanced functions clear to students, and should monitor student language use during discussions. [source] Freshwater and marine virioplankton: a brief overview of commonalities and differencesFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008STEVEN W. WILHELM Summary 1. Viruses are a pervasive component of microbial food webs in both marine and freshwater systems. The abundance of viruses in individual aquatic systems appears to be independent of salinity but related to the biomass of primary and secondary producers as well as seasonal effects. Burst size, virus production rate and the percentage of microbial cells carrying a viral burden also appear to be more closely correlated to trophic status than to salinity. 2. In marine environments, the roles of planktonic viruses as regulators of carbon and nutrient cycling as well as microbial community structure have been a focus of numerous studies, yet the roles of freshwater virioplankton remain much less studied. Nevertheless, a survey of published freshwater studies demonstrates that virioplankton recycle important quantities of growth-limiting nutrients from hosts via generation of dead particulate and dissolved organic matter during cell lysis, and suggests that both the chemical speciation and concentration of these organic compounds and nutrients may have important influences on the microbial community. 3. Parallel observations on the spatial patterns and dynamics of microbial mortality due to viruses or grazing are more advanced in freshwaters than in marine environments. However, the constraints that determine whether virus- or grazer-mediated mortality dominates are not yet understood in either environment. 4. Application of molecular approaches has facilitated the examination of the diversity and ecological dynamics of specific viral populations and entire communities. The depth of detail achieved in marine environments towards characterizing these populations and communities is just beginning to be matched in freshwater systems. The few available data suggest that viruses targeting-related hosts in freshwater and marine systems may be genetically distinct. 5. Although the role of viruses in aquatic systems is complex and remains insufficiently studied, our survey of the literature indicates that, despite some differences, many of the controls on virioplankton activity and diversity are similar in marine and freshwater environments. [source] Flexible responses of insects to changing environmental temperature , early season development of Craspedolepta species on fireweedGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006IAN D. HODKINSON Abstract Developmental response to temperature during the critical early season growing period was investigated in two congeneric species of Craspedolepta feeding on Epilobium angustifolium at three sites at different altitudes in Norway and the UK. The larval development reaction norm to temperature, measured as accumulated day degrees, was not significantly different between Craspedolepta nebulosa and Craspedolepta subpunctata at sites where they co-occurred but C. nebulosa development was consistently more advanced at any site. For individual species the reaction norms at the lowest site (Ainsdale, UK) were similar to the intermediate site (Geilo, Norway): and there were no differences between years. Insect size remained relatively constant. However, at the highest site (Haugastøl, Norway), where C. subpunctata is unable to complete its development, the reaction norm for C. nebulosa was significantly higher than at Geilo and the individual insects produced were smaller. These adaptations allow life-history completion under limiting temperature conditions. An experiment at Ainsdale, to raise the mean temperature by around 2.5°C during the early growing season, resulted in accelerated development in both C. nebulosa and C. subpunctata but development in C. nebulosa was accelerated proportionately more. C. nebulosa thus displays the greater plasticity in developmental response to environmental temperature that allows it to occupy a greater altitudinal and latitudinal range than C. subpunctata, in which the response is less plastic and more canalized. The likely individualistic responses of the two species to climate warming are considered. [source] Surgical treatment of liver metastases from pancreatic cancerHPB, Issue 2 2006Hidehisa Yamada PhD Abstract Pancreatic cancer is a disease with a poor prognosis. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced and unresectable stage. Even if the primary cancer is radically removed, postoperative recurrence frequently occurs. Generally, metastatic liver tumors from pancreatic cancer are not indicated for surgical treatment. Here we evaluate the results of performing hepatectomy for liver metastases of pancreatic cancer. In our institute, six patients with liver metastases from pancreatic cancer were treated by partial hepatectomy. Overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of six patients after hepatectomy were 66.7%, 33.3% and 16.7%, respectively, and one patient was alive for 65.4 months. Performing a hepatectomy for liver metastases of pancreatic cancer, when combined with a pancreas resection, was recently considered to be a safe operation, and one that might offer prolonged survival for highly selected patients with curative resection of liver metastases. In the future, it will be necessary to develop new multi-modality therapies to improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. [source] CD4+ T-regulatory cells: toward therapy for human diseasesIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2008Sarah E. Allan Summary T-regulatory cells (Tregs) have a fundamental role in the establishment and maintenance of peripheral tolerance. There is now compelling evidence that deficits in the numbers and/or function of different types of Tregs can lead to autoimmunity, allergy, and graft rejection, whereas an over-abundance of Tregs can inhibit anti-tumor and anti-pathogen immunity. Experimental models in mice have demonstrated that manipulating the numbers and/or function of Tregs can decrease pathology in a wide range of contexts, including transplantation, autoimmunity, and cancer, and it is widely assumed that similar approaches will be possible in humans. Research into how Tregs can be manipulated therapeutically in humans is most advanced for two main types of CD4+ Tregs: forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3)+ Tregs and interleukin-10-producing type 1 Tregs (Tr1 cells). The aim of this review is to highlight current information on the characteristics of human FOXP3+ Tregs and Tr1 cells that make them an attractive therapeutic target. We discuss the progress and limitations that must be overcome to develop methods to enhance Tregs in vivo, expand or induce them in vitro for adoptive transfer, and/or inhibit their function in vivo. Although many technical and theoretical challenges remain, the next decade will see the first clinical trials testing whether Treg-based therapies are effective in humans. [source] REVIEW: Management of gout: beyond allopurinolINTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2010N. W. McGill Abstract The basic concepts of the pathogenesis and management of gout have not altered for many years. Monosodium urate monohydrate crystals drive the disease and identification of these crystals is required for certain diagnosis. In contrast, our understanding of the mediators of gouty inflammation, the appropriate target serum urate concentration during treatment, the drugs available and the best ways to use those drugs have all advanced in recent years and will be the focus of this review. [source] Improving the efficiency of finite element formulations in laminated compositesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 9 2002Kostas P. Soldatos Abstract This communication extends the principles of an advanced smeared laminate plate theory towards the development of corresponding FE models and codes. The present FE numerical results are compared with those based on exact elasticity solutions, as well as those of corresponding FE models based on three conventional laminate plate theories. These comparisons show that, compared to those conventional FE codes, the proposed FE formulation that uses also a small and fixed number of nodal degrees of freedom improves substantially the accuracy of stress predictions. They also show that the present numerical results are particularly accurate even for very thick laminates. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Second-order analysis and design of steel structures allowing for member and frame imperfectionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2005J. X. Gu Abstract Conventional linear analysis is deficient in handling the design of slender frames since the effective length and other non-linear effects are difficult to assess accurately. Some proposed non-linear analyses cannot be directly employed for practical design since they are unable to re-produce the buckling curves of the basic structural element, a simple column under axial force, by a single element per member. This paper describes an advanced element, using the same physical significance as the advanced and second-order analysis proposed by a number of researchers and the BS5950(2000) and AS4100 (1995), for practical design of slender steel frames. The proposed element captures the physical behaviour of a structural member that the buckling strength of the member can be predicted using a single element per member and without assuming any effective length. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Implementation of quality control methods (physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory) in conjunction with multivariate analysis towards fish authenticityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis Summary Nowadays authenticity of foods and fish in particular has become of crucial importance because of high number of adulteration cases. Authenticity control has gained ground thanks to the development of several rapid physico-chemical and microbiological methods aiming at distinguishing one species from another based on solid scientific evidence. It has been proven that despite the precision and accuracy of robust analytical and protein and DNA-based techniques, detection of authenticity could not be claimed without resorting to multivariate analysis. This review summarizes both the most advanced and state of the art used techniques for detecting fish and seafood authenticity (both in terms of species and geographical origin). Another issue reported in this review is the preservation of fish and seafood through the implementation of old and novel techniques (ice, modified atmosphere packaging). Several informative tables were included in this paper referring to the employed quality control and sensory analysis methods and multivariate analysis for fish and seafood. [source] Putting a Human Face on DevelopmentINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 166 2000Rubens Ricupero The century is ending with failure to solve two major threats to the future: mass unemployment and growing inequality. Furthermore, in the poor parts of the world, the very possibility of sustainable development has been questioned by the economic crisis that started in Asia two years ago. This monetary and financial crisis truly deserved to be called a "crisis of development", for three main reasons. First, it hit almost exclusively most of the developing countries, at the same time sparing and even benefitingthe industrial economies. Second, paradoxically, it was much more destructive in the most advanced of the developing nations. Third, it has created uncertainties and questions regarding the possibility of regaining the previous levels of economic performance that characterised "the Asian tigers". Competition is very analogous to games. Both need fair rules and impartial arbiters. Governments and trade negotiators think that these are sufficient, forgetting a third and fundamental element. To play a game, you have to learn how to play it; through education and time to train. A key to success will be access to information. [source] Mechanism of the Nucleophilic Substitution of Acyl Electrophiles using Lithium OrganocupratesADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 7-8 2008Naohiko Yoshikai Abstract The mechanism of nucleophilic substitution reaction at an sp2 carbon center of a thioester or an acid chloride with a lithium organocuprate reagent has been investigated. Density functional calculations indicated that the thioester undergoes oxidative addition of the CS bond to the copper(I) atom through a three-centered transition state to afford an organocopper(III) intermediate, which gives the product through reductive elimination of the alkyl and the acyl groups. On the other hand, the acid chloride loses a chloride anion very easily when it interacts with the cuprate, because the chloride anion is captured by a lithium(I) cation rather than a copper(I) atom. 13C kinetic isotope effect (KIE) experiments showed excellent agreement with computational predictions for the thioester reaction, but suggested that the nucleophilic displacement transition state of the acid chloride occurs much more advanced than the calculations predict. [source] Technical Barriers to Trade in the European Union: Importance for Accession CountriesJCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 2 2001Paul Brenton With trade in industrial products between the EU and the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEECs) now essentially free of tariff and non-tariff restrictions, the principal impact of accession to the EU on trade flows will be through access to the single market of the EU. A key element of this will be the removal of technical barriers to trade. In this article we try to highlight the potential importance of technical barriers to trade between the EU and the various CEECs, distinguishing between sectors according to the different approaches to the removal of these barriers in the EU: mutual recognition, detailed harmonization (old approach) and minimum requirements (new approach). We use two sources of information on technical regulations: a sectoral classification from a previous study of the impact of the single market and our own detailed translation of EU product-related directives into the relevant tariff codes. The analysis suggests that the importance of technical barriers varies considerably across the CEECs. The adjustment implications of access to the single market are likely to be greatest for those most advanced in their accession negotiations. [source] Heterogeneity in the Growth of the Axial and Appendicular Skeleton in Boys: Implications for the Pathogenesis of Bone Fragility in MenJOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 10 2000Michelle Bradney Abstract Men with spine fractures have reduced vertebral body (VB) volume and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD). Men with hip fractures have reduced femoral neck (FN) volume and vBMD, site-specific deficits that may have their origins in growth. To describe the tempo of growth in regional bone size, bone mineral content (BMC), and vBMD, we measured bone length, periosteal and endocortical diameters, BMC, and vBMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 184 boys aged between 7 and 17 years. Before puberty, growth was more rapid in the legs than in the trunk. During puberty, leg growth slowed while trunk length accelerated. Bone size was more advanced than BMC in all regions, being ,70% and ,35% of their predicted peaks at 7 years of age, respectively. At 16 years of age, bone size had reached its adult peak while BMC was still 10% below its predicted peak. The legs accounted for 48%, whereas the spine accounted for 10%, of the 1878 g BMC accrued between 7 and 17 years. Peripubertal growth contributed (i) 55% of the increase in leg length but 78% of the mineral accrued and (ii) 69% of the increase in spine length but 87% of the mineral accrued. Increased metacarpal and midfemoral cortical thickness was caused by respective periosteal expansion with minimal change in the endocortical diameter. Total femur and VB vBMD increased by 30,40% while size and BMC increased by 200,300%. Thus, growth builds a bigger but only slightly denser skeleton. We speculate that effect of disease or a risk factor during growth depends on the regions maturational stage at the time of exposure. The earlier growth of a regions size than mass, and the differing growth patterns from region to region, predispose to site-specific deficits in bone size, vBMD, or both. Regions further from their peak may be more severely affected by illness than those nearer completion of growth. Bone fragility in old age is likely to have its foundations partly established during growth. [source] Multi-block and path modelling proceduresJOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 11-12 2008Agnar Höskuldsson Abstract The author has developed a unified theory of path and multi-block modelling of data. The data blocks are arranged in a directional path. Each data block can lead to one or more data blocks. It is assumed that there is given a collection of input data blocks. Each of them is supposed to describe one or more intermediate data blocks. The output data blocks are those that are at the ends of the paths and have no succeeding data blocks. The optimisation procedure finds weights for the input data blocks so that the size of the total loadings for the output data blocks are maximised. When the optimal weight vectors have been determined, the score and loading vectors for the data blocks in the path are determined. Appropriate adjustment of the data blocks is carried out at each step. Regression coefficients are computed for each data block that show how the data block is estimated by data blocks that lead to it. Methods of standard regression analysis are extended to this type of modelling. Three types of ,strengths' of relationship are computed for each set of two connected data blocks. First is the strength in the path, second the strength where only the data blocks leading to the last one are used and third if only the two are considered. Cross-validation and other standard methods of linear regression are carried out in a similar manner. In industry, processes are organised in different ways. It can be useful to model the processes in the way they are carried out. By proper alignment of sub-processes, overall model can be specified. There can be several useful path models during the process, where the data blocks in a path are the ones that are actual or important at given stages of the process. Data collection equipments are getting more and more advanced and cheap. Data analysis need to ,catch up' with the challenges that these new technology provides with. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Patient perceptions of helpful communication in the context of advanced cancerJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 13-14 2010Kelli I Stajduhar Aims and objectives., Based on a secondary analysis of data from a large qualitative study on cancer care communication, we address the question: what do patients with advanced cancer identify as helpful in their communication encounters with health care providers? Background., Communication is of critical importance to the care of patients with advanced cancer. A better understanding of what such patients identify as helpful in their communication encounters with nurses and other health care providers seems critical to creating evidence-informed recommendations for best practices. Design., Secondary analysis of qualitative interview data. Methods., Data from 18 participants interviewed individually and 16 focus group participants, with advanced cancer in the palliative phase of care. Interpretive description methodology informed data collection and analysis. Results., Findings suggest four key elements are critically important to consider in communications with patients in an advanced or palliative phase , respecting the importance of time, demonstrating caring, acknowledging fear and balancing hope and honesty in the provision of information. Conclusions., Communication is an important element in the provision of advanced cancer care. Relevance to clinical practice., Findings emphasise the complex meanings inherent in cancer care communication and identify central themes that are fundamental to effective cancer care communication. [source] Atrophy and anarchy: third national survey of nursing skill-mix and advanced nursing practice in ophthalmologyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 12 2006Dip Nursing, Wladyslawa J. Czuber-Dochan MSc Aims and objectives., The aims of the study were to investigate the advanced nursing practice and the skill-mix of nurses working in ophthalmology. Background., The expansion of new nursing roles in the United Kingdom in the past decade is set against the background of a nursing shortage. The plan to modernize the National Health Service and improve the efficiency and delivery of healthcare services as well as to reduce junior doctors' hours contributes towards a profusion of new and more specialized and advanced nursing roles in various areas of nursing including ophthalmology. Design., A self-reporting quantitative questionnaire was employed. The study used comparative and descriptive statistical tests. Method., The questionnaires were distributed to all ophthalmic hospitals and units in the United Kingdom. Hospital and unit managers were responsible for completing the questionnaires. Results., Out of a total 181 questionnaires 117 were returned. There is a downward trend in the total number of nurses working in ophthalmology. The results demonstrate more nurses working at an advanced level. However, there is a general confusion regarding role interpretation at the advanced level of practice, evident through the wide range of job titles being used. There was inconsistency in the qualifications expected of these nurses. Conclusion., Whilst there are more nurses working at an advanced level this is set against an ageing workforce and an overall decline in the number of nurses in ophthalmology. There is inconsistency in job titles, grades, roles and qualifications for nurses who work at an advanced or higher level of practice. The Agenda for Change with its new structure for grading jobs in the United Kingdom may offer protection and consistency in job titles, pay and qualifications for National Health Service nurse specialists. The Nursing and Midwifery Council needs to provide clear guidelines to the practitioners on educational and professional requirements, to protect patients and nurses. Relevance to clinical practice., The findings indicate that there is a need for better regulations for nurses working at advanced nursing practice. [source] Current Issues in the Economics of Groundwater Resource ManagementJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 5 2004Phoebe Koundouri Abstract., The issue of groundwater management remains a practical concern in many regions throughout the world, while water managers continue to grapple with the question of how to manage this resource. In this article, we attempt to bring the most advanced and appropriate tools to bear on the issue of resource allocation involving groundwater. Our objective is to demonstrate the state of the art in the literature on ways to think about this complex resource and to deal with the important economic issues emanating from its complexity. We present the conceptual framework within which economists examine the elements interacting in the management of groundwater resources, indicate why the role of the market is limited with respect to the price of this very complex resource, and point to the mechanisms that can pull competitive groundwater price and quality-graded quantity of groundwater in line with their equilibrium levels. In particular, we critically review economic models of groundwater use, examine the potential for groundwater management, discuss the difficulties encountered in the estimation of the relevant control variables of such models, and identify the advantages and limitations of the instruments devised for the efficient use (allocation) of this resource. Finally, we argue that devised regulatory schemes usually ignore the information and knowledge needed for their implementation, and we suggest a core of conditions necessary for successful groundwater management reforms. [source] Creating Mature Thinkers in Interior Design: Pathways of Intellectual DevelopmentJOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 3 2010Candy Carmel-Gilfilen M. Arch. Critical thinking skills are essential to meeting the economic, sustainable, and social challenges of the future. The purpose of this study was to explore critical thinking in interior design students using the W. G. Perry (1968) scheme, a model of epistemic cognitive development describing how thinking in college students progresses from black-and-white absolutes to a contextual understanding of knowledge. The authors present findings from a study involving 32 beginning and intermediate interior design students who were empirically assessed on global and design-specific thought development using the Measure of Intellectual Development (Widick & Knefelkamp, 1974) and the Measure of Designing (Portillo, 1987), respectively. The study objectives were to examine thought development in interior design students, investigate the relationship between global and design thinking, and explore relationships between thought development, student performance, and class standing. The results supported three levels of thought development: dualistic, transitional, and multiplistic with overall thinking appeared to be more advanced than thinking in design. The study also revealed both types of thinking significantly related to studio performance and class standing. The Perry model appears to have strong potential for understanding thought development in interior design students. [source] Theoretical study of the gas-phase decomposition of neutral ,-amino acid ethyl esters.JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2003Elimination of ethyl picolinate, Part , ethyl 1-methylpipecolinate Abstract Theoretical studies of the thermolysis in the gas phase of two ,-amino acid ethyl esters, ethyl picolinate and ethyl 1-methylpipecolinate, were carried out using ab initio theoretical methods, at the MP2/6,31G(d) and MP2/6,311+G(2d,p) levels of theory. The reactions studied have two steps: the first corresponds to the formation of a neutral amino acid intermediate via a six-membered cyclic transition state, and the second is the rapid decarboxylation of this intermediate via a five-membered cyclic transition state. The progress of the first step of the reactions was followed by means of the Wiberg bond indices. The results indicate that the transition states have an intermediate character between reactants and products, and the calculated synchronicities show that the reactions are concerted and slightly asynchronous. The bond-breaking processes are more advanced than the bond-forming processes, indicating a bond deficiency in the transition states. The kinetic parameters calculated for both reactions agree very well with the available experimental results. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Structural formation of hybrid siloxane-based polymer monolith in confined spacesJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 10-11 2004Kazuyoshi Kanamori Abstract Structural deformation of phase-separated methylsiloxane gel under the influence of a surface has been studied. Competitive wetting of siloxane gel phase on a surface during phase formation is found to significantly affect the final morphology in a confined space. When the spinodal wavelength is sufficiently shorter than the size of the available space, a uniform bicontinuous structure forms in confined geometry. However, gel skeletons in the vicinity of a surface are elongated with decreasing size of the space, and finally when the size of the space becomes shorter than the spinodal wavelength, all the gel phase wets on a surface, showing a "wetting transition". Homogeneous bicontinuous methylsiloxane gels were successfully prepared, avoiding such structural deformation, in a long cylindrical fused silica capillary and used for capillary HPLC. The capillary gels exhibited excellent separation efficiency of nitrobenzenes and it was found that the surface character can be altered by incorporating surfactants, which will enable more advanced and extended control of surface character, depending on the analytes. [source] Karyotype and cytogeography of the genus Heracleum (Apiaceae) in the Hengduan MountainsJOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS EVOLUTION, Issue 4 2009Xian-Lan DENG Abstract In the present study, the karyotypes of 34 populations belonging to 11 species and one variety of Heracleum from the Hengduan Mountains in China were examined. Chromosome numbers and the karyotypes of three species (H. souliei, H. kingdoni, and H. wenchuanense) are reported for the first time, as are the karyotypes of H. moellendorffii and H. henryi (tetraploid). Populations of H. candicans, H. franchetii, and H. kingdoni in the Hengduan Mountains were found to consist of a mixture of diploid and tetraploid plants. Except for four species of Heracleum, namely H. candicans, H. franchetii, H. henryi, and H. kingdoni, which have both diploid and tetraploid karyotypes, all other species of Heracleum are were found to be diploid. All karyotypes were found to belong to the 2A type of Stebbins, with the exception of H. candicans var. obtusifolium, which belongs to 2B, and H. hemsleyanum and H. franchetii (Mt. Dujuan, Daocheng, Sichuan, China), which belong to 1A. There was only a slight difference in the karyotype asymmetry index, which suggests a close kinship for species of Heracleum and that the entire phylogenetic development of Heracleum is relatively primitive. Species that exhibited advanced morphological features were also more advanced in karyotype structure, with the order of karyotype evolution being 1A,2A,2B. This phenomenon indicates that the species distributed in the Hengduan Mountains have not diverged completely and that the Hengduan Mountains are a relatively young and active area for the evolution of Heracleum. Polyploidization in Heracleum may be an important evolutionary mechanisms for some species, generating diversity. The biological attributes, distribution range, and the geological history of the genus have all played a part in accelerating the evolution through polyploidization or aneuploidization. It is known that as the distribution latitude of Heracleum decreases from north to south, the chromosome number, ploidy level, and asymmetry structure appear to increase. In the Hengduan Mountains, these tendencies are also evident. Finally, based on all the available cytogeographic data, we speculate that the more advanced tetraplont or aneuploid species of Heracleum in India may be derived from early diplont species that were distributed in the Caucasus region and Hengduan Mountains. The dispersal of Heracleum was from Eurasia to India, because this correlates with the emergence of the Himalayan Mountains through tectonic movement. Thus, the Hengduan Mountains are not only a center of diversity for Heracleum, but also a center of active speciation in modern times. [source] Industrial Specialization, Catching-up and Labour Market DynamicsMETROECONOMICA, Issue 1 2000Michael A. Landesmann This paper presents a dynamic model as a heuristic tool to discuss some issues of changing industrial specialization which arise in the context of catching-up processes of (technologically) less advanced economies and the impact which various scenarios of such catching-up processes might have on the labour market dynamics both in the advanced and in the catching-up economies. In analysing the evolution of international specialization, we demonstrate the twin pressures exerted upon the industrial structures of "northern" economies: competition from "type-A southern" economies, which maintain a comparative competitive strength in labour-intensive and less skill-intensive branches, and competition from "type-B catching-up" economies, whose catching-up increasingly focuses upon branches in which the initial productivity gaps and hence the scope for catching-up are the highest. The contrast between these two catching-up scenarios allows the explicit analysis of the implications of "comparative advantage switchovers" between northern and southern (type B) economies for labour market dynamics. [source] Recurrent lupus nephritis in a rejected renal allograftNEPHROLOGY, Issue 5 2002Michael MENGEL SUMMARY: The case of a 48-year-old female patient who underwent renal transplantation because of an end-stage renal disease after membranous glomerulonephritis (WHO class V) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is presented. the patient lost one cadaveric allograft immediately after transplantation because of renal vein thrombosis, presumably caused by anti-Cardiolipin antibodies. A second cadaveric allograft showed a stable function for several years before slowly deteriorating. an abrupt increase of serum creatinine led to the suspicion of a final episode of acute rejection. A biopsy was performed, which showed an overlap of rejection and recurrent iupus nephritis in an advanced chronically damaged allograft. the lupus nephritis recurred as the same WHO class V as in the native kidney, but without significant predictive clinical or serological signs of SLE activity. the case presented and a review of the literature indicate that the frequency of recurrent lupus nephritis might be underestimated, and earlier surveillance biopsies in transplanted SLE patients should be considered. [source] Knowledge work in distributed environments: issues and illusionsNEW TECHNOLOGY, WORK AND EMPLOYMENT, Issue 3 2003Pasi Pyöriä Although Finland is one of the most advanced and competitive economies in the world, with a sophisticated technological infrastructure, only four per cent of Finnish wage earners regard themselves as doing telework, and a further four per cent had tried telework. Empirical evidence of telework is presented in this paper. [source] Neo-liberalization and Incorporation in Advanced Newly Industrialized Countries: A View from South KoreaPOLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 1 2004Tat Yan Kong Historically closely associated with interventionist growth strategies, the demise of corporatism was widely predicted as neo-liberalism became the dominant economic paradigm from the late 1970s. The experience of social dialogue and social pacts in continental Europe during the 1980s and 90s, however, suggests that corporatism may have found a new economic purpose in the era of neo-liberalism. Similarly, in the developing world, the intellectual aversion to government accommodation of ,special interest groups' that accompanied the early phase of economic liberalization has given way to a more sophisticated appreciation of the economic advantages of social compromise. Using the case of South Korea, a country that recently established a social pact in support of its economic liberalization drive, this paper seeks to extend our knowledge about the compatibility between neo-liberalism and incorporation. The results contribute to the wider debate about the possibilities of diverse patterns of government,business,labour relations under ,actually existing' neo-liberalism. As one of the most advanced and successful newly industrialized countries, South Korea shares structural,institutional affinities with both advanced and developing societies. Hence, it represents an intermediate case of relevance to both the mature European and ,third wave' democracies. [source] Simulation and validation of resin flow during manufacturing of composite panels containing embedded impermeable inserts with the VARTM processPOLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 4 2007Jeffrey M. Lawrence Modern composite materials are becoming more and more advanced as engineers are better able to take advantage of their properties. In addition to their lighter weight and net-shape manufacturing, current interest is to make these materials multifunctional. This may require one to insert various objects into the composite to achieve a variety of different goals. It is important to understand how these embedded objects will affect both the manufacturing and the structural integrity of the component. In this work, the effects of impermeable embedded inserts on the infusion stage of vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) will be explored. In VARTM, one places a distribution media on top of the preform to aid the filling as the resin will first fill the face of the preform in contact with the distribution media and will then infuse the preform in the thickness direction. However, if one has an embedded impermeable insert in the thickness direction, it will obstruct the flow in the region below the embedded object. Several case studies are conducted to understand the effect of the geometry and placement of the embedded insert and the distribution media lay out and properties on the impregnation of the resin into the fiber preform. Finally, an approach is outlined to modify the layout of the distribution media in order to ensure a complete saturation of the preform under all but the most extreme conditions. The approach is validated with experiments. POLYM. COMPOS., 28:442,450, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||