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Selected AbstractsOn a generalized Appell system and monogenic power seriesMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 4 2010S. Bock Abstract Recently Appell systems of monogenic polynomials in ,3 were constructed by several authors. Main purpose of this paper is the description of another Appell system that is complete in the space of square integrable quaternion-valued functions. A new Taylor-type series expansion based on the Appell polynomials is presented, which can be related to the corresponding Fourier series analogously as in the complex one-dimensional case. These results find applications in the description of the hypercomplex derivative, the monogenic primitive of a monogenic function and the characterization of functions from the monogenic Dirichlet space. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Extended spatial keyframing for complex character animationCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 3-4 2008Byungkuk Choi Abstract As 3D computer animation becomes more accessible to novice users, it makes it possible for these users to create high-quality animations. This paper introduces a more powerful system to create highly articulated character animations with an intuitive setup then the previous research, Spatial Keyframing (SK). As the main purpose of SK was the rapid generation of primitive animation over quality animation, we propose Extended Spatial Keyframing (ESK) that exploits a global control structure coupled with multiple sets of spatial keyframes, and hierarchical relationship between controllers. The generated structure can be flexibly embedded into the given rigged character, and the system enables the given character to be animated delicately by user performance. During the performance, the movement of the highest ranking controllers across the control hierarchy is recorded in layered style to increase the level of detail for final motions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Toward a New Critical Theory with a Cosmopolitan IntentCONSTELLATIONS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRITICAL AND DEMOCRATIC THEORY, Issue 4 2003Ulrich Beck In this article I want to outline an argument for a New Critical Theory with a cosmopolitan intent. Its main purpose is to undermine one of the most powerful beliefs of our time concerning society and politics. This belief is the notion that "modern society" and "modern politics" are to be understood as society and politics organized around the nation-state, equating society with the national imagination of society. There are two aspects to this body of beliefs: what I call the "national perspective" (or "national gaze") of social actors, and the "methodological nationalism" of scientific observers. The distinction between these two perspectives is important because there is no logical co-implication between them, only an interconnected genesis and history. [source] Habitat size and number in multi-habitat landscapes: a model approach based on species-area curvesECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002Even Tjørve This paper discusses species diversity in simple multi-habitat environments. Its main purpose is to present simple mathematical and graphical models on how landscape patterns affect species numbers. The idea is to build models of species diversity in multi-habitat landscapes by combining species-area curves for different habitats. Predictions are made about how variables such as species richness and species overlap between habitats influence the proportion of the total landscape each habitat should constitute, and how many habitats it should be divided into in order to be able to sustain the maximal number of species. Habitat size and numbers are the only factors discussed here, not habitat spatial patterns. Among the predictions are: 1) where there are differences in species diversity between habitats, optimal landscape patterns contain larger proportions of species rich habitats. 2) Species overlap between habitats shifts the optimum further towards larger proportions of species rich habitat types. 3) Species overlap also shifts the optimum towards fewer habitat types. 4) Species diversity in landscapes with large species overlap is more resistant to changes in landscape (or reserve) size. This type of model approach can produce theories useful to nature and landscape management in general, and the design of nature reserves and national parks in particular. [source] Greek Monetary Economics in Retrospect: The Adventures of the DrachmaECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 3 2005Sophia Lazaretou This paper enumerates the adventures of the drachma step by step, dividing its story into seven parts. Specifically, its main purpose is to present some historical perspective on the behaviour of the monetary and fiscal policies pursued in Greece during the period from the early 1830s until the introduction of the euro. For Greece, the lessons of historical experience are very important. Since the formation of the modern Greek state, government officials have striven , sometimes making hard efforts , to keep abreast of international monetary developments. This was because they understood that the participation of a peripheral, poor and inflation-prone country with a weak currency and an underdeveloped money market, like Greece of the time, in a monetary club of powerful economies could improve her international credit standing and imply important benefits in terms of exchange rate and monetary stability, and long-term foreign borrowing. [source] Innovative Governance and Development in the New Ireland: Social Partnership and the Integrated ApproachGOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2004J. D. House Since the mid-1980s, the economy of the Republic of Ireland has displayed a remarkable turnaround. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown at a faster rate than any developed country in the world. The government's deficit has been cut severely and the debt-to-GDP ration sharply reduced. Average incomes have risen significantly, and the unemployment rate reduced dramatically. This article documents these changes. Its main purpose, however, is to provide a plausible explanation for the "Irish miracle." While many factors have been important,support for the Economic Union's regional development programs, a favorable tax structure, locational and language advantages for attracting multinational corporations, strong education and training programs,these factors in themselves do not explain the emergence of the "Celtic tiger." They were in place before the mid-1980s when Ireland was suffering from a fiscal, economic, and political crisis. Instead, the article argues, it was the creative and innovative response of Irish leaders in government, industry, and labor movement and community organizations to the crisis, and the subsequent institutionalization of this response in a new form of governance, that has been the catalyst for the Irish success story. Based on the thorough background research of the Economic and Social Research Council, a farsighted group of leaders developed a strategic plan in 1987 that provided a blueprint for constructive economic and social change. This was then formally instituted for wage restraint on the part of labor in return for income tax and social supposed provisions by government. Irish social Partnership is modeled to some extent on Northern European corporatism. The article reviews corporatism as an early form of innovative governance, using classical corporatism in Sweden and competitive corporatism in the Netherlands to illustrate how this approach has evolved over the years. Dutch economic success in recent years is due in part to its new form of corporatism that has helped it become globally competitive. It is argued, however, that Irish social partnership goes beyond continental corporatism in several important ways. It is more inclusive, covering a large array of social interests; it is more strategic, with a well-articulated integrated approach to social and economic development that is self-corrective and articulated in a new national agreement every three years; and it is more firmly institutionalized in both government and nongovernment agencies in the country. Social partnership and the integrated approach have become part of the culture of the new Ireland. This innovative form of governance underlies the Irish turnaround and augurs well for the future. It can also serve as a model, with appropriate modification tailor-made to each case, for other jurisdictions hoping to emulate Ireland's success. [source] Involving mental health service users in quality assuranceHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 2 2006Jenny Weinstein BPhil BA(Hons) Msc Abstract Objective, This study compares the process and outcomes of two approaches to engaging mental health (MH) service users in the quality assurance (QA) process. Background, QA plays a significant role in health and care services, including those delivered in the voluntary sector. The importance of actively, rather than passively, involving service users in evaluation and service development has been increasingly recognized during the last decade. Design, This retrospective small-scale study uses document analysis to compare two QA reviews of a MH Day Centre, one that took place in 1998 as a traditional inspection-type event and one that took place in 2000 as a collaborative process with a user-led QA agenda. Setting and participants, The project was undertaken with staff, volunteers and service users in a voluntary sector MH Day Centre. Intervention, The study compares the management, style, evaluation tools and service user responses for the two reviews; it considers staff perspectives and discusses the implications of a collaborative, user-led QA process for service development. Results, The first traditional top,down inspection-type QA event had less ownership from service users and staff and served the main purpose of demonstrating that services met organizational standards. The second review, undertaken collaboratively with a user-led agenda focused on different priorities, evolving a new approach to seeking users' views and achieving a higher response rate. Conclusions, Because both users and staff had participated in most aspects of the second review they were more willing to work together and action plan to improve the service. It is suggested that the process contributed to an evolving ethos of more effective quality improvement and user involvement within the organization. [source] Global robust stabilization of nonlinear systems subject to input constraintsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 14 2002Rodolfo Suárez Abstract Our main purpose in this paper is to further address the global stabilization problem for affine systems by means of bounded feedback control functions, taking into account a large class of control value sets: p,r -weighted balls ,mr(p), with 1 Characterization of differential ebulliometers for measuring activity coefficientsAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2000J. David Raal Differential ebulliometry is a powerful and rapid procedure for obtaining infinitely dilute activity coefficients with potentially very good accuracy. Tedious degassing procedures are not necessary, as in a static method, and from only a few measurements full system phase behavior can be evaluated. The principal problem, precise evaluation of the equilibrium liquid composition from the known composition of a prepared solution charged to the apparatus, is well known but has so far defied adequate resolution. A system of exact self-consistent equations was developed for the characterization of an ebulliometer through a dimensionless ebulliometer constant. Evaluation of this constant from typical data and its subsequent use are illustrated for a system of known phase equilibrium behavior. Remarkably, the equations permit evaluation of the effective "static" holdups in various parts of the equipment without any volume measurements. Since one equation is redundant to the main purpose, it can be used for a consistency check of measured and calculated data. The equations also furnish a guide for the operation of ebulliometers. [source] The relationship between NGOS and businesses in the public arena: An empirical analysis for SpainJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2009Carmen Valor At the beginning of this century, corporate social responsibility was included in the public agenda. In certain countries, policy-making takes place in semi-public forums, in which NGOs are asked to participate. However, a different situation may be found in other countries. This paper analyses the relationship between businesses and NGOs in the public arena in Spain. By applying grounded theory, the authors summarize this relationship in the dynamics of approach-withdrawal. Firms have pushed to withdraw Advocacy NGOs from public forums, whose main purpose was policy-making. The explicit argument to justify this collective decision is the lack of foundational legitimacy of NGOs. Firms understand that these NGOs are not legitimized to be a counterbalancing force of corporations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Engineering microporosity in bacterial cellulose scaffoldsJOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Henrik Bäckdahl Abstract The scaffold is an essential component in tissue engineering. A novel method to prepare three-dimensional (3D) nanofibril network scaffolds with controlled microporosity has been developed. By placing paraffin wax and starch particles of various sizes in a growing culture of Acetobacter xylinum, bacterial cellulose scaffolds of different morphologies and interconnectivity were prepared. Paraffin particles were incorporated throughout the scaffold, while starch particles were found only in the outermost area of the resulting scaffold. The porogens were successfully removed after culture with bacteria and no residues were detected with electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) or Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT,IR). Resulting scaffolds were seeded with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and investigated using histology and organ bath techniques. SMC were selected as the cell type since the main purpose of the resulting scaffolds is for tissue engineered blood vessels. SMCs attached to and proliferated on and partly into the scaffolds. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Access as a Motivational Device: Implications for Human Resource ManagementKYKLOS INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, Issue 2 2003Pablo Arocena Summary In this paper we analyse the provision of incentives at work on the basis that the employment relationship is not solely an exchange of work for money. Particularly, in addition to a salary, a job also gives access to a working experience, which determines the potential for employee's human capital acquisition and for his social and professional recognition. Accordingly, we argue that the level of access defines the employee's opportunities for satisfying his self-actualisation and achievement needs. Further, given that the firm has the ability to regulate access by way of a number of organisational decisions, access becomes a powerful mechanism to activate the worker's internal motivation. In this respect, the main purpose of this paper is to study the effect of access and intrinsic motivation on employee's performance and job design. To that effect, we analyse the economic consequences of our arguments on access through a model of agency enriched with a number of psychological and organisational considerations. Our results and conclusions are consistent with much of the interdisciplinary research on the subject, as well as with the evidence emerging from the real business practice. They also provide a number of practical implications for personnel policies. First, in order to activate the individual's internal motivation, the job must reach a minimum value. Second, the positive effect of the employee's intrinsic motivation on effort decreases with the magnitude of monetary incentives. Third, the efficiency gains generated by the extension of job access increase with the employee's level of perceived risk. Finally, the costs of selection are a consequence of granting access. [source] DC or pulse I(V) measurements to simulate transmission line class E power amplifiersMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 9 2006J. R. Loo-Yau Abstract In FET I(V) nonlinear modeling, the I(V) experimental data are important because they allow one to determine the initial values of the empirical nonlinear model. Pulsed I(V) are preferred over DC measurements because of dispersion phenomena. However, the simulation of a class E PA using I(V) empirical nonlinear model constructed from DC or pulsed measurements to predicts values of PAE, gain, and efficiency are similar. Although this fact can be predictable or evident, because the transistor works in the region where heating and dispersion effects are small, this has not been experimentally demonstrated yet. Therefore the main purpose of this work is to determine whether pulse or DC I(V) measurements are suitable to develop the nonlinear model in order to predict the main features of a transmission line class E PA as Pout, drain efficiency, and PAE. The simulations using both types of data were compared with two experimental transmission line class E PA, designed at 0.8 and 1.9 GHz. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48:1886,1890, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com(. DOI 10.1002/mop.21794 [source] Petits différends: a reflection on aspects of Lyotard's philosophy for quality of careNURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 3 2001John S. Drummond RN, M.Ed(Hons) Abstract This paper relates to Lyotard's philosophy of a différend. The paper has a dual purpose. The first is to explain what is meant by a différend and also a petit différend. The intention here is to preserve both the intrinsic validity and ethico-political value of the concept in cases where its legitimacy might easily be denied. This feeds into the second and main purpose of the paper, which is to testify to a petit différend in quality of care, so that care may be taken in how the term ,quality of care' is actually used. It is here that the implications of a petit différend in quality of care are opened up from the perspective of cared-for and professional carers, respectively. It will be shown that the idea of quality of care is open to multiple interpretations, and therefore to disputes that judgement cannot resolve to the satisfaction of all parties. [source] The clinical features and surgical treatment of degenerative lumbar scoliosis: A review of 112 patientsORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY, Issue 3 2009Wei Liu MD Objective:, To investigate the clinical features, radiological characteristics and surgical results of degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS). Methods:, One hundred and twelve cases of DLS treated surgically from June 2001 to February 2006 were retrospectively reviewed for clinical features, characteristics of nerve root compression and imaging presentations. According to the preoperative clinical manifestations and imaging findings, different surgical modalities were performed, including simple nerve decompression and decompression with short or long posterior fusion (less or more than three segments, respectively). Results:, The mean age of 47 male and 65 female patients was 54.7 years. Clinical manifestations included lower back pain (76.8%), radiculopathy (79.5%) and claudication (48.2%). Plain lumbar radiograph showed right scoliosis in 87 and left scoliosis in the other 25 cases; the Cobb angle was 10°,46°; the apex of scoliosis mostly located at L3 (48.2%); L3 and L4 nerve roots were usually compressed on the concave side and L5 and S1 nerve roots on the convex side. The Cobb angle and physiologic lordosis angle of patients who underwent multi-segment (>3 segments) fusion improved to a greater extent than did that of patients who had simple decompression without fusion. A mean 5.7-year follow-up showed that the average improvement in Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores was 32.6, 26.3 and 13.5 for long segment fusion, short segment fusion and simple decompression without fusion, respectively. Conclusion:, Decompression surgery with or without fusion, the main purpose of which is to relieve nerve root compression and stabilize the spinal column, is an effective treatment for chronic DLS. The treatment should be individualized according to the patient's age, general and economic factors, severity of deformity and other coexisting lumbar degenerative disorders. [source] Semi-Presidentialism: Concepts, Consequences and Contesting ExplanationsPOLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 3 2004Robert Elgie In contrast to the work on presidentialism and parliamentarism, semi-presidentialism remains very much the poor relation in the debate about regime types. This is true both in the sense that there is less work on semi-presidential regimes and also because of the fact that semi-presidentialism has few advocates. This review examines the existing work on semi-presidentialism and asks three questions: What is semi-presidentialism? What is the main dependent variable in semi-presidential studies? And what is the most appropriate explanatory variable in such studies? It does provide some answers to these questions, but the main purpose is to highlight some of the most problematic issues in the contemporary study of semi-presidentialism. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 6 2007Article first published online: 8 JUN 200 Initial macrolide better for pneumonia? An observational study has suggested that initial treatment with a macrolide antibiotic (such as erythromycin) may be more effective than a fluoroquinolone (like ciprofloxacin) or tetracycline as initial treatment for community acquired pneumonia and bacteraemia (Chest 2007;131:466-73). The US review of 2209 hospital episodes found that macrolide therapy was associated with a 40 per cent lower risk of death during hospital stay or within 30 days and of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. By contrast, no such benefit was apparent with fluoroquinolones or tetracycline. Two-year safety data for inhaled insulin Compared with sc insulin, inhaled insulin (Exubera) is associated with a small early decrease in lung function in the first three months of therapy but no further difference for up to two years (Diabetes Care 2007;30: 579-85). The comparative trial found that FEV1 declined at a mean rate of 0.051 litres per year with inhaled insulin and 0.034 litres per year with sc insulin, but there was no significant difference in the rates of decline after three months. Inhaled insulin was associated with a higher incidence of cough (37.6 vs 13.1 per cent) but a lower incidence of severe hypoglycaemic events (2.8 vs 4.1 events per 100 subject- months) and mean weight gain was 1.25kg less. Fracture risk warning with rosiglitazone GlaxoSmithKline has warned US prescribers that rosiglitazone may be associated with an increased risk of fractures. The company says information for prescribers in Europe will follow shortly. The warning comes from the ADOPT study (N Engl J Med 2006;355:2427-43), which found a significantly higher incidence of fractures of the humerus, hand and foot among women taking rosiglitazone (9.3 per cent) than with metformin (5.1 per cent) or glibenclamide (3.5 per cent). There was no difference in fracture incidence among men. The company recommends that fracture risk should be considered for women taking or about to take rosiglitazone. Oral treatment for grass pollen allergy A new treatment for allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen allergy has been introduced by ALK-Abelló. Grazax is a sublingual tablet containing a stan-dardised dose of allergen from the pollen of timothy grass. Treatment should be initiated by a specialist four months before the onset of the allergy season and continued throughout the season. Adverse effects include oral and ear pruritus, nasopharyngitis and mouth oedema. A month's treatment at the recommended dose of one tablet daily costs £67.50. Frequent analgesics linked with hypertension Men who take analgesics regularly have an increased frequency of hypertension, a US study has shown (Arch Intern Med 2007;167:394-9). The US Health Professionals Follow-Up study evaluated the use of NSAIDs, paracetamol and aspirin in 16 031 men with normal blood pressure and followed them up for four years. Compared with those who did not report analgesic use, the risk of hypertension was increased by 38 per cent for NSAID use, 34 per cent for paracetamol and 26 per cent for aspirin, all for for six or seven days a week. Similar risks were found when anal- gesic use was determined according to the number of tablets taken. The authors acknowledge the increased risk is modest, but point out that the implications may nonetheless be important because analgesics are widely used. Multiples do most pharmacist MURs Uptake of medicines use reviews (MURs) by pharmacists was modest in 2005 and most reviews were carried out by pharmacy chains rather than independent contractors, a new study has shown (Pharm J 2007;278:218-23). The survey of PCTs and SHAs in England and Wales found that, although 38 per cent of community pharmacies claimed payments for the service, 84 per cent of MURs were carried out by pharmacy chains. Uptake was low, amounting to only 7 per cent of the maximum possible number of MURs. Patients see information needs differently There is a mismatch in the perceptions of patients and health professionals about the purpose of written information about medicines, a systematic review has concluded (Health Technol Assess 2007;11:1-178). Some health professionals believe the main purpose of information is to promote compliance, whereas patients want information to help them make decisions about their treatment, including not taking it. In particular, patients want information on adverse effects, but health professionals have reservations about providing it. Aspirin for all women over 65? All women over 65 should take low-dose aspirin if the benefits are likely to outweigh the risk of adverse effects, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association on preventing cardiovascular disease in women (published online 19 Feb 2007;doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.107.181546). The guidelines have moved away from the long-established Framingham model of risk assessment to categorising three levels of risk: high (heart disease or other relevant disease present), at risk (at least one risk factor) and optimal (healthy lifestyle, no risk factors). Low-dose aspirin is recommended for all women at high risk, for women aged 65 or over when reducing the risk of MI or ischaemic stroke outweighs the risk of adverse effects, and for younger women when reducing the risk of ischaemic stroke outweighs that of toxicity. Combination inhaler therapy Combining an inhaled long-acting bronchodilator with a steroid reduces COPD exacerbations but not all-cause mortality, a three-year trial has shown (N Engl J Med 2007;356:775-89). However, inhaled steroids appear to increase the risk of pneumonia. The TORCH trial randomised 6112 patients (FEV1<60 per cent predicted) to treatment with salmeterol 50µg plus fluticasone 500µg (Seretide) twice daily, salmeterol (Serevent) or fluticasone (Flixotide) as monotherapy, or placebo. All-cause mortality rates were 12.6, 13.5, 16.0 and 15.2 per cent respectively; the risk of death was 17 per cent lower with combined therapy, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The combination reduced the incidence of exacerbations by 25 per cent and improved health status and FEV1. Use of fluticasone was not associated with more ocular or bone disorders, but there was an increased incidence of pneumonia among users (19.6 per cent with combined therapy and 18.3 per cent with fluticasone vs 12.3 per cent with placebo). Seretide is currently licensed in the UK for use in patients with FEV1 <50 per cent predicted. Tamoxifen long- term benefits Women with breast cancer who take tamoxifen for five to eight years continue to have a lower risk of recurrence for 10-20 years, long-term follow-up of two blinded trials has shown (J Nat Cancer Inst 2007; 99:258-60, 272-90). The frequency of adverse effects was markedly reduced when treatment ended, changing the balance of risk and benefit. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] The Relevance of Coercion: Some Preliminaries*RATIO JURIS, Issue 3 2009NICOS STAVROPOULOS Many philosophers take the view that, while coercion is a prominent and enduring feature of legal practice, its existence does not reflect a deep, constitutive property of law and therefore coercion plays at best a very limited role in the explanation of law's nature. This view has become more or less the orthodoxy in modern jurisprudence. I argue that an interesting and plausible possible role for coercion in the explanation of law is untouched by the arguments in support of the orthodox view. Since my main purpose is to clear the ground for the alternative, I spell out the orthodox view in some detail. I then briefly sketch the alternative. Finally, I turn to Jules Coleman's discussion of the alternative. [source] On Compromise and Coercion,RATIO JURIS, Issue 4 2006RAPHAEL COHEN-ALMAGOR When compromise takes place between two or more parties, reciprocity must be present; that is, the concessions are mutual. A relevant distinction is between principled and tactical compromise. A principled compromise refers to a mutual recognition by each side of the other's rights, which leads them to make concessions to enable them to meet on a middle ground. It is genuinely made in good faith and both sides reconcile themselves to the results. On the other hand, the notion of tactical compromise reflects a temporary arrangement reached as a result of constraints related to time. Here, in fact, agents do not give up any of their aims. They do not act in good faith and do not intend to meet their counterpart on a middle ground. Instead, they simply realize that the end could not be achieved at a given point of time, and they aim to reach it stage by stage. The essential component of compromise, namely, mutuality, is lacking. Next, the paper draws a further distinction between internalized coercion and designated coercion. Internalized coercion relates to the system of manipulation to which members of a certain sub-culture are subjected, which prevents them from realizing that they are being coerced to follow a certain conception that denies them basic rights. Designated coercion is individualistic in nature, aimed at a certain individual who rebels against the discriminatory norm. Unlike the internalized coercion it is not concerned with machinery aiming to convince the entire cultural group of an irrefutable truth; instead it is designed to exert pressure on uncertain, "confused" individuals so as to bring them back to their community. Ever since I assumed my present office my main purpose has been to work for the pacification of Europe, for the removal of those suspicions and those animosities which have so long poisoned the air. The path which leads to appeasement is long and bristles with obstacles. The question of Czechoslovakia is the latest and perhaps the most dangerous. Now that we have got past it, I feel that it may be possible to make further progress along the road to sanity. (Neville Chamberlain, "Peace in Our Time", October 3, 1938)** [source] Current Loads of Coarse Woody Debris on Southeastern Australian Floodplains: Evaluation of Change and Implications for RestorationRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Ralph MacNally Abstract We evaluated the status of coarse woody debris (CWD, fallen wood) on floodplains of the southern Murray-Darling basin of southeastern Australia. The floodplains are dominated floristically by the river red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Aerial survey techniques were used to estimate the amounts of woody debris within 200 m of the channels along 2,442 km of 11 rivers of the system, including the Murray and Darling Rivers and the Darling Anabranch. Aerially based indices were converted into wood volumes by using ground-truthing at a selection of sites; there was a strong correlation between index values and measured wood volume densities. For thickly forested sites such as Barmah, Gunbower Island, and the Ovens floodplains, the aerial method was not useful, so ground measurements at randomly positioned sites within the forests were used. Volumes were translated into mass by using conversion factors drawn from the literature. We estimated that total tonnage on approximately 221,000 ha of floodplain forests was 4.175 ± 0.579 × 106 tonne. In the larger forested blocks (>7,000 ha), mean wood densities ranged between approximately 12 tonne/ha on the lower Goulburn up to approximately 24 tonne/ha at Barmah State Forest. The area-weighted mean for the entire area was approximately 19 tonne/ha. A main purpose of the research was to place these figures into an historical perspective to evaluate implications for restoration. A thorough search of historical documentation revealed that there are no extant data upon which to estimate pre-European settlement levels. We used information from an apparently undisturbed "unmanaged" site in the Millewa forests of southern New South Wales as a basis. Wood density there corresponded to a mean figure of 125 tonne/ha wood-mass density. By using this figure we estimate that CWD levels on the southern Murray-Darling basin may be of the order of 15% of pre-European settlement levels. Full restoration of the 221,000 ha surveyed would require 23.5 ± 0.579 × 106 tonne, which is equivalent to about 600,000 mature (1 m diameter at breast height) river red gum trees or the amount of timber derived from clear felling about 115,000 ha of river red gum forest at current stocking levels. We discuss the implications of this massive deficit and possible short- and long-term solutions. [source] Hedge Ratio Stability and Hedging Effectiveness of Time-Varying Hedge Ratios in Volatile Index Futures Markets: Evidence from the Asian Financial Crisis,ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL STUDIES, Issue 5 2010Janchung Wang C10; G13; G15 Abstract Hedge ratio stability is especially important because hedgers are likely to use the estimate of historical hedge ratios to hedge future positions of their portfolios. One main purpose of the present study is to examine hedge ratio stability during the Asian financial crisis and post-crisis, periods characterized by high price volatility, using the Nikkei 225, Hang Seng, and KOSPI 200 index futures contracts. Empirical results from the Hang Seng and the KOSPI 200 futures markets indicate that during the two periods of high price volatility, hedge ratios appeared to be unstable. Additionally, both in-sample and out-of-sample evidences indicate that, for hedging effectiveness, the time-varying hedge ratios clearly outperform the constant hedge ratios for the Hang Seng and the KOSPI 200 index futures, consistent with the findings of hedge ratio instability. The comparison results of different time-varying hedge ratios support the conclusion that the bivariate error correction generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (1,1) model enhances hedging effectiveness compared to other time-varying hedge ratios. Finally, this study examines the impact of hedge duration on hedging effectiveness and hedge ratios. The empirical results indicate that hedging effectiveness improves with increasing hedge duration. [source] Pulsed electromagnetic fields accelerate wound healing in the skin of diabetic ratsBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 4 2010Iran Goudarzi Abstract Delayed wound healing is a common complication in diabetes mellitus. From this point of view, the main purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF PEMFs) on skin wound healing in diabetic rats. In this study, diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats via a single subcutaneous injection of 65,mg/kg streptozocin (freshly dissolved in sterile saline, 0.9%). One month after the induction of diabetes, a full-thickness dermal incision (35,mm length) was made on the right side of the paravertebral region. The wound was exposed to ELF PEMF (20,Hz, 4,ms, 8,mT) for 1,h per day. Wound healing was evaluated by measuring surface area, percentage of healing, duration of healing, and wound tensile strength. Obtained results showed that the duration of wound healing in diabetic rats in comparison with the control group was significantly increased. In contrast, the rate of healing in diabetic rats receiving PEMF was significantly greater than in the diabetic control group. The wound tensile strength also was significantly greater than the control animals. In addition, the duration of wound healing in the control group receiving PEMF was less than the sham group. Based on the above-mentioned results we concluded that this study provides some evidence to support the use of ELF PEMFs to accelerate diabetic wound healing. Further research is needed to determine the PEMF mechanisms in acceleration of wound healing in diabetic rats. Bioelectromagnetics 31:318,323, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Pulsed electromagnetic fields affect osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in bone tissue engineeringBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 7 2007Ming-Tzu Tsai Abstract Bone tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving both engineers and cell biologists, whose main purpose is to repair bone anatomical defects and maintain its functions. A novel system that integrates pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and bioreactors was applied to bone tissue engineering for regulating osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in'vitro. Osteoblasts were acquired from the calvaria of newborn Wistar rats and isolated after sequential digestion. Poly(DL -lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds were made by the solvent merging/particulate leaching method. Osteoblasts were seeded into porous PLGA scaffolds with 85% porosity and cultured in bioreactors for the 18-day culture period. Cells were exposed to PEMF pulsed stimulation with average (rms) amplitudes of either 0.13, 0.24, or 0.32 mT amplitude. The resulting induced electric field waveform consisted of single, narrow 300 µs quasi-rectangular pulses with a repetition rate of 7.5'Hz. The results showed that PEMF stimulation for 2 and 8 h at .13 mT increased the cell number on days 6 and 12, followed by a decrease on day 18 using 8 h stimulation. However, ALP activity was decreased and then increased on days 12 and 18, respectively. On the other hand, PEMF-treated groups (irrespective of the stimulation time) at 0.32 mT inhibited cell proliferation but enhanced ALP activity during the culture period. These findings suggested that PEMF stimulation with specific parameters had an effect on regulating the osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. This novel integrated system may have potential in bone tissue engineering. Bioelectromagnetics 28:519,528, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTROL; ETHICS OF PATIENT PREPARATION FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASEBIOETHICS, Issue 5 2007BARBARA K. REDMAN ABSTRACT Patient self-management (SM) of chronic disease is an evolving movement, with some forms documented as yielding important outcomes. Potential benefits from proper preparation and maintenance of patient SM skills include quality care tailored to the patient's preferences and life goals, and increase in skills in problem solving, confidence and success, generalizable to other parts of the patient's life. Four central ethical issues can be identified: 1) insufficient patient/family access to preparation that will optimize their competence to SM without harm to themselves, 2) lack of acknowledgement that an ethos of patient empowerment can mask transfer of responsibility beyond patient/family competency to handle that responsibility, 3) prevailing assumptions that preparation for SM cannot result in harm and that its main purpose is to deliver physician instructions, and 4) lack of standards for patient selection, which has the potential to exclude individuals who could benefit from learning to SM. Technology assessment offers one framework through which to examine available data about efficacy of patient SM and to answer the central question of what conditions must be put in place to optimize the benefits of SM while assuring that potential harms are controlled. [source] The evolving role of trade associations in negotiated environmental agreements: the case of United Kingdom Climate Change AgreementsBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 1 2006Ian Bailey Abstract Voluntary and negotiated agreements are becoming increasingly popular instruments for regulating industry's environmental performance. Although their main purpose is to modify the behaviour of individual firms, the coordinating role of trade (or industry) associations is often critical to their environmental effectiveness. Thus, a clear and mutually agreed understanding of associations' role in the agreement process is essential. This paper examines the nature of trade associations' input into the negotiation and implementation of environmental agreements, using the case study of United Kingdom Climate Change Agreements. Results show associations serving a range of coordinating roles, including the aggregation of members' viewpoints, negotiation of agreements, provision of regulatory and technical knowledge and collation of performance data. We conclude that further involvement of trade associations in negotiated and voluntary agreements can bring appreciable, though not uncontested, benefits in terms of environmental effectiveness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Zoning Marine Protected Areas through Spatial Multiple-Criteria Analysis: the Case of the Asinara Island National Marine Reserve of ItalyCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Ferdinando Villa Systematic, objective approaches to site selection and design can help reconcile conflicting interests, represent stakeholders' viewpoints fairly and evenly, and extend the scope of planning studies from single reserves to networks. We illustrate the use of spatial multiple-criteria analysis for determining the suitability of marine areas for different uses and levels of protection. This technique couples geographic information systems (GIS) for land assessment and evaluation with a formal statement of the design priorities as seen from the different viewpoints of all involved stakeholders. The planning process, while staying focused on the main purposes of conservation and feasibility, involves all the main interest groups in the definition of priorities so that conflicts and tensions are kept under control. We used multiple-criteria analysis to integrate objective data with the contrasting priorities of different stakeholders in the planning of a marine protected area. The results of the analysis can be used to define an optimal spatial arrangement of different protection levels. As a case study, we developed a zoning plan for one of the first marine protected areas in Italy, the Asinara Island National Marine Reserve. Resumen: Puesto que el papel de las áreas marinas protegidas está siendo mejor entendido y se está volviendo más sofisticado, la planeación para abordar eficientemente estas áreas se está volviendo más complicada para las personas que toman decisiones. Las metodologías sistemáticas y objetivas para la selección de sitios y el diseño de reservas pueden ayudar a reconciliar los conflictos de intereses, representar los puntos de vista de los usuarios de manera equitativa y balanceada y extender la dimensión de los estudios de planeación para reservas individuales o en redes. Ilustramos el uso de un análisis de criterios espaciales múltiples para determinar la viabilidad de áreas marinas para diferentes usos y niveles de protección. Esta técnica une sistemas de información geográfica (GIS) para estimación y evaluación de suelos con una declaración de prioridades de diseño tal y como es percibida por los diferentes usuarios involucrados. El proceso de planeación, al mismo tiempo que se enfoca en los propósitos principales de la conservación y en su viabilidad, involucra a los principales grupos interesados en la definición de prioridades de tal manera que los conflictos y tensiones pueden ser manejadas. Utilizamos el análisis de criterios espaciales múltiples para integrar datos objetivos con las prioridades contrastantes de los diferentes usuarios en la planeación de un área marina protegida. Los resultados del análisis pueden ser usados como una guía para definir arreglos espaciales óptimos con diferentes niveles de protección. Como caso de estudio desarrollamos un plan de desarrollo de zonificación para una de las áreas marinas protegidas de Italia, la Reserva Nacional Marina de la Isla Asinara. [source] Functional Management Competence and Growth of Young Technology-Based FirmsCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Sören Salomo Acknowledging an increased research interest into the success factors for young technology-based firms in the last decade, the present study serves two main purposes. First, we aim at developing a comprehensive concept of functional management competence in young technology-based firms. Functional management competence covers the understanding of and proficiency in managing specific functional tasks (Katz, 1974). As we focus on young technology-based firms, it is suggested that marketing, financial and technology management tasks are at the core of functional management competence. Second, we aim at delineating and validating an appropriate measurement model for functional management competence. In order to test the model's nomological validity, we investigate the impact of functional management competence on firm growth. Therefore, building on established firm development approaches, we propose a phase model for the development of young technology-based firms. Our study builds upon data from 212 young technology-based firms in the field of microtechnology, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and lasers. We use formative measurement models to establish valid and reliable constructs and a path model based on partial least squares modelling to investigate the performance effects. The results suggest that functional management competences generally are significant drivers of firm development speed. In particular, technology and marketing management competences are shown to impact development speed. While technology management competence is positively driving development speed, the marketing management competence impact on speed is mediated by competitive advantage of the new products developed by young technology-based firms. Financial management competence has no significant link to firm development speed. [source] Drawing in Perspective: Scottish Art and Design Teachers Discuss DrawingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005Glen Coutts What are the main purposes of drawing in the secondary art and design curriculum? What are Scottish art teachers' views on the role and function of drawing? How is drawing taught in Scottish schools? These three broad questions formed the basis of the research reported in this article. The small-scale study, carried out between June 2002 and June 2004 will, the authors hope, be of interest to art educators seeking to explore the teaching of drawing as a key component of art and design education. In this article, we report on the background to the study, the place of drawing in Scottish art education, the methodology used, discuss some of the respondents' comments and conclude with some reflections and thoughts for future study. [source] Factor structure of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia among Japanese poststroke patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2002Andrea S. Schreiner Abstract Background The present study reports on the first translation and use of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) (Alexopoulos, Abrams, Young, & Shamoian, 1988) among poststroke patients (n,=,101) in Japan. Objectives The study had three main purposes: 1. To examine the factor structure of the CSDD among Japanese poststroke patients; 2. To compare this with the factor structure identified for Anglo-American Alzheimer's (AD) patients; and 3. To examine the prevalence and covariates of depressive symptoms among the Japanese stroke survivors. Methods Poststroke patients and their caregivers (n,=,202), at a random sample of neurological hospitals in western Japan, were interviewed using the study instruments. Data was also collected from patient charts. All subjects at each site who met the study criteria participated in the study. Results The four-factor solution for poststroke subjects was analogous to that found among AD patients with 2 main exceptions. In contrast to AD patients: 1. Physical complaints were unrelated to depressed mood in stroke patients; and 2. Agitation and psychosis loaded with depressed mood in stroke patients rather than as a separate unique factor as in AD patients. However, in the exploratory 5-factor model, agitation and suicidal ideation comprised a unique factor. Using standard cutoff scores for the CSDD, 58.2% of poststroke patients had scores suggesting possible depression. CSDD scores were not related to functional ability, or stroke characteristics such as aphasia or right or left-sided paralysis. However, scores were significantly higher among subjects,2 years poststroke. Feelings of irritability, anxiety, sadness, and sleep problems were most prevalent. Discussion Despite the prevalence of depressive symptoms, none of the subjects were currently receiving any mental health treatment. Findings suggest that symptoms differ by poststroke duration, which may necessitate different treatment approaches. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Use of the Rotation Vector in Brownian Dynamics Simulation of Transient Electro-Optical PropertiesMACROMOLECULAR THEORY AND SIMULATIONS, Issue 1 2009Tom Richard Evensen Abstract We have recently developed a new singularity-free algorithm for Brownian dynamics simulation of free rotational diffusion. The algorithm is rigorously derived from kinetic theory and makes use of the Cartesian components of the rotation vector as the generalized coordinates describing angular orientation. Here, we report on the application of this new algorithm in Brownian dynamics simulations of transient electro-optical properties. This work serves two main purposes. Firstly, it demonstrates the integrity of the new algorithm for BD-simulations of the most common transient electro-optic experiments. Secondly, it provides new insight into the performance of the new algorithm compared to algorithms that make use of the Euler angles. We study the transient electrically induced birefringence in dilute solutions of rigid particles with anisotropic polarization tensor in response to external electric field pulses. The use of both one single electric pulse and two electric pulses with opposite polarity are being analyzed. We document that the new singularity-free algorithm performs flawlessly. We find that, for these types of systems, the new singularity-free algorithm, in general, outperforms similar algorithms based on the Euler angles. In a wider perspective, the most important aspect of this work is that it serves as an important reference for future development of efficient BD-algorithms for studies of more complex systems. These systems include polymers consisting of rigid segments with single-segment translational,rotational coupling, segment,segment fluid-dynamic interactions and holonomic constraints. [source]
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