bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduction in Mitral Regurgitation During Therapy Guided by Measured Filling Pressures in the ESCAPE Trial
Authors: Palardy Maryse , Stevenson Lynne W. , Tasissa Gudaye , Hamilton Michele A. , Bourge Robert C. , DiSalvo Thomas G. , Elkayam Uri , Hill James A. , Reimold Sharon C.
Published: April 2009

Background—

Dynamic mitral regurgitation (MR) contributes to decompensation in chronic dilated heart failure. Reduction of MR was the primary physiological end point in the ESCAPE trial, which compared acute therapy guided by jugular venous pressure, edema, and weight (CLIN) with therapy guided additionally by pulmonary artery catheters (PAC) toward pulmonary wedge pressure ≤15 and right atrial pressure ≤8 mm Hg.

Methods and Results—

Patients were randomized to PAC or CLIN during hospitalization with chronic heart failure and mean left ventricular ejection fraction 20%, and at least 1 symptom and 1 sign of congestion. MR and mitral flow patterns, measured blinded to therapy and timepoint, were available at baseline and discharge in 133 patients, and at 3 months in 104 patients. Changes in MR and related transmitral flow patterns were compared between PAC and CLIN patients. Jugular venous pressure, edema, and weights decreased similarly during therapy in the hospital for both groups. In PAC but not in CLIN patients, MR jet area, MR/left atrial area ratio, and E velocity were each significantly reduced and deceleration time increased by discharge. By 3 months, patients had clinical evidence of increased jugular venous pressure, edema, and weight since discharge, reaching significance in the PAC arm, and the change in MR was no longer different between the 2 groups, although the change in E velocity remained greater in PAC patients.

Conclusions—

During hospitalization, therapy guided by PAC to reduce left-sided pressures improved MR and related filling patterns more than therapy guided clinically by evidence of systemic venous congestion. This early reduction did not translate into improved outcomes out of the hospital, where volume status reverted toward baseline.
Influence of Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure on the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Women
Authors: Conen David , Tedrow Usha B. , Koplan Bruce A. , Glynn Robert J. , Buring Julie E. , Albert Christine M.
Published: April 2009

Background—

The influence of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) on incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is not well studied among initially healthy, middle-aged women.

Methods and Results—

A total of 34 221 women participating in the Women’s Health Study were prospectively followed up for incident AF. The risk of AF across categories of systolic and diastolic BP was compared by use of Cox proportional-hazards models. During 12.4 years of follow-up, 644 incident AF events occurred. Using BP measurements at baseline, we discovered that the long-term risk of AF was significantly increased across categories of systolic and diastolic BP. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for systolic BP categories (<120, 120 to 129, 130 to 139, 140 to 159, and ≥160 mm Hg) were 1.0, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.78 to 1.28), 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.63), 1.56 (95% CI, 1.22 to 2.01), and 2.74 (95% CI, 1.77 to 4.22) (
P
for trend <0.0001). Adjusted hazard ratios across baseline diastolic BP categories (<65, 65 to 74, 75 to 84, 85 to 89, 90 to 94, and ≥95 mm Hg) were 1.0, 1.17 (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.69), 1.18 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.65), 1.53 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.23), 1.35 (95% CI, 0.82 to 2.22), and 2.15 (95% CI, 1.21 to 3.84) (
P
for trend=0.004). When BP changes over time were accounted for in updated models, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 1.0, 1.14 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.46), 1.37 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.76), 1.71 (95% CI, 1.33 to 2.21), and 2.21 (95% CI, 1.45 to 3.36) (
P
for trend <0.0001) for systolic BP categories and 1.0, 1.12 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.52), 1.13 (95% CI, 0.83 to 1.52), 1.30 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.88), 1.50 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.88), and 1.54 (95% CI, 0.75 to 3.14) (
P
for trend=0.026) for diastolic BP categories.

Conclusions—

In this large cohort of initially healthy women, BP was strongly associated with incident AF, and systolic BP was a better predictor than diastolic BP. Systolic BP levels within the nonhypertensive range were independently associated with incident AF even after BP changes over time were taken into account.
Neuropilin-1 Identifies Endothelial Precursors in Human and Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Before CD34 Expression
Authors: Cimato Thomas , Beers Jeanette , Ding Shunli , Ma Mingchao , McCoy J. Phillip , Boehm Manfred , Nabel Elizabeth G.
Published: April 2009

Background—

In murine embryonic stem cells, the onset of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression identifies endothelial precursors. Undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells express VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-2 expression persists on differentiation. The objective of our study was to identify a single population of endothelial precursors with common identifying features from both human and murine embryonic stem cells.

Methods and Results—

We report that expression of the VEGF coreceptor neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) coincides with expression of Brachyury and VEGFR-2 and identifies endothelial precursors in murine and human embryonic stem cells before CD31 or CD34 expression. When sorted and differentiated, VEGFR-2
+
NRP-1
+
cells form endothelial-like colonies that express CD31 and CD34 7-fold more efficiently than NRP-1 cells. Finally, antagonism of both the VEGF and Semaphorin binding functions of NRP-1 impairs the differentiation of vascular precursors to endothelial cells.

Conclusions—

The onset of NRP-1 expression identifies endothelial precursors in murine and human stem cells. The findings define the origin of a single population of endothelial precursors from human and murine stem cells to endothelial cells. Additionally, the function of both the VEGF and Semaphorin binding activities of NRP-1 has important roles in the differentiation of stem cells to endothelial cells, providing novel insights into the role of NRP-1 in a model of vasculogenesis.
Blood Pressure Is Lower in Children and Adolescents With a Low-Saturated-Fat Diet Since Infancy
Authors: Niinikoski Harri , Jula Antti , Viikari Jorma , Rönnemaa Tapani , Heino Pekka , Lagström Hanna , Jokinen Eero , Simell Olli
Published: April 2009

Blood pressure was measured in the prospective randomized Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project Study with an oscillometric method every year from 7 months to 15 years of age in 540 children receiving a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet and in 522 control children. Dietary intakes, family history of parental hypertension, and grandparental vascular disease were recorded. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 1.0 mm Hg lower (95% CI for systolic: −1.7 to −0.2 mm Hg; 95% CI for diastolic: −1.5 to −0.4 mm Hg) in children receiving low-saturated-fat counseling through childhood than in control children. Intakes of saturated fat were lower (
P
<0.001), those of polyunsaturated fat higher (
P
<0.001), and intakes of potassium slightly higher (
P
=0.002) in the intervention group, but sodium intakes were not influenced by the intervention (
P
=0.76). Children whose parents were hypertensive had 4- to 6-mm Hg higher systolic and 3- to 4-mm Hg higher diastolic blood pressures than children of normotensive parents (
P
<0.001). Diastolic blood pressure of children with grandparental vascular disease, ie, early cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, tended to be higher than that of children with no grandparental disease (
P
=0.051). We conclude that restriction of saturated fat from infancy until 15 years of age decreases childhood and adolescent blood pressure with a meaningful population-attributable amount. The importance of childhood lifestyle counseling and primary prevention of hypertension should be emphasized, especially in those children with a family history of hypertension or atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Are Teacher Absences Worth Worrying About in the United States?
Authors: Clotfelter Charles T. , Ladd Helen F. , Vigdor Jacob L.
Published: April 2009

Using detailed data from North Carolina, we examine the frequency, incidence, and consequences of teacher absences in public schools as well as the impact of a policy designed to reduce absences. The incidence of teacher absences is regressive: when schools are ranked by the fraction of students receiving free or reduced price lunches, teachers in the lowest income quartile average almost one extra sick day per school year than teachers in the highest income quartile, and schools with persistently high rates of teacher absence were much more likely to serve low-income than high-income students. In regression models incorporating teacher fixed effects, absences are associated with lower student achievement in elementary grades. Finally, we present evidence that the demand for discretionary absences is price elastic. Our estimates suggest that a policy intervention that simultaneously raises teacher base salaries and broadens financial penalties for absences could both raise teachers' expected incomes and lower districts' expected costs.
Peaks, Cliffs, and Valleys: The Peculiar Incentives in Teacher Retirement Systems and Their Consequences for School Staffing
Authors: Costrell Robert M. , Podgursky Michael
Published: April 2009

This article examines the pattern of incentives for work versus retirement in six state teacher pension systems. We do this by examining the annual accrual of pension wealth from an additional year of work over a teacher's career. Accrual of wealth is highly nonlinear and heavily loaded at arbitrary years that would normally be considered mid-career. One typical pattern exhibits low accrual in early years, accelerating in the mid- to late fifties, followed by dramatic decline or even negative returns in years that are relatively young for retirement. Key factors in the defined benefit formulas that drive such patterns are identified along with likely consequences for employee behavior. The authors examine efficiency and equity consequences of these systems as well as options for reform.
Closing the Legitimacy Gap in Global Environmental Governance? Lessons from the Emerging CDM Market
Authors: Lövbrand Eva , Rindefjäll Teresia , Nordqvist Joakim
Published: April 2009

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a prominent example of the contemporary turn towards more hybrid modes of global environmental governance. It epitomizes the trend away from hierarchical state regulation towards softer forms of steering along the public-private frontier. In this article we analyze the legitimacy of this novel governance arrangement. While we approach input legitimacy as a procedural ideal that guarantees actors affected by a CDM project voice in the project design and implementation, we relate output legitimacy to the effectiveness or problem solving capacity of the CDM institutions. In contrast to the mainstream understanding of the CDM as a policy mechanism that will secure both goals at the same time and thus reduce the legitimacy gap in global environmental governance, our study points to central trade-offs between the procedural quality and the effectiveness of the CDM project cycle. These trade-offs are illustrated by three carbon projects in Chile, China and Mexico and raise questions for the continued study of legitimacy in global environmental governance.
Preschoolers' Mental Rotation: Sex Differences in Hemispheric Asymmetry
Authors: Hahn Nicola , Jansen Petra , Heil Martin
Published: April 2009

Mental rotation performance has been found to produce one of the largest sex differences in cognition accompanied by sex differences in functional cerebral asymmetry. Although sex differences in mental rotation performance can be reliably demonstrated as early as age 5 years old, that is, long before puberty, no data exist as to whether preschooler's mental rotation performance is accompanied by sex differences in functional cerebral asymmetry. Based on the electrophysiological brain correlates of mental rotation, we observed a bilateral parietal brain activity for preschool boys whereas the preschool girls' brain activity was clearly lateralized toward the left hemisphere if and only if mental rotation was needed to solve the task. Thus, sex differences in functional cerebral asymmetry during mental rotation do not require hormonal changes that occur during puberty.
Mental Reversal of Imagined Melodies: A Role for the Posterior Parietal Cortex
Authors: Zatorre Robert J. , Halpern Andrea R. , Bouffard Marc
Published: April 2009

Two fMRI experiments explored the neural substrates of a musical imagery task that required manipulation of the imagined sounds: temporal reversal of a melody. Musicians were presented with the first few notes of a familiar tune (Experiment 1) or its title (Experiment 2), followed by a string of notes that was either an exact or an inexact reversal. The task was to judge whether the second string was correct or not by mentally reversing all its notes, thus requiring both maintenance and manipulation of the represented string. Both experiments showed considerable activation of the superior parietal lobe (intraparietal sulcus) during the reversal process. Ventrolateral and dorsolateral frontal cortices were also activated, consistent with the memory load required during the task. We also found weaker evidence for some activation of right auditory cortex in both studies, congruent with results from previous simpler music imagery tasks. We interpret these results in the context of other mental transformation tasks, such as mental rotation in the visual domain, which are known to recruit the intraparietal sulcus region, and we propose that this region subserves general computations that require transformations of a sensory input. Mental imagery tasks may thus have both task or modality-specific components as well as components that supersede any specific codes and instead represent amodal mental manipulation.
Professions and Burgertum: Etymological Ships Passing, Night into Day
Authors: Halley Jeffrey , Sciulli David
Published: April 2009

None of the continental languages, either historically or during postwar decades, developed indigenously synonyms for professions or roughly equivalent terms. Even today, instead of studying professions in particular, continental sociologists typically study much broader socio-economic and socio-cultural formations. Thus, when Anglo-American sociologists were developing the sociology of professions before and after World War II, European sociologists had difficulty envisaging the point of the exercise. We review the evolution of the Anglo-American sociology of professions, the etymological divide just noted, and how the Continent's received Burgertum approach to middle class occupations differs from a professions approach.
Sensitivity of Typhoon Track Predictions in a Regional Prediction System to Initial and Lateral Boundary Conditions
Authors: Hsiao Ling-Feng , Peng Melinda S. , Chen Der-Song , Huang Kang-Ning , Yeh Tien-Chiang
Published: April 2009

Tropical cyclone (TC) track predictions from the operational regional nonhydrostatic TC forecast system of the Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau (CWB) are examined for their sensitivities to initial and lateral boundary conditions. Five experiments are designed and discussed, each using a combination of different initial and lateral boundary conditions coming either from the CWB or the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) global forecast system. Eight typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean with 51 cases in 2004 and 2005 are tested with the five designed experiments for the 3-day forecast. The average track forecasts are the best when both the initial and lateral boundary conditions are from the NCEP global forecast system. This reflects the generally superior performance of the NCEP global forecast system relative to that of the CWB. Using different lateral boundary conditions has a greater impact on the track than using different initial conditions. Diagnostics using piecewise inversion of potential vorticity perturbations are carried out to identify synoptic features surrounding the featured typhoon that impact the track the most in each experiment. For the two cases demonstrated with the largest track improvement using NCEP global fields, the diagnostics indicate that the prediction of the strength and extent of the subtropical high in the western Pacific plays the major role in affecting these storm tracks. Using the analysis and predictions of the CWB global forecast system as the initial and lateral boundary conditions produces an overintensified subtropical ridge in the regional TC forecast model. Because most of the typhoons studied are located in the southwestern peripheral of the western Pacific subtropical high, the stronger steering from the more intense and extended high system is the main cause of the poleward bias in the predicted typhoon tracks in the operational run, which uses the CWB global forecast fields. The study suggests that, when efforts are made to improve a regional TC forecast model, it is also critically important to improve the global forecast system that provides the lateral boundary and initial conditions to the regional system.
Hot European Summers and the Role of Soil Moisture in the Propagation of Mediterranean Drought
Authors: Zampieri Matteo , D’Andrea Fabio , Vautard Robert , Ciais Philippe , de Noblet-Ducoudré Nathalie , Yiou Pascal
Published: April 2009

Drought in spring and early summer has been shown to precede anomalous hot summer temperature. In particular, drought in the Mediterranean region has been recently shown to precede and to contribute to the development of extreme heat in continental Europe. In this paper, this mechanism is investigated by performing integrations of a regional mesoscale model at the scale of the European continent in order to reproduce hot summer inception, starting with different initial values of soil moisture south of 46°N. The mesoscale model is driven by the large-scale atmospheric conditions corresponding to the 10 hottest summers on record from the European Climate Assessment dataset. A northward progression of heat and drought from late spring to summer is observed from the Mediterranean regions, which leads to a further increase of temperature during summer in temperate continental Europe. Dry air formed over dry soils in the Mediterranean region induces less convection and diminished cloudiness, which gets transported northward by occasional southerly wind, increasing northward temperature and vegetation evaporative demand. Later in the season, drier soils have been established in western and central Europe where they further amplify the warming through two main feedback mechanisms: 1) higher sensible heat emissions and 2) favored upper-air anticyclonic circulation. Drier soils in southern Europe accelerate the northward propagation of heat and drying, increasing the probability of strong heat wave episodes in the middle or the end of the summer.
A Model Investigation of the Role of Air–Sea Interaction in the Climatological Evolution and ENSO-Related Variability of the Summer Monsoon over the South China Sea and Western North Pacific
Authors: Lau Ngar-Cheung , Nath Mary Jo
Published: April 2009

The summertime northeastward march of the climatological maritime monsoon over the South China Sea (SCS) and subtropical western North Pacific (WNP) is examined using the output from a 200-yr integration of a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (GCM). Increased cloud cover and surface wind speed during monsoon onset over the SCS in May–June reduce the incoming shortwave flux and enhance the upward latent heat flux at the ocean surface, thereby cooling the local sea surface temperature (SST). The resulting east–west gradient in the SST pattern, with lower temperature in the SCS and higher temperature in the WNP, is conducive to eastward migration of the monsoon precipitation over this region. Upon arrival of the precipitation center in the WNP in July–August, the local circulation changes lead to weakening of the mei-yu–baiu rainband near 30°N. The subsequent increases in local shortwave flux and SST impart a northward tendency to the evolution of the WNP monsoon. Many of these model inferences are supported by a parallel analysis of various observational datasets.

The modulation of the above climatological scenario by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events is investigated by diagnosing the output from the coupled GCM and from experiments based on the atmospheric component of this GCM with SST forcings being prescribed separately in the equatorial Pacific, Indian Ocean, and SCS/WNP domains. During the May period after the peak phase of ENSO, the simulated monsoon onset over the SCS occurs later (earlier) than normal in El Niño (La Niña) events. These changes are primarily remote responses to the anomalous SST forcing in the equatorial Pacific and Indian Ocean. The ENSO-related changes in the SCS/WNP are associated with above-normal (below normal) mei-yu–baiu activity during warm (cold) events. In the ensuing July period of the warm events, the simulated precipitation response over the SCS to the local warm SST anomaly tends to oppose the remote response to SST forcing in the northern Indian Ocean. In the July period of cold events, the equatorial Pacific SST anomaly retains its strength and moves still farther westward. This forcing cooperates with the cold SST anomaly in the SCS in influencing the precipitation pattern in the SCS/WNP sector.
Interdecadal Variations of the East Asian Winter Monsoon and Their Association with Quasi-Stationary Planetary Wave Activity
Authors: Wang Lin , Huang Ronghui , Gu Lei , Chen Wen , Kang Lihua
Published: April 2009

Interdecadal variations of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and their association with the quasi-stationary planetary wave activity are analyzed by using the 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis dataset and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis dataset. It is found that the EAWM experienced a significant weakening around the late 1980s; that is, the EAWM was strong during 1976–87 and became weak after 1988. This leads to an obvious increase in the wintertime surface air temperature as well as a decrease in the frequency of occurrence of cold waves over East Asia. The dynamical process through which the EAWM is weakened is investigated from the perspective of quasi-stationary planetary waves. It is found that both the propagation and amplitude of quasi-stationary planetary waves have experienced obvious interdecadal variations, which are well related to those of the EAWM. Compared to the period 1976–87, the horizontal propagation of quasi-stationary planetary waves after 1988 is enhanced along the low-latitude waveguide in the troposphere, and the upward propagation of waves into the stratosphere is reduced along the polar waveguide. This results in a weakened subtropical jet around 40°N due to the convergence of the Eliassen–Palm flux. The East Asian jet stream is then weakened, leading to the weakening of the EAWM since 1988. In addition, the amplitude of quasi-stationary planetary waves is significantly weakened around 45°N, which is related to the reduced upward propagation of waves from the lower boundary after 1988. This reduced amplitude may weaken both the Siberian high and the Aleutian low, reduce the pressure gradient in between, and then weaken the EAWM. Further analyses indicate that zonal wavenumber 2 plays the dominant role in this process.
On the Efficacy of Combining Thermal and Microwave Satellite Data as Observational Constraints for Root-Zone Soil Moisture Estimation
Authors: Barrett Damian J. , Renzullo Luigi J.
Published: April 2009

Data assimilation applications require the development of appropriate mathematical operators to relate model states to satellite observations. Two such “observation” operators were developed and used to examine the conditions under which satellite microwave and thermal observations provide effective constraints on estimated soil moisture. The first operator uses a two-layer surface energy balance (SEB) model to relate root-zone moisture with top-of-canopy temperature. The second couples SEB and microwave radiative transfer models to yield top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature from surface layer moisture content. Tangent linear models for these operators were developed to examine the sensitivity of modeled observations to variations in soil moisture. Assuming a standard deviation in the observed surface temperature of 0.5 K and maximal model sensitivity, the error in the analysis moisture content decreased by 11% for a background error of 0.025 m3 m−3 and by 29% for a background error of 0.05 m3 m−3. As the observation error approached 2 K, the assimilation of individual surface temperature observations provided virtually no constraint on estimates of soil moisture. Given the range of published errors on brightness temperature, microwave satellite observations were always a strong constraint on soil moisture, except under dense forest and in relatively dry soils. Under contrasting vegetation cover and soil moisture conditions, orthogonal information contained in thermal and microwave observations can be used to improve soil moisture estimation because limited constraint afforded by one data type is compensated by strong constraint from the other data type.
Note on the Vertical Velocity and Diffusive Salt Flux Induced by Evaporation and Precipitation
Authors: Warren Bruce A.
Published: April 2009

Some (not all) of the oceanographic literature slightly miscalculates the vertical velocity (w) and diffusive salt flux induced by evaporation (E) and precipitation (P) at the sea surface. Short, simple, physical derivations are presented to show that, for a sea surface h = h(x, y, t) varying in space and time, 1) w = VH · ∇h + ∂h/∂t + ρF(E − P)/ρ, where VH is the horizontal component of the aggregate parcel velocity, and ρF and ρ are the densities of freshwater and surface seawater, respectively; and 2) the vertical diffusive salt flux at the sea surface (whether molecular or turbulent) is −ρFS(E − P), where S is the surface salinity.
Buoyancy Effects in a Stratified Ekman Layer
Authors: McWilliams James C. , Huckle Edward , Shchepetkin Alexander F.
Published: April 2009

The K-profile parameterization scheme is used to investigate the stratified Ekman layer in a “fair weather” regime of weak mean surface heating, persistently stable density stratification, diurnal solar cycle, and broadband fluctuations in the surface stress and buoyancy flux. In the case of steady forcing, the boundary layer depth typically scales as h ∼ u*/Nf, where u* is the friction velocity, f is the Coriolis frequency, and N is the interior buoyancy frequency that confirms empirical fits. The diurnal cycle of solar forcing acts to deepen the boundary layer because of net interior absorption and compensating surface cooling. Parameterized mesoscale and submesoscale eddy-induced restratification flux compresses the boundary layer. With transient forcing, the mean boundary layer profiles are altered; that is, rectification occurs with a variety of causes and manifestations, including changes in h and in the Ekman profile u(z). Overall, stress fluctuations tend to deepen the mean boundary layer, especially near the inertial frequency. Low- and high-frequency surface buoyancy-flux fluctuations have net shallowing and deepening effects, respectively. Eddy-induced interior profile fluctuations are relatively ineffective as a source of boundary layer rectification. Rectification effects in their various combinations lead to a range of mean velocity and buoyancy profiles. In particular, they lead to a “rotated” effective eddy-viscosity profile with misalignment between the mean turbulent stress and mean shear and to a “flattening” of the velocity profile with a larger vertical scale for the current veering than the speed decay; both of these effects from rectification are consistent with previous measurements.
Validation of Geolocation of Measurements of the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Scanning Radiometers aboard Three Spacecraft
Authors: Smith G. Louis , Priestley Kory J. , Hess Phillip C. , Currey Chris , Spence Peter
Published: April 2009

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument is a scanning radiometer for measuring Earth-emitted and -reflected solar radiation to understand Earth’s energy balance. One CERES instrument was placed into orbit aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in 1997; two were aboard the Terra spacecraft, launched in 1999; and two were aboard the Aqua spacecraft, launched in 2002. These measurements are used together with data from higher-resolution instruments to generate a number of data products. The nominal footprint size of the pixel at Earth’s surface is 16 km in the cross-scan direction and 23 km in the scan direction for the TRMM platform and 36 km in the cross-scan direction and 46 km in the scan direction for the Terra and Aqua platforms. It is required that the location on Earth of each pixel be known to 1–2 km to use the CERES data with the higher-resolution instruments on a pixel basis. A technique has been developed to validate the computed geolocation of the measurements by use of coastlines. Scenes are chosen in which the reflected solar radiation changes abruptly from the land surface to the darker ocean surface and the Earth-emitted radiation changes from the warm land to the cool ocean, or vice versa, so that scenes can be detected both day and night. The computed coastline location is then compared with the World Bank II map. The method has been applied to data from the three spacecraft and shows that the pixel geolocations are accurate to within 10% of the pixel size and that the geolocation is adequate for current scientific investigations.
Isentropic Pressure and Mountain Torques
Authors: Egger Joseph , Hoinka Klaus-Peter
Published: April 2009

The relation of pressure torques and mountain torques is investigated on the basis of observations for the polar caps, two midlatitude and two subtropical belts, and a tropical belt by evaluating the lagged covariances of these torques for various isentropic surfaces. It is only in the polar domains and the northern midlatitude belts that the transfer of angular momentum to and from the earth at the mountains is associated with pressure torques acting in the same sense. The situation is more complicated in all other belts. The covariances decline with increasing potential temperature (height). The role of both torques in the angular momentum budget of a belt is discussed.
Structuring and Re-Creating Inequality: Health Testing Policies, Race, and the Criminal Justice System
Authors: Sykes Bryan L. , Piquero Alex R.
Published: April 2009

Research shows that prison inmates have a higher risk of contracting HIV than the general population, which prompts measures aimed at diagnosis, quarantine, and treatment. Research has also linked released inmates to an increase in the HIV incidence rate of communities. The authors explore the disjuncture between institutional policies and potential community outcomes by evaluating health assessments of inmates before and during prison admission. The authors argue that the penal institution is an active agent in structuring and re-creating health inequalities within prisons, thereby exacerbating existing community health inequities when inmates are released. Using data from the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Prisons, the authors find significant racial, educational, and marital inequalities in health testing and test results. These inequalities vary across types of institutional testing policies and inmate cohorts, with later admission cohorts being less likely to receive HIV tests and future release cohorts having a higher likelihood of being HIV-positive.
Agricultural Biodiversity and Neoliberal Regimes of Agri-Environmental Governance in Australia
Authors: Lockie Stewart
Published: April 2009

International agreements highlight the centrality of agricultural biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to human well-being, but provide little guidance on how to integrate agrobiodiversity within workable national regimes of governance. Complicating this picture further, it is not species richness per se that underwrites the resilience and productivity of agroecosystems but the functional relationships between organisms and ecosystem components at a variety of scales. Like many others, Australia's national strategy for biodiversity conservation acknowledges the importance of functional biodiversity but, in reality, focuses most attention on the protection of `wild' biodiversity from unsympathetic land use. In constructing a workable regime of governance for agricultural biodiversity, Australian governments have been particularly concerned to maintain and extend the neoliberal project of market rule. Biodiversity loss is defined as an outcome of market failure best addressed through various types of market reform. However, new tensions have been created between the totalizing logic of market rule and the spatio-temporal variability and specificity of biodiversity management. Despite the positive emphasis of Australian agri-environmental policy on planning and capacity building, declining terms of trade for agricultural produce are likely to make it very difficult for the majority of landholders to actively manage biological resources for which there are no direct and immediate productivity benefits.
Gay men at work: (Re)constructing the self as professional
Authors: Rumens Nick , Kerfoot Deborah
Published: April 2009

This article is a study of professional identity work, using in-depth interview material from research conducted into the work lives of 10 gay men employed in a UK National Health Service Trust. Using the men's portraits of professional life, we examine the different ways they understand what it means to be a `professional'. The article suggests that while gay men appear to be empowered by forms of agency to self-identify as professionals in `gay-friendly' work contexts, they are by no means unaffected by dominant professional norms and discourses of heteronormativity that treat sexuality and professionalism as polar opposites. Thus how straightforward it might be for the interviewees to self-identify as `professional' and openly gay within an organization that is perceived to be `gay-friendly' is scrutinized in terms of the professional identity dilemmas experienced by the study participants. We conclude that, even within `gayfriendly' organizational settings, fashioning a professional identity is a process marked by negotiation and struggle.
Examining the terminology of race issues in assessments for international exchange students
Authors: Heron Gavin , Pilkington Kevin
Published: April 2009

English

This study examined assignments by students from a university in Scotland and a university in the USA. The findings suggest the terminology of race issues in assessments may be inappropriate for students because they allow racism to be marginalized from practice or presented in a way that conveys little analysis.

French

Cette étude a examiné les missions des étudiants d’une université en Ecosse et d’une université aux Etats-Unis. Les découvertes suggèrent que la terminologie des questions de race dans les évaluations existantes puisse être inappropriée pour des étudiants parce qu’elles permettent au racisme d’être marginalisé de la pratique ou présenté d’une façon qui conduit peu à l’analyse.

Spanish

Este estudio examina trabajos realizados por estudiantes de una universidad en Escocia y una universidad en EEUU. Los resultados sugieren que los problemas con la terminología ‘raza’ dentro de los trabajos existentes pueden ser inapropiados para los estudiantes porque permiten que el racismo sea marginado de la práctica o presentado en una forma que permite muy poco análisis.
A New Evaluation Method for Surface Finish of Composite Automotive Panels Using Waveform Analysis
Authors: Hu S. , Hoa S.V. , Ganesan R.
Published: April 2009

The surface finish of composite plates made using Resin Transfer Molding of glass/polyester is studied. A surface profilometer is used to measure the surface profile and to record raw data. The objective is to develop an objective method (rather than using human judgment) to differentiate the quality of one surface from another. Initially commonly used current techniques are utilized to assess the quality of the surface finish. These include subjective evaluation through a survey of observations from a group of people; the use of the average amplitude of the signals, frequency analysis, and filtering. For surfaces that have approximate quality, human visual observation can differentiate the quality between the surfaces, but the objective methods (average amplitude, frequency spectrum, and filtering) cannot. A new objective technique is found to be able to distinguish surfaces of approximate quality. This uses the comparison between the parameters of a reference good surface to those of the surface under consideration. A comparative index can be obtained to indicate the degree of similarity between the surface under study and the reference (good) surface.
A Multiway Design-driven Partitioning Algorithm for Distributed Verilog Simulation
Authors: Lijun Li  , Tropper Carl
Published: April 2009

Many partitioning algorithms have been proposed for distributed Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) simulation. Typically, they make use of a gate level netlist and attempt to achieve a minimal cutsize subject to a load balance constraint. The algorithm executes on a hypergraph which represents the netlist. We propose a design-driven iterative partitioning algorithm for Verilog based on module instances instead of gates. We do this in order to take advantage of the design hierarchy information contained in the modules and their instances. A Verilog instance represents one vertex in the circuit hypergraph. The vertex can be flattened into multiple vertices in the event that a load balance is not achieved by instance-based partitioning. In this case, the algorithm flattens the largest instance and moves gates between the partitions in order to improve the load balance. Our experiments show that this partitioning algorithm produces a smaller cutsize than is produced by hMetis on a gate-level netlist. It produces better speedup for the simulation because it takes advantage of the design hierarchy.
Chemical Composition and Mechanical Properties of Basalt and Glass Fibers: A Comparison
Authors: Deák Tamás , Czigány Tibor
Published: April 2009

The geometrical and mechanical properties and chemical composition of different basalt and glass fibers have been investigated. Tensile tests were performed on short basalt fiber made by melt blowing, glass fiber and three different types of continuous basalt fibers made by spinneret method. The chemical composition was evaluated by plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The geometrical and mechanical properties of continuous basalt and glass fibers were similar to each other in terms of diameter, tensile strength and modulus. Short basalt fibers had considerably lower average diameter and mechanical performance with relatively high standard deviation. The SiO2 and Al2 O3 content of basalt fibers showed correlation with tensile properties of fibers. Results revealed that continuous basalt fibers were competitive with glass fibers and short basalt fibers were weaker in terms of quality and mechanical properties. It was observed that the joint SiO 2 and Al2O3 content of basalt and glass fibers showed correlation with tensile properties of fibers.
Biomimetics of Plant Structure in Textile Fabrics for the Improvement of Water Transport Properties
Authors: Sarkar Manas , Jintu Fan  , Szeto Yu-cheung , Xiaoming Tao
Published: April 2009

Plants have extremely efficient water transport systems. The emulation of plant structure in textile fabrics has the potential of developing fabrics with superb liquid water transport properties. Here, we report on some novel weave structures, which emulate the branching structure of the plants and create a continuous water transport pass (just as the `xylem conduit' in the plants) from the bottom layer to the top layer by interchanging the yarns for the bottom layer and the yarns for the top layer. Experimental investigations showed that fabrics with this new structure had clearly faster liquid water transport and better moisture management property. Fabrics constructed in such weaves and made from different types of fibers and yarns exhibited excellent initial water absorption and moisture management properties as measured on the recently developed Transplanar Water Transport Tester and Moisture Management Tester.
Development of Flat Knitted Spacer Fabrics for Composites using Hybrid Yarns and Investigation of Two-dimensional Mechanical Properties
Authors: Abounaim Md. , Hoffmann Gerald , Diestel Olaf , Cherif Chokri
Published: April 2009

Flat knitted spacer fabrics offer a strong potential for complex shape preforms, which could be used to manufacture composites with reduced waste and shorter production times. A reinforced spacer fabric made of individual surface layers and joined with connecting layers shows improved mechanical properties for lightweight applications such as textile-based sandwich preforms. We report the development of different flat knitted spacer fabrics from hybrid yarns consisting of glass filament (GF) and polypropylene (PP) filaments. Moreover, the mechanical properties of these reinforcement yarns and two-dimensional composites manufactured using various knit structures and knitting parameters were also studied. The composite structure with reinforcement yarn in weft direction is found to be the best in this regard.
Unraveling the Immigrant Paradox
Authors: Suárez-Orozco Carola , Rhodes Jean , Milburn Michael
Published: April 2009

Many studies have pointed to a troubling phenomenon known as the “immigrant paradox.” Despite an initial advantage length of residence in the United States appears to be associated with declining academic achievement and aspirations. To date, this line of research has taken a largely cross-sectional approach, comparing first, second, and third generations. The Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (LISA) combines longitudinal, interdisciplinary, and comparative approaches to document the patterns of adaptation of 408 recently arrived immigrant origin youth from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico over the course of five years. Here, we present data that demonstrate patterns of academic engagement and achievement of these youths over time, as well as a structural equations model (SEM) that sheds light on the factors contributing to these patterns. These data suggest that supportive relationships significantly mediate the academic engagement and outcomes of immigrant youth. Implications and future directions are discussed.
The Machiavellian Rousseau
Authors: Saccarelli Emanuele
Published: April 2009

Rousseau's argument concerning gender and family relations in his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality is a Machiavellian one. According to Rousseau, while Machiavelli at first glance seemed to flatter the tyrants, he actually intended to expose their unjust rule. I argue that this original and provocative interpretation of Machiavelli provides a key to Rousseau's own understanding of women as tyrants, and the family as the seat of their rule. My interpretation begins from a number of apparently ambivalent passages found in its Dedication to the Republic of Geneva, and challenges prevailing notions concerning Rousseau's understanding of the masculine reason of the Enlightenment, the character of modern civilization, and the relations of power intersecting the private and public spheres. I also consider the implication of the fact that, although Rousseau attacked what he perceived to be a sinister matriarchy, his arguments have and continues to be appropriated by feminist authors.
Making Capitalism Work: Fair Institutions and Trust
Authors: Oskarsson Sven , Öberg PerOla , Svensson Torsten
Published: April 2009

This study tests three hypotheses on data from a survey on employment relations conducted in Sweden in 2006. The first hypothesis implies that the extent to which an employee perceives formal institutions as fair and duly enforced increases the probability that he/she will behave cooperatively. The second hypothesis states that an employee's trust in the opposite party should have equivalent effects. The last hypothesis holds that an employee's perception of formal institutions as fair and duly enforced increases his/her trust in the opposite party. All three hypotheses are supported by the data. The interpretation is that there is indeed an effect on cooperative behavior and willingness to enter into flexible contracts from perceptions of fair and enforced institutions, but it is indirect and mediated by attitudes of trust.
Toward a political conception of human rights
Authors: Baynes Kenneth
Published: April 2009

Human rights have become a wider and more visible feature of our political discourse, yet many have also noted the great discrepancy between the human rights invoked in this discourse and traditional philosophical accounts that conceive of human rights as natural rights. This article explores an alternative approach in which human rights are conceived primarily as international norms aimed at securing the basic conditions of membership or inclusion in a political society. Central to this `political conception' of human rights is the idea of human rights as special (in contrast to general) rights that individuals possess in virtue of specific associative relations they stand in to one another. This view is explored and defended through a critical review of four recent political conceptions — Michael Ignatieff, John Rawls, Thomas Pogge and Joshua Cohen.
Prussian polis
Authors: Maliks Reidar
Published: April 2009

This article argues that Kant's republicanism provides a foundation for democratic procedures. The conclusion is reached through an investigation of Critique of the Power of Judgment, which allows us to interpret Kant's notion of the state as a self-determining organic community, and not merely an aggregate of individuals. The article rejects Isaiah Berlin's interpretation of Kant as an authoritarian thinker, and reveals a republican theory centered on liberal freedom expressed within a self-organizing political community.
COLD: The CoSy Localization Database
Authors: Pronobis A. , Caputo B.
Published: April 2009

Two key competencies for mobile robotic systems are localization and semantic context interpretation. Recently, vision has become the modality of choice for these problems as it provides richer and more descriptive sensory input. At the same time, designing and testing vision-based algorithms still remains a challenge, as large amounts of carefully selected data are required to address the high variability of visual information. In this paper we present a freely available database which provides a large-scale, flexible testing environment for vision-based topological localization and semantic knowledge extraction in robotic systems. The database contains 76 image sequences acquired in three different indoor environments across Europe. Acquisition was performed with the same perspective and omnidirectional camera setup, in rooms of different functionality and under various conditions. The database is an ideal testbed for evaluating algorithms in real-world scenarios with respect to both dynamic and categorical variations.