bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the Meridional Shifts of the Kuroshio and the Oyashio Extensions on the Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Frankignoul Claude , Sennéchael Nathalie , Kwon Young-Oh , Alexander Michael A.
Published: October 2010

The meridional shifts of the Oyashio Extension (OE) and of the Kuroshio Extension (KE), as derived from high-resolution monthly sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in 1982–2008 and historical temperature profiles in 1979–2007, respectively, are shown based on lagged regression analysis to significantly influence the large-scale atmospheric circulation. The signals are independent from the ENSO teleconnections, which were removed by seasonally varying, asymmetric regression onto the first three principal components of the tropical Pacific SST anomalies. The response to the meridional shifts of the OE front is equivalent barotropic and broadly resembles the North Pacific Oscillation/western Pacific pattern in a positive phase for a northward frontal displacement. The response may reach 35 m at 250 hPa for a typical OE shift, a strong sensitivity since the associated SST anomaly is 0.5 K. However, the amplitude, but not the pattern or statistical significance, strongly depends on the lag and an assumed 2-month atmospheric response time. The response is stronger during fall and winter and when the front is displaced southward. The response to the northward KE shifts primarily consists of a high centered in the northwestern North Pacific and hemispheric teleconnections. The response is also equivalent barotropic, except near Kamchatka, where it tilts slightly westward with height. The typical amplitude is half as large as that associated with OE shifts.
How Much Should Climate Model Output Be Smoothed in Space?
Authors: Räisänen Jouni , Ylhäisi Jussi S.
Published: October 2010

The general decrease in the quality of climate model output with decreasing scale suggests a need for spatial smoothing to suppress the most unreliable small-scale features. However, even if correctly simulated, a large-scale average retained by the smoothing may not be representative of the local conditions, which are of primary interest in many impact studies. Here, the authors study this trade-off using simulations of temperature and precipitation by 24 climate models within the Third Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, to find the scale of smoothing at which the mean-square difference between smoothed model output and gridbox-scale reality is minimized. This is done for present-day time mean climate, recent temperature trends, and projections of future climate change, using cross validation between the models for the latter. The optimal scale depends strongly on the number of models used, being much smaller for multimodel means than for individual model simulations. It also depends on the variable considered and, in the case of climate change projections, the time horizon. For multimodel-mean climate change projections for the late twenty-first century, only very slight smoothing appears to be beneficial, and the resulting potential improvement is negligible for practical purposes. The use of smoothing as a means to improve the sampling for probabilistic climate change projections is also briefly explored.
How Large-Scale and Cyclogeostrophic Barotropic Instabilities Favor the Formation of Anticyclonic Vortices in the Ocean
Authors: Perret Gaële , Dubos Thomas , Stegner Alexandre
Published: October 2010

Large-scale vortices, that is, eddies whose characteristic length scale is larger than the local Rossby radius of deformation Rd, are ubiquitous in the oceans, with anticyclonic vortices more prevalent than cyclonic ones. Stability or robustness properties of already formed shallow-water vortices have been investigated to explain this cyclone–anticyclone asymmetry. Here the focus is on possible asymmetries during the generation of vortices through barotropic instability of a parallel flow. The initial stage and the nonlinear stage of the instability are studied by means of linear stability analysis and direct numerical simulations of the one-layer rotating shallow-water equations, respectively. A wide variety of parallel flows are studied: isolated shears, the Bickley jet, and a family of wakes obtained by combining two shears of opposite signs.

The results show that, when the flow is characterized by finite relative isopycnal deviation, the barotropic instability favors the formation of large-scale anticyclonic eddies. The authors emphasize here that the cyclone–anticyclone asymmetry of parallel flows may appear at the linear stage of the instability. This asymmetry finds its origin in the linear stability property of localized shear flows. Indeed, for both the cyclogeostrophic regime (finite Rossby number) and the frontal geostrophic regime (small Burger number), an anticyclonic shear flow has higher linear growth rates than an equivalent cyclonic shear flow. The nonlinear saturation then leads to the formation of almost axisymmetric anticyclones, while the cyclones tend to be more elongated in the shear direction.

However, although some unstable parallel flows exhibit the asymmetry at the linear stage, others exhibit such asymmetry at the nonlinear stage only. If the distance separating two shear regions is large enough, the barotropic instability develops independently in each shear, leading in the frontal and the cyclogeostrophic regime to a significant cyclone–anticyclone asymmetry at the linear stage. Conversely, if the two shear regions are close to each other, the shears tend to be coupled at the linear stage. The most unstable perturbation then resembles the sinuous mode of the Bickley jet, making no distinction between regions of cyclonic or anticyclonic vorticity. Nevertheless, when the nonlinear saturation occurs, large-scale anticyclones tend to be axisymmetric while the cyclonic structures are highly distorted and elongated along the jet meander.
An Observing System Experiment for Tropical Cyclone Targeting Techniques Using the Global Forecast System
Authors: Aberson Sim D. , Majumdar Sharanya J. , Reynolds Carolyn A. , Etherton Brian J.
Published: October 2010

In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center and the Hurricane Research Division began operational synoptic surveillance missions with the Gulfstream IV-SP jet aircraft to improve the numerical guidance for hurricanes that threaten the continental United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. The dropwindsonde observations from these missions were processed and formatted aboard the aircraft and sent to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Global Telecommunications System to be ingested into the Global Forecasting System, which serves as initial and boundary conditions for regional numerical models that also forecast tropical cyclone track and intensity. As a result of limited aircraft resources, optimal observing strategies for these missions are investigated. An Observing System Experiment in which different configurations of the dropwindsonde data based on three targeting techniques (ensemble variance, ensemble transform Kalman filter, and total energy singular vectors) are assimilated into the model system was conducted. All three techniques show some promise in obtaining maximal forecast improvements while limiting flight time and expendables. The data taken within and around the regions specified by the total energy singular vectors provide the largest forecast improvements, though the sample size is too small to make any operational recommendations. Case studies show that the impact of dropwindsonde data obtained either outside of fully sampled, or within nonfully sampled target regions is generally, though not always, small; this suggests that the techniques are able to discern in which regions extra observations will impact the particular forecast.
Place, Genre, and Polyphony in Barack Obama’s Election Night Address
Authors: Sheckels Theodore F.
Published: October 2010

Barack Obama’s election night address was rhetorically effective. He strategically departed from the norms of the victory speak genre insofar as he moved it outside the usual hotel ballroom and thereby significantly enlarged (and broadened) the audience. He did not, however, take it to just any place; he took it to Chicago’s Grant Park, a place with negative political associations because of the events that occurred there in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Obama thereby redeemed the place and restored the idealism and hope that had been dashed there 40 years before. Obama also echoed Lincoln; Kennedy; Clinton; and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, creating a polyphony that evoked both struggles and a hope that all could be overcome.
Clarity of Responsibility Beyond the Pocketbook: How Political Institutions Condition EU Issue Voting
Authors: de Vries Catherine E. , Edwards Erica E. , Tillman Erik R.
Published: October 2010

One of the most influential findings of the voting behavior literature of the past two decades was the realization that the clarity of the domestic institutional context influences the relationship between economic perceptions and incumbent vote. This article extends this “clarity of responsibility” argument beyond economics to another policy field—European integration. To what extent do national political institutions mediate the extent to which voters reward or punish government for their policies relating to the European Union (EU) or European integration, that is, EU issue voting? Using data from the 2004 European Election Study, the authors provide evidence that clarity of responsibility affects the strength of EU issue voting. Specifically, EU issue voting is accentuated when the domestic institutional environment provides clear lines of responsibility. This finding suggests that the “Europeanization” of national electoral politics depends in part on the domestic institutional context within each member state.
Linking the Central Office and Its Schools for Reform
Authors: Johnson Peggy E. , Chrispeels Janet H.
Published: October 2010

Purpose: This study investigates how linkages between a central office and its schools served as administrative controls while fostering professional accountability and organizational learning. Method: Using qualitative data sources (interviews, focus groups, observations, field notes, and document reviews), the study examines how resource, structural, communication, relational, and ideological linkages interacted in response to three reform efforts as perceived by 45 school leadership team members, 5 principals, and 10 central office leaders. Findings: Attending to relational linkages was central to initiating reform. Introducing external resources served to link central office leaders and schools enhancing relational and communication linkages but also increased controls. Initially, teachers viewed many of the structural linkages as constraining their ability to provide good instruction, and there was a lack of ideological agreement on instructional approaches. Central office leaders, principals, and school leadership teams recognized the important role that teams, with professional development, could play in supporting the district’s efforts to improve teaching and learning. Conclusions: A major contribution of this research is that it begins to clarify how linkages need to be coordinated and which ones may need to be in place for reform success. Relational and ideological linkages are essential for enhancing commitment and professional accountability and for ensuring a coherent instructional focus and organizational learning. In contrast, the structural linkage was the primary vehicle used by the district to exert control, complete organizational tasks, and enforce desired changes. The communication and resource linkages can be seen as boundary spanners between these two theories of organizational change.
Gender and Other Group Differences in Performance on Off-Level Tests: Changes in the 21st Century
Authors: Olszewski-Kubilius Paula , Lee Seon-Young
Published: October 2010

Using the off-level test scores of more than 250,000 students who participated in talent search testing from 2000 to 2008, this study examined if previously reported gender differences in students’ performances in math versus verbal areas as well as the reported ratios of males and females for specific scoring levels still existed across years. Results showed that for the sample of gifted students used in this study, regardless of age, males outperformed females on the math and science subtests with the most pronounced differences on the math subtests, whereas females outperformed males on the verbal subtests. All these differences between genders did not diminish over the 9-year period but were steady with small or negligible effect sizes. The ratios of males to females in specific score ranges on the off-level tests were also steady and consistent, favoring males at the highest end in math and science with the maximum ratio of 3:1 and females at the highest end in verbal areas with the maximum ratio of 2:1. Performance differences by ethnicity and annual household income levels were also found throughout the years.
Are Sex Offenders Moving into Social Disorganization? Analyzing the Residential Mobility of California Parolees
Authors: Hipp John R. , Turner Susan , Jannetta Jesse
Published: October 2010

This study focuses on the relationship between returning offender residential mobility and neighborhood structural factors characteristic of socially disorganized neighborhoods. It uses a unique data set that combines information on parolees released in the state of California during the 2005-2006 time period with their geocoded addresses to view the types of neighborhoods they are moving to. The authors find that sex offenders are entering neighborhoods with more concentrated disadvantage and residential instability upon reentry from prison and upon subsequent moves. This effect for sex offender status is particularly strong for whites and Latinos, leading them into more socially disorganized neighborhoods. The authors also find that sex offenders are more likely to enter neighborhoods with more minorities as measured by Latinos and African Americans and less likely to enter neighborhoods with more whites.
Legal Issues Regarding Medical Care for Pregnant Inmates
Authors: Tapia Natalia D. , Vaughn Michael S.
Published: October 2010

This article examines mothers in prison, highlighting the complexity and detrimental consequences incarceration has for their families and children. It documents the legal remedies available to pregnant prisoners, focusing on their unique medical needs. After reviewing the U.S. Supreme Court’s standard for liability, the article explores lower court case law to establish the legal parameters of pregnant prisoners’ health care needs. The article concludes that although correctional health care systems have made strides in bringing appropriate medical care to pregnant prisoners, more remains to be done to raise the quality of care to those similarly situated in the free-world.
Youth Violence in Central America
Authors: Peetz Peter
Published: October 2010

The article analyzes the social construction of youth violence in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and El Salvador on the one hand, and the related security policies of the three states, on the other. In each country, there is an idiosyncratic way of constructing youth violence and juvenile delinquency. Also, each country has its own manner of reaction to those problems. In El Salvador youths are socially constructed as a threat to security, and the state implements predominantly repressive policies to protect citizens against that threat. In Nicaragua and Costa Rica, where the social discourse on youth violence is less prominent, the state’s policies are neither very accentuated nor very coherent, whether in terms of repressive or nonrepressive measures. There are strong relationships and mutual influences between the public’s fear (or disregard) of youth violence and the state’s policies to reduce it.
Multidimensional Linking for Domain Scores and Overall Scores for Nonequivalent Groups
Authors: Yao Lihua
Published: October 2010

The No Child Left Behind Act requires state assessments to report not only overall scores but also domain scores. To see the information on students’ overall achievement, progress, and detailed strengths and weaknesses, and thereby identify areas for improvement in educational quality, students’ performances across years or across forms need to be made comparable in terms of both overall scores and domain scores. Multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) and its linking procedures for item parameter recovery have been studied; however, the effects of those linking procedures on the recovery of domain scores and overall scores have not been addressed, especially with regard to MIRT models of higher dimensions. The relationship between an examinee’s overall score and domain scores can be complex and may not be adequately represented by a linear function. This article proposes using the MIRT maximum information method to obtain the overall scores from MIRT domain scores. A simulation study was conducted to investigate the accuracy and effects of using the MIRT matching test response function (TRF) linking procedure to link the five-dimensional domain scores and their overall scores under varying conditions of anchor set lengths, population distribution types, and sample sizes. The results show that the TRF method recovered the domain scores and overall scores well for an anchor set of 10 items, with 2 items in each domain. Domain scores and overall scores have high reliabilities when the correlations between domains are high; reliability is higher than .9 for overall scores and higher than .8 for domain scores under all conditions.
Extending Resource-Based Logic
Authors: Zubac Angelina , Hubbard Graham , Johnson Lester
Published: October 2010

This article argues that resource-based logic can be extended by conceptualizing the firm in resource-investment terms. It establishes that investing in resources is essentially a bilateral process involving managers and the owners of capital and that all resource-investments are necessarily made within an institutional superstructure. As a result, the capital invested into the firm is necessarily highly structured. These ideas are developed in this article from a payments perspective because this perspective allows scholars to explore the ex ante investment decisions that allow firms to grow, and to focus on firms’ resource payments, which can be considered a proxy for firms’ ex post resource-investments. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these ideas, including the implications for performance, theory of the firm, and endogenous growth research.
Divergence and Mobility in College sag Attainment Across U.S. Labor Market Areas: 1970—2000
Authors: Hammond George W. , Thompson Eric C.
Published: October 2010

Human capital is one factor that significantly influences local economic growth. Our goal in this research is to analyze trends in local human capital dynamics during the past thirty years. The authors find little evidence of convergence in college attainment across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas and evidence of divergence across Census regions. The authors also find within-distribution divergence for all labor markets, as well as for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, which is accompanied by lower levels of intra-distributional mobility than we observe for the income distribution. To the extent that human capital accumulation drives growth, these trends are likely to contribute to increasingly different levels of income growth across labor markets in the future. Finally, looking at factors that influence upward mobility within the distribution, the authors find that an increase in the number of four-year colleges and universities per capita increased a labor market’s upward rank and quintile mobility in human capital.
Intranets: A semiological analysis
Authors: Thiry-Cherques Hermano
Published: October 2010

The scope of this paper is to report on an interpretation of the significance and the meanings of the signage of intranet sites. Based on the theories of structuralist semiology, we examined 22 intranet sites of companies and public sector organizations, as well as six intranet construction systems. Analysis and interpretation of such sources indicates that web sites conceal a virtual segregation structure, under the guise of integration of information. The text contributes to an understanding of relationships between the fields of information technology and domination systems, with practical implications for the development of points of interaction between the fields of information science and management science.
The Ritualization of Strategy Workshops
Authors: Johnson Gerry , Prashantham Shameen , Floyd Steven W. , Bourque Nicole
Published: October 2010

Despite the widespread use of strategy workshops in organizations, few empirical studie examine this phenomenon. The limited research that exists also lacks a theoretical basi for explaining why some workshops achieve their espoused purpose while others do not We offer a theoretical model of strategy workshop dynamics and outcomes by drawin on theories of ritual and ritualization. Our central argument is that variations in charac teristics of ritualization such as the degree of removal, the use of liturgy and the role o specialists influence behavioural dynamics within workshops and thereby the extent t which their purpose is achieved. This perspective extends research on the episodic natur of strategy development and contributes to a theoretically informed view of strategy practices
Variation in the use of palliative radiotherapy at end of life: Examining demographic, clinical, health service, and geographic factors in a population-based study
Authors: Lavergne M Ruth , Johnston Grace M , Gao Jun , Dummer Trevor JB , Rheaume Dorianne E
Published: October 2010

Palliative radiotherapy (PRT) can improve quality of life for people dying of cancer. Variation in the delivery of PRT by factors unrelated to need may indicate that not all patients who may benefit from PRT receive it. In this study, 13,494 adults who died of cancer between 2000 and 2005 in Nova Scotia, Canada, were linked to radiotherapy records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationships among demographic, clinical, service, and geographic variables, and PRT consultation and treatment. Among the decedents, 4188 (31.0%) received PRT consultation and 3032 (22.3%) treatment. PRT declined with increased travel time and community deprivation. Females, older persons, and nursing home residents also had lower PRT rates. Variations were observed by cancer site and previous oncology care. Variations in PRT use should be discussed with referring physicians, and improved means of access to PRT considered. Benchmarks for optimal rates of PRT are needed.
Inappropriate use of high doses of transdermal fentanyl at admission to a palliative care unit
Authors: Botterman J , Criel N
Published: October 2010

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the patterns of strong opioid use in patients admitted to a hospice inpatient unit, with special attention to the use of the transdermal fentanyl patch. This study was conducted to validate or negate the subjective feeling that many patients, treated at admittance with the fentanyl patch, received inappropriately high doses compared to patients treated with oral or parenteral opioids. The case notes of 1154 patients were reviewed and data collected on age, sex, diagnosis, care settings, opioid form and dose on referral, maximal dose during admission and opioid use during the last 24 hours of their life. At admission opioids had been prescribed for 47% of patients. Thirty-two percent of these patients received oral morphine. The median dose at admission of those patients was 60 mg (oral morphine equivalent (OME)). Thirty-six percent of the patients on opioids were using the fentanyl patch. The median dose at admission was triple that of the orally treated patients (median 180 mg OME). In the 199 patients using transdermal fentanyl at admission, in most patients the dose of the patch was gradually diminished and finally stopped in 58% of patients. Only 83 kept it until the last 24 hours. We would like to draw attention to the fact that (sometimes inappropriately) high doses of fentanyl were used at admission, probably due to lack of knowledge of the relative strength of the opioid involved and to the failure to recognize the phenomenon of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. In addition, in our experience the long action of the patch can be a disadvantage during the last days and weeks of life, due to the difficulty of dose adjustment and the risk for toxicity.
Non-cancer patients in specialized palliative care in Germany: What are the problems?
Authors: Ostgathe Christoph , Alt-Epping Bernd , Golla Heidrun , Gaertner Jan , Lindena Gabriele , Radbruch Lukas , Voltz Raymond
Published: October 2010

To determine the role of non-cancer palliative care in inpatient services in Germany, data from the Hospice and Palliative Care Evaluation (HOPE) were analysed. Since 1999, a three-month census has been conducted annually in German palliative care units. Pooled data from 2002–2005 were tested for differences between non-cancer patients (NCs) and cancer patients (Cs). A total of 4182 patients (NC: 3.5%; C: 96.5%) were documented; functional status (using Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) measures) in NCs was lower compared to Cs ( p = 0.009). NCs suffered more often from dyspnoea (40%; C: 29%; p = 0.004), weakness (92,3%; C: 84,5%; p = 0.011) and tiredness (75.4%; C: 66.7%; p = 0.03) and less from nausea (17.1%; C: 28.9%; p = 0.002), vomiting (8.2%; C: 19.4%; p = 0.001) or loss of appetite (55.5%; C: 67.9%; p = 0.002). There were no differences in pain and constipation. Other problems (nursing, psychological) were more frequent for NCs, in particular the need for support in the activities of daily life (90.3%; C: 72.8%; p < 0.001) and disorientation/confusion (32.1%; C: 17.2%; p < 0.001). There were no differences in social problems. NCs are still rare in specialized inpatient palliative care institutions in Germany. The palliative care needs in patients with non-malignant disease will challenge the health care system as the workload for these services will grow over proportionally.
Monoterpenoid extract of sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia) with cholinesterase inhibiting properties improves cognitive performance and mood in healthy adults
Authors: Kennedy David O , Dodd Fiona L , Robertson Bernadette C , Okello Edward J , Reay Jonathon L , Scholey Andrew B , Haskell Crystal F
Published: October 2010

Extracts of sage ( Salvia officinalis/lavandulaefolia) with terpenoid constituents have previously been shown to inhibit cholinesterase and improve cognitive function. The current study combined an in vitro investigation of the cholinesterase inhibitory properties and phytochemical constituents of a S. lavandulaefolia essential oil, with a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced crossover study assessing the effects of a single dose on cognitive performance and mood. In this latter investigation 36 healthy participants received capsules containing either 50 µL of the essential oil or placebo on separate occasions, 7 days apart. Cognitive function was assessed using a selection of computerized memory and attention tasks and the Cognitive Demand Battery before the treatment and 1-h and 4-h post-dose. The essential oil was a potent inhibitor of human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and consisted almost exclusively of monoterpenoids. Oral consumption lead to improved performance of secondary memory and attention tasks, most notably at the 1-h post-dose testing session, and reduced mental fatigue and increased alertness which were more pronounced 4-h post-dose. These results extend previous observations of improved cognitive performance and mood following AChE inhibitory sage extracts and suggest that the ability of well-tolerated terpenoid-containing extracts to beneficially modulate cholinergic function and cognitive performance deserves further attention.
Effects of acute alcohol consumption on the perception of eye gaze direction
Authors: Penton-Voak Ian S , Cooper Robbie M , Roberts Rachel E , Attwood Angela S , Munafò Marcus R
Published: October 2010

Alcohol consumption is associated with increases in aggressive behaviour, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood. One mechanism by which alcohol consumption may influence behaviour is via alterations in the processing of social cues such as gaze. We investigated the effects of acute alcohol consumption on the perception of gaze, using a task in which participants determined whether a stimulus face was looking towards or away from them. Gaze direction varied across trials, allowing calculation of a threshold at which participants considered gaze to switch from direct to averted. Target faces varied in both sex and attractiveness. Thirty social drinkers attended three randomized experimental sessions. At each session, participants consumed 0.0, 0.2 or 0.4 g/kg alcohol, and completed the gaze perception task. A significant three-way interaction involving target sex, participant sex and alcohol dose indicated that alcohol increased the cone of gaze for females viewing male targets (i.e. females were biased towards making a direct gaze judgement), but decreased the cone of gaze for males viewing male targets. Our data indicate that alcohol consumption influences gaze perception, but that these effects vary across sex of both stimulus and rater. These effects may have important implications for alcohol-related violence.
Learning visual representations for perception-action systems
Authors: Piater Justus , Jodogne Sébastien , Detry Renaud , Kraft Dirk , Krüger Norbert , Kroemer Oliver , Peters Jan
Published: October 2010

We discuss vision as a sensory modality for systems that interact flexibly with uncontrolled environments. Instead of trying to build a generic vision system that produces task-independent representations, we argue in favor of task-specific, learn-able representations. This concept is illustrated by two examples of our own work. First, our RLVC algorithm performs reinforcement learning directly on the visual input space. To make this very large space manageable, RLVC interleaves the reinforcement learner with a supervised classification algorithm that seeks to split perceptual states so as to reduce perceptual aliasing. This results in an adaptive discretization of the perceptual space based on the presence or absence of visual features. Its extension, RLJC, additionally handles continuous action spaces. In contrast to the minimalistic visual representations produced by RLVC and RLJC, our second method learns structural object models for robust object detection and pose estimation by probabilistic inference. To these models, the method associates grasp experiences autonomously learned by trial and error. These experiences form a non-parametric representation of grasp success likelihoods over gripper poses, which we call a grasp density . Thus, object detection in a novel scene simultaneously produces suitable grasping options.
Real-time photorealistic virtualized reality interface for remote mobile robot control
Authors: Kelly Alonzo , Chan Nicholas , Herman Herman , Huber Daniel , Meyers Robert , Rander Pete , Warner Randy , Ziglar Jason , Capstick Erin
Published: October 2010

The task of teleoperating a robot over a wireless video link is known to be very difficult. Teleoperation becomes even more difficult when the robot is surrounded by dense obstacles, or speed requirements are high, or video quality is poor, or wireless links are subject to latency. Due to high-quality lidar data, and improvements in computing and video compression, virtualized reality has the capacity to dramatically improve teleoperation performance — even in high-speed situations that were formerly impossible. In this paper, we demonstrate the conversion of dense geometry and appearance data, generated on-the-move by a mobile robot, into a photorealistic rendering model that gives the user a synthetic exterior line-of-sight view of the robot, including the context of its surrounding terrain. This technique converts teleoperation into virtual line-of-sight remote control. The underlying metrically consistent environment model also introduces the capacity to remove latency and enhance video compression. Display quality is sufficiently high that the user experience is similar to a driving video game where the surfaces used are textured with live video.
Gender, Social Support, and Depression in Criminal Justice– Involved Adolescents
Authors: Johnson Jennifer E. , Esposito-Smythers Christianne , Miranda Robert , Rizzo Christie J. , Justus Alicia N. , Clum George
Published: October 2010

Knowing where criminal justice–involved teens look for support and whether those supports reduce depression has important and possibly gender-specific treatment implications for this vulnerable population. This study examines the relationships between social support and depression in a mixed-gender sample of 198 incarcerated adolescents. Greater support from families and overall and greater satisfaction with supports predicted lower depression for boys and girls. Support from siblings and extended family strongly predicted lower depression; support from parents and from friends was either not related or only weakly related to depression. Girls reported higher levels of depression, more support from friends and extended family, and less support from parents than did boys. Family, sibling, and overall support were stronger predictors of depression for girls than for boys. Results suggest that nonparent family members, especially siblings and extended family, provide important emotional resources for teens in the criminal justice system.
Triptan persistency among newly initiated users in a pharmacy claims database
Authors: Katić Božena J , Rajagopalan Srini , Ho Tony W , Chen Ya-Ting , Hu X Henry
Published: October 2010

Objective

Our study was conducted to describe prescription refill patterns among patients newly treated with triptans.

Background

Although triptans are efficacious in treating migraine headache, the persistency of triptan use among newly initiated users has not been well described.

Methods

From a US pharmacy claims database, we identified patients receiving new triptan monotherapy prescriptions from 2001 to 2005. Prescription refill information was gathered for two years for each patient. Persistency was defined as sustained refills of the index triptan prescription, regardless of duration between refills.

Results

Of 40,892 patients receiving a new triptan prescription, 53.8% (N=22031) did not persistently refill their index triptan. Of these, 25.5% discontinued prescription migraine therapy, 7.4% switched to a different triptan, and 67.1% switched to a non-triptan migraine medication at the time of their first refill. Only 46.2% of patients received at least one persistent refill.

Conclusions

Migraine patients were more likely to discontinue their triptan after their index prescription than at any other time in their prescription refill history. The majority of patients did not persistently refill triptans, but filled prescriptions for non-specific migraine therapies such as opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Reasons for triptan discontinuation warrant further investigation.
Cerebrospinal fluid phospholipase C activity increases in migraine
Authors: Fonteh Alfred N , Chung Rainbow , Sharma Tara L , Fisher R Danielle , Pogoda Janice M , Cowan Robert , Harrington Michael G
Published: October 2010

Background

Adrenaline, serotonin, cannabinoid and estrogen receptors are involved in migraine pathophysiology. The signaling of these receptors change phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) activity, but there have been no reported PC-PLC studies in migraine.

Methods

We identified PC-PLC activity in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and quantified it in samples from ictal and interictal migraineurs without aura and healthy controls.

Results

Pre-incubation with a specific PC-PLC inhibitor, D609, inhibited enzyme activity (p <.0001) and confirms its presence in CSF. PC-PLC activity was higher in the CSF from ictal migraineurs compared to controls (mean relative fluorescence unit [RFU]/μg/min [standard deviation, SD] 13.1 [3.07] vs. 9.3 [1.97]; p = .002) and, in a paired analysis, in migraineurs during ictal compared to interictal states (11.7 [1.6] vs. 7.9 [1.5]; p = .02). CSF PC-PLC activity in the ictal state correlated negatively with migraine frequency (r= −0.82). Plasma PC-PLC activity was 250-300 times less than in CSF and did not increase in migraine, implicating the brain as the source of the CSF enzyme changes.

Conclusion

This is the first report of PC-PLC activity in CSF and of its alteration in migraine. We propose that these PC-PLC changes in CSF reflect the overall receptor fluctuations in migraine.
Discrimination, Complexity, and the Public/Private Sector Question
Authors: Byron Reginald A.
Published: October 2010

Does employment discrimination vary in degree or character across public and private labor market sectors? Prior research cannot fully address this question because it typically relies on one dimension of discrimination—estimates of wage gaps. This study extends the literature by analyzing 11,528 legally verified cases of race and sex discrimination from the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (1986-2003). Quantitative analyses demonstrate that aggregate rates of verified discrimination vary little by sector, yet there are elevated rates of public sector promotion discrimination and elevated rates of private sector firing discrimination. In-depth qualitative analyses show that specific sectoral processes contribute to these aggregate patterns. In the public sector, limited accountability for promotion decisions allows managers to devalue seniority, augment “soft skills,” and sabotage multiple stages of formalized proceedings. Moreover, the very devices intended to curb discriminatory promotion may inadvertently multiply the stages for bias to enter decisions. In the private sector, managers exploit the latitude afforded by the employment-at-will doctrine to differentially terminate workers, sometimes justifying their actions as cost saving in a competitive market. The author argues that these processes are in line with statistical discrimination and social closure theories and concludes by discussing their implications for understandings of workplace inequality.
Monitoring of leachate quality stored in gas ventilation pipes for evaluating the degree of landfill stabilization
Authors: Tojo Yasumasa , Sato Masahiro , Matsuo Takayuki , Matsuto Toshihiko
Published: October 2010

Monitoring of leachate quality is the essential measure in aftercare for evaluating landfill stabilization. Generally, the most common way of leachate monitoring is executed at the inlet of the leachate treatment facility. However, it does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the site. Thus, methodologies which focus on both the discharge, in order to determine when the post-closure care of the facility should terminate, and on the degree of waste stabilization in the landfill are required. In the present study, monitoring of leachate quality stored in 68 gas ventilation pipes was conducted and the degree of waste stabilization at each location in the landfill was estimated by a statistical approach using the results obtained by monitoring. Leachate characteristics varied significantly for each pipe but seemed to reflect the waste condition of the nearby location. Correlation among the analysed items was quite high. Namely, the difference of leachate quality seemed to be categorized only by the level of concentration but not by the specific characteristics. To confirm this, Euclidean distances of dissimilarity were calculated by multidimensional scaling using six items of leachate quality and temperature. Two factors (thickness of leachate and concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) and electric conductivity (EC)) that distinguish leachate characteristics appeared. To indicate the degree of stabilization by location, the spatial distribution of TOC, total nitrogen (TN), inorganic carbon (IC), and chloride ion were estimated by using the ordinary Kriging methodology. As the result, it was estimated that the concentration of leachate existing within the landfill, especially TN, was higher than the completion criteria for leachate in most parts of the investigated area.
Sustainability of composting as an alternative waste management option for developing countries: A case study of the City of Tshwane
Authors: Snyman Jacques , Vorster Kobus
Published: October 2010

Excessive MSW production is a growing management problem for cities in developing countries, such as South Africa. This study addresses these challenges with particular focus on the City of Tshwane. A major problem in Tshwane is that all the MSW generated in the city, including garden waste, is currently being landfilled. A waste stream analysis of Tshwane reveals the largest fraction of MSW is organic and biodegradable, and therefore suitable for compost production. The study proposes that Tshwane will have to address composting the biodegradable fraction of the MSW stream. This study attempts to understand the economics of composting practices in Tshwane, whether composting in Tshwane is financially viable. A comparative study, applying the dome aeration technology on a conventional static windrow, was conducted with the objective of investigating and proposing alternative improved composting technologies for green waste. Although the study focused on Tshwane, it can be argued that the findings could be implemented in any other South African municipality, and even implemented in other emerging countries.
Long-term performance of landfill covers - results of lysimeter test fields in Bavaria (Germany)
Authors: Henken-Mellies Wolf-Ulrich , Schweizer Andreas
Published: October 2010

A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the performance and possible changes in the effectiveness of landfill surface covers. Three different profiles of mineral landfill caps were examined. The results of precipitation and flow measurements show distinct seasonal differences which are typical for middle-European climatic conditions. In the case of the simple landfill cap design consisting of a thick layer of loamy sand, approximately 100—200 L m-2 of annual seepage into the landfill body occurs during winter season. The three-layer systems of the two other test fields performed much better. Most of the water which percolated through the top soil profile drained sideways in the drainage layer. Only 1—3% of precipitation percolated through the sealing layer. The long-term effectiveness of the mineral sealing layer depended on the ability of the top soil layer to protect it from critical loss of soil water/critical increase of suction. In dry summers there was even a loss in soil water content at the base of the 2.0 m thick soil cover. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the long-term aspect when assessing the effectiveness of landfill covers: The hydraulic conductivity at the time of construction gives only an initial (minimum) value. The hydraulic conductivity of the compacted clay layer or of the geosynthetic clay liner may increase substantially, if there is no long-lasting protection against desiccation (by a thick soil cover or by a geomembrane). This has to be taken into account in landfill cover design.
Biomarker expression in lung of rabbit with pulmonary fibrosis induced by ammonium perchlorate
Authors: Wu Feng-hong , Guo Hui-xia , Lin Ming-fang , Chen Zhi-ze , Xuan Zhou  , Peng Kai-liang
Published: October 2010

Ammonium perchlorate (AP), an oxidizer, has been used in solid propellants. Although AP exposure has been suspected as a risk factor for the development of pulmonary fibrosis, data are still inconclusive. To evaluate the pulmonary toxicity and the potential pulmonary fibrosis caused by occupational exposure to this compound, 25 male rabbits were randomly allocated into five groups to receive AP or bleomycin or saline by intratracheal injection. All rabbits were sacrificed and total RNA from the lungs was extracted. Expressions of types I and III collagens, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) messenger RNA (mRNA) were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expressions of type I and III collagen mRNA in low, moderate and high dose AP groups were significantly higher (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) than that in the saline group. There was also a significant increased level of TGF-β1 and TNF-α mRNA in the three AP groups compared with saline control group (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). These results reveal that AP can increase gene expressions of types I, III collagens, TGF-β1 and TNF-α in lung of rabbits exposed to AP. The overexpression of these biomarkers were considered as effective indicator linking to the development of pulmonary fibrosis and finally demonstrated that AP has potential to induce pulmonary fibrosis.
Note sur les méthodes quantitatives en sociologie des valeurs
Authors: Heinich Nathalie
Published: October 2010

Note on Quantitative Methods in the Sociology of Values: The sociology of values, once confined to a mere extension of ‘‘moral philosophy’’, has been profoundly renewed by the application of empirical methods of research. Developed in the United States in the 1970s by large-scale statistical surveys, it has also resulted in France, over the past twenty years, in regular investigations. However, these surveys suffer from a number of problems: the lack of thought concerning methods, the lack of a definition of the concept of values, the restriction of conscious awareness, authors not taking into account consideration of pertinence, and the absence of contextualization. We will discuss in conclusion the effects of these methodological problems in terms of results, and we present some ideas for a more rigorous empirical study of values.
The Mayors of Bourges from 1474 to 1723
Authors: Gazeau Jean-François
Published: October 2010

Les maires de Bourges de 1474 à 1723 : Cet article montre comment la recherche généalogique, en reconstruisant les tissus familiaux (filiations, fratries et ré-alliances), peut stimuler l’analyse diachronique des réseaux ; il porte sur les familles patriciennes qui ont gouverné Bourges, par maires et échevins interposés, depuis 1474 pendant 250 ans.
Effects (and Defects) of the Telephone Survey in Polling Research: Are We Abusing the Telephone Survey?
Authors: Díaz de Rada Vidal
Published: October 2010

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the adaptation of telephone surveys to electoral forecasting to see if they show substantial improvements when compared to face-to-face surveys. To do so, two similar samples were used, one surveyed with face-to-face interviews and the other using telephone interviews. The objective is to compare the results in answering three questions concerning: 1) the important differences in results of the two methods which could notably affect their extrapolation; 2) telephone surveys’ higher evaluation of the intention to vote and more sincere responses (closer to the electoral results); 3) the important differences in the evaluation of the economic and political situation, definition of the most important social problems, and nationalist and regionalist sentiments.