bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity
Authors: Pase Matthew P. , Grima Natalie A. , Stough Con K. , Scholey Andrew , Pipingas Andrew
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose—

Cardiovascular disease risk predicts cognitive decline although the mechanisms underpinning this association remain unclear. Increasing cardiovascular risk may impair cerebral blood flow predisposing to cerebrovascular damage, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Methods—

This study examined the association between the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Profile and cerebral blood flow velocity in 160 healthy middle-aged adults. Blood flow velocity was assessed in both the common carotid and middle cerebral arteries using Doppler.

Results—

In adjusted linear regression models, cardiovascular risk predicted higher pulsatile (common carotid artery β=0.56, Δ
R
2
=0.19,
P
<0.001; middle cerebral artery β=0.40, Δ
R
2
=0.09,
P
<0.001) and lower mean flow velocity (common carotid artery β=−0.49, Δ
R
2
=0.14,
P
<0.001; middle cerebral artery β=−0.27, Δ
R
2
=0.04,
P
<0.05). Cardiovascular risk predicted common carotid artery mean and pulsatile flow over and above the effects of age (Δ
R
2
=0.11–0.19,
P
<0.001) and sex (Δ
R
2
=0.03–0.03,
P
<0.05). In contrast, cardiovascular risk remained a significant predictor of middle cerebral artery pulsatile, but not mean flow velocity, when controlling for age (Δ
R
2
=0.05,
P
<0.05) and sex (Δ
R
2
=0.06,
P
<0.01).

Conclusion—

Cardiovascular risk has divergent effects on mean and pulsatile blood flow velocity, each of which may independently contribute to cerebral pathology and cognitive impairment.
Stream Discharge in Tropical Headwater Catchments as a Result of Forest Clearing and Soil Degradation
Authors: Recha John W. , Lehmann Johannes , Walter M. Todd , Pell Alice , Verchot Louis , Johnson Mark
Published: August 2012

Tropical Africa is affected by intense land-use change, particularly forest conversion to agricultural land. In this study, the stream discharge of four small headwater catchments located within an area of 6 km2 in western Kenya was examined for 2 years (2007 and 2008). The four catchments cover a degradation gradient ranging from intact forest to agricultural land under maize cultivation for 5, 10, and 50 years. The runoff ratio (e.g., annual catchment discharge expressed as a percentage of rainfall) increased with increasing duration of cultivation from an average of 16.0% in the forest to 32.4% in the 50-yr-old agricultural catchment. Similarly, the average runoff ratio due to the stormflow component was 0.033 in the forest and increased gradually to 0.095 with increasing duration of cultivation. The conversion from forest to agricultural land in the first 5 years caused about half of the total observed increases in runoff ratio (46.3%) and discharge in relation to rainfall (50.6%). The other half of the changes in discharge occurred later during soil degradation after forest clearing. With increasing duration of cultivation, soil bulk density ρb at a depth of 0–0.1 m increased by 46%, while soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations and total porosity decreased by 75% and 20%, respectively. The changes in hydrological responses that occurred in the initial years after forest clearing may suggest a significant potential for improved land management in alleviating runoff and enhanced storm flow and moisture retention in agricultural watersheds.
An Evaluation of Multiscalar Drought Indices in Nevada and Eastern California
Authors: McEvoy Daniel J. , Huntington Justin L. , Abatzoglou John T. , Edwards Laura M.
Published: August 2012

Nevada and eastern California are home to some of the driest and warmest climates, most mountainous regions, and fastest growing metropolitan areas of the United States. Throughout Nevada and eastern California, snow-dominated watersheds provide most of the water supply for both human and environmental demands. Increasing demands on finite water supplies have resulted in the need to better monitor drought and its associated hydrologic and agricultural impacts. Two multiscalar drought indices, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), are evaluated over Nevada and eastern California regions of the Great Basin using standardized streamflow, lake, and reservoir water surface stages to quantify wet and dry periods. Results show that both metrics are significantly correlated to surface water availability, with SPEI showing slightly higher correlations over SPI, suggesting that the inclusion of a simple term for atmospheric demand in SPEI is useful for characterizing hydrologic drought in arid regions. These results also highlight the utility of multiscalar drought indices as a proxy for summer groundwater discharge and baseflow periods.
Evaluation of a Dynamic Agroecosystem Model (Agro-IBIS) for Soybean in Southern Brazil
Authors: Webler Geovane , Roberti Débora Regina , Cuadra Santiago Vianna , Moreira Virnei Silva , Costa Marcos Heil
Published: August 2012

With the growing demands for food and biofuel, new technologies and crop management systems are being used to increase productivity and minimize land-use impacts. In this context, estimates of productivity and the impacts of agriculture management practices are becoming increasingly important. Numerical models that describe the soil–surface–atmosphere interactions for natural and agricultural ecosystems are important tools to explore the impacts of these agronomical technologies and their environmental impacts. However, these models need to be validated by considering the different soil and environmental conditions before they can be widely applied. The process-based terrestrial agricultural version of the Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) model (Agro-IBIS) has only been calibrated and validated for North American sites. Here, the authors validate the Agro-IBIS results for an experimental soybean site in southern Brazil. At this site, soybean was grown under two different management systems: no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT). The model results were evaluated against micrometeorological, soil condition, and biomass observations made during the soybean growing season. The leaf area index (LAI) was underestimated, approaching the values obtained in the CT crop system, with higher error in the leaf senescence period. The model shows higher skill for daily averages and the diurnal cycle of the energy balance components in the period of high LAI. The soil temperature and moisture were robustly simulated, although the latter is best correlated with the observations made at the CT field. The ecosystem respiration is highly underestimated, causing an overestimation of the cumulative net ecosystem exchange (NEE), particularly at the end of the crop cycle.
Validation of Noah-Simulated Soil Temperature in the North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2
Authors: Xia Youlong , Ek Michael , Sheffield Justin , Livneh Ben , Huang Maoyi , Wei Helin , Feng Song , Luo Lifeng , Meng Jesse , Wood Eric
Published: August 2012

Soil temperature can exhibit considerable memory from weather and climate signals and is among the most important initial conditions in numerical weather and climate models. Consequently, a more accurate long-term land surface soil temperature dataset is needed to improve weather and climate simulation and prediction, and is also important for the simulation of agricultural crop yield and ecological processes. The North American Land Data Assimilation phase 2 (NLDAS-2) has generated 31 years (1979–2009) of simulated hourly soil temperature data with a spatial resolution of ⅛°. This dataset has not been comprehensively evaluated to date. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to assess Noah-simulated soil temperature for different soil depths and time scales. The authors used long-term (1979–2001) observed monthly mean soil temperatures from 137 cooperative stations over the United States to evaluate simulated soil temperature for three soil layers (0–10, 10–40, and 40–100 cm) for annual and monthly time scales. Short-term (1997–99) observed soil temperatures from 72 Oklahoma Mesonet stations were used to validate simulated soil temperatures for three soil layers and for daily and hourly time scales. The results showed that the Noah land surface model generally matches observed soil temperature well for different soil layers and time scales. At greater depths, the simulation skill (anomaly correlation) decreased for all time scales. The monthly mean diurnal cycle difference between simulated and observed soil temperature revealed large midnight biases in the cold season that are due to small downward longwave radiation and issues related to model parameters.
Hadley Circulation Response to Orbital Precession. Part I: Aquaplanets
Authors: Merlis Timothy M. , Schneider Tapio , Bordoni Simona , Eisenman Ian
Published: August 2012

The response of the monsoonal and annual-mean Hadley circulation to orbital precession is examined in an idealized atmospheric general circulation model with an aquaplanet slab-ocean lower boundary. Contrary to expectations, the simulated monsoonal Hadley circulation is weaker when perihelion occurs at the summer solstice than when aphelion occurs at the summer solstice. The angular momentum balance and energy balance are examined to understand the mechanisms that produce this result. That the summer with stronger insolation has a weaker circulation is the result of an increase in the atmosphere’s energetic stratification, the gross moist stability, which increases more than the amount required to balance the change in atmospheric energy flux divergence necessitated by the change in top-of-atmosphere net radiation. The solstice-season changes result in annual-mean Hadley circulation changes (e.g., changes in circulation strength).
Potential Impacts of the Arctic on Interannual and Interdecadal Summer Precipitation over China
Authors: Li Yuefeng , Leung L. Ruby
Published: August 2012

After the end of the 1970s, there has been a tendency for enhanced summer precipitation over south China and the Yangtze River valley and drought over north China and northeastern China. Coincidentally, Arctic ice concentration has decreased since the late 1970s, with a larger reduction in summer than spring. However, the Arctic warming is more significant in spring than summer, suggesting that spring Arctic conditions could be more important in their remote impacts. This study investigates the potential impacts of the Arctic on summer precipitation in China. The leading spatial patterns and time coefficients of the unfiltered, interannual, and interdecadal precipitation (1960–2008) modes were analyzed and compared using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, which shows that the first three EOFs can capture the principal precipitation patterns (northern, central, and southern patterns) over eastern China. Regression of the Arctic spring and summer temperature onto the time coefficients of the leading interannual and interdecadal precipitation modes shows that interdecadal summer precipitation in China is related to the Arctic spring warming but that the relationship with Arctic summer temperature is weak. Moreover, no notable relationships were found between the first three modes of interannual precipitation and Arctic spring or summer temperatures. Finally, correlations between summer precipitation and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index from January to August were investigated, which indicate that summer precipitation in China correlates with AO only to some extent. Overall, this study suggests important relationships between the Arctic spring temperature and summer precipitation over China at the interdecadal time scale.
A Two-Stage Quality Control Method for 2-m Temperature Observations Using Biweight Means and a Progressive EOF Analysis
Authors: Xu Zhifang , Wang Yi , Fan Guangzhou
Published: August 2012

The relatively smooth terrain embedded in the numerical model creates an elevation difference against the actual terrain, which in turn makes the quality control of 2-m temperature difficult when forecast or analysis fields are utilized in the process. In this paper, a two-stage quality control method is proposed to address the quality control of 2-m temperature, using biweight means and a progressive EOF analysis. The study is made to improve the quality control of the observed 2-m temperature collected by China and its neighboring areas, based on the 6-h T639 analysis from December 2009 to February 2010. Results show that the proposed two-stage quality control method can secure the needed quality control better, compared with a regular EOF quality control process. The new method is, in particular, able to remove the data that are dotted with consecutive errors but showing small fluctuations. Meanwhile, compared with the lapse rate of temperature method, the biweight mean method is able to remove the systematic bias generated by the model. It turns out that such methods make the distributions of observation increments (the difference between observation and background) more Gaussian-like, which ensures the data quality after the quality control.
Evaluation of Northern Hemisphere Blocking Climatology in the Global Environment Multiscale Model
Authors: Dunn-Sigouin Etienne , Son Seok-Woo , Lin Hai
Published: August 2012

The performance of the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model, the Canadian operational numerical model, in reproducing atmospheric low-frequency variability is evaluated in the context of Northern Hemisphere blocking climatology. The validation is conducted by applying a comprehensive but relatively simple blocking detection algorithm to a 20-yr (1987–2006) integration of the GEM model in climate mode. The comparison to reanalysis reveals that, although the model can reproduce Northern Hemisphere blocking climatology reasonably well, the maximum blocking frequency over the North Atlantic and western Europe is generally underestimated and its peak season is delayed from late winter to spring. This contrasts with the blocking frequency over the North Pacific, which is generally overestimated during all seasons. These misrepresentations of blocking climatology are found to be largely associated with the biases in climatological background flow. The modeled stationary waves show a seasonal delay in zonal wavenumber 1 and an eastward extension in zonal wavenumber-2 components consistent with blocking frequency biases. High-frequency eddies are, however, consistently underestimated both in the North Atlantic and Pacific, indicating that the biases in eddy fields might not be the main reason for the blocking biases in the North Pacific.
Evaluation of a Modified Scheme for Shallow Convection: Implementation of CuP and Case Studies
Authors: Berg Larry K. , Gustafson William I. , Kassianov Evgueni I. , Deng Liping
Published: August 2012

A new treatment for shallow clouds has been introduced into the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). The new scheme, called the cumulus potential (CuP) scheme, replaces the ad hoc trigger function used in the Kain–Fritsch cumulus parameterization with a trigger function related to the distribution of temperature and humidity in the convective boundary layer via probability density functions (PDFs). An additional modification to the default version of WRF is the computation of a cumulus cloud fraction based on the time scales relevant for shallow cumuli. Results from three case studies over the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in north-central Oklahoma are presented. These cases were selected because of the presence of shallow cumuli over the ARM site. The modified version of WRF does a much better job predicting the cloud fraction and the downwelling shortwave irradiance than control simulations utilizing the default Kain–Fritsch scheme. The modified scheme includes a number of additional free parameters, including the number and size of bins used to define the PDF, the minimum frequency of a bin within the PDF before that bin is considered for shallow clouds to form, and the critical cumulative frequency of bins required to trigger deep convection. A series of tests were undertaken to evaluate the sensitivity of the simulations to these parameters. Overall, the scheme was found to be relatively insensitive to each of the parameters.
Western North Pacific Monsoon Depression Formation
Authors: Beattie Jodi C. , Elsberry Russell L.
Published: August 2012

Relatively few studies have been carried out as to the conditions leading to the formation of monsoon depressions in the western North Pacific. Two monsoon depression formations during July 2007 were analyzed using ECMWF analyses and satellite observations. Wave-activity flux calculations indicated that cross-equatorial flow from the Southern Hemisphere played an important role in the formation of these monsoon depressions. A new conceptual model of monsoon depression formation in the western North Pacific is proposed that includes three southerly airstreams in the Southern Hemisphere that lead to cross-equatorial flows into the Northern Hemisphere. Examination of 44 monsoon depressions from April to December 2009 confirms the critical role of these cross-equatorial flows in monsoon depression formation. All of the monsoon depressions in the 2009 sample for which formation conditions could be established had at least one of three possible airstreams that interacted with a confluent region and, thus, may be a necessary condition for monsoon depression formation. This conceptual model of monsoon depression formation was further confirmed by means of wave-activity flux calculations and backward trajectory ensembles for the 2009 cases.
Citizens’ Perceptions of Flood Hazard Adjustments
Authors: Terpstra Teun , Lindell Michael K.
Published: August 2012

Although research indicates that adoption of flood preparations among Europeans is low, only a few studies have attempted to explain citizens’ preparedness behavior. This article applies the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) to explain flood preparedness intentions in the Netherlands. Survey data ( N = 1,115) showed that hazard-related attributes (e.g., perceived efficacy in protecting persons) were positively correlated, but failed to show that resource-related attributes (e.g., perceived costs) were negatively correlated with preparedness intentions. Although respondents rated the hazard-related attributes as more important than the resource-related attributes, moderated regression failed to detect practically meaningful interaction effects. Risk perception was also positively correlated with preparedness intentions but explained less variance than did the hazard-related attributes. Among the demographic characteristics, only female gender was consistently correlated with higher risk perception and the hazard-related attributes. Finally, risk area was correlated with perceived flood likelihood and consequences as well as the hazard-related attributes. Implications are discussed.
A local synchronization protocol for low-power data transmission in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Lin Yen-Wen , Hsu Che-Chang , Wang Jhih-Siang , Chang Lin-Huang
Published: August 2012

Advances of the identifying, sensing, and communicating technologies make the applications of Internet of Things (IoT) possible. Among others, the ubiquitous deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is regarded as one of the most significant forces in the IoT. Great progress in micro-electro-mechanical systems and wireless communications make the applications of WSNs more and more accessible. The limited battery power of the sensor node is vitally precious. Therefore, it is important to promote the energy efficiency to stretch the lifetime of the WSNs. In this paper, a low-power data transmission protocol, which includes a dual-frequency model, local synchronization, and channel reservation, is proposed. The results of numerical analyses and simulations show that the proposed protocol presents better energy efficiency without sacrificing end-to-end latency of data transmission in WSNs.
Other People’s Racism
Authors: Hardie Jessica Halliday , Tyson Karolyn
Published: August 2012

This article uses data drawn from nine months of fieldwork and student, teacher, and administrator interviews at a southern high school to analyze school racial conflict and the construction of racism. We find that institutional inequalities that stratify students by race and class are routinely ignored by school actors who, we argue, use the presence of so-called redneck students to plausibly deny racism while furthering the standard definition of racism as blatant prejudice and an individual trait. The historical prominence of rednecks as a southern cultural identity augments these claims, leading to an implicit division of school actors into friendly/nonracist and unfriendly/racist and allowing school actors to set boundaries on the meaning of racism. Yet these rhetorical practices and the institutional structures they mask contributed to racial tensions, culminating in a race riot during our time at the school.
Development of microfluidic-based telemedicine for diabetes care and screening
Authors: Yao Ping , Tung Steve , Zhan Zhikun , Hua Jianning , Dong Zaili
Published: August 2012

This paper describes a microfluidic-based telemedicine system for insulin detection and conveying the results digitally to physicians located off-site through the Internet. The communication infrastructure is designed to transfer the digital information from the assay site to established healthcare facilities where trained medical professionals can directly assist the detection process and provide diagnosis. The insulin detection device of the telemedicine system is an integrated polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic device consisting of two pneumatic micropumps and one micromixer. The insulin detection protocol is based on microbeads-based double-antibody sandwich immunoassay coupled with luminal–hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) chemiluminescence. A photometer detects the peak value of the luminous intensity, which indicates the insulin concentration of the patient plasma sample tested. The calibration curves of the insulin detection protocol have been quantified. The insulin detection limit of the microfluidic system is 4×10−10 mol/l, which meets the common requirement of the current clinical studies of diabetes. Multiple immune indicators of diabetes can potentially be detected synchronously by the microfluidic system, thus providing physicians with integrative results necessary for accurate diagnosis via the Internet. The combination of microfluidic devices and telemedicine strategy offers new opportunities for diabetes care and screening, especially in rural areas where patients must travel long distances to physicians for healthcare information that might be obtained more cost effectively by local, less-trained personnel.
Changes in Marital Satisfaction Across the Transition to Parenthood
Authors: Kohn Jamie L. , Rholes Steven W. , Simpson Jeffry A. , Martin A. McLeish , Tran SiSi , Wilson Carol L.
Published: August 2012

This longitudinal study investigated marital satisfaction trajectories across the first 2 years of parenthood. Data were collected from new parents (couples) 6 weeks before the birth of their first child, and then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum. Growth curve models revealed two key findings. First, for highly anxious individuals, satisfaction was lower or declined when they perceived their partners as less supportive and as behaving more negatively toward them. Second, for highly avoidant individuals, satisfaction was lower or declined when they perceived more work–family conflict and greater demands from their families. The findings suggest that attachment insecurities predict dissatisfaction in new parents primarily when stressors block the pursuit of important attachment goals.
An Overview of Software for Conducting Dimensionality Assessment in Multidimensional Models
Authors: Svetina Dubravka , Levy Roy
Published: August 2012

An overview of popular software packages for conducting dimensionality assessment in multidimensional models is presented. Specifically, five popular software packages are described in terms of their capabilities to conduct dimensionality assessment with respect to the nature of analysis (exploratory or confirmatory), types of data (dichotomous, ordered polytomous, continuous, missingness), technical details, and statistics used for dimensionality assessment. Following descriptions of existing software packages, several promising potentially broadly applicable approaches are described that have been proposed but are not yet implemented in widely available software.
Rasch Scale Stability in the Presence of Item Parameter and Trait Drift
Authors: Babcock Ben , Albano Anthony D.
Published: August 2012

Testing programs often rely on common-item equating to maintain a single measurement scale across multiple test administrations and multiple years. Changes over time, in the item parameters and the latent trait underlying the scale, can lead to inaccurate score comparisons and misclassifications of examinees. This study examined how instability in a scale and the items composing a scale affects item parameter recovery and classification accuracy. Results showed that a Rasch item response theory scale can maintain near baseline recovery properties if the changes in the latent trait over time are small. The Rasch scale also maintained good recovery of item and person parameters if there was equal item drift in both directions. Under conditions of relatively little item drift and small to moderate periodic changes in the latent trait, a Rasch scale may remain stable for 15 years, ±3. Substantial item drift or large changes in the latent trait can dramatically reduce the longevity of the scale.
Reflections on Sustainable Enterprise
Authors: Reppel Alexander E.
Published: August 2012

The purpose of this commentary is to stimulate debate on the topic of macromarketing education. Mark Peterson’s textbook Sustainable Enterprise: A Macromarketing Approach, which advocates a market-based approach to sustainability, is discussed in the context of a new marketing program exploring the intersection between marketing, markets, and society. As part of the discussion, the developmental and critical perspectives of macromarketing thought are contrasted with each other and also with the managerial perspective that dominates much of today’s marketing education. The commentary concludes with a call for critical reflexivity in macromarketing education and cautions that market-based approaches to sustainability can only work toward a sustainable future, but not solve the problem of an unsustainable lifestyle.
The Marketing Future beyond the Limits of Growth
Authors: Varey Richard J.
Published: August 2012

This review constructs a broad and deep appreciation of what marketing scholars need to understand about economic growth, consumption, and quality of life, not as a problem of how to enhance marketing effectiveness and extend its reach, but rather one of how to focus (or limit) within the specific context of a better-not-more life goal and finite resource budget. The essay synthesizes concise reviews of recent books and finds implications for revisions to marketing and macromarketing principles and practices.
Incidence of Injury in Gaelic Football
Authors: Murphy John C. , O’Malley Edwenia , Gissane Conor , Blake Catherine
Published: August 2012

Background:

Gaelic football is a national sport of Ireland. While predominantly played in Ireland, it is recognized in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australasia. Its high-velocity, multidirectional, and high physical contact elements expose players to a risk of injury. To date, prospective injury data for Gaelic football has been of short duration.

Purpose:

To describe the incidence and nature of sport-related injuries in elite male Gaelic football players over 4 consecutive seasons.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

Over the period 2007 to 2010, a total of 851 Gaelic football players were tracked. Players were members of county-level teams who volunteered to be included in the study. Team injury, training, and match play data were submitted by the team physiotherapist on a weekly basis through a dedicated web portal to the National Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) injury database. Injury was defined using a time loss criterion, in accordance with consensus statements in sports applicable to Gaelic games.

Results:

A total of 1014 Gaelic football injuries were recorded. Incidence of injury was 4.05 per 1000 hours of football training. Match-play injury rates were 61.86 per 1000 hours. Muscle was the most frequently injured tissue (42.6%) and fractures accounted for 4.4% of Gaelic football injuries. Lower extremity injuries predominated (76.0%). Hamstring injuries were the single most common injury overall, representing almost one quarter (24%) of all injuries and over half of muscle injuries. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries accounted for 13% of knee injuries. The majority of injuries were defined as new injuries (74.7%), with recurrent injuries constituting 23% of all injuries. The majority (59%) of match play injuries occurred in the second half of the match. Eighty six percent of injuries caused over one week’s absence from play.

Conclusion:

These findings illustrate injury patterns in Gaelic football using a prospective methodology, over 4 consecutive seasons. Comparison with published literature suggests that Gaelic football match play injury risk is greater than soccer but less than rugby union.
Application of a Clinic-Based Algorithm as a Tool to Identify Female Athletes at Risk for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Authors: Goetschius John , Smith Helen C. , Vacek Pamela M. , Holterman Leigh Ann , Shultz Sandra J. , Tourville Timothy W. , Slauterbeck James , Johnson Robert J. , Beynnon Bruce D.
Published: August 2012

Background:

When landing from a jump, the production of increased intersegmental knee abduction moments and coupled valgus motions has been associated with an increased risk of suffering a noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in one study. This research has led to the development of a clinic-based algorithm that utilizes measures of knee valgus motion, knee flexion range of motion, body mass, tibial length, and quadriceps-to-hamstring strength ratio data to predict the probability of a high knee abduction moment (pKAM) when landing from a jump in female athletes. The ability of this algorithm to identify athletes at increased risk of suffering ACL injury has not been assessed.

Hypothesis:

The pKAM is associated with ACL injury in female athletes.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This study was based on secondary analysis of data obtained from a previous investigation that focused on the use of the drop vertical jump (DVJ) test to assess the risk of ACL injury in female athletes. The DVJ screenings were performed on 1855 female high school and college athletes over 3 years. Knee valgus motion, knee flexion range of motion, and tibial length were measured from videos of the DVJ obtained during preseason screenings. Mass was measured using a physician’s scale, and quadriceps-to-hamstring strength ratio was included using a surrogate value. These data were entered into the clinic-based algorithm that determined the pKAM. The association of pKAM with ACL injury was assessed using conditional logistic regression.

Results:

A total of 20 athletes sustained ACL injury and were matched with 45 uninjured control athletes who were recruited from the same teams. There was no relationship between the risk of suffering ACL injury and pKAM, as determined by the clinic-based algorithm.

Conclusion:

The pKAM was not associated with noncontact ACL injury in our group of injured athletes and matched controls.
Enhanced solid waste stabilization in aerobic landfills using low aeration rates and high density compaction
Authors: Fadel Mutasem El , Fayad Wissam , Hashisho Jihan
Published: August 2012

Historically, municipal solid waste landfills have been designed and operated as storage facilities with suboptimal degradation under anaerobic conditions resulting in slow waste stabilization, gaseous emissions and leachate formation. This article examines the aerobic bioreactor alternative combining the recirculation of high strength leachate [chemical oxygen demand (COD): 89,000–95,600 mg/l; biological oxygen demand (BOD): 75,700–80,000 mg/l)] with low aeration rates (0.0125–0.05 l/min.kg) at high initial waste compaction (657–875 kg/m3) to promote and control biodegradation of solid waste in laboratory-scale columns (diameter = 60 cm, height = 1 m). Low aeration rates coupled with high initial density demonstrated improved performance with increased levels of stabilization with COD and BOD attenuation reaching up to 96%, final C:N ratio of 25 and waste settlement up to 55%.
Administration and Scoring Errors of Graduate Students Learning the WISC-IV
Authors: Mrazik Martin , Janzen Troy M. , Dombrowski Stefan C. , Barford Sean W. , Krawchuk Lindsey L.
Published: August 2012

A total of 19 graduate students enrolled in a graduate course conducted 6 consecutive administrations of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition (WISC-IV, Canadian version). Test protocols were examined to obtain data describing the frequency of examiner errors, including administration and scoring errors. Results identified 511 errors on 94% of protocols with a mean of 4.48 errors per protocol. The most common errors were identified on the Vocabulary, Similarities, and Comprehension subtests, which comprised 80% of all errors. A repeated-measures ANOVA (analysis of variance) was not significant across six administrations, F(5, 90) = 1.609, p = .166, eta2 = .082, although there was a trend in the data for a reduced number of errors with successive administrations. Results were consistent with other studies that have determined graduate student administration and scoring errors do not improve with repeated administrations. Implications and recommendations to reduce administration and scoring errors among graduate students were discussed.
Dielectric and microwave properties of polyvinyl chloride/graphite/nickel composites and its applications
Authors: Al-Ghamdi AA , Al-Hartomy Omar A , Al-Solamy F , Al-Ghamdi Attieh A , Dishovsky Nikolay , El-Mossalamy EH , El-Tantawy Farid
Published: August 2012

A novel dry phantom nanoconducting composite that can simulate the effect of electromagnetic wave on human tissues composed of graphite/nickel (GN) nanoparticles and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was successfully fabricated. The morphology of as-synthesized graphite nanosheets and PVC/GN composites was investigated by means of scanning electron microscope. Dielectric parameters such as relative permittivity, imaginary permittivity, and alternating current conductivity are evaluated in the frequency range of 0.5–12 GHz. The results are compared with the in vitro equivalent human tissue data and good agreement is reported. The absorption and reflection coefficient as a function of frequency of nanocomposites were also studied. The novel PVC/GN nanocomposites have potential applications for dry phantom and the coupling media in microwave medical imaging.
Fabrication and characterization of ceramic-filled thermoplastics composites with enhanced multifunctional properties
Authors: Chan Ellen , Leung Siu N , Khan Muhammad O , Naguib Hani , Dawson Francis , Adinkrah Vincent , Lakatos-Hayward Laszlo
Published: August 2012

Development of novel injection moldable materials that are thermally conductive but electrically insulative are important for the continuous advancement in modern electronics. In this context, this article details the fabrication and characterization of polymer–matrix composites (PMC), which consists of linear low-density polyethylene matrix, and filled with either silicon carbide or hexagonal boron nitride. Experimental results indicated that the addition of ceramic fillers not only promoted the PMCs’ effective thermal conductivity without compromising their electrical resistivity but also resulted in the reduction of coefficient of thermal expansion and improved mechanical properties.
The mechanical and tribological behaviors of LMPB-g-MAH-treated carbon fiber-filled SBR composite
Authors: Zhang JG
Published: August 2012

Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) friction materials containing different carbon fiber (CF) content were prepared using molding process. The effects of CF content on mechanical property, friction performance and wear rate were studied. Worn surfaces of samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The results show that with increasing fiber content, the tensile strength decreases first and then presents an increment trend. Both the friction coefficient and wear increased with load, and the low molecular weight polybutadiene liquid rubber graft maleic anhydride (LMPB- g-MAH)-treated fiber shows lower friction coefficient and wear. LMPB- g-MAH-treated CF/SBR composite was used for some components or parts of machines in chemical engineering, textile engineering, food processing, paper making industry, pharmacy, transportation engineering, agricultural engineering as well as coal and ceramic production.
Crystallization, shrinkage and mechanical characteristics of polypropylene/CaCO3 nanocomposites
Authors: Shelesh-Nezhad Karim , Orang Hamed , Motallebi Mahdi
Published: August 2012

Nanocomposites based on polypropylene (PP) containing 5–15 wt% of nano-calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles and 1–3 wt% of maleated PP as compatibilizer were prepared by melt compounding followed by injection molding. The crystallinity, shrinkage behavior and mechanical properties were characterized, and the morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy. Inclusion of 5 wt% of nano-CaCO3 interfered with PP crystallization and lowered the thermal contraction. Incorporation of higher fraction of nano-CaCO3 (10 wt%) raised the effective ability to nucleate PP crystals and hence increased the crystallization and shrinkage rates. The presence of 10 wt% CaCO3 nanoparticles raised the impact strength and elongation at break to as high as 77.4% and 115%, respectively, when compared with pure PP. A trend of CaCO3 particles agglomeration was observed at 15 wt% loading that led to the reduction in crystallinity and elongation at break.
The demands and challenges of being a retail store manager: ‘Handcuffed to the front doors’
Authors: Smith Andrew , Elliott Fiona
Published: August 2012

This article presents a vivid account of the day to day reality of a female manager in a busy UK city centre food retail store. Insights into some of the transformations in retail work are illuminated, namely restricted store budgets, lean staffing and a long-hours culture. The combination of these factors has resulted in increasing workplace demands and time pressures, with health and well-being consequences. This unique account enhances understandings of the twin challenges for managers in attempting to accommodate work-life balance for their staff and themselves personally. Despite these workplace pressures, the narrative is peppered with instances of practical and emotional concern and support.
A new form of union organizing in Japan? Community unions and the case of the McDonald’s ‘McUnion’
Authors: Royle Tony , Urano Edson
Published: August 2012

The article examines how and why a new independent trade union was established in McDonald’s Japan in 2006. We discuss these developments both within the McDonald’s ‘system’ and the broader context of the growth of community unions in the Japanese employment system. The findings suggest that the ‘McUnion’ could be seen as a new form of trade union organizing in Japan; unlike an enterprise union it is independent of the employer and recruits ‘non-regular’ workers, yet unlike most community unions is established in one large employer, on a national rather than regional basis, has largely retained its membership and was established and operates with the direct involvement of the main Japanese Trade Union Confederation, Rengo.
Understanding the ethnic pay gap in Britain
Authors: Brynin Malcolm , Güveli Ayse
Published: August 2012

The pay gap between white British workers and other ethnic groups is largely in favour of whites, which suggests that discrimination might be a factor. However, discrimination can occur at two points, at entry to the job and within the job. In the former case non-whites might find it difficult to work in well-paid occupations; in the latter they obtain the same sorts of jobs as whites but receive less pay. There is therefore predominantly either job or wage discrimination. We use the British Labour Force Survey 1993–2008 to show that much of the pay gap is explained by occupational segregation while within occupations the ethnic pay gap is far less substantial. Occupational segregation therefore has strong negative effects, but if minorities are over-represented in occupations with a positive wage gap, then there is also a ‘protective’ element to segregation.
‘Winners’ and ‘losers’: the impact of education, ethnicity and gender on Muslims in the British labour market
Authors: Khattab Nabil
Published: August 2012

Utilizing the Samples of Anonymized Records from the UK 2001 Census, this article presents an analysis of the differential experiences of Muslims in the British labour market as both minority- and majority-group ethnicities in Britain. Using multinomial modelling, this article examines the class distribution (using the NS-SEC scheme) given levels of education and gender. The analysis of ethnicity, age, gender, marital status and number of children in relation to employment suggests that there are no universal characterizations that can be founded on any of these independent variables. Although Pakistanis dominate the demographic profile they are not likely to suffer the greatest. Muslim Black Africans experience harsher conditions and it could be argued that there is an ethnic colour penalty that is greater than the ethnic religion penalty for Muslims. The forces of colour racism remain omnipotent, even when testing for the impact of religion on patterns of employment inequality.
Religious human capital revisited: Testing the effect of religious human capital on religious participation
Authors: Corcoran Katie E.
Published: August 2012

The religious economies theory proposes that individuals make religious choices like they make other choices—rationally. This assumption has sparked many theoretical propositions on both the macro- and micro-levels. However, most empirical research has focused on testing the macro-level propositions. This study contributes to addressing this gap by testing the micro-level hypothesis that religious human capital (i.e., religious knowledge and skills) increases religious participation. Previous research typically operationalized religious human capital indirectly through proxy measures, which makes it difficult to separate the effect of religious human capital from the effects of other variables such as religious beliefs, preferences, and religious social capital. As a result, findings from previous studies may support theories other than religious human capital theory. This paper separates different causal effects by using a direct measure of religious human capital (i.e., biblical knowledge), while controlling for other variables deemed important by the literature. Analysis of longitudinal panel studies generally supports the hypothesis.
Overlooked and Unheard
Authors: Lomas Gabriel I. , Johnson Harold A.
Published: August 2012

Children with hearing loss are considered a low-incidence disability population, yet abuse among this population is up to 4 times that of children who are typically developing. The needs among this population are significant, but resources in communities across the nation are few. The authors discuss barriers to disclosure, school-based concerns, and problems with the current child welfare system. A case study offers readers insight into the experience of children with hearing loss in the system. Finally, specific recommendations for marriage and family counselors are offered to improve the foster care experience of children with hearing loss.
The poverty of journal publishing
Authors: Beverungen Armin , Böhm Steffen , Land Christopher
Published: August 2012

The article opens with a critical analysis of the dominant business model of for-profit, academic publishing, arguing that the extraordinarily high profits of the big publishers are dependent upon a double appropriation that exploits both academic labour and universities’ financial resources. Against this model, we outline four possible responses: the further development of open access repositories, a fair trade model of publishing regulation, a renaissance of the university presses, and, finally, a move away from private, for-profit publishing companies toward autonomous journal publishing by editorial boards and academic associations.
Scripting shifts in the regulatory structures: professional competence constructed as a lack
Authors: Kosmala Katarzyna
Published: August 2012

This article engages with a critique of dominant conceptualizations of competence in the studies of work and organization, in particular, the common belief that competence is a stable category, reflecting a specific content. The article puts forward a conception of competence, envisaged as a mutable and fragmented construct, evolving in response to shifts in the regulatory structures and market conditions within a particular domain of the professional service firms, involved in consultancy and assurance work. Drawing on Jacques Lacan’s theory of discourse, the article attends to some of the micro-processes associated with competence construction and maintenance in the realms of material practice. Empirical insights illustrate the possible ways in which employees attempt to script competence in the context of the socialized frames they are situated in and conforming to the regulatory standards, supporting the sense of their working life through effective performance. The possible rotations around the discourses, as conceptualized by Lacan, represent movements in the position of the subjects with respect to their own ways of experiencing lack through which ethically-driven responses can be taken up, subsequently leading to reproduction.
Strategic equality and the failure of affirmative action law
Authors: Coleman Major G.
Published: August 2012

The changing standards used by the federal courts to adjudicate affirmative action in employment and post-secondary education, driven more by changes in personnel than by any real cultural or societal shifts, now pose a threat to US democracy. The case of Fisher v. University of Texas, recently granted review, opens anew the 2003 Supreme Court ruling that universities may consider race for the purpose of achieving diversity, if that diversity satisfies the strict scrutiny standard requiring a compelling governmental interest in programs narrowly tailored to meet whatever government interest may be involved. The real question should, of course, center on whether the diversity standard adequately meets the political and economic demands the USA seems certain to face in the coming century, as people of color move from minority to majority status. Drawing upon data from the General Social Survey, the Current Population Survey, and the National Center for Education Statistics, I contend here that diversity alone is inadequate because it is non-remedial and leaves in place both white privilege and Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American disadvantage.