bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of Disputes in the Public Service in Southern Africa
Authors: Fashoyin Tayo
Published: September 2008

The article analyses the evolving approaches to the management of disputes in the public service in southern African countries. The article notes that while the thrust of public policy and the institutional frameworks for dispute resolution are generally in support of the organizational rights of workers to freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, there exists considerable incoherence in public policy, particularly with respect to the role of collective bargaining, the treatment of essential services and the right to strike in the public service. A dilemma exists, however: despite the lack of clear definition as to what constitutes an essential service, and various encumbrances on the right to strike, public services strikes have occurred regularly in the region. After identifying a number of notable differences in dispute management with respect to the distinction between `non-essential' and `essential' services, the article questions whether employers in the public service are truly committed to engaging workers in constructive negotiations over labour disputes.
Dispute Resolution and the Modernization of the Public Services in Britain: The Case of the Local Government Pay Commission
Authors: Kessler Ian , Dickens Linda
Published: September 2008

This article focuses on an ad hoc body, the UK Local Government Pay Commission, as a means of developing a broader argument on the relationship between collective dispute resolution and the nature of public service reform. It suggests that the character of disputes in this sector and the `fitness for purpose' of those institutions designed to resolve them are critically related to an industrial relations agenda, which is in turn shaped by changing forms of public service provision. An extended period of public service `modernization' in local government led to a restructuring of collective bargaining with substantive and procedural consequences: new issues emerged and related tensions arose that could not be managed by the traditional bargaining machinery or by the use of existing third-party conciliation or arbitration mechanisms. It required relatively novel arrangements in the form of the LGPC whose nature and operation and lessons are discussed.
Thinking Authority Democratically
Authors: Shulman George
Published: September 2008

This essay explores Hebrew prophecy and its modern reworkings to develop an account of authority in democratic politics that contrasts with prevailing genres of political theory. At first, we use William Blake to reveal the poetic and democratic dimensions in the biblical prophecy typically associated with absolute truth and law as command. By using the examples of Frederick Douglass and James Baldwin, we then argue that critics of white supremacy draw on the genre of biblical prophecy to address dimensions of political life obscured by liberal language. Partly, they use prophecy to name the willful blindness of whites, to provoke acknowledgment of what whites know but disavow—their domination of others. Partly, prophetic speech-acts show how commitment, judgment, and aggression are needful in democratic politics. In these ways, critics of white supremacy demonstrate genuine authority as a democratic practice.
The Determinants of Regional Manufactured Exports from a Developing Country
Authors: Matthee Marianne , Naudé Wim
Published: September 2008

In this article, the question of the location of exporters of manufactured goods within a country is investigated. Data from 354 magisterial districts in South Africa are used with a variety of estimators to identify the determinants of regional manufactured exports. It is found that the home-market effect (measured by the size of local gross domestic product) and distance (measured as the distance in km to the nearest port) are significant determinants of regional manufactured exports. This article contributes to the literature by using developing country data and by adding to the small literature on this topic. This article complements recent work on the determinants of exports from European regions and finds that distance is relatively more important in the developing country context than in the European case.
Review Essay: Social Theory, Post-Post-Positivism and the Question of Interpretation
Authors: Reed Isaac
Published: September 2008

These four statements concerning the shape and structure of sociological knowledge evidence a shifting trend in epistemology beyond the skepticism of `post-positivism'. Each considers how, in the beginning of the 21st century, sociological knowledge can and should be constructed. The answers are varied, as are the approaches to the problem, revealing that the new, positive, era of social knowledge is not so much a consensus as a set of contentious disagreements about how to interpret social life — and about what, exactly, the status of these interpretations is.
Review Essay: Intersectional Analysis
Authors: Denis Ann
Published: September 2008

This essay on feminism focuses on intersectional analysis, an emerging, important theoretical contribution by feminism to sociology. Intersectional analysis involves the concurrent analyses of multiple, intersecting (and interacting) sources of subordination/oppression. There are early examples of publications based on this type of analysis around 1980 in North America and Britain, but it was only a decade later that its use started to become more widespread. Its development at different rates in various parts of the world is selectively explored, as well as some of the types of publications in which it has been used.
Co-creating Nano-imaginaries
Authors: Deblonde Marian , Van Oudheusden Michiel , Evers Johan , Goorden Lieve
Published: September 2008

In the first phase of the research project Nanotechnologies for Tomorrow's Society (www.nanosoc.be), the research consortium explored a variety of futuristic visions or technoscientific imaginaries. This exploration took the form of a Policy Delphi, adapted to the particular objective of jointly constructing nano-imaginaries, taking participants' personal visions of possible future applications and societal issues as a starting point. The participants were nanoresearchers, as well as societal experts and primary involved citizens. In this article, the authors describe the theoretical frame that inspired their methodological approach, present the analytical results obtained, and bring some reflections to the fore that arose as a result of the performance and analysis of this Delphi-exercise.
Challenges of Multimedia Self-Presentation
Authors: Nelson Mark Evan , Hull Glynda A. , Roche-Smith Jeeva
Published: September 2008

One privilege enjoyed by new-media authors is the opportunity to realize representations of Self that are rich textual worlds in themselves and also to engage the wider world, with a voice, a smile, imagery, and sound. Still, closer investigation of multimedia composition practices reveals levels of complexity with which the verbal virtuoso is unconcerned. This article argues that while technology-afforded multimedia tools make it comparatively easy to author a vivid text, it is a multiplicatively more complicated matter to vividly realize and publicize an authorial intention. Based on analysis of the digital story creation process of a youth named “Steven,” the authors attempt to demonstrate the operation of two forces upon which the successful multimodal realization of the author's intention may hinge: “fixity” and “fluidity.” The authors show how, within the process of digital self-representation, these forces can intersect to influence multimodal meaning making, and an author's life, in consequential ways.
Blue Danube
Authors: Schactler Carolyn
Published: September 2008

The goals of this research were two-fold: to create a bustled ball-gown for this century, and to drape the main part of the design from a single piece of fabric, without the use of seams or darts. My inspiration was also two-fold: the glorious color of the blue iridescent fabric, and the beautiful bustled ball-gowns of the 1880s. Except for the right, back bodice, the dress was draped from one uncut piece of fabric, an iridescent, blue polyester with turquoise, purple overtones. The bustle is made from a sheer, variegated, purple-blue-turquoise, permanently wrinkled fabric. The dress features a one-shoulder design with fitting tucks in the front bodice flowing from the upper right side seam to the left side seam below the waist. The bulk of the fabric was pleated into a yoke at the back below the waist, falling to a short train. The bustle was snapped on one side, covering the center back zipper. The finished garment was self-lined.
Those Crazy Lichen
Authors: Orzada Belinda T.
Published: September 2008

Beginning with a blank canvas of white silk organza, the author's design goals were to transform this fabric through dyeing and surface embellishment into a variety of textile designs to be used in crazy quilting. Crazy quilting techniques and surface design methods were researched. Connections to nature are expressed through the use of natural dyes. The resulting garment is a strapless dress draped on the bias featuring a front cowl drape, crazy quilting on the bodice, and two layers of organza over an underskirt with a crazy quilted lower band.
Myeloproliferative disorders
Authors: Levine Ross L. , Gilliland D. Gary
Published: September 2008

In 1951 William Dameshek classified polycythemia vera (PV), essential thombocytosis (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) as pathogenetically related myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). Subsequent studies demonstrated that PV, ET, and PMF are clonal disorders of multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. In 2005, a somatic activating mutation in the JAK2 nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (JAK2V617F) was identified in most patients with PV and in a significant proportion of patients with ET and PMF. Subsequent studies identified additional mutations in the JAK-STAT pathway in some patients with JAK2V617F− MPD, suggesting that constitutive activation of this signaling pathway is a unifying feature of these disorders. Although the discovery of mutations in the JAK-STAT pathway is important from a pathogenetic and diagnostic perspective, important questions remain regarding the role of this single disease allele in 3 related but clinically distinct disorders, and the role of additional genetic events in MPD disease pathogenesis. In addition, these observations provide a foundation for development of small molecule inhibitors of JAK2 that are currently being tested in clinical trials. This review will discuss our understanding of the pathogenesis of PV, ET, and PMF, the potential role of JAK2-targeted therapy, and the important unanswered questions that need to be addressed to improve clinical outcome.
Phase III Study, V-15-32, of Gefitinib Versus Docetaxel in Previously Treated Japanese Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Maruyama Riichiroh , Nishiwaki Yutaka , Tamura Tomohide , Yamamoto Nobuyuki , Tsuboi Masahiro , Nakagawa Kazuhiko , Shinkai Tetsu , Negoro Shunichi , Imamura Fumio , Eguchi Kenji , Takeda Koji , Inoue Akira , Tomii Keisuke , Harada Masao , Masuda Noriyuki , Jiang Haiyi , Itoh Yohji , Ichinose Yukito , Saijo Nagahiro , Fukuoka Masahiro
Published: September 2008

Purpose

This phase III study (V-15-32) compared gefitinib (250 mg/d) with docetaxel (60 mg/m2) in patients (N = 489) with advanced/metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had failed one or two chemotherapy regimens.

Methods

The primary objective was to compare overall survival to demonstrate noninferiority for gefitinib relative to docetaxel. An unadjusted Cox regression model was used for the primary analysis.

Results

Noninferiority in overall survival was not achieved (hazard ratio [HR], 1.12; 95.24% CI, 0.89 to 1.40) according to the predefined criterion (upper CI limit for HR ≤ 1.25); however, no significant difference in overall survival (P = .330) was apparent between treatments. Poststudy, 36% of gefitinib-treated patients received subsequent docetaxel, and 53% of docetaxel-treated patients received subsequent gefitinib. Gefitinib significantly improved objective response rate and quality of life versus docetaxel; progression-free survival, disease control rates, and symptom improvement were similar for the two treatments. Grades 3 to 4 adverse events occurred in 40.6% (gefitinib) and 81.6% (docetaxel) of patients. Incidence of interstitial lung disease was 5.7% (gefitinib) and 2.9% (docetaxel). Four deaths occurred due to adverse events in the gefitinib arm (three deaths as a result of interstitial lung disease, judged to be treatment related; one as a result of pneumonia, not treatment related), and none occurred in the docetaxel arm.

Conclusion

Noninferiority in overall survival between gefitinib and docetaxel was not demonstrated according to predefined criteria; however, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival. Secondary end points showed similar or superior efficacy for gefitinib compared with docetaxel. Gefitinib remains an effective treatment option for previously treated Japanese patients with NSCLC.
Gefitinib Versus Vinorelbine in Chemotherapy-Naïve Elderly Patients With Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer (INVITE): A Randomized, Phase II Study
Authors: Crinò Lucio , Cappuzzo Federico , Zatloukal Petr , Reck Martin , Pesek Milos , Thompson Joyce C. , Ford Hugo E.R. , Hirsch Fred R. , Varella-Garcia Marileila , Ghiorghiu Serban , Duffield Emma L. , Armour Alison A. , Speake Georgina , Cullen Michael
Published: September 2008

Purpose

This phase II, open-label, parallel-group study compared gefitinib with vinorelbine in chemotherapy-naïve elderly patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Chemotherapy-naïve patients (age ≥ 70 years) were randomly assigned to gefitinib (250 mg/d orally) or vinorelbine (30 mg/m2 infusion on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points were overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), quality of life (QOL), pulmonary symptom improvement (PSI), and tolerability. Exploratory end points included epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene copy number by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

Results

Patients were randomly assigned to gefitinib (n = 97) or to vinorelbine (n = 99). Hazard ratios (HR; gefitinib v vinorelbine) were 1.19 (95% CI, 0.85 to 1.65) for PFS and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.47) for OS. ORR and disease control rates were 3.1% (95% CI, 0.6 to 8.8) and 43.3% (for gefitinib) and 5.1% (95% CI, 1.7 to 11.4) and 53.5% (for vinorelbine), respectively. Overall QOL improvement and PSI rates were 24.3% and 36.6% (for gefitinib) and 10.9% and 31.0% (for vinorelbine), respectively. In the 54 patients who were EGFR FISH-positive, HRs were 3.13 (95% CI, 1.45 to 6.76) for PFS and 2.88 (95% CI, 1.21 to 6.83) for OS. There were fewer treatment-related grade 3 to 5 adverse events with gefitinib (12.8%) than with vinorelbine (41.7%).

Conclusion

There was no statistical difference between gefitinib and vinorelbine in efficacy in chemotherapy-naïve, unselected elderly patients with advanced NSCLC, but there was better tolerability with gefitinib. Individuals who were EGFR FISH-positive benefited more from vinorelbine than from gefitinib; this unexpected finding requires further study.
Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome Diagnosed With Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide–Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Chemotherapy-Treated Colorectal Liver Metastases
Authors: Ward Janice , Guthrie James A. , Sheridan Maria B. , Boyes Sheila , Smith Jonathan T. , Wilson Daniel , Wyatt Judy I. , Treanor Darren , Robinson Philip J.
Published: September 2008

Purpose

To assess the predictive value of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) –enhanced T2-weighted gradient echo (GRE) imaging to determine the presence and severity of sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS).

Patients and Methods

Sixty hepatic resection patients with colorectal metastases treated with chemotherapy underwent unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) followed by T2-weighted GRE sequences obtained after SPIO. The images were reviewed in consensus by two experienced observers who determined the presence and severity of linear and reticular hyperintensities, indicating SOS-type liver injury, using a 4-point ordinal scale. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) with 95% CIs for the detection of SOS were calculated.

Results

Twenty-four of 60 patients had moderate to severe SOS on MRI. MRI achieved a sensitivity of 87% (95% CI, 66% to 97%), specificity of 89% (95% CI, 75% to 97%), PPV of 83% (95% CI, 63% to 95%), and NPV of 92% (95% CI, 77% to 98%). SOS was never found at surgery or histology in patients whose background liver parenchyma was normal on SPIO-enhanced MRI.

Conclusion

SOS is present in a significant proportion of patients with treated colorectal metastases and is effectively detected on SPIO-enhanced T2-weighted GRE images.
Screening for Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Follow-Up Study of Patients With Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome
Authors: Titulaer Maarten J. , Wirtz Paul W. , Willems Luuk N.A. , van Kralingen Klaas W. , Smitt Peter A.E. Sillevis , Verschuuren Jan J.G.M.
Published: September 2008

Purpose

A small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is found in 50% of patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). We evaluated screening to optimize screening strategy for SCLC. It is important to detect these tumors early in newly diagnosed patients with LEMS to offer optimal patient treatment.

Patients and Methods

A large nationwide cohort study of consecutive patients in the Netherlands, seen between 1990 and 2007, were screened for the presence of a tumor using chest x-ray, computed tomography of the thorax (CT-thorax), [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), bronchoscopy, and/or mediastinoscopy.

Results

SCLC was found in 54 patients, and in 46 patients, no tumor was found during a median follow-up of 8 years (range, 3 to 26 years). All patients with SCLC had a positive smoking history and 86% were still smoking at diagnosis. SCLC was found in 92% of these patients within 3 months and in 96% within a year. At first screening, CT-thorax detected an SCLC in 45 patients (83%), whereas chest x-ray found the tumor in only 23 patients (51%). An SCLC was found during secondary screening in another nine patients (median, 3 months; range, 1 to 41 months). In six patients, a lung tumor was found by CT-thorax or FDG-PET, and in three patients, extrapulmonary metastases were found, initially without identifiable tumor mass on CT-thorax.

Conclusion

In almost all patients (96%), the SCLC was found within 1 year of diagnosis. CT-thorax scans detected most of the tumors (93%) and was far more sensitive than chest x-ray (51%). FDG-PET may have additive value in selected cases. We propose a screening protocol based on CT-thorax and FDG-PET.
An Isolable Boryl-substituted Disilene from the Reaction of an sp2-type Silyl Anion with Haloboranes: Synthesis and Characterization
Authors: Inoue Shigeyoshi , Ichinohe Masaaki , Sekiguchi Akira
Published: September 2008

The disilenyllithium, (t-Bu2MeSi)2Si=Si(SiMet-Bu2)Li (2a), reacted with B-chloropinacolborane (pin)BCl, or B-chlorocatecholborane (cat)BCl in toluene to produce the corresponding boryl-substituted disilenes 3a and 3b, which were isolated as air-sensitive yellow crystals. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3b showed a nearly planar geometry around the Si=Si bond lacking π-conjugation between the Si=Si bond and a vacant p orbital of boron.
Behavioral Equilibrium in Economies with Adverse Selection
Authors: Esponda Ignacio
Published: September 2008

I propose a new solution concept—behavioral equilibrium—to study environments with players who are naive, in the sense that they fail to account for the informational content of other players' actions. I apply the framework to certain adverse selection settings and show that, contrary to the existing literature, the adverse selection problem is exacerbated when naive players fail to account for selection. More generally, the main distinguishing feature of the framework is that, in equilibrium, beliefs about both fundamentals and strategies are jointly restricted. Consequently, whether a behavioral bias may arise or not is determined endogenously in equilibrium. (JEL C70, D82, D83)
Language, Meaning, and Games: A Model of Communication, Coordination, and Evolution
Authors: Demichelis Stefano , Weibull Jörgen W
Published: September 2008

Language is a powerful coordination device. We generalize the cheap-talk approach to pre-play communication by way of introducing a meaning correspondence between messages and actions, and by postulating two axioms met by natural languages. Players have a lexicographic preference, second to material payoffs, against deviating from the meaning correspondence. Under two-sided communication in generic and symmetric n × n-coordination games, a Nash equilibrium component in such a lexicographic communication game is evolutionarily stable if and only if it results in the unique Pareto efficient outcome of the underlying game. We extend the analysis to one-sided communication in arbitrary finite two-player games. (JEL C72, C73, Z13)
The Power of Focal Points Is Limited: Even Minute Payoff Asymmetry May Yield Large Coordination Failures
Authors: Crawford Vincent P , Gneezy Uri , Rottenstreich Yuval
Published: September 2008

Since Schelling, it has often been assumed that players make use of salient decision labels to achieve coordination. Consistent with previous work, we find that given equal payoffs, salient labels yield frequent coordination. However, given even minutely asymmetric payoffs, labels lose much of their effectiveness and miscoordination abounds. This raises questions about the extent to which the effectiveness of focal points based on label salience persists beyond the special case of symmetric games. The patterns of miscoordination we observe vary with the magnitude of payoff differences in intricate ways that suggest nonequilibrium accounts based on “level-k” thinking and “team reasoning.” (JEL C72, C92)
Optimal Contracting with Endogenous Social Norms
Authors: Fischer Paul , Huddart Steven
Published: September 2008

Research in sociology and ethics suggests that individuals adhere to social norms of behavior established by their peers. Within an agency framework, we model endogenous social norms by assuming that each agent's cost of implementing an action depends on the social norm for that action, defined to be the average level of that action chosen by the agent's peer group. We show how endogenous social norms alter the effectiveness of monetary incentives, determine whether it is optimal to group agents in a single or two separate organizations, and may give rise to a costly adverse selection problem when agents' sensitivities to social norms are unobservable. (JEL D23, D82, D86, Z13)
Great Expectations and the End of the Depression
Authors: Eggertsson Gauti B
Published: September 2008

This paper suggests that the US recovery from the Great Depression was driven by a shift in expectations. This shift was caused by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's policy actions. On the monetary policy side, Roosevelt abolished the gold standard and—even more importantly—announced the explicit objective of inflating the price level to pre-Depression levels. On the fiscal policy side, Roosevelt expanded real and deficit spending, which made his policy objective credible. These actions violated prevailing policy dogmas and initiated a policy regime change as in Sargent (1983) and Temin and Wigmore (1990). The economic consequences of Roosevelt are evaluated in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with nominal frictions. (JEL D84, E52, E62, N12, N42)
Explaining Changes in Female Labor Supply in a Life-Cycle Model
Authors: Attanasio Orazio , Low Hamish , Sánchez-Marcos Virginia
Published: September 2008

This paper studies the life-cycle labor supply of three cohorts of American women, born in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. We focus on the increase in labor supply of mothers between the 1940s and 1950s cohorts. We construct a life-cycle model of female participation and savings, and calibrate the model to match the behavior of the middle cohort. We investigate which changes in the determinants of labor supply account for the increases in participation early in the life-cycle observed for the youngest cohort. A combination of a reduction in the cost of children alongside a reduction in the wage-gender gap is needed. (JEL D91, J16, J22, J31)
Giffen Behavior and Subsistence Consumption
Authors: Jensen Robert T , Miller Nolan H
Published: September 2008

This paper provides the first real-world evidence of Giffen behavior, i.e., upward sloping demand. Subsidizing the prices of dietary staples for extremely poor households in two provinces of China, we find strong evidence of Giffen behavior for rice in Hunan, and weaker evidence for wheat in Gansu. The data provide new insight into the consumption behavior of the poor, who act as though maximizing utility subject to subsistence concerns. We find that their elasticity of demand depends significantly, and nonlinearly, on the severity of their poverty. Understanding this heterogeneity is important for the effective design of welfare programs for the poor. (JEL D12, O12)
The Cyclical Behavior of Equilibrium Unemployment and Vacancies Revisited
Authors: Hagedorn Marcus , Manovskii Iourii
Published: September 2008

Recently, a number of authors have argued that the standard search model cannot generate the observed business-cycle-frequency fluctuations in unemployment and job vacancies, given shocks of a plausible magnitude. We propose a new calibration strategy of the standard model that uses data on the cost of vacancy creation and cyclicality of wages to identify the two key parameters –- the value of nonmarket activity and the bargaining weights. Our calibration implies that the model is consistent with the data. (JEL E24, E32, J31, J63, J64)
Palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome: a sign of ovarian malignancy
Authors: Yogarajah Mahinda , Soh Jade , Lord Breck , Goddard Nicholas , Stratton Richard
Published: September 2008

Summary

Highlighting the importance and recognition of palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome, a paraneoplastic syndrome related to ovarian and other malignancies.
Stress and First Responders: The Need for a Multidimensional Approach to Stress Management
Authors: Reynolds Christine A. , Wagner Shannon L.
Published: September 2008

First responders are exposed to traumatic, nontraumatic and organisational stressors that conspire to create stress, potentially leading to emotional issues and/or physical or psychological illness. In addition to individual consequences, stress also takes a toll on the function of emergency departments and their communities. Fortunately, police, fire and ambulance agencies have initiated various preventive measures in an effort to mitigate the ill-effects of continued exposure to stressors by their personnel. However, combating stress effectively requires more than offering individual coping skills and access to counseling for first responders. To best preserve the wellbeing of their workers, emergency service administrators must recognise the impact of stress from a variety of sources, including organisational factors, and approach stress prevention in a multi-staged and comprehensive manner, paying special attention to primary stage interventions. When agencies embrace and act on a broad, holistic view of stress management that includes instituting cultural and organisational changes to support stress prevention, significant improvements in the stress level and health of first responders will be possible.
Psychological Consequences of Work Injury: Personality, Trauma and Psychological Distress Symptoms of Noninjured Workers and Injured Workers Returning To, or Remaining at Work
Authors: Wall Cindy L. , Ogloff James R.P. , Morrissey Shirley A.
Published: September 2008

Despite growing recognition of the importance of psychosocial factors in reducing ongoing work disability, research into the psychological consequences for injured workers who remain at, or return to work is limited. This study compares injured workers who have returned to, or remained at, work with noninjured workers on measures of personality, trauma symptoms, and symptoms of psychological distress. Data from structured clinical interviews, psychological and self-report questionnaires were gathered from 29 workers, 14 of whom were recovering from an injury at the time of participation. Injured workers demonstrated higher levels of Neuroticism and lower Extraversion, indicating greater emotional instability and lower capacity for adaptively coping with stress when compared to noninjured workers. They also reported subclinical elevations on scales of trauma symptoms, and greater levels of depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, anxiety and sleep disturbance in comparison with noninjured workers. These results suggest that the psychological consequences for workers who return to, or remain at, work following injury may reduce adaptation and increase vulnerability to secondary work disability.
Evaluation of uncertainties in measurements by Monte Carlo simulations with an application for laserscanning
Authors: Koch Karl-Rudolf
Published: September 2008

The trapezoidal and triangular distribution recommended by the “Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM)” are derived to obtain methods for drawing random samples from them. It is demonstrated that variances, covariances and confidence intervals of these distributions can be estimated by the random variates. This method is also applicable for the convolution of different types of distributions like the triangular and the normal distribution. Monte Carlo simulations give in addition estimates of the expected values, variances, covariances and confidence regions of unknown parameters derived from the measurements. Furthermore, hypotheses for the parameters can be tested. This method is applied for the determination of the surface of a motorway by laserscanning. The variances of a laserscanner are specified which are sufficiently small to decide whether detected deformations of the surface are permissible or not.
Unforeseen Consequences of Mothers' Return to School: Children's Educational Aspirations and Outcomes
Authors: Suitor J. Jill , Plikuhn Mari , Gilligan Megan , Powers Rebecca S.
Published: September 2008

Parents' educational attainment is generally completed before offspring are born. Thus, there is little opportunity to study the ways in which children's observation of their parents' pursuit of education may augment the effects of structural factors on intergenerational transmission processes. In this article, the authors use qualitative and quantitative data collected from thirty-five women across a decade following their return to school to examine the effects of children's observations of their mothers' educational achievements on the children's educational aspirations and achievements in adulthood. The return to school was consequential only when mothers completed their degrees; when they did not, their enrollment appears to have had little or no effect on children's educational achievements. Mothers' completion of college was found to be the most important for children's educational outcomes when fathers were less educated and opposed to mothers' enrollment and when the return to school was fueled by personal and psychological, rather than career, motivations.
Therapeutic Vs. Political Frames: The Influence of “Witnessing” the U.S.-Iraq War on Family “Agitation”
Authors: Montgomery Alesia F.
Published: September 2008

As the U.S. Air Force began strikes against Baghdad in March 2003, the Bush Administration, the American Psychological Association, and antiwar organizations prescribed ways for U.S. parents to manage the emotions of themselves and their children. Through the use of ethnographic and archival data, the author develops a conceptual frame for explaining the ways in which therapeutic interventions targeted at families during war structure political subjectivities. This study extends research on the rise of therapeutic discourses to manage the emotions of civilians during war, and it bridges the theorization of governmentality and emotion management.
Estimation of sediments in urban drainage areas and relation analysis between sediments and inundation risk using GIS
Authors: Moojong Park , Hwandon Jun , Minchul Shin
Published: September 2008

Sediments entering the sewer in urban areas reduce the conveyance in sewer pipes, which increases inundation risk. To estimate sediment yields, individual landuse areas in each sub-basin should be obtained. However, because of the complex nature of an urban area, this is almost impossible to obtain manually. Thus, a methodology to obtain individual landuse areas for each sub-basin has been suggested for estimating sediment yields. Using GIS, an urban area is divided into sub-basins with respect to the sewer layout, with the area of individual landuse estimated for each sub-basin. The sediment yield per unit area for each sub-basin is then calculated. The suggested method was applied to the GunJa basin in Seoul. For a relation analysis between sediments and inundation risk, sub-basins were ordered by the sediment yields per unit area and compared with historical inundation areas. From this analysis, sub-basins with higher order were found to match the historical inundation areas.
Upgrading small WWTPs in the autonomous province of Trento (Italy) by alternating oxic/anoxic process: a demonstration study
Authors: Nardelli P. , Gatti G. , Cecchi F. , Battistoni E. M.
Published: September 2008

The paper deals with the real application of a strategy, based on process control automation and remote on-line supervision, for the wastewater treatment in a piedmont. Three existing small wastewater treatment plants were selected to be upgraded and to be included into a network remotely supervised. Further, the potentialities of the process control automation were enhanced by the appropriate upgrading of the whole plant. A consolidated alternating nitrification and denitrification process was applied for the biological treatment. The selected plants well represent the area of Autonomous Province of Trento because they are characterized by remarkable seasonal fluctuation. After five months of experimentation data processed show the real stable high quality of the treated effluent in terms of total nitrogen content. Moreover, the power requirements are significantly reduced according the correct energy policy. The performances of the new biological process applied and the economical balance, put in evidence the gain by chosing the AC technology for upgrading small WWTPs.
A microbial fuel cell equipped with a biocathode for organic removal and denitrification
Authors: Lefebvre O. , Al-Mamun A. , Ng H. Y.
Published: September 2008

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising anaerobic technology but they are limited by the high cost of the catalyst used at the cathode (typically platinum). In this study, we designed a novel type of two-chambered MFC wherein an autoheterotrophic denitrifying biofilm replaced the costly catalyst on the cathode surface. Micro-organisms performed denitrification by using electrons supplied by bacteria oxidizing domestic wastewater and acetate as substrates in the anode chamber. This two-chambered MFC equipped with a biocathode generated during more than 1.5 month up to 9.4 mW m−2 of anode surface or 0.19 W m−3 of anode chamber volume, while removing over 65% of COD, 84% of total nitrogen and nearly 30% of suspended solids with domestic wastewater as a substrate, and nearly 95% of acetate in the subsequent experiments.
Influence of wastewater composition on biological nutrient removal in UniFed SBR process
Authors: Zhao C. H. , Peng Y. Z. , Wang S. Y. , Tang X. G.
Published: September 2008

The effects of influent C/N ratio and C/P ratio on biological nutrient removal performance were investigated in a lab-scale UniFed SBR apparatus treating real domestic wastewater. The results showed that TN removal efficiency increased as C/N ratio increased from 43.6% at 2.8 to 80.8% at 5.7. But when C/N ratio increased further, TN removal efficiency increased very slowly. This was because when C/N ratio was higher than 5.7, complete denitrification in the sludge blanket during feed/decant period had been achieved, TN removal efficiency during this period always kept the maximum value and only TN removal efficiency during aeration period rose as C/N ratio increased. PO43− removal efficiency increased as C/N ratio increased from 27.3% at 2.8 to 88.1% at 5.7. When C/N ratio was 6.5 and above, PO43− concentration couldn't be detected in the effluent. When influent C/N ratio and volumetric exchange ratio were fixed at 6 and 33% respectively, as C/P ratio was higher than 33, PO43− concentration of effluent always remained below the detection level and phosphorus removal efficiency kept stable at 100%, but as the C/P ratio was lower than 33, phosphorus removal efficiency increased as C/P ratio increased linearly. C/P ratio hardly affected TN removal efficiency, which always kept at 82.2%–85.8% in this study.
Methane production from ethanol co-products in anaerobic SBRs
Authors: Cassidy D. P. , Hirl P. J. , Belia E.
Published: September 2008

Methane production from condensed distillers' solubles (CDS, or syrup), a co-product of ethanol production, was studied in 2-l anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBRs) under 10 different operating conditions. Methane production and COD removal were quantified under steady state conditions for a wide range of operating parameters. COD removals of 62–96% were achieved at OLRs ranging from 1.5–22.2 g COD l−1 d−1, SRTs from 8–40 d, and F/M ranging from 0.37–1.95 g COD g−1 VSS d−1. The methane content of the biogas varied from 57–71% with 0.27 l CH4 produced per g of COD removed. Approximately 54% of the COD fed to the ASBRs, and 83% of the COD removed in the ASBRs was converted to methane. Microbial yield (Y) and decay (b) constants were determined to be approximately Y = 0.127 g VSS g−1 COD removed and b = 0.031 d−1, respectively. Methane recovery from ethanol co-products can reduce the cost and the fossil fuel consumption of ethanol production.
Study of the viral removal efficiency in a urban wastewater treatment plant
Authors: Carducci A. , Morici P. , Pizzi F. , Battistini R. , Rovini E. , Verani M.
Published: September 2008

Municipal and agricultural wastewater contain a variety of microorganisms and in particular enteric viruses. For the reuse of this treated wastewater it is important to ensure the efficiency of purification treatments and disinfection practices, that have often been insufficient to lower the viral load below the risk level. For this reason, for the routine analysis of recycled waters, the research into pathogenic viruses (e.g. HAV) and classical bacterial parameters (E. coli, enterococci and Salmonella) has to be associated with specific viral indicators such as somatic coliphages, adenovirus and TTV. The results of environmental monitoring, carried out in a wastewater treatment plant, showed the presence of adenovirus DNA in 100% of collected samples and TTV DNA in 95% (19/20) of raw sewage and in 85% (17/20) of the exit samples, while HAV was detected only in 2 samples over 40 (5%). The quantitative analysis has revealed an average reduction of 2 log for adenovirus and 1.58 log for TTV. The bacterial indicators were reduced by 1.74 log and 1.99 log respectively for E. coli and enterococci, while for somatic coliphages an average reduction of 2.2 log was observed. No significant correlation was shown between these parameters, confirming their inadequacy for the virological risk assessment. However the results of adenovirus confirm it as the best indicator to evaluate the efficacy of wastewater depuration plant in eliminating viruses.
Faecal bacterial indicators removal in various wastewater treatment plants located in Almendares River watershed (Cuba)
Authors: Garcia-Armisen Tamara , Prats Josué , Marrero Yociel , Servais Pierre
Published: September 2008

The Almendares River, located in Havana city, receives the wastewaters of more than 200,000 inhabitants. The high abundance of faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs) in the downstream stretch of the river reflects the very poor microbiological water quality. In this zone, the Almendares water is used for irrigation of urban agriculture and recreational activities although the microbiological standards for these uses are not met. Improvement of wastewater treatment is absolutely required to protect the population against health risk. This paper compares the removal of FBIs in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in this watershed: a conventional facility using trickling filters, a constructed wetland (CW) and a solar aquatic system (SAS). The results indicate better removal efficiency in the two natural systems (CW and SAS) for all the measured parameters (suspended matters, biological oxygen demand, total coliforms, E. coli and enterococci). Removals of the FBIs were around two log units higher in both natural systems than in the conventional one. A longitudinal profile of the microbiological quality of the river illustrates the negative impact of the large conventional WWTP. This case study confirms the usefulness of small and natural WWTPs for tropical developing countries, even in urban and periurban areas.
Microbiological monitoring and automated event sampling at karst springs using LEO-satellites
Authors: Stadler H. , Skritek P. , Sommer R. , Mach R. L. , Zerobin W. , Farnleitner A. H.
Published: September 2008

Data communication via Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) Satellites between portable hydrometeorological measuring stations is the backbone of our system. This networking allows automated event sampling with short time increments also for E. coli field analysis. All activities of the course of the event-sampling can be observed on an internet platform based on a Linux-Server. Conventionally taken samples compared with the auto-sampling procedure revealed corresponding results and were in agreement with the ISO 9308-1 reference method. E. coli concentrations were individually corrected by event specific inactivation coefficients (0.10-0.14 day−1), compensating losses due to sample storage at spring temperature in the auto sampler.

Two large summer events in 2005/2006 at an important alpine karst spring (LKAS2) were monitored including detailed analysis of E. coli dynamics (n=271) together with comprehensive hydrological characterisations. High-resolution time series demonstrated a sudden increase of E. coli concentrations in spring water (approximately 2 log10 units) with a specific time delay after the beginning of the event. Statistical analysis suggested the spectral absorption coefficient measured at 254 nm (SAC254) as an early warning surrogate for real time monitoring of faecal input. Together with the LEO-satellite based system it is a helpful tool for early-warning systems in the field of drinking water protection.
Soluble microbial products formation and their effect on trace metal availability during anaerobic degradation of sulfate laden organics
Authors: Patidar S. K. , Tare V.
Published: September 2008

Anaerobic degradation of sulfate laden organics involves sulfide generation and release of soluble microbial products (SMP). Sulfide causes direct toxicity to microorganisms and precipitation of key metals. On the other hand, SMP helps in keeping higher soluble concentration of essential metals through complexation and alleviating sulfide toxicity. The role of SMP is well recognized in biological treatment of wastes but many issues are yet to be fully elucidated. The present paper discusses the effect of sulfide concentrations on SMP production and effect of complexation on soluble Fe, Ni, Zn and Co concentrations in laboratory scale uplflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) and hybrid anaerobic baffled reactor (HABR) degrading synthetic sulfate laden organics at 35°C for varying operating conditions. Results indicate increased SMP concentration with increasing sulfide concentration and significantly higher measured Fe, Ni, Zn and Co concentrations due to complexation in all three systems. Soluble Fe 0.43–0.66 mg/L; Ni 0.29–0.4 mg/L; Zn 0.15–0.19 mg/L; and Co 0.13–0.29 mg/L appears to be adequate for stable process operation and performance.
Assessment of the groundwater salinity monitoring network of the Tehran region: application of the discrete entropy theory
Authors: Masoumi F. , Kerachian R.
Published: September 2008

In this paper, a new entropy-based approach is developed for assessing the location of salinity monitoring stations in the Tehran Aquifer, Tehran, Iran. To find the optimal distance among stations, the measure of Transinformation in the Entropy Theory is used. Then a Transinformation-Distance (T-D) curve is developed and used in a multi-objective GA-based optimization model, which provides the best locations for monitoring stations. Because of the large area of the Tehran aquifer and significant spatial variations of the Electrical Conductivity (EC) of the groundwater in the study area, the C-means clustering method is used to classify the study area to some homogenous zones. The optimization model is applied to each zone to find the optimal location of monitoring stations. The results show the applicability and the efficiency of the model in assessing the groundwater monitoring systems.
Influence of climate change on the water resources in an alpine region
Authors: De Toffol S. , Engelhard C. , Rauch W.
Published: September 2008

It is widely accepted that the global warming will impact on water resources. This study investigates the possible influence of climate change on the water resources in an alpine region. A description of the actual situation with emphasis on the water resources from the one side and on the water consuming factors, here called stressors, is given. The probable effects of climate change in the region and their influence on its water resources are then described. The main outcome is that in the analysed region the climate change will rather have positive influence on the water balance by inducing higher precipitations during the rivers' natural low flow period (winter). This outcome contradicts many common predictions, however, this due to the specifics induced by the alpine nature of the catchment.
Removal of endocrine disrupter compounds from municipal wastewater by an innovative biological technology
Authors: Balest L. , Mascolo G. , Di Iaconi C. , Lopez A.
Published: September 2008

The removal of selected endocrine disrupter compounds (EDCs), namely estrone(E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-tert-octylphenol (4t-OP) from municipal wastewater was investigated using a sequencing batch biofilter granular reactor (SBBGR), a new system for biological treatment based on aerobic granular biomass. This new biological treatment is characterized by high biomass concentration (up to 40 g/L), high sludge retention times (up to 6 months) and low sludge production (i.e., an order of magnitude lower than commonly reported for conventional biological technologies). The investigation was carried out comparing a demonstration SBBGR system with a conventional full-scale activated sludge process. Results showed that the SBBGR performed better than a conventional activated sludge process in removing E1, E2, BPA and 4t-OP. In fact, the average removal percentages of the above mentioned EDCs, obtained during a four month operating period, were 62.2, 68, 91.8, 77.9% and 56.4, 36.3, 71.3, 64.6% for the demonstrative SBBGR system and the conventional activated sludge process of the municipal sewage treatment plant, respectively