bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictability of the Atlantic Overturning Circulation and Associated Surface Patterns in Two CCSM3 Climate Change Ensemble Experiments
Authors: Teng Haiyan , Branstator Grant , Meehl Gerald A.
Published: May 2011

Predictability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and associated oceanic and atmospheric fields on decadal time scales in the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) at T42 resolution is quantified with a 700-yr control run and two 40-member “perfect model” climate change experiments. After taking into account both the mean and spread about the mean of the forecast distributions and allowing for the possibility of time-evolving modes, the natural variability of the AMOC is found to be predictable for about a decade; beyond that range the forced predictability resulting from greenhouse gas forcing becomes dominant. The upper 500-m temperature in the North Atlantic is even more predictable than the AMOC by several years. This predictability is associated with subsurface and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that propagate in an anticlockwise direction along the subpolar gyre and tend to be prominent during the 10 yr following peaks in the amplitude of AMOC anomalies. Predictability in the North Atlantic SST mainly resides in the ensemble mean signals after three to four forecast years. Analysis suggests that in the CCSM3 the subpolar gyre SST anomalies associated with the AMOC variability can influence the atmosphere and produce surface climate predictability that goes beyond the ENSO time scale. However, the resulting initial-value predictability in the atmosphere is very weak.
A Numerical Sensitivity Study on the Impact of Soil Moisture on Convection-Related Parameters and Convective Precipitation over Complex Terrain
Authors: Barthlott Christian , Kalthoff Norbert
Published: May 2011

The impact of soil moisture on convection-related parameters and convective precipitation over complex terrain is studied by numerical experiments using the nonhydrostatic Consortium for Small-Scale Modeling (COSMO) model. For 1 day of the Convective and Orographically Induced Precipitation Study (COPS) conducted during summer 2007 in southwestern Germany and eastern France, initial soil moisture is varied from −50% to +50% of the reference run in steps of 5%. As synoptic-scale forcing is weak on the day under investigation, the triggering of convection is mainly due to soil–atmosphere interactions and boundary layer processes. Whereas a systematic relationship to soil moisture exists for a number of variables (e.g., latent and sensible fluxes at the ground, near-surface temperature, and humidity), a systematic increase of 24-h accumulated precipitation with increasing initial soil moisture is only present in the simulations that are drier than the reference run. The time evolution of convective precipitation can be divided into two regimes with different conditions to initiate and foster convection. Furthermore, the impact of soil moisture is different for the initiation and modification of convective precipitation. The results demonstrate the high sensitivity of numerical weather prediction to initial soil moisture fields.
Evolving Multisensor Precipitation Estimation Methods: Their Impacts on Flow Prediction Using a Distributed Hydrologic Model
Authors: Kitzmiller David , Van Cooten Suzanne , Ding Feng , Howard Kenneth , Langston Carrie , Zhang Jian , Moser Heather , Zhang Yu , Gourley Jonathan J. , Kim Dongsoo , Riley David
Published: May 2011

This study investigates evolving methodologies for radar and merged gauge–radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) to determine their influence on the flow predictions of a distributed hydrologic model. These methods include the National Mosaic and QPE algorithm package (NMQ), under development at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), and the Multisensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE) and High-Resolution Precipitation Estimator (HPE) suites currently operational at National Weather Service (NWS) field offices. The goal of the study is to determine which combination of algorithm features offers the greatest benefit toward operational hydrologic forecasting. These features include automated radar quality control, automated Z–R selection, brightband identification, bias correction, multiple radar data compositing, and gauge–radar merging, which all differ between NMQ and MPE–HPE. To examine the spatial and temporal characteristics of the precipitation fields produced by each of the QPE methodologies, high-resolution (4 km and hourly) gridded precipitation estimates were derived by each algorithm suite for three major precipitation events between 2003 and 2006 over subcatchments within the Tar–Pamlico River basin of North Carolina. The results indicate that the NMQ radar-only algorithm suite consistently yielded closer agreement with reference rain gauge reports than the corresponding HPE radar-only estimates did. Similarly, the NMQ radar-only QPE input generally yielded hydrologic simulations that were closer to observations at multiple stream gauging points. These findings indicate that the combination of Z–R selection and freezing-level identification algorithms within NMQ, but not incorporated within MPE and HPE, would have an appreciable positive impact on hydrologic simulations. There were relatively small differences between NMQ and HPE gauge–radar estimates in terms of accuracy and impacts on hydrologic simulations, most likely due to the large influence of the input rain gauge information.
Automatic Detection of Cloud Cover over the Baltic Sea
Authors: Krężel Adam , Paszkuta Marcin
Published: May 2011

A simple detection method was proposed to increase the efficiency of automatic classification of a satellite image cell (clear/cloudy). A method is described on the basis of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data, with a focus on highly active and highly reflecting targets (i.e., the Baltic Sea). Radiation input conditions and the dynamic threshold were used to reduce geometric influences of any daily scene supplied by the NOAA-17 and NOAA-18 platforms. They were carried out from statistic and histogram sequences of albedo and temperature maps. The presented approach is intended to primarily serve the activation of a nonsupervised system for oceanographic analyses (mainly SST), based on an accurate cloud mask.
A Hybrid Thresholding Algorithm for Cloud Detection on Ground-Based Color Images
Authors: Li Qingyong , Lu Weitao , Yang Jun
Published: May 2011

Cloud detection is the precondition for deriving other information (e.g., cloud cover) in ground-based sky imager applications. This paper puts forward an effective cloud detection approach, the Hybrid Thresholding Algorithm (HYTA) that fully exploits the benefits of the combination of fixed and adaptive thresholding methods. First, HYTA transforms an input color cloud image into a normalized blue/red channel ratio image that can keep a distinct contrast, even with noise and outliers. Then, HYTA identifies the ratio image as either unimodal or bimodal according to its standard deviation, and the unimodal and bimodal images are handled by fixed and minimum cross entropy (MCE) thresholding algorithms, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that HYTA shows an accuracy of 88.53%, which is far higher than those of either fixed or MCE thresholding alone. Moreover, HYTA is also verified to outperform other state-of-the-art cloud detection approaches.
Black Collegians at a Rural Predominantly White Institution
Authors: Woldoff Rachael A. , Wiggins Yolanda M. , Washington Heather M.
Published: May 2011

This study examines adjustment differences between in-state Black students who are familiar with rural and predominantly White environments versus out-of-state Black students who mainly come from segregated, Black neighborhoods and larger cities. Focus group discussions highlight the role of students’ residential backgrounds, especially racial composition and rural status, in understanding their social adjustment and perceptions of divisions within the Black student population on campus. With regard to geographic divisions, students reported: 1) differences in their comfort levels in predominantly White environments; 2) perceptions of in-state Blacks “acting White” (out-of-state students equating urban residence of origin with authentic Blackness); and 3) perceptions of differences between the two groups in provincialism versus sophistication. We conclude that while race is often seen as unifying Black students at predominantly White colleges, students also have strong place identities that are tied to the racial composition and location of their home communities that serve to divide the Black student community. The study concludes by discussing the importance of Black students’ home environments for shaping their social experiences at predominantly White institutions and suggests avenues for future research.
No Innate Number Line in the Human Brain
Authors: Núñez Rafael E.
Published: May 2011

Many authors in the field of numerical cognition have adopted a rather nativist view that all humans share the intuition that numbers map onto space and, more specifically, that an oriented left-to-right mental number line (MNL) is localized bilaterally in the intraparietal sulcus of the human brain. We review results from archaeological and historical (diachronic) studies as well as cross-cultural (synchronic) ones and contends that these claims are not well founded. The data actually suggest that the MNL is not innate. We argue that the MNL—and number-to-space mappings in general—emerges outside of natural selection proper requiring top-down dynamics that are culturally and historically mediated through high-order cognitive mechanisms such as fictive motion, conceptual mappings, and external representational media. These mechanisms, which are not intrinsically numerical and usually are acquired through education, are not genetically determined and are biologically realized through the systematic consolidation of specific brain phenotypes that support number-to-space mappings.
Tgf-β-mediated FasL-Fas-Caspase Pathway Is Crucial during Palatogenesis
Authors: Huang X. , Yokota T. , Iwata J. , Chai Y.
Published: May 2011

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is one of the fates of the medial edge epithelium (MEE) during palatal fusion. Transforming growth factor β (Tgf-β) signaling (such as Tgf-β3) is required for the disappearance of the MEE, but the relationship between Tgf-β3 and apoptosis remains unclear. Here we show that the Fas ligand (FasL)-Fas-Caspase extrinsic apoptosis pathway functions during palatal fusion in wild-type mice, but is not detectable in mice lacking Tgf-β3 (Tgf-β3−/− ) or Tgfβr2 in the MEE (K14-Cre;Tgfbr2fl/fl). Inhibition of the FasL-Fas system results in persistence of the midline epithelial seam (MES) and inhibition of caspase activity during palatal organ culture. Moreover, ectopic FasL protein induces apoptosis in MES of K14-Cre;Tgfbr2fl/fl mice. Thus, we conclude that the FasL-Fas-caspase extrinsic apoptosis pathway is regulated by the Tgf-β3 signaling cascade and is essential for palatal fusion during craniofacial development.
From Waterloo to Jellalabad: The Irish and Scots at war in R Elizabeth Thompson Butler D and W. F. Butler
Authors: Wynne Catherine
Published: May 2011

This essay examines the paintings of the British war artist Elizabeth Thompson Butler in conjunction with the travel, military and political writings of her husband William Francis Butler. It explores how their work both subscribes to and deviates from prevailing British imperial ideology. Elizabeth Butler produced scenes of war which eschewed jingoism and focused instead on soldiers’ suffering. William Butler was an Irish Catholic officer in the British army. Despite fighting the wars of empire, he was sceptical of imperial expansion and sympathetic to Irish Home Rule objectives. Consequently, he does not conveniently fit within the categories of late Victorian imperialist or Irish Nationalist. The discussion reappraises the work of both Butlers, highlighting their sophisticated engagements with notions of war and empire from Waterloo to Afghanistan. Although William died in 1910, Elizabeth Butler lived to paint the First World War. I examine how the Butlers depict battlegrounds of Europe and empire, and address a range of colonial socio-political grievances. Close attention to their work, particularly to their shared interest in the figure of the colonial subaltern, reveals a multiplicity of narratives constituting British and Irish identities and allegiances from the late Victorian period to the First World War.
Direct Medical Costs of Liquid Intravenous Immunoglobulins in Children, Adolescents, and Adults in Spain
Authors: Darbà Josep , Restovic Gabriela , Kaskens Lisette , de Agustín Tuy
Published: May 2011

The aim of this study was to determine health care resource utilization and direct medical costs in Spanish patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) in 2009. Cost‐of‐illness analyses were performed to estimate direct medical costs of patients treated with IVIGs. Prevalence data were obtained from the Spanish Primary Immunodeficiency registry. A semi‐structured questionnaire was used to collect data on health care resource utilization and patient distribution. Drug, administration, and premedication costs were considered from the payer's perspective. Separate analyses were conducted for children and adolescents versus adults. The numbers of children and adolescents with replacement therapy were 724, with immunomodulation 243, and with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation 30. The numbers of adult patients were, respectively, 3450, 1134, and 172. Mean annual costs for children and adolescents were 6293 € with Privigen, 6292 € with Kiovig, 6939 € with Flebogamma, and 6559 € with Octagamocta. For adults, estimations were 17 106 € with Privigen, 17103 € with Kiovig, 18077 € with Flebogamma, and 17423 € with Octagamocta. Direct medical costs for IVIGs were approximately 91.8 million €. Drug costs represented 94% of total costs. The choice for a certain IVIG treatment depends on individual patient characteristics and cost considerations.
The Sociology Research Experience Capstone Course at Three Institutions
Authors: McKinney Kathleen , Busher Melissa
Published: May 2011

This study describes the objectives, structures, and outcomes of a one-semester, required sociology research capstone course as taught at three institutions. Pre- and postquestionnaires from students, syllabi from instructors, and a random sample of final research papers were analyzed. Results indicate that the main foci of the course are to conduct research, produce a paper or thesis, develop writing and presentation skills, and integrate past learning. Instruction in this course includes numerous best practices from the literature on teaching and learning. There appears to be an underemphasis, however, on helping students to apply theory in their projects. The theses reveal a wide range of topics, methodological approaches, and quality, with the introduction/literature review and discussion/conclusion sections receiving the lowest quality scores.
Two-Year Outcomes for Children With Autism After the Cessation of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention
Authors: Kovshoff Hanna , Hastings Richard P. , Remington Bob
Published: May 2011

Evidence from recent meta-analytic and narrative review suggests that early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) may improve life chances of preschool children with autism. Unfortunately, there are few data indicating whether early gains are maintained after intervention ceases. The purpose of the present study was to establish the 2-year follow-up outcome for children with autism ( N = 41) who had participated in an earlier 2-year controlled comparison of EIBI. Twenty-three children in the intervention group (100% of original sample) and 18 in the treatment-as-usual comparison group (86% of original sample) were located and retested. Group differences favoring intervention substantially diluted in this period but varied significantly between subgroups who had received university-supervised and parent-commissioned interventions, favoring the latter. These groups differed in terms of their baseline characteristics and intensity of intervention. Results strongly suggest a need for better characterization of those children who would benefit from more active maintenance programs.
Temperature management and monitoring practices during adult cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass: results of a Canadian national survey
Authors: Belway D , Tee R , Nathan HJ , Rubens FD , Boodhwani M
Published: May 2011

Background: Mild to moderate systemic hypothermia is commonly used as a cerebral protective strategy during adult cardiac surgery. The benefits of this strategy for routine cardiac surgery have been questioned and the adverse effects of hyperthermia demonstrated. The purpose of the present study was to examine current temperature management and monitoring practices during adult cardiac surgery using CPB in Canada.

Methods: Web-based survey referring to adult cases undergoing cardiac surgery using CPB without the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Thirty-two questionnaires were completed, representing a 100% response rate.

Results: The usual management is to cool patients during CPB at 30 (94%) centers for low-risk (isolated primary CABG) cases and at 31 (97%) centers for high-risk (all other) cases. The average nadir temperature at the target site achieved on CPB is 34°C (range 28°C - 36°C). At 26 (81%) centers, patients are typically rewarmed to a target temperature between 36°C and 37°C before separation from CPB. Only 6 (19%) centers reported that thermistors and coupled devices used to monitor blood temperature are checked for accuracy or calibrated according to the product operating directive’s schedule or more often.

Conclusions: Contemporary management of adult cardiac surgery under CPB still involves induction of mild to moderate systemic hypothermia. Significant practice variation exists across the country with respect to target temperatures for cooling and rewarming, as well as the site for temperature monitoring. This probably reflects the lack of definitive evidence. There is a need for well-conducted clinical trials to provide more robust evidence regarding temperature management.
Beyond nationalism: The border, trauma and Partition fiction
Authors: Yusin Jennifer
Published: May 2011

This article aims to rethink the trauma of the 1947 Partition of British India through the figure of the border. It is at the border that we can see how the present is as much constituted by the concentration of new realities that call for shifting frameworks of understanding as it is by past events that continue to haunt memory. It undertakes this task through a close reading of the trope of borders in Saadat Hasan Manto’s 1953 short story, ‘Toba Tek Singh’. Partition fiction serves as a fruitful ground for developing new approaches to that history because, in part, literature is uniquely situated between representation and theory, between what a text represents and how it represents. In Manto’s story, the border is embodied in its central protagonist, Bishan Singh, who experiences an ontological struggle between being and belonging that exceeds the particular historical, geographical, and national context of the Partition. I suggest that the division of British India signaled a unique rupture within the subcontinent in which the creation of borders became the defining traumatic event of that history. This article thus moves away from the familiar nationalist rhetoric that has otherwise dominated conversations about the 1947 Partition of British India. It focuses instead on the geographical border as a conceptual figure that is at once spatially and corporeally oriented to a collective identity that exceeds nationalist frameworks of reference.
Mechanical behavior of basalt fiber-reinforced and basalt fiber metal laminate composites under tensile and bending loads
Authors: Khalili S.M.R. , Daghigh V. , Eslami Farsani R.
Published: May 2011

This article examines the mechanical behavior of Basalt fiber-reinforced epoxy (BFRE) and a new type of fiber metal laminates (FMLs) composed of steel, aluminum, and BFRE named as Basalt fiber metal laminate (BFML) under tensile and bending loads. To study the effect of fillers in epoxy, the micro glass powder (MGP) was only added into the epoxy resin in BFRE composites at various volume fractions. It was found that the MGP had no significant effect on tensile strength, but it raised the stiffness and decreased the failure strain of BFRE. On the other hand, bending strength increased by adding MGP. BFML showed superiority in energy absorption via tensile strength. This FML had flexibility much higher than that of BFRE. Adding MGP or metal layer to basalt-reinforced composites improved the mechanical properties in tensile and bending loads. Selective bending specimens of BFRE are studied by SEM to show the positive role of MGP in raising the bending strength and further analysis of the nature of fracture surfaces. High fragmentation of matrix was obvious.
Impact and flexural properties of flax fabrics and Lyocell fiber-reinforced bio-based thermoset
Authors: Adekunle Kayode , Cho Sung-Woo , Patzelt Christian , Blomfeldt Thomas , Skrifvars Mikael
Published: May 2011

A bio-based thermoset resin was reinforced with flax fabrics and Lyocell fiber. The effect of different weave architectures was studied with four flax fabrics with different architectures: plain, twill (two different types), and dobby. The effect of the outer ply thickness was studied and characterized with flexural and impact testing. Composites manufactured with plain weave reinforcement had the best mechanical properties. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength were 280MPa, 32GPa, 250MPa, 25GPa, and 75 kJ/m 2, respectively. Reinforcements with twill-weave architecture did not impart appreciable flexural strength or flexural modulus even when the outer thickness was increased. Plain- and dobby (basket woven style)-weave architectures gave better reinforcing effects and the flexural properties increased with an increase in outer thickness. Water absorption properties of the composites were studied and it was observed that the hybridization with Lyocell fiber reduced the water uptake. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy was used to study the micro-structural properties of the composites.
Targeting Neural Stem Cells with Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Coupled to Specific Monoclonal Antibodies
Authors: Elvira Gema , Moreno Berta , Valle Ignacio del , Garcia-Sanz Jose A. , Canillas María , Chinarro Eva , Jurado José R. , Silva Augusto
Published: May 2011

Aiming to characterize the use of biomaterials in cancer therapy, we took advantage of the n-type semiconductor properties, which upon irradiation excite their electrons into the conduction band to induce photoelectrochemical reactions generating oxygen reactive species (ROS). Indeed, photoactivated TiO2 nanoparticles have been shown to kill in vitro either bacteria or tumor cells in culture following UV irradiation, as a consequence of the ROS levels generated; the killing was highly effective although devoid of specificity. In this report, we have directed the TiO2 nanoparticles to particular targets by coupling them to the monoclonal antibody (mAb) Nilo1, recognizing a surface antigen in neural stem cells within a cell culture, to explore the possibility of making this process specific. TiO2 nanoparticles generated with particular rutile/anatase ratios were coupled to Nilo1 antibody and the complexes formed were highly stable. The coupled antibody retained the ability to identify neural stem cells and upon UV irradiation, the TiO2 nanoparticles were activated, inducing the selective photokilling of the antibody-targeted cells. Thus, these data indicate that antibody-TiO2 complexes could be used to specifically remove target cell subpopulations, as demonstrated with neural stem cells. The possible applications in cancer therapy are discussed.
In vitro 3D culture of human chondrocytes using modified ε-caprolactone scaffolds with varying hydrophilicity and porosity
Authors: Olmedilla Marcos Pérez , Lebourg M , Ivirico JL Escobar , Nebot I , Giralt N Garcia , Ferrer G Gallego , Soria JM , Ribelles JL Gómez
Published: May 2011

Two series of 3D scaffolds based on ε-caprolactone were synthesized. The pore size and architecture (spherical interconnected pores) was the same in all the scaffolds. In one of the series of scaffolds, made of pure ε-polycaprolactone, the volume fraction of pores varied between 60% and 85% with the main consequence of varying the interconnectivity between pores since the pore size was kept constant. The other scaffolds were prepared with copolymers made of a ε-caprolactone-based hydrophobous monomer and hydroxyethyl acrylate, as the hydrophilic component. Thus, the hydrophilicity and, presumably, the adhesion properties varied monotonously in the copolymer series while porosity was kept constant. A suspension of human chondrocytes in culture medium was injected in the 3D scaffolds and cultured in static conditions up to 28 days. SEM and immunofluorescence assays allowed characterizing cells and extracellular matrix inside the scaffolds after different culture times. To do that, cross sections of the scaffolds were observed by SEM and confocal microscopy. The quantity of cells inside the scaffolds decreases with a decrease of the volume fraction of pores, due to the lack of interconnectivity between the cavities. The scaffolds up to a 30% of hydrophilicity behave in a similar way than the hydrophobous; a further increase of the hydrophilicity rapidly decreases cell viability. In all the experiments production of collagen type I, type II, and aggrecan was found, and some cells were Ki-67 positive, showing that some cells are adhered to the pore walls and maintain their dedifferentiated phenotype even when cultured in three-dimensional conditions.
Relational Development Through the Life Cycle: Capacities, Opportunities, Challenges, and Obstacles
Authors: Deanow Carol G.
Published: May 2011

Feminist theorists posit that women’s central organizing core is based on themes of affiliation, connection, and relationship, rather than the themes of separation, individuation, and autonomy that are emphasized in familiar models of development. Building on the work of theorists at the Stone Center and other writers on women’s development, this article proposes a model of development that highlights relational developmental tasks and obstacles throughout the life cycle. Emphasizing the experiences of girls and women, the article addresses both successful relational development and challenges to successful relational development and notes the contrasting relational experiences and challenges for boys and men.
A Matter of Life and Death: The Voices of Domestic Violence Survivors
Authors: Zosky Diane
Published: May 2011

In light of recent threats to funding for essential services, this qualitative study asked women survivors of domestic violence what they would do if their current services were no longer available. The themes seemed to span a continuum of resilience, from continuing to look for a way to escape the abuse, to uncertainty, to hopelessness and fear, and to resignation by staying in the abusive relationship. The majority of women reported that if domestic violence services were not available, they would remain with their abusers with dramatically negative consequences.
Restructuring Fixed and Variable Pay in Sales Organizations: A Product Life Cycle Approach
Authors: Madhani Pankaj M.
Published: May 2011

Organizations must review and update sales management practices and their compensation strategies according to the different stages of product life cycle (PLC). The PLC can be a valid framework for assessing organizational response in terms of marketing mix variables and sales force compensation strategy based on sales efforts. Fluctuations in sales growth, profit margins, asset turnover, and return on net assets are normal outcomes of the PLC and strongly influence compensation strategy. Restructuring fixed and variable pay in compensation plans according to the PLC will help organizations design an optimal compensation strategy. The primary objective of this article is to propose a framework for selecting an appropriate sales force compensation plan according to the various stages of the PLC.
Czech Militant Democracy in Action
Authors: Mareš Miroslav
Published: May 2011

This article analyses the dissolution of the extreme right Workers’ Party by the Czech courts in 2010. It situates the case in the historical development of party closures by militant democracy on Czech territory and explains why the Workers’ Party was the first party to be dissolved in the Czech Republic after the fall of the Communist regime. It also describes the legislative framework in contemporary Czech law for the dissolution of political parties. It details the political and legal repercussions of the ruling and the wider discussions it provoked, not only in political and expert circles but also among the general public. Given the fact that the case was taken to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the European dimension of the dissolution of the Workers’ Party is also analysed.
Insensitivity of the Human Sentence-Processing System to Hierarchical Structure
Authors: Frank Stefan L. , Bod Rens
Published: May 2011

Although it is generally accepted that hierarchical phrase structures are instrumental in describing human language, their role in cognitive processing is still debated. We investigated the role of hierarchical structure in sentence processing by implementing a range of probabilistic language models, some of which depended on hierarchical structure, and others of which relied on sequential structure only. All models estimated the occurrence probabilities of syntactic categories in sentences for which reading-time data were available. Relating the models’ probability estimates to the data showed that the hierarchical-structure models did not account for variance in reading times over and above the amount of variance accounted for by all of the sequential-structure models. This suggests that a sentence’s hierarchical structure, unlike many other sources of information, does not noticeably affect the generation of expectations about upcoming words.
Superior Identification of Familiar Visual Patterns a Year After Learning
Authors: Hussain Zahra , Sekuler Allison B. , Bennett Patrick J.
Published: May 2011

Practice improves visual performance on simple tasks in which stimuli vary along one dimension. Such learning frequently is stimulus-specific and enduring, and has been associated with plasticity in striate cortex. It is unclear if similar lasting effects occur for naturalistic patterns that vary on multiple dimensions. We measured perceptual learning in identification tasks that used faces and textures, stimuli that engage multiple stages in visual processing. Performance improved significantly across 2 consecutive days of practice. More important, the effects of practice were remarkably stable across time: Improvements were maintained approximately 1 year later, and both the relative difficulty of identifying individual stimuli and individual differences in performance were essentially constant across sessions. Finally, the effects of practice were largely stimulus-specific. Our results suggest that the characteristics of perceptual learning are similar across a spectrum of stimulus complexities.
Business, skills and the welfare state: the political economy of employment-oriented family policy in Britain and Germany
Authors: Fleckenstein Timo , Seeleib-Kaiser Martin
Published: May 2011

Family policies have been expanded in many OECD countries, whilst developments along other welfare state dimensions have been characterized by retrenchment. Although the contribution of gender analyses of the welfare state to a better understanding of family policies is widely acknowledged, the literature so far has largely failed to provide a comparative account explaining the recent expansions of employment-oriented family policies in countries that were previously categorized as pursuing policies in accordance with the strong male breadwinner model. This article aims to make a contribution to the comparative literature by investigating the socioeconomic conditions and politics of employment-oriented family policy expansions in Britain and Germany since the 1990s. We pay special attention to processes of post-industrialisation and especially changed skill compositions as well as the role of key policy actors, with a special focus on organized business.
Healthcare financing reform in Turkey: context and salient features
Authors: Yıldırım Hasan Hüseyin , Yıldırım Türkan
Published: May 2011

The health field is characterised by high uncertainties which can lead to large expenditures. One way to manage these uncertainties is to develop collectively-financed health care systems. Some countries create this collective financing through general taxes, whereas others rely on premiums set up through compulsory social health insurance. Turkey, a middle-income country, has historically used several mechanisms to extend health care to its population. However, inadequate financing and poor service quality have plagued this health care system.

Recently, a transition from a system of multiple insurance schemes that cover only about two-thirds of the population to a single-payer system aiming to achieve universal coverage has been under way to overcome problems in the fragmented health financing system and ensure universal coverage. With the enactment of the General Health Insurance Scheme Law in 2006, the Turkish health care system has embarked on one of its most radical and far-reaching reforms since the socialization attempt of the 1960s.

This paper focuses on the health care financing reform in Turkey, concentrating on its salient features in terms of financing functions and policies and explores the main differences between the old and new systems. The care and coverage aspects are also dealt with. Our results suggest that if well implemented, the GHIS reform can be a powerful engine for achieving universal coverage and enhancing equity and solidarity in the Turkish health care system. However, to reach this end, a transition process is required, as the success of the GHIS will depend on its ability to manage challenges during the implementation process.
Chinese scientific and technical information institutions: Development and perspective
Authors: Zheng Yanning
Published: May 2011

The collection, storage, processing, and dissemination of scientific and technical information make an important basis for economic and social development as well as for scientific development. A nation has to develop the right mechanisms and modalities to collect, store, process, and disseminate scientific and technical information tailored to its own system. In China, scientific and technical information institutions constitute a major contingent collecting, storing, processing, and disseminating this information, and have played an important role in national scientific and technical, economic, and social development. The scientific and technical system reform staged in the 1980s, and the development of Internet technology in the 1990s, have spurred on the reform and development of Chinese scientific and technical information institutions. This paper examines the current and future development trends of these institutions, in the context of system reform, operational evolutions, challenges, and future development trends, based on statistical data analysis and information obtained from the meetings, field investigations, and literature surveys.
Communication and fair distribution
Authors: Drange Hole Astri
Published: May 2011

The paper analyses the impact of communication about fairness on individual distribution decisions, and it focuses on three fairness ideals; strict egalitarianism, liberal egalitarianism, and libertarianism. A dictator game experiment with production and two treatments, one with and one without pre-play communication, is run. In the communication phase the individuals face three hypothetical distribution situations involving three fairness ideals. They are asked to choose the fairness ideal they think will imply the fairest distribution in the hypothetical situations. The decision is communicated to the opponents in the distribution phase.The study compares data from the two treatments and tests if communication about fairness has an effect, and how this effect works. Three models of how communication affects distribution are estimated; the integrity model, the compromise model and the self-serving model. The information exchange has an impact on both the weight individuals attach to fairness considerations and on their overall fairness considerations. The weight individuals attach to fairness considerations increases and there is a certain degree of heterogeneity in the population with respect to how most people process information.
Confidence in the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales: A Test of Ethnic Effects
Authors: Kautt Paula , Tankebe Justice
Published: May 2011

Ethnic minorities in England and Wales have a long history of difficult relationship with the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Yet, despite the availability of appropriate British Crime Survey (BCS) data, very few studies have examined the views of ethnic minorities of the CJS in England and Wales. Existing British research often oversimplifies the relationship by treating Black Minority Ethnic (BME) groups as interchangeable or failing to assess indirect effects. Moreover, most existing research focuses on public perceptions of the police, neglecting views on the wider CJS. This study remedies these deficiencies by employing recent (2001—2007) BCS data to independently examine the factors associated with views of the CJS for three general ethnicities (Asian, Black, and White). The results indicate that distinct combinations of factors influence respondent assessments of the CJS for each ethnic group. For instance, many perceived area-level disorder problems wield significant influence over views of only some ethnicities but not others. Likewise, level and type of contact with the CJS, such as being arrested versus being the accused in court, wield different impact on respondent perceptions of the CJS depending upon their ethnic group. Such results suggest that the various BME groups not only view the CJS differently from each other but also that a unique array of factors influences those views for each ethnicity. The implications of these findings for policy and research are discussed.
Evaluation of Soluble P-Selectin as a Marker for the Diagnosis of Deep Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Ramacciotti Eduardo , Blackburn Susan , Hawley Angela E. , Vandy Frank , Ballard-Lipka Nicole , Stabler Cathy , Baker Nichole , Guire Kenneth E. , Rectenwald John E. , Henke Peter K. , Myers Daniel D. , Wakefield Thomas W.
Published: May 2011

Objective: The combination of D-dimer and Wells score can exclude, but not confirm, the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Since thrombosis and inflammation are interrelated, we evaluated the combination of soluble P-selectin (sPsel) with other inflammatory biomarkers for the diagnosis of DVT. Methods: Sixty-two positive and one hundred and sixteen patients with negative DVT, by duplex scan, were prospectively evaluated for sPsel, D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), microparticles (MPs; total, leukocyte, and platelet-derived and tissue factor positive microparticles), and clinical Wells score. Results: Biomarkers and clinical scores that differentiated DVT positives from negatives were sPsel (87.3 vs 53.4 ng/mL, P < .0001), D-dimer (5.8 vs 2.1 mg/ L, P < .0001), CRP (2.1 vs 0.8 μg/mL, P < .0005), and Wells score (3.2 vs 2.0, P < .0001). For MP analysis, platelet-derived MPs were found to differentiate DVT from negatives. Using multivariable logistic regression, a combination of sPsel and Wells score could establish the diagnosis of DVT (cut point ≥90 ng/mL + Wells ≥2), with a specificity of 96% and positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and could exclude DVT diagnosis (cut point ≤60 ng/mL and Wells <2) with a sensitivity of 99%, a specificity of 33%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 96%. Conclusion: This study establishes a biomarker and clinical profile combination that can both confirm and exclude the diagnosis of DVT.
Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Receiving Thrombolytic Therapy for Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Chughtai Haroon L. , Janjua Muhammad , Matta Fadi , Jaweesh Fadel , Stein Paul D.
Published: May 2011

Predictors of in-hospital mortality from massive pulmonary embolism (PE) were retrospectively assessed in 78 patients who received thrombolytic therapy. Mortality from PE was 19% (15 of 78). Mortality from PE was higher in those with shock, 36% (12 of 33) versus no shock, 7% (3 of 45; P = .001), 21% (7 of 34) with right ventricle (RV) hypokinesis, and 20% (13 of 64) with RV enlargement. Mortality was 14% (2 of 14) with normal cardiac troponin I (cTnI), 19% (4 of 21) with intermediate cTnI, and 22% (8 of 36) with high cTnI (comparisons between groups nonsignificant [NS]). Trends with combinations of risk factors showed the highest mortality with shock plus high cTnI plus RV hypokinesis (57%) or shock plus high cTnI plus RV enlargement (54%). In conclusion, among the single risk factors, shock was associated with the highest in-hospital mortality from PE and combinations with high cTnI and RV enlargement were associated with higher mortalities.
Grey matter volume in a large cohort of MS patients: relation to MRI parameters and disability
Authors: Roosendaal Stefan D , Bendfeldt Kerstin , Vrenken Hugo , Polman Chris H , Borgwardt Stefan , Radue Ernst W , Kappos Ludwig , Pelletier Daniel , Hauser Stephen L , Matthews Paul M , Barkhof Frederik , Geurts Jeroen JG
Published: May 2011

Background: Although grey matter damage in multiple sclerosis is currently recognized, determinants of grey matter volume and its relationship with disability are not yet clear.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to measure grey and white matter volumes across different disease phenotypes; identify MRI parameters associated with grey matter volume; and study grey and white matter volume as explanatory variables for clinical impairment.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which MRI data of 95 clinically isolated syndrome, 657 relapsing–remitting, 125 secondary-progressive and 50 primary-progressive multiple sclerosis patients from three centres were acquired. Grey and white matter volumes were determined, together with T2 and T1 lesion volumes. Physical disability was assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale, cognitive impairment with the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task. Data were analysed using multiple regression.

Results: Grey matter volume was lower in relapsing–remitting patients (mean [SD]: 0.80 [0.05] L) than in clinically isolated syndrome patients (0.82 [0.05] L), and even greater relative atrophy was found in secondary-progressive patients (0.77 [0.05] L). In contrast, white matter volume in secondary-progressive patients was comparable to that in relapsing–remitting patients. Grey matter volume was the strongest independent predictor of physical disability and cognitive impairment, and was associated with both T2 and T1 lesion volume.

Conclusions: Our findings show that grey matter volume is lower in secondary-progressive than in relapsing–remitting disease. Grey matter volume explained physical and cognitive impairment better than white matter volume, and is itself associated with T2 and T1 lesion volume.
The association between perceived fatigue and actual level of physical activity in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Rietberg Marc B , van Wegen Erwin EH , Uitdehaag Bernard MJ , Kwakkel Gert
Published: May 2011

Background: Both fatigue and reduced physical activity are important consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their mutual association is poorly understood.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the relation between perceived fatigue and home-based recording of motor activity in patients with MS.

Methods: Found associations were checked for confounding by age, Expanded Disability Status Scales (EDSS), disease duration, sub-type of MS, anxiety, and depression. Forty-three ambulatory patients with MS were recruited. Ambulatory physical activity was recorded for 24 hours. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS20R). Linear regression was applied after which potential confounding factors were introduced in a multivariate regression model.

Results: No significant associations between physical activity and fatigue scores were found, except for the MFIS sub-scale ‘physical activity’ (ßphysical_activity [ßpa] = −0.044; SE = 0.020). The association between physical activity and the FSS score was distorted by age, MS-type, anxiety and depression and the association between physical activity and the MFIS score by age and depression. The inverse association between MFIS sub-scale ‘physical activity’ and physical activity was significantly strengthened by adjusting for age (ßpa = − 0.052; SE = 0.019), sub-type of MS (ßpa = − 0.048; SE = 0.020), anxiety (ßpa = − 0.070; SE = 0.023) and depression (ßpa = − 0.083; SE = 0.023).

Conclusions: In MS, there is no, or at best a weak association between severity of perceived fatigue and physical activity. Depending on the fatigue questionnaire used, patient characteristics such as age, type of MS, depression and anxiety are factors that may affect this relationship.
Immigration, left and right
Authors: Alonso Sonia , Fonseca Sara Claro da
Published: May 2011

Using data from the Comparative Manifestos Project, we compare the policy positions of left and right parties with regard to immigration across 18 West European countries between 1975 and 2005. We test two main hypotheses: First, we expect that mainstream parties will exploit anti-immigrant sentiments in the electorate regardless of extreme right competition. This would indicate that the extreme Right is not the only driving force behind the recent ‘anti-immigrant turn’ of electoral politics in Western Europe. Second, we expect the mainstream Left to become increasingly critical towards immigration as its mainstream and/or extreme right competitors intensify their populist rhetoric. Being ‘tough’ on immigration is thus not a prerogative of the Right. We conclude that the impact of the extreme Right on the electoral behaviour of mainstream right parties has been overstated in previous studies.
The Role of Onlookers in Arcade Gaming: Frame Analysis of Public Behaviours
Authors: Holin Lin  , Sun Chuen-Tsai
Published: May 2011

In this article we bring onlookers to front stage. Normally considered invisible participants in video game arcades, their multiple and fluid roles are key to establishing interactional frames in public gaming spaces. We identified three such frames — showroom, gymnasium, and clubroom — after analysing interactions and finding examples of self-presentation in Taipei’s largest gaming arcade. According to our observations, the nature of gaming scenarios is largely determined by the relative skill levels of players and onlookers, with participants playing their roles in relation to the currently active frame. Onlookers provide cues that signal dynamic frame shifts, thereby collectively maintaining the gaming environment while distinguishing themselves from outsiders. Our study uses a social interactional approach as a complement to fun- and/or play-oriented game research.