bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Judas Iskariot im Neuen Testament und im Judasevangelium
Authors: Pratscher Wilhelm
Published: May 2010

The Gospel of Judas is an interesting document, which completes our knowledge of (especially) the Sethianic gnosis. This is, on the one side, a contribution to the history of Christianity in the 2nd century, which shows a growing of the picture of Judas from Irenaeus, Haer. 1.31.1 to the Codex Tchacos. But on the other side, we can also better understand the historic Judas and (somehow) the presuppositions of the death of Jesus. All in all, the Gospel of Judas enables us (despite all ambivalence) to get a new and more differentiated impression of Judas in comparison to the canonical tradition.
Some Remarks on Thomas A. Wayment, “A New Transcription of P. Oxy. 2383 (P69)”
Authors: Clivaz Claire
Published: May 2010

Thomas Wayment’s article improves one important point in the transcription of P69: the reading of Lk 22:45 (recto, l. 4-5). His overall assessment obscures yet the particularities of this small enigmatic papyrus. Wayment misses the fact that P69 attests to a third version of the evidence for the Lukan prayer on the Mount of Olives: he does not consider the absence of Luke 22:42 in P69. This particularity has to be considered in the discussion of the evidence of Lk 22:43-44.
Two- and Four-Stream Combination Approximations for Computation of Diffuse Actinic Fluxes
Authors: Zhang Hua , Zhang Feng , Fu Qiang , Shen Zhongping , Lu Peng
Published: May 2010

The δ-two- and four-stream combination approximations, which use a source function from the two-stream approximations and evaluate intensities in the four-stream directions, are formulated for the calculation of diffuse actinic fluxes. The accuracy and efficiency of the three computational techniques—the δ-two-stream approximations, the δ-two- and four-stream combination approximations based on various two-stream approaches, and the δ-four-stream approximation—have been investigated. The diffuse actinic fluxes are examined by considering molecular, aerosol, haze, and cloud scattering over a wide range of solar zenith angles, optical depths, and surface albedos. In view of the overall accuracy and computational efficiency, the δ-two- and four-stream combination method based on the quadrature scheme appears to be well suited to radiative transfer calculations involving photodissociation processes.
Impacts of Convective Lifetime on Moist Geostrophic Adjustment
Authors: Dias Juliana , Pauluis Olivier
Published: May 2010

This paper presents a theoretical study of the effects of moist convection on geostrophic adjustment in an infinite channel. The governing equations correspond to a linearized shallow water system of equations for the atmosphere first vertical baroclinic mode, which is coupled to a vertically averaged moisture equation. The coupling is through a parameterization that represents precipitation. The transient behavior and final state of the flow initially at rest with active precipitation limited to half of the channel is investigated, both numerically and analytically. It is shown that an initial imbalance resulting from precipitation induces a circulation that dries out the nonprecipitating region and further enhances precipitation. This interaction between precipitation and dynamics leads to a sharper temperature gradient and stronger jet in the final state, when compared to the dry adjustment. Unlike in the dry case, the moist geostrophic adjustment cannot be entirely determined from the initial unbalanced flow, since it depends on the time scale for convection. Analytic approximations are derived in limits of both fast and slow convective adjustment time.
Interannual Variability of Northwest Australian Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Goebbert Kevin H. , Leslie Lance M.
Published: May 2010

Tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the southeast Indian Ocean has been studied far less than other TC basins, such as the North Atlantic and northwest Pacific. The authors examine the interannual TC variability of the northwest Australian (NWAUS) subbasin (0°–35°S, 105°–135°E), using an Australian TC dataset for the 39-yr period of 1970–2008. Thirteen TC metrics are assessed, with emphasis on annual TC frequencies and total TC days.

Major findings are that for the NWAUS subbasin, there are annual means of 5.6 TCs and 42.4 TC days, with corresponding small standard deviations of 2.3 storms and 20.0 days. For intense TCs (WMO category 3 and higher), the annual mean TC frequency is 3.0, with a standard deviation of 1.6, and the annual average intense TC days is 7.6 days, with a standard deviation of 4.5 days. There are no significant linear trends in either mean annual TC frequencies or TC days. Notably, all 13 variability metrics show no trends over the 39-yr period and are less dependent upon standard El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variables than many other TC basins, including the rest of the Australian region basin. The largest correlations with TC frequency were geopotential heights for June–August at 925 hPa over the South Atlantic Ocean (r = −0.65) and for April–June at 700 hPa over North America (−0.64). For TC days the largest correlations are geopotential heights for July–September at 1000 hPa over the South Atlantic Ocean (−0.7) and for April–June at 850 hPa over North America (−0.58). Last, wavelet analyses of annual TC frequencies and TC days reveal periodicities at ENSO and decadal time scales. However, the TC dataset is too short for conclusive evidence of multidecadal periodicities.

Given the large correlations revealed by this study, developing and testing of a multivariate seasonal TC prediction scheme has commenced, with lead times up to 6 months.
Observed and Modeled Changes in the South Asian Summer Monsoon over the Historical Period*
Authors: Fan Fangxing , Mann Michael E. , Lee Sukyoung , Evans Jenni L.
Published: May 2010

The behavior in the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) was analyzed in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) multimodel historical (20c3m) simulations and in modern observational and reanalysis data. The CMIP3 simulations capture the observed trend of weakening of the SASM circulation over the past half century, but are unable to reproduce the magnitude of the observed weakening trend. While the observations indicate a slight decrease in SASM-related precipitation, the CMIP3 simulations indicate on average a very slight increase, albeit with very large intermodel and intramodel variabilities. The CMIP3 simulations reproduce the observed negative relationship between the SASM and ENSO. The observed weakening trend in this relationship in recent decades, which has been attributed in some studies to anthropogenic forcing, appears to be well within the variability of the CMIP3 multimodel ensemble. For some models, distinct realizations indicate both strengthening and weakening trends that are larger in magnitude than the observed weakening trend.
The Hydrologic Cycle of the La Plata Basin in the WCRP-CMIP3 Multimodel Dataset
Authors: Saurral Ramiro I.
Published: May 2010

General circulation models (GCMs) forced under different greenhouse gases emission and socioeconomic scenarios are currently the most extended tool throughout the scientific community that is used to infer the future climate on Earth. However, these models still have problems in capturing several aspects of regional climate variability in many parts of the globe. In this paper, the hydrological cycle of the La Plata Basin is simulated using the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) distributed hydrology model and forced with atmospheric data from different GCMs to determine to what extent errors in temperature and precipitation fields impact the hydrology of the basin. The skill assessment is performed in terms of simulated runoff at different closing points. Simulated hydrographs show that all of the GCMs present deficiencies in simulating the regional climatology of southern South America, and this leads to a very poor representation of the hydrological cycle of the main rivers across the basin. Two unbiasing schemes are then proposed as a means of correcting the GCM outputs before forcing the hydrology model, and comparisons between biased and unbiased simulations are also performed. Results indicate that both schemes, though methodologically different, reduce the water cycle simulation bias. Finally, VIC is forced with bias-corrected data from the GCMs for future decades (2030 and 2070) under different socioeconomic scenarios [e.g., the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) scenarios A1B, A2, and B1] to determine the potential changes in streamflow due to climate change for the rest of the present century.
Floods over the U.S. Midwest: A Regional Water Cycle Perspective
Authors: Dirmeyer Paul A. , Kinter James L.
Published: May 2010

The characteristics of situations of extremely high rainfall over the midwestern region of the United States during late spring and summer are investigated from the perspective of the regional water cycle using observations and observationally based analyses. The period of May–July has the greatest mean rainfall rates of the year and higher interannual variability than the periods either before or after. This is also a critical time of year for water resources and cultivation schedules in this agriculturally important region. Large-scale floods during this time of year are usually characterized by an enhanced source of moisture evaporating from low latitudes, specifically the Caribbean Sea. This is part of a fetch of moisture that extends from the Caribbean northward along the coast of Central America, over the Yucatan Peninsula, along the east coast of Mexico and the western Gulf of Mexico, and over Texas, where it links into the Great Plains low-level jet. In fact, heavy rainfall over much of the eastern half of the United States is associated with above-average Caribbean moisture supply. There is also indication of an enhanced source of moisture from the subtropical Pacific during Midwest flood events. Drought events appear to have a different spatial pattern of water cycle variables and circulation anomalies, and are not simply equal and opposite manifestations of flood events. While not a dominant source of moisture even during extreme events, the Caribbean region seems to be part of an important link for remote moisture, supplying floods over the Midwest.
Tropical Cells and a Secondary Circulation near the Northern Front of the Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue*
Authors: Perez Renellys C. , Cronin Meghan F. , Kessler William S.
Published: May 2010

Shipboard measurements and a model are used to describe the mean structure of meridional–vertical tropical cells (TCs) in the central equatorial Pacific and a secondary circulation associated with the northern front of the cold tongue. The shape of the front is convoluted by the passage of tropical instability waves (TIWs). When velocities are averaged in a coordinate system centered on the instantaneous position of the northern front, the measurements show a near-surface minimum in northward flow north of the surface front (convergent flow near the front). This convergence and inferred downwelling extend below the surface mixed layer, tilt poleward with depth, and are meridionally bounded by regions of divergence and upwelling. Similarly, the model shows that, on average, surface cold tongue water moves northward toward the frontal region and dives below tilted front, whereas subsurface water north of the front moves southward toward the front, upwells, and then moves northward in the surface mixed layer. The model is used to demonstrate that this mean quasi-adiabatic secondary circulation is not a frozen field that migrates with the front but is instead highly dependent on the phase of the TIWs: southward-upwelling flow on the warm side of the front tends to occur when the front is displaced southward, whereas northward-downwelling flow on the cold side of the front occurs when the front is displaced northward. Consequently, when averaged in geographic coordinates, the observed and simulated TCs appear to be equatorially asymmetric and show little trace of a secondary circulation near the mean front.
Observations of Large-Amplitude Nonlinear Internal Waves from a Drifting Array: Instruments and Methods
Authors: Centurioni L. R.
Published: May 2010

This paper presents a novel methodology applied to the observation of large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves in the upper ocean from an array of drifting instruments. The characteristics of the instrument used—an Autonomous Drifting Ocean Station with acoustic current profilers (ADOS-A), which is a drifting buoy with a 200-m-long thermistor chain, several profiling acoustic current meters, and a GPS—are discussed. The ADOS-A is lightweight and relatively inexpensive and can be deployed from aircrafts or from ships of opportunity. Three packets of large-amplitude, nonlinear internal waves were observed in the South China Sea. The speed and the direction of propagation of the waves are accurately determined and their characteristics and evolution over space and time scales comparable with those of the waves, as they propagate through the array, are discussed.
Reading History Forward: The Origins of Electoral Systems in European Democracies
Authors: Ahmed Amel
Published: May 2010

This article reexamines the reconfiguration of electoral systems in European democracies in the first age of democratization. Rather than asking why some countries maintained the status quo whereas others “switched” to proportional representation (PR), the author argues that both single-member plurality (SMP) and PR were departures from the predemocratic electoral institutions in most of Europe. At the time they were introduced, SMP and PR were understood as two functionally equivalent alternative safeguards of the position of right parties against the consequences of suffrage expansion. The choice of either system depended not on the level of threat that democratization posed (because both were designed with this threat in mind) but instead on the compatibility of each system with right parties’ preexisting broader strategies to contain the rise of socialist parties. The author illustrates these points by analyzing two paradigmatic cases: the United Kingdom, the first to formally adopt SMP, and Belgium, the first to adopt PR. This perspective provides new insights into the overall process of democratization.
Ethnic Differences in Housing Opportunities in Athens
Authors: Drydakis Nick
Published: May 2010

This study uses a telephone field experiment to assess the degree of discrimination against female Albanians in Athenian rental housing markets. By examining a large sample represented by 122 urban areas, it was found that Albanians faced lower access to housing than the corresponding probability for Greeks. Moreover, Albanians faced lower access in newer apartments, above-ground apartments and repaired apartments. Meanwhile, Albanian home-seekers have to pay more than Greeks for these housing characteristics. Of further importance is the finding that Albanians have higher access to housing in areas closer to the Athens centre, suggesting the role of landlords in creating residential ethnic segregation. All findings are significant and suggest that Albanians both anticipate and encounter housing discrimination.
Unintelligent Design: A Discussion of Steve Fuller’s Dissent over Descent
Authors: Forsman Birgitta
Published: May 2010

In this discussion, Steve Fuller’s book Dissent over Descent is criticized mainly because he draws conclusions from wishful thinking and uses ancient and medieval scientists as well as theologians in his efforts to invalidate the theory of evolution. He is also criticized for drawing universal conclusions from a Eurocentric version of history. If science and technology studies is to regain its reputation, its representatives have to use relevant statements and argue more rationally.
Review Essay: Scientific Revolutions Revisited
Authors: Perovic Slobodan
Published: May 2010

Weinert defends a distinctively anti-Kuhnian position on scientific revolutions, predicating his argument on a nuanced and clear case analysis. He also builds on his previous work on eliminative induction that he sees as the central scientific method in the rise of revolutionary theories. The treatment of social sciences as revolutionary offers the key elements of a promising ambitious project. His botched attempt to portray the Darwinian view of mind as a brand of emergentism is the only weak point if this insightful book.
Measuring Physicians’ and Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Caring for Immigrant Patients
Authors: Hudelson Patricia , Junod Perron Noëlle , Perneger Thomas V.
Published: May 2010

It is generally believed that culturally competent clinical practice depends in part on the development of positive attitudes toward the care of immigrant patients. However, few tools exist to measure such attitudes in physicians. The authors operationalized ‘‘culturally competent attitudes’’ to include a high level of interest in caring for immigrant patients, an acceptance of the responsibility of doctors and hospitals to adapt to immigrant patients’ needs, and the opinion that understanding the patient’s psychosocial context is particularly important when caring for immigrant patients. The authors then assessed these attitudes and opinions among a sample of 619 Geneva doctors and medical students using a self-administered questionnaire and explored their association to respondents’ personal characteristics and professional experience. The authors found that both personal characteristics and professional experience were associated with attitudes toward caring for immigrant patients. In particular, the perceived importance of understanding the psychosocial context when caring for migrants was higher among medical students, women, Swiss nationals, those with greater interest in caring for immigrant patients and those who had received training in cultural competence. However, it is unclear whether cultural competence training and clinical context lead to the development of more positive attitudes or whether medical students and physicians who already have positive attitudes are more likely to participate in such training.
Consulting a Trained Physician When Considering a Request for Euthanasia: An Evaluation of the Process in Flanders and The Netherlands
Authors: Van Wesemael Yanna , Cohen Joachim , Bilsen Johan , Onwuteaka-Philipsen Bregje D. , Distelmans Wim , Deliens Luc
Published: May 2010

In Belgium and the Netherlands, consultation of a second independent physician by the attending physician is mandatory in euthanasia cases. In both countries, specialized consultation services have been established to provide physicians trained for that purpose. This retrospective study describes and compares the quality of consultation of both services based on surveys of attending physicians and those providing the consultation (consultants). While Dutch consultants discussed certain subjects, for example, alternative curative or palliative treatment more often with the attending physician than Belgian consultants, both usually discussed those subjects considered necessary for a quality consultation and were independent from patient and attending physician. Over 90% of attending physicians in both countries evaluated the consultant’s knowledge of palliative care, patient’s disease, and judicial procedure, and their communication skills, as sufficient. Consultation with specialized consultation services seems to promote quality of euthanasia consultations.
Does low-dose botulinum toxin help the recovery of arm function when given early after stroke? A phase II randomized controlled pilot study to estimate effect size
Authors: Cousins Elizabeth , Ward Anthony , Roffe Christine , Rimington Lesley , Pandyan Anand
Published: May 2010

Objective: Spasticity after stroke may be associated with worse functional outcome. Our study aim is to establish whether a low dose of botulinum toxin, given early post stroke before clinically evident spasticity warrants treatment, will improve recovery of arm function.

Design: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: An acute stroke unit.

Subjects: Individuals recruited within three weeks of stroke onset with severe arm function deficits.

Interventions: Injections of quarter and half standard dose botulinum toxin A to the upper limb, with a control of normal saline injections.

Main measures: Arm function, active and passive movement, and spasticity at elbow and wrist were recorded at baseline, and at 4, 8, 12 and 20 weeks post intervention. A pre-planned subgroup analysis included only subjects with no arm function at baseline (Action Research Arm Test score = 0).

Results: Thirty subjects were recruited, and 21 completed all assessments. Arm function scores improved in all three groups between baseline and week 20. There was no benefit for active treatment over control in the whole group analysis. In the subgroup analysis the active groups improved when compared with the control group and effect sizes for improvement in this subgroup were 0.6 and 0.5 for the quarter dose and half dose groups respectively.

Conclusions: Individuals with no arm function within three weeks of stroke may benefit functionally from botulinum toxin. Using the effect size of 0.5, further studies would need a minimum of 101 participants in each group to confirm this finding.
Dynamic Microsimulation Models for Health Outcomes
Authors: Rutter Carolyn M. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Feuer Eric J.
Published: May 2010

Background. Microsimulation models (MSMs) for health outcomes simulate individual event histories associated with key components of a disease process; these simulated life histories can be aggregated to estimate population-level effects of treatment on disease outcomes and the comparative effectiveness of treatments. Although MSMs are used to address a wide range of research questions, methodological improvements in MSM approaches have been slowed by the lack of communication among modelers. In addition, there are few resources to guide individuals who may wish to use MSM projections to inform decisions. Methods. This article presents an overview of microsimulation modeling, focusing on the development and application of MSMs for health policy questions. The authors discuss MSM goals, overall components of MSMs, methods for selecting MSM parameters to reproduce observed or expected results (calibration), methods for MSM checking (validation), and issues related to reporting and interpreting MSM findings(sensitivity analyses, reporting of variability, and model transparency). Conclusions. MSMs are increasingly being used to provide information to guide health policy decisions. This increased use brings with it the need for both better understanding of MSMs by policy researchers, and continued improvement in methods for developing and applying MSMs.
Public Values in Western Europe: A Temporal Perspective
Authors: Charles Michael B. , Martin de Jong W. , Ryan Neal
Published: May 2010

Public values are still considered by some authors to be universal, that is, applicable to all settings and constant through time. Despite this, a growing number of publications have appeared indicating that they are in fact quite context dependent, highly mutable over time, subject to modification, and thus far from universal. This article focuses on the latter temporal aspect and demonstrates how technological competency, political structures, and availability of economic resources affect the institutionalization of public values by molding citizen/consumer preferences and expectations. The salience and indeed the existence of public values pertaining to infrastructure have varied quite considerably over the past 2,000 years in Western Europe, although commonalities emerge in cognate institutional settings. This article develops a line of thought as to how public values and the systems through which these are delivered are institutionalized following societal demand, which in turn is based on specific technological, political, and economic contexts. To demonstrate this argument, we have selected two policy areas in which public values can be recognized (transport infrastructure and access to foodstuffs) in four different Western European historical settings (the Roman Empire, Medieval England, 18th-century France, and Industrial England). We do not make any claim to completeness or representativeness, but aim to demonstrate how different public values have been conceptualized and institutionalized in different eras, and how wider societal forces color this institutionalization process. The article concludes with lessons for the present day.
Processing poultry feathers into keratin hydrolysate through alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis
Authors: Mokrejs Pavel , Svoboda Petr , Hrncirik Josef , Janacova Dagmar , Vasek Vladimir
Published: May 2010

Poultry feathers make up for as much as 8.5% of chicken weight and represent a considerable amount of almost pure keratin waste which is not being adequately utilized at the present time. The present study dealt with the processing of poultry feathers through a two-stage alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis. In the first stage, feathers were mixed with a 0.1 or 0.3% KOH water solution in a 1 : 50 ratio and were incubated at 70°C for 24 h. After adjusting pH to 9, the effects examined in the second processing stage on the amount of degraded feathers were those of proteolytic enzyme additions (1-5%), time (4-8 h) and temperature (50-70°C). Processing feathers in 0.3% KOH and hydrolysing for 8 h in the second stage at 70°C with a 5% dose of enzyme (relative to dry feathers weight) produced approx. 91% degradation. Keratin hydrolysate is distinct for its high nitrogen content and reasonable inorganic solids level. Two-stage technology of alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysing of poultry feathers in an environment of 0.3% KOH achieves high efficiency under quite mild reaction conditions (temperature not exceeding 70°C with pH in a mildly alkaline region), and is feasible from an economic viewpoint. Keratin hydrolysate can find particular application in packaging technology (films, foils and encapsulates).
Increased Late Night Response to Light Controls the Circadian Pacemaker in a Nocturnal Primate
Authors: Perret Martine , Gomez Doris , Barbosa Alexandra , Aujard Fabienne , Théry Marc
Published: May 2010

The mammalian endogenous circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nuclei, receives environmental inputs, namely the light-dark cycle, through photopigments located in the eye and from melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells. The authors investigated the influence of light wavelength and intensity on the synchronization of the rest-activity rhythm of the gray mouse lemur, a nocturnal Malagasy primate. Animals were tested at different irradiance levels (320, 45, 13, and 6 nmol.m-2.s- 1) under several light wavelengths (from 400 to 610 nm). Several parameters including circadian period, activity, and body temperature waveforms were used to assess synchronization to a 12:12 light-dark cycle in comparison to control treatments (12:12 white light or continuous darkness). Entrainment of the circadian rest-activity cycle increased with light intensity. It was more efficient for mid wavelengths relative to shorter or longer wavelengths but not coincident with melanopsin maximal sensitivity, suggesting other photoreceptors are likely involved in lemurs’ photoentrainment. The authors obtained a novel synchronization pattern characterized by a clear synchronization to lights-on only without phasing to lights-off. Changes in photo-responsiveness at dusk and dawn highlight differential responses of evening and morning oscillators in the circadian clock.
Technical Adequacy and Cost Benefit of Four Measures of Early Literacy
Authors: McBride James R. , Ysseldyke Jim , Milone Michael , Stickney Eric
Published: May 2010

Technical adequacy and information/cost return were examined for four early reading measures: the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), STAR Early Literacy (SEL), Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE), and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI). All four assessments were administered to the same students in each of Grades K through 2 over a 5-week period; the samples included 200 students per grade from 7 states. Both SEL and DIBELS were administered twice to establish their retest reliability in each grade. We focused on the convergent validity of each assessment for measuring five critical components of reading development identified by the U.S. National Research Panel: Phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. DIBELS and TPRI both are asserted to assess all five of these components; GRADE and STAR Early Literacy explicitly measure all except fluency. For all components, correlations among relevant subtests were high and comparable. The pattern of intercorrelations of nonfluency measures with fluency suggests the tests of fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and word reading are measuring the same underlying construct. A separate cost—benefit study was conducted and showed that STAR Early Literacy was the most cost-effective measure among those studied. In terms of amount of time per unit of test administration or teachers’ time, CAT (computerized adaptive testing) in general, and STAR Early Literacy in particular, is an attractive option for early reading assessment.
Educational Psychologists’ Perspectives on Their Professional Practice in Newfoundland and Labrador
Authors: Harris Gregory E. , Joy Rhonda M.
Published: May 2010

Educational psychology is in the midst of examination and potential change in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Unfortunately, there has been a paucity of published empirical research investigating educational psychology in the province. The current study surveyed educational psychologists from the four English districts in Newfoundland and Labrador to investigate areas such as current and preferred work activities, typical assessment and counselling practices, and psychological test access and perceived test usefulness. Results highlighted a range of current and preferred work activities, with psychoeducational assessment as the most time consuming responsibility. Although some findings varied between school districts, participants overall reported preferring increased amounts of time to devote to areas such as prevention, counselling, and research. Implications for training, future research, and practice are discussed.
Urban 3D GIS Modeling of Terrorism Sniper Hazards
Authors: VanHorn Jason E. , Mosurinjohn Nathan A.
Published: May 2010

This study explores the prevention of terrorism using three-dimensional (3D) analysis for the protection of populations in urban environments. Terrorism and crime prevention has become a popular exercise using the spatial tools available with geographic information systems (GISs). Thus far, most approaches have considered two-dimensional (2D) applications focusing primarily on hot spot identification or mapping trends in a geographic region. Sniper rifle fire modeling is examined in 3D modeling within a GIS environment. The primary methodology is tested using the concept of a viewshed and line of sight (LoS). To test the model, the Gerald R. Ford Funeral in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is used to examine the protection of individuals from sniper fire. It is found that using viewsheds has good potential to aid protection agents responsible for protecting individuals and populations.
Political Participation of Teenagers in the Information Era
Authors: Seongyi Yun , Woo-Young Chang
Published: May 2010

This study intends to examine the environments and the characteristics of political participation of teenage political participation. The 2008 Candlelight Protests of Korea is used as the case of this study. Traditionally, teenagers in Korea have been known to disengage from political affairs because they are usually worn by intense academic challenge and competition. In that sense, participation of teenagers at such a large scale shown in the 2008 Candlelight Protests of Korea can only be explained as a huge shift in political preference of teenagers and conventional social norms. In that sense, the case of 2008 Candlelight Protests of Korea has shown great implications for the political potential of new media, which is capable of revolutionizing the political socialization patterns of youth. Survey results demonstrated that the Internet had become an important tool from which the teenagers collected political information and channels which they used to organize and mobilize. Numbers also showed that the degree of the youth’s sociopolitical interests were higher than the adult’s. Another notable fact found was that female students showed more aggressive involvement than male students and this could be explained by the difference in the Internet usage pattern between male and female students. In using media, adolescent girls displayed more relationship and objective-oriented behaviors than the boys.
Strongly Nonlinear Oscillators Subject to Delay
Authors: Erneux Thomas
Published: May 2010

A large class of strongly nonlinear conservative oscillators subject to a delayed feedback are modeled mathematically by second-order delay differential equations. Recent applications include the control of crane oscillations and lasers subject to optoelectronic feedback. We apply the method of averaging in the case of weak damping and weak feedback and determine the bifurcation diagram of the limit-cycle solutions. We find that the coexistence of a stable equilibrium with one or several stable periodic solutions is unavoidable if the delay is sufficiently large.
Propagation of Love Waves in an Orthotropic Granular Layer Under Initial Stress Overlying a Semi-infinite Granular Medium
Authors: Ahmed S.M. , Abo-Dahab S.M.
Published: May 2010

The propagation of Love waves in an orthotropic granular layer under initial stress overlying a semi-infinite granular medium is investigated in this paper. A Fourier transform method has been applied to find the dispersion equation. The dispersion equation is obtained in the form of a ninth-order determinantal expression. The standard equation of dispersion in two-layered isotropic media is deduced as a particular case from this study. The results obtained are displayed graphically and there physical meaning is explained.
Detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children With Intellectual Disability: Which DSM-IV-TR Criteria Are Most Useful?
Authors: Hartley Sigan L. , Sikora Darryn M.
Published: May 2010

The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in older children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) is challenging because of overlap in symptomatology and the high comorbidity of these disorders. On the basis of a sample of 89 older children with IDs (aged 6—15 years) referred to an ASD clinic, semistructured parent interviews were used to investigate the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) diagnostic criteria that differentiated children with ASDs from those without ASDs. Diagnostic criteria related to impaired social interactions, stereotyped or idiosyncratic language, poor conversational skills, lack of pretend and imitative play, and restricted or narrowed interests were related to ASD diagnoses. The findings of this study have implications for improving ASD diagnostic evaluations in children with IDs.
An Empirical Assessment of What We Know About Structural Covariates of Homicide Rates: A Return to a Classic 20 Years Later
Authors: McCall Patricia L. , Land Kenneth C. , Parker Karen F.
Published: May 2010

As the 20-year mark since the publication of an article by Kenneth C. Land, Patricia L. McCall, and Lawrence Cohen, “Structural Covariates of Homicide Rates: Are There Any Invariances Across Time and Social Space?” approaches, the question that these scholars originally posed is raised again: Have researchers been able to identify a set of robust structural covariates that consistently predict crime rates? Subsequent to the publication of this piece, numerous scholars have replicated and extended its conceptual, methodological, and empirical work in various ways—with more than 500 citations to date. In response to this attention, the authors first review the advances made by the Land et al. article. This is followed by a review of findings from studies published over the past 20 years to determine which structural predictors identified in the Land et al. piece continue to be prominent in the study of homicide and which structural predictors have surfaced in recent years as influential to crime rates. Using data on U.S. cities for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000, the authors then present a systematic empirical assessment of the explanatory power of the covariates of homicide rates identified in the Land et al. study. Twenty years later, we find support for the claims of invariance established in Land et al. and acknowledge the contributions of this piece to the macrolevel study of homicide rates.
Memantine for cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Lovera JF , Frohman E. , Brown TR , Bandari D. , Nguyen L. , Yadav V. , Stuve O. , Karman J. , Bogardus K. , Heimburger G. , Cua L. , Remingon G. , Fowler J. , Monahan T. , Kilcup S. , Courtney Y. , McAleenan J. , Butler K. , Wild K. , Whitham R. , Bourdette D.
Published: May 2010

Background: Memantine, an NMDA antagonist, is effective for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.

Objective: Determine whether memantine improves cognitive performance (CP) among subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cognitive impairment (CI).

Methods: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00300716) compared memantine 10 mg twice a day (4 week titration followed by 12 weeks on the highest tolerated dose) with placebo. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to exit on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) Long Delay Free Recall (LDFR). Secondary outcomes included additional neuropsychological tests; self-report measures of quality of life, fatigue, and depression; and family/caregiver reports of subjects’ CI and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Results: The differences between the groups on the change on the PASAT (placebo—memantine = 0.0 correct responses, 95% CI 3.4, 3.4; p = 0.9) and on CVLT-II LDFR (placebo—memantine =—0.6 words, 95% CI —2.1, 0.8; p = 0.4) as well as on the other cognitive tests were not significant. Subjects on memantine had no serious adverse events (AEs) but had more fatigue and neurological AEs as well as, per family members’ reports, less cognitive improvement and greater neuropsychiatric symptoms than subjects on placebo.

Conclusion: Memantine 10 mg twice a day does not improve CP in subjects with MS, ages 18—65, without major depression, who have subjective cognitive complaints and perform worse than one SD below the mean on the PASAT or on the California Verbal Learning Test-II (total recall or delayed free recall).
Efficacy of TeachTown: Basics computer-assisted intervention for the Intensive Comprehensive Autism Program in Los Angeles Unified School District
Authors: Whalen Christina , Moss Debbie , Ilan Aaron B. , Vaupel Manya , Fielding Paul , Macdonald Kevin , Cernich Shannon , Symon Jennifer
Published: May 2010

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) has shown increased popularity recently and there are many studies showing promise for this approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, there are no between-subject studies to date assessing the efficacy of CAI with this population. In this study, 47 preschool and K-1 students in ASD classrooms participated from Los Angeles Unified School District. TeachTown: Basics, a CAI program which also includes supplementary off-computer activities, was implemented over 3 months for approximately 20 minutes per day on the computer and 20 minutes per day in supplementary TeachTown: Basics activities. Compared to the students in the control group, the TeachTown: Basics students showed more improvement overall on language and cognitive outcome measures. In addition, students who used TeachTown: Basics demonstrated significant progress overall in the software and those students who used the program for more time demonstrated larger gains within the software and in outcome measures. Although not conclusive, these findings offer possibilities for the use of CAI for remediating many deficits for children with ASD and other special needs. In addition, CAI may offer solutions to schools and parents with insufficient funds for more expensive treatments.
Innovation processes in online newsrooms as actor-networks and communities of practice
Authors: Schmitz Weiss Amy , Domingo David
Published: May 2010

This article explores two different but complementary theoretical approaches to frame innovation in online media: actor-network theory and community of practice.The principles and key concepts of each are presented and their suitability to the analysis of innovation in journalism is discussed through four newsroom cases.The findings demonstrate that these theories are efficient tools to understand and analyze the actors involved in innovation decisions in the newsroom, the dynamics of the negotiation and learning processes among the journalists and the factors constraining and fostering evolution when innovations are implemented or disregarded in the newsroom.
Does the Long Tail apply to online news? A quantitative study of French-speaking news websites
Authors: Smyrnaios Nikos , Marty Emmanuel , Rebillard Franck
Published: May 2010

The multiplicity of news available on the web is frequently presented as a positive factor leading to pluralism. The web is expected to offer a wider range of content than offline media, as the Long Tail theory more largely suggests. But such an assumption has to be proved by empirical evidence. The research presented in this article aims at testing this hypothesis through a transdisciplinary quantitative study based on a sample of several thousands of articles drawn from different categories of French-speaking websites. In fact, the editorial identification of topical issues and the lexicometric analysis of the headlines both suggest a more complex situation. The spectrum of issues that websites deal with is simultaneously characterized by diversity as well as high concentration on a few major and redundant issues. These results highlight the necessity to question the ideal of pluralism that the web is supposed to embody.
How the iPhone became divine: new media, religion and the intertextual circulation of meaning
Authors: Campbell Heidi A. , La Pastina Antonio C.
Published: May 2010

This article explores the labeling of the iPhone as the ‘Jesus phone’ in order to demonstrate how religious metaphors and myth can be appropriated into popular discourse and shape the reception of a technology. We consider the intertextual nature of the relationship between religious language, imagery and technology and demonstrate how this creates a unique interaction between technology fans and bloggers, news media and even corporate advertising. Our analysis of the ‘Jesus phone’ clarifies how different groups may appropriate the language and imagery of another to communicate very different meanings and intentions. Intertextuality serves as a framework to unpack the deployment of religion to frame technology and meanings communicated. We also reflect on how religious language may communicate both positive and negative aspects of a technology and instigate an unintentional trajectory in popular discourse as it is employed by different audiences, both online and offline.
News in the interstices: The niches of mobile media in space and time
Authors: Dimmick John , Feaster John Christian , Hoplamazian Gregory J.
Published: May 2010

The recent growth of mobile channels has provided steadily increasing opportunities for individuals to access news and other mass-mediated content. Media ecological perspectives argue that the introduction of such new technologies can shift the existing biases in prevailing social systems. According to one ecological perspective, the theory of the niche, when new media technologies are successfully introduced into a domain, displacement may occur unless some alteration is made to the resource base. Interstices are conceptualized as the gaps in the routines of media users between scheduled activities. Through the use of a diary method, participants logged access to news using a variety of communication technologies, including mobile channels. Results indicated that traditional media occupied traditional niches with little evidence of displacement, while mobile channels occupied a new niche: access in the interstices.
Max Weber and the ‘Spirit’ of The Protestant Ethic
Authors: Ascher Ivan
Published: May 2010

Weber’s account of the iron cage of capitalism, which once might have stirred readers to resist the alienation it describes, has by now lost much of its critical force, as if the metaphor itself had turned to steel. And yet, just as Weber thought there was in the notion of ‘duty in a calling’ a ghost of capitalism’s religious origins, I argue that there is in the language of The Protestant Ethic and the ‘Spirit’ of Capitalism a ghost of the text’s once critical nature. With this in mind, and following Weber’s lead as he conjures the ‘spirit’ of capitalism and traces its roots to the Reformation, this article finds in The Protestant Ethic evidence of a certain ‘spirit’ of Weber’s science — a science that decides on the meaning of its evidence in ways not always avowed, and finds its own antecedents in the hermeneutic practices it analyzes.
The Lived Body
Authors: McCormick Marie L.
Published: May 2010

Through conducting a phenomenology of phenomenology — -reflection on and association to the lived experience of conducting a phenomenological study in which fifteen older women engaged in reflection on their experience of their body/‘self’(s) throughout the lifecourse from the perspective of food and eating — the lived body emerged as the essential dimension of the researcher—participant relationship. Further reflection, from the disciplinary perspective of social work, led to the emergence of the lived body as the essential dimension in social work practice. Beginning by identifying the key components of this conceptualization: the lived body and the relationship, this article considers the lived body from three perspectives: feminist theory, social work and phenomenology, and describes the role of the relationship in phenomenological human science research and in social work practice. It parallels phenomenological research and social work practice as relationship-based ways of knowing. From this position, the lived body is the essential dimension in the researcher—participant and social worker—client relationships. Narrative excerpts from this study are used to embody the theoretical presentation.
The Pilot Study in Qualitative Inquiry
Authors: Kim Yujin
Published: May 2010

This article discusses the importance of a pilot study in undertaking phenomenological qualitative inquiry for culturally competent research. The pilot work was conducted in preparation for a dissertation on Korean-American family dementia caregiving. The definition and useful functions of pilot studies in qualitative inquiry are particularly identified. To highlight the benefits of pilot work, it describes the specific practical and methodological issues emerging in the pilot exercise as well as the modifications made for the main study as a result of the pilot work. The implementation of the pilot exercise proved to be essential in four ways. These comprise (1) finding issues and barriers related to recruiting potential participants, (2) engaging the use of oneself as a researcher in a culturally appropriate way and from a phenomenological perspective, (3) reflecting the importance of the epoche process and its difficulty in conducting phenomenological inquiry, and (4) modifying interview questions. Finally, the value of sharing the pilot study to develop culturally competent research practice is addressed.