bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Japanese Aggrenox (Extended-Release Dipyridamole plus Aspirin) Stroke Prevention versus Aspirin Programme (JASAP) Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial
Authors: Uchiyama Shinichiro , Ikeda Yasuo , Urano Yasuhisa , Horie Yoshiharu , Yamaguchi Takenori
Published: April 2011

Background: Despite improvements in treatment, stroke still carries a high death toll and disability in Asia. Extended-release dipyridamole (ER-DP) plus acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has consistently been shown to be superior over conventional platelet inhibition by ASA. ER-DP plus ASA is well established in the secondary prevention of stroke in a lot of countries including the USA and Europe. DP has an established benefit in the treatment of heart disease in Japan; however, for the prevention of stroke, the fixed-dose combination of ER-DP plus ASA has only been investigated in a small number of patients in Japan. Methods: The aim of this double-blind, randomized clinical trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ER-DP plus ASA versus 81 mg ASA over 1 year. The primary end point of this study was the event rate of recurrent ischemic stroke (fatal or nonfatal) using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 1,294 enrolled patients, the primary end point was analyzed in 652 patients in the ER-DP plus ASA group and 639 in the ASA group. The incidence of ischemic stroke was 6.9% for ER-DP plus ASA and 5.0% for ASA with a hazard ratio of 1.47 (95% confidence interval 0.93–2.31) for the primary end point. The ASA treatment group was found to have a lower than expected yearly event rate, compared to other studies in Japanese stroke patients. Noninferiority of ER-DP plus ASA versus ASA could not be shown. The risks of major bleeding events and intracranial hemorrhage were found to be similar between the treatment arms. There were 4 deaths (0.6%) in the ER-DP plus ASA group and 10 (1.6%) in the ASA group. Conclusions: The results of the study are inconclusive. Noninferiority of ER-DP plus ASA versus ASA could not be established, a difference between treatments could not be shown for the primary end point. Possible reasons for this result include a small sample size, low event rates and too short a treatment duration (ClinicalTrials. gov number, NCT00311402).
Long-Term Treatment with Fumaric Acid Esters in an 11-Year-Old Male Child with Psoriasis
Authors: Gerdes S. , Domm S. , Mrowietz U.
Published: April 2011

Moderate to severe psoriasis is common in childhood and adolescence and is often a challenge for the treating dermatologist. In most cases, systemic therapies in children are only available ‘off-label’. Fumaric acid esters (FAEs) have been used successfully in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in adults and are recommended for long-term treatment in the German S3 guideline. In childhood psoriasis, FAEs may be a treatment alternative if a systemic therapy is indicated. Here, we report about the successful long-term treatment with FAEs in a male child with severe psoriasis.
Safety and Tolerability of Atopaxar in the Treatment of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: O'Donoghue Michelle L. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Wiviott Stephen D. , Goodman Shaun G. , Fitzgerald Desmond J. , Angiolillo Dominick J. , Goto Shinya , Montalescot Gilles , Zeymer Uwe , Aylward Philip E. , Guetta Victor , Dudek Dariusz , Ziecina Rafal , Contant Charles F. , Flather Marcus D.
Published: April 2011

Background—

Atopaxar (E5555) is a reversible protease-activated receptor-1 thrombin receptor antagonist that interferes with platelet signaling. The primary objective of the Lessons From Antagonizing the Cellular Effects of Thrombin–Acute Coronary Syndromes (LANCELOT—ACS) trial was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of atopaxar in patients with ACS.

Methods and Results—

Six hundred and three subjects were randomized within 72 hours of non–ST-elevation ACS to 1 of 3 doses of atopaxar (400-mg loading dose followed by 50, 100, or 200 mg daily) or matching placebo. The incidence of Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) major or minor bleeding did not differ significantly between the combined atopaxar and placebo groups (3.08% versus 2.17%, respectively;
P
=0.63), and there was no dose-related trend (
P
=0.80). The incidence of CURE major bleeding was numerically higher in the atopaxar group compared with the placebo group (1.8% versus 0%;
P
=0.12). The incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or recurrent ischemia was similar between the atopaxar and placebo arms (8.03% versus 7.75%;
P
=0.93). The incidence of CV death, MI, or stroke was 5.63% in the placebo group and 3.25% in the combined atopaxar group (
P
=0.20). Dose-dependent trends for efficacy were not seen. Atopaxar significantly reduced ischemia on continuous ECG monitoring (Holter) at 48 hours compared with placebo (relative risk, 0.67;
P
=0.02). Transient dose-dependent transaminase elevation and relative QTc prolongation were observed with the highest doses of atopaxar.

Conclusion—

In patients after ACS, atopaxar significantly reduced early ischemia on Holter monitoring without a significant increase in major or minor bleeding. Larger trials are required to fully establish the efficacy and safety of atopaxar.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00548587.
Ethnic Differences in Hypertension Incidence Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Carson April P. , Howard George , Burke Gregory L. , Shea Steven , Levitan Emily B. , Muntner Paul
Published: April 2011

The prevalence of hypertension is higher among blacks than whites. However, inconsistent findings have been reported on the incidence of hypertension among middle-aged and older blacks and whites, and limited data are available on the incidence of hypertension among Hispanics and Asians in the United States. Therefore, this study investigated the age-specific incidence of hypertension by ethnicity for 3146 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Participants, age 45 to 84 years at baseline, were followed for a median of 4.8 years for incident hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg, or the initiation of antihypertensive medications. The crude incidence rate of hypertension, per 1000 person-years, was 56.8 for whites, 84.9 for blacks, 65.7 for Hispanics, and 52.2 for Chinese. After adjustment for age, sex, and study site, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for hypertension was increased for blacks age 45 to 54 (IRR: 2.05 [95%CI: 1.47 to 2.85]), 55 to 64 (IRR: 1.63 [95% CI: 1.20 to 2.23]), and 65 to 74 years (IRR: 1.67 [95% CI: 1.21 to 2.30]) compared with whites but not for those 75 to 84 years of age (IRR: 0.97 [95% CI: 0.56 to 1.66]). Additional adjustment for health characteristics attenuated these associations. Hispanic participants also had a higher incidence of hypertension compared with whites; however, hypertension incidence did not differ for Chinese and white participants. In summary, hypertension incidence was higher for blacks compared with whites between 45 and 74 years of age but not after age 75 years. Public health prevention programs tailored to middle-aged and older adults are needed to eliminate ethnic disparities in incident hypertension.
Probabilistic Estimates of Transient Climate Sensitivity Subject to Uncertainty in Forcing and Natural Variability
Authors: Padilla Lauren E. , Vallis Geoffrey K. , Rowley Clarence W.
Published: April 2011

In this paper, the authors address the impact of uncertainty on estimates of transient climate sensitivity (TCS) of the globally averaged surface temperature, including both uncertainty in past forcing and internal variability in the climate record. This study provides a range of probabilistic estimates of the TCS that combine these two sources of uncertainty for various underlying assumptions about the nature of the uncertainty. The authors also provide estimates of how quickly the uncertainty in the TCS may be expected to diminish in the future as additional observations become available. These estimates are made using a nonlinear Kalman filter coupled to a stochastic, global energy balance model, using the filter and observations to constrain the model parameters. This study verifies that model and filter are able to emulate the evolution of a comprehensive, state-of-the-art atmosphere–ocean general circulation model and to accurately predict the TCS of the model, and then apply the methodology to observed temperature and forcing records of the twentieth century.

For uncertainty assumptions best supported by global surface temperature data up to the present time, this paper finds a most likely present-day estimate of the transient climate sensitivity to be 1.6 K, with 90% confidence the response will fall between 1.3 and 2.6 K, and it is estimated that this interval may be 45% smaller by the year 2030. The authors calculate that emissions levels equivalent to forcing of less than 475 ppmv CO2 concentration are needed to ensure that the transient temperature response will not exceed 2 K with 95% confidence. This is an assessment for the short-to-medium term and not a recommendation for long-term stabilization forcing; the equilibrium temperature response to this level of CO2 may be much greater. The flat temperature trend of the last decade has a detectable but small influence on TCS. This study describes how the results vary if different uncertainty assumptions are made and shows they are robust to variations in the initial prior probability assumptions.
Moist Thermodynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation in a Cloud-Resolving Simulation
Authors: Hagos Samson , Leung L. Ruby
Published: April 2011

The moist thermodynamic processes that determine the time scale and energy of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) are investigated using moisture and eddy available potential energy budget analyses on a cloud-resolving simulation. Two MJO episodes observed during the winter of 2007/08 are realistically simulated. During the inactive phase, moisture supplied by meridional moisture convergence and boundary layer diffusion generates shallow and congestus clouds that moisten the lower troposphere while horizontal mixing tends to dry it. As the lower troposphere is moistened, it becomes a source of moisture for the subsequent deep convection during the MJO active phase. As the active phase ends, the lower troposphere dries out primarily by condensation and horizontal divergence that dominates over the moisture supply by vertical transport. In the simulation, the characteristic time scales of convective vertical transport, mixing, and condensation of moisture in the midtroposphere are estimated to be about 2 days, 4 days, and 20 h respectively. The small differences among these time scales result in an effective time scale of MJO moistening of about 25 days, half the period of the simulated MJO. Furthermore, various cloud types have a destabilizing or damping effect on the amplitude of MJO temperature signals, depending on their characteristic latent heating profile and its temporal covariance with the temperature. The results are used to identify possible sources of the difficulties in simulating MJO in low-resolution models that rely on cumulus parameterizations.
Improving Land Data Assimilation Performance with a Water Budget Constraint
Authors: Yilmaz M. Tugrul , DelSole Timothy , Houser Paul R.
Published: April 2011

A weak constraint is introduced in ensemble Kalman filters to reduce the water budget imbalance that occurs in land data assimilation. Two versions of the weakly constrained filter, called the weakly constrained ensemble Kalman filter (WCEnKF) and the weakly constrained ensemble transform Kalman filter (WCETKF), are proposed. The strength of the weak constraint is adaptive in the sense that it depends on the statistical characteristics of the forecast ensemble. The resulting filters are applied to assimilate synthetic observations generated by the Noah land surface model over the Red Arkansas River basin. The data assimilation experiments demonstrate that, for all tested scenarios, the constrained filters produce analyses with nearly the same accuracy as unconstrained filters, but with much smaller water balance residuals than unconstrained filters.
Design and Performance Characteristics of the New 8.5-m Dual-Offset Gregorian Antenna for the CSU–CHILL Radar
Authors: Bringi V. N. , Hoferer R. , Brunkow D. A. , Schwerdtfeger R. , Chandrasekar V. , Rutledge S. A. , George J. , Kennedy P. C.
Published: April 2011

The Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey (CSU–CHILL) national weather radar facility has been operated by the Colorado State University under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation from 1990 to the present. The radar is configured to measure the elements of the 3 × 3 polarimetric covariance matrix based on using a two-transmitter and two-receiver system in the horizontal–vertical polarization basis. This S-band Doppler, dual-polarized radar facility is used for observations of precipitation with the highest possible data quality. To achieve this, a new dual-offset 8.5-m Gregorian antenna was custom designed and built by VertexRSI (now General Dynamics SATCOM) in Kilgore, Texas, to replace the circa 1994 center-fed parabolic reflector antenna. Here, the design features used to achieve the stringent specifications in terms of the sidelobe envelope and off-axis cross-polar levels are described, and the way in which they were validated at the manufacturer’s long- and short-range pattern measurement facility.

Measurements in several different storm types, including stratiform rain and an intense hailstorm, and ground clutter (from mountains) are used to illustrate the new antenna performance. The linear depolarization ratio (LDR) system limit is shown to be −40 dB or better, which should lead to more insights into the microphysics of convective precipitation at subfreezing temperatures (e.g., hail formation, improved hydrometeor-type classification), and in winter precipitation in general (e.g., aggregation processes, rimed versus unrimed particles). In the case of the intense hailstorm, it is shown that measurement artifacts resulting from strong cross-beam gradients of reflectivity, up to 40 dB km−1 at 40-km range, have been greatly reduced or eliminated. Previously noted measurement artifacts with the 1994 antenna at storm tops in intense convection have been eliminated with the dual-offset antenna. The ground (mountain) clutter example shows greatly reduced returns (in terms of near-zero mean Doppler velocity areas) because of rapid falloff in the sidelobe levels with increasing elevation angle. The greatly improved antenna performance as compared with the 1994 antenna are expected to result in corresponding data quality improvements leading to more accurate measurement of rain rate and hydrometeor classification.
Globalization and the Politics of Natural Resources
Authors: Rudra Nita , Jensen Nathan M.
Published: April 2011

Much political science scholarship, including important work in this journal, has explored the implications of natural resource endowments— particularly oil and other highly valuable export commodities—on political and economic outcomes. Although the first wave of literature emphasized the negative effects of these resources, more recent work emphasizes how domestic institutions can condition the relationship, sometimes leading to positive effects. In this special issue, the authors expand this literature in two important ways. First, they renew attention on the international dimensions of this relationship, exploring how trade, migration, foreign investment, and other global forces influence the effects these resources have on countries. Second, they link the study of the globalization—natural resources nexus to broader debates in international and comparative political economy, such as how domestic institutions shape the impact of globalization and how economic factors affect the political survival of regimes and individual leaders. The five studies in this collection use a variety of research methodologies (formal models, country case studies, and large- N empirical analyses) to examine several different international economic factors linking resources with politics. The findings provide new insights into the politics of natural resources, expand the traditional focus of the resource curse literature to include other natural resources (e.g., water), and shed light on whether globalization has the ability to improve natural resource governance around the world.
A Comparison of Chinese Immigrants’ Perceptions of the Police in New York City and Toronto
Authors: Chu Doris C. , Song John Huey-Long
Published: April 2011

During the past several decades, research on immigrant adaptation and incorporation experience within different host societies has proliferated. Nevertheless, studies comparing how immigrants interact with law enforcement in the largest cities, respectively, in the United States and Canada do not seem to exist. In an attempt to bridge the gap in past literature, this study examines the differences of Chinese immigrants’ perceptions of the police in New York City and Toronto. Analyzing data gathered from 444 Chinese immigrants (151 from New York City and 293 from Toronto), this study compared Chinese immigrants’ attitudes toward police efficacy and their overall perceptions in both cities. The findings indicated that Chinese immigrants in Toronto held more positive overall perceptions of the police than did their counterparts in New York City. With regard to police efficacy in dealing with crime, there were no significant attitudinal differences in Chinese immigrants between New York City and Toronto. Policy implications were discussed.
Psychological and Health Outcomes of Perceived Information Overload
Authors: Misra Shalini , Stokols Daniel
Published: April 2011

The rapid growth and transmission of information in the digital age poses new challenges for individuals coping with the onslaught of communications from multiple sources. This research (a) conceptualizes and measures perceived information overload from cyber-based and place-based sources, (b) tests the reliability and validity of a newly developed Perceived Information Overload Scale, and (c) tests hypotheses concerning the psychological and health outcomes of information overload. A repeated-measures panel study design was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the hypothesized two-factor model of perceived information overload, encompassing cyber-based and place-based sources of stimulation. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that higher levels of perceived cyber-based overload significantly predicted self-reports of greater stress, poorer health, and less time devoted to contemplative activities, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and baseline measures of stress and health status. Participants’ sensation-seeking levels were found to significantly moderate the relationships between cyber-based, place-based, and composite perceived information overload and stress. Directions for further study are discussed.
Targeting Body Image Schema for Smoking Cessation Among College Females: Rationale, Program Description, and Pilot Study Results
Authors: Napolitano Melissa A. , Lloyd-Richardson Elizabeth E. , Fava Joseph L. , Marcus Bess H.
Published: April 2011

Smoking among young adults is a significant public health problem. Despite the negative health effects, many young women smoke for weight and body image reasons. Understanding the factors that prompt young women to initiate and continue smoking is important for designing smoking cessation interventions. The aim of the current article is to outline a potential pathway for smoking behavior among young women, specifically applying a cognitive bias framework previously used to describe disordered eating behaviors. This article provides the rationale for using two different treatments targeting body image schema among female smokers. The authors describe the development, feasibility, and acceptability of these two treatment approaches among a sample of female college smokers ( N = 24). Preliminary pilot data are presented as well as the significance and implications for future clinical interventions.
Ontology definition and construction, and epistemological adequacy for systems interoperability: A practitioner analysis
Authors: Lumsden Jim , Hall Hazel , Cruickshank Peter
Published: April 2011

Ontology development is considered to be a useful approach to the design and implementation of interoperable systems. This literature review and commentary examines the current state of knowledge in this field with particular reference to processes involved in assuring epistemological adequacy. It takes the perspective of the information systems practitioner keen to adopt a systematic approach to in-house ontology design, taking into consideration previously published work. The study arises from author involvement in an integration/interoperability project on systems that support Scottish Common Housing Registers in which, ultimately, ontological modelling was not deployed. Issues concerning the agreement of meaning, and the implications for the creation of interoperable systems, are discussed. The extent to which those theories, methods and frameworks provide practitioners with a usable set of tools is explored, and examples of practical applications of ontological modelling are noted. The findings from the review of the literature demonstrate a number of difficulties faced by information systems practitioners keen to develop and deploy domain ontologies. A major problem is deciding which broad approach to take: to rely on automatic ontology construction techniques, or to rely on keywords and domain experts to develop ontologies.
Perspectives on Extended Family and Fictive Kin in the Later Years
Authors: Allen Katherine R. , Blieszner Rosemary , Roberto Karen A.
Published: April 2011

To identify perspectives on the roles of extended family and fictive kin, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 45 older adults diverse in gender, race, and class. Five strategies of kin reinterpretation were found. Kin promotion defined a distant blood relative as a closer blood relative. Kin exchange reclassified a parent–child tie as a sibling tie or vice versa. Nonkin conversion created fictive kin by turning friends and colleagues into family-like members. Kin retention kept an ex-in-law in the extended family network following divorce. Kin loss identified the meaning of losing physical or psychological contact with a once-valued kin member. The findings reveal that older adults from both mainstream and marginalized families expanded kin reinterpretation practices as a means of adapting to impermanence in family ties. These alterations helped ensure closeness and mutual reliance, thus providing a bridge to connect the old and new social landscape.
Exploring the Age of Onset and Recurrence of Childhood Animal Cruelty
Authors: Hensley Christopher , Tallichet Suzanne E. , Dutkiewicz Erik L.
Published: April 2011

Despite recent research, few studies have examined the specific social contexts in which animal cruelty may be learned. Using data collected from 180 inmates at a medium- and maximum-security prison in a southern state, the authors seek to replicate findings from the Hensley and Tallichet study that examined the potential for the onset and recurrence of childhood animal cruelty to become a learned behavior, specifically in terms of demographic characteristics and childhood experiences with witnessing animal abuse. In the current study, those who were younger when they first witnessed animal cruelty initially hurt or killed animals themselves at a younger age. Respondents who had witnessed a family member hurt or kill animals reported engaging in recurrent animal cruelty and were older when they committed their first act of animal cruelty.
Leaks, Lumps, and Lines
Authors: Chrisler Joan C.
Published: April 2011

Women’s bodies have often been positioned in art and popular culture as monstrous or defiled and women’s bodily products (e.g., menstrual fluid, breast milk) as disgusting. This framing has led to the stigmatization of aspects of women’s bodies (e.g., leaking fluids, lumps of fat, and lines in the skin that indicate aging), especially those aspects that are perceived as threats to culture and society. In this article, the author draws on feminist theory, stigma theory, and terror management theory to explain the positioning of menstruating, fat, and old women as threatening and stigmatized. Evidence for the stigma is discussed, as are the effects of stigma on the stigmatized and the stigmatizers. Ways of resisting, reframing, and coping with stigma are suggested.
Studying Relational Chains from Narrative Material
Authors: Grossetti Michel , Barthe Jean-François , Chauvac Nathalie
Published: April 2011

Étudier les chaînes relationnelles à partir d’un matériau narratif : Les chaînes relationnelles sont une approche mal connue des réseaux sociaux, dont on classe habituellement les méthodes d’analyse selon la dichotomie réseaux personnels / réseaux complets. Plutôt que de cartographier les réseaux de façon statique, l’étude des chaînes relationnelles reconstitue les mobilisations concrètes de relations sociales dans des processus d’accès à des ressources ou de mise en relation de personnes. La méthode que nous présentons permet de reconstruire ces chaînes à partir d’un matériau narratif constitué sur la base d’entretiens croisés. Cette méthode est particulièrement adaptée à la saisie des phénomènes d’encastrement des activités économiques dans les réseaux sociaux. Nous la présentons dans cet article à partir de deux enquêtes, l’une sur les relations science-industrie et l’autre sur les créations d’entreprises.
Two Different Methods for Measuring Personal Networks Compared
Authors: Vergati Stefania
Published: April 2011

Comparaison de deux méthodes différentes pour mesurer les réseaux personnels. Cet article compare deux outils différents pour analyser des réseaux personnels: le FNG (générateur libre de nom) avec lequel chaque répondant liste librement des noms de personnes avec lesquelles il interagit le plus souvent, et le GNG (générateur guidée de nom) avec lequel le répondant liste des noms de personnes avec lesquelles il interagit par rapport à une liste normalisée de 20 types d’échange. Les deux techniques sont testées ensemble avec un questionnaire intégré, et des données de 37 réseaux personnels sont analysées, un plan d’échantillonnage factoriel typologique est discuté, et une procédure standard est proposée et testée.
Cities and greenhouse gas emissions: moving forward
Authors: Hoornweg Daniel , Sugar Lorraine , Trejos Gómez Claudia Lorena
Published: April 2011

Cities are blamed for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. So too are more affluent, highly urbanized countries. If all production-and consumption-based emissions that result from lifestyle and purchasing habits are included, urban residents and their associated affluence likely account for more than 80 per cent of the world’s GHG emissions. Attribution of GHG emissions should be refined. Apportioning responsibility can be misguided, as recent literature demonstrates that residents of denser city centres can emit half the GHG emissions of their suburban neighbours. It also fails to capture the enormous disparities within and across cities as emissions are lowest for poor cities and particularly low for the urban poor.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of per capita GHG emissions for several large cities and a review of per capita emissions for 100 cities for which peer-reviewed studies are available. This highlights how average per capita GHG emissions for cities vary from more than 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) (Sydney, Calgary, Stuttgart and several major US cities) to less than half a tonne (various cities in Nepal, India and Bangladesh). The paper discusses where GHG emissions arise and where mitigation efforts may be most effective. It illustrates the need to obtain comparable estimates at city level and the importance of defining the scope of the analysis. Emissions for Toronto are presented at a neighbourhood level, city core level and metropolitan area level, and these are compared with provincial and national per capita totals. This shows that GHG emissions can vary noticeably for the same resident of a city or country depending on whether these are production- or consumption-based values. The methodologies and results presented form important inputs for policy development across urban sectors. The paper highlights the benefits and drawbacks of apportioning GHG emissions (and solid waste generation) per person. A strong correlation between high rates of GHG emissions and solid waste generation is presented. Policies that address both in concert may be more effective as they are both largely by-products of lifestyles.
Deaf youth and cultural negotiation in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Authors: Darsie De Souza Camilo , Ferraz Faller Sabrine de Jesus
Published: April 2011

This paper is the result of a survey of 40 young deaf people from different social classes in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The aim is to discuss issues related to the dynamic of accessibility in contemporary urban spaces and its relation to deaf people. In this sense, arguments emerge relating to communication, especially with regard to the use of the Brazilian sign language, LIBRAS. In this context, it is necessary to recognize deaf culture, a field of study within cultural studies, which places the deaf subjects in a position of cultural difference in relation to the listeners, so that these youngsters are often grouped in some public spaces as a way of claiming rights and living as equals.
“ Like we don’t have enough on our hands already!”: the story of the Kenyan slum youth federation
Authors: Makau Jack
Published: April 2011

Slum dweller federations, like many other social movements, cater for the youth in their constituencies. This is critical to their relevance as agents of change and contributes to the sustainability of the movements. However, the youth formations are not merely scaled-down versions of the movements and often grapple with a set of dynamics unique to that transitory period in life. This story is a case study of the youth federation that is aligned to Kenya’s slum dwellers federation.
The Technical Training Resource Centre (TTRC): building community architects
Authors: Ismail Aquila
Published: April 2011

This paper describes how the Technical Training Resource Centre (TTRC) was set up by a young trainee of the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) to support better quality housing and infrastructure provision in the kaatchi abadis (informal settlements) of Karachi. The centre’s work includes technical advice for constructing or extending houses and schools, training in construction for those with diplomas in civil engineering and architecture, and training for young people to undertake neighbourhood-level documentation and mapping (this is needed for planning upgrading and for negotiating with government authorities for infrastructure and tenure). The paper also discusses the difficulties that the TTRC faced, including generating sufficient funding to cover its costs.
Nexus between effective land management and housing delivery in Lagos
Authors: Gbenga Nubi Timothy , Ajoku Chidinma
Published: April 2011

This paper examines the effectiveness of land administration in Lagos, with a particular focus on the practicality and impact of the 30-day “governor’s consent” and “certificates of occupancy” procurement regime. This regime was introduced to facilitate land documentation and registration for housing delivery in the state. However, despite reducing the time required for processing and granting certificates of occupancy, this policy has not resulted in significantly increased applications nor has it had a significant effect on housing delivery in the state. In order to remedy this, the authors recommend large reductions in the charges made and other costs of the process (especially decentralization of the Land Registry and the use of updated technology).
Social inclusion in Mumbai: economics matters too
Authors: Buckley Robert M
Published: April 2011

This paper questions the accuracy and validity of the criticisms made by Ananya Roy regarding the approach to community development of a Mumbai-based NGO, SPARC, and its partner grassroots federations in Mumbai. This includes the suggestion that the focus on sanitation rather than on land tenure is an appeal to middle-class values about cleanliness and that their support for relocating those who lived right next to the railway tracks made them agents of the state. When viewed through a demand-responsive economic perspective, SPARC’s support for community toilets was in response to what grassroots organizations asked for, and these also have high returns. Similarly, SPARC’s support for resettlement for those living alongside the railway tracks was for those who were going to be moved, and this support allowed them to have far more influence on where, when and how the resettlement took place. Here too, the high returns from faster, safer trains meant cost savings that were higher than the costs of providing good quality accommodation for those who had to move.
Municipality, space and the social determinants of health
Authors: Llorca I Ibañez Enric
Published: April 2011

Half the world’s population currently lives in urban centres and this share will continue to rise. Urban centres have a crucial role in the social and economic development of countries. As places where people live and co-exist, the urban environment and urban living conditions play a critical role in people’s health. Local government is the government institution closest to citizens and the one that is best placed to acquaint itself with city problems. Thus, it is a key contributor to improvements in the health and quality of life of its citizens and of all social groups. The World Health Organization’s Healthy Cities strategy plays an essential part in this as it seeks to improve urban environments in ways that contribute to people’s enhanced health and human potential.
Ill-health and poverty: a literature review on health in informal settlements
Authors: Sverdlik Alice
Published: April 2011

This paper reviews the literature on health in the informal settlements (and “slums”) that now house a substantial proportion of the urban population in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Although this highlights some important gaps in research, available studies do suggest that urban health inequalities usually begin at birth, are reproduced over a lifetime (often reinforced by undernutrition), and may be recreated through vulnerabilities to climate change and a “double burden” of communicable and non-communicable diseases. The review begins with a discussion of papers with a life-course perspective on health, poverty and housing, before considering recent literature on chronic poverty and ill-health over time. It then discusses the literature on the cost, quality and access to care among low-income groups, and the under-recognized threat of unintentional injuries. This includes recent literature that discusses where low-income residents may suffer an “urban penalty” rather than benefiting from urban bias — although there are also studies that show the effectiveness of accessible, pro-poor health care. The concluding section examines emerging risks such as non-communicable diseases and those associated with climate change. It notes how more gender- and age-sensitive strategies can help address the large inequalities in health between those in informal settlements and other urban residents. With greater attention to the multi-faceted needs of low-income communities, governments can create interventions to ensure that urban centres fulfil their enormous potential for health.
Algeria and Women in Two 1960s Film Adaptations of the Carmen Narrative
Authors: Powrie Phil
Published: April 2011

This paper considers two very different 1960s adaptations of the Carmen narrative − 1-2-3-4 ou Les Collants noirs (1962) and Carmen 63 (1963) − to show how they articulate common social and political concerns. The first of these, common to many of the Carmen films, is the fear of women’s increasing independence, linked to the development of the post-war consumer culture. The second is a converging concern with the Algerian War, hidden deep in the films, but emerging symptomatically through, amongst other features, the choice of star in one of the films (Jacques Charrier), the fear of the ‘foreign’, and the dilution of Carmen as a nineteenth-century French heritage icon.
A 2000 year record of Atlantic Water temperature variability from the Malangen Fjord, northeastern North Atlantic
Authors: Hald M. , Salomonsen G.R. , Husum K. , Wilson L.J.
Published: April 2011

A high-resolution sedimentary record from the subarctic Malangen fjord in northern Norway, northeastern North Atlantic has been investigated in order to reconstruct variations in influx of Atlantic Water for the last 2000 years. The fjord provides a regional oceanographic climatic signal reflecting changes in the North Atlantic heat flux at this latitude because of its deep sill and the relatively narrow adjoining continental shelf. The reconstructions are based on oxygen and carbon isotopic studies of benthic foraminifera from a high accumulation basin in the Malangen fjord, providing subdecadal time resolution. A comparison between instrumental measurements of bottom water temperatures at the core location and the reconstructed temperatures from benthic foraminiferal δ18O for the same time period demonstrates that the stable isotope values reflect the bottom water temperatures very well. The reconstructed temperature record shows an overall decline in temperature of c. 1°C from c. 40 bc to ad 1350. This cooling trend is assumed to be driven by an orbital forced reduction in insolation. Superimposed on the general cooling trend are several periods of warmer or colder temperatures. The long-term fluctuations in the Malangen fjord are concurrent with fluctuations of Atlantic Water in the northern North Atlantic. Although they are not directly comparable, comparisons of atmospheric temperatures and marine records, indicate a close coupling between the climate systems. After ad 1800 the record shows an unprecedented warming within the last 2000 years.
Serum procarboxypeptidase A and carboxypeptidase A levels in pancreatıc disease
Authors: Kemik Ozgur , Kemik Ahu Sarbay , Sumer Aziz , Beğenik Hüseyin , Dülger Ahmet Cumhur , Purisa Sevim , Tuzun Sefa
Published: April 2011

Background and objectives: To determine the serum levels of procarboxypeptidase A (pro-CPA) and carboxypeptidase A (CPA) in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Materials and methods: Serum samples obtained from 96 patients with acute pancreatitis, 101 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 98 patients with pancreatic cancer and 96 control groups were assayed for biochemical parameters and serum pro-CPA and CPA. Results: Serum pro-CPA and CPA levels were significantly higher in acute and in chronic pancreatic cancer patients compared to control group ( p < 0.001). Pancreatic cancer patients had significantly higher serum pro-CPA and CPA levels when compared with acute and chronic pancreatitis cases ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: These data prove for increased pro-CPA and CPA levels as a biomarker for the diagnosis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Effects of lead and/or cadmium on the distribution patterns of some essential trace elements in immature female rats
Authors: Wang Lin , Zhou Xuelei , Yang Dubao , Wang Zhenyong
Published: April 2011

Lead acetate (300 mg/L) and/or cadmium chloride (50 mg/L) were administered as drinking water to Sprague-Dawley rats for 9 weeks to investigate the effects of concurrent exposure to lead and cadmium on the distribution patterns of five essential trace elements. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and iron in the urine at different exposure times, as well as their levels in the renal cortex and serum at the end of treatment. Compared with the control group, exposure to lead and/or cadmium resulted in a significant increase in the urinary excretion of these five elements during the experiment, whereas significant decreased levels of these elements were found in kidney and serum. In conclusion, increased urinary loss of antioxidant trace elements due to lead and/or cadmium exposure induced the deficiency of antioxidants in the body, which could result in further oxidative damage. Moreover, there was an obvious synergistic effect of lead combined with cadmium on the distribution patterns of these essential trace elements, which may be related to the severity of co-exposure to these two metals.
Design and Performance Evaluation of Magnetorheological Fluids Under Single and Mixed Modes
Authors: El Wahed A.K. , Mcewan C.A.
Published: April 2011

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are capable of providing continuously variable damping forces in response to a magnetic stimulus. Most MR devices have exploited the variable shear or flow characteristics of MR fluids. Greater potential application in vibration control/isolation may be sought if these fluids are utilized in the squeeze mode in which displacement levels are limited to few millimeters, but large force levels are available. In this article, the results of an experimental assessment of the comparative performance of MR fluids in dynamic squeeze, shear-flow, and mixed modes are presented. A mixed-mode MR cell comprising a cylinder which provides the reservoir for the fluid and a piston was designed and fabricated. The cylinder is subjected to an oscillatory sinusoidal motion while the piston is fixed. This motion simultaneously subjects the fluid sandwiched between the parallel circular-planes of the cell to compressive and tensile loadings, and the fluid contained in the cylindrical gap to a combined shear and flow loading. The magnetic field required to energize the fluid is provided by a pair of toroidally shaped coils, disposed symmetrically about the cylinder/piston centreline. This arrangement permits a separate excitation of the fluid contained in the circular or cylindrical gaps to simulate either a squeeze mode or a shear-flow mode, respectively, in addition to a simultaneous excitation of the fluid to simulate a mixed squeeze and shear-flow mode. The cell was tested under various loadings and magnetic field intensity conditions. Comparisons between the different modes of operation were carried out and the transmitted force level was seen to be greatly enhanced when the fluid was employed under the mixed mode. In addition, the implications of the results to vibration control, where MR fluids are utilized in short-stroke damping applications, are discussed.
Social Capital and Cross-Country Environmental Performance
Authors: Hari Bansha Dulal  , Foa Roberto , Knowles Stephen
Published: April 2011

Previous empirical work on the effects of social capital on measures of environmental performance across countries has been limited by data on social capital only being available for a relatively small number of countries. This article makes use of a new data set measuring different dimensions of social capital for a much larger number of countries to analyze the relationship between social capital and the environment across countries. There is evidence that some aspects of social capital are associated with better environmental performance.
The Relationships Between Perceived Levels of Control, Psychological Distress, and Legal System Variables in a Sample of Sexual Assault Survivors
Authors: Walsh Ryan M. , Bruce Steven E.
Published: April 2011

Information regarding psychological distress, perceived levels of temporal control, and legal system success and satisfaction ratings were collected from 41 survivors of sexual assault. Results suggest that self-blame and offender blame may differentially impact posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptom severity. In addition, participants who perceived a greater risk of future assault reported higher levels of depressive and PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, perceptions of present control over the recovery process were related to lower levels of psychological distress. For those who reported the assault to police, lower levels of legal system success and satisfaction were linked to higher levels of perceived control over present recovery.
On Cash Transfers, In-Kind Provision, and the Size of Local Jurisdictions
Authors: Bises Bruno , Sacchi Agnese
Published: April 2011

This article analyzes the relationship between the mix of cash transfers and in-kind goods provided by local governments and the local population size and individual preferences. On theoretical grounds, the traditional theory of fiscal federalism and recent contributions on both the local jurisdictions and the breaking up of nations assume that (subcentral) governments provide a single public good, ignoring expenditure composition. However, central and local governments provide both cash and in-kind goods. We propose a simple theoretical model assuming that local governments provide a composite good, formed by money transfers and in-kind services, and that preferences vary across population due to different individual income levels. Normative and positive outcomes are derived and compared assuming a centrally determined expenditure ceiling. Measures designed to move the actual policy mix closer to the optimal one are envisaged. A scenario characterized by a fully decentralized two-step decision process is also analyzed.
Analytical model for predicting the friction coefficient in point contacts with thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication
Authors: Echávarri Otero J , Lafont Morgado P , Chacón Tanarro E , de la Guerra Ochoa E , Díaz Lantada A , Munoz-Guijosa J M , Muñoz Sanz J L
Published: April 2011

This article presents analytical friction prediction models applicable to lubricants in point contacts under thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL). The types of models used consider the heat generated and its penetration into the bulk of the contacting solids. Therefore, the increase in temperature is determined, which causes important variations in the operating conditions. The article sets out the hypotheses assumed, the theoretical calculation procedures and the ensuing equations for determining the friction coefficient under TEHL.

An experimental stage is performed on a mini-traction-machine, which allows the measurement of friction coefficient in ball–disc contacts under a wide range of control parameters involved in TEHL, such as lubricant bath temperature, load, average velocity, slide-to-roll ratio, and contacting materials. The experimental results for different lubricants are compared to those given by the models, and show the proposed models to be accurate for predicting the friction coefficient.
New film thickness formula for shear thinning fluids in thin film elastohydrodynamic lubrication line contacts
Authors: Anuradha P , Kumar P
Published: April 2011

A new central film thickness formula pertaining to thin film elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) line contacts has been developed for Carreau-type shear-thinning lubricants using an extensive set of full EHL simulations. The shear-thinning correction factors available in the literature are based on EHL simulations carried out for a particular value of load and piezo-viscous coefficient using the simplest exponential pressure–viscosity relationship. In the present work, therefore, the load and piezo-viscous coefficient are varied over a wide range so as to arrive at a more generic and accurate film thickness equation. Also, the pressure–viscosity relation employed herein is the Doolittle's free volume-based viscosity model, which is capable of replicating the experimental pressure–viscosity data with a high degree of accuracy. It has been demonstrated that the present film thickness equation accurately captures the recently discovered scale and load sensitivity effects.