bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Objective Climatology of Tropical Plumes
Authors: Fröhlich Luise , Knippertz Peter , Fink Andreas H. , Hohberger Esther
Published: January 2013

The first global objective climatology of tropical plumes (TPs), obtained from a novel algorithm based on gridded 10.8-μm brightness temperatures Tb, is presented for 1983–2006. TPs are defined as continuous cloud bands (>2000 km) crossing 15°N or 15°S with Tb anomalies of less than −20 K and a lifetime of at least 3 h. A minimum length-to-width ratio of 3 filters out elongated features. Numbers of identified TPs are sensitive to the chosen thresholds but not their geographical distribution and seasonal cycle.

TPs are an important indicator of tropical–extratropical interactions with impacts on radiation and moisture. TP occurrence during boreal winter is largely confined to oceanic regions with main maxima over the South Pacific and South Atlantic as well as the eastern North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The geographical distribution during boreal summer is similar, but with lower frequencies, except for monsoon-influenced regions. Interannual variations over the Indo-Pacific region are strongly related to El Niño. TPs often develop downstream of extratropical upper-level troughs propagating into low latitudes, particularly over the wintertime eastern North Pacific and North Atlantic, but also in regions where mean upper-level easterlies do not generally favor equatorward Rossby wave propagation. Synoptic-scale variations in the quasi-permanent cloud bands associated with the South Pacific and South Atlantic convergence zones frequently produce TP-like anomalies, which are climatologically associated with downstream upper-level troughs. Some regions also feature TPs associated with mesoscale tropical disturbances. The new TP algorithm will serve as a basis for more in-depth studies in the future.
Contributions of Different Cloud Types to Feedbacks and Rapid Adjustments in CMIP5*
Authors: Zelinka Mark D. , Klein Stephen A. , Taylor Karl E. , Andrews Timothy , Webb Mark J. , Gregory Jonathan M. , Forster Piers M.
Published: January 2013

Using five climate model simulations of the response to an abrupt quadrupling of CO2, the authors perform the first simultaneous model intercomparison of cloud feedbacks and rapid radiative adjustments with cloud masking effects removed, partitioned among changes in cloud types and gross cloud properties. Upon CO2 quadrupling, clouds exhibit a rapid reduction in fractional coverage, cloud-top pressure, and optical depth, with each contributing equally to a 1.1 W m−2 net cloud radiative adjustment, primarily from shortwave radiation. Rapid reductions in midlevel clouds and optically thick clouds are important in reducing planetary albedo in every model. As the planet warms, clouds become fewer, higher, and thicker, and global mean net cloud feedback is positive in all but one model and results primarily from increased trapping of longwave radiation. As was true for earlier models, high cloud changes are the largest contributor to intermodel spread in longwave and shortwave cloud feedbacks, but low cloud changes are the largest contributor to the mean and spread in net cloud feedback. The importance of the negative optical depth feedback relative to the amount feedback at high latitudes is even more marked than in earlier models. The authors show that the negative longwave cloud adjustment inferred in previous studies is primarily caused by a 1.3 W m−2 cloud masking of CO2 forcing. Properly accounting for cloud masking increases net cloud feedback by 0.3 W m−2 K−1, whereas accounting for rapid adjustments reduces by 0.14 W m−2 K−1 the ensemble mean net cloud feedback through a combination of smaller positive cloud amount and altitude feedbacks and larger negative optical depth feedbacks.
How Many ENSO Flavors Can We Distinguish?*
Authors: Johnson Nathaniel C.
Published: January 2013

It is now widely recognized that El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occurs in more than one form, with the canonical eastern Pacific (EP) and more recently recognized central Pacific (CP) ENSO types receiving the most focus. Given that these various ENSO “flavors” may contribute to climate variability and long-term trends in unique ways, and that ENSO variability is not limited to these two types, this study presents a framework that treats ENSO as a continuum but determines a finite maximum number of statistically distinguishable representative ENSO patterns. A neural network–based cluster analysis called self-organizing map (SOM) analysis paired with a statistical distinguishability test determines nine unique patterns that characterize the September–February tropical Pacific SST anomaly fields for the period from 1950 through 2011. These nine patterns represent the flavors of ENSO, which include EP, CP, and mixed ENSO patterns. Over the 1950–2011 period, the most significant trends reflect changes in La Niña patterns, with a shift in dominance of La Niña–like patterns with weak or negative western Pacific warm pool SST anomalies until the mid-1970s, followed by a dominance of La Niña–like patterns with positive western Pacific warm pool SST anomalies, particularly after the mid-1990s. Both an EP and especially a CP El Niño pattern experienced positive frequency trends, but these trends are indistinguishable from natural variability. Overall, changes in frequency within the ENSO continuum contributed to the pattern of tropical Pacific warming, particularly in the equatorial eastern Pacific and especially in relation to changes of La Niña–like rather than El Niño–like patterns.
The Seasonal Cycle of Atmospheric Heating and Temperature
Authors: Donohoe Aaron , Battisti David S.
Published: January 2013

The seasonal cycle of the heating of the atmosphere is divided into a component due to direct solar absorption in the atmosphere and a component due to the flux of energy from the surface to the atmosphere via latent, sensible, and radiative heat fluxes. Both observations and coupled climate models are analyzed. The vast majority of the seasonal heating of the northern extratropics (78% in the observations and 67% in the model average) is due to atmospheric shortwave absorption. In the southern extratropics, the seasonal heating of the atmosphere is entirely due to atmospheric shortwave absorption in both the observations and the models, and the surface heat flux opposes the seasonal heating of the atmosphere. The seasonal cycle of atmospheric temperature is surface amplified in the northern extratropics and nearly barotropic in the Southern Hemisphere; in both cases, the vertical profile of temperature reflects the source of the seasonal heating.

In the northern extratropics, the seasonal cycle of atmospheric heating over land differs markedly from that over the ocean. Over the land, the surface energy fluxes complement the driving absorbed shortwave flux; over the ocean, they oppose the absorbed shortwave flux. This gives rise to large seasonal differences in the temperature of the atmosphere over land and ocean. Downgradient temperature advection by the mean westerly winds damps the seasonal cycle of heating of the atmosphere over the land and amplifies it over the ocean. The seasonal cycle in the zonal energy transport is 4.1 PW.

Finally, the authors examine the change in the seasonal cycle of atmospheric heating in 11 models from phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) due to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide from preindustrial concentrations. The seasonal heating of the troposphere is everywhere enhanced by increased shortwave absorption by water vapor; it is reduced where sea ice has been replaced by ocean, which increases the effective heat storage reservoir of the climate system and thereby reduces the seasonal magnitude of energy fluxes between the surface and the atmosphere. As a result, the seasonal amplitude of temperature increases in the upper troposphere (where atmospheric shortwave absorption increases) and decreases at the surface (where the ice melts).
Polarization Lidar at Summit, Greenland, for the Detection of Cloud Phase and Particle Orientation
Authors: Neely Ryan R. , Hayman Matthew , Stillwell Robert , Thayer Jeffrey P. , Hardesty R. Michael , O'Neill Michael , Shupe Matthew D. , Alvarez Catherine
Published: January 2013

Accurate measurements of cloud properties are necessary to document the full range of cloud conditions and characteristics. The Cloud, Aerosol Polarization and Backscatter Lidar (CAPABL) has been developed to address this need by measuring depolarization, particle orientation, and the backscatter of clouds and aerosols. The lidar is located at Summit, Greenland (72.6°N, 38.5°W; 3200 m MSL), as part of the Integrated Characterization of Energy, Clouds, Atmospheric State, and Precipitation at Summit Project and NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory's Global Monitoring Division's lidar network. Here, the instrument is described with particular emphasis placed upon the implementation of new polarization methods developed to measure particle orientation and improve the overall accuracy of lidar depolarization measurements. Initial results from the lidar are also shown to demonstrate the ability of the lidar to observe cloud properties.
In-Place Estimation of Wet Radome Attenuation at X Band
Authors: Frasier Stephen J. , Kabeche Fadela , Figueras i Ventura Jordi , Al-Sakka Hassan , Tabary Pierre , Beck Jeffrey , Bousquet Olivier
Published: January 2013

The effect of wet radome attenuation is estimated on a French operational X-band weather radar deployed in the Maritime Alps of southeastern France. As the radar is deployed in a remote location, the reflectivity factor in the immediate vicinity of the radar is used as a proxy for rain rate at the radar and by extension, to the radome wetting. By means of intercomparison with a neighboring radar that lacks a radome, a wet radome correction is deduced. The correction is reasonably consistent with theoretical expectations and with other evaluations done, for example, via disdrometer. The improvement is evaluated by comparison to a Micro Rain Radar located under the point of comparison, and the impact on quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) retrievals is positive. The intercomparison of such observations permits a routine means of monitoring radome attenuation.
Wavelet Correlation Transform Method and Gradient Method to Determine Aerosol Layering from Lidar Returns: Some Comments
Authors: Comerón Adolfo , Sicard Michaël , Rocadenbosch Francesc
Published: January 2013

Identification of aerosol layers on lidar measurements is of interest to determine ranges where aerosol properties are likely to be homogeneous and to infer transport phenomena and atmosphere dynamics. For instance, the range-corrected backscattered signal from aerosol measured with lidars has long been used as a proxy to determine the depth of the planetary boundary layer. The method relies on the assumption that in a well-mixed atmosphere, a rather homogenous aerosol distribution will exist within the boundary layer; hence, a sudden drop in the lidar range-corrected signal profile will mark the end of the layer. The most usual methods to detect that drop are the gradient method, which detects a negative maximum in the derivative with respect to range of the lidar range-corrected signal, or of its logarithm, and the wavelet correlation transform method, which detects a maximum in the correlation function of the lidar range-corrected signal and a wavelet, usually the Haar wavelet. These methods are not restricted to determining the boundary layer height but can also be used to locate the edges of lofted aerosol layers. Using fundamentals of linear system theory, this study shows the deep link existing between the gradient method and the wavelet correlation transform method using the Haar wavelet, the latter being equivalent to the gradient method applied to a range-corrected signal profile smoothed by a low-pass spatial filtering, which seems not to have been explicitly noted in the literature so far. Consequences are readily drawn for the wavelet correlation transform method using other wavelets.
Modulation of the Extratropical Circulation by Combined Activity of the Madden–Julian Oscillation and Equatorial Rossby Waves during Boreal Winter
Authors: Gloeckler Lawrence C. , Roundy Paul E.
Published: January 2013

Time indices of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) are often used to generate empirical forecasts of the global atmospheric circulation. Moist deep convection associated with the MJO initiates eastward-propagating Rossby waves that disperse into the midlatitudes. The background circulation then guides extratropical waves back into the tropics of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Previous works have shown that equatorial Rossby (ER) waves occur following intrusion of extratropical Rossby waves into the tropics. Westward-propagating ER waves and the MJO modulate the total convection. This convection modulates the zonal wind, which influences the location and existence of westerly wind ducts. These wind ducts, in turn, guide extratropical waves into the tropics. This paper demonstrates through a simple composite analysis that a simultaneous assessment of MJO and ER waves yields more information about the extratropical circulation during boreal winter than can be obtained based on either type of disturbance alone, or from a sum of the signals associated with the MJO and ER waves composited separately. This analysis, together with previous results, suggests a feedback loop between the MJO, these waves, and the extratropical circulation. Thus, assessment of the ER wave state during a particular phase of the MJO might yield better empirical prediction of the global atmospheric circulation that follows.
Using Twentieth-Century U.S. Weather Modification Policy to Gain Insight into Global Climate Remediation Governance Issues
Authors: Hauser Rachel
Published: January 2013

With atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations increasing and binding agreements to reduce anthropogenic emissions wanting, interest in geoengineering as a climate remediation option to be used in tandem with climate change mitigation is growing. Solar radiation management (SRM), due to its relatively low financial cost and the potential for near-term reduction in average global temperature, is gaining particular attention despite the risks of its use, both identified and unanticipated. This paper considers the structure—the participants, positions, actions, outcomes, information, and positive and negative payoffs—of U.S. weather modification research and governance developed between 1947 and 1980, offering a case study that may be useful in thinking through how to move forward with SRM development and governance should a decision be made to contemplate augmenting mitigation and adaptation with geoengineering.
The Benefits and Challenges of Predictive Interval Forecasts and Verification Graphics for End Users
Authors: Joslyn Susan , Nemec Lou , Savelli Sonia
Published: January 2013

Two behavioral experiments tested the use of predictive interval forecasts and verification graphics by nonexpert end users. Most participants were able to use a simple key to understand a predictive interval graphic, showing a bracket to indicate the upper and lower boundary values of the 80% predictive interval for temperature. In the context of a freeze warning task, the predictive interval forecast narrowed user expectations and alerted participants to the possibility of colder temperatures. As a result, participants using predictive intervals took precautionary action more often than did a control group using deterministic forecasts. Moreover, participants easily understood both deterministic and predictive interval verification graphics, based on simple keys, employing them to correctly identify better performing forecast periods. Importantly, participants with the predictive interval were more likely than those with the deterministic forecast to say they would use that forecast type in the future, demonstrating increased trust. Verification graphics also increased trust in both predictive interval and deterministic forecasts when the effects were isolated from familiarity in the second study. These results suggest that forecasts that include an uncertainty estimate might maintain user trust even when the single-value forecast fails to verify, an effect that may be enhanced by explicit verification data.
Forging New Frontiers: Integrating Tawang with India, 1951
Authors: Shukla Sonia
Published: January 2013

With the departure of the British from South Asia in 1947, the transition of the NEFA (North East Frontier Agency, later Arunachal Pradesh) border from the colonial to the post-colonial era followed a predictable and conventional geopolitical script. India began consolidating its frontiers to create borders where none had existed. It adopted a restrained policy of non-interference, in which local traditions—political, cultural and social—were respected and protected. Institutional support and effective policy implementation proved to be the tools that made NEFA, including parts of it that had hitherto never been administered by British India, a part of modern India. The article draws on hitherto unpublished field research carried out in the Tawang tract to tell an oral history account of the integration of Tawang from the perspective of the local people. It draws on more than a hundred conversations with the people in the region and the author’s access to local administrative documents, and locally published materials to examine India’s approach towards local identities as New Delhi began the process of administering Tawang in 1951.
Taking Calculated Risks: The Story of the Cannibal Mothers (2 Kings 6:24–7:20)
Authors: Matthews Victor H.
Published: January 2013

Embedded in the collection of tales about the prophet Elisha is a series of three inter-connected scenes reflecting the depredations of siege warfare and the breakdown of normal social control mechanisms (2 Kgs 6:24–7:20). Each scene plays upon the tendency by humans whenever possible to calculate the risks that they face. Presented in these three episodes is a simple proposition: given current conditions, what actions are worth the risk? To make this clear the storyteller shapes the drama in order to highlight the choices that are made by the unnamed king and two widows as they attempt to deal with an emergency situation. The choices made by these characters include whether to take a risk and handle the crisis in their own way or to be risk-averse and rely upon the covenantal injunction to trust Yahweh to provide what is needed.
The Body of His Glory Resurrection Imagery in Philippians 3:20–21
Authors: Schmisek Brian
Published: January 2013

In the entire Pauline corpus, the term “body” is used with respect to resurrection in only two verses: 1 Corinthians 15:44 and Philippians 3:20–21. In neither case does it mean resuscitated flesh. In Philippians, Paul modifies the term body by “glory,” which he uses to express the radiant presence of God, in which Christ now and ultimately in which all believers will share. This article will attempt to show that for Paul the Risen Christ's “body of glory” is a term that indicates Christ's presence with God, rather than a descriptive phrase about properties of the resurrected body. The article concludes with some modest pastoral and theological implications.
“Love Your Enemies”: The Adamic Wisdom of Q 6:27–28, 35c–d
Authors: Joseph Simon J.
Published: January 2013

The interpretation of Q 6:27 highlights a perennial problem in biblical scholarship. If Jesus commanded his disciples to love their enemies—and scholars are in virtually unanimous agreement that he did—how are we to understand this imperative in its original Jewish context? How are we to affirm that Jesus criticized his own tradition—which did not encourage love of enemies—without falling into anti-Jewish rhetoric? Our contemporary concern with Jesus' Jewishness should not preclude us from recognizing the possibility that Jesus criticized certain aspects of the Jewish tradition. The purpose of this essay is to isolate a distinctive element of the early Jesus tradition in its original Jewish context, identify its Christological implications, and explore how an intra-Jewish polemic was subsequently transferred onto inter-religious Jewish/Christian relations.
Osmolality, pH, and Compatibility of Selected Oral Liquid Medications With an Enteral Nutrition Product
Authors: Klang Mark , McLymont Veronica , Ng Nicole
Published: January 2013

When selecting medication for feeding tube administration, the liquid formulation is selected, so as to avoid obstructions that may occur from incompletely crushing a solid dosage form. Liquid medications can present issues of intolerance and compatibility when administered via a feeding tube. A predictor of intolerance is the liquid's osmolarity, and a predicator of compatibility is the liquid's pH value. This study examines 62 liquid formulations for their osmolality, pH, and physical compatibility with enteral nutrition (EN) formulas. These medications were selected as being the most commonly dispensed liquid medications from our outpatient pharmacy department. This study measures osmolality using freezing point depression. Depending on the dose, the osmotic load of a liquid medication may cause cramping and diarrhea. The pH value is predictive of potential interactions with the EN formula. Many drugs are weak bases and require acidic vehicles for optimal stability. The acidic liquids are especially reactive with enteral formulas that contain intact proteins. The result of this interaction can result in an occlusion of the feeding tube as the proteins form a gel‐like clog. This study combined the liquid medication directly with the EN formula to determine the potential for feeding tube occlusion. Some drugs formed a solid mass in the test tube immediately, whereas others only presented granules, which may later contribute to obstructing the feeding tube. The prescriber should be aware of the potential impact of their choice in formulation, both in terms of the gastrointestinal tolerance and potential for interaction with coadministered nutrition.
How Healthy Are Ambulance Personnel in Central Europe?
Authors: Betlehem Jozsef , Horvath Attila , Jeges Sara , Gondocs Zsigmond , Nemeth Timea , Kukla Aniko , Olah Andras
Published: January 2013

The health status of ambulance personnel (AP) has an important impact on the quality of patient care. The aim of this study is to analyze the self-fperceived health of AP. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Hungarian AP, in which anonymous data ( n = 364 subjects) were evaluated by descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Those AP who reported engaging in any amount of exercise experienced better self-rated health (odds ratio [OR]: 1.7 confidence interval [CI] 95% [1.2, 2.7]) and self-rated physical fitness (OR: 2.0 CI 95% [1.2, 2.9]), and reported less limitation in daily activities due to health problems (OR: 2.4 CI 95% [1.4, 4.0]). Those AP who reported feeling more overall stress reported 2.1 times (CI 95% [1.3, 3.2]) worse health and 1.9 (CI 95% [1.2, 2.8]) times worse self-rated physical fitness. Possibly, physical fitness protocols should be implemented and required or advised for all AP.
Beyond non-domination
Authors: Krause Sharon R
Published: January 2013

The concept of non-domination is an important contribution to the study of freedom but it does not comprehend the whole of freedom. Insofar as domination requires a conscious capacity for control on the part of the dominant party, it fails to capture important threats to individual freedom that permeate many contemporary liberal democracies today. Much of the racism, sexism and other cultural biases that currently constrain the life-chances of members of subordinate groups in the USA are largely unconscious and unintentional, and they do not always involve control. Although they constitute real barriers to freedom, these forms of influence are not accurately characterized as domination, and they will require different mechanisms to overcome them. To achieve the more capacious freedoms that liberal democracy promises, we will need to go beyond non-domination and to come to terms with the non-sovereign, socially distributed character of human agency.
Recognition and Critical Theory today
Authors: Marcelo Gonçalo
Published: January 2013

In dialogue with his interlocutor, Axel Honneth summarizes the way his work on recognition has unfolded over the past two decades. While he has retained his principal insights, some important parts of his theory have changed. He comments that if he were to rewrite The Struggle for Recognition today, he would focus more on institutions and the historicization of recognition patterns. He clarifies his stance on some contemporary controversial issues, including the crisis of capitalism, gay marriage, and his quarrel with Peter Sloterdijk. Finally, he sheds some light on topics much discussed within Critical Theory, such as the relation between theory and praxis and the possibility of politicizing recognition, and on lesser-known aspects of his theory, namely, the relationship between his work and literature.
The Enemy Among Us
Authors: Williams Jacob L. , Pazey Barbara , Shelby Liz , Yates James R.
Published: January 2013

In the United States, students with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to exclusionary discipline. Using Intergroup Threat Theory, literature was analyzed to identify expressed perceptions from school administrators that indicated perceived threat. Analysis revealed perceived threats to administrator beliefs, values, job performance, and available resources for themselves and their school communities. Intervention to alleviate this perception of threat should seek to expand administrators’ knowledge of diversity, specifically for students with disabilities, and provide increased opportunities for personal contact between administrators and students with disabilities.
The path to closeness
Authors: Tomlinson Jennifer M. , Aron Arthur
Published: January 2013

Relationships are strongly influenced by the perceptions of how one’s partner feels about oneself, yet little is known about the nature of these perceptions or how they relate to outcomes. This study introduces a construct: perceived inclusion of the other in the self (IOS-perceived). IOS-perceived extends the “inclusion of the other in the self” (IOS) model to incorporate one’s perception of the extent to which the partner includes one in his or her self-concept. This article proposes a mediational model in which perceptions of partner satisfaction lead to IOS-perceived, which in turn leads to IOS. Two studies, one including an implicit measure of IOS, provide strong support for the proposed model.
Geographies of development II
Authors: Ballard Richard
Published: January 2013

Since the mid-1990s, a number of governments in the global South have instituted programmes which provide regular cash grants to poor people. The results of cash transfer programmes have impressed those searching for ways to improve welfare: the depth of poverty has been reduced, more children are being educated and vaccinated, and the poor are more likely to get jobs and start enterprises. Advocates of social democracy are hopeful that this heralds the possibility of comprehensive social protection. Experiments in welfare in the global South do not, however, inevitably signal an epochal shift to a postneoliberal era. They form part of an increasingly heterodox approach which combines an enduring emphasis on liberalized economic growth with bolder biopolitical interventions for the poor.
Normative Values for the KOOS and WOMAC in a Young Athletic Population
Authors: Cameron Kenneth L. , Thompson Brandon S. , Peck Karen Y. , Owens Brett D. , Marshall Stephen W. , Svoboda Steven J.
Published: January 2013

Background:

The use of patient-reported outcome measures to assess clinical outcomes after injury and surgery has become common in treating young athletes with orthopaedic injuries; however, normative data for these measures are limited and often include a wide range of ages and activity levels.

Purpose:

To provide normative data for the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) in a young and athletic population, and to compare scores between participants with a history of knee ligament injury and those with no history.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

We administered the KOOS and WOMAC to 1177 college freshmen entering the United States Military Academy in June 2011. All participants were healthy and had been medically screened to meet the physical induction standards for military service. We calculated means, standard deviations, percentiles, ranges, and interquartile ranges for the KOOS and WOMAC by sex and injury history. We also compared median scale scores for those with a history of knee ligament injury with those with no history using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results:

Among the 1177 participants, 971 were male (age, 18.8 ± 0.9 years), and the remaining 206 were female (age, 18.7 ± 0.8 years). Normative median values and interquartile ranges (IQRs) for the KOOS scale scores among men with no history of knee ligament injury were the following: Symptoms (96.4; IQR, 10.7), Pain (100; IQR, 2.8), Functional Activities of Daily Living (ADL) (100; IQR, 0.0), Sports and Recreation Function (100; IQR, 5.0), and Knee-Related Quality of Life (QOL) (100; IQR, 12.5). For women with no history of knee ligament injury, the KOOS scale scores were the following: Symptoms (92.9; IQR, 14.3), Pain (100; IQR, 5.6), Functional ADL (100; IQR, 2.9), Sports and Recreation Function (100; IQR, 10.0), and Knee-Related QOL (93.8; IQR, 18.8). Among the men, 139 (14%) reported a history of knee ligament injury, while 33 (16%) women also reported a history of injury. All KOOS scale scores and the WOMAC Stiffness and Function scale scores were significantly lower ( P < .05) for men who reported a history of knee ligament injury. Similarly, Symptoms, Pain, and Knee-Related QOL on the KOOS and Pain on the WOMAC were significantly lower among women with a history of knee ligament injury.

Conclusion:

Normative values for all KOOS scales suggest a high level of functioning among participants with no history of knee ligament injury. Despite meeting the medical standards for military service, participants with a history of knee ligament injury had significantly lower KOOS and WOMAC scores upon entry to military service.
Gaming for Health
Authors: Bleakley Chris M. , Charles Darryl , Porter-Armstrong Alison , McNeill Michael D. J. , McDonough Suzanne M. , McCormack Brendan
Published: January 2013

This systematic review examined the physical and cognitive effects of physically based interactive computer games (ICGs) in older adults. Literature searching was carried out from January 2000 to June 2011. Eligible studies were trials involving older adults (>65 years) describing the effects of ICGs with a physical component (aerobic, strength, balance, flexibility) on physical or cognitive outcomes. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects, compliance, and enjoyment. Twelve trials met the inclusion criteria. ICG interventions varied in terms of software, game type, and nature of the computer interaction. Although there was preliminary evidence that ICG is a safe and effective exercise intervention for older adults, the dearth of high-quality evidence limits this finding. No major adverse effects were reported and two studies reported minor events. ICG could be improved further by tailoring interventions for older adults; in particular, they should aim to optimize participant safety, motivation, and enjoyment for this population.
Adult Health Learning and Transformation
Authors: Coady Maureen
Published: January 2013

This article describes a case study of adult learning in a Canadian multisite Community Cardiovascular Hearts in Motion program. The researcher highlights the informal learning of 40 adult participants in this 12-week community-based cardiac rehabilitation/education program in five rural Nova Scotia communities. The effects of this learning and barriers are examined, along with aspects of program design and facilitation that support learning and transformation. The researcher points to the role of emotion in this transformative learning process, and links are made between individual and collective processes in the transformative learning. Transformative learning theorists and health and adult education practitioners can see in this case study how individual and collective health interests can be incorporated into program planning for the community.
Pediatric Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis
Authors: Schleede Lena , Bueter Wolfgang , Baumgartner-Sigl Sara , Opladen Thomas , Weigt-Usinger Katharina , Stephan Susanne , Smitka Martin , Leiz Steffen , Kaiser Olaf , Kraus Verena , van Baalen Andreas , Skopnik Heino , Hartmann Hans , Rostasy Kevin , Lücke Thomas , Schara Ulrike , Häusler Martin
Published: January 2013

Knowledge on pediatric herpes simplex virus encephalitis is limited. Here we summarize 6 neonates and 32 children diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (n = 37) or serological studies (n = 1), respectively. Diagnosis was difficult, as only 15 patients presented neurologic symptoms. Moreover, cerebrospinal fluid glucose, protein, and leukocytes were normal in 6 patients. Subsequently, all but 2 showed neurologic symptoms. Diffusion-weighted neuroimaging was the most sensitive early imaging method. Despite acyclovir treatment, 8 patients experienced early relapses, showing movement abnormalities, impaired vigilance, and seizures. Diffuse white matter changes, found in 3 of 5 relapse patients on neuroimaging, and a negative cerebrospinal fluid herpes simplex virus polymerase chain reaction suggested inflammatory processes. All relapse patients were again treated with acyclovir, and 3 responded to additional corticosteroid treatment. Whereas outcome after relapses was poor, overall outcome was good. No child died; 14 were asymptomatic at discharge, and neuroimaging remained normal in 7 of 30 patients studied.
Prevalence of Tics Among 6- to 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren in the Itagüi Municipality, Colombia, in 2010
Authors: Giraldo Blair Ortiz , David María , Sánchez Yaneth , Miranda Johanna , Sierra Javier Mauricio , Cornejo José William
Published: January 2013

Tics are the most frequent movement disorder in children and they are most prevalent during the school-age years. Most tics are transitory; however, certain tics can be chronic, causing negative repercussions at school, within the family, and socially. In some cases, tics are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other conditions that require diagnosis and prompt treatment. In South America, there are no indexed studies determining the prevalence of tics in school-age children. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of tics in schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years. From 16 000 students aged 6 to 12 years who were enrolled in first to fifth grade, a sample of 346 school-aged children was chosen via a multistage sampling process that randomized the educational systems in terms of proportional size and the stratification between public and private schools and adjusted for the design effect. The students were screened and those who were positive for tics underwent clinical evaluations and semistructured interviews by the researchers to determine the prevalence of the disease. The parents and teachers of 323 students returned our surveys (93.3%). One hundred thirty-eight students (42.7%) were considered positive for tics based on parents’ and teachers’ reports. The clinical evaluation established a 17.97% prevalence of tics (58 students), and 25 students (43.2%) also met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Of the students with tics, 27.6% presented with transitory tics, and 72.4% presented with chronic tics. Gilles de la Tourette syndrome was detected in 11 of the children (3.4%). The average age of child with tics was 9 ± 1.5 years, and the majority of the children with tics attended third grade at a basic primary school. Children from public and private schools were equally likely to present with tics. Tics are noteworthy in our field and are associated with other neurobehavioral disorders, such as ADHD. Both tic disorders and ADHD require diagnosis and prompt treatment to promote social and school performance.
Adjustment Problems and Maladaptive Relational Style
Authors: Salwen Jessica K. , O’Leary K. Daniel
Published: January 2013

Four hundred and fifty-three married or cohabitating couples participated in the current study. A meditational model of men’s perpetration of sexual coercion within an intimate relationship was examined based on past theories and known correlates of rape and sexual coercion. The latent constructs of adjustment problems and maladaptive relational style were examined. Adjustment problem variables included perceived stress, perceived low social support, and marital discord. Maladaptive relational style variables included psychological aggression, dominance, and jealousy. Sexual coercion was a combined measure of men’s reported perpetration and women’s reported victimization. As hypothesized, adjustment problems significantly predicted sexual coercion. Within the meditational model, adjustment problems were significantly correlated with maladaptive relational style, and maladaptive relational style significantly predicted sexual coercion. Once maladaptive relational style was introduced as a mediator, adjustment problems no longer significantly predicted sexual coercion. Implications for treatment, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Influence of the grain size on the in vivo degradation behaviour of the magnesium alloy LAE442
Authors: Ullmann Berit , Reifenrath Janin , Seitz Jan-Marten , Bormann Dirk , Meyer-Lindenberg Andrea
Published: January 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the in vivo degradation behaviour of magnesium implants with various grain sizes and damaged surfaces. For this purpose, three different LAE442 magnesium implants were produced: cast, single and double extruded implants, in order to obtain different grain sizes. Furthermore, defects were positioned on the surfaces of some of the single extruded implants. The initial stability was determined. Four pins of each implant material were implanted into rabbits’ tibiae and regularly clinically, radiologically and µ-computed tomographically investigated over a period of 27 weeks. Following explantation, investigations were carried out using stereo and scanning electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. Weight and strength changes were measured. The double extruded implants possessing the finest grains exhibited the highest initial stability (179.18 N). These implants demonstrated the lowest in vivo corrosion rates (0.0134 mm/year) and the least radiologically visible changes. The highest corrosion rate was computed for the implants possessing damaged surfaces. Radiologically discernible bone changes occurred at almost the same time as implant changes for all groups. Based on these results, the aim should be to produce fine-grained magnesium-based alloys for resorbable implants and to avoid any surface damage.
The temporal and spatial distribution of dust storms on the North China Plain, ad 1464–1913
Authors: Hui Deng , Wei-Feng Jiang , Yi-Yong Chen , Shi-Guang Shu
Published: January 2013

Using 1844 different chorographies (regional descriptions) from the Ming Dynasty to the Republic Period and other related historical documents, 1180 records of dust storms on the North China Plain from 1464 to 1913 have been identified. These data are used to describe and analyse the temporal and spatial distribution of dust storms on the North China Plain during these years. Dust storms on the North China Plain occurred mainly in spring. Of all the identified dust storms, 72.85% occurred in the spring, 16.39% in winter, 8.71% in summer, and 2.05% in the fall. These storms occurred in cycles of 16–36 years. There was a negative correlation between the frequency of dust storms and the level of precipitation, and also a negative correlation between the frequency of dust storms and the frequency of spring or winter temperature departures. Spatially dust storms clustered in three fairly discrete northern, central, and southern districts. This spatial pattern was closely related to the movement of cold air systems in North China in winter or spring.
Respect in mental health
Authors: Cutcliffe John R , Travale Rodger
Published: January 2013

Although there is a high degree of consensus in the existing literature regarding the importance of respect in mental health care, a realistic appraisal suggests that there is something of a disconnect between what is espoused in policy documents and what actually occurs in practice. As a result, this article seeks to explore and advance our understanding of the phenomenon of respect in mental health care and draws on real practice situations to illustrate this schism. To this end, the authors present three case studies that focus on the following: “use of seclusion,” “respecting professional boundaries,” and “horizontal workplace violence.” The authors advance the, perhaps for some, provocative argument that it is relatively easy to write/speak about respect, while the reality of communicating respect to others is more difficult, challenging, and makes significant demands on the individual psychiatric/mental health nurse.
Nurses’ perceptions of their professional rights
Authors: Kangasniemi Mari , Stievano Alessandro , Pietilä Anna-Maija
Published: January 2013

The purpose of this study, which is part of a wider study of professional ethics, was to describe nurses’ perceptions of their rights in Italy. The data were collected by open-ended focus group interviews and analyzed with inductive content analysis. Based on the analysis, three main themes were identified. The first theme “Unfamiliarity with rights” described nurses’ perception that their rights mirrored historical roots, educational content, and nurses’ and patients’ position in the society. The second theme, “Rights reflected in legislation” highlighted that working and professional Italian legislation played a strong role. The third theme, “Managerial barriers for nurses’ rights” underlined the nurses’ perceptions that nursing management had the responsibility to create the conditions where nurses’ rights could flourish. This study intends to contribute to the debate on this underexplored topic.
The ethics of interprofessional collaboration
Authors: Engel Joyce , Prentice Dawn
Published: January 2013

Interprofessional collaboration has become accepted as an important component in today’s health care and has been guided by concerns with patient safety, quality health-care outcomes, and economics. It is widely accepted that interprofessional collaboration improves patient outcomes through enhanced communication among health-care providers and increased accessibility to services. Although there is a paucity of research that provides confirmatory evidence, interprofessional competencies continue to be incorporated into the curricula of health-care students. This article examines the ethics of interprofessional collaboration and ethical issues that arise from the mainstream adoption of interprofessional competencies and the potential for moral distress in nursing.
The Burden of Intelligibility: Disabled Women’s Testimony in Rape Trials
Authors: Mandal Saptarshi
Published: January 2013

What is the evidentiary value accorded to a woman’s testimony in a rape trial, when she is disabled? How is her testimony—conveyed non-verbally and made accessible to the judges through an interpreter—processed by a legal culture that values descriptive precision and intelligibility? How does ‘intelligibility’ itself act as a sieve through which the testimony of the disabled prosecutrix is passed to determine if the allegation of rape is proved beyond reasonable doubt? By examining judicial decisions of Indian courts in cases of rape of disabled women, this article attempts to explore these questions and shows how the testimony of the disabled prosecutrix is devalued and disregarded through a combination of evidentiary, doctrinal and ideological practices inscribed in law.
Gender Roles in Agriculture: The Case of Afghanistan
Authors: Tavva Srinivas , Abdelali-Martini Malika , Aw-Hassan Aden , Rischkowsky Barbara , Tibbo Markos , Rizvi Javed
Published: January 2013

Technological interventions aiming to improve livelihoods that bring gender equity can become successful only when the prevailing gender roles in society and access to different livelihood opportunities are fully understood. This article analyses gender roles in agriculture in the conservative patriarchal society of Afghanistan. Rapid appraisal was conducted through focus group interviews, participatory resource mapping, and so on, in seven villages each from Nangarhar and Baghlan provinces of Afghanistan. Educated women coordinators, facilitators and activists and well established womens’ groups were used to reach and target key women informants as they are not allowed to interact directly with male researchers. Their participation was more in livestock related activities. The study indicated that women’s involvement was less than men’s in both livestock and crop related activities. Age, social stigmas, poverty and shortage of labour influence the gender division of labour, decision-making ability and participation in Afghanistan’s farm and non-farm activities. This indicates that any agricultural development programme intending to involve women will be effective only if it has a large component of livestock related activities.
Softening and heating effects in ionic polymer transducers: An experimental investigation
Authors: Akle Barbar J , Leo Donald J
Published: January 2013

This study reports the softening and heating of ionic polymer transducers during actuation. This is the first account of such effects that will impact the understanding of the actuation mechanisms and the physical modeling of these actuators. The ionic polymer transducer samples are characterized in the extensional mode under a variety of mechanical boundary conditions, as a function of the electrode architecture and the cation species. For instance, the electrode thickness is varied from 10 to 40 µm while three extensional actuators with lithium, cesium, and tetraethylammonium mobile cations are characterized. The actuators are characterized under the following boundary conditions: free displacement, spring loaded with a varied amount of prestress, and constant applied pressure. The softening behavior is observed when the prestressed actuator contracts rather than expands as expected in the extensional mode. While the heating effect is observed when transducers characterized with a high-frequency alternating current, excitation generated a logarithmic like response similar to that of a step input. The shape of this response is correlated with the measured temperature of the actuator. However, when actuated with a low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) alternating current signal, the ionic polymer transducer responded with a sine displacement containing a strong first harmonic. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrate a strong correlation between electrode architecture and the peak strain response. Extensional strains on the order of 1.35% are observed with air stable ionic liquid-based transducers. Ionic polymer transducers with cesium (Cs) cation outperformed all other tested actuators with other mobile species.