bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Thrombolysis on Stroke Outcome at 12 Months in a Population
Authors: Fischer Urs , Mono Marie-Luise , Zwahlen Marcel , Nedeltchev Krassen , Arnold Marcel , Galimanis Aekatarini , Bucher Sabine , Findling Oliver , Meier Niklaus , Brekenfeld Caspar , Gralla Jan , Heller Regula , Tschannen Beatrice , Schaad Heinz , Waldegg Gabriel , Zehnder Thomas , Ronsdorf Anke , Oswald Phillip , Brunner Georg , Schroth Gerhard , Mattle Heinrich P. ,   for the QABE investigators
Published: March 2012

Background and Purpose—

Thrombolysis improves outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke, but it is unknown whether thrombolysis has a measurable effect on long-term outcome in a defined population.

Methods—

We prospectively assessed demographic data, management, and outcome of acute ischemic stroke patients admitted within 48 hours to 18 primary care hospitals of the canton of Bern (969 299 inhabitants) during 12 months. Blinded follow-up was obtained at 3 and 12 months. Predictors of mortality and favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) at 3 and 12 months using logistic regression were analyzed.

Results—

From December 2007 to December 2008, 807 patients (mean age, 72 years) were included. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission was 5; 107 patients (13%) received intravenous, intra-arterial, or mechanical thrombolysis. Estimated cumulative mortality at 3 months was 20.6% and at 12 months 27.4%. Age 75 years or older, higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, and higher Charlson comorbidity index were independent predictors of mortality at 3 and 12 months. Estimated favorable outcome at 3 months was 48.2% and at 12 months was 44.6%. Thrombolysis was the only modifiable independent predictor of favorable outcome at 3 (relative risk, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.18–1.89) and 12 months (relative risk, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.24–2.04), whereas age younger than 75 years, male gender, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score <4, and lower Charlson comorbidity index were nonmodifiable predictors.

Conclusions—

Thirteen percent of acute ischemic stroke patients admitted within 48 hours to Bernese hospitals underwent thrombolysis, which exerted a measurable effect on 3-month outcome in this population. This effect was sustained at 12 months. Age, stroke severity, Charlson comorbidity index, and male gender were independent nonmodifiable predictors of outcome.
Noncompliance With Certain Quality Indicators Is Associated With Risk-Adjusted Mortality After Stroke
Authors: Abilleira Sònia , Ribera Aida , Permanyer-Miralda Gaietà , Tresserras Ricard , Gallofré Miquel
Published: March 2012

Background and Purpose—

To investigate the 30-day and 12-month mortality risks among hospitalized stroke patients according to compliance with guideline-based process indicators.

Methods—

We used data from the Second Stroke Audit and the Mortality Register of Catalonia (Spain). The audit retrospectively explored quality of stroke care based on compliance with indicators among patients discharged from all public hospitals in Catalonia in 2007; they were identified and selected through a pre-established sampling method. The magnitude of the independent association of each indicator with 30-day and 12-month mortality was assessed using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering of patients within hospitals. Generalized estimating equations modeling was initially restricted to patients alive >72 hours poststroke to control for confounding by severity. Analyses were also run in 3 other samples (all patients, patients alive >7 days, and patients alive >14 days).

Results—

Of 1767 stroke admissions in the Second Stroke Audit, 1697 patients survived >72 hours poststroke. Within this sample, the adjusted 30-day mortality risk was negatively associated with nonadherence to different indicators, of which only antithrombotics at discharge (OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.72–10.78) remained significant in all data sets. At 12 months, the adjusted mortality risk was negatively associated with management of hypertension (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.22–2.86) and antithrombotics at discharge (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.41–5.54). Both remained unchanged across different samples.

Conclusions—

Assessing the impact of quality of stroke care on mortality is complex and is hampered by residual confounding, particularly in the short-term. Nevertheless, this study suggests that at least a few indicators should be used to monitor quality of stroke services.
Initial Lesion Volume Is an Independent Predictor of Clinical Stroke Outcome at Day 90
Authors: Vogt Gerhard , Laage Rico , Shuaib Ashfaq , Schneider Armin
Published: March 2012

Background and Purpose—

Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale early after stroke onset have been identified as important determinants of final stroke outcome. We analyzed the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA) database to define the influence of infarct or hemorrhagic volume on clinical outcome after stroke.

Methods—

All patients were extracted from VISTA where infarct or hemorrhage volume information was available (n=2538; most images obtained by CT within 72 hours after stroke onset with a subset of MRI data included, volumes calculated by the ABC/2 approximation method). We used multivariate regression models to study the influence of age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at baseline, and initial infarct/hemorrhage volume on clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, mortality) at day 90.

Results—

We find that in a large cohort of >1800 patients with ischemic stroke, initial lesion size is a strong and independent predictor of stroke outcome in a statistical regression model that also accounts for age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at baseline (
P
<0.0001). The use of infarct/hemorrhage volume as an additional predictive factor further reduces the fraction of unexplained variance in outcome by approximately 15% (
R
2
of 0.41 versus 0.26 in a model without lesion volume). The predictive strength of initial lesion size is only marginally influenced by image modality or time point of image acquisition within the first 72 hours. The model was equally valid for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

Conclusions—

Infarct/hemorrhage volume at baseline together with age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at baseline should be used in the effect analysis of future therapeutic stroke trials to improve power.
Randomized Trial of Clazosentan in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Undergoing Endovascular Coiling
Authors: Macdonald R. Loch , Higashida Randall T. , Keller Emanuela , Mayer Stephan A. , Molyneux Andy , Raabe Andreas , Vajkoczy Peter , Wanke Isabel , Bach Doris , Frey Aline , Nowbakht Pegah , Roux Sébastien , Kassell Neal
Published: March 2012

Background and Purpose—

Clazosentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, has been shown to reduce vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). CONSCIOUS-3 assessed whether clazosentan reduced vasospasm-related morbidity and all-cause mortality postaSAH secured by endovascular coiling.

Methods—

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial randomized patients with aSAH secured by endovascular coiling to ≤14 days intravenous clazosentan (5 or 15 mg/h) or placebo. The primary composite end point (all-cause mortality; vasospasm-related new cerebral infarcts or delayed ischemic neurological deficits; rescue therapy for vasospasm) was evaluated 6 weeks postaSAH. The main secondary end point was dichotomized extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (week 12).

Results—

CONSCIOUS-3 was halted prematurely following completion of CONSCIOUS-2; 577/1500 of planned patients (38%) were enrolled and 571 were treated (placebo, n=189; clazosentan 5 mg/h, n=194; clazosentan 15 mg/h, n=188). The primary end point occurred in 50/189 of placebo-treated patients (27%), compared with 47/194 patients (24%) treated with clazosentan 5 mg/h (odds ratio [OR], 0.786; 95% CI, 0.479–1.289;
P=
0.340), and 28/188 patients (15%) treated with clazosentan 15 mg/h (OR, 0.474; 95% CI, 0.275–0.818;
P=
0.007). Poor outcome (extended Glasgow Outcome Scale score ≤4) occurred in 24% of patients with placebo, 25% of patients with clazosentan 5 mg/h (OR, 0.918; 95% CI, 0.546–1.544;
P=
0.748), and 28% of patients with clazosentan 15 mg/h (OR, 1.337; 95% CI, 0.802–2.227;
P=
0.266). Pulmonary complications, anemia, and hypotension were more common in patients who received clazosentan than in those who received placebo. At week 12, mortality was 6%, 4%, and 6% with placebo, clazosentan 5 mg/h, and clazosentan 15 mg/h, respectively.

Conclusions—

Clazosentan 15 mg/h significantly reduced postaSAH vasospasm-related morbidity/all-cause mortality; however, neither dose improved outcome (extended Glasgow Outcome Scale).

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00940095.
The Push for Precedent in Russia's Judicial System
Authors: Gutbrod Max , Pomeranz William
Published: March 2012

Russia is currently undergoing a spirited public debate over the role of precedent in a civil-law system. This article examines this debate from a theoretical and practical standpoint, exploring the nature of Russian court decisions and the extent to which they correspond to the Anglo-American theory of precedent. The article further analyzes how the Russian Higher Arbitrazh Court has carved out a narrow right to issue binding precedent and how this authority could impact Russia's civil-law understanding of such concepts as separation of powers and judicial independence.
Law as a Programming Language
Authors: Lisachenko Alexey V.
Published: March 2012

The author draws a parallel between the world of law and the world of the computer. Law accordingly can be seen as a collection of programs, as a programming language—as a programming environment of human society. In this article, the social roles are highlighted in this tripartite system, and the author points to the dangers of turning law from something humanistic into something mechanistic.
Mother of the Gods: Goddess of Power and Protector of Cities
Authors: Bøgh Birgitte
Published: March 2012

Abstract

The article presents a survey of the roles and status of Meter’s cult in the western Black Sea area, her reception in the archaic period, and the subsequent development of the goddess’s characteristics. Based on new scholarship on the goddess’s roles and status in Phrygia, and taking as a starting point an analysis of a selected number of archaeological Meter objects from the Black Sea region, it will be argued that Meter in this area throughout the centuries functioned as, primarily, a goddess of power, a protector of cities, and a goddess of the elite — the very traits that also characterised her cult in Phrygia. Furthermore, it is suggested that Meter, because of these traits, was eagerly embraced by official authorities outside the Black Sea area also, and that hence they were the primary reason for her early presence in Athens and later in Rome.
A field study on the host status of different crops for Meloidogyne minor and its damage potential on potatoes
Authors: Thoden Tim C. , Korthals Gerald W. , Visser Johnny , van Gastel-Topper Wianda
Published: March 2012

For several years, a new species of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne minor, has been reported from parts of The Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Ireland. So far, this species causes most problems on golf courses but has also been reported from a potato field in Zeijerveld (The Netherlands) where it caused strong growth reduction on potato plants, but no damage to potato tubers. As The Netherlands is a potato-producing country, field experiments were set up to evaluate the potential risks this species poses. We tested the host status of some common crops for M. minor under field conditions and, more importantly, also tested its potential to harm potato production in terms of quantity as well as quality. In a 2-year field experiment (2007-2009), the host status of potato (cv. Bartina), rye, annual ryegrass, sugar beet, and maize was tested in the first growing season. Afterwards, these plots were used to evaluate the damage potential of M. minor on two commonly cultivated potato cultivars (cvs Astérix and Markies). In general, only potato seemed to be a good host for this nematode species with a Pf∕Pi-ratio about 1.5. Reproduction was observed mostly on roots but also on tubers, which increases the spread of M. minor by seed potatoes. However, there was no reduction in potato production, neither in yield nor in tuber quality. No significant reproduction could be observed on the other plants (Pf∕Pi values close to zero). From these results one might conclude that this nematode will not become a major threat to European agriculture. However, care has to be taken as within additional glasshouse experiments potato tubers were susceptible for damage caused by M. minor. Thus, further studies on the general biology and ecology of M. minor are needed to make a better risk assessment on this new nematode pest.
Institutional Design for Collective Action: Tweaking the Rules of the Game for the Common Good
Authors: Meyer Heinz-Dieter
Published: March 2012

Abstract

At present, institutional design is an under-theorized and underdeveloped part of the social sciences. In this paper I focus on designs for situations of collective action where the outcome is controlled by the choices of several self-interested actors. In those situations the goal of institutional design is to alter the rules of the game so that self-interested actors find it rational to cooperate. I explore the viability of that definition by considering two examples of institutional design: urban safety and academic peer review. I discuss the implications of my findings for our conception of rational self-interest and propose that three design principles – publicity, boundaries, and contiguity – can be inferred from the analysis.
Is World Bank “Good Governance” Good for the Poor? Central American Experiences
Authors: Horton Lynn
Published: March 2012

Abstract

This paper explores the World Bank’s concept of “good governance” as applied in rural Central America. It argues that World Bank good governance seeks to constrain unequal accumulation and privilege in the public sector, but leaves largely unaddressed structural inequalities in the private sector and the conflation of economic and political power in the public sector. This paper suggests that the World Bank analysis does not adequately consider more embedded state/civil society relations linked to national and sub-national political cultures. In contexts in which nation-building projects have promoted forms citizenship linked to more activist “leveling” and paternalistic states, good governance is likely to be ideologically contested. World Bank good governance under these circumstances is unlikely to quell discontent or naturalize the neoliberal state.
Theology as an Intellectual Vocation: Some Thoughts on the Theo-logical Vision of Simone Weil*
Authors: Bingemer Maria Clara Lucchetti
Published: March 2012

Abstract

The French philosopher Simone Weil always understood her privileged access to the intellectual world as a ‘terrible’ responsibility, and at the same time as a way opened for the service she was called to provide to society, particularly to the oppressed and the unfortunate in its midst. Her life, experience and reflection are the content of this article. The experience and reflection of Weil can be understood as theo-logy, as it is and wants to be a permanent search and encounter with truth, which at a certain point of her life she will identify with the God of Jesus Christ. The consequences of this ‘theo-logy’ for the public space generate a true ‘fundamental public theology’, especially in the domain of intelligence and culture. Weil’s thought can be considered an important contribution for what we understand today, dynamically, as ‘public theology’; that is, a presence of faith in the world of science and thinking.
The Church and Society Movement and the Roots of Public Theology in Brazilian Protestantism*
Authors: Barreto Raimundo
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Brazilian Protestantism in its origins tended to develop a kind of pietistic and individualistic spirituality without much concern with the social structures of Brazilian society. Nevertheless, in its historical relation with a reality marked by poverty, social injustice and oppression, some Brazilian Protestants began to develop a sense of social responsibility and social justice, which has been manifest in different ways. This article is an overview of the first attempt from a Protestant viewpoint to develop a public theological discourse in Brazil, during the 1950s and early 1960s. It focuses on the Religion and Society movement, which not only preceded liberation theology in Latin America, but also dialogued with liberationist thought and influenced it, as well as other later public discourses among Catholics and Protestants in Latin America. Richard Shaull was the first significant organic intellectual who mediated the dialogue between European/North American theologies and the Latin American public theology, which was in the making.
Forecast Skill and Predictability of Observed Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures
Authors: Zanna Laure
Published: March 2012

An empirical statistical model is constructed to assess the forecast skill and the linear predictability of Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) variability. Linear inverse modeling (LIM) is used to build a dynamically based statistical model using observed Atlantic SST anomalies between latitudes 20°S and 66°N from 1870 to 2009. LIM allows one to fit a multivariate red-noise model to the observed annually averaged SST anomalies and to test it. Forecast skill is assessed and is shown to be O(3–5 yr). After a few years, the skill is greatly reduced, especially in the subpolar region. In the stable dynamical system determined by LIM, skill of annual average SST anomalies arises from four damped eigenmodes. The four eigenmodes are shown to be relevant in particular for the optimal growth events of SST variance, with a pattern reminiscent of the low-frequency mode of variability, and in general for the predictability and variability of Atlantic SSTs on interannual time scales. LIM might serve as a useful benchmark for interannual and decadal forecasts of SST anomalies that are based on numerical models.
Carbon Monoxide Urban Emission Monitoring: A Ground-Based FTIR Case Study
Authors: Té Y. , Dieudonné E. , Jeseck P. , Hase F. , Hadji-Lazaro J. , Clerbaux C. , Ravetta F. , Payan S. , Pépin I. , Hurtmans D. , Pelon J. , Camy-Peyret C.
Published: March 2012

The characterization and the precise measurements of atmospheric pollutant’s concentration are essential to improve the understanding and modeling of urban air pollution processes. The QualAir platform at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) is an experimental research platform dedicated to urban air quality and pollution studies. As one of the major instruments, the ground-based QualAir Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) provides information on the air composition of a megacity like Paris, France. Operating in solar infrared absorption, it enables the monitoring of several important pollutants involved in tropospheric chemistry and atmospheric transport around the Ile de France region. Results on nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) will be presented in this paper, as well as the CO measurements comparison with satellite and in situ measurements showing the capabilities and strengths of this ground-based FTS with the other instruments of the QualAir platform.
Localization and Sampling Error Correction in Ensemble Kalman Filter Data Assimilation
Authors: Anderson Jeffrey L.
Published: March 2012

Ensemble Kalman filters use the sample covariance of an observation and a model state variable to update a prior estimate of the state variable. The sample covariance can be suboptimal as a result of small ensemble size, model error, model nonlinearity, and other factors. The most common algorithms for dealing with these deficiencies are inflation and covariance localization. A statistical model of errors in ensemble Kalman filter sample covariances is described and leads to an algorithm that reduces ensemble filter root-mean-square error for some applications. This sampling error correction algorithm uses prior information about the distribution of the correlation between an observation and a state variable. Offline Monte Carlo simulation is used to build a lookup table that contains a correction factor between 0 and 1 depending on the ensemble size and the ensemble sample correlation. Correction factors are applied like a traditional localization for each pair of observations and state variables during an ensemble assimilation. The algorithm is applied to two low-order models and reduces the sensitivity of the ensemble assimilation error to the strength of traditional localization. When tested in perfect model experiments in a larger model, the dynamical core of a general circulation model, the sampling error correction algorithm produces analyses that are closer to the truth and also reduces sensitivity to traditional localization strength.
Initiation of Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation: Dynamic Contribution by Potential Vorticity
Authors: Seo Kyong-Hwan , Song Eun-Ji
Published: March 2012

Potential vorticity (PV) thinking conceptually connects the upper-level (upper troposphere in the extratropics and middle troposphere for the tropics) dynamical process to the lower-level process. Here, the initiation mechanism of the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) in the tropics is investigated using PV thinking. The authors demonstrate that the midtropospheric PV anomaly produces a dynamical environment favorable for the BSISO initiation. Under seasonal easterly vertical wind shear, the PV anomaly enhances low-level convergence and upward motion at its western edge. Tropical PV forcing in the middle troposphere produces balanced mass and circulation fields that spread horizontally and vertically so that its effect can reach even the lowest troposphere. The downward influence of the midtropospheric PV forcing is one of the key aspects of the PV thinking. Direct piecewise PV inversions confirm that the anomalous lower-level zonal wind and its convergence necessary for the initiation of BSISO convection do not arise solely from the response to the lower-level PV forcing but from the summed contribution by PV forcing at all levels. About 50% of the low-level circulation variations result from PV forcing from 700 to 450 hPa, with the largest contribution from the 600–650-hPa PV anomalies for the convection initiation region over the western Indian Ocean. The current study is compared with and incorporated into the thermodynamic recharge process and the frictional moisture flux convergence mechanism for the BSISO initiation. This study is the first qualitative application of the PV thinking approach that reveals the BSISO dynamics.
Mobile, X-band, Polarimetric Doppler Radar Observations of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Supercell
Authors: Tanamachi Robin L. , Bluestein Howard B. , Houser Jana B. , Frasier Stephen J. , Hardwick Kery M.
Published: March 2012

On 4 May 2007, a supercell produced an EF-5 tornado that severely damaged the town of Greensburg, Kansas. Volumetric data were collected in the “Greensburg storm” by the University of Massachusetts X-band, mobile, polarimetric Doppler radar (UMass X-Pol) for 70 min; 10 tornadoes were detected. This mobile Doppler radar dataset is one of only a few documenting an EF-5 tornado and the supercell’s transition from short-track, cyclic tornado production (mode 1) to long-track tornado production (mode 2). Using bootstrap confidence intervals, it is determined that the mode-2 tornadoes moved in the same direction as the supercell vault. In contrast, the mode-1 tornadoes moved to the left with respect to the vault.

From polarimetric data collected in this storm, the authors infer the presence of large, oblate drops (high ZDR, high ρhv) in the forward flank and surrounding some of the tornadoes. The authors speculate that the weak-echo column (WEC) in the Greensburg tornado, which extended above 10 km AGL, was caused primarily by the centrifuging of hydrometeors at low levels and rapid upward transport of relatively scatterer-free air at upper levels. This WEC was collocated at low levels with a low-ZDR, low-ρhv column, indicating lofted debris.

Dual-Doppler analyses, generated at ~10-min intervals using data from UMass X-Pol and the Dodge City, Kansas, Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), were used to locate updrafts and downdrafts near the hook echo. In the immediate vicinity of tornadoes, diminished ZDR values downstream of analyzed downdrafts may indicate the ingestion by tornadoes of relatively small drops, fallout of larger drops, or a combination of both.
Parameterization of the Vertical Velocity Equation for Shallow Cumulus Clouds
Authors: de Roode Stephan R. , Siebesma A. Pier , Jonker Harm J. J. , de Voogd Yoerik
Published: March 2012

The application of a steady-state vertical velocity equation for parameterized moist convective updrafts in climate and weather prediction models is currently common practice. This equation usually contains an advection, a buoyancy, and a lateral entrainment term, whereas the effects of pressure gradient and subplume contributions are typically incorporated as proportionality constants a and b for the buoyancy and the entrainment terms, respectively. A summary of proposed values of these proportionality constants a and b in the literature demonstrates that there is a large uncertainty in their most appropriate values. To shed new light on this situation an analysis is presented of the full vertical budget equation for shallow cumulus clouds obtained from large eddy simulations of three different Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Cloud System Study (GCSS) intercomparison cases. It is found that the pressure gradient term is the dominant sink term in the vertical velocity budget, whereas the entrainment term only gives a small contribution. This result is at odds with the parameterized vertical velocity equation in the literature as it employs the entrainment term as the major sink term. As a practical solution the damping effect of the pressure term may be parameterized in terms of the lateral entrainment rates as used for thermodynamic quantities like the total specific humidity. By using a least squares method, case-dependent optimal values are obtained for the proportionality constants a and b, which are linearly related with each other. This relation can be explained from a linear relationship between the lateral entrainment rate and the buoyancy.
The LaGrange Tornado during VORTEX2. Part II: Photogrammetric Analysis of the Tornado Combined with Dual-Doppler Radar Data
Authors: Atkins Nolan T. , McGee Anthony , Ducharme Rachel , Wakimoto Roger M. , Wurman Joshua
Published: March 2012

This study presents the synthesis of dual-Doppler and cloud photography data of the 5 June 2009 Goshen County, Wyoming, tornado observed during the Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2). Analyses focused on the hook region of the parent supercell. It will be shown that radar-determined tornadogenesis and initial surface wind damage occurred 14 min before the funnel cloud was observed continuously on the ground. In addition to the cyclonic wall cloud, an anticyclonic lowering was also observed on the southern flank of the hook echo near the time of tornadogenesis.

The relationship between the intensities of the tornado and its parent circulation, the low-level mesocyclone, will also be discussed. Funnel diameter was not well correlated with the maximum vertical vorticity or circulation associated with the mesocyclone. Furthermore, changes in the minimum reflectivity observed in the tornado-scale weak echo hole (WEH) were weakly correlated with the maximum vertical vorticity of the mesocyclone. The tornado funnel was observed within and was relatively small compared to the WEH diameter.

The distribution and evolution of angular momentum were also examined. The radial increase of angular momentum terminated at or beyond the wall cloud edge. Prior to the time that the funnel made continuous contact with the ground, low-level angular momentum increased despite the fact that azimuthally averaged low-level flow within the mesocyclone was divergent, advecting low angular momentum air away from the circulation center. Both the tornado and mesocyclone generally intensified during this time. Thereafter, while the tornado continued to intensify, angular momentum within the low-level mesocyclone weakened.
Influences of Moist Convection on a Cold-Season Outbreak of Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT)
Authors: Trier Stanley B. , Sharman Robert D. , Lane Todd P.
Published: March 2012

The 9–10 March 2006 aviation turbulence outbreak over the central United States is examined using observations and numerical simulations. Though the turbulence occurs within a deep synoptic cyclone with widespread precipitation, comparison of reports from commercial aircraft with radar and satellite data reveals the majority of the turbulence to be in clear air. This clear-air turbulence (CAT) is located above a strong upper-level jet, where vertical shear ranged between 20 and 30 m s−1 km−1. Comparison of a moist simulation with a dry simulation reveals that simulated vertical shear and subgrid turbulence kinetic energy is significantly enhanced by the anticyclonic upper-level flow perturbation associated with the organized convection in regions of observed CAT.

A higher-resolution simulation is used to examine turbulence mechanisms in two primary clusters of reported moderate and severe turbulence. In the northern cluster where vertical shear is strongest, the simulated turbulence arises from Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability. The turbulence farther south occurs several kilometers above shallow, but vigorous, moist convection. There, the simulated turbulence is influenced by vertically propagating gravity waves initiated when the convection impinges on a lowered tropopause. In some locations these gravity waves amplify and break leading directly to turbulence, while in others they aid turbulence development by helping excite KH instability within the layers of strongest vertical shear above them. Although both clusters of turbulence occur either above or laterally displaced from cloud, a shared characteristic is their owed existence to moist convection within the wintertime cyclone, which distinguishes them from traditional CAT.
Extended Prediction of North Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Belanger James I. , Webster Peter J. , Curry Judith A. , Jelinek Mark T.
Published: March 2012

This analysis examines the predictability of several key forecasting parameters using the ECMWF Variable Ensemble Prediction System (VarEPS) for tropical cyclones (TCs) in the North Indian Ocean (NIO) including tropical cyclone genesis, pregenesis and postgenesis track and intensity projections, and regional outlooks of tropical cyclone activity for the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Based on the evaluation period from 2007 to 2010, the VarEPS TC genesis forecasts demonstrate low false-alarm rates and moderate to high probabilities of detection for lead times of 1–7 days. In addition, VarEPS pregenesis track forecasts on average perform better than VarEPS postgenesis forecasts through 120 h and feature a total track error growth of 41 n mi day−1. VarEPS provides superior postgenesis track forecasts for lead times greater than 12 h compared to other models, including the Met Office global model (UKMET), the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS), and the Global Forecasting System (GFS), and slightly lower track errors than the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. This paper concludes with a discussion of how VarEPS can provide much of this extended predictability within a probabilistic framework for the region.
Wendt meets East: ASEAN cultures of conflict and cooperation
Authors: Rother Stefan
Published: March 2012

The major theories of International Relations (IRT) differ significantly as far as their concepts of conflict and cooperation are concerned. However, they share one common denominator: They are deeply rooted in Western experiences and intellectual history. Recently, a growing literature on the possibilities and benefits of a non-Western IRT has emerged. This article proposes a ‘via media’: a theoretical approach that can be applied to Western and non-Western IR alike, taking into consideration the specific historical, ideational and cultural contexts. Based on social constructivism as developed by Alexander Wendt, it is argued that the existence of a collective identity among states in a given region can manifest itself in distinctive logics or cultures of anarchy. These are based on norms of conflict or cooperation that can be established through interaction, can be proposed by outside agents and localized, or can be affected by the re-negotiation of state identity caused by domestic events. In addition, there are cultural path dependencies: norms rooted in the cultural memory or consciousness of a region which tend to be ignored by interpretations that merely focus on current events or established Western models of cooperation. Area studies can contribute to provide this context.
The EU as an international security actor after Lisbon: Finally a green light for a holistic approach?
Authors: Zwolski Kamil
Published: March 2012

This article argues that a holistic approach is important when studying the European Union’s (EU) role as an international security actor, but at the same time it identifies problems in adopting such a comprehensive research agenda. The holistic approach entails that the research must include ‘new’ security problems, such as climate change, but also relevant policies and instruments outside the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). However, owing to conceptual, legal and political obstacles, this has been difficult to achieve; as a consequence, existing research on the EU as an international security actor tends to narrow down the focus to just one framework: the CSDP and its operations. This may lead to a distorted image, because the EU’s role in international security surpasses any single policy framework. The contribution of this article is twofold. First, it sets the framework for the comprehensive research agenda concerning the EU as an international security actor. Second, it identifies key obstacles that are making this holistic approach methodologically and conceptually difficult. In this context, the Lisbon Treaty, formally abandoning the pillar structure of the EU, provides an opportunity to mitigate at least some of these roadblocks.
Central bank independence in Turkey: A neo-Gramscian analysis
Authors: Şahin Sevgi B.
Published: March 2012

The Turkish state has been going through a neo-liberal transformation resulting from the strategic reorientation of state institutions in ways that enhance and facilitate the strategies pursued by market-oriented social forces. The reform that granted legal independence to the Turkish Central Bank (TCMB) in 2001 was an institutional turning point within the state structure in Turkey; this policy shift prohibited TCMB’s granting of credits to the Treasury and other public institutions. Institutionalization of an anti-inflationary approach to macro-economic policy altered the power balance not only between different state agencies, but also between social groups in favour of financial interests that benefited from monetary stabilization. Rooted in a neo-Gramscian framework, this article explores the legal independence of the TCMB as a function of the market-oriented domestic social forces that emerged as a result of the process of neo-liberal globalization initiated in the 1980s. The article also emphasizes how the hegemonic unification of diverse identities and interests around the strategy of achieving price stability was crucial in the autonomy of the TCMB.
In data we trust? A comparison of UCDP GED and ACLED conflict events datasets
Authors: Eck Kristine
Published: March 2012

In recent years, several large-scale data-collection projects have produced georeferenced, disaggregated events-level conflict data which can aid researchers in studying the microlevel dynamics of civil war. This article describes the differences between the two leading conflict events datasets, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program Georeferenced Events Dataset (UCDP GED) and the Armed Conflict Location Events Dataset (ACLED), including their relative strengths and weaknesses. The aim of the article is to provide readers with some guidelines as to when these datasets should be used and when they should be avoided; it finds that those interested in subnational analyses of conflict should be wary of ACLED’s data because of uneven quality-control issues which can result in biased findings if left unchecked by the researcher. The article concludes that those interested in non-violent events such as troop movements have only ACLED to choose from, since UCDP has not coded such data, but again warns researchers to be wary of the quality of the data. Finally, while the creation of these datasets is a positive development, some caveats are raised in relation to both datasets about the reliance on media sources.
Team Task Analysis
Authors: Arthur Winfred , Glaze Ryan M. , Bhupatkar Alok , Villado Anton J. , Bennett Winston , Rowe Leah J.
Published: March 2012

Objective: As a constructive replication and extension of Arthur, Edwards, Bell, Villado, and Bennett (2005), the objective of the current study was to further investigate the efficacy of team relatedness and team workflow ratings (along with their composite) as metrics of interdependence.

Background: Although an analysis of task and job interdependence has important implications and uses in domains such as job design, selection, and training, the job analysis literature has been slow to develop an effective method to identify team-based tasks and jobs.

Method: To achieve the study’s objectives, 140 F-16 fighter pilots (35 four-person teams) rated 34 task and activity statements in terms of their team relatedness and team workflow.

Results: The results indicated that team relatedness and team workflow effectively differentiated between tasks with varying levels of interdependency (as identified by instructor pilots who served as subject matter experts) within the same job. In addition, teams that accurately perceived the level of interdependency performed better on a four-ship F-16 flight-training program than those that did not.

Conclusion: Team relatedness and team workflow ratings can effectively differentiate between tasks with varying levels of interdependency.

Application: Like traditional individual task or job analysis, this information can serve as the basis for specified human resource functions and interventions, and as diagnostic indicators as well.
Antibacterial Nanocomposite with Calcium Phosphate and Quaternary Ammonium
Authors: Cheng L. , Weir M.D. , Zhang K. , Xu S.M. , Chen Q. , Zhou X. , Xu H.H.K.
Published: March 2012

Secondary caries is a frequent reason for restoration failure, resulting from acidogenic bacteria and their biofilms. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a novel nanocomposite containing nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP) and quaternary ammonium dimethacrylate (QADM); and (2) investigate its mechanical and antibacterial durability. A spray-drying technique yielded NACP with particle size of 116 nm. The nanocomposite contained NACP and reinforcement glass fillers, with QADM in the resin. Two commercial composites were tested as controls. Composites were inoculated with Streptococcus mutans. After 180-day water-aging, NACP+QADM nanocomposite had flexural strength and elastic modulus matching those of commercial controls (p > 0.1). NACP+QADM nanocomposite reduced the biofilm colony-forming units (CFU) by 3-fold, compared with commercial composites (p < 0.05). Metabolic activity and lactic acid production of biofilms on NACP+QADM were much less than those on commercial composites (p < 0.05). The antibacterial properties of NACP+QADM were maintained after water-aging for 30, 90, and 180 d (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the novel NACP-QADM nanocomposite greatly decreased biofilm metabolic activity, CFU, and lactic acid, while matching the load-bearing capability of commercial composites without antibacterial properties. The NACP-QADM nanocomposite with strong and durable antibacterial properties, together with its previously reported Ca-PO4 release capability, may render it useful for caries-inhibiting restorations.
The impact of social support networks on mental and physical health in the transition to older adulthood
Authors: Fiori Katherine L. , Jager Justin
Published: March 2012

Social support is a multidimensional construct that consists of the type of support, the direction of support, the sources or targets of support, and whether support is actual or potential. We used latent class analysis to uncover network types based on these dimensions and to examine the association between network types and well-being among 6,824 adults ( M age = 54 at T1) in the two most recent waves (1992–1993 and 2003–2005) of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. We found six classes of social support networks. Class membership at T1 significantly predicted changes in depressive symptomatology and self-rated health over time. Our findings are discussed in light of the utility of a pattern-centered approach for uncovering heterogeneity in the social networks of adults.
Effect of Asian Sand Dust on Mucin Production in NCI‐H292 Cells and Allergic Murine Model
Authors: Jung Joo Hyun , Kang Il Gyu , Cha Heung Eog , Choe Sung Ho , Kim Seon Tae
Published: March 2012

Objective

To investigate the effect of Asian sand dust (ASD) on mucin production in human respiratory epithelial cells in vitro and in allergic murine nasal epithelial cells.

Study Design

Controlled, in vitro.

Setting

Academic research laboratory.

Materials and Methods

Human NCI‐H292 cells were treated with ASD and analyzed by immunostaining, reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction for MUC5AC mRNA expression, and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Forty female BALB/c mice were classified into 4 groups. Two groups were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), and 1 of these was treated with ASD (ASD+OVA). The 2 nonsensitized groups were treated with ASD or saline. Then the murine nasal mucosal tissues were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, PAS staining, and immunostaining for MUC5AC and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐α proteins.

Results

The numbers of MUC5AC‐immunopositive NCI‐H292 cells and PAS‐positive NCI‐H292 cells were significantly higher in the ASD‐treated cells than in the control cells (P =. 039 and P =. 029, respectively). MUC5AC mRNA expression in the cells increased with increasing concentrations of ASD. In the murine nasal epithelial tissues, the numbers of eosinophils and PAS‐positive cells were significantly higher in the ASD+OVA group than in the OVA group (H&E staining, P =. 037; PAS staining, P =. 019). At 2 weeks, the numbers of MUC5AC‐ and TGF‐α–positive cells in the nasal epithelial tissue were significantly higher in the ASD+OVA group than in the OVA group (P =. 031 and P =. 033, respectively).

Conclusion

ASD can induce mucin production in respiratory epithelial cells.
Construction of the Real Patient Simulator System
Authors: Chan R , Sun CT
Published: March 2012

Simulation for perfusion education has been used for at least the past 25 years. The earlier models were either electronic (computer games) or fluid dynamic models and provided invaluable adjuncts to perfusion training and education. In 2009, the * North Shore-LIJ Health System at Great Neck, New York, opened an innovative “Bioskill Center” dedicated to simulated virtual reality advanced hands-on surgical training as well as perfusion simulation. Professional cardiac surgical organizations now show great interest in using simulation for training and recertification. Simulation will continue to be the direction for future perfusion training and education. This manuscript introduces a cost-effective system developed from discarded perfusion products and it is not intended to detail the actual lengthy process of its construction.
Using decision support to manage the influence of cognitive abilities on share trading performance
Authors: Richardson Alex , Gregor Shirley , Heaney Richard
Published: March 2012

Online share trading is no longer restricted to expert brokers; there is a diverse population of traders with varying abilities and experience. Decision making in this context can be sub-optimal and risky. This study investigates how performance varies with level of cognitive ability and speed of online trading, and whether a decision aid can overcome traders’ disadvantages. The study showed that novice traders with decision support consistently outperformed those without and that the decision aid mitigated the negative effects of higher decision-making speeds and lower cognitive ability. This adds to decision making under time pressure and behavioural finance literature.
Comparative analysis of solid waste management in 20 cities
Authors: Wilson David C , Rodic Ljiljana , Scheinberg Anne , Velis Costas A , Alabaster Graham
Published: March 2012

This paper uses the ‘lens’ of integrated and sustainable waste management (ISWM) to analyse the new data set compiled on 20 cities in six continents for the UN-Habitat flagship publication Solid Waste Management in the World’s Cities. The comparative analysis looks first at waste generation rates and waste composition data. A process flow diagram is prepared for each city, as a powerful tool for representing the solid waste system as a whole in a comprehensive but concise way. Benchmark indicators are presented and compared for the three key physical components/drivers: public health and collection; environment and disposal; and resource recovery – and for three governance strategies required to deliver a well-functioning ISWM system: inclusivity; financial sustainability; and sound institutions and pro-active policies. Key insights include the variety and diversity of successful models – there is no ‘one size fits all’; the necessity of good, reliable data; the importance of focusing on governance as well as technology; and the need to build on the existing strengths of the city. An example of the latter is the critical role of the informal sector in the cities in many developing countries: it not only delivers recycling rates that are comparable with modern Western systems, but also saves the city authorities millions of dollars in avoided waste collection and disposal costs. This provides the opportunity for win–win solutions, so long as the related wider challenges can be addressed.