bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward Quantifying the Increasing Role of Oceanic Heat in Sea Ice Loss in the New Arctic
Authors: Carmack E. , Polyakov I. , Padman L. , Fer I. , Hunke E. , Hutchings J. , Jackson J. , Kelley D. , Kwok R. , Layton C. , Melling H. , Perovich D. , Persson O. , Ruddick B. , Timmermans M.-L. , Toole J. , Ross T. , Vavrus S. , Winsor P.
Published: February 2015

The loss of Arctic sea ice has emerged as a leading signal of global warming. This, together with acknowledged impacts on other components of the Earth system, has led to the term “the new Arctic.” Global coupled climate models predict that ice loss will continue through the twenty-first century, with implications for governance, economics, security, and global weather. A wide range in model projections reflects the complex, highly coupled interactions between the polar atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere, including teleconnections to lower latitudes. This paper summarizes our present understanding of how heat reaches the ice base from the original sources—inflows of Atlantic and Pacific Water, river discharge, and summer sensible heat and shortwave radiative fluxes at the ocean/ice surface—and speculates on how such processes may change in the new Arctic. The complexity of the coupled Arctic system, and the logistic and technological challenges of working in the Arctic Ocean, require a coordinated interdisciplinary and international program that will not only improve understanding of this critical component of global climate but will also provide opportunities to develop human resources with the skills required to tackle related problems in complex climate systems. We propose a research strategy with components that include 1) improved mapping of the upper- and middepth Arctic Ocean, 2) enhanced quantification of important process, 3) expanded long-term monitoring at key heat-flux locations, and 4) development of numerical capabilities that focus on parameterization of heat-flux mechanisms and their interactions.
The DACCIWA Project: Dynamics–Aerosol–Chemistry–Cloud Interactions in West Africa
Authors: Knippertz Peter , Coe Hugh , Chiu J. Christine , Evans Mat J. , Fink Andreas H. , Kalthoff Norbert , Liousse Catherine , Mari Celine , Allan Richard P. , Brooks Barbara , Danour Sylvester , Flamant Cyrille , Jegede Oluwagbemiga O. , Lohou Fabienne , Marsham John H.
Published: February 2015

Massive economic and population growth, and urbanization are expected to lead to a tripling of anthropogenic emissions in southern West Africa (SWA) between 2000 and 2030. However, the impacts of this on human health, ecosystems, food security, and the regional climate are largely unknown. An integrated assessment is challenging due to (a) a superposition of regional effects with global climate change; (b) a strong dependence on the variable West African monsoon; (c) incomplete scientific understanding of interactions between emissions, clouds, radiation, precipitation, and regional circulations; and (d) a lack of observations. This article provides an overview of the DACCIWA (Dynamics–Aerosol–Chemistry–Cloud Interactions in West Africa) project. DACCIWA will conduct extensive fieldwork in SWA to collect high-quality observations, spanning the entire process chain from surface-based natural and anthropogenic emissions to impacts on health, ecosystems, and climate. Combining the resulting benchmark dataset with a wide range of modeling activities will allow (a) assessment of relevant physical, chemical, and biological processes; (b) improvement of the monitoring of climate and atmospheric composition from space; and (c) development of the next generation of weather and climate models capable of representing coupled cloud–aerosol interactions. The latter will ultimately contribute to reduce uncertainties in climate predictions. DACCIWA collaborates closely with operational centers, international programs, policymakers, and users to actively guide sustainable future planning for West Africa. It is hoped that some of DACCIWA’s scientific findings and technical developments will be applicable to other monsoon regions.
Laser Ceilometer Investigation of Persistent Wintertime Cold-Air Pools in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley
Authors: Young Joseph Swyler , Whiteman C. David
Published: February 2015

As part of the winter 2010/11 Persistent Cold-Air Pool Study in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley, a laser ceilometer was used to continuously measure aerosol-layer characteristics in support of an investigation of the meteorological processes producing the cold-air pools. A surface-based aerosol layer was present during much of the winter. Comparisons were made between ceilometer-measured and visual characteristics of the aerosol layers. A 3–4 January 2011 case study illustrated the meteorological value of time–height backscatter cross sections when used as a base map for meteorological analyses. A variety of meteorological mixing processes were illustrated using ceilometer backscatter data. The mean altitude of the top of the aerosol layer during undisturbed subperiods of the 1 December–7 February experimental period was 1811 m MSL, with a standard deviation of 185 m. The mean aerosol depth was ~500 m AGL in the 1200-m-deep valley. There was surprisingly little variation in the wintertime aerosol layer depth despite large variations in bulk atmospheric stability and ground-based fine particulate matter concentrations.
Patterns of Diurnal Marine Stratocumulus Cloud Fraction Variability
Authors: Burleyson Casey D. , Yuter Sandra E.
Published: February 2015

The spatial patterns of subtropical marine stratocumulus cloud fraction variability on diurnal time scales are examined using high-temporal-resolution cloud masks that are based on 30-min, 4 km × 4 km geosynchronous infrared data for 2003–10. This dataset permits comparison of the characteristics of variability in low cloud fraction among the three subtropical marine stratocumulus regions in the northeastern (NE) Pacific, southeastern (SE) Pacific, and SE Atlantic Oceans. In all three regions, the largest diurnal cycles and earliest time of cloud breakup occur on the edges of the cloud field where cloud fractions are generally lower. The rate at which the cloud breaks up during the day is tied to the starting cloud fraction at dawn, which determines the amount of longwave cooling that is initially available to offset shortwave radiative fluxes during the day. The maximum rate of cloud breakup occurs near 1200 LT. Cloud fraction begins to increase by 1600 LT (before the sun sets) and reaches its maximum value just before dawn. The diurnal-cycle characteristics of the SE Pacific and SE Atlantic marine stratocumulus cloud decks are more similar to each other than to those in the NE Pacific. The NE Pacific cloud deck has a smaller-amplitude diurnal cycle, slower rates of cloud breakup during the day for a given cloud fraction at dawn, and a higher probability of cloud breakup overnight.
Drought over East Asia: A Review
Authors: Zhang Lixia , Zhou Tianjun
Published: February 2015

East Asia is greatly impacted by drought. North and southwest China are the regions with the highest drought frequency and maximum duration. At the interannual time scale, drought in the eastern part of East Asia is mainly dominated by two teleconnection patterns (i.e., the Pacific–Japan and Silk Road teleconnections). The former is forced by SST anomalies in the western North Pacific and the tropical Indian Ocean during El Niño decaying year summers. The precipitation anomaly features a meridional tripolar or sandwich pattern. The latter is forced by Indian monsoon heating and is a propagation of stationary Rossby waves along the Asian jet in the upper troposphere. It can significantly influence the precipitation over north China. Regarding the long-term trend, there exists an increasing drought trend over central parts of northern China and a decreasing tendency over northwestern China from the 1950s to the present. The increased drought in north China results from a weakened tendency of summer monsoons, which is mainly driven by the phase transition of the Pacific decadal oscillation. East Asian summer precipitation is poorly simulated and predicted by current state-of-the-art climate models. Encouragingly, the predictability of atmospheric circulation is high because of the forcing of ENSO and the associated teleconnection patterns. Under the SRES A1B scenario and doubled CO2 simulations, most climate models project an increasing drought frequency and intensity over southeastern Asia. Nevertheless, uncertainties exist in the projections as a result of the selection of climate models and the choice of drought index.
Generation of a Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in an NWP Model Using a Stochastic Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization
Authors: McCormack John P. , Eckermann Stephen D. , Hogan Timothy F.
Published: February 2015

Many operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems now extend into the stratosphere and are beginning to be used to generate forecasts beyond conventional 5–10-day periods out to seasonal time scales. Past observational and modeling studies have shown that the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in equatorial stratospheric winds can play an important role in stratosphere–troposphere dynamical coupling over these longer time scales. Consequently, stratosphere-resolving NWP models used to generate seasonal forecasts should contain the necessary physics to generate and maintain the QBO. This study describes several key modifications that were necessary to produce a QBO in a high-altitude NWP model, which include an increase in model vertical resolution, implementation of a computationally efficient stochastic gravity wave drag parameterization, and reductions in the amount of horizontal and vertical diffusion in the stratosphere. Results from a 10-yr free-running model simulation with these modifications show that the westerly QBO phase produces lower temperatures and stronger westerly flow in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter polar stratosphere compared to the easterly QBO phase. Ensembles of 120-day simulations over the December–March period show that these modifications replace persistent easterly flow in the equatorial lower stratosphere with a more realistic transition from easterly to westerly flow. The resulting changes in planetary wave propagation produce a statistically significant response in the dynamics of the NH extratropical stratosphere consistent with the Holton–Tan relationship. The westerly shift in equatorial winds also produces a significant response in the NH extratropical troposphere, where the sea level pressure differences in winter resemble the positive phase of the northern annular mode.
Polarimetric Radar Observations from a Waterspout-Producing Thunderstorm
Authors: Van Den Broeke Matthew S. , Van Den Broeke Cynthia A.
Published: February 2015

A family of four waterspouts was produced by a convective cell over western Lake Michigan on 12 September 2013. This storm initiated along a boundary north of a mesolow in a low-level cold-air advection regime, and developed supercell characteristics once the second waterspout was in progress. Polarimetric characteristics of the storm, and of the development of supercell character, are presented. These observations represent the first documented polarimetric radar observations of waterspout-producing convection in the Great Lakes region. Unusually high differential reflectivity values accompanied this storm and its initiating boundary. The high values along the boundary are partially explained by a high density of dragonflies. High differential reflectivity values were present through much of the storm of interest despite very low aerosol concentration at low levels in the lake-influenced air mass. Finally, this case illustrates the importance of environmental awareness on waterspout-favorable days, especially when boundaries are nearby to serve as a potential source of enhanced environmental vertical vorticity.
Do Parents Expect Pediatricians to Pay Attention to Behavioral Health?
Authors: Larson Justine Julia , Lynch Sean , Tarver Leslie Bishop , Mitchell Laura , Frosch Emily , Solomon Barry
Published: February 2015

Background and Objective. This study is a qualitative analysis examining caregivers’ expectations for pediatricians with regard to behavioral health care. Methods. Fifty-five parents/caregivers of children seen in an urban primary care clinic participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were parents or guardians of children between the ages of 2 and 17 years, referred from the pediatric clinic to the mental health center. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results. Pertinent themes were the following: expected range of care, components of an effective primary care provider (PCP) relationship, action of the PCP, and parent reaction to PCP intervention. Forty-seven percent of caregivers saw the PCP role as strictly for physical health care; 53% expected the PCP to have a role in both physical and behavioral health. Responses were overwhelmingly positive from caregivers when the PCP asked about or conducted a behavioral health intervention. Conclusion. Caregivers did not consistently expect but responded positively to PCPs engaging around behavioral health concerns.
Associations Between Breast Milk Feeding, Introduction of Solid Foods, and Weight Gain in the First 12 Months of Life
Authors: Klag Elizabeth A. , McNamara Kelly , Geraghty Sheela R. , Keim Sarah A.
Published: February 2015

Background and Objectives. Breast milk feeding and solid food introduction can influence infant growth, but are rarely examined together. The objectives were to describe relationships between feeding practices, feeding practices and weight gain, and how the relationship of breast milk feeding and growth may change when breastfed infants start solid foods before 6 months. Methods. Data were analyzed on 438 infants from the Moms2Moms Study (2011-2012, Ohio), using multivariable linear and logistic regression models to explore each of the relationships. Results. For each additional month of breast milk feeding, solid food introduction was delayed by 1.32 days (95% CI 0.11 to 2.53) and average weight gain per month decreased by 5.05 g (95% CI 7.39 to 2.17). There was no association between solid food introduction and growth. Conclusions. Longer breastfeeding duration was associated with slower growth regardless of solid food introduction. Age at solid food introduction was not associated with growth.
The Durability of Presidential and Parliament-Based Dictatorships
Authors: Roberts Tyson L.
Published: February 2015

Many scholars have examined the durability of parliamentary versus presidential regimes in democracies, but the process by which authoritarian leaders are (nominally) elected is generally assumed to be irrelevant. However, even if the electoral outcome is not in doubt, the executive selection process may affect outcomes such as regime durability. I argue that, when opposition parties are allowed to participate in the executive selection process, a Parliament-based election system increases authoritarian regime durability by creating incentives for ruling party elites to work cooperatively for mutual gain. In this article, I identify dictatorships by executive selection system and find that regimes with a multiparty Parliament-based system are more durable than those with a multiparty Presidential system or an Unelected (or single party) system if the party, relative to the ruler and the military, is an important power center.
Mental Health, Self-Stigma, and Help-Seeking Intentions Among Emerging Adults
Authors: Cheng Hsiu-Lan , McDermott Ryon C. , Lopez Frederick G.
Published: February 2015

Many college students experience common mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression, but do not seek psychological help. The present study proposed an attachment theory–driven model interrelating adult attachment, mental health concerns, and self-stigma in predicting intentions to seek counseling with a college student sample ( N = 1,682). Structural equation modeling revealed that attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, directly and positively predicted intentions to seek counseling. However, mediation analyses indicated that attachment anxiety was also indirectly and negatively linked to help-seeking intentions through self-stigma. Specifically, higher levels of attachment anxiety, or the combination of attachment anxiety and mental health concerns, predicted greater levels of self-stigma, which in turn predicted weaker intentions to seek counseling. The findings point to the importance of considering the combined contributions of individual differences in attachment dimensions, levels of mental health concerns, self-stigma, and help-seeking intentions in understanding the help-seeking process.
Body mass index and the use of the Internet for health information
Authors: Faith Jennifer , Thorburn Sheryl , Smit Ellen
Published: February 2015

Objective:

Individuals who experience or anticipate negative interactions from medical providers related to conditions such as obesity may preferentially use the Internet for health information. Our objectives in this study were to (1) examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and Internet health information–seeking and (2) examine whether the association between patient-centred communication and Internet health information–seeking differed by BMI category.

Method:

We used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 3 ( n = 7,674), a cross-sectional nationally representative survey of US adults. Using weighted data, we determined associations between BMI category and Internet health information–seeking, adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables. We then determined the adjusted associations between patient-centred communication and Internet health information–seeking stratified by BMI category.

Results:

Most (78.7%) sought health information from the Internet. The odds of Internet health information–seeking among individuals with overweight (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.96) and individuals with obesity (AOR = 1.45) did not differ significantly from individuals with normal weight. The association between perceived levels of patient-centred communication and using the Internet for health information did not differ by BMI category.

Conclusion:

Study findings suggest that most individuals seek health information from the Internet. Despite non-significant results, this study points to the need for research on health information choices specific to weight loss among individuals with overweight and obesity using more comprehensive measures of the frequency, preference and motivation for information-seeking.
Renewable Natural Resource Shocks and Conflict Intensity
Authors: Gawande Kishore , Kapur Devesh , Satyanath Shanker
Published: February 2015

An interesting stream of the civil conflict literature has identified an important subset of civil conflicts with disastrous consequences, that is, those that emerge as a consequence of shocks to renewable natural resources like land and water. This literature is, however, reliant on qualitative case studies when claiming a causal relationship leading from renewable resource shocks to conflict. In this article, we seek to advance the literature by drawing out the implications of a well-known formal model of the renewable resources–conflict relationship and then conducting rigorous statistical tests of its implications in the case of a serious ongoing civil conflict in India. We find that a one standard deviation decrease in our measure of renewable resources increases killings by nearly 60 percent over the long run.
Undermining Resistance
Authors: Sullivan Christopher M.
Published: February 2015

This study examines attempts by authorities to undermine overt collective challenges, such as protests, riots, or armed attacks, by targeting activities that precede and/or support such behavior. After providing a theory of how repression and resistance develop, the study analyzes unique data drawn from the confidential records of the Guatemalan National Police to assess the use of repression during the years between 1975 and 1985. Empirical tests demonstrate that (1) government forces anticipate challenger development by identifying the mobilization activities nascent challengers rely on to initiate and sustain overt collective challenges and (2) the use of repression designed to undermine such efforts is specifically targeted against radical (i.e., highly transformative) claims making. Implications are drawn for how we understand and study political order and conflict.
An Innovation-Driven Culture in Local Government
Authors: Kim Soonhee , Yoon Gyunsoo
Published: February 2015

This article analyzes how senior managers’ transformational leadership and the climate for creativity associate with employees’ perceptions regarding a culture of innovation in the context of public management reform in local government. Based on a survey of 1,576 employees in the Seoul Metropolitan Government, this study finds that the degree to which an employee perceives senior managers’ transformational leadership is positively related to the degree to which the employee perceives a culture of innovation. The findings of the study also indicate that the climate for creativity—through enhancing the recognition of employee creativity, the flexibility to change, and resources for innovation—is significantly associated with employees’ perceptions of a culture of innovation. Finally, the study finds that there is a variance in the degree to which the employee perceives a culture of innovation among agencies, and supervisors’ transactional leadership still matters in fostering a culture of innovation in local government.
The Game of Social Life
Authors: Bramesfeld Kosha D. , Good Arla
Published: February 2015

This article presents the development of a new simulation activity, the Game of Social Life. The activity introduces students to concepts of social stratification based on multiple dimensions of poverty, including inequalities related to housing, education, occupational status, social power, and health outcomes. The game was administered to students enrolled in a social psychology course at a small, private, liberal arts university located in the midwestern United States. Qualitative analysis of 25 students’ written reactions revealed that the game was engaging and successful in motivating students to adopt a new perspective, acknowledge inequality and explanations for poverty, self-reflect about privilege and oppression, and consider solutions to these problems. The activity was also assessed as a training exercise with 16 staff members at a nonprofit agency located in an urban area in southeastern Canada. These assessments indicate that the activity can be used in a variety of contexts.
Exclusion in Arcadia
Authors: Glotzer Paige
Published: February 2015

Suburban developers changed the policy landscape of the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. Prior to the advent of oft-studied federal agencies during the Great Depression, developers shared ideas—first through informal correspondence in the 1890s and, later, through the National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB). Among the most frequently discussed subjects was the exclusion of undesirable residents from planned communities. Using the case study of a Baltimore company, this article explores how ideas about residential segregation circulated into federal policy as well as their enduring legacy. After the local experiments of the 1890s, developers often spearheaded a growing movement to professionalize real estate. As NAREB leaders, they tied a vision of discrimination to the institution’s ethical and scientific aspirations. Once the association gained legitimacy and cultural capital, it supplied the government with the ideas that became standards and the personnel who codified them.
Reading Genesis–Joshua as a Unified Document from an Early Date: A Settler Colonial Perspective
Authors: Pitkänen Pekka
Published: February 2015

This essay proposes based on literary-compositional considerations how two authors working together could have composed Genesis–Joshua. After this, it suggests that Genesis–Joshua can be seen to reflect a sociopolitical transformation of ancient Canaanite societies into an Israelite one(s) through a process that can be labeled as ancient settler colonialism, and that the document could have been written concomitantly. Subsequently, relevant ancient Near Eastern and archaeological evidence will be considered, suggesting compatibility with the idea that Genesis–Joshua has reused and readapted existing traditions together with creative narrative retelling for its sociopolitical purposes, and that this could have already taken place from the late second millennium bce on. The essay concludes by drawing out some explicit contemporary implications of such a reading of Genesis–Joshua.
Subverting Sexuality: Manly Women; Womanly Men in Judges 4–5
Authors: Zucker David J. , Reiss Moshe
Published: February 2015

Judges chapters 4 and 5 feature first a narrative account, and then a poetic depiction of a 12th century bce battle and its aftermath. The conflict is between the forces of Israel and those of a Canaanite commander. In these chapters traditional sexual roles are overturned and subverted. Women are manly, and men are womanly. That these gender-based stereotypes are so clearly upended is integral to the message of the received text.
Intergroup Conflict and Matthew 23: Towards Responsible Historical Interpretation of a Challenging Text
Authors: Esler Philip F.
Published: February 2015

Matthew 23 is challenging because of the nature of the attack Jesus mounts on the scribes and the Pharisees and the way texts such as this have subsequently figured in persecution of the Jews. Responsible historical interpretation of Matthew 23 requires that we pay the closest attention to the precise nature of the intergroup conflict evident in the text in its particular setting, especially by use of social-scientific theory (here drawn from social identity theory). After denying “race” any role in designating ancient or modern groups, I focus on the conflict portrayed between the leaders and certain members of the ethnic Judean group and a Christ-movement with a different kind of identity, one that had transcended ethnic boundaries. Matthew begins with a fairly mild criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (vv 1–7). He then highlights Christ-movement identity (vv 8–12). Next he critiques the Judean outgroup in close engagement with its ethnic character, initially focusing on its leadership (vv 13–36) but then embracing a wider group (vv. 37–39). Using as an example the Vatican II statement on the Jews, I conclude that we should never eschew responsible historical interpretation of a text like Matthew 23 for political reasons.
Manufacturing Islamophobia: Rightwing Pseudo-Documentaries and the Paranoid Style
Authors: Stein Arlene , Salime Zakia
Published: February 2015

Rightwing organizations in the United States have produced and circulated a number of videos which exaggerate the threat Islamic militants pose to ordinary citizens in the West. These videos owe a great deal to the frames established two decades earlier in religious right campaigns against homosexuality. This article provides a textual analysis of these videos and their production, showing how they manifest “heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy,” which Richard Hofstadter characterized as the “paranoid style.” We term these films “pseudo-documentaries” because while they utilize some of the conventions of the documentary genre—claims to “fairness and accuracy,” the use of “experts,” and the incorporation of news footage, testimonies, and “facts”—they are produced by political interest groups and are expressly made to persuade and mobilize through distortion. A comparison of homophobic and Islamophobic videos reveals continuities in rightwing rhetoric, as well as strategic shifts, and indicates the emergence of an increasingly fragmented, pluralized, and privatized political sphere.
ICT skills evaluation of faculty members in Kuwait; Preliminary findings
Authors: Buarki Hanadi
Published: February 2015

This research aimed to examine the current information and communication technology (ICT) skills of faculty members at the College of Basic Education, Kuwait, to find out their ICT skills level and obtain an understanding of their training needs. A survey of 187 faculty members revealed findings on Internet access, ICT teaching courses, level of ICT skills, English language proficiency, ICT use, availability of ICT resources and ICT skills. This study recommends that faculty members update their ICT skills and assign students to use ICT, while their employer should provide suitable Internet infrastructure and professional development courses based on a training plan. Research has generated an ICT-skilled faculty member list that employers would use to check faculty members’ skills before employing them. Other institutions can make use of this research as a guide to evaluating their faculty members’ ICT skills.
Age as a factor in do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation decisions: A multicentre blinded simulation-based study
Authors: Moore Nicholas A , Wiggins Natasha , Adams Joe
Published: February 2015

Background:

The European Resuscitation Council Guidelines recognise that there is a lack of direct evidence for the effect of age on outcome following cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Aim:

To determine the role that advancing age plays in the decision by clinicians to complete a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation order based on perceived futility.

Design:

A questionnaire-based trial. Clinicians were randomly assigned to receive one of two versions of a patient case, varying in age but otherwise identical (90 years vs 60 years). Participants were asked to decide whether a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation form should be completed based on perceived futility for a single patient case. Rates of do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation order were compared between groups.

Participants:

Consultant physicians, surgeons and anaesthetists from 12 district general hospitals in England.

Results:

In total, 291 questionnaires were returned. Overall, clinicians were significantly more likely to complete a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation form for a 90-year-old patient than a 60-year-old patient, when all other factors are equal (67.7% vs 7.4%, p < 0.001). This finding was consistent across speciality and experience level of the consultant. Surgeons were found to be significantly less likely to complete a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation order in the 90-year-old patient compared to other consultants (46.4% vs 74.1%, p < 0.001). Anaesthetists were more likely than other consultants to complete a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation order in the 60-year-old patient (17.8% vs 4.3%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Age is a highly significant independent factor in a clinicians’ decision to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We highlight a potential gap between current practice and supporting evidence base.
Effect of Posterolateral Bundle Graft Fixation Angles on Clinical Outcomes in Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Koga Hideyuki , Muneta Takeshi , Yagishita Kazuyoshi , Watanabe Toshifumi , Mochizuki Tomoyuki , Horie Masafumi , Nakamura Tomomasa , Otabe Koji , Sekiya Ichiro
Published: February 2015

Background:

In double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, no consensus exists on an optimal setting for the posterolateral bundle (PLB) graft fixation angles.

Hypothesis:

Different PLB fixation angles would affect clinical outcomes in DB ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

This study prospectively included 90 patients who underwent primary DB ACL reconstruction with an autologous semitendinosus tendon. The PLB fixation angles were randomly set as follows: 0° of flexion (P0; n = 30), 20° (P20; n = 30), and 45° (P45; n = 30). In all groups, the anteromedial bundle was fixed at 20° of flexion. The following evaluation methods were used at the preoperative period and at 3, 6, and 9 months and 1 and 2 years after the surgery: clinical examination, KT-1000 arthrometer measurement, muscle strength, Tegner score, Lysholm score, and subjective rating scale regarding patient satisfaction and sports performance levels. Graft retear, contralateral ACL tear, and additional meniscus surgery were also recorded.

Results:

Seventy-five patients (P0, n = 25; P20, n = 26; P45, n = 24) who were followed for 2 years were evaluated. Preoperatively, there were no differences among the groups. Postoperatively, pivot-shift test results in the P0 and P20 groups were better than those in the P45 group (P0, n = 23 graded negative and 2 graded 1+; P20, n = 23 and 2; P45, n = 15 and 7, respectively; P0 vs P45: P = .038 and P20 vs P45: P = .038). Average KT-1000 arthrometer laxity measurements were better in the P20 group than in the P45 group (P0, 0.4 mm; P20, 0.3 mm; P45, 1.3 mm; P20 vs P45: P = .048), and there were more patients with graft failure (KT-1000 measurement, ≥4 mm) in the P45 group (n = 3) than the P0 and P20 groups (each, n = 0). There were no significant differences in range of motion, other laxity tests, muscle strength, Tegner score, Lysholm score, subjective rating scale, or additional surgery.

Conclusion:

In DB ACL reconstruction, when the anteromedial bundle was fixed at 20° of flexion, fixation of the PLB at 45° was worse than fixation at 0° and 20° with respect to anterior and rotational stability during the 2-year follow-up. KT-1000 arthrometer measurements and pivot-shift test results were significantly worse, and there were more patients with graft failure in the P45 group. There were no differences among groups in other findings.
Assessing the leaching of hazardous metals from pharmaceutical wastes and their ashes
Authors: Gerassimidou Spyridoula , Komilis Dimitrios
Published: February 2015

The purpose of this research was the determination of the leaching potential of eight hazardous metals from expired pharmaceutical wastes and their ashes obtained after simulated incineration. A standardized leaching test (EN 14429) was used to assess leaching over a range of pH and comparison with the limits included in Decision 2003/33/EC was done at liquid/solid ratio 10. The goal was to assess the environmental impacts of pharmaceutical wastes after different disposal techniques (direct landfilling, incineration). A 3-year old composite sample of expired pharmaceutical wastes (drugs) was obtained and was separated into solid and liquid drugs. The packaging from each type of drug was also removed and tested separately, whilst the solid drugs and their packaging were incinerated at 900°C. Leaching tests on all solid substrates (solid drugs, packaging, ashed drugs, ashed packaging) were performed over a wide range of pH. The experiments showed that ashed drugs leached the highest amounts of all metals, except iron, and should be disposed of to a hazardous waste landfill, since Cd, Ni, and Pb exceeded the corresponding limits. Raw expired drugs, raw and ashed packaging did not exceed the pertinent limit values and could be, thus, disposed of directly to a non-hazardous waste landfill. In all experiments, the highest leaching potential (>90% of the total metal content) was measured at acidic pHs (<4). The leachable concentration of all metals increased as pH decreased, whilst Zn observed a small re-dissolution in the alkaline range.
Confirmatory Factor Structure of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children–Second Edition With Preschool Children
Authors: Potvin Deborah C. H. , Keith Timothy Z. , Caemmerer Jacqueline M. , Trundt Katherine M.
Published: February 2015

With an age range from 3 to 13 years, the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children–Second Edition (KABC-II) offers an appealing option for the assessment of cognitive abilities for children. Although independent research has provided evidence of the construct validity of the KABC-II for school-age children, previous studies have rarely included an examination of preschool-age children. This study used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the structure of the KABC-II in preschool children in relation to the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence. By examining competing models based on CHC theory, this study found that the constructs measured by the KABC-II subtests matched those specified within the manual, for children ages 4 through 5. In addition, these results suggested that Gf and Gv are in fact distinct broad abilities for this age group. These findings provide support for differentiated cognitive abilities within young children.
Operationalizing Jane Jacobs’s Urban Design Theory
Authors: Sung Hyungun , Lee Sugie , Cheon SangHyun
Published: February 2015

Jane Jacobs’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) had an enormous influence on urban design theories and practices. This study aims to operationalize Jacobs’s conditions for a vital urban life. These are (1) mixed use, (2) small blocks, (3) aged buildings, and (4) a sufficient concentration of buildings. Jacobs suggested that a vital urban life could be sustained by an urban realm that promotes pedestrian activity for various purposes at various times. Employing multilevel binomial models, we empirically verified that Jacobs’s conditions for urban diversity play a significant role with regard to pedestrian activity.
The journey to include patient and family voices
Authors: Goudy Eileen , Jackson Mary , Otter Rita den , Bater Marilyn
Published: February 2015

Traditionally, the roles of patients and their families in healthcare have been passive. Despite claims of patient centredness, care design and decision-making often reflects the provider's perspective. Within Island Health, we knew that the challenges we faced were common to many healthcare organizations. We recognized that we would not be successful in changing to a patient-centred culture unless we had organizational support at the executive level for a patient and family experience strategy.
Redressing the inequities in Canadian pharmacare
Authors: Taylor D. Wayne
Published: February 2015

Canadian healthcare is not universal. Nowhere is this lack of universality more evident than in the payment for drugs in Canada. Canadians without the financial wherewithal cannot access orphan drugs for rare diseases and take-at-home oral cancer drugs and many other pharmaceuticals. In addition to the physical and emotional tolls experienced, patients and survivors and their families and caregivers bear the brunt of an ever-growing financial burden. This article outlines how this happened and what to do about it.
Ethically justified decisions
Authors: Jiwani Bashir
Published: February 2015

Good Decisions is a framework that assists healthcare leaders to make ethically justified system-level decisions. This article describes some of the features that make a decision ethically justified and discusses the experience of its use in one Canadian health authority. The framework sees the membership and relationships of the decision team, the quality of analysis, the breadth of consultation, and the implementation of and follow up on decisions, as all impacting a decision's ethical justification.
Biodegradability, cellular compatibility and cell infiltration of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) in comparison with poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide)
Authors: An Jun , Wang Kai , Chen Siyuan , Kong Meimei , Teng Yuxin , Wang Lianyong , Song Cunjiang , Kong Deling , Wang Shufang
Published: February 2015

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), poly(ε-caprolactone), and poly(1actide-co-glycolide) films were prepared by solution casting and electrospinning. The degradability of cast films was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by recording the weight remaining, observing the morphology, and measuring change in molecular weight and Mw/ Mn polydispersity. In addition, cell proliferation on electrospun films was tested by MTT assay, and cell infiltration into electrospun films was assessed through subcutaneous implantation in rats. By analyzing data obtained from these tests, we discovered that the degradation rates of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) copolymers were between those of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(1actide-co-glycolide) and could be controlled by adjusting 4-hydroxybutyrate content. Moreover, tissue responses to materials made from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) were milder compared with those elicited by poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(1actide-co-glycolide), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) films exhibited a good and moderate cell infiltration. Therefore, our data demonstrate that poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) copolymers are promising candidates for the construction of scaffolds designed for various types of tissue regeneration with special biodegradability requirements.
Acyclic N-halamine-immobilized polyurethane: Preparation and antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling functions
Authors: Luo Jie , Porteous Nuala , Lin Jiajin , Sun Yuyu
Published: February 2015

Hydroxyl groups were introduced onto polyurethane surfaces through 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate activation, followed by diethanolamine hydroxylation. Polymethacrylamide was covalently attached to the hydroxylated polyurethane through surface grafting polymerization of methacrylamide using cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate as an initiator. After bleach treatment, the amide groups of the covalently bound polymethacrylamide chains were transformed into N-halamines. The new N-halamine-immobilized polyurethane provided a total sacrifice of 107−108 colony forming units per milliliter of Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria), Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria), and Candida albicans (fungi) within 10 min and successfully prevented bacterial and fungal biofilm formation. The antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling effects were both durable and rechargeable, pointing to great potentials of the new acyclic N-halamine-immobilized polyurethane for a broad range of related applications.
Effect of rat bone marrow derived–stem cell delivery from serum-loaded oxidized alginate–gelatin–biphasic calcium phosphate hydrogel for bone tissue regeneration using a nude mouse critical-sized calvarial defect model
Authors: Paul Kallyanashis , Linh Nguyen Thuy Ba , Kim Bo-ram , Sarkar Swapan Kumar , Choi Hwan-Jun , Bae Sang-Ho , Min Young-Ki , Lee Byong-Taek
Published: February 2015

Blood serum contains various kinds of proteins which are necessary for tissue repair and regeneration process. Defect healing of fractured bone is initiated by the influx of blood and then clot formation. Thus, proteins in serum may have the ability to stimulate the bone regeneration process. In this work, we investigated the fabrication of serum-loaded oxidized alginate–gelatin–biphasic calcium phosphate hydrogels with various contents of blood serum (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% in % v/v) to evaluate the stimulatory effect of serum proteins on bone regeneration. This system was also evaluated for rat bone marrow–derived stem cell delivery to get faster bone healing. The serum-loaded oxidized alginate–gelatin–biphasic calcium phosphate hydrogel samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, porosity meter, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared for morphology and phase characterization together with their mechanical behavior. Protein release behavior, degradation, and swelling of the samples were studied. In vitro study was performed using bone marrow–derived stem cells to study cell attachment, viability, and proliferation. These studies revealed the best cell attachment and highest proliferation for 5% serum-loaded oxidized alginate–gelatin–biphasic calcium phosphate hydrogel scaffold. This composition also showed the ability to deliver stem cell in the defect zone which significantly improved the bone regeneration extent found in the in vivo animal model. In vivo study revealed that for the critical 5-mm calvarial defect into nude mouse skull, the 5% serum-loaded sample with bone marrow–derived stem cells shows the best bone regeneration potential.
Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Behavior as Predictors of Aggression and Self-Harm in a High-Security Sample of Male Forensic Inpatients
Authors: Vernham Zarah , Tapp James , Moore Estelle
Published: February 2015

Incidents of aggression and self-harm in forensic mental health inpatient settings present a significant challenge to practitioners in terms of safely managing and reducing the harm they cause. Research has been conducted to explore the possible predictors of these incidents and has identified a range of environmental, situational, and individual risk factors. However, despite the often interpersonal nature of the majority of aggressive incidents, few studies have investigated forensic inpatient interpersonal styles as predictors of aggression and even fewer have explored the potential interpersonal function of self-harming behaviors. The current study investigated the predictive validity of the Chart of Interpersonal Reactions in Closed Living Environments (CIRCLE) for incidents of verbal and physical aggression, and self-harm recorded from 204 high-secure forensic inpatients. Means comparisons, correlations, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were conducted on recorded incident data at 12, 24, and 48 months following baseline assessment using the CIRCLE. Dominant and coercive interpersonal styles were significant predictors of aggression, and a coercive interpersonal style was a significant predictor of self-harm, over the recorded time periods. When categorizing the inpatients on the basis of short- and long-term admissions, these findings were only replicated for inpatients with shorter lengths of stay. The findings support previous research which has demonstrated the benefits of assessing interpersonal style for the purposes of risk planning and management of forensic inpatients. The predictive value may be time-limited in terms of stage of admission.
When a Cleared Rape Is Not Cleared
Authors: Walfield Scott M.
Published: February 2015

As rape remains one of the most underreported and least likely to be cleared of the violent crimes, it is of paramount importance to understand the factors associated with the likelihood of a case being cleared by law enforcement. This study uses data from the National Incident–Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS), and a multilevel modeling approach to examine the relationship between victim, offender, incident, and police department characteristics contrasting the two types of clearance: arrest and exceptional clearance. The latter occurs due to reasons outside of law enforcement’s control and despite being considered cleared, the offender is not arrested, charged, nor turned over for prosecution. Of the 16,231 cleared rapes in 238 departments, nearly half (47%) results in exceptional clearance when the victim refuses to cooperate or when prosecution is declined. Incident-level variables have a greater effect on the likelihood of exceptional clearance than victim and offender variables. The department explained a nontrivial amount of variation in the dependent variable, as 37% of the variance in type of clearance was between-department variation. Implications for future research on exceptional clearance and NIBRS are discussed.
Green composites from kapok husk and recycled polypropylene
Authors: Chun Koay Seong , Husseinsyah Salmah , Yeng Chan Ming
Published: February 2015

The present work was developed to utilize kapok husk (KH) as filler in recycled polypropylene (rPP) green composites. Stearic acid (SA) was used as surface modifier in rPP/KH composites. It was found that the modified KH with SA was reduced the stabilization torque of composites. The addition of KH in rPP decreased the tensile strength and elongation at break but increased tensile modulus of composites. The modified KH with SA improved the tensile strength, tensile modulus, crystallinity, and thermal stability of composites. The scanning electron microscopic micrograph provd that the interfacial interaction and adhesion was improved by SA modification.