bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical evaluation of land subsidence induced by groundwater pumping in Shanghai
Authors: Shen Shui-Long , Xu Ye-Shuang
Published: September 2011

To predict the future behavior of land subsidence in Shanghai due to pumping of groundwater, a numerical model is established. In the proposed model, groundwater flow in three-dimensional conditions and soil deformation in one-dimensional conditions are calculated. The model takes into account the multi-aquifer-aquitard hydrogeological condition of the soft deposit of Shanghai. The variation of the coefficient of compressibility and coefficient of hydraulic conductivity of the soils with the consolidation process are simulated. Relationships among land subsidence, groundwater withdrawal volume, and groundwater level are analyzed. Comparison between the measured value and calculated value shows that the model simulates the measured value fairly well. The future of land subsidence behavior due to groundwater withdrawal is predicted and discussed via consideration of the variation of the following parameters in the future 30 years: net withdrawn volume of groundwater, pumping layer, and pumping region.
Models of 3D crown structure for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula pendula) grown in mixed forest
Authors: Lintunen Anna , Sievänen Risto , Kaitaniemi Pekka , Perttunen Jari
Published: September 2011

The interplay between plant structure and functioning determines vital plant characteristics, such as the efficiency of light capture by the foliage, and thus continuous efforts have attempted to include plant architecture in plant growth models. We constructed two crown structure models enabling the generation of 3D trees using simple tree measurements as input for Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) and silver birch ( Betula pendula Roth.), boreal species growing in mixed stands. The data for the models were obtained from sample-based digitizing of 3D crown architecture accompanied by characterizations of stem, branch, and foliage volumes and biomass. A set of equations was used to predict local crown characteristics on the basis of local predictors and tree-level input variables such as tree height, crown height, diameter at breast height, and the degree of competition. The 3D tree model was realized within the LIGNUM tree modelling framework. Comparison with data showed that the model adequately predicts the distribution of biomass into different crown components as well as the distribution of foliage within the tree crowns. The applicability of the simulations is at its best when examining Scots pine and silver birch trees growing on medium fertile mixed stands in Finland.
Growth responses to climate and drought in silver fir (Abies alba) along an altitudinal gradient in southern Kosovo
Authors: Toromani Elvin , Sanxhaku Mitat , Pasho Edmond
Published: September 2011

This paper deals with the response of silver fir ( Abies alba Mill.) growth to climate, mainly drought, presenting data from southern Kosovo, for which only little information is available. Two cores from 55 dominant trees were extracted at two sites representing the limits of the natural distribution of silver fir. We built 80- and 112-year-long chronologies for each site. Comparison of both ring width chronologies showed that they were diverse. Pointer year analysis indicated that high spring temperatures and ample rainfall (1082 mm) influenced positively silver fir growth (wide ring), while low spring temperatures and scarce precipitation had an inverse effect. Bootstrapped response functions confirmed that April and May temperatures of the current growth year influenced positively silver fir growth at the low-elevation site, while the July precipitation of the previous growth year had a negative influence. At the high-elevation site, warm previous December temperatures had a positive influence on silver fir growth. Drought indices indicated two periods (1953–1961 and 1994–2001) with moderate drought. Correlation analysis between silver fir radial growth and drought indices revealed that the impact of drought on radial growth was significant at the time scale of 1.5 months during the summer months.
Two-stage sector sampling for estimating small woodlot attributes
Authors: Corona Piermaria , Fattorini Lorenzo , Franceschi Sara
Published: September 2011

A two-stage sampling strategy is proposed to assess small woodlots outside the forests scattered on extensive territories. The first stage is performed to select a sample of small woodlots using fixed-size sampling schemes, and the second stage is performed to sample trees within woodlots selected at first stage. Usually, fixed- or variable-area plots are adopted to sample trees. However, the use of plot sampling in small patches such as woodlots is likely to induce a relevant amount of bias owing to edge effects. In this framework, sector sampling proves to be particularly effective. The present paper investigates the statistical properties of two-stage sampling strategies for estimating forest attributes of woodlot populations when sector sampling is adopted at the second stage. A two-stage estimator of population totals is derived together with a conservative estimator of its sampling variance. By means of a simulation study, the performance of the proposed estimator is checked and compared with that achieved using traditional plot sampling with edge corrections. Simulation results prove the adequacy of sector sampling and provide some guidelines for the effective planning of the strategy. In some countries, the proposed strategy can be performed with few modifications within the framework of large-scale forest inventories.
The effects of methyl bromide alternatives on soil and seedling pathogen populations, weeds, and seedling morphology in Oregon and Washington forest nurseries
Authors: Weiland Jerry E. , Leon Anna L. , Edmonds Robert L. , Littke Willis R. , Browning John E. , Davis Anne , Beck Bryan R. , Miller Timothy W. , Cherry Marilyn L. , Rose Robin
Published: September 2011

Five fumigation treatments (a conventional methyl bromide – chloropicrin application and four reduced-rate alternative fumigant treatments) and a nonfumigated treatment were evaluated at two forest nurseries in Oregon and one forest nursery in Washington for their effects on soil pathogen populations, weeds, and seedling morphology during a 2-year study. The effect of plastic tarp composition on fumigant efficacy was also evaluated (virtually impermeable film versus high-density polyethylene). All fumigant treatments reduced soil populations of Fusarium and Pythium for up to 7 months after fumigation and resulted in seedlings with significantly less pathogen colonization than those from the nonfumigated treatment. All fumigant treatments were more effective against pathogen inoculum buried at 15 cm rather than at 30 cm. Fusarium commune Skovgaard, O’Donnell et Nirenberg, Fusarium oxysporum Schlect. emend. Snyder & Hansen, isolates from the Gibberella fujikuroi Saw. complex, Pythium irregulare Buisman, Pythium aff. spiculum B. Paul 2006, Pythium sylvaticum Campbell & Hendrix, and Pythium ‘vipa’ Hermansen & Klemsdal were the most commonly isolated pathogens. Weed biomass and weeding times were significantly reduced by fumigation, but only at the Washington nursery with high weed pressure. No significant differences were observed in efficacy between the conventional methyl bromide – chloropicrin treatment and any of the reduced rate fumigants or between the two types of plastic tarp. Conifer seedling height, diameter, shoot volume, and root volume were significantly greater in all fumigated treatments compared with the nonfumigated treatment.
REVIEW ON PARAMETRIC GENERATION OF TERAHERTZ WAVE: FROM MAXIMUM CONVERSION EFFICIENCY TO NEW ROUTE TO COMPACT AND PORTABLE SOURCES
Authors: DING YUJIE J. , ZHAO PU , RAGAM SRINIVASA , LI DA , ZOTOVA IOULIA B.
Published: September 2011

We review the recent progress made by our group on power scaling of THz waves and the development of compact and portable THz sources. By reversely stacking GaP plates, we were able to improve the photon conversion efficiency from 25% to 40%, which is the record-high value. As the number of the stacked GaP plates was increased from 4 to 5, the output power was decreased. This is the evidence on back conversion. In order to make our THz source truly compact and portable, we investigated a new route to THz generation by mixing two frequencies generated by a single Nd :YLF solid-state laser. After two Nd :YLF crystals were introduced in the laser cavity, the output power was scaled up to 4.5 μW. Such a configuration exhibits versatile characteristics such as the generation of different THz frequencies by combining two different laser crystals.
Electrical slow waves in the mouse oviduct are dependent on extracellular and intracellular calcium sources
Authors: Dixon Rose Ellen , Britton Fiona C. , Baker Salah A. , Hennig Grant W. , Rollings Christina M. , Sanders Kenton M. , Ward Sean M.
Published: September 2011

Spontaneous contractions of the myosalpinx are critical for oocyte transport along the oviduct. Slow waves, the electrical events that underlie myosalpinx contractions, are generated by a specialized network of pacemaker cells called oviduct interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-OVI). The ionic basis of oviduct pacemaker activity is unknown. Intracellular recordings and Ca2+ imaging were performed to examine the role of extracellular and intracellular Ca2+ sources in slow wave generation. RT-PCR was performed to determine the transcriptional expression of Ca2+ channels. Molecular studies revealed most isoforms of L- and T-type calcium channels (Cav1.2,1.3,1.4,3.1,3.2,3.3) were expressed in myosalpinx. Reduction of extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) resulted in the abolition of slow waves and myosalpinx contractions without significantly affecting resting membrane potential (RMP). Spontaneous Ca2+ waves spread through ICC-OVI cells at a similar frequency to slow waves and were inhibited by reduced [Ca2+]o. Nifedipine depolarized RMP and inhibited slow waves; however, pacemaker activity returned when the membrane was repolarized with reduced extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o). Ni2+ also depolarized RMP but failed to block slow waves. The importance of ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate-sensitive stores were examined using ryanodine, tetracaine, caffeine, and 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate. Results suggest that although both stores are involved in regulation of slow wave frequency, neither are exclusively essential. The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) pump inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid inhibited pacemaker activity and Ca2+ waves suggesting that a functional SERCA pump is necessary for pacemaker activity. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that slow wave generation in the oviduct is voltage dependent, occurs in a membrane potential window, and is dependent on extracellular calcium and functional SERCA pumps.
Species-specific inhibitor sensitivity of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and its implication for ACE2 activity assays
Authors: Pedersen Kim Brint , Sriramula Srinivas , Chhabra Kavaljit H. , Xia Huijing , Lazartigues Eric
Published: September 2011

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a component of the renin-angiotensin system, and its expression and activity have been shown to be reduced in cardiovascular diseases. Enzymatic activity of ACE2 is commonly measured by hydrolysis of quenched fluorescent substrates in the absence or presence of an ACE2-specific inhibitor, such as the commercially available inhibitor DX600. Whereas recombinant human ACE2 is readily detected in mouse tissues using 1 μM DX600 at pH 7.5, the endogenous ACE2 activity in mouse tissues is barely detectable. We compared human, mouse, and rat ACE2 overexpressed in cell lines for their sensitivity to inhibition by DX600. ACE2 from all three species could be inhibited by DX600, but the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for human ACE2 was much lower (78-fold) than for rodent ACE2. Following optimization of pH, substrate concentration, and antagonist concentration, rat and mouse ACE2 expressed in a cell line could be accurately quantified with 10 μM DX600 (>95% inhibition) but not with 1 μM DX600 (<75% inhibition). Validation that the optimized method robustly quantifies ACE2 in mouse tissues (kidney, brain, heart, and plasma) was performed using wild-type and ACE2 knockout mice. This study provides a reliable method for measuring human, as well as endogenous ACE2 activity in rodents. Our data underscore the importance of validating the effect of DX600 on ACE2 from each particular species at the experimental conditions employed.
Local delivery of a PKCε-activating peptide limits ischemia reperfusion injury in the aged female rat heart
Authors: Lancaster T. S. , Jefferson S. J. , Korzick D. H.
Published: September 2011

Reduced efficacy of cardioprotective interventions in the aged female heart, including estrogen replacement, highlights the need for alternative therapeutics to reduce myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in postmenopausal women. Here, we sought to determine the efficacy of protein kinase-Cε (PKCε)-mediated cardioprotection in the aged, estradiol-deficient rat heart. Infarct size and functional recovery were assessed in Langendorff-perfused hearts from adult (5 mo) or aged (23 mo) female Fisher 344 ovary-intact or ovariectomized (OVX) rats administered a PKCε-activator, receptor for activated C kinase (ψεRACK) prior to 47-min ischemia and 60-min reperfusion. Proteomic analysis was conducted on left ventricular mitochondrial fractions treated with ψεRACK prior to I/R, utilizing isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) 8plex labeling and tandem mass spectrometry. Real-time PCR was utilized to assess connexin 43 (Cx43) and RACK2 mRNA post-I/R. Greater infarct size in aged OVX (78%) vs. adult (37%) was reduced by ψεRACK (35%, P < 0.0001) and associated with greater mitochondrial PKCε localization ( P < 0.0003). Proteomic analysis revealed three novel mitochondrial targets of PKCε-mediated cardioprotection with aging ( P < 0.05): the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and MnSOD2, and heat shock protein 10. Finally, decreased levels of Cx43 and RACK2 mRNA seen with age were partially abrogated by administration of ψεRACK ( P < 0.05). The mechanisms described here may represent important therapeutic candidates for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction in postmenopausal women and age-associated estradiol deficiency.
Molecular and functional differences in voltage-activated sodium currents between GABA projection neurons and dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra
Authors: Ding Shengyuan , Wei Wei , Zhou Fu-Ming
Published: September 2011

GABA projection neurons (GABA neurons) in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and dopamine projection neurons (DA neurons) in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) have strikingly different firing properties. SNc DA neurons fire low-frequency, long-duration spikes, whereas SNr GABA neurons fire high-frequency, short-duration spikes. Since voltage-activated sodium (NaV) channels are critical to spike generation, the different firing properties raise the possibility that, compared with DA neurons, NaVchannels in SNr GABA neurons have higher density, faster kinetics, and less cumulative inactivation. Our quantitative RT-PCR analysis on immunohistochemically identified nigral neurons indicated that mRNAs for pore-forming NaV1.1 and NaV1.6 subunits and regulatory NaVβ1 and Navβ4 subunits are more abundant in SNr GABA neurons than SNc DA neurons. These α-subunits and β-subunits are key subunits for forming NaVchannels conducting the transient NaVcurrent ( INaT), persistent Na current ( INaP), and resurgent Na current ( INaR). Nucleated patch-clamp recordings showed that INaThad a higher density, a steeper voltage-dependent activation, and a faster deactivation in SNr GABA neurons than in SNc DA neurons. INaTalso recovered more quickly from inactivation and had less cumulative inactivation in SNr GABA neurons than in SNc DA neurons. Furthermore, compared with nigral DA neurons, SNr GABA neurons had a larger INaRand INaP. Blockade of INaPinduced a larger hyperpolarization in SNr GABA neurons than in SNc DA neurons. Taken together, these results indicate that NaVchannels expressed in fast-spiking SNr GABA neurons and slow-spiking SNc DA neurons are tailored to support their different spiking capabilities.
How reliable are the functional connectivity networks of MEG in resting states?
Authors: Jin Seung-Hyun , Seol Jaeho , Kim June Sic , Chung Chun Kee
Published: September 2011

We investigated the reliability of nodal network metrics of functional connectivity (FC) networks of magnetoencephalography (MEG) covering the whole brain at the sensor level in the eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) resting states. Mutual information (MI) was employed as a measure of FC between sensors in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands of MEG signals. MI matrices were assessed with three nodal network metrics, i.e., nodal degree (Dnodal), nodal efficiency (Enodal), and betweenness centrality (normBC). Intraclass correlation (ICC) values were calculated as a measure of reliability. We observed that the test-retest reliabilities of the resting states ranged from a poor to good level depending on the bands and metrics used for defining the nodal centrality. The dominant alpha-band FC network changes were the salient features of the state-related FC changes. The FC networks in the EO resting state showed greater reliability when assessed by Dnodal (maximum mean ICC = 0.655) and Enodal (maximum mean ICC = 0.604) metrics. The gamma-band FC network was less reliable than the theta, alpha, and beta networks across the nodal network metrics. However, the sensor-wise ICC values for the nodal centrality metrics were not uniformly distributed, that is, some sensors had high reliability. This study provides a sense of how the nodal centralities of the human resting state MEG are distributed at the sensor level and how reliable they are. It also provides a fundamental scientific background for continued examination of the resting state of human MEG.
Hand kinematics of piano playing
Authors: Furuya Shinichi , Flanders Martha , Soechting John F.
Published: September 2011

Dexterous use of the hand represents a sophisticated sensorimotor function. In behaviors such as playing the piano, it can involve strong temporal and spatial constraints. The purpose of this study was to determine fundamental patterns of covariation of motion across joints and digits of the human hand. Joint motion was recorded while 5 expert pianists played 30 excerpts from musical pieces, which featured ∼50 different tone sequences and fingering. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis using an expectation-maximization algorithm revealed that joint velocities could be categorized into several patterns, which help to simplify the description of the movements of the multiple degrees of freedom of the hand. For the thumb keystroke, two distinct patterns of joint movement covariation emerged and they depended on the spatiotemporal patterns of the task. For example, the thumb-under maneuver was clearly separated into two clusters based on the direction of hand translation along the keyboard. While the pattern of the thumb joint velocities differed between these clusters, the motions at the metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal-phalangeal joints of the four fingers were more consistent. For a keystroke executed with one of the fingers, there were three distinct patterns of joint rotations, across which motion at the striking finger was fairly consistent, but motion of the other fingers was more variable. Furthermore, the amount of movement spillover of the striking finger to the adjacent fingers was small irrespective of the finger used for the keystroke. These findings describe an unparalleled amount of independent motion of the fingers.
Slow and fast rhythms generated in the cerebral cortex of the anesthetized mouse
Authors: Ruiz-Mejias Marcel , Ciria-Suarez Laura , Mattia Maurizio , Sanchez-Vives Maria V.
Published: September 2011

A characterization of the oscillatory activity in the cerebral cortex of the mouse was realized under ketamine anesthesia. Bilateral recordings were obtained from deep layers of primary visual, somatosensory, motor, and medial prefrontal cortex. A slow oscillatory activity consisting of up and down states was detected, the average frequency being 0.97 Hz in all areas. Different parameters of the oscillation were estimated across cortical areas, including duration of up and down states and their variability, speed of state transitions, and population firing rate. Similar values were obtained for all areas except for prefrontal cortex, which showed significant faster down-to-up state transitions, higher firing rate during up states, and more regular cycles. The wave propagation patterns in the anteroposterior axis in motor cortex and the mediolateral axis in visual cortex were studied with multielectrode recordings, yielding speed values between 8 and 93 mm/s. The firing of single units was analyzed with respect to the population activity. The most common pattern was that of neurons firing in >90% of the up states with 1–6 spikes. Finally, fast rhythms (beta, low gamma, and high gamma) were analyzed, all of them showing significantly larger power during up states than in down states. Prefrontal cortex exhibited significantly larger power in both beta and gamma bands (up to 1 order of magnitude larger in the case of high gamma) than the rest of the cortical areas. This study allows us to carry out interareal comparisons and provides a baseline to compare against cortical emerging activity from genetically altered animals.
Interaction Studies of an Anticancer Alkaloid, (+)-(13aS)-Deoxytylophorinine, with Calf Thymus DNA and Four Repeated Double-Helical DNAs
Authors: Liu Zhenjia , Lv Haining , Li Hongyan , Zhang Yi , Zhang Haijing , Su Fuqin , Xu Song , Li Yong , Si Yikang , Yu Shishan , Chen Xiaoguang
Published: September 2011

Background: Phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids are a family of plant-derived compounds with significant antineoplastic activity. The specific biomolecular targets of these alkaloids have not yet been clearly identified. (+)-(13aS)-deoxytylophorinine is a new phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid originally extracted from the roots of Tylophora atrofolliculata and Tylophora ovata in our institute. (+)-(13aS)-deoxytylophorinine exerts both in vitro and in vivoanticancer activities. Methods: The in vivo anticancer effects and toxicity of this compound were investigated in mice, and interactions between this compound and double-helical DNA sequences were studied in detail with circular dichroic spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Viscosity measurements were applied to check the interactive mode between this compound and DNA. Results: Potent anticancer effects were observed in vivo. Also, concentration-dependent interactions were observed and this compound seemed to interact in a sequence-specific manner with AT-repeated sequences of double-helical DNA. Such interactions were proved to be intercalating by viscosity measurements. Conclusions: Anticancer alkaloid (+)-(13aS)-deoxytylophorinine can have sequence-specific interactions with DNA in an intercalating manner.
Application of Beta Regression to Analyze Ischemic Stroke Volume in NINDS rt-PA Clinical Trials
Authors: Swearingen Christopher J. , Tilley Barbara C. , Adams Robert J. , Rumboldt Zoran , Nicholas Joyce S. , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar , Woolson Robert F.
Published: September 2011

Background and Purpose: Ischemic stroke lesion volumes have proven difficult to analyze due to the extremely skewed shape of their underlying distribution. We introduce an extension of generalized linear models, beta regression, as a possible method of modeling extremely skewed distributions as evidenced in ischemic stroke lesion volumes. Methods: The NINDS rt-PA clinical trials measured ischemic stroke lesion volume as a secondary trial outcome. Three-month lesion volumes from these trials were analyzed using beta regression. A multi-variable regression model associating explanatory variables with ischemic stroke lesion volumes was constructed using accepted model building strategies and compared with the previously published volumetric analysis. Results: Beta regression produced a similar model when compared to the previous analysis published by the study group. All previously identified variables of importance were detected in the model building process. The age by treatment interaction described in previous studies was also found in this analysis, confirming the strong effect age has on stroke outcomes. Further, a treatment effect was elicited in terms of odds ratios, yielding a previously unknown quantification of the effect of rt-PA on lesion volumes. Conclusions: Beta regression proved adept in modeling ischemic stroke lesions and offered the interpretation of covariates in terms of odds ratios. Beta regression is seen as a legitimate alternative to analyze ischemic stroke volumes.
Arterial Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease: Key Roles for Calcium and Phosphate
Authors: Shanahan Catherine M. , Crouthamel Matthew H. , Kapustin Alexander , Giachelli Cecilia M.
Published: September 2011

Vascular calcification contributes to the high risk of cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Dysregulation of calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) metabolism is common in CKD patients and drives vascular calcification. In this article, we review the physiological regulatory mechanisms for Ca and P homeostasis and the basis for their dysregulation in CKD. In addition, we highlight recent findings indicating that elevated Ca and P have direct effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) that promote vascular calcification, including stimulation of osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation, vesicle release, apoptosis, loss of inhibitors, and extracellular matrix degradation. These studies suggest a major role for elevated P in promoting osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation of VSMC, whereas elevated Ca has a predominant role in promoting VSMC apoptosis and vesicle release. Furthermore, the effects of elevated Ca and P are synergistic, providing a major stimulus for vascular calcification in CKD. Unraveling the complex regulatory pathways that mediate the effects of both Ca and P on VSMCs will ultimately provide novel targets and therapies to limit the destructive effects of vascular calcification in CKD patients.
The Impact of Dry Midlevel Air on Hurricane Intensity in Idealized Simulations with No Mean Flow
Authors: Braun Scott A. , Sippel Jason A. , Nolan David S.
Published: September 2011

This study examines the potential negative influences of dry midlevel air on the development of tropical cyclones (specifically, its role in enhancing cold downdraft activity and suppressing storm development). The Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to construct two sets of idealized simulations of hurricane development in environments with different configurations of dry air. The first set of simulations begins with dry air located north of the vortex center by distances ranging from 0 to 270 km, whereas the second set of simulations begins with dry air completely surrounding the vortex, but with moist envelopes in the vortex core ranging in size from 0 to 150 km in radius.

No impact of the dry air is seen for dry layers located more than 270 km north of the initial vortex center (~3 times the initial radius of maximum wind). When the dry air is initially closer to the vortex center, it suppresses convective development where it entrains into the storm circulation, leading to increasingly asymmetric convection and slower storm development. The presence of dry air throughout the domain, including the vortex center, substantially slows storm development. However, the presence of a moist envelope around the vortex center eliminates the deleterious impact on storm intensity. Instead, storm size is significantly reduced. The simulations suggest that dry air slows intensification only when it is located very close to the vortex core at early times. When it does slow storm development, it does so primarily by inducing outward-moving convective asymmetries that temporarily shift latent heating radially outward away from the high-vorticity inner core.
Intraseasonal SST Variability and Air–Sea Interaction over the Kuroshio Extension Region during Boreal Summer
Authors: Wang Lu , Li Tim , Zhou Tianjun
Published: September 2011

The structure and evolution characteristics of intraseasonal (20–100 day) variations of sea surface temperature (SST) and associated atmospheric and oceanic circulations over the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region during boreal summer are investigated, using satellite-based daily SST, observed precipitation data, and reanalysis data. The intraseasonal SST warming in the KE region is associated with an anomalous anticyclone in the overlying atmosphere, reduced precipitation, and northward and downward currents in the upper ocean. The corresponding atmospheric and oceanic fields during the SST cooling phase exhibit a mirror image with an opposite sign. A mixed layer heat budget analysis shows that the intraseasonal SST warming is primarily attributed to anomalous shortwave radiation and latent heat fluxes at the surface. The anomalous sensible heat flux and oceanic advection also have contributions, but with a much smaller magnitude.

The SST warming caused by the atmospheric forcing further exerts a significant feedback to the atmosphere through triggering the atmospheric convective instability and precipitation anomalies. The so-induced heating leads to quick setup of a baroclinic response, followed by a baroclinic-to-barotropic transition. As a result, the atmospheric circulation changes from an anomalous anticyclone to an anomalous cyclone. This two-way interaction scenario suggests that the origin of the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation over the KE region may partly arise from the local atmosphere–ocean interaction.
Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) Modulation of Atmospheric Circulation and Chilean Winter Precipitation
Authors: Barrett Bradford S. , Carrasco Jorge F. , Testino Anthony P.
Published: September 2011

The leading intraseasonal mode of tropical atmospheric variability, the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), has been shown to modulate precipitation and circulation on a global and regional scale. Winter precipitation in Chile has been connected to a variety of synoptic-scale forcing mechanisms. This study explored the links between the two, first examining the intraseasonal variability of Chilean precipitation from surface gauges and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and then examining the variability of synoptic-scale circulation.

Composites of precipitation, precipitation intensity, and lower-, middle-, and upper-tropospheric circulation were created using the Real-Time Multivariate MJO index, which divides the MJO into eight longitudinally based phases. Precipitation was found to vary across MJO phases, with positive precipitation anomalies in central and south-central Chile (30°–45°S) for MJO phases 8, 1, and 2, and negative anomalies in phases 3–7. Circulation was also found to vary across phase, in good agreement with precipitation: low geopotential height and negative omega (corresponding to upward vertical motion) anomalies were found over and upstream of Chile during the rainier phases, and the anomalies reversed during the drier phases. Surface pressure and middle- and upper-tropospheric geopotential height anomalies showed a classic equivalent barotropic wave train, indicating a teleconnection response to deep convective activity in the Maritime Continent in agreement with numerous earlier observational, modeling, and theoretical studies.
The Impact of Student Poverty on Science Teaching and Learning
Authors: Wiseman Alexander W.
Published: September 2011

This article investigates the claim that student poverty is the strongest significant predictor of science teaching and learning, even more than school factors. To investigate this phenomenon, this study focuses on education in South Africa. South Africa is a country and educational system characterized by communities of both extreme poverty and wealth, and using cross-nationally comparative quantitative evidence, one can draw a clear distinction and estimate of the impact of student poverty on teaching and learning for both an international and a South African sample. The cross-national comparison contrasts education in South Africa with approximately 40 other countries by using internationally comparative data from the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study eighth-grade science assessments and background questionnaires. Using this data, the author tests the hypothesis that student poverty impact is a stable, strong predictor of science teacher pedagogy and student performance in South Africa compared to educational systems around the world and at every level of national development. These cross-national data are analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling, which is a multilevel regression technique that nests student-level indicators of teaching and learning within school communities, and school communities within national systems. Results support the hypothesis that student poverty is the most significant influence on science teaching and learning, which has strong implications for teacher accountability and the impact of school factors on student learning in high poverty communities worldwide.
Mixed Methods Research Design for Pragmatic Psychoanalytic Studies
Authors: Tillman Jane G. , Clemence A. Jill , Stevens Jennifer L.
Published: September 2011

Calls for more rigorous psychoanalytic studies have increased over the past decade. The field has been divided by those who assert that psychoanalysis is properly a hermeneutic endeavor and those who see it as a science. A comparable debate is found in research methodology, where qualitative and quantitative methods have often been seen as occupying orthogonal positions. Recently, Mixed Methods Research (MMR) has emerged as a viable “third community” of research, pursuing a pragmatic approach to research endeavors through integrating qualitative and quantitative procedures in a single study design. Mixed Methods Research designs and the terminology associated with this emerging approach are explained, after which the methodology is explored as a potential integrative approach to a psychoanalytic human science. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are reviewed, as well as how they may be used in Mixed Methods Research to study complex human phenomena.
The Process of Treating Pediatric Appendicitis
Authors: Chiu Chieh Jack , Bratu Ioana
Published: September 2011

Background. A large service and distant geographical area can make the process of diagnosing and treating appendicitis a challenge. Methods. Hospital records of children treated for appendicitis between 2007 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed, including time from emergency (ER) to operating room (OR), diagnostic imaging (DI) utilization, preoperative antibiotic usage, operating time, length of stay (LOS), and perforation rate. Results. The perforation rate was 34%, with longer LOS. Transfer time to the children’s hospital between ER inside and outside the city was not different. ER to OR time was significantly shorter for patients assessed at the children’s hospital directly. Ultrasound remained the most used DI modality (55%). Preoperative antibiotics were only fully administered in 42% of the cases. Conclusion. A clinical pathway for pediatric appendicitis may address the challenges of the process of pre-ER, ER to OR, and OR care to maintain an acceptable perforation rate.
Financial Markets
Authors: Quiggin John
Published: September 2011

Throughout the history of capitalism, there have been tensions between financial institutions and the state, and between financial capital and the firms and households engaged in the production and consumption of physical goods and services. Periods of financial sector dominance have regularly ended in spectacular panics and crashes, often resulting in the liquidation of large numbers of financial institutions and the reimposition of regulatory controls previously dismissed as outmoded and unnecessary. The aim of this article is to consider measures to restore financial markets to their proper role, as servants rather than masters of the market economy and the society within which it is embedded.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Terrorism
Authors: de la Calle Luis , Sánchez-Cuenca Ignacio
Published: September 2011

There is no consensus in the literature about the nature of terrorism. The authors’ main claim is that this is ultimately the result of the coexistence of two senses of the term, the action and the actor sense, which are not fully congruent. Rather than trying to advocate a specific conceptualization, the authors provide in this article a map of the different ways in which scholars talk about terrorism. They identify first the set of terrorist actions and the set of terrorist actors. Terrorist tactics are a variety of the power to hurt, based on the lack of military power. Terrorist groups are underground ones with no territorial control. When the two criteria meet, the core of terrorism exists: coercive violence perpetrated by underground groups. The ambiguity that surrounds terrorism is caused by two other possibilities: actors with some measure of territorial control adopting coercive tactics and underground actors adopting military tactics. Although it is not possible to remove this ambiguity in empirical research, scholars can at least identify it and analyze it. The authors illustrate the two senses of terrorism and their interaction by using the most comprehensive dataset on terrorist incidents, the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
Barriers and enablers for visually impaired students at a UK Higher Education Institution
Authors: Bishop Daniel , Rhind Daniel J.A.
Published: September 2011

The present study explored the factors which represent barriers and enablers to participation in Higher Education for students who are visually impaired. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine visually impaired students who were studying at a Higher Education Institution in the United Kingdom. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed four higher-order themes: the student’s attitude (i.e. self identity, positive aspects of being visually impaired, engagement with support), institutional provision (i.e. campus navigability, central services support, school-level support), external support (i.e. travelling to and from campus, external financial support) and others’ attitudes (i.e. parental attitudes, staff attitudes). These findings are discussed with reference to how institutions may enhance the experience of not only visually impaired, but all Higher Education students.
Body Guilt
Authors: Calogero Rachel M. , Pina Afroditi
Published: September 2011

Two studies investigated body guilt (i.e., feeling regret and remorse over how the body looks and a desire for reparative action to “fix” the body) within the framework of objectification theory among predominantly White British undergraduate women. In Study 1 ( N = 225), participants completed self-report measures of interpersonal sexual objectification, self-surveillance, body shame, body guilt, and eating restraint. Path analyses indicated support for the inclusion of body guilt in the objectification model, with body shame and body guilt fully mediating the relationship between self-surveillance and eating restraint. In Study 2 ( N = 85), participants reported higher body guilt, self-surveillance, body shame, and eating restraint when self-objectification was situationally activated, compared to the activation of body empowerment or a neutral condition. Path analyses in the second study replicated the objectification model from Study 1 with a state measure of self-objectification. These findings suggest that women also feel guilt (in addition to shame) about their bodies when attention is directed toward their physical appearance and wish to “correct” their body via disordered eating. Acknowledging women’s feelings of guilt in relation to not meeting restrictive beauty standards furthers our understanding of women’s experience of objectification and provides an additional target for reducing women’s mental health risks.
“It’s a Comparison Thing, Isn’t It?”
Authors: Huxley Caroline J. , Clarke Victoria , Halliwell Emma
Published: September 2011

Women’s feelings about their body and their appearance are an important aspect of their lives, yet little is known about the ways in which partner relationships shape these feelings. There has been some debate about whether or not same-sex relationships offer protection to nonheterosexual (lesbian and bisexual) women from potentially harmful social appearance pressures, but there has been little empirical exploration of this issue. We contribute to the debate by presenting findings from a British qualitative study based on interviews with 15 nonheterosexual women talking about their feelings about their bodies and their appearance in the context of partner relationships. These accounts were analyzed using a phenomenologically oriented form of thematic analysis (TA) and seven main themes were generated. The women suggested that same-sex relationships were both positive and negative influences in shaping their feelings about their body and appearance, highlighting the complexity of this issue. However, positive descriptions of empathy toward body and appearance concerns as well as diversity within same-sex attractions suggest that same-sex relationships have the potential to encourage women to feel happier with their bodies. This analysis also suggests that the theoretical debate is too simplistic and that a synthesized explanation should be explored in future research.
Killing Us Softly? Investigating Portrayals of Women and Men in Contemporary Magazine Advertisements
Authors: Conley Terri D. , Ramsey Laura R.
Published: September 2011

Our research aimed to systematically investigate how women and men are portrayed in magazine advertisements, deriving hypotheses from Jean Kilbourne’s observed media analysis presented in her Killing Us Softly film series. A total of 790 advertisements in 19 magazines were coded. Results revealed support for many of Kilbourne’s hypotheses. For example, compared to men, women were portrayed as more flawless, passive, and dismembered, particularly in women’s fashion and men’s magazines. Other hypotheses from Kilbourne’s analysis were not supported; for example, there were no differences in the portrayal of female versus male models in defensive stances, as childlike, in bondage, or transforming into an object. These findings have implications for the readers of these magazines as well as instructors who use the Killing Us Softly film series in their courses. Additional online materials for this article are available to PWQ subscribers on PWQ's website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental.
Management and Outcomes of Latissimus Dorsi and Teres Major Injuries in Professional Baseball Pitchers
Authors: Nagda Sameer H. , Cohen Steven B. , Noonan Thomas J. , Raasch William G. , Ciccotti Michael G. , Yocum Lewis A.
Published: September 2011

Background: Very little data exist on latissimus dorsi (LD) and teres major (TM) injuries in professional baseball pitchers.

Purpose: This review was undertaken to report on the management and outcomes of baseball pitchers with injury to 1 or both of these muscles.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: A retrospective review of 16 professional baseball pitchers diagnosed and treated for an LD and/or TM tear between 2002 and 2008 was performed. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. The mean age was 28.1 years. All were treated nonoperatively with rest, rehabilitation, and return to pitching after a throwing program. The injuries included tendon avulsions in 6 athletes and strains in 10. Length of disabled time, return to prior level of pitching, and recurrences were noted.

Results: Fifteen of 16 pitchers (94%) returned to the same or higher level of play. The mean time to throwing was 35.6 days. Mean time to pitching was 61.9 days. Nine of 16 injuries (56%) were season-ending. Mean total time lost for athletes returning the same season was 82.4 days. Two of 16 pitchers (13%) sustained recurrent injuries. Prior shoulder and elbow injuries were noted in 75% (12 of 16).

Conclusion: Injury of the LD and/or TM can occur in pitchers. Nonoperative treatment is successful in allowing a return to high-level pitching.
On the rationality of emotions: or, When are emotions rational?
Authors: Scherer Klaus R
Published: September 2011

The connections between emotion and rationality are reexamined. Historically, Plato’s doctrine of the tripartite soul has established the preconception of a strict separation of emotion/passion from cognition/rationality, encouraging the biased perception that emotions are inherently irrational. To examine whether emotions can be rational, one must first examine the various meanings of rationality as developed in philosophy, psychology and the social and economic sciences. In this article, three forms of rationality are distinguished, and it is suggested that they can act as criteria to judge the rationality of emotions. Furthermore, before examining the possible relationships between emotion and rationality, the concept of emotion needs a more precise definition. A convergent definition of emotion is proposed in the form of a componential model that is based on an appraisal mechanism that produces tendencies for action to deal rapidly with important and urgent events in an individual’s life. It is demonstrated that emotions can be more or less correct or appropriate depending on the accuracy or realism of the underlying appraisal, the appropriateness of the response pattern and the efficacy of the emotion regulation. Considered in the framework of this componential model, it is suggested that emotions can be assessed as to whether, in a particular situation, they are adaptive (functional), based on well-grounded, accurate inference from available information and considered as reasonable reactions by others. Emotions can be considered rational when they fulfill at least one of these three criteria of rationality.
‘Meaning’ as a sociological concept: A review of the modeling, mapping and simulation of the communication of knowledge and meaning
Authors: Leydesdorff Loet
Published: September 2011

The development of discursive knowledge presumes the communication of meaning as analytically different from the communication of information. Knowledge can then be considered as a meaning which makes a difference. Whereas the communication of information is studied in the information sciences and scientometrics, the communication of meaning has been central to Luhmann’s attempts to make the theory of autopoiesis relevant for sociology. Analytical techniques such as semantic maps and the simulation of anticipatory systems enable us to operationalize the distinctions which Luhmann proposed as relevant to the elaboration of Husserl’s ‘horizons of meaning’ in empirical research: (1) interactions among communications, (2) the organization of meaning in instantiations, and (3) the self-organization of interhuman communication in terms of symbolically generalized media such as truth, love and power. Horizons of meaning, however, remain uncertain orders of expectations, and one should caution against reification from the meta-biological perspective of systems theory.