bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of Satellite-Derived Atmospheric Motion Vectors and Analyses around Tropical Disturbances
Authors: Sears John , Velden Christopher S.
Published: May 2012

Fields of atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) are routinely derived by tracking features in sequential geostationary satellite infrared, water vapor, and visible-channel imagery. While AMVs produced operationally by global data centers are routinely evaluated against rawinsondes, there is a relative dearth of validation opportunities over the tropical oceans—in particular, in the vicinity of tropical disturbances when anomalous flow fields and strongly sheared environments commonly exist. A field experiment in 2010 called Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-Systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) was conducted in the tropical west Atlantic Ocean and provides an opportunity to evaluate the quality of tropical AMVs and analyses derived from them. The importance of such a verification is threefold: 1) AMVs often provide the only input data for numerical weather prediction (NWP) over cloudy areas of the tropical oceans, 2) NWP data assimilation methods are increasingly reliant on accurate flow-dependent observation-error characteristics, and 3) global tropical analysis and forecast centers often rely on analyses and diagnostic products derived from the AMV fields. In this paper, the authors utilize dropsonde information from high-flying PREDICT aircraft to identify AMV characteristics and to better understand their errors in tropical-disturbance situations. It is found that, in general, the AMV observation errors are close to those identified in global validation studies. However, some distinct characteristics are uncovered in certain regimes associated with tropical disturbances. High-resolution analyses derived from the AMV fields are also examined and are found to be more reflective of anomalous flow fields than the respective Global Forecast System global model analyses.
Application of WRF 3DVAR to Operational Typhoon Prediction in Taiwan: Impact of Outer Loop and Partial Cycling Approaches
Authors: Hsiao Ling-Feng , Chen Der-Song , Kuo Ying-Hwa , Guo Yong-Run , Yeh Tien-Chiang , Hong Jing-Shan , Fong Chin-Tzu , Lee Cheng-Shang
Published: May 2012

In this paper, the impact of outer loop and partial cycling with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model’s (WRF) three-dimensional variational data assimilation system (3DVAR) is evaluated by analyzing 78 forecasts for three typhoons during 2008 for which Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued typhoon warnings, including Sinlaku, Hagupit, and Jangmi. The use of both the outer loop and the partial cycling approaches in WRF 3DVAR are found to reduce typhoon track forecast errors by more than 30%, averaged over a 72-h period. The improvement due to the outer loop approach, which can be more than 42%, was particularly significant in the early phase of the forecast. The use of the outer loop allows more observations to be assimilated and produces more accurate analyses. The assimilation of additional nonlinear GPS radio occultation (RO) observations over the western North Pacific Ocean, where traditional observational data are lacking, is particularly useful. With the lack of observations over the tropical and subtropical oceans, the error in the first-guess field (which is based on a 6-h forecast of the previous cycle) will continue to grow in a full-cycling limited-area data assimilation system. Even though the use of partial cycling only shows a slight improvement in typhoon track forecast after 12 h, it has the benefit of suppressing the growth of the systematic model error. A typhoon prediction model using the Advanced Research core of the WRF (WRF-ARW) and the WRF 3DVAR system with outer loop and partial cycling substantially improves the typhoon track forecast. This system, known as Typhoon WRF (TWRF), has been in use by CWB since 2010 for operational typhoon predictions.
Misjudging Their Own Steps
Authors: Zivotofsky Ari Z. , Eldror Ehud , Mandel Roi , Rosenbloom Tova
Published: May 2012

Objective:

The aim of this study was to test whether elderly individuals underestimate the time that it will take them to cross a street by comparing estimated with actual road-crossing time.

Background:

In many developed countries, elderly people are overrepresented among pedestrian fatalities from motor vehicle accidents. There is surely more than one contributing factor to this phenomenon, and many have been offered. We propose that one additional factor may be that although older people are consciously aware that they no longer walk at the same pace as they once did, they do not take this fact into consideration when planning a street crossing.

Method:

We compared the ability of young and old pedestrians to estimate the time that it will take them to cross a street, using both prospective and retrospective time estimation.

Results:

A significant interaction was found between age group and crossing time. Among elderly participants, actual crossing times were significantly longer than both their precrossing estimation and their postcrossing estimation, which did not significantly differ from each other. In contrast, the undergraduate group’s crossing times did not display a significant difference across measurements.

Conclusion:

This study implies that even if older pedestrians correctly evaluate the road situation, they may nonetheless endanger themselves by underestimating the time that it will take them to cross the street. We suggest that minimizing this effect could be accomplished by educating seniors to the fact that they are not as fast as they once were and that this fact needs to be factored in to street-crossing decisions.
Organizational legacies of violence
Authors: Daly Sarah Zukerman
Published: May 2012

Why do insurgencies erupt in some places and not in others? This article exploits an original violent event database of 274,428 municipality-month observations in Colombia to determine the conditions favoring organized violence at the subnational level. The data cast doubt on the conventional correlates of war: poverty, rough terrain, lootable natural resources, and large, sparsely distributed populations. The evidence suggests that rebellions begin not in localities that afford sanctuaries, impoverished recruits, and abundant finances, but instead in regions providing receptacles of collective action: the organizational legacies of war. Specifically, the data indicate that regions affected by past mobilization are six times more likely to experience rebellion than those without a tradition of armed organized action. The significant correlation between prior and future mobilization is robust across different measurements of the concepts, levels of aggregations of the data, units of analysis, and specifications of the model. These include rare events and spatial lag analyses. These results highlight the need for micro conflict data, theory disentangling the causes of war onset from those of war recurrence, and a reorientation away from physical geography and back to the human and social geography that determines if rebellion is organizationally feasible. The findings suggest new avenues of research on the post-war trajectories of armed organizations, the causes of repeated war, and the micro-foundations of rebellion.
A reflective conversation with Joyce Van Tassel Baska
Authors: Shaughnessy Michael F. , Jager Kaarina
Published: May 2012

In an increasingly multicultural world, with increasing access to other countries and opportunities for foreign travel, gifted students need to be able to communicate with other students and other individuals around the world. If they engage in business endeavors, gifted entrepreneurs need to be able to communicate both verbally and in writing with other businessmen and women around the world. In this interview, Joyce Van Tassel Baska discusses the issues surrounding foreign language learning.
The effects of toe spreader in people with overactive toe flexors post stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Chiong Yi , Tay San-San , Lim Peter AC , Tan Dawn ML
Published: May 2012

Objectives:

To investigate the long-term effects of the toe spreader on gait characteristics, pain, activity level and balance in individuals with chronic stroke who exhibited tonic toe flexion reflex. The secondary objectives were to determine the sample size for future studies and to assess compliance to the use of the toe spreader.

Design:

Single-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial.

Setting:

Outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Singapore.

Subjects:

Nine ambulatory participants with tonic toe flexion reflex more than six months post stroke.

Intervention:

Control or customized toe spreader groups for six months. The toe spreader was made of Rolyan Ezemix elastomer putty and worn with sport sandals during ambulation.

Main measures:

Gait speed and plantar surface contact area, pain visual analogue scale (VAS), Berg Balance Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, activity level measured on pedometer and compliance via logbook.

Results:

There were no significant differences between the groups. Both groups showed non-significant improvements in gait speed (toe spreader 0.34 (0.26) versus 0.37 (0.29) m/s; control 0.40 (0.27) versus 0.50 (0.17) m/s), activity level, step length of the hemiplegic leg and stride length at six months. All participants in the intervention group used the toe spreader less than 50% of the days, indicating suboptimal compliance.

Conclusion:

The use of the toe spreader did not result in significant improvements in any outcomes. Studies with sample sizes of at least 56 participants and strategies to increase compliance to the use of the toe spreader are recommended.
Reliability and validity of a scale to measure interest in music among clients in mental health care
Authors: Gold Christian , Rolvsjord Randi , Mössler Karin , Stige Brynjulf
Published: May 2012

Contextual and relational models of music therapy suggest the relevance of music-related outcomes in clients’ everyday life, but no standardized instruments exist for that purpose. We aimed to develop and test the reliability and validity of a self-report questionnaire to measure interest in music (IiM). Twelve Likert-scaled items reflecting pro-social and socially avoidant aspects of interest in music were developed and translated into three languages (English, Norwegian, German). A total of 144 adults with a mental disorder and low therapy motivation completed the IiM questionnaire and adjacent self-report measures (self-esteem, social relationships). Interest in music was also rated by a mental health professional. Completion of the IiM was repeated after one and three months. Dimensionality, internal consistency, test–retest reliability and concurrent validity were examined. Analyses indicated two dimensions, Musical Activity and Emotional Engagement with Music (10 items) and Social Avoidance through Music (2 items). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.89 and 0.77), test–retest reliability (1- and 3-month intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.61 to 0.85), and concurrent validity were demonstrated. The IiM scale fills an important gap in the tools available for music therapy assessment and outcome research in mental health.
From knowledge to action
Authors: Gaillard J.C. , Mercer Jessica
Published: May 2012

A large amount of studies have been produced on disaster-related issues over the last century of research, yet there continues to be gaps in translating knowledge into action. This paper discusses the battlefield of knowledge and action for disaster risk reduction (DRR), outlining the need for a more integrative process consisting of bottom-up and top-down actions, local and scientific knowledge, and a vast array of stakeholders. The challenges in addressing the need for an integrated process are outlined alongside a potential road map for bridging gaps in DRR. The final section addresses issues to be overcome in order to implement the aforementioned road map. Future ways to bridge gaps in DRR between bottom-up and top-down actions, and local and scientific knowledge are proposed.
The Relevance of Relationship Satisfaction and Continuation to the Gender Symmetry Debate
Authors: Ackerman Jeffrey M.
Published: May 2012

In prior research, Ackerman and Field (2011) found that intimate partner violence (IPV) affects the relationship satisfaction of females more than the relationship satisfaction of males. The current research replicated those findings on a different sample of men and women. In addition to confirming past findings, it also found that gendered patterns in IPV differed substantially for current versus former relationships. Subsequent analyses indicated that gendered differences in whether relationships are continued or terminated after IPV apparently explained these patterns. The current analyses illustrate how relationship continuation differences across gender can produce sample selection biases that substantially affect conclusions about whether partner violence is perpetrated equally by men and women. More specifically, the results of this research are consistent with the conclusion that female IPV victims are more likely than are male victims to become dissatisfied with aggressive opposite-sex partnerships and subsequently terminate their aggressive relationships. For this reason, research that relies only upon the analysis of current relationships will underestimate the amount of partner violence committed by men.
Public Reason and the Future of Theological Ethics: Indications from the American Experience
Authors: Lovin Robin W.
Published: May 2012

In recent years, public reason in the United States has narrowed to a focus on national security and economic stability. This marks the loss of an aspirational element that has been historically important in American public life, and it tends toward the privatization of all moral arguments, not just those that depend on theological claims. To maintain theological integrity, Christian public reasoning will have to become more distinctively Christian, simply because there will be less shared ground to occupy with others. But the future of theological ethics also requires attention to the scope and quality of the public discussion itself.
Christian Public Reasoning in the United Kingdom: Apologetic, Casuistical, and Rhetorically Discriminate
Authors: Biggar Nigel
Published: May 2012

Since the 1960s Christian ethics in Britain has become stronger, more theological, and more Protestant, so that its moral intelligence is now much more fully informed by the full range of theological premises. In the future, however, Christian ethics needs to make up certain recent losses: to re-engage with moral philosophy, in order to rebut the glib dismissal of religious ethics by popularising atheists; to read less philosophy and more history, in order to become plausible to public policy-makers; and to revive the model of interdisciplinary work, in order both to understand the matter which it would interpret morally and to inject Christian analyses and judgements into the bloodstream of public discourse.
The Future of Theological Ethics: Response to Robin Lovin and Nigel Biggar
Authors: Chaplin Jonathan
Published: May 2012

This paper argues that the theological ethics of the future will be both more authentically Christian and more public, and briefly illustrates that claim in relation to the polity and to the academy. It argues, first, that Christian political reasoning should not be preoccupied with liberal anxieties about epistemic criteria for public reasoning, but rather turn its attention to the institutional telos of the polity, the political common good; and be prepared to speak in an openly Christian voice where appropriate. It argues, second, that scholarly reasoning offered by theological ethicists to the academy will be more effective the better it understands the complementary roles fulfilled by theology and other academic disciplines, such as the social sciences. Theological ethicists should not view theology as queen of the sciences but instead critically appropriate the findings of the social sciences and also work to offer it healthier, theologically-informed concepts.
The Future of Theological Ethics
Authors: Geuss Raymond
Published: May 2012

The traditional discipline of apologetics contained an important insight about the necessity for Christians to address non-Christians about their practices and beliefs; however, in the modern world apologetics needs to be refocused to include not just non-Christians who have specific theoretical objections of Christianity, but also the large number of those who are simply indifferent to religious issues.
Making Common Cause with Men and Women of Our Age: A Thomist Perspective
Authors: Porter Jean
Published: May 2012

This paper argues that Aquinas and other scholastic theologians offer unexpected resources for a moral theology that is fully engaged with today’s pluralistic societies. In order to do so, it is necessary to bring Aquinas into a conversation with these diverse perspectives, rather than treating his thought as a closed system, and to extend his insights through original, constructive analysis.
The Future of Ethics within the Reformation Heritage
Authors: Ulrich Hans G.
Published: May 2012

Looking for ‘the future of Christian ethics’ we have to be aware of different paradigms of theological ethics and its different implications for a theologically reflected notion of future. With regard to the Reformation heritage there can be identified a Protestant paradigm of a Christian moral subject, liberated for a universal rational responsibility related to the future of the human condition on the one hand, and—according to a Lutheran grammar—an ethics of Christian practices within a worshipping community, grounded in God’s ongoing creational work. The future of Christian ethics, then, consists of the continuity of this Christian witness as it is rooted in God’s promises and faithfulness.
Some Queries about Theological Ethics
Authors: Blackburn Simon
Published: May 2012

In this paper I ask whether either theology or religious practice actually contribute to ethical theory or ethical practice. I rehearse well-known Humean arguments that they do not. I then reflect on the idea from Professor O’Donovan’s paper that it is virtuous for us to entertain hopes for redemption or for fulfilment and suggest that a careful weighing of these words may indicate otherwise.
Reasoning from out of Particularity: Possibilities for Conversation in Theological Ethics
Authors: Weiss Daniel H.
Published: May 2012

Frequently, theological particularity can hinder attempts at inter-religious conversations in theological ethics, as each tradition’s reasoning is inextricably bound up with core doctrinal elements not shared by other traditions. I argue, however, that elements of particularity can facilitate conversation when emphasis is placed on movements of ethical reasoning between particular statements within each tradition. By examining the classical rabbinic practice of verbal forewarning in capital cases, I show that although the starting point and ending point of an instance of theological reasoning may be ‘exclusivistic’, the relationship between those points can serve as the basis for comparison and dialogue.
Response to John Hare
Authors: Coakley Sarah
Published: May 2012

John Hare’s paper successfully exposes philosophical naïvéties and reductive pretensions in the evolutionary research he surveys. But he fails to clarify how ‘God’, on a view such as Dominic Johnson’s, could not be seen merely as a dispensable projection of ‘primitive’ societies, and thus how his own continuing commitment to a Kantian ethic might need to be bolstered by a concomitant form of ‘natural theology’ attentive to evolutionary dynamics.
Concluding Remarks
Authors: Insole Christopher
Published: May 2012

I suggest some ways in which a certain type of ‘post-foundationalism’ has had a deleterious effect in theological ethics. Much ‘post-foundationalism’ is in truth still foundationalism, albeit less reflective and more permissive, leading to a balkanised plethora of foundationalist systems. Although Wittgenstein is critical of foundationalism, it is by applying Wittgensteinian insights that we are able to avoid some of the reductive and unipolar thinking that has characterised some recent theological discussion.
Accurate Personality Judgment
Authors: Funder David C.
Published: May 2012

Personality traits are patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that are relatively consistent over time and across situations. Judging the traits of others and of oneself is a ubiquitous and consequential activity of daily life, which raises two important questions. First, how does accurate personality judgment happen? According to the Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM), accuracy in such judgments is achieved when relevant behavioral information is available to and detected by a judge who then utilizes that information correctly. Second, when are personality judgments accurate? The RAM identifies four principal moderators of accurate personality judgment, which are properties of the target of judgment, the trait that is judged, the information upon which the judgment is based (i.e., its quantity and quality), and the individual making the judgment. People usually manage to make personality judgments that are accurate enough for navigation of the complex social world; research on accuracy seeks to understand how and when this happens.
Sport and terrorism: Two of modern life’s most prevalent themes
Authors: Hassan David
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this introduction is to establish the context for the ensuing collection examining the relationship between sport and terrorism within a range of international sporting settings. Drawing upon a host of recent examples this article serves to demonstrate the multifaceted nature of this relationship, how it emerges in remarkably similar fashions within otherwise quite diverse locations and how sport is increasingly being targeted by terrorists irrespective of whether their campaigns are considered to be ‘local’ or global in nature. It argues that terrorists exercise impact both through the direct targeting of sport and also, subsequently, the diffusion out from these real or intentional events to impact upon many aspects of political and civic life.
Assessment of ruminal hydrogen sulfide or urine thiosulfate as diagnostic tools for sulfur induced polioencephalomalacia in cattle
Authors: Drewnoski Mary E. , Ensley Steve M. , Beitz Don C. , Schoonmaker Jon P. , Loy Dan D. , Imerman Paula M. , Rathje John A. , Hansen Stephanie L.
Published: May 2012

To determine if ruminal hydrogen sulfide, urine thiosulfate, or blood sulfhemoglobin could be used as diagnostic indicators for sulfur-induced polioencephalomalacia, 16 steers (8 cannulated, 368 ± 12 kg; 8 unmodified, 388 ± 10 kg; mean ± standard error) were fed 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Diets consisted of a low sulfate (0.24% S; control) wheat midd–based pellet or the control pellet with sodium sulfate added to achieve a high-sulfate (0.68% S) pellet. As designed, intake did not differ ( P = 0.80) between treatments. At 8 hr postfeeding, ruminal hydrogen sulfide was not affected by cannulation ( P = 0.35) but was greater ( P < 0.01) in high S (6,005 ± 475 mg/l) than control (1,639 ± 472 mg/l) steers. Time of day of sampling affected ( P = 0.01) ruminal hydrogen sulfide, with peak concentrations occurring 4–12 hr after feeding. Urine was collected prefeeding (AM) and 7–9 hr postfeeding (PM). Urine thiosulfate concentrations of high S steers sampled in the PM were greater ( P > 0.01) than in the AM. However, there was no difference due to time of sampling for control. In both the AM and PM, urine thiosulfate concentrations of high S were greater ( P > 0.01) than control. Although hydrogen sulfide and thiosulfate were elevated by increased dietary S intake, a concentration at which polioencephalomalacia is likely to occur could not be determined. Sampling urine for thiosulfate or rumen gas for hydrogen sulfide of nonsymptomatic pen mates 4–8 hr after feeding may be useful to assess sulfur exposure and differentiate between causes of polioencephalomalacia.
Eosinophilic granulocytic sarcoma in a pig
Authors: Brum Juliana S. , Lucena Ricardo B. , Martins Tessie B. , Fighera Rafael A. , Barros Claudio S. L.
Published: May 2012

A case of granulocytic sarcoma originating from an eosinophilic lineage is described in a 5-year-old, mixed-breed, female pig. The pig had been originally sent to slaughter in a good plane of nutrition and without displaying clinical disease. At gross examination, green masses were observed in several bones, especially vertebrae, sternum, pelvis, and long bones such as femur and humerus. Similar masses were seen in skeletal muscles, lymph nodes, and kidneys. Cytology revealed large numbers of round cells with round nuclei and scant cytoplasm (myelocytes); some of these cells had a fine eosinophilic granularity to their cytoplasm (eosinophil myelocytes). Histologically, the neoplastic cells formed sheets that completely obliterated the normal architecture of subperiosteal bone marrow. The cytoplasm of the neoplastic cells stained strongly by Sirius red stain of eosinophil and was positively marked by immunohistochemistry using an anti-myeloperoxidase antibody. The association of gross examination, cytology, histology, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry findings is consistent with a diagnosis of eosinophilic granulocytic sarcoma.
Team reasoning and group identification
Authors: Hindriks Frank
Published: May 2012

The team reasoning approach explains cooperation in terms of group identification, which in turn is explicated in terms of agency transformation and payoff transformation. Empirical research in social psychology is consistent with the significance of agency and payoff transformation. However, it also reveals that group identification depends on social categorization processes to a greater extent than is currently acknowledged within the team reasoning approach. In light of this, Bacharach’s claim that group identification is prompted by a perceived conflict between individual and collective interests has to be rejected. Instead, it is triggered by the salience of a social category. Sugden’s account of the role of trust in team reasoning needs to be modified: rather than by evidence of behavior, it is induced by common knowledge of shared membership of a particular group. The upshot is that the empirical adequacy of the team reasoning approach can be substantially enhanced by incorporating the notion of category salience as a key explanatory variable.
Is plea bargaining a rational choice? Plea bargaining as an engine of racial stratification and overcrowding in the United States prison system
Authors: Savitsky Douglas
Published: May 2012

The United States incarcerates 1% of American adults. Incarceration rates have increased steadily since 1970 even while criminal activity has dropped. Additionally, while crime rates are relatively equal across races, the rate of incarceration for blacks has risen faster than for whites. This paper argues that plea bargaining, which accounts for 95% of criminal dispositions, is a major causal factor of high prison populations and high levels of racial stratification in prisons. This paper hypothesizes that by placing defendants in a multi-player Prisoner’s Dilemma, and by reducing transaction costs, plea bargaining allows prosecutors to act on a political will to incarcerate large numbers of people. Additionally, it hypothesizes that since black defendants are likely to have less faith in the criminal justice system than white defendants, this places them in a worse bargaining position, leading to systematically worse bargains. These differential bargains aggregate into a stratified prison population.
Investigations of microstructured behaviors of magnetorheological suspensions
Authors: Peng Yong-Bo , Ghanem Roger , Li Jie
Published: May 2012

Microstructured behaviors of magnetorheological suspensions under magnetic fields with different magnitudes are investigated using a large-scale atomic/molecular massive parallel simulator. We investigated four kinds of typical characteristics of microstructured behaviors: (a) phase separation of structures, (b) statistics of chain and cluster sizes, (c) structural anisotropy of aggregates, and (d) fluctuation of suspensions. It is found that the higher the magnitude of external magnetic fields, the lesser the time the phase separation of structures undergoes. Magnetic dipolar particles, moreover, exhibit plane size-dependent structured behavior as they tend to cluster into nematic-like sheets along the shorter dimension of the field-perpendicular plane, even under conditions of uniform initial distribution and steady magnetic fields. In the presence of the shear, meanwhile, we observe that the suspensions move along with the flow field and connect to form long sheets along flow direction toward restraining the transportation of the shear flow. The application of the shear weakens the effect of the magnetic fields on the fluctuation of suspensions. Besides, the macroscale shear stress of magnetorheological suspensions is investigated as a function of the Mason number revealing that the constitutive model of rheological suspensions based on the Bingham law is of applicability.
ICD Deactivation
Authors: Thanavaro Joanne L.
Published: May 2012

Implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are an essential part of the management for patients at risk for life threatening arrhythmias. Despite new technologies, all patients ultimately will reach the end of their lives, either because of underlying cardiac disease or another terminal illness. Having an ICD at the end of life may deny a patient the chance of sudden cardiac death and result in a slower terminal disease and pain and anxiety due to shocks from their device. The purpose of this article is to present a focused literature review on the barriers surrounding deactivation of ICDs and to summarize the recommendations of the Heart Rhythm Society Consensus Statement on the management of ICDs in patients nearing end of life or requesting withdrawal of therapy.
Regional Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship Program
Authors: Kim Son Chae , Brown Caroline E. , Ecoff Laurie , Davidson Judy E. , Gallo Ana-Maria , Klimpel Kathy , Wickline Mary A.
Published: May 2012

This quasi-experimental, pre- and posttest study evaluated the impact of a 9-month collaborative regional evidence-based practice (EBP) fellowship program on practice, attitude, knowledge, and perceived barriers associated with implementation of EBP. Three annual cohorts ( N = 142) of nurses attending a fellowship program from 2008 to 2010 participated in this study. Paired t tests showed statistically significant increases in practice (+.82; p < .001) and knowledge/skills (+.78; p < .001) associated with EBP, but showed no change in attitude (+.16; p = .198). All four Barriers subscales showed statistically significant decreases (−.10 to −.31; p = .036 to <.001). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the barriers explained 6.8%, 8.9% and 13.9% of variances in practice, attitude and knowledge/skills, respectively. The collaborative regional fellowship program improved the practice and knowledge/skills associated with EBP. The barriers were significant predictors of the EBP implementation among the targeted group of nurses participating in the fellowship program.
Video-Mediated Communication to Support Distant Family Connectedness
Authors: Furukawa Ryoko , Driessnack Martha
Published: May 2012

It can be difficult to maintain family connections with geographically distant members. However, advances in computer–human interaction (CHI) systems, including video-mediated communication (VMC) are emerging. While VMC does not completely substitute for physical face-to-face communication, it appears to provide a sense of virtual copresence through the addition of visual and contextual cues to verbal communication between family members. The purpose of this study was to explore current patterns of VMC use, experiences, and family functioning among self-identified VMC users separated geographically from their families. A total of 341 participants (ages 18 to above 70) completed an online survey and Family APGAR. Ninty-six percent of the participants reported that VMC was the most common communication method used and 60% used VMC at least once/week. The most common reason cited for using VMC over other methods of communication was the addition of visual cues. A significant difference between the Family APGAR scores and the number of positive comments about VMC experience was also found. This exploratory study provides insight into the acceptance of VMC and its usefulness in maintaining connections with distant family members.
Impact of a School-Based Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Program on the Knowledge and Attitude of High School Girls
Authors: Ogunfowokan Adesola A. , Fajemilehin Reuben B.
Published: May 2012

Sexual abuse has been considered a public health issue because of the various health implications resulting from it. The school nurse has a responsibility in assisting the high school girl to prevent victimization. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design in which a sexual abuse prevention education package was developed and used to educate high school girls in a selected school in Nigeria. Evaluation of the impact of the package revealed a significant increase in the knowledge mean scores of the girls at first postintervention stage and this increase was maintained at second postintervention stage. No significant shift was observed for the attitude of the girls. Education is a significant tool that could be used in improving the knowledge of sexual abuse prevention among high school girls, but attitude supporting sexual abuse prevention can only be improved when myths of sexual abuse are corrected in the larger society.
The Contemporary Urban Condition
Authors: Gaffikin Frank , Perry David C.
Published: May 2012

In attempting to expand the vocabulary of urban description and understanding, and to offer a new composite conceptual framework for a more integrated urban planning and policy, this essay addresses the informal, contested, and anchored dimensions of the urban in turn; second, it seeks to increasingly link the three within the new global context; and finally, it attempts to draw these strands together in a proposed reconceptualization of the contemporary city within a world where the global is urbanizing and the urban is globalizing.
Neighborhood Variation in Police Stops and Searches
Authors: Renauer Brian C.
Published: May 2012

This study examines consensus and conflict approaches to explaining police stop and search rates in 94 neighborhoods. Police deployment, racial threat, race-out-of-place, and social conditioning perspectives were analyzed. Models were based on 206,083 stops and 38,493 searches controlling for racial/ethnic makeup, citizen calls for service, disadvantage, prior violent crime suspect rates, time of day, and spatial autocorrelation. The results supported both police deployment and race out of place arguments. Policy implications focus on the need for police and community to fully understand and mutually agree on the relevance of both consensus and conflict perspectives.
Pedestrian-Focused Approach to Pedestrian – Boulevard Interaction in Terms of Landscape Features
Authors: Kilicaslan Çiğdem
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study was to examine the landscape features of densely used boulevards in Aydin, Turkey. Adnan Menderes and Atatürk boulevards were the main focus of this study, where the convenience and landscape values of pedestrian – boulevard interaction were analysed. The features and their usages were assessed. Refuges and sidewalks were analyzed according to living and non-living aspects and their visual contribution. Convenience for disabled usage and the intervention of the other usages were examined and to what extent the boulevards supported the pedestrian usage was assessed. The assessment has illustrated that the landscape features of Atatürk Boulevard were less convenient and should be improved. The average scores established by the questionnaire study have supported this finding. The living elements of Adnan Menderes Boulevard were scored 2.96 for central refuges, sidewalks 2.90; while Atatürk Boulevard was scored 2.00 and 2.13, respectively. On the other hand, the scores for the non-living elements of the boulevard features were 2.78 and 2.47 in Adnan Menderes while in Atatürk Boulevard the scores were 2.57 and 2.18. As a result, changing of the non-living features with ones that reflect the identity of the city could add value to the city environment. Insufficient features must be remedied and the boulevards should be improved with respect to the standards.
Air Pollution in Micro-Environments: A Case Study of India Habitat Centre Enclosed Vehicular Parking, New Delhi
Authors: Samal Choudhury Gyanranjan , Gupta Divya , Pathania Rohit , Mohan S. , Suresh R.
Published: May 2012

Indoor air pollution deteriorates the quality of air present in the household or enclosed areas. The polluted air present contains hazardous pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter which could be respired easily. When inhaled, these pollutants can cause negative health impacts leading to various pulmonary and cardiac problems and in extreme conditions to mortality. Enclosed parking garages are one of the major sources for indoor air pollution. The reason for buildup of combustion pollutants is a lack of proper ventilation system in enclosed parking areas. Therefore, proper planning is required during construction design rather than post-construction addition of this necessary facility. In this study, the micro-environment of India Habitat Centre (IHC) parking area and their pollutants concentrations was examined; the pollutants concentrations were compared with ambient air concentrations. The pollutants found were in higher concentrations than the ambient; e.g., CO level ranged from 12 ppm to a maximum level of 164 ppm, exceeding the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and WHO guidelines; similarly PM2.5 concentration averaged more than 100 µg·m–3 with a maximum concentration of 234 µg·m–3 and NO2 concentration were 25 to 56 µg·m–3, thereby leading to indoor air pollution and main sufferers are the guards and employees of IHC. Mitigation measures have been suggested for ameliorating the problem.
Too hostile, too deferential: Processes of media answerability following political interviews
Authors: Kampf Zohar , Daskal Efrat
Published: May 2012

Processes of media answerability are important for the professional conduct of media organizations and their analysis allows a better understanding of the negotiation among public actors over journalistic practices perceived as deviant. By intersecting public criticism over perceived deviant political interviews with Israeli ombudsmen’s responses to these complaints, our aims are to (1) characterize processes of media answerability within the institution of the ombudsman and in the open public arena; (2) identify diversions between the public and the ombudsmen perspectives regarding perceived deviating practices (over-aggressive and over-deferent style of interviewing) and their causes (political bias and violations of interpersonal codes of behavior); (3) pinpoint the outcomes of media answerability processes. Our findings suggest that while a disrespectful attitude toward public figures bothers the public more than an overly deferential approach, the ombudsmen tend to reject both types of complaint. At the causal level, while citizens point to interviewers’ ideological bias as the main explanation for all types of deviations, the ombudsmen tend to accept complaints regarding violations of interpersonal codes of behavior and reject claims of political bias. In conclusion, we point to the advantages and limitations of a media answerability process.
Financial journalism, news sources and the banking crisis
Authors: Manning Paul
Published: May 2012

One of the most notable features of the recent and continuing global banking crisis has been the failure of financial journalism, together with the global news agencies, to alert us to the signs of imminent catastrophe, thus confounding over-simplistic models of journalism as an efficient system of antennae monitoring the external environment. With a handful of honourable exceptions, most financial journalists and most international news agencies simply failed to report much of the emerging evidence of the growing possibility of collapse. Various explanations have been proposed for this failure including the complexities of the evidence, the manipulative power of financial public relations, and the difficulties of undertaking investigative journalism when newsrooms cut staff. This article, drawing on a theoretical framework for analysing exchange relationships between journalists and their sources first developed in Manning (2001), argues that a more fully developed explanation needs to explore the ways in which a distribution of political and symbolic power shaped relationships between financial correspondents, news agencies and the key information flows operating within global financial systems.
Positive effect of eplerenone treatment on endothelial progenitor cells in patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Jung Christian , Florvaag Anna , Oberle Volker , Fritzenwanger Michael , Kretschmar Daniel , Kuethe Friedhelm , Betge Stefan , Goebel Bjoern , Franz Marcus , Barz Dagmar , Ferrari Markus , Figulla Hans R
Published: May 2012

Background:

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are known to play a significant role in reendothelialization and vascular repair. Recently, a mineralocorticoid receptor was demonstrated to be expressed by EPCs. The study aimed to evaluate a potential influence of eplerenone treatment on the total number of EPCs in patients with chronic heart failure.

Methods:

Eighty-seven male patients with chronic heart failure were included (age: 23–83 years; body mass index 29.1 ± 5.1 kg/m2; New York Heart failure classification (NYHA) I: 29 patients, NYHA II: 32 patients, NYHA III: 26 patients). Numbers of circulating EPCs were quantified immediately using flow cytometry. Twenty-eight patients received therapy with eplerenone. Patients were further characterized by echocardiography, spirometry and laboratory markers.

Results:

Patients with ongoing eplerenone administration showed higher levels of circulating cells expressing CD34+ ( p<0.05) and CD34+KDR+ ( p<0.05) and CD34+CD133+KDR+ cells ( p<0.05). The effects of eplerenone treatment could be shown to be independent of NYHA status, genesis of the underlying cardiovascular morbidity, left ventricular function and co-medication.

Conclusion:

Patients with chronic heart failure treated with eplerenone show higher numbers of EPCs. The clinical benefit for treatment with eplerenone has been demonstrated even for patients with mild heart failure and might be partially mediated by EPCs.
An exploration of healthcare professionals’ beliefs about caring for older people dying from cancer with a coincidental dementia
Authors: Bartlett Abigail , Clarke Brenda
Published: May 2012

This qualitative study examined the beliefs of five healthcare professionals about caring for patients dying from cancer with a coincidental dementia. Using a methodology based on Heidegger’s phenomenology the phenomenon under scrutiny was opened out to discover the essence of what it really means for these healthcare professionals to be working with this group of patients.
Shear layer modelling for bobbin tool friction stir welding
Authors: Hilgert J , dos Santos J F , Huber N
Published: May 2012

This study presents an approach to model the shear layer in bobbin tool friction stir welding. The proposed CFD model treats the material in the weld zone as a highly viscous non-Newtonian shear thinning liquid. A customised parametric solver is used to solve the highly non-linear Navier–Stokes equations. The contact state between tool and workpiece is determined by coupling the torque within the CFD model to a thermal pseudomechanical model. An existing analytic shear layer model is calibrated using artificial neural networks trained with the predictions of the CFD model. Validation experiments have been carried out using 4 mm thick sheets of AA 2024. The results show that the predicted torque and the shear layer shape are accurate. The combination of numerical and analytical modelling can reduce the computational effort significantly. It allows use of the calibrated analytic model inside an iterative process optimisation procedure.
Neural network models of peak temperature, torque, traverse force, bending stress and maximum shear stress during friction stir welding
Authors: Manvatkar V D , Arora A , De A , DebRoy T
Published: May 2012

Tool and workpiece temperatures, torque, traverse force and stresses on the tools are affected by friction stir welding (FSW) variables such as plate thickness, welding speed, tool rotational speed, shoulder and pin diameters, pin length and tool material. Because of the large number of these welding variables, their effects cannot be realistically mapped by experiments. Here, we develop, test and make available a set of five neural networks to calculate the peak temperature, torque, traverse force and bending and equivalent stresses on the tool pin for the FSW of an aluminium alloy. The neural networks are trained and tested with the results from a well tested, comprehensive, three-dimensional heat and material flow model. The predictions of peak temperature and torque are also compared with appropriate experimental data for various values of shoulder radius and tool revolutions per minute. The models can be used even beyond the range of training with predictable levels of uncertainty.
APOBEC3G enhances lymphoma cell radioresistance by promoting cytidine deaminase-dependent DNA repair
Authors: Nowarski Roni , Wilner Ofer I. , Cheshin Ori , Shahar Or D. , Kenig Edan , Baraz Leah , Britan-Rosich Elena , Nagler Arnon , Harris Reuben S. , Goldberg Michal , Willner Itamar , Kotler Moshe
Published: May 2012

APOBEC3 proteins catalyze deamination of cytidines in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), providing innate protection against retroviral replication by inducing deleterious dC > dU hypermutation of replication intermediates. APOBEC3G expression is induced in mitogen-activated lymphocytes; however, no physiologic role related to lymphoid cell proliferation has yet to be determined. Moreover, whether APOBEC3G cytidine deaminase activity transcends to processing cellular genomic DNA is unknown. Here we show that lymphoma cells expressing high APOBEC3G levels display efficient repair of genomic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by ionizing radiation and enhanced survival of irradiated cells. APOBEC3G transiently accumulated in the nucleus in response to ionizing radiation and was recruited to DSB repair foci. Consistent with a direct role in DSB repair, inhibition of APOBEC3G expression or deaminase activity resulted in deficient DSB repair, whereas reconstitution of APOBEC3G expression in leukemia cells enhanced DSB repair. APOBEC3G activity involved processing of DNA flanking a DSB in an integrated reporter cassette. Atomic force microscopy indicated that APOBEC3G multimers associate with ssDNA termini, triggering multimer disassembly to multiple catalytic units. These results identify APOBEC3G as a prosurvival factor in lymphoma cells, marking APOBEC3G as a potential target for sensitizing lymphoma to radiation therapy.