bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forecasting the Demand for Maternity Services
Authors: Uyeno Dean , Galbraith Craig , Buchan David
Published: July 2010

Faced with demands on maternity services exceeding design capacity, one British Columbia hospital commissioned forecasting studies to determine trends in demand and if accurate forecasts could be obtained. In addition to describing the forecasting method employed, the data used and the results, the authors look at what literature is available on obstetrics forecasting.
Toward National Health System Guidelines in Canada: Reflections of a Comprehensive Audit
Authors: Caro Denis H.J.
Published: July 2010

A comprehensive assessment of the Health Program Guidelines (HPG) in Canada was undertaken between January and September 1992. This review examined the strategic effectiveness and operational efficiency of the guidelines under the auspices of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Committee on Institutional and Medical Services. To assess the perceived needs for the guidelines, over 185 structured mail questionnaires were sent to a sample of health care agencies, institutions and organizations across Canada; the response rate was over 80.5%. A key informant approach was also used to assess the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of the guidelines. Based on the results of the questionnaires, over 45 interviews and an extensive content analysis of key documents, recommendations were made that may be relevant to the Canadian health system community.
Revisiting Physician Impact Analyses: Predicted versus Observed Hospital Resource Use
Authors: Kuntz Dieter , Roberts Jacqueline , Browne Gina , Charles Cathy
Published: July 2010

In order to determine the accuracy of predictions made using Physician Impact Analysis (PIA), a comparison was undertaken of predicted versus actual resource use for 10 new physician specialists at a southern Ontario community hospital. The predictions were done from 1987 to 1989 using methodology recommended by the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and available at that time. This included (1) Hospital Medical Records Institute data and (2) a hospital service department survey. A comparison was made between PIA predictions and actual physician resource utilization data gathered in 1991. There was little agreement between the two. The usefulness of PIA rests largely on its ability to generate accurate predictions about a new physician recruit's number of cases and hospital resource use. However, because this research was undertaken in only one community hospital, further evaluation of the PIA process is recommended.
Les perspectives changeantes de la gestion hospitalière
Authors: Chenoy Neville C. , Carlow Donald R.
Published: July 2010

Compte tenu des changements profonds qui affectent la prestation des services sanitaires et sociaux au Canada, la gestion hospitalière doit tendre à la protection et à la valorisation de l'établissement en faveur de son propriétaire (c.-à-d. le contribuable) et pouvoir être comptable de son fonctionnement envers la collectivité desservie. Sur la base de la documentation existante, les auteurs suggèrent que le rôle et les responsabilités du conseil d'administration d'un établissement de santé se focalisent autour de sept activités fondamentales: définition de la mission, de la philosophie et des orientations de l'organisme; choix et évaluation du chef de la direction; établissement d'un code d'éthique; haute qualité des soins et de la prestation de services; mobilisation des ressources en faveur de l'organisme et utilisation avisée des mêmes; intégration de l'organisme à son milieu; auto-évaluation, formation et perfectionnement.

Afin de jouer pleinement leur rôle, les conseils hospitaliers devront nouer des liens plus directs avec la collectivité qu'ils servent et s'initier à prendre leurs décisions au vu et au su de la population.
Surgical Waiting Lists I: Definition, Desired Characteristics and Uses
Authors: Amoko Donald H.A. , Modrow Robert E. , Tan Joseph K.H.
Published: July 2010

In the first of this two-part series, the authors define waiting lists, review the waiting list situation in Canada, discuss factors affecting such lists, outline their desired characteristics and describe the analysis and use of waiting list data.

The manner in which lists are compiled results in significant differences which makes the meaning of waiting lists difficult to determine. From the literature reviewed and interviews with various health service executives, the authors show that waiting lists, as compiled today, are not a valid and reliable measure of the extent of unmet demands for hospital care.

In Part II, which will be published in the next issue of FORUM, the authors will present the results of an exploratory survey done to determine how waiting lists and times are presently being compiled and used in secondary and tertiary hospitals. These findings will be summarized and compared to the desired characteristics and uses of a waiting list as presented in Part I.
The Chief Information Officer in Canadian Hospitals: Fact or Fancy?
Authors: Protti Denis J. , Carmichael Vicki
Published: July 2010

Although the title “chief information officer” (CIO) has enjoyed some success in the private sector, it is not yet a common term in Canadian health care. However, with the explosion of information technology, the particular responsibilities of the person overseeing hospital information are significantly different from those using the title “chief financial officer”, “chief operating officer” or “associate/assistant executive director”.

To determine the popularity of the term in Canada, 146 hospitals with more than 200 beds were surveyed. In all, the person handling hospital information had 40 different titles, with 11 appearing more than once. Only two respondents used CIO as a title.

It is suggested that a CIO is a bridge between older systems and models, and new technologies and techniques. The future success of CIOs in Canadian health care, however, depends partly on those holding the positions today, and their acceptance that information is both a resource and a strategic opportunity.
Projet de financement des soins de courte durée de l'Alberta
Authors: Jacobs Philip , Hall Edward M. , Lave Judith R. , Glendining Murray
Published: July 2010

En 1988, l'Alberta a créé le Acute Care Funding Project (ACFP), un nouveau système de financement des hôpitaux qui institue des redressements budgétaires du budget global pour favoriser l'équité entre les hôpitaux. En principe, l'initiative marque un écart significatif par rapport à l'ancienne méthode de financement. L'ACFP a subi des changements substantiels pendant le mécanisme de développement.

L'ACFP est résumé et critiqué, et l'on insiste sur l'aspect interne de la situation. Divers éléments du projet font l'objet de discussions, comme l'indicateur de rendement hospitalier, la mesure de rendement hospitalier, le groupe amélioré de diagnostic connexe, les facteurs de pondération de cas, les cas typiques et limites et les mécanismes d'établissements des coûts. Depuis sa mise en oeuvre, on a apporté des changements substantiels à l'ACFP; on traite de ceux-ci, de même que certains des problèmes qui restent à régler.

Dans l'ensemble, le système offre des encouragements pour réduire le séjour et augmenter l'efficacité des soins internes.
Getting Together: Administrative and Clinical Teamwork Creates a Geriatric Care Program for the Hospital
Authors: Wells Donna L. , Saltmarche Anita , Adolphus Patricia , Marshall Kerry
Published: July 2010

Sunnybrook Medical Centre, Toronto, has designed a written, multidisciplinary program of care for elderly patients in acute care. The program includes specific community outreach activities that support the in-hospital program and addresses the challenges presented by an increasingly aged population. Some of its objectives are to develop a measurement for length of stay patterns, a reduction in the number of patients waiting for relocation to a long-term care institution (commonly and derogatorily referred to as “placement problems”) and an increase in patient, family and staff satisfaction. A method for program evaluation is being designed.

The program takes a three-level approach to care: (1) the non-problematic elderly patient, (2) the more complex elderly patient and (3) the care of patients who have finished treatment for their acute illness but who require long-term care institutionalization.
The Metropolitan Toronto Regional Geriatric Program: An Innovative Method of Health Care Delivery
Authors: Darby Edward L. , Kirkland Ann , Nordal Clifford
Published: July 2010

The co-ordination of hospital services in large metropolitan areas presents a formidable challenge. History, university relationships, geography and a tradition of independence and autonomy mitigate against co-operative regional ventures.

A new program is evolving in Metropolitan Toronto which represents a significant change in the delivery of specialized geriatric services. The regional geriatric program has been established with direct funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and contractual agreements with participating hospitals to provide specific geriatric services. It is a collaborative venture with the participating hospitals and the University of Toronto voluntarily participating in its management and policy direction.

Although many issues have yet to be resolved regarding the relationship of the program to the Ministry, between the hospitals and with the community, this model may become prevalent in other areas of specialty services, such as trauma and oncology.
Can In-Home Hospital Care Be Implemented in Ontario? Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Bouchard Hélène S.
Published: July 2010

Two models of in-home hospital care were considered as ways to overcome the current problems plaguing the Home Care Program in Ontario. The hospital-organized home care is an extension of some hospital services into the community, similar to the Verdun Hospital-In-The-Home. The extramural hospital, introduced in New Brunswick, emphasizes the integration of services. These two models were compared to the Ontario Home Care Program to consider feasibility. Clearly defined mandates and the division of services need to be established in addition to an evaluation of cost, the use of services and the impact on health status.
Medical Manpower Planning
Authors: MacLeod William B. , Huras Paul W. , Burns Susan
Published: July 2010

Since 1980, numerous articles have discussed impact analysis; in addition, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ontario Medical Association are about to publish guidelines to assess the impact of additional physician manpower and instructions on various techniques to conduct such an analysis. However, little has been published on medical manpower planning at the hospital level, in spite of the fact that a medical manpower plan is at the core of a successful hospital strategic plan. This article presents a population-service-based model of a medical manpower plan and reviews its use at Peel Memorial Hospital.
Planning French-Language Health Services: A Case Illustration of Niagara Region
Authors: Zalot Gary N. , Langstaff James H.
Published: July 2010

Niagara's health plan for the ‘90s includes a French-language service component and is a joint effort of the Niagara District Health Council (NDHC) and l'association canadienne française de l'Ontario (ACFO), whose mandate includes the promotion of francophone objectives and perspectives in Ontario.

The planning process undertaken contains traditional “hard” elements of planning such as the collection of data, data analysis and recommendations. It also contains the “soft” elements, which are discussed by a review of the major tasks: designing the project structure; designing the research method; formulating a network of health and related social services; and building consensus toward the final plan of action.

The results of the study produced 23 recommendations to address five key issue areas, which will ensure that plans become a reality with tangible results for Niagara's French-speaking community.
Ethics Committees in Canadian Hospitals: Report of the 1989 Survey
Authors: Storch Janet L. , Griener Glenn G. , Marshall Deborah A. , Olineck Beverly A.
Published: July 2010

A survey of English-language hospitals with more than 300 beds in Canada was conducted in 1989 to assess institutional ethics committees. A dramatic increase was found in the growth of such committees, compared with a similar survey taken in 1984. The growth and the activities of institutional ethics committees are discussed, noting the need for more attention for research on their effectiveness.
Ontario's Hospital Transitional Funding Initiative: An Overview and Assessment
Authors: Lave J.R. , Jacobs P. , Markel F.
Published: July 2010

In 1989, the hospital transitional funding initiative, which incorporates case mix measurement into the hospital funding process, was started in Ontario. This initiative is the beginning of a new, more objective basis for determining hospital funding. In its initial stages, incremental growth and interhospital equity adjustments are made to the global budgets. In this paper, we describe the launching of this initiative and the funding formulas that emerged from its first phase. The issue of incentive effects is then discussed and, as this is an evolving or “transitional” undertaking, we comment on several economic issues arising as a result of this new venture.
Conséquences des réalités socio-économiques urbaines sur la gestion stratégique des hôpitaux
Authors: Shah Narendra , Vatieri Giovanni
Published: July 2010

L'Ontario se lance dans une restructuration de son réseau de santé et réaménage ses ressources pour répondre aux besoins fondés sur la population, ce qui oblige les fournisseurs de soins de santé et les organismes de planification à établir le lien entre les données épidémiologiques (situation de santé, démographique et socio-économique d'une collectivité) et à en évaluer les conséquences sur les tendances d'utilisation des hôpitaux. L'un des grands défis des hôpitaux et des autres fournisseurs de soins est de «connaître la collectivité» selon ces principes.

Nous résumons ici les résultats d'un examen multidimensionnel d'une section d'une grande collectivité urbaine et l'intégrons à l'utilisation des lits de soins actifs dans les hôpitaux. Nous offrons des observations générales à l'intention des décideurs et de la direction des hôpitaux.
Structure as a Causal Factor in Nurses' Strikes
Authors: Hibberd Judith M.
Published: July 2010

Nurses employed in Alberta's hospitals have earned a reputation of militancy as a result of four province-wide strikes in the 11-year period 1977- 1988. Based on a case study of the first three strikes, the principal causes of the labour disputes are discussed: namely, union ideology, economic factors and inherent constraints in the structure of bargaining in the public sector. Interorganizational relationships of the three main players, the United Nurses of Alberta, the Alberta Hospital Association and the provincial government have been contributing factors in all three strikes. Although issues in the disputes were primarily economic, demands associated with the needs of working women, and demands that threatened the traditional prerogatives of management were at the heart of every impasse.
Weighting Case Mix Groups: The Fatal Flaw in Resource Intensity Weights
Authors: Botz Charles K.
Published: July 2010

Resource Intensity Weights (RIWs) for Case Mix Groups (CMGs) are calculated using American Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) weights and Canadian average-length-of-stay data. However, this calculation does not actually “Canadianize” DRG weights; it only serves to randomize them. This article demonstrates the lack of the all-important relationship between RIWs and CMG costs by using simplified graphical examples.

Notwithstanding the deficiencies of RIWs, the concept of weighted CMGs is fundamentally sound. Accordingly, until MIS-level reporting is widely implemented and a sufficiently large and reliable domestic database has been accumulated, it may not be entirely inappropriate for Canadian health care institutions to use unadulterated American DRGs for case mix analysis and fiscal planning.
Healthcare in Rural Manitoba: Resources and Related Issues of Access
Authors: Horne John M.
Published: July 2010

This paper reviews the existing allocation of healthcare resources to and within rural Manitoba. The geographic distribution of hospital, medical and long-term care resources is described and discussed in relation to widely held perceptions of continuing problems in access to publicly insured care among residents of rural communities. Opportunities for more effective and efficient allocation of resources are identified, including various arrangements for sharing both facilities and personnel between communities.
The Right of Physicians to Refuse versus the Obligation of Physicians to Treat AIDS Patients
Authors: Inions Noela J.
Published: July 2010

Discussion of the right of healthcare professions to refuse and the obligation to care for AIDS patients have recently generated considerable interest and dialogue. One component of this issue faced by hospitals is whether or not physicians have the right to refuse to treat AIDS patients. The corollary issue is whether or not physicians and hospitals have the obligation to treat and provide care to AIDS patients. Recent American medical ethical statements may influence future Canadian medical ethical positions for the treatment of AIDS patients. Principles derived from the common law and legislation are also examined.
Characteristics of Established Group Practices in Ontario
Authors: Vayda Eugene , Williams A. Paul , Stevenson H. Michael , Pierre Karin Domnick , Burke Mike , Barnsley Janet
Published: July 2010

Established group practices in Ontario were surveyed to determine their structure, characteristics and attitudes toward government assistance in the development of group practice. The degree of organization of the groups surveyed was related to size and less than that reported in surveys of United States group practices. Group size and years of operation were strongly associated. Night, weekend and vacation coverage, the use of a unit patient record and the employment of non-physician administrators were reported frequently, and were more common in older and larger groups. As well, fringe benefits, except for professional organization dues, were not commonly provided.
A Behavioural Analysis of Sponsorship
Authors: Hoek Janet , Thorpe Garry , Gendall Philip , Hedderley Duncan
Published: July 2010

Managers’ increasing use of sponsorship has not been parallelled by a growth in either their knowledge of evaluation methods or the sophistication of those they employ. Studies documenting management practice have revealed widespread use of informal sponsorship feedback measures and, where more formal measures are used, these relate only indirectly to sponsorship objectives. Given that most marketing actions are undertaken to change, modify or reinforce consumer’ behaviour, it is logical to examine whether sponsorship has any behavioural consequences. This paper outlines a choice modelling experiment designed to investigate how sponsorship affected consumers’ choice behaviour for two products: milk and bank investments. In both categories, sponsorship had a strong influence on the behaviour of a small group of consumers. However, overall, its influence was slight compared to the other attributes examined, and depended heavily on the cause promoted.
Assessing Franchising Sector Maturity: Australian Evidence
Authors: Frazer Lorelle
Published: July 2010

Business format franchising in Australia has been consistently growing since the start of the 1970s. The development of the franchising sector has been traced through periodic surveys from 1988 to 1998 and the latest presents an opportunity to assess the level of maturity attained.

No widely accepted basis exists for measuring maturity in a nation's franchising sector. As a result, a framework for assessing the level of development is proposed, consisting of a number of attributes that may be expected to develop over time. The performance of Australian franchises is compared against these attributes wherever appropriate evidence is available from the surveys.

The conclusion is reached that Australian franchising exhibits many of the attributes that indicate the achievement of a level of early maturity. Some aspects however have not yet developed to the extent expected. These offer opportunities for national franchise associations and governments to develop strategies strengthening franchise performance.
An Examination of the Form of Market Orientation in Australian Companies
Authors: Oczkowski Edward , Farrell Mark A.
Published: July 2010

This paper replicates and extends Greenley's (1995) UK study, by examining the forms of market orientation in Australian companies. Using the three sub-construct MKTOR measure of market orientation and appropriate cluster analysis techniques, three ‘balanced’ forms of market orientation emerge: comprehensive, intermediate and underdeveloped. These results contrast to those for U.K. companies where more fragmented and singly focussed forms of market orientation were identified, Greenley (1995). However, consistent with findings from both the U.K. and the U.S., we find that Australian organisations in general give more emphasis to customer and competitor orientation and less emphasis to interfunctional co-ordination, when developing a market orientation.
Pairing Relationship Value and Marketing
Authors: Collins Brett
Published: July 2010

Relationship value has importance outside the marketing domain. It is suggested ‘marketing’ be banished from our relationship vocabulary and emphasis be given to the term ‘business relationship value’. A simple bibliometric study indicates ‘relationship marketing’ has no primacy, with other fields and domains recording more progress. There is significant support from the literature for using a transaction cost approach to understand relationship value. We consider that potency and relationship exchange explain the basis of relationship value, a market-based asset, leading to value creation for shareholders and customers. Relationship management is reliant upon information, the glue of organisations, for determining the best allocation of resources and adaptations that should be used when designing, managing and maintaining a relationship. Questions important to knowledge development of marketing, and managing business relationships are outlined.
Word-Of-Mouth Referrals in the Domain of Relationship Marketing
Authors: Lindberg-Repo Kirsti , Grönroos Christian
Published: July 2010

This article presents the results of an exploratory study which aimed to develop a new framework for understanding post-purchase word-of-mouth in a relationship context. New insights into word-of-mouth communication in the relationship context were also attempted by applying the concept of post-decisional cognitive dissonance to this framework. The empirical focus of the research was on high-involvement hospitality service processes in North America as it is argued that these services are influenced by word-of-mouth communication and cognitive dissonance. The dual objectives of this study were developing a new framework for studying word-of-mouth communication of loyal customers, and to find out if post-purchase cognitive dissonance is reflected in the word-of-mouth communication once the relationship with the service provider is established. The results of this research are presented in a holistic framework we call the relationship communications globe, in which all the related concepts are connected theoretically and empirically.
A Multinomial Probit Conjoint Preference Simulator Incorporating Varying Importance Weights
Authors: Winzar Hume F. , Johnson Lester W.
Published: July 2010

Many probabilistic conjoint preference simulators, such as those based on either a multinomial logit (MNL) share allocation or a version of the Bradley-Terry-Luce rule, are known to suffer from the problem of Independence from Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA). Johnson (1992) has developed a simulator based on the Multinomial Probit (MNP) distribution that provides a way to simulate preference shares not subject to IIA. In this paper we extend this conjoint simulator by applying individual-level importance weights to an alternative similarities matrix and discuss how these weights can be estimated and used in the simulator. We then illustrate the use of the simulator in a hypothetical situation and compare results with other simulators including the original Johnson MNP preference simulator.
Colonialism, Property Rights and the Modern World Income Distribution
Authors: Fails Matthew D. , Krieckhaus Jonathan
Published: July 2010

Influential studies by Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson claim that colonial legacies explain the origins of development-promoting property rights and thus account for the modern world income distribution. Specifically, they argue that European colonial powers engineered a global ‘reversal of fortune’, bringing property rights and prosperity to relatively uninhabited colonies while imposing inefficient institutions on locales with less potential for settlement. We re-evaluate their theoretical arguments and empirical findings and come to a different conclusion. We concur that British colonialism dramatically restructured four colonies, resulting in phenomenal economic success. For the majority of the world, however, colonialism had no discernible effect on property rights. We conclude that contemporary development studies must find another explanation for the modern world income distribution.
Changes in articulation accompanying functional changes in word usage
Authors: Gósy Mária , Horváth Viktória
Published: July 2010

Two words in present-day Hungarian, the conjunctiontehát‘that is’ and ‘consequently’ and the pronounilyen‘like this’ seem to be undergoing a functional change, acquiring the function of fillers, while retaining their former lexical function, too. Twenty narratives were drawn from the Hungarian Spontaneous Speech Corpus (BEA), to analyze the acoustic-phonetic patterns of these words. Both words showed significant differences in duration depending on function. The first and second formant values of the conjunctiontehátshowed significant differences depending on whether it was used as a filler or in its original function as a conjunction. The formants of the stressed vowel in the pronounilyendid not show any differences with either males or females, but the second formant of the unstressed vowel, depending on function, showed significant variations with male subjects. Apparently, females make an unconscious distinction between the two functions only by varying the time structure of the word. Our data confirmed that these words are indeed undergoing a functional change, which is manifested in changes of their temporal patterns and, to some extent, in the articulation of their vowels.
Newly defined conditions for thein vitrocultivation and cryopreservation ofDientamoeba fragilis: new techniques set to fast track molecular studies on this organism
Authors: BARRATT J. L. N. , BANIK G. R. , HARKNESS J. , MARRIOTT D. , ELLIS J. T. , STARK D.
Published: July 2010

Dientamoeba fragilisis a pathogen of the human gastrointestinal tract that is a common cause of diarrhoea. A paucity of knowledge on thein vitrocultivation and cryopreservation ofDientamoebahas meant that few studies have been conducted to investigate its biology. The objective of this study was to define, for the first time,in vitroculture conditions able to support the long-termin vitrogrowth ofDientamoeba. Also, we aimed to define a suitable method for cryopreserving viableDientamoebatrophozoites. A modified BD medium, TYGM-9, Loeffler's slope medium, Robinson's medium, Medium 199, Trichosel and aTritrichomonas fetusmedium were compared, using cell counts, for their ability to support the growth ofD. fragilisat various temperatures and atmospheric conditions. Loeffler's slope medium supported significantly better growth compared to other media. A temperature of 42°C and a microaerophilic atmosphere were also optimum forDientamoebagrowth. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe and compare different culture media and conditions for the growth of clinical isolates ofD. fragilis.This new technology will aid the development of diagnostics for dientamoebiasis as well as facilitate large-scale sequencing projects that will fast track molecular studies onD. fragilis.
The effect of larval density on pre-imaginal development in two species of desert fleas
Authors: KHOKHLOVA I. S. , HOVHANYAN A. , DEGEN A. ALLAN , KRASNOV B. R.
Published: July 2010

We studied the effect of density of larvae on pre-imaginal development in 2 flea species (Xenopsylla conformisandXenopsylla ramesis) parasitic on 2 desert rodent species (Dipodillus dasyurus, adult body mass 20 g andMeriones crassus, 80 g). We predicted a decrease in duration of development with an increase in density of larvae. In general, in both flea species, duration of larva-to-pupa development decreased with an increasing larval density. In addition, this stage of development was longer in male fleas and in fleas from parents fed onD. dasyurus. The effect of larval density on larval development was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed onD. dasyurus. Duration of pupation decreased with increasing larval density only in offspring of fleas fed onG. dasyurus. In both fleas, pupation was longer in males. The effect of parent host on duration of pupation was found inX. ramesisonly (longer if the host wasM. crassus). Resistance of newly emerged fleas to starvation depended mainly on parent host species. YoungX. conformissurvived longer if their parents fed onD. dasyurus, whereas youngX. ramesissurvived longer if their parents fed onM. crassus. It was also found that (a) an individual flea that spent more time as a larva also spent more time as a pupa and (b) longer larval development resulted in a shorter time that a newly emerged flea was able to survive when starved.
The cognitive science of religion: a modified theist response
Authors: LEECH DAVID , VISALA AKU
Published: July 2010

Critics of religion have recently claimed that the natural explanation of religious-belief formation offered by the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) is incompatible with theism. Defenders of theism have in turn responded to these claims by arguing for the compatibility of the CSR account with theism. In this paper we propose a modified defence of the compatibility of the CSR account with theism which supplements extant theistic arguments by drawing out the implications of certain points about the nature of CSR explanation which have so far been left relatively unexploited. In developing this defence, we argue that extant atheistic and theistic readings of the CSR can be understood as accepting certain presuppositions, especially about the relative centrality of the CSR account in explaining religious belief, which, we argue, would be detrimental to the theist case were they actually intended, and which should be clearly rejected. We suggest that the theist should argue explicitly from the nature of CSR explanation to its compatibility with theism.
Institutions as swords and shields: multilateral counter-terrorism since 9/11
Authors: ROMANIUK PETER
Published: July 2010

International institutions are prominent in the ‘global War on Terror’. But there remains variation in the institutionalisation of counter-terrorism, across policy domains and over time. I argue that institutions pursue tasks of counter-terrorism when they are backed by power. Institutions function as ‘swords’ as strong states seek to influence others. Weak states, too, are sensitive to the distributional consequences of cooperation and use institutions as ‘shields’ to resist the powerful. These claims are reflected in patterns of cooperation within the UN, and in terrorist financing and maritime security. Looking forward, multilateral counter-terrorism may remain contingent upon state power.
Invasive group A streptococcal disease in children in Queensland
Authors: WHITEHEAD B. D. , SMITH H. V. , NOURSE C.
Published: July 2010

The epidemiology and clinical features of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease in Queensland children was investigated in response to anecdotal evidence of an increase in frequency and severity of this condition. A retrospective review of clinical records of all cases of iGAS disease notified to Queensland Health aged 0–18 years during a 5-year period was conducted. The annualized incidence of iGAS was 3·5/100 000 for the total population aged 0–18 and 13·2/100 000 for the Indigenous population of similar age. The annualized incidence was highest in Indigenous infants but no increase in frequency or severity of iGAS infections was observed. Findings included an increased prevalence in Indigenous children particularly in those aged <1 year, a significant male preponderance, lack of seasonal variation and an association with blunt trauma. Further studies are required to confirm and investigate these findings and to define specific risk factors in high-risk groups.
Preterm birth and maternal responsiveness during childhood are associated with brain morphology in adolescence
Authors: FRYE RICHARD E. , MALMBERG BENJAMIN , SWANK PAUL , SMITH KAREN , LANDRY SUSAN
Published: July 2010

Although supportive parenting has been shown to have positive effects on development, the neurobiological basis of supportive parenting has not been investigated. Thirty-three adolescents were systemically selected from a longitudinal study on child development based on maternal responsiveness during childhood, a measure of supportive parenting, and whether they were born term or preterm. We analyzed the effect of preterm birth on hemispheric and regional (frontal, temporal, parietal) cortical thickness and surface area using mixed-model analysis while also considering the effect of brain hemisphere (left vs. right). We then determined whether these factors were moderated by maternal responsiveness during childhood. Preterm birth was associated with regional and hemispheric differences in cortical thickness and surface area. Maternal responsiveness during childhood moderated hemispheric cortical thickness. Adolescence with mothers that were inconsistently responsive during childhood demonstrated greater overall cortical thickness and greater asymmetry in cortical thickness during adolescence as compared to adolescence with mothers who were consistently responsive or unresponsive during childhood. Maternal responsiveness and preterm birth did not interact. These data suggest that changes in brain morphology associated with preterm birth continue into adolescence and support the notion that the style of maternal-child interactions during childhood influence brain development into adolescence. (JINS, 2010, 16, 784–794.)
Analysis of differential Doppler velocity for remote sensing of clouds and precipitation with dual-polarization S-band radar
Authors: Glushko Dmitry N. , Yanovsky Felix J.
Published: July 2010

This paper presents the results of Doppler-polarimetric radar signal analysis, computer modeling, and real data processing that show the correlation between differential Doppler velocity (DDV), which is a difference between mean Doppler velocities measured at orthogonal polarizations of electromagnetic waves, and parameters of rain including both rain microstructure (parameters of drop-size distribution) and turbulence intensity in resolution volume. The reasonability to use DDV as one of the informative parameters in the recognition neural network system is checked.
Complexities in barrier island response to sea level rise: Insights from numerical model experiments, North Carolina Outer Banks
Authors: Moore Laura J. , List Jeffrey H. , Williams S. Jeffress , Stolper David
Published: July 2010

Using a morphological‐behavior model to conduct sensitivity experiments, we investigate the sea level rise response of a complex coastal environment to changes in a variety of factors. Experiments reveal that substrate composition, followed in rank order by substrate slope, sea level rise rate, and sediment supply rate, are the most important factors in determining barrier island response to sea level rise. We find that geomorphic threshold crossing, defined as a change in state (e.g., from landward migrating to drowning) that is irreversible over decadal to millennial time scales, is most likely to occur in muddy coastal systems where the combination of substrate composition, depth‐dependent limitations on shoreface response rates, and substrate erodibility may prevent sand from being liberated rapidly enough, or in sufficient quantity, to maintain a subaerial barrier. Analyses indicate that factors affecting sediment availability such as low substrate sand proportions and high sediment loss rates cause a barrier to migrate landward along a trajectory having a lower slope than average barrier island slope, thereby defining an “effective” barrier island slope. Other factors being equal, such barriers will tend to be smaller and associated with a more deeply incised shoreface, thereby requiring less migration per sea level rise increment to liberate sufficient sand to maintain subaerial exposure than larger, less incised barriers. As a result, the evolution of larger/less incised barriers is more likely to be limited by shoreface erosion rates or substrate erodibility making them more prone to disintegration related to increasing sea level rise rates than smaller/more incised barriers. Thus, the small/deeply incised North Carolina barriers are likely to persist in the near term (although their long‐term fate is less certain because of the low substrate slopes that will soon be encountered). In aggregate, results point to the importance of system history (e.g., previous slopes, sediment budgets, etc.) in determining migration trajectories and therefore how a barrier island will respond to sea level rise. Although simple analytical calculations may predict barrier response in simplified coastal environments (e.g., constant slope, constant sea level rise rate, etc.), our model experiments demonstrate that morphological‐behavior modeling is necessary to provide critical insights regarding changes that may occur in environments having complex geometries, especially when multiple parameters change simultaneously.
Dynamic modeling of photovoltaic module for real-time maximum power tracking
Authors: Alam Mohammad Saad , Alouani Ali T.
Published: July 2010

Today’s society relies heavily on electric power produced mainly using coal and petroleum. These sources of energy are nonrenewable. The rise in the cost of petroleum and the effects of coal on the environment force the issue of seeking alternative sources of energy that are renewable and environmentally friendly. One such source is solar energy. Solar energy is extracted via photovoltaic (PV) modules. The problem with this alternative form of energy is the poor efficiency of solar cells. This work deals with the development of an improved dynamical model of PV modules to maximize the amount of power extracted from the Sun. The developed model has been implemented using MATLAB®/SIMULINK. Field data are used to compare the efficiency of the newly developed model to the existing models reported in the available literature. Results reveal that the proposed model led to an improvement of 21% in the efficiency of the PV module. Such improvement in efficiency will lead to great energy saving when used on a large number of PV modules.
Energy exchange between electrons and phonons in quantum dot connected between pyramidal and abrupt transport nanojunctions
Authors: Yang Jack , Li Sean
Published: July 2010

Electron–phonon scattering induced intensive heat generation is one of the major bottlenecks for high performance nanoelectronic circuits in miniaturizing their line widths beyond submicron scales. The existence of quantum confinement effects in nanoscaled conduction channels results in which the behaviors of electrons and phonons will become drastically different from those in bulk materials. This is especially true in the junction regions where the nanochannel is linked with the electronic and thermal reservoirs. The present study investigated the structural effect of pyramidal and abrupt junctions in heat exchange between electron and phonon subsystems in the transport through a quantum dot (QD). The numerical results indicated that by confining the electronic and phononic wave functions in the pyramidal junctions, a higher saturation heat exchange would be reached at a lower bias, compared to that of the abrupt junction. The pyramidal junction also becomes more subjected to size effects, where the saturation heat exchange decreases as the size of the junction increases. Such an effect is less significant in the abrupt junctions. Surface reconstruction induced bond stiffening in the pyramidal junctions plays a dominant role in modulating the junction heat exchange by blockading the phonon transportation between the reservoirs through the QD, which effectively reducing the amount of heat being generated. The results may provide new insights on the fundamental science and relationship between contact atomic structures and thermal dissipations in nanoelectronics.
Photoacoustic effect induced by negative luminescence device
Authors: Kuusela T. , Peura J. , Matveev B. A. , Remennyy M. A. , Stus’ N. M.
Published: July 2010

The cantilever enhanced photoacoustic trace gas detection technique has been combined with mid-infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs) producing significant negative luminescence at a reverse bias. In contrast to normal positive photoacoustic phenomenon the negative luminescence of the LED creates wavelength specific cooling of the gas under study and pressure drop in the photoacoustic sample cell, which can be detected by a cantilever microphone. In experiments a LED operating at 5.5 μm wavelength range was used to detect acetone vapor.
Magnetization reversal of bit patterned media: Role of the angular orientation of the magnetic anisotropy axes
Authors: Krone P. , Makarov D. , Albrecht M. , Schrefl T.
Published: July 2010

Micromagnetic modeling was performed to study the influence of an angular dispersion of the magnetic anisotropy axis on the reversal behavior of tilted bit patterned media with an areal density of about 1 Tbit/in.2. Thereby, the angular dispersion was realized by having the anisotropy axes of the individual bits lying on the surface of a cone with a specific opening angle. In addition, a distribution of the magnetic anisotropy value within the array of magnetic nanostructures was taken into account. The effect of the angular variation in the magnetic anisotropy orientation on the switching field distribution was investigated. Two optimized geometries were suggested in order to keep the switching field distribution as narrow as possible: (1) uniaxial perpendicular bits with the magnetic field applied under an angle of 45° and (2) tilting the anisotropy axis to about 45°–75° and applying a perpendicular magnetic field. However, mixing both situations results in a drastic increase in the switching field distribution.
Blowing of polycrystalline silicon fuses
Authors: Lee W. T. , Fowler A. C. , Power O. , Healy S. , Browne J.
Published: July 2010

Polycrystalline silicon fuses are one time programmable memory elements which allow the calibration of integrated circuits at wafer and package level. We present a zero-dimensional lumped parameter model of the programming of fuses made from a combination of tungsten silicide and polycrystalline silicon. The components of the model are an electrical model, a thermal model, and a flow model. The model generates quantitatively accurate results and reproduces trends with applied voltage and fuse size.
Enhanced optical transmission through metal-dielectric multilayer gratings
Authors: Zhou Lin , Huang Cheng-ping , Wu Shan , Yin Xiao-gang , Wang Yu-min , Wang Qian-jin , Zhu Yong-yuan
Published: July 2010

The optical transmission properties of metal-dielectric multilayer gratings have been investigated both experimentally and numerically. A remarkable transmission resonance, which makes a significant difference from that of traditional single/triple-layer analogs, has been reported. To understand its physical origin, a field-interference mechanism of dipole arrays induced by the lateral and vertical plasmon coupling has been suggested.
Diffusive motion with nonlinear friction: apparently Brownian
Authors: Goohpattader Partho S. , Chaudhury Manoj K.
Published: July 2010

We study the diffusive motion of a small object placed on a solid support using an inertial tribometer. With an external bias and a Gaussian noise, the object slides accompanied with a fluctuation of displacement that exhibits unique characteristics at different powers of the noise. While it exhibits a fluidlike motion at high powers, a stick-slip motion occurs at a low power. Below a critical power, no motion is observed. The signature of a nonlinear friction is evident in this type of stochastic motion both in the reduced mobility in comparison to that governed by a linear kinematic (Stokes–Einstein-like) friction and in the non-Gaussian probability distribution of the displacement fluctuation. As the power of the noise increases, the effect of the nonlinearity appears to play a lesser role, so that the displacement fluctuation becomes more Gaussian. When the distribution is exponential, it also exhibits an asymmetry with its skewness increasing with the applied bias. A new finding of this study is that the stochastic velocities of the object are so poorly correlated that its diffusivity is much lower than either the linear or the nonlinear friction cases studied by de Gennes [J. Stat. Phys. 119, 953 (2005)]. The mobilities at different powers of the noise together with the estimated variances of velocity fluctuations follow an Einstein-like relation.
Enhanced spin accumulation obtained by inserting low-resistance MgO interface in metallic lateral spin valves
Authors: Fukuma Y. , Wang L. , Idzuchi H. , Otani Y.
Published: July 2010

We have systematically investigated the interface contributions to the spin injection characteristics in permalloy/MgO/Ag lateral spin valves. The spin valve signal remarkably increases with MgO thickness and reaches a maximum when the interface resistance is about 100 fΩ m2 for 1 nm thick MgO, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the typical tunnel junction. Our quantitative analysis based on the spin-dependent diffusion equation considering variable spin polarization in the MgO layer well describes the observed trend in the spin valve signals.
Solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on an oligothiophene derivative
Authors: Yin Bin , Yang Liying , Liu Yongsheng , Chen Yongsheng , Qi Qingjin , Zhang Fengling , Yin Shougen
Published: July 2010

Organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells based on a dicyanovinyl-substituted oligothiophene as a donor and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an acceptor were fabricated and characterized. The oligothiophene derivative can absorb long wavelength photons of the solar radiation, which makes the solar cells with an optimized weight ratio of 1:1.4 have a decent short-circuit current density (12.4 mA/cm2) and open-circuit voltage (0.88 V) under AM 1.5G illumination with an intensity of 100 mW/cm2. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.7% is achieved, which is among the best PCEs of solution processed small molecule BHJ solar cells.