bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Instrumentation in groundwater
Authors: Charles J.A.
Published: August 2007

The problems posed by the flow of groundwater are many and diverse. Instrumentation can only be usefully applied when the nature of the problems that may be encountered in a particular situation are appreciated. Instrumentation may be employed to monitor the rate of flow of groundwater, to measure the seepage velocity, to measure permeability and hydraulic gradient, to detect flow and leakage and to monitor the effect of flow (e.g. settlement). Instrumentation should be reliable and great care should be taken during installation and operation as incorrect measurements may be much worse than no measurements.
Rapid permeability testing by the pressurisation method
Authors: Pontin J.M.A. , French M.A.
Published: August 2007

Design and use of equipment developed to determine permeability and compressibility of saturated ground is described. The basis of the method is to produce compressible flow of groundwater by pressurising special boreholes with sealed screened zones.

The development of the principles and theory of the method from existing techniques is described. Analysis of data is illustrated and the advantages of the method discussed.
A model for predicting groundwater level response to meteorological changes
Authors: Barton M. E. , Thomson R. I.
Published: August 2007

A simple model, based on the overall soil water balance, has been developed for the prediction of groundwater levels in response to meteorological changes. The model consists of two parts as follows:

A soil moisture deficit model which uses daily rainfall and potential evapo-transpiration data to estimate the effective rainfall entering the ground beyond the influence of evapo-transpiration.

A model relating the effective rainfall to the water table and predicting the groundwater level response.

Rainfall, potential evaporation and water level records are required for at least two years in order to perform a split record test. The data from the first year are used for calibrating and from the second year for testing the model.

The model has been applied to a cliff top site adjacent to the degrading coastal cliffs at Naish Farm, near Highcliffe, Hampshire. The necessary data has been collected over the two year period from October 1982 to October 1984. The groundwater level data used is for the upper permeable layer of Plateau Gravel. The Plateau Gravel acts as a groundwater store, supplying seepage both down into the underlying Barton Clay and, under winter conditions, outwards to the cliff face. The meteorological data were obtained by setting up a local weather station. The results show a good model fit to the observed data.

The model is suitable for general application. It is considered that it may prove of particular value for areas with active landslides as a means of understanding the incidence and rates of slope movements.
The prediction of groundwater levels using computer based mathematical models
Authors: Hurley G.A.
Published: August 2007

The prediction of water level from rainfall events in landslip areas is important as maximum levels are required to determine minimum factors of safety for the slip. Also, rates of slip movement are likely to be linked to water level and an accurate prediction of water level fluctuation may lead to the modelling of slip movement.

Using real data, this paper presents two mathematically based models which have been used to predict water levels in a South Wales Landslip. The first approach uses time series and the second a conceptional idea. The models are compared and their applicability to other sites discussed.
The representation of time variant free surface seepage using finite difference methods: a review
Authors: Miles J.C.
Published: August 2007

Several numerical techniques are available for the representation of time variant free surface seepage, notably finite elements, boundary elements and finite difference methods. This work concentrates on the latter. Over the last twenty years several papers have been published on the representation of free surface seepage using finite differences but unfortunately each paper advocates the use of different approximations and stability criteria. The choice of which variation to use is therefore a problem. In this paper the various methods are reviewed and tested against a variety of solutions and recommendations are made as to which method is the most stable and accurate.
Prediction of groundwater pressures and uplift below excavations in tidal limits
Authors: Pontin J.M.A.
Published: August 2007

A study to explain the mechanisms of cyclic pore pressure generation in ground below a tidal estuary is described: and how to predict these pressures caused by tidal fluctuations is explained. These estimates are used to examine uplift and instability to be avoided during construction inside deep marine excavations. Failure modes to be expected from predicted hydraulic pressures are reviewed and appropriate safety factors discussed. Results are presented for a range of
in situ
ground parameters. Critical levels within the excavations are used and the range of pore pressure relief required are presented for a particular safety factor.
Automatic monitoring of groundwater conditions
Authors: Weeks R.C. , Starzewski P.
Published: August 2007

Recent innovations, particularly in electronics, coupled with the needs of the construction industry have led to the development of a range of equipment which allows reliable, economic and automatic data logging of groundwater conditions in boreholes and piezometers. The paper describes the development, installation, operation and performance of some of the equipment which is currently available for obtaining data from groups of piezometers and also single installations.
Monitoring of groundwater conditions at West Chevington opencast coal site, Northumberland
Authors: Blythe D. A.
Published: August 2007

West Chevington opencast coal site is a productive mine situated near Widdrington, Northumberland and is operated on behalf of the National Coal Board Opencast Executive.

Excavation of a multi-seam sequence of strata mainly within the upper Westphalian A of the Carboniferous is being carried out in a series of benches so that the excavation void proceeds eastwards with increasing depth. A number of piezometers have been installed along sections running across the site, both within the backfill, which follows the slowly migrating excavation void, and in advance of the excavation. The monitoring of groundwater levels has allowed a study of the drawdown and recovery due to the excavation to be carried out. A relationship between water level changes and the position of the excavation benches has been investigated.

Rock samples were obtained from the excavation, as they were removed by faceshovel and dragline, and moisture contents and porosities determined in the laboratory. Estimates of volumes of water removed by earthmoving plant have been calculated to demonstrate the proportions that are mechanically extracted from the excavation.
Monitoring groundwater conditions in a highway embankment
Authors: Crabb G. I. , West G.
Published: August 2007

The paper describes how a section of 7 m high embankment made of Gault Clay on the Cambridge Northern Bypass (A45) has been instrumented with the aim of elucidating the mechanism of shallow slope failures that have affected adjacent lengths of the embankment. A comprehensive array of automatically recording hydraulic piezometers was installed to monitor pore water pressure changes, an automatic rain gauge was set up to record the rainfall and automatic stereocameras were positioned to photograph the slope daily so that the onset and development of any slip can be followed.

The piezometer installation is described in some detail and the results of the first fifteen months, monitoring of groundwater conditions in the embankment are presented: the results, together with those of laboratory strength tests, enable a simple stability analysis to be made for the embankment slope for different pore water pressure conditions. Comments are made on the operation of the hydraulic piezometers and the automatic logging system used to record their readings. In particular it was found that a diurnal cyclic pressure variation is caused by temperature changes affecting the piezometer tubing. The serviceability of the logger and rain gauge over a full year is also discussed. Finally some improvements to the system that are being incorporated in two new installations on sites on the M26 motorway in Kent, and which were made as a direct consequence of the experience with the Cambridge installation, are briefly described.
The value and interpretation of groundwater level measurements
Authors: Eggboro M.D. , Walthall S.
Published: August 2007

The measurement of water levels in the ground is a routine part of groundwater resource assessments and most site investigations. However the techniques used are often inadequate to reveal the true behaviour of aquifers, often resulting in inadequate data or a large number of expensive but useless readings. Continuous recording of groundwater levels using both float-operated chart recording and electric pressure transducers have been made on a wide range of observation wells to determine the most economical frequency of measurement for different aquifers and different purposes. The results of the investigation revealed a number of factors which are relevant in the observation of groundwater levels and these are discussed. Of these the construction of the observation point in the form of an open observation well, tube well, standpipe or one of a variety of piezometers is of fundamental importance. The behaviour of the aquifer as confined, or unconfined, with or without perched water tables, has considerable bearing on the results obtained. Barometric, tidal, fluvial, seasonal and abstraction effects on groundwater levels are discussed with reference to the amplitude of groundwater fluctuation and its rate of change. Finally suggestions are made for the design of observation points and the frequency of readings for different applications.
Surveillance of pore water conditions in large urban slopes
Authors: McNicholl D. P. , Cho G.W.F.
Published: August 2007

Landslides in Hong Kong are almost always associated with periods of heavy rainfall. Groundwater has a major influence on the strength of soil and the stability of slopes. In the time preceding failure, the pore water pressure can change from being strongly negative to become increasingly positive. Hence the prediction of groundwater levels under critical design conditions is important in the assessment of slope stability.

If it is considered that a slope has an inadequate margin of safety and that the structures above and below the slope should be evacuated or restricted the advice given can often be over-cautious or inappropriate.

A rational approach is suggested to help engineers carry out surveillance of pore water conditions and to give advice on managing urban slopes with low factors of safety. Surveillance implies the collection of information, analysis and initiation of actions. A range of subjects relating to the automatic monitoring and surveillance of hazardous slopes is briefly covered. Emphasis has been placed on situations where it is essential for professionals to react quickly and decisively to changes in the surveillance case. A case study is included to demonstrate the suggested approach.
Groundwater control by jet grouting
Authors: Coomber D.B.
Published: August 2007

Control of groundwater using familiar injection or permeation grouting techniques has experienced a chequered history, with technical success and cost control remaining difficult to predict. This results mainly from the excessive dependence of grout acceptance and therefore treatment continuity, on the permeability of the ground requiring stabilisation.

Over a decade in Europe generally and relatively recently in Britain, jet grouting has emerged as a tried and tested means of minimising these uncertainties and increasing confidence in the grouting of soils. Soil structure is destroyed using high energy erosive jets while simultaneously either mixing grout with the disturbed soil particles
in situ
or largely
replacing
eroded ground with tremmied grout.

The process has been used to (i) seal cofferdams against or around buried structures or installations, (ii) seal joints between closely spaced but non-contiguous piled walls, (iii) exclude water from basement excavations, (iv) stabilise shaft bases against piping and (v) treat unstable ground for tunnelling purposes.

Following a brief description of the technique this paper illustrates these applications, with appropriate reference to examples.
Interceptor drains for cliff-tops and above the crest of slopes and cuttings
Authors: Barton M.E. , Thomson R.I.
Published: August 2007

Three types of interceptor drain considered in the paper are (i) drains for surface water (ii) cut-off drains in pervious strata overlying a relatively impervious stratum and (iii) vertical drainage wells for draining water into either pervious strata at depth or drains bored (or tunnelled) in from the slope face. Their function is to prevent surface or ground water from reaching an actual or potential landslide: drainage of the landslide itself is not considered in this paper.

Various difficulties which may impair the effectiveness of interceptor drains are listed. Cases from the literature are reviewed and new observations made on interceptor drains of which the authors have direct experience. It is shown that the performance of these drains may often be less than satisfactory and it is concluded that by their nature interceptor drains require rigourous site investigation and monitoring before, during and after construction. Attention is also drawn to the generally negligible influence of interceptor drains on rates of equilibration of pore-water pressures depressed by unloading in clay soils.
Estimation of mass permeability for excavations for the Greater Cairo Wastewater Project
Authors: Coe R.H. , Kay W.F.
Published: August 2007

Cairo lies at the apex of the Nile delta on fluviatile deposits of Oligocene to Recent age. Groundwater levels are controlled by several factors including the Nile, water supply abstraction, irrigation canals and construction dewatering. The water table on the flood plain is about 2 to 3 m below the ground surface. In many areas the sand aquifer is confined by clays and silts.

The Greater Cairo Wastewater Project involves the design and construction of a network of tunnels, pipelines, culverts and pumping stations to transfer the wastewater to existing and proposed treatment works to the east and west of the city. The structures are up to 32 m below ground surface in the saturated alluvium and therefore groundwater plays a significant part during construction.

Site investigations were carried out to determine the static water levels and quality of groundwater. Permeability of the aquifer was ascertained by means of pumping tests.

Some case histories are given to discuss how the results of the groundwater investigations have been used to design methods of controlling groundwater for the various engineering structures involved in the project. The project is in the early stages of construction and much further experience is likely.
Advance land drainage as an aid to construction in areas with high groundwater levels in Warrington New Town
Authors: Wilde P. M. , Crook J. M.
Published: August 2007

Warrington New Town, now part of the combined Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation, was designated in 1968 with an area of approximately 7 500 hectares to be comprehensively developed by 1990. The task has included the development for employment uses of several large low lying areas of land underlain by saturated alluvial and fluvioglacial deposits. When building in these areas, an effective method of controlling the groundwater must be chosen to facilitate the efficient and economic construction of excavations for all groundworks. If the upper soils are permeable sands and/or gravels, land drainage installed in advance of construction to lower groundwater levels can provide such a method. A case study is presented demonstrating the effectiveness of this system illustrated by the results of monitoring of groundwater levels over a 24 month period punctuated by the installation of land drainage.
Identifying Microorganisms Involved in Specific Pathogen Suppression in Soil
Authors: James  , Becker J. Ole
Published: August 2007

Suppressive soils hold considerable potential for managing soilborne pathogens. When the suppressiveness has a biological origin, identifying the causal organisms is the crucial step in realizing this potential. Armed with such knowledge, it may be possible to develop effective and sustainable pest management strategies through application of these organisms or agronomic practices that influence their population densities. This chapter focuses on the development and utilization of a population-based approach for identifying microorganisms involved in specific pathogen suppression. Key experimental design principles of the approach are explored by examining experiments characterizing the biological nature of take-all decline. We also describe how this approach was used to identify microorganisms that suppress the sugarbeet cyst nematode. Additional experimental design considerations and future directions for such investigations are also discussed.
Flexibility of the hepatic zonation of carbon and nitrogen fluxes linked to lactate and pyruvate transformations in the presence of ammonia
Authors: Comar Jurandir Fernando , Suzuki-Kemmelmeier Fumie , Nascimento Écio Alves , Bracht Adelar
Published: August 2007

It has been proposed that key enzymes of ureagenesis and the alanine aminotransferase activity predominate in periportal hepatocytes. However, ureagenesis from alanine, when measured in the perfused liver, did not show periportal predominance and even the release of the direct products of alanine transformation, lactate and pyruvate, was higher in perivenous cells. An alternative way of analyzing the functional distributions of alanine aminotransferase and the urea cycle along the hepatic acini would be to measure alanine and urea production from precursors such as lactate or pyruvate plus ammonia. In the present work these aspects were investigated in the bivascularly perfused rat liver. The results of the present study confirm that gluconeogenesis and the associated oxygen uptake tend to predominate in the periportal region. Alanine synthesis from lactate and pyruvate plus ammonia, however, predominated in the perivenous region. Furthermore, no predominance of ureagenesis in the periportal region was found, except for conditions of high ammonia concentrations plus oxidizing conditions induced by pyruvate. These observations corroborate the view that data on enzyme activity or expression alone cannot be extrapolated unconditionally to the living cell. The current view of the hepatic ammonia-detoxifying system proposes that the small perivenous fraction of glutamine synthesizing perivenous cells removes a minor fraction of ammonia that escapes from ureagenesis in periportal cells. However, since urea synthesis occurs at high rates in all hepatocytes with the possible exclusion of those cells not possessing carbamoyl-phosphate synthase, it is probable that ureagenesis is equally important as an ammonia-detoxifying mechanism in the perivenous region.
Revisiting methods for assessing and comparing left ventricular diastolic stiffness: impact of relaxation, external forces, hypertrophy, and comparators
Authors: Jaber Wissam A. , Lam Carolyn S. P. , Meyer Donna M. , Redfield Margaret M.
Published: August 2007

Understanding diastolic function mandates feasible and accurate methods to construct and compare the diastolic pressure (P)-volume (V) relationship (PVR). This study compared the relaxation-corrected single beat (RC-SB) to the multiple-beat (MB) (vena cava occlusion) method for constructing the diastolic PVR in 26 young normal or old hypertensive dogs before and after increases in afterload (phenylephrine) or acute volume expansion in the presence ( n = 14) or absence ( n = 12) of the pericardium. The PVR data were fit to P = α eβ·V. Derived stiffness indexes compared included the stiffness coefficient (β), curve-fitting constant (α), and the end-diastolic volume (EDV) at 10, 20, or 30 mmHg [EDV x = ln(P x/α)/β] to account for covariance in α and β. In pericardium-intact young normal and old hypertensive dogs studied over varying afterloads, the MB and RC-SB PVR appeared identical. The β ( r = 0.62) and α ( r = 0.69) derived from the RC-SB vs. MB PVR showed moderate correlation but poor agreement. In contrast, the EDV10–30 derived from RC-SB vs. MB PVR showed excellent correlation ( r = 0.97) and agreement. The uncorrected SB method underestimated stiffness. As expected, after acute volume expansion, the RC-SB PVR was shifted upward from the MB PVR (decreased EDV10–30; P < 0.05) in the pericardium-intact but not pericardium-absent dogs. The RC-SB method can substitute for the MB technique in construction of PVR in the absence of acute volume expansion. The concordance between these two methods was poorly reflected by comparing the derived α and β but apparent when using EDV10–30, which provides information regarding the position of the PVR in a single number.
Brain stem NO modulates ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia in mice
Authors: El Hasnaoui-Saadani R. , Alayza R. Cardenas , Launay T. , Pichon A. , Quidu P. , Beaudry M. , Léon-Velarde F. , Richalet J. P. , Duvallet A. , Favret F.
Published: August 2007

The objective of our study was to assess the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia. We measured the ventilation in acclimatized Bl6/CBA mice breathing 21% and 8% oxygen, used a nNOS inhibitor, and assessed the expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor and nNOS (mRNA and protein). Two groups of Bl6/CBA mice ( n = 60) were exposed during 2 wk either to hypoxia [barometric pressure (PB) = 420 mmHg] or normoxia (PB = 760 mmHg). At the end of exposure the medulla was removed to measure the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, the expression of NMDA-NR1 receptor, and nNOS by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. We also measured the ventilatory response [fraction of inspired O2(FiO2) = 0.21 and 0.08] before and after S-methyl-l-thiocitrulline treatment (SMTC, nNOS inhibitor, 10 mg/kg ip). Chronic hypoxia caused an increase in ventilation that was reduced after SMTC treatment mainly through a decrease in tidal volume (Vt) in normoxia and in acute hypoxia. However, the difference observed in the magnitude of acute hypoxic ventilatory response [minute ventilation (V̇e) 8% − V̇e 21%] in acclimatized mice was not different. Acclimatization to hypoxia induced a rise in NMDA receptor as well as in nNOS and NO production. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that activation of nNOS is involved in the ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia in mice but not in the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) while the increased expression of NMDA receptor expression in the medulla of chronically hypoxic mice plays a role in acute HVR. These results are therefore consistent with central nervous system plasticity, partially involved in ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia through nNOS.
Performance of runners and swimmers after four weeks of intermittent hypobaric hypoxic exposure plus sea level training
Authors: Rodríguez Ferran A. , Truijens Martin J. , Townsend Nathan E. , Stray-Gundersen James , Gore Christopher J. , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: August 2007

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined the effects of 4 wk of resting exposure to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHE, 3 h/day, 5 days/wk at 4,000–5,500 m) or normoxia combined with training at sea level on performance and maximal oxygen transport in athletes. Twenty-three trained swimmers and runners completed duplicate baseline time trials (100/400-m swims, or 3-km run) and measures for maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), ventilation (V̇Emax), and heart rate (HRmax) and the oxygen uptake at the ventilatory threshold (V̇O2at VT) during incremental treadmill or swimming flume tests. Subjects were matched for sex, sport, performance, and training status and divided randomly between hypobaric hypoxia (Hypo, n = 11) and normobaric normoxia (Norm, n = 12) groups. All tests were repeated within the first (Post1) and third weeks (Post2) after the intervention. Time-trial performance did not improve in either group. We could not detect a significant difference between groups for a change in V̇O2max, V̇Emax, HRmax, or V̇O2at VT after the intervention (group × test interaction P = 0.31, 0.24, 0.26, and 0.12, respectively). When runners and swimmers were considered separately, Hypo swimmers appeared to increase V̇O2max(+6.2%, interaction P = 0.07) at Post2 following a precompetition taper and increased V̇O2at VT (+8.9 and +12.1%, interaction P = 0.007 and 0.006, at Post1 and Post2). We conclude that this “dose” of IHE was not sufficient to improve performance or oxygen transport in this heterogeneous group of athletes. Whether there are potential benefits of this regimen for specific sports or training/tapering strategies may require further study.
Expression patterns of atrogenic and ubiquitin proteasome component genes with exercise: effect of different loading patterns and repeated exercise bouts
Authors: Nedergaard A. , Vissing K. , Overgaard K. , Kjaer M. , Schjerling P.
Published: August 2007

Unaccustomed exercise is known to produce strength loss, soreness, and myocellular disruption. With repeated application of exercise stimuli, the appearance of these indexes of muscle damage is attenuated, the so-called “repeated bout effect.” No direct connection has been established between this repeated bout effect and exercise-induced increases in protein turnover, but it appears that a degree of tolerance is developed toward exercise for both. The present study sought to investigate markers of protein degradation by determining the expression of components related to the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) with repeated exercise bouts. Healthy men carried out 30 min of bench stepping, performing eccentric work with one and concentric work with the other leg ( n = 14), performing a duplicate exercise bout 8 wk later. A nonexercising control group was included ( n = 6). RNA was extracted from muscle biopsies representing time points preexercise, +3 h, +24 h, and +7 days, and selected mRNA species were quantified using Northern blotting. The exercise model proved sufficient to produce a repeated bout effect in terms of strength and soreness. For forkhead box O transcription factor 1 (FOXO1) and muscle RING finger protein-1 (MURF1), strong upregulations were seen exclusively with concentric loading ( P < 0.001), while atrogin-1 displayed a strong downregulation exclusively in response to eccentric exercise ( P < 0.001). For MURF1 transcription, the first bout produced a downregulation that persisted until the second bout ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, the UPS is modulated differentially in response to varying loading modalities and with different time frames in a way that to some extent reflects changes in protein metabolism known to take place with exercise.
Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Lysyl Oxidase-Like 1 Gene and Spontaneous Cervical Artery Dissection
Authors: Kuhlenbäumer G. , Friedrichs F. , Kis B. , Berlit P. , Maintz D. , Nassenstein I. , Nabavi D. , Dittrich R. , Stoll M. , Ringelstein B.
Published: August 2007

Background: Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) is a common cause of stroke in patients below 55 years. Dermal connective tissue abnormalities have been observed in up to 60% of patients. A chromosomal locus for connective tissue abnormalities associated with sCAD has been mapped to chromosome 15q24 to a candidate region containing the lysyl oxidase-like 1 gene (LOXL1). LOXL1 an excellent candidate susceptibility gene for non-familial sCAD was investigated by mutation analysis and a genetic association study. Methods: We sequenced the whole coding region of the LOXL1 gene in 15 sCAD patients and performed a genetic association study in 157 sCAD patients using 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Results: The SNP rs3825942 (Gly153Asp) showed marginal association with sCAD on an allele basis and in the dominant genetic model, and intronic SNP rs893817 under a recessive model only. None of the SNP haplotypes was associated with sCAD. Conclusions: Genetic variation in LOXL1 might play a role as a risk factor for sCAD.
A Naturological Approach to Corporate Governance
Authors: Cassill Deby Lee , Hill Ronald Paul
Published: August 2007

Naturological systems contain two bases of power: personal and group capital. Profit seeking and profit sharing are mechanisms by which capital is obtained. For example, acquiring profits in the form of body fat, food caches, and prime territory allows organisms to survive scarcity; likewise, profit sharing appeases those who might otherwise steal resources. Moreover, sharing is a cost-effective way for organisms to avoid predation. Complementary powers of nature are applicable to corporations, with implications for governance. Corporate environments dominated by recessions and takeovers (the equivalent of scarcity and predation) require investors, management, and boards (the wealthy) to share profits with employees and the surrounding community (the masses) for long-term survival. To explore these mutualistic relationships, the authors discuss naturological approaches to corporations and stakeholders. Connections with governance literature follow, emphasizing solutions in nature to age-old problems that contributed to recent abuses. The article closes with implications for socially responsible corporate governance.
Conceptions of God, Normative Convictions, and Socially Responsible Business Conduct
Authors: Graafland Johan , Kaptein Muel , Mazereeuw - van der Duijn Schouten Corrie
Published: August 2007

The case for socially responsible business conduct is often made from an economical or ethical perspective with the organization as level of analysis. This article focuses on the relationship between the religious belief of corporate decision makers and socially responsible business conduct. Based on in-depth interviews with 20 Dutch executives from different religious backgrounds, the authors find much inductive evidence of a relationship among their conception of God, norms and values, and business conduct. The authors also find that executives with a monotheistic conception of God display a stronger orientation toward socially responsible business conduct than do executives with a pantheistic conception of God.
Knowledge, Perceptions, and Motivations for Contraception
Authors: Ryan Suzanne , Franzetta Kerry , Manlove Jennifer
Published: August 2007

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors examine the association between contraceptive use patterns in teens' first sexual relationships and their knowledge of, perceptions of, and motivations for contraception and pregnancy prevention. Results from logistic regression analyses show that knowledge, perceptions, and motivations surrounding sexual activity and contraception are indeed important predictors of contraceptive outcomes, and they influence males and females differently. For both genders, perceived ease of access to contraceptives is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception and using contraception consistently. For males, greater perceived condom knowledge is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception. For females, higher levels of actual reproductive health knowledge is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception, and holding negative views of pregnancy and having greater contraceptive self-efficacy are both associated with increased odds of consistent contraceptive use.
Home-Based Sexuality Education
Authors: Izugbara Chimaraoke Otutubikey
Published: August 2007

This article explores how and why parents in rural Nigeria discuss sexuality-related matters with their adolescent children. The data presented here demonstrate that parents relegate sexuality to the domain of the dangerous, unpleasant, and unsavory while speaking to their children about it. Family sexuality communications offer parents a veritable cultural space to manage and control young people's sexuality. It is asserted that many Nigerian parents who discuss sexuality issues with their adolescent children compound the difficulties the young people encounter in accessing accurate and adequate sexuality information and in developing the associated power and mastery over their own sexual identity. Interventions that will enable parents to both give and allow their children early access to quality information on matters of sexuality are urgently needed.
Defending Scientific Study of the Social
Authors: Yoshida Kei
Published: August 2007

This paper will defend scientific study of the social by scrutinizing Clifford Geertz's interpretive anthropology, and evolutionary psychologists' criticism of it. I shall critically examine Geertz's identification of anthropology with literary criticism, his assumption that a science of society is possible only on a positivist model, his view of the relation between culture and mind, and his anti anti-relativism. Then I shall discuss evolutionary psychologists' criticism of Geertz's view as an exemplar of the so-called “Standard Social Science Model.” Finally, I shall claim that both Geertz and evolutionary psychologists misunderstand the aim of the social sciences, which is to explain the unintended consequences of human actions in institutional contexts.
Slaves in Plato's Laws
Authors: Meital Amir , Agassi Joseph
Published: August 2007

Plato suggested ways to regulate and integrate slaves within the legal system of his Utopian Cretan polis Magnesia as described in his work, Laws. This text alone invalidates most criticism of Popper's presentation of Plato's political views. His 50-year-old reading of Plato fits the text better than any other. To preserve the noble tradition of classical scholarship, classical scholars should acknowledge explicitly that he was correct, and that by now they have surreptitiously incorporated the substance of his views.
With or Without Mechanisms
Authors: Steel Daniel
Published: August 2007

This reply to Erik Weber's commentary agrees that mechanisms are important for causal inference in social science, but argues that Weber makes the mistake that was the main focus of my original essay: inferring that since a problem cannot be solved without mechanisms, it can be solved with them. As it stands, this inference is invalid since the problem might be unsolvable with or without mechanisms. Any claim about the usefulness of mechanisms for some purpose requires an adequate account of how mechanisms can actually fulfill that function, which Weber has not provided with regard to the issues he discusses.
Review Essay: Mr. Smith Does Not Go to Washington
Authors: Schultz Bart
Published: August 2007

A recent spate of books on the life and legacy of the political philosopher Leo Strauss, notably Steven B. Smith's Reading Leo Strauss: Politics, Philosophy, and Judaism, suggests a desperate effort to salvage Strauss and the Straussian school of political philosophy from the wreckage of American neoconservatism. Although a number of these works are quite thoughtful and helpfully counter many of the more extreme (and uglier) charges made concerning the meaning of Straussianism and its political influence, their general drift in fact confirms what the more responsible critics of this school have long maintained about its tendency to oppose positions that would help advance meaningful social change and social justice.
When to Stop Treatment Arms in a Clinical Trial Assessing Time to Event With More Than Two Arms Against a Common Control
Authors: Grobler Anneke C. , Carrara Henri R. O. , Mwambi Henry G. , Parker Robert A.
Published: August 2007

Two-arm time-to-event (or survival) trials are powered to continue until a required number of events is reached. The authors discuss how the required number of events should be defined for a study with three or more arms with various pairwise comparisons and a common control arm. They advocate stopping one active arm when the required number of events is observed in the applicable pairwise comparison but continuing with the other active arm and the control arm until the required number of events is observed in that pairwise comparison, thereby ensuring that the study continues until enough events are observed in each pairwise comparison. This article is the result of considerations during the design of a three-arm microbicide trial.
The Regression Effect as a Neglected Source of Bias in Nonrandomized Intervention Trials and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies
Authors: Weeks Douglas L.
Published: August 2007

Health care providers depend on the findings of observational intervention studies and systematic reviews of those studies to make evidence-based decisions about their clients' care. The nonrandom methods of group formation in observational studies necessitate carefully assessing threats to the validity of conclusions. Regression to the mean is a source of change in clinical outcome measures that has escaped widespread notice as a potential threat to the accuracy of conclusions from observational studies and systematic reviews thereof. Failure to assess the degree to which regression confounds study results elevates the risk of making clinical decisions using biased estimates of intervention effectiveness. Because the change in average outcome scores due to regression can be quantified, it is a type of bias whose direct influence can be known. Yet determining and reporting change due to regression is uncommon in observational studies or systematic reviews thereof. The means to quantify change due to regression in average outcome scores is illustrated by example in this article.
Within-Family Differences in Mothers' Support to Adult Children in Black and White Families
Authors: Jill Suitor J. , Sechrist Jori , Pillemer Karl
Published: August 2007

Data collected from a representative sample of 157 Black and 394 White older women is used to explore within-family differences in mother-to-child support. High rates of differentiation in both Black and White families were found. Within-family analyses revealed more similarities than differences in the effects of adult children's characteristics on mothers' likelihood of providing support. For both groups, mothers were most likely to provide support to children who had fewer resources, greater need, and who had provided the mothers with support. Children's health problems were better predictors of support among Black than White mothers, whereas children's gender played a larger role in White than Black mothers' provision of support; however, both groups of mothers favored daughters and children with poor health. In sum, these patterns provide little support for the argument that family solidarity is substantially more important in explaining intergenerational exchanges in Black than White families.
The Use of Variants of the Trail Making Test in Serial Assessment
Authors: Atkinson Thomas M. , Ryan Jeanne P.
Published: August 2007

The construct validity of three variants of the Trail Making Test was investigated using 162 undergraduate psychology students. During a 3-week period, the Trail Making Test of the Delis—Kaplan Executive Function System, Comprehensive Trail Making Test, and Connections Task were administered in six possible orders. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a two-factor (sequencing, shifting) model was identified as the best fitting model for the data as an alternative to unitary and three-factor (sequencing, shifting, scanning) models. The two-factor structure was invariant across groups. A latent means structural analysis yielded no differences between the factor means for each of the groups, which indicates the absence of order effects and supports the interchangeable use of the three tests. The study proposes the use of alternate, equivalent tasks to help eliminate the effects of practice associated with serial assessment and should be replicated in a clinical sample.
Testing Three Team Training Strategies in Intact Teams
Authors: Salas Eduardo , Nichols Diana R. , Driskell James E.
Published: August 2007

This article describes the results of a meta-analytic integration of the relative contributions of three different components of team training to the efficacy of team training interventions. The three specific components of team training that have received empirical scrutiny in the past are cross-training, team coordination and adaptation training, and guided team self-correction training. The results of this effort show a significant, small-to-moderate tendency for team training to lead to an increase in team performance. This basic beneficial effect of team training was clearly moderated by the degree to which specific components of team training were involved in team training interventions. The results of two different analytic strategies converge to suggest that, at this time, the most potent contribution to effective team training appears to include a focus on coordination and adaptation. This suggests that the optimal team training intervention appears to be requiring that team members learn how to alter their coordination strategies and to reduce the amount of communication necessary for successful team performance.
Leadership Communication During Group Resource Dilemmas
Authors: Pavitt Charles , High Andrew C. , Tressler Kevin E. , Winslow Jacqueline K.
Published: August 2007

A resource dilemma is a circumstance in which an aggregate of people share a slowly replenishing resource pool out of which each person can harvest for her or his own use. Successful management of a resource pool demands adequate leadership, but the content of leadership-relevant communication and its relationship with group performance and group members' perceptions of their experience has not been examined. In a study of 97 experimental simulations of a group resource dilemma, procedural leadership and three types of substantive leadership (information giving, initiating, and evaluating) were consistently, although weakly, associated with total group harvesting and/or with participant judgments relevant to group cooperation.
Cheating: Making It a Teachable Moment
Authors: Rosile Grace Ann
Published: August 2007

The author's PhD training and 25 years of teaching experience did not prepare her for dealing with widespread cheating. Is it better to confront cheaters personally, or just fix the evaluation system and move on? How can the process of failing cheaters be handled in a way that is fair to all? Finally, can a potentially disastrous cheating incident become a teachable moment? Based on the author's personal experience of failing almost a fourth of a class, this article explores both personal and procedural justice issues, and offers a case example and classroom exercise to promote classroom integrity.
Stimulating Cultural Appetites: an Experiential Gourmet Approach
Authors: Chavez Carolyn I. , Hu Poirier Vickie
Published: August 2007

This article is an extension of a presentation that won “Best Exercise” at the Eastern Academy of Management, 1998. The authors introduce an experiential gourmet approach using food stories to stimulate an aura of acceptance and appreciation for human commonalities before delving into human differences. The authors use a semester long active-learning approach. An underlying premise of active learning is that intrinsically motivated students have fun learning and learn more by taking ownership of the learning process. The use of food is an approach to a variety of concerns dating back to the beginning of time—but it still works.
An Inquiry Into Motivation Using the Case of Phaedrus' Demonstrator
Authors: Levy Steve
Published: August 2007

The primary vehicle of this inquiry into the nature of motivation is the case of Phaedrus' Demonstrator. Its setting is a class where grades are withheld from students, and their reactions are noted and analyzed from the instructor's perspective. Effective use of the case is delineated, and options are suggested for carrying its lessons to the workplace. Students tend to be highly engaged, because the inquiry begins with a subject that is of intense interest to many.
Teaching the Concept of the Sampling Distribution of the Mean
Authors: Aguinis Herman , Branstetter Steven A.
Published: August 2007

The authors use proven cognitive and learning principles and recent developments in the field of educational psychology to teach the concept of the sampling distribution of the mean, which is arguably one of the most central concepts in inferential statistics. The proposed pedagogical approach relies on cognitive load, contiguity, and experiential learning theories and on the integration of new knowledge within previously formed knowledge structures. Thus, the proposed approach stimulates both visual and auditory learning, engages students in the process of learning through problem solving, and presents information so that it builds on existing knowledge. Results of an experiment including introductory statistics undergraduate students indicate that students exposed to the proposed theory-based pedagogical approach enhanced their learning by approximately 60%.
Exposing Students To the Potential and Risks of Stakeholder Engagement When Teaching Sustainability: a Classroom Exercise
Authors: Collins Eva , Kearins Kate
Published: August 2007

In-class, stakeholder negotiation exercises are proposed as a means of students experiencing and reflecting critically on the potential and the risks of an increasingly popular mechanism for advancing sustainability—stakeholder engagement. This article reviews the theoretical framework for stakeholder engagement and for an issue-based rather than firm-centric approach to classroom stakeholder negotiation exercises. An example of a classroom exercise is given as the basis of a possible template for replicating the exercise. This assists students to recognize the potential and risks associated with stakeholder engagement at individual, organizational, and societal levels.
Trust and Control Interrelations
Authors: Cristina Costa Ana , Bijlsma-Frankema Katinka
Published: August 2007

This article introduces the special issue on New Perspectives on the Trust-Control Nexus in Organizational Relations. Trust and control are interlinked processes commonly seen as key to reach effectiveness in inter- and intraorganizational relations. The relation between trust and control is, however, a complex one, and research into this relation has given rise to various and contradictory interpretations of how trust and control relate. A well-known discussion is directed at whether trust and control are better conceived as substitutes, or as complementary mechanisms of governance. The articles in this special issue bring the discussion on the relationship between both concepts a step further by identifying common factors, distinctive mechanisms, and key implications relevant for theory building and empirical research. By studying trust and control through different perspectives and at different levels of analysis, the articles provide new theoretical insights and empirical evidence on the foundations of the trust-control interrelations.