bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Accounting Pilot and Bridge Project
Authors: Deines Dan S. , Bittner Joseph , Eichman Glenda
Published: December 2011

The accounting profession will experience a 50 percent decline in its ranks in the next ten years as accounting professionals from the Baby Boomer generation retire. To replace these professionals, the accounting profession will have to compete with law, medicine, engineering, and other professions that will also be replacing their “boomers.” During the period the boomers are retiring, the number of high school graduates is expected to decline, which suggests that the currently high accounting enrollments are unlikely to continue. If the accounting profession is to compete for the best and brightest students in the future, it is in its best interest to address structural impediments that exist in its educational supply chain. One significant structural impediment in the supply chain is the traditional high school accounting course. In 2000 the AICPA's Taylor Report stated high school accounting courses were a “systemic barrier” to entry into the profession for the very high school students the profession wants to attract (Taylor 2000). These courses have not changed substantially since the Taylor report was issued. The Accounting Pilot and Bridge Project (The Project) proposes to eliminate this barrier and has created a new college-level high school accounting course that provides college credit for those students who take the course and pass a rigorous qualifying examination. The Project is modeled after the College Board's highly successful Advanced Placement (AP) program. Once specific goals are achieved, The Project plans to submit a proposal to the College Board for it to adopt accounting as part of its Advanced Placement curriculum. After describing the research and initiatives that led to the creation of The Project, this paper discusses the goals of The Project, the process to have accounting added to the College Board's AP Curriculum, the curriculum used in the pilot course, the progress made to date, and what lies ahead.
The imprints of superstatistics in multiparticle production processes
Authors: Wilk Grzegorz , Włodarczyk Zbigniew
Published: December 2011

We provide an update of the overview of imprints of Tsallis nonextensive statistics seen in a multiparticle production processes. They reveal an ubiquitous presence of power law distributions of different variables characterized by the nonextensivity parameter q > 1. In nuclear collisions one additionally observes a q-dependence of the multiplicity fluctuations reflecting the finiteness of the hadronizing source. We present sum rules connecting parameters q obtained from an analysis of different observables, which allows us to combine different kinds of fluctuations seen in the data and analyze an ensemble in which the energy (E), temperature (T) and multiplicity (N) can all fluctuate. This results in a generalization of the so called Lindhard’s thermodynamic uncertainty relation. Finally, based on the example of nucleus-nucleus collisions (treated as a quasi-superposition of nucleon-nucleon collisions) we demonstrate that, for the standard Tsallis entropy with degree of nonextensivity q < 1, the corresponding standard Tsallis distribution is described by q′ = 2 − q > 1.
A model of axonal transport drug delivery
Authors: Kuznetsov Andrey
Published: December 2011

In this paper a model of targeted drug delivery by means of active (motor-driven) axonal transport is developed. The model is motivated by recent experimental research by Filler et al. (A.G. Filler, G.T. Whiteside, M. Bacon, M. Frederickson, F.A. Howe, M.D. Rabinowitz, A.J. Sokoloff, T.W. Deacon, C. Abell, R. Munglani, J.R. Griffiths, B.A. Bell, A.M.L. Lever, Tri-partite complex for axonal transport drug delivery achieves pharmacological effect, Bmc Neuroscience 11 (2010) 8) that reported synthesis and pharmacological efficiency tests of a tri-partite complex designed for axonal transport drug delivery. The developed model accounts for two populations of pharmaceutical agent complexes (PACs): PACs that are transported retrogradely by dynein motors and PACs that are accumulated in the axon at the Nodes of Ranvier. The transitions between these two populations of PACs are described by first-order reactions. An analytical solution of the coupled system of transient equations describing conservations of these two populations of PACs is obtained by using Laplace transform. Numerical results for various combinations of parameter values are presented and their physical significance is discussed.
Evaluation of Near-Surface Stress States in Asphalt Concrete Pavement
Authors: Wang Guangming , Roque Reynaldo , Morian Dennis
Published: December 2011

A sophisticated three-dimensional (3-D) tire model was placed directly on a three-layer asphalt concrete (AC) pavement system to form a 3-D tire–pavement contact model. The model was then verified with measured contact stresses and was used to investigate near-surface stress states in the AC layer. When compared with the traditional uniform vertical loading model, the 3-D tire–pavement contact model produced stress states not only higher in magnitude but also more variable in distribution. The 3-D tire–pavement contact model produced much higher principal tensile stress and maximum shear stress near the tire edge; the increased stress was a possible explanation for instability rutting and associated top-down cracking. A critical shear plane was developed for the top 50 mm of the AC layer by using a p-q diagram, and the tire–pavement contact model produced a much higher shear yield percentage.
Time-Dependent Structural Response of Full-Depth Reclamation
Authors: Diefenderfer Brian K. , Apeagyei Alex K.
Published: December 2011

Innovative pavement rehabilitation techniques, such as in-place recycling, are becoming more prevalent as highway agencies face an ever-increasing list of pavement maintenance needs and declining or stagnant budgets. Full-depth reclamation (FDR) has been shown to be a cost-effective alternative to deep milling and repaving to rehabilitate deteriorated flexible pavements. The results of previous FDR studies that investigated pavement structural capacity through the use of deflection testing suggest that long-term strength gain may be achieved through curing; however, such a strength gain has not been well quantified. This study documented the in situ structural testing, with a falling weight deflectometer, of three FDR projects constructed in 2008. Deflection testing was performed periodically at the project sites in the first 2 years after reclamation. This study showed that an accurate estimation of the final structural capacity of an FDR project may not feasibly be achieved immediately after the project has been completed and that it could vary greatly depending on the stabilizing agent used. If data from early-age testing are used to calculate design parameters for future projects, the parameters may be too conservative and result in the loss of potential cost savings through the use of unnecessary overlay materials. A cost analysis, based on data collected in this study, showed that these potential cost savings could approach $37,000 per lane mile. Further mechanistic-based studies of the time-dependent structural response of FDR materials are recommended.
Early-Age Structural Properties of Base Material Treated with Asphalt Emulsion
Authors: Quick Tyler , Guthrie W. Spencer
Published: December 2011

The objectives of this research were to investigate the early-age structural properties of base materials stabilized with asphalt emulsion and to assess the rate at which emulsion-treated base (ETB) design properties are achieved. Three experimental sections were established along a pavement reconstruction project near Saratoga Springs, Utah. Field tests were performed to assess the structural properties of the ETB immediately after construction and at 2, 3, 7, and 14 days; 4 months; and 1 year. Measured values were plotted against time to determine trends in ETB strength development and to determine pavement capacity. Modulus values were consistently low in all three sections during the first 2 weeks after construction, increased dramatically by 4 months, and then decreased considerably by 1 year. In the first 2 weeks after construction, the average ETB structural coefficient was 0.04. Only two of the three sections reached the design structural coefficient of 0.25, which occurred after approximately 3 months; however, the average structural coefficient measured for all three sections after 1 year of curing, which included a winter, was only 47% of the design strength. The results of this research showed that, while pavement capacity was sufficient at 4 months, it was severely reduced during the first 2 weeks and at 1 year. Trafficking under these reduced capacities would be expected to greatly compromise long-term pavement performance. For this reason, trafficking of materials similar to those investigated in this research is not recommended during at least the first 2 weeks after construction.
Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of Stabilization Effect on Pollutant Mobility from Incinerator Bottom Ash Waste
Authors: Ahmed Abdelkader T. , Khalid Hussain A.
Published: December 2011

Before incinerator bottom ash waste (IBAW) is used as a construction material, its environmental impacts should be thoroughly investigated. IBAW encompasses ferrous and nonferrous constituents that, in the presence of water, might be released into the groundwater and soil. The aim of this study was to find a treatment technique to improve the quality of IBAW and to reduce, to below regulatory limits, its potential to leach metals and salts. IBAW was mixed with limestone to achieve an environmentally and functionally acceptable blend to be used as a road foundation layer. The research studied the leaching characteristics of some constituents—including sulfate, chloride, sodium, copper, zinc, and lead—in IBAW blends under different conditions, such as initial pH value and the use of novel and traditional treatment agents. The experimental program was designed to recreate a realistic environment; a lysimeter was used as a large-scale leaching tool and a laboratory protocol was developed that simulated road foundation field conditions to evaluate the long-term release of heavy metals and salts from IBAW. In the lysimeter experiments, the concentrations of the leached elements were monitored through a sand substrate underneath the IBAW layer to study the potential element migration and sorption process. Mathematical modeling was then used to simulate the release of the aforementioned constituents from the IBAW on the basis of the initial measurement of intrinsic material properties and the sorption process concept. The experimental results showed that the additive treatment had a varied impact on the IBAW blends’ leaching properties, as element release was reduced by a wide margin, ranging from 5% to 96%.
Reliability-Based Design of Mechanically Stabilized Earth
Authors: Fishman Kenneth L.
Published: December 2011

Current design specifications for mechanically stabilized earth reinforcements incorporate metal-loss models to consider the loss from the corrosion of the metallic reinforcements, but these models have limited application with respect to reinforcement type and fill conditions. Results discussed in this paper broaden the recommendations for metal-loss modeling and describe effects of fill quality and reinforcement type on performance and service life. The variation in metal loss is considered within the context of reliability-based design, through the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) approach adopted in current AASHTO bridge design specifications. Under this approach, several variables that affect resistance, including metal loss, are considered, with a single parameter that controls the reliability of the design. Thus, new resistance factors are presented from the analysis of a newly expanded performance database, in terms of different reinforcement types and fill materials. The results from an example problem are presented to demonstrate the application of LRFD and the newly derived resistance factors that consider metal type, reinforcement type, design methods, and the design impacts of different electrochemical properties of reinforced fill.
Mechanobiology of Platelets: Techniques to Study the Role of Fluid Flow and Platelet Retraction Forces at the Micro- and Nano-Scale
Authors: Feghhi Shirin , Sniadecki Nathan J.
Published: December 2011

Coagulation involves a complex set of events that are important in maintaining hemostasis. Biochemical interactions are classically known to regulate the hemostatic process, but recent evidence has revealed that mechanical interactions between platelets and their surroundings can also play a substantial role. Investigations into platelet mechanobiology have been challenging however, due to the small dimensions of platelets and their glycoprotein receptors. Platelet researchers have recently turned to microfabricated devices to control these physical, nanometer-scale interactions with a higher degree of precision. These approaches have enabled exciting, new insights into the molecular and biomechanical factors that affect platelets in clot formation. In this review, we highlight the new tools used to understand platelet mechanobiology and the roles of adhesion, shear flow, and retraction forces in clot formation.
Inhibition of Virulence Gene Expression in Staphylococcus aureus by Novel Depsipeptides from a Marine Photobacterium
Authors: Mansson Maria , Nielsen Anita , Kjærulff Louise , Gotfredsen Charlotte H. , Wietz Matthias , Ingmer Hanne , Gram Lone , Larsen Thomas O.
Published: December 2011

During a global research expedition, more than five hundred marine bacterial strains capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria were collected. The purpose of the present study was to determine if these marine bacteria are also a source of compounds that interfere with the agr quorum sensing system that controls virulence gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus. Using a gene reporter fusion bioassay, we recorded agr interference as enhanced expression of spa, encoding Protein A, concomitantly with reduced expression of hla, encoding α-hemolysin, and rnaIII encoding RNAIII, the effector molecule of agr. A marine Photobacterium produced compounds interfering with agr in S. aureus strain 8325-4, and bioassay-guided fractionation of crude extracts led to the isolation of two novel cyclodepsipeptides, designated solonamide A and B. Northern blot analysis confirmed the agr interfering activity of pure solonamides in both S. aureus strain 8325-4 and the highly virulent, community-acquired strain USA300 (CA-MRSA). To our knowledge, this is the first report of inhibitors of the agr system by a marine bacterium.
Synthesis and Analgesic Activity of Some New Pyrazoles and Triazoles Bearing a 6,8-Dibromo-2-methylquinazoline Moiety
Authors: Saad Hosam A. , Osman Nermen A. , Moustafa Ahmed H.
Published: December 2011

2-(6,8-Dibromo-2-methylquinazolin-4-yloxy)-acetohydrazide (4) was prepared by the reaction of 6,8-dibromo-2-methylbenzo-[d][1,3]oxazin-4-one with formamide to afford quinazolinone 2, followed by alkylation with ethyl chloroacetate to give the ester 3. Treatment of ester 3 with hydrazine hydrate and benzaldehyde afforded 4 and styryl quinazoline 5. The hydrazide was reacted with triethyl orthoformate, acetylacetone and ethyl acetoacetate and benzaldehyde derivatives to afford the corresponding pyrazoles 6, 7, 9 and hydrazone derivatives 10a-c. Cyclization of hydrazones 10a-c with thioglycolic acid afforded the thiazole derivatives 11a-c. Reaction of the hydrazide with isothiocyanate derivatives afforded hydrazinecarbothioamide derivatives 12a-c, which cyclized to triazole-3-thiols and thiadiazoles 13a-c and 14a-c, respectively. Fusion of the hydrazide with phthalimide afforded the annelated compound 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-a]isoindol-5-one (15). The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by their spectral (IR, 1H-, 13C-NMR) data. Selected compounds were screened for analgesic activity.
Phenytoin Toxicity in a Patient Receiving 5-Fluorouracil–Based Chemotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Kuruvilla Sara M. , Mukherjee Som D.
Published: December 2011

In addition to chemotherapeutics, cancer patients often take a variety of medications for reasons related and unrelated to their underlying cancer [...].
Survivorship Services for Adult Cancer Populations: A Pan-Canadian Guideline
Authors: Howell D. , Hack T.F. , Oliver T.K. , Chulak T. , Mayo S. , Aubin M. , Chasen M. , Earle C.C. , Friedman A.J. , Green E. , Jones G.W. , Jones J.M. , Parkinson M. , Payeur N. , Sabiston C.M. , Sinclair S.
Published: December 2011

Objective: Our goal was to develop evidence-based recommendations for the organization and structure of cancer survivorship services, and best-care practices to optimize the health and well-being of post–primary treatment survivors. This review sought to determine the optimal organization and care delivery structure for cancer survivorship services, and the specific clinical practices and interventions that would improve or maximize the psychosocial health and overall well-being of adult cancer survivors. Data Sources: We conducted a systematic search of the Inventory of Cancer Guidelines at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the U.S. National Guideline Clearinghouse, the Canadian Medical Association InfoBase, medline (ovid: 1999 through November 2009), embase (ovid: 1999 through November 2009), Psychinfo (ovid: 1999 through November 2009), the Cochrane Library (ovid; Issue 1, 2009), and cinahl (ebsco: 1999 through December 2009). Reference lists of related papers and recent review articles were scanned for additional citations. Methods: Articles were selected for inclusion as evidence in the systematic review if they reported on organizational system components for survivors of cancer, or on psychosocial or supportive care interventions HOWELL et al. designed for survivors of cancer. Articles were excluded from the systematic review if they focused only on pediatric cancer survivor populations or on populations that transitioned from pediatric cancer to adult services; if they addressed only pharmacologic interventions or diagnostic testing and follow-up of cancer survivors; if they were systematic reviews with inadequately described methods; if they were qualitative or descriptive studies; and if they were opinion papers, letters, or editorials. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Evidence was selected and reviewed by three members of the Cancer Journey Survivorship Expert Panel (SM, TC, TKO). The resulting summary of the evidence was guided further and reviewed by the members of Cancer Journey Survivorship Expert Panel. Fourteen practice guidelines, eight systematic reviews, and sixty-thee randomized controlled trials form the evidence base for this guidance document. These publications demonstrate that survivors benefit from coordinated post-treatment care, including interventions to address specific psychosocial, supportive care, and rehabilitative concerns. Conclusions: Ongoing high-quality research is essential to optimize services for cancer survivors. Interventions that promote healthy lifestyle behaviours or that address psychosocial concerns and distress appear to improve physical functioning, psychosocial well-being, and quality of life for survivors.
Probiotic bacterial strains differentially modulate macrophage cytokine production in a strain-dependent and cell subset-specific manner
Authors: Habil N. , Al-Murrani W. , Beal J. , Foey A.
Published: December 2011

Gut mucosal macrophages play a pivotal role in driving mucosal immune responses, resulting in either activation of
inflammatory immune responses to pathogenic challenge or tolerance to beneficial luminal contents such as food
and commensal bacteria. Macrophage responses elicited are dependent on tissue environment and the resulting
cell subset, where homeostatic macrophages resemble the M2 macrophage subset and inflammatory macrophages
resemble M1s. Probiotics can modulate macrophage function with outcome dependent on subset present. Using
a THP-1 monocyte cell line-derived model of CD14high/low M1 and M2 macrophages, the aim of this study was to
investigate the immunomodulatory effects of a panel of heat-killed probiotic bacteria and their secreted proteins
on the subset-specific inflammatory marker profile of TNFα, IL-6 and NFκB. M1 and M2 cells were generated
by differentiation of monocyte stable transfectants for high and low CD14 expression with phorbol 12-myristate
13-acetate and vitamin D3, respectively, where the resulting CD14lo M2 and CD14hi M1s mimicked homeostatic and
inflammatory mucosal macrophages. Subsets were stimulated by enteropathic lipopolysaccharides in the presence
or absence of heat-killed (HK) or secreted proteins (SP) from a panel of probiotic bacteria. Regulation of cytokine
expression was measured by ELISA and NFκB activity by reporter assay. HK probiotics suppress CD14lo and augment
CD14hi M1 and M2 production of TNFα whereas SPs augmented CD14hi M1 TNFα and were generally suppressive
in the other subtypes. M2 macrophage IL-6 production was suppressed by both HK and SPs and differentially
regulated in CD14lo and CD14hi M1s. NFκB activation failed to parallel the regulatory profiles for TNFα and IL-6
which is suggestive of probiotic bacteria exerting their regulatory effects on these cytokines in an NFκB-independent
manner. In conclusion, HK and SP probiotics differentially regulate macrophage cytokines and NFκB activation in
a subset-dependent manner and suggest a cautionary approach to probiotic treatment of mucosal inflammation.
Structural and Biochemical Changes in Salicylic-Acid-Treated Date Palm Roots Challenged withFusarium oxysporumf. sp.albedinis
Authors: Dihazi Abdelhi , Serghini Mohammed Amine , Jaiti Fatima , Daayf Fouad , Driouich Azeddine , Dihazi Hassan , El Hadrami Ismail
Published: December 2011

Histochemical and ultrastructural analyses were carried out to assess structural and biochemical changes in date palm roots pretreated with salicylic acid (SA) then inoculated withFusarium oxysporumf. sp.albedinis(Foa). Flavonoids, induced proteins, and peroxidase activity were revealed in root tissues of SA-treated plants after challenge by Foa. These reactions were closely associated with plant resistance to Foa. Host reactions induced after inoculation of SA-treated plants with Foa included the plugging of intercellular spaces, the deposition of electron-dense materials at the sites of pathogen penetration, and several damages to fungal cells. On the other hand, untreated inoculated plants showed marked cell wall degradation and total cytoplasm disorganization, indicating the protective effects provided by salicylic acid in treated plants.
Longtime behavior of a diffuse interface model for binary fluid mixtures with shear dependent viscosity
Authors: Grasselli Maurizio , Pražák Dalibor
Published: December 2011

We consider a system which describes the behavior of a binary mixture of immiscible incompressible fluids with shear dependent viscosity by means of the diffuse interface approach. This system consists of Navier–Stokes type equations, characterized by a nonlinear stress-strain law, which are nonlinearly coupled with a convective Cahn–Hilliard equation for the order parameter. We analyze the corresponding dynamical system and, by means of the short trajectory method, we prove the existence of global and exponential attractors. We also discuss the dependence of an upper bound of the fractal dimension on the physical parameters of the system.
Schnelle Löser für Partielle Differentialgleichungen
Authors: Bank Randolph E. , Hackbusch Wolfgang , Wittum Gabriel
Published: December 2011

The workshop
Schnelle Löser für partielle Differentialgleichungen
, organised by Randolph E. Bank (La Jolla), Wolfgang Hackbusch (Leipzig), and Gabriel Wittum (Frankfurt am Main), was held May 22nd–May 28th, 2011. This meeting was well attended by 54 participants with broad geographic representation from 7 countries and 3 continents. This workshop was a nice blend of researchers with various backgrounds.
Impact of a Longitudinal Community HIV Intervention Targeting Injecting Drug Users' Stage of Change for Condom and Bleach Use
Authors: Jamner Margaret Schneider , Wolitski Richard J. , Corby Nancy H.
Published: December 2011

Purpose.

To evaluate the impact of the Long Beach AIDS Community Demonstration Project, a community-based HIV-prevention intervention incorporating principles from the Transtheoretical model in its design and evaluation.

Design.

Repeated cross-sectional sampling with matched intervention and comparison communities.

Setting.

Neighborhoods in Long Beach, California, having a high prevalence of drug abuse and prostitution.

Subjects.

3081 injecting drug users who were sexually active and/or shared injection equipment.

Intervention.

Trained peer volunteers distributed fliers featuring role model stories targeted to the population's stage of change. Fliers were packaged with bleaching kits and/or condoms.

Measures.

Primary outcome measures were exposure to the intervention, condom carrying, and stage of change for disinfecting injection equipment with bleach and for using condoms with main and other partners.

Results.

Toward the end of the study, 77% of injection drug users in the intervention area reported being exposed to the intervention. In the intervention area, rates of condom carrying increased from 10 to 27% (p <.001), and there was an increase from 2.32 to 3.11 in mean stage of change for using condoms with other partners, while stage of change decreased in the comparison area (p <.01). Mean stage of change for using condoms with a main partner also increased in the intervention area, but the difference was not significant after controlling for change in the comparison area. Subjects with recent project exposure had higher stage-of-change scores for using condoms with a main partner (p <.05) and other partners (p <.01) and for cleaning injection equipment with bleach (p <.05).

Conclusions.

The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the AIDS Community Demonstration Project intervention for reaching injecting drug users in the community and for motivating the adoption of risk-reducing practices.
Stages of Change and Psychosocial Correlates of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Rural African-American Church Members
Authors: Campbell Marci Kramish , Symons Michael , Demark-Wahnefried Wendy , Polhamus Barbara , Bernhardt Jay M. , McClelland Jacquelyn W. , Washington Chanetta
Published: December 2011

Purpose.

This study examined the relationship between stages of change, other psychosocial factors, and fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among rural African-Americans participating in a 5 a Day study.

Design.

The cross-sectional design assessed associations between F&V intake, stage of change, self-efficacy, beliefs, barriers, and social support.

Setting.

Participants were surveyed by telephone.

Subjects.

Subjects were 3557 adult church members (response rate, 79.1%), aged 18 and over from 10 North Carolina counties.

Measures.

A seven-item food frequency measured F&V intake. Stage of change was measured using four items; other psychosocial variables were measured using Likert scales. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance were used in statistical analyses.

Results.

The majority of participants (65 %) were in the preparation stage of change. Individuals in action/maintenance consumed an average of 6.5 daily F&V servings compared to 3.3 to 3.5 servings for those in precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation. Self-efficacy, social support, and belief about how many daily F&V servings are needed, were positively associated with stage. Barriers were most prevalent among precontemplators.

Conclusions.

The findings support the applicability of the stages-of-change model to dietary change among rural African-Americans. The relationship between stage, self-efficacy, social support, and barriers supports using a multicomponent intervention strategy.
A Review of the Health Impact of Smoking Control at the Workplace
Authors: Eriksen Michael P. , Gottlieb Nell H.
Published: December 2011

Purpose.

To summarize and provide a critical review of worksite health promotion program evaluations published between 1968 and 1994 that addressed the health impact of worksite smoking cessation programs and smoking policies.

Methods.

A comprehensive literature search conducted under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 53 smoking cessation program evaluation reports, of which 41 covered worksite single-topic cessation programs. Nine additional reports were located through manual search of citations from published reports and reviews. These 50 reports covered 52 original data-based studies of cessation programs. The search produced 19 reports for tobacco policy evaluations, of which 12 addressed health impact. An additional 17 reports were located by the authors. These 29 reports covered 29 studies of policy impact.

Summary of Important Findings.

Smoking cessation group programs were found to be more effective than minimal treatment programs, although less intensive treatment, when combined with high participation rates, can influence the total population. Tobacco policies were found to reduce cigarette consumption at work and worksite environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure.

Conclusions.

The literature is rated suggestive for group and incentive interventions; indicative for minimal interventions, competitions, and medical interventions; and acceptable for the testing of incremental effects. Because of the lack of experimental control, the smoking policy literature is rated as weak, although there is strong consistency in results for reduced cigarette consumption and decreased exposure to ETS at work.
Socio-cultural risk? Reporting on a Qualitative Study with Female Street-Based Sex Workers
Authors: Leaker Mary , Dunk-West Priscilla
Published: December 2011

Risk narratives are of increasing importance in contemporary social life in that they help in understanding and anticipating the shifts that characterise our late modern landscape. Our qualitative research explores risk as it relates to violence toward street-based sex workers in a suburban Australian setting. Female street-based sex workers represent a highly stigmatised and marginalised group. International studies report that they experience high levels of sexual violence perpetrated by male clients and our empirical work with street-based sex workers in Adelaide, South Australia concurs with this finding. Despite many creative and specialized skills workers reported drawing upon to minimise the risk of violence to themselves, we argue that a socio-cultural lens is vital to viewing risk in this context. We argue that in order to effect change, risk must be disembedded from increasingly individualized discourses, since it is through the personalisation of risk that violence becomes legitimised as an occupational hazard in street-based sex work.
First detection of the O III 495.8911 and 500.6843 nm lines in the Earth's upper atmosphere
Authors: Witasse O. , Slanger T. , Thissen R.
Published: December 2011

Abstract. We report the first detection of two emission lines of the atomic oxygen doubly-charged ion at 495.8911 and 500.6843 nm in the terrestrial upper atmosphere. They correspond to the transitions 1D2-3P1 and 1D2-3P2 of the O++ ion, respectively. The measurements were performed on 30 October 2003 during the "Halloween" storms, with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) mounted on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. The intensities of these emissions are ~70 mRayleigh, and ~260 mRayleigh, respectively. These emissions constitute a new diagnostic of the state of the ionosphere.
A new model for the simplification of particle counting data
Authors: Fadal M. F. , Haarhoff J. , Marais S.
Published: December 2011

Abstract. This paper proposes a three-parameter mathematical model to describe the particle size distribution in a water sample. The proposed model offers some conceptual advantages over two other models reported on previously, and also provides a better fit to the particle counting data obtained from 321 water samples taken over three years at a large South Africa water utility. By using the data from raw water samples taken from a moderately turbid, large surface impoundment, as well as samples from the same water after treatment, typical ranges of the model parameters are presented for both raw and treated water. Once calibrated, the model allows the calculation of total particle number and volumes over any randomly selected size interval of interest.
Analysis of the local lithospheric magnetic activity before and after Panzhihua Mw = 6.0 earthquake (30 August 2008, China)
Authors: Dudkin F. , Korepanov V. , Yang D. , Li Q. , Leontyeva O.
Published: December 2011

Abstract. Lithospheric ultra low frequency (ULF) magnetic activity is recently considered as a very promising candidate for application to short-time earthquake forecasting. However the intensity of the ULF lithospheric magnetic field is very weak and often masked by much stronger ionospheric and magnetospheric signals. The study of pre-earthquake magnetic activity before the occurrence of a strong earthquake is a very hard problem which consists of the identification and localization of the weak signal sources in earthquake hazardous areas of the Earth's crust. For the separation and localization of such sources, we used a new polarization ellipse technique (Dudkin et al., 2010) to process data acquired from fluxgate magnetometers installed in the Sichuan province, China. Sichuan is the region of the strongest seismic activity on the territory of China. During the last century, about 40 earthquakes with magnitude M ≥ 6.5 happened here in close proximity to heavy populated zones. The Panzhihua earthquake Mw = 6.0 happened in the southern part of Sichuan province on 30 August 2008 at 8:30:52 UT. The earthquake hypocentre was located at 10 km depth. During the period 30–31 August – the beginning of September 2008, many clustered aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 5.6 occurred near the earthquake epicentre. The data from three fluxgate magnetometers (belonged to China magnetometer network and placed near to the clustered earthquakes at a distance of 10–55 km from main shock epicenter) have been processed. The separation between the magnetometers was in the range of 40–65 km. The analysis of a local lithospheric magnetic activity during the period of January–December 2008 and a possible source structure have been presented in this paper.
Políticas y prácticas de deportación en la administración de Obama: "Entre más cambian las cosas más se quedan igual"
Authors: Lykes M. Brinton , Chicco Jessica E.
Published: December 2011

El Proyecto de Post-Deportación de Derechos Humanos (PDHRP) en el Centro para los Derechos Humanos y Justicia Internacional de Boston College colabora con organizaciones de inmigrantes en Nueva Inglaterra y en la región Quiché al sur de Guatemala en proyectos de investigación y acción participativa y en la defensa y representación legal de los deportados para abogar en colaboración con las familias y comunidades afectadas- por los cambios fundamentales que introducirán proporcionalidad, compasión y respeto a la unidad familiar en las leyes de inmigración de los Estados Unidos y asegurar la compatibilidad de éstas con las normas internacionales de derechos humanos. Dos miembros de este equipo interdisciplinario describen la evolución reciente de las políticas y prácticas de deportación del gobierno de Obama y sus efectos sobre los inmigrantes indocumentados y legales que viven en los Estados Unidos - y los desafíos de estas prácticas para todos aquellos que buscan una política de inmigración más justa y humana.
Recordando hacia el norte y sus múltiples trabas del camino
Authors: Díaz Víctor
Published: December 2011

Honduras, cuatro de enero de 2005.Ese día salí rumbo a Estados Unidos con un solo objetivo: estar dos años, pagar los costos del viaje y hacer casa a la familia. Eran las cinco de la mañana. Mi tío Agustín, en el carro de Andrés, su hijo, nos condujo hasta el lugar llamado Baracoa en el departamento de Cortés. Salimos cuatro, todos con parentesco familiar. Después tomamos el autobús que conduce a Puerto Cortés y luego el autobús que conduce a la frontera de Corinto. En la frontera, en una garita de migración pagamos la salida, cincuenta quetzales. Tomamos un microbús que conducía a Puerto Barrios, seguimos y nos bajamos en el desvío que conduce hacia Aguas Dulces para tomar el autobús que viene de Guatemala hacia la ciudad de Santa Elena, una vez ahí compramos algo de comer. Puedo decir que en estas circunstancias uno está nervioso y no tiene muchas ganas de comer. Lo único que desea es que pase el bus; uno tiene miedo de que venga un policía, pida papeles y le saque unos cuantos quetzales más.
El viaje rumbo a Estados Unidos de Dennis Sulema Díaz Alvarenga
Authors: Díaz Víctor , Díaz Dennis
Published: December 2011

A eso de las cuatro de la mañana salimos de Monte Fresco, Morazán, Yoro. Éramos Vilma, Juan Carlos, Alberto y yo. Nos alumbrábamos con luz de ocote y nos cayó un poco de lluvia que en ese momento se convirtió en la bendición del viaje después de caminar en un lodazal. Llegamos al lugar donde nos esperaba el carro para llegar a Morazán, Yoro. Luego seguimos hasta llegar a San Pedro Sula. Tuvimos una cena en donde recibimos la bendición del padre José Santos para que tuviéramos un viaje de éxito en compañía de Dios. Luego nos fuimos a dormir. Ahí nos quedamos esa noche para salir al día siguiente bastante temprano. Ahí estábamos sólo Juan y yo, Dennis Sulema Díaz Alvarenga.
Lead Contamination of Surgical Gloves by Contact with a Lead Hand
Authors: Mehra A. , Deakin D. E. , Khan A. , Sheehan T. M. T. , Nightingale P. , Deshmukh S. C.
Published: December 2011

Background. “Lead hands” are frequently used to maintain hand and finger position in hand surgery. The malleability and strength of lead make it ideal for this purpose. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of lead transferred to a surgeon's glove during handling of a lead hand. Method. Sterile surgical gloves were wiped over the surface of a lead hand. The number of wipes was varied, the gloves were then sent to a trace elements laboratory, and the lead content transferred to each glove was determined. Results. The amount of lead transferred to each glove increased with increasing exposure to the lead hand. After twenty wipes, up to 2 mg of lead was transferred to the surgeon's glove. Covering the lead hand with a sterile drape markedly reduced the lead transferred to the surgeon's glove. Conclusion. Significant amount of lead is transferred on to the gloves after handling a lead hand. This risks wound contamination and a foreign body reaction. Covering the lead hand with a sterile drape may minimise the risk of surgical wound contamination.
The perceived personal control (PPC) questionnaire: Reliability and validity in a sample from the United Kingdom
Authors: McAllister Marion , Wood Alex M. , Dunn Graham , Shiloh Shoshana , Todd Chris
Published: December 2011

Outcome measures are important assessment tools to evaluate clinical genetics services. Research suggests that perceived personal control (PPC) is an outcome valued by clinical genetics patients and clinicians. The PPC scale was developed in Hebrew to capture three dimensions of PPC: Cognitive, decisional, and behavioral control. This article reports on the first psychometric validation of the English translation of the PPC scale. Previous research has shown that the Hebrew and Dutch translations have good psychometric properties. However, the psychometric properties of the English translation have not been tested, and there is disagreement about the factor structure, with implications for how to score the measure. A total of 395 patients attending a clinical genetics appointment in the United Kingdom completed several measures at baseline, and a further 241 also completed measures at 2–4 weeks follow‐up. The English language PPC has (a) a one‐factor structure, (b) convergent validity with internal health locus of control (IHLC), satisfaction with life (SWL), depression, and authenticity, (c) high internal consistency (α = 0.83), and (d) sensitivity to change, being able to identify moderate changes in PPC following clinic attendance (Cohen's d = 0.40). These properties suggest the English language PPC measure is a useful tool for both clinical genetics research and for use as a Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) in service evaluation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The prevalence of sleepiness and the risk of sleep‐disordered breathing in children with positive allergy test
Authors: Ishman Stacey L. , Smith David F. , Benke James R. , Nguyen Mai‐Tien , Lin Sandra Y.
Published: December 2011

Background:

We evaluated the prevalence of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) and sleepiness in children with allergy and compared sleep‐specific quality of life measures to those of children without allergy.

Methods:

A prospective case‐control study was done at a tertiary care academic center. The parents of 21 pediatric patients with positive environmental allergy testing completed questionnaires including the Obstructive Sleep Apnea‐18 (OSA18), the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), and the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS). Comparisons were made to 113 children without allergy who had undergone cochlear implantation (CI) who served as controls.

Results:

SDB was suggested in 19% of children with allergy using the OSA18 and in 29% using the PSQ vs 6% and 7% of controls (p = 0.029; p = 0.003), respectively. In addition, daytime sleepiness was suggested in 45% to 48% of children with allergy using the PSQ and PDSS vs 17% to 25% of controls (p = 0.015; p = 0.025), respectively. Patients with allergy had SDB and sleepiness scores higher than population normal values: OSA‐18 of 41.7 vs 34.0, PSQ‐SDB of 0.25 vs 0.14, PSQ‐Sleepy of 0.34 vs 0.15, and PDSS of 14.2 vs 11.4. The difference between cases and controls was significant for all measures of sleepiness and SDB.

Conclusion:

Children with allergy have higher SDB and sleepiness scores than controls. This suggests that children with allergic rhinitis are at increased risk for SDB and screening should be considered in this population. In addition, studies with a larger sample size are important to fully understand this relationship. © 2011 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.
DNA Origami: The Art of Folding DNA
Authors: Saccà Barbara , Niemeyer Christof M.
Published: December 2011

The advent of DNA origami technology greatly simplified the design and construction of nanometer‐sized DNA objects. The self‐assembly of a DNA‐origami structure is a straightforward process in which a long single‐stranded scaffold (often from the phage M13mp18) is folded into basically any desired shape with the help of a multitude of short helper strands. This approach enables the ready generation of objects with an addressable surface area of a few thousand nm2 and with a single “pixel” resolution of about 6 nm. The process is rapid, puts low demands on experimental conditions, and delivers target products in high yields. These features make DNA origami the method of choice in structural DNA nanotechnology when two‐ and three‐dimensional objects are desired. This Minireview summarizes recent advances in the design of DNA origami nanostructures, which open the door to numerous exciting applications.
Polyelectrolyte‐aided synthesis of gold and platinum nanoparticles: Implications in electrocatalysis and sensing
Authors: Rao Chepuri R. K.
Published: December 2011

An electrochemical method for depositing redispersible, lower size gold nanoparticles from a novel polyelectrolyte‐gold complex is described. The size of gold nanoparticles is in the range 6.2–15.4 nm. The gold nanoparticles, first deposited on platinum surface are transferable into water. They can also be directly in situ‐electrodeposited on to materials like carbon, carbon nanotubes or conducting polymers for an end use as electro catalysts. The composites Au‐MWCNT, Pt‐MWCNT, Au‐Carbon, and Pt‐Carbon are synthesized and tested for their electrocatalytic activity. The composites exhibit good catalytic activity in sensing dopamine or electrooxidation of methanol. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Modeling of the compaction response of jute fabrics in liquid composite molding processes
Authors: Francucci Gastón , Rodríguez Exequiel S.
Published: December 2011

In this work, the experimental data of the compaction behavior of jute woven fabrics obtained in a previous work were modeled. A brief description of the current theoretical models found in literature is presented. It was concluded that these theoretical models cannot be used on natural fiber fabrics due to the vast differences in fiber structure and fibers assembly among natural and synthetic fibers. Therefore, two empirical models commonly seen in literature were used to fit the experimental data: the power law and the exponential function. In addition, a novel model was proposed, which represented much better the compaction behavior of the fabrics. The stress relaxation was also modeled using three empirical models: a power law, a first‐order exponential function, and a second‐order exponential function. The two‐parameter power law model fitted the relaxation curve as well as the five‐parameter exponential function. On the other hand, the first‐order exponential function could not represent properly the relaxation stage. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Preparation of coated thermo‐regulating textiles using Rubitherm‐RT31 microcapsules
Authors: Sánchez‐Silva Luz , Rodríguez Juan F. , Romero Amaya , Sánchez Paula
Published: December 2011

Spherical microcapsules with a 49 wt % of Rubitherm® RT31 were successfully synthesized by means of suspension‐like polymerization to be used for textile applications in summer conditions. Microcapsules were fixed into seven fabric substrates for different textile applications by a coating technique without deteriorating original functionalities of the textiles. Thermal performance of different coated textiles with 35 wt % of microcapsules was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared thermography (IR) techniques and the physical characteristics of textiles with thermo‐regulating properties were examined by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). It was observed that all treated textile substrates allow to obtain thermo‐regulating properties with acceptable latent heat storage capacities. Results also indicated that the presence of microcapsules containing Rubitherm® RT31 produces a significant thermal insulation effect during a cold to warm transition (20–45°C). Thus, this kind of microcapsules can be used to obtain textiles with thermal comfort‐related properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011