bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring nurses' learning
Authors: Howatson-Jones Lioba
Published: August 2011

The aim of this paper is to explore the concept of compelling space for learning. The research presented uses an auto/biographical methodology to explore nurses' learning. Theoretical perspective is drawn from biographical approaches and ideas around development of the self, to examine the nature of people's experience. The argument is advanced, through the narrations of three study participants from a PhD study, that there is a need for nurses to have space to tell their stories of learning and to reconnect with personal experience. The narrations focus upon learning by mistake, developing an interpretive imagination and using biography in teaching and learning and have something to contribute to the development of spaces of learning. This is developed further by considering how biographical method and reflexive responses offer opportunity to find the personal voice and make spaces more compelling and integrative as a different form of pedagogy for nurse education.
Microvessel Density Is Associated with VEGF and α-SMA Expression in Different Regions of Human Gastrointestinal Carcinomas
Authors: Tonino Paola , Abreu Carmen
Published: August 2011

Tumor angiogenesis is known to be regulated by growth factors secreted by host and tumor cells. Despite the importance of tumor vasculature and angiogenic heterogeneity in solid tumors, few studies have compared the vasculature in different regions of human cancer. Blood vessels from different regions of carcinomas might have morphofunctional implications in tumor angiogenesis. In the present study, therefore, we have examined the relationship between microvascular density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in the center of the tumor (CT), periphery (P) and metastasis (M) regions from gastrointestinal carcinomas (GITC), as well as the association of MVD with clinicopathological factors. Surgically resected specimens corresponding to the CT, P and M from 27 patients were examined for FVIII, VEGF and α-SMA by immunohistochemistry. The MVD was not significantly different in the CT, P and M regions from GITC. The MVD in the VEGF positive group was significantly higher than in the VEGF negative group (CT, p = 0.034; P, p = 0.030; M, p = 0.032). The MVD as a function of α-SMA expression was also significantly higher in the CT and P region compared to the M region (p = 0.0008). In conclusion, the MVD association with VEGF and α-SMA expression, might indicate an increase of the number of neoformed and preexisting blood vessels uniformly or partially covered by pericytes in different regions of GITC, suggesting that not only MVD and VEGF are important parameters to the tumor vasculature, but also blood vessels maturation is a crucial factor for gastrointestinal tumor angiogenesis regulation and possible target of vascular therapy.
Retraction: Manivannan, V.; Chennabasappa, M.; Garrett, J. Optimization and Characterization of Lithium Ion Cathode Materials in the System (1 – x – y)LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 • xLi2MnO3 • yLiCoO2. Energies 2010, 3, 847-865.
Authors: Pike Brietta L.
Published: August 2011

It has been brought to our attention by an official faculty committee at Colorado State University that portions of the data of this article [1] are not derived from experimental activities. In particular, the ICP-AES data in Table 1 for Compound 6, and the cycle data plotted at cycle 15 and greater in Figure 9b represent projected rather than actual data.
After confirming this case with the authors, we have determined that indeed this manuscript clearly violates our editorial policy as well as the generally accepted ethics of scientific publication. Consequently, the Editorial Team and Publisher have determined that it should be retracted. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for Clinical Trials: More Pitfalls than Promises?
Authors: Mereles Derliz , Hunstein Werner
Published: August 2011

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main and most significant polyphenol in green tea, has shown numerous health promoting effects acting through different pathways, as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic agent, showing gene expression activity, functioning through growth factor-mediated pathways, the mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway, the ubiquitin/proteasome degradation pathway, as well as eliciting an amyloid protein remodeling activity. However, epidemiological inferences are sometimes conflicting and in vitro and in vivo studies may seem discrepant. Current knowledge on how to enhance bioavailability could be the answer to some of these issues. Furthermore, dose levels, administration frequency and potential side effects remain to be examined.
Acute Toxicity and Hepatotoxicokinetic Studies of Tamarindus indica Extract
Authors: Nwodo Uchechukwu U. , Ngene Augustine A. , Anaga Aruh O. , Chigor Vincent N. , Henrietta Igbinosa I. , Okoh Anthony I.
Published: August 2011

Tamarindus indica is widely used as a food and beverage and in traditional medicine. The apparent lack of dose standardization in herbal medicine necessitates the evaluation of the lethality T. indica on Artemia salina nauplii and chicken embryos via in vitro and in vivo techniques. Furthermore, hepatotoxicokinetics of the crude extract and fractions on Wister rats was also assessed. At concentrations of 200, 20 and 2 µg/mL, crude extract and fractions showed brine shrimp death percentages ranging from 86.70% to 3.30% and the sub-fractions showed death percentage ranges of 46.70% to 3.30%. Calculated LD50 values ranged from 832 µg/mL to 5,019 µg/mL. Dosing Wister rats with 25% and 50% concentration of LD50 determined for crude extract and fractions on chicken embryos showed an elevation in the ALT and AST levels in the serum. Brine shrimps and chicken embryos showed a positive correlation, with R2 values of 0.541 and 0.588 (P ≤ 0.05) for fractions and subfractions, respectively, as media for the lethality assay. Dose standardization in folk herbal medicine is imperative as T. indica used as food and medicine has been shown to be toxic at high doses. Brine shrimp and chicken embryos may be comparably used as medium for toxicity assay.
Effects of Dietary Glutamine Supplementation on the Body Composition and Protein Status of Early-Weaned Mice Inoculated with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin
Authors: Rogero Marcelo Macedo , Borges Maria Carolina , De Castro Inar Alves , Pires Ivanir S. O. , Borelli Primavera , Tirapegui Julio
Published: August 2011

Glutamine, one of the most abundant amino acids found in maternal milk, favors protein anabolism. Early-weaned babies are deprived of this source of glutamine, in a period during which endogenous biosynthesis may be insufficient for tissue needs in states of metabolic stress, mainly during infections. The objective of this study was to verify the effects of dietary glutamine supplementation on the body composition and visceral protein status of early-weaned mice inoculated with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Mice were weaned early on their 14th day of life and seperated into two groups, one of which was fed a glutamine-free diet (n = 16) and the other a glutamine-supplemented diet (40 g/kg diet) (n = 16). At 21 days of age, some mice were intraperitoneally injected with BCG. Euthanasia was performed at the 28th day of age. BCG inoculation significantly reduced body weight (P < 0.001), lean mass (P = 0.002), water (P = 0.006), protein (P = 0.007) and lipid content (P = 0.001) in the carcass. Dietary glutamine supplementation resulted in a significant increase in serum IGF-1 (P = 0.019) and albumin (P = 0.025) concentration, muscle protein concentration (P = 0.035) and lipid content (P = 0.002) in the carcass. In conclusion, dietary glutamine supplementation had a positive influence on visceral protein status but did not affect body composition in early-weaned mice inoculated with BCG.
Application of Twin Screw Extrusion in the Manufacture of Cocrystals, Part I: Four Case Studies
Authors: Daurio Dominick , Medina Cesar , Saw Robert , Nagapudi Karthik , Alvarez-Núñez Fernando
Published: August 2011

The application of twin screw extrusion (TSE) as a scalable and green process for the manufacture of cocrystals was investigated. Four model cocrystal forming systems, Caffeine-Oxalic acid, Nicotinamide-trans cinnamic acid, Carbamazepine-Saccharin, and Theophylline-Citric acid, were selected for the study. The parameters of the extrusion process that influenced cocrystal formation were examined. TSE was found to be an effective method to make cocrystals for all four systems studied. It was demonstrated that temperature and extent of mixing in the extruder were the primary process parameters that influenced extent of conversion to the cocrystal in neat TSE experiments. In addition to neat extrusion, liquid-assisted TSE was also demonstrated for the first time as a viable process for making cocrystals. Notably, the use of catalytic amount of benign solvents led to a lowering of processing temperatures required to form the cocrystal in the extruder. TSE should be considered as an efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly process for the manufacture of cocrystals with little to no solvent requirements.
Breeding Food Legumes for Resistance to Storage Insect Pests: Potential and Limitations
Authors: Keneni Gemechu , Bekele Endashaw , Getu Emana , Imtiaz Muhammad , Damte Tebkew , Mulatu Bayeh , Dagne Kifle
Published: August 2011

Storage insect pests cause significant losses of food legumes particularly in the Tropics and the Sub-tropics. The most important species of storage insect pests of food legumes include Callosobruchus chinensis, C. maculatus, C. analis, Acanthoscelides obtectus, Bruchus incarnatus, B. rufimanus, B. dentipes, B. quinqueguttatus, B. emarginatus, B. ervi, B. lentis and B. pisorum. Effective post-harvest insect pest control measures should constitute part of the overall crop husbandry practices for preserving the quality of produce. Storage insect pests are commonly controlled using chemical insecticides which, however, bear many drawbacks related to high cost, environmental pollution and food safety risks. Breeding legume crops to improve their resistance against storage insect pests, although having technical limitations, is the best way of overcoming these disadvantages in an environment-friendly manner. In this paper, we present the findings of our extensive reviews on the potential of breeding resistant varieties of food legumes against storage insect pests along with the major technical limitations one would likely encounter and the prospective ways of tackling them.
Strengthening Sovereignty: Security and Sustainability in an Era of Climate Change
Authors: Parsons Rymn J.
Published: August 2011

Using Pakistan and the Arctic as examples, this article examines security challenges arising from climate change. Pakistan is in crisis, and climate change, a transnational phenomenon perhaps better characterized as radical enviro-transformation, is an important reason. Its survival as a state may depend to great extent on how it responds to 2010’s devastating floods. In the Arctic, the ice cap is melting faster than predicted, as temperatures there rise faster than in almost any other region. Unmanaged, a complex interplay of climate-related conditions, including large-scale “ecomigration”, may turn resource competition into resource conflict. Radical enviro-transformation has repeatedly overborne the resilience of societies. War is not an inevitable by-product of such transformation, but in the 21st Century climate-related instability, from resource scarcity and “ecomigration”, will likely create increasingly undesirable conditions of insecurity. Weak and failing states are one of today’s greatest security challenges. The pace of radical enviro-transformation, unprecedented in human history, is accelerating, especially in the Arctic, where a new, open, rich, and accessible maritime environment is coming into being. The international community must work together to enhance security and stability, promote sustainability, and strengthen sovereignty. Radical enviro-transformation provides ample reason and plentiful opportunity for preventative, collaborative solutions focused broadly on adaptation to climate change, most particularly the effects of “ecomigration”. Nations must work together across the whole of government and with all instruments of national power to create conditions for human transformation—social, political, and economic—to occur stably and sustainably, so as to avoid or lessen the prospects for and consequences of conflict. Collaborative international solutions to environmental issues, i.e., solutions that mobilize and share technology and resources, will build nations and build peace. The military, through “preventative engagement” will play a more and more important role. Further research and analysis is needed to determine what changes in law and policy should be made to facilitate stable and secure “ecomigration” on an international scale, over a long timeline.
Chemical and Metabolic Aspects of Antimetabolite Toxins Produced by Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars
Authors: Arrebola Eva , Cazorla Francisco M. , Perez-García Alejandro , Vicente Antonio de
Published: August 2011

Pseudomonas syringae is a phytopathogenic bacterium present in a wide variety of host plants where it causes diseases with economic impact. The symptoms produced by Pseudomonas syringae include chlorosis and necrosis of plant tissues, which are caused, in part, by antimetabolite toxins. This category of toxins, which includes tabtoxin, phaseolotoxin and mangotoxin, is produced by different pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae. These toxins are small peptidic molecules that target enzymes of amino acids’ biosynthetic pathways, inhibiting their activity and interfering in the general nitrogen metabolism. A general overview of the toxins’ chemistry, biosynthesis, activity, virulence and potential applications will be reviewed in this work.
Lithium phosphonate umpolung catalysts: Do fluoro substituents increase the catalytic activity?
Authors: Gliga Anca , Goldfuss Bernd , Neudörfl Jörg M
Published: August 2011

Fluorinated and nonfluorinated phosphonates are employed as precatalysts in lithium phosphonate catalyzed cross benzoin couplings. Surprisingly, a decreased catalytic activity for the fluorinated precatalysts compared to the nonfluorinated systems is observed. Furthermore, the ring size of six, seven and nine membered ring catalysts appears not to be crucial for their catalytic activity.
Les origines de la notion de politique scientifique en Europe. Introduction générale
Authors: Halleux Robert
Published: August 2011

La notion de politique scientifique est délibérément anachronique. Elle se résume dans la formule « pour la science et par la science ». L’État soutient et planifie la recherche scientifique, mais il la met au service de ses grands desseins. Depuis l’époque d’Archimède et d’Hiéron, science et pouvoir interfèrent, mais leurs interactions prennent des formes diverses selon les périodes et les contextes. En introduction au débat, on esquissera une typologie internationale des modes de gestion de la science aux xvie et xviie siècles et on dégagera les sources d’inspiration particulièrement dans l’œuvre politique de Francis Bacon.
La politique scientifique dans l’Empire ottoman
Authors: Nicolaïdis Efthymios
Published: August 2011

Dès qu’il conquit Constantinople en 1453, Mehmed le Conquérant appela des savants byzantins pour étudier la géographie, science qui sert à faire la guerre, et mena une politique d’éducation scientifique à l’image de la tradition arabe. Mais, très vite, l’Empire ottoman abandonna toute politique d’éducation scientifique et en même temps toute politique de développement des sciences. Le dernier vestige d’une telle velléité fut la fondation de l’Observatoire d’Istanbul à la fin du xvie siècle, suivie de sa destruction totale. Les sciences furent désormais délaissées au millet chrétien de l’Empire, c’est-à-dire les communautés chrétiennes orthodoxes placées sous la responsabilité du patriarche de Constantinople. Contrairement à l’Europe chrétienne, l’Empire ottoman ne fondera pas d’université ni d’Académie des sciences. Cette absence de politique envers les sciences, considérée par certains historiens comme une politique négative, fera sentir ses effets lors du développement scientifique et technologique de l’Europe au début du xviiie siècle. L’Empire ottoman, se voyant dépassé, appelle des experts occidentaux à la fin du xviiie siècle pour au moins fonder des écoles militaires. L’effort de modernisation entrepris au xixe siècle avec la politique des Tanzimat inaugure timidement une politique scientifique cohérente. La première université ottomane fut fondée à la fin du xixe siècle, mais entre-temps une politique de bourses se mit en place pour envoyer des sujets ottomans faire des études scientifiques à l’étranger. Cet effort fut cependant trop tardif pour faire face au démantèlement de l’Empire, facilité par son retard scientifique et technologique.
Exploring the evidence of scientific and artistic patronage of Polish King Jan III Sobieski (1674-1696): A focus on the library in Wilanów Palace
Authors: Gołąbek Marta
Published: August 2011

The library one can still see at Wilanów Palace (former Villa Nova), a suburban villa of the Polish valiant King, Jan III Sobieski (1674-1696), no longer holds any book nor any print, as they were dispersed among the king’s inheritors, gathered in their various and distant estates, and then regretfully lost.What extants today from the Library is a stucco and painting decoration dating back to the 1680s, comprising two grand tondos and smaller medallions with effigies of Eruditorum et Sapientum. The two main images represent allegorical figures of Theology and Philosophy creating a perfect balanced expression of two fundamental disciplines of human thought. They patronize smaller medallions which are composed as double portraits — a representative of science and arts from modern times is always assisted by his antique or pagan predecessor, Fidias and Michelangelo, Ptolomeus and Copernicus, Archimedes and Galileus, etc.The ideological programme of this decoration still raises questions and encourages our research. Was it just a means of cataloguing books and a regular realization according to well-known iconography fit for libraries? Was it also a certain ideological and propaganda statement of the monarch who was regarded during his reign as one of the erudite kings? How does it relate to the general significance of Wilanów that was adorned on the façade according to Sobieski’s will with an inscription stating: Quod Vetus Urbs Colluit Nunc Nova Villa Tenet? My paper will point out relations between those elements which were a well-known set of motifs to adorn such interiors and those who appeared here due to the site specific of the place; Wilanów, a new antique villa for a King who was Primus Inter Pares, a voted sovereign for the Commonwealth of Two Nations, the nation that regarded its origins in the classical antiquity of Sarmatians. His reign, although dominated by Bellona’s actions, never ignored those which were dominated by Apollo and Muses. For the King himself supported (intellectually and financially) Jan Hevelius (astronomer), Adam Kochański (mathematician and physician) and Philippe Avril (French Jesuit missionary, geographer and explorer of far East) and in 1684 became a member and protector of the Accademia degli Argonauti founded in Venice in 1684. A perfect combination of bold and accurate attitude for the new science that spread across Europe found its pre-academic center in the court of Jan III Sobieski, on the Eastern boundaries of the Latin world. Its symptomatic and peculiar evidence remains the Library of Wilanów Palace.
Conclusions du colloque « La cour et les sciences : naissance des politiques scientifiques dans les cours européennes aux xviie et xviiie siècles »
Authors: Blay Michel
Published: August 2011

Le colloque « La cour et les sciences : naissance des politiques scientifiques dans les cours européennes aux xviie et xviiie siècles » a occupé trois jours, trois jours de travail assidu au cours desquels ont été présentées près d’une vingtaine de communications prolongées par de multiples questions et discussions. Je n’ajouterai donc pas une communication aux communications. Cependant, en dépit de la diversité et de la richesse des questions traitées, je tenterai de montrer, tout en faisant le point, qu’il est indispensable de poursuivre la réflexion, de l’étendre et de l’approfondir. En un mot, il me semble que certaines questions ont été posées et bien posées, mais qu’il importe maintenant, alors que la politique scientifique joue dans nos sociétés un rôle central, de s’engager avec détermination dans un travail réflexif et de synthèse, travail pouvant contribuer à l’élaboration d’un discours prospectif. Comment mener une politique scientifique ?
Densities of Short Uniform Random Walks
Authors: Borwein Jonathan M. , Straub Armin , Wan James , Zudilin Wadim , Zagier Don
Published: August 2011

We study the densities of uniform random walks in the plane. A special focus is on the case of short walks with three or four steps and, less completely, those with five steps. As one of the main results, we obtain a hypergeometric representation of the density for four steps, which complements the classical elliptic representation in the case of three steps. It appears unrealistic to expect similar results for more than five steps. New results are also presented concerning the moments of uniform random walks and, in particular, their derivatives. Relations with Mahler measures are discussed.
Opportunities to Increase the Effectiveness of EHR-Based Diabetes Clinical Decision Support
Authors: O‘Connor P.
Published: August 2011

There are many opportunities to improve diabetes care through more effective use of EHR-based CDS. The report of Kantor et al. [16] is encouraging because it demonstrates sustained efforts by leading health care organizations to implement diabetes-related EHR-based CDS. However, lack of sophisticated treatment-specific CDS and lack of prioritized recommendations are a cause for concern. Even more disturbing is the substantive heterogeneity in content of diabetes CDS recommendations now in the field. Some of CDS recommendations described by Kantor et al. [16] are clearly not evidence-based and could increase costs while not improving clinical benefits. The timely identification of these problems is an awkward but necessary first step towards improvement. The health care organizations that are pioneers in the field should be congratulated and encouraged to continue their collaborative efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of EHR-based CDS. Attending to the modest proposals put forward here and by others may help translate the massive investments that we have made in EHR technology into clinical benefits for our patients.
Forty Four Years of Debate: The Impact of Race, Community and Conflict
Authors: Moore Robert
Published: August 2011

Race, Community and Conflict by John Rex and Robert Moore was published in 1967 and had a considerable public impact through press and TV. Forty four years later it is still widely cited in research on British urban society and ‘race relations’. It is used in teaching research methods, theory, urban sociology and ‘race relations’ to undergraduates. This article describes and explains the immediate impact of the book and its more lasting contribution to sociology. Race, Community and Conflict immediately addressed contemporary public issues around immigration and race relations and was the first book systematically to explore the responses of one city administration to the arrival of new migrants drawn in by the local demand for labour. The longer term impact of the book, it is argued, derives from its attempt to create a theoretical framework deriving from both the work of the Chicago School of Sociology and the adoption of a Weberian approach to social class and urban conflict. The combination of theorised structural analysis with detailed local ethnographic approaches to research probably accounts for the book's continued contribution to the teaching of sociology.
Experimenting with Sociology: A View from the Outlook Tower
Authors: Bates Charlotte
Published: August 2011

This paper describes a site-specific sociological experiment and looks back at the history of British sociology from the Outlook Tower in Edinburgh. It considers the role of technological innovation in observation, and explores how attention is guided through two exercises in sensory attunement; augmented listening and telescopic looking. Reconfiguring the observer through different technologies and devices, the paper questions what it means to listen and to look, and highlights how our sociological outlook is deeply ethical and historical.
Post ‘Celtic Tiger’ Ireland, Silver Vigilantes and Public Sociology: Protesting against Global Neoliberalisation
Authors: Monaghan Lee F.
Published: August 2011

It is not just publicly funded universities that are facing a cold and hard future in the aftershock of the 2008 global banking crisis. Nations, such as Ireland, are similarly affected as states seek to appease ‘the markets’ and cover private banks' losses at the public's expense. As this wave of neoliberalisation, or market fundamentalism, proceeds we may ask: what is the role of sociology? Drawing from an exploratory study of financial activism, notably silver vigilantism and the Crash JP Morgan Campaign, this paper endorses global public sociology among threatened publics. As per Michael Burawoy's calls for public sociology, this entails promoting reflexive knowledge and democratic dialogue in the defence of civil society. After outlining the core tenets, strengths and weaknesses of silver vigilantism, the role of public sociology and the need for further research are underscored as the economic crisis continues in post ‘Celtic Tiger' Ireland and beyond.
The Impact of Feminism on Sociology
Authors: Walby Sylvia
Published: August 2011

The paper investigates the impact of feminism on British sociology over the last 60 years. It focuses on changes in the intellectual content of the discipline, including epistemology, methodology, theory, concepts and the fields of economy, polity, violence and civil society. It situates these changes in the context of changes in gendered organisation of sociology, the rise of women's/gender studies, the ecology of social sciences and societal changes, especially the transformation of the gender regime from domestic to public and the neoliberal turn. It concludes that feminism has had a major impact on sociology, but that the process through which this has taken place is highly mediated through organisational, disciplinary and social processes.
Ray Pahl's Sociological Career: Fifty Years of Impact
Authors: Crow Graham , Takeda Naoko
Published: August 2011

The history of a discipline records the careers of its practitioners as well as providing an account their ideas. Studying these careers reveals much about the particular people and their work, and also provides insights into general questions such as how disciplines evolve, and how impact can be achieved amongst and beyond academic peers. This article focuses on the career of R. E. (Ray) Pahl. It argues that his position in British sociology over the last half century can be attributed in particular to two things. First, Pahl was committed to asking sociological questions whilst being open to other influences; we call him an interdisciplinary sociologist. Secondly, his approach engaged simultaneously with theoretical, methodological and substantive elements of the discipline rather than treating them as areas of separate expertise. These key facets of his work help in understanding why his work has reached such a wide range of audiences, and in explaining his distinctive record as a sociologist within and beyond the academy, which long pre-dates current concerns with ‘impact’.
Paradoxes and Pitfalls in Using Fuzzy Set QCA: Illustrations from a Critical Review of a Study of Educational Inequality
Authors: Cooper Barry , Glaesser Judith
Published: August 2011

Charles Ragin's crisp set and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA and fsQCA) are being used by increasing numbers of social scientists interested in combining analytic rigour with case-based approaches. As with all techniques that become available in easy-to-use software packages, there is a danger that QCA will come to be used in a routinised manner, with not enough attention being paid to its particular strengths and weaknesses. Users of fsQCA in particular need to be very aware of particular problems that can arise when fuzzy logic lies behind their analyses. This paper aims to increase its readers' understanding of some of these problems and of some means by which they might be alleviated. We use a critical discussion of a recent paper by Freitag and Schlicht addressing social inequality in education in Germany as our vehicle. After summarising the substantive claims of the paper, we explain some key features of QCA. We subsequently discuss two main issues, (i) limited diversity and the various ways of using counterfactual reasoning to address it, and (ii) the logical paradoxes that can arise when using fsQCA. Making different choices than Freitag and Schlicht do in respect of dealing with these two issues, we undertake some reanalysis of their data, showing that their conclusions must be treated with some caution. We end by drawing some general lessons for users of QCA.
Death as a Fateful Moment? The Reflexive Individual and Scottish Funeral Practices
Authors: Caswell Glenys
Published: August 2011

Death is considered by some commentators to be problematic for the inhabitants of a late modern era, so that when individuals are confronted by death they revert to using traditional institutions and practices. This paper draws on sociological research exploring Scottish funeral practices to consider whether this is the case, or whether individuals are able to employ a process of self-reflexivity even when they are planning the funeral of someone about whom they cared. Two funerals are described in the article, and the suggestion is made that their organisers behaved some of the time as reflexive individuals as well as also making use of the traditional authorities of modernity, such as the family and church.
Toward a more physical representation of precipitation scavenging in global chemistry models: cloud overlap and ice physics and their impact on tropospheric ozone
Authors: Neu J. L. , Prather M. J.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. Uptake and removal of soluble trace gases and aerosols by precipitation represents a major uncertainty in the processes that control the vertical distribution of atmospheric trace species. Model representations of precipitation scavenging vary greatly in their complexity, and most are divorced from the physics of precipitation formation and transformation. Here, we describe a new large-scale precipitation scavenging algorithm, developed for the UCI chemistry-transport model (UCI-CTM), that represents a step toward a more physical treatment of scavenging through improvements in the formulation of the removal in sub-gridscale cloudy and ambient environments and their overlap within the column as well as ice phase uptake of soluble species. The UCI algorithm doubles the lifetime of HNO3 in the upper troposphere relative to a scheme with commonly made assumptions about cloud overlap and ice uptake, and provides better agreement with HNO3 observations. We find that the process of ice phase scavenging of HNO3 is a critical component of the tropospheric O3 budget, but that differences in the formulation of ice phase removal, while generating large relative differences in HNO3 abundance, have little impact on NOx and O3. The O3 budget is much more sensitive to the lifetime of HNO4, highlighting the need for better understanding of its interactions with ice and for additional observational constraints.
Identification of the IMF sector structure in near-real time by ground magnetic data
Authors: Janzhura A. S. , Troshichev O. A.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. A method is proposed to determine in near-real time the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) sector structure (SS) effect on geomagnetic data from polar cap stations. To separate the SS effect, whose polarity is invariant within an interval from some days to 2 weeks, from the disturbed solar wind effects with periodicity from minutes to hours, the daily median values of geomagnetic H (or D) component are estimated. Then the median values for 9 days preceding the current day are subjected to 3-days running averages and the interpolation procedure is applied to these smoothed averages. Comparisons of the sector structure reconstructed from the ground magnetic data with the actual variations of the GSM IMF By component measured onboard the ACE spacecraft in the summer months of 1990 and 2001 demonstrate their good agreement with coefficient of correlation R=0.96–0.97 for the H-component and R=0.93–0.95 for the D-component. The proposed simple method makes possible identification of the SS effect in the same near real-time regime as the derivation of the quiet daily curve and as level of reference for the polar cap magnetic disturbances in the calculation of the polar cap magnetic activity PC index.
Modeling impacts of farming management practices on greenhouse gas emissions in the oasis region of China
Authors: Wang Y. , Sun G. J. , Zhang F. , Qi J. , Zhao C. Y.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. Agricultural ecosystems are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). An important method of investigating GHG emissions in agricultural ecosystems is model simulation. Field measurements quantifying N2O and CO2 fluxes were taken in a summer maize ecosystem in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, in northwestern China in 2010. Observed N2O and CO2 fluxes were used for validating flux predictions by a DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model. Then sensitivity tests on the validated DNDC model were carried out on three variables: climatic factors, soil properties and agricultural management. Results indicated that: (1) the factors that N2O emissions were sensitive to included nitrogen fertilizer application rate, manure amendment and residue return rate; (2) CO2 emission increased with increasing manure amendment, residue return rate and initial soil organic carbon (SOC); and (3) net global warming potential (GWP) increased with increasing N fertilizer application rate and decreased with manure amendment, residue return rate and precipitation increase. Simulation of the long-term impact on SOC, N2O and net GWP emissions over 100 yr of management led to the conclusion that increasing residue return rate is a more efficient method of mitigating GHG emission than increasing fertilizer N application rate in the study area.
Temperature trends at the Mauna Loa observatory, Hawaii
Authors: Malamud B. D. , Turcotte D. L. , Grimmond C. S. B.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. Observations at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, established the systematic increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. For the same reasons that this site provides excellent globally averaged CO2 data, it may provide temperature data with global significance. Here, we examine hourly temperature records, averaged annually for 1977–2006, to determine linear trends as a function of time of day. For night-time data (22:00 to 06:00 LST (local standard time)) there is a near-uniform warming of 0.040 °C yr−1. During the day, the linear trend shows a slight cooling of −0.014 °C yr−1 at 12:00 LST (noon). Overall, at Mauna Loa Observatory, there is a mean warming trend of 0.021 °C yr−1. The dominance of night-time warming results in a relatively large annual decrease in the diurnal temperature range (DTR) of −0.050 °C yr−1 over the period 1977–2006. These trends are consistent with the observed increases in the concentrations of CO2 and its role as a greenhouse gas (demonstrated here by first-order radiative forcing calculations), and indicate the possible relevance of the Mauna Loa temperature measurements to global warming.
Sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate to Greenland Ice Sheet melting during the Last Interglacial
Authors: Bakker P. , Van Meerbeeck C. J. , Renssen H.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. During the Last Interglacial (LIG; ~130 thousand years BP), part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) melted under the influence of a warmer than present-day climate. However, the impact of this melting on the LIG climate in the North Atlantic region is unknown. Using the LOVECLIM earth system model of intermediate complexity we have systematically tested the sensitivity of the LIG climate to increased freshwater runoff from the GIS. Moreover, additional experiments have been performed to investigate the impact of an idealized reduction of both altitude and extent of the GIS on the LIG climate. By comparing the simulated deep ocean circulation with proxy-based reconstructions, the most realistic simulated climate could be discerned. The resulting climate is characterized by a shutdown of deep convection in the Labrador Sea and a subsequent cooling here by ~6 °C and ~2 °C over the southern part of Baffin Island and the North Atlantic Ocean between 40° N and 60° N. The reduction of altitude and extent of the GIS results in a local warming of up to 6 °C and a reduction in deep convection and accompanying cooling in the Nordic Seas. Combining model results and proxy-based reconstructions enabled us to constrain the possible melt rate of the GIS to a flux between 0.052 Sv and 0.13 Sv. A further comparison of simulated summer temperatures with both continental and oceanic proxy-records reveals that the partial melting of the GIS during the LIG could have delayed maximum summer temperatures in the western part of the North Atlantic region relative to the insolation maximum.
Coastal sea responses to atmospheric forcings at two different resolutions
Authors: Klaić Z. B. , Pasarić Z. , Beg Paklar G. , Oddo P.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. We investigated coastal sea responses to three, multi-day strong wind episodes that occurred in the middle Adriatic during the Target Operational Period (TOP) of the European COastal sea OPerational observing and forecasting system (ECOOP) project. A high-resolution oceanographic model (1 km horizontal, 16 σ vertical layers) based on the modified Princeton Ocean Model (POM) was applied to a highly complex domain located in the coastal area of the eastern Adriatic Sea. The oceanographic model was nested into the Adriatic REGional model (AREG-2) covering the entire Adriatic Sea. Meteorological forcing was prepared by two atmospheric models. The coarser model was the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast model (ECMWF, with horizontal and temporal resolutions of 0.25° and 6 h, respectively), and the finer one was the Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement InterNational model (ALADIN, with horizontal and temporal resolutions of 8 km and 3 h, respectively, and winds dynamically adapted to a horizontal resolution of 2 km). The results show that small-scale atmospheric features, which arise due to the orographically complex mainland and the number of islands and were not reproduced by the coarser atmospheric model, substantially affected surface currents, mass transports, sea surface temperature (SST) and surface salinity in the coastal area during strong Bora. For strong Sirocco, the atmospheric model's resolution was important for currents on the lee sides of islands.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Phase 3 Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Patel Kishan , Ivanov Alexandra , Jocelyn Tajmah , Hantel Andrew , Garcia Jacqueline S. , Abel Gregory A.
Published: June 2024

Importance

Published research suggests that patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are neither commonly collected nor reported in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for solid tumors. Little is known about these practices in RCTs for hematological malignant neoplasms.

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of PROs as prespecified end points in RCTs of hematological malignant neoplasms, and to assess reporting of PROs in associated trial publications.

Evidence Review

All issues of 8 journals known for publishing high-impact RCTs (NEJM, Lancet, Lancet Hematology, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood, JAMA, and JAMA Oncology) between January 1, 2018, and December 13, 2022, were searched for primary publications of therapeutic phase 3 trials for adults with hematological malignant neoplasms. Studies that evaluated pretransplant conditioning regimens, graft-vs-host disease treatment, or radiotherapy as experimental treatment were excluded. Data regarding trial characteristics and PROs were extracted from manuscripts and trial protocols. Univariable analyses assessed associations between trial characteristics and PRO collection or reporting.

Findings

Ninety RCTs were eligible for analysis. PROs were an end point in 66 (73%) trials: in 1 trial (1%) as a primary end point, in 50 (56%) as a secondary end point, and in 15 (17%) as an exploratory end point. PRO data were reported in 26 of 66 primary publications (39%): outcomes were unchanged in 18 and improved in 8, with none reporting worse PROs with experimental treatment. Trials sponsored by for-profit entities were more likely to include PROs as an end point (49 of 55 [89%] vs 17 of 35 [49%]; P < .001) but were not significantly more likely to report PRO data (20 of 49 [41%] vs 6 of 17 [35%]; P = .69). Compared with trials involving lymphoma (18 of 29 [62%]) or leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (18 of 28 [64%]), those involving plasma cell disorders or multiple myeloma (27 of 30 [90%]) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (3 of 3 [100%]) were more likely to include PROs as an end point (P = .03). Similarly, compared with trials involving lymphoma (3 of 18 [17%]) or leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (5 of 18 [28%]), those involving plasma cell disorders or multiple myeloma (16 of 27 [59%]) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (2 of 3 [67%]) were more likely to report PROs in the primary publication (P = .01).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this systematic review, almost 3 of every 4 therapeutic RCTs for blood cancers collected PRO data; however, only 1 RCT included PROs as a primary end point. Moreover, most did not report resulting PRO data in the primary publication and when reported, PROs were either better or unchanged, raising concern for publication bias. This analysis suggests a critical gap in dissemination of data on the lived experiences of patients enrolled in RCTs for hematological malignant neoplasms.
Incorporating Medicare Advantage Admissions Into the CMS Hospital-Wide Readmission Measure
Authors: Kyanko Kelly , Sahay Kashika M. , Wang Yongfei , Li Shu-Xia , Schreiber Michelle , Hager Melissa , Myers Raquel , Johnson Wanda , Zhang Jing , Krumholz Harlan , Suter Lisa G. , Triche Elizabeth W.
Published: June 2024

Importance

Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment is rapidly expanding, yet Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claims-based hospital outcome measures, including readmission rates, have historically included only fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries.

Objective

To assess the outcomes of incorporating MA data into the CMS claims-based FFS Hospital-Wide All-Cause Unplanned Readmission (HWR) measure.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study assessed differences in 30-day unadjusted readmission rates and demographic and risk adjustment variables for MA vs FFS admissions. Inpatient FFS and MA administrative claims data were extracted from the Integrated Data Repository for all admissions for Medicare beneficiaries from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. Measure reliability and risk-standardized readmission rates were calculated for the FFS and MA cohort vs the FFS-only cohort, overall and within specialty subgroups (cardiorespiratory, cardiovascular, medicine, surgery, neurology), then changes in hospital performance quintiles were assessed after adding MA admissions.

Main Outcome and Measure

Risk-standardized readmission rates.

Results

The cohort included 11 029 470 admissions (4 077 633 [37.0%] MA; 6 044 060 [54.8%] female; mean [SD] age, 77.7 [8.2] years). Unadjusted readmission rates were slightly higher for MA vs FFS admissions (15.7% vs 15.4%), yet comorbidities were generally lower among MA beneficiaries. Test-retest reliability for the FFS and MA cohort was higher than for the FFS-only cohort (0.78 vs 0.73) and signal-to-noise reliability increased in each specialty subgroup. Mean hospital risk-standardized readmission rates were similar for the FFS and MA cohort and FFS-only cohorts (15.5% vs 15.3%); this trend was consistent across the 5 specialty subgroups. After adding MA admissions to the FFS-only HWR measure, 1489 hospitals (33.1%) had their performance quintile ranking changed. As their proportion of MA admissions increased, more hospitals experienced a change in their performance quintile ranking (147 hospitals [16.3%] in the lowest quintile of percentage MA admissions; 408 [45.3%] in the highest). The combined cohort added 63 hospitals eligible for public reporting and more than 4 million admissions to the measure.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, adding MA admissions to the HWR measure was associated with improved measure reliability and precision and enabled the inclusion of more hospitals and beneficiaries. After MA admissions were included, 1 in 3 hospitals had their performance quintile changed, with the greatest shifts among hospitals with a high percentage of MA admissions.
Detection, reconstruction and mitigation of deception attacks in nonlinear cyber‐physical systems
Authors: Shahriari‐kahkeshi Maryam , Alem Sayed Amirhosein , Shi Peng
Published: June 2024

This paper proposes a new detection, reconstruction and mitigation scheme for nonlinear cyber‐physical systems experiencing deception attacks in controller‐actuator channel. For early detection of attacks, an anomaly detection unit based on the diagnostic observer is designed. After residual generation and evaluation, attack is detected. Upon attack detection, an adaptive fuzzy wavelet network (FWN) as an online nonlinear estimator is activated to reconstruct the detected malicious attack. Then, attack mitigation mechanism based on the command filtered backstepping approach and reconstructed attack is activated to mitigate the adverse effect of the detected attack. Stability analysis of the suggested strategy is presented and simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the suggested scheme.