bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variáveis auxiliares para o mapeamento da rede de drenagem: correlação espacial entre nascentes, unidades de relevo e litotipos na bacia hidrográfica do rio Benevente-ES
Authors: Sampaio Tony Vinicius Moreira , Augustin C. H. R. R.
Published: April 2015

Processos de mapeamento da rede de drenagem têm limitações metodológicas que resultam em imprecisões e restringem seu uso em estudos ambientais. Tais problemas demandam extensos levantamentos de campo e a busca de variáveis auxiliares que otimizem esses trabalhos, permitindo a análise da acurácia dos ma- pas produzidos. Esta pesquisa mediu a correlação entre nascentes, litotipos e uni- dades de revelo, caracterizadas pelo índice de concentração da rugosidade (ICR) na bacia hidrográfica do rio Benevente-ES, concentrando-se nas operações de álgebra de mapa e na aplicação de técnicas de estatística espacial. Os proce- dimentos adotados identificaram as classes de ICR e litotipos que apresentam maior e menor correlação com a distribuição espacial das nascentes, indicando seu potencial de uso como variáveis auxiliares para a verificação da acurácia das bases cartográficas.
Percepções do cuidador familiar sobre o cuidado prestado ao idoso hospitalizado
Authors: Cabral Bárbara Pires de Andrade Lage , Perez Nunes Ciomara Maria
Published: April 2015

Propõe-se identificar e descrever as percepções de familiares sobre o cuidado ao idoso hospitalizado. É um estudo transversal clínico-qualitativo e a coleta de dados aconteceu em um hospital de urgência e emergência por 30 dias em julho de 2013, finalizada quando atingiu a saturação das respostas. A coleta de dados se deu por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com aplicação dos seguintes instrumentos: perguntas fechadas para caracterização do perfil sociodemográfico da população; semi-abertas para identificar a percepção dos cuidadores familiares sobre o processo de cuidado durante a hospitalização; e aplicação do instrumento Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) para identificar a percepção dos participantes quanto à importância atribuída às principais atividades que realiza, à sua atuação e à sua satisfação com tal atuação no cuidado ao idoso hospitalizado. A amostra contou com 25 cuidadores familiares que destacaram: sentimentos ambivalentes ao prestar os cuidados; dimensões objetivas e subjetivas do cuidado; vantagens e desvantagens de cuidar em casa e no hospital e reflexões sobre o papel de cuidador. O cuidado ao idoso é uma tarefa complexa,
especialmente no contexto hospitalar. Ações voltadas para o cuidador familiar deve ser prática comum das equipes.
Modificações no índice de massa corporal em mulheres idosas após um programa de reabilitação física
Authors: Brito-Gomes Jorge Luiz de , Perrier-Melo Raphael José , Lucena Filho Ademar , Santos Marcos André Moura dos , Costa Manoel Da Cunha , Guimarães Fernando José de Sá Pereira
Published: April 2015

O envelhecimento é um processo complexo, cujas alterações determinam mudanças estruturais e funcionais no corpo humano. Este estudo tem por objetivos: analisar as alterações antropométricas e da composição corporal (massa gorda e massa corporal magra) após a realização de um programa de exercícios em mulheres idosas, e verificar o impacto destas alterações sobre os estratos Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC). Estudou-se 160 mulheres idosas (63,8±2,9 anos) participantes de um programa de atividades físicas sistematizadas durante doze semanas. Foram realizadas medidas antropométricas e da composição corporal antes e após o período de intervenção. O IMC foi utilizado para avaliar adequação do peso corporal e o estado nutricional. Após a intervenção foram observadas reduções significantes na massa corporal total (68,2 ± 9,4 vs 67,2 ± 9,3; p<0,001), massa gorda (23,9 ± 5,3 vs 23,4 ± 5,0; p=<0,001), massa corporal magra (44,3 ± 5,2 vs 43,8 ± 5,3; p<0,001) e no IMC (21,8 ± 3,0 vs 21,4 ± 3,0; p=<0,001). Foram verificadas diferenças significantes entre os estratos do IMC após intervenção (p<0.001). O programa promoveu alterações nos componentes da composição corporal, as quais envolveram reduções da adiposidade corporal e da massa corporal, além de ter contribuído com o controle do IMC em idosas.
Desenvolvimento local participativo, rede social de suporte e ocupação humana: relato de experiência em projeto de extensão
Authors: Correia Ricardo Lopes , Akerman Marco
Published: April 2015

Este artigo relata a experiência exploratória e interdisciplinar de extensão universitária em desenvolvimento local participativo, pela Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP na cidade ribeirinha de Araguaiana, MT. Os aportes teóricos para o trabalho foram os conceitos de redes sociais de suporte e de Ocupação Humana, e construção de ecomapa. Foi possível construir estratégias de mobilização participativa entre diversos atores da realidade local e instituição de ensino para o enfrentamento de problemáticas relacionadas ao trabalho. Concluiu-se que os aportes propostos foram relevantes na construção das estratégias locais, em que a participação ativa foi meio e fim do processo. Possibilitando oportunidade para processos educativos e transformadores da realidade tanto da comunidade local, quanto da crítica e intervenção para questões sociais na formação em saúde.
Darwin na Escola: Relato de Uma Experiência de Divulgação Científica
Authors: Oliveira Graciela Da Silva
Published: April 2015

O objetivo deste artigo é relatar as experiências de um projeto de extensão que buscou estimular o interesse de estudantes do ensino médio pela teoria da evolução biológica, popularizando os conceitos-chave das ideias promulgadas por Charles Darwin (1859). As ações do projeto foram: (1) conhecer, por meio da aplicação de questionários, a percepção que estudantes do ensino médio e seus professores de Biologia apresentam sobre ciência e a teoria da evolução biológica; (2) promover mostras científicas por meio da oferta de oficinas e minicursos nas escolas públicas. Os resultados indicam que as percepções dos estudantes e professores do Ensino Básico, em relação à ciência e à teoria da evolução biológica, são otimistas e positivas, e as crenças pessoais não parecem influenciar em seus posicionamentos sobre o tema. O estudo das percepções de estudantes e professores forneceu subsídios na definição de “o que, para quem e como comunicar” temas científicos no espaço escolar. Assim, seguiu-se a segunda etapa deste projeto – a elaboração e execução de oficinas para estudantes do ensino básico – que resultou em novas oportunidades, para os envolvidos, de reconstruir a relação e atribuir valores a ciência.
Avaliação do Curso de Saúde e Segurança do Trabalho – Capacitação segundo a NR32: Campus de Ribeirão Preto / USP de 2010 a 2013
Authors: Watanabe Evandro , Razaboni Ana Maria , Takayanagui Angela Maria Magosso , Machado Alcyone Artioli , Castro Sandra Márcia De
Published: April 2015

Os dados de avaliação do curso Saúde e Segurança do Trabalho – capacitação segundo a NR32, oferecido anualmente, no período de 2010 a 2013, no Campus da USP de Ribeirão Preto são apresentados neste trabalho. O objetivo do curso é promover a capacitação de servidores não docentes em saúde e segurança no trabalho ao propiciar condições para minimização de riscos de diferentes agentes nos ambientes ocupacionais por meio da aquisição de conhecimentos a respeito das doenças, acidentes e normas vigentes. Durante os quatro anos do curso predominou a participação do gênero feminino, sendo a Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, a unidade com maior número de alunos. Quanto à atividade funcional dos alunos, houve predomínio daqueles provenientes de biotério e de laboratórios, especialmente de técnicos e auxiliares. Assim, pela contínua demanda e resultado constatado ao longo do período analisado, considera-se que o curso alcançou seus objetivos, enquanto módulo de educação continuada, o que indica a necessidade da manutenção de seu oferecimento anual. Ainda, nos próximos anos almeja-se avaliar o impacto do curso nas unidades e serviços do campus, visando o aprimoramento e adequação às reais necessidades dos diferentes setores de atuação dos servidores do campus USP de Ribeirão Preto.
Efficacy of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Is Coupled to Phosphodiesterase 2A in Cardiac Sympathetic Neurons
Authors: Li Dan , Lu Chieh-Ju , Hao Guoliang , Wright Hannah , Woodward Lavinia , Liu Kun , Vergari Elisa , Surdo Nicoletta C. , Herring Neil , Zaccolo Manuela , Paterson David J.
Published: April 2015

Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) regulates cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity. Its elevation is regarded as an early compensatory response to cardiac failure where it can facilitate sympathovagal balance and cardiorenal homeostasis. However, recent reports suggest a paradoxical proadrenergic action of BNP. Because phosphodiesterase activity is altered in cardiovascular disease, we tested the hypothesis that BNP might lose its efficacy by minimizing the action of cGMP on downstream pathways coupled to neurotransmission. BNP decreased norepinephrine release from atrial preparations in response to field stimulation and also significantly reduced the heart rate responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation in vitro. Using electrophysiological recording and fluorescence imaging, BNP also reduced the depolarization evoked calcium current and intracellular calcium transient in isolated cardiac sympathetic neurons. Pharmacological manipulations suggested that the reduction in the calcium transient was regulated by a cGMP/protein kinase G pathway. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements for cAMP, and an immunoassay for cGMP, showed that BNP increased cGMP, but not cAMP. In addition, overexpression of phosphodiesterase 2A after adenoviral gene transfer markedly decreased BNP stimulation of cGMP and abrogated the BNP responses to the calcium current, intracellular calcium transient, and neurotransmitter release. These effects were reversed on inhibition of phosphodiesterase 2A. Moreover, phosphodiesterase 2A activity was significantly elevated in stellate neurons from the prohypertensive rat compared with the normotensive control. Our data suggest that abnormally high levels of phosphodiesterase 2A may provide a brake against the inhibitory action of BNP on sympathetic transmission.
Aortic Blood Flow Reversal Determines Renal Function
Authors: Hashimoto Junichiro , Ito Sadayoshi
Published: April 2015

Aortic stiffness determines the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and predicts the progressive decline of the GFR. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanism remains obscure. Recent evidence has shown a close link between aortic stiffness and the bidirectional (systolic forward and early diastolic reverse) flow characteristics. We hypothesized that the aortic stiffening–induced renal dysfunction is attributable to altered central flow dynamics. In 222 patients with hypertension, Doppler velocity waveforms were recorded at the proximal descending aorta to calculate the reverse/forward flow ratio. Tonometric waveforms were recorded to measure the carotid-femoral (aortic) and carotid-radial (peripheral) pulse wave velocities, to estimate the aortic pressure from the radial waveforms, and to compute the aortic characteristic impedance. In addition, renal hemodynamics was evaluated by duplex ultrasound. The estimated GFR was inversely correlated with the aortic pulse wave velocity, reverse/forward flow ratio, pulse pressure, and characteristic impedance, whereas it was not correlated with the peripheral pulse wave velocity or mean arterial pressure. The association between aortic pulse wave velocity and estimated GFR was independent of age, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and antihypertensive medication. However, further adjustment for the aortic reverse/forward flow ratio and pulse pressure substantially weakened this association, and instead, the reverse/forward flow ratio emerged as the strongest determinant of estimated GFR (
P
=0.001). A higher aortic reverse/forward flow ratio was also associated with lower intrarenal forward flow velocities. These results suggest that an increase in aortic flow reversal (ie, retrograde flow from the descending thoracic aorta toward the aortic arch), caused by aortic stiffening and impedance mismatch, reduces antegrade flow into the kidney and thereby deteriorates renal function.
CAPON Modulates Neuronal Calcium Handling and Cardiac Sympathetic Neurotransmission During Dysautonomia in Hypertension
Authors: Lu Chieh-Ju , Hao Guoliang , Nikiforova Natalia , Larsen Hege E. , Liu Kun , Crabtree Mark J. , Li Dan , Herring Neil , Paterson David J.
Published: April 2015

Genome-wide association studies implicate a variant in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase adaptor protein (CAPON) in electrocardiographic QT variation and sudden cardiac death. Interestingly, nitric oxide generated by neuronal NO synthase-1 reduces norepinephrine release; however, this pathway is downregulated in animal models of cardiovascular disease. Because sympathetic hyperactivity can trigger arrhythmia, is this neural phenotype linked to CAPON dysregulation? We hypothesized that CAPON resides in cardiac sympathetic neurons and is a part of the prediseased neuronal phenotype that modulates calcium handling and neurotransmission in dysautonomia. CAPON expression was significantly reduced in the stellate ganglia of spontaneously hypertensive rats before the development of hypertension compared with age-matched Wistar–Kyoto rats. The neuronal calcium current (I
Ca
; n=8) and intracellular calcium transient ([Ca
2+
]
i
; n=16) were significantly larger in the spontaneously hypertensive rat than in Wistar–Kyoto rat (
P
<0.05). A novel noradrenergic specific vector (Ad.PRSx8-mCherry/CAPON) significantly upregulated CAPON expression, NO synthase-1 activity, and cGMP in spontaneously hypertensive rat neurons without altering NO synthase-1 levels. Neuronal I
Ca
and [Ca
2+
]
i
were significantly reduced after CAPON transduction compared with the empty vector. In addition, Ad.PRSx8-mCherry/CAPON also reduced
3
H-norepinephrine release from spontaneously hypertensive rat atria (n=7). NO synthase-1 inhibition (AAAN, 10 μmol/L; n=6) reversed these effects compared with the empty virus alone. In conclusion, targeted upregulation of CAPON decreases cardiac sympathetic hyperactivity. Moreover, dysregulation of this adaptor protein in sympathetic neurons might further amplify the negative cardiac electrophysiological properties seen with CAPON mutations.
Variability of Antithrombotic Dosing Among Veterans Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Plomondon Mary E. , Lambert‐Kerzner Anne C. , Jennewein Xuefei , Fagan Katherine , McCreight Marina , Fehling Kelty B. , Tsai Thomas T. , Ho P. Michael
Published: April 2015

Background

Antithrombotic therapy for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients is recommended by clinical practice guidelines. Appropriate dosing of antithrombotic therapy is necessary to ensure effectiveness and safety and is an American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association ST elevated myocardial infarction/non‐ST elevated myocardial infarction performance measure. This study describes the variability in dosing of unfractionated heparin (UH) and low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) in an integrated health care system with electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry (CPOE).

Methods and Results

This was a mixed‐methods study of veterans presenting with ACS at 135 Veterans Health Administration hospitals from 2009 to 2011. Patients hospitalized with ACS and received antithrombotic therapy were included (n=36 682). The cohort was 98% male with an average age of 66 years and median body mass index (BMI) of 28.6. The average percentage of patients by hospital who received an above‐recommended dose of either antithrombotic was 7.5% and ranged 0% to 32.0%. By individual therapy, the average percentage of patients by hospital who received an above‐recommended dose of UH was 1.2% and LMWH was 12.9%. Risk‐adjusted analyses demonstrated that older age and higher BMI were associated with lower risk for receiving a dose above recommended levels. Additionally, there was an association between antithrombotic ordered by a resident and higher risk of the patient receiving an above‐recommended dose. Qualitative interviews supported the quantitative findings by highlighting the need to use current patient weight and the need to adequately train providers on the use of CPOE to improve antithrombotic dosing.

Conclusion

This study found wide hospital variability in dosing of antithrombotics above the recommended level for patients treated for ACS.
Quantitative Tissue‐Tracking Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) of Left Atrial Deformation and the Risk of Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Inoue Yuko Y. , Alissa Abdullah , Khurram Irfan M. , Fukumoto Kotaro , Habibi Mohammadali , Venkatesh Bharath A. , Zimmerman Stefan L. , Nazarian Saman , Berger Ronald D. , Calkins Hugh , Lima Joao A. , Ashikaga Hiroshi
Published: April 2015

Background

Recent evidence suggests that left atrial (LA) dysfunction may be mechanistically contributing to cerebrovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the association between regional LA function and a prior history of stroke during sinus rhythm in patients referred for catheter ablation of AF.

Methods and Results

A total of 169 patients (59
±
10 years, 74% male, 29% persistent AF) with a history of AF in sinus rhythm at the time of pre‐ablation cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were analyzed. The LA volume, emptying fraction, strain (S), and strain rate (SR) were assessed by tissue‐tracking cardiac magnetic resonance. The patients with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (n=18) had greater LA volumes (V
max
and V
min
;
P
=0.02 and
P
<0.001, respectively), lower LA total emptying fraction (
P
<0.001), lower LA maximum and pre‐atrial contraction strains (S
max
and S
preA
;
P
<0.001 and
P
=0.01, respectively), and lower absolute values of LA SR during left ventricular (LV) systole and early diastole (SR
s
and SR
e
;
P
=0.005 and 0.03, respectively) than those without stroke/transient ischemic attack (n=151). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the LA reservoir function, including total emptying fraction, S
max
, and SR
s
, was associated with stroke/transient ischemic attack (odds ratio 0.94, 0.91, and 0.17;
P
=0.03, 0.02, and 0.04, respectively) after adjusting for the CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc score and LA V
min
.

Conclusions

Depressed LA reservoir function assessed by tissue‐tracking cardiac magnetic resonance is significantly associated with a prior history of stroke/transient ischemic attack in patients with AF. Our findings suggest that assessment of LA reservoir function can improve the risk stratification of cerebrovascular events in AF patients.
Puzzles, Time, and Ethnographic Sensibilities: Research Methods after the Arab Spring
Authors: Pearlman Wendy
Published: April 2015

Parallel transformations in both the post-Arab spring Middle East and the publishing world present tests for scholars of the region. This essay suggests three strategies for reframing challenges as opportunities and reconceptualizing the seeming liabilities of academic work as resources. First, I propose that the surprising character of recent upheavals ought not demoralize scholarly inquiry but rather invigorate it by showcasing the kinds of difficult puzzles that propel innovation in research and theory-building. Second, I suggest that the fast pace of publishing over the Internet should renew our appreciation for its antithesis: the unique benefits of exploring and developing ideas slowly over time. Third, I argue that these two challenges-turned-opportunities come together to highlight the value of research methods with an ethnographic sensibility. These approaches can help us ground theory in a more nuanced understanding of the individual and the lived experience of change.
Is There Strength in Numbers?
Authors: Pellicer Miquel , Wegner Eva , Cavatorta Francesco
Published: April 2015

Studies of the Middle East and North Africa have very often relied on qualitative methodologies to understand and explain the politics of the region. In fact it could be argued that Middle East specialists have tended to shy away purposefully from engaging with quantitative methods because of the perceived ‘exceptionalism’ of the region in terms of the gathering and reliability of hard data. This article makes the case for increasing engagement with quantitative methodologies in order for studies on the Middle East to better 'speak' to comparative politics more broadly. Far from downplaying the significance and contribution of qualitative methods, this article encourages scholars to integrate them with quantitative methods that have been more recently developed to provide a fuller picture of politics in the region.
Monarchs and Mamluks, or How Do You Say “Thank You” for $20 Billion
Authors: Bulliet Richard W.
Published: April 2015

The causes and processes of the Arab Spring movements are less important for current political developments than the responses to those movements by states that were not directly involved. After discussing the Turkish, Israeli, Iranian, and American responses, the focus turns to the recently announced military cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Did the Saudi government conspire with the Egyptian high command to plot the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Cairo? If so, as seems likely, was the United States aware of the conspiracy? More importantly, what does the linkage between the Egyptian army and Saudi and Gulf financial support for President al-Sisi's regime suggest for the future of stability and legitimate rule in the Arab world?
Public Policy Making in Tunisia: The Contribution of Policy Research Institutes
Authors: Kherigi Intissar , Amiri Khalil
Published: April 2015

The concept of governance is increasingly used to describe a range of factors relating to “the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels.” The process of policymaking lies at the heart of the governance challenge. The conception, planning, implementation and evaluation of public policies are the visible outcomes of the process of exercising economic, political and administrative authority. These policy processes and their outcomes can be measured, assessed and evaluated in order to improve governance and achieve higher value outcomes for the public. The important role of applied research in this process is increasingly being recognised by practitioners. This paper examines the role of policy research institutes in Tunisia in policy evaluation and providing policy makers with valuable data and analysis in order to contribute to a better understanding of policy problems and more effective policies that are targeted to the needs of the affected groups. Our research shows that such institutes are developing a stake in the policymaking process in Tunisia, using new spaces for policy research and critical engagement to scrutinise and question government policies, challenge policy frameworks and government models and raise new policy problems. The paper examines the challenges facing these institutes and presents recommendations for strengthening their role in order to contribute to developing more effective forms of policy monitoring and evaluation that can help the state to design more effective public services, assist legislative bodies to better exercise their role of democratic oversight, and raise the public’s level of understanding of, and engagement in, how their government is conducting their affairs.
‘Nado minimum!’
Authors: Stern Dieter
Published: April 2015

This article deals with the impact of a major redesign of public space at a cross-border market on the Russian—Chinese border on customer—seller interrelations. The location in question is the Chinese border town of Manzhouli, which, over the last two decades, has risen to become a bustling town of cross-border tourism and retail trade. It will be shown that the large-scale replacement of makeshift market stalls by huge, ostentatious department store buildings is paralleled by the way Chinese traders try to impose a more restricted and rule-governed price regime in their interactions with Russian customers. Russian customers react to this recent shift in appearance and behaviour by sticking to received perceptions of the border as a place outside orderly society and will accordingly reject the Chinese reinterpretation of the cross-border market location.
Why Do Kalmyks Want A New National Leader?
Authors: Churyumova Elvira
Published: April 2015

This paper is a brief political and ethnographic commentary on the ‘issues of weakness’ in the current political leadership of Kalmykia. In the Republic of Kalmykia, southwest Russia, ideas about national leaders have been subject to change, depending on the political regime in Russia. Whereas in the Soviet period good leaders, both historical and contemporary, were thought to be skilful managers who did not necessarily have the power to change the course of history, in the post-Soviet period proper national leaders are considered to be those who are endowed with the power to influence history. According to the author, this change in the concept of leadership became possible owing to certain political developments in post-Soviet Kalmykia that allowed alternative ideas to contest some tenets of the Soviet historiography, such ideas remaining largely intact. The tension in Kalmyk historiography between old Soviet and new ideas is unresolved, a situation which is symptomatic of wider tensions and transformations occurring in Kalmyk society itself.
A new species of Cottus from the Onega River drainage, White Sea basin (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)
Authors: SIDELEVA VALENTINA G. , NASEKA ALEXANDER M. , ZHIDKOV ZAKHAR V.
Published: April 2015

Cottus gratzianowi, a new cottid species, is described from material collected in the Ukhtomitsa River in the Onega River drainage, White Sea basin. It differs from its congeners in Europe east of the Meuse except C. koshewnikowi by having no transverse dark bands on the pelvic fin, a single chin canal pore, an incomplete lateral line not reaching behind the anal-fin insertion, and the position of the lateral line which is located considerably above the mid-line of the flank. From C. koshewnikowi distributed in the Volga (Caspian basin), Pechora, and Northern Dvina rivers (Arctic basin), C. gratzianowi sp. nov. can be distinguished by a combination of character states, the most differentiating are as follows: a larger eye (horizontal diameter 23−28% HL, equal to or exceeding snout length vs. 16−25% HL, less than snout length), a rounded caudal fin (vs. commonly truncated), frequent presence of one to three branched rays in median part of the pectoral fin (vs. usual absence), an interrupted supratemporal canal commissure with 4 pores (vs. non-interrupted, with 3 pores), abdominal vertebrae commonly 10 (vs. 11), and contrasting black blotches on all fins including pelvic and anal fins (vs. no blotches on pelvic and anal fins).
A new synonymy in the fidius group of Copris Müller 1764 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) and a new species from the highland grasslands of South Africa
Authors: DESCHODT CHRISTIAN M. , DAVIS ADRIAN L.V. , SCHOLTZ CLARKE H.
Published: April 2015

The fidius group constitutes the basal clade in a phylogeny of the Afrotropical members of the genus, Copris Müller, 1764. In this paper we describe Copris crassus Deschodt and Davis as a new species in this group. We also demonstrate that the distributional function between two body dimensions (lateral horn length and mid-line elytron length) differs between Copris fidius (Olivier 1789) and C. crassus. Copris bihamatus Balthasar, 1965 is also a member of the fidius group. Nguyen-Phung (1988) suspected that it was a synonym of C. fidius (Olivier) so we compare specimens of similar body size and use the distributional function between body dimensions to demonstrate that C. bihamatus is indeed a synonym of C. fidius. We provide a key for all known valid species in the fidius group, except C. serius Nguyen-Phung, 1987.
The Impact of Poleward Moisture and Sensible Heat Flux on Arctic Winter Sea Ice Variability*
Authors: Park Hyo-Seok , Lee Sukyoung , Son Seok-Woo , Feldstein Steven B. , Kosaka Yu
Published: April 2015

The surface warming in recent decades has been most rapid in the Arctic, especially during the winter. Here, by utilizing global reanalysis and satellite datasets, it is shown that the northward flux of moisture into the Arctic during the winter strengthens the downward infrared radiation (IR) by 30–40 W m−2 over 1–2 weeks. This is followed by a decline of up to 10% in sea ice concentration over the Greenland, Barents, and Kara Seas. A climate model simulation indicates that the wind-induced sea ice drift leads the decline of sea ice thickness during the early stage of the strong downward IR events, but that within one week the cumulative downward IR effect appears to be dominant. Further analysis indicates that strong downward IR events are preceded several days earlier by enhanced convection over the tropical Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This finding suggests that sea ice predictions can benefit from an improved understanding of tropical convection and ensuing planetary wave dynamics.
Influences of Time-Dependent Precipitation on Water Mass Transformation, Heat Fluxes, and Deep Convection in Marginal Seas
Authors: Yasuda Yuki , Spall Michael A.
Published: April 2015

Influences of time-dependent precipitation on water mass transformation and heat budgets in an idealized marginal sea are examined using theoretical and numerical models. The equations proposed by Spall in 2012 are extended to cases with time-dependent precipitation whose form is either a step function or a sinusoidal function. The theory predicts the differences in temperature and salinity between the convective water and the boundary current as well as the magnitudes of heat fluxes into the marginal sea and across the sea surface. Moreover, the theory reveals that there are three inherent time scales: relaxation time scales for temperature and salinity and a precipitation time scale. The relaxation time scales are determined by a steady solution of the theoretical model with steady precipitation. The relaxation time scale for temperature is always smaller than that for salinity as a result of not only the difference in the form of fluxes at the surface but also the variation in the eddy transport from the boundary current. These three time scales and the precipitation amplitude determine the strength of the ocean response to changes in precipitation and the phase relation between precipitation, changes in salinity and temperature, and changes in heat fluxes. It is demonstrated that the theoretical predictions agree qualitatively well with results from the eddy-resolving numerical model. This demonstrates the fundamental role of mesoscale eddies in the ocean response to time-dependent forcing and provides a framework with which to assess the extent to which observed variability in marginal sea convection and water mass transformation are consistent with an external forcing by variations in precipitation.
The Relationship between Automated Low-Level Velocity Calculations from the WSR-88D and Maximum Tornado Intensity Determined from Damage Surveys
Authors: Kingfield Darrel M. , LaDue James G.
Published: April 2015

The relationship between automated low-level velocity derived from WSR-88D severe storm algorithms and two groups of tornado intensity were evaluated using a 4-yr climatology of 1975 tornado events spawned from 1655 supercells and 320 quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs). A comparison of peak velocity from groups of detections from the Mesocyclone Detection Algorithm and Tornado Detection Algorithm for each tornado track found overlapping distributions when discriminating between weak [rated as category 0 or 1 on the enhanced Fujita scale (EF0 and EF1)] and strong (EF2–5) events for both rotational and delta velocities. Dataset thresholding by estimated affected population lowered the range of observed velocities, particularly for weak tornadoes while retaining a greater frequency of events for strong tornadoes. Heidke skill scores for strength discrimination were dependent on algorithm, velocity parameter, population threshold, and convective mode, and varied from 0.23 and 0.66. Bootstrapping the skill scores for each algorithm showed a wide range of low-level velocities (at least 7 m s−1 in width) providing an equivalent optimal skill at discriminating between weak and strong tornadoes. This ultimately limits identification of a single threshold for optimal strength discrimination but the results match closely with larger prior manual studies of low-level velocities.
When the Analytic Patient has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Bernstein Stephen B.
Published: April 2015

Most analysts are now treating or can expect to treat adult patients with cognitive deficits such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), based on the prevalence of this syndrome in children and its continuation into adulthood. ADHD is a cognitive disorder considered by nonanalytic and analytic writers to be a dysfunction of affect regulation and behavioral inhibition. Analysis deals with these issues, and most analytic theories address affect regulation. Manifestations of ADHD can mimic the clinical expression of intrapsychic conflict, in which the cognitive deficits are embedded. If these symptoms are interpreted primarily as transference resistances without acknowledging the cognitive contribution, the patient may experience a resurgence of feeling misunderstood and shamed, helpless and defective. Confusion in the countertransference is a hallmark of analyses in which cognitive deficits are intertwined with psychic conflict, sometimes leading the analyst to compartmentalize the cognitive and the conflictual and to miss aspects of the patient and the process. Appropriate action within the analytic frame may be needed to help the patient seek information, specialists, or coaches to deal with limitations in executive functioning. A variety of technical considerations and confusions in the countertransference are illustrated.
Historical Sociology’s Puzzle of the Missing Transitions
Authors: Cohen Mark
Published: April 2015

Prominent accounts of the transition to capitalism have a far too limited understanding of pre-capitalist agrarian economies’ potential for dynamism. Recent research shows that conditions earlier accounts identify as triggers for a transition to capitalism could be present without a transition occurring. I expand on implications of these cases of “missing transitions” for theorizing the dynamics of pre-capitalist agrarian economies. I present a theoretical framework that shows how phenomena previously associated with the transition to capitalism—such as flexible property rights in land and labor, extensive markets, and accumulation of industrial and mercantile wealth—emerged in pre-capitalist societies without leading to capitalist development. I illustrate the analytic upshot of this framework by considering the case study of Japan in the Tokugawa era (1603 to 1868). For historical sociologists, early modern Japan has long been seen as an anomalous case, puzzlingly mixing developments thought to represent early signs of capitalism with evidence of the durable survival of the feudal social order. In light of a more accurate account of the forces for and limits of dynamism in pre-capitalist agrarian economies, Tokugawa-era Japan is no longer a puzzling anomaly.
A Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy
Authors: Skaaning Svend-Erik , Gerring John , Bartusevičius Henrikas
Published: April 2015

Recent years have seen an efflorescence of work focused on the definition and operationalization of democracy. One debate concerns whether democracy is best measured by binary or graded scales. Critics of binary indices point out at that they are overly reductionist, while defenders counter that the different levels of graded measures are not associated with a specific set of conditions. Against this backdrop, we propose to operationalize electoral democracy as a series of necessary and sufficient conditions arrayed in an ordinal scale. The resulting “lexical” index of electoral democracy, based partly on new data, covers all independent countries of the world from 1800 to 2013. It incorporates binary coding of its subcomponents, which are aggregated into an ordinal scale using a cumulative logic. In this fashion, we arrive at an index that performs a classificatory function—each level identifies a unique and theoretically meaningful regime-type—as well as a discriminating function.
A Behavioral Intervention for Reducing Postcompletion Errors in a Safety-Critical System
Authors: McDonald Joseph D. , Durso Francis T.
Published: April 2015

Objective:

We investigated the effectiveness of a theoretically motivated intervention at reducing procedural errors in train yard operations, where making these errors could be costly or life-threatening.

Background:

A widespread and persistent memory error that people commit on a daily basis is the postcompletion error (PCE), that is, forgetting to complete the final step of a procedural task in which the final step occurs after completion of the task goal. PCEs occur in the railroad industry when a locomotive conductor changes the direction of a rail switch but fails to report this change. This particular error could contribute to unsafe conditions as another train traveling on the same track could derail. Although training can help reduce some of the factors leading to unsafe conditions on the rail, research has demonstrated that PCEs are different from other errors of omission in that they cannot be eliminated through training, which makes them a difficult problem to address.

Method:

Twenty-eight undergraduates completed train yard tasks within a mid-fidelity simulator used in commercial rail operations for training. Each participant received the behavioral intervention in one block and no intervention in another. Specifically, participants were required to perform an additional task designed to remind participants of the postcompletion step.

Results:

Our intervention significantly reduced PCE rates in the context of train yard operations, on average by 65%.

Conclusion:

We discuss implications of the effectiveness of our intervention at reducing train yard accidents and how this outcome can contribute to the literature on the cause of PCEs.

Application:

In cases such as the railroad industry, where redesigning technology is prohibitive, our behavioral intervention is an effective alternative for significantly reducing PCEs.
Music Composition in the High School Curriculum
Authors: Menard Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2015

Student and teacher perceptions regarding composition instruction were investigated using case study techniques in two high school music programs: a general music program providing accelerated instruction to gifted musicians in small classes and a typical performance-based band program. Students in both programs participated in a composition instruction program. Qualitative data included student and teacher interviews, observation, and participant journals. Quantitative data included administration of a composition attitude survey and assessment of student compositions. Analysis of band director perceptions revealed themes identifying challenges to implementing composition instruction: performance culture traditions, time, class setting, teacher preparation, and lack of student fundamental musical knowledge. Teachers in both programs identified benefits as development of student potential, importance of exposure to composition, and increased musical understanding. In the band program, student attitude toward composition increased significantly from pre- to post-instruction, while the general music students, with previous composition experience, showed no change in attitude. Students from both programs identified time as a challenge to composition and also indicated frustration in their lack of fundamental music knowledge. Students identified enjoyment, improved musical understanding, personal expression, increased interest in music, and understanding composition process as benefits to composition experience.
Patterns of Statewide Test Participation for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Authors: Saven Jessica L. , Anderson Daniel , Nese Joseph F. T. , Farley Dan , Tindal Gerald
Published: April 2015

Students with significant cognitive disabilities are eligible to participate in two statewide testing options for accountability: alternate assessments or general assessments with appropriate accommodations. Participation guidelines are generally quite vague, leading to students “switching” test participation between years. In this study, we tracked test participation for two cohorts of students with a documented disability over 3 years. Results suggested approximately 25% of students who initially took the alternate assessment switched test type at least once, although patterns of switching were not consistent across disabilities. Students on the performance “bubble” were more likely to switch test participation. Test switching poses challenges for monitoring students’ academic growth within accountability frameworks.
Three-Verb Clusters in Interference Frisian: A Stochastic Model over Sequential Syntactic Input
Authors: Hoekstra Eric , Versloot Arjen
Published: April 2015

Interference Frisian (IF) is a variety of Frisian, spoken by mostly younger speakers, which is heavily influenced by Dutch. IF exhibits all six logically possible word orders in a cluster of three verbs. This phenomenon has been researched by Koeneman and Postma (2006), who argue for a parameter theory, which leaves frequency differences between various orders unexplained. Rejecting Koeneman and Postma’s parameter theory, but accepting their conclusion that Dutch (and Frisian) data are input for the grammar of IF, we will argue that the word order preferences of speakers of IF are determined by frequency and similarity. More specifically, three-verb clusters in IF are sensitive to:

their linear left-to-right similarity to two-verb clusters and three-verb clusters in Frisian and in Dutch; the (estimated) frequency of two- and three-verb clusters in Frisian and Dutch.

The model will be shown to work best if Dutch and Frisian, and two- and three-verb clusters, have equal impact factors. If different impact factors are taken, the model’s predictions do not change substantially, testifying to its robustness. This analysis is in line with recent ideas that the sequential nature of human speech is more important to syntactic processes than commonly assumed, and that less burden need be put on the hierarchical dimension of syntactic structure.
The impact of violence reduction initiatives on emergency department attendance
Authors: Rainey SR , Simpson J , Page S , Crowley M , Evans J , Sheridan M , Ireland AJ
Published: April 2015

Background

Recent violence reduction initiatives in Glasgow have led to a reduction in recorded levels of violent crime.1 This study evaluates the impact of these initiatives on assault-related emergency department attendances and admissions.

Methods

A retrospective observational study conducted in Glasgow Royal Infirmary’s emergency department comparing assault-related emergency department attendances and hospital admissions over two 30-day study periods (April 2010 and April 2012). The primary outcome measure was the change in assault-related emergency department attendances. The secondary outcome measure was the impact on assault-related hospital and critical care admissions.

Results

In April 2010, there were 6098 emergency department attendances, 301 (4.9%) were due to assault. In April 2012, there were 7236 emergency department attendances, 263 (3.6%) were due to assault, representing a significant reduction in assault-related attendances ( p < 0.01). There were significant reductions in level 1 admissions 2010  n = 56 (19.2%), 2012  n = 36 (14.0%) p = 0.04 and critical care admissions, 2010  n = 5 (1.7%), 2012  n = 1 (0.4%) p = 0.04.

Conclusions

Violence reduction initiatives in Glasgow have contributed to a reduction in assault-related emergency department attendance at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The reduction in hospital admissions, in particular critical care admissions, suggests a reduction in morbidity and cost to the National Health Service.
Uncivil cities: Insecurity, policy transfer, tolerance and the case of Barcelona’s ‘Civility Ordinance’
Authors: Galdon-Clavell Gemma
Published: April 2015

In 2005 Barcelona passed an Ordinance to ‘promote and guarantee peaceful coexistence in the city’. This put an end to five months of a political race against the clock. In those weeks, incivility made it to the government’s political agenda and the proposal was drawn up, discussed, amended and finally passed, generating a heated political debate, capturing the attention of the media and articulating a change of course in the government’s approach to community safety and urban disorder. This paper traces back the political and policy process of the Barcelona Ordinance in the context of the literature on the subject, looking at how civility and incivility were defined in this particular local context, but in light of similar processes of ‘defining up’ of deviancy elsewhere. It ends by highlighting the similarities and differences between similar processes in different countries, the policy transfer mechanisms and the active role played by cities in defining the urban security agenda in and beyond the urban sphere between the 1990s and the 2000s.
Politics and the social in world-class cities: Building a Shanghai model
Authors: Samara Tony Roshan
Published: April 2015

The 2010 World Expo in Shanghai provided a unique opportunity to examine emerging visions of utopian urbanism in the Global South, and the contradictions contained within them. The theme of the event was ‘Better City, Better Life’, and in its own promotional literature the Shanghai World Expo Coordinating Committee stressed the importance of sustainable, harmonious cities. The Expo was seen by many proponents as a way to educate the public about the opportunities and challenges cities face, and to identify and demonstrate solutions that harnessed the dynamism of urban space. At the same time, the Expo was itself a massive undertaking of urban redevelopment that dramatically reshaped parts of the downtown landscape and beyond. The aim of this article is to examine the vision of the World Expo that its proponents put forth, and to explore both inherent and extrinsic tensions between this vision and the trajectory of urban development.
Measuring Collective Efficacy
Authors: Matsueda Ross L. , Drakulich Kevin M.
Published: April 2015

This article specifies a multilevel measurement model for survey response when data are nested. The model includes a test–retest model of reliability, a confirmatory factor model of interitem reliability with item-specific bias effects, an individual-level model of the biasing effects due to respondent characteristics, and a neighborhood-level model of construct validity. We apply this model for measuring informal social control within collective efficacy theory. Estimating the model on 3,260 respondents nested within 123 Seattle neighborhoods, we find that measures of informal control show reasonable test–retest and interitem reliability. We find support for the hypothesis that respondents’ assessments of whether their neighbors would intervene in specific child deviant acts are related to whether they have observed such acts in the past, which is consistent with a cognitive model of survey response. Finally, we find that, when proper measurement models are not used, the effects of some neighborhood covariates on informal control are biased upward and the effect of informal social control on violence is biased downward.