bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On large‐time energy concentration in solutions to the Navier‐Stokes equations in general domains
Authors: Skalák Z.
Published: April 2011

Let Ω ⊆ ℝ3 be a uniformly regular domain of the class C3 or Ω = ℝ3. Let A denote the Stokes operator and {Eλ; λ > 0} be the resolution of identity of A. We show as the main result of the paper that if w is a nonzero global weak solution to the Navier‐Stokes equations in Ω satisfying the strong energy inequality, then there exists a nonnegative finite number a = a(w) such that for every ε > 0
\[lim_{t \rightarrow \infty} \frac {||(E_{a+\varepsilon}‐E_{a‐\varepsilon}) w(t)||} {||w(t)||} = 1, \]
where we put Ea‐ε = 0 if a‐ε < 0. Thus, every nonzero global weak solution satisfying the strong energy inequality exhibits large‐time energy concentration in a particular frequency. Moreover, the solutions with the exponentially decreasing energy are characterized by the positivity of a. In Appendix, we present some further results describing in detail the large‐time behavior of w.
Creeping flow past a porous approximate sphere – Stress jump boundary condition
Authors: Srinivasacharya D. , Krishna Prasad M.
Published: April 2011

The problem of flow past and through a porous approximate sphere in a uniform flow at small Reynolds number is considered. It is assumed that the Stokes equation holds outside the sphere and Brinkman's law holds inside the sphere. The stream function and the pressure distribution, both for the flow inside and outside are obtained in terms of Bessel and Gegenbauer functions of the first kind. The drag force experienced by the particle is determined and its variation with respect to permeability parameter for different values of stress jump coefficient is studied numerically. The special cases of flow past a porous sphere and spheroid are obtained from the present analysis.
The Road to Reduced Port Surgery: From Single Big Incisions to Single Small Incisions, and Beyond
Authors: Curcillo Paul G. , Podolsky Erica R. , King Stephanie A.
Published: April 2011

Single‐port surgery has seen almost as rapid an application as multiport laparoscopy during the early 1990s. Hopefully, we will learn from our predecessors to apply the dictums of safety and science as we move forward with this new technique to ensure adequate adoption and successful outcomes with limited errors and concerns along the way.
Outcome after Open Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Patients >80 Years Old: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Biancari Fausto , Mazziotti Maria Alessandra , Paone Rosalba , Laukontaus Sani , Venermo Maarit , Lepäntalo Mauri
Published: April 2011

Background

The role of open repair in the management of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) in patients >80 years old is questioned by the perceived high operative risk of these patients. This issue has been investigated in the present meta‐analysis of observational studies.

Methods

Studies on open repair of RAAA in patients >80 years old were identified in July 2010. The immediate and intermediate results were expressed as pooled proportions with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Linear regression and meta‐regression were performed to evaluate the impact of variables on the immediate postoperative mortality.

Results

Pooled analysis of 29 studies showed that the risk of immediate postoperative mortality in patients >80 years old was significantly higher than in younger patients (risk ratio 1.440, 95%CI 1.365–1.519, I2 36.8%, P = 0.002; risk difference 19.4%, 95% CI 16.4–22.4%, I2 38.8%, P = 0.019). Pooled analysis of 36 studies showed an immediate postoperative mortality rate of 59.2% (95% CI 55.7–62.5, I2 35.62). Immediate postoperative mortality in patients <80 years old positively correlated with that of patients >80 years old (rho: 0.686, P < 0.0001). Intermediate survival data of 111 operative survivors were available from six studies, and their pooled survival rates at 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year were 82.4, 75.6, and 68.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

Immediate and intermediate survival rates of patients >80 years old after open repair of RAAA are acceptable. These findings suggest a more confident approach toward emergency repair of RAAA in the very elderly.
A Collaborative Transdisciplinary “Geriatric Surgery Service” Ensures Consistent Successful Outcomes in Elderly Colorectal Surgery Patients
Authors: Tan Kok‐Yang , Tan Phyllis , Tan Lawrence
Published: April 2011

Background

We hypothesized that a dedicated collaborative transdisciplinary Geriatric Surgery Service (GSS) will improve care for elderly colorectal surgery patients.

Methods

Patients older than 75 years of age who underwent major colorectal surgery were included in this study. The Geriatric Surgery Service employed a transdisciplinary, collaborative model of care. There were frequent quality reviews and a patient‐centered culture was ensured. Treatment protocols and checklists were instituted. Perioperative outcome data were collected prospectively between 2007 and 2009. These data were compared to those from similar patients not managed by the service. Success and failure of surgical treatment of the two groups were analyzed using CUSUM methodology. Failure was defined as mortality, prolonged hospital stay for any reason, including morbidity, and failure to regain preoperative function by 6 weeks.

Results

Twenty‐nine patients managed by the GSS were compared to 52 patients who underwent standard treatment. The median age of the patients managed by the GSS was higher but there was no difference in the ASA score and predicted morbidity scores based on the POSSUM model. The GSS achieved lower mortality and major complication rates. A large majority (84.6%) of the patients managed by the GSS returned to preoperative functional status by 6 weeks. The GSS was able to produce a trend of successively desired outcomes consistently leading to the CUSUM curve exhibiting a sustained downward slope. This was in contrast to patients not managed by the GSS.

Conclusion

The Geriatric Surgery Service, through its transdisciplinary, collaborative care processes, was able to achieve sustained superior outcomes compared to standard management.
Minilaparoscopic Varicocelectomy with Preservation of Testicular Artery and Lymphatic Vessels by Using Intracorporeal Knot‐tying Technique: Five‐year Experience
Authors: Chung Shiu‐Dong , Wu Chia‐Chang , Lin Victor Chia‐Hsiang , Ho Chen‐Hsun , Yang Stephen Shei Dei , Tsai Yao‐Chou
Published: April 2011

Background

In this study we present our experience using minilaparoscopic intracorporeal knot tying to ligate internal spermatic veins (ISV) while sparing the spermatic artery and lymphatics.

Methods

Minilaparoscopic varicocelectomies were performed in 87 patients between January 2004 and January 2009. All varicoceles were detected clinically according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and confirmed by scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography. The surgical indications were scrotal symptoms in 71, infertility in 16, and both conditions in 2. Three 3.5 mm minilaparoscopic ports were used for the operation. The ISVs were dissected and then ligated with intracorporeal knot‐tying. The testicular artery and lymphatic vessels were carefully preserved to minimize procedure‐related complications.

Results

Unilateral laparoscopic varicocelectomy was performed in 21 (24.2%) patients and bilateral in 66 (75.8%). Mean operative time was 71.1 ± 29.2 and 46.8 ± 12.6 min for bilateral and unilateral varicocelectomies, respectively. All patients were discharged within 24 h after surgery. Neither immediate major nor late procedure‐related complications were noted. Of the 71 patients with scrotal symptoms, the symptoms completely subsided in 55 (77.5%) and partially subsided in 10 (14.1%). Only one (1.2%) recurrent varicocele was detected within a mean follow‐up of 21 months (range = 3–42). Neither hydrocele formation nor testicular atrophy was found during the follow‐up period.

Conclusion

Our 5‐year experience revealed that minilaparoscopic varicocelectomy with sparing of artery and lymphatic vessels could safely and effectively ligate all spermatic veins and preserve spermatic arteries and lymphatic channels without leading to a high varicocele persistence or recurrence.
Transition to Parenthood: The Role of Social Interaction and Endogenous Networks
Authors: Diaz Belinda Aparicio , Fent Thomas , Prskawetz Alexia , Bernardi Laura
Published: April 2011

Empirical studies indicate that the transition to parenthood is influenced by an individual’s peer group. To study the mechanisms creating interdependencies across individuals’ transition to parenthood and its timing, we apply an agent-based simulation model. We build a one-sex model and provide agents with three different characteristics: age, intended education, and parity. Agents endogenously form their network based on social closeness. Network members may then influence the agents’ transition to higher parity levels. Our numerical simulations indicate that accounting for social interactions can explain the shift of first-birth probabilities in Austria during the period 1984 to 2004. Moreover, we apply our model to forecast age-specific fertility rates up to 2016.
‘Watching the watcher’: an evaluation of local election observers in Tanzania
Authors: Makulilo Alexander Boniface
Published: April 2011

The unfolding of the Third Wave of democracy cast a mounting weight on election observation in transition countries, partly due to the inability of regimes in power to conduct free and fair elections. However, observation is not always neutral. Sometimes observers distance themselves from the data they collect, leading to controversial certification of elections. In this case stakeholders may view them as partial, hence downsizing their credibility and trust. Yet observers' reports have rarely been reviewed. This article evaluates three reports by the leading election observer in Tanzania, the Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee (TEMCO) for the 1995, 2000 and 2005 general elections. It notes that despite the prevalence of the same factors that TEMCO considered as irregularities in the 1995 and 2000 general elections when it certified those elections as ‘free but not fair’, it issued a ‘clean, free and fair’ verdict on the 2005 general elections. This conclusion, at variance from the data, reveals problems in assuring observer neutrality.
Illiberal peacebuilding in Angola
Authors: de Oliveira Ricardo Soares
Published: April 2011

Angola's oil-fuelled reconstruction since the end of the civil war in 2002 is a world away from the mainstream liberal peacebuilding approach that Western donors have promoted and run since the end of cold war. The Angolan case is a pivotal example of what can be termed ‘illiberal peacebuilding’, a process of post-war reconstruction managed by local elites in defiance of liberal peace precepts on civil liberties, the rule of law, the expansion of economic freedoms and poverty alleviation, with a view to constructing a hegemonic order and an elite stranglehold over the political economy. Making sense of the Angolan case is a starting point for a broader comparative look at other cases of illiberal peacebuilding such as Rwanda, Lebanon and Sri Lanka.
Power-sharing as a fragile safety valve in times of electoral turmoil: the costs and benefits of Burundi's 2010 elections
Authors: Vandeginste Stef
Published: April 2011

This paper analyses the local, presidential and legislative elections that took place in Burundi between May and September 2010. Electoral results are presented, analysed and interpreted against the background of Burundi's constitutional consociational power-sharing regime. The power-sharing arrangement, which was negotiated during Burundi's recently completed peace process, saved the pluralistic nature of the elections but may itself fall victim to the outcome of these same elections, with the dominant party CNDD-FDD obtaining an overwhelming majority in parliament and controlling most of the instruments needed to further establish its hegemony. Political pluralism, both within and outside the institutions, is under threat. As evidenced by developments in the early aftermath of the electoral marathon, conjunctural alliances between opposition groups and the incumbent regime's increasingly authoritarian response to dissidence may well result in renewed instability and insecurity.
Axially and spherically symmetric solitons in warm plasma
Authors: DVORNIKOV MAXIM
Published: April 2011

We study the existence of stable axially and spherically symmetric plasma structures on the basis of the new nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) accounting for non-local electron nonlinearities. The numerical solutions of NLSE having the form of spatial solitions are obtained and their stability is analyzed. We discuss the possible application of the obtained results to the theoretical description of natural plasmoids in the atmosphere.
Investigating the persistence of tick-borne pathogens via the R0model
Authors: HARRISON A. , MONTGOMERY W. I. , BOWN K. J.
Published: April 2011

In the epidemiology of infectious diseases, the basic reproduction number, R0, has a number of important applications, most notably it can be used to predict whether a pathogen is likely to become established, or persist, in a given area. We used the R0model to investigate the persistence of 3 tick-borne pathogens;Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilumandBorrelia burgdorferisensu lato in anApodemus sylvaticus-Ixodes ricinussystem. The persistence of these pathogens was also determined empirically by screening questing ticks and wood mice by PCR. All 3 pathogens behaved differently in response to changes in the proportion of transmission hosts on whichI. ricinusfed, the efficiency of transmission between the host and ticks and the abundance of larval and nymphal ticks found on small mammals. Empirical data supported theoretical predictions of the R0model. The transmission pathway employed and the duration of systemic infection were also identified as important factors responsible for establishment or persistence of tick-borne pathogens in a given tick-host system. The current study demonstrates how the R0model can be put to practical use to investigate factors affecting tick-borne pathogen persistence, which has important implications for animal and human health worldwide.
Vector of Trypanosoma copemani identified as Ixodes sp.
Authors: AUSTEN J. M. , RYAN U. M. , FRIEND J. A. , DITCHAM W. G. F. , REID S. A.
Published: April 2011

A total of 41 ticks were collected from 15 quokkas on Bald Island and 2 ticks from a Gilbert's potoroo from Two Peoples Bay. Three species of Ixodid ticks Ixodes australiensis, Ixodes hirsti and Ixodes myrmecobii were identified on the quokkas known to have a high prevalence of Trypanosoma copemani. Tick faeces from ticks isolated from 8 individual quokkas and a Gilbert's potoroo were examined with one identified as positive for trypanosomes. Faecal examination revealed trypanosomes similar to in vitro life-cycle stages of T. copemani. In total 12 ticks were dissected and trypanosomes found in sections of their midgut and haemolymph, 49 and 117 days after collection. Tick faeces, salivary glands and midguts from I. australiensis were screened using an 18S rRNA PCR with amplification seen only from the midguts. Sequencing showed 100% homology to T. copemani (genotype A) and 99·9% homology to the wombat (AII) isolate of T. copemani. Trypanosomes were only detected in I. australiensis as neither I. hirsti nor I. myrmecobii survived the initial 30-day storage conditions. We therefore identify a vector for T. copemani as I. australiensis and, given the detection of trypanosomes in the faeces, suggest that transmission is via the faecal-oral route.
Maximum load determination of nonholonomic mobile manipulator using hierarchical optimal control
Authors: Korayem M. H. , Azimirad V. , Vatanjou H. , Korayem A. H.
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a new method using hierarchical optimal control for path planning and calculating maximum allowable dynamic load (MADL) of wheeled mobile manipulator (WMM). This method is useful for high degrees of freedom WMMs. First, the overall system is decoupled to a set of subsystems, and then, hierarchical optimal control is applied on them. The presented algorithm is a two-level hierarchical algorithm. In the first level, interaction terms between subsystems are fixed, and in the second level, the optimization problem for subsystems is solved. The results of second level are used for calculating new estimations of interaction variables in the first level. For calculating MADL, the load on the end effector is increased until actuators get into saturation. Given a large-scale robot, we show how the presenting in distributed hierarchy in optimal control helps to find MADL fast. Also, it enables us to treat with complicated cost functions that are generated by obstacle avoidance terms. The effectiveness of this approach on simulation case studies for different types of WMMs as well as an experiment for a mobile manipulator called Scout is shown.
Autonomous loop exploration and SLAM with fusion of advanced sonar and laser polar scan matching
Authors: Tungadi Fredy , Kleeman Lindsay
Published: April 2011

SLAM is a well-studied technique for robots to build a map of environments while at the same time keeping track of their pose (position and orientation). However, SLAM does not provide motion control approaches for how the robot explores the environment. This paper presents an integrated approach to create a fully autonomous exploring and mapping robot. An Extended Kalman Filter (EKF)-SLAM approach is used to fuse Advanced Sonar measurements and the results of Laser Polar Scan Matching. The inclusion of Advanced Sonar data tackles the problem of map drifts in environments where lasers do not supply sufficient information, such as along a corridor. In addition, the proposed exploration strategy takes advantage of the characteristic of the Voronoi graph to enable the robot to strategically explore the environment in a loop-closing fashion and a safe manner. By revisiting areas to close loops as early as possible, the robot builds a more stable map incrementally while still reliably tracking its pose. Experimental results of the integrated approach are shown to demonstrate the paper's approach that provides real-time exploration of a mobile robot in an initially unknown real environment. Experimental map quality comparisons using exploration strategies show the benefits of early local loop-closing.
Modeling and gait selection of passivity-based seven-link bipeds with dynamic series of walking phases
Authors: Huang Yan , Wang Qining , Chen Baojun , Xie Guangming , Wang Long
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a seven-link dynamic walking model that is more close to human beings than other passivity-based dynamic walking models. We add hip actuation, upper body, flat feet, and ankle joints with torsional springs to the model. Walking sequence of flat-feet walkers has several substreams, which forms bipedal walking with dynamic series of phases. We investigate the effects of ankle stiffness on gait selection and evaluate different gaits in walking velocity, efficiency, and stability. Experimental results indicate that ankle stiffness plays different roles in different gaits and the gaits, which are more close to human walking with moderate speed, achieve better motion characteristics.
University Education and English Ecclesiastical Lawyers 1400–1650
Authors: Helmholz Richard
Published: April 2011

Most recent historians have expressed a negative opinion of the quality of legal education at the English universities between 1400 and 1650. The academic study of law at Oxford and Cambridge, they have stated, was easy, antiquated and impractical. The curriculum had not changed from the form it assumed in the thirteenth century, and it did little to prepare students for their careers. This article challenges that opinion by examining the inner nature of theius commune, the law that was applied in the courts of the church, and also by examining some of the works of practice compiled by English civilians during the period. Those works show that the negative opinion rests in part upon a misunderstanding of the nature of legal practice during earlier centuries. In fact, concentration on the texts of the Roman and canon laws, as old-fashioned as it seems to us, was well suited for the tasks advocates and judges would face once they left the academy. It also provided the stimulus needed for advance in the law of the church itself; their legal education made available to potential advocates and judges skills that would permit a sophisticated application of theius commune, one better suited to their times. The article provides evidence of how this happened.1
Judicial Restraint and Neutral Principles in Anglican Church Property Disputes: Bentley v Diocese of New Westminster
Authors: Ogilvie Margaret
Published: April 2011

Anyone hoping that the British Columbia Court of Appeal, in Bentley v Anglican Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster  would resolve the doctrinal and related property disputes in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and even in the world-wide Anglican Communion over same-sex blessings must come away from the decision of Newbury JA for the unanimous court greatly disappointed: the court left the dispute exactly where it began – in the ACC. Conversely, anyone hoping that the court would do precisely that will be greatly relieved by this exercise of judicial self-restraint in the face of the many challenging theological and legal issues presented by the case. Stripped to its essentials, the court found that the property to which four former parishes in the diocese of New Westminster laid claim by way of a cy-près application was held by the diocese pursuant to a statutory trust for the uses of the diocese and the ACC. The court further characterised the dispute over same-sex blessings as an internal dispute among Anglicans on the basis of which a cy-près order cannot be made in favour of parishes which no longer regard the Bishop of New Westminster as their bishop. This simple, legal outcome followed an 11 day trial in the British Columbia Supreme Court, a four day appeal hearing, and two lengthy judgments, each of just under 100 pages, which ranged widely over the history of the dispute within the ACC and the larger Anglican Communion, and the Anglo-Canadian common law relating to the resolution of church property disputes since the 1813 decision of Lord Eldon in Craigdallie v Aikman, almost two centuries before.
From Byron'sThe Corsairto Verdi'sIl corsaro: Poetry Made Music
Authors: Rutherford Susan
Published: April 2011

At the crux of Byron's epic poemThe Corsairlies a moral dilemma for its imprisoned hero, Conrad. Should he kill his sleeping enemy, Seyd, and thus evade impending torture and execution the next morning? Or should he accept death as the just recompense for his crimes? His decision is swift. He resolutely refuses the path of the ‘secret knife’; in contrast, Seyd's favorite slave and concubine, Gulnare, declares her readiness to do the deed instead. When Conrad, pursuing her through the winding passages of the high tower, sees her again, he at first thinks that her ‘softening heart’ had spared Seyd's life.
Behind the Police Chief's Closed Doors: The Unofficial Censors of Verdi in Rome
Authors: Giger Andreas
Published: April 2011

A certain Filippo Nardoni, upon completing his review of the libretto of Giuseppe Verdi'sDon Alvaro(the Roman version ofLa forza del destino), wrote to the director of the police: ‘I have marked in pencil the proposed corrections, which I have thought advisable for the wretched subject of the opera. If you don't like them, they can be easily erased with sandarac’. It seems strange that an ostensible censor would correct a libretto and then not mind seeing his corrections erased; censors were, after all, gatekeepers of morality and political propriety, and no libretto was supposed to be permitted without their approval. As it turns out, Nardoni was not an official Roman censor, and yet, he and other prominent personalities were more important in censoring Verdi's operas than their official colleagues. They were not only more rigorous when it came to identifying potentially dangerous passages but also worked as a team, passing the libretto around among themselves until an acceptable alternative was found.
Music, Letters and National Identity: Reading the 1890s' Italian Music Press
Authors: Wilson Alexandra
Published: April 2011

Much ink was spilled on the subject of music infin-de-siècleItaly. With the rapid expansion of the bourgeoisie during the last decades of the nineteenth century, opera-going in Italy was at its apogee, and as opera attendance surged so too did the demand for gossip about singers, titbits about the lives of composers and reviews of the latest works. This was a moment at which the booming Italian opera and journalism industries converged, particularly in the large northern cities, to produce an explosion of periodicals devoted to opera, encompassing a range of critical methods. The 1890s, however, also saw the development in Italy of a new branch of criticism devoted to more ‘serious’ types of music, penned by writers explicitly hostile to opera's domination of Italian musical life, who looked to the north as their cultural spiritual home.
The Formation of Massive Stars
Authors: Bonnell Ian A. , Smith Rowan J
Published: April 2011

There has been considerable progress in our understanding of how massive stars form but still much confusion as to why they form. Recent work from several sources has shown that the formation of massive stars through disc accretion, possibly aided by gravitational and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities is a viable mechanism. Stellar mergers, on the other hand, are unlikely to occur in any but the most massive clusters and hence should not be a primary avenue for massive star formation. In contrast to this success, we are still uncertain as to how the mass that forms a massive star is accumulated. there are two possible mechanisms including the collapse of massive prestellar cores and competitive accretion in clusters. At present, there are theoretical and observational question marks as to the existence of high-mass prestellar cores. theoretically, such objects should fragment before they can attain a relaxed, centrally condensed and high-mass state necessary to form massive stars. Numerical simulations including cluster formation, feedback and magnetic fields have not found such objects but instead point to the continued accretion in a cluster potential as the primary mechanism to form high-mass stars. Feedback and magnetic fields act to slow the star formation process and will reduce the efficiencies from a purely dynamical collapse but otherwise appear to not significantly alter the process.
Observations of star formation triggered by H ii regions
Authors: Deharveng Lise , Zavagno Annie
Published: April 2011

Observations show that expanding H ii regions may trigger star formation. We discuss several aspects of this type of star formation, and try to estimate its prevalence. We show how LMC H ii regions may help us to understand what we see in our Galaxy.
Star Formation and the Properties of Giant Molecular Clouds in Global Simulations
Authors: Tasker Elizabeth J. , Tan Jonathan C.
Published: April 2011

We simulated an isolated quiescent Milky Way-type galaxy with a maximum effective resolution of 7.8 pc. Clouds formed in the interstellar medium through gravitational fragmentation and became the sites for star formation. We tracked the evolution of the clouds through 300 Myr in the presence of star formation, photoelectric heating and feedback from Type II supernovae. The cloud mass distribution agreed well with observational results. Feedback suppressed star formation but did not destroy the surrounding cloud. Collisions between clouds were found to be sufficiently frequent to be a significant factor in determining the star formation rate.
Fragmentation in turbulent primordial gas
Authors: Glover S. C. O. , Clark P. C. , Klessen R. S. , Bromm V.
Published: April 2011

We report results from numerical simulations of star formation in the early universe that focus on the role of subsonic turbulence, and investigate whether it can induce fragmentation of the gas. We find that dense primordial gas is highly susceptible to fragmentation, even for rms turbulent velocity dispersions as low as 20% of the initial sound speed. The resulting fragments cover over two orders of magnitude in mass, ranging from ~0.1 M⊙ to ~40 M⊙. However, our results suggest that the details of the fragmentation depend on the local properties of the turbulent velocity field and hence we expect considerable variations in the resulting stellar mass spectrum in different halos.
The impact of metallicity and X-rays on star formation
Authors: Spaans Marco , Aykutalp Aycin , Hocuk Seyit
Published: April 2011

Star formation is regulated through a variety of feedback processes. In this study, we treat feedback by metal injection and a UV background as well as by X-ray irradiation. Our aim is to investigate whether star formation is significantly affected when the ISM of a proto-galaxxy enjoys different metallicities and when a star forming cloud resides in the vicinity of a strong X-ray source. We perform cosmological Enzo simulations with a detailed treatment of non-zero metallicity chemistry and thermal balance. We also perform FLASH simulations with embedded Lagrangian sink particles of a collapsing molecular cloud near a massive, 107 M⊙, black hole that produces X-ray radiation.

We find that a multi-phase ISM forms for metallicites as small as 10−4 Solar at z = 6, with higher (10−2Z⊙) metallicities supporting a cold (<100 K) and dense (>103 cm−3) phase at higher (z = 20) redshift. A star formation recipe based on the presence of a cold dense phase leads to a self-regulating mode in the presence of supernova and radiation feedback. We also find that when there is strong X-ray feedback a collapsing cloud fragments into larger clumps whereby fewer but more massive protostellar cores are formed. This is a consequence of the higher Jeans mass in the warm (50 K, due to ionization heating) molecular gas. Accretion processes dominate the mass function and a near-flat, non-Salpeter IMF results.
Validating Protestant Denominational Classifications Using the Chaves Inerrancy Scale
Authors: Frendreis John , Tatalovich Raymond
Published: April 2011

We validate the classification of 16 “mainline” and 97 “evangelical” Protestant denominations inReligious Congregations and Membership in the United States, 2000based on Mark Chaves' five-point Biblical “inerrancy” scale. Using Glenmary county data, nearly perfect correlations were derived between the percentage of adherents in “evangelical” denominations and levels three-four on the Chaves scale and between the percentage of adherents in “mainline” denominations and level 1 on the Chaves scale. The distinguishing characteristic of Evangelical or Mainline Protestant denominations, therefore, is Biblical inerrancy or its absence. As a guide for future empirical research, this comprehensive listing of Evangelical and Mainline Protestant denominations should be employed in aggregate studies, especially where county-level analysis is applied to one state or a subset of states.
Identity, Attitudes, and the Voting Behavior of Mosque-Attending Muslim-Americans in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections
Authors: Patterson Dennis , Gasim Gamal , Choi Jangsup
Published: April 2011

In a post-September 11 world, no religious group in the United States has become more important yet remains more misunderstood than Muslim-Americans. This is particularly true with respect to the manner in which religious and political attitudes influence Muslim-Americans’ political behavior. This article addresses this issue by using data gathered from surveys taken in 70 mosques throughout the United States. With these data, this article maps the political and religious attitudes and behavior of mosque-attending Muslim-Americans and then analyzes the voting behavior of these respondents in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. It will show that the cultural and religious traditions of Islam have resulted in most mosque-attending Muslim-Americans being social conservatives and, as a result, report having voted for Bush in 2000. It will also show that increasingly negative perceptions of the manner in which the United States war in Iraq has affected Muslims living American led many to switch loyalties and cast their ballots for Kerry in 2004.
Do Cochrane reviews provide useful information to guide policy and practice? The experience of the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group
Authors: Davoli M. , Amato L.
Published: April 2011

This contribution reviewed the experience of the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group (CDAG) in terms of production of evidence to guide policy and practice. By December 2010, the group had published 55 reviews, with 299 authors involved and 744 primary studies included out of 2114 studies considered for inclusion. 90% of the studies included were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Considering the ‘Implication for practice’ section of each review, 31% interventions were classified as to do, 11% as do not do it, 52% to do only in research and for 6% a final judgment was impossible because the reviews included no studies or only one study. These proportions varied according to the type of substance of abuse studied; interventions judged as to do were 42% for alcohol, 32% for opioids, 12% for psychostimulants, 33% for poly drugs, and for prevention. The reviews produced by the CDAG provide evidence on effectiveness of several interventions, and identify areas of uncertainty, where more primary research is needed.
Seismicity during lateral dike propagation: Insights from new data in the recent Manda Hararo–Dabbahu rifting episode (Afar, Ethiopia)
Authors: Grandin R. , Jacques E. , Nercessian A. , Ayele A. , Doubre C. , Socquet A. , Keir D. , Kassim M. , Lemarchand A. , King G. C. P.
Published: April 2011

Seismicity released during lateral dike intrusions in the Manda Hararo–Dabbahu Rift (Afar, Ethiopia) provides indirect insight into the distribution and evolution of tensile stress along this magma‐assisted divergent plate boundary. In this paper, 5 dike intrusions among the 14 that form the 2005–present rifting episode are analyzed with local and regional seismic data. During dike intrusions, seismicity migrates over distances of 10–15 km at velocities of 0.5–3.0 km/h away from a single reservoir in the center of the rift segment, confirming the analogy with a slow spreading mid‐ocean ridge segment. Comparison with geodetic data shows that the reservoir is located 7 km down rift from the topographic summit of the axial depression. Dikes emplaced toward the north are observed to migrate faster and to be more voluminous than those migrating southward, suggesting an asymmetry of tension in the brittle‐elastic lithosphere. Seismicity during dike injections is concentrated near the propagating crack front. In contrast, faults and fissures in the subsurface appear to slip or open aseismically coeval with the intrusions. The seismic energy released during dike intrusions in the Manda Hararo Rift appears to be primarily modulated by the local magnitude of differential tensile stress and marginally by the rate of stress change induced by the intrusion. The low level of seismic energy accompanying dike intrusions, despite their significant volumes, is likely an indicator of an overall low level of tension in the lithosphere of this nascent plate boundary.
A network of disdrometers to quantify the small‐scale variability of the raindrop size distribution
Authors: Jaffrain Joël , Studzinski André , Berne Alexis
Published: April 2011

Insight into the spatial variability of the (rain) drop size distribution (DSD), and hence rainfall, is of primary importance for various environmental applications like cloud/precipitation microphysical processes, numerical weather modeling, and estimation of rainfall using remote sensing techniques. In order to quantify the small‐scale variability of the DSD, a network of 16 optical disdrometers has been designed and deployed over a typical operational weather radar pixel (about 1 × 1 km2) in Lausanne, Switzerland. This network is fully autonomous in terms of power supply as well as data transmission and storage. The combination of General Radio Packet Service and radio communication allows a real‐time access to the DSD measurements. The network is sampling at a temporal resolution of 30 s. A period representative of frontal precipitation is analyzed to illustrate the measurement capabilities of the network. The spatial variability is quantified by the coefficient of variation of the total concentration of drops, the mass‐weighted diameter, and the rain rate between the 16 stations of the network. The sampling uncertainty associated with disdrometer measurements is taken into account, and the analysis of a 1.5 month rainy period shows a significant variability of these quantities, which cannot be explained by the sampling uncertainty alone, even at such a small scale.
Analysis of models for induced gas flow in the unsaturated zone
Authors: You Kehua , Zhan Hongbin , Li Jian
Published: April 2011

Accurate description of induced gas flow in an unsaturated zone is indispensable for characterizing the unsaturated zone. Hantush's approximation and a finite difference approximation of the leakage term are frequently employed in modeling the induced gas flow in an unsaturated zone underlying a leaky confining layer. However, no studies have been conducted on the errors that result from these approximations. This study presents a physically more rigorous model based on mass conservation in both the upper leaky confining layer and the lower permeable layer (the unsaturated zone). Flow in the upper layer is assumed to be vertical, and in the lower layer, it is two‐dimensionally axisymmetric, with gas pressure and flux continuity at the interface of the two layers. A new steady state solution for a well with a finite radius and two new transient solutions for a well with an infinitely small radius and with a finite radius are developed for this rigorous model. In addition, another new transient solution is derived using the finite difference approximation of the leakage term for the same problem. The developed solutions are compared with previous approximate solutions. Results indicate that Hantush's approximation overestimates the gas pressure at shallower depths and underestimates it at deeper depths under the condition of gas injection. This error changes with the hydrogeological parameters and well configurations. The finite difference approximation works reasonably well under the usual field conditions. Neglecting the well radius for a small radius well does not induce much error.
Research Spotlight: Why has oil from the Exxon Valdez persisted so long on beaches?
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill released more than 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, polluting 800 kilometers of beaches. In some areas the spilled oil has persisted on beaches more than 20 years later. To examine the factors affecting the persistence of oil from the spill, Xia et al conducted field studies and numerical modeling of the hydrogeological characteristics of a shallow bedrock beach on Knight Island in western Prince William Sound, the area most heavily polluted by the spill. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009179, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Solar oxygen abundance measured
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

Oxygen is abundant in the Sun, yet the solar oxygen abundance has not been measured with high accuracy. Using long‐term solar wind data from the Ulysses spacecraft,von Steiger et al. measured the flux of oxygen ions, the flux of protons, and the ratio of the two. The new measurements suggest that the solar oxygen abundance may be slightly higher than other recent studies have found. An accurate value for the solar oxygen abundance is important for interpreting helioseismological analyses and for understanding the chemical evolution of the galaxy and solar system. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045389, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Iron oxide observed in Earth's airglow
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

The Earth's night airglow, a weak emission of light caused by chemical reactions in the planet's atmosphere, has been studied for more than a century. Because iron is common in meteorites that deposit debris in Earth's atmosphere, it was expected that iron oxide (FeO) would be found in the airglow, but it had not been detected until now. Evans et al. report observations made using the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System (OSIRIS) on the Odin spacecraft that show orange bands at about 600 nanometers in the night airglow spectrum. Comparison with published laboratory measurements of FeO emission spectra indicate that the observed orange bands in the airglow are probably due to FeO. The researchers suggest that the orange‐band FeO emission is probably produced through interactions of iron with ozone in the atmosphere. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045310, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Rain modifies ocean‐atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

Exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere and the oceans play an important role in the global carbon cycle and in determining how much CO2 is stored in the atmosphere and how much is stored in the ocean. A new study shows that rain can be an important, though often overlooked, factor in this exchange. Rain can contribute to the air‐sea carbon exchange in several ways. Rain dilutes the CO2 in the surface layer of the ocean, increases the speed at which gas is transferred between the atmosphere and ocean, and deposits carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean. To determine the effects of rain on the air‐sea carbon flux in the western equatorial Pacific, Turk et al. analyzed rain measurements from a buoy at 0°, 156°E during 2002 as well as a dilution model based on observational ocean studies and output from an ocean carbon cycle model. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045520, 2010)
Spin, Wobble, and Nutation
Authors: Gross Richard , Schuh Harald , Huang Cheng‐li
Published: April 2011

Observing and Understanding Earth Rotation: A Joint GGOS/IAU Science Workshop; Shanghai, China, 25–28 October 2010; The Earth rotates about its axis once a day, but it does not do so uniformly. Instead, the rate of rotation fluctuates by as much as a millisecond a day, the Earth wobbles as it rotates because the Earth's mass is not balanced about its rotation axis, and the Earth's rotation axis precesses and nutates in space. These variations in the Earth's rotation are caused by processes acting within the interior of the Earth such as glacial isostatic adjustment and core‐mantle interaction torques, by processes acting at the surface of the Earth such as fluctuations in the transport of mass within the atmosphere and oceans, and by processes acting external to the Earth such as torques due to the gravitational attraction of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. These and other aspects of the Earth's rotation were discussed at a recent workshop in China that attracted 90 participants from 12 countries. The workshop was jointly organized by the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) of the International Association of Geodesy and Commission 19 (Rotation of the Earth) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The objectives of the workshop were to (1) assess our ability to observe the Earth's time‐varying rotation, (2) assess our understanding of the causes of the observed variations, (3) assess the consistency of Earth rotation observations with global gravity and shape observations, and (4) explore methods of combining rotation, gravity, and shape observations to gain greater understanding of the processes causing them to change on both the Earth and other planets, like Mars.
Research Spotlight: Tiny features influence large‐scale flow through an aquifer
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: April 2011

Modeling large‐scale effects from small‐scale influences is a delicate act. For example, even when researchers know small changes can make a big difference, attempts to predict the outcome of the diffusion of a solute through an aquifer can be hindered by the amount of data needed to run the simulation. Ronayne et al. seem to have cracked the scaling code by building a new model that allows them to accurately simulate the transport of a previously injected bromide tracer through an aquifer in Mississippi by relying on simple geologic measurements collected near the surface. Their model works by using geologic data to infer submeter‐sized changes in porosity and permeability that exist within the layers of an aquifer—cores drilled throughout the aquifer reveal that such variation exists in the aquifer's layers. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009348, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Vegetation‐climate feedback hot spots in Europe
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

Changing temperatures affect the growth of vegetation, which in turn can affect climate through changes in surface reflectivity, carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption, and evapotranspiration. These vegetation feedbacks to climate can be important, especially on local or regional scales, but regional climate models often do not include these feedbacks. Wramneby et al.e ran simulations that included vegetation dynamics in a regional climate model of Europe. They found three areas that could be hot spots for vegetation climate feedbacks. In their simulations, by the end of the 21st century in the Scandinavian mountains, a positive vegetation‐warming feedback would occur as warming temperatures result in forest expansion, which masks snow cover. Forest reflects less light than snow, leading to further increased warming. In central Europe the simulations indicate that a negative vegetation‐warming feedback would take place as increased CO2 levels stimulate plant growth; this would mitigate warming through increased evapotranspiration, which cools the surface. In southern Europe, rising temperatures would lead to increased dryness in the summer, which restricts plant growth and survival, leading to positive warming feedback through reduced evapotranspiration. (Journal of Geophysical Research‐Atmospheres, doi:10.1029/2010JD014307, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Statistical model of rainfall could help improve urban drainage systems
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

Statistical models of rainfall activity can be useful for analyzing and improving urban drainage systems. Cowpertwait developed a statistical rainfall model in which storms originate randomly in space and time according to a Poisson process. Each storm has a random radius, lifetime, and intensity. He adjusted model parameters to fit the model to data taken from sites across Rome, Italy, and the surrounding region. To validate the model, he compared the distribution of observed annual maxima with the extreme values generated by the model and found good agreement, indicating that the model would be useful for urban drainage projects in Rome and the surrounding region. The model is flexible and could be adjusted for use in other regions. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2010WR009728, 2010)
Research Spotlight: Observing Jupiter's polar flares
Authors: Tretkoff Ernie
Published: April 2011

Jupiter's aurora often emits dramatic flares of ultraviolet light lasting several tens of seconds. Bonfond et al. captured high‐time‐resolution image sequences of the flares using the Space Telescope Image Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The scientists found that these flares occur quasiperiodically, with a time scale of about 2–3 minutes. They also identified the magnetospheric region that corresponds to these emissions, and by analogy with similar flares on Earth, they determined that the flares are probably related to pulsed reconnections of the magnetic field at the planet's dayside magnetopause. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045981, 2011)