bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From a Transient to a Resident: The Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre, 2001–2004
Authors: Yerushalmi Dorit
Published: November 2007

As artistic director of the Acco Festival (2001–2004), Atay Citron turned the Festival into a showcase of intercultural and interdisciplinary events. Citron established Acco as the site for Arab-Jewish dialogue, a place where Jewish and Arab artists worked together for the first time.
The Wheelchair's Rhetoric: The Performance of Disability
Authors: Kuppers Petra
Published: November 2007

How can the wheelchair be other than a placeholder for tragedy or negativity? Kuppers examines the wheelchair as a prop and as a playground of multiple intersecting narratives, desires, textures, and signs in Murderball, Guillermo Gómez-Peña's Museum of Fetishized Identities, and the X-Men movies.
Vertical Motions in Precipitation Bands in Three Winter Cyclones
Authors: Cronce Marcia , Rauber Robert M. , Knupp Kevin R. , Jewett Brian F. , Walters Justin T. , Phillips Dustin
Published: November 2007

The University of Alabama in Huntsville Mobile Integrated Profiling System 915-MHz profiler was deployed in January and February of 2004 to measure vertical air velocities in finescale precipitation bands in winter cyclones. The profiler was placed to sample the “wraparound” quadrant of three winter cyclones in the central and southern United States, and it obtained high-resolution measurements of the vertical structure of a series of bands in each storm. The data revealed bands that were up to 6 km deep, 10–50 km wide, and spaced about 5–20 km apart. Measurements of vertical air motion w within these bands were retrieved from the Doppler spectra using the lower-bound method, adapted to account for the effects of spectral broadening caused by the horizontal wind, wind shear, and turbulence. Derived vertical air motions ranged from −4.3 to 6.7 m s−1, with an uncertainty of about ±0.6 m s−1. Approximately 29% of the 1515 total derived values were negative, 35% exceeded 1 m s−1, and 9% exceeded 2.0 m s−1. These values are consistent with studies in the Pacific Northwest, except that more extreme values were observed in one band than have been previously reported. There was a high correlation between values of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and w within each band (0.60 ≤ r ≤ 0.85), in the composite of bands from each cyclone (0.59 ≤ r ≤ 0.79), and in the overall analysis (r = 0.68). The strongest updrafts were typically between 2.0 and 4.0 m s−1 and were located near the center of each band in regions of high SNR. Regions of downdrafts within the bands had maximum values between −1.0 and −4.3 m s−1 and were typically located along the edges of the bands in regions of low SNR. These results are consistent with snow growth and sublimation processes. The magnitudes of the vertical velocities in the core of the bands were comparable to theoretical predictions for moist symmetric instability (MSI) under inviscid conditions but would appear to be somewhat larger than expected for MSI when turbulent mixing is considered, suggesting that other instabilities, such as potential instability, may have contributed to the band development in these storms.
The Characterization of Ice Cloud Properties from Doppler Radar Measurements
Authors: Delanoë Julien , Protat A. , Bouniol D. , Heymsfield Andrew , Bansemer Aaron , Brown Philip
Published: November 2007

The paper describes an original method that is complementary to the radar–lidar algorithm method to characterize ice cloud properties. The method makes use of two measurements from a Doppler cloud radar (35 or 95 GHz), namely, the radar reflectivity and the Doppler velocity, to recover the effective radius of crystals, the terminal fall velocity of hydrometeors, the ice water content, and the visible extinction from which the optical depth can be estimated. This radar method relies on the concept of scaling the ice particle size distribution. An error analysis using an extensive in situ airborne microphysical database shows that the expected errors on ice water content and extinction are around 30%–40% and 60%, respectively, including both a calibration error and a bias on the terminal fall velocity of the particles, which all translate into errors in the retrieval of the density–diameter and area–diameter relationships. Comparisons with the radar–lidar method in areas sampled by the two instruments also demonstrate the accuracy of this new method for retrieval of the cloud properties, with a roughly unbiased estimate of all cloud properties with respect to the radar–lidar method. This method is being systematically applied to the cloud radar measurements collected over the three-instrumented sites of the European Cloudnet project to validate the representation of ice clouds in numerical weather prediction models and to build a cloud climatology.
Spatiotemporal Trends in Episodic Ozone Pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, in Relation to Mesoscale Atmospheric Circulation Patterns and Emissions
Authors: Ainslie B. , Steyn D. G.
Published: November 2007

A cluster analysis of wind measurements from two meteorological stations in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, has been performed to identify mesoscale circulation regimes that are common to days on which ozone mixing ratios at one or more measuring stations in the region’s fixed monitoring network exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Objective of 82 ppb. The analysis, using 20 yr of data (1984–2003), identifies the following four regimes: two with morning winds at the coastal Vancouver International Airport (YVR) meteorological station from the northwest direction and two with southerly YVR morning winds. Not all exceedance days are associated with sea-breeze circulations, but days with southerly morning winds have a higher proportion of well-developed sea-breeze circulations. Composite synoptic patterns associated with each regime all show high pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean with a thermal trough over Washington State and southwestern British Columbia. Composite ozone patterns, corresponding to each mesoscale circulation regime and taken at the hour of maximum ozone concentration, show similar general features, including strong ozone titration in and around the urban source regions and higher values downwind. This suggests that precursor buildup, prior to the exceedance day, plays an important role in the spatial ozone pattern on exceedance days. A simple multiple linear regression of the plume centroid with the number of days elapsed from the start of the analysis period suggests the centroid of the ozone plume has shifted eastward since 1990. There also appears to be a north–south shift in the ozone plume. It is impossible to tell if these shifts are due to changes in emission levels or to changes in spatial emission patterns, because both changes have occurred over the study period.
High-Resolution Spatial Modeling of Daily Weather Elements for a Catchment in the Oregon Cascade Mountains, United States
Authors: Daly Christopher , Smith Jonathan W. , Smith Joseph I. , McKane Robert B.
Published: November 2007

High-quality, daily meteorological data at high spatial resolution are essential for a variety of hydrologic and ecological modeling applications that support environmental risk assessments and decision making. This paper describes the development, application, and assessment of methods to construct daily high-resolution (∼50-m cell size) meteorological grids for the 2003 calendar year in the Upper South Santiam Watershed (USSW), a 500-km2 mountainous catchment draining the western slope of the Oregon Cascade Mountains. Elevations within the USSW ranged from 194 to 1650 m. Meteorological elements modeled were minimum and maximum temperature; total precipitation, rainfall, and snowfall; and solar radiation and radiation-adjusted maximum temperature. The Parameter–Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) was used to interpolate minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation. The separation of precipitation into rainfall and snowfall components used a temperature-based regression function. Solar radiation was simulated with the Image-Processing Workbench. Radiation-based adjustments to maximum temperature employed equations developed from data in the nearby H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest. The restrictive terrain of the USSW promoted cold-air drainage and temperature inversions by reducing large-scale airflow. Inversions were prominent nearly all year for minimum temperature and were noticeable even for maximum temperature during the autumn and winter. Precipitation generally increased with elevation over the USSW. In 2003, precipitation was nearly always in the form of rain at the lowest elevations but was about 50% snow at the highest elevations. Solar radiation followed a complex pattern related to terrain slope, aspect, and position relative to other terrain features. Clear, sunny days with a large proportion of direct radiation exhibited the greatest contrast in radiation totals, whereas cloudy days with primarily diffuse radiation showed little contrast. Radiation-adjusted maximum temperatures showed similar patterns. The lack of a high-quality observed dataset was a major issue in the interpolation of precipitation and solar radiation. However, observed data available for the USSW were superior to those available for most mountainous regions in the western United States. In this sense, the methods and results presented here can inform others performing similar studies in other mountainous regions.
A Variational Scheme for Retrieving Rainfall Rate and Hail Reflectivity Fraction from Polarization Radar
Authors: Hogan Robin J.
Published: November 2007

Polarization radar offers the promise of much more accurate rainfall-rate R estimates than are possible from radar reflectivity factor Z alone, not only by better characterization of the drop size distribution, but also by more reliable correction for attenuation and the identification of hail. However, practical attempts to implement retrieval algorithms have been hampered by the difficulty in coping with the inherent noise in the polarization parameters. In this paper, a variational retrieval scheme is described that overcomes these problems by employing a forward model for differential reflectivity Zdr and differential phase shift ϕdp and iteratively refining the coefficient a in the relationship Z = aRb such that the difference between the forward model and the measurements is minimized in a least squares sense. Two methods are used to ensure that a varies smoothly in both range and azimuth. In range, a is represented by a set of cubic-spline basis functions; in azimuth, the retrieval at one ray is used as a constraint on the next. The result of this smoothing is that the retrieval is tolerant of random errors in Zdr of up to 1 dB and in ϕdp of up to 5°. Correction for attenuation is achieved simply and effectively by including its effects in the forward model. If hail is present then the forward model is unable to match the observations of Zdr and ϕdp simultaneously. This enables a first pass of the retrieval to be used to identify the radar pixels that contain hail, followed by a second pass in which the fraction of the Z in those gates that is due to hail is retrieved, this time with the scheme being able to forward-model both Zdr and ϕdp accurately. The scheme is tested on S-band radar data from southern England in cases of rain, spherical hail, oblate hail, and mixtures of rain and hail. It is found to be robust and stable, even in the presence of differential phase shift on backscatter.
Effect of Direct Radiative Forcing of Asian Dust on the Meteorological Fields in East Asia during an Asian Dust Event Period
Authors: Ahn Hyun-Ju , Park Soon-Ung , Chang Lim-Seok
Published: November 2007

Coupled and noncoupled models in a grid of 60 × 60 km2 in the eastern Asian domain have been employed to examine the effect of the direct radiative forcing of the Asian dust aerosol on meteorological fields for an intense Asian dust event observed in eastern Asia on 18–23 March 2002. The coupled model consists of the modified fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) with direct radiative forcing of the Asian dust aerosol through the NCAR Column Radiation Model and the Asian Dust Aerosol Model. The noncoupled model is MM5 without the direct radiative forcing of the Asian dust aerosol. The results indicate that the radiative cooling of the dust aerosol over the high-dust-concentration (HDC) region induces sinking motion and positive pressure perturbation near the surface, whereas the radiative warming of the aerosol near the top of the HDC layer induces rising motion and negative pressure perturbation, thereby enhancing the stable stratification in the dust layer. The induced positive pressure perturbation near the surface causes a dipole shape of the pressure perturbation field by forming a negative pressure perturbation toward the low pressure center downstream near the surface. This negative pressure perturbation is so deep and wide that the perturbation of the meteorological fields extends in the wide and deep regions away from the HDC region. The associated secondary circulation of this pressure perturbation reduces the low-level wind speed in the upstream HDC region but strengthens the downstream wind speed, resulting in reduction of dust emission in the upstream source region and downstream enhancement. Some of the dust aerosols lifted to the higher level by the synoptic rising motion are transported to the downstream direction more quickly with the upper-level strong wind, resulting in a bent-over shape of dust cloud in the downstream region with a maximum concentration near the surface and a secondary maximum in the upper level. The radiative flux convergence between these maximum dust layers produces a warm layer, thereby further enhancing the stable stratification.
Dynamic Surface Interface Exchanges of Mercury: A Review and Compartmentalized Modeling Framework
Authors: Bash Jesse O. , Bresnahan Patricia , Miller David R.
Published: November 2007

This paper presents a review of recent natural surface mercury exchange research in the context of a new modeling framework. The literature indicates that the mercury biogeochemical flux is more dynamic than the current models predict, with interacting multimedia storage and processes. Although several natural mercury emissions models have been created and incorporated into air quality models (AQMs), none are coupled with air quality models on a mass balance basis, and all lack the capacity to explain processes that involve the transport of mercury across atmosphere–surface media concentration gradients. Existing natural mercury emission models treat the surface as both an infinite source and infinite sink for emissions and deposition, respectively, and estimate emissions through the following three pathways: soil, vegetation, and surface waters. The use of these three transport pathways, but with compartmentalized surface storage in a surface–vegetation–atmosphere transport (SVAT) resistance model, is suggested. Surface water fluxes will be modeled using a two-film diffusion model coupled to a surface water photochemical model. This updated framework will allow both the parameterization of the transport of mercury across atmosphere–surface media concentration gradients and the accumulation/depletion of mercury in the surface media. However, several key parameters need further experimental verification before the proposed modeling framework can be implemented in an AQM. These include soil organic mercury interactions, bioavailability, cuticular transport of mercury, atmospheric surface compensation points for different vegetation species, and enhanced soil diffusion resulting from pressure perturbations.
Extreme Value Analysis of Tropical Cyclone Trapped-Fetch Waves
Authors: MacAfee Allan W. , Wong Samuel W. K.
Published: November 2007

Many of the extreme ocean wave events generated by tropical cyclones (TCs) can be explained by examining one component of the spectral wave field, the trapped-fetch wave (TFW). Using a Lagrangian TFW model, a parametric model representation of the local TC wind fields, and the National Hurricane Center’s hurricane database archive, a dataset of TFWs was created from all TCs in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea from 1851 to 2005. The wave height at each hourly position along a TFW trajectory was sorted into 2° × 2° latitude–longitude grid squares. Five grid squares (north of Hispaniola, Gulf of Mexico, Carolina coast, south of Nova Scotia, and south of Newfoundland) were used to determine if extreme value theory could be applied to the extremes in the TFW dataset. The statistical results justify accepting that a generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) model with a threshold of 6 m could be fitted to the data: the datasets were mostly modeled adequately, and much of the output information was useful. Additional tests were performed by sorting the TFW data into the marine areas in Atlantic Canada, which are of particular interest to the Meteorological Service of Canada because of the high ocean traffic, offshore drilling activities, and commercial fishery. GPD models were fitted, and return periods and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 10-, 15-, and 20-m return levels were computed. The results further justified the use of the GPD model; hence, extension to the remaining grid squares was warranted. Of the 607 grid squares successfully modeled, the percentage of grid squares with finite lower (upper) values for the 10-, 15-, and 20-m return level CIs were 100 (80), 94 (53), and 90 (16), respectively. The lower success rate of 20-m TFW CIs was expected, given the rarity of 20-m TFWs: of the 5 713 625 hourly TFW points, only 13 958, or 0.24%, were 20 m or higher. Overall, the distribution of the successfully modeled grid squares in the data domain agreed with TFW theory and TC climatology. As a direct result of this study, the summary datasets and return level plots were integrated into application software for use by risk managers. A description of the applications illustrates their use in addressing various questions on extreme TFWs.
Evaluation and Comparison of Noah and Pleim–Xiu Land Surface Models in MM5 Using GÖTE2001 Data: Spatial and Temporal Variations in Near-Surface Air Temperature
Authors: Miao J-F. , Chen D. , Borne K.
Published: November 2007

In this study, the performance of two advanced land surface models (LSMs; Noah LSM and Pleim–Xiu LSM) coupled with the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), version 3.7.2, in simulating the near-surface air temperature in the greater Göteborg area in Sweden is evaluated and compared using the GÖTE2001 field campaign data. Further, the effects of different planetary boundary layer schemes [Eta and Medium-Range Forecast (MRF) PBLs] for Noah LSM and soil moisture initialization approaches for Pleim–Xiu LSM are investigated. The investigation focuses on the evaluation and comparison of diurnal cycle intensity and maximum and minimum temperatures, as well as the urban heat island during the daytime and nighttime under the clear-sky and cloudy/rainy weather conditions for different experimental schemes. The results indicate that 1) there is an evident difference between Noah LSM and Pleim–Xiu LSM in simulating the near-surface air temperature, especially in the modeled urban heat island; 2) there is no evident difference in the model performance between the Eta PBL and MRF PBL coupled with the Noah LSM; and 3) soil moisture initialization is of crucial importance for model performance in the Pleim–Xiu LSM. In addition, owing to the recent release of MM5, version 3.7.3, some experiments done with version 3.7.2 were repeated to reveal the effects of the modifications in the Noah LSM and Pleim–Xiu LSM. The modification to longwave radiation parameterizations in Noah LSM significantly improves model performance while the adjustment of emissivity, one of the vegetation properties, affects Pleim–Xiu LSM performance to a larger extent. The study suggests that improvements both in Noah LSM physics and in Pleim–Xiu LSM initialization of soil moisture and parameterization of vegetation properties are important.
Adaptive and Mobility-predictive Quantization-based Communication Data Management for High Performance Distributed Computing
Authors: In Kee Kim  , Sung Ho Jang  , Jong Sik Lee
Published: November 2007

Communication data management (CDM) is an important issue in high performance distributed computing where a massive amount of data eXchange frequently occurs among geographically distributed components. In this paper, we review eXisting CDM schemes in distributed computing systems and we propose more efficient CDM schemes. Three types of quantization-based CDM schemes are proposed: the fiXed quantization-based CDM (FQ-CDM), the adaptive quantization-based CDM (AQ-CDM), and the mobility-predictive quantization-based CDM (MPQ-CDM). The FQ-CDM applies a basic theory of quantized systems to the distributed computing environment. The AQ-CDM uses a communication object clustering mechanism, which operates a pattern recognition clustering algorithm. The MPQ-CDM predicts the neXt states of communication objects by using past and current data and controls data communication among communication objects. The mobile object location monitoring system (MOLMS), based on High Level Architecture, is designed and developed to apply these CDM schemes to distributed computing. In this paper we conduct eXperiments by comparing these CDM schemes with each other on the MOLMS. The eXperimental results show that the AQ-CDM is the more effective scheme for communication message reduction and the MPQ-CDM is the more suitable scheme for mobile location error reduction.
Short-term Debt in Spanish SMEs
Authors: García-Teruel Pedro J. , Martínez-Solano Pedro
Published: November 2007

This article analyses the debt maturity structure of small and medium-sized firms in terms of the risk and return trade-off associated with the use of short-term loans. The sample covers 11,533 small and medium-sized Spanish manufacturing firms over the period from 1997 to 2001.The results show that short-term loans are more common in firms with greater financial strength, greater financial flexibility, and major growth options, and when the interest cost differential between short- and long-term loans is more pronounced. Additionally, the size of the firm seems to have an influence on the level of short-term loans; short-term borrowing levels are higher in the smaller firms.
Strategic Networking among Small Businesses in Small US Communities
Authors: Miller Nancy J. , Besser Terry , Malshe Avinash
Published: November 2007

Social capital and strategic network theory formed the basis for examining antecedents, impacts, and outcomes of formal networks organized for enhancing small community business success. Qualitative data derived from field interviews with small business network directors and members were used to identify five theoretical constructs and the potential relationships among those constructs.With insight from the interviews, hypotheses were derived and tested with quantitative data gathered via a telephone survey instrument with 377 small business owners who held membership in 1 of 29 networks operating in small communities across four Midwest states. Owners characterized their businesses as successful and likely to grow. Results of EQS modeling suggested that shared vision and resource sharing among network members significantly benefited members' businesses, and that these benefits were associated with a generalized perception of the advantages of network membership and positively affected members' future participation plans, thus furthering the likelihood of network continuance.
Women in Parole
Authors: Ireland Connie , Berg Bruce
Published: November 2007

Although the number of females in law enforcement has increased in recent years, research suggests that the uniquely gendered contributions of females are minimized in favor of traditional modes of law enforcement, emphasizing physical presence, authoritative commands, and demonstrative control. This research examines women in parole, using in-depth interviews with a small convenience sample of female parole agents in California. Participants discussed their experiences as parole agents from the perspective of women in a predominantly male occupation. Overwhelmingly, they emphasized traditionally associated female traits of intuition, verbal communication, and relationships, over physical tactics. Participants emphasized the importance of building respect and rapport with parolees in multiple contexts, including in the parolees' homes, with the families of parolees, and at parolees' places of employment. Participants suggested that this approach ensures their personal safety and enhances parolee compliance, especially when considering their subjective account of experiences by male parole agents.
The Exclusion–Inclusion Spectrum in State and Community Response to Sex Offenders in Anglo-American and European Jurisdictions
Authors: Petrunik Michael , Deutschmann Linda
Published: November 2007

Continental European and Anglo-American jurisdictions differ with regard to criminal justice and community responses to sex offenders on an exclusion–inclusion spectrum ranging from community protection measures on one end to therapeutic programs in the middle and restorative justice measures on the other end. In the United States, populist pressure has resulted in a community protection approach exemplified by sex offender registration, community notification, and civil commitment of violent sexual predators. Although the United Kingdom and Canada have followed, albeit more cautiously, the American trend to adopt exclusionist community protection measures, these countries have significant community-based restorative justice initiatives, such as Circles of Support and Accountability. Although sex offender crises have recently occurred in continental Europe, a long-standing tradition of the medicalization of deviance, along with the existence of social structural buffers against the influence of victim-driven populist penal movements, has thus far limited the spread of formal community protection responses.
Personality Disorders in a Sample of Paraphilic and Nonparaphilic Child Molesters
Authors: Bogaerts Stefan , Daalder Annelies , Vanheule Stijn , Desmet Mattias , Leeuw Frans
Published: November 2007

This article renders the results of research that investigated personality disorders in a sample of paraphilic and nonparaphilic child molesters. The sample contained 36 paraphilic child molesters and a matched comparison group of 34 nonparaphilic child molesters. The analyses of the research results show that four personality disorders discriminate between both groups. Only the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder contributes significantly to the explanation of paraphilic child molestation. This result also contributes to the development and differentiation of the treatment of paraphilia-related disorders. For several child molesters, psychological approaches to the treatment of sexual offending (e.g., cognitive—behavioral treatment, psychotherapy in general) are limited and cannot be expected to immediately reduce risk. Interest has been expressed in medical approaches to reduce recidivism, in combination with psychotherapy.
The Gottfredson–Hirschi Critiques Revisited
Authors: DeLisi Matt , Vaughn Michael G.
Published: November 2007

Revisiting Gottfredson and Hirschi's critiques of criminal career research, the current study views low self-control as being analogous to criminal propensity and examines its predictive validity of career criminality among 723 incarcerated delinquent youths. Four key findings emerged. Compared to noncareer offenders, career criminals had significantly lower levels of self-control. Second, youths scoring one standard deviation above the mean on the Self-Control Scale had an odds ratio of 5.36 of becoming a career criminal. Third, self-control predicted career criminal membership with receiver operator characteristic-area under the curve sensitivity accuracies between 74% and 87%, suggesting that self-control is a potentially useful screening device for chronic criminality. Fourth, low self-control was overwhelmingly the strongest predictor of career criminality and far exceeded the impact of age, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, mental illness, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, and trauma experience. Further integration between self-control and criminal career research is urged.
A Test of Hirschi's Social Bonding Theory
Authors: Özbay Özden , Özcan Yusuf Ziya
Published: November 2007

In this study, Hirschi's social bonding theory is employed to identify what aspects of the theory can explain male and female delinquency and whether social bonding variables can equally explain male and female delinquency (generalizability problem) in a developing society, Turkey. The data include a two-stage-stratified cluster sample of 1,710 high school students from the central districts of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. The findings suggest that social bonding variables play a more important role for male students than for female students. Furthermore, they indicate that components of the social bonding theory can equally explain both male and female delinquent acts .
Effects of a Competency-Based Counseling Training Program for Correctional Officers
Authors: Der Pan Peter Jen , Chang Shih-Hua , Jiang Karen Jye-Ru
Published: November 2007

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine whether a competency-based counseling training program can be effective in developing the counseling skills of correctional officers with diverse backgrounds and (b) to examine if participants would demonstrate positive changes in counseling skills regardless of their differences among a variety of demographic variables. One hundred and six correctional officers were selected to participate in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied for collecting and analyzing data. The results indicate that the participants' counseling skills were significantly improved. Because the participants demonstrated positive changes in their overall counseling skills, the present research further supports no significant difference among a variety of variables. The training program also brought out deeper reflection on the significant learning experiences, greater theoretical knowledge, as well as greater understanding of the counseling work for the participants.
Changes in Shoulder and Elbow Passive Range of Motion after Pitching in Professional Baseball Players
Authors: Reinold Michael M. , Wilk Kevin E. , Macrina Leonard C. , Sheheane Chris , Dun Shouchen , Fleisig Glenn S. , Crenshaw Ken , Andrews James R.
Published: November 2007

Background

The overhead throwing athlete has unique range of motion characteristics of the shoulder and elbow. Numerous theories exist to explain these characteristics; however, the precise cause is not known. Although it is accepted that range of Motion is altered, the acute effect of baseball pitching on shoulder and elbow range of motion has not been established.

Hypothesis

There will be a reduction in passive range of motion immediately after baseball pitching.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Sixty-seven asymptomatic male professional baseball pitchers participated in the study. Passive range of motion Measurements were recorded using a customized bubble goniometer for shoulder external rotation, shoulder internal rotation, total shoulder rotational motion, elbow flexion, and elbow extension on the dominant and nondominant arms. Testing was performed on the first day of spring training. Measurements were taken before, immediately after, and 24 hours after pitching.

Results

A significant decrease in shoulder internal rotation (−9.5°), total motion (−10.7°), and elbow extension (−3.2°) occurred immediately after baseball pitching in the dominant shoulder ( P < .001). These changes continued to exist 24 hours after pitching. No differences were noted on the nondominant side.

Conclusion

Passive range of motion is significantly decreased immediately after baseball pitching. This decrease in range of motion continues to be present 24 hours after throwing. High levels of eccentric muscle activity have previously been observed in the shoulder external rotators and elbow flexors during pitching. These eccentric muscle contractions may contribute to acute musculotendinous adaptations and altered range of motion. The results of this study may suggest a newly defined mechanism to range of motion adaptations in the overhead throwing athlete resulting from acute musculoskeletal adaptations, in addition to Potential osseous and capsular adaptations.
Does Person-Organization Fit Mediate the Relationship Between Public Service Motivation and the Job Performance of Public Employees?
Authors: Bright Leonard
Published: November 2007

Public service motivation (PSM) is argued to be a meaningful predictor of the performance of employees in public organizations. Many scholars predict that as the level of PSM increases, the performance of public employees will also increase. Unfortunately, existing research has yet to fully support this hypothesis. Two published studies that tested this hypothesis have come to different conclusions. This study investigated whether Person—Organization Fit (P—O Fit) mediates the relationship between PSM and the self-reported performance of public employees, using structural equation modeling. Using a sample of 205 public employees randomly drawn from three public organizations, this study found that PSM had no significant direct impact on the performance of public employees, when P—O Fit was taken into account. The implications of this study and areas of future research are discussed.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Feeding in Nursing Homes
Authors: Brotherton Ailsa M. , Carter Bernie
Published: November 2007

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of relatives of nursing home residents receiving percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding. Qualitative methodology using semistructured interviews explores the experiences and perceptions of eight relatives. Data are analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes are constructed from the data: dependence and resulting disempowerment, having minimal or no involvement in the decision-making process for PEG placement, betrayal, and the losses associated with the social aspects of eating. There is a need for professional education about the psychosocial implications of feeding and an increased level of support for relatives to assist them to develop coping strategies. This will require an expansion of current professional roles to include assessment of individual need, setting of appropriate goals, and the coordination of the provision of multiagency services, likely to include counseling and social support. Further research is required in this field to inform service developments.
Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Cappiello Michelle , Cunningham Regina S. , Tish Knobf M. , Erdos Diane
Published: November 2007

Women living with and beyond breast cancer have special health care needs. Persistent physical and psychological symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, and fear of recurrence as well as quality-of-life outcomes have been described in women during and after breast cancer. Much less information exists on the experience of women completing treatment. This study describes the information and support needs of women following breast cancer treatment. A semistructured interview guide designed by the research team was used to gather data. Major findings indicate that women continue to experience a variety of physical and psychological symptoms and have concrete information and support needs following therapy, including the need for information on persistent treatment effects, emotional distress, and lifestyle changes. Findings illustrate that there is need to provide comprehensive information and support to help women transition from breast cancer therapy. Additional research is needed to optimize approaches to providing posttreatment care.
Mediational Models of Health Practices in Early Adolescents
Authors: Mahon Noreen E. , Yarcheski Adela , Yarcheski Thomas J. , Hanks Michele M.
Published: November 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support and positive health practices in early adolescents and to test two variables, depression and optimism, that mediate this relationship. The final sample included 128 adolescents, ages 12 to 14, who responded to instruments measuring social support, depression, optimism, and positive health practices in classroom settings. Correlational analysis supported the five hypothesized relationships. A series of regression analyses indicated that depression and optimism each were weak mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices. The application of findings to nursing is addressed, using the ACE Star Model for evidence-based practice.
An Evaluation of a Monitoring System Intervention
Authors: Holmes Douglas , Teresi Jeanne A. , Ramirez Mildred , Ellis Julie , Eimicke Joseph , Jian Kong  , Orzechowska Lucja , Silver Stephanie
Published: November 2007

This project assessed the extent to which modern technology (Vigil) can augment or substitute for direct staff intervention in nonacute late-evening and nighttime situations in a nursing home setting. Vigil was implemented for dementia residents of a special care unit (SCU) in a large nursing home. An SCU matched in terms of unit-wide case mix and cognition was used for comparison. Results showed that there was no significant reduction in falls and injuries, but there was a significant improvement in affective disorder in the intervention group as contrasted with the comparison group. There was no significant increase in staff-perceived burden, despite the significant increase in the amount of direct care time logged. Additional time spent in staff care was significantly related to decreased affective disorder. The findings related to Vigil are generally mixed. The question remains as to whether the improvement in affect was due to Vigil or vigilance.
The Rise of Transgender-Inclusive Laws
Authors: Colvin Roddrick A.
Published: November 2007

Whereas efforts that prohibit employment discrimination based on factors such as race or sexual orientation require certain organizational changes, creating a transgender-inclusive workplace requires organizational changes that include personnel, policy, legal, and medical issues unique to transgender people. At present, it is not clear whether communities are actually implementing these organizational changes, even after adopting transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. This research project surveyed 74 municipalities with transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination employments laws, in order to assess and better understand the state of transgender-inclusive public workplaces. The initial results of the survey suggest that although innovation continues to increase, implementation and enforcement remain low, affecting managers' and employees' abilities to operate in a transgender-inclusive environment. Recommendations are made to improve implementation and enforcement of transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination laws.
Comparing Forecasting Models in Tourism
Authors: Chen Rachel J. C. , Bloomfield Peter , Cubbage Frederick W.
Published: November 2007

This study uses three major U.S. national parks as applications of statistically selecting appropriate methods to forecast attendance. Forecasting methods assessed include Naïve 1, Naïve 2, single moving average (SMA), single exponential smoothing (SES), Brown's, Holt's, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), derived time series cross-section regression (TSCSREG), and time series analysis with explanatory variable models. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is used to measure the accuracy of forecasting methods. Based on the MAPE values, SMA produces the most accurate forecasting, followed closely by ARIMA, Brown's, and Naïve 1 models. Holt's and TSCSREG models produce the next most accurate forecasting, followed by SES, time series analysis with explanatory variable model, and Naïve 2. Methods used in this article are readily transferable to other hospitality and tourism data sets with annual visitation figures. Merits and limits of the proposed forecasting methods are discussed.
An experimental system for the evaluation of retroviral vector design to diminish the risk for proto-oncogene activation
Authors: Ryu Byoung Y. , Evans-Galea Marguerite V. , Gray John T. , Bodine David M. , Persons Derek A. , Nienhuis Arthur W.
Published: November 2007

Pathogenic activation of the LMO2 proto-oncogene by an oncoretroviral vector insertion in a clinical trial for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) has prompted safety concerns. We used an adeno-associated virus vector to achieve targeted insertion of a γ-retroviral long terminal repeat (LTR) driving a GFP expression cassette with flanking loxP sites in a human T-cell line at the precise location of vector integration in one of the patients with X-SCID. The LTR-GFP cassette was inserted into the first intron of the LMO2 gene, resulting in strong activation of LMO2. Cre-mediated cassette exchange was used to replace the original LTR-GFP cassette with one flanked by insulator elements leading to a several fold reduction in LMO2 expression. The LTR-GFP cassette was also replaced with a globin gene regulatory cassette that failed to activate the LMO2 gene in lymphoid cells. A γ-retroviral vector with 2 intact LTRs resulted in activation of the LMO2 gene when inserted into the first intron, but a self-inactivating lentiviral vector with an internal cellular promoter and flanking insulator elements did not activate the LMO2 gene. Thus, this system is useful for comparing the safety profiles of vector cassettes with various regulatory elements for their potential for proto-oncogene activation.
On the dynamics of acute EBV infection and the pathogenesis of infectious mononucleosis
Authors: Hadinoto Vey , Shapiro Michael , Greenough Thomas C. , Sullivan John L. , Luzuriaga Katherine , Thorley-Lawson David A.
Published: November 2007

Memory B cells latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (mBLats) in the blood disappear rapidly on presentation with acute symptomatic primary infection (acute infectious mononucleosis [AIM]). They undergo a simple exponential decay (average half-life: 7.5 ± 3.7 days) similar to that of normal memory B cells. The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to immediate early (IE) lytic antigens (CTLIEs) also decays over this time period, but no such correlation was observed for the CTL response to lytic or latent antigens or to the levels of virions shed into saliva. We have estimated the average half-life of CTLIEs to be 73 (± 23) days. We propose that cycles of infection and reactivation occur in the initial stages of infection that produce high levels of mBLats in the circulation. Eventually the immune response arises and minimizes these cycles leaving the high levels of mBLats in the blood to decay through simple memory B-cell homeostasis mechanisms. This triggers the cells to reactivate the virus whereupon most are killed by CTLIEs before they can release virus and infect new cells. The release of antigens caused by this large-scale destruction of infected cells may trigger the symptoms of AIM and be a cofactor in other AIM-associated diseases.
A common pathway mediated through Toll-like receptors leads to T- and natural killer–cell immunosuppression
Authors: Vaknin Ilan , Blinder Liora , Wang Lynn , Gazit Roi , Shapira Elena , Genina Olga , Pines Mark , Pikarsky Eli , Baniyash Michal
Published: November 2007

T- and natural killer (NK)–cell immunosuppression associated with ζ-chain down-regulation has been described in cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. However, the precise stimuli leading to this bystander phenomenon in such different pathogen-dependent and sterile pathologies remained unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a major role in the induction of innate and adaptive immune system suppression; repetitive administration of single TLR 2, 3, 4, or 9 agonists, which do not exhibit any virulent or immune invasive properties, was sufficient to induce a bystander NK- and T-cell immunosuppression associated with ζ-chain down-regulation mediated by myeloid suppressor cells, as observed in the course of active pathologies. We identified a 35-amino acid (aa) region within the ζ-chain as being responsible for its degradation under TLR-mediated chronic inflammation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that ζ-chain levels could serve as a biomarker for chronic inflammation-dependent immunosuppression. Thus, although acute TLR-mediated activation could be beneficial in clearing pathogens or may serve as an immune adjuvant, such activation could be detrimental under sustained conditions.
Prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease by blocking T-cell entry to secondary lymphoid organs
Authors: Beilhack Andreas , Schulz Stephan , Baker Jeanette , Beilhack Georg F. , Nishimura Ryosei , Baker Enosh M. , Landan Gilad , Herman Edward I. , Butcher Eugene C. , Contag Christopher H. , Negrin Robert S.
Published: November 2007

In acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), donor T cells attack the recipient's gastrointestinal tract, liver, and skin. We hypothesized that blocking access to distinct lymphoid priming sites may alter the specific organ tropism and prevent aGVHD development. In support of this initial hypothesis, we found that different secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) imprint distinct homing receptor phenotypes on evolving alloreactive effector T cells in vivo. Yet preventing T-cell entry to specific SLOs through blocking monoclonal antibodies, or SLO ablation, did not alter aGVHD pathophysiology. Moreover, transfer of alloreactive effector T cells into conditioned secondary recipients targeted the intestines and liver, irrespective of their initial priming site. Thus, we demonstrate redundancy of SLOs at different anatomical sites in aGVHD initiation. Only prevention of T-cell entry to all SLOs could completely abrogate the onset of aGVHD.
The attitudes of brain cancer patients and their caregivers towards death and dying: a qualitative study
Authors: Lipsman Nir , Skanda Abby , Kimmelman Jonathan , Bernstein Mark
Published: November 2007

Background

Much money and energy has been spent on the study of the molecular biology of malignant brain tumours. However, little attention has been paid to the wishes of patients afflicted with these incurable tumours, and how this might influence treatment considerations.

Methods

We interviewed 29 individuals – 7 patients dying of a malignant brain tumor and 22 loved ones. One-on-one interviews were conducted according to a pre-designed interview guide. A combination of open-ended questions, as well as clinical scenarios was presented to participants in order to understand what is meaningful and valuable to them when determining treatment options and management approaches. The results were analyzed, coded, and interpreted using qualitative analytic techniques in order to arrive at several common overarching themes.

Results

Seven major themes were identified. In general, respondents were united in viewing brain cancer as unique amongst malignancies, due in large part to the premium placed on mental competence and cognitive functioning. Importantly, participants found their experiences, however difficult, led to the discovery of inner strength and resilience. Responses were usually framed within an interpersonal context, and participants were generally grateful for the opportunity to speak about their experiences. Attitudes towards religion, spirituality, and euthanasia were also probed.

Conclusion

Several important themes underlie the experiences of brain cancer patients and their caregivers. It is important to consider these when managing these patients and to respect not only their autonomy but also the complex interpersonal toll that a malignant diagnosis can have.