bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Carcinogenesis of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Rodents: An Overview with Emphasis on NTP Carcinogenesis Bioassays
Authors: Chandra Sundeep A. , Nolan Michael W. , Malarkey David E.
Published: December 2009

Cancers of the stomach and large intestine (LI) are the second and fourth leading causes of human cancer mortality. A review of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) database and the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) reveals that chemically induced neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are relatively common. Within the GIT, epithelial tumors of the forestomach in mice and rats and LI of the rat are most common. Generally, there is a high species concordance for forestomach with at least 26 chemicals inducing tumors in both species. Glandular stomach tumors are rare, and the few reported are usually neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoids) originating from the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells. Of 290 carcinogenic agents identified by the NTP, 19 (7%) caused intestinal neoplasia, 14 in the rat and 5 in the mouse. Neoplasms occurred in both males and females, exclusively in the small intestine (SI) of the mouse and in the LI or both SI and LI in the rat. Enteric carcinogens (NTP) frequently induced neoplasms at other alimentary sites (oral cavity, esophagus, and stomach). In conclusion, the most common induced GIT tumors are squamous neoplasms of the forestomach, glandular neoplasms of the stomach are rare, and rats appear more prone to developing LI (colorectal) cancer compared to mice.
What Did You Just Call Me? European and American Ratings of the Valence of Ethnophaulisms
Authors: Rice Diana R. , Abrams Dominic , Badea Constantina , Bohner Gerd , Carnaghi Andrea , Dementi Lyudmila I. , Durkin Kevin , Ehmann Bea , Hodson Gordon , Kokdemir Dogan , Masip Jaume , Moran Aidan , Oswald Margit E. , Ouwerkerk Jaap W. , Reber Rolf , Schroeder Jonathan , Tasiopoulou Katerina , Trzebinski Jerzy
Published: December 2009

Previous work has examined the relative valence (positivity or negativity) of ethnophaulisms (ethnic slurs) targeting European immigrants to the United States. However, this relied on contemporary judgments made by American researchers. The present study examined valence judgments made by citizens from the countries examined in previous work. Citizens of 17 European nations who were fluent in English rated ethnophaulisms targeting their own group as well as ethnophaulisms targeting immigrants from England. American students rated ethnophaulisms for all 17 European nations, providing a comparison from members of the host society. Ratings made by the European judges were (a) consistent with those made by the American students and (b) internally consistent for raters’ own country and for the common target group of the English. Following discussion of relevant methodological issues, the authors examine the theoretical significance of their results.
The Accuracy of the Central Venous Blood Gas for Acid-Base Monitoring
Authors: Walkey Allan J. , Farber Harrison W. , O'Donnell Charles , Cabral Howard , Eagan Janet S. , Philippides George J.
Published: December 2009

Background: Routine use of central venous blood gases (VBGs) may reduce complications from prolonged arterial cannulation. We investigated the reliability of the VBG as a substitute for arterial blood gas (ABG) in multiple care settings. Methods: We developed a VBG adjustment rule of ABG pH = VBG pH + 0.05, ABG CO2 = VBG PCO2 -5 mm Hg from prior studies and validated this relationship with simultaneous venous and arterial blood obtained from 187 medical/surgical intensive care, cardiac catheterization laboratory, and coronary care unit patients with central venous access. Results: The overall accuracy of a normal adjusted VBG (aVBG) to predict a normal ABG was 90%. After adjustment, the mean systematic difference (bias) between ABG and VBG pH decreased from 0.035 ± 0.02 to -0.015 ± 0.02 and PCO2 bias decreased from -4.5 ± 3.5 to 0.5 ± 3.5. Intraclass correlation coefficients for agreement improved after applying the adjustment rule to venous pH (from 0.84 to 0.93, P < .001) and PCO2 (from 0.66 to 0.84, P < .001). Overall diagnostic accuracy of VBG improved from 45% to 74% after adjustment. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that the factor independently associated with discrepancy between VBG and ABG diagnoses was an abnormal aVBG (OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.8-16.5). Conclusions: Because of the high agreement between a normal aVBG with a normal ABG and the small bias between these tests, we recommend use of the adjusted central VBG.
COBRA and the Stimulus Act: A Sign of Things to Come?
Authors: Muldowney Patrick M.
Published: December 2009

This article addresses the provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) requiring an employer to subsidize an employee’s premiums for continued group health insurance pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). The article discusses who qualifies for the subsidy, how the subsidy works, the recovery of premium subsidies, notice requirements to employees, election of different coverage options and the law’s impact on pre-existing condition limitations. The article also discusses what employers need to be doing with respect to the COBRA provisions of ARRA, and possible further changes to health care coverage for employees.
Responding to Clandestine Methamphetamine Manufacturing: A Case Study in Situational Crime Prevention
Authors: Shukla Rashi K. , Elaine Bartgis E.
Published: December 2009

During the 1990s, Oklahoma experienced an increase in clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in operation in the state. Identifying and responding to this problem became a law enforcement priority. Clandestine laboratories were extremely dangerous and volatile, as they posed great risks to individuals and local communities. Initial efforts to control the problem proved difficult, given the availability of all the key ingredients and supplies. In response to this problem, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) worked to inform the Oklahoma legislature, which passed a number of laws aimed at affecting clandestine manufacturing. This case study explores Oklahoma’s legislative responses to methamphetamine manufacturing and retroactively examines whether these laws fit within the situational crime prevention perspective.
Effects of South Carolina’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policy on Adult Recidivism
Authors: Letourneau Elizabeth J. , Levenson Jill S. , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar , Sinha Debajyoti , Armstrong Kevin S.
Published: December 2009

Some sex offender registration and notification (SORN) policies subject all registered sex offenders to Internet notification. The present study examined the effects of one such broad notification policy on sex crime recidivism. Secondary data were analyzed for a sample of 6,064 male offenders convicted of at least one sex crime between 1990 and 2004. Across a mean follow-up of 8.4 years, 490 (8%) offenders had new sex crime charges and 299 (5%) offenders had new sex crime convictions. Cox’s relative risks and competing risks models estimated the influence of registration status on risk of sexual recidivism while controlling for time at risk. Registration status did not predict recidivism in any model. These results cast doubt on the effectiveness of broad SORN policies in preventing repeat sexual assault. Policy implications, particularly with respect to the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which requires broad notification, are discussed.
A Content Analysis of Criminal Justice Policy Review, 1986-2008
Authors: Stinson Philip Matthew , Huck Jennifer L. , Spraitz Jason D.
Published: December 2009

Academic disciplines have been characterized as static institutions that do not change or conform to outside forces. Abbott and Silbey have discussed this issue in relationship to how the history of refereed journals in the social sciences can provide information on department, institution, and disciplinary changes that often wear a false guise of continuity. This article analyzes the content of Criminal Justice Policy Review by replicating the methodology Silbey used to study the content of Law & Society Review in terms of editorship, authorship, article contents, method and mode of research, and article topics. The results indicate that although changes in the content of Criminal Justice Policy Review over time may be small, they exist and most correspond with changes in the department, institution, and discipline. Changes in journal content also appear to have been influenced by changes in editorial philosophy and increasing interest in raising the stature of the journal within the discipline.
Wanting Change: The Relationship of Perceptions of Organizational Innovation With Correctional Staff Job Stress, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment
Authors: Lambert Eric G. , Hogan Nancy L.
Published: December 2009

Correctional organizations need committed, relatively unstressed, and satisfied staff. Thus, it is important to identify and understand the factors that help shape the job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of correctional workers. Past research has shown that many different dimensions of the work environment are important predictors. Yet not all dimensions of the work environment have been examined, including perceptions of organizational innovation. Thus, it is unclear whether and how perceptions of organizational innovation may influence the job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of correctional employees. Using survey data from staff at a Midwestern correctional facility, the effects of perceptions of organizational innovation are studied while controlling for the shared effects of other salient work environment dimensions (i.e., job variety, job autonomy, and perceived dangerousness of the job) and personal characteristics (i.e., gender, age, position, tenure, educational level, and race). In multivariate analyses, perceptions of organizational innovation had a statistically negative association with job stress, whereas it had statistically significant positive associations with job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Examining the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on the Sentencing of Juveniles in the Adult Court
Authors: Jordan Kareem L. , Freiburger Tina L.
Published: December 2009

Several studies have examined the effects of race and ethnicity on the sentences of adult offenders in the criminal court. The findings of these studies often show that race and ethnicity influence defendants’ sentencing outcomes. Few studies, however, have examined how race and ethnicity influence juvenile defendants sentenced in the adult criminal justice system. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine how race and ethnicity affect the sentences of juveniles, utilizing a national dataset of youth convicted of a felony in adult court. The findings suggest that race and ethnicity do impact the sentencing outcomes of convicted youthful offenders. In addition, the results suggest that the combination of race and other factors (i.e., interactions) has an effect on sentencing. Implications for subsequent research also are discussed.
Memorial Narratives of WWII Partisans and Genocide in Belarus
Authors: Goujon Alexandra
Published: December 2009

The memory of WWII always played an important role in Belarus, which was characterized as a “Partisan Republic” during the Soviet time. Soviet historiography and memorial narrative emphasized the heroics of the resistance to fascism and allowed only a description of the crimes of the Nazis. New ways of looking at war events appeared during the perestroika and after the independence of the country. But after Alexander Lukashenko came to power as president in 1994, a neo-Soviet version of the past was adopted and spread. The Great Patriotic War (GPW) has become an increasingly publicized event in the official memorial narrative as the culminating moment in Belarusian history. Since the mid-2000s, this narrative tends to be nationalized in order to testify that the Belarusian people’s suffering and resistance behavior were among the highest ones during WWII. Political and academic dissenting voices to the Belarusian authoritarian regime try to downplay this official narrative by pointing out that the Belarusians were also victims of the Stalinist repression, and their attitude towards the Nazi occupation was more than ambivalent. Behind the memorial discourses, two competitive versions of Belarusian national identity can be distinguished. According to the official version, Belarusian identity is based on the East-Slavic identity that incorporates the Soviet history in its contemporary development. According to the opposition, it is based on a national memory that discards the Soviet past as a positive one.
Delinking through Integration: A Dependency Analysis of Regional Financial Integration
Authors: Rosero Luis D. , Erten Bilge
Published: December 2009

This article analyzes regional financial institutions’ emergence in Latin America and East Asia, and their implications for the current formation of the world economy. We evaluate the performance of the Chiang Mai Initiative, the Latin American Reserve Fund, and the Bank of the South (BOS), and their potential to prevent financial crises and promote sustainable economic development in the periphery. Using dependency theory, including A.G. Frank’s delinking theorization, we analyze the BOS. Can these alternative financial institutions effectively undermine the Bretton Woods organizations’ hegemony? Assuming the new financial blocs are among anti-systemic movements in the world economy, do they suggest prospects for building counter-hegemonic formations? Thus we can analyze regional financial integration from the dependency theory perspective, with special attention to Frank’s contributions. Analysis ignoring the world economy’s dependency dynamics could not explain the periphery’s growing forces of regional integration, or explore how far regional arrangements challenge and reshape the existing world order.
Synthesis of Optically Active and Thermally Stable Polyamides With Bulky Aromatic Side Chain in an Ionic Liquid (Tetrabutylammonium Bromide)
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Zadehnazari Amin
Published: December 2009

A new class of wholly aromatic and optically active polyamides (PAs) having phthalimide and L-leucine pendant groups were synthesized via polycondensation of chiral diacid, (2S)-5-[4-(4-methyl2-phthalimidylpentanoyl-amino)benzoylamino]isophthalic acid and different aliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates. Polymerization reactions were performed both in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst and without a catalyst, using molten tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as a green solvent, and was compared with polymerization in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a conventional solvent. The resulting polymers were obtained in good yields and inherent viscosities ranging between 0.26 and 0.96 dL g-1. These polymers are optically active, thermally stable and readily soluble in amide-type solvents. All of the above polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, specific rotation and in some cases by 1H-NMR and elemental analysis techniques. Thermal properties of PAs were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry. TGA showed that the 5% weight loss temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere for two representative samples were more than 283 and 354 °C, which indicates that the resulting PAs have good thermal stability.
Wishful Seeing
Authors: Balcetis Emily , Dunning David
Published: December 2009

Although people assume that they see the surrounding environment as it truly is, we suggest that perception of the natural environment is dependent upon the internal goal states of perceivers. Five experiments demonstrated that perceivers tend to see desirable objects (i.e., those that can fulfill immediate goals—a water bottle to assuage their thirst, money they can win, a personality test providing favorable feedback) as physically closer to them than less desirable objects. Biased distance perception was revealed through verbal reports and through actions toward the object (e.g., underthrowing a beanbag at a desirable object). We suggest that seeing desirable objects as closer than less desirable objects serves the self-regulatory function of energizing the perceiver to approach objects that fulfill needs and goals.
Are Plasma Oxytocin in Women and Plasma Vasopressin in Men Biomarkers of Distressed Pair-Bond Relationships?
Authors: Taylor Shelley E. , Saphire-Bernstein Shimon , Seeman Teresa E.
Published: December 2009

Young adults in couple (pair-bond) relationships reported on the positive and negative aspects of their relationships and had blood drawn and assayed for oxytocin and vasopressin. Elevated plasma oxytocin was associated with distress in the pair-bond relationship for women, but not for men. Vasopressin, which is closely related to oxytocin in molecular structure and significantly related to male pair-bond behavior in animal studies, was elevated in men experiencing distress in the pair-bond relationship, but not in women. Controlling for estradiol and testosterone did not alter these findings. We conclude that plasma oxytocin in women and plasma vasopressin in men may be biomarkers of distressed pair-bond relationships.
Holistic Processing Is Not Correlated With Face-Identification Accuracy
Authors: Konar Yaroslav , Bennett Patrick J. , Sekuler Allison B.
Published: December 2009

The current study tested the widespread assumption that holistic processing is important for the identification of upright faces. In two experiments, we show that (a) there are large individual differences in the magnitude of the composite face effect and face-identification accuracy and (b) the correlation between the magnitude of the composite face effect and face-identification accuracy is essentially zero. These findings are inconsistent with the claim that holistic processing, as indexed by the composite face effect, significantly influences accuracy in a face-identification task.
Status and the Evaluation of Workplace Deviance
Authors: Bowles Hannah Riley , Gelfand Michele
Published: December 2009

Bias in the evaluation of workplace misbehavior is hotly debated in courts and corporations, but it has received little empirical attention. Classic sociological literature suggests that deviance by lower-status actors will be evaluated more harshly than deviance by higher-status actors. However, more recent psychological literature suggests that discrimination in the evaluation of misbehavior may be moderated by the relative status of the evaluator because status influences both rule observance and attitudes toward social hierarchy. In Study 1, the psychological experience of higher status decreased rule observance and increased preferences for social hierarchy, as we theorized. In three subsequent experiments, we tested the hypothesis that higher-status evaluators would be more discriminating in their evaluations of workplace misbehavior, evaluating fellow higher-status deviants more leniently than lower-status deviants. Results supported the hypothesized interactive effect of evaluator status and target status on the evaluation of workplace deviance, when both achieved status characteristics (Studies 2a and 2b) and ascribed status characteristics (i.e., race and gender in Study 3) were manipulated.
Tree-ring reconstruction of past lahar activity at Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico
Authors: Bollschweiler Michelle , Stoffel Markus , VázquezSelem Lorenzo , Palacios David
Published: December 2009

Lahars represent a major threat on the slopes of volcanoes all over the world. In order to realistically assess hazards, knowledge on the occurrence and timing of past lahar activity is of crucial importance. However, archival data on past events is usually scarce or completely missing. Tree-ring records have repeatedly proved to be a reliable data source for the reconstruction of past geomorphic events. However, tree rings have seldom been applied for the identification of past lahars. Therefore, it was the aim of this study: (i) to identify and describe disturbances in tree growth induced by well-documented lahar events and on this basis; and (ii) to recognise older, unknown lahar events with tree-ring analyses. Based on these goals, we collected 140 tree-ring series from 62 trees ( Abies religiosa, Pinus hartwegii and Pinus ayacahuite) standing inside or adjacent to the lahar channel in the Huiloac gorge at Popocatépetl volcano, central Mexico. Most commonly, the known lahar events of 1997 and 2001 resulted in abrupt changes in tree-ring width as well as injuries. The same growth disturbances could be identified in the tree-ring series, indicating that five previously unknown lahar events would have occurred during the 20th century. Popocatépetl is one of the best surveyed volcanoes in the world and past eruptions are precisely noted in archives. As most of these unknown events occurred during periods with no volcanic activity, we believe that they were rainfall-induced rather than related to volcanic activity. In order to assess rainfall intensity threshold values for the triggering of events, the analyses of meteorological data needs to be integrated. In general, the investigated tree species proved to be highly suitable for the reconstruction of mass-movement processes. Therefore, the applied methods can be transferred to other locations where data on past events are missing.
Pattern of pediatric poisoning in the east Karadeniz region between 2002 and 2006: increased suicide poisoning
Authors: Mutlu M. , Cansu A. , Karakas T. , Kalyoncu M. , Erduran E.
Published: December 2009

In the present study, 386 patients with the diagnosis of poisoning admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Unit of Farabi Hospital of Medical Faculty of Karadeniz Technical University between January 2002 and December 2006 were retrospectively evaluated with respect to gender, age, cause of poisoning, type of substance used, route of exposure, reason for the intake, signs and symptoms, time of referral to the hospital, hospitalization period, and prognosis. The age group of most poisoning cases was <5 years of age and constituted 51% (n = 197) of all cases. The main toxic agent was drugs (70.2%), followed by foods (8.8%), rodenticides (7%), insecticides/pesticides (4.9%), and carbon monoxide (4.7%). In childhood poisonings, accidental drug poisoning was frequent in toddlers, whereas suicidal poisoning was frequent in adolescents. The suicidal poisoning rate was 23.8% among all poisoning patients, and 98.9% of these patients were adolescents. The suicidal poisoning rates for males and females were 30% and 70%, respectively. An increase in suicidal and inhalation poisonings was observed when compared with previous studies that have been conducted in the same region. The results of the present study suggest that poisonings still represents an important health problem that could be prevented by safe drug storage at home, as well as parental education on adolescence issues, particularly those regarding females.
Influence of cereal bran supplement on cadmium effects in growing rats
Authors: Callegaro Mgk , Milbradt BG , Diettrich T. , Alves E. , Duarte FA , Flores EMM , Dressler VL , Silva LP , Emanuelli T.
Published: December 2009

Strategies to diminish cadmium (Cd) absorption are highly desirable especially where Cd exposure due to environmental contamination is still inevitable. Cd toxicity may be influenced by dietary components, such as fiber and minerals. Multimixtures are low-cost cereal bran supplements used in Brazil and in other countries to counteract malnutrition in low-income populations. This study was aimed at evaluating whether multimixture would reduce Cd effects in young rats. Animals received a diet with or without the multimixture plus 0, 5, or 25 mg Cd/kg (control, Cd-5, and Cd-25 groups) during 30 days. The Cd-5 groups were similar to control groups in all parameters analyzed, except in the higher renal Cd concentration. However, the Cd-25 groups had lower biological growth parameters and renal δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity, besides higher renal Cd concentration and plasma alanine aminotransferase activity compared to the controls. The multimixture did not prevent Cd effects in the Cd-25 group, but caused a small reduction in renal Cd concentration in the Cd-5 group. Although this multimixture was ineffective to prevent Cd effects at the higher concentration, it seemed to reduce Cd accumulation at the lower Cd dietary concentration, which is similar to levels of human exposure in some polluted areas.
Design, Fabrication, and Modeling of a Four-bar Electromagnetic Vibration Power Generator
Authors: Oliver Josiah M. , Priya Shashank
Published: December 2009

In this article, we report an electromagnetic vibration energy harvesting structure with efficiency approaching close to the theoretical limit. The structure was modeled to account for geometrical variation in magnetic field, velocity field, and the conductor orientation with respect to magnetic field patterns. A four-bar magnet geometry was selected, which allows for an easily manufactured device with high amount of electrical damping on the structure, and thus a close to optimal amount of power generated. Using standard modeling approaches in the literature for electromagnetic harvesters, it can be found that for this particular geometry, the prediction of the power output as a function of load resistance yields inaccurate results and overpredicts the optimal load resistance for the device. We present a comprehensive modeling approach for this geometry incorporating all the design variables, which contribute to a more accurate estimate of the power output as a function of load resistance. The model was validated against the fabricated prototype and consistent results were obtained.
Investigation of Impulse Response of an ER Fluid Viscous Damper
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Zhang Xin-Rong , Niu Xiao-Dong , Nishioka K.
Published: December 2009

The electrorheological (ER) fluid is a fluid that shows non-Newtonian fluid characteristics when the electrical field is applied. In this study, an experiment of an ER fluid viscous damper, in which an ER fluid is enclosed in the gap of a piston—cylinder system, is carried out to investigate the performances of the ER fluids and the effects of the electric field on the impulse response of the damper when an impulsive force is applied to it. To validate the experimental observations, a theoretical cylinder displacement formula of the damper is derived based on the Bingham approximation and the Stokes flow assumption of the test ER fluids in the damper. The present study shows that, when strength of the applied electric field and concentration of the ER fluids increase, the oscillation amplitudes of the cylinder displacement reduce. In other words, the ER damping effect is improved when the strength of the electric field increases.
Deformation of a Beam with Partially Debonded Piezoelectric Actuators
Authors: Ikeda Tadashige , Raja Samikkannu , Ueda Tetsuhiko
Published: December 2009

A linear and a non-linear mathematical models for analyzing the deformation behavior of a beam with a pair of partially debonded piezoelectric actuators are developed on the basis of the Timoshenko beam theory. Effect of buckling is considered in the linear model, where the debonded actuator region is assumed to generate the Euler buckling load when the axial force in the region is larger than the load. The static behavior of the beam is investigated for extension and bending deformation. When the actuator debonds from its edge, the performance deteriorates; in contrast, the debonding in the middle of the actuator does not show any performance degradation until the debonded region buckles. The deformation behavior obtained from the linear model has been found to have good agreement with that from the non-linear model. The non-linear analysis shows that after the buckling the debonded actuator region maintains an axial force of the order of the Euler buckling load of a fix—fix column for the extending actuation, although for the bending actuation, it retains nearly 75% of the Euler buckling load. Further, the strain distribution in the debonded region shows that the buckling may occur before cracks begin in the actuator.
Experimental Detection and Quantitative Interrogation of Damage in a Jointed Composite Structure
Authors: Gentzen Vanessa , Choi Young-Tai , Purekar Ashish S. , Wereley Norman M.
Published: December 2009

This study addresses experimental detection and quantitative interrogation of damage in a jointed composite structure. To construct a cohesive structural health monitoring system for the jointed composite panel, the wave propagation method was used with smart piezoelectric transducers for excitation and sensing. The smart sensor system was configured using four piezo patches located at the four quadrants of the composite panel, and provided multiple actuation/sensing scenarios to capture time and frequency response signals for a variety of bolt damage configurations. Signal information was compressed into non-dimensional damage indices for each excitation configuration. The collected information was used in a pattern recognition algorithm. Based on pattern recognition, a damage discriminator was generated which indicated location and amount of damage information automatically. Using simulated bolt torque loss damage on the jointed composite structure, the damage detection performance of the damage discriminator was experimentally evaluated.
Active Optical Fiber Alignment with a Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motor Integrated Into Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics
Authors: Park Seung-Ho , Baker Amanda , Eitel Richard E. , Randall Clive A. , Uchino Kenji
Published: December 2009

The major goal of this research was to integrate an ultrasonic motor into a ceramic package for an active optical fiber alignment. Two degrees of freedom ultrasonic motor was successfully cofired with commercial low temperature cofired ceramic green tapes as well as with silver electrodes without encountering serious delamination, camber, and inter diffusion issues. High-power piezoelectric ceramics that can be sintered at 900°C was used for the ultrasonic motor. The motor successfully achieved fiber-to-laser optical alignment. Once alignment was achieved, a pre-stressed structure maintained the position of the fiber without any external electrical field or adhesive material. This package design provided a unique ability to adjust and realign an optical fiber.
Whose News Do You Trust? Explaining Trust in Private versus Public Media in Africa
Authors: Moehler Devra C. , Singh Naunihal
Published: December 2009

Why do citizens in postauthoritarian African democracies trust government-owned broadcast media more than they trust private broadcasters, given the public media’s lack of independence and history of state propaganda? Analysis of Afrobarometer data from sixteen countries indicates that low political sophistication, illiberal attitudes, and support for incumbents are all associated with greater relative trust in government media. Citizens also prefer public broadcasters in polities with greater press freedom and lower corruption. These results suggest that private media need more democratic and critical citizens, rather than higher quality reporting and greater press freedom, to compete with the state media for influence and resources.
Routes to Attention or Shortcuts to Apathy? Exploring Domain-Specific Communication Pathways and Their Implications for Public Perceptions of Controversial Science
Authors: Binder Andrew R.
Published: December 2009

Recent research in communication has emphasized interpersonal discussion as a potential mediator or moderator of the media effects on audiences. In this study, the author develops a similar model to explore public perceptions of science. In addition to communication variables, this model incorporates the notion of domain-specific pathways as determinants of attitudinal and cognitive outcomes. As a case study, the model is applied to salience of climate change, and the results reveal evidence for the mediation of media effects on salience through interpersonal discussion. Moreover, two domain-specific communication pathways—one focusing on politics and the other on science—have differential impacts on the outcome. These results are discussed in terms of integrating interpersonal communication into existing models of public perceptions of science controversy.
Atypical Calciphylaxis in a Patient Receiving Warfarin Then Resolving With Cessation of Warfarin and Application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Authors: Banerjee Chandramouli , Woller Scott C. , Holm James R. , Stevens Scott M. , Lahey Michael J.
Published: December 2009

Calciphylaxis is a rare, usually fatal vasculopathic disorder characterized by cutaneous ischemia and necrosis due to calcification of arterioles. Although calciphylaxis is most frequently associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and secondary hyperparathyroidism, it has been reported infrequently among patients on warfarin. No standard treatment has been established for atypical calciphylaxis; however, a potentially beneficial treatment is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). A high degree of clinical suspicion, early diagnosis, and understanding the pathophysiology of this disease promotes the optimal management of this extremely morbid and often fatal condition. Case Report: We present a 63-year-old Polynesian woman with biopsy-proven calciphylaxis in the absence of ESRD or elevated serum calcium levels while taking warfarin. Therapeutic dose enoxaparin was substituted for warfarin and she received 40 sessions of HBOT during which lower extremity ulcers resolved. Discussion: Warfarin has been implicated when calciphylaxis presents in an atypical fashion. No guidelines exist for treatment of atypical calciphylaxis in the setting of concomitant warfarin therapy. Up to 80% of calciphylaxis patients die within 1 year of diagnosis. Our patient was changed to low-molecular-weight heparin and received HBOT. Conclusion: We present what we believe is the first case of atypical calciphylaxis thought to be attributable to warfarin treated with a therapeutic substitution of anticoagulant and HBOT leading to resolution of cutaneous lesions.
Does Physical Abuse in Early Childhood Predict Substance Use in Adolescence and Early Adulthood?
Authors: Lansford Jennifer E. , Dodge Kenneth A. , Pettit Gregory S. , Bates John E.
Published: December 2009

Prospective longitudinal data from 585 families were used to examine parents’ reports of child physical abuse in the first 5 years of life as a predictor of substance use at ages 12, 16, and 24. Path analyses revealed that physical abuse in the first 5 years of life predicted subsequent substance use for females but not males. We found a direct effect of early physical abuse on girls’ substance use at age 12 and indirect effects on substance use at age 16 and age 24 through substance use at age 12. For boys, age 12 substance use predicted age 16 substance use, and age 16 substance use predicted age 24 substance use, but physical abuse in the first 5 years of life was unrelated to subsequent substance use. These findings suggest that for females, a mechanism of influence of early physical abuse on substance use into early adulthood appears to be through precocious initiation of substance use in early adolescence.
The Use of Between Session Assignments in ADHD Coaching With College Students
Authors: Prevatt Frances , Lampropoulos Georgios K. , Bowles Vernessa , Garrett Lori
Published: December 2009

Objective: To provide an analysis of the use of between session assignments (BSA) in ADHD coaching with college students. The article provides a description of the structure and process of using BSA in an academic setting. Method: A brief survey of ADHD coaches is used to evaluate 13 coaching clients engaged in an 8-week structured program. A case study illustrates the process of using BSA with college students. Results: Overall progress in the ADHD coaching sessions was significantly correlated with coach’s rating of the client’s quality of BSA during treatment, the client’s positive attitude to BSA, and the usefulness of BSA. Treatment gain scores were significantly related to the client’s being motivated by a desire to please their parents. Conclusions: BSAs can be useful in the context of ADHD coaching with college students.
The effect of the work environment and performance-based self-esteem on cognitive stress symptoms among Danish knowledge workers
Authors: Albertsen Karen , Rugulies Reiner , Garde Anne Helene , Burr Hermann
Published: December 2009

Aims: Interpersonal relations at work as well as individual factors seem to play prominent roles in the modern labour market, and arguably also for the change in stress symptoms. The aim was to examine whether exposures in the psychosocial work environment predicted symptoms of cognitive stress in a sample of Danish knowledge workers (i.e. employees working with sign, communication or exchange of knowledge) and whether performance-based self-esteem had a main effect, over and above the work environmental factors. Methods: 349 knowledge workers, selected from a national, representative cohort study, were followed up with two data collections, 12 months apart. We used data on psychosocial work environment factors and cognitive stress symptoms measured with the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), and a measurement of performance-based self-esteem. Effects on cognitive stress symptoms were analyzed with a GLM procedure with and without adjustment for baseline level. Results: Measures at baseline of quantitative demands, role conflicts, lack of role clarity, recognition, predictability, influence and social support from management were positively associated with cognitive stress symptoms 12 months later. After adjustment for baseline level of cognitive stress symptoms, follow-up level was only predicted by lack of predictability. Performance-based self-esteem was prospectively associated with cognitive stress symptoms and had an independent effect above the psychosocial work environment factors on the level of and changes in cognitive stress symptoms. Conclusions: The results suggest that both work environmental and individual characteristics should be taken into account in order to capture sources of stress in modern working life.
Positive work-related states and long-term sickness absence: A study of register-based outcomes
Authors: Clausen Thomas , Christensen Karl Bang , Borg Vilhelm
Published: December 2009

Aims: To investigate the association between positive work-related states and long-term sickness absence (LTSA). The positive states that were investigated were commitment to the work-place (CW) and experience of meaning of work (MW). Methods: This association was investigated using Poisson regression analysis. Data consisted of a merge between Danish register data on sickness absence compensation and survey data collected among 9,560 employees in the Danish eldercare sector. Results: CW and MW were significantly associated with LTSA. Employees experiencing low MW had a significantly increased risk of LTSA for more than two and eight weeks, when adjusted for psychosocial work characteristics, work-time arrangements and physical workload. Compared to employees with low and high CW, employees with medium CW had a significantly decreased risk of LTSA for more than eight weeks, when adjusted for psychosocial work characteristics, work-time arrangements and physical workload. Furthermore, employees with low CW had an increased risk of LTSA for more than two weeks, but this association became borderline insignificant when adjusted for psychosocial work characteristics, work-time arrangements and physical workload. The analyses also revealed an interaction effect between CW and MW in predicting LTSA for more than eight weeks. Conclusions: CW and MW are associated with LTSA. Against our expectations, however, we found that high levels of CW and MW were not protective against LTSA. Instead, low levels of MW proved decisive in predicting LTSA, and medium levels of CW had a protective effect on LTSA for more than eight weeks.
The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire in Germany: From the validation of the instrument to the formation of a job-specific database of psychosocial factors at work
Authors: Nuebling Matthias , Hasselhorn Hans Martin
Published: December 2009

The German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was established and tested in a sample of 2561 employees in order to: (a) assess the questionnaires’ psychometric properties; and (b) develop an appropriate instrument to use in the assessment of psychosocial risk factors. A shortened version of the instrument was developed, reducing the number of items from 141 to 87. With this, a database has been established since 2005. In a cooperation model between science (Freiburg Research Centre of Occupational and Social Medicine) and companies or organizations, new COPSOQ data are added to the dynamically growing database with profession-specific profiles of psychosocial factors at work. In return, companies can compare their results with job-related data in the database, facilitating the interpretation of their results and the implementation of improvement measures. The COPSOQ database has reached >25,000 respondents. Ongoing projects will expand the German COPSOQ database and include representative samples. Furthermore, a job exposure matrix for psychosocial factors at work will be constructed in 2009. Finally, in several projects, a first assessment has been followed by efforts to improve the problematic areas of psychosocial working conditions.
Psychosocial work environment and its association with socioeconomic status. A comparison of Spain and Denmark
Authors: Moncada Salvador , Pejtersen Jan Hyld , Navarro Albert , Llorens Clara , Burr Hermann , Hasle Peter , Bjorner Jakob Bue
Published: December 2009

Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe psychosocial work environment inequalities among wage earners in Spain and Denmark. Methods: Data came from the Spanish COPSOQ (ISTAS 21) and the Danish COPSOQ II surveys both performed in 2004—05 and based on national representative samples of employees with a 60% response rate. Study population was 3,359 Danish and 6,685 Spanish women and men. Only identical items from both surveys were included to construct 18 psychosocial scales. Socioeconomic status was categorized according to the European Socioeconomic Classification System. Analysis included ordinal logistic regression and multiple correspondence analysis after categorizing all scales. Results: A relationship between socioeconomic status and psychosocial work environment in both Denmark and Spain was observed, with wider social inequalities in Spain for many scales, describing a strong interaction effect between socioeconomic status and country. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status is related to psychosocial work environment and some adverse psychosocial conditions tend to cluster in lower socioeconomic status groups in both Spain and Denmark. This effect could be modified by a country’s characteristics, such as economic and labour market structures, normative regulations and industrial relations including work organization. Hence, preventive strategies to reduce social inequalities in working conditions should consider the combination of actions at the macro and micro levels.
Psychosocial risk exposures and labour management practices. An exploratory approach
Authors: Llorens Clara , Alós Ramon , Cano Ernest , Font Ariadna , Jódar Pere , López Vicente , Navarro Albert , Sánchez Amat , Utzet Mireia , Moncada Salvador
Published: December 2009

Aim: The purpose was to explore the relationship between psychosocial risk exposures and labour management practices (LMP), as indicators of work organization and pertinent features for primary preventive intervention. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of salaried working population in Spain (n = 7,612). Information was obtained in 2004-2005 using a standardized questionnaire administered through personal interviews at the household. Questions on working conditions were used to establish LMP indicators and the psychosocial exposures data were obtained on the basis of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) I (ISTAS21). A multivariate description was performed through multiple correspondence analysis, and associations between LMPs and psychosocial exposures were assessed by ordinal logistic analysis adjusting for age and sex. Results: Correspondence analysis showed a good-bad coherent pattern regarding both psychosocial dimension and LMPs, though several LMPs categories were placed in the centre. Among the 14 possible associations of each psychosocial scale with LMP variables, several scales showed significant associations with more than eight LMP variables. Most relevant results referred to the LMP variable ‘‘Consultative and delegative participation in methods’’. Conclusions: In line with previous research, psychosocial exposures were associated with LMP. LMP may constitute a step on a pathway from work organization to health. Our exploratory work suggested that good psychosocial exposures were related to participatory working methods, being hired with a permanent labour contract, not being made to feel easily replaceable, having superiors with non-authoritarian and non-aggressive manners, not being threatened with dismissal, upward functional mobility, being paid according to the number of working hours and occupation, working between 31 and 40 hours per week and in regular morning shifts. Hence, the more these features became part of LMP in the workplace, the better the psychosocial work environment would be.
Television Broadcast Demand for National Football League Contests
Authors: Tainsky Scott
Published: December 2009

Previous research estimating demand for sporting events has focused largely on professional baseball and European football (soccer), using attendance as a proxy of demand. This article estimates demand for National Football League games using television broadcast ratings, permitting the additional novelty of generating estimations in both the home and visiting clubs’ markets. The study uses a linear mixed model to demonstrate that many of the factors influencing attendance hold true with respect to television demand. Furthermore, many of the factors influencing demand for the aforementioned leagues hold true for the National Football League. Team quality, tenure in the market, and games contested in primetime all increased ratings, while income and sharing a market were negatively associated with ratings. Intradivisional games showed no statistically significant effect. The findings further suggest that the factors influencing ratings in home and road markets are essentially similar.
Travel Costs in the NBA Production Function
Authors: Nutting Andrew W.
Published: December 2009

This article empirically determines whether travel factors affect National Basketball Association (NBA) teams’ production of wins, offense, and defense. Distance traveled has little impact on win production. Teams with fewer days since their last game produce fewer wins, with an especially large effect for visiting teams in the first half of the season. Game frequency costs accrue in the second half of the season, significantly hurting visiting teams’ win production. In the second half of seasons, win production increases when teams play in time zones to the east and decreases in time zones to the west of their home time zone.