bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chapter 14 Cambrian-Ordovician history
Authors: Harland W. Brian
Published: August 2007

Cambrian-Ordovician history is well documented in Svalbard with late Early Cambrian faunas and a range of Ordovician faunas to provide a basis for correlation. Not so extensive as Vendian, the rocks crop out in four areas: (i) only slightly deformed strata in the youngest Hecla Hoek (Oslobreen) Group in northeastern Svalbard yield especially rich Early to Mid-Ordovician faunas, (ii) The Hornsundian Geosyncline in south Spitsbergen with more variable facies and tectonic complications also exhibits Early Cambrian and Canadian strata, (iii) The Bjornoya succession reveals a marked hiatus between Vendian and Early and Mid-Ordovician strata, (iv) In western Svalbard the lack of Cambrian and Early Ordovician strata marks a distinct Mid Ordovician tectono-thermal event to be followed by ?Late Ordovician and Early Silurian strata. Indeed the above four areas correspond to distinct terranes which, having different affinities especially with areas in Greenland, give evidence of relatively distant areas and environments of formation. Evidence of Cambro-Ordovician volcanism is not recorded.

Figure 14.1 lists the successions in the four areas mentioned according to the classification of rock units as abstracted from chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, where their regional settings may be found. The outcrops are plotted on Fig. 14.2. The northeastern Svalbard strata are separated by Hinlopenstretet. This waterway divides Ny Friesland and Olav V Land in Spitsbergen from northwestern Nordaustlandet and occupies a syncline, but the successions although differently named are essentially continuous. In southern Spitsbergen the fjord Hornsund separates the successions to the south in Sorkapp Land
Chapter 15 Silurian history
Authors: Harland W. Brian
Published: August 2007

Treatment in this chapter of the Silurian episode in the history of Svalbard must be different from that of the preceding and succeeding chapters because the stratal record is quite minimal - a fact that corresponds to the widespread Caledonian tectogenesis (Fig. 15.1). Indeed, Svalbard was subjected to mid-Paleozoic orogeny which has often obscured the earlier history. This chapter, therefore, concentrates on the tectonic story even where it overlaps earlier and later history and in turn the preceding and succeeding chapters overlap to some extent with the sedimentary record.

Historically the metamorphic rocks were first regarded as Archean. Holtedahl (1914) demonstrated their Caledonian nature first in northwestern Spitsbergen and later regionally (Bailey & Holtedahl 1938). It was, however, then a paradigm of tectonic thinking, perhaps by analogy with Wales, that the Caledonian Orogeny was conceived as deforming an Early Paleozoic geosyn-cline (Cambrian through Silurian). This was evident in early interpretations of Scandinavian, Greenland and North American mapping as well as in Svalbard. It was commonly thought that those geosynclines would begin with an initial Cambrian unconformity. Gradually, however, it became clear that the 'Caledonian' geosynclines were more complex and in each of the areas referred to above the major part of the sedimentary pile was found to be Precambrian, often with no great sedimentational break to herald the Phanerozoic Era.

Latterly interest has focused on distinguishing, within the Caledonized Precambrian successions, relicts of earlier pre-Cale-donian mainly Proterozoic orogenies referred to here as proto-basement. In contrast to the 80 million years
Chapter 17 Carboniferous-Permian history of Svalbard
Authors: Harland W. Brian , Geddes Isobel
Published: August 2007

Rocks formed in these two periods do not easily divide at their mutual boundary and it is convenient to treat them together. In doing so we are addressing perhaps the best known and most conspicuous formations of Svalbard. Few geologists have been to the archipelago without noticing fossils and making some observations on these rocks. We are therefore embarking on a substantial study. A three-fold division of Paleozoic rocks in Svalbard is convenient in which Silurian and Devonian or middle Paleozoic history, dominated by Caledonian events, is followed by a Late Paleozoic interval of increasingly stable conditions which show little impact from Variscan, Ellesmerian or Uralian events elsewhere. This contrast applies conspicuously in Permian western Arctic regions.

The Carboniferous-Permian outcrops are shown on Fig. 17.1. These rocks are the lower element in the Post-Devonian cover sequence divided between the Spitsbergen Basin and the Eastern Platform and Bjørnøya.

The outcrops are disposed in two main areas in Spitsbergen and one in Bjørnøya. The Spitsbergen Basin was at first divided into troughs by inherited N-S faults. These then coalesced and extended throughout Spitsbergen.

The present outcrop pattern resulted (i) from Late Cretaceous tilting with loss by erosion to the north, burial to the south and wide E-W exposure across the middle.

(ii) A linear belt along the west coast, brought to the surface by folding and uplift along the Cenozoic West Spitsbergen Orogenic Belt from Kongsfjorden to Hornsund. Outcrops are frequently controlled by overthrusting from the west.

(iii) The Bjørnøya Carboniferous outcrop
Chapter 18 Triassic history
Authors: Harland W. Brian , Geddes Isobel
Published: August 2007

The Triassic Period of about 40 million years dutation spanned about a third of that of the Carboniferous and Permian interval. The Triassic rocks of Svalbard are easily distinguished from the underlying Permian strata because of a distinct desconformity between them and a marked contrast in facies from the resistant. pale coloured, cherls and siliciclastics of the Kapp Starostin Formation to the softer, darker areno-argillaceous Vardebukta and equivalent formations. Figure 18.1 shows the distribution of Triassic strata in Svalbard.

The minor angular unconformity represents a hiatus mainly in the Permian rather than the Triassic record. The dominantly argillaceous facies constitute the Early Triassic to Late Middle Triassic
Sassendalen Group
. The rocks can be well dated from ammonoids, typically within calcareous concretions in the shales.

The succeding
Kapp Toscana Group
is distinguished by a dominatly sandy deltaic facies in which age determinations are difficult. It spans both Late Triassic and Early Jurassic spoehs (roughly mid-Ladinian to mid-Bathonian). The Triassic-Jurassic boundary is not easy to estimate. Nevertheless towards the end of Triassic time (e.g. Rhaetian) the overall scene changed. Thus of the three formations of the Kapp Toscana Group the lower two (Tschermakfjellet and De Geerdalen) belong to the Triassic story. The overlying Wilhelmøya Formation may possibly range from Latest Triassic through Liassic time, and due to its complexity it is also discussed in the Jurassic-Crataceous chapter (19).

The facies of the two groups reflect two distinct environmental configurations. The Sassendalen Group was deposited on a distal marine muddy shelf with a
Chapter 19 Jurassic-Cretaceous history
Authors: Harland W. Brian , Kelly Simon R. A.
Published: August 2007

Jurassic-Cretaceous follows Triassic history with minor change. It was an interval dominated by deposition of marine muds, silts and sands, with occasional non-marine environments on advancing deltas (Parker 1967; Harland 1973a; Kelly 1988). Subdued topography contrasted with Triassic and Paleogene terrains. But there was also Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous intrusion of basic sills and volcanism in eastern Svalbard. Figure 19.1 shows the distribution of Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits in Svalbard.

The two periods (208-65 Ma) span 143 million years but the stratal record for this interval totals only 1700 m of which more than half was deposited in Albian time. The Jurassic-Cretaceous rocks of the eastern platform, presently cropping out on some islands, represent a relict of a once continuous sheet of strata, which is still preserved extensively across much of the Barents Shelf.

The Triassic-Jurassic boundary is marked by seemingly continuous facies from Rhaetian to Toarcian; but then follows a contrast between the main Spitsbergen Basin (which hardly subsided) and the Eastern Platform. The contrasting areas of east and west Svalbard were divided by the continuing activity along the Billefjorden lineament. To the east, subsidence permitted a complex and variable sequence resulting from deltas from the east (marine and non-marine) through Liassic to mid-Bathonian time. To the west there was little evident subsidence and only condensed deposits of the uppermost Wilhelmoya Formation were washed by shallow seas. This part of the story concluded the history of the Kapp Toscana Group.

A Late Bathonian marine transgression transformed east and
Chapter 22 Modern glaciers and climate change
Authors: Dowdeswell Julian A. , Dowdeswell Evelyn K.
Published: August 2007

By the start of the Holocene, the decay of the large ice sheet over Svalbard and the Barents Sea region was nearing completion, and glacier ice was approaching its present distribution (Elverhøi
et al.
1993; Siegert & Dowdeswell 1995). Throughout most of the last 10 000 years, the extent of glaciers and ice caps over the archipelago has been no greater than that observed today, with the exception of minor readvances in the relatively cold 'Little Ice Age', which terminated at the beginning of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, ice today covers about 62% of the 62 000 km
2
Svalbard archipelago (Fig. 22.1).

Svalbard is one of four heavily ice-covered archipelagos in the Eurasian High Arctic; those to the east are Russian Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya and Novaya Zemlya. The ice cover on each archipelago is a function of topography and the location of each along the strong west-east gradient in climate across the Eurasian Arctic. Svalbard, as the most westerly of the four, is the warmest and receives the highest precipitation. This is due to its proximity to the relatively warm oceanic North Atlantic Drift and to the depression tracks transferring relatively temperate, moist air masses northward through the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. This position at the northernmost limit of both warm water and air masses makes the archipelago and its glaciers very sensitive to changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation. In addition, General Circulation Models (GCMs) predict that any future C0
2
-induced warming will be most significant at high northern latitudes
Index of place Names
Authors: Anderson L. M.
Published: August 2007

This section presents a list of the principal place names used throughout the book. Spellings have been checked against the entries in
The Place Names of Svalbard
(NP/Skrifter Nos 80 and 112, 1991), covering standardized place names up to 1955, further names have been derived from more recent published topographic maps. Place names of geological interest are located on figures throughout the book and are indicated here by associated figure numbers. Entries in italics are referenced to a regional chapter (4-11) but not located on a figure. The list represents a large selection of those names that are referred to in the geological literature for Svalbard. The spelling in this list, if there be a conflict between the name in the text and a figure, should be preferred. Early stratigraphic names do not necessarily follow the form of the current place names; see the following stratigraphic glossary and index
Sexual Conflict over Nuptial Gifts in Insects
Authors: Gwynne Darryl T.
Published: August 2007

Edible and seminal gifts that male arthropods transfer to their mates range from important material donations to items that provide little direct benefit. Recent reviews and research have emphasized the negative effect of gifts on female fitness, suggesting that male donations reduce the female's remating rate below her optimum or even that nuptial feeding is a net detriment to her fitness. However, comparative, experimental, and natural history evidence reveal that most edible gifts of prey or glandular products provide direct benefits to females. Gifts clearly supply nutrients when females compete for them or increase mating rates when food from other sources is limited. I point out the difficulties in determining that female remating rates are suboptimal and suggest several alternative hypotheses for the apparently low female mating rates in some gift-giving species. With regard to seminal contributions (absorbed from the ejaculate), I discuss how to separate hormonal (potentially manipulative) and material-benefit effects of male secretions on females.
Half Empty, Half Full, or Neither: Law, Inequality, and Social Change in Capitalist Democracies
Authors: Stryker Robin
Published: August 2007

Reviewing research on organizational compliance, the politics of law, law and social movements, law and inequality, and law and social change, this article examines conditions under which legal institutions have more or less capacity to promote inequality-reducing social change in democratic capitalism. Law produces social change through a combination of rational adaptation to legal incentive structures, cultural meaning making and institutional diffusion, and political mobilization and counter-mobilization. Substantive effects-oriented administrative, adjudicative, and organizational interpretations of welfare-oriented legislation maximizes inequality reduction. These interpretations are most likely to be achieved through a combination of collective mobilization for strategic litigation in conjunction with sustained political mobilization from below both in society and in organizations, accompanied by the influence in implementation and also active monitoring by law and social science–savvy reformers representing the interests of disadvantaged classes and groups.
Bcl-2 Protein Family Members: Versatile Regulators of Calcium Signaling in Cell Survival and Apoptosis
Authors: Rong Yiping , Distelhorst Clark W.
Published: August 2007

Bcl-2 family members are important regulators of cell survival and cell death. Researchers have focused mainly on mitochondria, where both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic family members function to regulate the release of cytochrome c and other mediators of apoptosis. However, as reviewed here, Bcl-2 family members also operate on another front, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to both positively and negatively regulate the release of Ca2+. There is abundant evidence that Ca2+signals trigger apoptosis in response to a wide variety of agents and conditions. Conversely, Ca2+signals can also mediate cell survival. Recent findings indicate that Bcl-2 interacts with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor Ca2+channels on the ER, regulating their opening in response to IP3and thus inhibiting IP3-mediated Ca2+signals that induce apoptosis while enhancing Ca2+signals that support cell survival.
Puerperal Clostridium perfringens Sepsis in a Patient with Granulocytopenia
Authors: Nadisauskiene Ruta J. , Kliucinskas Mindaugas , Vitkauskiene Astra , Minkauskiene Meile , Vaitkiene Daiva
Published: August 2007

We present a lethal case of fulminant puerperal sepsis with massive hemolysis after cesarean section in a patient with intermittent granulocytopenia.
Otosclerosis: Mid-Term Results of Cochlear Implantation
Authors: Sainz M. , García-Valdecasas J. , Garófano M. , Ballesteros J.M.
Published: August 2007

Introduction: Constant histological changes in otosclerosis lead to progressive hearing loss which may end up in a profound hearing loss and then be treated by means of cochlear implants. These progressive changes could be followed by changes in cochlear implants fitting and speech discrimination results over the years. Objectives: The aim of the study is to correlate the progressive histological changes to the cochlear implant clinical outcomes (fitting and speech discrimination results). Also main complications (facial nerve stimulation and difficulties at insertion) and new complications will be discussed. Design: A 5-year prospective case-control study was performed in order to compare cochlear implant results in otosclerosis patients to those in a matched-pair control group. Materials and Methods: Fifteen otosclerosis patients were followed throughout the study. Preoperatively temporal bone high-resolution computed tomography, electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses and speech discrimination tests were performed in order to select the patients to be implanted. Results: Not only difficulties with electrode guide insertion were reported, but also difficulties with fitting over the years, due to increasing difficulties to spread the electrical stimuli, which provokes increasing thresholds, maximum comfort levels and charges needed to stimulate hearing cells in basal and medial turn electrodes (p < 0.05), which required deactivating some basal and medial turn electrodes in order to improve cochlear implant effectiveness. The results demonstrated no statistical differences in speech discrimination in otosclerosis patients compared to the control group (p > 0.05). Several complications were reported: facial nerve stimulation (7.14%) and sudden episodes of tinnitus and headaches (14.28%). Conclusions: Although progressive histological changes in otosclerosis lead to increasing thresholds, maximum comfort levels and charges needed to stimulate hearing cells, speech discrimination results support the cochlear implantation in otosclerosis.
Correlation between High-Resolution Computed Tomography Findings and Lung Function in Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Canuet Matthieu , Kessler Romain , Jeung Mi-Young , Métivier Anne-Cécile , Chaouat Ari , Weitzenblum Emmanuel
Published: August 2007

Background: Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is an uncommon interstitial lung disease which can lead to serious respiratory failure. The correlation between high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings and lung function have not been studied in depth. Objectives: To assess the relationship between HRCT findings and lung function in PLCH. Methods: Since HRCT abnormalities in PLCH consist mainly of nodular opacities and cystic abnormalities, we determined semiquantitative scores of nodular profusion and cystic extent. We therefore assessed the relationship between HRCT abnormalities on one hand and lung function and gas exchange parameters on the other, in patients with PLCH. Results: In our series of 26 consecutive patients, we found no significant correlation between the score of nodular profusion and lung function or gas exchange parameters. The score of cystic extent showed a quite strong and significant correlation with FEV1/FVC (r = –0.62; p = 0.01), but also with PaO2 (r = –0.69; p = 0.001) and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (r = –0.60; p < 0.01). Furthermore, the patients with a predominant cystic pattern (n = 7) had the highest grade of dyspnea on exertion (p = 0.004), the lowest FEV1/FVC ratio (p = 0.02) and the lowest PaO2 (p = 0.02) compared to patients with a predominant nodular (n = 12) or a mixed pattern (n = 7). Conclusions: We conclude that in PLCH, the cystic extent on HRCT, but not the nodular profusion, correlates significantly with lung function abnormalities and impairment of gas exchange.
Use of Heparinized versus Non-Heparinized Syringes for Measurements of the Pleural Fluid pH
Authors: Bou-Khalil Pierre K. , Jamaleddine Ghassan W. , Debek Ali H. , El-Khatib Mohamad F.
Published: August 2007

Background: Pleural fluid (PF) pH measurement is important for establishing a diagnosis and for guiding clinical management. The current standard practice is to collect PF samples for pH measurement in heparinized syringes at room temperature and to instantaneously process these samples. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of collecting PF in heparinized versus non-heparinized syringes at room temperature on PF pH measurements when processed at various time intervals. Methods: From 50 consecutive thoracenteses, 1 ml of PF was collected anaerobically in each of six 3-ml syringes. Only three syringes were coated with heparin. The samples were processed for PF pH measurements at time 0 (T₀) and 1 h (T1) and 2 h (T2) after collection. All specimens were preserved at room temperature, until the measurements were carried out in duplicates by a calibrated blood gas analyzer. Results: PF pH values were significantly lower with heparinized versus non-heparinized syringes at all time intervals (T₀: pH heparinized = 7.378 ± 0.107 vs. pH non-heparinized = 7.390 ± 0.108; T1: pH heparinized = 7.378 ± 0.115 vs. pH non-heparinized = 7.389 ± 0.111; T2: pH heparinized = 7.367 ± 0.105 vs. pH non-heparinized = 7.389 ± 0.121). In the heparinized syringes, there was a significant decrease in PF pH values at T2 versus T₀ and T1. There were no significant changes in PF pH values over time in the non-heparinized syringes. Conclusions: For serial PF pH measurements, the same type of syringes (either heparinized or non-heparinized) should be consistently used. With heparinized syringes, processing of PF pH measurements should be performed within 1 h after collection.
The Effects of Maternal Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Intake on Rat Pup Myelin and the Auditory Startle Response
Authors: Haubner Laura , Sullivan Janet , Ashmeade Terri , Saste Monisha , Wiener Doris , Carver Jane
Published: August 2007

We investigated the effects of maternal docosahexanoic acid (DHA) supplementation on pups’ auditory startle responses and the composition of brain myelin. Methods: Timed-pregnant rats were fed throughout pregnancy and lactation diets that contained 0, 0.3, 0.7 or 3% of total fatty acids as DHA. Milk was collected from culled pups’ stomachs on postnatal day (PND) 3, latency of the auditory startle reflex was measured on PND 15, and pups were killed and brains collected on PND 24. Results: Higher levels of DHA in maternal diet were reflected in milk and in pups’ myelin. The latency of the auditory startle response was significantly longer in offspring of dams fed higher levels of DHA. There was a positive correlation between the myelin content of DHA and the latency of the startle response (p = 0.044), and a negative correlation between the myelin content of DHA and the myelin content of cholesterol (p = 0.005). Conclusion: High levels of maternal DHA intake alter the lipid composition of rat pup myelin, and are associated with longer latencies of the auditory startle response – a myelin-dependent electrophysiologic response.
Overview of the 2007 Food and Drug Administration Circulatory System Devices Panel Meeting on Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Devices
Authors: Slottow Tina L. Pinto , Steinberg Daniel H. , Waksman Ron
Published: August 2007

Patent foramen ovales (PFOs) are common congenital cardiac defects that are more prevalent among patients experiencing cryptogenic stroke than among those with strokes of known origin. Medical treatment for these processes is often considered inadequate, and mechanical closure of the PFO is an attractive, albeit controversial, alternative. Although it is plausible that percutaneous PFO closure will reduce the rate of recurrent stroke in these patients, randomized trials examining the efficacy of devices in this setting have not been completed. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration convened a meeting of the Circulatory System Devices Panel to discuss the necessity of randomized trials, as well as obstacles to trial enrollment and completion.
Freedom of Information and Healthcare Data — The First UK Appeal: Common Services Agency v the Scottish Information Commissioner
Authors: Gertz Renate
Published: August 2007

On the 1st of December 2006, the Court of Session in Edinburgh issued the first decision on Freedom of Information and health data regarding a request for information on incidences of childhood leukemia, in the range of 0 - 14 years, by year and census ward from 1990 to 2003 for the Dumfries and Galloway postal areas. The case, which provides an example for the collision course between the Freedom of Information and Data Protection regime, had been anticipated as a landmark decision, however, due to several problems and inconsistencies it sadly failed to meet those expectations.
Data Protection, Genetics and Patents for Biotechnology
Authors: Beyleveld Deryck , Taylor Mark
Published: August 2007

This paper has three parts. In Part One, we argue that while biological samples and genetic information extracted from them are not (in terms of Directive 95/46/EC) personal data in and of themselves, each is capable of being personal data in appropriate contexts. In Part Two, we argue that if this is correct, then the requirement for sources of human biological samples to give informed consent for any use of their samples (which the European Court of Justice has maintained to be a fundamental principle of EC law but not one to be enforced via patent law) must be enforced by data protection law in the EU. Finally, in Part Three, we consider the implications of our position for the capacity of Directive 95/46/EC to adequately protect third party interests given the shared nature of genetic data.
Dangerous Patients and Duties to Warn: a European Human Rights Perspective
Authors: Gavaghan Colin
Published: August 2007

The recent case of David Bradley, who shot and killed four members of his family after telling his doctor he 'wanted to kill someone', has raised the question of whether a healthcare professional could ever be held liable for failing to take steps to constrain a potentially dangerous patient. Until recently, it was considered that the United Kingdom courts would be reluctant to impose a duty to protect third parties. However, the European Court of Human Rights' decision in Osman v UK — while not directly concerning healthcare professionals — has opened the door for just such a duty. When this duty will arise, and how it can be discharged, remain challenging questions. Furthermore, healthcare professionals face the unenviable task of balancing competing duties, in which the rights — and safety — of their patients must also be borne in mind.
Public Trust and Privacy in Shared Electronic Health Records
Authors: Rynning Elisabeth
Published: August 2007

The development of information and communication technology in health care, also called eHealth, is expected to improve patient safety and facilitate more efficient use of limited resources. The introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) can make possible immediate, even automatic transfer of patient data, for health care as well as other purposes, across any kind of institutional, regional or national border. Data can thus be shared and used more effectively for quality assurance, disease surveillance, public health monitoring and research. eHealth may also facilitate patient access to health information and medical treatment, and is seen as an effective tool for patient empowerment. At the same time, eHealth solutions may jeopardize both patient safety and patients' rights, unless carefully designed and used with discretion. The success of EHR systems will depend on public trust in their compatibility with fundamental rights, such as privacy and confidentiality. Shared European EHR systems require interoperability not only with regard to technological and semantic standards, but also concerning legal, social and cultural aspects. Since the area of privacy and medical confidentiality is far from harmonized across Europe, we are faced with a diversity that will make fully shared EHR systems a considerable challenge.
A Profiling Float’s Sense of Ice
Authors: Klatt Olaf , Boebel Olaf , Fahrbach Eberhard
Published: August 2007

The Argo project intends to continuously monitor temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 m of the global ocean by use of autonomous, vertically profiling floats. They are currently generating the largest oceanographic dataset that ever existed, covering most of the world’s oceans. However, the use of these instruments in the polar oceans is seriously impeded by the presence of sea ice, as floats are hindered from transmitting their profile data or, even more seriously, potentially damaged when ascending to, or being at, the ice-covered sea surface. The authors present a cost neutral ice sensing algorithm (ISA), which alerts for the likely presence of sea ice. In this event, the profile is aborted and no surfacing attempted. To retrospectively track floats that actively remained under the sea ice because of ISA, acoustic tracking via the RAFOS technique was tested in the Weddell Sea. Last but not least, the most recent version of floats features the option of interim storage of profiles that could not be transmitted in real time (iStore). With these three developments, the ice-compatible float system to reliably extend Argo into the Antarctic Ocean in the near future was completed. Additional improvement might include using faster satellite communication links (Iridium or Argos 3) to reduce the float’s risk-prone surface drift.
The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Cloud Profiling Radars: Second-Generation Sampling Strategies, Processing, and Cloud Data Products
Authors: Kollias Pavlos , Miller Mark A. , Luke Edward P. , Johnson Karen L. , Clothiaux Eugene E. , Moran Kenneth P. , Widener Kevin B. , Albrecht Bruce A.
Published: August 2007

The U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program operates millimeter-wavelength cloud radars in several climatologically distinct regions. The digital signal processors for these radars were recently upgraded and allow for enhancements in the operational parameters running on them. Recent evaluations of millimeter-wavelength cloud radar signal processing performance relative to the range of cloud dynamical and microphysical conditions encountered at the ARM Program sites have indicated that improvements are necessary, including significant improvement in temporal resolution (i.e., less than 1 s for dwell and 2 s for dwell and processing), wider Nyquist velocities, operational dealiasing of the recorded spectra, removal of pulse compression while sampling the boundary layer, and continuous recording of Doppler spectra. A new set of millimeter-wavelength cloud radar operational modes that incorporate these enhancements is presented. A significant change in radar sampling is the introduction of an uneven mode sequence with 50% of the sampling time dedicated to the lower atmosphere, allowing for detailed characterization of boundary layer clouds. The changes in the operational modes have a substantial impact on the postprocessing algorithms that are used to extract cloud information from the radar data. New methods for postprocessing of recorded Doppler spectra are presented that result in more accurate identification of radar clutter (e.g., insects) and extraction of turbulence and microphysical information. Results of recent studies on the error characteristics of derived Doppler moments are included so that uncertainty estimates are now included with the moments. The microscale data product based on the increased temporal resolution of the millimeter-wavelength cloud radars is described. It contains the number of local maxima in each Doppler spectrum, the Doppler moments of the primary peak, uncertainty estimates for the Doppler moments of the primary peak, Doppler moment shape parameters (e.g., skewness and kurtosis), and clear-air clutter flags.
Comparison between Backscatter Lidar and Radiosonde Measurements of the Diurnal and Nocturnal Stratification in the Lower Troposphere
Authors: Martucci Giovanni , Matthey Renaud , Mitev Valentin , Richner Hans
Published: August 2007

A collection of boundary layer heights has been derived from measurements performed by a ground-based backscatter lidar in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (47.000°N, 6.967°E, 485 m ASL). A dataset of 98 cases have been collected during 2 yr. From these data, 61 are noon and 37 are midnight cases. The following two different schemes were used to retrieve the mixed layer depth and the height of the residual layer from the measurements: the gradient and variance methods. The obtained values were compared with those derived from the potential temperature profiles as computed from radiosonde data. For nocturnal cases, the height of the first aerosol layer above the residual layer was also compared to the corresponding potential temperature value. Correlation coefficients between lidar and radiosonde in both convective and stable conditions are between 0.88 and 0.97.
Discrimination of Bird and Insect Radar Echoes in Clear Air Using High-Resolution Radars
Authors: Martin William J. , Shapiro Alan
Published: August 2007

The source of clear-air reflectivity from operational and research meteorological radars has been a subject of much debate and study over the entire history of radar meteorology. Recent studies have suggested that bird migrations routinely contaminate wind profiles obtained at night, while historical studies have suggested insects as the main source of such nocturnal clear-air echoes. This study analyzes two cases of nocturnal clear-air return using data from operational Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) and X- and W-band research radars. The research radars have sufficient resolution to resolve the echo as point targets in some cases. By examining the radar cross section of the resolved point targets, and by determining the target density, it is found for both cases of nocturnal clear-air echoes that the targets are almost certainly insects. The analysis of the dependence of the echo strength on radar wavelength also supports this conclusion.
Skill Assessment of Resolving Ocean Surface Current Structure Using Compact-Antenna-Style HF Radar and the MUSIC Direction-Finding Algorithm
Authors: de Paolo Tony , Terrill Eric
Published: August 2007

A skill analysis of the Multiple Signal Characterization (MUSIC) algorithm used in compact-antenna-style HF radar ocean current radial velocity/bearing determination is performed using simulation. The simulation is based upon three collocated antennas (two cross loops and a monopole with ideal gain patterns) in a geometry similar to the 25-MHz SeaSonde HF radar commercially available from Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR) Ocean Sensors, Palo Alto, California. The simulations consider wind wave/current scenarios of varying complexity to provide insight to the accuracy of surface current retrievals and the inherent limitations of the technique, with a focus on the capabilities of the MUSIC algorithm itself. The influence of second-order scatter, interference, and stationary target scatter are not considered. Simple error reduction techniques are explored and their impacts quantified to aid in operational system configuration and encourage areas of further research. Increases in skill between 55% and 100% using spatial averaging, and between 14% and 33% using temporal averaging, are realized, highlighting the utility of these techniques. When these error-flagging and averaging techniques are employed, individual range cell skill metrics are found to be as high as 0.94 for simple currents at a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), while more complex currents achieve a maximum skill metric of 0.72 for the same SNR. These simulations, conducted under ideal conditions, provide insight to understanding the variables, which influence the accuracy of surface currents retrieved using MUSIC.
Inexpensive Near-IR Sun Photometer for Measuring Total Column Water Vapor
Authors: Brooks David R. , Mims Forrest M. , Roettger Richard
Published: August 2007

An inexpensive two-channel near-IR sun photometer for measuring total atmospheric column water vapor (precipitable water) has been developed for use by the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) environmental science and education program and other nonspecialists. This instrument detects sunlight in the 940-nm water vapor absorption band with a filtered photodiode and at 825 nm with a near-IR light-emitting diode (LED). The ratio of outputs of these two detectors is related to total column water vapor in the atmosphere. Reference instruments can be calibrated against column atmospheric water vapor data derived from delays in radio signals received at global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver sites and other independent sources. For additional instruments that are optically and physically identical to reference instruments, a single-parameter calibration can be determined by making simultaneous measurements with a reference instrument and forcing the derived precipitable water values to agree. Although the concept of near-IR detection of precipitable water is not new, this paper describes a first attempt at developing a protocol for calibrating large numbers of inexpensive instruments suitable for use by teachers, students, and other nonspecialists.
Spiritual and Religious Coping Values and Beliefs Among African American Caregivers: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Dilworth-Anderson Peggye , Boswell Gracie , Cohen Monique D.
Published: August 2007

Using a sample of 303 African American caregivers, this study examines if and how religious affiliation, involvement, and spiritual beliefs help caregivers in providing care to older relatives. Results show that 7% to 22% of all groups of caregivers (primary, secondary, tertiary, and tertiary only) reported receiving help from their places of worship. When church support was provided, it was mostly emotional support (i.e., advice and encouragement). An overwhelming percentage, between 78% and 86%, of all caregivers indicated that their spiritual beliefs helped them “a lot” with giving care. Through qualitative analysis, four domains of how spiritual beliefs helped caregivers emerged from the data. These four domains, in order of frequency, include the strength to endure (45%), a sense of duty and reciprocity toward those who had cared for them (24%), faith for encouragement and inspiration (24%), and gratification to foster positive feelings about giving care (7%).
Intergenerational Programming: Older Persons' Perceptions of Its Impact
Authors: Weintraub Aaron P. C. , Killian Timothy S.
Published: August 2007

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine perceptions held by recipients of adult day services about the impact of intergenerational programming on their emotional well-being. Thirteen recipients of adult day services in a center that provided intergenerational programming participated in guided interviews. These interviews were transcribed and coded for emerging themes. Themes were contextualized in terms of the degree of involvement among study participants. Major themes included peer support, youth and enthusiasm, freedom of choice, familial connections, and being needed. Participants reported overwhelmingly positive experiences in regards to intergenerational programming. Implications for practice include validating the importance of older adults' contributions, encouraging familial connections, and allowing participants to choose their own level of involvement.
Volunteering as a Productive Aging Activity: Incentives and Barriers to Volunteering by Australian Seniors
Authors: Warburton Jeni , Paynter Jessica , Petriwskyj Andrea
Published: August 2007

Recent research demonstrates that involvement in productive activities, particularly volunteering, has important societal and individual benefits in the contemporary aging environment. However, less attention has been paid to the structural dimension of volunteering or what encourages or discourages older people regarding volunteering. The authors present the findings from a two-phase Australian case study that explores the incentives and barriers to volunteering by those aged 50 and older, all members of a national seniors organization. Results suggest that governments and organizations need to consider many issues if more seniors are to be attracted to volunteering. Ensuring appropriate incentives to encourage volunteering was viewed as particularly important, with incentives including the need for more training, more flexible and diverse options, and more opportunities for intergenerational volunteering. Potential barriers included negative perceptions of volunteer activities, fear of encountering ageism, and concerns about the increasingly regulatory organizational environment.
“Getting Around Town”: A Preliminary Investigation of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Intent to Change Driving Behaviors Among Older Adults
Authors: Lindstrom-Forneri Wendy , Tuokko Holly , Rhodes Ryan E.
Published: August 2007

Research on why older adults change their driving behavior has typically neglected the psychological processes involved in this change. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine relations among difficulties with driving behaviors, motives toward driving, and intent to change driving behavior. A random sample of 224 drivers aged 60 and older reported on their driving-related motives and intentions within the framework of the theory of planned behavior and reported on their driving difficulties. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the relationship between motives toward driving and intention to change driving behavior. The model had a borderline acceptable fit. Instrumental attitude and subjective norm were predictive of 30% of the variance in intentions to change driving. Perceived social pressures and perceived benefits of driving appear to influence older drivers' intentions to change driving behaviors.
Negative Life Events and Cognitive Performance in a Population of Older Adults
Authors: Rosnick Christopher B. , Small Brent J. , McEvoy Cathy L. , Borenstein Amy R. , Mortimer James A.
Published: August 2007

Objectives: This study examined the association between negative life events in the past year and cognitive performance in a population of older adults. Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted on 428 participants from the Charlotte County Healthy Aging Study. Participants completed tests of episodic memory, attention, and psychomotor speed and endorsed the presence and severity of 24 life events. Life events were examined in the aggregate as well as individually. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression results suggest no significant relationship between the aggregate frequency and severity measures of negative life events and cognitive performance. At the individual-event level, individuals who experienced the injury or illness of a friend during the past year and rated it as having more of an effect on their lives performed better on all three cognitive tasks. However, individuals who reported having less money to live on over the past year and rated the event as having more of an effect on their lives performed more poorly on the psychomotor speed tasks. Discussion: The findings support previous research indicating that using estimates of individual stressors rather than aggregate stress measures increases the predictive validity of stress measurement. Furthermore, the individual negative life events can have both a positive and a negative effect, which nullify one another when using the sum score of events.
The Impact of Dyadic Social Support on Self-Efficacy and Depression After Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Weber Bryan A. , Roberts Beverly L. , Yarandi Hossein , Mills Terry L. , Chumbler Neale R. , Wajsman Zev
Published: August 2007

Objectives: To assess the effect of one-on-one peer support at enhancing self-efficacy and decreasing depression in older men treated by radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Methods: Six weeks after surgery, 72 men ( Mage = 60) were randomly assigned to a treatment ( n = 37) or control group ( n = 35). Treatment group participants were paired to form dyads with a trained support partner who had similar treatment and related side effects; control group participants received usual health care. Dyads met 8 times over 8 weeks to discuss concerns and coping strategies. Results: At posttest, the treatment group had significantly higher self-efficacy than the controls ( M = 328.89 and M = 304.54, respectively) and significantly less depression ( M = 0.92 and M = 2.49, respectively). Depression outcomes remained significant when controlling baseline self-efficacy and social support ( F = 4.845, p = .032). Discussion: Findings confirm pilot study results and are theoretically consistent with the self-efficacy enhancing nature of vicarious experience described by Bandura in self-efficacy theory.
Daily Activities and Survival at Older Ages
Authors: Klumb Petra L. , Maier Heiner
Published: August 2007

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that time spent on activities that are considered regenerative (e.g., resting), productive (e.g., housework), and consumptive (e.g., meeting friends) is associated with survival in persons aged 70 and older. Methods: An observational study with mortality follow-ups was carried out in the former West Berlin, Germany. The sample was stratified by age and sex, and it consisted of 473 persons aged 70 to 103 years. Study participants lived in the community as well as in institutions. Activity measures were assessed from 1990 to 1993 by structured interviews in the participants' homes. Cox regression was used to model survival from time of interview. The main outcome measure was survival on August 1, 2003. Results: Consumptive activities were related to survival (relative risk = 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.97), after several confounding factors were controlled for. The effect diminished over time. Discussion: Results support the idea that daily activities are linked to survival via a psychosocial pathway that might involve perceived quality of life. Consumptive activities (e.g., meeting friends, reading a novel) may contribute considerably to maintaining health and achieving longevity because they are performed on a daily basis and their effects may accumulate over the life course.
Comorbid Substance Use and HIV Risk in Older African American Drug Users
Authors: Johnson Sharon D. , Striley Catherine , Cottler Linda B.
Published: August 2007

Objectives: This analysis examines substance abuse/dependence and related HIV risk behaviors among older drug users in comparison to their younger counterparts. Methods: Data related to substance use disorders and HIVrelated behaviors were collected from 1,079 African American drug users recruited using a street outreach method. Results: Older users were less likely to have engaged in recent sexual activity, but those who did engage did not vary significantly in their sexual risk behaviors than did drug users aged 25 to 44. Older users were more likely to abuse cocaine and be opiate dependent than younger users were, and this abuse and dependence, along with alcohol abuse, were associated with older users' perception of their risk for HIV/AIDS. Discussion: Although the years 25 to 44 are considered a critical age for HIV risk, older substance users have similar levels of risk for HIV/AIDS. However, older users may not understand how some behaviors contribute to HIV risk.
Predictors of Condom Use and HIV Testing Among Midlife and Older Women Seeking Medical Services
Authors: Sormanti Mary , Shibusawa Tazuko
Published: August 2007

Objectives: This study examines correlates and predictors of sexual HIV risk reported by a sample of midlife and older women ( M age = 56.01 years, SD = 4.34). Methods: In sum, 1,280 participants were recruited from primary health clinics and a hospital emergency department. Results: Of those women in a heterosexual relationship ( n = 623), 73% reported having vaginal sex in the past 6 months. Only 12% of these women reported always using a condom during vaginal sex; 45% reported having been tested for HIV. Logistic regression analyses revealed that condom use is associated with more education, being employed, living with a partner, and being HIV positive. HIV testing is associated with being younger, unemployed, and not living with a partner. Discussion: These results (a) demonstrate that midlife and older women are at risk for HIV/AIDS and (b) contribute to a growing understanding of the risk picture involved with such women.