bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Variation in the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Response to Kisspeptin in Sheep: Possible Kisspeptin Regulation of the Kisspeptin Receptor
Authors: Li Qun , Roa Alexandra , Clarke Iain J. , Smith Jeremy T.
Published: February 2012

Kisspeptin signaling in the hypothalamus appears critical for the onset of puberty and driving the reproductive axis. In sheep, reproduction is seasonal, being activated by short days and inhibited by long days. During the non-breeding (anestrous) season, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropin secretion is reduced, as is the expression of Kiss1 mRNA in the brain. Conversely, the luteinizing hormone response to kisspeptin during this time is greater. To determine whether the GnRH response to kisspeptin is increased during anestrus, we utilized hypophysial portal blood sampling. In anestrus ewes, the GnRH and LH responses to kisspeptin were greater compared to the breeding season (luteal phase). To ascertain whether this difference reflects a change in Kiss1r, we measured its expression on GnRH neurons using in situ hybridization. The level of Kiss1r was greater during the non-breeding season compared to the breeding season. To further examine the mechanism underlying this change in Kiss1r, we examined Kiss1r/GnRH expression in ovariectomized ewes (controlling for sex steroids) during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, and also ovariectomized non-breeding season ewes with or without estradiol replacement. In both experiments, Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons was unchanged. Finally, we examined the effect of kisspeptin treatment on Kiss1r. Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons was reduced by kisspeptin infusion. These studies indicate the kisspeptin response is indeed greater during the non-breeding season and this may be due in part to increased Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons. We also show that kisspeptin may regulate the expression of its own receptor.
Leptin Substitution Results in the Induction of Menstrual Cycles in an Adolescent with Leptin Deficiency and Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
Authors: von Schnurbein J. , Moss A. , Nagel S.A. , Muehleder H. , Debatin K.M. , Farooqi I.S. , Wabitsch M.
Published: February 2012

Background: Leptin deficiency leads to midluteal-phase defect or reduced testicular volume in adults, despite normal gonadotropin levels. All children documented to date with leptin deficiency were prepubertal with physiologically low gonadotropins prior to therapy. A direct effect of leptin on pubertal development in a leptin-naive adolescent has not yet been shown. Methods: In 2010, we reported the first connatal leptin-deficient adolescent girl with clinically and chemically proven hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. In this study, we evaluated the effect of recombinant methionyl human leptin substitution. Results: Initially, the patient had prepubertal basal and stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, low growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) levels and no pulsatile secretion of LH and FSH. After 11 weeks of therapy, basal and stimulated LH and FSH levels rose to pubertal values and nocturnal pulsatility was initiated. After 76 weeks of therapy, menstruation occurred at the age of 16.3 years. Pulsatile nocturnal growth hormone secretion, stimulated growth hormone secretion and IGF1 values also normalized. Conclusion: We describe here the first adolescent with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to connatal leptin deficiency. Leptin substitution led to a rapid induction of gonadotropin secretion and menarche. These data are further proof of the concept that leptin is needed for a timely maturation of the hypothalamic/pituitary/gonadal axis.
A Portable Continuous Blood Purification Machine for Emergency Rescue in Disasters
Authors: He Ping , Zhou Chunhua , Li Hongyan , Yu Yongwu , Dong Zhen , Wen Yuanyuan , Li Ping , Tang Wenhong , Wang Xue
Published: February 2012

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy plays an important role in emergency rescue. Currently, no continuous renal replacement therapy machine can be used under unstable conditions as the fluid flow of these machines is controlled electronically. A novel machine that can provide emergency continuous renal replacement therapy in disaster rescue is therefore needed. Methods: Based on a volumetric metering method, a prototype portable continuous blood purifier based on a volumetric metering method was developed. Basic performance tests, special environmental tests, animal experiments and clinical use of the novel machine were completed to test and verify its performance under unstable conditions. Results: All tests completed showed that the machine met the requirements of the national industry standards with a size reduced to approximately one half of the Baxter Aquarius machine. The clearance of harmful substances by the machine described here was equal to that of the Baxter Aquarius machine and was adequate for clinical purposes. Conclusions: The novel prototype performed well in all situations tested and can aid rescue work on disaster sites.
Prevalence of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli O25:H4-ST131 (CTX-M-15-Nonproducing) Strains Isolated in Japan
Authors: Yokota Shin-ichi , Sato Toyotaka , Okubo Torahiko , Ohkoshi Yasuo , Okabayashi Tamaki , Kuwahara Osamu , Tamura Yutaka , Fujii Nobuhiro
Published: February 2012

Background: Fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-carrying multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli have become severely problematic. In particular, a lineage of multilocus sequence-type ST131 which belongs to O25:H4 and carries ESBL CTX-M-15 has spread worldwide. Methods: Fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains were isolated from various clinical specimens in a commercial clinical laboratory in 2008 and 2009 in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Results: Among 478 clinical isolates, 112 strains (23.4%) showed levofloxacin (LVX) resistance. About 80% of the fluoroquinolone-resistant strains (88 strains) showed common features, namely O25:H4-ST131, phylogenetic group B and the same mutation pattern in quinolone resistance-determining regions. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns suggested numerous lineages of O25:H4-ST131. The fluoroquinolone-resistant strains, including strains of O25:H4-ST131 and other types, more frequently shared CTX-type ESBL genes than did fluoroquinolone-susceptible strains. The ESBL genes fell into the CTX-M-9 and CTX-M-2 groups. CTX-M-15 (CTX-M-1 group) was not found among any of the strains isolated in this study. Sitafloxacin showed markedly potent activity against E. coli isolates compared with LVX, ciprofloxacin and ulifloxacin. Conclusion: The most prevalent fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of E. coli isolated in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, are O25:H4-ST131. However, similar to other areas of Japan, the ST131 clones represent distinct lineages from the general worldwide dispersal of multidrug-resistant clones which carry CTX-M-15.
Effect of Postoperative Diclofenac on Anastomotic Healing, Skin Wounds and Subcutaneous Collagen Accumulation: A Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Experimental Study
Authors: Klein M. , Krarup P.-M. , Kongsbak M.B. , Ågren M.S. , Gögenur I. , Jorgensen L.N. , Rosenberg J.
Published: February 2012

Background: Retrospective studies have drawn attention to possible detrimental effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the anastomotic leakage rate after colorectal resection. In this study, we examined the effects of the NSAID diclofenac on the breaking strength of an experimental colonic anastomosis and a skin incision as well as subcutaneous collagen accumulation. Methods: This was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled experimental study in 60 male Wistar rats treated with diclofenac 4 mg/kg/day or placebo. In each rat, a colonic anastomosis was performed and an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tube was placed subcutaneously. Incisional and anastomotic wound breaking strength and hydroxyproline content in the ePTFE tubes were measured 7 days after the operation. Results: We found no significant differences in any of the breaking strength measurements, but showed a median 38% reduction in hydroxyproline deposition as a result of diclofenac treatment (p = 0.03). In the placebo group, subcutaneous collagen deposition tended to correlate positively with skin incisional but negatively with anastomotic bio-mechanical strength. Conclusion: Postoperative diclofenac treatment significantly inhibited collagen deposition in subcutaneous granulation tissue. Anastomotic strength and skin wound strength were not significantly affected. The ePTFE model is suitable for assessing the effect of various drugs on collagen formation and thus on wound healing.
Effects of Sebum on Drug Transport across the Human Stratum Corneum in vivo
Authors: Tsai J.-C. , Lu C.-C. , Lin M.-K. , Guo J.-W. , Sheu H.-M.
Published: February 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sebum on drug transport across the human stratum corneum (SC) in vivo for two model compounds, 4-cyanophenol (CP) and cimetidine (CM), of different lipophilicity and molecular size by utilizing noninvasive tape-stripping techniques, in conjunction with an unsteady-state diffusion model for data analysis. The results demonstrated that the SC permeability of the relatively hydrophilic CM on the forehead may be as much as four times the permeability on the forearm. The administration of sebum supplementation to the forearm increased the SC permeability of CM more than threefold, but did not have the same effect with regard to CP. Removal of sebum from the forehead demonstrated a small but significant effect (-22%) on the SC permeability of CM. The presence of sebum on the forehead or forearm increased the diffusion of both molecules, but the effect on partition varied between sites and drugs. The change in the SC permeability of the relatively hydrophilic drug using sebum treatment may be attributable to the altered barrier function of the SC due to the disordering structures of the intercellular lipid molecules.
Autologous Creatinine Clearance in a Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis and Anuria
Authors: Eadon Michael T. , Koyner Jay L.
Published: February 2012

Necrotizing fasciitis can present with concomitant acute kidney injury. The etiology of acute kidney injury is often multifactorial; potential sources include volume depletion, abdominal compartment syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, and acute tubular necrosis (which may be related to hemodynamic instability, medications, or sepsis/infection). Kidney injury, defined via changes in serum creatinine, portends increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, it is crucial to accurately diagnose and assess the severity of kidney injury. We present the case of a patient with necrotizing fasciitis who endured 31 consecutive days of complete anuria. His serum creatinine decreased over this interval without the use of extracorporeal hemofiltration or dialysis. The explanation for this novel phenomenon lies in massive daily sero-sanguineous discharge and insensible losses with subsequent volume resuscitation. The patient's own convective clearance was substantial enough to maintain a modest creatinine clearance of 15 ml/min during sustained anuria. Our case emphasizes the importance of employing the creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine output portions of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) or Risk Injury Failure Loss End stage (RIFLE) criteria in assessing the severity of kidney injury. It further reinforces the imperfection in using serum creatinine as a primary measure of glomerular filtration rate.
A New Generation of Oral Direct Anticoagulants
Authors: Soff Gerald A.
Published: February 2012

After more than 50 years of thrombosis treatment and prophylaxis being based on heparin and vitamin K antagonists, a new generation of oral, direct anticoagulants is now available. The past 5 years have brought a strikingly large number of trials that evaluated these new oral anticoagulants in a range of clinical trials, particularly nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, thrombosis prophylaxis after major joint replacement surgery, treatment of venous thromboembolic events, and, most recently, acute coronary syndrome. These studies have been notably similar in design between the drugs for specific indication. This review focuses on the 3 drugs that either have recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (dabigatran and rivaroxaban) or have the most mature phase III clinical data (apixaban).
Critical Reevaluation of Endothelial Progenitor Cell Phenotypes for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Use
Authors: Fadini Gian Paolo , Losordo Douglas , Dimmeler Stefanie
Published: February 2012

Diverse subsets of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are used for the treatment of ischemic diseases in clinical trials, and circulating EPCs levels are considered as biomarkers for coronary and peripheral artery disease. However, despite significant steps forward in defining their potential for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, further progress has been mired by unresolved questions around the definition and the mechanism of action of EPCs. Diverse culturing methods and detection of various combinations of different surface antigens were used to enrich and identify EPCs. These attempts were particularly challenged by the close relationship and overlapping markers of the endothelial and hematopoietic lineages. This article will critically review the most commonly used protocols to define EPCs by culture assays or by fluorescence-activated cell sorter in the context of their therapeutic or diagnostic use. We also delineate new research avenues to move forward our knowledge on EPC biology.
POINT/CounterPOINT: The View from the Trenches of Education Policy Research
Authors: Ballou Dale , Springer Matthew G. , McCaffrey Daniel F. , Lockwood J. R. , Stecher Brian M. , Hamilton Laura , Pepper Matthew
Published: February 2012

The Project on Incentives in Teaching (POINT) was a three-year study testing the hypothesis that rewarding teachers for improved student scores on standardized tests would cause scores to rise. Results, as described in Springer et al. (2010b), did not confirm this hypothesis. In this article we provide additional information on the POINT study that may be of particular interest to researchers contemplating their own studies of similar policies. Our discussion focuses on the policy environment in which POINT was launched, considerations that affected the design of POINT, and a variety of lessons learned from the implementation of the experiment.
An Intelligent Multi-Restart Memetic Algorithm for Box Constrained Global Optimisation
Authors: Sun J. , Garibaldi J. M. , Krasnogor N. , Zhang Q.
Published: February 2012

In this paper, we propose a multi-restart memetic algorithm framework for box constrained global continuous optimisation. In this framework, an evolutionary algorithm (EA) and a local optimizer are employed as separated building blocks. The EA is used to explore the search space for very promising solutions (e.g., solutions in the attraction basin of the global optimum) through its exploration capability and previous EA search history, and local search is used to improve these promising solutions to local optima. An estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) combined with a derivative free local optimizer, called NEWUOA (M. Powell, Developments of NEWUOA for minimization without derivatives. Journal of Numerical Analysis, 28:649–664, 2008 ), is developed based on this framework and empirically compared with several well-known EAs on a set of 40 commonly used test functions. The main components of the specific algorithm include: (1) an adaptive multivariate probability model, (2) a multiple sampling strategy, (3) decoupling of the hybridisation strategy, and (4) a restart mechanism. The adaptive multivariate probability model and multiple sampling strategy are designed to enhance the exploration capability. The restart mechanism attempts to make the search escape from local optima, resorting to previous search history. Comparison results show that the algorithm is comparable with the best known EAs, including the winner of the 2005 IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC2005), and significantly better than the others in terms of both the solution quality and computational cost.
On the Northward Motion of Midlatitude Cyclones in a Barotropic Meandering Jet
Authors: Oruba Ludivine , Lapeyre Guillaume , Rivière Gwendal
Published: February 2012

The combined effects of the deformation (horizontal stretching and shearing) and nonlinearities on the beta drift of midlatitude cyclones are studied using a barotropic quasigeostrophic model on the beta plane. It is found that, without any background flow, a cyclonic vortex moves more rapidly northward when it is initially strongly stretched along a mostly north–south direction. This meridional stretching is more efficient at forming an anticyclone to the east of the cyclone through Rossby wave radiation. The cyclone–anticyclone couple then forms a nonlinear vortex dipole that propagates mostly northward. The case of a cyclone embedded in uniformly sheared zonal flows is then studied. A cyclone evolving in an anticyclonic shear is stretched more strongly, develops a stronger anticyclone, and moves faster northward than a cyclone embedded in a cyclonic shear, which remains almost isotropic. Similar results are found in the general case of uniformly sheared nonzonal flows.

The evolution of cyclones is also investigated in the case of a more realistic meandering jet whose relative vorticity gradient creates an effective beta and whose deformation field is spatially varying. A statistical study reveals a strong correlation among the cyclone’s stretching, the anticyclone strength, and the velocity toward the jet center. These different observations agree with the more idealized cases. Finally, these results provide a rationale for the existence of preferential zones for the jet-crossing phase: that is, the phase when a cyclone crosses a jet from its anticyclonic to its cyclonic side.
Effects of Additional Particles on Already Polluted Marine Stratus
Authors: Sechrist B. , Coakley J. A. , Tahnk W. R.
Published: February 2012

The response of already polluted marine stratocumulus to additional particles was examined by studying the clouds where two ship tracks cross. Nearly 100 such crossings were collected and analyzed using Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) multispectral imagery for the daytime passes off the western coast of the United States during the summer months of 4 years. To reduce biases in the retrieved cloud properties caused by the subpixel spatial structure of the clouds, results are presented only for ship tracks found in regions overcast by extensive layers of marine stratus. When two ship tracks cross, one of the tracks exhibits much larger changes in droplet radii when compared with the surrounding unpolluted clouds and is referred to as the dominant ship track. The clouds at the crossing typically exhibit properties that are closer to those of the dominant than to those of the subordinate ship track. To determine whether the additional particles at the crossing affect the dominant track, local gradients in the retrieved cloud properties near the crossing were determined for both ship tracks. Based on the gradients, the clouds at the junction were found to have significantly smaller droplet radii and significantly larger column droplet number concentrations than were predicted based on their values in both ship tracks on either side of the crossing. Comparing the effects of particle loading at the crossings and elsewhere along the ship tracks revealed that the effects decreased as the column droplet number concentration of the clouds being affected increased.
Reconciling the Spatial Distribution of the Surface Temperature Trends in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Misra V. , Michael J.-P. , Boyles R. , Chassignet E. P. , Griffin M. , O’Brien J. J.
Published: February 2012

This study attempts to explain the considerable spatial heterogeneity in the observed linear trends of monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) from station observations in the southeastern (SE) United States (specifically Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina). In a majority of these station sites, the warming trends in Tmin are stronger in urban areas relative to rural areas. The linear trends of Tmin in urban areas of the SE United States are approximately 7°F century−1 compared to about 5.5°F century−1 in rural areas. The trends in Tmax show weaker warming (or stronger cooling) trends with irrigation, while trends in Tmin show stronger warming trends. This functionality of the temperature trends with land features also shows seasonality, with the boreal summer season showing the most consistent relationship in the trends of both Tmax and Tmin. This study reveals that linear trends in Tmax in the boreal summer season show a cooling trend of about 0.5°F century−1 with irrigation, while the same observing stations on an average display warming trends in Tmin of about 3.5°F century−1. The seasonality and the physical consistency of these relationships with existing theories may suggest that urbanization and irrigation have a nonnegligible influence on the spatial heterogeneity of the surface temperature trends over the SE United States. The study also delineates the caveats and limitations of the conclusions reached herein due to the potential influence of perceived nonclimatic discontinuities (which incidentally could also have a seasonal cycle) that have not been taken into account.
The Role of Atmosphere Feedbacks during ENSO in the CMIP3 Models. Part III: The Shortwave Flux Feedback
Authors: Lloyd James , Guilyardi Eric , Weller Hilary
Published: February 2012

Previous studies using coupled general circulation models (GCMs) suggest that the atmosphere model plays a dominant role in the modeled El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and that intermodel differences in the thermodynamical damping of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are a dominant contributor to the ENSO amplitude diversity. This study presents a detailed analysis of the shortwave flux feedback (αSW) in 12 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) simulations, motivated by findings that αSW is the primary contributor to model thermodynamical damping errors.

A “feedback decomposition method,” developed to elucidate the αSW biases, shows that all models underestimate the dynamical atmospheric response to SSTs in the eastern equatorial Pacific, leading to underestimated αSW values. Biases in the cloud response to dynamics and the shortwave interception by clouds also contribute to errors in αSW. Changes in the αSW feedback between the coupled and corresponding atmosphere-only simulations are related to changes in the mean dynamics.

A large nonlinearity is found in the observed and modeled SW flux feedback, hidden when linearly calculating αSW. In the observations, two physical mechanisms are proposed to explain this nonlinearity: 1) a weaker subsidence response to cold SST anomalies than the ascent response to warm SST anomalies and 2) a nonlinear high-level cloud cover response to SST. The shortwave flux feedback nonlinearity tends to be underestimated by the models, linked to an underestimated nonlinearity in the dynamical response to SST. The process-based methodology presented in this study may help to correct model ENSO atmospheric biases, ultimately leading to an improved simulation of ENSO in GCMs.
A Model Study of Heat Waves over North America: Meteorological Aspects and Projections for the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Lau Ngar-Cheung , Nath Mary Jo
Published: February 2012

The characteristics of summertime heat waves in North America are examined using reanalysis data and simulations by two general circulation models with horizontal resolution of 50 and 200 km. Several “key regions” with spatially coherent and high amplitude fluctuations in daily surface air temperature are identified. The typical synoptic features accompanying warm episodes in these regions are described. The averaged intensity, duration, and frequency of occurrence of the heat waves in various key regions, as simulated in the two models for twentieth-century climate, are in general agreement with the results based on reanalysis data.

The impact of climate change on the heat wave characteristics in various key regions is assessed by contrasting model runs based on a scenario for the twenty-first century with those for the twentieth century. Both models indicate considerable increases in the duration and frequency of heat wave episodes, and in number of heat wave days per year, during the twenty-first century. The duration and frequency statistics of the heat waves in the mid-twenty-first century, as generated by the model with 50-km resolution, can be reproduced by adding the projected warming trend to the daily temperature data for the late twentieth century, and then recomputing these statistics. The detailed evolution of the averaged intensity, duration, and frequency of the heat waves through individual decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as simulated and projected by the model with 200-km resolution, indicates that the upward trend in these heat wave measures should become apparent in the early decades of the twenty-first century.
Verification of Precipitation Forecasts from NCEP’s Short-Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) System with Reference to Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Using Lumped Hydrologic Models
Authors: Brown James D. , Seo Dong-Jun , Du Jun
Published: February 2012

Precipitation forecasts from the Short-Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) system of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) are verified for the period April 2006–August 2010. Verification is conducted for 10–20 hydrologic basins in each of the following: the middle Atlantic, the southern plains, the windward slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and the foothills of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest. Mean areal precipitation is verified conditionally upon forecast lead time, amount of precipitation, season, forecast valid time, and accumulation period. The stationary block bootstrap is used to quantify the sampling uncertainties of the verification metrics. In general, the forecasts are more skillful for moderate precipitation amounts than either light or heavy precipitation. This originates from a threshold-dependent conditional bias in the ensemble mean forecast. Specifically, the forecasts overestimate low observed precipitation and underestimate high precipitation (a type-II conditional bias). Also, the forecast probabilities are generally overconfident (a type-I conditional bias), except for basins in the southern plains, where forecasts of moderate to high precipitation are reliable. Depending on location, different types of bias correction may be needed. Overall, the northwest basins show the greatest potential for statistical postprocessing, particularly during the cool season, when the type-I conditional bias and correlations are both high. The basins of the middle Atlantic and southern plains show less potential for statistical postprocessing, as the type-II conditional bias is larger and the correlations are weaker. In the Sierra Nevada, the greatest benefits of statistical postprocessing should be expected for light precipitation, specifically during the warm season, when the type-I conditional bias is large and the correlations are strong.
The Role of Advection, Straining, and Mixing on the Tidal Variability of Estuarine Stratification
Authors: Scully Malcolm E. , Geyer W. Rockwell
Published: February 2012

Data from the Hudson River estuary demonstrate that the tidal variations in vertical salinity stratification are not consistent with the patterns associated with along-channel tidal straining. These observations result from three additional processes not accounted for in the traditional tidal straining model: 1) along-channel and 2) lateral advection of horizontal gradients in the vertical salinity gradient and 3) tidal asymmetries in the strength of vertical mixing. As a result, cross-sectionally averaged values of the vertical salinity gradient are shown to increase during the flood tide and decrease during the ebb. Only over a limited portion of the cross section does the observed stratification increase during the ebb and decrease during the flood. These observations highlight the three-dimensional nature of estuarine flows and demonstrate that lateral circulation provides an alternate mechanism that allows for the exchange of materials between surface and bottom waters, even when direct turbulent mixing through the pycnocline is prohibited by strong stratification.
On the Solution of Elliptic Problems on Overset/Yin–Yang Grids
Authors: Zerroukat M. , Allen T.
Published: February 2012

The heterogeneity and the singularity of the grid are major factors in the weak scalability of longitude–latitude grid–based atmospheric models on massively parallel machines. Overset grids and, in particular, the Yin–Yang grid, are potential solutions to this problem. Using semi-implicit time marching schemes requires the solution of an elliptic problem on the particular grid. For overset/composite grids to be a viable approach, the solution of the elliptic problem has to be at least as accurate and efficient as using a single grid. This paper proposes combining the overset/Yin–Yang composite elliptic problems in one system using Krylov-type solvers and shows that the solution on overset grids is highly efficient because of the improved grid’s homogeneity.
Convective Squalls over the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic
Authors: Berkes Florian , Knippertz Peter , Parker Douglas J. , Jeans Gus , Quiniou-Ramus Valérie
Published: February 2012

The Congo Basin and the adjacent equatorial eastern Atlantic are among the most active regions of the world in terms of intense deep moist convection, leading to frequent lightning and severe squalls. Studying the dynamics and climatology of this convection is difficult due to a very sparse operational network of ground-based observations. Here, a detailed analysis of recently available high temporal resolution meteorological observations from three oil platforms off the coast of Angola spanning the three wet seasons from 2006/07 to 2008/09 is presented. The annual cycle of squall days as identified from wind data closely follows that of convective available potential energy (CAPE) and therefore mirrors the cycle of wet and dry seasons. The diurnal cycle of squall occurrence varies from station to station, most likely related to local features such as coastlines and orography, which control the initiation of storms. An attempt to classify squalls based on the time evolution of the station meteorology and satellite imagery suggests that microbursts account for at least one-third of the strong gusts, while mesoscale squall lines appear to be quite rare. On a daily basis the probability of squall occurrence increases with increasing values of CAPE, downdraft CAPE, and 925–700-hPa wind shear, and decreases for high convective inhibition, all calculated from vertical profiles of temperature and humidity at the nearest grid point in the NCEP–NCAR and ECMWF reanalysis datasets. Both the climatological results and the stability indices can be used for local forecasting to avoid squalls impacting on operations on the offshore platforms.
Atherosclerotic Changes in Common Carotid Artery, Common Femoral Artery, and Ascending Aorta/Aortic Arch in Candidates for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Tarzamni Mohammad Kazem , Eshraghi Nazanin , Fouladi Rohollah Fadaei , Afrasiabi Abbas , Halimi Monireh , Azarvan Asad
Published: February 2012

We assessed the association between common carotid and common femoral artery intima–media thickness (ccIMT and cfIMT, respectively), histopathologic severity of atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta/aortic arch, and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in 150 candidates for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). One-, 2-, and 3-vessel diseases were present in 20%, 25.9%, and 54.1%, respectively. Although no significant relationship was present between the ccIMT and the number of occluded coronary vessels ( P = .41), both the cfIMT and severity of atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta/aortic arch were predictive of more extensive CAD ( P = .03 and .01, respectively). Neither the ccIMT nor the cfIMT was correlated with the severity of aortic atherosclerosis ( P = .81 and .63, respectively). In conclusion, both cfIMT and atherosclerosis of ascending aorta/aortic arch are independent predictors of CAD extent. However, interrelationships between these 2 variables as well as the ccIMT are complex in CABG candidates.
Relation Between Mean Platelet Volume and Severity of Atherosclerosis in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Murat Sani Namik , Duran Mustafa , Kalay Nihat , Gunebakmaz Ozgur , Akpek Mahmut , Doger Cihan , Elcik Deniz , Ocak Ayse , Vatankulu Mehmet Akif , Turfan Murat , Kasapkara Haci Ahmet , Akin Fatih , Sahin Musa , Kaya Mehmet Gungor
Published: February 2012

Platelets play a central role in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD). Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet function and associated with poor clinical outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated the relationship between MPV and severity of CAD in patients with ACS. A total of 395 patients with ACS were included. Severity of CAD was assessed with the Gensini and Syntax scores. High levels of MPV were associated with the Gensini and Syntax scores, number of diseased vessels (>50%), number of critical lesions (>50% and >70%), and noncritical lesions. After multivariate analysis, high levels of MPV were independent predictors of multivessel CAD together with age. In patients with ACS, high MPV levels were associated with severity of CAD. It is possible that MPV can be a helpful marker in patients with CAD for the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
Bunyoro-Kitara Revisited: A Reevaluation of the Decline and Diminishment of an African Kingdom
Authors: Uzoigwe GN
Published: February 2012

Using primary sources (oral tradition, archival materials, archaeological evidence, 19th century European explorers’ and missionaries’ accounts) and secondary sources (historical, anthropological, archaeological, etc.), this article reevaluates, in a historical perspective, the decline and diminishment in political power and scale as well as in population and landmass of Bunyoro-Kitara, the earliest kingdom in East Africa’s lake region. It concludes that, contrary to the conventional wisdom proffered by 19th century Europeans and sanctified by Makerere University scholarship, the kingdom declined essentially because of the extraordinary errors of judgment and incompetence of most of its rulers from the close of the 17th century to the close of the 19th century, devastating deceases (human and animal), and brutal British conquest resulting in the death of thousands of individuals and loss of territory. By 1900 the kingdom’s population had declined by about four-fifths and landmass by about two-thirds. No major African kingdom experienced such an enormous outcome. Herein lies the fascination with this subject.
Spatial activity-based modeling for pedestrian crowd simulation
Authors: Qiu Fasheng , Hu Xiaolin
Published: February 2012

This paper proposes a spatial activity-based modeling approach and applies it to pedestrian crowd behavior simulations. Compared to conventional pedestrian crowd models where pedestrians make movement decisions in a time-based manner, the spatial activity-based pedestrian crowd model allows a pedestrian to make decisions only when needed, that is, when there is significant change in the pedestrian’s spatial position, as defined by a threshold called ‘space resolution’. To demonstrate the spatial activity-based modeling, we develop an activity-based model for pedestrian crowd simulation in a two-dimensional environment and compare it with a conventional time-based simulation model. Experiment results show that the spatial activity-based model can lead to more efficient simulations when simulating heterogeneous pedestrian crowds.
Challenges of Diverting Veterans to Trauma Informed Care
Authors: Christy Annette , Clark Colleen , Frei Autumn , Rynearson-Moody Sarah
Published: February 2012

The challenges of diverting veterans from the criminal justice system and into appropriate trauma informed mental health and substance abuse services at Intercept 2 of the Sequential Intercept Model (initial detention and initial first appearance court hearing) are discussed. Six challenges are considered, including identification of veterans and determining veteran status; navigating complex partnerships among stakeholders in the community and within the VA that are essential for a successful program, particularly in terms of a mutual understanding of the functions, resources, and philosophies of each in order to allow for cross-system collaboration; difficulties in defining and operationalizing jail diversion; the timing and logistics of diversion; and screening for trauma-related disorders in a sensitive and client-centered manner within the confines of the criminal justice system. A brief overview of the funding, policy, and program landscape related to diversion of veterans is related to the challenges of diversion generally, and specific to intercept 2, with examples from Florida’s SAMHSA-funded Jail Diversion Trauma Recovery initiative.
Pretrial Diversion for Intrafamilial Child Sexual Offending
Authors: Titcomb Caroline , Goodman-Delahunty Jane , De Puiseau Berenike Waubert
Published: February 2012

Diversion programs are generally reserved for offenders rated as low risk. The scant recidivism data on incest offenders classify intrafamilial offenders as lower risk than extrafamilial pedophiles. Even so, few community-based treatment programs accommodate offenders who sexually abuse children. Access to treatment programs for intrafamilial offenders is rare. Using a sample of 214 intrafamilial offenders who pled guilty on referral to a community-based pretrial diversion program for intrafamilial offenders, the authors explored whether biological fathers, typically classified as incest offenders, and nonbiological fathers, traditionally classified as extrafamilial pedophiles, benefited equally from diversion. Biological and nonbiological fathers were systematically compared to determine whether diversion programs should take the victim’s relationship to the offender—biological or nonbiological—into account when determining diversion eligibility. Effect sizes confirmed that the two subgroups of intrafamilial offenders were substantially similar on demographic features, characteristics of the index victim and index offense, and prior offending history. The victim–offender relationship was unrelated to acceptance into treatment, treatment completion, and sexual reoffending. These findings advance knowledge of sex offender subtypes and indicate that policies and practices that distinguish biological from nonbiological father offenders should be reconsidered. At a minimum, exclusion of nonbiological intrafamilial sex offenders from community-based treatment programs appears unwarranted.
Us and Them
Authors: Buffington Daniel Taylor
Published: February 2012

Analyzing media coverage of the men’s World Cup of soccer, this article explores the characterization of the United States relationship to this event as a form of national myth making. American journalists emphasized to their readers that the importance and meaning of the tournament domestically paled in comparison to that found outside its borders. Previous scholars have used the concept of “American exceptionalism” to interpret this type of media narrative as a reflection of the sport’s low cultural valence. Alternatively, the author argues that this characterization constitutes a form of “boundary-work” wherein American national identity could be specified in more concrete terms by representing the United States as both internally unified and different from all other nations through its ambivalence toward soccer.
Developing social giftedness in disadvantaged girls at an Indian school
Authors: Gosain Yukti Sharma nee
Published: February 2012

This article describes developmental interactions with a group of female students at an Indian public school situated in a disadvantaged section of the community. Through a series of activities, the author makes an intensive effort to develop social giftedness in these students. The article describes various activities together with the author’s observations as a mentor and facilitator in the field. The qualitative changes in the students’ personalities are confirmed through a standardized personality test.
Political Decentralization, Subnational Political Capital, and Intergovernmental Transfers in Korea
Authors: Kim Jungbu
Published: February 2012

Faced with ever increasing pressures for better performance and financial bottom line, governments around the world are devolving more responsibilities to subnational governments. Especially in developing countries, this trend has coupled with increased demands for greater democracy and disaffection with the services provided by the central government. This article examines what has happened in South Korea since its devolution reform in 1995. Specifically, it examines political capital factors in determining the amount of intergovernmental transfers to the regional governments. The analysis shows that political decentralization has resulted in financial weakening of the subnational governments of general purposes and that although the incidence of intergovernmental transfer is affected by the political considerations, Korea has substantially improved horizontal fiscal imbalance.
Gender, Fear of Crime, and Attitudes Toward Prisoners Among Social Work Majors in a Hong Kong University
Authors: Chui Wing Hong , Cheng Kevin Kwok-Yin , Wong Lok-Ping
Published: February 2012

Fear of crime has been a dominant area of criminological inquiry, yet it is has been examined only recently in a Chinese context, and it is virtually unexplored in Hong Kong. Using a sample of 170 Hong Kong college students majoring in social work, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of gender on fear of crime and their relationships to attitudes toward prisoners. In general, women reported a significantly greater fear of crime than men for all offenses except for being cheated. Fear of rape/sexual assault was found to be a significant predictor of fear of serious crimes for women but a less significant predictor of their fear of minor crimes. The shadow of the sexual assault hypothesis was supported in this study. Fear of crime had little impact on attitudes toward prisoners.
Effects of low atmospheric pressure on combustion characteristics of polyethylene and polymethyl methacrylate
Authors: Gong Junhui , Yang Lizhong , Zhou Xiaodong , Deng Zhihua , Lei Gao , Wang Wenjun
Published: February 2012

Combustion characteristics of polymers are affected significantly by low atmospheric pressure and oxygen concentration at high altitude. In this study, vertical downward experiments aimed at investigating these characteristics, including mass loss rate (burning rate), flame temperature, flame spread rate, and flame height for polyethylene and polymethyl methacrylate having different thicknesses were conducted at elevations of 2295 m (77.4 kPa) in Xining and 29.5 m (101.8 kPa) in Hefei, China. Experimental results showed that mass loss rate and flame temperature are proportional to the ambient pressure. Power-law progressions of flame height and flame spread rate to pressure were produced, and linear relationships between the exponents and thickness of samples were obtained. The influence of ambient pressure and thickness on flame height is similar to that on flame spread rate for polymethyl methacrylate.
How Does Democratic Accountability Shape International Cooperation?
Authors: Urpelainen Johannes
Published: February 2012

In democratic societies, citizens can hold their government politically accountable for the consequences of international cooperation. Can democratic accountability shape international cooperation under strategic interdependence, and if so, to what effect? I show formally that citizens can endow a government with incentives to promote the public good by conditioning political support on the consequences of international cooperation. Contravening the conventional wisdom, democratic accountability effectively shapes international cooperation. Since international cooperation is reciprocal, domestic democratic accountability also influences the behavior of foreign governments, even if they are autocratic. Empirically, democratic accountability in one country increases the expected dyadic level of international cooperation if and only if the expected social benefits to that country are substantial enough. However, the analysis also reveals that democracies might sometimes obtain a higher payoff from cooperation with autocracies that do not have democratic accountability mechanisms. These findings indicate that the democratic propensity for international cooperation is a contingent phenomenon.
Industry-Level Supply-Side Market Concentration and the Price of Military Conflict
Authors: Wen Jaya
Published: February 2012

In economics, supply-side market concentration profoundly impacts firm behavior. This dimension of economic interaction can be used to predict the conflict initiation of countries in the context of international relations. The following investigation uses industry-level trade data to define four new market concentration variables, which are incorporated into the traditional model of military conflict. The article finds that high dyadic market concentration significantly decreases the likelihood that a state initiated military conflict in the period 1962–2001, and argues that market concentration is an important factor in the trade–conflict relationship.
Welfare to work and the inclusive labour market: a comparative study of activation policies for disability and long-term sickness benefit claimants in the UK and Denmark
Authors: Etherington David , Ingold Jo
Published: February 2012

The increasing number of recipients of disability and long-term sickness benefits has resulted in the introduction of specific employability programmes in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. In the UK Pathways to Work involved enabling and support measures for benefit recipients with long-term health conditions. In Denmark ‘flex-jobs’ are an integral occupational health intervention for both employed and unemployed people with reduced working capacity. Through a comparative analysis primarily based on stakeholder interviews in both countries, this paper argues that the concept of an inclusive labour market strategy is crucial to assisting these groups into work, underpinned by governance and a politics of representation. In Denmark both the role of the social partners and subsidized employment are significant. In the UK governance has been constrained and insufficient attention has been paid to income security. Comparing these two models highlights policy learning for the UK from the successes of and challenges to the Danish model.