bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Working Memory Maintenance Processes in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Nikolin Stevan , Martin Donel , Loo Colleen K. , Boonstra Tjeerd W.
Published: January 2023

The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at the pFC are often investigated using cognitive paradigms, particularly working memory tasks. However, the neural basis for the neuromodulatory cognitive effects of tDCS, including which subprocesses are affected by stimulation, is not completely understood. We investigated the effects of tDCS on working memory task-related spectral activity during and after tDCS to gain better insights into the neurophysiological changes associated with stimulation. We reanalyzed data from 100 healthy participants grouped by allocation to receive either sham (0 mA, 0.016 mA, and 0.034 mA) or active (1 mA or 2 mA) stimulation during a 3-back task. EEG data were used to analyze event-related spectral power in frequency bands associated with working memory performance. Frontal theta event-related synchronization (ERS) was significantly reduced post-tDCS in the active group. Participants receiving active tDCS had slower RTs following tDCS compared with sham, suggesting interference with practice effects associated with task repetition. Theta ERS was not significantly correlated with RTs or accuracy. tDCS reduced frontal theta ERS poststimulation, suggesting a selective disruption to working memory cognitive control and maintenance processes. These findings suggest that tDCS selectively affects specific subprocesses during working memory, which may explain heterogenous behavioral effects.
The management of scientific and technological infrastructures: The case of the Mexican National Laboratories
Authors: Munguía Leonardo , Robles-Belmont Eduardo , Escalante Juan Carlos
Published: January 2023

The effectiveness of research units is assessed on the basis of their performance in relation to scientific, technological, and innovation production, the quality of their results, and their contribution to the solution of scientific and social problems. We examine the management practices employed in some Mexican National Laboratories to identify those practices that could explain their effectiveness in meeting their objectives. The results of other research that propose common elements among laboratories with outstanding performance are used and verified directly in the field. Considering the inherent complexity of each field of knowledge and the sociospatial characteristics in which the laboratories operate, we report which management practices are relevant for their effectiveness, how they contribute to their consolidation as fundamental scientific and technological infrastructures, and how these can be translated into indicators that support the evaluation of their performance.
Field, capital, and habitus: The impact of Pierre Bourdieu on bibliometrics
Authors: Schirone Marco
Published: January 2023

This study is a critical review aimed at assessing the reception received in bibliometric research by the theories and concepts developed by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The data set consists of 182 documents, including original articles, editorial material, review articles, conference papers, monographs, and doctoral dissertations. A quantitative analysis was used to establish the authors and countries that most frequently make use of Bourdieu’s theories, as well as the most popular concepts, which were identified as “field,” followed by “symbolic capital” and “social capital.” Then, the article discusses the impact of Bourdieusian key concepts such as “field.” Among the findings, the following are noteworthy: the integration of his field theory into pre-existing bibliometric conceptualizations of research fields, especially when power relations are problematized; the use of “symbolic capital” in connection with citation analysis and altmetrics; and greater interest in Bourdieu’s theories compared to his methods, although some sources have used Bourdieu’s preferred statistical method, correspondence analysis. Moreover, Bourdieu’s theoretical impact is noticeable in research on journals, university rankings, early career researchers, and gender. The paper’s conclusions point to future research paths based on concepts less used in the bibliometric literature, such as “delegation.”
Impact of the 2022 OSTP memo: A bibliometric analysis of US federally funded publications, 2017–2021
Authors: Schares Eric
Published: January 2023

On August 25, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a memo regarding public access to scientific research. Signed by Director Alondra Nelson, this updated guidance eliminated the 12-month embargo period on publications arising from U.S. federal funding that had been allowed from a previous 2013 OSTP memo. Although reactions to this updated federal guidance have been plentiful, to date there has not been a detailed analysis of the publications that would fall under this new framework. The OSTP released a companion report along with the memo, but it only provided a broad estimate of total numbers affected per year. Therefore, this study seeks to more deeply investigate the characteristics of U.S. federally funded research over a 5-year period from 2017–2021 to better understand the updated guidance’s impact. It uses a manually created custom filter in the Dimensions database to return only publications that arise from U.S. federal funding. Results show that an average of 265,000 articles were published each year that acknowledge US federal funding agencies, and these research outputs are further examined by publisher, journal title, institutions, and Open Access status. Interactive versions of the graphs are available at https://ostp.lib.iastate.edu/.
Dating Medieval Ghent (Belgium): Dendrochronological and Typological Survey of the Roofs of Saint Nicholas’ Church
Authors: Debonne Vincent , Haneca Kristof
Published: January 2023

Roof construction is a key element while documenting and studying building traditions in historical towns. In the city centre of Ghent (Belgium), numerous roofs of large monuments (churches, merchants’ halls, town halls) as well as historical houses from the pre-industrial era are still in place. Tree-ring research has been carried out on several intact roof constructions since the 1990s. The dated roofs range from the mid-13th to the 17th century. Recent research has revealed the presence of historical roofs in the church of St. Nicholas, an iconic building in the city’s historical centre. Tree-ring research has dated the roof constructions of the nave and the choir to the first and second quarters of the 13th century, which makes them the oldest preserved examples of carpentry in Ghent and among the oldest in Flanders (northern Belgium). These and other such dating results for the Ghent region allow for the development of a typology for (late) medieval and early modern roof constructions and provide context for a better understanding of the procurement, trade, and transport of building timber from the early 13th century to the early modern era.
Mummy Labels: A Witness to the Use and Processing of Wood in Roman Egypt
Authors: Blondel François , Huebner Sabine R. , Pearson Charlotte , Stoffel Markus
Published: January 2023

Mummy labels are relics found in large quantities in Egypt, often in an excellent state of preservation (like most woods preserved in arid environments). As a result, they are widespread in Roman Egyptian collections of many museums. These labels reflect funerary practices that possess Egyptian and Roman influences and are an important source of historical and archaeological information. These corpora of mummy labels offer several possibilities for investigation. The inscriptions on these labels have been the subject of an international project (Death on the Nile) in which all accessible objects were recorded in a database. However, the potential of these funerary objects extend beyond the inscriptions to the methods of manufacturing and cutting, the choice of species used, and their dendrochronological potential to better define their chronology and possibly their provenance. The study of mummy labels allows us to propose a new typology, some forms of which seem to be limited to certain necropolises. Mummy labels, whether made by the family of the deceased or by specific workshops, show that their realizations vary greatly, ranging from coarse specimens to others with beautiful detailing. They are made from endemic as well as imported species, which are symbolic of long-distance trade, especially for conifer trees, which are well represented. Their dendrochronological potential has also been demonstrated in numerous studies, some of which have allowed the identification of labels from the same tree, supported by inscriptions attesting to the same family relationship.
Collecting in the Northern Andean Páramo revealed purple iridescent pygmy moths of the little known Andean endemic Brachinepticula (Nepticulidae)
Authors: STONIS JONAS R. , REMEIKIS ANDRIUS , DOBRYNINA VIKTORIJA , MEY WOLFRAM
Published: January 2023

This paper describes two new species of Brachinepticula Stonis & Diškus: B. melania Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. and B. colombica Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. Both the new species were collected in the Northern Andean Páramo (Cundinamarca, Colombia). Since the specimens were caught at night-time with a light trap, the host plants remain unknown. The examination of the morphology of the male genitalia of B. melania and female genitalia of B. colombica revealed a highly distinctive new taxa of pygmy moths and broadened our knowledge of the morphology and distribution of the recently described endemic genus Brachinepticula Diškus & Stonis. The examination of the new findings also allowed us updating the diagnosis of Brachinepticula. The new species were illustrated with photographs of the genitalia, adults, and habitats.
Redescription of the mole crab Emerita portoricensis Schmitt, 1935 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippidae), based on Caribbean populations from Puerto Rico, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama
Authors: FELDER DARRYL L. , LEMAITRE RAFAEL , MANTELATTO FERNANDO L.
Published: January 2023

The mole crab Emerita portoricensis Schmitt, 1935 was originally described solely on the basis of few key characters that were not precisely defined, giving reason to question subsequent reports of its distribution. The present study, prompted by recent collections documenting coloration in life, undertakes a comprehensive redescription of the species based on specimens of varied sizes from Puerto Rico, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama. Collections from the northern Caribbean that at first take appear to represent a northernmost record of E. brasiliensis Schmitt, 1935 or southernmost occurrence of E. talpoida (Say, 1817), may be assignable E. portoricensis as now recognized. Among western Atlantic species, E. portoricensis and E. benedicti have to date been considered to have the dactylus of the first pereopod terminally subacute or sharply pointed, which purportedly separates them from E. brasiliensis and E. talpoida, western Atlantic species in which this article is terminally rounded. However, in E. portoricensis this character varies with specimen size and the magnification at which the distal extreme of the dactylus is examined, being rounded to varying degrees in all but the largest specimens. Even in sexually mature specimens of less than maximum size, this rounded tip is armed by a minute corneous spine in E. portoricensis, although it is less prominent than the terminal spine on the consistently more acute dactylus of E. benedicti at all adult sizes. Also, the carapace color in live specimens of E. portoricensis, as documented for specimens collected in both Belize and Panama, differs from that of E. brasiliensis, E. talpoida, and E. benedicti by typically including longitudinal and diagonal dark bars of olive brown on the branchial regions and a light longitudinal bar marking the posterior quarter of the median line. Posterior to the cervical groove, fine rugae of the carapace that form broken transverse lines are at most little diminished across the mid-dorsal longitudinal line in E. portoricensis and E. benedicti, somewhat more broken in E. brasiliensis, and distinctly diminished to all but absent at the midline in E. talpoida. Previously reported BINs in the Barcode of Life database include sequenced specimens from Costa Rica herein accepted as E. portoricensis. We exclude populations from Brazil that have been mis-assigned to E. portoricensis.
Enhanced Impact of Autumn North Tropical Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies on Subsequent Winter Snowfall in Northeast China after 2001
Authors: Xu Shiqi , Fang Yihe , Lin Yitong , Sun Xuguang , Yang Xueyan , Gong Zhiqiang
Published: January 2023

This study reveals that the relationship between autumn north tropical Atlantic (NTA) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and Northeast China’s winter snowfall (NECWS) undergoes a remarkable interdecadal enhancement after 2001. Previous research confirmed that the relationship between the NTA SST anomaly and atmospheric circulation experienced interdecadal changes after the 2000s and suggested various reasons for this phenomenon. During 1961–2000, the NTA SST anomaly has a significantly positive correlation with other oceans, especially the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO), and the latter modulates the former’s impact on atmospheric circulations over the Eurasian continent with a cancelling effect, which results in a weaker relationship of the NTA SST anomaly and NECWS. In contrast, the warm NTA SST anomaly is relatively independent from other oceans during 2001–20, and it proves to be the forcing factor for NECWS since its solo influence on the winter atmospheric circulations initiated from the North Atlantic to East Asia is more robust, featuring the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation and a downstream quasi-barotropic Rossby wave train over the mid- to high latitudes of Eurasian continent. Accordingly, together with the deepened East Asian trough and the strongly northward transported humid and warm air from the western Pacific, the local significantly enhanced ascending motions with cooling temperature favor much more NECWS. The linear baroclinic model simulates the effects of NTA and TIO SST anomalies on winter atmospheric circulations, corroborating the aforementioned results. Such results can be used for the prediction of NECWS with respect to the precursor of the autumn NTA SST anomaly.
Distributional Effects of Trade Liberalisation on Wages in India
Authors: Dhamija Nidhi
Published: January 2023

There is a high level of policy interest on the effect of trade liberalisation on inequality, especially in developing countries, because of their large vulnerable populations. India also initiated the process of liberalisation as a response to the severe balance of payments crisis of 1991. However, both rural and urban inequality has been increasing since the period 1993–1994, with urban inequality increasing at a higher rate. This study empirically examines the impact of trade openness on wage inequality using panel data for Indian states (separately for rural and urban areas). The results of this study indicate that trade openness does not lead to decrease in the wage inequality in the states and their rural areas. However, urban wage inequality is found to be increasing due to trade openness. These results are analysed and explained by various factors present in the Indian economy such as, skill biased technological changes; trade in intermediate goods; barriers to domestic labour mobility; and pattern and composition of India’s exports. An interesting aspect emerging is that higher education levels lead to increase in wage inequality as returns to education and inequality are increasing and the increase is also attributed to liberalisation.

JEL Codes: F16, O18, C23
Automatic buckling system of micro terminals combined vision and force signals
Authors: Jiang Jinchao , Zhang Junxin , Ye Jinhua , Zhou Wenbo , Chen Wei , Wu Haibin
Published: January 2023

Micro terminals are often used in every laptop, mobile, and other electrical product. It is challenging to automatically buckle the terminal head to its terminal base during manufacturing because of trouble in accurate positioning and gripping. A double-robots collaborative assembly system is developed to buckle millimeter-scale terminals in three-dimensional space. Robot 1 takes the terminal head horizontally by grasping its flexible line with a customized clamp, including two fingers. Robot 2 presses the aligned terminal head through a force control strategy to ensure that the terminal head and the terminal base can complete buckling accurately, even if there is a certain deviation in the vertical direction. There are two cameras to be used in the system. A horizontally placed camera is used to detect and calculate the angle between the terminal head and the horizontal plane. The angle data will drive robot 1 to make the terminal end face parallel to the horizontal plane to complete the pose correction of the terminal head. Another camera is vertically fixed at the end of industrial robot 1 and used to detect and calculate the position deviation between the terminal head and the terminal base. The position deviation will drive robot 1 to align the terminal head with the terminal base to complete the position correction. The YOLOv3, least square, and feature extraction algorithms are used in image processing. The accuracy of the YOLOv3 target detection model trained by self-made data set can reach more than 95% under different conditions. The detection period is within 65 ms. The experimental results show that the terminal assembly system designed in this paper has excellent reliability and assembly success rate. It also has a significant reference value for other terminals’ automatic buckling assemblies.
Multifractal Nonlinearity Moderates Feedforward and Feedback Responses to Suprapostural Perturbations
Authors: Kelty-Stephen Damian G. , Lee Jinhyun , Cole Keith R. , Shields Richard K. , Mangalam Madhur
Published: January 2023

An adaptive response to unexpected perturbations requires near-term and long-term adjustments over time. We used multifractal analysis to test how nonlinear interactions across timescales might support an adaptive response following an unpredictable perturbation. We reanalyzed torque data from 44 young and 24 older adults who performed a single-leg squat task challenged by an unexpected mechanical perturbation and a secondary visual-cognitive task. We report three findings: (a) multifractal nonlinearity interacted with pre-perturbation torque production and task error to presage greater pre-voluntary feedforward increases and greater voluntary reductions, respectively, in post-perturbation task error; (b) multifractal nonlinearity presaged relatively smaller task error than standard deviations of both pre-perturbation torques and pre-perturbation task error; and (c) increased task demand (e.g., age-related changes in dexterity and dual-task settings) led to multifractal nonlinearity presaging reduced task error. All these results were consistent with our expectations, except that a pre-perturbation knee torque-dependent increase in post-perturbation task error appeared later for older than for younger participants. This correlational multifractal modeling offered theoretical clarity on the possible roles of nonlinear interactions across timescales, moderating both feedforward and feedback processes, and presaging greater stability when the standard deviation is relatively large and task demands are strong. Thus, multifractal nonlinearity usefully describes movement variability even when paired with classical descriptors like the standard deviation. We discuss potential insights from these findings for understanding suprapostural dexterity and developing rehabilitative interventions.
Ageism and Type D Personality: The Protective Role of Self-Esteem and Perceived Social Support
Authors: Piterman David , Mazor Bar , Zohar Ada H.
Published: January 2023

Background: This study examined the relationship between Type D personality and ageism in young adults, and evaluated the role of protective and risk factors. Methods: Two hundred and forty-seven community volunteers ( M age = 31.8 years) reported online on age-related attitudes, Type D personality, and on measures of well-being. Results: A significant correlation was found between ageist attitudes and the tendency toward Type D personality. Both Type D personality and ageism correlated negatively with all the well-being measures. Perceived social support (PSS) partially down-mediated the association between Type D personality and ageism. A three-way interaction was found among individuals with Type D personality. Low PSS and low self-esteem were associated with an elevation of ageism compared to those with low PSS and high self-esteem. Discussion: The current research suggests that self-esteem and PSS are protective against ageism, and might be good targets for psychological interventions in order to mitigate ageism, particularly among individuals with Type D personality.
Multifunctional photothermal fabrics with water repellent for efficient crude oil adsorption and seawater desalination
Authors: Gu Xiangyi , Chen Xuying , Wang Li na , Song Changyuan , Hu Junhua , Liu Wentao
Published: January 2023

Solar-driven crude oil adsorption and seawater desalination have become promising strategies for oil spill recovery and freshwater production, respectively. However, the water adsorbed into the solar absorber has negative impacts on both the oil adsorption capacity and water evaporation rate, so it is vital to restrain water from entering the solar absorber. Herein, a versatile photothermal fabric was prepared by modifying carbon cloth (CC) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The introduction of PDMS improves the light absorption and the hydrophobicity, and prevents water from being adsorbed into the absorber. Taking advantage of the above properties, CC@PDMS exhibits an outstanding crude oil adsorption capacity of 21.13 g g−1 and a remarkable evaporation rate of 1.81 kg m−2 h−1. This work provides a facile strategy for solving the common issue of solar-driven crude oil adsorption and solar steam generation.
Matthew’s Gospel for today
Authors: Barton Stephen C.
Published: January 2023

In this article I offer an interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew in its originating context with a view to making some suggestions about how Matthew may still speak today. Working by inference from the shape and content of the Gospel, I suggest that, against the backdrop of the partings of the ways between synagogue and church, Matthew wrote for the following reasons: to establish and display Jesus’ identity; to help his readers understand better who they are; to strengthen his readers’ faith; to provide a warrant for Gentile inclusion in the people of God; and to show how God’s new people are to live. I then reflect on what may be considered responsible ways of appropriating Matthew for today, including the way in which his apocalyptic theology generates an ethos of moral seriousness.
New directions in music and theology
Authors: Arnold Jonathan
Published: January 2023

This short article surveys one small but important debate taking place in Christian music theology regarding the arts and divine revelation. Jeremy Begbie’s theology through the arts allows for music’s revelatory testimony within the context of Scripture, doctrine and Christian history. David Brown and Gavin Hopps’ notion of the extravagance of music argues for music’s ability to break down doctrinal and scriptural limitations, where being open to the divine mystery through spiritual musical experience can replace the need for religious revelation through Scripture or the Church. I conclude that both camps start with theological concepts that shape the outcome of their arguments.
Thyroid Abscess: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Lesh Randy , Hellums Ryan , Pichardo Priscilla , Wong Jeff , Pellitteri Phillip , Purdy Nicholas , Stavrides Kevin , Haugen Thorsen W
Published: January 2023

Objective

In this retrospective case series, we chronicle six patients presenting with acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) with progression to thyroid abscess in a single institution.

Methods

Patients ranged in age from 16 to 74 years of age. The most common presenting symptoms were progressive unilateral neck pain, swelling, and odynophagia. Other symptoms included hoarseness and systemic signs of infection. Diagnosis of thyroid abscess was made with a CT scan of the neck, fine needle aspiration, and/or incision and drainage (I&D).

Results

Management included antibiotic therapy, I&D, and thyroidectomy. All patients were successfully treated except for one who developed mediastinitis and died.

Conclusion

A complete literature review was performed to determine etiologies, common findings, and management of similar cases.
Poor Online Patient Ratings of Otolaryngologists in the United States: What are Patients Saying?
Authors: Spiro Grace M. , Sommerfeld Connor S. , Fung Kevin , Quimby Alexandra E. , Pulkki Kristina H. , Fortin Mélyssa , Nguyen Lily HP
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Online patient forums have become a platform for patient education and advocacy in many areas of medicine. The anonymity provided by such forums may encourage honest, candid responses. Using patient online reviews, this study sought to explore themes that arose from negatively perceived care interactions with American otolaryngologists using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency framework.

Study Design

Qualitative thematic analysis.

Methods

Through an iterative multistep process, a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on negative reviews (defined as ratings of two or less out of five) of all American otolaryngologists found on a popular online physician-rating website ( RateMDs.com ).

Results

A systematic search through the RateMDs website revealed 2950 separate comments of negative reviews. Of these negative reviews, 350 were randomly selected for thematic analysis. The predominant themes that emerged aligned closely with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies, in particularly with professionalism and interprofessional skills and communication.

Conclusions

The negative reviews of American otolaryngologists revealed a number of areas where improvements could be made to quality of care. Patients value evidence-based medicine delivered by compassionate and respectful physicians. Isolating and aligning predominant themes within the ACGME framework proved a productive method to collect and organize pertinent patient feedback and integrate teaching into the post-graduate training and continuing professional development in order to avoid such negatively perceived interactions in the future.
After the storm: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after hemicraniectomy in a child
Authors: Wang Wei , Maciel Carolina B , Blatt Jason , Chang Philip M , Peek Giles J , Machado Desiree S
Published: January 2023

Ventricular arrhythmias following neurological injury have been attributed to sympathetic surge in subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury. Despite associated risks of bleeding and thrombosis, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in critically ill, clinically unstable postoperative neurosurgical patients can be lifesaving. In the context of neurological injury and the neurosurgical population, the literature available regarding ECMO utilization is limited, especially in children. We report a case of successful ECMO utilization in a child with malignant ventricular tachycardia after decompressive craniectomy for refractory intracranial hypertension following evacuation of extensive subdural empyema.
The C-Mississippi Scale for PTSD in Postearthquake Communities
Authors: Siegel Judith M. , Shoaf Kimberley I. , Bourque Linda B.
Published: January 2023

Using a random-digit-dial, computer-assisted telephone survey, the Civilian Mississippi Scale for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was administered in two communities, six to ten months after separate, moderately strong earthquakes. Controlling for demographic attributes, only one earthquake characteristic, in one community, emerged as an independent predictor of PTSD scores. Assuming that the scale is a valid indicator of PTSD, the disorder appears to be relatively rare and is not associated as expected with characteristics of the quake. For the appropriate community services to be mobilized, it is incumbent upon researchers to identify the tools that will provide useful information after a disaster.
The Halifax Explosion and the Port Arthur Massacre: Testing Samuel Henry Prince's Ideas
Authors: Scanlon T. Joseph , Handmer John
Published: January 2023

Samuel Henry Prince wrote that major catastrophes lead to change. Despite his status in the field, there have been few attempts to examine empirically Prince's ideas about change. In this paper the authors describe a massacre in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996 in which a man armed with automatic weapons killed 35 persons and injured 19 others. As a result of the massacre, changes occurred in Australian gun-control laws. The fallout from the massacre is examined in light of Prince's thesis about change following catastrophes.
Mass Terrorism and the Distribution of Gas Masks in Israel: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis
Authors: Kirschenbaum Alan
Published: January 2023

This paper describes and analyzes the distribution of gas masks in Israel. It is based on a longitudinal cohort analysis to assess the effectiveness of the program and those factors explaining skill level in mask use. A matched cohort sample ten years after the original distribution in 1991 are compared along with pre and post Gulf War mask recipients. The results suggest that the original distribution program to have been extremely effective in maintaining skill level in use, providing client satisfaction and increasing protective confidence. A matched cohort 10 years later showed a continuation of these high levels of preparedness and of skills required to effectively use gas masks. Contrasting pre-post Gulf War mask recipients revealed those who experienced the war had significantly higher mask-use skill levels. Marital status, and risk perceptions of an imminent war accounted for these differences.
The Ties that Bind: A Macro-Level Approach to Panic
Authors: Feinberg William E. , Johnson Norris R.
Published: January 2023

We clarify a theoretical conceptualization of panic as a collective phenomenon, develop an operational measure of the concept, and offer a way of contrasting differences across collectivities (rather than among individuals) in order to determine if a panic as a collective action occurred. We illustrate our way of contrasting differences by using data from the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire of 1977, examining the proportions surviving of different social categories present in the Cabaret Room, where most of the deaths occurred. There is no evidence that a complete breakdown of these norms—a panic—occurred. We conclude that the evacuation of the Cabaret Room was dominated by a set of norms and role obligations consistent with the typical social order in which the (socially-defined) weak get help from the (socially-defined) strong, such as women helped by men.
Disaster Preparedness: A Conceptual and Empirical Reevaluation
Authors: Kirschenbaum Alan
Published: January 2023

Preparedness is a basic core concept in disaster research. Yet, its conceptual construction and empirical validity have rarely been assessed. Combining a theoretical variable-based proposition set derived from the disaster literature and expert judgments, a broad series of measures of preparedness are proposed. Employing a national sample of 814 urban households in Israel provided the opportunity to empirically validate this concept. Both nonparametric and multivariate analyses showed that the general construct of preparedness to actually be a series of separate factors. Regressing each factor against a common set of theoretical explanatory variables showed significant differences in the set of predictors of each preparedness factor These results suggest that “preparedness” cannot be seen as a single overall concept but must be evaluated in terms of its derivative constructs. For disaster managers, this means that managerial practices directed toward increasing disaster preparedness behaviors must focus attention and resources separately on those variables directly affecting each type of preparedness construct.
Context is All. A Holistic Reformulation of the Tonkin Gulf Incident
Authors: Bennett Simon A.
Published: January 2023

Incidents and accidents are frequently ascribed to “operator” or “human error.” Until recently accident investigators have focused more on the immediate or proximate causes of incidents and accidents than on such underlying or contextual factors as production imperatives, conditioning, expectation, peer pressure, ergonomics or the quality and currency of rules, procedures and training. Some theorists, however, have attempted to sensitize accident investigators to the potential impact on human perception and behavior of contextual factors. As a consequence of the work of Job (1996), Reason (1995; 1997), Snook (2000) and others accident investigators now have the opportunity to apply a systems approach to accident investigation. The primary purpose of this paper is to illustrate and then test the systems or “context” approach with reference to a major incident with significant outcomes. To this end the work of Job, Reason, Snook and others is used to frame, analyze and draw conclusions from a major incident—the clash between US and North Vietnamese naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the early stages of the Vietnam War. The paper's secondary purpose is to deconstruct, illuminate and explain the incident with a view to adding to (if not correcting a part of) the historical record of the Vietnam War. 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of the Tonkin Gulf incident, described by Wise (1968) as “The Pearl Harbor of the Vietnam War.” Following the alleged second attack on US naval forces by North Vietnamese warships President Johnson ordered a major escalation of the war against the Viet Cong. Today most analysts agree that the second attack never took place. Given the significance and outcomes of the “phantom attack” (for example the loss of 58,000 American and over three million Vietnamese lives) it is important that we understand how and why the attack came to be imagined—for at least two reasons. First because some blamed the escalation of the Vietnam War on the “incompetence” of the sailors of the USS Maddox and USS C. Turner Joy. This misunderstanding has persisted for four decades. Secondly, because consequential military errors still occur—as with the accidental shoot-down of an Iranian Airbus by an American warship in 1988 that some believe led to the Lockerbie bombing.

Having applied the “context” approach to the Tonkin Gulf incident it is suggested that such factors as the sailors’ knowledge of the political and diplomatic background to their situation, their duty to protect their ship and very recent encounter with the North Vietnamese led them to “construct” (perceive) a second incident. It is concluded that, as in the 1988 Vincennes incident, knowledges, experiences and expectations bore down upon the sailors to create a threat that existed only in their collective consciousness. In short, the macro impacted the micro experience to the point where judgment was degraded.
Disaster Evangelism: Religion as a Catalyst for Change in Post-Mitch Honduras
Authors: Ensor Marisa Olivo
Published: January 2023

Although religion clearly plays an important role in framing the way people interpret and cope with disasters, religion is virtually absent in policy debates and disaster reconstruction planning. Researchers have also tended to neglect the role of religion as a source of emotional and social support, and a vehicle of community building and group and individual identity for affected populations. This paper examines the connection between post-disaster resettlement and reconstruction, and the changing religious beliefs and practices of the women and men of Morolica, a town in southern Honduras swept away by the floods caused by Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. In Morolica, rates of conversion to Evangelism increased after the disaster, as several Evangelical missions collaborated with the local population on the reconstruction of their community. My data indicate that women and men had different reasons for being attracted to Evangelism, and that conversion entailed a transformation of the social norms and proper behavior that was different for each gender. Furthermore, these conversions can be understood as gendered survival tactics in a context of dislocation and catastrophic loss. Given the multiple and complex processes taking place in Post-Mitch Honduras in general, and Morolica in particular, I suggest that survival strategies and religious conversions are gender-differentiated, and need to be explored within a framework of shifting political ecological conditions, religious pluralism, and displacement.
Writing Disaster: Autobiography as a Methodology in Disasters Research
Authors: Homan Jacqueline
Published: January 2023

Research in social science has increasingly moved towards emphasis on egalitarian relationships in the research process; attempting to explore and break down the traditional divide between “researcher” and “researched”. With this more reciprocal relationship comes acknowledgement of positionality, intersubjectivity and the need for the “researched” to gain a substantial voice in the research process. In this paper, autobiography is explored as a possible method through which those affected by disasters might be empowered within a research process that is traditionally replete with power imbalances. Such personal accounts of disaster, which draw upon the experiences of the author as the defining characteristic, are not recent developments in disasters research; this paper explores the roles of personal accounts through the letters of Pliny the Younger, as well as the key role of autobiographical data in Islamic environmental histories. The Mass-Observation Archive, held at the University of Sussex in the UK, is used as an example of the scope and limitations of this research method in contemporary disasters research. It is concluded that, in some contexts, autobiographical research has significant potential in enabling those exposed to disaster to have a greater input into the ways their perceptions are recorded, thereby allowing them to have ownership of the research process per se, as well as the practical response to it, for example culturally sensitive mitigation strategies.
Tepeyac: Case Study of Institutional and Social Learning under Stress
Authors: Wisner Ben
Published: January 2023

There is an anthropological and sociological literature dealing with emergent organizations in disaster situations’. Less is known about the ways in which pre-existing organizations learn new skills in order rapidly to be able to provide a new range of services in a post-disaster situation. The case study of Tepeyac, an immigrant workers ‘rights, social service, and cultural organization serving Hispanics in New York Cixdty, provides some preliminary insight into the flexibility of such organization and highlights the potential of other similar organizations as a community resource in disasters elsewhere in the U.S. and perhaps elsewhere in the world.
Teaching Introduction to Disaster Management: A Comparison of Classroom and Virtual Environments
Authors: Neal David M.
Published: January 2023

In this paper I show that one can teach Introduction to Disaster Management effectively using either traditional or web-based instruction. To create the foundation for comparison, I discuss course structure, learning objectives, Bloom's taxonomy and teaching techniques. My analysis focuses upon issues of course development, the learning process, the degree of material presented and the amount of labour and time expended by the faculty member. Two key points emerge from this analysis. First, the instructor must realize that although the end results should and can be similar for both teaching methods, the paths taken to achieve those results are much different. Second, even after a class is developed and established, web-based distance learning is much more labour-intensive than traditional classroom methods.
Studying Organizationally-situated Improvisation in Response to Extreme Events
Authors: Mendonça David , Wallace William A.
Published: January 2023

Extreme events such as large-scale natural disasters create the need for cooperation within and among responding organizations. Activities to mitigate the effects of these events can be expected to range from planned to improvised. This paper presents a methodology for describing both the context and substance of improvisation during the response phase. The context is described by (i) analyzing communication patterns among personnel in and among responding organizations and (ii) determining the appropriateness of existing plans to the event. The substance of improvisation within this context is described by modeling the behavior and cognition of response personnel. Application of the methodology leads to descriptions of improvisation and its context that may be stored in machine-readable format for use either by researchers, responding organizations or designers of computer-based tools to support improvised decision making. Data collection strategies for implementing the methodology are discussed and selected steps illustrated using a data set from a large-scale natural disaster.
Disaster Research in the Social Sciences: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Future Trajectories
Authors: Rodríguez Havidán , Wachtendorf Tricia , Russell Carla
Published: January 2023

The Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware, with the financial support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the College of Arts and Sciences, held a two-day conference titled “Disaster Research in the Social Sciences: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Future Trajectories.” The conference highlighted the interdisciplinary and international nature of the disaster research field and focused on: 1) the growth and development of the field of disasters, from the perspective of the Social Sciences; 2) theoretical, methodological, and public policy contributions of the field; 3) lessons learned and best practices that have emerged from this area of research; and 4) future trajectories or opportunities for Social Science research in the study of disasters.

Conference participants included leading scholars and researchers, practitioners, representatives from funding organizations, and graduate and undergraduate students. The conference allowed participants to discuss substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues and concerns relevant to the field as well as to generate new research initiatives that will contribute to our understanding and knowledge regarding the study of disasters. Substantive and critical issues discussed during this two-day conference included: the growth and development of disaster research in the Social Sciences; theoretical and methodological contributions and challenges in disaster research; impact of disaster research for practitioners; the role and importance of multi- and inter-disciplinary research in the disaster field; the development of an international research agenda; the role of research centers in training the new generation of researchers; funding disaster research and priorities for the future in a post-9/11 environment; major research areas and issues that need to be developed and explored over the next decade at both the national and international level; and efforts to establish collaborative research initiatives across disciplines and geographical boundaries.

DRC was the first Social Science research center in the world devoted to the study of disasters, so it was appropriate and timely that a conference of such magnitude was held at the University of Delaware at a particularly historical moment for the DRC and the field of disaster studies. This conference not only provided a stimulating intellectual environment but it also presented an opportunity to celebrate DRC's 40 th anniversary and to examine the impact and contributions of the Center to the field of disaster research both nationally and internationally. Moreover, during the two-day event, conference participants had an opportunity to pay tribute to Enrico L. Quarantelli and Russell R. Dynes, two of the founding fathers of DRC and disaster research from a social science perspective.
Predicting Disaster Response Effectiveness
Authors: Drabek Thomas E.
Published: January 2023

What social factors best predict the relative effectiveness of community disaster responses? This question is explored through interview and questionnaire data obtained from 62 local emergency managers whose communities were impacted by some type of disaster event. Various coordination strategies used in the year prior to the event and during the response were assessed first. These and numerous other potential sources of constraint were used in regression analyses to determine predictors of response effectiveness (both as perceived by the local emergency manager and through ten evaluative criteria). Results indicated that both measures of response effectiveness were predicted by seven factors: 1) high level of domain consensus; 2) use of more coordination strategies by the local emergency manager during the response; 3) more lengthy period of forewarning; 4) more frequent disaster training activities and actual responses during the prior two years; 5) more frequent participation by local emergency manager in local service organizations; 6) high community growth rate; and 7) use of more managerial strategies by the local emergency manager during the prior year.
Child and Household Factors Associated with Fatal and Non-Fatal Pediatric Injury during the 1999 Kocaeli Earthquake
Authors: Ramirez Marizen , Kano Megumi , Bourque Linda B. , Shoaf Kimberley I.
Published: January 2023

Children are vulnerable to injury during earthquakes but little epidemiologic research has been conducted to understand risk patterns. The purpose of the study is to understand child and household factors that increased risk of injury during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake. A survey of households was conducted in Gölcük, Kocaeli, 19–21 months after the earthquake. Data were extracted on children under 20 years of age. Variables included child demographics, household size, disposition of adults in the household, family preparedness, and residential building characteristics. Descriptive analyses and regression modeling were conducted. Of 615 children present during the earthquake, 38 suffered non-fatal injuries while 22 were fatally injured. Calculations of adjusted odds ratios showed that the gender and age of the child, household size, adult household members’ injury status, and extent of damage to household residence were associated with relatively higher risks of non-fatal injury to a child during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake.