bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some considerations about Gaussian basis sets for electric property calculations
Authors: Arruda Priscilla M. , Canal Neto A. , Jorge F. E.
Published: January 2009

Recently, segmented contracted basis sets of double, triple, and quadruple zeta valence quality plus polarization functions (XZP, X = D, T, and Q, respectively) for the atoms from H to Ar were reported. In this work, with the objective of having a better description of polarizabilities, the QZP set was augmented with diffuse (s and p symmetries) and polarization (p, d, f, and g symmetries) functions that were chosen to maximize the mean dipole polarizability at the UHF and UMP2 levels, respectively. At the HF and B3LYP levels of theory, electric dipole moment and static polarizability for a sample of molecules were evaluated. Comparison with experimental data and results obtained with a similar size basis set, whose diffuse functions were optimized for the ground state energy of the anion, was done. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Design of middleware for tele‐homecare systems
Authors: Lu Hsi‐Feng , Chen Jiann‐Liang
Published: January 2009

This work proposes a novel middleware architecture for tele‐homecare systems. The proposed architecture is composed of three layers: a device management layer, a data management layer and an application layer. Vital signs sensing is achieved by wired and wireless sensor node integrated with a medical device, or by sensors connected with serial link. Although defined as the software above the medical sensor network, the two‐layer middleware is below the application program that provides a common programming abstraction for tele‐homecare systems. An application,called the Tele‐Homecare Household Monitor System, based on the proposed middleware is implemented and evaluated. The transmission energy costs (the number of messages transmitted in the system) and the average delays caused by aggregation function are compared in two configurations and four different implementations of aggregation function. To increase power efficiency and prolong the system life‐time, the aggregation functions should be implemented on the sensor node of the wireless sensor network if this is feasible. To minimize the message delay, the aggregation functions should be implemented on cluster head. Good message aggregation and filtering significantly reduce the number of messages transmitted and stored in the system, and could translate the sensed readings into useful and meaningful information. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selective Nonoperative Management of Kidney Gunshot Injuries
Authors: Navsaria Pradeep H. , Nicol Andrew J.
Published: January 2009

Background

Nonoperative management (NOM) of kidney gunshot injuries as an alternative to surgical exploration is rarely reported. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of selective NOM of such injuries.

Methods

A 4‐year prospective study was conducted that included all patients admitted to a Level I trauma center with kidney gunshot injuries. Patients with abdominal gunshot wounds and hematuria with no indications for immediate laparotomy (peritonitis, hemodynamic instability, head or spinal cord injury) underwent intravenous contrast abdominal computed tomography. Patients with confirmed kidney injuries were observed with serial clinical examinations. Outcome parameters included the need for delayed laparotomy, complications, length of hospital stay, and survival.

Results

During the study period, 33 patients with kidney gunshot injuries were selected for NOM without laparotomy. The mean Injury Severity Score was 10.5 (range 4–25). Simple kidney injuries (grades I, II) occurred in 15 (45.5%) patients and complex kidney injuries (grades III, IV) in 18 (54.5%) patients. Associated injuries included 14 of the liver (42.4%), 4 (12.1%) of the spleen, and 6 (18.2%) each of the diaphragm, lung (contusion), and hemothorax. Three patients required delayed laparotomy: two for nonrenal indications, and one patient had a delayed nephrectomy for a grade IV injury. The overall successful NOM rate was 90.9%. The mean hospital stay was 5.9 days (range 2–23 days). There were no kidney‐related complications and no mortality.

Conclusion

Selective NOM of patients with kidney gunshot injuries is a feasible, safe, effective alternative to routine exploration.
Living at Risk: The Sibling's Perspective of Early‐Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Wain Karen E. , Uhlmann Wendy R. , Heidebrink Judith , Roberts J. Scott
Published: January 2009

Early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) is an increasingly diagnosed condition and is associated with genetic risk factors. This is one of the first studies exploring the lived experience of siblings of individuals with EOAD. We used structured questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews to assess a broad range of siblings’ experiences with and beliefs about EOAD, including knowledge, perceptions of personal risk, level of worry, and effects on life decisions. Participants (n = 24) were predominantly female (62.5%) and middle‐aged (mean = 56.8 years; range 37–83). When asked about risk factors, genetics was cited most frequently (62.5%). Several potential means of reducing AD risk were endorsed, with 54% reporting engagement in behaviors for this purpose (e.g., keeping mentally active). Participants ranged widely in their perceived personal risk of AD (range: 0–100; mean = 35.6%), with higher perceived risk associated with worry about AD (p < 0.01). Understanding siblings’ experiences with EOAD can inform how genetic counselors and healthcare professionals work with this population to facilitate risk communication and decision‐making about testing and healthcare.
Geoducks (Panopea abrupta) as isotopic bioarchives of seasonality in the climate of British Columbia
Authors: Nielsen Jan Kresten , Nielsen Jesper Kresten
Published: January 2009

Geochemical analyses of geoduck shells (Panopea abrupta) have yielded new high‐resolution isotope records of individual growth increments. The geoducks, which were collected from Parry Passage at Langara Island, British Columbia, are the most northern specimens that have yet been analyzed for stable oxygen and carbon isotopes. The isotope records represent the entire shell growth during the calendar years 1918, 1987, and 1991. The analyses showed that values of δ18Oshell and δ13Cshell vary within their growth increments. Temperature derived from δ18Oshell is consistent with modern instrumental data of sea‐surface temperature. High‐resolution δ18O records from individual growth increments substantiate the assumption that they are formed annually. The instrumental data indicate that the growth season was from May through October/November. The sea temperature became gradually warmer during the beginning of the growth season, and decreased steeply during autumn. Similar subannual trends can be recognized in shells growing almost a century ago. Correlation between δ18Oshell and δ13Cshell is negative for 1917–1919 and 1986–1988, whereas the correlation is positive for 1990–1992. Differences in correlation may be related to the composition of available food particles, i.e., algal blooms and plant debris. The food composition is partially affected by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). These findings have major implications for the understanding of the interpretation of carbon isotopes in marine bivalves. Because of their spatial and temporal distribution, the geoduck shells are highly suitable for oceanographic reconstructions using stable‐isotope analysis and sclerochronology. Furthermore, the large shell size and thickness and their deeply buried life position suggest a high preservation potential in ancient deposits. It is well known that the genus Panopea has a long‐range fossil record.
Sources of Methyl Ester Yield Reduction in Methanolysis of Recycled Vegetable Oil
Authors: Fröhlich András , Rice Bernard
Published: January 2009

Recycled vegetable oil (RVO) is a relatively cheap raw material for biodiesel production, but biodiesel grade methyl ester yields from RVO were found to be considerably lower than those from pure plant oil. The present paper investigates sources of yield loss during methanolysis of RVOs with free fatty acids (FFA) contents of 0.4–3.3%, and makes suggestions for the improvement of methyl ester yields. Data presented here indicated that yield losses of methyl esters during methanolysis were due to triglyceride and methyl ester hydrolysis and to the dissolution of methyl esters in the glycerol phase. Hydrolysis of triglycerides and methyl esters seemed to be the only side reaction causing yield losses, and the amount of fatty acids from hydrolysis increased with concentration of the potassium hydroxide catalyst. Dissolution of methyl esters in the glycerol phase was probably caused by the detergent effect of potassium salts of fatty acids originating from FFA in the RVO and from triglyceride hydrolysis, and the amount of dissolved methyl esters increased with FFA content of the RVO. The FFA content of the RVO had no effect on hydrolysis, and the amount of triglycerides and methyl esters hydrolysed during methanolysis remained constant with increasing FFA content of the RVO.
Mapping surgical coordinates of the sphenopalatine foramen: surgical navigation study
Authors: Hadoura L , Douglas C , McGarry G W , Young D
Published: January 2009

Objectives:

To identify measurements that may help intra-operative localisation of the sphenopalatine foramen.

Design:

The study used three-dimensional surgical navigation software to study radiological anatomy, in order to define the distances and angulations between identifiable bony landmarks and the sphenopalatine foramen.

Results:

The distance from the anterior nasal spine to the sphenopalatine foramen was 59 mm (±4 mm; inter-observer variation = 0.866; intra-observer variation = 0.822). The distance from the piriform aperture to the sphenopalatine foramen was 48 mm (±4 mm; inter-observer variation = 0.828; intra-observer variation = 0.779). The angle of elevation from the nasal floor to the sphenopalatine foramen was 22° (±3°; inter-observer variation = 0.441; intra-observer variation = 0.499).

Conclusions:

The sphenopalatine foramen is consistently identifiable on three-dimensional, reconstructed computed tomography scans. Repeatable measurements were obtained. The centre point of the foramen lies 59 mm from the anterior nasal spine at 22° elevation above the plane of the hard palate and 48 mm from the piriform aperture. We discuss how these data could be used to facilitate intra-operative location of the sphenopalatine foramen in difficult cases.
Generation of magnetic macrostructures by electromagnetic drift turbulence
Authors: SHAPIRO V. D.
Published: January 2009

A system of equations for modulational interaction of the electromagnetic branch of drift waves with magnetic cells is constructed. The solution of these equations describes formation of a set of magnetic cells with oppositely directed magnetic fields at their boundaries.
Richness of epiphytic lichens in differently agedPicea abiesplantations situated in the oceanic region of Central Norway
Authors: HILMO Olga , HOLIEN Håkon , HYTTEBORN Håkan , ELY-AALSTRUP Hilde
Published: January 2009

This study aims to investigate patterns of species richness and abundance in relation to stand age in 71Picea abiesplantations, aged between 9 and 85 years, situated in the oceanic region of Central Norway. The study has shown that plantations within the oceanic spruce forests can support a relatively high number of epiphytic lichen species. Some of the oldest plantations hosted several old-forest associated species, e.g.Hypogymnia vittata, Lobaria pulmonaria, Pseudocyphellaria crocataandRamalina thrausta. The number of species was influenced significantly by stand age and increased rapidly in stands <20 years old. Stands >30 years old showed no clear increase in species number, except for a high number of species in the two oldest stands. The colonization pattern could be characterized as an additional entrance of species, rather than by a replacement sequence. The probability of occurrence increased steeply at young stand ages (<20 years) forBryoriaspp.,Cavernularia hultenii, Platismatia glauca, Parmelia sulcataandUsneaspp. A lower rate of colonization was characteristic forAlectoria sarmentosa, Parmelia saxatilisandPlatismatia norvegica. The cover of foliose lichens on the branches showed an almost unimodal response to stand age. The cover of lichens was highest on branches in middle-aged plantations. The reason for the lower lichen cover in late successional stages, compared to middle-aged stands, could be due to reduced light in the lower canopy of mature plantations. Increased rotation cycle, creation of gaps and short distance to sources of propagules are factors suggested to promote species richness and abundance in forest plantations.
World survey of the genusLepraria(Stereocaulaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)
Authors: SAAG Lauri , SAAG Andres , RANDLANE Tiina
Published: January 2009

A comparative review of 57Leprariaspecies and 2 varieties is provided together with species descriptions and a key.Lecanora leuckertianais transferred toLepraria.In addition some putative taxa by different authors are discussed.
The importance of representative inventories for lichen conservation assessments: the case of Cladonia norvegica and C. parasitica
Authors: LÕHMUS Piret , LÕHMUS Asko
Published: January 2009

Conservation assessments of lichens have usually been based on scattered and methodologically diverse data. We illustrate the contribution of standardized inventories to conventional data sources by assessing the status of two conspicuous epixylic Cladonia species of conservation concern in Estonia. A time-limited inventory of all lichen species was carried out in 92 stands (2 ha each) in a balanced design of forests and clear-cuts. Cladonia parasitica (previously considered Regionally Extinct) was present in 13 stands with a total of 33 individual records, almost exclusively in dry boreal old-growth forests and clear-cuts. Thirty-six records of C. norvegica (previously six records) were made in 17 stands, most frequently in mature meso-eutrophic forests. On average, 1·5 hours of inventory were needed to discover C. parasitica in a stand, and 2 hours for C. norvegica. The scarcity of old records was probably due to the low local abundance of the species, their habitats being unpopular among lichenologists and expenditure of too short an inventory time in the field. Using habitat and frequency data, we estimate that the national population sizes of the species clearly exceed those set as IUCN criteria for species at risk. The key issue is the expected trend in substratum abundance, which suggests C. parasitica to be Near Threatened. We recommend stratified random sampling as an efficient method to collect quantitative information for lichen flora assessments.
The efficiency of using everyday technological devices by older adults: the role of cognitive functions
Authors: SLEGERS KARIN , VAN BOXTEL MARTIN P. J. , JOLLES JELLE
Published: January 2009

Older adults experience more problems than younger people when using everyday technological devices such as personal computers, automatic teller machines and microwave ovens. Such problems may have serious consequences for the autonomy of older adults since the ability to use technology is becoming essential in everyday life. One potential cause of these difficulties is age-related decline of cognitive functions. To test the role of cognitive abilities in performing technological tasks, we designed the Technological Transfer Test (TTT). This new and ecologically valid test comprises eight technological tasks that are common in modern life (operating a CD player, a telephone, an ATM, a train-ticket vending machine, a microwave-oven, an alarm clock, a smart card charging device and a telephone voice menu). The TTT and a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests were administered to 236 healthy adults aged 64–75 years on two separate occasions. The results demonstrated that the performance time for five of the eight tasks was predicted by cognitive abilities. The exact cognitive functions affecting technological performance varied by the technological task. Among several measures and components of cognition, the speed of information processing and cognitive flexibility had the greatest predictive power. The results imply that age-related cognitive decline has a profound effect on the interaction between older adults and technological appliances.
Fiction as a gerontological resource: Norah Hoult's There Were No Windows
Authors: KING JEANNETTE
Published: January 2009

This paper starts from the premise that novelists have to some extent filled the gap left by mainstream feminism's relative silence about gendered ageing. To develop the argument, it explores the representation of memory loss and its impact on identity and self-image in Norah Hoult's novel, There Were No Windows, which was first published in 1944. The novel is set in London during the Second World War, when the traumas of a city experiencing the Blitz and the blackout reflected the terror and inner darkness experienced by the principal character, Claire Temple, herself a minor novelist, under the onslaught of dementia. There Were No Windows constructs the character of Claire through the combination of her own often-disordered thoughts and the perspectives of those who live with or visit her. This paper focuses throughout on ageing as a gendered experience and the construction of the older woman. It identifies the different gendered discourses of ageing that are imposed on Claire in order to construct her as the female ‘Other’, in the sense theorised by Simone de Beauvoir. It also relates the novel to contemporaneous medical and sociological discourses of ageing and old age. Hoult's implicitly feminist reading of Claire's condition brings the issue of gender to the foreground of the novel's treatment of old age. Through my reading of There Were No Windows, I suggest what it is that fictions of ageing can offer those working in the field of gerontology.
‘That lot up there and us down here’: social interaction and a sense of community in a mixed tenure UK retirement village
Authors: EVANS SIMON
Published: January 2009

Retirement villages have been slow to emerge as a housing model for older people in the United Kingdom (UK) but the sector is now growing rapidly, with an increasing number of both private and not-for-profit developers entering the market. Research findings to date have indicated high levels of satisfaction among residents, but commentators have criticised this form of provision on the grounds that they are only an option for the better off. This paper reports a study of a retirement village that has attempted to address this issue by integrating residents from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and by making various tenures available in the same development. The paper begins with a brief history of retirement villages in the UK and an overview of the concept of community, including those of communities of place and interest and their role in social policy. The presented findings highlight a number of factors that impact on a resident's sense of community, including social interaction, the development of friendships, the built environment and the existence of common interests. The discussion focuses on the development of cross-tenure social networks and how residents' health and social status shapes community experience. It is concluded that the clustering model of mixed tenure is likely to emphasise differences in the socio-economic backgrounds of residents and that the success of retirement villages as communities depends on grasping the subtleties of the diversity of later life.
The social networks of nursing-home residents in Hong Kong
Authors: CHENG SHEUNG-TAK
Published: January 2009

The degree of social support available to older persons who are institutionalised is under-researched. This study investigated the structural and functional support exchanges with their social network members of 72 nursing home residents in Hong Kong (58 women, 14 men). They were asked to identify their network members, to evaluate the degree to which each one was important in their lives, and to rate the support received from and provided to each individual. The participants reported few network members (average 2.6) and in many cases neither a spouse nor children were included. Only one-fifth of the participants reported a social network member in the nursing home, and most of those who did nominated a member of the staff. There were also few friends in their networks. On the whole, the participants were comparatively socially isolated. The findings were explained in terms of the shame associated by the Chinese with placement in an institutional home, cultural patterns of social support, changes in children's filial attitudes, home placement policies, and the management practices that accentuate the distance between the older person and family members around the time of institutionalisation. These inculcate a feeling of abandonment, and discourage family visits as well as social interactions within the home.
Growing old in a new estate: establishing new social networks in retirement
Authors: WALTERS PETER , BARTLETT HELEN
Published: January 2009

The benefits of a strong proximal social network for people as they advance in age are well documented, but the continuation or development of social networks may be challenged when people relocate to a new home on retirement. This paper explores the personal network development of older residents who have moved to a new suburban (but not age-specific) residential development in a general urban setting. Drawing on a case study of a new outer-suburban ‘master planned estate’ in Brisbane, Queensland, the findings from interviews with 51 older residents and participant observations of a community group are presented. The study suggests that a traditional ideal of unreflexive community of place was an unreliable source of durable social bonds in contemporary fragmented and mobile social conditions, where the proximity of family members, durability of tenure and strong neighbourly ties are not inevitable. One successful resolution was found in a group of older residents who through exercising agency had joined a group the sole focus of which was social companionship. The theoretical bases of this type of group are discussed and its relevance is examined for retirees who have chosen to live in a residential environment for lifestyle and amenity reasons, away from their lifelong social networks.
Does caring for your spouse harm one's health? Evidence from a United
States nationally-representative sample of older adults
Authors: RAHRIG JENKINS KRISTI , KABETO MOHAMMED U. , LANGA KENNETH M.
Published: January 2009

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between spousal
care-giving and declines in functioning and self-rated health among older
care-givers. The authors used data from the 2000 and 2002 waves of the United
States Health and Retirement Study, a biennial longitudinal survey of a
nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 or more years. Two outcomes
were examined, declines in functioning and declines in self-rated health.
Care-givers were classified into three groups: no care-giving, less than 14
hours of care-giving per week, and 14 or more hours care-giving per week. To
assess declines in functioning, two summary scores were created of limitations
in basic and instrumental Activities of Daily Living. To assess declines in
self-rated health, we compared responses from 2000 and 2002. In the fully
adjusted models, care-giving hours did not have an independent effect on
declines in functioning or self-rated health. The relationship between
care-giving hours and declines in functioning and self-rated health is probably
attributable to socio-demographic characteristics, mainly age. The findings
suggest that spousal care-giving does not of itself harm functional health or
perceived health among older adult care-givers. Understanding the differential
effects of these socio-economic characteristics with care-giving hours on health
will be useful in promoting the health of older adult care-givers and treating
their disorders.
Those who forget historiography are doomed to republish it: empire, imperialism and contemporary debates about American power
Authors: MACDONALD PAUL K.
Published: January 2009

A growing number of scholars, commentators, and pundits describe the contemporary US as an empire. This article argues that these authors have not paid sufficient attention to the historiography of empire and imperialism. Indeed, the historiography of the British and American empires offers important lessons for current debates including what is the appropriate definition of the American empire, what are the social and political foundations of the American Empire, and what are the consequences of the American Empire for the US and the wider world.
Three–dimensional simulations of a solid graphite target for high intensity fast extracted uranium beams for the Super–FRS
Authors: Tahir N.A. , Matveichev A. , Kim V. , Ostrik A. , Shutov A. , Sultanov V. , Lomonosov I.V. , Piriz A.R. , Hoffmann D.H.H.
Published: January 2009

This paper presents three–dimensional numerical simulations of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic response of a wheel shaped solid graphite production target for the super conducting fragment separator (Super–FRS) that is irradiated with a fast extracted high intensity uranium beam. These fragment separator experiments will be carried out at the future Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research (FAIR), at Darmstadt. Previously, we reported simulation results that were carried out using two–dimensional computer codes which showed that one can use a solid graphite target for the Super-FRS for the highest intensity (5 × 1011ions per spill) of the fast extracted uranium beam. Present results, however, have shown that due to three–dimensional effects the maximum intensity that can be used with such a target is 3 × 1011ions per spill. A detailed comparison between two–dimensional and three–dimensional results is presented in this paper.
Electron acceleration in the wakefield of asymmetric laser pulses
Authors: Xie B.-S. , Aimidula A. , Niu J.-S. , Liu J. , Yu M.Y.
Published: January 2009

Electron acceleration in the plasma wakefield driven by asymmetric laser pulses is investigated analytically. It is found that the asymmetric laser pulse can significantly modify the phase portrait of the electron dynamics and enhance the maximum energy of the accelerated electrons. There exists an optimum ratio of the lengths of the rising and falling segments of the asymmetric laser-pulse. A linear scaling law relating the accelerated electrons' energy and the plasma density is obtained. This result differs from the power-law dependence often associated with symmetric laser pulses.
Excitation of wakefield in a rectangular waveguide: Comparative study with different microwave pulses
Authors: Aria A.K. , Malik H.K. , Singh K.P.
Published: January 2009

A differential equation governing the wakefield potential (φ) in a plasma filled rectangular waveguide is derived analytically. This equation is solved numerically for the wakefield (Ew) generated with the help of three kinds of microwave pulses, namely sine pulse (SP), rectangular Gaussian pulse (RGP), and rectangular triangular pulse (RTP). The effect of microwave frequency (f), pulse duration (τ), waveguide width (b), equilibrium plasma density (n0), and microwave intensity (I) on the amplitude of the wakefield is studied. This amplitude is increased for the longer pulse duration and higher microwave intensity, but is decreased with growing waveguide width for all types of pulses. With regard to the variation of wakefield amplitude with plasma density, the RTP and SP behave in a similar fashion and the RGP behaves oppositely. The amplitude for the case of RGP gets increased with the plasma density. The amplitude is enhanced at larger microwave frequency for the cases of RGP and SP, but is decreased for the case of RTP. The comparative study of three types of pulses shows that the wakefield with larger amplitude is achieved with the help of rectangular triangular pulse, which is found to be sensitive with waveguide width, pulse duration and microwave intensity.
Focusing of dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beams in a plasma
Authors: Sodha M.S. , Mishra S.K. , Misra S.
Published: January 2009

This paper presents an investigation of the focusing of dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beams (HGB) in plasma, considering collisional, ponderomotive, and relativistic nonlinearities. A paraxial like approach, in which the parameters are expanded, in terms of radial distance from the maximum of irradiance rather than that from the axis, has been adopted. To highlight the nature of focusing, both critical curves and the divider curves have been obtained as a plot of dimensionless radius vs. power of the beam. The effect of the order of HGB (n), and nature of nonlinearity on self focusing of the beam has also been explored.
Equations of State and the ellipsometry diagnostics
Authors: Bakshi L. , Eliezer S. , Henis Z. , Nissim N. , Perelmutter L. , Moreno D. , Sudai M. , Mond M.
Published: January 2009

An overview of the equations of state (EOS) with a short summary of shock wave experiments with laser induced impact flyer, relevant to EOS study, is presented. The “old-new” ellipsometry is suggested and described for the EOS research. The detection of phase transitions of the first kind (solid-solid) as well as phase transition of the second kind (Curie point as an example) is demonstrated. Furthermore, the temperature measurements are not possible without the knowledge of the emissivity, a parameter that can be measured by using ellipsometry techniques.
The Invisible Primary and Its Effects on Democratic
Choice
Authors: Aldrich John
Published: January 2009

The current method for selecting presidential nominees by the two
major parties went into place mostly in 1972 and certainly by 1976,
after Buckely v. Valeo. It was the natural
culmination of reform efforts over the history of the republic in
that, while prior reforms consistently invoked greater openness and
democratic governance as rationales for their adoption, this method
actually empowered voters as the central figures in determining who
would be nominated (see Aldrich 1987). This fact became fully evident almost at once.
The selection via primaries of senator George McGovern in 1972 and
governor Jimmy Carter in 1976 as the Democratic presidential
nominees arguably not only would not have happened, they would not
have even come close to winning nomination without successful appeal
to the voting public.
Iowa: The Most Representative State?
Authors: Lewis-Beck Michael S. , Squire Peverill
Published: January 2009

There are perhaps many good arguments for Iowa maintaining its “first
in the nation” status, in terms of the presidential nomination
process. The strongest, however, would seem to be an argument that
it is representative of the nation as a whole. That is, somehow,
Iowa is a microcosm of the national political forces, faithfully
mirroring the relevant electoral structures and choices of the
macro-stage. This belief is certainly held by some. Palo Alto
County, in northwestern Iowa, has long been considered a
presidential bellwether, faithfully voting with the winning
candidate in a series beginning in 1916. But as media worthy as that
fact might be, it seems most likely a product of chance, for its
heavily rural, northern European-descended population make it far
from demographically representative of contemporary America
(Lewis-Beck and Rice 1992,
4–6). A similar charge is commonly made today against the state as a
whole, by political commentators across the land. But is it true? Is
Iowa really unrepresentative? That is the question we seek to
answer.
Reforming Presidential Nominations: Rotating State
Primaries or a National Primary?
Authors: Tolbert Caroline J. , Redlawsk David P. , Bowen Daniel C.
Published: January 2009

As part of their ongoing efforts to address frontloading and other
perceived problems, both the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and
Republican National Committee (RNC) proposed revised schedules and
rules for 2008. The major changes for the Democrats were that two
new states were allowed to join Iowa and New Hampshire in violating
the official February 5 start date. The idea was that these
states—Nevada from the West and South Carolina from the South—would
enhance participation by more diverse populations (Latinos and
African Americans). While the Republican rules called for states to
lose half of their delegate vote if they violated the timing rules,
the Democrats implemented a “death penalty” requiring any state
violating the timing rules to lose all of its delegates. The
New York Times called these changes the biggest
shift in the way Democrats have nominated their presidential
candidates in 30 years. Yet in the end these changes did little to
lessen frontloading, as 70% of all delegates were actually chosen by
the beginning of March. Two large states (Michigan and Florida)
defied both national parties and voted before February 5.
Preparing to Fight the Good Fight: Advice from Two
Associate Deans to Faculty Friends
Authors: Fried Amy , Zirakzadeh Cyrus Ernesto
Published: January 2009

In our professional work, many of us are involved in university
service and politics and some of us enter administrative positions.
As political scientists who became associate deans of colleges of
liberal arts and sciences, our observations from our administrative
perches and our disciplinary knowledge have provided insights on how
faculty can protect and promote academic values.
The Book Award Reward
Authors: Weitsman Patricia A.
Published: January 2009

I spent the spring and summer of 2007 reading 185 books in the field
of international relations, as I chaired two major book awards in
the field.
Mainstreaming Human Rights: Publishing Trends in
Political Science
Authors: Cardenas Sonia
Published: January 2009

Human rights issues are closely connected to a range of political
processes, from democracy and conflict resolution to judicial
accountability and terrorism. Despite the dramatic growth of the
human rights field in recent years, however, it remains unclear how
much the subject has influenced political science scholarship. I
assess this question by examining broad publishing trends, namely
human rights articles in the discipline's leading journals.
Bulls, Goats, and Pedagogy: Engaging Students in Overseas
Development Aid
Authors: Miles William F. S.
Published: January 2009

This article illustrates the profound learning that occurs—for
students and instructor alike—when a class on third-world
development attempts to undertake foreign aid. With undergraduate,
graduate, and departmental money, I purchased bulls and carts for
farmers, and goats for widows, in two West African villages. Such
experiential learning personalized for students the study of
micropolitics under conditions of poverty, the development of
organizational structure, and north-south dependency.
Administrative Accountability and the Rule of
Law
Authors: Kettl Donald F.
Published: January 2009

In June 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rocked the food
industry—and food lovers—with its warning about tainted tomatoes.
Consumers in New Mexico and Texas were contracting a rare, sometimes
fatal strain of salmonella and the FDA feared that salmonella
contamination from tomatoes was the cause. In the weeks that
followed, a major outbreak spread across the country and worried
consumers abandoned tomatoes. Fourth of July cookouts were not the
same, and BLT lovers complained that their favorite sandwich was
impossibly dry. By the end of July, the outbreak had infected more
than 1,200 persons in 42 states.
Voter-ID Issues in Politics and Political
Science
Authors: Sobel Richard
Published: January 2009

The simple act of voting—and its barriers, costs, benefits, and
mobilization—continues to be central to politics and political
science (Kelley and Mirer 1974). The Supreme Court case Crawford vs.
Marion County Election Board (2008) and a well-attended
panel on the topic at the 2008 APSA annual meeting in Boston
highlight the pertinence of voter-ID issues to the polity and
discipline for the 2008 and future elections. As simple as voting
is, it is also “of the most fundamental significance under our
constitutional structure” (Burdick v. Takushi
1992).
What We Know about Voter-ID Laws, Registration, and
Turnout
Authors: Hershey Marjorie Randon
Published: January 2009

“Turning out to vote is the most common and important act citizens
take in a democracy,” John Aldrich writes (1993, 246), “and,
therefore, is one of the most important behaviors for scholars of
democratic politics to understand.” Turnout matters at the community
as well as the individual level; the larger a county's voter
turnout, for instance, the more discretionary federal resources it
is likely to receive per capita (Martin 2003). “The blunt truth,” according to V. O.
Key (1949, 527), “is that
politicians and officials are under no compulsion to pay much heed
to classes and groups of citizens that do not vote.”
Voter-Identification Requirements and the Learning
Curve
Authors: Vercellotti Timothy , Andersen David
Published: January 2009

Debates over whether to require voters to provide proof of identity
at the polls, and just how that can be accomplished, are taking
place in legislative chambers and courtrooms across the nation. At
the heart of these debates is the balancing act of ballot security
versus access to voting. Opponents of voter-identification
requirements argue that they place a disproportionate burden on
ethnic and racial minorities, the poor, the less educated, the very
young, and the very old. Supporters of identification requirements
argue the standards are no higher than those required for boarding a
plane or cashing a check, and the requirements are needed to prevent
voter fraud.
CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP REPORT: Congressional Tools in
Foreign Policy: Rock, Paper, or Scissors? War Games of the
Legislative Branch
Authors: Goodman Julie
Published: January 2009

There are the telltale signs: men with squiggly earpieces emerge from
SUVs with dark-tinted windows and government license plates, and
heading stoically through the corridors of the Rayburn House Office
Building. This is the unmistakable advance of the executive branch,
with its flashiest U.S. Defense and State Department officials, and
their convergence on their legislative counterpart to appear humbly
before watchdog-minded committee chairs.
TIME-FOR-CHANGE MODEL AGAIN RIGHT ON THE MONEY IN
2008
Authors: Abramowitz Alan I.
Published: January 2009

The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium
of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer
leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the
accuracy of their models.

The Time-for-Change Model proved one of the most accurate of the 2008
presidential election forecasts run in the October
PS symposium. Using three predictors—the
president's approval rating at mid-year, the growth rate of real GDP
during the second quarter, and the time-for-change dummy
variable—the model predicted that Barack Obama would win the
presidential election with 54.3% of the major-party vote. According
to nearly final tabulations compiled by uselections.org, as of
December 8, Obama has received just over 53.6% of the major-party
vote. However, it is likely that Obama's final total will reach
53.7% of the major-party vote. Therefore, the model's current error
of 0.9 percentage points is likely to decrease further. The model
has now correctly predicted the winner of the popular vote in all
six presidential elections since its creation in 1988.
CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP REPORT: Changes in Latitudes,
Changes in Attitudes: Two Professors Back in the Classroom in
Washington, D.C.
Authors: Camerra-Rowe Pamela , Miles Anne Daugherty
Published: January 2009

Last fall, we had the opportunity to return to the classroom as
students. We were invited by the American Political Science
Association to take a course titled Congress and the Making of
Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International
Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. The course, which was taught by
professor Charles Stevenson, met twice weekly during September and
October, prior to the start of APSA's Congressional Fellowship
Program in November. The course was designed to give APSA
Congressional Fellows and SAIS students an overview of the role that
Congress plays in the foreign policymaking process. Since both of us
teach a course on Congress, much of the course was an excellent
refresher for us. But it also differed in important ways from the
courses we teach at our respective schools. It is these differences
that deepened our understanding of Congress and the foreign
policymaking process and provided an important introduction to our
work as APSA fellows on Capitol Hill.
A RETROSPECTIVE ON THE PROSPECTIVE MODEL: ECONOMIC
EXPECTATIONS AND ELECTION OUTCOMES
Authors: Lockerbie Brad
Published: January 2009

The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium
of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer
leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the
accuracy of their models.

At its most basic level, the Economic Expectations and
Time-for-a-Change Model performed well in that it successfully
forecast a Barack Obama victory. It was in estimating the two-party
vote that the model underperformed. The point estimate was off by
just under five percentage points. While not terrible, the model did
not perform as well as it did in earlier years.
FORECASTING THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITH THE
FISCAL MODEL: THE CHALLENGE MET
Authors: Cuzán Alfred G. , Bundrick Charles M.
Published: January 2009

The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium
of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer
leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the
accuracy of their models.

The presidential election forecast made with the Fiscal Model three
months before Election Day put the incumbents' share of the
two-party vote (VOTE2) at 48% (Cuzán and Bundrick 2008). As of the time of
this writing, it appears the incumbent-party ticket of John McCain
and Sarah Palin took a little less than that (around 46.5%). At
1.5%, the error is less than 2.3%, which is Campbell's (2008, 680) “benchmark” for a
“quite accurate” forecast. This is the second time in a row that the
Fiscal Model ranks among the best performers (Campbell 2005,
23).
ASSESSING THE ACCURACY OF THE 2008 STATE AND DISTRICT
FORECAST MODELS
Authors: Klarner Carl E.
Published: January 2009

The October 2008 issue of PS published a symposium
of presidential and congressional forecasts made in the summer
leading up to the election. This article is an assessment of the
accuracy of their models.

Ninety-nine days before the elections I utilized national- and
district- or state-level information to forecast the 2008 U.S.
presidential, House, and Senate elections (Klarner 2008). Overall,
the presidential model performed very well, while the House and
Senate models understated the extent of the Democratic wave.
American Council of Learned Societies
Authors: Lane Joe
Published: January 2009

Many members of the American Political Science Association are
probably not aware of the work of the American Council of Learned
Societies (ACLS). Founded in 1919 as a coalition of the professional
societies that represents the diverse disciplines in the academic
humanities, the ACLS now engages in a wide range of
activities—offering generous grants and fellowships to scholars in
humanistic disciplines; advocating for the strengthening of
faculties in the disciplines; working with both government and
private foundations to provide access to great works in the
humanities, resources for departments, colleges, and universities;
and facilitating efforts to define and preserve standards for peer
review and quality research.
The Effects of Conceptual Processing Versus Suppression on Analogue PTSD Symptoms after a Distressing Film
Authors: Buck Nicole , Kindt Merel , van den Hout Marcel
Published: January 2009

Background:Researchers have begun to scrutinize the assumption that active processing in response to a traumatic event is beneficial whereas avoidance of thoughts, emotions and reminders about the traumatic event is detrimental. Indications that avoidance is not always detrimental come from studies on grief and debriefing.Aims:In an analogue experimental study, the hypothesis was tested that conceptually-driven processing immediately after a distressing film is more successful in reducing analogue PTSD symptoms than suppression of thoughts and images related to the film.Method:Ninety students watched a distressing film after which they were instructed to either elaborate on the meaning of the film (conceptual processing) (n= 31), suppress all thoughts and images of the film by performing a task (n= 29), or were given no instruction (n= 30). Four hours later, analogue PTSD symptoms were assessed.Results:The results showed that conceptually-driven processing does not result in fewer analogue PTSD symptoms than suppression.Conclusions:It is speculated that suppression may only be dysfunctional when individuals interpret their symptoms negatively or when suppression is believed to be dysfunctional.
White matter and neurocognitive changes in adults with chronic traumatic brain injury
Authors: KENNEDY MARY R.T. , WOZNIAK JEFFREY R. , MUETZEL RYAN L. , MUELLER BRYON A. , CHIOU HSIN-HUEI , PANTEKOEK KARI , LIM KELVIN O.
Published: January 2009

Diffusion tensor imaging was used to investigate white matter (WM) integrity in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and healthy adults as controls. Adults with TBI had sustained severe vehicular injuries on the average of 7 years earlier. A multivariate analysis of covariance with verbal IQ as the covariate revealed that adults with TBI had lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity than controls, specifically in the three regions of interest (ROIs), the centrum semiovale (CS), the superior frontal (SPF), and the inferior frontal (INF). Adults with TBI averaged in the normal range in motor speed and two of three executive functions and were below average in delayed verbal recall and inhibition, whereas controls were above average. Time since injury, but not age, was associated with WM changes in the SPF ROI, whereas age, but not time since injury, was associated with WM changes in the INF ROI, suggesting that the effects of WM on time since injury may interact with age. To understand the utility of WM changes in chronic recovery, larger sample sizes are needed to investigate associations between cognition and WM integrity of severely injured individuals who have substantial cognitive impairment compared to severely injured individuals with little cognitive impairment. (JINS, 2009, 15, 130–136.)