bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inflammation and the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Bertoni Alain G. , Burke Gregory L. , Owusu James A. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Vaidya Dhananjay , Barr R. Graham , Jenny Nancy S. , Ouyang Pamela , Rotter Jerome I.
Published: January 2010

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have documented associations between inflammation and type 2 diabetes incidence. We assessed potential variability in this association in the major U.S. racial/ethnic groups.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Incident type 2 diabetes was assessed among men and women aged 45–84 years without prior clinical cardiovascular disease or diabetes in the prospective Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Interleukin (IL)-6, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at baseline (2000–2002); fasting glucose and diabetes medication use was assessed at baseline and three subsequent in-person exams through 2007. Type 2 diabetes was defined as use of diabetes drugs or glucose ≥126 mg/dl. Covariates included baseline demographics, clinic, smoking, alcohol, exercise, hypertension medication, systolic blood pressure, insulin resistance, and BMI. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) by quartiles of CRP, IL-6, and fibrinogen.

RESULTS

Among 5,571 participants (mean age 61.6 years, 53% female, 42.1% white, 11.5% Chinese, 25.7% black, and 20.7% Hispanic), 410 developed incident diabetes during a median follow-up time of 4.7 years (incidence 16.8 per 1,000 person-years). CRP, IL-6, and fibrinogen levels were associated with incident diabetes in the entire sample. After adjustment, the associations were attenuated; however, quartile 4 (versus quartile 1) of IL-6 (HR 1.5 [95% CI 1.1–2.2]) and CRP (1.7 [1.3–2.4]) remained associated with incident diabetes. In stratified analyses, similar associations were observed among white, black, and Hispanic participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of inflammation predict short-term incidence of type 2 diabetes in a multiethnic American sample.
Balance Training Reduces Falls Risk in Older Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Morrison Steven , Colberg Sheri R. , Mariano Mira , Parson Henri K. , Vinik Arthur I.
Published: January 2010

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the effects of balance/strength training on falls risk and posture in older individuals with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Sixteen individuals with type 2 diabetes and 21 age-matched control subjects (aged 50–75 years) participated. Postural stability and falls risk was assessed before and after a 6-week exercise program.

RESULTS

Diabetic individuals had significantly higher falls risk score compared with control subjects. The diabetic group also exhibited evidence of mild-to-moderate neuropathy, slower reaction times, and increased postural sway. Following exercise, the diabetic group showed significant improvements in leg strength, faster reaction times, decreased sway, and, consequently, reduced falls risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Older individuals with diabetes had impaired balance, slower reactions, and consequently a higher falls risk than age-matched control subjects. However, all these variables improved after resistance/balance training. Together these results demonstrate that structured exercise has wide-spread positive effects on physiological function for older individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Collaborative Care Management of Major Depression Among Low-Income, Predominantly Hispanic Subjects With Diabetes
Authors: Ell Kathleen , Katon Wayne , Xie Bin , Lee Pey-Jiuan , Kapetanovic Suad , Guterman Jeffrey , Chou Chih-Ping
Published: January 2010

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether evidence-based socioculturally adapted collaborative depression care improves receipt of depression care and depression and diabetes outcomes in low-income Hispanic subjects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a randomized controlled trial of 387 diabetic patients (96.5% Hispanic) with clinically significant depression recruited from two public safety-net clinics from August 2005 to July 2007 and followed over 18 months. Intervention (INT group) included problem-solving therapy and/or antidepressant medication based on a stepped-care algorithm; first-line treatment choice; telephone treatment response, adherence, and relapse prevention follow-up over 12 months; plus systems navigation assistance. Enhanced usual care (EUC group) included standard clinic care plus patient receipt of depression educational pamphlets and a community resource list.

RESULTS

INT patients had significantly greater depression improvement (≥50% reduction in Symptom Checklist-20 depression score from baseline; 57, 62, and 62% vs. the EUC group's 36, 42, and 44% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively; odds ratio 2.46–2.57; P < 0.001). Mixed-effects linear regression models showed a significant study group–by–time interaction over 18 months in diabetes symptoms; anxiety; Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) emotional, physical, and pain-related functioning; Sheehan disability; financial situation; and number of social stressors (P = 0.04 for disability and SF-12 physical functioning, P < 0.001 for all others) but no study group–by–time interaction in A1C, diabetes complications, self-care management, or BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioculturally adapted collaborative depression care improved depression, functional outcomes, and receipt of depression treatment in predominantly Hispanic patients in safety-net clinics.
Blood Pressure Control in Diabetes
Authors: Cummings Doyle M. , Doherty Lisa , Howard George , Howard Virginia J. , Safford Monika M. , Prince Valerie , Kissela Brett , Lackland Daniel T.
Published: January 2010

OBJECTIVE

Despite widespread dissemination of target values, achieving a blood pressure of <130/80 mmHg is challenging for many individuals with diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to examine temporal trends in blood pressure control in hypertensive individuals with diabetes as well as the potential for race, sex, and geographic disparities.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We analyzed baseline data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national, population-based, longitudinal cohort study of 30,228 adults (58% European American and 42% African American), examining the causes of excess stroke mortality in the southeastern U.S. We calculated mean blood pressure and blood pressure control rates (proportion with blood pressure <130/80 mmHg) for 5,217 hypertensive diabetic participants by year of enrollment (2003–2007) using multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Only 43 and 30% of European American and African American diabetic hypertensive participants, respectively, demonstrated a target blood pressure of <130/80 mmHg (P < 0.001). However, a temporal trend of improved control was evident; the odds of having a blood pressure <130/80 mmHg among diabetic hypertensive participants of both races enrolled in 2007 (as compared with those enrolled in 2003) were ∼50% greater (P < 0.001) in multivariate models.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest temporal improvements in blood pressure control in diabetes that may reflect broad dissemination of tighter blood pressure control targets and improving medication access. However, control rates remain low, and significant racial disparities persist among African Americans that may contribute to an increased risk for premature cardiovascular disease.
Self-esteem and social support in the occupational stress-subjective health relationship among medical professionals
Authors: Ostrowski Tadeusz
Published: January 2010

Self-esteem and social support in the occupational stress-subjective health relationship among medical professionals

The starting point for the presented study was the concept by House who construed social support as buffering the impact of work-related stress on health. Self-esteem was taken under consideration as the other potential stress buffer. It was hypothesized that both social support and self-esteem would have a salutogenic effect, since they attenuate the experience of occupational stress and reduce health problems associated with the experienced job stress. Participants in the study were 361 medical professionals representing various specialties. They were examined using the Subjective Job Evaluation Questionnaire by Dudek et al., the Mood and Health State Questionnaire by Rząsa, the Self-Esteem Scale by M. Rosenberg and Significant Other Scale by Power et al. The higher was the respondents' occupational stress, the poorer was their subjective physical health. Such components of occupational stress as responsibility, psychological strain due to job complexity, lack of rewards at work, and a sense of threat were found to be most important in this respect. These four components of occupational stress were interrelated and constituted a feedback loop. The study confirmed a salutogenic role of self-esteem, contributing to subjective health improvement. Satisfaction with social support had also a positive role, since it reduced the amount of experienced job stress, thus exerting a health-promoting effect. There was a direct negative feedback loop between self-esteem and somatic health problems. Irrespective of that, satisfaction with social support was found to interact with perceived occupational stress in a negative feedback loop. However, neither of these two factors, i.e. self-esteem and social support, had an effect of buffering the impact of occupational stress on health. This suggests that the initial model proposed by House as well as the present author's earlier research findings obtained from a smaller sample should be revised.
Coping after myocardial infarction. The mediational effects of positive and negative emotions
Authors: Gruszczyńska Ewa , Kroemeke Aleksandra
Published: January 2010

Coping after myocardial infarction. The mediational effects of positive and negative emotions

The aim of the study was to examine mediational effects of positive and negative emotions (PEs and NEs) on the relationship between cognitive appraisal and coping after myocardial infarction (MI). Subjects were 163 patients assessed a few days after their first MI episode for cognitive appraisal using the Situation Appraisal Questionnaire developed by Wrześniewski and based on the Lazarus theory. The participants' current emotional state and coping strategies were evaluated with Polish versions of the PANAS and CISS-S, respectively. The data were analyzed using the boostrapping procedure. Resultant models turned out to be similar for threat and loss appraisal, where PEs mediated task-oriented coping, while NEs were found to mediate emotion-oriented coping. A different relationship was found for challenge. Due to a significant intercorrelation among appraisals, mediational models for threat and loss were re-analyzed when controlling for challenge. Nevertheless, even if a situation is perceived as highly stressful, both positive and negative emotions can emerge, resulting in strategies that serve different functions to meet external and internal demands.
Resiliency, stress appraisal, positive affect and cardiovascular activity
Authors: Kaczmarek Łukasz
Published: January 2010

Resiliency, stress appraisal, positive affect and cardiovascular activity

In accordance with the undoing hypothesis (Fredrickson, Levenson, 1998), evoked positive affect speeds up the cardiovascular system recovery in a stressful situation. An attempt was made to replicate this finding in an experimental study. Individuals characterized by high resiliency levels are capable of more efficient utilization of positive emotions in a stressful situation. Since in earlier research no relationship had been found between resiliency and a tendency to appraise stress as a challenge, this study investigated a possible mediating function of a more specific dimension of cognitive appraisal, i.e. that in terms of activity-oriented challenge appraisal (Włodarczyk, Wrześniewski, 2005). The study shows that evoked positive affect does not lead to a faster recovery. However, highly resilient individuals turned out to achieve higher levels of positive affect in a stressful situation; this effect was mediated by challenge-activity appraisals.
Chemical signals and reconstruction of life strategies from ancient human bones and teeth – problems and perspectives
Authors: Szostek Krzysztof
Published: January 2010

Chemical analyses of historical and prehistoric bone material provide us with a complex body of knowledge in bioarcheological studies. These can be used for reconstructing diet, migration, climate changes and the weaning process. The analysis of enamel, dentin and bones allows researchers to gather data on life strategies of an individual by retrospectively tracing his ontogenetic phases. This is made possible through knowledge of the mineralization periods of permanent and deciduous teeth while simultaneously taking account of differences between enamel, dentin and bone remodelling rates, dependent on the age of the individual. Yet, the large interpretative potential of isotope analyses of bone material is severely limited by diagenesis. The accurate recording of diagenetic changes in historical human bone material is a current main trend in bioarcheological research. Today, a highly specialised set of research tools is used for verifying whether bones unearthed at archeological sites are suitable for isotope tests. Isotope determinations are pivotal in this research as reconstructions of paleodiets or migrations of our ancestors can be based only on material that has been maintained intact in sufficient proportions post mortem.
Do chronological age and selected socio-demographic factors affect quality of life in females with breast cancer?
Authors: Skrzypczak Magdalena , Łaski Piotr , Czerniak Urszula , Kycler Witold
Published: January 2010

The main aim of this study is to determine whether chronological age and selected socio-demographic factors affect quality of life in females with breast cancer. The sample group consisted of 145 females between 32.0 and 84.4 years of age, after radical surgery treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and undergoing hormonotherapy. The results indicate no significant differences between individuals varied by chronological age, and by place of residence. The time elapsed since the diagnosis was a significant differentiating factor in terms of the self-reported extent of positive emotions, cognitive problems and sexual functioning. Higher educated females were more inclined to social avoidance and more severely affected by fatigue - those with partners more so than single ones. The distress related to the disease and its treatment degrades the patients' quality of life so severely that other factors, such as socio-demographic, chronological age or period since diagnosis, do not play as an important role in a subjective evaluation of quality of life. One needs to be cognizant of the variety of coexisting factors, including psychological and characterological, that contribute to the quality of life evaluation.
Current status and future directions of research on facial attractiveness
Authors: Kościński Krzysztof
Published: January 2010

The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the perception of facial attractiveness and to assess the opportunity for research on poorly explored issues regarding facial preferences. A theoretical framework of research problems was proposed, within which the current state of knowledge on each topic was estimated. The analysis proved that a disproportional amount of research concerned several topics, while many other topics were addressed by few studies, the results of which being sometimes contradictory. Next, possible obstacles to more comprehensive research are discussed. This leads to the conclusion that the obstacles do not severely hinder investigations of most poorly studied problems. The results of the author's recent studies on some of these topics are also briefly reported. In spite of thousands of studies conducted, facial attractiveness research may be regarded as rather poorly progressed, although prospects for it are good.
Two interpretations of human evolution: Essentialism and Darwinism
Authors: Henneberg Maciej
Published: January 2010

Despite intensive studies of a large number of fossils discovered during the 20th century there is no consensus as to the interpretation of the process of hominin evolution. Some authors see as many as six genera and some 17 species, while others argue for a single lineage from Plio/Pleistocene until today. Such diversity of interpretations of the same facts indicates lack of a uniform theoretical basis underlying studies of human evolution. Debates can be resolved using basic principles of scientific inquiry - parsimony and falsification of null hypotheses. Hypothesis testing is now possible with respect to the evolution of basic hominin characteristics such as brain size, body size and the size of the dentition that have sample sizes of a few hundred individual data points each. These characters display a continuous change with time. Analyses of variance do not falsify the null hypothesis of the existence of only one species at any time - variances around regression lines on time do not differ from the variance observed in the single species of Homo sapiens - distributions of residuals are normal. Thus, splitting of the hominin lineage into coeval species can only be based on descriptive characteristics that are liable to errors of subjective judgment.
Report on “anthropometric failure” among rural 2-6 years old Indian Bauri caste children of West Bengal
Authors: Das Subal , Bose Kaushik
Published: January 2010

This study was undertaken to determine the overall prevalence of undernutrition using the composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) among the Bauri caste rural preschool children of the Purulia District, West Bengal, India. A total of 347 children (185 boys and 162 girls) aged 2-6 years were measured. Stunting, underweight and wasting were used to evaluate the nutritional status of the subjects (compared with children of the United States NCHS reference sample) and CIAF for the total children. Among the studied Bauri children, 39.2% were stunted, 51.2% - underweight and 26.6% - wasted. The CIAF showed a higher prevalence of undernutrition, with a total of 66.3% of Bauri caste preschool children suffering from at least one type of "anthropometric failure". Among the studied children only 33.7% showed no failure. Valuable health and nutrition promotional programs can be formulated based on the CIAF findings with the ultimate objective of reducing childhood undernutrition in a population of India.
Migratory state: body mass and fat level of some passerine long-distance migrants during autumn migration in north-eastern Bulgaria
Authors: Ilieva Mihaela , Zehtindjiev Pavel
Published: January 2010

Migratory state: body mass and fat level of some passerine long-distance migrants during autumn migration in north-eastern Bulgaria

Body condition of 3224 migrating birds of Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus), Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) and Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) was studied at Kalimok Station, NE Bulgaria (41°00'N 26°26'E) in the autumns of 1997-2003. The mean values of the fat level and the body mass were calculated for each species and year and were compared with similar data of various parts of the Palaearctic-African Migration System. Distinct variations in the mean values of studied parameters in different years were recorded. The dynamics of the accumulated subcutaneous fat and the body mass during the autumn varied in different species and either increase or decrease of the values during a certain season were registered. Age-determined differences in the studied characteristics were found. The timing of the passage of the first-year and adult birds can influence the dynamics of the mean fat level and the mean body mass. The lack of selective environment in NE Balkan Peninsula allows the passage of conspecific birds in various migratory states. The realisation of their migration adaptations highly depends on environmental conditions during the period of passage.
Cernek - a new bird ringing station in Turkey
Authors: Bariş Sancar , Erciyas Kiraz , Gürsoy Arzu , Özsemir Cemal , Nowakowski Jarosław
Published: January 2010

Cernek - a new bird ringing station in Turkey

A new Turkish bird ringing station - Cernek, was launched on 22 March 2002 under the auspices of the SE European Bird Migration Network (SEEN). This paper provides information about the location and biotopes of the station, methodology used in its work, species composition of captured birds and presents plans and perspectives for future research.
Wader ringing at the Turov ornithological station, Pripyat Valley (S Belarus) in 1996-2003
Authors: Pinchuk Pavel , Karlionova Natallia , Zhurauliou Dzmitry
Published: January 2010

Wader ringing at the Turov ornithological station, Pripyat Valley (S Belarus) in 1996-2003
Biometry of young White Wagtails (Motacilla alba) and Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) caught in the Gulf of Gdańsk region during autumn migration
Authors: Polak Marcin
Published: January 2010

Biometry of young White Wagtails (Motacilla alba) and Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) caught in the Gulf of Gdańsk region during autumn migration

Biometrics of juvenile 760 White Wagtails and 714 Yellow Wagtails migrating through the Gulf of Gdańsk region in autumn were studied between 1990 and 2000. In both species distributions of wing length, body mass and indices of wing shape were unimodal, with only one exception - in the White Wagtail the wing length distribution showed two peaks caused by sexual dimorphism. The mean body mass and reserves of fat in both species were low in comparison to other stopover sites. There were significant differences in mean weight between birds caught in the morning and in the evening. The majority of birds behave as energy minimising migrants and migrate with low fat reserves in small steps.
Current stage and perspectives of the project "Tringa glareola 2000"
Authors: Remisiewicz Magdalena
Published: January 2010

Current stage and perspectives of the project "Tringa glareola 2000"
What do data from birdwatchers notepads tell us? The case of the Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus) occurrence in western Poland
Authors: Surmacki Adrian
Published: January 2010

What do data from birdwatchers notepads tell us? The case of the Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus) occurrence in western Poland

Birdwatchers gather significant amount of casual observations which are often used in scientific research. However, accuracy of this data is seldom controlled. The aim of this study was to detect if casual observations reflect real situation in the case of Bearded Tit occurrence. Two sources of data were compared: different birdwatchers casual observations (CO) and results of regular studies (RS) carried out in the same region by the author. In the case of RS, study areas were selected randomly and playback method was used to maximise efficiency of species searching. It has been revealed that birdwatchers explore mainly large lakes and big river valleys. Small marsh patches and streams, where significant part of Bearded Tit sites is located, are usually omitted. According to CO data, the peak of non-breeding birds, which normally occurs in the first half of October, took place a month later. This shift resulted from higher birdwatchers activity connected with holidays in the beginning of November and dynamics of rare waterbirds in the region. Flocks of wintering Bearded Tits found during RS were significantly smaller than in CO. Possible causes of observer biases are presented and discussed.
Fieldwork results of wader research stations working in Poland in 2002-2003
Authors: Ściborski Mateusz , Meissner Włodzimierz , Krupa Robert , Włodarczyk Radosław , Kaczmarek Krzysztof , Bargiel Rafał , Wojciechowski Adam , Raniczkowska Aleksandra , Kozik Radosław , Pietrasik Juliusz
Published: January 2010

Fieldwork results of wader research stations working in Poland in 2002-2003
Fat reserves and body mass in some passerines migrating in autumn through the southern Baltic coast
Authors: Ścisłowska Marta , Busse Przemysław
Published: January 2010

Fat reserves and body mass in some passerines migrating in autumn through the southern Baltic coast

The aim of the present paper is to serve with a huge data set on the fat and body mass of birds that have been caught during the field work of the Operation Baltic since 1983 (earlier data are still not available in a digitalised form). There are given fat score valuations of 38 species and correction factors for the body mass standardisation. Some comments on observed fat scores in species of different migratory habits are added. They should encourage students to continue the research process on a wider scale.
Fifteen years of the Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) study at the Jeziorsko reservoir with some notes about weight and moult
Authors: Włodarczyk Radosław , Kaczmarek Krzysztof , Bargiel Rafał
Published: January 2010

Fifteen years of the Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) study at the Jeziorsko reservoir with some notes about weight and moult

The Students's Section from University of Łódź organises ringing camp at the dam reservoir every year. The aim of the camp is wader and duck ringing. One of the most numerous species of bird ringed is the Common Snipe. During 15 years (1989-2003) of studies 4142 individuals of this species were ringed. Age ratio differed among years, but every year young birds represented more that 80% of all ringed individuals. Snipes caught in September caused problems with age identification and that impeded to obtain correct age ratio each year. Analysis of weight of caught birds revealed between-years variation in juvenile birds, adults were excluded from analysis due to small sample size. Throughout the autumn months the increase in mean body mass in young birds was observed. Data about moult suggest that adult birds show two main strategies of primary moult: traditional moult and suspended moult. Both of them are of the same frequency. Tail feathers are moulted by juveniles as well as by adults simultaneously.
Juvenile Blackbird (Turdus merula) moulting primaries and secondaries
Authors: Zielińska Monika , Zieliński Piotr , Mokwa Tomasz
Published: January 2010

Juvenile Blackbird (Turdus merula) moulting primaries and secondaries
The Exit from Capitalism Has Already Begun
Authors: Gorz André
Published: January 2010

Introduction to Gorz

Chris Turner

Though hailed at his death by Nicolas Sarkozy (of all people) as “a major intellectual figure of the French and European Left,” André Gorz was often treated rather less kindly during his lifetime by those who might easily have been his friends and allies. To review the reception of his work over the last forty years would generally be to chart degrees of dogmatism and infexibility within the Left political cultures of the various nations of Europe and the Americas.

However, despite many accusations of heresy, gorz remained remarkably true in his social and economic criticism to the Marx of the Grundrisse, a book to which Jean-Marie Vincent introduced him in 1959.1 In the words of Finn Bowring, his works of the 1980s and 1990s present “an understanding of capitalism as a system of hetero-regulation which aggressively de-civilized human beings, undermining their ability to look after themselves and meaningfully navigate through the social, economic and technological environments in a life-enhancing, self-determining way” (Bowring 2008: 53). It is this understanding that he was still developing in his last major work of socio-economic theory, L'Immatériel. Connaissance, valeur et capital (2003), which will be published next year in English translation by Seagull Press. That work constitutes a long meditation on the implications of a postmodern capitalism presenting itself as a “knowledge economy” or “knowledge society” (Wissensgesellschaft, société de la connaissance, etc.) with its attendant economic contradictions and a series of accompanying “postmodern” ideological effects that are, in Gorz's view, catastrophic in their “post-human” implications.

The essay which follows is concerned most closely with the implications of the new capitalism's reliance on immaterial contents for its increasingly problematical reproduction and, most particularly, with the emancipatory potential inherent in such a situation. It first appeared in the journal EcoRev in Autumn 2007 and is reprinted in Gorz's Ecologica (2008), a collection of articles ranging from 1975 to 2007, shortly also to be published in English by Seagull. It is the second of two articles Gorz published in 2007, both of which bear the imprint of theoretical currents that he felt in later years to be convergent with his own: namely, the work of Moishe Postone (particularly in his magnum opus Time, Labor and Social Domination) and the value criticism of Robert Kurz, whose writings – particularly Das Weltkapital (2005) – Gorz was eager to see translated into French.
An Extreme Case of Social Life: Inmate Society in National Socialist Concentration Camps
Authors: Suderland Maja
Published: January 2010

The following reflections on aspects and dimensions of social life in national Socialist concentration camps take their point of departure from the widely held view that, because the concentration camp represents an unprecedentedly extreme case of a relationship of subordination, it cannot be examined from a social point of view. In my paper, I will first discuss the features indicating that concentration camp prisoners did indeed comprise societies, and will thereupon present in greater detail the evidence of such societies found in the empirical material. Through a detailed analysis of ethnic differentiations made by the prisoners themselves, as well as of Antisemitism and Antiziganism within concentration camp society, I will then explain in detail how social distinctions functioned in this context. The analysis reveals that many of the criteria of social distinction had a material basis, frequently expressed in culturally defend behavior, while other aspects – such as Antisemitism – were based more on some inmates' belief in the “otherness” of their fellow prisoners. In the concluding summary, I formulate some basic ideas about the existence and nature of “society” in the concentration camps, and assess the explanatory power of social scientific theories.
News, Celebrity, and Vortextuality: A Study of the Media Coverage of the Michael Jackson Verdict
Authors: Whannel Garry
Published: January 2010

This paper examines the transformation of news as a cultural commodity and a social process by the expansion in the range, volume, and circulation speed of media production. It introduces the concept of vortextuality and illustrates the vortextual effect with reference to the coverage of the verdict announcement in the trial of Michael Jackson. The nature of “news” has been transformed by new media technology, the erosion of the division between public and private, and the growth of a celebrity culture. during the last two decades the volume of information in circulation, and the speed of circulation and feedback of information have increased dramatically. These tendencies have given rise to an effect I term vortextuality, whereby major news stories have the power to dominate the news media to such an extent that all attention appears, temporarily, to be directed towards them. Editorials, cartoons, columns, features, phone-ins are all focused on the same issue. As with vortex-based natural phenomena, however, the vortextuality effect is unpredictable and short-lived. This paper illustrates some of the processes of vortextuality at work in the media coverage around the world of the announcement of the verdict in the Michael Jackson trial.
Unsolicited Submission
Authors: Levine David
Published: January 2010

“Hopeful” is part of David Levine's larger project about unsolicited submissions. As presented in 2009 at Galerie Feinkost in Berlin and Cabinet in new York, it comprises the first phase of a multidisciplinary and multi-year project of gathering, analyzing, and archiving unsolicited submissions in every field of cultural endeavor. After ten years of collecting discarded unsolicited submissions, Levine intends to take the amassed material, compost it into a sculptural entity, and erect it as a public monument to cultural aspiration, preferably in new York or Los Angeles. All images appear courtesy of the artist and Galerie Feinkost, Berlin.
The “Public Inquisitor” As Media Celebrity
Authors: Higgins Michael
Published: January 2010

This article looks at the development and utility of celebrity among high-profile political interviewers. Offering the revised description “public inquisitor,” the article presents an overview of the rise of the political interviewer as a celebrity form of the “tribune of the people” (Clayman 2002). It focuses on the UK-based journalists and broadcasters Jeremy Paxman and John humphrys, and looks at the expansion of their professional activities and their attendant construction as media personalities. It argues that the forms of celebrity presented by Paxman and humphrys draw upon discourses of integrity and authenticity associated with practices of advocacy, and suggests that their extension beyond the formal political realm into media genres traditionally excluded from the established political domain might work to consolidate the public inquisitor as a discursive figure. Therefore, while acknowledging that this depends on the effective management of individual media profiles, the article proposes a critical reappraisal of the place of the celebrity personae in political communication in order to account for the possibility of constructive modes of media performance.
“As Seen on Tv.” The Celebrity Expert: How Taste Is Shaped by Lifestyle Media
Authors: Powell Helen , Prasad Sylvie
Published: January 2010

David Chaney (2001) argues that access to lifestyle templates are available primarily through multiple media channels, where lifestyle is an example of a new “social form” based on specific patterns of consumer choice. This article examines a very particular kind of “celebrity.” It is concerned with how television, print, and advertising contribute to the construction of media stars whose function is to transfer knowledge of particular lifestyles to the lived experience of ordinary people. It looks at systems that direct the flow of such information and why the proliferation of this new breed of expert arises out of a particular set of historic conditions, namely the rise of and recent challenges to neo-liberalism. Specifically, it explores the role of the celebrity expert as cultural intermediary at a time when objective and subjective class positions do not necessarily coincide. The social anxieties that arise as a con sequence sees the domination of the market as an economic and cultural space in which such anxieties are increasingly played out. This allows questions to be posed that consider the proliferation of the celebrity expert, their role as tastemakers in contemporary culture and how viewers appropriate, or not, the particular lifestyles that are communicated across popular media forms.
Diurnal Movements and the Ambient Population: An Application to Municipal-Level Crime Rate Calculations
Authors: Andresen Martin A.
Published: January 2010

Crime rates are often used to inform the public regarding their risk of criminal victimization. However, these crime rates are themselves at risk of misinforming the public. Recent research has used alternative crime rate calculations to show that these calculations are quite sensitive to the choice of population at risk, but this research has been undertaken only at the neighbourhood level, not at the municipal level. In this paper, municipal-level crime rates are calculated using conventional and alternative means to show the sensitivity of the crime rate. It is shown that because of our diurnal movements throughout metropolitan areas, municipalities gain and lose significant populations. And because of these changing populations, municipal-level crime rates must be calculated, and interpreted, with caution.
Examining Application of Aggregated and Disaggregated Poisson–Gamma Models Subjected to Low Sample Mean Bias
Authors: Lord Dominique , Mahlawat Maneesh
Published: January 2010

Two general classes of models have been proposed for modeling crash data: disaggregated (both with and without time trend) and aggregated models. Poisson–gamma models have traditionally been used under both of these model classes. As documented in previous studies, data sets characterized by small sample size and low mean values can significantly affect the performance of Poisson–gamma models, particularly those related to the estimation of the inverse dispersion parameter. Thus, guidance is needed on when to use aggregated models instead of disaggregated models as a function of the sample size and the sample mean value. The objective of this study was to estimate the conditions in which aggregated models (with a higher mean but a smaller sample size) could provide a more reliable estimate of the inverse dispersion parameter than disaggregated models (with a lower sample mean value but a larger sample size) or vice versa. To accomplish this objective, several simulation runs were performed for different values describing the mean, the sample size, and the inverse dispersion parameter. The simulation scenarios represented cases where 3, 5, and 10 years of data were available. To help illustrate the proposed guidance, aggregated and disaggregated models were estimated with crash data collected from four-lane rural highways in Texas. This paper provides guidelines about which model classes are more reliable as a function of the sample mean values, the sample size, and the amount of dispersion observed in the raw data.
Analyzing the Duration and Prolongation of Performance-Based Contracts through Hazard-Based Duration and Zero-Inflated Random Parameters Poisson Models
Authors: Anastasopoulos Panagiotis Ch. , Labi Samuel , McCullouch Bob G.
Published: January 2010

Performance-based contracts (PBCs) for roadway maintenance are emerging as a promising contracting approach that offers highway agencies enhanced project control and greater assurance of accountability and product quality. The duration of a PBC is typically longer than that of a traditional contract. Under a PBC, the contractor bears greater risk and responsibility for the final product and is obliged to undertake any required maintenance after the product is completed. A PBC period is typically considered prolonged if both the road agency and the contractor agree that the contract should be extended beyond the original completion date. This paper examines the relationships between PBC duration and prolongation on one hand, and the factors that affect these outcomes on the other hand, while accounting for unobserved heterogeneity. For the PBC duration model, a number of hazard-based function types are estimated. The Weibull model with gamma heterogeneity is found to provide the best fit. For the PBC prolongation model, a zero-inflated random parameters Poisson model is developed to estimate the probability and extent of PBC prolongation. Random variations in the parameter estimates are duly investigated. The size of the contract and whether the contract scope of work includes certain maintenance activities, among other factors, are found to influence the duration and prolongation of PBCs. This paper also computes and interprets elasticities and marginal effects, to shed more light on the individual effects of the influential variables.
Method of Selection of Poisson-Based Wavelet Shrinkage Sites
Authors: Tsai Yichang (James) , Chung Yi-Shih , Shen Cuizhen , Cressman Norm
Published: January 2010

When effective programs to improve roadway safety are being developed, one of the primary tasks is to select sites for data collection. Selecting sites by ranking them simply by crash counts or crash rates is a common practice of transportation agencies because only crash data are required. Although the empirical Bayes (EB) method is a better option for site selection than this simple ranking method, the EB method requires additional data that might not be readily available or up to date, such as on annual average daily traffic and roadway characteristics, and this requirement could subsequently hinder the implementation of any EB method. This research, sponsored by the Georgia Department of Transportation, is motivated by the need to develop a more effective site selection method. The contributions of this paper include ( a) proposing a Poisson distribution–based wavelet shrinkage site selection (WASSS) method that can incorporate various wavelet shrinkage methods; ( b) obtaining a superior wavelet shrinkage method, the Bayesian Multiscale method (BMSM), for WASSS by evaluating various wavelet shrinkage methods; and ( c) comparing the EB method and this proposed WASSS method. It is found that the proposed BMSM-based WASSS method, as compared with the EB method, produces slightly better (or at least the same) level of performance (i.e., in terms of rates of false negatives and false positives); in addition this proposed method does not require additional data (as does the EB method). This study demonstrates that the proposed WASSS method is a promising site selection alternative that requires only crash data and that performs acceptably.
Bayesian Multinomial Logit
Authors: Washington Simon , Congdon Peter , Karlaftis Matthew G. , Mannering Fred L.
Published: January 2010

Statisticians along with other scientists have made significant computational advances that enable the estimation of formerly complex statistical models. The Bayesian inference framework combined with Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation methods such as the Gibbs sampler enable the estimation of discrete choice models such as the multinomial logit (MNL) model. MNL models are frequently applied in transportation research to model choice outcomes such as mode, destination, or route choices or to model categorical outcomes such as crash outcomes. Recent developments allow for the modification of the potentially limiting assumptions of MNL such as the independence from irrelevant alternatives (IIA) property. However, relatively little transportation-related research has focused on Bayesian MNL models, the tractability of which is of great value to researchers and practitioners alike. This paper addresses MNL model specification issues in the Bayesian framework, such as the value of including prior information on parameters, allowing for nonlinear covariate effects, and extensions to random parameter models, so changing the usual limiting IIA assumption. This paper also provides an example that demonstrates, using route-choice data, the considerable potential of the Bayesian MNL approach with many transportation applications. This paper then concludes with a discussion of the pros and cons of this Bayesian approach and identifies when its application is worthwhile.
Bayesian Mixture Model for Estimating Freeway Travel Time Distributions from Small Probe Samples from Multiple Days
Authors: Jintanakul Klayut , Chu Lianyu , Jayakrishnan R.
Published: January 2010

This study formulates a hierarchical Bayesian mixture model for estimating travel time distributions along freeway sections by using small data samples from vehicle probes, which have been collected over multiple days. Two normal components are used to capture the heterogeneity in the experienced travel times and to model various distributional shapes generally known to be skewed or multimodal. Travel time data collected during different intervals under similar traffic conditions are used to construct the prior for model parameters via a hierarchical Bayesian formulation. The posterior distributions can be continuously updated as new data from probes become available, and are used for prediction under different levels of data availability. A simulation study shows that true travel time distribution for each section during each interval can be well-approximated with the use of this proposed model.
Application of Dynamic Spatial Ordered Probit Model
Authors: Wang Xiaokun (Cara) , Kockelman Kara M.
Published: January 2010

Although a wide variety of transportation data sets involve discrete values scattered across space and time, there are currently few techniques for properly analyzing such data. This paper describes a new dynamic spatial ordered probit (DSOP) model and demonstrates the model's use in a case of ozone concentration categories. With outputs of photochemical models for the Austin, Texas, region from a 24-h period, model parameters are estimated with Bayesian techniques. The results illuminate key relationships, many intuitive but generally obscured by complex upstream model systems. Through the use of 132 4- x 4-km surface grid cells as observational units, values that exhibit strong patterns of temporal autocorrelation but appear strikingly random in a spatial context (after controlling for local land cover, transportation, and temperature conditions) are found. Although transportation and land cover conditions appear to influence ozone levels, their effects are neither as instantaneous nor as practically significant as the influence of temperature. The DSOP model proposed in this paper is able to accommodate the unusual dynamics and spatial evolution of the ordered response categories that are inherent in ozone concentration data.
Investigating the Variability in Daily Traffic Counts through use of ARIMAX and SARIMAX Models
Authors: Cools Mario , Moons Elke , Wets Geert
Published: January 2010

In this paper, daily traffic counts are explained and forecast by different modeling philosophies: an approach using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models with explanatory variables (i.e., the ARIMAX model) and approaches using a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model as well as a SARIMA model with explanatory variables (i.e., the SARIMAX model). Special emphasis is placed on the investigation of seasonality in daily traffic data and on the identification and comparison of holiday effects at different sites. To get insight into prior cyclic patterns in the daily traffic counts, spectral analysis provides the required framework to highlight periodicities in the data. The analyses use data from single inductive loop detectors, which were collected in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Four traffic count locations are investigated in this study: an upstream and a downstream traffic count site on a highway used extensively by commuters, and an upstream and a downstream traffic count site on a highway typically used for leisure travel. The different modeling techniques show that weekly cycles appear to determine the variation in daily traffic counts. The comparison between seasonal and holiday effects at different site locations reveals that both the ARIMAX and the SARIMAX modeling approaches are valid frameworks for identifying and quantifying possible influencing effects. The techniques yield the insight that holidays have a noticeable impact on highways extensively used by commuters, while having a more ambiguous impact on highways typically used for leisure travel. Future research challenges are the modeling of daily traffic counts on secondary roads and the simultaneous modeling of underlying reasons for travel and revealed traffic patterns.