bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observational Analysis of Cloud and Precipitation in Midlatitude Cyclones: Northern versus Southern Hemisphere Warm Fronts
Authors: Naud Catherine M. , Posselt Derek J. , van den Heever Susan C.
Published: February 2012

Extratropical cyclones are responsible for most of the precipitation and wind damage in the midlatitudes during the cold season, but there are still uncertainties on how they will change in a warming climate. A ubiquitous problem among general circulation models (GCMs) is a lack of cloudiness over the southern oceans that may be in part caused by a lack of clouds in cyclones. This study analyzes CloudSat, Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) observations for three austral and boreal cold seasons, and composites cloud frequency of occurrence and precipitation at the warm fronts for Northern and Southern Hemisphere oceanic cyclones. The authors find that cloud frequency of occurrence and precipitation rate are similar in the early stage of the cyclone life cycle in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. As cyclones evolve and reach their mature stage, cloudiness and precipitation at the warm front increase in the Northern Hemisphere but decrease in the Southern Hemisphere. This is partly caused by lower amounts of precipitable water being available to Southern Hemisphere cyclones, and smaller increases in wind speed as the cyclones evolve. Southern Hemisphere cloud occurrence at the warm front is found to be more sensitive to the amount of moisture in the warm sector than to wind speeds. This suggests that cloudiness in Southern Hemisphere storms may be more susceptible to changes in atmospheric water vapor content, and thus to changes in surface temperature than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts. These differences between Northern and Southern Hemisphere cyclones are statistically robust, indicating A-Train-based analyses as useful tools for the evaluation of GCMs in the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
A Decadal Prediction Case Study: Late Twentieth-Century North Atlantic Ocean Heat Content
Authors: Yeager Stephen , Karspeck Alicia , Danabasoglu Gokhan , Tribbia Joe , Teng Haiyan
Published: February 2012

An ensemble of initialized decadal prediction (DP) experiments using the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) shows considerable skill at forecasting changes in North Atlantic upper-ocean heat content and surface temperature up to a decade in advance. Coupled model ensembles were integrated forward from each of 10 different start dates spanning from 1961 to 2006 with ocean and sea ice initial conditions obtained from a forced historical experiment, a Coordinated Ocean-Ice Reference Experiment with Interannual forcing (CORE-IA), which exhibits good correspondence with late twentieth-century ocean observations from the North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG) region. North Atlantic heat content anomalies from the DP ensemble correlate highly with those from the CORE-IA simulation after correcting for a drift bias. In particular, the observed large, rapid rise in SPG heat content in the mid-1990s is successfully predicted in the ensemble initialized in January of 1991. A budget of SPG heat content from the CORE-IA experiment sheds light on the origins of the 1990s regime shift, and it demonstrates the extent to which low-frequency changes in ocean heat advection related to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation dominate temperature tendencies in this region. Similar budgets from the DP ensembles reveal varying degrees of predictive skill in the individual heat budget terms, with large advective heat flux anomalies from the south exhibiting the highest correlation with CORE-IA. The skill of the DP in this region is thus tied to correct initialization of ocean circulation anomalies, while external forcing is found to contribute negligibly (and for incorrect reasons) to predictive skill in this region over this time period.
Using Relative Humidity as a State Variable in Climate Feedback Analysis
Authors: Held Isaac M. , Shell Karen M.
Published: February 2012

An approach to climate change feedback analysis is described in which tropospheric relative humidity replaces specific humidity as the state variable that, along with the temperature structure, surface albedos, and clouds, controls the magnitude of the response of global mean surface temperature to a radiative forcing. Despite being simply a regrouping of terms in the feedback analysis, this alternative perspective has the benefit of removing most of the pervasive cancellation between water and lapse-rate feedbacks seen in models. As a consequence, the individual feedbacks have less scatter than in the traditional formulation. The role of cloud feedbacks in controlling climate sensitivity is also reflected more clearly in the new formulation.
The Subpolar Front of the Japan/East Sea. Part III: Competing Roles of Frontal Dynamics and Atmospheric Forcing in Driving Ageostrophic Vertical Circulation and Subduction
Authors: Yoshikawa Yutaka , Lee Craig M. , Thomas Leif N.
Published: February 2012

The effects of wind stress and surface cooling on ageostrophic vertical circulation and subduction at the subpolar front of the Japan/East Sea are investigated using a nonhydrostatic numerical model. In experiments forced by wind and/or cooling, ageostrophic vertical circulation is enhanced relative to the unforced case. Both surface cooling and wind stress intensify the circulation by enhancing frontogenesis associated with frontal meandering. Winds further strengthen vertical motions by generating internal gravity waves. Downfront winds (i.e., oriented along the frontal jet) transport surface water from the denser to lighter side of the front, causing it to migrate toward the region of higher stratification and enhancing the vertical mixing at the front. This induces outcropping of isopycnals from the middle of the pycnocline along which surface water is subducted. Hence downfront winds enhance subduction down to the middle of the pycnocline, but not beneath. On the other hand, cooling uplifts isopycnals from greater depths to the surface so that it allows for the subduction of fluid to greater depths. In contrast to the vertical circulation, frontal subduction is more intensified by surface cooling than wind stress, because part of wind-forced circulation (e.g., internal gravity wave) does not contribute to subduction. Ageostrophic vertical circulation and frontal subduction are most intense when both wind stress and surface cooling are at play.
The World Ocean Thermohaline Circulation*
Authors: Döös Kristofer , Nilsson Johan , Nycander Jonas , Brodeau Laurent , Ballarotta Maxime
Published: February 2012

A new global streamfunction is presented and denoted the thermohaline streamfunction. This is defined as the volume transport in terms of temperature and salinity (hence no spatial variables). The streamfunction is used to analyze and quantify the entire World Ocean conversion rate between cold/warm and fresh/saline waters. It captures two main cells of the global thermohaline circulation, one corresponding to the conveyor belt and one corresponding to the shallow tropical circulation. The definition of a thermohaline streamfunction also enables a new method of estimating the turnover time as well as the heat and freshwater transports of the conveyor belt. The overturning time of the conveyor belt is estimated to be between 1000 and 2000 yr, depending on the choice of stream layer. The heat and freshwater transports of these two large thermohaline cells have been calculated by integrating the thermohaline streamfunction over the salinity or temperature, yielding a maximum heat transport of the conveyor belt of 1.2 PW over the 34.2-PSU salinity surface and a freshwater transport of 0.8 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) over the 9°C isotherm. This is a measure of the net interocean exchange of heat between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific due to the thermohaline circulation.
Radiative Impact on Tropopause Polar Vortices over the Arctic
Authors: Cavallo Steven M. , Hakim Gregory J.
Published: February 2012

Tropopause polar vortices (TPVs) are commonly observed, coherent circulation features of the Arctic with typical radii as large as approximately 800 km. Intensification of cyclonic TPVs has been shown to be dominated by infrared radiation. Here the hypothesis is tested that while radiation alone may not be essential for TPV genesis, radiation has a substantial impact on the long-term population characteristics of cyclonic TPVs.

A numerical model is used to derive two 10-yr climatologies of TPVs for both winter and summer: a control climatology with radiative forcing and an experimental climatology with radiative forcing withheld. Results from the control climatology are first compared to those from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis project (NNRP), which indicates sensitivity to both horizontal grid resolution and the use of polar filtering in the NNRP. Smaller horizontal grid resolution of 60 km in the current study yields sample-mean cyclonic TPV radii that are smaller by a factor of ~2 compared to NNRP, and vortex track densities in the vicinity of the North Pole are considerably larger compared to NNRP. The experimental climatologies show that winter (summer) vortex maximum amplitude is reduced by 22.3% (38.0%), with a net tendency to weaken without radiation. Moreover, while the number and lifetime of cyclonic TPVs change little in winter without radiation, the number decreases 12% and the mean lifetime decreases 19% during summer without radiation. These results suggest that dynamical processes are primarily responsible for the genesis of the vortices, and that radiation controls their maximum intensity and duration during summer, when the destructive effect of ambient shear is weaker.
Application of a Lightning Data Assimilation Technique in the WRF-ARW Model at Cloud-Resolving Scales for the Tornado Outbreak of 24 May 2011
Authors: Fierro Alexandre O. , Mansell Edward R. , Ziegler Conrad L. , MacGorman Donald R.
Published: February 2012

This study presents the assimilation of total lightning data to help initiate convection at cloud-resolving scales within a numerical weather prediction model. The test case is the 24 May 2011 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, which was characterized by an exceptional synoptic/mesoscale setup for the development of long-lived supercells with large destructive tornadoes. In an attempt to reproduce the observed storms at a predetermined analysis time, total lightning data were assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) and analyzed via a suite of simple numerical experiments. Lightning data assimilation forced deep, moist precipitating convection to occur in the model at roughly the locations and intensities of the observed storms as depicted by observations from the National Severe Storms Laboratory’s three-dimensional National Mosaic and Multisensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE)—i.e., NMQ—radar reflectivity mosaic product. The nudging function for the total lightning data locally increases the water vapor mixing ratio (and hence relative humidity) via a simple smooth continuous function using gridded pseudo-Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) resolution (9 km) flash rate and simulated graupel mixing ratio as input variables. The assimilation of the total lightning data for only a few hours prior to the analysis time significantly improved the representation of the convection at analysis time and at the 1-h forecast within the convective permitting and convective resolving grids (i.e., 3 and 1 km, respectively). The results also highlighted possible forecast errors resulting from errors in the initial mesoscale thermodynamic variable fields. Although this case was primarily an analysis rather than a forecast, this simple and computationally inexpensive assimilation technique showed promising results and could be useful when applied to events characterized by moderate to intense lightning activity.
Intercomparison of Global Model Precipitation Forecast Skill in 2010/11 Using the SEEPS Score
Authors: Haiden Thomas , Rodwell Mark J. , Richardson David S. , Okagaki Akira , Robinson Tom , Hewson Tim
Published: February 2012

Precipitation forecasts from five global numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are verified against rain gauge observations using the new stable equitable error in probability space (SEEPS) score. It is based on a 3 × 3 contingency table and measures the ability of a forecast to discriminate between “dry,” “light precipitation,” and “heavy precipitation.” In SEEPS, the threshold defining the boundary between the light and heavy categories varies systematically with precipitation climate. Results obtained for SEEPS are compared to those of more well-known scores, and are broken down with regard to individual contributions from the contingency table. It is found that differences in skill between the models are consistent for different scores, but are small compared to seasonal and geographical variations, which themselves can be largely ascribed to the varying prevalence of deep convection. Differences between the tropics and extratropics are quite pronounced. SEEPS scores at forecast day 1 in the tropics are similar to those at day 6 in the extratropics. It is found that the model ranking is robust with respect to choices in the score computation. The issue of observation representativeness is addressed using a “quasi-perfect model” approach. Results suggest that just under one-half of the current forecast error at day 1 in the extratropics can be attributed to the fact that gridbox values are verified against point observations.
A Statistical Downscaling Model for Forecasting Summer Rainfall in China from DEMETER Hindcast Datasets
Authors: Chen Huopo , Sun Jianqi , Wang Huijun
Published: February 2012

A new statistical downscaling (SD) scheme is proposed to predict summertime multisite rainfall measurements in China. The potential predictors are multiple large-scale variables from operational dynamical model output. A key step in this SD scheme is finding optimal predictors that have the closest and most stable relationship with rainfall at a given station. By doing so, the most robust signals from the large-scale circulation can be statistically projected onto local rainfall, which can significantly improve forecast skill in predicting the summer rainfall at the stations. This downscaling prediction is performed separately for each simulation with a leave-one-out cross-validation approach and an independent sample validation framework. The prediction skill scores exhibited at temporal correlation, anomaly correlation coefficient, and root-mean-square error consistently demonstrate that dynamical model prediction skill is significantly improved under the SD scheme, especially in the multimodel ensemble strategy. Therefore, this SD scheme has the potential to improve the operational skill when forecasting rainfall based on the coupled models.
A Turkish Perspective on Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Percutaneous Coronary Artery Intervention in Chronic Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Kozdağ Güliz , Ertaş Gökhan , Emre Ender , Yaymaci Mehmet , Celikyurt Umut , Kahraman Göksel , Yılmaz İrem , Kuruüzüm Kurtuluş , Ural Dilek
Published: February 2012

The impact of coronary revascularization methods (coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] surgery and stent implantation) on clinical outcome has not been determined yet in patients with systolic heart failure (SHF). We examined outcomes in patients discharged from our hospital after hospitalization for decompensated SHF. Of 637 patients with SHF (mean age, 64 ± 13 years; mean ejection fraction, 26.5% ± 9%), 402 patients (63%) had coronary artery disease (CAD) and 235 patients (37%) had no CAD; 223 patients (35%) died because of cardiovascular reasons during follow-up. Patients who had stenting alone and patients who had CABG surgery and stenting had better prognosis than patients with CAD but no revascularization procedure ( P < .001 and P = .013, respectively). In the patients with SHF having CAD who had stenting and CABG surgery + stenting may have better prognosis compared with patients with CAD who had no revascularization procedure in their past.
The Influence of Principal Leadership on Classroom Instruction and Student Learning
Authors: Sebastian James , Allensworth Elaine
Published: February 2012

Purpose: This study examines the influence of principal leadership in high schools on classroom instruction and student achievement through key organizational factors, including professional capacity, parent–community ties, and the school’s learning climate. It identifies paths through which leadership explains differences in achievement and instruction between schools and differences in instruction among teachers within the same school. Research Design: Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among principal leadership, school organizational structures, classroom instruction, and student grades and test gains on ACT’s Education Planning and Assessment System. Measures of principal leadership and school organizational structures were collected from teacher surveys administered to all high school teachers in Chicago Public Schools in the 2006–2007 school years. Findings: Within schools, variation in classroom instruction is associated with principal leadership through multiple pathways, the strongest of which is the quality of professional development and coherence of programs. Between schools, differences in instruction and student achievement are associated with principal leadership only via the learning climate. This suggests that in high schools, establishing a safe, college-focused climate may be the most important leadership function for promoting achievement schoolwide.
When Hard Times Take a Toll
Authors: Young Marisa , Schieman Scott
Published: February 2012

Using two waves of data from a national survey of working Americans ( N = 1,122), we examine the associations among economic hardship, negative life events, and psychological distress in the context of the family-work interface. Our findings demonstrate that family-to-work conflict mediates the effects of economic hardship and negative events to significant others on distress (net of baseline distress and hardship). Moreover, economic hardship and negative events to significant others moderate the association between family-to-work conflict and distress. While negative events to others exacerbate the positive effect of family-to-work conflict on distress, we find the opposite for economic hardship: The positive association between hardship and distress is weaker at higher levels of family-to-work conflict. These patterns hold across an array of family, work, and sociodemographic conditions. We discuss how these findings refine and extend ideas of the stress process model, including complex predictions related to processes of stress-buffering, resource substitution, and role multiplication.
Sense-Making in Compensation Committees: A Cultural Theory Perspective
Authors: Malsch Bertrand , Tremblay Marie-Soleil , Gendron Yves
Published: February 2012

Drawing on Mary Douglas’s cultural theory, our research analyzes the cultural schemes or biases mobilized by compensation committee (CC) members, in the context of public companies, when making sense of their committee’s work. Relying on semi-structured interviews mostly conducted with CC members in Canada, our analysis brings to the fore the production of moral and rational comfort within the boundaries of the individualistic and hierarchical culture. Under an individualistic bias, the compensation market is seen as natural, providing conditions of possibility that serve to establish fair compensation through the creation and enforcement of contracts. Under a hierarchic bias which emphasizes principles of objectivity and measurability, members of CCs tend to conceive the design of compensation policies as an act of expertise, relying extensively on consultants and measurement techniques to determine acceptable reward boundaries. Not only does our paper contribute to corporate governance literature by providing insight into a central aspect of CCs, that is to say CC members’ ways of thinking and doing, but the juxtaposition of cultural theory with CC empirics provides us with the opportunity to reflect and theorize on the issue of cultural change.
Investigation of heat transfer in gypsum plasterboard exposed to fire for three nominal fire scenarios
Authors: Shepel Sergey V. , Wakili Karim Ghazi , Hugi Erich
Published: February 2012

The present article is concerned with modelling of heat transfer through a plasterboard panel exposed to fire. Two commercial plasterboard materials are tested for three nominal fire scenarios in a certified furnace, and the obtained temperature measurements are used to test and to validate a numerical model of plasterboard developed recently by Shepel et al. with the ultimate goal of exposing the model to a wider range of fire conditions. Overall, the agreement between the obtained numerical predictions and experimental data is found to be good. Some discrepancies observed at the early and late stages of the dehydration reaction are shown to be caused by the high local heating rate of the material during those stages.
What do the public think of taxation? Evidence from a focus group study in England
Authors: Prabhakar Rajiv
Published: February 2012

The design of tax systems is an important topic as governments reshape taxes to reduce public sector deficits following the global financial crisis. This article discusses findings from a focus group study on public attitudes to taxation in England. It uses rational choice and moral arguments to explore three questions: What do the public think of different taxes? How do people react to different combinations of taxes? What are public attitudes towards public spending? This article demonstrates that people’s stage in life affects attitudes to taxation. The most unpopular tax among older people is inheritance tax, whereas it is fuel duties for younger respondents. Taxes associated with personal choice (such as value added tax) attract more support than income tax. People also want greater transparency about the benefits of tax systems. The results show that principles are important for shaping public attitudes to taxation and that policy-makers should consider how diverse forms of taxation combine over the life cycle when designing a tax system.
The local dimension of active inclusion policy
Authors: Künzel Sebastian
Published: February 2012

Active inclusion reforms are radically transforming social policies in Europe. Consequently, the welfare state is changing from a social citizenship approach based on uniform benefits and services towards a system of individualized, targeted welfare intervention. Reforms therefore involve a fundamental re-organization of welfare provision. This transformation is usually discussed as a matter of national regimes for active inclusion and European diffusion of ‘good’ governance. However, active inclusion policies rely on a different social policy approach implying differentiated implementation processes. The implementation of active inclusion reforms can therefore only be understood by taking into account the local level. A series of local studies on French and German minimum income schemes raises questions about national accounts of these schemes, which depict a shift towards workfare. By contrast, this article reveals local variation between market-oriented, bureaucratic and participatory active inclusion strategies dependent on the distinct local governance arrangements.
Rituals of apology in the global arena
Authors: Kampf Zohar , Löwenheim Nava
Published: February 2012

Since the beginning of the 1990s, there has been growing academic interest in the speech act of apology. Both the nature of apologetic communicative processes and the potential of apologies to promote reconciliation remain, however, under debate. The aim of this article is to map common types of rituals found in what is termed ‘the age of apology’, to identify the processual and structural characteristics of these rituals, and to understand their contribution to restoring relations in the global arena. The analysis yields three types of rituals of apology: purification – that is, asymmetrical rituals in which the offender issues an apology in order to purify his or her dismal past but does not necessarily need the approval of an offended party; humiliation – that is, asymmetrical rituals in which the offended party forces the offender to participate in a degradation ritual as a condition for closure; and settlement – that is, symmetrical rituals in which both sides strive to restore relations. The theoretical and practical implications of these rituals are discussed.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Public Health
Authors: Grisham John W , Martiniuk Alexandra LC , Negin Joel , Wright EP
Published: February 2012

Introduction. Worldwide interest in problem-based learning (PBL) has grown in past decades. This article aims to evaluate the perceived effectiveness, appropriateness, benefits, and challenges attributed to the use of PBL in public health education in Vietnam with a view to providing recommendations for curricular design and future policy. Methods. Teachers at 2 universities in Hanoi participated in group interviews, and students from these 2 universities completed Likert-style questionnaires. Results. Students and teachers regarded PBL positively. However, there was consensus that hybrid models that used PBL alongside other methods are probably the most beneficial for public health education in Vietnam. Teachers discussed the educational and systematic advantages and difficulties associated with PBL. Conclusion. Themes arising from this analysis may be helpful in guiding future research—namely, regarding the application of PBL in low- and middle-income countries and in public health. Further exploration of the use of PBL hybrid models is discussed.
Taxation for New Zealand’s future: The introduction of New Zealand’s progressive income tax in 1891
Authors: Vosslamber Rob
Published: February 2012

The Land and Income Assessment Act of 1891 introduced both New Zealand’s first income tax and the principle of progression into New Zealand’s taxation system. Its passage through Parliament provided a rare opportunity for Parliament to discuss taxation policy at the level of broad policy, rather than at the level of specific measures. The 1891 Parliamentary Debates provide evidence of the thinking of Parliament on such fundamental issues as the legitimacy of taxation, the focus of taxation, and the question of progression – discussions which continue to this day. This article reviews these parliamentary discussions by discussing the contemporary context, and how the 1891 Bill was defended and opposed. The resulting discussion enhances understandings of the past and provides a basis for further interpretation and application.
Examining Childhood Bullying and Adolescent Suicide
Authors: Cooper Gregory D. , Clements Paul Thomas , Holt Karyn E.
Published: February 2012

Adolescent suicide is a preventable tragedy yet is still the third leading cause of death in young people of age 10–24. Contrary to the idea that childhood bullying is a normal part of growing up or a rite of passage, it is now correlated with adolescent suicidality. An integrative review of the contemporary, extant literature was conducted to examine the following question: Are adolescents who have been involved in childhood bullying or cyberbullying as victim, offender, or victim/offender at greater risk for suicidality than those who have not. It is important to empower school nurses with current and evidence-based information regarding childhood bullying and examine empirical science and tools to effectively address the current serious problem of adolescent suicide risk assessment and intervention.
Doctor of Professional Counseling
Authors: Southern Stephen , Cade Rochelle , Locke Don W.
Published: February 2012

Professional doctorates have been established in the allied health professions by clinicians seeking the highest levels of independent practice. Allied health professional doctorates include nursing practice (DNP), occupational therapy (OTD), psychology (PsyD), social work (DSW), and marriage and family therapy (DMFT). Lessons learned from the evolution of professional doctorates in nursing and psychology inform the development of the counseling profession. The doctor of professional counseling (DPC) degree affords opportunities for clinical specialization and parity with other allied health professionals. The DPC is the logical next step in the ongoing professionalization of counseling.
NUT Midline Carcinoma
Authors: Hsieh Min-Shu , French Christopher A. , Liang Cher-Wei , Hsiao Cheng-Hsiang
Published: February 2012

NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a recently described, undifferentiated carcinoma with specific NUT gene rearrangement, which often involves midline organs such as the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, mediastinum, or intrathoracic organs. It was previously considered a disease of children or young adults, but middle-aged or elderly patients have subsequently been seen. Here, the authors report the case of a 54-year-old woman who presented with a left-nasal-cavity mass and diplopia. The tumor enlarged rapidly and extended to the left orbital cavity and brain base despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Pathological examination of the resected tumor showed an undifferentiated carcinoma with occasional abrupt keratinizing squamous differentiation. Immunohistochemical analysis with an antibody to NUT revealed that most of the tumor cells were positive. BRD4-NUT gene fusion was demonstrated by fluorescence in situ hybridization, confirming the diagnosis of NMC. This case emphasizes the importance of considering NMC in the differential diagnosis in older adults.
Chondroid Melanoma Metastatic to Lung and Skin Showing SOX-9 Expression
Authors: McKay Kristopher M. , Deavers Michael T. , Prieto Victor G.
Published: February 2012

Melanoma is a malignant neoplasm that shows multiple morphological appearances resembling other tumors and therefore may generate diagnostic pitfalls. In cases of metastatic melanoma, when the primary skin lesion has gone undiscovered or has not been brought to the attention of the clinician or pathologist, the metastatic lesion can be misdiagnosed as sarcoma, carcinoma, or lymphoma. Melanomas with differentiation toward mesenchymal elements are particularly perilous in this regard. Here, the authors report a case of metastatic melanoma that was misdiagnosed as extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. This case highlights the potential diagnostic pitfall posed by metastatic melanoma with chondroid matrix and SOX-9 expression.
Counseling Psychologists Who View Their Careers as a Calling
Authors: Duffy Ryan D. , Foley Pamela F. , Raque-Bodgan Trisha L. , Reid-Marks Laura , Dik Bryan J. , Castano Megan C. , Adams Christopher M.
Published: February 2012

Interviews were completed with eight counseling psychologists who viewed their careers as a calling. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research guidelines, six domains emerged: definition, process of discerning, content of the calling, professional impact, personal impact, and maintenance. Generally, interviewees viewed the discernment of their calling as the result of an indirect route that included self-reflection, support from others, and an identified calling source. Interviewees generally viewed their calling as what one is meant to do, as something that evolved over time, as synonymous with one’s purpose in life, and as tied to helping or serving others. Generally, interviewees were satisfied with their personal and professional lives and noted that the calling positively impacted their daily work tasks and interpersonal relationships. Interviewees generally viewed their calling as an ongoing process, and they identified role models and supportive work environments that aided in maintaining their calling.
Relational and Identity Perspectives on Healthy Versus Unhealthy Pursuit of Callings
Authors: Cardador M. Teresa , Caza Brianna B.
Published: February 2012

Despite growing research on the perceived desirability and positivity of callings, there is intriguing evidence that while many experience personal benefits associated with viewing their work as a calling, others may experience detrimental effects. This discrepancy highlights the need to better understand when pursuing a calling might be positive or negative for individuals and to identify potential conditions under which such positive or negative outcomes may occur. In this article, the authors take a relational perspective on what they refer to as “healthy” versus “unhealthy” pursuit of callings, highlighting the conditions under which callings might be beneficial versus problematic for one’s personal relationships, and relationships with coworkers and one’s employing organization. Furthermore, our theoretical framework incorporates an identity perspective emphasizing work-identity flexibility as a critical factor that explains when and why pursuing one’s callings might be associated with positive and enriching relationships for some, but negative and depleting relationships for others.
Predictive Validity of the Washington State Juvenile Court Pre-Screen Assessment in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Put Claudia E. , Stams Geert Jan J. M. , Deković Maja , van der Laan Peter H.
Published: February 2012

This study examined the predictive validity of the Washington State Juvenile Pre-Screen Assessment (WSJCA pre-screen) in the Netherlands. Previous research conducted in the United States showed the predictive validity of the WSJCA pre-screen to be modest, as is the case with the predictive validity of most other risk assessment instruments for juveniles. Therefore, it was also examined whether the predictive validity of the WSJCA pre-screen can be improved by modifying the scoring procedure. The sample consisted of 520 youths who had been referred to the juvenile probation service by court. The present study showed the predictive validity of the WSJCA pre-screen in the Netherlands to be modest too, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of .625. Modifying the scoring procedure by means of chi-squared automatic interaction detector analyses significantly improved the predictive validity to an AUC of .702. The modified scoring procedure is time-saving because only variables that uniquely contribute to the prediction of recidivism are included, which at the same time leads to a more accurate prediction of recidivism.
Using Behavioral Mapping to Examine the Validity of the IPIP-IPC
Authors: Markey Patrick , Anderson Juliene M. , Markey Charlotte
Published: February 2012

Behavioral mapping, a method designed to relate behaviors to circumplex models, was used to examine the predictive validity of the International Personality Item Pool–Interpersonal Circumplex (IPIP-IPC). In this study, 96 participants first completed the IPIP-IPC and then were videotaped in a social interaction with a confederate. At the conclusion of this interaction, the Riverside Behavioral Q-Sort was used to code 64 different behaviors expressed by the participants. Results indicated that participants’ Riverside Behavioral Q-Sort interpersonal behaviors occurred in a manner predicted by their IPIP-IPC scores. Such findings suggest that the IPIP-IPC can predict a multitude of interpersonal behaviors expressed during a dyadic interaction.
On the resonant vibration of a flexible railway car body and its suppression with a dynamic vibration absorber
Authors: Gong Dao , Zhou Jin-song , Sun Wen-jing
Published: February 2012

The geometric filtering phenomenon is first analyzed with a simplified vertical vehicle model. Analytical solutions obtained with this model show that geometric filtering phenomenon consists of ‘wheelbase filtering’ and ‘bogie spacing filtering’ effects. The wheelbase filtering effect occurs when there is neither car body bounce nor pitch response at certain track wavelengths, whereas the bogie spacing filtering effect occurs when there is a null in either the car body bounce or pitch response at particular track wavelengths. Then, the correlated frequency response function for railway vehicles is defined to assess the effect of geometric filtering upon the resonant frequencies of a flexible car body. It is found that if the car body’s first bending frequency coincides with the peak values of bounce acceleration transmissibility, that is, it is near the null pitch response frequencies, resonant vibration of the flexible car body will happen. Finally, to suppress the resonant vibration of the flexible car body, it is proposed to use a dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) suspended under the car body underframe. The DVA parameters are optimized according to car body bending frequency and the null pitch frequency. The optimal DVAs show very good performance and robustness in suppression of the car body resonant vibration.
Oxaliplatin-induced hepatocellular injury and ototoxicity: A review of the literature and report of unusual side effects of a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent
Authors: Vietor Nicole O , George Benjamin J
Published: February 2012

After extensive literature review utilizing PubMed and Medline searches, we present a rare case of oxaliplatin-induced grade 3/4 hepatocellular injury and ototoxicity. The patient is a 46-year-old female diagnosed with stage IIIC (pT3N2bM0) adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon. PET/CT prior to surgery and chemotherapy was negative for distant metastatic disease and baseline liver-associated enzymes were within normal limits. Following sigmoidectomy, patient began adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-florouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX-6). Cycle 1 was complicated only by refractory nausea. However, cycle 2 was complicated by vertigo with refractory nausea, tinnitus, and marked elevation in liver enzymes in a hepatocellular pattern. Extensive workup was negative and the etiology of her symptoms and grade 3/4 hepatocellular injury was hypothesized to be the result of oxaliplatin. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase decreased after two additional weeks off therapy and during cycle 3 in which oxaliplatin was held. She had no evidence of 5-florouracil toxicity. On cycle 4, oxaliplatin was restarted at 50% dose; symptoms and liver-associated enzymes remained stable. However, oxaliplatin was increased up to 75% full dose for cycle 5 with reported vertigo, tinnitus, nausea, and return of elevation in liver-associated enzymes. Oxaliplatin is a chemotherapy agent widely used in the treatment of many malignancies including colon cancer. Side effects include peripheral neuropathy, gastrointestinal toxicity, neutropenia, grade 1/2 hepatocellular injury, and hepatic vascular lesions. However, grade 3/4 hepatocellular injury and ototoxicity are extremely rare with the administration of oxaliplatin. Therefore, we present the unusual chemotherapy side effects.
Change Blindness in Children With ADHD
Authors: Maccari Lisa , Casagrande Maria , Martella Diana , Anolfo Mariagrazia , Rosa Caterina , Fuentes Luis J. , Pasini Augusto
Published: February 2012

Objective: This study evaluated change blindness and visual search efficiency in children with ADHD in searching for central and marginal changes. Method: A total of 36 drug-naïve children (18 ADHD/18 controls) performed a flicker task that included changes in objects of central or marginal interest. The task required observers to search for a change until they detected it. Results: Children with ADHD performed more slowly and less accurately than did typically developing children, specifically in detecting marginal-interest changes. Conclusion: In contrast to more standard visual search tasks, flicker tasks seem to be more sensitive to highlight focused attention deficits in children diagnosed with ADHD. Concretely, ADHD attentional deficits were more apparent when the task involved serial top-down strategies.
A Multicenter, Open-Label Trial to Evaluate the Quality of Life in Adults With ADHD Treated With Long-Acting Methylphenidate (OROS MPH)
Authors: Mattos Paulo , Louzã Mário Rodrigues , Palmini André Luís Fernandes , Oliveira Irismar Reis de , Rocha Fábio Lopes
Published: February 2012

The available literature provides few studies on the effectiveness of methylphenidate in improving quality of life in individuals with ADHD. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of Methyphenidate OROS formulation (OROS MPH) through QoL in adults with ADHD. Method: A 12-week, multicenter, open-label trial involving 60 patients was used. The measures used were Adult Self-Rating Scale, Adult ADHD Quality of Life Scale (AAQoL), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and safety measures. A significance statistic level of 5% was adopted. Results: Analyses included 60 patients (66.7% male; M age = 31.1 years) for safety and 58 patients for effectiveness. All AAQoL subscales improved from baseline to Week 12 ( p < .0001), as well as the Total AAQoL ( p < .0001). A significant reduction on Clinical Global Impression–Improvement (CGI-I), HAM-D, STAI, and ASRS scores was observed ( p < .0001). No serious adverse event was reported. Conclusion: Treatment of adult ADHD patients with OROS MPH improves QoL.
State and Local Government Bond Refinancing and the Factors Associated with the Refunding Decision
Authors: Moldogaziev Tima T. , Luby Martin J.
Published: February 2012

The decision to refinance existing debt is a significant one made increasingly by public financial managers. Since state and local governments are somewhat limited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in their ability to refinance debt, the decision to refund bonds is critical due to the potentially large economic benefits associated with refinancing bonds in the future at lower interest rates. Because of these potential benefits, it would be instructive for policy makers to know some of the covariates associated with this important debt management decision. To that end, this study analyzes refinancing bonds sold by California state and local government issuers between 2000 and 2007. The authors attempt to understand and record a list of issue-specific characteristics, market dynamics, and issuer-related data that are more likely to be related to likelihood to refinance. The authors then discuss the policy implications from these empirical findings.
Polyostotic lymphoma with multiple pathological fractures in a six-month-old cat
Authors: Brockley Laura K , Heading Kathryn L , Jardine John E , Moore Peter F , Bennett Peter F
Published: February 2012

A 6-month-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat was examined for pain and swelling of the distal limbs. Swelling and malalignment of both carpi, dorsiflexion of the distal metatarsals and a mild, multicentric lymphadenopathy were detected on examination. Screening blood tests revealed a biclonal gammopathy, hypercalcemia and atypical leukocytes. Survey radiographs revealed lysis and proliferative changes within the physes. Multiple pathological physeal fractures were present, including the distal radii, metacarpal and metatarsal bones. No treatment was attempted and the patient was euthanased. Histopathology revealed infiltration by monomorphic round cells within the liver, spleen, kidney and bone marrow. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong reactivity to CD20. Clonality assays revealed clonal results for the B-cell loci, consistent with B-cell lymphoma. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of polyostotic lymphoma with multiple pathological fractures in a cat. The predominantly distal distribution of osseous lesions is rarely reported in dogs and humans.
Biomimetic surface design for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene to improve the tribological properties
Authors: Zhang Bo , Huang Wei , Wang Xiaolei
Published: February 2012

Tribological problem is a major obstacle that limits the using of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in industrial applications and orthopedic surgeries. Many efforts have been made to improve the tribological properties of UHMWPE, such as promoting the structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of the polymer. Inspired by the features of articular surface, micro-scaled texture is introduced to improve the tribological properties of UHMWPE using micro-imprint lithography. Friction and wear experiments are conducted on textured and untextured specimens using ring-on-disc test apparatus under water lubrication. The experimental results demonstrate that the micro-scaled surface texture can remarkably improve the tribological properties of UHMWPE. Friction force can be effectively reduced by selecting suitable dimple parameters. Compared with an untextured UHMWPE, the textured one with optimum parameters shows a reduction in the friction coefficient as much as 66.7–85.7% on different load–speed conditions. The optimized area density of surface textured UHMWPE ranges from 22.9% to 29.9%, which is obviously higher than that of stiff materials such as metals and ceramics. The textured UHMWPE with area density 29.9%, diameter 50 µm, and depth 15 µm presents a significant effect of wear resistance. The average wear depth of textured UHMWPE is 35.5% of that of untextured one.
How should medication errors be defined? Development and test of a definition
Authors: Lisby M. , Nielsen L.P. , Brock B. , Mainz J.
Published: February 2012

Aims: Definitions of medication errors vary widely in the literature, and prevalence from 2–75% in part because of this lack of consensus. Thus, clarification of the concept is urgently needed. The objective was to develop a clear-cut definition of medication errors and specify relevant error types in the medication process. Methods: Based on existing taxonomy and through a modified Delphi-process consensus of definition and error types were reached among Danish experts appointed by 13 healthcare organisations and the project group. The experts prioritised five definitions of medication errors and score the relevance of 76 error types. Based on explicit criteria, the project group settled non-consensus cases. Results: The panel consisted of 12 physicians, seven pharmacists, and six nurses. Consensus was reached for the definition “An error in the stages of the medication process – ordering, dispensing, administering and monitoring the effect – causing harm or implying a risk of harming the patient”. Moreover, consensus for 60 of 76 error types was achieved. Applied to a historic dataset the definition reduced the number of medication errors from 34% to 7%. Conclusions: Experts deemed a definition using harm or risk of harm as cut-off point as the most appropriate in Danish hospital settings. In addition, they agreed on a list of 60 error types covering the medication process. Interestingly, a substantial lower occurrence of medication errors was found when applied to historic data. The definition is in accordance with international taxonomy, thus is assumed to be applicable to modern healthcare settings abroad.