bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current Considerations About the Elderly and Firearms
Authors: Mertens Brian , Sorenson Susan B.
Published: January 2012

In the United States, more than 17 million people aged 65 years or older own a firearm. They have the highest rate of suicide by a firearm, and recent data suggest that a disproportionate number apply to carry a concealed weapon. At least one new handgun has been designed and marketed for older people.

Memory, thinking, and judgment as well as physical and behavioral competence issues related to an elderly person's safe operation of a motor vehicle apply to firearms, too. Gun availability can pose a particular risk to those with dementia and to their caretakers.

The elderly constitute a substantial and rapidly growing population and market segment for whom the public health implications of firearm production, promotion, access, ownership, and use merit consideration.
A Public Health Approach to Addressing Arthritis in Older Adults: The Most Common Cause of Disability
Authors: Hootman Jennifer M. , Helmick Charles G. , Brady Teresa J.
Published: January 2012

Arthritis is highly prevalent and is the leading cause of disability among older adults in the United States owing to the aging of the population and increases in the prevalence of risk factors (e.g., obesity). Arthritis will play a large role in the health-related quality of life, functional independence, and disability of older adults in the upcoming decades. We have emphasized the role of the public health system in reducing the impact of this large and growing public health problem, and we have presented priority public health actions.
Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults With and Without Functional Limitations
Authors: Thompson William W. , Zack Matthew M. , Krahn Gloria L. , Andresen Elena M. , Barile John P.
Published: January 2012

Objectives. We examined factors that influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among individuals aged 50 years and older with and without functional limitations.

Methods. We analyzed data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess associations among demographic characteristics, health care access and utilization indicators, modifiable health behaviors, and HRQOL characterized by recent physically and mentally unhealthy days in those with and those without functional limitations. We defined functional limitations as activity limitations owing to physical, mental, or emotional health or as the need for special equipment because of health.

Results. Age, medical care costs, leisure-time physical activity, and smoking were strongly associated with both physically and mentally unhealthy days among those with functional limitations. Among those without functional limitations, the direction of the effects was similar, but the size of the effects was substantially smaller.

Conclusions. The availability of lower cost medical care, increasing leisure-time physical activity, and reducing rates of cigarette smoking will improve population HRQOL among older adults with and without functional limitations. These factors provide valuable information for determining future public health priorities.
Unsteady free convection heat and mass transfer in a Walters-B viscoelastic flow past a semi-infinite vertical plate: A numerical study
Authors: Prasad Vallampati , Vasu Buddakkagari , Anwar Bég , Parshad Rana
Published: January 2012

A numerical solution for the free convective, unsteady, laminar convective
heat and mass transfer in a viscoelastic fluid along a semi-infinite vertical
plate is presented. The Walters-B liquid model is employed to simulate
medical creams and other rheological liquids encountered in biotechnology and
chemical engineering. This rheological model introduces supplementary terms
into the momentum conservation equation. The dimensionless unsteady, coupled
and non-linear partial differential conservation equations for the boundary
layer regime are solved by an efficient, accurate and unconditionally stable
finite difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type. The velocity,
temperature and concentration fields have been studied for the effect of
Prandtl number (Pr), viscoelasticity parameter (G), Schmidt number (Sc),
Buoyancy ration parameter (N). The local skin-friction, Nusselt number and
Sherwood number are also presented and analyzed graphically. It is observed
that, when the viscoelasticity parameter (G) increases, the velocity
increases close to the plate surface. An increase in Schmidt number is
observed to significantly decrease both velocity and concentration.
Heat transfer enhancement using nanofluids: An overview
Authors: Shanthi R. , Anandan Sundaram , Ramalingam Velraj
Published: January 2012

Nanofluids are colloidal mixtures of nanometric metallic or ceramic particles
in a base fluid, such as water, ethylene glycol or oil. Nanofluids possess
immense potential to enhance the heat transfer character of the original
fluid due to improved thermal transport properties. In this article, a brief
overview has been presented to address the unique features of nanofluids,
such as their preparation, heat transfer mechanisms, conduction and
convection heat transfer enhancement, etc. In addition, the article
summarizes the experimental and theoretical work on pool boiling in
nanofluids and their applications.
Numerical performance study of paraffin wax dispersed with alumina in a concentric pipe latent heat storage system
Authors: Valan Arasu , Sasmito Agus , Mujumdar Arun
Published: January 2012

Latent heat energy storage systems using paraffin wax could have lower heat
transfer rates during melting/freezing processes due to its inherent low
thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of paraffin wax can be
enhanced by employing high conductivity materials such as alumina (Al2O3). A
numerical analysis has been carried out to study the performance enhancement
of paraffin wax with nanoalumina (Al2O3) particles in comparison with simple
paraffin wax in a concentric double pipe heat exchanger. Numerical analysis
indicates that the charge-discharge rates of thermal energy can be greatly
enhanced using paraffin wax with alumina as compared with a simple paraffin
wax as PCM.
Efficiency of a new internal combustion engine concept with variable piston motion
Authors: Doric Jovan , Klinar Ivan
Published: January 2012

This paper presents simulation of working process in a new IC engine concept.
The main feature of this new IC engine concept is the realization of variable
movement of the piston. With this unconventional piston movement it is easy
to provide variable compression ratio, variable displacement and combustion
during constant volume. These advantages over standard piston mechanism are
achieved through synthesis of the two pairs of non-circular gears. Presented
mechanism is designed to obtain a specific motion law which provides better
fuel consumption of IC engines. For this paper Ricardo/WAVE software was
used, which provides a fully integrated treatment of time-dependent fluid
dynamics and thermodynamics by means of onedimensional formulation. The
results obtained herein include the efficiency characteristic of this new
heat engine concept. The results show that combustion during constant volume,
variable compression ratio and variable displacement have significant impact
on improvement of fuel consumption.
Thermal comfort findings: Scenario at Malaysian automotive industry
Authors: Ismail Ahmad , Karagaratnan Kumar , Kadirgama Kumaran
Published: January 2012

This paper discusses the findings of thermal comfort assessment at Malaysian
automotive industry. Nine critical workstations were chosen as subjects for
the study in order to determine the thermal comfort among workers at
Malaysian automotive industry. The human subjects for the study comprises of
the operators from tire receiving, dashboard assembly, drum tester, body
assembly, seat assembly, door check assembly, stamping workstation, engine
sub assembly and paint shop of the factory. The environmental factors such as
Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), relative humidity, air velocity,
illuminance were measured using BABUC A apparatus and Thermal Comfort
Measurement equipment. Through questionnaire survey, the demographic data of
subjects and their perceptions on thermal comfort at each workstation were
assessed based on ISO Standard 7730 and thermal sensation scale using
Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). Then, Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD)
is used to estimate the thermal satisfaction of occupants. The results
indicated that most of the workstations of the automotive industry are
considered as uncomfortable. Tire receiving station is considered having
better working environment compared to other stations with lowest PMV index
of 1.09 to 1.41 and PPD of 46%. Meanwhile, the engine sub assembly station
and paint shop of assembly are considered the worst thermal environment with
the PMV index values ranging between 2.1 to 2.9 and PPD values of 81% to 99%.
Therefore, these two workstations are considered not comfortable because the
thermal sensation scale is warm and almost hot.
Language engineering in the service of civil society
Authors: Jevtic Miroljub
Published: January 2012

The idea of civil society encountered the difficulties when realized that
religious and cultural image of countries that are inspired by this ideology
has become complex. That why the ideologues of this project concluded that
the idea of nation, religion, history and culture should be rearranged in
order to create a common culture. In this sense, it became clear that the
current understanding of patriotism, nation, nationalism, chauvinism ... have
to be changed in order to promote new meaning of those words with goal to
create new society.
Prolegomena regarding critical media aesthetics
Authors: Vuckovic Zeljko
Published: January 2012

Contemporary technology and media era is characterized by aesthetics
domination over logic, ethics and metaphysics. The reality is replaced by
simulation and the picture is more important that the truth. The narcissistic
media shape not only one's perception, but one's experience of the world,
creation of taste and system of values. Therefore, we need a new media
aesthetics that would lead to the development of critical media sensitivity
and comprehension of how media messages emerge and affect the audience. If
there is no critical aesthetics, there exists anesthesia. Being both a media
perception theory and media taste critique, media aesthetics can contribute
to creating a new media culture, realizing human potentials and improving
communication rationality. Aesthetics is a prerequisite of media literacy and
critical media pedagogy. In such a world media can serve as creative
extensions of human perception, tools for comprehension and socialization in
such a way as suggested by poet William Blake: If the doors of perception
were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.
Survey methods in an Age of Austerity: Driving Value in Survey Design
Authors: Williams Joel
Published: January 2012

This paper outlines new evidence on what happens when questions from major social surveys are asked of online survey panellists. The paper shows how difficult it is to control for ‘panellist bias’ and produce unbiased population estimates but also that, for some statistics, panel data can provide a surprisingly close match to the gold standard surveys of government.
International Segmentation: Towards a Third Path between Global and National
Authors: Belvaux Bertrand , Guibert Nathalie
Published: January 2012

This paper aims to advance segmentation methodology in international settings. We suggest two techniques that, inserted in current international segmentation methodology, can help researchers find and validate possible transnational segments using various consumption dimensions. In order to facilitate the choice of an appropriate path, we suggest comparing the international segmentation to the country-based segmentation by using the η2 test. Then, if needed, in order to bring out the underlying logics of product consumption in various countries, we suggest comparing the correlations between consumer motivations and product attributes (based on Means–End Chains theory) among the target countries. We provide evidence of the effectiveness of these techniques in the case of an international study of the wine market in China, Chile and France, and conclude with a research agenda.
Adjusting Self-Reported Attitudinal Data for Mischievous Respondents
Authors: Hyman Michael R. , Sierra Jeremy J.
Published: January 2012

For various reasons, survey participants may submit phoney attitudinal self-reports meant to bypass researcher scepticism. After suggesting reasons for this new category of problematic survey participant - the mischievous respondent (MR) - and reviewing related response bias, faking, inattentive respondent and outlier literatures, an initial algorithm for removing such respondents from polychotomous attitudinal data sets is posited. Applied to four data sets, this algorithm marginally reduced EFA cross loadings and improved CFA model fit. Although purging subtly suspicious cases is not standard practice, the extant literature indicates that such algorithms can reduce artifactual statistical findings substantially.
Is it Time to Define Veterinary Professionalism?
Authors: Mossop Liz H.
Published: January 2012

The medical profession has spent much time and many resources engaging in a discourse of medical professionalism and debating the appropriate attitudes and behavior of physicians, but little has been published concerning the concept of veterinary professionalism. Physicians are commonly examined by social scientists and educationalists to establish definitions of medical professionalism in order to teach and assess these values within curricula. This challenging process has not been without criticism, however, with some calling the numerous definitions unhelpful, especially when these behaviors are not demonstrated in practice or the wider sociological implications of medical professionalism are ignored. Veterinary curricula often include professional skills, and there has been some discussion about their inclusion as well as the scope of veterinary surgeons and their role in society. Despite this, no true definition of veterinary professionalism exists, and the teaching of the values and behaviors expected of veterinary professionals may not be explicit. Regardless of the difficulties of engaging in such a discourse, perhaps it is time that this occurred and a realistic and usable definition of veterinary professionalism is established. This is a period of change for the veterinary profession, and a teachable and assessable definition can provide some clarity and assist educators within ever evolving veterinary curricula.
‘Operation Pied Piper’: A Psychoanalytic Narrative of Authority in a Time of War
Authors: Farley Lisa
Published: January 2012

The evacuation of British children during World War II is read alongside the legend of the ‘Pied Piper’ after which the mass migration was officially named. While virtually every British account of World War II makes mention of the evacuation, most are silent on the question of its ominous title: ‘Operation Pied Piper’. This paper traces the legend's key theme – on influencing and being influenced – as it surfaces in the writing of one child analyst and one social worker charged with the responsibility of leading a family of five hostels for British youth. At a time when Hitler's deadly regime reached unprecedented heights across the Channel, the legend of the ‘Pied Piper’ becomes a highly suggestive metaphor for thinking about D. W. Winnicott and Clare Britton's writing on what authority could mean in the face of leadership gone terribly wrong. Quite another, profoundly intimate loss of leadership haunts their words as well: Sigmund Freud, in exile from Hitler's Europe and leader of the psychoanalytic movement, died in London just weeks after the first wave of Blitz evacuations. It is in this context that Winnicott and Britton articulated a theory of authority that could address the losses of history without at the same time demanding the loss of the mind.
Antifungal Activity of Eugenol Analogues. Influence of Different Substituents and Studies on Mechanism of Action
Authors: Carrasco Héctor , Raimondi Marcela , Svetaz Laura , Liberto Melina Di , Rodriguez María V. , Espinoza Luis , Madrid Alejandro , Zacchino Susana
Published: January 2012

Twenty one phenylpropanoids (including eugenol and safrole) and synthetic analogues, thirteen of them new compounds, were evaluated for antifungal properties, first with non-targeted assays against a panel of human opportunistic pathogenic fungi. Some structure-activity relationships could be observed, mainly related to the influence of an allyl substituent at C-4, an OH group at C-1 and an OCH3 at C-2 or the presence of one or two NO2 groups in different positions of the benzene ring. All active compounds were tested in a second panel of clinical isolates of C. albicans and non-albicans Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and dermatophytes. The eugenol derivative 4-allyl-2-methoxy-5-nitrophenol (2) was the most active structure against all strains tested, and therefore it was submitted to targeted assays. These studies showed that the antifungal activity of 2 was not reversed in the presence of an osmotic support such as sorbitol, suggesting that it does not act by inhibiting the fungal cell wall synthesis or assembly. On the other hand, the Ergosterol Assay showed that 2 did not bind to the main sterol of the fungal membrane up to 250 µg mL−1. In contrast, a 22% of fungal membrane damage was observed at concentrations = 1 × MIC and 71% at 4× MIC, when 2 was tested in the Cellular Leakage assay. The comparison of log P and MICs for all compounds revealed that the antifungal activity of the eugenol analogues would not to be related to lipophilicity.
Towards Symmetry-Based Explanation of (Approximate) Shapes of Alpha-Helices and Beta-Sheets (and Beta-Barrels) in Protein Structure
Authors: Nava Jaime , Kreinovich Vladik
Published: January 2012

Protein structure is invariably connected to protein function. There are two important secondary structure elements: alpha-helices and beta-sheets (which sometimes come in a shape of beta-barrels). The actual shapes of these structures can be complicated, but in the first approximation, they are usually approximated by, correspondingly, cylindrical spirals and planes (and cylinders, for beta-barrels). In this paper, following the ideas pioneered by a renowned mathematician M. Gromov, we use natural symmetries to show that, under reasonable assumptions, these geometric shapes are indeed the best approximating families for secondary structures.
Sustainable development of roadways in Africa
Authors: Akindeji-Oladeji O. , Awomeso J. A. , Taiwo A. M. , Abu S.
Published: January 2012

Dallas Roadway Products (DRP) soil stabilization technology can effectively improve road foundation construction and with it the strength of roadway sub-grades and sub-bases. Soil samples were collected from roads in Nigeria’s six geo-political regions. DRP LS-40 (lignate sulfonate) and DRP SA-44 (sulfuric acid) were added to the soil materials. The mixture precipitated a non-reversible chemical reaction that involved a permanent change in the soil structure. The chemicals reacted with the clay content, increasing the soil material plasticity. In non-plastic soils, clay materials were added to the soil, which was then pulverised. The study showed that DRP soil stabilisation chemicals can render poor, unsuitable or marginally deficient soils apt for use as a sub-base or base in roadway construction.
Counseling in an Andragogical Approach
Authors: Henschke John A.
Published: January 2012

The introduction provides the unique professional preparation of the author in both fields for merging counseling and andragogy – the art and science of helping adults learn. Providing general counseling information, he then gives a sketch and time gaps of publication in adult education and counseling. Next, he presents a chronology of publications merging the two fields. In the future trends section, a comprehensive model for counseling in adult education is constructed, including: an andragogical approach, dimensions of maturation, closely connecting counseling and learning, with life tasks, challenges, and dealing with our human values and priorities within human systems of adult life. Examples are articulated of both the professional and learner implementing the model.
Wireless Interface at 5.7 GHz for Intra-Vehicle Communications
Authors: Carmo J. P. , Correia J. H.
Published: January 2012

This chapter presents a wireless interface for intra-vehicle communications (data acquisition from sensors, control, and multimedia) at 5.7 GHz. As part of the wireless interface, a RF transceiver was fabricated in the UMC 0.18 µm RF CMOS process and when activated, it presents a total power consumption of 23 mW with the voltage-supply of 1.5 V. This allows the use of only a coin-sized battery for supplying the interface. The carrier frequency can be digitally selectable and take one of 16 possible frequencies in the range 5.42-5.83 GHz, adjusted in steps of 27.12 MHz. These multiple carriers allow a better spectrum allocation and at the same time will improve the channel capacity due to the possibility to allow multiple accesses with multiple frequencies.
Web-Based Interactive Learning and the Effects of Learner Beliefs, Environmental Preferences, and Cognitive Loads
Authors: Yang Fang-Ying , Chang Cheng-Chieh
Published: January 2012

The objective of this chapter is to present learner characteristics that mediate web-based learning. These characteristics include personal epistemological beliefs, beliefs about web-based learning, social-cultural beliefs, and preferences toward web-based learning environments. In addition to the effects of these affective factors, another factor that is also addressed in the chapter is the cognitive load induced by different web-based curriculum elements. Based on a literature review and the findings of some recent empirical studies, a web-based learning model is proposed to manifest the contributions of learner characteristics on learning in web-based contexts. Educational implications are then drawn corresponding to the web-based learning model.
From an Ad-Hoc to a Proactive Software Release Plan and Deployment
Authors: Ito Silvia , Nahhas Mohammed
Published: January 2012

Managing software and its various components such as maintenance, upgrades, and patches, has become a requirement to secure one’s place in a competitive market. The rapid change in engineering software, especially for the Aerospace industry, highlights the importance of software management. Negligence of any maintenance component can put the organization into risk. Therefore, standardizing processes are necessary to avoid not only these risks, but also minimize costs and ensure employee productivity. Currently, an Aerospace company upgrades most of their engineering software on an ad-hoc basis. This means that an upgrade is only done when an end-user requests it. The study will therefore examine the current operations and offer a strategic reengineered process. The objective of such changes is to ultimately streamline the distribution of engineering software upgrades proactively throughout the organization.
Rigor and Relevance in Information Systems Research
Authors: Konda Damodar
Published: January 2012

There is an ongoing debate and discussion around rigor and relevance of Information Systems (IS) research. The published work so far on this subject remains largely confined to IS scholarly journals. Several models have been proposed that portray some kind of relationship between rigor and relevance with the common assumption that rigor and relevance are in some way or other related to each other and a tradeoff is needed between them for the right balance. Interestingly, much of the debate has been held within the confines of IS academic research circles without any significant participation from the practitioners. Nor did it have any overall context or framework for a meaningful and thorough discussion. This chapter proposes several models to guide IS researcher to help appropriately position the research using Rigor and Relevance Quadrants Model, triangulate the research using Triangulation Model, and achieve the right balance using a comprehensive IS Research Process model.
Information Security Management Systems Cybernetics
Authors: Boehmer Wolfgang
Published: January 2012

With the widespread dissemination of Information Technology in enterprises and households in the mid-90s, discussions began on how to manage it. Meanwhile, in the area of enterprise security management systems worldwide, enforced use of the Deming cycle initially worked against the implementation of policies. Standard management systems include ISMS (Information Security Management System) as specified in ISO 27001, BCM (Business Continuity Management System) as specified in BS 25999, and ITSM (Information Technology Service Management System) as specified in ISO 20000. In contrast to policies, these best-practice management systems continue to operate today with no formal method. Management systems have, however, some advantages that policies do not have. In this chapter, the authors present possible uses of policies with respect to management systems and identify potential applications. Furthermore, the authors present a field study, cited here, which highlights the advantages of management systems in practice. Moreover, this chapter shows how a formal description of an information security management system can be created by means of discrete-event systems theory and how an objective function for management systems can be defined.
Detecting Compliance Failures in Unmanaged Processes
Authors: Doganata Yurdaer N.
Published: January 2012

The importance and the challenges of detecting compliance failures in unmanaged business processes is discussed, and the process of creating and verifying internal controls as a requirement of enterprise risk management framework is explained. The effect of using automated auditing tools to detect compliance failures against internal control points in unmanaged business processes is investigated. Risk exposure of a business process due to compliance failures is analyzed, and the factors that affect the risk exposure of a business process are evaluated.
Constructivist Learning Theory in Virtual Design Studios
Authors: Gül Leman Figen , Williams Anthony , Gu Ning
Published: January 2012

In the authors’ design teaching, they have been employing virtual world technologies, allowing students the capacity to collaborate and design within a constructivist immersive design platform such as Second Life (www.secondlife.com) and Active Worlds (www.activeworlds.com). These environments support synchronous design communication and real-time 3D modelling. Particularly, 3D immersive design environments have the potential to make a major contribution to design education as constructivist learning environments. Based on authors’ teaching experience and the students’ learning experience, this chapter discusses 3D virtual world as constructivist learning environments that support team-based design and communication skill-building and presents the challenges faced by design education today. The chapter firstly provides a critical analysis of various design learning and teaching features offered in 3D virtual worlds as constructivist learning environments, secondly, identifies a number of key issues in addressing engagement and interaction in virtual design learning, thirdly, addresses the core skills and cognitive processes of designing in 3D virtual worlds, and finally, provides several strategies for the facilitation of virtual worlds as the constructivist design teaching platform.
Augmented Reality Research for Architecture and Design
Authors: Kim Mi Jeong , Wang Xiangyu , Zhu Xingquan , Kang Shih-Chung
Published: January 2012

A growing body of research has shown that Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to contribute to interaction and visualization for architecture and design. While this emerging technology has only been developed for the past decade, numerous journals and conferences in architecture and design have published articles related to AR. This chapter reviews 44 articles on AR especially related to the architecture and design area that were published from 2005 to 2011. Further, this chapter discusses the representative AR research works in terms of four aspects: AR concept, AR implementation, AR evaluation, and AR industry adoption. The chapter draws conclusions about major findings, research issues, and future research directions through the review results. This chapter will be a basis for future research of AR in architecture and design areas.
Teaching Spatial Thinking in Design Computation Contexts
Authors: Erhan Halil I. , Ben Youssef Belgacem , Berry Barbara
Published: January 2012

A new generation of design computation systems affords opportunities for new design practices. This calls for potentially new teaching requirements in design education, in particular the development of the requisite spatial thinking skills. In this chapter, the authors review the pertinent literature, followed by two case examples that illustrate how spatial thinking was taught in two undergraduate design courses. The authors’ experiences suggest that early exposure to spatial thinking concepts, coupled with practice using computational design tools in the context of a project, can significantly help students to improve the skills necessary to design in a digital environment. Through the use of team projects, the authors discovered the potential variances in design representations when students switched between digital and physical modeling. They propose further research to explore the spatial processes required in computational design systems and the implications for design education.
Design and Robots for Learning in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Vallance Michael
Published: January 2012

The meme of the physical university is changing and moving swiftly, due mostly to virtual technological developments, towards the “multi-versity” where Higher Education Institutes will exist in both the real world and a virtual space: a term this chapter names “augmented education.” Augmented education requires innovation in technology that can deliver new ways of learning. Therefore, virtual worlds that support effective experiential learning need to be designed beyond merely established real world replication. The concern for researchers and educational practitioners is the need to provide evidence-based frameworks for tasks of measurable complexity that result in verifiable learning in an augmented virtual world. In an attempt to develop a framework for science education this chapter summarizes the theoretical and technical progress of research in the iterative, leaner centered design of virtual tools and associated tasks for evidencing the processes of learning (witnessed as measurements of six cognitive processes and four knowledge dimensions) of participants communicating the programming of LEGO robots within a virtual world.
Natural IgM in Immune Equilibrium and Harnessing Their Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Kaveri Srini V. , Silverman Gregg J. , Bayry Jagadeesh
Published: January 2012

Natural IgM Abs are the constitutively secreted products of B1 cells (CD5+ in mice and CD20+CD27+CD43+CD70− in humans) that have important and diverse roles in health and disease. Whereas the role of natural IgM as the first line of defense for protection against invading microbes has been extensively investigated, more recent reports have highlighted their potential roles in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis via clearance of apoptotic and altered cells through complement-dependent mechanisms, inhibition of inflammation, removal of misfolded proteins, and regulation of pathogenic autoreactive IgG Abs and autoantibody-producing B cells. These observations have provided the theoretical underpinnings for efforts that currently seek to harness the untapped therapeutic potential of natural IgM either by boosting in vivo natural IgM production or via therapeutic infusions of monoclonal and polyclonal IgM preparations.
CARIBIC aircraft measurements of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic clouds in April/May 2010
Authors: Rauthe-Schöch A. , Weigelt A. , Hermann M. , Martinsson B. G. , Baker A. K. , Heue K.-P. , Brenninkmeijer C. A. M. , Zahn A. , Scharffe D. , Eckhardt S. , Stohl A. , van Velthoven P. F. J.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. The Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container (CARIBIC) project investigates physical and chemical processes in the Earth's atmosphere using a Lufthansa Airbus long-distance passenger aircraft. After the beginning of the explosive eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland on 14 April 2010, the first CARIBIC volcano-specific measurement flight was carried out over the Baltic Sea and Southern Sweden on 20 April. Two more flights followed: one over Ireland and the Irish Sea on 16 May and the other over the Norwegian Sea on 19 May 2010. During these three special mission flights the CARIBIC container proved its merits as a comprehensive flying laboratory. The elemental composition of particles collected over the Baltic Sea during the first flight (20 April) indicated the presence of volcanic ash. Over Northern Ireland and the Irish Sea (16 May), the DOAS system detected SO2 and BrO co-located with volcanic ash particles that increased the aerosol optical depth. Over the Norwegian Sea (19 May), the optical particle counter detected a strong increase of particles larger than 400 nm diameter in a region where ash clouds were predicted by aerosol dispersion models. Aerosol particle samples collected over the Irish Sea and the Norwegian Sea showed large relative enhancements of the elements silicon, iron, titanium and calcium. Non-methane hydrocarbon concentrations in whole air samples collected on 16 and 19 May 2010 showed a pattern of removal of several hydrocarbons that is typical for chlorine chemistry in the volcanic clouds. Comparisons of measured ash concentrations and simulations with the FLEXPART dispersion model demonstrate the difficulty of detailed volcanic ash dispersion modelling due to the large variability of the volcanic cloud sources, extent and patchiness as well as the thin ash layers formed in the volcanic clouds.
Advances and limitations of atmospheric boundary layer observations with GPS occultation over southeast Pacific Ocean
Authors: Xie F. , Wu D. L. , Ao C. O. , Mannucci A. J. , Kursinski E. R.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. The typical atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over the southeast (SE) Pacific Ocean is featured with a strong temperature inversion and a sharp moisture gradient across the ABL top. The strong moisture and temperature gradients result in a sharp refractivity gradient that can be precisely detected by the Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) measurements. In this paper, the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere & Climate (COSMIC) GPS RO soundings, radiosondes and the high-resolution ECMWF analysis over the SE Pacific are analyzed. COSMIC RO is able to detect a wide range of ABL height variations (1–2 km) as observed from the radiosondes. However, the ECMWF analysis systematically underestimates the ABL heights. The sharp refractivity gradient at the ABL top frequently exceeds the critical refraction (e.g., −157 N-unit km−1) and becomes the so-called ducting condition, which results in a systematic RO refractivity bias (or called N-bias) inside the ABL. Simulation study based on radiosonde profiles reveals the magnitudes of the N-biases are vertical resolution dependent. The $N$-bias is also the primary cause of the systematically smaller refractivity gradient (rarely exceeding −110 N-unit km−1) at the ABL top from RO measurement. However, the N-bias seems not affect the ABL height detection. Instead, the very large RO bending angle and the sharp refractivity gradient due to ducting allow reliable detection of the ABL height from GPS RO. The seasonal mean climatology of ABL heights derived from a nine-month composite of COSMIC RO soundings over the SE Pacific reveals significant differences from the ECMWF analysis. Both show an increase of ABL height from the shallow stratocumulus near the coast to a much higher trade wind inversion further off the coast. However, COSMIC RO shows an overall deeper ABL and reveals different locations of the minimum and maximum ABL heights as compared to the ECMWF analysis. At low latitudes, despite the decreasing number of COSMIC RO soundings and the lower percentage of soundings that penetrate into the lowest 500-m above the mean-sea-level, there are small sampling errors in the mean ABL height climatology. The difference of ABL height climatology between COSMIC RO and ECMWF analysis over SE Pacific is significant and requires further studies.
Impacts of near-future cultivation of biofuel feedstocks on atmospheric composition and local air quality
Authors: Ashworth K. , Folberth G. , Hewitt C. N. , Wild O.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. Large-scale production of feedstock crops for biofuels will lead to land use changes. We quantify the effects of realistic land use change scenarios for biofuel feedstock production on isoprene emissions and hence atmospheric composition and chemistry using the HadGEM2 model. Two feedstocks are considered: oil palm for biodiesel in the tropics and short rotation coppice (SRC) in the mid-latitudes. In total, 69 Mha of oil palm and 9 Mha of SRC are planted, each sufficient to replace just over 1% of projected global fossil fuel demand in 2020. Both planting scenarios result in increases in total global annual isoprene emissions of about 1%. In each case, changes in surface concentrations of ozone and biogenic secondary organic aerosol (bSOA) are substantial at the regional scale, with implications for air quality standards. However, the changes in tropospheric burden of ozone and the OH radical, and hence effects on global climate, are negligible. Over SE Asia, one region of oil palm planting, increases in annual mean surface ozone and bSOA concentrations reach over 3 ppbv (+11%) and 0.4 μg m−3 (+10%) respectively for parts of Borneo, with monthly mean increases of up to 6.5 ppbv (+25%) and 0.5 μg m−3 (+12%). Under the SRC scenario, Europe experiences monthly mean changes of over 0.6 ppbv (+1%) and 0.1 μg m−3 (+5%) in June and July, with peak increases of over 2 ppbv (+3%) and 0.5 μg m−3 (+8 %). That appreciable regional atmospheric impacts result from low level planting scenarios demonstrates the need to include changes in emissions of reactive trace gases such as isoprene in life cycle assessments performed on potential biofuel feedstocks.
Summertime NOx measurements during the CHABLIS campaign: can source and sink estimates unravel observed diurnal cycles?
Authors: Bauguitte S. J.-B. , Bloss W. J. , Evans M. J. , Salmon R. A. , Anderson P. S. , Jones A. E. , Lee J. D. , Saiz-Lopez A. , Roscoe H. K. , Wolff E. W. , Plane J. M. C.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. NOx measurements were conducted at the Halley Research Station, coastal Antarctica, during the austral summer period 1 January–10 February 2005. A clear NOx diurnal cycle was observed with minimum concentrations close to instrumental detection limit (5 pptv) measured between 04:00–05:00 GMT. NOx concentrations peaked (24 pptv) between 19:00–20:00 GMT, approximately 5 h after local solar noon. An optimised box model of NOx concentrations based on production from in-snow nitrate photolysis and chemical loss derives a mean noon emission rate of 3.48 × 108 molec cm−2 s−1, assuming a 100 m boundary layer mixing height, and a relatively short NOx lifetime of ~6.4 h. This emission rate compares to directly measured values ranging from 2.1 to 12.6 × 108 molec cm−2 s−1 made on 3 days at the end of the study period. Calculations of the maximum rate of NO2 loss via a variety of conventional HOx and halogen oxidation processes show that the lifetime of NOx is predominantly controlled by halogen processing, namely BrNO3 and INO3 gas-phase formation and their subsequent heterogeneous uptake. Furthermore the presence of halogen oxides is shown to significantly perturb NOx concentrations by decreasing the NO/NO2 ratio. We conclude that in coastal Antarctica, the potential ozone production efficiency of NOx emitted from the snowpack is mitigated by the more rapid NOx loss due to halogen nitrate hydrolysis.
Vibrational Spectroscopic Study of (E)-4-(Benzylideneamino)-N-Carbamimidoyl Benzenesulfonamide
Authors: Chandran Asha , Mary Sheena , Varghese Hema Tresa , Panicker C. Yohannan , Manojkumar T. K. , Alsenoy Christian Van , Rajendran G.
Published: January 2012

The Fourier transform infrared and Fourier transform Raman spectra of (E)-4-(benzylideneamino)-N-carbamimidoyl benzenesulfonamide were recorded and analyzed. Geometry and harmonic vibrational wavenumbers were calculated theoretically using Gaussian 03 set of quantum chemistry codes. Calculations were performed at the Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT; B3PW91, B3LYP) levels of theory. The calculated wavenumbers (B3LYP) agree well with the observed wavenumbers. Potential energy distribution is done using GAR2PED program. The red shift of the N-H stretching band in the infrared spectrum from the computed wavenumber indicates the weakening of the N-H bond. The geometrical parameters of the title compound are in agreement with that of reported similar derivatives. The calculated first hyperpolarizability is comparable with the reported value of similar derivative and may be an attractive object for further studies of nonlinear optics. Potential energy surface scan studies have been carried out to understand the stability of planar and nonplanar structures of the molecule.
A Simon Effect for Depth in Three-Dimensional Displays
Authors: Rigon Jessica , Massaccesi Stefano , Umiltà Carlo
Published: January 2012

We investigated whether the Simon effect occurs for the depth dimension in a 3-dimensional display. In Experiment 1, participants executed discriminative responses to 2 stimuli, a cross and a sphere, both 3-dimensional, which were perceived to be located near or far with respect to the participant’s body. The response keys were located near and far along the participant’s midline. Apparent stimulus spatial location (near or far) was irrelevant to the task. Results showed a depth Simon effect, attributable to the apparent stimulus spatial location. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 with a different procedure. The 2 stimuli, a triangle and a rectangle, were 2-dimensional and were perceived as being located near or far from the participant’s midline; the response keys were located near and far along the participantÖs midline. Results showed again the depth Simon effect. Experiment 3 was a control condition in which the 2 stimuli, drawings of a lamp and of a chair, had the same size, regardless of whether they appeared to be near or far. The depth Simon effect was replicated. A distribution analysis on data of Experiment 3 showed that the Simon effect increased as reaction times became longer. In Experiment 4, the position of the 2 stimuli, a circle and a cross, varied on the horizontal (right or left) dimension, whereas the position of the 2 responses varied along the depth (near or far) dimension. No Simon effect was found.
Processes of Conscious and Unconscious Memory: Evidence From Current Research on Dissociation of Memories Within a Test
Authors: Cheng Chao-Ming , Huang Chin-Lan
Published: January 2012

The processes of conscious memory (CM) and unconscious memory (UM) are explored, based on the results of the current and previous studies in which the 2 forms of memory within a test were separated by either the process dissociation or metacognition-based dissociation procedure. The results assessing influences of shallow and deep processing, association, and self-generation on CM in explicit and implicit tests are taken as evidence that CM in a test is driven not only conceptually but also by the driving nature of the test, and CM benefits from an encoding condition to the extent that information processing for CM recapitulates that engaged in the encoding condition. Those influences on UM in explicit and implicit tests are taken to support the view that UM in a test is driven by the nature of the test itself, and UM benefits from an encoding condition to the extent that the cognitive environments at test and at study match to activate the same type of information (e.g., visual, lexical, or semantic) about memory items or the same content of a preexisting association or categorical structure.
Productivity costs and medical costs among working patients with knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Hermans Job , Koopmanschap Marc A. , Bierma‐Zeinstra Sita M. A. , van Linge Joost H. , Verhaar Jan A. N. , Reijman Max , Burdorf Alex
Published: January 2012

Objective

Although the knee joint is one of the joints most affected by osteoarthritis (OA), research on the economic implications of joint disease has generally focused only on OA. The goal of this study was to identify and quantify knee‐related productivity and medical costs in knee OA patients with paid employment. Furthermore, we evaluated associations between productivity loss and relevant patient, health, and work characteristics.

Methods

Consecutive knee OA patients with mild to moderate knee OA who were 18–65 years of age, had conservative treatment for ≥6 months, and had paid employment were included. Productivity loss and health care consumption were measured by questionnaires. The associations between productivity loss and patient, health, and work characteristics were explored with regression analyses.

Results

In total, 117 knee OA patients with a mean age of 53.2 years and a mean body mass index of 28.8 kg/m2 were included. Total knee‐related productivity costs and medical costs were €871 (median €411, interquartile range [IQR] €107–1,200) per patient per month, with total productivity costs of €722 (median €217, IQR €0–1,041) and total medical costs of €149 (median €137, IQR €72–198). More pain during activity and performing physically intensive work were significantly associated with productivity loss.

Conclusion

The total knee‐related productivity costs and medical costs of conservatively treated symptomatic knee OA patients with paid employment in The Netherlands are €871 per patient per month, with productivity costs accounting for 83% and medical costs for 17%. Productivity loss is associated with having more pain during activity and performing physically intensive work. Developing adequate treatment strategies for knee OA may be cost beneficial.