bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Summer Reading on Low-Income Children’s Literacy Achievement From Kindergarten to Grade 8
Authors: Kim James S. , Quinn David M.
Published: April 2013

This meta-analysis reviewed research on summer reading interventions conducted in the United States and Canada from 1998 to 2011. The synthesis included 41 classroom- and home-based summer reading interventions involving children from kindergarten to Grade 8. Compared to control group children, children who participated in classroom interventions, involving teacher-directed literacy lessons, or home interventions, involving child-initiated book reading activities, enjoyed significant improvement on multiple reading outcomes. The magnitude of the treatment effect was positive for summer reading interventions that employed research-based reading instruction and included a majority of low-income children. Sensitivity analyses based on within-study comparisons indicated that summer reading interventions had significantly larger benefits for children from low-income backgrounds than for children from a mix of income backgrounds. The findings highlight the potentially positive impact of classroom- and home-based summer reading interventions on the reading comprehension ability of low-income children.
The 1957-58 Season In Rome
Authors: Club Jr. Merrel
Published: April 2013

ALMOST TIIE FIRST THING that strikes one upon coming to Italy, especially the central and southern parts, is the drama of Italy. The entire history of Italy from the beginnings up to the present, of course, has been one vast drama; but even more the people themselves seem to sense the drama implicit in every life situation, and they play their parts up to the hilt, even improvising new parts on every possible occasion. Their love of costumes is evidenced by the fact that almost every trade is marked by a characteristic uniform. And one could never come to know all the myriad uniforms to be seen in and around the Quirinale in Rome. Pageants, parades, spectacles are innumerable in Italy: the Carnivale celebrated all over Italy, the Corsa del Palio in Siena, the Giclstra del Saracino in Arezzo, the Redentbre in Venice, the various cavalcate in Sardinia, and many others. Ceremony is an everyday p9rt of life in greetings and leave-takings. Every small situation becomes dramatized: an insignificant automobile accident involving only a scratched fender, the giving of a ticket by a policeman, any trifling disagreement will call forth a one-act play. Their feelings are always very close to the surface and inevitably become expressed dramatically with a beautiful command of gesture. To ride a bus to town or to walk along the streets of Rome or Naples is to present oneself at the theater where an infinite number of dramas are acted out one after another. And immediately one would assume that the legitimate theater would be a live and flourishing affair in Italy. Yet a survey of the plays being written and produced shows that this is far from the truth. Take the 1957-58 season in Rome, for example.
A Theory of Migration
Authors: Cresswell Tim
Published: April 2013

A poem by Tim Cresswell
Subversive Mobilities
Authors: Thelle Mikkel
Published: April 2013

The article approaches mobility through a cultural history of urban conflict. Using a case of “The Copenhagen Trouble,“ a series of riots in the Danish capital around 1900, a space of subversive mobilities is delineated. These turn-of-the-century riots points to a new pattern of mobile gathering, the swarm; to a new aspect of public action, the staging; and to new ways of configuring public space. These different components indicate an urban assemblage of subversion, and a new characterization of the “throwntogetherness“ of the modern public.
Mobilizing Transport
Authors: Schabacher Gabriele
Published: April 2013

The article deals with the relationship between media and transportation infrastructures and analyzes their links to the concept of mobility. It examines the assumption that infrastructure systems themselves are mobile, in the sense that they develop and have to be maintained constantly. According to such a perspective, they are to be considered not primarily as “structures,“ but as specific processes of mobilization (infrastructuring) that constitute the basis for mobility in the sense of transport and movement. Drawing on historical knowledge of transportation, it will be shown that a broad understanding of traffic as exchange, communication, and transportation has narrowed in the twentieth century, whereby the originally implied idea of transport as transformation became suppressed. Recent approaches in mobility studies, Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) can be combined in a fruitful way to unfold the specific dynamics of infrastructure as a process of mobilization (Callon) and technical mediation (Latour).
The "Ambulant In-between"
Authors: Buschauer Regine
Published: April 2013

The essay delineates a multi-layered approach to a media history of mobile telecommunication. Whilst contemporary media such as the digital mobile phone are often seen as a recent “mobilization“ of media, the dual aim of the essay is to both historicize and theorize mobile communication media, focusing on their past and present configurations at the junction of media and mobility. Historically these configurations are discussed in regard to the early history of wireless, to the cell phone, and to Citizens' Band (CB) radio as well as to relations between mobilities of transportation and media within the history of telecommunication. Today's mobile media are thus traced back to a heterogenous historical landscape of mobile “media in transition“ (W. Uricchio). Theoretically mobile communication is discussed in its multiple and basically ambiguous mobility that shifts and broadens the notion of the “mobile.“ The term “ambulant,“ referring to something “not fixed,“ is used to mark this shift and is brought into play as a heuristical concept that allows us critically to rethink notions of mobility from a historical and media-related point of view.
"All Transportation Is Local"
Authors: Turcotte Joseph F. , Ball M. Len
Published: April 2013

In an increasingly mediated situation, mobile, digital, and networked technologies (MDNTs) prompt individuals to orient themselves in new ways to the spaces they traverse. How users and communities experience these technologies in relation to the environments around them subsequently affects mentalities, including perceptions of space and mobility. The mediating presence of digital technology interconnects internal and external factors through diverse social and technological networks. This paper uses interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives to argue that ubiquitous MDNTs alter the ways that individuals orient themselves in relation to the spaces, both on- and offline, that they traverse. By mediating various visual, audible, and informational aspects of daily life while remaining implicated within external networks of related experiences, individuals move through on- and offline spaces in ways that allow the subject to negotiate her local environment(s). Experiences of mobility and space become more fluid as spatial subjectivities and mobility become integrated.
Particles
Authors: Manabe Daito , Ishibashi Motoi
Published: April 2013

“Particles” is a hybrid of kinetic and light art installations that creates unique patterns of three-dimensional floating and flickering dots. In a dark room, a sixteen-level, eight-shaped “toboggan-like” rail structure is set up. The structure is 7.5m high and 8m wide where 120 balls with built in LEDs roll down the spiral rails. Each ball also has a built-in connection which allows the LEDs to be activated remotely. As the balls roll down the rails, three-dimensional flickering patterns emerge as the individual balls blink on and off.
Sphenoid sinus anatomy and suprasellar extension of pituitary tumors
Authors: Ramakrishnan Vijay R. , Suh Jeffrey D. , Lee Jennifer Y. , O'Malley Bert W. , Grady M. Sean , Palmer James N.
Published: April 2013

Object

As tumors enlarge, they generally grow along paths of least resistance. For pituitary macroadenomas, extrasellar extension into the suprasellar region, cavernous sinus, or sphenoid sinus may occur. The sphenoid sinus is known to have a variable anatomical configuration, and the authors hypothesize that certain anatomical factors may resist tumor expansion into the sphenoid sinus, thereby directing tumor growth into the suprasellar space. In this paper the authors' goal was to determine if sphenoid anatomy influences pituitary tumor growth.

Methods

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 106 consecutive surgical cases of pituitary macroadenoma. Patient demographics, suprasellar extension, sellar width, and features of the sphenoid intersinus septum were recorded on radiographic review. The chi-square test, t-test, logistic regression, and classification and regression tree analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Of the 106 patients included in the study, 71 (67%) demonstrated suprasellar extension of their tumor. Patients with suprasellar tumor extension had significantly greater intersinus septum width (width > 1.27 mm: OR = 14.32; p = 0.0012) and were significantly older (age > 54 yrs: OR = 3.33; p = 0.0176). They also tended to be male and to have two or more sphenoid partitions (OR = 6.58; p = 0.0306). While patients with suprasellar extension tended to be more likely to have a midline partition and a larger sellar width than their counterparts, these differences did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

Certain aspects of the sphenoid sinus anatomy may function to resist pituitary tumor growth into the sphenoid sinus. Progressive enlargement of pituitary macroadenomas may extend in a suprasellar direction, in part, as a consequence of the sphenoid sinus anatomy.
Endoscopic removal of an intraventricular primitive neuroectodermal tumor: retrieval of a free-floating fragment using a urological basket retriever
Authors: Carr Kevin , Zuckerman Scott L. , Tomycz Luke , Pearson Matthew M.
Published: April 2013

The endoscopic resection of intraventricular tumors represents a unique challenge to the neurological surgeon. These neoplasms are invested deep within the brain parenchyma and are situated among neurologically vital structures. Additionally, the cerebrospinal fluid system presents a dynamic pathway for resected tumors to be mobilized and entrapped in other regions of the brain. In 2011, the authors treated a 3-year-old girl with a third ventricular mass identified on stereotactic brain biopsy as a WHO Grade IV CNS primitive neuroectodermal tumor. After successful neoadjuvant chemotherapy, endoscopic resection was performed. Despite successful resection of the tumor, the operation was complicated by mobilization of the resected tumor and entrapment in the atrial horn of the lateral ventricle. Using a urological stone basket retriever, the authors were able to retrieve the intact tumor without additional complications. The flexibility afforded by the nitinol urological stone basket was useful in the endoscopic removal of a free-floating intraventricular tumor. This device may prove to be useful for other practitioners performing these complicated intraventricular resections.
Serum Ferritin and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Controlled Study
Authors: Islam Nilufar , Chowdhury Shiuly , Kazal Rezaul Karim , Rahman Reefat , Parveen Hasna Hena , Farhana Kazi , Chowdhury Saleha Begum
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 205-210 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14763
Association of Dugs with Psoriasis: A Review of Literature
Authors: Ahamed Abu Reza Sayem , Khondker Lubna , Khan Md. Shirajul Islam , Islam Kismat Ara
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 211-218 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14764
From the Desk of Editor in Chief Vol.30(4)
Authors: Ahasan HAM Nazmul
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 244 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14772
A Deeper Statistical Examination of Arrival Dates of Migratory Breeding Birds in Relation to Global Climate Change
Authors: Wilson W.
Published: April 2013

Using an 18-year dataset of arrival dates of 65 species of Maine migratory breeding birds, I take a deeper view of the data to ask questions about the shapes of the distribution. For each year, most species show a consistent right-skewed pattern of distribution, suggesting that selection is stronger against individuals that arrive too early compared to those that arrive later. Distributions are consistently leptokurtic, indicating a narrow window of optimal arrival dates. Species that arrive earlier in the spring show higher skewness and kurtosis values. Nectarivorous species showed more pronounced skewness. Wintering area did not explain patterns of skewness or kurtosis. Deviations from average temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation index explained little variation in skewness and kurtosis. When arrival date distributions are broken down into different medians (e.g., 5% median and 75% median), stronger correlations emerge for portions of the distribution that are adjacent, suggesting species fine-tune the progress of their migration. Interspecific correlations for birds arriving around the same time are stronger for earliest migrants (the 25% median) compared to the true median and the 75% median.
Mechanisms Underlying Auditory Hallucinations—Understanding Perception without Stimulus
Authors: Tracy Derek , Shergill Sukhwinder
Published: April 2013

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a common phenomenon, occurring in the “healthy” population as well as in several mental illnesses, most notably schizophrenia. Current thinking supports a spectrum conceptualisation of AVH: several neurocognitive hypotheses of AVH have been proposed, including the “feed-forward” model of failure to provide appropriate information to somatosensory cortices so that stimuli appear unbidden, and an “aberrant memory model” implicating deficient memory processes. Neuroimaging and connectivity studies are in broad agreement with these with a general dysconnectivity between frontotemporal regions involved in language, memory and salience properties. Disappointingly many AVH remain resistant to standard treatments and persist for many years. There is a need to develop novel therapies to augment existing pharmacological and psychological therapies: transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a potential treatment, though more recent clinical data has been less encouraging. Our understanding of AVH remains incomplete though much progress has been made in recent years. We herein provide a broad overview and review of this.
Linking Metabolic Abnormalities to Apoptotic Pathways in Beta Cells in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Wali Jibran , Masters Seth , Thomas Helen
Published: April 2013

Pancreatic beta-cell apoptosis is an important feature of islets in type 2 diabetes. Apoptosis can occur through two major pathways, the extrinsic or death receptor mediated pathway, and the intrinsic or Bcl-2-regulated pathway. Hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia and islet amyloid poly-peptide (IAPP) represent important possible causes of increased beta-cell apoptosis. Hyperglycaemia induces islet-cell apoptosis by the intrinsic pathway involving molecules of the Bcl-2 family. High concentrations of palmitate also activate intrinsic apoptosis in islets cells. IAPP oligomers can induce apoptosis by both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. IL-1b produced through NLRP3 inflammasome activation can also induce islet cell death. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome may not be important for glucose or palmitate induced apoptosis in islets but may be important for IAPP mediated cell death. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress have been observed in beta cells in type 2 diabetes, and these could be the link between upstream metabolic abnormalities and downstream apoptotic machinery.
The Dynamics of Costly Signaling
Authors: Wagner Elliott
Published: April 2013

Costly signaling is a mechanism through which the honesty of signals can be secured in equilibrium, even in interactions where communicators have conflicting interests. This paper explores the dynamics of one such signaling game: Spence’s model of education. It is found that separating equilibria are unlikely to emerge under either the replicator or best response dynamics, but that partially communicative mixed equilibria are quite important dynamically. These mixtures are Lyapunov stable in the replicator dynamic and asymptotically stable in the best response dynamic. Moreover, they have large basins of attraction, in fact larger than those of either pooling or separating equilibria. This suggests that these mixtures may play significant, and underappreciated, roles in the explanation of the emergence and stability of information transfer.
The Effects of Vision-Related Aspects on Noise Perception of Wind Turbines in Quiet Areas
Authors: Maffei Luigi , Iachini Tina , Masullo Massimiliano , Aletta Francesco , Sorrentino Francesco , Senese Vincenzo , Ruotolo Francesco
Published: April 2013

Preserving the soundscape and geographic extension of quiet areas is a great challenge against the wide-spreading of environmental noise. The E.U. Environmental Noise Directive underlines the need to preserve quiet areas as a new aim for the management of noise in European countries. At the same time, due to their low population density, rural areas characterized by suitable wind are considered appropriate locations for installing wind farms. However, despite the fact that wind farms are represented as environmentally friendly projects, these plants are often viewed as visual and audible intruders, that spoil the landscape and generate noise. Even though the correlations are still unclear, it is obvious that visual impacts of wind farms could increase due to their size and coherence with respect to the rural/quiet environment. In this paper, by using the Immersive Virtual Reality technique, some visual and acoustical aspects of the impact of a wind farm on a sample of subjects were assessed and analyzed. The subjects were immersed in a virtual scenario that represented a situation of a typical rural outdoor scenario that they experienced at different distances from the wind turbines. The influence of the number and the colour of wind turbines on global, visual and auditory judgment were investigated. The main results showed that, regarding the number of wind turbines, the visual component has a weak effect on individual reactions, while the colour influences both visual and auditory individual reactions, although in a different way.
Growth and Potential Damage of Human Bone-Derived Cells on Fresh and Aged Fullerene C60 Films
Authors: Kopova Ivana , Bacakova Lucie , Lavrentiev Vasily , Vacik Jiri
Published: April 2013

Fullerenes are nanoparticles composed of carbon atoms arranged in a spherical hollow cage-like structure. Numerous studies have evaluated the therapeutic potential of fullerene derivates against oxidative stress-associated conditions, including the prevention or treatment of arthritis. On the other hand, fullerenes are not only able to quench, but also to generate harmful reactive oxygen species. The reactivity of fullerenes may change in time due to the oxidation and polymerization of fullerenes in an air atmosphere. In this study, we therefore tested the dependence between the age of fullerene films (from one week to one year) and the proliferation, viability and metabolic activity of human osteosarcoma cells (lines MG-63 and U-2 OS). We also monitored potential membrane and DNA damage and morphological changes of the cells. After seven days of cultivation, we did not observe any cytotoxic morphological changes, such as enlarged cells or cytosolic vacuole formation. Furthermore, there was no increased level of DNA damage. The increasing age of the fullerene films did not cause enhancement of cytotoxicity. On the contrary, it resulted in an improvement in the properties of these materials, which are more suitable for cell cultivation. Therefore, fullerene films could be considered as a promising material with potential use as a bioactive coating of cell carriers for bone tissue engineering.
Excitation and Adaptation in Bacteria–a Model Signal Transduction System that Controls Taxis and Spatial Pattern Formation
Authors: Othmer Hans , Xin Xiangrong , Xue Chuan
Published: April 2013

The machinery for transduction of chemotactic stimuli in the bacterium E. coli is one of the most completely characterized signal transduction systems, and because of its relative simplicity, quantitative analysis of this system is possible. Here we discuss models which reproduce many of the important behaviors of the system. The important characteristics of the signal transduction system are excitation and adaptation, and the latter implies that the transduction system can function as a “derivative sensor” with respect to the ligand concentration in that the DC component of a signal is ultimately ignored if it is not too large. This temporal sensing mechanism provides the bacterium with a memory of its passage through spatially- or temporally-varying signal fields, and adaptation is essential for successful chemotaxis. We also discuss some of the spatial patterns observed in populations and indicate how cell-level behavior can be embedded in population-level descriptions.
Applying Tandem Mass Spectral Libraries for Solving the Critical Assessment of Small Molecule Identification (CASMI) LC/MS Challenge 2012
Authors: Oberacher Herbert
Published: April 2013

The “Critical Assessment of Small Molecule Identification” (CASMI) contest was aimed in testing strategies for small molecule identification that are currently available in the experimental and computational mass spectrometry community. We have applied tandem mass spectral library search to solve Category 2 of the CASMI Challenge 2012 (best identification for high resolution LC/MS data). More than 230,000 tandem mass spectra part of four well established libraries (MassBank, the collection of tandem mass spectra of the “NIST/NIH/EPA Mass Spectral Library 2012”, METLIN, and the ‘Wiley Registry of Tandem Mass Spectral Data, MSforID’) were searched. The sample spectra acquired in positive ion mode were processed. Seven out of 12 challenges did not produce putative positive matches, simply because reference spectra were not available for the compounds searched. This suggests that to some extent the limited coverage of chemical space with high-quality reference spectra is still a problem encountered in tandem mass spectral library search. Solutions were submitted for five challenges. Three compounds were correctly identified (kanamycin A, benzyldiphenylphosphine oxide, and 1-isopropyl-5-methyl-1H-indole-2,3-dione). In the absence of any reference spectrum, a false positive identification was obtained for 1-aminoanthraquinone by matching the corresponding sample spectrum to the structurally related compounds N-phenylphthalimide and 2-aminoanthraquinone. Another false positive result was submitted for 1H-benz[g]indole; for the 1H-benz[g]indole-specific sample spectra provided, carbazole was listed as the best matching compound. In this case, the quality of the available 1H-benz[g]indole-specific reference spectra was found to hamper unequivocal identification.
Phenolic Constituents, Antioxidant and Preliminary Antimycoplasmic Activities of Leaf Skin and Flowers of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (syn. A. barbadensis Mill.) from the Canary Islands (Spain)
Authors: López Aroa , De Tangil Miguel , Vega-Orellana Orestes , Ramírez Ana , Rico Milagros
Published: April 2013

The methanol extracts of leaf skins and flowers of Aloe vera from the Canary Islands were analyzed for their phenolic profiles and screened for their antioxidant and antimycoplasmic activities. The use of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) allowed the identification of 18 phenolic constituents. Leaf skin extracts were characterized by the abundance of catechin, sinapic acid and quercitrin. Gentisic acid, epicatechin and quercitrin were the most prominent phenolic compounds of the flowers. The in vitro antioxidant activities determined by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric antioxidant reducing power (FRAP) assays revealed that both extracts exhibited antioxidant activity, being the leaf skin extract the most active fraction. The leaf skin extract was also found to be active against the microbial strains tested. Therefore, A. vera extracts from leaf skin and flowers can be considered as good natural antioxidant sources.
A Thermal Model for Carbon Nanotube Interconnects
Authors: Mohsin Kaji , Srivastava Ashok , Sharma Ashwani , Mayberry Clay
Published: April 2013

In this work, we have studied Joule heating in carbon nanotube based very large scale integration (VLSI) interconnects and incorporated Joule heating influenced scattering in our previously developed current transport model. The theoretical model explains breakdown in carbon nanotube resistance which limits the current density. We have also studied scattering parameters of carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnects and compared with the earlier work. For 1 µm length single-wall carbon nanotube, 3 dB frequency in S12 parameter reduces to ~120 GHz from 1 THz considering Joule heating. It has been found that bias voltage has little effect on scattering parameters, while length has very strong effect on scattering parameters.
Improved Estimation of Protein-Ligand Binding Free Energy by Using the Ligand-Entropy and Mobility of Water Molecules
Authors: Fukunishi Yoshifumi , Nakamura Haruki
Published: April 2013

We previously developed the direct interaction approximation (DIA) method to estimate the protein-ligand binding free energy (DG). The DIA method estimates the DG value based on the direct van der Waals and electrostatic interaction energies between the protein and the ligand. In the current study, the effect of the entropy of the ligand was introduced with protein dynamic properties by molecular dynamics simulations, and the interaction between each residue of the protein and the ligand was also weighted considering the hydration of each residue. The molecular dynamics simulation of the apo target protein gave the hydration effect of each residue, under the assumption that the residues, which strongly bind the water molecules, are important in the protein-ligand binding. These two effects improved the reliability of the DIA method. In fact, the parameters used in the DIA became independent of the target protein. The averaged error of DG estimation was 1.3 kcal/mol and the correlation coefficient between the experimental DG value and the calculated DG value was 0.75.
Catholic and Charismatic: A Study in Personality Theory within Catholic Congregations
Authors: Francis Leslie , Louden Stephen , Robbins Mandy
Published: April 2013

This study set out to conceptualise and measure Charismatic orientation (openness to charismatic experience) and traditional Catholic orientation (Catholic identity) among a sample of 670 Catholic churchgoers in order to test whether attachment to Catholic Charismatic Renewal strengthened or weakened the sense of traditional Catholic identity among churchgoing Catholics. This research question was set within the broader consideration of the location of Charismatic orientation and Catholic orientation within Eysenck’s three dimensional model of personality. The data revealed a strong positive association between Charismatic experience and Catholic identity. Higher scores on the index of Charismatic orientation were associated with higher extraversion scores, with higher neuroticism scores, and with higher levels of mass attendance and personal prayer. Higher scores on the index of Catholic orientation were associated with being female, being older, higher neuroticism scores, and higher levels of mass attendance and personal prayer.
Seedling Discrimination with Shape Features Derived from a Distance Transform
Authors: Giselsson Thomas , Midtiby Henrik , Jørgensen Rasmus
Published: April 2013

The aim of this research is an improvement of plant seedling recognition by two new approaches of shape feature generation based on plant silhouettes. Experiments show that the proposed feature sets possess value in plant recognition when compared with other feature sets. Both methods approximate a distance distribution of an object, either by resampling or by approximation of the distribution with a high degree Legendre polynomial. In the latter case, the polynomial coefficients constitute a feature set. The methods have been tested through a discrimination process where two similar plant species are to be distinguished into their respective classes. The used performance assessment is based on the classification accuracy of 4 different classifiers (a k-Nearest Neighbor, Naive-Bayes, Linear Support Vector Machine, Nonlinear Support Vector Machine). Another set of 21 well-known shape features described in the literature is used for comparison. The used data consisted of 139 samples of cornflower (Centaura cyanus L.) and 63 samples of nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.). The highest discrimination accuracy was achieved with the Legendre Polynomial feature set and amounted to 97.5%. This feature set consisted of 10 numerical values. Another feature set consisting of 21 common features achieved an accuracy of 92.5%. The results suggest that the Legendre Polynomial feature set can compete with or outperform the commonly used feature sets.
DRIFTS Sensor: Soil Carbon Validation at Large Scale (Pantelleria, Italy)
Authors: Saiano Filippo , Oddo Giacomo , Scalenghe Riccardo , La Mantia Tommaso , Ajmone-Marsan Franco
Published: April 2013

A fast and accurate measurement of soil carbon is needed in current scientific issues. Today there are many sensors suitable for these purposes, but choosing the appropriate sensor depends on the spatial scale at which the studies are conducted. There are few detailed studies that validate these types of measures allowing their immediate use. Here it is validated the quick use of a sensor in execution at Pantelleria, chosen for size, use and variability of the parameter measured, to give an operational tool for carbon stocks studies. The DRIFT sensor used here has been validated in the first 60 cm of the soil of the whole island, and it has shown predictivity higher than 90%.
What Evidence and Support Do State-Level Public Health Practitioners Need to Address Obesity Prevention
Authors: Leeman Jennifer , Teal Randall , Jernigan Jan , Reed Jenica Huddleston , Farris Rosanne , Ammerman Alice
Published: April 2013

Purpose.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Public health practitioners are distinctly positioned to promote the environmental changes essential to addressing obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other entities provide evidence and technical assistance to support this work, yet little is known about how practitioners use evidence and support as they intervene to prevent obesity. The study's purpose was to describe how practitioners and CDC project officers characterized the obesity prevention task, where practitioners accessed support and evidence, and what approaches to support and evidence they found most useful.

Approach or Design.

Mixed-methods, cross-sectional interviews, and survey.

Setting.

State-level public health obesity prevention programs.

Participants.

Public health practitioners and CDC project officers.

Method.

We conducted 10 in-depth interviews with public health practitioners (n = 7) and project officers (n = 3) followed by an online survey completed by 62 practitioners (50% response rate). We applied content analysis to interview data and descriptive statistics to survey data.

Results.

Practitioners characterized obesity prevention as uncertain and complex, involving interdependence among actors, multiple levels of activity, an excess of information, and a paucity of evidence. Survey findings provide further detail on the types of evidence and support practitioners used and valued.

Conclusion.

We recommend approaches to tailoring evidence and support to the needs of practitioners working on obesity prevention and other complex health problems.
A Structured Intentions and Action-Planning Intervention Improves Weight Loss Outcomes in a Group Weight Loss Program
Authors: Benyamini Yael , Geron Rivki , Steinberg David M. , Medini Nurit , Valinsky Liora , Endevelt Ronit
Published: April 2013

Purpose.

To assess whether forming general behavioral intentions and implementing intentions through action plans promotes weight loss and is moderated by weight loss goals and self-efficacy.

Design.

A quasi-experimental study comparing change in body mass index (BMI) for 15 months between a behavioral intentions condition (BIC), an implementation intentions condition (IIC), and a comparison condition (CC).

Setting.

Ten-week weight loss program delivered in weekly group meetings at community medical centers.

Subjects.

Six hundred thirty-two attendants at the weight loss program (80% of program attendants participated in the study).

Intervention.

Weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes, augmented by two experimental conditions (vs. a comparison condition): BIC, intended use of weight loss techniques; IIC, intended use and detailed plans for two techniques. Phone follow-up was conducted 3 and 12 months later.

Measures.

Main outcome: BMI during the program (computed on the basis of weight and height measured on a mechanical medical scale). Experimental manipulations included exposure to list of techniques (BIC/IIC) and structured planning form (IIC); independent variables were assessed with questionnaires (eating self efficacy, weight loss goal, demographics).

Analysis.

Linear mixed models estimating changes in BMI and their interactions with the planning interventions, goals, and self-efficacy.

Results.

Participants in the BIC and IIC lost 40% more weight during the 10-week program than those in the CC (1.10 and 1.11 BMI points compared with. 79; ts < −2.76, ps < .01). Weight loss goals interacted with implementation intentions (t = 2.98, p < .01). Self-efficacy was unrelated to weight loss. No differences were found between conditions at 3 and 12 months after the program.

Conclusion.

Findings revealed that forming implementation intentions promotes weight loss within a weekly program at a field setting and that its effectiveness depends on initial high goals.
Psychiatric and Addictive Symptoms of Young Adult Female Indoor Tanners
Authors: Heckman Carolyn J. , Cohen-Filipic Jessye , Darlow Susan , Kloss Jacqueline D. , Manne Sharon L. , Munshi Teja
Published: April 2013

Purpose.

Indoor tanning (IT) increases risk for melanoma and is particularly common among young adult women. IT has also been linked with some psychiatric symptoms, and frequent tanning may indicate tanning dependence (addiction) associated with endorphin release during ultraviolet radiation exposure. The objective of the current study was to investigate associations between IT, tanning dependence, and psychiatric and substance use symptoms in young adult women.

Design.

Cross-sectional survey and psychiatric interview.

Setting.

Online, except for the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), which was completed over the telephone.

Subjects.

Participants were 306 female university students aged 18 to 25 years.

Measures.

MINI, Seasonal Scale Index, tanning dependence scales, reporting ever having used a tanning bed or booth with tanning lamps (single item), reporting smoking a cigarette in the last 30 days (single item).

Analysis.

Descriptive statistics, χ2 analysis, multivariate logistic regression.

Results.

Forty-six percent of the sample reported a history of IT, and 25% were classified as tanning dependent. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that IT was significantly associated with symptoms of alcohol use disorders, generalized anxiety, and not having social anxiety. Tanning dependence was associated with symptoms of alcohol use disorders.

Conclusion.

Tanning is of concern not only for its association with skin cancer but for its association with psychiatric and substance use symptoms. Young women with certain psychological problems may seek relief from their symptoms by IT. These findings suggest that indoor tanners may benefit from health behavior and other psychosocial interventions.
Muslim Responses to British Colonialism in Northern Nigeria as Expressed in Fulfulde Poems
Authors: Bashir Abubakar Mallam M.
Published: April 2013

The pioneer of Fulfulde poetry in written Arabic/ajami was Shehu Uthmān bin Fodiye, who led a jihad in 1804 for the purification of Islam in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, also known as Hausa Land. His contemporaries followed his footsteps and the poetic tradition of resistance continues to the present day. This article examines poems that are concerned with Muslim responses to British colonial occupation in northern Nigeria, expressed in the Fulfulde language. The poets express that the myth of well-received and accepted colonial occupiers, propagated by the West, was in fact not true. Scholarly support is given to highlight the fierce battles, killings, and destructions of property that finally resulted in the imposition of colonial rule upon the people of northern Nigeria, replacing the more moderate Sokoto Caliphate.
Pilgrimage Through Poetry: Sung Journeys Within the Murid Spiritual Diaspora
Authors: Dang Christine Thu Nhi
Published: April 2013

This study examines the role of musical tradition in unifying the spiritual itineraries of a globalized religious community. Within the Muridiyya, an important Senegalese Sufi order, the singing of Arabic poetry written by Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba is a fundamental rite of sacred journeys, the most notable of which is the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Touba. At the heart of this pilgrimage is the story of Bamba’s departure on exile, a foundational story powerfully evoked in the singing of the shaykh’s poetry. For Murids in diasporic communities distant from Senegal, the singing of sacred poetry can become a compelling substitute for ritual travel to Touba. Through sung poetry, believers in the widespread Murid diaspora can fulfill a sonic pilgrimage, an acoustic homecoming, a metaphysical return to their beloved spiritual home.
The effects of hygroscopicity on ice nucleation of fossil fuel combustion aerosols in mixed-phase clouds
Authors: Yun Y. , Penner J. E. , Popovicheva O.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Fossil fuel black carbon and organic matter (ffBC/OM) are often emitted together with sulfate, which coats the surface of these particles and changes their hygroscopicity. Observational studies at cirrus temperatures (≈−40 °C) show that the hygroscopicity of soot particles can modulate their ice nucleation ability. Here, we implement a scheme for 3 categories of soot (hydrophobic, hydrophilic and hygroscopic) on the basis of laboratory data and specify their ability to act as ice nuclei at mixed-phase temperatures by extrapolating the observations using a published deposition/condensation/immersion freezing parameterization. The new scheme results in significant changes to anthropogenic forcing in mixed-phase clouds. The net forcing in our offline model studies varies from 0.111 to 1.059 W m−2 depending on the ice nucleation capability of hygroscopic soot particles. The total anthropogenic cloud forcing and whole-sky forcing with the new scheme are 0.06 W m−2 and −2.45 W m−2, respectively, but could be more positive (by about 1.17 W m−2) if hygroscopic soot particles are allowed to nucleate ice particles. The change in liquid water path dominates the anthropogenic forcing in mixed-phase clouds.
Diurnal tracking of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the Los Angeles basin megacity during spring 2010
Authors: Newman S. , Jeong S. , Fischer M. L. , Xu X. , Haman C. L. , Lefer B. , Alvarez S. , Rappenglueck B. , Kort E. A. , Andrews A. E. , Peischl J. , Gurney K. R. , Miller C. E. , Yung Y. L.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Attributing observed CO2 variations to human or natural cause is critical to deducing and tracking emissions from observations. We have used in situ CO2, CO, and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) measurements recorded during the CalNex-LA (CARB et al., 2008) ground campaign of 15 May–15 June 2010, in Pasadena, CA, to deduce the diurnally varying anthropogenic component of observed CO2 in the megacity of Los Angeles (LA). This affordable and simple technique, validated by carbon isotope observations and WRF-STILT (Weather Research and Forecasting model – Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport model) predictions, is shown to robustly attribute observed CO2 variation to anthropogenic or biogenic origin over the entire diurnal cycle. During CalNex-LA, local fossil fuel combustion contributed up to ~50% of the observed CO2 enhancement overnight, and ~100% of the enhancement near midday. This suggests that sufficiently accurate total column CO2 observations recorded near midday, such as those from the GOSAT or OCO-2 satellites, can potentially be used to track anthropogenic emissions from the LA megacity.
UV/PAR radiation and DOM properties in surface coastal waters of the Canadian shelf of the Beaufort Sea during summer 2009
Authors: Para J. , Charrière B. , Matsuoka A. , Miller W. L. , Rontani J. F. , Sempéré R.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Surface waters from the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean were evaluated for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and optical characteristics including UV (ultraviolet) radiation and PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) diffuse attenuation (Kd), and chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (CDOM and FDOM) as part of the MALINA field campaign (30 July to 27 August). Spectral absorption coefficients (aCDOM (350 nm) (m−1)) were significantly correlated to both diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd) in the UV-A and UV-B and to DOC concentrations. This indicates CDOM as the dominant attenuator of both UV and PAR solar radiation and suggests its use as an optical proxy for DOC concentrations in this region. While the Mackenzie input is the main driver of CDOM dynamics in low salinity waters, locally, primary production can create significant increases in CDOM. Extrapolating CDOM to DOC relationships, we estimate that ∼16% of the DOC in the Mackenzie River does not absorb radiation at 350 nm. The discharges of DOC and its chromophoric subset (CDOM) by the Mackenzie River during the MALINA cruise are estimated as ∼0.22 TgC and 0.18 TgC, respectively. Three dissolved fluorescent components (C1–C3) were identified by fluorescence excitation/emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Our results showed an aquatic dissolved organic matter (DOM) component (C1), probably produced in the numerous lakes of the watershed, that co-dominated with a terrestrial humic-like component (C2) in the Mackenzie Delta Sector. This aquatic DOM could partially explain the high CDOM spectral slopes observed in the Beaufort Sea.
Regional-scale analysis of high-mountain multi-hazard and risk in the Pamir (Tajikistan) with GRASS GIS
Authors: Gruber F. E. , Mergili M.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. We present a model framework for the regional-scale analysis of high-mountain multi-hazard and -risk, implemented with the Open Source software package GRASS GIS. This framework is applied to a 98 300 km2 study area centred in the Pamir (Tajikistan). It includes (i) rock slides, (ii) ice avalanches, (iii) periglacial debris flows, and (iv) lake outburst floods. First, a hazard indication score is assigned to each relevant object (steep rock face, glacier or periglacial slope, lake). This score depends on the susceptibility and on the expected event magnitude. Second, the possible travel distances, impact areas and, consequently, impact hazard indication scores for all types of processes are computed using empirical relationships. These scores are finally superimposed with an exposure score derived from the type of land use, resulting in a raster map of risk indication scores finally discretized at the community level. The analysis results are presented and discussed at different spatial scales. The major outcome of the study, a set of comprehensive regional-scale hazard and risk indication maps, shall represent an objective basis for the prioritization of target communities for further research and risk mitigation measures.
British Students' Academic Writing
Authors: Sultan Nabil
Published: April 2013

The problem of poor academic writing among British university students is a major cause of concern for universities and their tutors; and it is also of concern to employers struggling to recruit individuals able to communicate clearly and accurately. This article reports on a study designed to highlight some of the reasons for the lack of writing skills, with a view to identifying remedial measures that could be taken to address the problem. The object of the study is an Academy (secondary school) in the North of England, referred to as Northland Academy (NA), one of the new Academies first introduced by the Labour Government in 2000 and now enthusiastically endorsed and promoted in England by the current UK Coalition Government. A first group of students at NA was given relatively simple tests of punctuation and word selection and essay writing; and, separately, a second group was presented with a research proposal and given the task of writing an essay on it. It is suggested that a change in Government policy is needed in order to emphasize and include the importance of academic writing for secondary and FE students intending to progress into HE.
Is Indonesia Producing Enough Business Graduates to Assist its Development Aspirations?
Authors: Fraser Kym
Published: April 2013

Business plays an important role in most economies around the world, but businesses rely on the higher education system to supply an adequate number of qualified business graduates. In nations such as the USA, the UK and Australia, business degrees are the most popular university qualification; and the growth in the number of Chinese students undertaking business degrees in universities outside their home country over the past decade has been astronomical. In contrast, for Indonesia there has been a decline in the number of business degrees being undertaken abroad and at home. Indonesia has set a number of ambitious development goals and if these are to be achieved, there will need to be increasing activity from the business sector. Therefore, it is argued, questions should be raised about the current declining rate of student numbers in higher education business degree courses, and about whether the trend will have a detrimental impact on the future development aspirations of this highly populated country.
Social Media in Libraries: It's Like, Complicated
Authors: Canty Nick
Published: April 2013

This article considers how some major libraries across the world are using social media platforms. Libraries have engaged with the ‘household brands’ familiar to us all regardless of geographic location or language although their use of the platforms varies widely. Although there are no surprises in how the platforms are used and what content is made available by each library, the overall impression is of patchy use of the platforms, with some libraries fully embracing all platforms while others concentrate on fewer. A key message is that use of high quality images for websites seems to succeed in engaging with people. The article is based around social media data collected from library accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs between July and August 2012, extended for three months for YouTube due to the lack of regularly submitted content. After a discussion about the role of social media in libraries, the data is analysed for each platform.