bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overnight Changes in the Cerebral Vascular Response to Isocapnic Hypoxia and Hypercapnia in Healthy Humans
Authors: Meadows Guy E. , Kotajima Futoshi , Vazir Ali , Kostikas Konstantinos , Simonds Anita K. , Morrell Mary J. , Corfield Douglas R.
Published: October 2005

Background and Purpose—

The reduction in hypercapnic cerebral vascular reactivity that occurs in the morning after sleep is associated with an increased risk of cerebral ischemia and stroke. It is not known if the cerebral vascular response to hypoxia is similarly reduced in the morning, but such a reduction could be considered a further risk factor for cerebral vascular disease.

Methods—

To test if the cerebral vascular response to hypoxia is reduced in the morning, the overnight changes in the left middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAV) in response to isocapnic hypoxia (IH) and hypercapnia before and after a normal night sleep were determined in 18 individuals.

Results—

From evening to morning, hypercapnic cerebral vascular reactivity decreased significantly (evening 2.0±0.4, morning 1.3±0.2 cm/sec/mm Hg;
P
<0.05); in contrast, the increase in MCAV in response to IH (−10% SaO
2
) was unchanged (evening 9.0±1.4, morning 8.7±2.2%;
P
>0.05).

Conclusions—

Our findings indicate that substantial differences exist in the regulation of the cerebral circulation in response to hypoxia and hypercapnia on waking from sleep. An intact cerebral vascular response to IH, during this time period, could be interpreted as a protective mechanism against cerebral ischemia and stroke; this is of particular relevance to patients with obstructive sleep apnea who arouse from sleep during hypoxia.
Emergent Stenting of Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion in Acute Stroke Has a High Revascularization Rate
Authors: Jovin Tudor G. , Gupta Rishi , Uchino Ken , Jungreis Charles A. , Wechsler Lawrence R. , Hammer Maxim D. , Tayal Ashis , Horowitz Michael B.
Published: October 2005

Background and Purpose—

Acute ischemic stroke attributable to extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is frequently associated with severe disability or death. In selected cases, revascularization with carotid artery stenting has been reported, but the safety, recanalization rate, and clinical outcomes in consecutive case series are not known.

Methods—

We retrospectively reviewed all of the cases of ICA occlusions that underwent cerebral angiography with the intent to revascularize over a 38-month period. Two groups were identified: (1) patients who presented with an acute clinical presentation within 6 hours of symptom onset (n=15); and (2) patients who presented subacutely with neurologic fluctuations because of the ICA occlusion (n=10).

Results—

Twenty-five patients with a mean age of 62±11 years and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of 14 were identified. Twenty-three of the 25 patients (92%) were successfully revascularized with carotid artery stenting. Patients in group 1 were younger and more likely to have a tandem occlusion and higher baseline NIHSS when compared with group 2. Patients in group 2 were more likely to show early clinical improvement defined as a reduction of their NIHSS by ≥4 points and a modified Rankin Score of ≤2 at 30-day follow-up. Two clinically insignificant adverse events were noted: 1 asymptomatic hemorrhage and 1 nonflow-limiting dissection.

Conclusions—

Endovascular treatment of acute ICA occlusion appears to have a high-recanalization rate and be relatively safe in our cohort of patients with acute ICA occlusion. Future prospective studies are necessary to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from this form of therapy.
Time Trends of Ischemic Stroke Incidence and Mortality in Patients Diagnosed With First Atrial Fibrillation in 1980 to 2000
Authors: Miyasaka Yoko , Barnes Marion E. , Gersh Bernard J. , Cha Stephen S. , Seward James B. , Bailey Kent R. , Iwasaka Toshiji , Tsang Teresa S.M.
Published: October 2005

Background and Purpose—

With the changes in management of atrial fibrillation (AF) over time, it is possible that the time trends of post-AF stroke incidence and mortality have changed. We sought to determine whether the incidence and survival of ischemic stroke after AF diagnosis have improved.

Methods—

We identified the Olmsted County, Minn, residents who developed first AF from 1980 to 2000 and followed them in medical records to 2004. The outcomes were first ischemic stroke and death.

Results—

Of the 4117 subjects diagnosed with first AF and without previous stroke, 446 (11%) sustained a first ischemic stroke during a mean follow-up time of 5.5±5.0 years. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of stroke decreased, on average, by 3.4% per year (
P
=0.0001), concurrent with an increase in warfarin and aspirin use (both
P
<0.0001) and reduction of systolic blood pressure (
P
<0.001). The age-adjusted ischemic stroke incidence was higher in women (
P
=0.039), but not after adjusting for systolic blood pressure (
P
=0.41). Compared with the general Minnesota white population, the relative mortality hazard ratio was 1.88 for men and 1.84 for women without stroke and 3.03 for men and 3.80 for women (
P
<0.05) with stroke. The relative mortality hazard did not vary by age or calendar year of AF diagnosis.

Conclusions—

Post-AF ischemic stroke incidence decreased significantly from 1980 to 2000, during which time a substantial increase in the use of antithrombotic therapy and reduction of systolic blood pressure was evident. The relative mortality risk of stroke, however, had not improved over time.
Perfusion MRI Abnormalities in Speech or Motor Transient Ischemic Attack Patients
Authors: Krol Andrea L. , Coutts Shelagh B. , Simon Jessica E. , Hill Michael D. , Sohn Chul-Ho , Demchuk Andrew M.
Published: October 2005

Background and Purpose—

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients may deteriorate rapidly. MRI is being increasingly used to assess such patients. One possible mechanism of neurological worsening is the presence of perfusion abnormalities. We sought to identify what proportion of TIA patients had evidence of perfusion abnormalities on MRI.

Methods—

TIA patients were prospectively enrolled and had a MRI completed as soon as possible. The images were assessed for the presence of perfusion abnormalities.

Results—

Sixty-nine TIA patients were enrolled, and 62 had perfusion imaging. In 56 patients (81%), the symptoms had resolved before imaging. In 21 patients (33.9%), there was evidence of a perfusion abnormality defined by relative mean transit time delay. In 12 patients (19.4%), the perfusion abnormality was present despite having complete resolution of neurological symptoms. We found no relationship between the presence of a perfusion abnormality and the clinical outcome.

Conclusions—

A proportion of TIA patients have perfusion abnormalities evident on MRI.
Randomized Comparison of Stentless Versus Stented Valves for Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Perez de Arenaza Diego , Lees Belinda , Flather Marcus , Nugara Fiona , Husebye Trygve , Jasinski Marek , Cisowski Marek , Khan Mohammed , Henein Michael , Gaer Jullien , Guvendik Levant , Bochenek Andrzej , Wos Stanislaw , Lie Mons , Van Nooten Guido , Pennell Dudley , Pepper John
Published: October 2005

Background—

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is the established treatment for severe aortic stenosis. In response to the long-term results of aortic homografts, stentless porcine valves were introduced as an alternative low-resistance valve. We conducted a randomized trial comparing a stentless with a stented porcine valve in adults with severe aortic stenosis.

Methods and Results—

The primary outcome was change in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) measured by transthoracic echocardiography and, in a subset, by cardiovascular MR. Measurements were taken before valve replacement and at 6 and 12 months. Patients undergoing AVR with an aortic annulus ≤25 mm in diameter were randomly allocated to a stentless (n=93) or a stented supra-annular (n=97) valve. There were no significant differences in mean LVMI between the stentless versus stented groups at baseline (176±62 and 182±63 g/m
2
, respectively) or at 6 months (142±49 and 131±45 g/m
2
, respectively), although within-group changes from baseline to 6 months were highly significant. Changes in LVMI measured by cardiovascular MR (n=38) were consistent with the echo findings. There was a greater reduction in peak aortic velocity (
P
<0.001) and a greater increase in indexed effective orifice area (
P
<0.001) in the stentless group than in the stented group. There were no differences in clinical outcomes between the 2 valve groups.

Conclusions—

Despite significant differences in indexed effective orifice area and peak flow velocity in favor of the stentless valve, there were similar reductions in left ventricular mass at 6 months with both stented and stentless valves, which persisted at 12 months.
Decreased Microvascular Nitric Oxide–Dependent Vasodilation in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
Authors: Medow Marvin S. , Minson Christopher T. , Stewart Julian M.
Published: October 2005

Background—

One variant of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), designated low-flow POTS, is associated with decreased peripheral blood flow related to impaired local vascular regulation.

Methods and Results—

To investigate the hypothesis that microvascular endothelial dysfunction produces decreased peripheral blood flow in low-flow POTS, we performed experiments using laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) combined with iontophoresis in 15 low-flow POTS patients, 17 normal-flow POTS patients, and 13 healthy reference volunteers varying in age from 14 to 22 years. We tested whether α-adrenergic vasoregulation was impaired using iontophoretic delivery of tyramine, phentolamine, and bretylium followed by a norepinephrine dose response. We tested endothelial-dependent and -independent receptor-mediated vasodilation by measuring acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside dose responses. We tested whether nitric oxide–dependent vasodilation was different in these groups by testing the local thermal hyperemic response to saline used as a reference compared with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor
N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Adrenergic and receptor-dependent cutaneous vasoregulation was similar for low-flow POTS, normal-flow POTS, and reference subjects. Thermal hyperemia produced distinctly different findings: there was marked attenuation of the nitric oxide–sensitive plateau during prolonged heating, which was insensitive to L-NAME in low-flow POTS subjects. The pattern of thermal hyperemia response in low-flow POTS subjects during saline administration resembled the pattern in reference subjects during L-NAME administration and was minimally affected by L-NAME.

Conclusions—

The data suggest that flow-dependent nitric oxide release is reduced in low-flow POTS. This may account for local flow regulation abnormalities.
Secret Mark: Its Discovery and the State of Research
Authors: Foster Paul
Published: October 2005

Secret Mark remains one of the most controversial and enigmatic texts relating to the New Testament that has been discovered in the last century. Accusations of forgery as well as acrimonious debate have often characterized the discussion. For those unfamiliar with Secret Mark, this article describes details of its discovery and contents, then looks at the current state of research into this document. This is followed by a review of two recent monographs, which arrive at startlingly divergent conclusions.
Energy Release Rate Prediction in Stiffened-skin Structure Using a Three-dimensional Crack Tip Element Analysis
Authors: Davidson Barry D. , Yu Lijie
Published: October 2005

Total energy release rates and energy release rate components are predicted for a stiffened-skin structure that is loaded in bending and which contains a delamination between its skin and a hat-shaped stiffener. This is done using threedimensional crack tip element and three-dimensional finite element analyses. An isotropic configuration and a variety of graphite/epoxy layups are considered, for which the two analyses are shown to be in good agreement. The results indicate the practicality of, and considerable computational savings that may be achieved by, employing crack tip element analyses for energy release rate assessments in realistic structural geometries. They are also used to qualitatively examine the effects of layup on energy release rate distributions in this geometry.
Finite Element Analysis of Vibration of Delaminated Composite Beam with an Account of Contact of the Delamination Crack Faces, Based on the First-order Shear Deformation Theory
Authors: Perel Victor Y.
Published: October 2005

In this study, a new approach is developed for the dynamic analysis of a composite beam with an interply crack, in which a physically impossible interpenetration of the crack faces is prevented by imposing a special constraint, leading to taking account of a force of contact interaction of the crack faces and to nonlinearity of the formulated boundary value problem. Longitudinal force resultants in the delaminated parts of the beam are taken into account also, which is another source of the nonlinearity. The shear deformation and rotary inertia terms are included into the formulation, to achieve better accuracy. The model is based on the first-order shear deformation theory, i.e., the longitudinal displacement is assumed to vary linearly through the beam’s thickness. A variational formulation of the problem, nonlinear partial differential equations of motion with boundary conditions, a weak form for the partial differential equations, and a finite element formulation on the basis of the weak form are developed. An example problem of a clamped-free beam with a piezoelectric actuator is considered, and its finite element solution is obtained. A noticeable difference of forced vibrations of the delaminated and undelaminated beams due to the contact interaction of the crack faces is predicted by the developed model. Besides, linear eigenvalue analysis shows decrease of natural frequencies upon increase of the crack length, and crack opening and closing during the vibration in higher mode shapes, beginning from the fifth one.
Experiences with Modeling Friction in Composite Bolted Joints
Authors: McCarthy C. T. , McCarthy M. A. , Stanley W. F. , Lawlor V. P.
Published: October 2005

Finite element analyses of composite bolted joints are common in the literature. However, the important issue of friction is often given superficial treatment. Friction introduces added difficulties to an already complex contact problem in terms of numerical convergence, and there can be a temptation to accept any method that will give a convergent solution. However, friction can significantly alter the stress distribution in the laminate at the bolt-hole interface, and carries a major proportion of the load in torqued joints; hence is important to model correctly. In the present study, experiences with modeling friction in composite bolted joints using commercial code MSC.Marc are presented. Unlike previous studies, both physical friction parameters and nonphysical convergence parameters within the available models are examined in detail and the findings should be helpful to other researchers analyzing similar problems. Two available models within the code are examined for their ability to model load transfer by friction in torqued joints, and the stress distribution at the bolt-hole interface in a pinned joint. The torqued joints include a large clearance so that both static and kinetic friction effects occur as the joint begins to slide and clearance is taken up. Results from the torqued joint models are compared with the experimental results. The stress distribution at the bolt-hole interface of the pinned joint is compared with a solution from an analytical method. It has been found that only one of the two models available in the code is capable of producing satisfactory results, and even with that model significant modification to the default friction parameters was required. It has also been found that using friction coefficients measured under ideal (clean) conditions in the model of the torqued joints did not give very good agreement with the joint experiments, which involved routine handling of the specimens. Finally, the developed friction model is used in a case study of a multibolt joint with variable degrees of bolt torque and bolt-hole clearances, and it is shown that such models can provide useful information for the design of composite bolted joints.
The Sociology of Political Elites in France: The End of an Exception?
Authors: Genieys William
Published: October 2005

This article presents the position of, and debates within, French elite sociology today. The analysis stresses the reasons for the field’s weak development, and discusses current debates about politicians (politics as profession versus political savoir-faire) and about the relationship between elites and the state (their role as custodians of the state). The author underlines the dilemmas stemming from these debates, points out the three directions (the comparative approach, the historical approach, and the policy-making approach) that French neoelitism has taken, and suggests the need for a cognitive framework permitting the study of elite action within the decision-making process in order to improve empirical observation of how new power elites are formed.
New Labour: choice and values
Authors: Jordan Bill
Published: October 2005

In the general election of May, 2005, the word ‘respect’ denoted New Labour’s latest attempt to remoralize UK society. This article argues that there is a contradiction between individual choice, as the basis for reforming public services, and the agenda for citizenship and cohesion. The latter requires services to provide a collective context for convivial and co-operative social relations. New Labour’s third term will increasingly raise issues about the nature of human well-being in an affluent service economy.
Wales and a third term of New Labour: devolution and the development of difference
Authors: Drakeford Mark
Published: October 2005

This brief article looks forward to the prospects for devolved government in Wales under the third term of a New Labour administration at Westminster. Four different strands are discussed in what follows: the development of devolution itself, including the prospects of a second Government of Wales Bill, the state of the Welsh economy, the development of a distinctively Welsh social policy agenda and the future leadership of the Welsh Assembly Government itself.
The direction of health policy in New Labour’s third term
Authors: Crinson Iain
Published: October 2005

The New Labour government would have appeared to have demonstrated a strong commitment to the state health care sector since coming to power in 1997. It has more than doubled spending on the National Health Service, and this investment is projected to rise over the next four years. However, whether this ‘modernization strategy’ will be able to deliver a more equitable health care service in New Labour’s third term in office is open to question. In addition, the expanding role of the private health care sector in a revived ‘internal market’ in health care raises serious concerns about the future direction of state health care provision.
Heterosexual evaluations of hypothetical friendship behavior based on sex and sexual orientation
Authors: Muraco Anna
Published: October 2005

Heterosexual college students’ assessments of friendship behavior are compared based on the sex and sexual orientation of the friend in a series of hypothetical vignettes. Respondents evaluated the appropriateness of a friend’s behavior both qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative results support the hypothesis that the sex of the respondent, as well as the sex and sexual orientation of the friend, result in differential evaluations of friendship behavior. Specifically, heterosexual male respondents evaluate the behaviors more favorably when the friend is a straight, rather than gay, male. Straight females evaluate the behavior of straight females more positively than friends from other identity categories. Qualitative comments provide evidence that heterosexism and sexism inform the respondents’ evaluations. In open-ended accounts, respondents apply conventional beliefs about sex and sexual orientation to friendship behaviors, employ identity work as a means of distancing themselves from the gay or lesbian friend, and question the friend’s gay or lesbian identity. Qualitative results also provide evidence that friendship is a context in which heterosexism is resisted.
Consequences of relationship status and quality for subjective well-being
Authors: Dush Claire M. Kamp , Amato Paul R.
Published: October 2005

This study examined the links among relationship status, relationship happiness, and a latent measure of subjective well-being. Using the study of Marital Instability over the Life Course, we found that married individuals reported the highest level of subjective well-being, followed (in order) by individuals in cohabiting relationships, steady dating relationships, casual dating relationships, and individuals who dated infrequently or not at all. Individuals in happy relationships reported a higher level of subjective well-being than did individuals in unhappy relationships, irrespective of relationship status. Even with relationship happiness controlled, however, relationship status was associated with subjective well-being. A longitudinal analysis suggested that shifting into more committed relationships was followed by improvements in subjective well-being. Little support was found for the assumption that people with a high level of well-being select themselves into more committed relationships.
Childbearing and well-being: a comparative analysis of European welfare regimes
Authors: Aassve Arnstein , Mazzuco Stefano , Mencarini Letizia
Published: October 2005

Fertility rates in contemporary Europe have reached dramatically low levels. In light of this we are interested in the extent to which childbearing events may worsen individuals’ material well-being. Using a sample of women drawn from the European Community Household Panel Survey, we make a comparison of the impact of childbearing on well-being using a welfare-regime classification. Recognizing that poverty status is a poor proxy for well-being, we also derive several measures of well-being that are multidimensional in nature. These measures are referred to as deprivation indices and avoid the poor/non-poor dichotomy. We provide descriptive statistics of poverty status and deprivations indices, as well as an analysis of a more causal nature, the latter consisting of a Difference-in-Differences estimator combined with Propensity Score Matching techniques (DD-PSM). We find that independently of how well-being is defined, childbearing events never have a positive impact on individuals’ material well-being. But our estimates are largely consistent with welfare-regime theory: women in the social-democratic welfare states suffer the least as a result of childbearing, whereas women in conservative and Mediterranean states suffer significantly more. For the liberal welfare regime the results are more mixed, and depend on the definition of well-being.
Obesity: a growing issue for European policy?
Authors: Lang Tim , Rayner Geof
Published: October 2005

In Europe, concerns about obesity have been stimulated by trends in several member states, raising challenges for multilevel governance. This paper gives a picture of obesity in Europe, pointing to variations between and within countries. It discusses the various explanations of generalized weight gain, and the policy levers that might tackle it, the paper also maps current policy responses. Policy considerations raised include financial burdens, health-care management, social inequalities, cultural issues, welfare support, and farm and food industry drivers. The paper proposes that obesity is unlikely to be reduced unless it receives both multi-level and multi-field analysis and intervention. In this context, action in Europe is hampered by a fragmented institutional architecture at all levels of governance. It also raises serious questions about the unequal relations between the state, the market and civil society within Europe. The paper concludes with a suggestion that obesity warrants improved European linkages across discrete areas of policy.
The marketization of activation services: a modern panacea? Some lessons from the Dutch experience
Authors: van Berkel Rik , van der Aa Paul
Published: October 2005

The introduction of market mechanisms is a crucial part of the new modes of governance emerging EU-wide in order to modernize the public sector. This article focuses on the introduction of marketization in the provision of activation services. The article draws on the Dutch experience, where activation services have been provided by private for-profit companies for several years now. In the first part, the emergence of new modes of governance is put in the context of welfare-state reforms aimed at making the welfare state more activating. Then, the marketization of activation services in the Netherlands is discussed as part of a wider institutional-reform process. Next, an assessment is made, based on several empirical sources, of the alleged advantages of the introduction of market mechanisms in the provision of social services. In the conclusion we argue that the effects of marketization strongly depend on the wider institutional and social-policy context in which it is embedded.
Policy coordination, social indicators and the social-policy agenda in the European Union
Authors: O’Connor Julia S.
Published: October 2005

This paper traces the development of the European Social Model from the recognition of the right to equal pay for men and women in the Treaty of Rome to agreement of a Social Policy Agenda in 2000 and the adoption of an open method of coordination (OMC) in employment (1997), social inclusion (2000) and pensions (2002). The associated framework of social indicators is considered in terms of the measurement of poverty and social exclusion on a multi-dimensional basis. Reasons for the shift from directives to the OMC are discussed, as are the proposed extension and streamlining of that process and its synchronization with economic and employment policy in 2006. The Europeanization of significant aspects of economic policy and the pervasive differences across EU welfare states in social outcome indicators and capacity for redistribution contribute to the considerable constraints on the open method of coordination in social inclusion. Fulfilling its potential is dependent on national policy legacies, political context and the involvement of a wide range of national actors in National Action Plan formulation and monitoring. While the extent of change associated with the EU social-policy agenda and the OMC, in particular, is still an open question it is concluded that the EU dimension needs to be taken into account in analysing change over time in EU countries and in comparative analysis incorporating EU countries.
Beneath the Surface of Stability: New and Old Modes of Governance in European Industrial Relations
Authors: Visser Jelle
Published: October 2005

Despite surface stability, there are significant changes in the modes of governance regulating the relationship between law and collective bargaining as a source of labour rights, and between norms defined at EU, national, sectoral and company level. This article focuses on the European integration process as a key source of change, first outlining the weaknesses of informal coordination of wage bargaining within and across countries, then discussing the tensions for trade unions created by Economic and Monetary Union. It concludes by examining the diffusion of ‘opening clauses’ in sectoral agreements, the displacement of collective by individual rights promoted by EU law and the reduction in statutory standards of welfare and social rights.
Performance Portability in the Physical Parameterizations of the Community Atmospheric Model
Authors: Worley Patrick H. , Drake John B.
Published: October 2005

Community models for global climate research, such as the Community Atmospheric Model, must perform well on a variety of computing systems. Supporting diverse research interests, these computationally demanding models must be efficient for a range of problem sizes and processor counts. In this paper we describe the data structures and associated infrastructure developed for the physical parameterizations that allow the Community Atmospheric Model to be tuned for vector or non-vector systems, to provide load balancing while minimizing communication overhead, and to exploit the optimal mix of distributed Message Passing Interface (MPI) processes and shared OpenMP threads.
Cross-Platform Performance of a Portable Communication Module and the Nasa Finite Volume General Circulation Model
Authors: Putman William M. , Lin Shian-Jiann , Shen Bo-Wen
Published: October 2005

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) finite-volume general circulation model (fvGCM) is a global atmospheric model, originally developed for long-term climate simulations. Recently, the NASA fvGCM has been applied in a variety of weather prediction applications, including hurricane and winter storm forecasts. Achieving efficient throughput on a variety of computational platforms is essential to meet the needs of the climate and weather prediction community. We have developed a scalable and portable climate/weather prediction system by applying a portable communication module within a fast numerical algorithm that exceeds the current community demands for computational performance on a variety of high performance computing platforms. The low-level communication module, Mod_Comm, simplifies interprocess communication within GCMs and provides an efficient means of communicating between decomposed global domains using a variety of single-threaded and multithreaded data communication paradigms (MPI-1, MPI-2, SHMEM, and MLP). Mod_Comm has been implemented within the NASA fvGCM and the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. It is shown that the optimal choice of data communication paradigm varies from system to system, and can have a significant impact on the overall model performance. Performance studies with the NASA fvGCM reveal substantial improvements in the computational performance when using this low-level communication module, throughput improvements of 40% or more have been observed on various platforms including the SGI Altix 3700, SGI Origin 3000, Compaq AlphaServerSC, IBM SP, and Cray.
Vectorizing the Community Land Model
Authors: Hoffman Forrest M. , Vertenstein Mariana , Kitabata Hideyuki , White James B.
Published: October 2005

In this paper we describe our extensive efforts to rewrite the Community Land Model (CLM) so that it provides good vector performance on the Earth Simulator in Japan and the Cray X1 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We present the technical details of the old and new internal data structures, the required code reorganization, and the resulting performance improvements. We describe and compare the performance and scaling of the final CLM Version 3.0 (CLM3.0) on the IBM Power4, the Earth Simulator, and the Cray X1. At 64 processors, the performance of the model is similar on the IBM Power4, the Earth Simulator, and the Cray X1. However, the Cray X1 offers the best performance of all three platforms tested from 4 to 64 processors when OpenMP is used. Moreover, at low processor counts (16 or fewer), the model performs significantly better on the Cray X1 than on the other platforms. The vectorized version of CLM was publicly released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research as the standalone CLM3.0, as a part of the new Community Atmosphere Model Version 3.0 (CAM3.0), and as a component of the Community Climate System Model Version 3.0 (CCSM3.0) on June 23, 2004.
Young people and the Internet
Authors: Lee Lisa
Published: October 2005

The article explores critical factors involved in the interaction of society and technology, by considering processes and outcomes of Internet use and practices by teenagers. Drawing on empirical work in four Brighton (UK) schools with distinctive social, cultural and economic characteristics, a model of analysis is developed in which key structural and personal situations reveal the complexity in the co-construction of users and technology. On a base level, an important aspect of this complexity emerges from young people’s changing social and institutional contexts of use (such as the home and the school), social biographies and life trajectories. On another level, reflections are made on the temporal nature of such patterns or discussions, because of wider technological, cultural and social changes and developments. Significantly therefore, much emphasis is placed on the limitations of particular units of analysis in the study of young people and technologies, as these are seen as far too reductive and too deterministic, calling for methodological approaches that allow greater flexibility in the research of fluid and complex phenomena.
Sticks and smoke
Authors: Henderson Sheila
Published: October 2005

This article focuses on a relatively unexplored aspect of youth mobility and transitions: the impact of urban middle-class family migration from the city to the countryside. In a context in which the material experiences and the symbolic currency of the urban and the rural are becoming ever more mixed, the article explores the role of the ‘push/pull’ effects of the urban and the rural as both material and symbolic resources in the construction of such young people’s identities, their structural transitions and their orientations. It does this from a particular perspective - rather than defining the ‘ideal typical’ aspects of such young people’s life course, it draws on biographical data from an ongoing qualitative longitudinal study of young people’s transitions to adulthood, primarily focusing on the biographies of two young women sharing notable consistencies in their backgrounds but stark contrasts in their trajectories and outcomes.
Polity, Politics and Policy Evaluation in Belgium
Authors: Varone Frédéric , Jacob Steve , De Winter Lieven
Published: October 2005

This article examines the institutionalization of policy evaluation in Belgium. In comparison to other western democracies, policy evaluation is an underdeveloped tool of Belgian public governance. Among the explanatory factors of the laggard situation of Belgium, we focus on the all-pervasive phenomenon of partitocracy, on the relative weakness of Parliament vis-à-vis the government, and on the federalization process that is characteristic of the recent institutional evolution of the country. These three peculiarities of the Belgian polity and politics jeopardize the development of a mature evaluation culture. Finally, the empirical evidence for the Belgian case also calls into question several of the theoretical hypotheses that have been formulated to explain the diffusion of policy evaluation in various democracies.
The Limits of Realist Evaluation
Authors: Davis Paul
Published: October 2005

This article builds on an earlier experiment in applying Realist Evaluation (RE) techniques to a set of Best Value Reviews (BVRs) undertaken in a single English local authority. That experiment used a range of assumptions regarding context (C), mechanisms (M) and outcomes (O) that restricted the possible pathways in the resulting CMO causal loop. They were ‘heroic’ in nature and left largely implicit. The article subjects those assumptions to rigorous criticism. Five hypotheses are tested concerning the nature of the context within which the BVRs occurred; the potentially skewed nature of the review mechanisms chosen; the impact of process outcomes and goals-setting problems on BVR outcomes; the scope for strong linkages to be formed between context, mechanism and outcomes, such that deterministic effects ensue; and the need to define the boundaries of the evaluand (the BVR). Realist evaluations have typically focused on individual services or programmes. It is contended that RE methods need to be adapted to address cumulative impacts on policy and organizational culture that are inherently political in nature.
The Evaluation of Policy Coherence for Development
Authors: Picciotto Robert
Published: October 2005

The promotion of human welfare in the zones of turmoil and transition can no longer be evaluated simply by examining the degree to which aid programs and projects achieve their relevant objectives efficiently. With globalization, the rules of the game that govern the international economy have become pivotal. Yet, the policies that govern trade, investment, migration, knowledge flows, environmental protection and human security have escaped systematic evaluation. To help ascertain the impact of rich countries’ policies on the economic and social prospects of poor countries, evaluators must broaden the scope of their assessments and examine the combined impact of aid and non-aid policies on poor countries. Following an overview of policy coherence for development (PCD) monitoring and evaluation concepts and activities, the article explores evaluation options designed to account for the development impact of rich countries’ policies and to encourage greater synergy among rich countries’ policies in support of global poverty reduction.
British Identities through Pottery in Praxis
Authors: Dellino-Musgrave Virginia
Published: October 2005

This article examines British action in the South Atlantic by applying the concept of praxis - or practical action - to the analysis of the materiality of social relations. This is achieved through the investigation of ships and the biography of their objects, identifying patterns of production and consumption. I concentrate on local scales looking at objects and the social relations they construct in Royal Navy ships and the different ways that identities are expressed and projected. I particularly focus on a case study: the pottery assemblage of sloop of war His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Swift (1763-1770) located in Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina). By utilizing the concept of praxis, this article goes beyond a descriptive analysis of wrecks by exploring them and their cargoes as embodiments of 18th-century social relations. More importantly, it will challenge traditional maritime approaches providing a different perspective that emphasizes the richness, diversity and complexity of British action at the end of the 18th century.
Dimensions of women’s power in the illicit drug economy
Authors: Anderson Tammy L.
Published: October 2005

The purpose of this article is to elaborate on the gendered social and economic organization of the illicit drug world by articulating several dimensions of women’s power. The main thesis is that women are not only powerful actors in the drug world, but that their work is central to the drug economy. Four core activities (e.g. providing housing and sustenance needs, purchasing drugs, subsidizing male dependency and participating in drug sales) that women routinely perform are both fundamental to drug world organization and earn them important forms of capital that may facilitate future, conventional pursuits. Pursuing this objective may improve our knowledge about the relationship between illegal market organization, gender, power and capital. It may also assist crime control and social welfare policies.
Police reform and the problem of trust
Authors: Goldsmith Andrew
Published: October 2005

Police reform is widely undertaken in developing and post-authoritarian countries. The starting point for analysis of this phenomenon, it is suggested, is the absence of public trust in police that characterizes police-community relations in these countries. Without public trust in police, ‘policing by consent’ is difficult or impossible and public safety suffers. The nature of trust is examined in general terms and related to the problem of trust in governance. Then, the problematic nature of trust of the police is considered; structural features as well as performance aspects are invoked to explain distrust of police. In the penultimate section, the question of how to build trustworthy police forces is examined in the light of what has been learnt about the difficulties of maintaining or establishing trust in police. Process as well as substantive improvements each play a role here. In addition to building trust, ways of institutionalizing distrust are needed. The article concludes by pointing to some inherent limits or constraints upon trust-building, including the impact of the wider environment in which policing occurs, and the need to trust the tools we use for building trust.
Normative Influence and Rational Conflict Decisions: Group Norms and Cost-Benefit Analyses for Intergroup Behavior
Authors: Louis Winnifred R. , Taylor Donald M. , Douglas Rebecca L.
Published: October 2005

The present paper articulates a model in which ingroup and outgroup norms inform ‘rational’ decision-making (cost-benefit analysis) for conflict behaviors. Norms influence perceptions of the consequences of the behavior, and individuals may thus strategically conform to or violate norms in order to acquire benefits and avoid costs. Two studies demonstrate these processes in the context of conflict in Québec. In the first study, Anglophones’ perceptions of Francophone and Anglophone norms for pro-English behaviors predicted evaluations of the benefits and costs of the behaviors, and these cost-benefit evaluations in turn mediated the norm-intention links for both group norms. In the second study, a manipulated focus on supportive versus hostile ingroup and outgroup norms also predicted cost-benefit evaluations, which mediated the norm-intention relationships. The studies support a model of strategic conflict choices in which group norms inform, rather than suppress, rational expectancy-value processes. Implications for theories of decision-making and normative influence are discussed.
Prejudice and Intergroup Attributions: The Role of Personalization and Performance Feedback
Authors: Ensari Nurcan , Miller Norman
Published: October 2005

We manipulated personalization and group performance feedback to examine their effects on intergroup attributions and prejudice. Following high or low levels of personalized contact with a typical out-group member, participants learned either that the out-group had generally succeeded or that the in-group had failed at the participant’s task. Under high personalization and out-group success, participants exhibited less attributional bias in explaining the success of new out-group job applicants and less prejudice toward them than those under low personalization. By contrast, when one’s in-group had failed, we found similar favorability toward in-group and out-group job applicants. Importantly, when ability attributions and friendliness were separately combined with subjective personalization, both combinations mediated the effects of manipulated personalization in reducing prejudice toward new out-group persons.
Talcott Parsons’s Sociology of Religion and the Expressive Revolution
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: October 2005

Immanuel Kant distinguished between religion as cult in which people seek favours from God through prayer and offerings to bring healing and wealth, and religion as moral action that commands human beings to change their lives. Kant further defined religion as a ‘reflecting faith’ or ‘moralizing faith’ that compels humans to strive for salvation through faith alone. The Kantian distinction was fundamental to Max Weber’s view of the relationship between asceticism and capitalism. Talcott Parsons’s early sociology of religion engaged with this theme in Kant and Weber, but in his later work Parsons came to a re-appraisal of Émile Durkheim. In the concept of the expressive revolution, Parsons followed Durkheim in studying individualism as a major transformation of society. There is, however, a contradiction between individualism as either the legacy of Protestant pietism or the product of modern consumerism.

Parsons’s sociology of religion remains distinctive because he did not subscribe to the secularization thesis, but instead saw American liberalism as the fulfilment of Protestant individualism. The paper concludes with a critical assessment of the differences between the values of the expressive revolution and the legacy of Kantian individualism. Romantic love in modern society is an aspect of the expressive revolution, but it is also a legacy of the emphasis on emotional conversion and attachment to the person of Jesus in pietism. The expressive revolution developed this legacy of emotional expressivity, but combined romantic love with a consumer ethic. Religiosity survives in the context of consumerism as an aspect of what Robert Bellah called the ‘civil religion in America’.
The Intellectual Debt That Deviance Theory Owes Talcott Parsons
Authors: Toby Jackson
Published: October 2005

As Talcott Parsons pointed out, deviance is always defined and responded to in terms of shared symbolic criteria of legitimacy or illegitimacy. Partial legitimation of the deviant act provides justification to the potential behavioral deviant for expressing deviant inclinations and simultaneously undercuts the willingness of conforming persons to visit negative sanctions upon him. The 1974 streaking phenomenon illustrates this insight.

Legitimation is relevant for explaining deviance partly because deviant motivation is omnipresent - in the form of ambivalence - even in outward conformists. If both conforming motivation and deviant motivation contain varying proportions of inclinations to conform to rules and to violate them, behavioral deviants are only slightly different from behavioral conformists in the organization of their personality systems. Thus, personality systems may have only a limited role in the etiology of deviant behavior - even if they play a significant role in the genesis of deviant motivation.
Identification of Shear Stiffness of Soft Orthotropic Textile Composites: Part I – Development of a Mixed Method for Shear Elastic Constant Identification
Authors: Vysochina K. , Gabor A. , Bigaud D. , Ronel-Idrissi S.
Published: October 2005

Coated polyester/PVC fabrics are used in civil engineering for temporary inflatable structures or for emergency applications during disasters. However, they are not used to their full potential due to lack of behavioral knowledge, especially in their shear behavior, and the absence of simple design rules. The main objective of this article is to propose a mixed technique including experimental and numerical data to identify the elastic constants of composites in shear, whereby an existing experimental biaxial device is adapted to a shear test and moreover, an optical technique without contact is used to measure the displacements. The originality of the shear experimental device consists in the study of the influence of pretension on the shear properties. It also allows to avoid wrinkling and to take large deformations and softness of coated fabrics into account.

In the second part of this article, we propose an alternative technique for the evaluation of the shear constants. This method is based on the Kawabata's shear deformation theory, which is adapted to the investigated fabrics and experimental device. In these conditions, it is possible to evaluate the shear behavior constitutive equation to simplify the design rules for inflatable structures.