bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulations of Scalar Transport in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flow over Complex Terrain
Authors: Michioka Takenobu , Chow Fotini Katopodes
Published: June 2008

This paper presents high-resolution numerical simulations of the atmospheric flow and concentration fields accompanying scalar transport and diffusion from a point source in complex terrain. Scalar dispersion is affected not only by mean flow, but also by turbulent fluxes that affect scalar mixing, meaning that predictions of scalar transport require greater attention to the choice of numerical simulation parameters than is typically needed for mean wind field predictions. Large-eddy simulation is used in a mesoscale setting, providing modeling advantages through the use of robust turbulence models combined with the influence of synoptic flow forcing and heterogeneous land surface forcing. An Eulerian model for scalar transport and diffusion is implemented in the Advanced Regional Prediction System mesoscale code to compare scalar concentrations with data collected during field experiments conducted at Mount Tsukuba, Japan, in 1989. The simulations use horizontal grid resolution as fine as 25 m with up to eight grid nesting levels to incorporate time-dependent meteorological forcing. The results show that simulated ground concentration values contain significant errors relative to measured values because the mesoscale wind typically contains a wind direction bias of a few dozen degrees. Comparisons of simulation results with observations of arc maximum concentrations, however, lie within acceptable error bounds. In addition, this paper investigates the effects on scalar dispersion of computational mixing and lateral boundary conditions, which have received little attention in the literature—in particular, for high-resolution applications. The choice of lateral boundary condition update interval is found not to affect time-averaged quantities but to affect the scalar transport strongly. More frequent updates improve the simulated ground concentration values. In addition, results show that the computational mixing coefficient must be set to as small a value as possible to improve scalar dispersion predictions. The predicted concentration fields are compared as the horizontal grid resolution is increased from 190 m to as fine as 25 m. The difference observed in the results at these levels of grid refinement is found to be small relative to the effects of computational mixing and lateral boundary updates.
Error Reduction and Convergence in Climate Prediction
Authors: Jackson Charles S. , Sen Mrinal K. , Huerta Gabriel , Deng Yi , Bowman Kenneth P.
Published: June 2008

Although climate models have steadily improved their ability to reproduce the observed climate, over the years there has been little change to the wide range of sensitivities exhibited by different models to a doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Stochastic optimization is used to mimic how six independent climate model development efforts might use the same atmospheric general circulation model, set of observational constraints, and model skill criteria to choose different settings for parameters thought to be important sources of uncertainty related to clouds and convection. Each optimized model improved its skill with respect to observations selected as targets of model development. Of particular note were the improvements seen in reproducing observed extreme rainfall rates over the tropical Pacific, which was not specifically targeted during the optimization process. As compared to the default model sensitivity of 2.4°C, the ensemble of optimized model configurations had a larger and narrower range of sensitivities around 3°C but with different regional responses related to the uncertain choice in optimized parameter settings. These results suggest current generation models, if similarly optimized, may become more convergent in their measure of global sensitivity to greenhouse gas forcing. However, this exploration of the possible sources of modeling and observational uncertainty is not exhaustive. The optimization process illustrates an objective means for selecting an ensemble of plausible climate model configurations that quantify a portion of the uncertainty in the climate model development process.
Consolidation of Multimodel Forecasts by Ridge Regression: Application to Pacific Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Peña Malaquias , van den Dool Huug
Published: June 2008

The performance of ridge regression methods for consolidation of multiple seasonal ensemble prediction systems is analyzed. The methods are applied to predict SST in the tropical Pacific based on ensembles from the Development of a European Multimodel Ensemble System for Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction (DEMETER) models, plus two of NCEP’s operational models. Strategies to increase the ratio of the effective sample size of the training data to the number of coefficients to be fitted are proposed and tested. These strategies include objective selection of a smaller subset of models, pooling of information from neighboring grid points, and consolidating all ensemble members rather than each model’s ensemble average. In all variations of the ridge regression consolidation methods tested, increased effective sample size produces more stable weights and more skillful predictions on independent data. While the scores may not increase significantly as the effective sampling size is increased, the benefit is seen in terms of consistent improvements over the simple equal weight ensemble average. In the western tropical Pacific, most consolidation methods tested outperform the simple equal weight ensemble average; in other regions they have similar skill as measured by both the anomaly correlation and the relative operating curve. The main obstacles to progress are a short period of data and a lack of independent information among models.
Coupled Variability and Predictability in a Stochastic Climate Model of the Tropical Atlantic
Authors: Wang Faming , Chang Ping
Published: June 2008

The coupled variability and predictability of the tropical Atlantic ocean–atmosphere system were analyzed within the framework of a linear stochastic climate model. Despite the existence of a meridional dipole as the leading mode, tropical Atlantic variability (TAV) is dominated by equatorial features and the subtropical variability is largely uncorrelated between the northern and southern Atlantic. This suggests that atmospheric stochastic forcing plays a dominant role in defining the spatial patterns of TAV, whereas the active air–sea feedbacks mainly enhance variability at interannual and decadal time scales, causing the spectra distinctive from the red spectrum. Under the stochastic forcing, the useful predictive skill for sea surface temperature measured by normalized error variance is limited to 2 months on average, which is 1 month longer than the predictive skill of damped persistence, indicating that the contribution of ocean dynamics and air–sea feedbacks is moderate in the tropical Atlantic. To achieve maximum predictability, processes such as ocean dynamics, thermodynamical and dynamical air–sea feedbacks, and the delicate mode–mode interactions should be correctly resolved in the coupled models. Therefore, predicting TAV poses more challenge than predicting El Niño in the tropical Pacific.
New Insights into North European and North Atlantic Surface Pressure Variability, Storminess, and Related Climatic Change since 1830
Authors: Hanna Edward , Cappelen John , Allan Rob , Jónsson Trausti , Le Blancq Frank , Lillington Tim , Hickey Kieran
Published: June 2008

The authors present initial results of a new pan-European and international storminess since 1800 as interpreted from European and North Atlantic barometric pressure variability (SENABAR) project. This first stage analyzes results of a new daily pressure variability index, dp(abs)24, from long-running meteorological stations in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, some with data from as far back as the 1830s. It is shown that dp(abs)24 is significantly related to wind speed and is therefore a good measure of Atlantic and Northwest European storminess and climatic variations. The authors investigate the temporal and spatial consistency of dp(abs)24, the connection between annual and seasonal dp(abs)24 and the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), as well as dp(abs)24 links with historical storm records. The results show periods of relatively high dp(abs)24 and enhanced storminess around 1900 and the early to mid-1990s, and a relatively quiescent period from about 1930 to the early 1960s, in keeping with earlier studies. There is little evidence that the mid- to late nineteenth century was less stormy than the present, and there is no sign of a sustained enhanced storminess signal associated with “global warming.” The results mark the first step of a project intending to improve on earlier work by linking barometric pressure data from a wide network of stations with new gridded pressure and reanalysis datasets, GCMs, and the NAOI. This work aims to provide much improved spatial and temporal coverage of changes in European, Atlantic, and global storminess.
Land Surface Initialization Using an Offline CLM3 Simulation with the GSWP-2 Forcing Dataset and Its Impact on CAM3 Simulations of the Boreal Summer Climate*
Authors: Jeong Jee-Hoon , Ho Chang-Hoi , Chen Deliang , Park Tae-Won
Published: June 2008

The impacts of initialized land surface conditions on the monthly prediction were investigated using ensemble simulations from the Community Atmosphere Model version 3 (CAM3). The land surface initialization was based on an offline calculation of Community Land Model version 3 driven by observation-based meteorological forcings from the Global Soil Wetness Project 2 (GSWP2). A simple but effective correction method was applied to the GSWP2 forcings prior to the offline calculation to reduce the discrepancies between the observation-forced land surface conditions and the modeling system, which can cause climate drift and initial shock problems. The climatological mean of GSWP2 forcings was adjusted to that of the target model (CAM3), while the monthly anomalies were scaled to the model statistics and high-frequency synoptic variabilities were included.

Ensemble hindcast experiments with and without land surface initialization were conducted for the boreal summer (May–September), for 1983–95. The initialization process is shown to prevent climate drift and to transfer the atmospheric anomalies to the land surface memory. Statistical analyses of the simulation results reveal that the land surface initialization increased the externally forced variance over most continental regions, which is translated to enhanced potential predictability, particularly for regions with strong land–atmosphere coupling.
Forecast Skill of the Madden–Julian Oscillation in Two Canadian Atmospheric Models
Authors: Lin Hai , Brunet Gilbert , Derome Jacques
Published: June 2008

The output of two global atmospheric models participating in the second phase of the Canadian Historical Forecasting Project (HFP2) is utilized to assess the forecast skill of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). The two models are the third generation of the general circulation model (GCM3) of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (CCCma) and the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model of Recherche en Prévision Numérique (RPN). Space–time spectral analysis of the daily precipitation in near-equilibrium integrations reveals that GEM has a better representation of the convectively coupled equatorial waves including the MJO, Kelvin, equatorial Rossby (ER), and mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) waves. An objective of this study is to examine how the MJO forecast skill is influenced by the model’s ability in representing the convectively coupled equatorial waves.

The observed MJO signal is measured by a bivariate index that is obtained by projecting the combined fields of the 15°S–15°N meridionally averaged precipitation rate and the zonal winds at 850 and 200 hPa onto the two leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) structures as derived using the same meridionally averaged variables following a similar approach used recently by Wheeler and Hendon. The forecast MJO index, on the other hand, is calculated by projecting the forecast variables onto the same two EOFs.

With the HFP2 hindcast output spanning 35 yr, for the first time the MJO forecast skill of dynamical models is assessed over such a long time period with a significant and robust result. The result shows that the GEM model produces a significantly better level of forecast skill for the MJO in the first 2 weeks. The difference is larger in Northern Hemisphere winter than in summer, when the correlation skill score drops below 0.50 at a lead time of 10 days for GEM whereas it is at 6 days for GCM3. At lead times longer than about 15 days, GCM3 performs slightly better. There are some features that are common for the two models. The forecast skill is better in winter than in summer. Forecasts initialized with a large amplitude for the MJO are found to be more skillful than those with a weak MJO signal in the initial conditions. The forecast skill is dependent on the phase of the MJO at the initial conditions. Forecasts initialized with an MJO that has an active convection in tropical Africa and the Indian Ocean sector have a better level of forecast skill than those initialized with a different phase of the MJO.
Multivessel Disease: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Classic Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Indications
Authors: Brar Somjot S. , Syros George , Dangas George
Published: June 2008

Multivessel coronary artery disease is characterized by involvement of greater than 1 epicardial coronary artery or the unprotected left main. The choice of revascularization strategy in this setting remains a critical issue in cardiology. Although coronary artery bypass grafting has traditionally been the revascularization strategy for most patients with multivessel disease, there has been a gradual shift toward percutaneous revascularization. Early randomized clinical trials showed coronary artery bypass grafting to be superior to medical therapy. However, trials comparing coronary artery bypass grafting to bare metal stenting have not shown a mortality benefit. Advancements in interventional techniques will continue to challenge the notion that coronary artery bypass grafting is the standard therapy for patients with multivessel coronary disease. Several ongoing randomized clinical trials comparing coronary artery bypass grafting to drug-eluting stents will provide valuable insight into the role of each procedure. In this article, we review the existing literature and discuss future directions in the management of the patient with multivessel disease.
Local and Systemic Mechanisms of Plaque Rupture
Authors: Biasucci Luigi M. , Leo Milena , De Maria Gian Luigi
Published: June 2008

Mechanisms at the basis of coronary plaque instability are still elusive. On the one hand, accumulating data, from clinical and postmortem studies, suggest the role of systemic factors, in particular inflammation, in plaque rupture. On the other hand, local factors, in particular plaque composition, such as a large lipid-rich core and a thin fibrous cap, presence of activated inflammatory cells, presence of plaque neovascularization, and specific apoptotic processes, may contribute to plaque susceptibility to rupture. In addition, other cofactors, such as platelet activation and clotting factors, are involved in the transition from stable to unstable plaque. The authors discuss the possibility that all these factors have a role in the development of acute coronary syndrome: a systemic inflammatory condition with an enhanced coagulation state may activate local hemodynamic, mechanical, and immune reactions leading to intraplaque cells activation, fibrous cap lysis, and thrombus formation.
Impact of Increasing Adiposity in Hyperlipidemic Children
Authors: Miller Saul , Manlhiot Cedric , Chahal Nita , Cullen-Dean Geraldine , Bannister Louise , McCrindle Brian W.
Published: June 2008

Despite lifestyle management, children with high-risk hyperlipidemias may become overweight, and this may further adversely impact their lipid profile. Regression analysis was used to determine changes over time in adiposity and their association with lipid profiles and other risk factors for hyperlipidemic children followed in a lipid disorder clinic. 184 patients were included. Median age at presentation was 7 years (2-17 years), and median duration of follow-up was 9 years (5-20 years). Mean initial total cholesterol was 6.9 ± 1.6 mmol/L, low-density lipoproteins were 5.2 ± 1.7 mmol/L, high-density lipoproteins were 1.2 ± 0.4 mmol/L, triglycerides were 1.1 ± 0.8 mmol/L, and body mass index z score was +0.4 ± 1.0. A significant increase in body mass index z score (+0.032/year, P < .001) was observed. There was an associated significant increase in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and decrease in high-density lipoprotein levels over time. Worsening adiposity is prevalent in hyperlipidemic children and adversely affects their lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk.
Public Opinion Regarding Juvenile Life Without Parole in Consecutive Statewide Surveys
Authors: Pimlott Kubiak Sheryl , Allen Terrence
Published: June 2008

Abolition of the death penalty results in life without parole (LWOP) as the most severe sanction for convicted juveniles. Although internationally the use of LWOP for juveniles is rare, 2,225 youth have been sentenced to LWOP within the United States. To address the dearth of public opinion on the issue, the authors proposed questions to the survey administrators who then selected them for inclusion in two annual statewide surveys. They found that support for LWOP diminishes considerably when respondents are given a more complex array of sentencing options rather than a dichotomous choice to agree or disagree with the current policy. Those supporting LWOP are more likely to be younger, male, and White. These findings support the need for more nuanced and complex discussions and polling language, as well as policy alternatives.
Web-Based Network Sampling
Authors: Wejnert Cyprian , Heckathorn Douglas D.
Published: June 2008

This study tests the feasibility, effectiveness, and efficiency of respondent-driven sampling (RDS) as a Web-based sampling method. Web-based RDS (WebRDS) is found to be highly efficient and effective. The online nature of WebRDS allows referral chains to progress very quickly, such that studies with large samples can be expected to proceed up to 20 times faster than with traditional sampling methods. Additionally, the unhidden nature of the study population allows comparison of RDS estimators to institutional data. Results indicate that RDS estimates are reasonable but not precise. This is likely due to bias associated with the random recruitment assumption and small sample size of the study. Finally, this article presents methods for testing the validity of assumptions required by RDS estimation.
Publication Bias in Empirical Sociological Research
Authors: Gerber Alan S. , Malhotra Neil
Published: June 2008

Despite great attention to the quality of research methods in individual studies, if publication decisions of journals are a function of the statistical significance of research findings, the published literature as a whole may not produce accurate measures of true effects. This article examines the two most prominent sociology journals (the American Sociological Review and the American Journal of Sociology) and another important though less influential journal ( The Sociological Quarterly) for evidence of publication bias. The effect of the .05 significance level on the pattern of published findings is examined using a ``caliper'' test, and the hypothesis of no publication bias can be rejected at approximately the 1 in 10 million level. Findings suggest that some of the results reported in leading sociology journals may be misleading and inaccurate due to publication bias. Some reasons for publication bias and proposed reforms to reduce its impact on research are also discussed.
Normative Social Influence is Underdetected
Authors: Nolan Jessica M. , Schultz P. Wesley , Cialdini Robert B. , Goldstein Noah J. , Griskevicius Vladas
Published: June 2008

The present research investigated the persuasive impact and detectability of normative social influence. The first study surveyed 810 Californians about energy conservation and found that descriptive normative beliefs were more predictive of behavior than were other relevant beliefs, even though respondents rated such norms as least important in their conservation decisions. Study 2, a field experiment, showed that normative social influence produced the greatest change in behavior compared to information highlighting other reasons to conserve, even though respondents rated the normative information as least motivating. Results show that normative messages can be a powerful lever of persuasion but that their influence is underdetected.
Mortality Salience Increases Adherence to Salient Norms and Values
Authors: Gailliot Matthew T. , Stillman Tyler F. , Schmeichel Brandon J. , Maner Jon K. , Plant E. Ashby
Published: June 2008

Four studies indicate that mortality salience increases adherence to social norms and values, but only when cultural norms and values are salient. In Study 1, mortality salience coupled with a reminder about cultural values of egalitarianism reduced prejudice toward Blacks among non-Black participants. In Studies 2 through 4, a mortality salience induction (e.g., walking through a cemetery) increased self-reported and actual helping behavior only when the cultural value of helping was salient. These results suggest that people may adhere to norms and values so as to manage awareness of death.
The Left Brain of North American Cities
Authors: Beckstead Desmond , Brown W. Mark , Gellatly Guy
Published: June 2008

Using pooled Census of Population data for 242 metropolitan areas, this paper evaluates the link between long-run employment growth and the supply of different types of skilled labor. It also examines factors related to the growth of a particular type of skilled labor—workers in science and engineering occupations. The first part of the article investigates the contribution of broad and specialized forms of human capital to long-run changes in urban employment from 1980 to 2000. It places particular emphasis on workers in science and engineering and culture occupations. The second part of the article focuses on factors that influence the growth of science and engineering employment across metropolitan areas. It examines whether the scientific capabilities of cities are influenced by amenities such as the size of the local cultural sector.
Ports and Highways Infrastructure
Authors: Cohen Jeffrey , Monaco Kristen
Published: June 2008

U.S. ports serve a vital role in the nation's supply chain and international trade. While the areas surrounding these ports bear the external costs of port expansion (congestion, air and noise pollution), neighboring regions feel the benefits and additional costs from port activity. Given the current debate over external costs from port activity, it is important to quantify the costs and benefits of ports on industry in the home state and neighboring states. This study assesses the role that transportation infrastructure plays in production and employment in the manufacturing industry. Using state-level data from the 48 contiguous states, the authors model manufacturing production and cost, incorporating state and local investment in port and highway infrastructure as variables. The authors find lower manufacturing costs in states with increased ports infrastructure. However manufacturing firms experience higher costs if a neighboring state increases its ports infrastructure, perhaps because productive resources (firms and workers) are drawn to states that increase ports infrastructure.
University-educated Labor, R&D and Regional Export Performance
Authors: Gråsjö Urban
Published: June 2008

The main purpose of the study in this paper is to establish to what extent accessibility to R&D and university-educated labor can explain regional export performance. This is done by estimating knowledge production functions, with total export value and number of high-valued exports in Swedish municipalities from 1997 to 1999 as outputs. The results in the paper indicate that accessibility to university-educated labor has the greatest positive effects. The value of exported products is mainly affected by local accessibility to university-educated labor (and company R&D). The intra- and inter-regional accessibilities play a more important role when the number of high-valued export products in Swedish municipalities is the output.
Sociocultural Barriers and Malaria Health Care in Tanzania
Authors: Nsimba Stephen E. D. , Kayombo Edmund J.
Published: June 2008

In Tanzania, since the time of its ancestors, cultural beliefs have existed which influence the treatment and management of diseases. This article focuses on malaria as a current major cause of morbidity and mortality in Tanzania. Patients and caretakers have tended to rely on traditional sociocultural practices as a means of treating the convulsions associated with severe malaria in children and often do not seek care at health facilities, therefore, delaying prompt management of the disease.
Shifts in Public-Private Provision of Retirement Income
Authors: Gran Brian
Published: June 2008

In the midst of governmental budget battles in the late 20th century, many countries' public pension programs faced challenges. In some countries, private provision grew in importance, but shifts from public to private retirement income did not automatically occur. The author examined retirement income programs in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, and New Zealand from 1980 to 1995 to evaluate the components of pension programs, both public and private, that were or were not protected from cutbacks. The author explores ways in which the public sector cooperates with the nonpublic sectors to form retirement income policy in these four countries. He then evaluates the explanatory frameworks scholars use to study social policy change by examining parts of pension programs that were maintained and those that were reduced. The author suggests that some factors take on greater explanatory importance for the diminution and durability of pension programs when both public and private pension programs are considered.
The Engineers Versus the Economists
Authors: Amir Sulfikar
Published: June 2008

This article observes the competition between two groups of technocrats in Indonesia during the New Order era that has hitherto afflicted national policy making. The first group is the engineers who advocate technology-based development strategy. The other group is the market-oriented economists who promote a comparative-advantages approach in development policies. The rivalry between these technocratic groups occurs in the arenas of policy-making process and bureaucratic structure. To explain how such a clash has emerged, this article offers a notion of disunity of technocracy to examine different logics, rationalities, and argumentations used by each group. It emphasizes that this confrontation is rooted in the epistemological foundations of technocratic expertise.
Clinically Assessed Knee Joint Laxity as a Predictor for Reconstruction after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Authors: Kostogiannis Ioannis , Ageberg Eva , Neuman Paul , Dahlberg Leif E. , Fridén Thomas , Roos Harald
Published: June 2008

Background

The association of early knee joint laxity with the need for later reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament has not been extensively studied.

Hypothesis

The grade of knee laxity can be used as an early predictor of the need for later reconstruction.

Study Design

Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods

One hundred consecutive patients with an acute arthroscopically verified total anterior cruciate ligament rupture were followed prospectively for 15 years. Lachman and pivot-shift tests were performed with the patient under general anesthesia before arthroscopy. After 3 months, the tests were repeated in an ordinary clinical setting. All patients underwent rehabilitation as the first choice of treatment. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed only in cases of significant reinjuries (n = 16) or reparable meniscal lesions (n = 6) at a mean of 4 years after injury (range, 4 months-11 years). After 15 years, 94 patients were available for follow-up.

Results

Of the later reconstructed patients (n = 18), 82% had a high-grade Lachman test under anesthesia compared with 63% of the nonreconstructed patients (n = 45; P = .048). At 3 months, 44% of the nonreconstructed patients (n = 32) had a high-grade Lachman test compared with 82% of the reconstructed patients (n = 18; P = .007). Twenty-five patients displayed a normal pivot-shift test at 3 months, of whom 1 underwent later reconstruction ( P = .009). A high-grade pivot-shift test at 3 months was associated with an 11.4 relative risk for reconstruction.

Conclusion

A positive pivot-shift test at 3 months after injury in an awake patient is the strongest predictor for the future need for reconstruction. Furthermore, a normal pivot-shift test at 3 months indicates a low risk for reconstruction and is characteristic for copers.
Family Cohesion and Its Relationship to Psychological Distress Among Latino Groups
Authors: Rivera Fernando I. , Guarnaccia Peter J. , Mulvaney-Day Norah , Lin Julia Y. , Torres Maria , Alegría Margarita
Published: June 2008

This article presents analyses of a representative sample of U.S. Latinos ( N = 2,540) to investigate whether family cohesion moderates the effects of cultural conflict on psychological distress. The results for the aggregated Latino group suggest a significant association between family cohesion and lower psychological distress, and the combination of strong family cohesion with presence of family cultural conflict is associated with higher psychological distress. However, this association differs by Latino groups. In this study, no association for Puerto Ricans is seen; Cuban results are similar to the aggregate group, family cultural conflict in Mexicans is associated with higher psychological distress whereas family cohesion in other Latinos is associated with higher psychological distress. Implications of these findings are discussed to unravel the differences in family dynamics across Latino subethnic groups.
Predictors of Condom Use in Latino Migrant Day Laborers
Authors: Organista Kurt C. , Ehrlich Samantha F.
Published: June 2008

This article reports on predictors of condom use with casual female sex partners on the part of Latino migrant day laborers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results come from a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling to interview 290 sexually active adult, male, migrant Latino day laborers. Regression analysis of sociodemographic background, behavioral, and psychosocial predictor factors revealed a number of significant findings. Men with wives or partners currently living in Mexico were almost 4.5 times more likely to use condoms with casual female sex partners compared to men accompanied by wives or partners in California. It was also found that men at high sexual risk for HIV with casual female partners were more than 5.5 times more likely to use condoms than men at low risk. Interpretations of findings and implications for HIV prevention with this unique and especially marginalized population of Latinos are discussed.
Trust in Education Professionals
Authors: Angell Maureen E. , Stoner Julia B. , Shelden Debra L.
Published: June 2008

This study extends the research on issues of trust in family—professional relationships by more fully examining, within a qualitative research design, the nature of trust between parents of children with disabilities and school personnel. The authors examined the trust-related perspectives of 16 mothers of children with various disabilities at all levels of the P—12 educational system. Analysis of the mothers' responses to face-to-face interview questions yielded three primary categories that seem to influence trust: family characteristics, teacher characteristics, and school characteristics. Discussion focuses on the mothers' difficulty in defining their levels of trust and on the roles of authentic caring, child-focused orientation, communication, knowledge about child characteristics, and school climate and teaming factors that appear to facilitate or inhibit trust. Discussion also addresses implications of these findings for school leadership and the establishment of healthy family—professional relationships, especially as they affect the lives of students and families in need of special education support.
Assessing Risk Markers in Intimate Partner Femicide and Severe Violence
Authors: Echeburúa Enrique , Fernández-Montalvo Javier , de Corral Paz , López-Goñi José J.
Published: June 2008

The aim of this study is to develop a scale to predict intimate partner femicide and severe violence. The sample consists of 1,081 batterer men who were reported to the police station. First, the most significant differences between the severe violence group ( n = 269) and the less severe violence group ( n = 812) in sociodemographic variables are determined. Both aggressors and victims of the severe violence group have a higher rate of immigration. Second, the proposed 20-item scale is derived from a larger 58-item scale, where only the most discriminative items between severe and nonsevere intimate partner violence are taken into account. Psychometric properties of reliability and validity are rather good. Cutoff scores have been proposed according to sensitivity and specificity. This easy-to-use tool appears to be suitable to the requirements of criminal justice professionals and is intended for use in safety planning. Implications of these results for further research are discussed.
Sexual Assault and Women With Cognitive Disabilities
Authors: Wacker Julia L. , Parish Susan L. , Macy Rebecca J.
Published: June 2008

Criminal sexual assault statutes vary across the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. However, most statutes mandate increased restrictions and penalties for crimes committed against victims with cognitive impairments. Current statutes pertaining to victims with cognitive impairments and the standards and methods typically used by courts to determine victims' capacity to consent are evaluated. The authors analyze these policies and demonstrate that the statutes stem from and perpetuate a legacy of systematic oppression including, but not limited to, the sexual exploitation and deprivation of people with cognitive impairments. They argue that current statutes not only fail to diminish but may also enhance the risk of sexual assault to adults with cognitive disabilities. The authors further argue that these statutes deprive adults with cognitive impairments of their civil liberties. They conclude with recommendations for changes in policy and practice.
Three-dimensional Green's Functions for Two-phase Transversely Isotropic Piezothermoelastic Media
Authors: Hou Peng-Fei , Leung Andrew Y.T.
Published: June 2008

Green's functions play an important role in electroelastic analyses of piezoelectric media. However, most works available on this topic are on the case of identical temperature. Based on the compact general solution of transversely isotropic piezothermoelectric media, which is expressed in harmonic functions, and employing the trial-and-error method, the three-dimensional Green's function for a steady point heat source in a two-phase piezothermoelectric media is presented by eight newly induced harmonic functions. Numerical results are given graphically by contours.
Dynamic Electromechanical Response and Self-Sensing of Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Cantilever Transducers
Authors: Shindo Yasuhide , Narita Fumio , Nakagawa Jun
Published: June 2008

This article studies the activity and sensitivity of functionally graded piezoelectric cantilever transducers under electromechanical loading through numerical and experimental characterizations. A phenomenological model of domain wall motion in alternating current (AC) electric fields is used, and a nonlinear 3D finite element method is employed to simulate the dynamic response of functionally graded piezoelectric cantilever transducers. The effects of AC electric field amplitude and frequency, number of layers, and property gradation on the output voltage, deflection and internal stresses of the transducers are examined. Experimental results, which verify the model, are also presented using functionally graded piezoelectric bimorphs.
Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetorheological Damper
Authors: Nam Yun-Joo , Park Myeong-Kwan
Published: June 2008

This study presents an electromagnetic design methodology for the magnetorheological (MR) damper. To improve the performance of the MR damper, the magnetic field should be effectively supplied to the MR fluid. Therefore, it is important that the magnetic circuit composed with the MR fluid, the ferromagnetic yoke for forming the magnetic flux path, and the electromagnetic coil are well designed from the electromagnetic viewpoint. For this purpose, two effective approaches are proposed; one is to shorten the magnetic flux path by removing the unnecessary bulk of the yoke in order to improve the static characteristic of the MR damper, and the other is to increase the magnetic reluctance of the magnetic circuit by minimizing the cross-sectional area of the yoke through which the magnetic flux passes in order to improve the dynamic and hysteretic characteristics. After designing and manufacturing two MR dampers, the conventional type and the proposed type, their performances are evaluated and compared through the magnetic field analysis and a series of basic experiments. These results show that the proposed design methodology can be effectively used as a fundamental design material for expanding application fields of the MR damper.
EMERGO: A methodology and toolkit for developing serious games in higher education
Authors: Nadolski Rob J. , Hummel Hans G. K. , van den Brink Henk J. , Hoefakker Ruud E. , Slootmaker Aad , Kurvers Hub J. , Storm Jeroen
Published: June 2008

Societal changes demand educators to apply new pedagogical approaches. Many educational stakeholders feel that serious games could play a key role in fulfilling this demand, and they lick their chops when looking at the booming industry of leisure games. However, current toolkits for developing leisure games show severe shortcomings when applied to serious games. Developing effective serious games in an efficient way requires a specific approach and tool set. This article describes the EMERGO methodology and generic toolkit for developing and delivering scenario-based serious games that are aimed at the acquisition of complex cognitive skills in higher education. Preliminary evaluation results with case developers using the EMERGO methodology and toolkit and with learners using EMERGO cases are presented.
The Explanatory Power of Models and Simulations: A Philosophical Exploration
Authors: Weirich Paul
Published: June 2008

Some computer simulations have explanatory goals. In a typical case, the computer simulation exemplifies a model generating a phenomenon under investigation. For the simulation to be explanatory, the model has to be explanatory. Models that fully explain phenomena are rare, but a model may offer a partial explanation of a phenomenon. It does this if an isomorphism holds between certain features of the model and certain features of a natural system realizing the phenomenon. The first two sections elaborate this account of a simulation’s explanatory power. The third section illustrates the account by applying it to Brian Skyrms’s (2004) simulations of the evolution of cooperation. The final section uses the account to suggest ways of increasing those simulations’ explanatory power.
Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: An Estimate of the Average Cost in the Hospital Setting in France
Authors: Elalamy Ismail , Le Gal Gregoire , Nachit-Ouinekh Fatima , Lafuma Antoine , Emery Corinne , Le-Fur Camille , Chapuis François
Published: June 2008

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is a severe drug adverse effect with possible dramatic consequences. The risk is 0.1% to 5%. The costs of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in France were estimated using the Programme Médicalisé des Systèmes d’Information (PMSI) national discharge database. Hospitalizations with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia were identified using diagnostic codes. Costs were assessed from the perspective of the French Sickness Fund or hospitals. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia could be the reason of admission or could occur during the stay and lead to a different tariff or to additional costs associated with extra length of stay. Direct costs were also estimated from experts’ opinions. A sensitivity analysis was performed from data collected in 1 center. During 2005, 445 hospitalizations with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia codes were identified. For 45 patients, the main diagnosis was heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; for the remaining 400 patients, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia occurred during the hospital stay. Tariffs and extra costs were used to estimate an overall average cost of 3230 for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. For patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia as main diagnosis, the average cost was 3400; for the patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia that occurred during the stay, 1910 was due to an increased of the tariff and 3348 to an increased length of stay. Estimated direct costs of an episode were 3350 to 3700. Different methods were used to arrive at an estimated cost of 3500 for a heparin-induced thrombocytopenia episode for inpatients. One limitation of the study is that heparin-induced thrombocytopenia tends to be underreported by physicians during hospitalization.
Effects of rhG-CSF Plus Dexamethasone on Hemostatic Parameters in Healthy Granulocyte Donors: Role of u-PA and Nitric Oxide
Authors: Ekmekçi Özlem Balcı , Öztürk Gülyüz , Ekmekçi Hakan , Atay Didem , Yanaşık Melek , Anak Sema , Devecioğlu Ömer
Published: June 2008

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used to reduce the risk of infection resulting from neutropenias and to mobilize and collect CD34+ hematopoetic progenitor cells (HPCs) for autologous and allogenic transplantation. The safety of recombinant human G-CSF (rhG-CSF) administration in healthy donors has been investigated in several studies. However, there are limited cumulative data about the effects of rhG-CSF on hemostasis. Hemostatic parameters, including urokinase-type plasminogen activator antigen (u-PA:Ag) and nitric oxide in 17 healthy granulocyte apheresis donors who donated for neutropenic patients were evaluated. rhG-CSF (single dose, 10 μg/kg subcutaneously) and dexamethasone (8 mg, single dose oral) were given to donors 12 hours before granulocyte apheresis. Two blood samples were drawn at time 0 (T0) before rhG-CSF and dexamethasone administration and at time 1 (T1), immediately before the apheresis. A statistically significant rise in coagulant factor VIII (FVIII) and von Willebrand factor (vWF), and slightly rise in u-PA:Ag were observed after G-CSF plus dexamethasone administration. In addition, there were positive correlations between vWF-D-dimer and FVIII-D-dimer. A significant decrease in mean total nitric oxide (NOx), nitrite, and nitrate levels was also found after G-CSF plus dexamethasone administration. Moreover, there was a strong negative correlation between nitrite and D-dimer levels ( r = −0.611; P = .009). Even if partially compensated with u-PA and protein C, increased FVIII and vWF activity, and decreased nitric oxide levels may still partially contribute to progress of thrombosis risk in rhG-CSF plus dexamethasone administered healthy granulocyte donors. Large numbers of healthy donors exposed to G-CSF plus dexamethasone will be needed to evaluate the risk of thrombosis in this population.
Measuring Culture Outside the Head: A Meta-Analysis of Individualism—Collectivism in Cultural Products
Authors: Morling Beth , Lamoreaux Marika
Published: June 2008

Although cultural psychology is the study of how sociocultural environments and psychological processes coconstruct each other, the field has traditionally emphasized measures of the psychological over the sociocultural. Here, the authors call attention to a growing trend of measuring the sociocultural environment. They present a quantitative review of studies that measure cultural differences in “cultural products”: tangible, public representations of culture such as advertising or popular texts. They found that cultural products that come from Western cultures (mostly the United States) are more individualistic, and less collectivistic, than cultural products that come from collectivistic cultures (including Korea, Japan, China, and Mexico). The effect sizes for cultural products were larger than self-report effect sizes for this dimension (reported in Oyserman, Coon, & Kemmelmeier, 2002). In addition to presenting this evidence, the authors highlight the importance of studying the dynamic relationships between sociocultural environments and psyches.
What Factors Influence the Structure of the State Income Tax?
Authors: Fletcher Jason M. , Murray Matthew N.
Published: June 2008

This article contributes to a small body of literature that examines empirically the factors affecting the structure of state income taxes. We assume vote-maximizing politicians who are potentially influenced by information spillovers from other states in the spirit of yardstick competition. A number of nominal provisions of the income tax are considered in the empirical analysis, including earned income tax credits, top bracket rates, exemptions, and income thresholds. Politicians manipulate these and other structural features of the income tax to garner votes. The results yield no evidence of yardstick competition in the setting of income tax policy, regardless of how we define neighbors. Political factors like single-party control affect the choice of some tax provisions. Demographic factors play a mixed role; in particular, characteristics of the low-income population are seldom associated with provisions that benefit these particular groups.
The No Child Left Behind Act
Authors: Duncombe William , Lukemeyer Anna , Yinger John
Published: June 2008

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) imposes new requirements on state education systems and provides additional education funding. This article estimates education cost functions, predicts the spending required to support NCLB standards, and compares this spending with the funding available through NCLB. This analysis is conducted for Kansas and Missouri, which have similar education environments but very different standards. We find that new federal funding is sufficient to support very low standards for student performance, but cannot come close to funding high standards without implausibly large increases in school-district efficiency. Because of the limited federal funding and the severe penalties in NCLB when a school does not meet its state's standards, states have a strong incentive to keep their standards low. NCLB needs to be reformed so that it will encourage high standards.