bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Washing Machines in Life Cycle Assessment Studies
Authors: Cullen Jonathan M. , Allwood Julian M. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryA key requirement for those in industry and elsewhere who wish to reduce the environmental impact of a product is to develop priorities for action. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly used to identify such priorities but can be misleading. This article draws attention to two effects that can occur when the system boundary for a product LCA is not defined correctly. We illustrate the “washing machine effect” by showing that in separate life cycle studies of clothing, detergents, and washing machines, the use of energy is dominated by operation of the washing machine. All three studies prioritize the use phase for action, but in an aggregated study, double counting of the use‐phase impact occurs. We demonstrate the “inverse washing machine effect” with an example related to energy used in transport. We show that some activities that are significant on a cumulative basis consistently fall outside the chosen system boundary for individual products. A consequence is that when LCA studies are used for prioritization, they are in danger of overemphasizing the use‐phase impacts and overlooking the impacts from indirect activities. These effects, which are broadly understood by LCA developers, appear not to be understood properly by those who use LCA to direct priorities for action. Therefore, practitioners should be wary of using LCA for prioritizing action, and LCA guidance documents should reflect this caution.
Inconsistency in Classification and Reporting of In‐Hospital Falls
Authors: Haines Terry P. , Massey Bernadette , Varghese Paul , Fleming Jennifer , Gray Len 
Published: January 2009

OBJECTIVES: To investigate agreement between hospital staff on what constitutes a fall and should be recorded on an incident report, to identify factors that influence whether a scenario is classified as a fall, and to examine the effect of providing a definition of a fall on interrater agreement.DESIGN: Two interrater agreement trials with pre–postintervention design.SETTING: Seven hospitals.PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred forty‐six hospital staff (nursing 76%, physiotherapy 14%, occupational therapy, 6%) working on participating wards over a 24‐hour period.MEASUREMENTS: Fourteen video scenarios were played before participants, who were asked whether they would classify each scenario as a fall and whether they would complete an incident report in that scenario. A definition of a fall was then provided and the video scenarios replayed. Two definitions were investigated; the World Health Organization definition and a custom definition.RESULTS: Consensus was not evident in five of the 14 scenarios examined. Falls onto surfaces higher than the ground were less likely to be recorded on incident reports. Hospital and ward type influenced whether a scenario was classified as a fall. Overall agreement in classifying scenarios as a fall was only marginally greater after provision of the definition in both phases, although neither had an effect on whether staff would complete an incident report.CONCLUSION: Disagreement between hospital staff in what constitutes a fall may contribute to inconsistent research findings in this field and is not meaningfully improved through provision of a definition.
Long‐Term Function in an Older Cohort—The Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars Study
Authors: Newman Anne B. , Arnold Alice M. , Sachs Michael C. , Ives Diane G. , Cushman Mary , Strotmeyer Elsa S. , Ding Jingzhong , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Chaves Paulo H. M. , Fried Linda P. , Robbins John 
Published: January 2009

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate shared and unique risk factors for maintaining physical and cognitive function into the ninth decade and beyond.DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study.SETTING: Four U.S. communities.PARTICIPANTS: One thousand six hundred seventy‐seven participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars Study, assessed in 2005/06. Median age was 85 (range 77–102), 66.5% were women, and 16.6% were black.MEASUREMENTS: Intact function was defined as no difficulty with any activities of daily living and a score of 80 or higher on the Modified Mini‐Mental State Examination. Baseline characteristics assessed in 1992/93 included demographics, behavioral health factors, chronic disease history, subclinical disease markers, cardiovascular risk factors, and inflammatory markers. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compare risk for physical disability, cognitive impairment,and combined impairments with no functional impairment.RESULTS: Of the 1,677 participants evaluated in both domains, 891 (53%) were functionally intact. Continuous measures of function, including the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and gait speed, showed that all groups, including the most functional, had declined over time. The functional group had less decline but also tended to have higher starting values. Functional individuals had a higher baseline health profile than those with either or cognitive impairment or both impairments combined. Women and individuals with greater weight had higher rates of physical impairment but not cognitive impairment. Risk factors common to both types of impairment included cardiovascular disease and hypertension.CONCLUSION: Intact function was found in only approximately half of these older adults in the ninth decade and beyond. High baseline function and low vascular disease risk characterized functional aging.
Depressive relapse during lithium treatment associated with increased serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone: results from two placebo‐controlled bipolar I maintenance studies
Authors: Frye M. A. , Yatham L. , Ketter T. A. , Goldberg J. , Suppes T. , Calabrese J. R. , Bowden C. L. , Bourne E. , Bahn R. S. , Adams B. 
Published: January 2009

Objective:  To assess the relationship between depressive relapse and change in thyroid function in an exploratory post hoc analysis from a controlled maintenance evaluation of bipolar I disorder.Method:  Mean thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and outcome data were pooled from two 18‐month, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, maintenance studies of lamotrigine and lithium monotherapy. A post hoc analysis of 109 subjects (n = 55 lamotrigine, n = 32 lithium, n = 22 placebo) with serum TSH values at screening and either week 52 (±14 days) or study drop‐out was conducted.Results:  Lithium‐treated subjects who required an intervention for a depressive episode had a significantly higher adjusted mean TSH level (4.4 μIU/ml) compared with lithium‐treated subjects who did not require intervention for a depressive episode (2.4 μIU/ml).Conclusion:  Lithium‐related changes in thyroid function are clinically relevant and should be carefully monitored in the maintenance phase of bipolar disorder to maximize mood stability and minimize the risk of subsyndromal or syndromal depressive relapse.
c‐Met signaling promotes IL‐6‐induced myeloma cell proliferation
Authors: Hov Håkon , Tian Erming , Holien Toril , Holt Randi Utne , Våtsveen Thea K. , Fagerli Unn‐Merete , Waage Anders , Børset Magne , Sundan Anders 
Published: January 2009

AbstractObjectives:  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a constituent of the myeloma microenvironment and is elevated in sera from myeloma patients compared to healthy individuals. Increased levels of serum HGF predict a poor prognosis. It has previously been shown by us and others HGF can act as a growth factor to myeloma cells in vitro although these effects have been moderate. We therefore wanted to investigate if HGF could influence the effects of interleukin (IL)‐6.Methods:  Myeloma cell lines and primary samples were tested for the combined effects of IL‐6 and HGF in inducing DNA synthesis and migration. Expression levels of c‐Met protein were analysed by Western blotting and flow cytometry. Signaling pathways were examined by Western blotting using phosphospecific antibodies and a Ras‐GTP pull down assay.Results:  HGF potentiated IL‐6‐induced growth in human myeloma cell lines and in purified primary myeloma cells. There was also cooperation between HGF and IL‐6 in induction of migration. There seemed to be two explanations for this synergy. IL‐6‐treatment increased the expression of c‐Met making cells HGF responsive, and IL‐6 was dependent on c‐Met signaling in activating both Ras and p44/42 MAPK by a mechanism involving the tyrosine phosphatase Shp2.Conclusions:  The results indicate that besides from being a myeloma growth factor alone, HGF can also potentiate the effects of IL‐6 in myeloma proliferation and migration. Thus, c‐Met signaling could be a target for therapy of multiple myeloma.
Flexural Strength Evaluation of Nonconstant Thickness Ceramic Floorings by Means of the Finite‐Element Method
Authors: Defez Beatriz , Peris‐Fajarnés Guillermo , Tortajada Ignacio , Brusola Fernando , Morillas Samuel 
Published: January 2009

The ceramic tile industry has become an extremely competitive sector. The entry of new Asian and South American manufacturers into the market is shifting the leadership in production and exports from the traditional clusters of Europe to China, Turkey, and Brazil. In this uncertain environment, enterprises should raise the quality and cut costs by means of new products and processes. Ceramic tiles lightened by carving of a deep back relief could give rise to a generation of new, efficient products. These tiles could be manufactured with fewer raw materials than the traditional ones, which may lead to saving of weight and energy. Additionally, a lighter final product improves working conditions on the shopfloor and at the building site. Nevertheless, lightened tiles are structurally different from traditional ones, and so is their mechanical behavior. Because tiles are constructive elements, it is necessary to know their response under typical loads and assure fulfillment of the valid standards.This paper aims at evaluating the flexural strength (R) of lightened ceramic floorings using solid three‐dimensional modelling and the finite‐element method, establishing a new formula for the application of the international standard ISO 10545 “Ceramic Tiles.” In order to achieve this objective, one reference model and 48 different relief versions were designed, which underwent a simplified computational simulation of the bending test. In accordance with the Rankine criterion, the maximal stresses of each version were calculated, as much as their distribution. Next, we correlated the results defining a new parameter called “normalized thickness,” defined as the thickness that a carved tile should have to behave as a traditional flooring under flexion. This parameter allowed the adjustment of the international standard ISO 10545 to this kind of a product, facilitating their certification and therefore their real introduction in the market. Finally, thanks to the collaboration of the company Keros Cerámica S. A., it was verified that the methodology used was appropriate.
Development of a Low‐cost Polymerase Chain Reaction‐based Method for Studying Differentially Expressed Genes in Developing Rice Leaves
Authors: Fung Yin‐Wan Wendy , Chow Hoi Yee , Law Tik Wan , Dong Biao , Kwan Hoi Shan 
Published: January 2009

Abstract Gene expression studies are important for revealing gene functions putatively involved in biological processes. We were interested in identifying differentially expressed genes during leaf development in rice. We combined the RNA arbitrarily primed‐polymerase chain reaction (RAP‐PCR) and dot blot hybridization methods to screen a rice leaf primordium cDNA library. Three developmental stages during vegetative growth were examined. The cDNA clones showing different hybridization patterns were further analyzed and verified. Here we demonstrate that the combination of RAP‐PCR and dot blot hybridization could provide an efficient and relatively low‐cost cDNA library screening approach to discover genes not previously known to be associated with leaf development in rice. We believe that the findings described here will help to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the developmental processes of rice leaf.
Measuring Children’s Self‐Efficacy and Proxy Efficacy Related to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Geller Karly S. , Dzewaltowski David A. , Rosenkranz Richard R. , Karteroliotis Konstantinos 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND:  Social cognitive theory describes self‐efficacy and proxy efficacy as influences on fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC). Proxy efficacy was defined as a child’s confidence in his or her skills and abilities to get others to act in one’s interests to provide fruit and vegetable (FV) opportunities. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale assessing children’s self‐efficacy and proxy efficacy for FVC at after‐school programs and at home.METHODS:  Elementary‐aged children (n = 184) attending 7 after‐school programs completed a self‐efficacy questionnaire relevant to FVC. Questionnaire validity was investigated with exploratory factor analysis and mixed‐model analysis of covariance. Internal consistency reliability and readability were also assessed.RESULTS:  The questionnaire assessed 4 constructs: self‐efficacy expectations for fruit consumption, self‐efficacy expectations for vegetable consumption, proxy efficacy to influence parents to make FV available, and proxy efficacy to influence after‐school staff to make FV available. Children perceiving FV opportunities in after‐school had greater self‐efficacy expectations for FVC and greater proxy efficacy to influence after‐school staff compared to students who did not perceive FV opportunities. Children attending schools of higher socioeconomic status (SES) and less diversity were more confident they could influence their parents to make FV available than students attending lower SES and less diverse schools. Adequate internal consistency and test‐retest reliabilities were established.CONCLUSIONS:  Self‐efficacy is a multicomponent construct that can be assessed in children using the reliable and valid instrument evaluated by the current study.
Power, Place, and Militarism: Toward a Comparative Geographic Analysis of Militarization
Authors: Bernazzoli Richelle M. , Flint Colin 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe topics of militarism and militarization have acquired a position of prominence in geography, and the social sciences, in general, in recent years. This article begins by reviewing some of the major contributions to the study of war, peace, militarism, and militarization. Subsequently, it discusses three major strands of literature in geography and related fields: those of theories of place, cultural hegemony, and the ideological content of militarism. The interconnections between these bodies of literature are explored throughout the article. In summary, we posit that the ideology of militarism is best conceptualized as a form of cultural or ideological hegemony, the production of which relies on the social construction of places. To analyze the interacting processes of militarization and the construction of place, we argue for grounded studies of militarism and militarization and propose a place‐based, comparative framework.
Monitoring Drought: An Evaluation of Meteorological Drought Indices
Authors: Quiring Steven M. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractA uniform method for defining, monitoring and quantifying the severity of drought conditions does not exist. This article introduces some of the tools (e.g. drought indices) that are commonly used in the United States to monitor meteorological drought, describes the strengths and weaknesses of these tools, and makes recommendations about which ones are the most appropriate for measuring and monitoring meteorological drought. The literature and the qualitative drought index evaluation both suggest that the Standardized Precipitation Index and deciles/percentiles are the most suitable for monitoring meteorological drought.
Beauty Work: Individual and Institutional Rewards, the Reproduction of Gender, and Questions of Agency
Authors: Kwan Samantha , Trautner Mary Nell 
Published: January 2009

AbstractPhysical attractiveness is associated with a number of positive outcomes, including employment benefits such as hiring, wages, and promotion, and is correlated with social and personal rewards such as work satisfaction, positive perceptions of others, and higher self‐esteem. As a result, individuals perform various forms of beauty work, thus reproducing and strengthening a social system that privileges youth and attractiveness. In this article, we explore the beauty work practices that people perform. We begin with an examination of the cultural context in which beauty work occurs, including the individual, social, and institutional rewards accompanying physical attractiveness, and then review the practices themselves. Because these rewards and practices contribute in part to the reproduction of social relations and norms, we then turn to the gender dimensions of beauty work, along with its unique racial embodiment. Throughout, we raise the issue of individual agency in beauty work. Finally, we conclude with suggestions for future research.
Art, Nationalism and War: Political Futurism in Italy (1909–1944)
Authors: Conversi Dr Daniele 
Published: January 2009

AbstractFuturism was launched as a revolutionary, iconoclastic movement encompassing the arts, politics and society. It rejected all ties with the past and preached with missionary zeal the advent of a new man and the total reconstruction of society. Despite its powerful impact on Italian politics, the importance of Futurism has scarcely been addressed in the social sciences. Yet, it continues to attract the interest of historians, literary critics and art historians. In fact, the major methodological hindrance for a more articulated research remains the latter's unchallenged hegemony, with their selective propensity to eulogistic accounts. The result is the neglect of Futurism's political dimension as a fully fledged nationalist movement. Aiming to redress this imbalance, the article analyzes Futurist politics through the movement's actions, proclaims and manifestos. It distinguishes early Futurism's anti‐establishment ultra‐nationalism (1909–1915) from the more institutionalized ‘muscular’ patriotism adopted after its merger with Fascism (1924–1944). In a global context of mounting nationalist state‐building and spiralling inter‐state rivalries, Italy's unitary, homogenizing nationalism provided a congenial matrix for the advent of war‐mongering patriotism and irredentism. Here, Futurism found an ideal structure of political opportunities, in which it could articulate its unique repertoire of action. The futurists’ peculiar talent in ‘manufacturing consent’ through the media was put to test in their marketing of war as adventurous boundary‐building enterprise, a vision subsequently appropriated by Fascism.
From Culture to Connection: Internet Community Studies
Authors: Cavanagh Allison 
Published: January 2009

AbstractResearch into Internet communities and online behaviour constituted one of the earliest and most dynamic fields of interest in the new field of Internet studies. Studies focused a range of issues including understanding how social order was possible in mediated environments, the social and political dimensions of community, the impacts that online communities could have on their offline counterparts. At the same time, studies of Internet community provided Internet studies more generally with methodological innovations and new means of examining the new electronic worlds that had opened up. However, Internet community studies have been a victim of its own success to the extent that it has recently become fractured into a number of specialist arenas. As a consequence, the field has become both narrower and dominated by intractable problematics. However, recent research offers a new and revitalised agenda, focusing around the altering political status of community and new, and pressing questions have been opened up for the study of online community.
Agency as a Sociological Variable: A Preliminary Model of Individuals, Situations, and the Life Course
Authors: Hitlin Steven , Long Charisse 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThis paper reviews social psychological measures that might usefully be employed within sociological treatments of human agency. Sociologists have engaged both (a) the structural constraints and opportunities that channel individual action and (b) the subjective sense individuals develop reflecting beliefs about their ability to affect those structures and their life courses. We briefly spell out the well‐trod agency vs. structure debate before exploring six concepts that have or could be used in organizing and theorizing empirical research on the subjective version of agency: self‐efficacy, locus of control, personal control, mastery, planful competence, and ego‐depletion/self‐control. For each concept, we provide brief descriptions and representative findings. Taking a life course perspective, we briefly sketch out a series of concerns that scholars engaging in the agency concept should take into account.
Deconstructing urban flood damages: increasing the expressiveness of flood damage models combining a high level of detail with a broad attribute set
Authors: Veerbeek W. , Zevenbergen C. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractClimate change increases uncertainty regarding the frequency and severity of flood events, posing new challenges for urban areas often located along major rivers. Current flood damage assessment methods often ignore the level of differentiation found in the urban fabric; their level of detail is too coarse and limits possibilities of tailor‐made solutions based on refined insights on the severity, distribution and horizon of expected impacts. As part of the Urban Flood Management project for the city of Dordrecht, the Netherlands, a flood damage assessment model was developed using a substantially higher level of detail than used in current practice. The model incorporates methods of analysis linking the spatial distribution of flood damages, flood damage composition, age of the building stock and a range of other attributes to gain a comprehensive view on the financial consequences of urban flooding. The output provides a foundation for integration of flood proofing schemes into urban development and/or redevelopment.
Risky places in the Netherlands: a first approximation for floods
Authors: De Bruijn K.M. , Klijn F. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractFlood risk maps are considered useful tools for flood risk management including spatial planning. In the Netherlands, flood risk is usually assessed for large geographical units: at the dike‐ring scale. However, within dike rings differences in flood risk are large. Maps that provide information on flood risks and on aspects of flood risks on a more detailed spatial scale are relevant for prioritising flood control measures or land‐use planning. The research reported in this paper, therefore, aims at mapping flood risks on a more detailed scale. This paper focuses on the identification of risky places in the Netherlands, i.e. places where many fatalities may be expected due to flooding, because they are both hazardous and vulnerable. The method distinguishes factors that determine the likelihood and number of fatalities into hazard factors and vulnerability and exposure factors. The places that have the highest risk level are the risky places.