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AbstractWe offer here a particularly simple and direct construction of the congruence frame of a given frame, aka its assembly, from the bounded meet semilattice of differences of frame elements. The construction enables economical proofs of two of the assembly’s known attributes, namely ultranormality and ultraparacompactness, as well as a proof that the assembly is an essential extension of the frame with the same essential closure as the frame. The major new result is that the assembly is free over its meet semilattice of differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature focuses on the inherent challenges of food delivery work. Less is known about how these injustices impact workers and their lives more broadly, or how workers navigate them. This empirical article is based on a 12-month ethnographic theory-relevant case study and includes an innovative shadowing method focused on migrant food delivery workers in Brisbane, Australia. We found that temporary migrant workers face intersectional injustices, exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, both within and beyond the platform economy. Nevertheless, the workers agentically enacted their own justices to navigate their precarity, in the absence of institutional supports. This study’s theoretical contribution is the development of a model explaining the agentic and structural underpinnings of the injustices that migrant platform workers experience. Moreover, our contribution reveals that the unique attributes that migrants bring to bear on their platform work provide them with the affordances to navigate the injustices they experience. In so doing they mitigate some of the negative impacts of platform work, and indeed derive benefits that non-migrant platform workers might not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury has been described as been in daily household items such as soaps, skin-lightening creams (SLC), and topical disinfectants. Mercury exposure can reportedly cause damage to the optic nerve and retina. A 30-year-old Somali woman presented with decreased vision and was found to have bilateral optic atrophy. Neuroimaging and laboratory work-up for nutritional deficiencies, heavy metals, and syphilis were performed. Evaluation revealed normal neuroimaging and laboratory work-up except for elevated serum and urine mercury levels. Mercury levels at the initial blood test was 11.1 ug/L (normal limits < 10.0 ug/L) and was 15.7 ug/L on repeat testing. A 24-h urine test showed elevated mercury at 16 ug/24 h (normal limits < 2 ug/24 h). Evaluation of an unlabelled SLC that she was using showed the presence of mercury. It is worth testing for heavy metals in the work-up of bilateral optic atrophy. Clinicians should consider cosmetic products as a potential source of mercury exposure and recommend discontinuation if mercury is present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In a supersaturated design, the number of factors is greater than the number of observations. A design that is not supersaturated but has more parameters to be estimated than observations results in a supersaturated model (SSM). An SSM may occur when two-factor interactions exist in addition to main effects. The goal is to find the few active effects from the many in the SSM. Several approaches may be used to find a set of potential models and then to select the best model using some criterion. This may be done in a single stage by considering all main effects and two-factor interactions simultaneously, or by screening main effects first, then identifying the active interactions. In this paper, we study a single-stage and multiple two-stage approaches as well as different algorithms and criteria for selecting the models. For the Plackett-Burman design we study, we find that the SCAD algorithm with the corrected Akaike Information criterion (cAIC) generally performs well, but the best procedure depends on the true, unknown, underlying model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment trace data, such as mouse positions and their timing, offer interesting and provocative reflections of individual differences yet are currently underutilized by testing professionals. In this article, we present a 10-step procedure to maximize the probability that a trace data modeling project will be successful: 1) grounding the project in psychometric theory, 2) building technical infrastructure to collect trace data, 3) designing a useful developmental validation study, 4) using a holdout validation approach with collected data, 5) using exploratory analysis to conduct meaningful feature engineering, 6) identifying useful machine learning algorithms to predict a thoughtfully chosen criterion, 7) engineering a machine learning model with meaningful internal cross-validation and hyperparameter selection, 8) conducting model diagnostics to assess if the resulting model is overfitted, underfitted, or within acceptable tolerance, and 9) testing the success of the final model in meeting conceptual, technical, and psychometric goals. If deemed successful, trace data model predictions could then be engineered into decision-making systems. We present this framework within the broader view of psychometrics, exploring the challenges of developing psychometrically valid models using such complex data with much weaker trait signals than assessment developers have typically attempted to model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of transcendent, objective, perdurant truth seems to have fallen on hard times lately, the very concept increasingly being called into question – if not simply dismissed outright. Indeed, some authors argue that we have entered a "post-truth world, where 'alternative facts' replace actual facts and feelings have more weight than evidence." Unfortunately, transcendence itself is seldom seriously or directly addressed in contemporary psychology, despite the fact that transcendence as a construct, or, perhaps better, as an ontological presupposition, is at the heart of every account, approach, model, or explanation in psychology. This paper introduces one explicit analytical project aimed at examining transcendence itself and its role in theory and philosophy in psychology. The paper will (1) briefly address the definitional task; that is, specifying what might be meant by transcendence as it is most often understood within the scholarly literature, particularly in contrast to immanence, (2) analyze some attempts to reduce transcendence to immanence and suggest that all such are unsuccessful, and (3) present a schematic framework for locating various theories and explanatory approaches in psychology within a conceptual "topology" that runs between weak and strong transcendence on one axis, and weak and strong evaluation on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting optimal health outcomes for diverse patients and populations requires the acknowledgement and strengthening of interdependent relationships between health professions education programs, health systems, and the communities they serve. Educational programs must recognize their role as integral components of a larger system. Educators must strive to break down silos and synergize efforts to foster a health care workforce positioned for collaborative, equitable, community-oriented practice. Sharing interprofessional and interinstitutional strategies can foster wide propagation of educational innovation while accommodating local contexts. This paper outlines how member schools of the American Medical Association Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium leveraged interdependence to accomplish transformative innovations catalyzed by systems thinking and a community of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physico-chemical characteristics of waste, particularly fine fraction (FF), from an old crystal glass waste dump in Sweden were studied to assess recycling or disposal alternatives. Hand-sorting of the waste indicated glass content of 44.1% while sieving established the FF as a more soil-like mix of glass and other materials constituting 33.3% of all excavated waste. The FF was around neutral pH with 24.4% moisture content, low values of Total Dissolved Solids, Dissolved Organic Carbon and fluorides, but hazardous concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. While the FF leached metals in low concentrations at neutral pH, it leached considerably during digestion with nitric acid, implying leaching risks at low pH. Thus, the waste requires safe storage in hazardous waste class 'bank account' storage cells to avoid environmental contamination as metal recovery and other recycling strategies for the glass waste are being developed. The study could fill the information gap regarding preservation of potential resources in the on-going, fast-paced excavation and re-landfilling of heavy metal contaminated materials in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antiquated and undemocratic rules operating in the United Nations Security Council do not reflect and serve today's integrated global society, nor does the institution adequately represent the diversity of member states. Despite General Assembly discussions that have lasted a quarter-century, no result has materialized on the expansion issue. The author concludes that regional rivalries, the veto, the onerous Charter amendment process, and the failure to devise a truly representative model are responsible for the lack of progress. A model with eighteen rotating seats, based on population, area, and regional position, and four elected seats deserves consideration as an alternative. Key Words: metageography, political geography, population and area ratings, United Nations Security Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frame Sc(L) generated by closed sublocales of a locale L is known to be a natural Boolean ("discrete") extension of a subfit L; also it is known to be its maximal essential extension. In this paper we first show that it is an essential extension of any L and that the maximal essential extensions of L and Sc(L) are isomorphic. The construction Sc is not functorial; this leads to the question of individual liftings of homomorphisms L → M to homomorphisms Sc(L) → Sc(M). This is trivial for Boolean L and easy for a wide class of spatial L, M. Then, we show that one can lift all h : L → 2 for weakly Hausdorff L (and hence the spectra of L and Sc(L) are naturally isomorphic), and finally present liftings of h : L → M for regular L and arbitrary Boolean M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puerto Rican adolescents, as well as other Latinos/as, have been identified at higher risk for suicidal ideation and attempts compared to other ethnic groups. However, research designed to better understand suicidality among Puerto Rican adolescents is rare. Objective: A socio-cognitive vulnerability model of suicidal ideation was tested in adolescents living in Puerto Rico. Method: Multiple group path analyses were performed to assess the effect of self-reported socio-environmental and vulnerability factors on suicidal ideation, by sex, in 233 students from the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Results: Overall, the model explained a large amount of the variance in suicidal ideation (r2 = .59 for females and r2 = .48 for males). Depressive symptoms had the strongest total effect on suicidal ideation for both sexes (r = .69 for females and r = .53 for males) and negative life events were the most salient socio-environmental factor. Hopelessness had a direct effect on suicidal ideation for males only. Externalizing behaviors had a direct effect on suicidal ideation for both males and females, but it was particularly strong for females. Conclusion: Results support the mediating role of vulnerability factors and the differential importance of socio-environmental and vulnerability factors in understanding suicidal ideation among Puerto Rican adolescents. The relevance of exploring different developmental paths to suicidal ideation, separately by sex, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined coping and adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers and their efficacy in response to climate change in Zango and Kofa communities in North-Western Nigeria. Three focus group discussions with 51 participants comprising men, women, and the youth, and 15 follow-up interviews were conducted in this study to understand the influence of cultural beliefs on climate change adaptation. Results show that to adapt, farmers borrow food from neighbours to repay in good season, use early maturing crops, sell livestock and other assets, engage in other businesses. Farmers also offer prayers and sacrifices based on the belief that climate change is caused by God. Thus, offering prayer and making sacrifices were very pronounced and found to be the dominant strategies farmers adopt in both communities which could potentially lead to less adaptation action thereby indirectly exposing the vulnerable communities to additional shocks. We found that most (50% and above) of the participating farmers in both communities had no access to any formal education which could affect their adaptation decisions. We concluded that farmers' cultural beliefs and practices such as prayer influences their adaptation behaviour and therefore adaptation designs need to address cultural influences to avoid future maladaptive responses consequently exacerbating vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puerto Rican adolescents, as well as other Latinos/as, have been identified at higher risk for suicidal ideation and attempts compared to other ethnic groups. However, research designed to better understand suicidality among Puerto Rican adolescents is rare.Objective: A socio-cognitive vulnerability model of suicidal ideation was tested in adolescents living in Puerto Rico.Method: Multiple group path analyses were performed to assess the effect of self-reported socio-environmental and vulnerability factors on suicidal ideation, by sex, in 233 students from the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.Results: Overall, the model explained a large amount of the variance in suicidal ideation (r2 = .59 for females and r2 = .48 for males). Depressive symptoms had the strongest total effect on suicidal ideation for both sexes (r = .69 for females and r = .53 for males) and negative life events were the most salient socio-environmental factor. Hopelessness had a direct effect on suicidal ideation for males only. Externalizing behaviors had a direct effect on suicidal ideation for both males and females, but it was particularly strong for females.Conclusion: Results support the mediating role of vulnerability factors and the differential importance of socio-environmental and vulnerability factors in understanding suicidal ideation among Puerto Rican adolescents. The relevance of exploring different developmental paths to suicidal ideation, separately by sex, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 2016 American Library Association Annual Conference on digital repositories, digital conversion, and preservation of metadata held in Orlando, Florida on June 23-28, 2016 hosted by the largest professional organization for librarians is presented. The conference featured the views of business development manager at the Discovery Garden, Inc. Erin Tripp, librarian University of Prince Edward Island Mark Leggott, and deputy director of New York Public Library Josh Hadro.

We address what might be termed the reverse reflection problem: given a monoreflection from a category A onto a subcategory B, when is a given objectB∈ B the reflection of a proper subobject? We start with a well known specific instance of this problem, namely the fact that a compact metric space is never the Čech-Stone compactification of a proper subspace. We show that this holds also in the pointfree setting, i.e., that a compact metrizable locale is never the Čech-Stone compactification of a proper sublocale. This is a stronger result than the classical one, but not because of an increase in scope; after all, assuming weak choice prin­ciples, every compact regular locale is the topology of a compact Hausdorff space. The increased strength derives from the conclusion, for in general a space has many more sublocales than subspaces. We then extend the analysis from metric locales to the broader class of perfectly normal locales, i.e., those whose frame of open sets consists entirely of cozero elements. We include a second proof of these results which is purely algebraic in character. At the opposite extreme from these results, we show that an extremally disconnected locale is a compactification of each of its dense sublocales. Finally, we analyze the same phenomena, also in the pointfree setting, for the 0-dimensional compact reflec­tion and for the Lindelöf reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the American Library Association Annual Conference for librarians held in San Francisco, California on June 25-30, 2015. Topics includes business meetings, interest group, and exhibitor sessions. It mentions that the program had several presentations on topics including digital humanities work, data clean-up projects, and digital archiving in libraries.

The present study examined the practice of language brokering (LB) among South Asian Canadian college-age adults and how such practice relates to acculturation to mainstream and heritage cultures, as well as personal empowerment. One hundred and twenty-four young adults reported on three different indices of LB (brokering frequency, diversity of people, and diversity of items translated), as well as measures of acculturation to mainstream and heritage cultures, and personal empowerment. Whereas brokering frequency and number of people one brokers for were not related to acculturation, findings suggested that the wider the range of items and topics brokered, the stronger the reported acculturation to both mainstream and heritage cultures. Further, brokering for a more diverse pool of individuals was predictive of more individual empowerment, whereas brokering frequency and diversity of items translated were not related to empowerment. Findings point at the importance of going beyond brokering frequency to examine multiple indicators of brokering as they relate to acculturation and personal empowerment. Limitations and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite the continued growth in both the research and practice into criminal profiling, three major shortfalls continue to permeate the topic. The first is a lack of coherency in the field which has, as a consequence, led to increasingly discordant and contradictory theorems. In many respects this problem is connotative of the adagecomparing apples with oranges. Likewise, the adagethe elephant in the roomdescribes the second major shortfall concerning a paucity of research testing the validity (i.e., accuracy) of espoused paradigms. Finally, the adagetoo many cooks spoil the brothdescribes the third major shortfall concerning the counterproductive popular interest surrounding the topic. These shortfalls when examined collectively appear to form a self-perpetuating cycle. The use of violent crime databases such as ViCAP and ViCLAS are suggested as potential mechanisms in arresting this cycle by rectifying these factors, which continue to stymie the cogent scientific development of criminal profiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A debate is emerging about the evolving functions and roles of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). New functions pivot on value-adding to the social, environmental and economic sustainability of communities – or in tourism parlance – destinations. This paper extends knowledge with a case study of an Italian-based EU project, in which a local university took a prominent role in developing a city and its countryside into a sustainable gastronomy and food tourism destination, working with a variety of stakeholders. Synthesising the collaborative destination alliance and university 'third mission' co-creation for sustainability frameworks, the study extended across various collaborative activities, including two years beyond the life of the project. Results show the university performed numerous roles enacting the co-creation for the sustainability approach, and that these roles evolved through a communicative and outcomes-based cyclical process. Theoretically, this case study serves as a functional platform explaining the new ways in which tourism academic sector performance is reviewed and evaluated. Practically, this case informs sustainable academic and community collaborations in tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the hallmarks of any flexible system of perception and motor control is the ability to adjust to changes induced by dialect, development, fatigue, disease, or aging. Phonetic categories are an essential component of language that enables listeners and speakers to communicate effectively. Four studies are reviewed that illustrate how adults and infants adjust their phonetic categories rapidly and efficiently to maintain a tight coupling between speech perception and speech production. Although this process of adaptive plasticity takes place at the level of phonetic categories, it is also constrained by the lexicon. Words that share similar sounds or similar vocal-articulatory gestures impede the process of adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article celebrates the life and work of electroencephalography (EEG) technologist Theda Sannit.

Previous studies of word learning have presented the items to listeners under ideal conditions. Here we ask how listeners learn new vocabulary items under adverse listening conditions. Would listeners form acoustically-specific representations that incorporated the noise, base their representations on noise-free language knowledge, or both? To address these questions, listeners learned 16 words as labels for unfamiliar shapes presented on a computer display. During the learning phase, word-shape pairings were presented with either clear or white-noise-embedded tokens. For each word (e.g. dabo), another word shared consonants (e.g. dubei) and a third shared vowels (e.g. gapo). Learning was assessed in a 4AFC picture-selection task. The highest accuracy and speed were achieved by listeners who experienced the same noise level at exposure and test (both clear or both noisy), suggesting that listeners' representations of noisy words were faithful to the spectral context experienced during the learning phase. Implications for word learning and recognition across a variety of listening conditions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Racial diversity is understood to play an important role for all students on the college campus. In recent years, much effort has gone into documenting the positive effects of this diversity. However, few studies have focused on how diversity impacts student interactions in the classroom, and even fewer studies attempt to quantify contributions from students of different races. Using Web blog discussions about race and religion, the authors uncover the differences in contributions black and white students make to those discussions. The implications of these findings are important for scholars interested in how diversity impacts student learning, and for policymakers advocating on behalf of affirmative action legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using free energy rate density (Φm) I differentiate two evolutionary strategies common to cosmic, biological, and cultural systems: the horizontal when energy increases proportional to mass, with no increase in complexity; and the vertical when it increases disproportionately to the mass and complexity increases. The vertical process is a continuing increase in complexity such that the system becomes vulnerable to collapse when energy sources fail. This is illustrated by a comparison of four Mayan Indian groups in Guatemala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where seabird breeding colonies occupy forested habitats, unusual nutrient links between marine and terrestrial ecosystems can occur. In such circumstances, the dietary characteristics of forest birds inhabiting pristine seabird colonies have rarely been investigated. In this study, carried out in a mixed-species colony of petrels (Procellariiformes), we measured the stable isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) signatures of individual feathers of New Zealand Bellbirds (Meliphagidae:Anthornis melanura melanura; n=6) and Red-crowned Parakeets (Psittacidae:Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae; n=15). The δ15N of Parakeet feathers encompassed a wide range, from +7.1‰ to –0.9‰. From the high maximum δ15N, relative to global temperate forest foliage, we conclude that some Parakeets were feeding within the petrel colony where they were captured. However, the low minimum δ15N, relative to foliage from the petrel colony, implies that Parakeet isotopic composition could not be fully explained by potential dietary items from the petrel colony. Bellbird δ15N (range +3.4‰ to +9.6‰) was more enriched than that of Parakeets, consistent with their higher trophic level, but also consistent with a dietary intake consisting of items from both within and beyond the petrel colony. Bellbird isotopic ratios were strongly enriched in δ13C, which could be explained only by consumption of invertebrates with marine isotopic enrichment. The marine invertebrates could have been associated with breeding petrels, or have come from the littoral zone near the site of capture. The importance for both species of food sources both inside and outside of petrel colonies implies that petrel colonies offer foraging opportunities for forest birds but that the birds also use non-colony areas. Consequently, petrel colonies are integral parts of the wider terrestrial landscape which they inhabit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have shown that bicultural individuals, including 2nd-generation immigrants, face a potential conflict between 2 cultural identities. The present authors extended this primarily qualitative research on the bicultural experience by adopting the social identity perspective (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner, 1986). They developed and tested an empirically testable model of the role of cultural construals, in-group prototypicality, and identity in bicultural conflict in 2 studies with 2nd-generation Asian Canadians. In both studies, the authors expected and found that participants' construals of their 2 cultures as different predicted lower levels of simultaneous identification with both cultures. Furthermore, the authors found this relation was mediated by participants' feelings of prototypicality as members of both groups. Although the perception of cultural difference did not predict well-being as consistently and directly as the authors expected, levels of simultaneous identification did show these relations. The authors discuss results in the context of social identity theory (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner) as a framework for understanding bicultural conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Store-operated Ca2+ influx represents a major route by which cytosolic Ca2+ can be elevated during platelet activation, yet its molecular identity in this cell type remains highly controversial. Using quantitative RT-PCR analysis of candidate receptor-operated cation entry pathways in human platelets, we show a >30-fold higher expression of message for the recently discovered Orai1 store-operated Ca2+ channel, and also the store Ca2+ sensor STIM1, when compared to the non-selective cation channels TRPC1, TRPC6 and TRPM2. Orai1 and STIM1 gene transcripts were also detected at higher levels than TRPC1, TRPC6 and TRPM2 in primary murine megakaryocytes and human megakaryocytic cell lines. In direct electrophysiological recordings from murine megakaryocytes, Ca2+ ionophore-induced store depletion stimulated CRAC currents, which are known to require Orai1, and these overlapped with TRPC6-like currents following P2Y receptor activation. Together with recent transgenic studies, these data provide evidence for STIM1:Orai1 as a primary pathway for agonist-evoked Ca2+ influx in the platelet and megakaryocyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare three competitive swimming starts (grab, rear-weighted track, and front-weighted track). The starts were compared in terms of time and instantaneous horizontal velocity, both at take-off from the block and at 5 m from the wall. Twenty US college female swimmers performed three trials of each of the three randomly ordered starts. Swimmers left the block significantly sooner using the front-weighted track start (0.80 s) than the other two starts (both 0.87 s; P < 0.001). In the rear-weighted track start, however, the athletes left the blocks with significantly higher horizontal velocity than in the grab or front-weighted track start (3.99 vs. 3.87 and 3.90 m/s, respectively; each P < 0.001). By 5 m, the front-weighted track start maintained its time advantage over the grab start (2.19 vs. 2.24 s; P = 0.008) but not the rear-weighted track start (2.19 vs. 2.21 s; P = 0.336). However, the rear-weighted track start had a significant advantage over the front-weighted track start in terms of instantaneous horizontal velocity at 5 m (2.25 vs. 2.18 m/s; P = 0.009). Therefore, the rear-weighted track start had a better combination of time and velocity than the front-weighted track start. There was also a trend for the rear-weighted track start to have higher velocity at 5 m than the grab start, although this did not reach statistical significance (2.25 vs. 2.20 m/s; P = 0.042). Overall, these results favour the rear-weighted track start for female swimmers even though most of the athletes had little or no prior experience with it. Additional research is needed to determine whether males would respond similarly to females in these three different swimming starts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment outcome research has repeatedly demonstrated that involvement in twelve-step (TS) programs (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) following treatment is associated with improved substance use outcomes. Treatment providers widely encourage TS program attendance during treatment and for aftercare; yet, evidence suggests that minimal and sporadic attendance or complete dropout is the more common occurrence. Providers would benefit from knowledge that would contribute to a greater understanding of factors that influence posttreatment TS program affiliation or dropout to guide treatment strategies. This article reviews the literature on TS affiliation, advances theory and a model to explain affiliation, and reports findings from a qualitative research study focused on understanding what people in TS facilitative treatment report as good (the pros) and not so good (the cons) about TS program involvement. Results suggest that unresolved ambivalence as well as socio-cultural barriers to support contribute to poor TS program utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine nitrogen (N) has been traced into terrestrial and freshwater food chains at petrel (Aves: Procellariiformes) colonies on the South Island of New Zealand, but the effects of N or other marine-derived nutrients on the productivity of mainland forests are unknown. Mean ring widths in matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia; n = 3) and rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum; n = 2) trees growing in a Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica) colony were 0.9-1.4 mm yr-1, similar to ring widths reported elsewhere. However, series of much wider rings in cores showed that trees in a petrel colony can experience periods of accelerated growth. δ15N values of whole wood were, at 3.2-11.1‰, significantly enriched in comparison to other temperate forest trees. The highest δ15N values were at the cambial and pith ends of different cores, so isotopic fractionation during N remobilisation is unlikely to have been significant. The radial extent of 15N enrichment suggests that petrels have bred at the site since at least the mid 18th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To provide fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] specialists with an overview of information suitable for the education of primary care physicians about current understanding of the mechanism of and treatments for FMS. Findings: Controlled studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging and other objective markers document FMS as a disorder of increased sensitivity of the central nervous system's pain signaling pathways. This "neural sensitization" model shifts the focus for treatment toward drugs that affect neural pathways. New options include: 5-hydroxytryptamine serotonin receptor antagonists such as odansetron [Zofran], N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists such as Ketamine, growth hormone stimulants such as pyridostigmine [Mestinon], anti-seizure drugs such as gapapentin [Neurontin] or pregabalin [Lyrical, gamma hydroxy butyrate-related agonists such as sodium sodium oxybate [Xyrem], and the new serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors-class antidepressants such as duloxetine [Cymbalta] and milnacipran. Also recommended is appropriately graded exercise, i.e., conditioning, work on sleep quality, and cognitive behavioral therapy to support coping skills. Conclusion: Improved understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in FMS and new options for treatment make it imperative that FMS specialists reach out to educate their primary care physician colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In observational studies of treatment effects, matched samples have traditionally been constructed using two tools, namely close matches on one or two key covariates and close matches on the propensity score to stochastically balance large numbers of covariates. Here we propose a third tool, fine balance, obtained using the assignment algorithm in a new way. We use all three tools to construct a matched sample for an ongoing study of provider specialty in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Fine balance refers to exact balance of a nominal covariate, often one with many categories, but it does not require individually matched treated and control subjects for this variable. In the example the nominal variable has 72 = 9 x 8 categories formed from 9 possible years of diagnosis and 8 geographic locations or SEER sites. We obtain exact balance on the 72 categories and close individual matches on clinical stage, grade, year of diagnosis, and other variables using a distance. and stochastically balance a total of 61 covariates using a propensity score. Our approach finds an optimal match that minimizes a suitable distance subject to the constraint that fine balance is achieved. This is done by defining a special patterned distance matrix and passing it to a subroutine that solves the optimal assignment problem, which optimally pairs the rows and columns of a matrix using a polynomial time algorithm. In the example we used the function Proc Assign in SAS. A new theorem shows that with our patterned distance matrix, the assignment algorithm returns an optimal, finely balanced matched sample whenever one exists, and otherwise returns an infinite distance. indicating that no such matched sample exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at U.S. environmental politics, policies, and the common good. According to the article, throughout American history, the dominant policies of the U.S. have been to promote the economic exploitation of natural resources. Some U.S. environmental policies have also included initiatives to manage and protect the natural environment, such as water management projects and controlling pollution. The article discusses public health, federal conservation, and sanitation policies, the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, the limits of current environmental policies, and international environmental diplomacy.

Recent twelve-step (TS) program research has suggested a dose threshold consisting of minimum weekly TS meeting attendance that is necessary to derive substantial benefit. Unfortunately, other research has observed the vast majority of patients do not attend meetings or attend sporadically in the period following treatment. As another ex- ample of research advancing our understanding of recovery processes, numerous studies have refined adaptations of Motivational Interviewing (MI) into a change theory with proven practice methods. This paper reviews related literature and provides rationale for the use of a brief motivational intervention to increase TS program attendance. The paper concludes by addressing two possible problems to implementing such an intervention: (1) Resistance within the culture of the addiction counseling field and (2) a lack of objective and normative TS program feedback data. We respond to this latter gap in the literature by advancing possible specimen feedback data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective . The diagnosis of renal failure with a normal urinalysis represents a short differential diagnosis that has not been characterized in the literature. This study was designed to identify the specific disease states that encompass this interesting renal condition. Material . The Regenstrief database, which is an electronic medical record containing inpatient laboratory and other clinical data for patients admitted to Wishard Memorial Hospital, was utilized to provide data for this study. Methods . The database was culled to provide data for hospitalized patients admitted between March 1, 1992, and March 1, 2001, with the concurrent findings of a serum creatinine greater than or equal to 2 mg/dL, a normal urinalysis, and diagnoses of obstructive uropathy, multiple myeloma, prerenal azotemia, hypertensive nephrosclerosis, interstitial nephritis, renal vascular disease, hypokalemic nephropathy, and hypercalcemia, as identified by their corresponding ICD-9 codes. Results . A search of the Regenstrief database yielded a total of 190,343 patient admissions. There were 515 patient admissions with renal failure and a concurrent normal urinalysis. The largest specific diagnostic categories within this group were hypertension and prerenal azotemia. Conclusions . An elevated serum creatinine and normal urinalysis present a short differential for the etiologies of renal failure and include such entities as hypertensive nephrosclerosis, prerenal azotemia, obstructive nephropathy, interstitial nephritis, renal vascular disease, and various electrolyte abnormalities. An awareness of these specific disease states may lead to an earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction : The aim of this paper is to highlight the use of the Holmium YAG laser in the endoscopic placement of Lester Jones tubes in patients with a blocked canaliculus or failed lacrimal pump function. Materials and methods : Sixteen cases with a non-functional canaliculus were included over a one-year period. Following caruncle excision, a 19G needle is inserted through the medial canthal tissues into the nasal space. Nasal endoscopy confirms the accurate positioning in relation to the nasal anatomy. With the Holmium YAG laser, a tissue channel is fashioned around the guide needle through the structures of the lateral nasal wall to facilitate an accurate and secure placement of the Jones tube. Results : The endoscopic, laser-assisted placement reduces the operating time to less than 20 minutes, minimizes tissue trauma and does not require the initial surgical steps of an open DCR procedure. There were 14 cases (87.5%) with securely retained tubes and two cases (12.5%) that required tube replacement. The advantage of the procedure is especially great in revision surgery where the ostium is opened through scar tissue. Conclusions : Nasal endoscopy with the assistance of the Holmium YAG laser offers simplicity and precision in the placement of Jones tubes. It minimizes tissue trauma and increases the surgical success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we examine the rhetoric of televangelist John Ankerberg as manifested on his weekly television show in which he defends what he terms "orthodox Christianity" against a host of perceived challengers. We argue that Ankerberg's efforts constitute institutional apologia as he follows a carefully strategized script while debating program guests whose beliefs run counter to his interpretation of Christian orthodoxy. Through analysis of an illustrative program, Ankerberg's techniques, including postproduction insertions, are identified as apologetic bolstering and are shown to provide a tactical advantage to Ankerberg in his defense of his brand of Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any serious integration of the thought of Emmanuel Levinas into psychology must begin by being serious about morality (Gantt, E. E., & Williams, R. N. (Eds) (2002a). Psychology for the other: Levinas, ethics and the practice of psychology . Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press.). If psychology is to appreciate Levinas and open itself to such an integration it must acknowledge and accept the essentially moral character of his work. (Here I am using ‘the moral’ and ‘the ethical’ interchangeably although I am aware of the difference that emerges in Levinas’ work. This distinction is important, but, I believe, best left until after the essential character of Levinas’ thought and its ability to open up psychology in a new way are articulated.) This essential morality derives in part from the unapologetic tone of Levinas’ writings; however, its roots are much deeper. The ethical is intrinsic to Levinas’ work, not just to his tone, and he gives us to understand that the ethical is, likewise, intrinsic to our nature. (The term ‘heteronomy’ in the title of this presentation conveys the sense that Levinas’ account of the ethical is not one that places the self, the ego, or the individual at the center of moral discourse. The self is not the source of ethical obligations or of moral behaviors. The important understanding of the ethical is the understanding of how the ethical arises from, and with, the other. Thus it is properly experienced as heteronomy.) This understanding is certainly what draws many to Levinas, but it also certainly leads many to question whether Levinas’ work can ever be successfully brought into contemporary academic or cultural discourse. It leads still others to protest the very idea. This essay will explore the fundamental nature of the ethical and the ethical nature of the fundamental and seek a point of entry for Levinas’ thought into psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common "F test" for testing the equality of two population variances is very sensitive to the normality assumption, yet many introductory statistics books do not stress this sensitivity. Several alternative dispersion tests have been developed that do not assume normality, but these are rarely discussed other than in nonparametric statistics texts. Additionally, these tests generally require tables of critical values or software to calculate p values. We propose a simple graphical procedure, requiring no tables or software, that compares absolute deviations of one sample to another. With equal sample sizes, if one sample has the five largest absolute deviations, we conclude that its population has greater dispersion. We believe the simplicity of this test makes it a viable alternative to the often misleading F test and to other tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the Environmental Services Department of Athens International Airport SA (AIA) are to monitor environmental conditions, ensure compliance with environmental regulations, communicate environmental information, and undertake initiatives to improve environmental conditions. Since 2000, the Environmental Services Department has been certified according to EN ISO 14001:1996. During the next audit it will seek certification according to EN ISO 14001: 2004. This case study introduces the main elements of the environmental management system (EMS) regarding design, development and implementation, and examines the benefits and challenges of its adoption. Certification has led to a number of operational,environmental and public relations benefits, such as effective environmental monitoring and proactive approach to environmental problems. At the same time,EMS adoption requires continuous internal and external reviews to ensure proper implementation. One of the main future challenges is to expand the EMS to other AIA departments as well as to encourage companies operating at the airport to adopt similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing body of research evidence supports the use of 12-step program affiliation as an effective adjunct and aftercare for formal treatment. Recently, three brief (9- or 10-item) measures of affiliation have been developed. However, the brief scales are difficult to interpret, and the question of exactly what is affiliation (or disaffiliation) remains unclear. This analysis examines the question of what is the essence of affiliation vs. disaffiliation. Data from the Project MATCH 1-year posttreatment Alcoholics Anonymous Involvement (AAI) scale (N = 1506) are used to identify the most salient items of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) affiliation predicting 1-year posttreatment drinking outcomes. Analysis using stepwise regression suggests that a three-item solution can explain a similar amount of variance in the proportion of days abstinent in months 9 through 12 posttreatment, as does using the nine items. These three “core items predicting recovery” include AA attendance, sum of steps completed, and identifying self as an AA member. As an affiliation composite scale, these three items are easier to interpret and administer than the full AAI scale, and when combined, possess adequate reliability (α = 0.72). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutagenicity assays with Salmonella have shown that 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2[5 H ]-furanone (MX), a drinking-water disinfection by-product, is a potent mutagen, accounting for about one-third of the mutagenic potency/potential of chlorinated drinking water. The ability of MX to induce mutations was investigated in the liver of medaka ( Oryzias latipes ), a small fish model, utilizing the cII transgenic medaka strain that allows detection of in vivo mutations. Methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAMAc), a carcinogen in medaka, served as a positive control. Fish were exposed to MX at 0, 1, 10, or 30 mg/L for 96 h, whereas the MAMAc exposures were for 2 h at 0, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/L. Both exposures were conducted under static water conditions and with fasted medaka. Following exposure, fish were returned to regular culture conditions to allow mutation expression for 15 or 40 d for MX or for 15 or 32 d for MAMAc. Mutations were not induced in medaka exposed to MX for 96 h. However, a concentration- and time-dependent increase in mutations was observed from the livers of fish exposed to 1 and 10 mg/L MAMAc. In conclusion, mutation induction was not observed in the livers of cII medaka exposed to MX for 96 h; however, studies are planned to examine mutation induction in the gills and skin to explore the possibility that MX-induced DNA damage occurs primarily in the tissues of initial contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on sexual boundary violations that occur in supervisory relationships. Sexual boundary violations in professional relationships are harmful and often emotionally devastating to the parties involved. These violations thwart growth and development which is understood to be a central purpose of these professional relationships. Nonetheless, destructive violations continue to persist; sexual boundary violations constitute the largest percentage of overall boundary violations occurring in professional relationships.

Treatment systems within the U.S. are almost exclusively focused on abstinence as the goal of treatment for alcohol use disorders. This article reviews literature on the natural course of recovery from alcohol disorders and examines the role of testing control over drinking in the course of successful resolution of alcohol problems. Theory, quantitative and qualitative evidence support controlled drinking trials under certain conditions as a necessary and normal stage in the natural course of recovery. Empirical evidence suggests that some who are younger; who have less severe history of alcohol use; who have never been treated or diagnosed for alcohol disorders; who possess no family history of addiction; and who believe in self-efficacy over alcohol use could benefit from a single and well conceived controlled drinking trial. This article concludes with a summary of a controlled drinking treatment protocol that can coexist in abstinence-based treatment programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the stereotyping of Persia in the popular imagination of the 'West' from ancient Europe until the America of the twentieth century. The author shows how Persia has changed from being seen in ancient times as a respected enemy, to an envied enemy, a respected friend, a despised friend, and currently a despised enemy. He recognizes that the present day embodies the lowest opinion that both sides have held of each other. He hopes that the mutual characterization of fanaticism may change once again, but for the better, into a common belief in globalization and the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Donald Davidson argues that his interpretivist approach to meaning shows that accounting for the intentionality and objectivity of thought does not require an appeal, as John McDowell has urged it does, to a specifically rational relation between mind and world. Moreover, Davidson claims that the idea of such a relation is unintelligible. This paper takes issue with these claims. It shows, first, that interpretivism, contra Davidson's express view, does not depend essentially upon an appeal to a causal relation between events in the world and speakers' beliefs. Second, it shows that interpretivism essentially, if implicitly, depends upon interpreters' appealing to facts taken in in perception, and that such facts are suited to provide a rational connection between mind and world. The paper then argues that none of Davidson's legitimate epistemological arguments tell against the idea that experience, in the form of the propositional contents of perception, can play a role in doxastic economy. Finally, it argues that granting experience such a role is consistent with Davidson's coherentist slogan that nothing can count as a reason for holding a belief except another belief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the inclination of Muslim countries towards the system of democracy. Freedom and opportunities desired by Islamic nations; Practical reasons behind the promotion of democracy by the U.S.; Definition of democracy.

A consistent product/process will have little variability, i.e. dispersion. The widely-used unreplicated two-level fractional factorial designs can play an important role in detecting dispersion effects with a minimum expenditure of resources. In this paper we develop a nonparametric dispersion test for unreplicated two-level fractional factorial designs. The test statistic is defined, critical values are provided, and large sample approximations are given. Through simulations and examples from the literature, the test is compared to general nonparametric dispersion tests and a parametric test based on a normality assumption. These comparisons show the test to be the most robust of those studied and even superior to the normality-based test under normality in some situations. An example is given where this new test is the only one of those studied that does not incorrectly detect a spurious dispersion effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the speech of the director of Policy Planning for the State Department in the U.S. concerning the involvement of the American government on the peace process in Northern Ireland. Existing political conditions in the country; Emphasis on the launch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to promote peace; Factors influencing improved economic conditions; Role of the American government; Implications for politics and international relations.

The total kinetic energy release spectra of H atoms from the photolysis at 121.6 nm of water entrained in an argon jet show a number of peaks with widths of 100-150 cm[sup -1]. The relative intensity of these peaks varies with the physical conditions, which suggests that they should be attributed to molecular clusters. Calculation of the energy levels of Ar-OH with a known potential shows that there exists a wide range of states in which the OH moiety is excited to levels of the A[sup 2]Σ[sup +] state with high internal angular momentum, but which are remarkably stable to dissociation to Ar + OH. Indeed their stability increases with increasing rotation, even though their internal energy is many times the binding energy of the complex. The lowest frequency vibrational mode of the complex (ν < 10 cm[sup -1]) is a nutation of the OH rotational axis in the potential field of the argon atom. On this basis the broad peaks in the observed spectra have been simulated as unresolved bands involving these metastable levels. The calculated lifetimes for these levels are up to a nanosecond and more, so that in principle transitions involving them may give rise to resolvable spectra. It is also concluded from a comparison of spectra with and without clustering that photodissociation of Ar-H[sub 2]O leads exclusively to levels of Ar-OH(A). This is attributed to the blocking by the argon atom of the conical intersections which would be the pathways to Ar-OH(X), and which dominate in the dissociation of bare H[sub 2]O to give OH(X). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]