bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aromatherapy Benefits Autonomic Nervous System Regulation for Elementary School Faculty in Taiwan
Authors: Chang Kang-Ming , Shen Chuh-Wei
Published: April 2011

Workplace stress‐related illness is a serious issue, and consequently many stress reduction methods have been investigated. Aromatherapy is especially for populations that work under high stress. Elementary school teachers are a high‐stress working population in Taiwan. In this study, fifty‐four elementary school teachers were recruited to evaluate aromatherapy performance on stress reduction. Bergamot essential oil was used for aromatherapy spray for 10 minutes. Blood pressure and autonomic nervous system parameters were recorded 5 minutes before and after the application of the aroma spray. Results showed that there were significant decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, LF power percentage, and LF/HF while there were increases in heart rate variability and HF power percentage (P < .001∗∗∗) after application of the aromatherapy spray. Further analysis was investigated by dividing subjects into three background variables (position variables, age variables, gender variables) and anxiety degree groups. All parameters were significantly different for most subgroups, except for the substitute teachers and the light‐anxiety group. Parasympathetic nervous system activation was measured after aromatherapy in this study. It encouraged further study for other stress working population by aromatherapy.
Effect of an Oxadiazoline and a Lignan on Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis and Ultrastructural Changes ofMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Baquero Eduard , Quiñones Wiston , Ribon Wellman , Caldas Maria Leonor , Sarmiento Ladys , Echeverri Fernando
Published: April 2011

Tuberculosis (TB) is an important disease that causes thousands of deaths around the world. Resistance against antitubercular available drugs has been reported; so, research on new effective antimycobacterial molecules is needed. Antimycobacterial activity of three lignans and two synthetic hydrazones was assessed againstMycobacterium tuberculosisH37Rv by antimycobacterial microdilution assay (TEMA). An oxadiazoline (AC451) and a lignan (ethoxycubebin) were the most active compounds (MIC 6.09 and 62.4 μM, resp.). Several changes in mycolic acid profile of treated bacteria were detected with both compounds by mass spectrometry analysis. Additionally, the level of reduction of mycolic acids in ethoxycubebin treatment was correlated to disruption in bacterial morphology.
Update on lipids, inflammation and atherothrombosis
Authors: Storey Robert , Vilahur Gemma , Badimon Lina
Published: April 2011

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease that involves the arterial wall and is characterised by the progressive accumulation of lipids in the vessel wall. The first step is the internalisation of lipids (LDL) in the intima with endothelial activation which enhances the permeability of the endothelial layer and the expression of cytokines/chemokines and adhesion molecules. These events increase LDL particles accumulation in the extracellular matrix where they aggregate/fuse, are retained by proteoglycans and become targets for oxidative and enzymatic modifications. In turn, retained pro-atherogenic LDLs enhance selective leukocyte recruitment and attachment to the endothelial layer inducing their transmigration across the endothelium into the intima. While smooth muscle cell numbers decline with the severity of plaque progression, monocytes differentiate into macrophages, a process associated with the upregulation of pattern recognition receptors including scavenger receptors and Toll-like receptors leading to foam cell formation. Foamcells release growth factors, cytokines, metalloproteinases and reactive oxygen species all of which perpetuate and amplify the vascular remodelling process. In addition, macrophages release tissue factor that, upon plaque rupture, contributes to thrombus formation. Smooth muscle cells exposed in eroded lesions are also able to internalise LDL through LRP-1 receptors acquiring a pro-thrombotic phenotype and releasing tissue factor. Platelets recognise ligands in the ruptured or eroded atherosclerotic plaque, initiate platelet activation and aggregation leading to thrombosis and to the clinical manifestation of the atherothrombotic disease. Additionally, platelets contribute to the local inflammatory response and may also participate in progenitor cell recruitment.
Platelets, inflammation and tissue regeneration
Authors: Nurden Alan
Published: April 2011

Blood platelets have long been recognised to bring about primary haemostasis with deficiencies in platelet production and function manifesting in bleeding while upregulated function favourises arterial thrombosis. Yet increasing evidence indicates that platelets fulfil a much wider role in health and disease. First, they store and release a wide range of biologically active substances including the panoply of growth factors, chemokines and cytokines released from α-granules. Membrane budding gives rise to microparticles (MPs), another active participant within the blood stream. Platelets are essential for the innate immune response and combat infection (viruses, bacteria, micro-organisms). They help maintain and modulate inflammation and are a major source of pro-inflammatory molecules (e.g. P-selectin, tissue factor, CD40L, metalloproteinases). As well as promoting coagulation, they are active in fibrinolysis; wound healing, angiogenesis and bone formation as well as in maternal tissue and foetal vascular remodelling. Activated platelets and MPs intervene in the propagation of major diseases. They are major players in atherosclerosis and related diseases, pathologies of the central nervous system (Alzheimers disease, multiple sclerosis), cancer and tumour growth. They participate in other tissue-related acquired pathologies such as skin diseases and allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease; while, paradoxically, autologous platelet-rich plasma and platelet releasate are being used as an aid to promote tissue repair and cellular growth. The above mentioned roles of platelets are now discussed.
Inflammation and thrombosis in diabetes
Authors: Hess Katharina , Grant Peter
Published: April 2011

Patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Atherothrombosis, defined as atherosclerotic lesion disruption with superimposed thrombus formation, is the most common cause of death among these patients. Following plaque rupture, adherence of platelets is followed by local activation of coagulation, the formation of a cross-linked fibrin clot and the development of an occlusive platelet rich fibrin mesh. Patients with diabetes exhibit a thrombotic risk clustering which is composed of hyper-reactive platelets, up regulation of pro-thrombotic markers and suppression of fibrinolysis. These changes are mainly mediated by the presence of insulin resistance and dysglycaemia and an increased inflammatory state which directly affects platelet function, coagulation factors and clot structure. This prothrombotic state is related to increased cardiovascular risk and may account for the reduced response to antithrombotic therapeutic approaches, underpinning the need for adequate antithrombotic therapy in patients with diabetes to reduce their cardiovascular mortality.
Bleeding manifestations of congenital and drug-induced defects of the platelet P2Y12 receptor for adenosine diphosphate
Authors: Cattaneo Marco
Published: April 2011

P2Y12, one of the two platelet receptors for adenosine diphosphate (ADP), plays a central role in platelet function. Defects of P2Y12 should be suspected when ADP, even at high concentrations (≥10 μM), is unable to induce full, irreversible platelet aggregation. Patients with congenital P2Y12 defects display a mild-to-moderate bleeding diathesis of variable severity, characterised by mucocutaneous bleeding and excessive post-surgical and post-traumatic blood loss. Drugs that inhibit P2Y12 are potent antithrombotic drugs, attesting the central role played by P2Y12 in platelet thrombus formation. Clopidogrel, the most widely used drug that inhibits P2Y12, is effective both in monotherapy and in combination with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Its most important drawback is the inability to inhibit adequately P2Y12-dependent platelet function in about 1/3 of patients, at the recommended therapeutic doses. The incidence of bleeding events is similar in ASA-treated and clopidogrel-treated patients; however, the combination of ASA and clopidogrel causes more bleeding than each drug in monotherapy. Compared to clopidogrel, new drugs inhibiting P2Y12, such as prasugrel and ticagrelor, decrease the risk of cardiovascular events and increase the risk of bleeding complications, because they adequately inhibit P2Y12-dependent platelet function in the vast majority of treated patients.
Pharmacology and clinical trials of reversibly-binding P2Y12 inhibitors
Authors: Storey Robert
Published: April 2011

The important role of the P2Y12 receptor in amplification of platelet activation and associated responses and the limitations associated with clopidogrel therapy have led to the development of novel inhibitors of this receptor. Three reversibly-binding P2Y12 inhibitors are in phase 3 development, ticagrelor, cangrelor and elinogrel. The pharmacology and clinical trial data for each of these inhibitors are discussed and compared with relevant data for the thienopyridines clopidogrel and prasugrel.
Analogies du pouvoir partagé:remarques sur Aristote, Politique III.11
Authors: Bouchard Elsa
Published: April 2011

A new assessment of Aristotle Politics 3.11 shows that most of the arguments contained in this chapter are strictly analogical and should not be granted too much weight in Aristotle’s overall conception of popular government. A close analysis of the four analogies used by Aristotle to illustrate the so-called “wisdom of the many” brings to light both the negative and the positive conclusions allowed by this chapter, the following in particular: 1) the partial inclusion of the people in government decisions is desirable insofar as the people are affected by these decisions; 2) the people’s judgements are most qualified in some areas of political life, such as the audit of the magistrates; 3) the optimal distribution of power in the political community is made in accordance with the relative merits of all its members.
Revisiting Irenaeus’ Philosophical Acumen
Authors: Briggman Anthony
Published: April 2011

The primary place held by Scripture in the theology of Irenaeus of Lyons is beyond doubt. A number of scholars have pointed out, however, that Irenaeus also utilizes philosophy and rhetoric to his advantage. Despite the gains of this research there is a persistent tendency to trivialize Irenaeus’ philosophical and rhetorical ability. In this paper I argue against this tendency by calling more attention to the philosophical ability that Irenaeus displays. In the first place, I summarize the current state of scholarly opinion on the role of philosophy and rhetoric in Irenaeus’ thought. In the second, I illustrate Irenaeus’ use of philosophy by examining his comments in Against Heresies 3,24,2-3,25,5.
How to Read a Book: Irenaeus and the Pastoral Epistles Reconsidered
Authors: White Benjamin L.
Published: April 2011

Both the title of Irenaeus’ Refutation and Overthrow of Falsely-Called Knowledge and the opening lines of the preface to Book One of this work feature language from 1 Timothy. This prominent positioning once garnered significant attention from scholars, who, building on a larger narrative of a second-century Pauline captivity to “the heretics,” argued that it was only with the pseudonymous Pastoral Epistles that a Paul emerged who could be useful for the proto-orthodox church (Irenaeus, in particular) in its fight against the “heretics.” More recently, however, the role of the Pastorals in Irenaeus has been downplayed by those who are not convinced of the Pauline “captivity” narrative. In this article I argue, against this recent trend, that the Pastorals do provide, using the language of Gérard Genette, a significant hypotext for Irenaeus. The use of 1 Timothy in the title and preface of Adversus haereses clues the reader to this intertextual relationship and sets a paradigmatic course for the remainder of the work.
À propos de la datation du manuscrit contenant le Grand Euchologe du Monastère Blanc
Authors: Suciu Alin
Published: April 2011

The most complete Sahidic manuscript of the Euchologion, the liturgical book destined to the priestly service, comes from the White Monastery in Upper Egypt. The dating of this fragmentary codex has been a matter of debate among scholars for a long time, but their results have not reached consensus. The aim of the present paper is to enter this debate from the angle of paleography, showing that the existence of a dated codex copied by the same scribe offers us a firm ground to establish the age of the manuscript containing the Euchologion.
Review Essay For Profit or Delight? Richard Pervo’s Contributions to Lukan Studies
Authors: Mittelstadt Martin William
Published: April 2011

Given Pentecostal proclivity to (Luke-) Acts, it should come as no surprise that Pentecostals consider the work of the prolific Richard Pervo. In this essay, I offer a synopsis and evaluation of his work, particularly four recent volumes, on Acts for the Pneuma readership. On one hand, Pervo proves controversial (not only for Pentecostals) concerning questions about authorship, date, and historicity. On the other hand, Pervo offers fine insight on literary conventions and thematic motifs employed by the author of the Third Gospel and Acts. In the end, I suggest that a careful reading of Pervo produces some profit for readers. As for delight, this will depend on the reader’s needs and interests.
Harmful Beneficence
Authors: Rivera Lisa
Published: April 2011

Beneficence is usually regarded as adequate when it results in an actual benefit for a beneficiary and satisfies her self-chosen end. However, beneficence that satisfies these conditions can harm beneficiaries' free agency, particularly when they are robustly dependent on benefactors. First, the means that benefactors choose can have undesirable side-effects on resources that beneficiaries need for future free action. Second, benefactors may undermine beneficiaries' ability to freely deliberate and choose. It is therefore insufficient to satisfy someone's self-chosen ends. Instead, good beneficence depends on whether the benefactor avoids undue influence over a beneficiary's deliberation and whether the choice of means is compatible with the beneficiary's conception of her good. Consequently, benefactors must have substantial respect for a beneficiary's free agency and the practical competence to choose means that take into account the beneficiary's conception of her good and the wider set of circumstances that influence her life.
The Literary Corpus of George of Laodicea
Authors: DelCogliano Mark
Published: April 2011

This article deals with issues relating to the literary corpus of George of Laodicea. A brief description of the known contents of George’s corpus is provided at the outset in order to correct incomplete or inaccurate lists that appear elsewhere. Two topics are then discussed in more detail. First, reports about George’s lost anti-Manichaean treatise are examined in order to further our understanding of him and his place in the fourth-century Church. It is suggested that he is one of the founders of the Christian anti-Manichean tradition. Second, in response to recent denials of his authorship of the Homoiousian letter written in the summer of 359 on the part of Jeffrey Steenson, Winrich Löhr, and Xavier Morales, it is argued that George played the primary role in its composition.
The Programme of Measures of the Water Framework Directive – More than just a Formal Compliance Tool
Authors: Baaner Lasse
Published: April 2011

This article explores the requirements of the Water Framework Directive with regard to the programme of measures for achieving environmental objectives. It analyses Article 11 of the directive and other legal provisions concerning the content of the programme, and identifies four kind of provisions: provisions for including measures for achieving environmental objectives, provisions for including measures for fulfilling other obligations in the Water Framework Directive, provisions for including measures for fulfilling obligations in other environmental directives, and provisions concerning the legal design of the Member States' water management. This article concludes that a number of the provisions in Article 11 direct the legal design of the Member States' water management in greater detail than that which follows from the obligation to achieve the environmental objectives of Article 4 of the directive, and that the freedom to decide on how to attain the environmental objectives of the directive is limited thereby.
Soo Yong (1903-1984): Hollywood Celebrity and Cultural Interpreter
Authors: Gao Yunxiang
Published: April 2011

Following Broadway roles in the 1920s and serving as cultural translator for Mei Lanfang's Peking Opera tour of North America in 1930, Soo Yong (1903-84) acted in twenty-three Hollywood films and numerous television shows. Born in Hawaii to Chinese immigrant parents who were supporters of Sun Yat-sen and educated at Columbia Teachers College, Soo Yong combined Chinese and Western values without becoming the type of Westernized "Modern Girl" represented by Anna May Wong. Her roles present a softer Orientalism that allowed ethnic dignity and did not offend her Chinese-American audiences or her Nationalist friends in China. In contrast to the two-year younger Anna May Wong, she was able to balance several worlds and to sustain a position as an off-screen, cultural translator.
Bootstrapping Wildfire Selectivity for the Forest Types of Canton Ticino (Switzerland)
Authors: Bajocco Sofia , Pezzatti Gianni Boris , De Angelis Antonella , Conedera Marco , Ricotta Carlo
Published: April 2011

Disturbances spreading through the landscape, like wildfires, are essential processes in modeling landscape structure and dynamics. Like other disturbances, fire may spread from a local epicenter with a propagation rate enhanced or retarded by the spatial arrangement of fuel across the landscape. Therefore, fire ignition and spread are a direct consequence of the presence and arrangement of fire-prone habitats. Generalizing the concept of “habitat selection” to every spatially distributed ecological process, the resource selection functions used in zoology to summarize habitat use by wildlife can be also used to characterize the wildfire’s pattern across the landscape. The aim of this paper is thus to quantify the relationship between forest cover and burnt area in Canton Ticino (Switzerland) during 1980–2007 using a bootstrap test of significance: that is, to identify forest types that burn more (or less) than expected from a random null model based on the regional availability of the resource (forest type). The results show that fires behave selectively for most forest types; whereas chestnut stands and broad-leaved forests display overproportional burnt areas, coniferous forests typically burn less than expected by a random null model.
Micrometeorological Modeling of Radiative and Convective Effects with a Building-Resolving Code
Authors: Qu Yongfeng , Milliez Maya , Musson-Genon Luc , Carissimo Bertrand
Published: April 2011

In many micrometeorological studies with computational fluid dynamics, building-resolving models usually assume a neutral atmosphere. Nevertheless, urban radiative transfers play an important role because of their influence on the energy budget. To take into account atmospheric radiation and the thermal effects of the buildings in simulations of atmospheric flow and pollutant dispersion in urban areas, a three-dimensional (3D) atmospheric radiative scheme has been developed in the atmospheric module of the Code_Saturne 3D computational fluid dynamic model. On the basis of the discrete ordinate method, the radiative model solves the radiative transfer equation in a semitransparent medium for complex geometries. The spatial mesh discretization is the same as the one used for the dynamics. This paper describes ongoing work with the development of this model. The radiative scheme was previously validated with idealized cases. Here, results of the full coupling of the radiative and thermal schemes with the 3D dynamical model are presented and are compared with measurements from the Mock Urban Setting Test (MUST) and with simpler modeling approaches found in the literature. The model is able to globally reproduce the differences in diurnal evolution of the surface temperatures of the different walls and roof. The inhomogeneous wall temperature is only seen when using the 3D dynamical model for the convective scheme.
Dynamical Downscaling of Wind Speed in Complex Terrain Prone To Bora-Type Flows
Authors: Horvath Kristian , Bajić Alica , Ivatek-Šahdan Stjepan
Published: April 2011

The results of numerically modeled wind speed climate, a primary component of wind energy resource assessment in the complex terrain of Croatia, are given. For that purpose, dynamical downscaling of 10 yr (1992–2001) of the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) was performed to 8-km horizontal grid spacing with the use of a spectral, prognostic full-physics model Aire Limitée Adaptation Dynamique Développement International (ALADIN; the “ALHR” version). Then modeled data with a 60-min frequency were refined to 2-km horizontal grid spacing with a simplified and cost-effective model version, the so-called dynamical adaptation (DADA). The statistical verification of ERA-40-, ALHR-, and DADA-modeled wind speed on the basis of data from measurement stations representing different regions of Croatia suggests that downscaling was successful and that model accuracy generally improves as horizontal resolution is increased. The areas of the highest mean wind speeds correspond well to locations of frequent and strong bora flow as well as to the prominent mountain peaks. The best results are achieved with DADA and contain bias of 1% of the mean wind speed for eastern Croatia while reaching 10% for complex coastal terrain, mainly because of underestimation of the strongest winds. Root-mean-square errors for DADA are significantly smaller for flat terrain than for complex terrain, with relative values close to 12% of the mean wind speed regardless of the station location. Spectral analyses suggest that the shape of the kinetic energy spectra generally relaxes fromk−3at the upper troposphere to the shape of orographic spectra near the surface and shows no seasonal variability. Apart from the buildup of energy on smaller scales of motions, it is shown that mesoscale simulations contain a considerable amount of energy related to near-surface and mostly divergent meso-β-scale (20–200 km) motions. Spectral decomposition of measured and modeled data in temporal space indicates a reasonable performance of all model datasets in simulating the primary maximum of spectral power related to synoptic and larger-than-diurnal mesoscale motions, with somewhat increased accuracy of mesoscale model data. The primary improvement of dynamical adaptation was achieved for cross-mountain winds, whereas mixed results were found for along-mountain wind directions. Secondary diurnal and tertiary semidiurnal maxima are significantly better simulated with the mesoscale model for coastal stations but are somewhat more erroneous for the continental station. The mesoscale model data underestimate the spectral power of motions with less-than-semidiurnal periods.
Hydrologic Evaluation of Rainfall Estimates from Radar, Satellite, Gauge, and Combinations on Ft. Cobb Basin, Oklahoma
Authors: Gourley Jonathan J. , Hong Yang , Flamig Zachary L. , Wang Jiahu , Vergara Humberto , Anagnostou Emmanouil N.
Published: April 2011

This study evaluates rainfall estimates from the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD), operational rain gauges, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA), and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS) in the context as inputs to a calibrated, distributed hydrologic model. A high-density Micronet of rain gauges on the 342-km2 Ft. Cobb basin in Oklahoma was used as reference rainfall to calibrate the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Hydrology Laboratory Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM) at 4-km/l-h and 0.25°/3-h resolutions. The unadjusted radar product was the overall worst product, while the stage IV radar product with hourly rain gauge adjustment had the best hydrologic skill with a Micronet relative efficiency score of −0.5, only slightly worse than the reference simulation forced by Micronet rainfall. Simulations from TRMM-3B42RT were better than PERSIANN-CCS-RT (a real-time version of PERSIANN-CSS) and equivalent to those from the operational rain gauge network. The high degree of hydrologic skill with TRMM-3B42RT forcing was only achievable when the model was calibrated at TRMM’s 0.25°/3-h resolution, thus highlighting the importance of considering rainfall product resolution during model calibration.
Polarimetric Estimates of a 1-Month Accumulation of Light Rain with a 3-cm Wavelength Radar
Authors: Borowska L. , Zrnić D. , Ryzhkov A. , Zhang P. , Simmer C.
Published: April 2011

The authors evaluate rainfall estimates from the new polarimetric X-band radar at Bonn, Germany, for a period between mid-November and the end of December 2009 by comparison with rain gauges. The emphasis is on slightly more than 1-month accumulations over areas minimally affected by beam blockage. The rain regime was characterized by reflectivities mainly below 45 dBZ, maximum observed rain rates of 47 mm h−1, a mean rain rate of 0.1 mm h−1, and brightband altitudes between 0.6 and 2.4 km above the ground. Both the reflectivity factor and the specific differential phase are used to obtain the rain rates. The accuracy of rain total estimates is evaluated from the statistics of the differences between radar and rain gauge measurements. Polarimetry provides improvement in the statistics of reflectivity-based measurements by reducing the bias and RMS errors from −25% to 7% and from 33% to 17%, respectively. Essential to this improvement is separation of the data into those attributed to pure rain, those from the bright band, and those due to nonmeteorological scatterers. A type-specific (rain or wet snow) relation is applied to obtain the rain rate by matching on the average the contribution by wet snow to the radar-measured rainfall below the bright band. The measurement of rain using specific differential phase is the most robust and can be applied to the very low rain rates and still produce credible accumulation estimates characterized with a standard deviation of 11% but a bias of −25%. A composite estimator is also tested and discussed.
Streamflow Data from Small Basins: A Challenging Test to High-Resolution Regional Climate Modeling
Authors: Stahl Kerstin , Tallaksen Lena M. , Gudmundsson Lukas , Christensen Jens H.
Published: April 2011

Land surface models and large-scale hydrological models provide the basis for studying impacts of climate and anthropogenic changes on continental- to regional-scale hydrology. Hence, there is a need for comparison and validation of simulated characteristics of spatial and temporal dynamics with independent observations. This study introduces a novel validation framework that relates to common hydrological design measures. The framework is tested by comparing anomalies of runoff from a high-resolution climate-model simulation for Europe with a large number of streamflow observations from small near-natural basins. The regional climate simulation was performed as a “poor man’s reanalysis,” involving a dynamical downscaling of the 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis (ERA-40) with the Danish “HIRHAM5” model. For 19 different anomaly levels, two indices evaluate the temporal agreement (i.e., the occurrence and frequency of dry and wet events based on daily anomalies), whereas two other indices compare the interannual variability and trends based on annual anomalies. Benchmarks on each index facilitated a comparison across indices, anomaly levels, and basins. The lowest agreement of observed and simulated anomalies was found for dry anomalies. Weak to moderately wet anomalies agreed best, but agreement dropped again for the wettest anomalies. The results could guide the decision on thresholds if this regional climate model were used for the assessment of climate change scenario impacts on flood and drought statistics. Indices vary across Europe, but a gradient with decreasing correspondence between observed and simulated runoff characteristics from west to east, from lower to higher elevations, and from fast to slowly responding basins can be distinguished. The suggested indices can easily be adapted to other study areas and model types to assist in assessing the reliability of predictions of hydrological change.
Shifts in Western North American Snowmelt Runoff Regimes for the Recent Warm Decades
Authors: Fritze Holger , Stewart Iris T. , Pebesma Edzer
Published: April 2011

Climate change–driven shifts in streamflow timing have been documented for western North America and are expected to continue with increased warming. These changes will likely have the greatest implications on already short and overcommitted water supplies in the region. This study investigated changes in western North American streamflow timing over the 1948–2008 period, including the very recent warm decade not previously considered, through (i) trends in streamflow timing measures, (ii) two second-order linear models applied simultaneously over the region to test for the acceleration of these changes, and (iii) changes in runoff regimes. Basins were categorized by the percentage of snowmelt-derived runoff to enable the comparison of groups of streams with similar runoff characteristics and to quantify shifts in snowmelt-dominated regimes. Results indicate that streamflow has continued to shift to earlier in the water year, most notably for those basins with the largest snowmelt runoff component. However, an acceleration of these streamflow timing changes for the recent warm decades is not clearly indicated. Most coastal rain-dominated and some interior basins have experienced later timing. The timing changes are connected to area-wide warmer temperatures, especially in March and January, and to precipitation shifts that bear subregional signatures. Notably, a set of the most vulnerable basins has experienced runoff regime changes, such that basins that were snowmelt dominated at the beginning of the observational period shifted to mostly rain dominated in later years. These most vulnerable regions for regime shifts are in the California Sierra Nevada, eastern Washington, Idaho, and northeastern New Mexico. Snowmelt regime changes may indicate that the time available for adaptation of water supply systems to climatic changes in vulnerable regions are shorter than previously recognized.
A Novel Approach for Selective Reconstruction of Cloud-Contaminated Satellite Images
Authors: Shukla Bipasha Paul , Pal P. K. , Joshi P. C.
Published: April 2011

The paper presents a robust technique for cloud clearing of satellite imagery. The proposed algorithm combines mathematical morphological techniques with a conventional cloud clearing scheme to restore clear sky values. The derived equivalent clear sky brightness temperature plays a very important role in numerical weather prediction, climate research, and monitoring. The developed methodology uses distinct approaches for reconstruction of partially clouded domains and overcast regions. It is found that the algorithm is especially suitable for pre- or postmonsoon months, where there is a high percentage of partially cloudy and small overcast cloudy regions. The algorithm is tested for the Kalpana Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) thermal infrared (TIR) band data acquired over the oceanic region adjoining India throughout the month of May 2009. It is found that the algorithm is able to clear 25% of cloudy pixels with an RMSE of 1.2 K for brightness temperature.
Using Satellite Ocean Color Data to Derive an Empirical Model for the Penetration Depth of Solar Radiation (Hp) in the Tropical Pacific Ocean
Authors: Zhang Rong-Hua , Chen Dake , Wang Guihua
Published: April 2011

Satellite-based ocean color measurements indicate clear evidence for bioclimate interactions in the tropical Pacific associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Recent modeling studies have demonstrated that ocean biology can potentially affect the climate through the penetration depth of solar radiation in the upper ocean (Hp), a primary parameter in coupling biology to physics in the ocean. At present, interannual variability in Hp and its related bioclimate feedback effects have not been adequately represented in coupled ocean–atmosphere models. In this work, chlorophyll (Chl) concentration data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), available since 1997, are used to characterize interannual Hp variability in the tropical Pacific and to quantify its relationships with physical fields, including sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level (SL). It is found that interannual Hp variability is dominated by ENSO signals, with the largest variability located in the central basin near the date line and a coherent relationship with SST. A singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis is adopted to extract interannual covariability patterns between Hp and SST during the period 1997–2007. Their close relationships are then utilized to construct an empirical anomaly model for Hp, allowing for its prognostic estimate in terms of SST anomalies without explicit involvement of a marine ecosystem model. Validation and sensitivity experiments indicate that the empirical model can reasonably well capture interannual Hp responses to SST anomalies in association with ENSO. The derived empirical Hp model offers a simple and an effective way to parameterize and represent the effects of Chl containing biomass on penetrative solar radiation in the tropical Pacific, demonstrating the dynamical implication of remotely sensed Chl data for bioclimate coupling studies. Further improvements and applications of the empirical Hp model to climate modeling are discussed.
Assimilation of Stratospheric Temperature and Ozone with an Ensemble Kalman Filter in a Chemistry–Climate Model
Authors: Milewski Thomas , Bourqui Michel S.
Published: April 2011

A new stratospheric chemical–dynamical data assimilation system was developed, based upon an ensemble Kalman filter coupled with a Chemistry–Climate Model [i.e., the intermediate-complexity general circulation model Fast Stratospheric Ozone Chemistry (IGCM-FASTOC)], with the aim to explore the potential of chemical–dynamical coupling in stratospheric data assimilation. The system is introduced here in a context of a perfect-model, Observing System Simulation Experiment. The system is found to be sensitive to localization parameters, and in the case of temperature (ozone), assimilation yields its best performance with horizontal and vertical decorrelation lengths of 14 000 km (5600 km) and 70 km (14 km). With these localization parameters, the observation space background-error covariance matrix is underinflated by only 5.9% (overinflated by 2.1%) and the observation-error covariance matrix by only 1.6% (0.5%), which makes artificial inflation unnecessary. Using optimal localization parameters, the skills of the system in constraining the ensemble-average analysis error with respect to the true state is tested when assimilating synthetic Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) retrievals of temperature alone and ozone alone. It is found that in most cases background-error covariances produced from ensemble statistics are able to usefully propagate information from the observed variable to other ones. Chemical–dynamical covariances, and in particular ozone–wind covariances, are essential in constraining the dynamical fields when assimilating ozone only, as the radiation in the stratosphere is too slow to transfer ozone analysis increments to the temperature field over the 24-h forecast window. Conversely, when assimilating temperature, the chemical–dynamical covariances are also found to help constrain the ozone field, though to a much lower extent. The uncertainty in forecast/analysis, as defined by the variability in the ensemble, is large compared to the analysis error, which likely indicates some amount of noise in the covariance terms, while also reducing the risk of filter divergence.
On the Fidelity of Large-Eddy Simulation of Shallow Precipitating Cumulus Convection
Authors: Matheou Georgios , Chung Daniel , Nuijens Louise , Stevens Bjorn , Teixeira Joao
Published: April 2011

The present study considers the impact of various choices pertaining to the numerical solution of the governing equations on large-eddy simulation (LES) prediction and the association of these choices with flow physics. These include the effect of dissipative versus nondissipative advection discretizations, different implementations of the constant-coefficient Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model, and grid resolution. Simulations corresponding to the trade wind precipitating shallow cumulus composite case of the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) field experiment were carried out. Global boundary layer quantities such as cloud cover, liquid water path, surface precipitation rate, power spectra, and the overall convection structure were used to compare the effects of different discretization implementations. The different discretization implementations were found to exert a significant impact on the LES prediction even for the cases where the process of precipitation was not included. Increasing numerical dissipation decreases cloud cover and surface precipitation rates. For nonprecipitating cases, grid convergence is achieved for grid spacings of 20 m. Cloud cover was found to be particularly sensitive, exhibiting variations between different resolution runs even when the mean liquid water profile had converged.
The Effect of Snow on Traffic Counts in Western New York State
Authors: Call David A.
Published: April 2011

While most people know anecdotally that weather affects traffic, relatively little research has examined the correlation between snow and traffic in great detail. Most studies have also been difficult to generalize for other areas and regions where drivers may be accustomed to more (or less) snow.

This study examines the relationship between snow and traffic volumes in western New York State, an area that is regularly inundated by snow (more than 225 cm most seasons). Total daily traffic counts for the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) showed a moderate negative correlation to snow for the period of study (2003–10). However, this correlation is caused by the large number of passenger cars and other similar vehicles on the road. Most other vehicle types, such as tractor trailers, had no correlation whatsoever. Additionally, the results for all vehicle classes were similar for both suburban and rural areas. Finally, it was observed that the ratio of large to small vehicles increases during snow events.
Beyond the impasse
Authors: Kirmani Nida
Published: April 2011

Since its inception, the contemporary women’s movement has had a contentious relationship with religion. This was demonstrated most clearly in the debates around the cases of Shah Bano and Roop Kanwar during the 1980s, which sparked a period of reflection within the women’s movement over the question of representation. Since then, the movement has evolved considerably, becoming increasingly institutionalised at one level, and at the same time experiencing fragmentation and diversification. This article looks at the emergence of two networks advocating Muslim women’s rights, the Muslim Women’s Rights Network (MWRN) and the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), and contextualises their emergence within the wider context of the women’s movement and the evolution of feminism in India. MWRN and BMMA are indicative of the growing assertion of ‘minority feminisms’ in India and aim to represent women’s multiple identities, including their religious identities, while also struggling for gender justice. Both networks differ in the way they approach religion ideologically and strategically as well as in the way they position themselves vis-à-vis the women’s movement. However, their appearance marks an important shift both within the women’s movement as well as in the formulation of community identities in India, with ‘Muslim women’ being positively reformulated by these networks as a category that asserts political agency rather than passivity and victimhood.
Trade union movement in a princely state
Authors: Patel Pravin J.
Published: April 2011

This article focuses on the emergence of the trade union movement upon the introduction of a capitalist industrial economy in the social and political milieu of a princely state, viz. Baroda. The article argues that the new class of industrial workers which emerged in the princely state did not passively accept their terms of work but actively mobilised to change their work conditions, form trade unions and select leaders while also negotiating with their traditional values of status, hierarchy, personal loyalty and community camaraderie. In this, the Baroda cloth mill labourers were influenced by the struggle and consequent gains of the industrial workers of the nearby cities of British India, like Bombay and Ahmedabad, which created a sense of relative deprivation among them. The article examines the organisational role played by trade union leaders from British India in fomenting similar struggles in princely Baroda. It describes the similarities between the trade union culture of British India and the Baroda movement and argues that the latter reflected the future image of industrial relations in a princely state, as was manifested in the gradual evolution of a legal framework governing the conditions of work and bargaining with the state.
Conjuring a river, imagining civilisation
Authors: Chadha Ashish
Published: April 2011

The depiction of the river Saraswati as an empirical centre of the Harappan civilisation has been marked by intense debate in recent years. Taking the short-lived Saraswati Heritage Project (2002–04) initiated by the Archaeological Survey of India as a case study, this article examines the epistemological emergence of the river and interrogates its historical and ideological relationship to the Harappans and the Aryans. It argues that the epistemic trajectory of Saraswati from a literary entity to an empirical category followed four phases. First, it emerged as a mythical river of colonial Indology; then, as a civilisational river of colonial archaeology; subsequently, as a hydrological body of postcolonial geology and, finally, as an empirical fact of postcolonial archaeology and history. Contrary to historians who attribute the resurrection of the Saraswati solely to the growing influence of Hindutva ideologies, this article argues that the Saraswati is also an epistemic product of the disciplinarian discourse of colonial Indology and postcolonial science. It contends that its ideological and political valence has to be located in the larger discursive universe of colonial and postcolonial scientific practices and not solely attributed to Hindutva.
Thin nationalism
Authors: Sivaramakrishnan K.
Published: April 2011

What has been the relationship of nationalism to nature in India? Starting with this basic yet hitherto unexamined question, this article examines the varieties of nationalism that can be associated with nature love and ideas of nature conservation in India through the 20th century. After identifying the limitations of the dichotomised approach that explains nationalism as either statist or culturalist, this article also examines the extent to which this dualist and oppositional view of nationalism informs and constrains public debate on ideas of nature and environmental management in India. A key argument made here is that nationalism that is thin and exclusive, and thereby inherently the source of conflict and confrontation, is not a new problem in India, and the tendencies for the emergence of thin nationalisms around ideas of nature and their relation to heritage and conservation were already present in the ecological debates and post-War conditions of the mid 20th century as the sun finally set on the British empire.
Beyond the Classroom
Authors: Severance Theresa A. , Starr Pamela J.
Published: April 2011

Internships and other forms of experiential learning are a valuable learning opportunity and resource for many students and perhaps even more so for those with special needs. Outside of the classroom, however, assisting students with special needs may present faculty with new questions and challenges as they navigate the transition to a community setting. This article provides information and resources to faculty in assisting these students.
Using a Value-Added Approach to Assess the Sociology Major
Authors: Pedersen Daphne E. , White Frank
Published: April 2011

Universities across the nation have been called upon to provide evidence of student learning through direct means of assessment. Value-added assessment, which aims to document the development of student learning from the beginning of the university experience to the end, has been called “accountability’s new frontier” by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In response to an internal university initiative, the Department of Sociology at the University of North Dakota conducted a value-added assessment of the sociology major. In this article, the authors describe the value-added approach and its strengths and limitations, detail the means by which they assessed student knowledge in the sociology major, and review findings from their student assessment at the University of North Dakota.
A Longitudinal, Descriptive Study of Sociology Majors
Authors: McKinney Kathleen , Naseri Naghme
Published: April 2011

In this exploratory scholarship of teaching and learning study, we describe the development, over time, of engagement in the discipline, the ability to use the sociological imagination and other learning, an identity as a sociologist, and a sense of being an autonomous learner in a group of sociology majors. We followed 18 students who completed questionnaires, learning reflection essays, and face-to-face interviews over a period of about two years in their careers as sociology majors. We found that students showed few, small, and mixed changes over time in the major dependent variables as well as small increases in involvement in useful academic and study behaviors.
Kicking and Screaming
Authors: Clark Roger , Filinson Rachel
Published: April 2011

The authors provide an account of their department’s minimalist and largely reluctant approach to mandatory assessment in the past decade. A decade earlier, the department had gone all out in an experimental assessment effort supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, an effort the department was neither willing nor able to make once the college’s accreditation agency mandated assessment in 2000. The authors describe another “less-than-ideal design” that has nonetheless involved many of the assessment elements described elsewhere (e.g., alumni and student surveys, classroom assignments, external reviewers, research papers) and has nonetheless yielded usable and utilized feedback for both teaching and curriculum construction.