bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climatology of Upper-Level Turbulence over the Contiguous United States
Authors: Wolff J. K. , Sharman R. D.
Published: February 2008

Climatologies of the regional, seasonal, and temporal distributions of upper-level (18 000–60 000-ft MSL) turbulence over the contiguous United States (CONUS) are constructed using pilot reports (PIREPs) of aircraft turbulence encounters. The PIREP database used contains over two million entries, and encompasses 12 complete years of data, from January 1994 through December 2005. In spite of known variability in pilot reporting practices, it was found that PIREPs are very consistent among themselves for the null and moderate-or-greater (MOG) intensity categories. Air traffic pattern biases were accounted for by considering only statistics of MOG/total report ratios. Over the CONUS, regional maxima are evident in MOG/total ratios over mountainous regions in the west, over the south and southeast, and over the North Atlantic seaboard. Some additional investigations are presented to help to identify possible origins of the turbulence using a smaller time interval of PIREPs in comparison with archived 20-km Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) NWP model analyses, satellite and radar-based cloud-top and cloud-base analyses, and lightning flash data, as well as topography statistics.
Robust Automated Quality Assurance of Radiosonde Temperatures
Authors: Durre Imke , Vose Russell S. , Wuertz David B.
Published: February 2008

This paper presents a description of the fully automated quality-assurance (QA) procedures that are being applied to temperatures in the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA). Because these data are routinely used for monitoring variations in tropospheric temperature, it is of critical importance that the system be able to detect as many errors as possible without falsely identifying true meteorological events as erroneous. Three steps were taken to achieve such robust performance. First, 14 tests for excessive persistence, climatological outliers, and vertical and temporal inconsistencies were developed and arranged into a deliberate sequence so as to render the system capable of detecting a variety of data errors. Second, manual review of random samples of flagged values was used to set the “thresholds” for each individual check so as to minimize the number of valid values that are mistakenly identified as errors. The performance of the system as a whole was also assessed through manual inspection of random samples of the quality-assured data. As a result of these efforts, the IGRA temperature QA procedures effectively remove the grossest errors while maintaining a false-positive rate of approximately 10%.
Northern Annular Mode Effects on the Land Surface Phenologies of Northern Eurasia
Authors: de Beurs K. M. , Henebry G. M.
Published: February 2008

Land surface phenology (LSP) is the spatiotemporal development of the vegetated land surface as revealed by synoptic sensors. Modeling LSP across northern Eurasia reveals the magnitude, significance, and spatial pattern of the influence of the northern annular mode. Here the authors fit simple LSP models to two normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets and calculate the Spearman rank correlations to link the start of the observed growing season (SOS) and the timing of the peak NDVI with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) indices. The relationships between the northern annular mode and weather station data, accumulated precipitation derived from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) dataset, accumulated growing degree-days (AGDDs) derived from the NCEP–Department of Energy Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-II) reanalysis, and the number of snow days from the National Snow and Ice Data Center are investigated.

The analyses confirm strong relationships between the temporal behavior of temperature and precipitation and large-scale climatic variability across Eurasia. The authors find widespread influence of the northern annular mode (NAM) on the land surface phenologies across northern Eurasia affecting 200–300 Mha. The tundra ecoregions were especially impacted with significant results for about a quarter of the biome. The influence of the AO was also extensive (>130 Mha) for the boreal forests. The AO appears to affect the Asian part of northern Eurasia more strongly than the NAO, especially for the NDVI peak position as a function of AGDD. Significant responses of vegetation timing to NAO and AO in northeastern Russia have not been as well documented as the seasonal advancement in Europe. The two Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer NDVI datasets yield fields of LSP model parameter estimates that are more similar in dates of peak position than in dates for SOS and more similar for AO than for NAO. As a result, the authors conclude that peak position appears to be a more robust characteristic of land surface phenology than SOS to link vegetation dynamics to variability and change in regional and global climates.
A New Two-Moment Bulk Stratiform Cloud Microphysics Scheme in the Community Atmosphere Model, Version 3 (CAM3). Part I: Description and Numerical Tests
Authors: Morrison Hugh , Gettelman Andrew
Published: February 2008

A new two-moment stratiform cloud microphysics scheme in a general circulation model is described. Prognostic variables include cloud droplet and cloud ice mass mixing ratios and number concentrations. The scheme treats several microphysical processes, including hydrometeor collection, condensation/evaporation, freezing, melting, and sedimentation. The activation of droplets on aerosol is physically based and coupled to a subgrid vertical velocity. Unique aspects of the scheme, relative to existing two-moment schemes developed for general circulation models, are the diagnostic treatment of rain and snow number concentration and mixing ratio and the explicit treatment of subgrid cloud water variability for calculation of the microphysical process rates.

Numerical aspects of the scheme are described in detail using idealized one-dimensional offline tests of the microphysics. Sensitivity of the scheme to time step, vertical resolution, and numerical method for diagnostic precipitation is investigated over a range of conditions. It is found that, in general, two substeps are required for numerical stability and reasonably small time truncation errors using a time step of 20 min; however, substepping is only required for the precipitation microphysical processes rather than the entire scheme. A new numerical approach for the diagnostic rain and snow produces reasonable results compared to a benchmark simulation, especially at low vertical resolution. Part II of this study details results of the scheme in single-column and global simulations, including comparison with observations.
On Estimates of Historical North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity*
Authors: Vecchi Gabriel A. , Knutson Thomas R.
Published: February 2008

In this study, an estimate of the expected number of Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) that were missed by the observing system in the presatellite era (between 1878 and 1965) is developed. The significance of trends in both number and duration since 1878 is assessed and these results are related to estimated changes in sea surface temperature (SST) over the “main development region” (“MDR”). The sensitivity of the estimate of missed TCs to underlying assumptions is examined. According to the base case adjustment used in this study, the annual number of TCs has exhibited multidecadal variability that has strongly covaried with multidecadal variations in MDR SST, as has been noted previously. However, the linear trend in TC counts (1878–2006) is notably smaller than the linear trend in MDR SST, when both time series are normalized to have the same variance in their 5-yr running mean series. Using the base case adjustment for missed TCs leads to an 1878–2006 trend in the number of TCs that is weakly positive, though not statistically significant, with p ∼ 0.2. The estimated trend for 1900–2006 is highly significant (+∼4.2 storms century−1) according to the results of this study. The 1900–2006 trend is strongly influenced by a minimum in 1910–30, perhaps artificially enhancing significance, whereas the 1878–2006 trend depends critically on high values in the late 1800s, where uncertainties are larger than during the 1900s. The trend in average TC duration (1878–2006) is negative and highly significant. Thus, the evidence for a significant increase in Atlantic storm activity over the most recent 125 yr is mixed, even though MDR SST has warmed significantly. The decreasing duration result is unexpected and merits additional exploration; duration statistics are more uncertain than those of storm counts. As TC formation, development, and track depend on a number of environmental factors, of which regional SST is only one, much work remains to be done to clarify the relationship between anthropogenic climate warming, the large-scale tropical environment, and Atlantic TC activity.
Diurnal Cycle of Surface Flows during 2004 NAME and Comparison to Model Reanalysis
Authors: Ciesielski Paul E. , Johnson Richard H.
Published: February 2008

During the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME), an unprecedented surface dataset was collected over the core monsoon region. Observations from 157 surface sites in this region along with twice-daily Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) oceanic winds were quality controlled and processed into a gridded dataset covering the domain (15°–40°N, 90°–120°W) at 1-h, 0.25° resolution for the period from 1 July to 15 August. Using this dataset, the mean, temporal variability, and diurnal characteristics of the monsoon surface flow are documented with detail not previously possible. Being independent of model data over land, these objectively analyzed surface products are compared to similar analyses from a special North American Regional Reanlysis for NAME (NARR_NAME) that was produced for the same period.

Observed surface fields indicate that a robust land–sea breeze circulation is present over most of the Gulf of California (GoC) region in response to the strong diurnal heating of landmasses on both sides of the gulf. Many details of this land–sea breeze circulation are either missing (e.g., the nighttime/early morning land breeze) or poorly represented in the NARR_NAME. Observations from high elevation sites in the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) show weak downslope flows (∼0.5 m s−1), near-saturated conditions, and low cloud bases during nighttime hours. These observations are consistent with the notion that high-terrain nocturnal clouds limit radiational cooling and, thus, nocturnal downslope flows as well. Over land, a cool and dry bias is observed in the NARR_NAME surface fields. This dry bias appears to limit the formation of nighttime cloudiness at high elevations, resulting in stronger radiational cooling at night and slope flows in the NARR_NAME that are 2–3 times stronger than observed. In addition, the daytime transition to surface convergence and rising motion over the western slopes of the SMO occurs about 3 h earlier in the NARR_NAME than observed, which indicates the tendency in the reanalyses to initiate the daily convective cycle too early, similar to that observed in operational forecast models over this region.

Following significant rainfall events, increased soil moisture and evapotranspiration due to vegetative green-up result in a smaller diurnal temperature signal over land and weaker slope flows over the SMO. In response to this weaker heating cycle, the magnitude and offshore extent of the land–sea breeze circulation is observed to diminish as the monsoon progresses.
Analysis of Idealized Tropical Cyclone Simulations Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: Sensitivity to Turbulence Parameterization and Grid Spacing
Authors: Hill Kevin A. , Lackmann Gary M.
Published: February 2008

The Weather Research and Forecasting Advanced Research Model (WRF-ARW) was used to perform idealized tropical cyclone (TC) simulations, with domains of 36-, 12-, and 4-km horizontal grid spacing. Tests were conducted to determine the sensitivity of TC intensity to the available surface layer (SL) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations, including the Yonsei University (YSU) and Mellor–Yamada–Janjic (MYJ) schemes, and to horizontal grid spacing. Simulations were run until a quasi-steady TC intensity was attained. Differences in minimum central pressure (Pmin) of up to 35 hPa and maximum 10-m wind (V10max) differences of up to 30 m s−1 were present between a convection-resolving nested domain with 4-km grid spacing and a parent domain with cumulus parameterization and 36-km grid spacing. Simulations using 4-km grid spacing are the most intense, with the maximum intensity falling close to empirical estimates of maximum TC intensity. Sensitivity to SL and PBL parameterization also exists, most notably in simulations with 4-km grid spacing, where the maximum intensity varied by up to ∼10 m s−1 (V10max) or ∼13 hPa (Pmin). Values of surface latent heat flux (LHFLX) are larger in MYJ than in YSU at the same wind speeds, and the differences increase with wind speed, approaching 1000 W m−2 at wind speeds in excess of 55 m s−1. This difference was traced to a larger exchange coefficient for moisture, CQ, in the MYJ scheme. The exchange coefficients for sensible heat (Cθ) and momentum (CD) varied by <7% between the SL schemes at the same wind speeds. The ratio Cθ/CD varied by <5% between the schemes, whereas CQ/CD was up to 100% larger in MYJ, and the latter is theorized to contribute to the differences in simulated maximum intensity. Differences in PBL scheme mixing also likely played a role in the model sensitivity. Observations of the exchange coefficients, published elsewhere and limited to wind speeds <30 m s−1, suggest that CQ is too large in the MYJ SL scheme, whereas YSU incorporates values more consistent with observations. The exchange coefficient for momentum increases linearly with wind speed in both schemes, whereas observations suggest that the value of CD becomes quasi-steady beyond some critical wind speed (∼30 m s−1).
Evaluation of the Noah Land Surface Model Using Data from a Fair-Weather IHOP_2002 Day with Heterogeneous Surface Fluxes
Authors: LeMone Margaret A. , Tewari Mukul , Chen Fei , Alfieri Joseph G. , Niyogi Dev
Published: February 2008

Sources of differences between observations and simulations for a case study using the Noah land surface model–based High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System (HRLDAS) are examined for sensible and latent heat fluxes H and LE, respectively; surface temperature Ts; and vertical temperature difference T0 − Ts, where T0 is at 2 m. The observational data were collected on 29 May 2002, using the University of Wyoming King Air and four surface towers placed along a sparsely vegetated 60-km north–south flight track in the Oklahoma Panhandle. This day had nearly clear skies and a strong north–south soil-moisture gradient, with wet soils and widespread puddles at the south end of the track and drier soils to the north. Relative amplitudes of H and LE horizontal variation were estimated by taking the slope of the least squares best-fit straight line ΔLE/ΔH on plots of time-averaged LE as a function of time-averaged H for values along the track. It is argued that observed H and LE values departing significantly from their slope line are not associated with surface processes and, hence, need not be replicated by HRLDAS. Reasonable agreement between HRLDAS results and observed data was found only after adjusting the coefficient C in the Zilitinkevich equation relating the roughness lengths for momentum and heat in HRLDAS from its default value of 0.1 to a new value of 0.5. Using C = 0.1 and adjusting soil moisture to match the observed near-surface values increased horizontal variability in the right sense, raising LE and lowering H over the moist south end. However, both the magnitude of H and the amplitude of its horizontal variability relative to LE remained too large; adjustment of the green vegetation fraction had only a minor effect. With C = 0.5, model-input green vegetation fraction, and our best-estimate soil moisture, H, LE, ΔLE/ΔH, and T0 − Ts, were all close to observed values. The remaining inconsistency between model and observations—too high a value of H and too low a value of LE over the wet southern end of the track—could be due to HRLDAS ignoring the effect of open water. Neglecting the effect of moist soils on the albedo could also have contributed.
A Diagnostic Verification of the Precipitation Forecasts Produced by the Canadian Ensemble Prediction System
Authors: Peel Syd , Wilson Laurence J.
Published: February 2008

A comparatively long period of relative stability in the evolution of the Canadian Ensemble Forecast System was exploited to compile a large homogeneous set of precipitation forecasts. The probability of exceedance of a given threshold was computed as the fraction of ensemble member forecasts surpassing that threshold, and verified directly against observations from 36 stations across the country. These forecasts were stratified into warm and cool seasons and assessed against the observations through attributes diagrams, Brier skill scores, and areas under receiver operating characteristic curves. These measures were deemed sufficient to illuminate the salient features of a forecast system. Particular attention was paid to forecasts of 24-h accumulation, especially the exceedance of thresholds in the upper decile of station climates. The ability of the system to forecast extended dry periods was also explored.

Warm season forecasts for the 90th percentile threshold were found to be competitive with, even superior to, those for the cool season when verifying across the sample lumping together all of the stations. The relative skill of the forecasts in the two seasons depends strongly on station location, however. Moreover, the skill of the warm season forecasts rapidly drops below cool season values as the thresholds become more extreme. The verification, particularly of the cool season, is sensitive to the calibration of the gauge reports, which is complicated by the inclusion of snow events in the observational record.
Verification of an MSG Image Forecast Model: METCAST
Authors: Delgado Germán , de Valk Paul , Redaño Ángel , van der Veen Sibbo , Lorente Jerónimo
Published: February 2008

A validation of a very short-range forecast model is presented: the Meteosat Cloud Advection System (METCAST). The model forecasts IR (10.8 μm) images based on Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) data and uses ouput from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute’s [Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut (KNMI)] NWP model, the High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM). METCAST advects clouds and takes into account the evaporation–condensation processes in the atmosphere. To assimilate the satellite images into METCAST, an MSG image is converted to a modified image with coarser resolution. The relative performance of METCAST is evaluated, comparing the model results with persistence and a second nowcasting model called CineSat.

Two statistical techniques are used to evaluate the forecasts: (a) the computation of the BIAS, RMSE, and Hanssen and Kuiper (HK) discriminant for a cloud mask selected in the modified and forecast images and (b) the contiguous rain areas (CRAs) technique, which permits a decomposition of the mean-squared error (MSE) of cloud clusters in three components: displacement, intensity, and shape.

Five months of data, from June to November 2006 (August was not available), are used for this study. METCAST BIAS shows poor skill in comparison to CineSat and persistence. METCAST performs better in terms of the RMSE and HK discriminant. The CRA application reveals that although METCAST has a greater MSE volume component than CineSat, its displacement error component is smaller. Two interesting conclusions can be drawn: METCAST performs well when advecting cloudy pixels, but improvement in the atmospheric physics of the nowcast model may be required.
Operational Implementation of COSMIC Observations into NCEP’s Global Data Assimilation System
Authors: Cucurull L. , Derber J. C.
Published: February 2008

The next generation of NCEP’s Global Data Assimilation System became operational on 1 May 2007. This system incorporates the assimilation of global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO) profiles from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) mission launched in April 2006. Roughly 1 yr after the launch of COSMIC, NCEP has begun operational use of this new dataset.

A preliminary assessment of this observation type was performed with an earlier version of NCEP’s analysis at a lower resolution. These experiments showed positive impact when GPS RO soundings from the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) mission were assimilated into the system in non–real time. In these earlier studies, two different forward operators for the GPS RO profiles were evaluated: one for refractivity and another one for bending angle.

In this paper, the data assimilation experiments with COSMIC observations that led NOAA/NCEP to assimilate COSMIC data into operations are described. The experiments were conducted with the current operational version of the code and at full operational resolution. Based on the results of the experiments analyzed here, profiles of refractivity were selected as the type of GPS RO observation to be assimilated. Further enhancement to the assimilation of bending angles is currently being evaluated at NCEP.

The results show a significant improvement of the anomaly correlation skill and a global reduction of the NCEP model bias and root-mean-square errors when COSMIC observations are assimilated into the system. The improvement is found for the temperature, geopotential heights, and moisture variables. Larger benefits are found in the Southern Hemisphere extratropics, although a significant positive impact is also found in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics and the tropics. Even if GPS RO observations cannot produce direct impact on the wind field through the adjoint of the forward operator, a slight benefit is found in the wind components.
Public Diplomacy and Soft Power
Authors: Nye Joseph S.
Published: February 2008

Soft power is the ability to affect others to obtain the outcomes one wants through attraction rather than coercion or payment. A country's soft power rests on its resources of culture, values, and policies. A smart power strategy combines hard and soft power resources. Public diplomacy has a long history as a means of promoting a country's soft power and was essential in winning the cold war. The current struggle against transnational terrorism is a struggle to win hearts and minds, and the current overreliance on hard power alone is not the path to success. Public diplomacy is an important tool in the arsenal of smart power, but smart public diplomacy requires an understanding of the roles of credibility, self-criticism, and civil society in generating soft power.
Public Diplomacy: Sunrise of an Academic Field
Authors: Gregory Bruce
Published: February 2008

Public diplomacy is a political instrument with analytical boundaries and distinguishing characteristics, but is it an academic field? It is used by states, associations of states, and nonstate actors to understand cultures, attitudes, and behavior; build and manage relationships; and influence opinions and actions to advance interests and values. This article examines scholarship with relevance, usually unintended, to the study of public diplomacy and a body of analytical and policy-related literature derived from the practice of public diplomacy. Ideas, wars, globalism, technologies, political pressures, and professional norms shaped the conduct of public diplomacy and the literature of scholars and practitioners during the hot and cold wars of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, thick globalism, network structures, and new technologies are transforming scholarship, governance, and state-based public diplomacy. An achievable consensus on an analytical framework and a substantial scholarly and practical literature hold promise for an emerging academic field.
International Exchanges and the U.S. Image
Authors: Snow Nancy
Published: February 2008

This article reviews four special issues of The Annals devoted to international exchange programs and the U.S. image. These volumes offer four decades of insight into personal contact across national borders through international exchange programs during the cold war era. The article concludes that cold war accounts of international face-to-face contact reveal important public diplomacy lessons for the twenty-first century, particularly for the U.S.-led war on terror. Methods of public diplomacy developed then are applicable now, including the importance of dialogue in overcoming stereotypes, building relationships, and enhancing the national reputation of the United States during ideological contests. The article includes a reassessment of the international exchange of persons in light of this historical review.
Public Diplomacy: Taxonomies and Histories
Authors: Cull Nicholas J.
Published: February 2008

Public diplomacy is a term much used but seldom subjected to rigorous analysis. This article—which draws heavily on a report commissioned by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the spring of 2007—sets out a simple taxonomy of public diplomacy's components and their interrelationships. These components are (1) listening, (2) advocacy, (3) cultural diplomacy, (4) exchange, and (5) international broadcasting. It examines five successful and five unsuccessful uses of each individual component drawing from the history of U.S., Franco-German, Swiss, and British diplomatic practice. The failures arise chiefly from a discrepancy between rhetoric and reality. The final section applies the author's taxonomy to the challenges of contemporary public diplomacy and places special emphasis on the need to conceptualize the task of the public diplomat as that of the creator and disseminator of “memes” (ideas capable of being spread from one person to another across a social network) and as a creator and facilitator of networks and relationships.
Searching for a Theory of Public Diplomacy
Authors: Gilboa Eytan
Published: February 2008

This work presents and critically evaluates attempts to theorize and conceptualize public diplomacy within several disciplines, including international relations, strategic studies, diplomatic studies, public relations, and communication. It also examines research methods used to investigate public diplomacy, including models, paradigms, case studies, and comparative analysis. The work identifies promising directions as well as weaknesses and gaps in existing knowledge and methodology and outlines a new research agenda. The presented analysis and examples suggest that only a systematic multidisciplinary effort and close collaboration between researchers and practitioners can lead to a coherent theory of public diplomacy.
Place Branding: The State of the Art
Authors: van Ham Peter
Published: February 2008

This article examines the relevance of place branding as a political phenomenon in international politics. After setting place branding in a historical and conceptual context, it maps out the connections between branding and international politics by looking at three examples. First, it examines the challenges facing the European Union to strengthen its image as a global player. Second, it analyzes the efforts of the United States to deal with its collapsing image in the aftermath of its failing “war on terror” and military intervention in Iraq. Third, it examines negative place branding by focusing on the Borat movie that upset Kazakhstan in 2006 and the cartoon crisis that erupted in Denmark in September 2005. This article also aims to situate the practice of place branding in a broader analytical context. It argues that place branding is part of a wider spectrum of postmodern power, where soft power and public diplomacy also have their place.
The Parental Appraisal of the Morbidity of Diarrhea in Infants and Toddlers (PAMODI) Survey
Authors: Huppertz Hans-Iko , Forster Johannes , Heininger Ulrich , Roos Reinhard , Neumann Hans-Ulrich , Hammerschmidt Thomas
Published: February 2008

This study analyzed parental perception of the impact of diarrhea on quality of life of their children. A standardized questionnaire was completed by 2023 parents in Germany with children with diarrhea who were younger than 2 years old. Parents stated the most worrying aspects of diarrhea. A health score was measured using a visual analogue scale (0 = worst health, 100 = best health). Clinical symptoms were quoted by 72% of parents as one of the most worrying dimensions, with duration/frequency of diarrhea and weight loss perceived most meaningful. Next were behavioral/physical symptoms (51%), with an inflamed bottom for mild disease and pain for severe cases being most meaningful. Parental concern is characterized by sympathy and anxiety for the child. The health score for the diarrheal episode was 54.6 for mild and 33.9 for severe cases. Parents perceive a high disease burden of diarrhea and clinically less meaningful aspects play a significant role.
Pathways to Occupational Attainment Among Poor Youth of Color
Authors: Diemer Matthew A.
Published: February 2008

The formation of future occupational expectations is a critical career-development task for adolescents that has a significant impact on adult occupational attainment. However, sociopolitical barriers constrain the occupational expectations and attainment of poor youth of color. Extant research has suggested that sociopolitical development, the consciousness of and motivation to transform sociopolitical inequity, facilitates the negotiation of sociopolitical barriers that constrain career development. However, the longitudinal effect of sociopolitical development on occupational attainment is unclear. This study examines the longitudinal impact of sociopolitical development on adult occupational attainment while controlling for academic performance. The obtained structural model suggests that sociopolitical development influenced occupational expectations in 12th grade and had a longitudinal impact on adult occupational attainment among a nationally representative sample of poor youth of color. This model also fits subsamples of female and male participants, although sociopolitical development had stronger effects for young women. Sociopolitical development may inform and augment career interventions for poor youth of color.
The Little District That Could: The Process of Building District-School Trust
Authors: Chhuon Vichet , Gilkey Elizabeth M. , Gonzalez Margarita , Daly Alan J. , Chrispeels Janet H.
Published: February 2008

Purpose: This article describes how trust emerged as an issue in one school district and the processes by which central office administrators enhanced trust with its school site leaders.

Method: This exploratory participant observer case study uses multiple sources of data including surveys, interviews, observations, and documents collected during a 4-year period from central office and school site leaders.

Findings: The article illustrates how a university partner can play a critical role in surfacing and bringing forth action on an undiscussable issue—trust between the central office and its schools—and the actions taken by the central office to address specific facets of trust: openness, communication, risk, and integrity. The site administrators' response to these actions revealed that trust can be developed at both the relational and organizational leadership levels.

Significance to the Field: The study is significant in illustrating that building trust between the central office and school sites can be an essential step in an underperforming district and can serve as a resource in achieving and sustaining school district reform. It also shows that attending to specific facets of trust can be useful when examining the development of trust between school sites and the district office.
David against Goliath? Group size and bystander effects in virtual knowledge sharing
Authors: Voelpel Sven C. , Eckhoff Robert A. , Förster Jens
Published: February 2008

Knowledge management has been identified as a key factor for sustaining a competitive advantage in today's corporate world. A fundamental aspect of knowledge management in a global economy is the sharing of information in online groups. Most researchers and practitioners have so far assumed that a large knowledge sharing group increases response rates, velocity of receiving a response and quality. However, psychological research under the umbrella of the so-called bystander effect suggests counter-intuitively that, with an increase in group size, the likelihood of helping decreases. This study provides empirical support for the fact that a) the bystander effect is also present in virtual (knowledge sharing) environments, b) that group size influences response quality and c) that the negative impact of social inhibition might decrease again in very large groups. The practical trade-offs that managers have to take into account when designing knowledge sharing forums are discussed.
In Defence of Natural Theology: Bringing God into the Public Realm
Authors: Ormerod Neil
Published: February 2008

Natural theology has not had much of a profile in Catholic theology in recent decades. This article examines the political and cultural significance of natural theology. It compares and contrasts the context of Aquinas and the `five ways' with our contemporary post-modern context. Drawing on Doran's analysis of the cultural dialectic in terms of cosmological and anthropological poles, it analyses the context of Aquinas as one of transition from a more cosmological culture to a more anthropological one, whereas our own is a hyper-anthropological culture increasingly cut off from cosmological meanings. In both contexts, natural theology has a positive but different contribution to make.
The Language of Identity and the Doctrine of Eucharistic Change
Authors: Doherty Cathal
Published: February 2008

With the aid of linguistic analysis, the words of Eucharistic institution (`This is my body/blood') in the New Testament can be shown to unambiguously express identity. Other competing interpretations (e.g. paraphrases with `represent' or `signify') cannot be reasonably justified on any grammatical grounds. These sentences, therefore, constitute firm scriptural evidence for the doctrine of Eucharistic change, although they do not favour any particular theological approach to this doctrine. The argument is grammatical and hinges on the presence of `indexical' expressions in both nominal expressions connected by the copula. This observation leads to the conclusion that, at the grammatical level, the copula here expresses only identity. Concerns about the ambiguity of the copula in these sentences are unfounded.
An Unrecognized and Unlikely Influence? The Impact of Valerius of Hippo on Augustine
Authors: Smither Edward L.
Published: February 2008

While Augustine of Hippo is rightfully remembered in Christian history as a philosopher, theologian, and bishop, most students would acknowledge that he benefited from others who taught and discipled him in his journey to Christian faith and ministry. Monica, Ambrose, and friends certainly have a place in this group of mentors. Yet, one unlikely and largely forgotten figure, Valerius of Hippo, seems to have had a sizeable impact on Augustine at the outset of his ministry as a presbyter and bishop in Hippo. This article will consider how Valerius selected Augustine for ministry, maintained an important mentor—disciple relationship with him, and increasingly involved him in the work of the church before releasing him to his own ministry. As traces of Valerius' discipleship method are observed in Augustine's subsequent ministry to other spiritual leaders, the argument will be made that Augustine was significantly influenced by Valerius, an unlikely and unrecognized mentor.
The Role of Job Representatives in an Organizing Strategy: The Case of the Australian Nursing Federation
Authors: Bartram Timothy , Stanton Pauline , Elovaris Lauren
Published: February 2008

Based on a survey of Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) members, this article investigates why certain individuals become union representatives (job representatives), and others remain rank-and-file union members. This article argues that job representatives are a key component of an organizing strategy and have played a crucial role in membership growth of the ANF over the last decade. Logistic regression results indicate that union commitment, employer trust, intra-group identification and full-time employment are predictors of representative status. Results of a chi-square test indicate that job representatives have a higher probability of attempting to recruit relative to rank-and-file members. Open-ended questions reveal that nearly 50 percent of rank-and-file members would be willing to become job representatives should they be given more time or reduced working hours, more training or knowledge of responsibilities, or rewards. These findings have implications for ANF organizing strategies and other Australian trade unions in the current climate of industrial relations reform and union density decline.
Union Membership Decline in New Zealand, 1990—2002
Authors: Charlwood Andy , Haynes Peter
Published: February 2008

This article uses individual-level data from the New Zealand Election Study surveys to analyse trade union membership decline between 1990 and 2002. The abrupt decline in union density during the first two-and-a-half years of the Employment Contracts Act 1991 was concentrated almost entirely in the private and mixed/non-profit sectors, and was sharpest among workers in the secondary labour market. Across 1990—2002, compositional change (i.e. change in the structure of the economy and workforce) and attitudinal change, as captured in our analysis, had little impact on union density decline. Most of the decline in density explained in this analysis can be attributed to within-group behavioural change. A number of explanations are discussed. The findings are consistent with the thesis that the sharp decline in union membership under the Employment Contracts Act 1991 was largely due to receding union reach, resulting in the current unfulfilled demand for union membership reported elsewhere.
The Changing Dynamics of Employment Relations in China: An Evaluation of the Rising Level of Labour Disputes
Authors: Cooke Fang Lee
Published: February 2008

The landscape of industrial relations in China has experienced significant change over the last two decades, mainly due to the diversification of ownership forms that has given rise to a proliferation of categories of workers with different needs and expectations that are neither represented nor often officially recognized. However, there have been insufficient studies that analyse the extent, scope and nature of the rising level of labour disputes in China and whether these disputes demonstrate characteristics distinct to ownership forms, size of undertaking or sectors of the economy. This article analyses the extent of and major reasons for the rising level of labour disputes in China and questions if the true level of labour disputes has been captured by official statistics.
Bifurcation, Fragmentation or Integration? The Racial and Geographical Structure of US Metropolitan Segregation, 1990—2000
Authors: Farrell Chad R.
Published: February 2008

Racial residential segregation remains a topic of interest due to its impact on broader racial stratification. However, scholarly inquiry into the subject often ignores metropolitan racial diversity and the hierarchical nature of urban space. This paper proposes a multigroup, multilevel framework to assess the shifting racial and geographical structure of segregation in US metropolitan areas. It is found that overall declines in segregation are due almost entirely to the erosion of White/non-White bifurcation within large cities. The divide between the urban core and suburban ring remains a substantial if not defining component of segregation and racial distinctions between suburban communities are increasing. There is less evidence that Black, Latino and Asian metropolitan residents are fragmenting into homogeneous enclaves and segregation among these groups generally accounts for less overall segregation than would be expected given their relative population size. All told, urban and suburban municipalities are replacing neighbourhoods as the central organising units of metropolitan segregation.
Exploring Resident (Non-)participation in the UK New Deal for Communities Regeneration Programme
Authors: Mathers Jonathan , Parry Jayne , Jones Susan
Published: February 2008

Current policy responses to low levels of resident participation in urban regeneration schemes may be based on flawed assumptions for the reasons underpinning non-participation amongst certain sections of disadvantaged communities. Ethnographic fieldwork in a New Deal for Communities area demonstrates that some residents actively avoid participation as part of `survival strategies' that have been developed to cope with long-term multiple disadvantage. Capacity building exercises are unlikely to impact upon participation rates among these individuals and groups. Instead, a more radical approach to social policy provision is called for, that explicitly acknowledges and understands the socio-cultural context within which residents make decisions regarding participation.
Regenerating Communities: Women's Experiences of Urban Regeneration
Authors: Gosling Victoria K.
Published: February 2008

In the UK, New Labour has placed great emphasis on community-based urban regeneration as part of its strategy to combat social exclusion. However, there is little understanding of the ways in which regeneration policies impact on the lives and communities of `socially excluded' women. This paper draws on qualitative research into women's experiences of urban regeneration. It argues that, although local communities continue to play an important role for many of the women in the research, regeneration policies can increase exclusion and lead to the destruction of many of these communities—and in particular that this can have a dramatic impact on women, as they are more likely to rely on local community support networks than men.
A Note on the Dynamic Analysis of Fiscal Competition
Authors: Tamai Toshiki
Published: February 2008

This note presents an analysis of dynamic aspects of fiscal competition in a model with local capital accumulation. This shows that, even when a head tax is available, the optimal capital tax rate is generally non-zero. In addition, a decentralised equilibrium without a head tax might be characterised by overprovision of local public goods in a dynamic fiscal competition model. The source of inefficiency is overaccumulation of local capital.
Compact, Dispersed, Fragmented, Extensive? A Comparison of Urban Growth in Twenty-five Global Cities using Remotely Sensed Data, Pattern Metrics and Census Information
Authors: Schneider Annemarie , Woodcock Curtis E.
Published: February 2008

Despite growing recognition of the important role of cities in economic, political and environmental systems across the world, comparative, global-scale research on cities is severely limited. This paper examines the similarities and differences in urban form and growth that have occurred across 25 mid-sized cities from different geographical settings and levels of economic development. The results reveal four city types: low-growth cities with modest rates of infilling; high-growth cities with rapid, fragmented development; expansive-growth cities with extensive dispersion at low population densities; and frantic-growth cities with extraordinary land conversion rates at high population densities. Although all 25 cities are expanding, the results suggest that cities outside the US do not exhibit the dispersed spatial forms characteristic of American urban sprawl.
Imprisoned in paradise
Authors: Krob Melanie
Published: February 2008

With the end of the Spanish Civil War in the spring of 1939 and the outbreak of the Second World War the following September, the nation that many antifascist Germans identified as their ideological utopia — France — turned against them. After France's declaration of war on Germany in September 1939, all Germans living in France became `enemies of the French state' and were forced to report to internment camps. Drawing on a variety of archival and published documents — poems, plays, novels, personal memoirs, posters and camp reports — produced by German antifascists who were interned in French internment camps in 1939—40, this study examines how imprisonment in France affected the German antifascist concept of France and the political ideals it represented.
The Role of Self-Control in Resistance to Persuasion
Authors: Burkley Edward
Published: February 2008

Four studies investigated a self-control theory of resistance to persuasion. This theory asserts that resistance to persuasion requires and consumes self-control resources. Study 1 showed that resistance to a persuasive message reduced the ability to engage in a subsequent self-control task. Studies 2 and 3 showed that self-control depletion leads to increased persuasion. Study 4 showed that self-control depletion increased persuasion, particularly under effortful resistance (i.e., strong arguments). Together, these findings suggest that self-control plays a vital role in the process of resistance to persuasion. People must have self-control resources to fend off persuasive appeals; without them, they become susceptible to influence.
What Day Is Today? A Social–Psychological Investigation Into the Process of Time Orientation
Authors: Jonas Kai J. , Huguet Pascal
Published: February 2008

Social–psychological research on time has pointed to the social construct of time rather than a mere physical entity that we reflect cognitively. Using two paradigms (day retrieval process and goal priming), the authors show that the time orientation is strongly prone to social influences and argue that a self-regulatory process underlies these findings. The degree of social comparison orientation in Study 1 and the degree of identification with groups for which the landmark is relevant (Study 2) both moderate the functionality of the landmarks within time orientation. Consistent with these findings, Studies 3 and 4 offer evidence that the activation of a personally relevant goal activates the day of goal attainment, a process that again can be moderated by social comparison orientation and identification. Overall, these results suggest a socially regulated time orientation. The internal clock (if any) is at least partly a “social clock.”
The Positives of Negative Emotions: Willingness to Express Negative Emotions Promotes Relationships
Authors: Graham Steven M. , Huang Julie Y. , Clark Margaret S. , Helgeson Vicki S.
Published: February 2008

Four studies support the hypothesis that expressing negative emotion is associated with positive relationship outcomes, including elicitation of support, building of new close relationships, and heightening of intimacy in the closest of those relationships. In Study 1, participants read vignettes in which another person was experiencing a negative emotion. Participants reported they would provide more help when the person chose to express the negative emotion. In Study 2, participants watched a confederate preparing for a speech. Participants provided more help to her when she expressed nervousness. In Study 3, self-reports of willingness to express negative emotions predicted having more friends, controlling for demographic variables and extraversion. In Study 4, self-reports of willingness to express negative emotion measured prior to arrival at college predicted formation of more relationships, greater intimacy in the closest of those relationships, and greater received support from roommates across participants' first semester of college.