bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combination Chemoprevention for Colon Cancer Targeting Polyamine Synthesis and Inflammation
Authors: Gerner Eugene W. , Meyskens Frank L.
Published: February 2009

Increased polyamine synthesis and inflammation have long been associated with colon carcinogenesis in both preclinical models and in humans. Recent experimental studies suggest that polyamines may be mechanistically involved in colonic inflammatory processes. Genetic epidemiology results indicate that a single nucleotide polymorphism influencing the expression of a polyamine biosynthetic gene is associated with both risk of colon polyp occurrence and recurrence, and the response to aspirin as a polyp preventive agent. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of combination difluoromethylornithine, a selective inhibitor of polyamine synthesis, and sulindac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, found that the 3-year treatment was associated with a 70% reduction of recurrence of all adenomas, and over a 90% reduction of recurrence of advanced and/or multiple adenomas, without evidence of serious toxicities. This proof-of-principle trial indicates that targeting polyamine synthesis and inflammation can be an effective strategy for preventing the occurrence of the advanced and/or multiple adenomas that are most closely associated with the development of colon cancers in humans.
Expression of Sorafenib Targets in Melanoma Patients Treated with Carboplatin, Paclitaxel and Sorafenib
Authors: Jilaveanu Lucia , Zito Christopher , Lee Sandra J. , Nathanson Katherine L. , Camp Robert L. , Rimm David L. , Flaherty Keith T. , Kluger Harriet M.
Published: February 2009

Background: Sorafenib, a multitarget kinase inhibitor, inhibits members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and receptor tyrosine kinases, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF-R2). Sorafenib, carboplatin, and paclitaxel (SCP) has antitumor activity in melanoma patients, but no association was found between response and activating B-Raf V600E mutations. We assessed the expression of sorafenib targets in SCP-treated patient specimens and evaluated the association with response and progression-free survival.

Experimental Design: Using automated quantitative analysis, we quantified the expression of VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, VEGF-R3, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, c-Kit, B-Raf, C-Raf, meiosis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase 1, and extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in pretreatment specimens from 46 patients. Furthermore, we assessed ERK1/2 expression in 429 archival melanomas.

Results: VEGF-R2 expression was significantly higher in patients with a complete or partial response (P = 0.0435), whereas ERK1/2 was higher in patients who did not respond (P = 0.0417). High ERK1/2 was an independent predictor of poor survival. High ERK1/2 was associated with decreased survival in the archival melanoma cohort, suggesting that high ERK1/2-expressing tumors are biologically more aggressive. All of the six patients with both high VEGF-R2 and low ERK1/2 responded to SCP.

Conclusions: High VEGF-R2 expression is associated with response to SCP in melanoma, whereas high ERK1/2 is associated with resistance. Collection of specimens from SCP-treated melanoma patients in a cooperative group phase III trial comparing this regimen with the chemotherapy alone is ongoing, and confirmation of these findings is necessary. These markers might be useful for predicting response to sorafenib when given with other chemotherapies and in other diseases, resulting in the possible elimination of unnecessary treatment of patients unlikely to respond.
Research Involving Biological Material from Forensic Autopsies: Legal and Ethical Issues
Authors: Elger Bernice S. , Hofner Marie-Claude , Mangin Patrice
Published: February 2009

Recommendations and laws do not always contain specific and clear provisions on the use of cadaveric material in research, and even more rarely do they address explicitly the ethical issues related to research on material obtained during forensic autopsy. In this article we analyse existing legal frameworks in Europe by comparing the legal provisions in 2 European Countries which are member states of the Council of Europe, the UK and Switzerland. They were chosen because they have distinct legal frameworks that make comparisons interesting. In addition, the detailed laws of the UK and a specific law project and national ethical recommendations in Switzerland permit us to define more clearly the legal range of options for researchers using cadaveric material obtained during forensic investigations. The Human Tissue Act 2004 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, its Scottish equivalent with the same title (2006) and the national ethical guidelines in Switzerland all require consent from the deceased person, an appropriate relative or a person with power of attorney for healthcare decisions before cadaveric biological material can be obtained and used for research. However, if the purpose of the autopsy is purely forensic, no such authorisation will be sought to carry out the autopsy and related analyses, which might include genetic testing. In order to be allowed to carry out future research projects, families need to be approached for informed consent, unless the deceased person had left written directives including permission to use his or her tissues for research.
Influence of Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Tumor Necrosis Factor-α on Experimental Herpetic-Induced Chorioretinitis of Mouse Eye
Authors: Mei Haifeng , Xing Yiqiao , Yang Jing , Wang Anhuai , Xu Ya , Heiligenhaus Arnd
Published: February 2009

Objective: To investigate the effect on the pathological process of topical treatment with antisense oligonucleotides (ASON) targeting tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in experimental herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1)-induced chorioretinitis of mouse eye. Methods: 50 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into two different groups (25 mice in each group). The Von Szily model was induced in mice by inoculating 1×105 plaque-forming units of HSV-1 (KOS strain) into the anterior chamber of the right eye. In one group, FITC-labeled ASON targeting TNF-α was injected subconjunctively into the left eye on days –1, 1, and 4, whereas phosphate buffer was used in the same way on the same days in another group. The clinical appearances were observed after infection each day and the eyes were examined histologically. The TNF-α content of retina and choroid were measured by ELISA. Results: After infection, acute inflammation appeared in the right eye of both groups. As for the non-inoculated eye, the inflammation in the ASON group was significantly decreased compared to the PBS group. The number of inflammatory cells in the ASON group was significantly lower than in the PBS group, especially in the choroid, retina and ciliary body. The TNF-α content in the choroid and retina of the ASON group was diminished. Conclusion: The results suggested that TNF-α ASON reduced the content of TNF-α in mouse eyes, and this topical treatment decreased the inflammatory reaction. It may be an effective method for treating HSV-1-induced chorioretinitis in the clinic.
Valproate-Induced Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Children
Authors: Verrotti Alberto , la Torre Rosanna , Trotta Daniela , Mohn Angelika , Chiarelli Francesco
Published: February 2009

Background: Valproic acid (VPA), a widely used antiepileptic drug, has broad-spectrum activity against both generalized and partial epilepsy. Among the side effects of VPA, weight gain is frequently reported, although the real incidence and magnitude of this problem is unknown. Its pathogenesis is most likely multifactorial, and is controversial. Methods: In order to evaluate the role of hyperinsulinemia and related hormonal abnormalities in VPA-induced obesity, data from the existing literature have been analyzed and discussed critically. Results: Patients suffering from weight gain show various metabolic and endocrinologic abnormalities. The most frequent are hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia and leptin resistance, and an increase in the availability of long-chain free fatty acids. Significant weight gain is associated with increased levels of insulin and leptin, suggesting a close relationship between obesity-induced hyperinsulinemia and hyperleptinemia. VPA can directly stimulate pancreatic β-cells and indirectly enhance insulin resistance by suppressing insulin-mediated peripheral glucose uptake. Leptin activation seems to be similar in obese VPA-treated subjects to that seen in otherwise obese subjects. Conclusions: The mechanisms of hyperinsulinemia in VPA-induced weight gain remain unclear, although it is likely that obesity is the cause of hyperinsulinemia and all related metabolic changes. However, this heterogeneous metabolic disorder requires further research.
Mutations of the Gene for the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Interacting Protein in Pituitary Adenomas
Authors: Cazabat Laure , Guillaud-Bataille Marine , Bertherat Jérôme , Raffin-Sanson Marie-Laure
Published: February 2009

Heterozygous germline mutations in the gene encoding the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) were first described in two Finnish families with pituitary adenomas. The gene is involved in about 15% of familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA), in about 50% of cases of familial acromegaly and in a small proportion of acromegalic patients with sporadic presentation. This review describes the genetic and clinical features of published patients with AIP, with either familial or sporadic pituitary tumors. A genotype-phenotype correlation is proposed: patients with AIP mutations resulting in a truncated protein are significantly younger than those bearing a mutation which preserves the structure of the C-terminal end of the protein (22.7 ± 9.6 vs. 29.8 ± 10.9 years). Pituitary tumors linked to AIP mutations are almost exclusively somatotropic (87.5%, n = 56/64) or lactotropic (9.4%, n = 6). Patients with AIP mutations are mostly men (70%, 44 M/19 F), suffer macroadenomas (97%) and are younger at diagnosis (24.4 ± 10.5 years) than unselected patients with pituitary tumors. Thus, AIP is involved in the development of pituitary tumors, especially involving the somatomammotroph lineage. Genetic testing could be discussed for FIPAs and in young acromegalic patients with a sporadic presentation. Functional studies are needed to understand AIP-induced tumorigenesis.
Short-Term Growth in Children with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Authors: Liivak Kaur , Foster Peter J. , Thalange Nandu , Tillmann Vallo
Published: February 2009

Objective: To describe short-term growth patterns in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Methods: Height was measured daily in 5 children (1 boy) aged 3.9–9.7 years over 9–16 months. Kernel regression analysis was used to characterise short-term growth. The results were compared with data from 43 normal prepubertal children. Results: Growth was characterised by growth spurts with intervening periods of no discernible growth (stasis). Height gain was positively correlated with the mean amplitude of growth spurts (r = 0.9, p < 0.05). Patients with CAH spent significantly less time in stasis than normal children (5 ± 4.8 vs. 11.4 ± 7.2% of study period; p < 0.05), the mean length of growth spurts was significantly longer (110.4 ± 28.3 vs. 54.0 ± 13.1 days; p < 0.05) and the mean amplitude significantly lower (0.022 ± 0.008 vs. 0.037 ± 0.001 cm/day; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Compared with normal controls, short-term growth in children with CAH is characterised by long-duration low amplitude growth spurts with reduced periods of growth stasis. Better growth was correlated with the amplitude of growth spurts. The relatively smooth short-term growth in children with CAH suggests that if significant variations in growth rate are seen, they are more likely to be a consequence of under- or over-treatment rather than non-linear growth itself.
Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Polymorphism Is Less Frequent in Children Born Small for Gestational Age without Catch-Up Growth
Authors: Voorhoeve Paul G. , van den Akker Erica L.T. , Lamberts Steven W.J. , Delemarre-van de Waal Henriette A. , Hokken-Koelega Anita C.S.
Published: February 2009

Background/Aims: Glucocorticoids are important regulators of many processes involved in embryonal growth and development and fat and glucose metabolism. Glucocorticoids exert their effect through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between 4 well-known GR gene haplotypes and size at birth. Methods: We investigated associations between GR haplotypes and size at birth in a Dutch reference cohort. This reference cohort consisted of 222 young healthy Caucasian subjects. Associations between size at birth and glucocorticoid receptor gene haplotypes were tested. Furthermore, we investigated a group of 119 children born small for gestational age (SGA), without catch-up growth. Prevalence of the different GR haplotypes was compared between the SGA group and the reference cohort. Results: No associations were found between any of the GR haplotypes and birth weight or birth length in the reference group. The prevalence of GR haplotype 2 (Bcl1) was significantly lower in the SGA group compared to controls. Conclusion: Genetic variance in the GR seems not to be associated with intrauterine growth in the general population. However, GR haplotype might play a role in growth of children born SGA, reflected by the decreased prevalence of GR haplotype 2 (Bcl1) in this group.
Height Gains in Response to Growth Hormone Treatment to Final Height Are Similar in Patients with SHOX Deficiency and Turner Syndrome
Authors: Blum Werner F. , Cao Dachuang , Hesse Volker , Fricke-Otto Susanne , Ross Judith L. , Jones Christine , Quigley Charmian A. , Binder Gerhard
Published: February 2009

Background: Patients with mutations or deletions of the Short Stature Homeobox-containing(SHOX) gene have variable degrees of growth impairment, with or without mesomelic skeletal dysplasia. If untreated, short patients with SHOX deficiency remain short in adulthood. Growth hormone (GH) treatment improves short-term linear growth; however, there are no data on GH treatment effects on final height. Patients: In a retrospective study, we assessed the relative effects of GH on final height gain in patients with SHOX deficiency (n = 14; 12 females) and Turner syndrome (TS) (n = 158). Patients were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: genetically-confirmed SHOX deficiency or TS, baseline height SDS <1.5, GH treatment started at Tanner stage ≤2, duration of GH treatment >2 years, and final height attained. Results: Both groups of patients were short at baseline (height SDS [mean ± SD]: SHOX deficiency, –3.3 ± 0.9; TS, –2.9 ± 0.8). Height SDS gain from baseline to final height was significant for each patient group (SHOX deficiency, 1.1 ± 0.7; TS, 1.2 ± 0.8; p < 0.001); however, it was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.708). Conclusions: Patients with SHOX deficiency receive similar final height benefit from GH treatment to those with TS.
The Corporate Boomerang: Shareholder Transnational Advocacy Networks Targeting Oil Companies in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Authors: McAteer Emily , Pulver Simone
Published: February 2009

Transnational advocacy networks (TANs) targeting corporations differ from those targeting states in the strategies they employ, determinants of network effectiveness, and assessments of goal achievement. This article develops a corporate boomerang model to analyze the dynamics of corporate-focused TANs. The model is used to assess two case studies of corporate-focused TANs—targeting the US-based oil corporations Chevron and Burlington Resources—active in Ecuador's Amazon region. In both TANs, corporate shareholder activists played a central role in the networks. The comparison demonstrates that the success of the Burlington TAN relative to the Chevron TAN can be explained by differences in the cohesiveness of the two networks and in the vulnerability of the two targets.
Scarcity and Cooperation Along International Rivers
Authors: Dinar Shlomi
Published: February 2009

Scarcity is often argued to be an important variable associated with explaining both conflict and cooperation over international freshwater. Yet it is the relationship between scarcity and cooperation that deserves additional scrutiny and, subsequently, rigorous empirical investigation. Building on existing literature, this article highlights the relationship between water scarcity and interstate cooperation. A model is introduced hypothesizing that cooperation is most likely to take place when the resource is neither abundant (when there is no real impetus for cooperation) nor highly scarce (when there is little of the resource to divide among the parties or the degradation too costly to manage). Rather, formal coordination in the form of an international water treaty is most likely to ensue at levels of moderate (or relative) scarcity. An inverted U-shaped curve, rather than a linear interaction, is consequently suggested for the relationship between water scarcity and cooperation. To illustrate this relationship, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test is conducted using seventy-four country dyad observations, an associated scarcity index, and corresponding international treaty observations. Overall, results support the scarcity-cooperation assertion. Future research is needed to investigate this relationship in a more empirical and econometrically rigorous fashion.
Capitalism, State Economic Policy and Ecological Footprint: An International Comparative Analysis
Authors: Özler Ş İlgü , Obach Brian K.
Published: February 2009

This article examines the relationship between state economic policy and environmental performance. It tests the hypothesis that a greater reliance on free market policies leads to higher levels of resource use and pollution. This issue sits at the heart of much theoretical debate about the role of capitalism in environmental performance. The Economic Freedom Index is used as a measure of the degree to which states adhere to free market policies. Environmental performance is measured through the use of per capita ecological footprint, a measure that accounts for a broad range of resource use and pollution. Pooled time series analysis is used to examine economic policies and environmental performance in 110 countries from the years 1996 to 2003. The results indicate that free market policies are associated with greater ecological degradation, but that not all aspects of capitalism have this negative effect.
How Able Was “Able Archer”?: Nuclear Trigger and Intelligence in Perspective
Authors: Mastny Vojtech
Published: February 2009

A sharp increase in East-West tensions in the early 1980s sparked a genuine, if unwarranted, war scare in the USSR which the Soviet leader Yurii Andropov tried to exploit for political purposes. Soviet intelligence officials, however, were sufficiently informed about the enemy's true intentions that they did not sound the alarm in November 1983 when NATO conducted its “Able Archer” exercise, which has been retrospectively misinterpreted as having been capable of provoking nuclear escalation. The increased awareness of the risks inherent in the accumulation of nuclear weaponry, though not that particular incident, spurred President Ronald Reagan to take steps to reassure Moscow that the United States wanted peace—steps that eventually helped defuse the East-West confrontation
“Agents of Moscow” at the Dawn of the Cold War: The Comintern and the Communist Party of New Zealand
Authors: Trapeznik Alexander
Published: February 2009

This article explores an important aspect of New Zealand's Cold War history—the impact of directives from Moscow on the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) until the dissolution of the Communist International (Comintern) in 1943. Drawing on the Comintern papers relating to New Zealand, the article largely reaffirms traditional interpretations of the Comintern. Although indigenous Communist parties operated in a specific local context that resulted in tensions between Bolshevik universalism and national specificity (the central dilemma of twentieth-century international Communism), they in the end functioned as compliant tools of Soviet foreign policy and Stalinist ideology. Although CPNZ officials did not openly cooperate with Soviet intelligence, the Comintern engaged in clandestine operations with New Zealand Communists. The CPNZ invariably deferred to Moscow, altered its policies to accord with Soviet objectives, aligned its policy to suit ideological pronouncements from the Comintern, kept Moscow informed of internal developments, and sought and received financial assistance from Moscow.
Explosive Challenge: Diplomatic Triangles, the United Nations, and the Problem of French Nuclear Testing, 1959–1960
Authors: O'Driscoll Mervyn
Published: February 2009

France's first nuclear tests in Algeria in 1960 occurred at a critical moment in the Cold War. The United States, Great Britain, and the USSR had suspended their tests in 1958 and had been holding test ban talks in Geneva. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan faced a vociferous anti-nuclear movement at home and wanted to foster East-West détente. The U.S. State Department wished to prevent Soviet propaganda in the Third World, including the newly independent African and Asian states that strongly opposed French testing. Nonetheless, both Britain and the United States adopted a sympathetic stance toward France in the run-up to the first test in February 1960. Macmillan hoped to move Britain into the European Economic Community and therefore wanted to avoid antagonizing France, whose support for British membership would be crucial. Macmillan also wanted France's backing for a four-power summit to try to achieve East-West détente. Similarly, the United States did not want to alienate France, a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Improbable Permanence of a Commitment: America's Troop Presence in Europe during the Cold War
Authors: Zimmermann Hubert
Published: February 2009

This article elucidates a fundamental feature of transatlantic relations during the Cold War: the presence of more than 250,000 U.S. troops in Europe, mainly in West Germany, from 1952 through 1990. The article explains why this unprecedented commitment was extended for such a long time, despite intense domestic debates in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Opposition to the troop commitment was particularly strong in Congress. The article shows that the long-term stationing of U.S. troops in Europe was more precarious than often assumed. The article also shows that the debates in the 1960s and 1970s were instrumental in establishing the acceptance of long-term military commitments abroad as a feature of U.S. global policy.
Sexual dimorphism in the performance of chemosensory investigatory behaviours by African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Authors: Loizi Helen , Goodwin Thomas , Rasmussen  , Whitehouse Anna , Schulte Bruce
Published: February 2009

Sexual dimorphism in morphology can be accompanied by behavioural differences between the sexes. We examined if investigatory behaviour involving the trunk of African elephants showed sexual dimorphism. Males compete and search for females, but they have a lengthy period of development before they are socially viable mates. Receptive females are relatively rare. We hypothesized that males would display higher rates of chemosensory behaviour following puberty than females. Because males disperse, they were hypothesized to be more likely to contact elephants outside their kinship group. We observed the trunk tip, chemosensory behaviours of African elephants at Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. For 208 elephants, we found no significant differences in state behaviours around waterholes by age or sex. Yet, older elephants were more likely to investigate the environment and elephant excrement than younger animals. Males were more likely to investigate urine and faeces than females. Only post-puberty animals contacted non-family with males investigating both sexes, while investigations by and to females only involved post-puberty males. Overall, the probability of performing chemosensory behaviours depended on age and sex. Male elephants appear more reliant than females on signals in urine and faeces with ensuing inspections of individuals through trunk tip contacts.
Impacts of vehicle traffic on the distribution and behaviour of rutting elk, Cervus elaphus
Authors: St. Clair Colleen , Forrest Andrew
Published: February 2009

Even within protected areas, human disturbance has the potential to influence the distribution, behaviour and, ultimately, abundance of other species. We studied the potential disturbance caused by the presence and movement of vehicle traffic on the distribution and behaviour of elk (Cervus elaphus) during the fall rut in a Canadian National Park where people congregate on a single road to observe elk. To determine the effect of vehicle traffic on elk, we subjected the road to alternating open and closed treatments of 3 or 4 days in duration. We then used a global positioning system (GPS)-linked laser range finder and a computer programmed as an event recorder to collect information on the distribution and behaviour of elk. These methods made it possible to link the precise positions of both elk and vehicles with behavioural states, which we measured with a combination of focal animal, all-occurrence, and scan sampling. We detected no effects of road closure on the distribution of elk herds or the size, cohesion, or position of separate elk groups, but elk were more likely to cross the road when it was closed. In addition, higher proportions of female elk were vigilant in the vicinity of moving vehicles and elk of both sexes, but particularly males, spent more time in vigilance postures when the road was open. Males spent less time exhibiting reproductive behaviour (sparring and mating) when the road was open and tended to spar farther from the road. Together, these results suggest that vehicle traffic exerted a measurable effect on the behaviour, but not distribution, of elk at this site. These behavioural effects are probably biologically slight, but they could easily be lessened at this site, and potentially others, by limiting the frequency and extent of vehicle movement on the road.
Characterization of the Martian Convective Boundary Layer
Authors: Martínez Germán , Valero Francisco , Vázquez Luis
Published: February 2009

The authors have carried out an extensive characterization of the Martian mixed layer formed under convective conditions. The values of the mixed layer height, convective velocity scale, convective temperature scale, mean temperature standard deviation, mean horizontal and vertical velocity standard deviations, and mean turbulent viscous dissipation rate have been obtained during the strongest convective hours for the mixed layer. In addition, the existing database of the surface layer has been improved by recalculating some parameters (e.g., Monin–Obukhov length, friction velocity, or scale temperature) that had already been obtained in previous papers by other means and also by calculating new ones, such as the standard deviation of the vertical wind speed velocity, the turbulent viscous dissipation rate, and eddy transfer coefficients for momentum and heat. The Earth counterparts of all these magnitudes are also shown. In this paper, a comprehensive database concerning the whole convective planetary boundary layer on Mars is displayed, and a detailed terrestrial comparison is established.

The inputs of this work are hourly in situ temperature, hourly in situ horizontal wind speed, and hourly simulated ground temperature for specific selected Sols of the Viking and Pathfinder landers. These data correspond to typical low and midlatitude northern summertime conditions, with weak prevailing winds. To handle this set of data, surface layer and mixed layer similarity theory have been used at the strongest convective hours. In addition, the inclusion of a parameterization of a molecular sublayer and prescribed values of the surface roughness has been considered.
On the Relationship between SST Gradients, Boundary Layer Winds, and Convergence over the Tropical Oceans
Authors: Back Larissa E. , Bretherton Christopher S.
Published: February 2009

A linear mixed layer model that skillfully reproduces observed surface winds and convergence over the tropical oceans is used to examine the relative influence of boundary layer and free-tropospheric processes on the distribution of climatological surface winds and convergence. The semiempirical model assumes a subcloud-layer momentum force balance between pressure gradients, Coriolis acceleration, linearized friction, and downward momentum mixing, and it utilizes boundary conditions from the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). Observed pressure gradients are linearly decomposed into boundary layer (defined as the region below 850 hPa) and free-tropospheric components, and the surface winds and convergence associated with these components are computed. Results show that surface zonal winds are predominantly associated with a combination of free-tropospheric pressure gradients and downward momentum mixing, whereas the distribution of convergence is primarily due to boundary layer temperature gradients, which are closely related to SST gradients. The authors conclude that the climatological distribution of boundary layer convergence is primarily a function of the pattern of SST gradients and is better regarded as a cause rather than a consequence of deep convection.
The Effect of Ocean Dynamics and Orography on Atmospheric Storm Tracks
Authors: Wilson Chris , Sinha Bablu , Williams Richard G.
Published: February 2009

The control of atmospheric storm tracks by ocean dynamics, orography, and their interaction is investigated using idealized experiments with a simplified coupled atmosphere–ocean climate model. The study focuses on the quasi–steady state for the storm tracks in the Northern Hemisphere winter mean. The experiments start with a background state without mountains and ocean dynamics, and in separate stages include orography and a dynamic ocean to obtain a more realistic control simulation. The separate effects of ocean dynamics, orography, and their nonlinear interaction are identified for the storm tracks and the surface thermodynamic forcing over the ocean.

The model study suggests that atmospheric storm tracks are a robust feature of the climate system, occurring at midlatitudes even if there is no orographic forcing or ocean heat transport. Ocean dynamics generally lead to a poleward shift in both the storm track and the maximum in atmospheric northward heat transport and induce a northeastward tilt over the Atlantic. This poleward shift is linked to the extra heat transport by the ocean and the tightening of sea surface temperature gradients on the western side of ocean basins. Orographic forcing causes along-track variability with a weakening of the storm track over the continents and induces a northeastward tilt over the western Pacific, which is associated with a stationary planetary wave train generated by the Tibetan Plateau. The interaction between ocean dynamics and orographic forcing plays a localized role, enhancing the contrast between the Atlantic and Pacific. Much of the response to the forcing is eddy mediated and transient eddies help to spread the influence of orographic and ocean forcing.
The Hadley and Walker Circulation Changes in Global Warming Conditions Described by Idealized Atmospheric Simulations
Authors: Gastineau Guillaume , Li Laurent , Le Treut Hervé
Published: February 2009

Sea surface temperature (SST) changes constitute a major indicator and driver of climate changes induced by greenhouse gas increases. The objective of the present study is to investigate the role played by the detailed structure of the SST change on the large-scale atmospheric circulation and the distribution of precipitation. For that purpose, simulations from the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace Coupled Model, version 4 (IPSL-CM4) are used where the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is doubled. The response of IPSL-CM4 is characterized by the same robust mechanisms affecting the other coupled models in global warming simulations, that is, an increase of the hydrological cycle accompanied by a global weakening of the large-scale circulation. First, purely atmospheric simulations are performed to mimic the results of the coupled model. Then, specific simulations are set up to further study the underlying atmospheric mechanisms. These simulations use different prescribed SST anomalies, which correspond to a linear decomposition of the IPSL-CM4 SST changes in global, longitudinal, and latitudinal components. The simulation using a globally uniform increase of the SST is able to reproduce the modifications in the intensity of the hydrological cycle or in the mean upward mass flux, which also characterize the double CO2 simulation with the coupled model. But it is necessary (and largely sufficient) to also take into account the zonal-mean meridional structure of the SST changes to represent correctly the changes in the Hadley circulation strength or the zonal-mean precipitation changes simulated by the coupled model, even if these meridional changes by themselves do not change the mean thermodynamical state of the tropical atmosphere. The longitudinal SST anomalies of IPSL-CM4 also have an impact on the precipitation and large-scale tropical circulation and tend to introduce different changes over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The longitudinal SST changes are demonstrated to have a smaller but opposite effect from that of the meridional anomalies on the Hadley cell circulations. Results indicate that the uncertainties in the simulated meridional patterns of the SST warming may have major consequences on the assessment of the changes of the Hadley circulation and zonal-mean precipitation in future climate projections.
Use of Remotely Sensed Actual Evapotranspiration to Improve Rainfall–Runoff Modeling in Southeast Australia
Authors: Zhang Yongqiang , Chiew Francis H. S. , Zhang Lu , Li Hongxia
Published: February 2009

This paper explores the use of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), mounted on the polar-orbiting Terra satellite, to determine leaf area index (LAI), and use actual evapotranspiration estimated using MODIS LAI data combined with the Penman–Monteith equation [remote sensing evapotranspiration (ERS)] in a lumped conceptual daily rainfall–runoff model. The model is a simplified version of the HYDROLOG (SIMHYD) model, which is used to estimate runoff in ungauged catchments. Two applications were explored: (i) the calibration of SIMHYD against both the observed streamflow and ERS, and (ii) the modification of SIMHYD to use MODIS LAI data directly. Data from 2001 to 2005 from 120 catchments in southeast Australia were used for the study. To assess the modeling results for ungauged catchments, optimized parameter values from the geographically nearest gauged catchment were used to model runoff in the ungauged catchment. The results indicate that the SIMHYD calibration against both the observed streamflow and ERS produced better simulations of daily and monthly runoff in ungauged catchments compared to the SIMHYD calibration against only the observed streamflow data, despite the modeling results being assessed solely against the observed streamflow data. The runoff simulations were even better for the modified SIMHYD model that used the MODIS LAI directly. It is likely that the use of other remotely sensed data (such as soil moisture) and smarter modification of rainfall–runoff models to use remotely sensed data directly can further improve the prediction of runoff in ungauged catchments.
Divergent versus Nondivergent Instabilities of Piecewise Uniform Shear Flows on the f Plane
Authors: Paldor Nathan , Dvorkin Yona , Heifetz Eyal
Published: February 2009

The linear instability of a piecewise uniform shear flow is classically formulated for nondivergent perturbations on a 2D barotropic mean flow with linear shear, bounded on both sides by semi-infinite half-planes where the mean flows are uniform. The problem remains unchanged on the f plane because for nondivergent perturbations the instability is driven by vorticity gradient at the edges of the inner, linear shear region, whereas the vorticity itself does not affect it. The instability of the unbounded case is recovered when the outer regions of uniform velocity are bounded, provided that these regions are at least twice as wide as the inner region of nonzero shear. The numerical calculations demonstrate that this simple scenario is greatly modified when the perturbations’ divergence and the variation of the mean height (which geostrophically balances the mean flow) are retained in the governing equations. Although a finite deformation radius exists on the shallow water f plane, the mean vorticity gradient that governs the instability in the nondivergent case remains unchanged, so it is not obvious how the instability is modified by the inclusion of divergence in the numerical solutions of the equations. The results here show that the longwave instability of nondivergent flows is recovered by the numerical solution for divergent flows only when the radius of deformation is at least one order of magnitude larger than the width of the inner uniform shear region. Nevertheless, even at this large radius of deformation both the amplitude of the velocity eigenfunction and the distribution of vorticity and divergence differ significantly from those of nondivergent perturbations and vary strongly in the cross-stream direction. Whereas for nondivergent flows the vorticity and divergence both have a delta-function structure located at the boundaries of the inner region, in divergent flows they are spread out and attain their maximum away from the boundaries (either in the inner region or in the outer regions) in some range of the mean shear. In contrast to nondivergent flows for which the mean shear is merely a multiplicative factor of the growth rates, in divergent flows new unstable modes exist for sufficiently large mean shear with no shortwave cutoff. This unstable mode is strongly affected by the sign of the mean shear (i.e., the sign of the mean relative vorticity).
Characteristics of Langmuir Turbulence in the Ocean Mixed Layer
Authors: Grant Alan L. M. , Belcher Stephen E.
Published: February 2009

This study uses large-eddy simulation (LES) to investigate the characteristics of Langmuir turbulence through the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget. Based on an analysis of the TKE budget a velocity scale for Langmuir turbulence is proposed. The velocity scale depends on both the friction velocity and the surface Stokes drift associated with the wave field. The scaling leads to unique profiles of nondimensional dissipation rate and velocity component variances when the Stokes drift of the wave field is sufficiently large compared to the surface friction velocity. The existence of such a scaling shows that Langmuir turbulence can be considered as a turbulence regime in its own right, rather than a modification of shear-driven turbulence.

Comparisons are made between the LES results and observations, but the lack of information concerning the wave field means these are mainly restricted to comparing profile shapes. The shapes of the LES profiles are consistent with observed profiles. The dissipation length scale for Langmuir turbulence is found to be similar to the dissipation length scale in the shear-driven boundary layer. Beyond this it is not possible to test the proposed scaling directly using available data. Entrainment at the base of the mixed layer is shown to be significantly enhanced over that due to normal shear turbulence.
Cloud-Resolving Hurricane Initialization and Prediction through Assimilation of Doppler Radar Observations with an Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Zhang Fuqing , Weng Yonghui , Sippel Jason A. , Meng Zhiyong , Bishop Craig H.
Published: February 2009

This study explores the assimilation of Doppler radar radial velocity observations for cloud-resolving hurricane analysis, initialization, and prediction with an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). The case studied is Hurricane Humberto (2007), the first landfalling hurricane in the United States since the end of the 2005 hurricane season and the most rapidly intensifying near-landfall storm in U.S. history. The storm caused extensive damage along the southeast Texas coast but was poorly predicted by operational models and forecasters. It is found that the EnKF analysis, after assimilating radial velocity observations from three Weather Surveillance Radars-1988 Doppler (WSR-88Ds) along the Gulf coast, closely represents the best-track position and intensity of Humberto. Deterministic forecasts initialized from the EnKF analysis, despite displaying considerable variability with different lead times, are also capable of predicting the rapid formation and intensification of the hurricane. These forecasts are also superior to simulations without radar data assimilation or with a three-dimensional variational scheme assimilating the same radar observations. Moreover, nearly all members from the ensemble forecasts initialized with EnKF analysis perturbations predict rapid formation and intensification of the storm. However, the large ensemble spread of peak intensity, which ranges from a tropical storm to a category 2 hurricane, echoes limited predictability in deterministic forecasts of the storm and the potential of using ensembles for probabilistic forecasts of hurricanes.
Toward Optimal Choices of Control Space Representation for Geophysical Data Assimilation
Authors: Bocquet Marc
Published: February 2009

In geophysical data assimilation, observations shed light on a control parameter space through a model, a statistical prior, and an optimal combination of these sources of information. This control space can be a set of discrete parameters, or, more often in geophysics, part of the state space, which is distributed in space and time. When the control space is continuous, it must be discretized for numerical modeling. This discretization, in this paper called a representation of this distributed parameter space, is always fixed a priori.

In this paper, the representation of the control space is considered a degree of freedom on its own. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate that one could optimize it to perform data assimilation in optimal conditions. The optimal representation is then chosen over a large dictionary of adaptive grid representations involving several space and time scales.

First, to motivate the importance of the representation choice, this paper discusses the impact of a change of representation on the posterior analysis of data assimilation and its connection to the reduction of uncertainty. It is stressed that in some circumstances (atmospheric chemistry, in particular) the choice of a proper representation of the control space is essential to set the data assimilation statistical framework properly.

A possible mathematical framework is then proposed for multiscale data assimilation. To keep the developments simple, a measure of the reduction of uncertainty is chosen as a very simple optimality criterion. Using this criterion, a cost function is built to select the optimal representation. It is a function of the control space representation itself. A regularization of this cost function, based on a statistical mechanical analogy, guarantees the existence of a solution.

This allows numerical optimization to be performed on the representation of control space. The formalism is then applied to the inverse modeling of an accidental release of an atmospheric contaminant at European scale, using real data.
Disentangling approaches to framing in conflict and negotiation research: A meta-paradigmatic perspective
Authors: Dewulf Art , Gray Barbara , Putnam Linda , Lewicki Roy , Aarts Noelle , Bouwen Rene , van Woerkum Cees
Published: February 2009

Divergent theoretical approaches to the construct of framing have resulted in conceptual confusion in conflict research. We disentangle these approaches by analyzing their assumptions about 1) the nature of frames — that is, cognitive representations or interactional co-constructions, and 2) what is getting framed — that is, issues, identities and relationships, or interaction process. Using a meta-paradigmatic perspective, we delineate the ontological, theoretical and methodological assumptions among six approaches to framing to reduce conceptual confusion and identify research opportunities within and across these approaches.
The construct validity of vigor and its antecedents: A qualitative study
Authors: Shraga Ofira , Shirom Arie
Published: February 2009

Our first objective in this qualitative study was to validate the conceptualization of vigor as comprising physical strength, emotional energy and cognitive liveliness. Our second objective was to explore vigor's work-related antecedents. We applied theme analysis to the contents of interviews held with 38 randomly selected employees. The results clearly supported the three-component conceptualization of vigor as most employees (77%) related to vigor as a multifaceted variable. The most frequent work-related antecedents of vigor that emerged from the interviews were meaningful interactions with others, coping with challenging situations, and achieving success on a project. By superimposing the Job Characteristics Model on these qualitative findings, we inferred from the items describing vigor's antecedents that job significance, supervisory feedback, and job identity were the most frequently mentioned antecedents of vigor at work. Additionally, we found indications of a spillover effect of vigor from the home to the work domains.
Breath Psychology
Authors: Edwards Stephen D.
Published: February 2009

As the study and use of the breath, breath psychology is an ancient applied science. While it is more obvious and flourishes in an holistic way in economically less developed countries of the world, it remains a foundation for modern forms of psychology, however academic and professional these have become, in the so-called first world countries. The aim of this article is to reintroduce this original psychology from a pragmatic, fundamental and applied perspective. Breath psychology fundamentals, which have been extolled for millennia in the form of various wisdom and spiritual traditions, are explicated in relation to the themes of consciousness, embodiment, ecology, spirituality and healing. Breath psychology applications are discussed with reference to health, sport and skills training. It is concluded that general breathing exercises constitute an immediate form of energy management, illness prevention and the basis for cost-effective public health promotion in both economically developed and developing countries. In an ecological and cosmic context, with threats such as pollution, overpopulation and global warming, optimal use of the breath becomes a planetary imperative.
A Quasi-experiment on the Effects of Superordinate Categorisation on Liking of People from Other Nations
Authors: Kamau Caroline , Rutland Adam
Published: February 2009

A number of studies have shown that categorisation at a superordinate level can effectively reduce bias. This experiment examined the effects of superordinate categorisation on liking and stereotyping amongst 102 Kenyans. Participants were presented with pictures of purportedly Kenyan, Nigerian and American targets. The results were that participants with nationalistic categorisation bias exhibited reduced liking of Nigerian/American targets, and that superordinate categorisation reduced such bias. However, nationalistic categorisation bias did not have a significant effect on negative stereotyping. Post hoc findings suggested that participants made trait inferences about targets as individuals and that this influenced negative stereotyping scores. It also appears that intergroup competition (e.g., for positive distinctiveness) may determine liking of outgroup members.