bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal variation in mortality rates of White-chinned Petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis interacting with longliners in the south-west Atlantic
Authors: Laich Agustina Gómez , Favero Marco
Published: December 2007

The White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis is the second most commonly captured species by Argentinean longliners. The severe declines that this species has experienced in some of its populations (e.g. South Georgia Islands) have been principally attributed to incidental mortality associated with longliners. In this study we analyse the spatio-temporal variability in the mortality rates of White-chinned Petrels on the Patagonian Shelf and the effects that environmental and operational variability have on such mortality. The average capture rate (± 1 SD) for the period 1999–2003 was 0.014 ± 0.090 White-chinned Petrels for every 1,000 hooks deployed. Higher capture rates were observed when short longlines were deployed. Capture rates were not affected by the wind speed or by the time to the full moon. The distribution of the captures differed throughout the year. During autumn–winter most captures took place in the north of the Patagonian Shelf, whereas during spring–summer incidental captures occurred principally to the south between 45°S and 50°S.

Resumo

El Petrel Barba Blanca Procellaria aequinoctialis constituye la segunda especie más frecuentemente capturada por la flota palangrera Argentina. Los importantes decrecimientos poblacionales observados en algunas poblaciones de esta especie (e.g. Islas Georgias del Sur) han sido principalmente atribuidos a la mortalidad incidental asociada a embarcaciones palangreras. En este trabajo se analizó la variación espacio- temporal en las tasas de captura incidental del Petrel Barba Blanca a lo largo de la Plataforma Continental Argentina y se estudió el efecto que diferentes variables ambientales y operacionales tienen sobre la mortalidad incidental de esta especie. La tasa de captura promedio (± d.s) durante el periodo 1999–2003 fue de 0.014 ± 0.090 Petreles Barba Blanca cada 1.000 anzuelos. Mayores tasas de captura fueron registradas al utilizar palangres cortos. No se observó un efecto de la intensidad del viento ni de la distancia a la luna llena sobre las tasas de captura. La distribución de las capturas difirió a lo largo del aão. Durante el otoão-invierno la mayoría de las capturas estuvieron localizadas al norte de la Plataforma Continental Argentina, mientras que durante los meses de primavera-verano las capturas estuvieron localizadas principalmente entre los 45°S y 50°S.
Effects of Mobbing on Justice Beliefs and Adjustment
Authors: Cubela Adoric Vera , Kvartuc Tina
Published: December 2007

Abstract. Recent research on psychological consequences of negative treatment at the workplace has focused new interest on the targeted employee's just-world assumptions. In line with prior work, the present study sought evidence for the hypothesis that repeated and prolonged exposure to such treatment has adverse effects on the belief in a just world (BJW) and its function in sustaining a positive outlook and mental health. To this end, a group of 54 self-labeled victims of mobbing was compared with a matched control group on measures of their justice beliefs and dimensions of their adjustment (depression, optimism, pessimism, trust, and cynicism). The results showed that the perceived victimization by mobbing (rather than the mere frequency of exposure to negative acts at the workplace) was associated with worse adjustment and a weaker belief in the justness of the world. In particular, a personal BJW was found to be sensitive to the perceived victimization, whereas a general BJW did not differ between victims and controls. The relationships of justice beliefs to adjustment dimensions were basically unaffected by victim status. Among the dimensions of adjustment, trust proved to be most strongly associated with victimization and justice beliefs.
New Developments in and Directions for Goal-Setting Research
Authors: Latham Gary P. , Locke Edwin A.
Published: December 2007

Abstract. Goal setting is an “open” theory built on inductive findings from empirical research. The present paper briefly summarizes this theory. Emphasis is then given to findings that have been obtained in the present millennium with regard to (1) the high performance cycle, (2) the role of goals as mediators of personality effects on performance, (3) personality variables as moderators of goal effects on performance, the effect of (4) distal, (5) proximal, and (6) learning goals on performance on tasks that are complex for people, (7) the ways in which priming affects the impact of a goal, (8) the interrelationship between goal setting and affect, and (9) the results of goal setting by teams. Potential directions for research on goal setting in the workplace are suggested with regard to goal abandonment, perfectionism, an employee's age, subconscious goals, and the relationship between goals and knowledge.
Progress in Mastery of Counseling Communication Skills
Authors: Kuntze Jeroen , van der Molen Henk T. , Born Marise Ph.
Published: December 2007

Abstract. This article describes the development and evaluation of a new instrument for the assessment of oral counseling communication skills, the Communication Skills Progress Test (CSPT). The first aim of this study was to investigate the reliability, dimensionality, and discriminant power of the CSPT. The second aim was to examine whether trainees show progress in their mastery of counseling communication skills after taking a course in basic counseling communication skills and a course in advanced counseling communication skills. The CSPT is designed as a video test. With this test students have to demonstrate their mastery of the separate communication skills. A total of 454 psychology students took the CSPT, either before (T0) or after a course in basic counseling communication skills (T1), or after a course in advanced counseling communication skills (T2). Furthermore, 103 psychology students took the CSPT at T0, T1 and T2; 26 students served as a control group. We found two factors underlying the CSPT, a Basic Skill Factor and an Advanced Skill Factor. The interrater reliability and internal consistency of these factors were high. As expected, students who took the basic course showed more progress on the Basic Skill Factor than the students in the control group. After the course in advanced counseling communication skills their scores on the Advanced Skill Factor improved substantially. These findings support the discriminant power of the CSPT. The main conclusion is that the CSPT assesses the progress of the mastery in communication skills in a reliable and valid manner.
European Environment Agency recommends new methods to assess water quality
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

The European Environment Agency published a report on 23 July that provides tools for effectively monitoring chemical changes in rivers and lakes. The report, “Assessing water quality in Europe using stratification techniques—Results of a prototype application using French data,” uses an approach whereby specific water catchments are monitored to determine how agricultural activities, urban pollution, and natural events translate into differences in water quality. With this technique, pollution reduction from specific European Union environmental legislation, such as regulations for nitrate emissions and urban waste water treatment, can be more readily evaluated. To read the report, see http://reports.eea.europa.eu/technical_report_2007_10/en.
Funding authorized for U.S. science and technology education
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

The “America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act,” a bill that authorizes $33.6 billion for science, technology, engineering, and math education, was signed into law by U.S President George W. Bush on 9 August. The bill, sponsored by the U.S. House Science and Technology Committee, will distribute these funds to programs supported by the federal government over the next three fiscal years. Aimed at strengthening teacher preparedness in primary and secondary schools, equipping high school students for technologically oriented jobs, and enhancing higher‐level academic research programs, the bill sets the budgets at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy on a path toward doubling within the next decade. For more information, see http://science.house.gov/legislation/leg_highlights_detail.aspx?NewsID=1938.
Specialization versus diversification: A trade‐off for young scientists?
Authors: Reyns Nathalie B. , Langenheder Silke , Lennon Jay T.
Published: December 2007

Owing to the inherent links between the fields of study that make up the environmental sciences (e.g., terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric branches), and because of the growing need to better understand how human actions translate into global change, there is increasing demand for interdisciplinary research where Earth scientists with different academic training or backgrounds come together and approach projects in novel ways. In theory, interdisciplinar research teams are composed of researchers with complementary skills and are thus able to tackle larger research questions or problems. In this essay, we discuss the perceived trade‐offs that young scientists face when specializing or diversifying their research programs to best prepare for participation in such interdisciplinary research.

An effective member of an interdisciplinary team should have expertise in at least one discipline. For a young scientist at the start of his or her career, a period of specialization is necessary in order to be perceived as an expert by potential collaborators. At the same time, the success of an interdisciplinary collaboration may be enhanced by an individual's ability to understand and communicate about subject matters outside of his or her immediate area of expertise. For a young scientist, this implies that one should also broaden the scope of one's field of expertise and diversify. Thus, young scientists may prepare themselves for participating in interdisciplinary research projects by either specializing or diversifying their research programs, although a potential trade‐off between both may exist.
Interdisciplinary intercomparison of black carbon analysis in soil and sediment
Authors: Schmidt Michael W. I. , Masiello Caroline A.
Published: December 2007

Last April, a symposium was held to discuss new aspects of the rapidly growing field of research focusing on black carbon in soil, sediment, and the atmosphere. About 70 scientists attended the 2‐day session during the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, in Vienna. Part of this symposium included a workshop on chemical reference materials, where results of an interdisciplinary intercomparison of black carbon (BC) measurements in different environmental matrices were released.

BC is the product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass and is also called elemental carbon in the atmospheric sciences. BC moves between the atmosphere, oceans, and soils, in the process affecting human health, the Earth's radiative budget, ocean carbon cycling, and soil carbon storage. However, a lack of standards common to atmospheric scientists, oceanographers, soil scientists, and ecologists has made it challenging to assess the role of BC in the carbon cycle. In particular, quantification of BC in complex matrices has proven to be problematic, as was made clear in a recent intercomparative study of BC in soils, where BC concentrations measured by a range of techniques differed by 2 orders of magnitude. BC exists as a chemical continuum of combustion products, and some methods may be ideal for detecting only a fraction of the total BC pool (e.g., soot). Other methods may detect non‐BC materials in some types of samples, and some may fail to detect BC in other sample types.
Paleocene‐Eocene data model integration
Authors: Shellito Cindy , Lamarque Jean‐Francois , Kiehl J.
Published: December 2007

The warming at the Paleocene‐Eocene boundary about 55 million years ago is the subject of intense research, as it has the potential to inform us about the effects of warming on the global ecosystem. Despite many years of research, many questions remain regarding the specifics and dynamics of this transitionally warm period known as the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The proposed source of this warming is a large increase in methane, carbon dioxide, or both, possibly from volcanic activity, methane hydrates buried along the continental slopes, and methane emissions from wetlands. Global climate models adapted with Eocene geography and high greenhouse gas levels have so far been unable to reproduce the warm climate of the high latitudes depicted by proxy data from this time. The integration of proxy data derived from the geologic and fossil record with model output is also a challenge, and requires cooperation of scientists from a broad array of disciplines.
Misuse of landfall as a proxy for Atlantic tropical cyclone activity
Authors: Holland Greg J.
Published: December 2007

Recent studies [Solow and Moore, 2000; Landsea, 2007] have used an assumed constant ratio of landfalling cyclones to all tropical cyclones in the basin to assess potential trends and archive quality for basin‐wide North Atlantic tropical cyclones. The underlying assumption is that landfalling storms have been well observed compared with storms over the ocean that do not make landfall. Thus, a trend toward decreasing ratios of landfalling storms is assumed to imply an increasing number of unobserved oceanic storms as we go back in time. The results from these studies depend entirely on the assumption that landfalling ratios are constant over long time periods; yet neither study addressed the veracity of this assumption.
Islands uncovered by melting polar ice
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

Thawing glaciers north of Norway's Svalbard archipelago have revealed at least two unmapped and unclaimed islands, one roughly the size of a basketball court, according to a 20 August Reuters report. In addition, information released in August by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center indicated that with one month left in the melting season, Arctic sea ice is already below the record minimum. “Reductions of snow and ice are happening at an alarming rate,” said Norwegian Environment Minister Helen Bjoernoy. She suggested that these observations may indicate that the loss of sea ice is perhaps accelerating faster than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned in February that summer sea ice could almost vanish by the end of this century.
Satellite study of natural gas flaring
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

Global flaring of natural gas remained largely stable from 1995 through 2006, according to the first globally consistent survey of gas flaring, conducted using low‐light imaging data from the U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Flaring is a widespread method of disposing of natural gas when oil production and processing occurs in remote areas or in areas that lack infrastructure to make use of the gas.

The survey results, announced on 30 August, found the amount of annual flaring is in the range of 150 to 170 billion cubic meters (bcm). The survey, commissioned by the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership, noted that 170 bcm is equivalent to 5.5% of total annual global production of natural gas and emits 400 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Genetics and Speleogenesis
Authors: Wicks Carol M. , Culver David C.
Published: December 2007

Karst environments are ideal places to study the linkages between biological and geological processes because of the evolutionary record in the DNA of the resident species and because of the remarkable historical record in the rocks and sediments. The trace of time is apparent in karst, yet time is seldom discussed in and of itself bykarst scientists. The Karst Research Institute (KRI, part of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences (ZRC‐SAZU)) and the Karst Waters Institute (KWI, Leesburg, Va.) hosted a meeting to specifically discuss “time in karst.” The KWI and the KRI have consistently provided outlets for interdisciplinary research efforts. This jointly hosted meeting brought together about 130 scientists from 27 countries in Postojna, Slovenia. The scientists included 40 who were supported by Marie Curie Grants for Young Researchers. The technical sessions focused on the topics paleokarst, historical biogeography, agedating methods, the sediment record, the age of karst landscapes, and the age of animal lineages. A proceedings volume is available elsewhere (www.karstwaters.org/publications/).
Assessing the publication productivity and impact of eminent geoscientists
Authors: Laird Jennifer D. , Bell Robin E. , Pfirman Stephanie
Published: December 2007

Publication is a critical component of modern science. By publishing their findings, scientists can ensure that their results are disseminated and substantiated. This brief report analyzes the publication and citation histories of American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fellows to elucidate different styles of productivity in the geoscience community. AGU Fellows are arguably the most eminent Earth scientists, recognized by their peers for their leadership within and outside the community.
New La Ni˜a on its way
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

A new La Niña is developing, according to scientists with the Climate Prediction Center of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). La Niña, which refers to a cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east‐central equatorial Pacific that occurs every 3 to 5 years, is expected to bring wetter than normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest and drier than normal conditions in the southwestern U.S. this fall.

“While we can't officially call it a La Niña yet, we expect that this pattern will continue to develop during the next 3 months,” Mike Halpert, acting deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., indicated on 6 September. NOAA declares the onset of a La Niña when the 3‐month average sea surface temperature departure exceeds −0.5 degrees C in the east‐central equatorial Pacific. For more information, visit the Web site: http://www .cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/ CWlink/MJO/enso.shtml.
Improving Our Understanding of Earth System Processes: GREENCYCLES Annual Network and Midterm Review Meeting, Barcelona, Spain, 21–23 March 2007
Authors: Stephens Nicholas , Zaehle Sönke , Poulter Ben
Published: December 2007

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report documents numerous examples of how human activities are profoundly affecting our global environment with long‐term consequences for the climate system. However, considerable uncertainty remains concerning future Earth system responses and likely impacts on the sustainability of life on Earth under the threat of changing climate. The International Geosphere‐Biosphere Programme recognizes that understanding and quantifying the complex interactions between the biosphere and the climate system are essential for assessing potential sustainable futures. Major limits to our current understanding of biosphere‐climate feedbacks result from (1) a lack of observations on biosphere‐atmosphere fluxes of important radiatively active gases and aerosols; (2) insufficient mechanistic understanding of the processes driving these exchanges over different temporal and spatial scales; (3) a lack of Earth system models adequately constrained to predict these exchanges as a function of environmental change; and (4) a lack of integration between scientific disciplines and research centers.
Monitoring the Arctic Ocean north of the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Crane Kathleen , Grebmeier Jacqueline
Published: December 2007

As global temperatures rise, the Arctic will undergo significant environmental changes. Though the Atlantic side of the Arctic is heavily studied, regions north of the Pacific Ocean remain poorly studied by comparison. To overcome this, in 2001 the International Arctic Science Committee established the Pacific Arctic Group (PAG), a program that fosters collaborative study of the area extending from the Bering Sea northward into the Arctic Ocean, including the Chukchi and Beaufort seas and the Makharov and Canada basins. A group of six core nations including China, South Korea, Japan, the Russian Federation, Canada, and the United States make up the coordinating body of the PAG.
African lightning: Indicator of Tropical Atlantic Cyclone formation
Authors: Chronis Themis , Williams Earle , Anagnostou Emmanouil , Petersen Walter
Published: December 2007

Each year, devastating hurricanes originating from the tropical Atlantic Ocean cause severe loss of life and property damage. Efforts to predict and forecast the behavior of such phenomena range from satellite‐derived sea surface temperatures to coupled ocean‐atmosphere models. Nonetheless, predicting cyclone occurrence and behavior remains elusive.

New research suggests that the presence of lightning activity in storms crossing the West African coast could be used as a precursor to cyclone formation. This article analyzes the lightning activity monitored during the 2004 hurricane season by the University of Connecticut's Zeus Long‐Range Lightning Monitoring Network (http://sifnos.engr.uconn.edu/realtime.htm). The Zeus system was used to follow the westward progression of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) and their embedded convective regimes, as these propagate over continental Africa and finally cross into the Atlantic Ocean. Those disturbances that exhibit sustained lightning in the Atlantic were shown to be far more likely to produce tropical cyclones (TCs) than those for which lightning ceases at the coast.
Observational program tracks Arctic Ocean transition to a warmer state
Authors: Polyakov Igor , Timokhov Leonid , Dmitrenko Igor , Ivanov Vladimir , Simmons Harper , Beszczynska‐Möller Agnieszka , Dickson Robert , Fahrbach Eberhard , Fortier Louis , Gascard Jean‐Claude , Hölemann Jens , Holliday N. Penny , Hansen Edmond , Mauritzen Cecilie , Piechura Jan , Pickart Robert , Schauer Ursula , Walczowski Waldemar , Steele Michael
Published: December 2007

Over the past several decades, the Arctic Ocean has undergone substantial change. Enhanced transport of warmer air from lower latitudes has led to increased Arctic surface air temperature. Concurrent reductions in Arctic ice extent and thickness have been documented. The first evidence of warming in the intermediate Atlantic Water (AW, water depth between 150 and 900 meters) of the Arctic Ocean was found in 1990. Another anomaly, found in 2004, suggests that the Arctic Ocean is in transition toward a new, warmer state [Polyakov et al., 2005, and references therein].
Digital library for Earth system education adds pedagogical links
Authors: Kastens Kim A. , Arko Robert , Holzman Neil , Ginger Kathryn
Published: December 2007

Effectively teaching Earth science requires not only a broad understanding of geoscience topics but also strategies and tools to help students learn. For example, a teacher planning a lesson on the hydrologic cycle should know students' common misconceptions (e.g., groundwater flows as underground rivers), how studying the water cycle can contribute to students' understanding of systems and processes, how to leverage students' firsthand experiences with water fluxes and reservoirs to inform class discussion, and how to assess what students know and understand about the water cycle.

Such knowledge of how to teach effectively within a discipline is called “pedagogical content knowledge,” or PCK. A new service within the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) seeks to help educators teach more effectively by providing them with access to relevant PCK as they prepare to teach a given topic, issue, lesson, or idea. DLESE (http://www.dlese.org) is a Web‐based portal providing access to curriculum materials and information resources for teaching and learning about the Earth and its environment.
Interpreting recent temperature trends in California
Authors: Duffy Philip B. , Bonfils Celine , Lobell David
Published: December 2007

Regional‐scale climate change and associated societal impacts result from large‐scale “forcing” (perturbing) agents, such as well‐mixed greenhouse gases, and from land‐use changes and other, more local phenomena. In order to predict future climate and societal impacts, it is essential to understand these forcings and the climate responses to them.

California serves as a good example of the complex effects of multiple climate forcings. The state's natural climate is diverse, highly variable, and strongly influenced by the El Nino‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Humans are perturbing this complex climate system through urbanization, irrigation, and the emission of multiple types of aerosols and greenhouse gases. Despite better‐than‐average observational coverage, scientists are only beginning to understand the manifestations of these forcings in California's temperature record.
U.S. Space Environment Center renamed
Authors: Showstack Randy , Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center changed its name on 1 October to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. The new name reflects the rapidly growing importance of solar storm forecasts to the nation's economy and security, explained the center's director, Thomas Bogdan. Adverse space weather can disrupt power grids, disturb communications and navigation systems, interrupt satellite signals, and increase radiation doses to astronauts as well as to airline crews and passengers. For more information, see http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/.
IPCC and Gore share Nobel Peace Prize
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Jr. have been named as co‐recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on 12 October. The Committee cited them “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man‐made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”
Geoscience faculty discuss courses for future Earth science teachers
Authors: Manduca Cathy , Petcovic Heather , Linneman Scott
Published: December 2007

As the focus on developing our nation's scientific workforce intensifies [National Academy of Sciences, 2007], more geoscience departments are recognizing teacher preparation as an integral part of their work. Skilled geoscience teachers can excite and engage K–12 students in the geosciences, present geoscience as a rewarding career path, and ultimately contribute to a better understanding of key geoscience problems among the public. Our ability to achieve these goals starts with the quality of our teacher education programs.
Outstanding student paper awards
Authors: Anonymous
Published: December 2007

The following members received Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 2007 Joint Assembly in Acapulco, Mexico.
Improving Mississippi River water quality
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

If water quality in the Mississippi River and the northern Gulf of Mexico is to improve, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to take a stronger leadership role in implementing the federal Clean Water Act, according to a 16 October report from the U.S. National Research Council. The report notes that EPA has failed to use its authority to coordinate and oversee activities along the river. In addition, river states need to be more proactive and cooperative in efforts to monitor and improve water quality, and the river should be monitored and evaluated as a single system, the report indicates. Currently, the 10 states along the river conduct separate and widely varying water quality monitoring programs.
Anticipating the next decade of Sun‐Earth system variations
Authors: Woods Thomas N. , Lean Judith
Published: December 2007

Approximately every decade, the Sun enters a new phase when its magnetic activity increases from quiescent conditions to peak values about 3–5 years later. This intensified solar activity gradually reduces over the next 6–7 years, returning the system to “quiet” conditions. The near‐periodic 11‐year solar cycle is manifested by the regular presence of large sunspots during high solar activity (solar maximum) and few, if any, sunspots during quiet periods (solar minimum).

This cycle, in turn, creates significant observable effects on Earth and its surrounding environment. During times of peak solar activity, Earth's atmosphere warms globally. In the past decade, the Sun's increased brightness at solar maximum warmed the Earth's atmosphere by about 0.1 degree Kelvin (0.1 K) in the 10 kilometers nearest to the surface (the troposphere), 1 K near 50 kilometers in altitude (at the top of the stratosphere), and 400 K at an altitude of 500 kilometers in the thermosphere. During this time, total ozone concentration increased by a few percent, offsetting for a while the overall decline associated with chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) pollution. Electron densities in the ionosphere and neutral densities in the thermosphere increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude, altering the propagation of radio waves that enable communication and increasing the drag on spacecraft in low‐Earth orbits.
New data sets to estimate terrestrial water storage change
Authors: Troch Peter , Durcik Matej , Seneviratne Sonia , Hirschi Martin , Teuling Adriaan , Hurkmans Ruud , Hasan Shaakeel
Published: December 2007

The total amount of water stored in a river basin affects streamflow at various timescales and defines the river basin's response to atmospheric forcing. For example, spring runoff in mountainous midlatitude catchments depends on winter snowpack, and groundwater storage sustains flow during dry periods. An accurate estimation of terrestrial water storage (TWS) is thus paramount for improved water management. Direct determination of TWS is difficult due to insufficient in situ data on space‐time variability of hydrologic stores (snow, soil moisture, groundwater) and fluxes (precipitation, evapotranspiration). However, alternative methods using new data sets show great potential to improve the estimation of intra‐annual and interannual TWS dynamics.
Profiling floats fully deployed
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

The Argo network of sensor‐bearing profiling floats, which allows scientists to observe the basic physical state of the world's oceans, reached its full deployment of 3000 units on 1 November, according to the Argo steering committee. With the full deployment of these floats—which measure ocean water temperature, salinity, and velocity—data from every ocean region are available with an average coverage of one sensor per 3 degrees of latitude and longitude. The floats drift on ocean currents for 10 days, descend to up to 2000 meters in depth, and return to the surface to beam results to passing satellites.
Climate change and conservation: Nature Conservancy Climate Change Science Conference Portland, Oregon, 5–7 September 2007
Authors: Bachelet Dominique , DeBlieu Jeff , Baker Barry
Published: December 2007

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) sponsored its first climate change science conference to bring together scientists and conservation practitioners from around the world to discuss new approaches to conservation. The conference focused on how climate change science can help TNC develop effective strategies to implement in the field.

Included at the conference were panel discussions on sea level rise; climate change impacts on freshwater, marine, forest, and cold climate systems; human dimensions of climate change; extinctions, invasives, and migrants; fire in a warming world; how science can inform the climate policy debate; issues of scale and resolution in climate change projections; using information technology to communicate scientific information; and the importance of monitoring networks. Also included was a session on conservation planning and climate change, followed by a lively discussion of potential innovations TNC could engage in.
Reply to Comments on “A perspective on global warming, dimming, and brightening”
Authors: Stanhill Gerald
Published: December 2007

The welcome comments by Liepert et al. [this issue] on my Forum article stress the importance of shortwave radiation forcing at the Earth's surface for understanding current climate change and the forcing's consequences for the life‐sustaining solar‐powered water and carbon cycles. I agree with their call for continued and expanded support for longterm programs to monitor and analyze these changes. Such programs are especially relevant in the Earth's polar regions and ocean surfaces where the solar radiation measurement network is smaller now than when it was established by the International Geophysical Year 50 years ago.

Monitoring of the downwelling and upwelling longwave and shortwave components of the surface radiation balance in these regions can, and should, be supplemented with measurements of the latent and sensible heat fluxes to establish the consequences of global dimming and brightening. The need for such measurements to explain the rapid warming occurring on the coasts of Antarctica at twice the global rate was emphasized 10 years ago [Stanhill and Cohen, 1997].
Unlocking Australia's oil and gas reserve
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

A collaboration to unlock stranded offshore oil and gas reserves through improved underwater pipeline design was launched in Perth, Australia, on 31 October. Called the Wealth From Oceans National Research Flagship's Collaboration Cluster on Subsea Pipelines, the A$ll million program brings together the research capabilities of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and six universities. With more than 80% of Australia's gas resources likely lying as far as 300 kilometers offshore at a depth greater than 1 kilometer, Flagship director Kate Wilson said that realizing the full potential of these resources requires developing economically viable and environmentally sound transportation technologies. “Projects will investigate seabed characterization and morphology, structural integrity, pipeline monitoring, geohazards, and full‐life reliability. This will involve everything from sophisticated computer modeling and seafloor movement prediction to understanding tsunami effects and exploring the use of autonomous underwater and remotely operated vehicles.”
Arc of responsibility: The strength of AGU's Council
Authors: Leifert Harvey
Published: December 2007

When AGU members vote in the upcoming election for Union and section officers, they will determine the course of the Union over the next 2 years and beyond. AGU prides itself on holding contested elections, in which members are presented with a real choice, not a preapproved slate, take it or leave it.

The statements of the slate of officers begin on page 499; biographies start on page 509. The nominees listed in this issue are volunteers who seek to serve AGU, and once elected, they will undertake a wide variety of duties for the organization. Their visions of AGU's future may vary however; by carefully considering the candidates' statements and casting votes for those whose vision is most compatible with their own, members can help achieve the goals they wish to see fulfilled.
Candidates for office 2008–2010
Authors: Anonymous
Published: December 2007

AGU has enjoyed tremendous success essentially since its inception, but definitely since I joined some 35 years ago. AGU has become a truly worldwide institution. The number of members continues to grow, submission of manuscripts to our journals continues to climb, and our meetings, particularly Fall Meeting, continue to increase in size. More important, the quality of the meetings and publications has been maintained and, arguably, has improved in many cases.
World stress map published
Authors: Heidbach Oliver , Müller Birgit , Fuchs Karl , Wenzel Friedemann , Reinecker John , Tingay Mark , Sperner Blanka , Cadet Jean‐Paul , Rossi Philipp
Published: December 2007

The World Stress Map (WSM), published in April 2007 by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, displays the tectonic regime and the orientation of the contemporary maximum horizontal compressional stress at more than 12,000 locations within the Earth's crust. The Mercator projection is a scale of 1:46,000,000.

The WSM provides insight into large‐scale patterns of stress orientations (i.e., first‐order stress patterns due to plate boundary forces and second‐order stress patterns due to topography), large lateral density variations, and deglaciation effects. Furthermore, the WSM contains a number of regions with high data resolution that enable users to investigate variations in stress orientations on local scales and to discuss factors controlling third‐order stress patterns such as active faults, local inclusions, detachment horizons, and density contrasts. Forces resulting from these geological subsurface structures control the stress field orientations especially when magnitudes of the horizontal stresses are close to each other.
Climate‐induced forest dieback as an emergent global phenomenon
Authors: Allen Craig D. , Breshears David D.
Published: December 2007

An organized oral session at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in San Jose, Calif., posed this question: Is climate‐induced drought stress triggering increasing rates and unusual patterns of forest die‐off at a global scale? Twenty‐nine researchers representing five continents reported on patterns, mechanisms, and projections of forest mortality.

Observations include widespread forest dieback or reductions in tree cover and biodiversity in response to drought and warmer temperatures in the African Sahel (Patrick Gonzalez, The Nature Conservancy), Mediterranean and alpine Europe (Jorge Castro, Universidad de Granada), and Argentinean Patagonia (Thomas Kitzberger, Universidad Nacional del Comahue). In contrast, although much Eucalyptus mortality has resulted from recent droughts in Australia, warming trends have been less pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere and it is unclear if contemporary climate‐induced tree mortality differs from previous historical drought impacts (Rod Fensham, Queensland Herbarium).
Large igneous provinces
Authors: Coffin Millard F. , Neal Clive
Published: December 2007

Catastrophic massive volcanism and contemporaneous environmental change have punctuated Earth history for at least the past 3.5 billion years. Geodynamic and magmatic processes associated with large igneous province (LIP) formation interact with crustal structure and tectonic setting to produce various expressions of LIPs, the most common of which are oceanic plateaus, magma‐dominated divergent continental margins, and continental flood basalts. Environmental and biotic perturbations simultaneous with LIP formation include climate changes, mass extinctions, accelerated evolutionary rates, oceanic anoxic events (OAEs), and variations in ocean chemistry. Exploring these relationships promises exciting science.

The LIP workshop, hosted by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and Joint Oceanographic Institutions, was held at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, U.K. Eighty scientists from 16 nations discussed strategies for advancing understanding of LIPs and associated environmental changes using the three new IODP platforms and related technologies. Over 4 days of plenary and breakout sessions, including examination of the UNESCO World Heritage Giant's Causeway exposure of the North Atlantic LIP, scientists who approach LIPs through field, laboratory, and modeling studies shared their understanding of the world's LIPs; discussed outstanding problems related to LIP origin, emplacement, and environmental consequences; and outlined a global mission to address these problems via drilling in conjunction with complementary geoscientific studies.
Retreating to advance women geoscience faculty
Authors: O'Connell Suzanne , Holmes Mary Anne
Published: December 2007

Seventeen women geoscientists from New England, New York, and New Jersey assembled for a writing retreat at Boston College's Connors Family Retreat and Conference Center, set on 80 pastoral acres on the outskirts of Boston. Funded through the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program, the retreat had two objectives: to facilitate writing and to develop a supportive community. It succeeded on both accounts. Although new to science, retreats of this sort have long been a highly sought after experience for writers in other disciplines. The potential benefits for scientists, in particular, women scientists, are great. Writing is a cornerstone of our work, yet we struggle to find time for it, juggling the demands of students, teaching, family, domestic chores, and research.
New ways to collect data in the Antarctic
Authors: Smith Walker , Asper Vernon A.
Published: December 2007

Conducting Antarctic research is challenging. Not only is the environment difficult, given low temperatures, high winds, and ice cover, but also the availability of sampling platforms is limited. The U.S. National Science Foundation has only two vessels that can routinely operate in ice‐covered waters, the research vessel/icebreaker N.B. Palmer and the Antarctic research support vessel L.M. Gould. The restricted availability of vessels makes research operations difficult to schedule, especially during austral spring and summer. Traditional sampling methods (those confined to ships and moorings) have provided insights into distributions and processes in the Southern Ocean, but new research questions require new sampling means.
Effects of zileuton and montelukast in mouse experimental spinal cord injury
Authors: Genovese T , Rossi A , Mazzon E , Di Paola R , Muià C , Caminiti R , Bramanti P , Sautebin L , Cuzzocrea S
Published: December 2007

Background and purpose:

5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) is the key enzyme in leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis from arachidonic acid (AA). Here, we examined the role of the 5‐LO‐product, cysteinyl‐LT (Cys‐LT), with a 5‐LO inhibitor (zileuton) and a Cys‐LT, receptor antagonist (montelukast), in the inflammatory response and tissue injury associated with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Experimental approach:

SCI was induced in mice by the application of vascular clips to the dura via a two‐level T6 to T7 laminectomy for 1 min. Cord inflammation was assessed histologically and by measuring inflammatory mediators (ELISA) and apoptosis by annexin V, TUNEL, Fas ligand staining and Bax and Bcl‐2 expression (immunohistochemistry and western blots). Motor function in hindlimbs was assessed by a locomotor rating scale, for 10 days after cord injury.

Key results:

SCI in mice resulted in tissue damage, oedema, neutrophil infiltration, apoptosis, tumour necrosis‐α (TNF‐α) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production, and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation in injured tissue. Treatment of the mice with zileuton or montelukast reduced the spinal cord inflammation and tissue injury, neutrophil infiltration, TNF‐α, COX‐2 and pERK1/2 expression, PGE2 and LTB4 production, and apoptosis. In separate experiments, zileuton or montelukast significantly improved the recovery of limb function over 10 days.

Conclusions and implications:

Zileuton and montelukast produced a substantial reduction of inflammatory events associated with experimental SCI. Our data underline the important role of 5‐LO and Cys‐LT in neurotrauma.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 568–582; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707577; published online 3 December 2007
Pharmacological approaches to acute ischaemic stroke: reperfusion certainly, neuroprotection possibly
Authors: Green A R
Published: December 2007

Stroke is a major cause of both death and disability. However, there are no pharmacological treatments used in most countries other than recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, a thrombolytic, and this is only used in about 4% of patients presenting after an acute ischaemic stroke. One novel thrombolytic (desmoteplase) has just been reported to have failed in a Phase IIb/III trial, but other thrombolytics and reperfusion agents remain in development. The picture with neuroprotectant agents, that is compounds that act to preserve neurones following an acute cerebral ischaemic insult, is even more bleak. Despite the development of over 1000 compounds, many proving effective in animal models of stroke, none has demonstrated efficacy in patients in the over 100 clinical trials conducted. This includes NXY‐059, which was developed in accordance with the guidelines proposed by an academic‐industry roundtable group (STAIR). This review examines the available data on compounds currently in development. It also proposes that the failure of translation between efficacy in preclinical models and patients is likely to terminate most current neuroprotective drug development. It is suggested that animal models must be made more representative of the patient condition (with other co‐morbid conditions) and suggests that since stroke is primarily a cardiovascular disease with a neurological outcome, more research on the neurovascular unit would be valuable. New approaches on neuroinflammation, neurorestoration and neurorepair are also likely to gain prominence in the search for new drugs to treat this major clinical problem.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S325–S338; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707594; published online 3 December 2007
Cigarette smoke inhibits macrophage sensing of Gram‐negative bacteria and lipopolysaccharide: relative roles of nicotine and oxidant stress
Authors: McMaster S K , Paul‐Clark M J , Walters M , Fleet M , Anandarajah J , Sriskandan S , Mitchell J A
Published: December 2007

Background and purpose:

Smoking cigarettes is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Moreover, smokers are more prone to infections. This has been associated with a suppression of the immune system by smoke. However, it is not clear how cigarette smoke affects the ability of immune cells to sense pathogens. Cigarette smoke contains a large number of molecules which may mediate responses on immune cells and of these, nicotine and oxidants have both been identified as inhibitory for the sensing of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α are both induced in macrophages on stimulation with Gram negative bacteria or LPS.

Experimental approach:

We used murine macrophages stimulated with whole heat‐killed bacteria or LPS. We measured output of NO (as nitrite) and TNFα, NOS protein by Western blotting and cellular oxidant stress.

Key results:

Cigarette smoke extract suppressed the ability of murine macrophages to release NO, but not TNFα in response to whole bacteria. Cigarette smoke extract also inhibited nitric oxide synthase II protein expression in response to LPS. The effects of cigarette smoke extract on nitrite formation stimulated by LPS were unaffected by inhibition of nicotinic receptors with α‐bungarotoxin (100 units ml−1). However, the effects of cigarette smoke extract on LPS‐induced nitrite formation were mimicked by hydrogen peroxide and reversed by the anti‐oxidants N‐acetyl cysteine and glutathione.

Conclusions and implications:

We suggest that cigarette smoke exerts its immunosuppressive effects through an oxidant‐dependent and not a nicotine‐dependent mechanism.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 536–543; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707595; published online 3 December 2007