bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genesis of Pre–Hurricane Felix (2007). Part I: The Role of the Easterly Wave Critical Layer
Authors: Wang Zhuo , Montgomery M. T. , Dunkerton T. J.
Published: January 2010

The formation of pre–Hurricane Felix (2007) in a tropical easterly wave is examined in a two-part study using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with a high-resolution nested grid configuration that permits the representation of cloud system processes. The simulation commences during the wave stage of the precursor African easterly-wave disturbance. Here the simulated and observed developments are compared, while in Part II of the study various large-scale analyses, physical parameterizations, and initialization times are explored to document model sensitivities.

In this first part the authors focus on the wave/vortex morphology, its interaction with the adjacent intertropical convergence zone complex, and the vorticity balance in the neighborhood of the developing storm. Analysis of the model simulation points to a bottom-up development process within the wave critical layer and supports the three new hypotheses of tropical cyclone formation proposed recently by Dunkerton, Montgomery, and Wang. It is shown also that low-level convergence associated with the ITCZ helps to enhance the wave signal and extend the “wave pouch” from the jet level to the top of the atmospheric boundary layer. The region of a quasi-closed Lagrangian circulation within the wave pouch provides a focal point for diabatic merger of convective vortices and their vortical remnants. The wave pouch serves also to protect the moist air inside from dry air intrusion, providing a favorable environment for sustained deep convection. Consistent with the authors’ earlier findings, the tropical storm forms near the center of the wave pouch via system-scale convergence in the lower troposphere and vorticity aggregation. Components of the vorticity balance are shown to be scale dependent, with the immediate effects of cloud processes confined more closely to the storm center than the overturning Eliassen circulation induced by diabatic heating, the influence of which extends to larger radii.
Polynomial Chaos Quantification of the Growth of Uncertainty Investigated with a Lorenz Model
Authors: Shen Colin Y. , Evans Thomas E. , Finette Steven
Published: January 2010

A time-dependent physical model whose initial condition is only approximately known can predict the evolving physical state to only within certain error bounds. In the prediction of weather, as well as its ocean counterpart, quantifying this uncertainty or the predictability is of critical importance because such quantitative knowledge is needed to provide limits on the forecast accuracy. Monte Carlo simulation, the accepted standard for uncertainty determination, is impractical to apply to the atmospheric and ocean models, particularly in an operational setting, because of these models’ high degrees of freedom and computational demands. Instead, methods developed in the literature have relied on a limited ensemble of simulations, selected from initial errors that are likely to have grown the most at the forecast time. In this paper, the authors present an alternative approach, the polynomial chaos method, to the quantification of the growth of uncertainty. The method seeks to express the initial errors in functional form in terms of stochastic basis expansions and solve for the uncertainty growth directly from the equations of motion. It is shown via a Lorenz model that the resulting solution can provide all the error statistics as in Monte Carlo simulation but requires much less computation. Moreover, it is shown that the functional form of the solution facilitates the uncertainty analysis. This is discussed in detail for the tangent linear case of interest to ensemble forecasting. The relevance of the uncertainty covariance result to data assimilation is also noted.
Boundary Conditions for Artificial Snow Production in the Austrian Alps*
Authors: Olefs Marc , Fischer Andrea , Lang Josef
Published: January 2010

To assess how meteorological conditions favorable for the production of artificial snow vary in time and space, wet-bulb temperatures are calculated using temperature and humidity data of 14 Austrian stations between October and April for 1948–2007 (station altitudes 585–3105 m MSL). Technical specifications of snow guns are used to define a wet-bulb temperature threshold value of −2°C for snowmaking and a relationship between wet-bulb temperature and snowmaking capacity. The Mann–Kendall nonparametric-trend test is used to detect monotonic long-term changes in air temperature, relative humidity, wet-bulb temperature, and number of snowmaking days. It is applied multiple times to overlapping time periods to capture significant trends on different time scales. Results show a marked, common air- and wet-bulb seasonal mean (October–April) temperature increase between +1.5° and +3.1°C from 1980 to 1990 for a majority of stations with no trends thereafter. The number of snowmaking days per season decreased by −20 to −34 for half of the stations in the period around 1979–2003. No altitudes were especially affected by changes in the analyzed variables. The estimated volume of produced artificial snow shows high interannual variability and exhibits no trends at an hourly resolution over the last two decades.
Downscaling and Bias Correcting a Cold Season Precipitation Climatology over Coastal Southern British Columbia Using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS)
Authors: Ainslie B. , Jackson P. L.
Published: January 2010

Thirty years of the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) are dynamically downscaled to an 8-km grid spacing using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to generate a climatology of glacier winter accumulation over the southern Coast Mountains in British Columbia (BC), Canada. RAMS precipitation fields are bias corrected using observations from Environment Canada (EC) synoptic and climate stations and BC provincial snow pillow stations. Raw and bias-corrected model output is compared with observations from EC Reference Climate Network stations, BC provincial Ministry of Transportation and Highways stations, BC Hydro stations, snow course data, and glacier mass balance studies. A water balance is also applied to 12 drainage basins located within the modeling domain to test the consistency of both the raw and bias-corrected precipitation fields with observed streamflow. Model output is compared with the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) and bias-corrected NARR. Isotropic spectral power densities are examined to compare the effective spatial resolution of the various precipitation fields. The spatial distribution of the bias-correction field suggests that RAMS underpredicts precipitation on the western edge of Vancouver Island, Canada, and overpredicts along the southern Coast Mountains. The bias correction helps close the water balance budgets in all basins except the Somass on Vancouver Island. The bias correction generally improves the agreement between RAMS and observed snow water equivalent amounts at the glacier and snow course sites, and observed precipitation amounts at the synoptic, climate, and snow pillow stations. The RAMS and NARR isotropic spectral power densities show a loss of variability at approximately 45 and 63 km, while PRISM shows little falloff down to 16 km.
An Empirical Study of Geographic and Seasonal Variations in Diurnal Temperature Range
Authors: Jackson Lawrence S. , Forster Piers M.
Published: January 2010

The diurnal temperature range (DTR) of surface air over land varies geographically and seasonally. The authors have investigated these variations using generalized additive models (GAMs), a nonlinear regression methodology. With DTR as the response variable, meteorological and land surface parameters were treated as explanatory variables. Regression curves related the deviation of DTR from its mean value to values of the meteorological and land surface variables. Cloud cover, soil moisture, distance inland, solar radiation, and elevation were combined as explanatory variables in an ensemble of 84 GAM models that used data grouped into seven vegetation types and 12 months. The ensemble explained 80% of the geographical and seasonal variation in DTR. Vegetation type and cloud cover exhibited the strongest relationships with DTR. Shortwave radiation, distance inland, and elevation were positively correlated with DTR, whereas cloud cover and soil moisture were negatively correlated. A separate analysis of the surface energy budget showed that changes in net longwave radiation represented the effects of solar and hydrological variation on DTR. It is found that vegetation and its associated climate is important for DTR variation in addition to the climatic influence of cloud cover, soil moisture, and solar radiation. It is also found that surface net longwave radiation is a powerful diagnostic of DTR variation, explaining over 95% of the seasonal variation of DTR in tropical regions.
Assessment of MJO Predictability for Boreal Winter with Various Statistical and Dynamical Models
Authors: Kang In-Sik , Kim Hye-Mi
Published: January 2010

The predictability of intraseasonal variation in the tropics is assessed in the present study by using various statistical and dynamical models with rigorous and fair measurements. For a fair comparison, the real-time multivariate Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) (RMM) index, proposed by Wheeler and Hendon, is used as a predictand for all models. The statistical models include the models based on a multilinear regression, a wavelet analysis, and a singular spectrum analysis (SSA). The prediction limits (correlation skill of 0.5) of statistical models for RMM1 (RMM2) index are at days 16–17 (14–15) for the multiregression model, whereas they are at days 8–10 (9–12) for the wavelet- and SSA-based models. The poor predictability of the wavelet and SSA models is related to the tapering problem for a half-length of the time window before the initial condition.

To assess the dynamical predictability, long-term serial prediction experiments with a prediction interval of every 5 days are carried out with Seoul National University (SNU) AGCM and coupled general circulation model (CGCM) for 26 (1980–2005) boreal winters. The prediction limits of RMM1 and RMM2 occur at around 20 days for both AGCM and CGCM. These results demonstrate that the skills of dynamical models used in this study are better than those of the three statistical predictions. The dynamical and statistical predictions are combined using a multimodel ensemble method. The combination provides a superior skill to any of the statistical and dynamical predictions, with a prediction limit of 22–24 days. The dependencies of prediction skill on the initial phase and amplitude of the MJO are also investigated.
Depth of Convection and the Weakening of Tropical Circulation in Global Warming
Authors: Chou Chia , Chen Chao-An
Published: January 2010

Anthropogenic forcings, such as greenhouse gases and aerosols, are starting to show their influence on the climate, as evidenced by a global warming trend observed in the past century. The weakening of tropical circulation, a consequence of global warming, has also been found in observations and in twenty-first-century climate model simulations. It is a common belief that this weakening of tropical circulation is associated with the fact that global-mean precipitation increases more slowly than water vapor. Here, a new mechanism is proposed for this robust change, which is determined by atmospheric stability associated with the depth of convection. Convection tends to extend higher in a warmer climate because of an uplifting of the tropopause. The higher the convection, the more stable the atmosphere. This leads to a weakening of tropical circulation.
Offshore Detachment Process of the Low-Salinity Water around Changjiang Bank in the East China Sea
Authors: Moon Jae-Hong , Hirose Naoki , Yoon Jong-Hwan , Pang Ig-Chan
Published: January 2010

A patchlike structure of low-salinity water detached from the Chanjiang “Diluted Water” (CDW) is frequently observed in the East China Sea (ECS). In this study, the offshore detachment process of CDW into the ECS is examined using a three-dimensional numerical model. The model results show that low-salinity water is detached from the CDW plume by the intense tide-induced vertical mixing during the spring tide period when the tidal current becomes stronger. During the spring tide, thickness of the bottom mixed layer in the sloping bottom around Changjiang Bank reaches the mean water depth, implying that the stratification is completely destroyed in the entire water column. As a result, the offshore detachment of CDW occurs in the sloping side of the bank where the tidal energy dissipation is strong enough to overcome the buoyancy effect during this period. On the other hand, the surface stratification is retrieved during the neap tide period, because the tidal current becomes substantially weaker than that in the spring tide. Wind forcing over the ECS as well as tidal mixing is a critical factor for the detachment process because the surface wind primarily induces a northeastward CDW transport across the shelf region where tide-induced vertical mixing is strong. Moreover, the wind-enhanced cross-isobath transport of CDW causes a larger offshore low-salinity patch, indicating that the freshwater volume of the low-salinity patch closely depends on the wind magnitude.
A Global Climatology of Wind–Wave Interaction
Authors: Hanley Kirsty E. , Belcher Stephen E. , Sullivan Peter P.
Published: January 2010

Generally, ocean waves are thought to act as a drag on the surface wind so that momentum is transferred downward, from the atmosphere into the waves. Recent observations have suggested that when long wavelength waves—which are characteristic of remotely generated swell—propagate faster than the surface wind, momentum can also be transferred upward. This upward momentum transfer acts to accelerate the near-surface wind, resulting in a low-level wave-driven wind jet. Previous studies have suggested that the sign reversal of the momentum flux is well predicted by the inverse wave age, the ratio of the surface wind speed to the speed of the waves at the peak of the spectrum. Data from the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) have been used here to calculate the global distribution of the inverse wave age to determine whether there are regions of the ocean that are usually in the wind-driven wave regime and others that are generally in the wave-driven wind regime. The wind-driven wave regime is found to occur most often in the midlatitude storm tracks where wind speeds are generally high. The wave-driven wind regime is found to be prevalent in the tropics where wind speeds are generally light and swell can propagate from storms at higher latitudes. The inverse wave age is also a useful indicator of the degree of coupling between the local wind and wave fields. The climatologies presented emphasize the nonequilibrium that exists between the local wind and wave fields and highlight the importance of swell in the global oceans.
Using Mesoscale Simulations to Train Statistical Models of Tropical Cyclone Intensity over Land
Authors: Colette Augustin , Leith Nadja , Daniel Vincent , Bellone Enrica , Nolan David S.
Published: January 2010

The decay of tropical cyclones after landfall is a key factor in estimating the extent of the hazard overland. Yet our current understanding of this decay is challenged by the low frequency of past events. Consequently, one cannot rely solely upon the historical record when attempting to quantify robustly the inland penetration of tropical cyclones. Thus, a framework designed to complement the historical record of landfalling storms by means of numerical modeling is introduced. Historical meteorological situations that could potentially have led to a landfall on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico are targeted and, using a bogus vortex technique in conjunction with a mesoscale model, a large number of landfalling hurricanes are simulated.

The numerical ensemble constitutes a more comprehensive sample of possible landfalling hurricanes: it encompasses the range of events observed in the past but is not constrained to it. This allows us to revisit existing statistical models of the decay of tropical cyclones after landfall. A range of statistical models trained on the numerical ensemble of storms are evaluated on their ability to reproduce the inland decay of historical storms. These models have more skill at predicting tropical cyclone intensity over land than similar models trained exclusively on historical data.
The Roles of Vortex Rossby Waves in Hurricane Secondary Eyewall Formation
Authors: Qiu Xin , Tan Zhe-Min , Xiao Qingnong
Published: January 2010

A high-resolution, full-physics model initiated with an idealized tropical cyclone–like vortex is used to simulate and investigate the secondary eyewall formation. The beta skirt axisymmetrization (BSA) hypothesis previously proposed is examined and the roles of axisymmetrizing vortex Rossby waves (VRWs) in the secondary eyewall formation are further investigated. During the formation period, convection outside the inner-core region is organized into an outer spiral rainband. The PV dipoles that are persistently generated by convective updrafts through tilting effect move along the rainband and inward toward inner-core region and are finally axisymmetrized in the preexisting beta skirt region. The formation of the secondary eyewall is preceded by a rapid intensification period, during which vortical hot towers, discrete VRWs, and sheared VRWs dominate the inner-core asymmetric structures. Sheared VRWs are repeatedly emanated from the outer edge of the eyewall and become more concentric when propagating outward, leading to the formation of a weak but nonnegligible secondary circulation near the VRWs’ stagnant radius. The mean tangential flow is accelerated by the low-level convergence associated with the secondary circulation and also by the wave–mean flow interaction mechanism, both of which are elucidated by absolute angular momentum budget calculation. The mean radial gradient of relative vorticity is enhanced across the stagnant radius, causing the extension of beta skirt to outer radii in the lower-tropospheric levels. Results from this study suggest that the stagnant radius mechanism and the BSA mechanism may work cooperatively in the sense that the former helps to establish an extensive beta skirt and the latter takes charge from then on.
A new vision for adult social care? Continuities and change in the care of older people
Authors: Lymbery Mark
Published: January 2010

The reform of adult social care is a major preoccupation within England. It is presented as the inevitable consequence of the changed expectations of people who use services; in addition, the detail of policy is portrayed as being in accordance with what those people specify they want from social care. However, there appears to be little recognition of the complexities and contradictions that characterize much of the policy. Of these, the inadequacy of the resource base of adult social care is most significant; consequently, rationing of scarce resources will continue to be a priority. The paper also highlights problems in other areas, including the rhetoric that accompanies policy change and the evidence base for that change, the lack of connection between issues of independence and protection, the partial understandings of partnership that appear to characterize it and the inadequate conceptualizations both of the nature of those people who require social care support and of the character of that support. In discussing these issues, the paper emphasizes that there remain continuities in the context of policy, while noting the continual focus on discontinuity within government documents.
Towards a new political economy of pensions? The implications for women
Authors: Foster Liam
Published: January 2010

This article employs a political economy approach to assess the changing nature of women’s pension provision. Initially it provides an overview of the current context showing that many female pensioners are without access to significant pension entitlements in their own right. Then it examines the history of women’s pensions over the last 30 years with reference to both state and private forms of provision. It considers the pension strategies of Thatcher and New Labour governments and their impact on women’s pension situation. This includes an evaluation of recent New Labour proposals, such as Personal Accounts, a raise in the basic State Pension age and reintroduction of the link to earnings. Finally, the paper concludes that these proposals do not represent the emergence of a new political economy of pensions which better reflects the needs of female pensioners rather they are a response to the challenges of an ageing population.
Classed parental practices in a modern welfare state: Caring for the under threes in Norway
Authors: Stefansen Kari , Farstad Gunhild R.
Published: January 2010

This paper deals with aspects of social class within the modern welfare state of Norway. More specifically, it explores how universal family policy measures are understood and combined by parents in different social classes. Drawing on qualitative interviews with parents, we identified two distinctly different ‘cultural models of care’. Parents more or less followed these models in their own care strategies, although some combined elements from each into hybrid strategies. The cultural models were clearly related to class: most middle-class parents combined the different welfare state measures into a ‘tidy trajectory’ of care, while most working-class parents created a ‘sheltered space’ for care. In the paper we discuss the significance of structural factors for these patterns of care by comparing our findings with similar research from Britain.
Non-Discrimination towards Homosexuality
Authors: Gerhards Jürgen
Published: January 2010

The article first describes how the principle of non-discrimination of homosexuals is anchored in EU legislation and influences concrete policies of the European Union. Against this background, the second section analyses citizens’ attitudes towards homosexuality and whether there are differences among the 27 EU member states and Turkey. The descriptive findings show that there are substantial differences at the national and individual level in the degree to which citizens think of homosexuality as acceptable. A sense that homosexuality is justifiable is particularly low in recently acceded countries and is almost non-existent in Turkey. Modernization theorists have argued that economic development influences the value orientation of the citizens. Other scholars have claimed that values are strongly influenced by the religious heritage of a country. Using multilevel analysis, the study tests to what extent modernization factors and/or religious factors influence citizens’ attitudes towards non-discrimination of homosexuality. According to the results of the causal analysis, modernization theory and cultural heritage theory contribute to explaining attitudes towards homosexuality. All the hypotheses derived from the two theories are supported by the statistical analysis
The Reconfiguration of E-Campaign Practices in Korea
Authors: Lee Yeon-Ok , Han Woo Park
Published: January 2010

The dominance of the US model of electioneering in many countries worldwide seems less obvious when it comes to e-campaigning and its consequent influence on electoral results. This article details present e-campaign practices in South Korea, probably the most wired (and wireless) country in the world. By examining a case study of the 2007 presidential primaries of the Grand National Party (GNP), the largest opposition party in the South Korean National Assembly, this article explores how the online political climate of the country has evolved since the 16th presidential election held in 2002, the result of which was widely regarded as an ‘Internet victory’. Based on the outcomes from webometrics, the study discusses the extent to which the candidates’ applications of their campaign websites shape and are shaped by offline political dynamics and their overall campaign strategies.
Civil War and Life Chances
Authors: Carlton-Ford Steve , Boop Donielle
Published: January 2010

Civil war adversely affects life chances (i.e. economic well-being, food production and education) that are key to social and economic development; civil war and these life chances all, potentially, affect the most basic life chance — mortality. Results show that civil war worsens child mortality despite controls for other life chances. In contrast, civil war accounts for much of the impact of other life chances on child mortality. Information comes from 175 countries from 1985 through 1998. Given the broad and persistent impact of civil war, future research concerned with social and economic development and, ultimately, the life chances of the masses should consider civil war as a factor in their theories and analyses.
Ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sivanandan A.
Published: January 2010

In a speech made on 3 July 2009 to the 'Marxism 2009' conference in London, the author examines the roots and development of ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka from British colonial rule to the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009. Sri Lanka today is at the cross-roads between parliamentary dictatorship and fascism.
'Black Shame' — the campaign against 'racial degeneration' and female degradation in interwar Europe
Authors: Wigger Iris
Published: January 2010

The 'Black Shame' campaign used stereotypical images of 'racially primitive' , sexually depraved black colonial soldiers threatening 'white women' in 1920s Germany to manufacture widespread concern and generate panic about the presence of tens of thousands of occupying French troops from colonial Africa on German soil. The campaign, which originated with the German government, quickly developed a momentum of its own and became an international phenomenon, spanning the political divide and incorporating figures from the Left and Right, trades unionists, Christian groups, women s organisations and key public figures including Edmund D. Morel and Bertrand Russell. It had followers throughout Europe, the US and Australia and was promoted through the modern media. The author here explores the ways in which the racial, sexual, class and national stereotypes that fuelled the campaign interrelated and reinforced one another, creating 'interlinked discriminations'.
Putting a face on free-market economics: the politicisation of race and ethnicity in Peru
Authors: Lee Rebecca L.
Published: January 2010

The election, in 1990, of the Japanese-descended Fujimori to the presidency of Peru, against novelist Vargas Llosa and against the backdrop of Sendero Luminoso, revealed the deep race and class divides in Peruvian society. Fujimori, the son of immigrants, was able to mobilise the indigenous majority in his favour through his appeal to the poor and their sense of marginalisation, as against Vargas Llosa s appeal to the Spanish-speaking elite. Nonetheless, once in power, Fujimori s policies were increasingly neoliberal and autocratic. Yet the template he had set for the electoral mobilisation of ethnicity and race was followed over the next decade and a half, resulting in the election in 2001 of Peru s first indigenous but still neoliberal president, Alejandro Toledo. Whereas other Latin American countries have seen a wave of Left-leaning, indigenous activism resulting in major change, the premise that neoliberal solutions can overcome the divisions of race and class has continued to hold sway in Peru. Meanwhile, those divisions have grown starker.
Natural Course Following Pediatric Tracheostomy
Authors: Spentzas Tom , Auth Michael , Hess Patricia , Minarik Milan , Storgion Stephanie , Stidham Gregory
Published: January 2010

Objective: To describe the hospital course of pediatric posttracheostomy patients, their underlying diagnosis, and their demographic characteristics. Design: Retrospective, descriptive record review. Settings: Academic tertiary Pediatric Critical Care Unit. Methods and Results: One hundred and forty-one patients 1 month to 20 years old identified and included in the study. The length of in-hospital stay ranged from 14 to 280 days. The most common indications for tracheostomy were ventilation of chronic lung disease (CLD), subglottic stenosis, or combination at 44.7% of the cases followed by neurological cases 26.2%. Patients requiring prolonged stay were more likely to have pulmonary hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 5.43), gastrointestinal reflux (OR = 2.09), prior episodes of failure to thrive (OR = 4.17), feeding failure requiring feeding tube (OR = 3.32), and tracheitis (OR = 4.17). The chances for home ventilation requirement increased with long preoperative in-hospital ventilation time and high ventilator respiratory rate on the day of tracheostomy as 0.98 days for each preoperative day and 0.94 days for each set ventilator breath (set respiratory rate per minute). The survival rate was 98.9% for the first 30 days and 78% afterward. Conclusion: Chronic lung disease, subglottic stenosis, and combinations are the most common causes for tracheostomy at present followed for tracheostomy due to neurological problems. Children requiring tracheostomy have lengthy hospital stay. Establishing an accurate diagnosis helps predict the length of hospitalization and the need for home ventilation; however, in less clear cases, the length of stay can be predicted from the presence of pulmonary hypertension, reflux, and failure to thrive. The mortality rate is low at the postoperative period and increases depending upon the underline reason for tracheostomy referral.
Specificity of Radionuclide Brain Blood Flow Testing in Brain Death: Case Report and Review
Authors: Joffe Ari R. , Lequier Laurance , Cave Dominic
Published: January 2010

Brain blood flow tests with diffusible radiopharmaceuticals are often done as an ancillary test in brain death (BD). We report a case of an infant with absent brain blood flow on an anterior planar image despite persistent breathing and extensor posturing. We reviewed the literature from 1980 to 2008 using MEDLINE and PubMed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these tests in the diagnosis of BD. Search terms were any combination of: brain death; and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), radiopharmaceuticals, technetium Tc 99m exametazime, or organotechnetium compounds. The sensitivity of absent brain blood flow on planar imaging for clinically confirmed BD is 119/153 = 77.8% [95% CI 70.5%—83.7%]; and the specificity is 41/41 (100%) [95% CI 92.6%—100%]. For clinically confirmed BD, the sensitivity of SPECT is 107/121 (88.4%) [95% CI 81.4%—93.1%], and specificity is 12/12 (100%) [95% CI 78.4%—100%]. For contrast angiography confirmed BD, the sensitivity of SPECT is 34/34 (100%) [95% CI 91.2%—100%]; the specificity could not be estimated as there were no patients without clinical BD having both tests. Case reports emphasized the possibility of isolated posterior-fossa blood flow, which would not be detectable using non-diffusible radiopharmaceuticals, or without a lateral view using diffusible agents. We conclude that patients having an ancillary radiopharmaceutical brain blood flow test for BD should have anterior and lateral views without exception. Larger numbers of patients both with and without BD (but with severe brain injury) must be studied to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these tests.
Paying for Transportation
Authors: Taylor Brian D. , Tassiello Norton Alexandra
Published: January 2010

Nearly all transportation policy debates concern money, and nearly all transportation finance debates concern equity. To some, this second assertion may seem puzzling, even counterintuitive. But the way public officials think of equity in transportation finance is far different from that of most social scientists or transportation planners. Equity gets defined differently by different interests at different times. This article examines transportation pricing and finance equity from a variety of perspectives to clarify what can be a fuzzy and confusing issue. The authors distinguish transportation finance and pricing equity from other forms of transportation equity and then discuss several competing theories of equity long debated by social philosophers. These theories serve as a basis for understanding the complex and often inconsistent notions of fairness that the public and elected officials have regarding the distribution of public resources and particularly transportation investments. Given these competing theories of equity, the authors argue that most conflicts over transportation pricing and finance are rooted in philosophical differences over justice and equity and differing notions of the appropriate units of analysis—individuals, groups, or jurisdictions—for evaluating equity. Accordingly, the authors offer an analytical framework to help planners and policy makers untangle these two issues. This framework transcends the philosophical characterizations of equity to allow for a more practical consideration of transportation finance and pricing fairness. They conclude with a discussion of the lessons offered by some recent debates in transportation pricing and finance for decision makers searching for a fair price for transportation.
Green Buildings and Building Assessment Systems
Authors: Retzlaff Rebecca C.
Published: January 2010

The purpose of this article is to provide planners with an introduction to the concept of green buildings and building assessment systems and to identify and explore the major themes in the literature as they relate to planning. Six themes are identified: scope, weighting, subjectivity, rigor, adaptation, and life cycle analysis. Planners have begun to develop and implement green building policies and programs, although there is much room for expansion of the role of planning in green building issues. The article concludes by outlining a broad research agenda that can help move the discussion of the role of planning in green building issues forward. Planning needs to take a more assertive role in green buildings to add more comprehensiveness to the issue.
Assessing China’s Compliance with WTO Commitments
Authors: Bhat T.P.
Published: January 2010

China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) over seven years ago. It undertook massive, complex commitments, which have to be accomplished in five and ten years’ phase–in periods. The commitments made in goods and services have by and large been accomplished as per the schedule drawn by the WTO. The accomplishments are closely related to the domestic economic reforms and globalisation of the Chinese economy. As a result of increased market access overseas, its exports increased phenomenally; the imports also increased but still lag behind exports. China’s inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) swelled. Augmented trade surplus led to increase in foreign exchange reserves. Now, China is also an important investor abroad. A large volume of FDI has gone into the industrial sector, which made China an ‘industrial power house’ of the world. High growth in GDP has not only been sustained over the years, but also further enhanced. WTO membership has brought immense benefits to China, helping it to attain the status of a global economic power.
China’s Periphery Policy
Authors: Soni Sharad K.
Published: January 2010

During the Cold War period China remained concerned with what it perceived at that time as the Soviet activism in Asia and therefore, disintegration of the erstwhile USSR played a decisive role in the improvement of China’s external environment, both in terms of its neighbourhood as well as securing a favourable balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region. Consequently, changes in the global geopolitical and regional geostrategic environment surrounding China’s northern neighbour Mongolia, coupled with the open door policies of both Beijing and Ulaanbaatar, set the tone for the improvement of their hitherto strained bilateral and multilateral ties. It is in this context that this article analyses post-Cold War developments in the Chinese policy towards its neighbours or what it calls as its ‘periphery’ countries and its implications for Sino-Mongolian relations, particularly in the political, economic and strategic realms. It highlights, among other things, that Beijing’s neighbourhood policy as applied to its relations with Mongolia seems to be advantageous, both economically as well as strategically, for strengthening China’s growing role as an Asian power.
Sri Lankan Tamil Migration and Settlement
Authors: Velamati Manohari
Published: January 2010

With the end of armed struggle in Sri Lanka, there will be now more pressure and anxiety among the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates, especially living in the West. As most of them are refugees or asylum seekers, Western countries might intensity their repatriation attempts and can compel them to return home. Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who formed the largest part of the expatriate population after 1983 Sri Lanka riots, have established themselves comfortably, particularly in Canada, Western Europe and Australia. Since the 1980s, alliance between the Colombo refugee agencies and European mafia has been reported numerous times. Though the Western governments responded with stricter repatriation policies, many Sri Lankan Tamils still managed to escape from their legal grip and continued staying in the West. Through appeals, protests and demonstrations, they tried convincing the Western governments of the human rights violations done by the Sri Lankan government. The Sri Lankan Tamil asylum-seekers also employed eccentric methods when they were detained by hard-line asylum policies in the respective countries. The multidimensionality of relations outside Sri Lanka has further helped in their migration and settlement. The post-1983 scenario created a setting to live an accomplished family and community life for the Sri Lankan Tamils by which they could constantly keep in touch with their relations, friends and culture, just like in homeland. Being born and bred outside Sri Lanka, the second generation Tamils, though curious about their traditions and customs, they are culturally more of West than Tamil. The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the West has political and economic interests in Sri Lanka. However, not more than five per cent Tamil diaspora population is willing to return home. In such a scenario, the earlier conditions during deportation might revive. The Tamils may use their escape mechanisms to sustain in the West. In the light of this analysis, time has come to reconsider the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora’s profile, demography and settlement pattern.
From Hindu Monarchy to Secular Republic
Authors: Singh Jai S.
Published: January 2010

States are the principal subjects of International Law. The Himalayan State of Nepal fulfils all the essential conditions of statehood. It is an independent sovereign State. It is a member of the United Nations Organisations. On 1 June 2001, King Birendra, Queen Ashwarya and other close relatives were killed in a shooting spree by drunken Crown Prince Dipendra, who then shot himself to death. Later on, Gyanendra was crowned as the King of Nepal on 4 June 2001. He was a man of high ambition. He misused the provisions of the Constitution of 1990. He tried to justify his unconstitutional and arbitrary acts under Article 127 and certain other provisions of the Constitution.

The General Elections for the new Constituent Assembly and Interim Parliament were held on 10 April 2008. On 28 May 2008, the new Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a ‘SECULAR, FEDERAL, DEMOCRATIC, REPUBLIC’ Nation. On 1 July 2008, the Constituent Assembly elected Nepali Congress leader Dr. Ram Baran Yadav as President of Nepal. At present, Nepal has its elected President, Vice President and Prime Minister. The Constituent Assembly has the responsibility to frame a new Constitution for the country. It is submitted that the new Constituent Assembly shall try to adopt the basic principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights.
Democratisation Process in Kazakhstan
Authors: Mishra Mukesh Kumar
Published: January 2010

Throughout the 1990s the discussion on possible ‘models of development’ for the Central Asian Republics (CARs) dominated the intellectual discourse in the region. A number of developmental models were floated in each of the five countries of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which resulted in the adoption of political institutions of democratic government and market-oriented economies soon after these nations attained independence in 1991. In the case of Kazakhstan, the current Constitution which was ratified in September 1995 provides for a democratic, secular state and a presidential system of government. In 1998, the Constitution was amended and the first election was held in January 1999 which resulted in the re-election of President Nazarbayev. Such developments in the democratisation of Kazakhstan politics have given the country a new identity in the post Soviet world. This article examines the process of democratisation in Kazakhstan in the post 1991 period, with particular focus on the reforms in the country’s political structure. It appears that although, the Kazakhstan government does crack down on some opposition groups and newspapers, the country has a strong basis on which it could move foreword to democratisation. As such, it also highlights the challenges that lie ahead in the democratic developments of the country.
Innovation, Labor, and Gridlock: The Unbuilt Freight Plan for Manhattan’s Geography of Production
Authors: Shell Jacob
Published: January 2010

Planning historians seldom examine freight infrastructure proposals as potential interventions into the political economic trajectories of materially productive regions. Combining interpretive approaches from planning history and economic geography, this article discusses one such proposal, the Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations, proposed in 1920, by the New York/New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission, as a response to the traffic problems generated by New York City’s innovative, small-batch manufacturing economy. Pointing out some of the limitations of the established explanations for the dramatic decline of this industrial center, the article argues that the nondevelopment of any local freight infrastructure similar to that proposed by the Joint Report closed off the continued development of the city’s materially productive economy as a historical possibility.
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Amino Nitrophenols as Used in Hair Dyes
Authors: Burnett Christina L. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Jr James G. Marks , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: January 2010

2-Amino-3-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, 2-amino-5-nitrophenol, 4-amino-3-nitrophenol, 4-amino-2-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4- nitrophenol sulfate, 3-nitro-p-hydroxyethylaminophenol, and 4-hydroxypropylamino-3-nitrophenol are substituted aromatic compounds used as semipermanent (nonoxidative) hair colorants and as toners in permanent (oxidative) hair dye products. All ingredients in this group except 2-amino-4-nitrophenol sulfate, 2-amino-5-nitrophenol, and 4-amino-2-nitrophenol have reported uses in cosmetics at use concentrations from 2% to 9%. The available toxicity studies for these amino nitrophenol hair dyes did not suggest safety concerns except for the potential carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of 4-amino-2-nitrophenol. 2-Amino-3-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol sulfate, 2-amino-5-nitrophenol, 4-amino-3-nitrophenol, 3-nitro-p-hydroxyethylaminophenol, and 4-hydroxypropylamino-3-nitrophenol are safe as hair dye ingredients in the practices of use and concentration as described in this safety assessment, but the data are insufficient to make a safety determination for 4-amino-2-nitrophenol.
Moving Forward and Making a Difference: Research Priorities for the Science of Service
Authors: Ostrom Amy L. , Bitner Mary Jo , Brown Stephen W. , Burkhard Kevin A. , Goul Michael , Smith-Daniels Vicki , Demirkan Haluk , Rabinovich Elliot
Published: January 2010

Given the significant, sustained growth in services experienced worldwide, Arizona State University’s Center for Services Leadership embarked on an 18-month effort to identify and articulate a set of global, interdisciplinary research priorities focused on the science of service. Diverse participation from academics in a variety of disciplines working in institutions around the world—in collaboration with business executives who lead organizations ranging from small startups to Global 1000 companies—formed the basis for development of the priorities. The process led to the identification of the following 10 overarching research priorities:

• Fostering service infusion and growth

• Improving well-being through transformative service

• Creating and maintaining a service culture

• Stimulating service innovation

• Enhancing service design

• Optimizing service networks and value chains

• Effectively branding and selling services

• Enhancing the service experience through cocreation

• Measuring and optimizing the value of service

• Leveraging technology to advance service

For each priority, several important and more specific topic areas for service research emerged from the process. The intent is that the priorities will spur service research by shedding light on the areas of greatest value and potential return to academia, business, and government. Through academic, business, and government collaboration, we can enhance our understanding of service and create new knowledge to help tackle the most important opportunities and challenges we face today.
Wicked Comparisons: Reflections on Cross-national Research about Health Inequalities in the UK
Authors: Blackman Tim , Hunter David , Marks Linda , Harrington Barbara , Elliott Eva , Williams Gareth , Greene Alex , Mckee Lorna
Published: January 2010

This article discusses a comparative study of how local actors tackle health inequalities in England, Scotland and Wales. The main method used in this study was a thematic analysis of 200 interview transcripts. Its focus was on how health inequalities are framed for intervention by performance assessment systems and the challenge for these systems that their nature as a ‘wicked issue’ presents. The three different national contexts are described, including organizational structures and the use of targets, and the difficulty of making evaluative comparisons is considered. Reflecting on results from the study, it is concluded that both divergence and convergence in themes across the three countries reveal narrative patterns that draw on discourses rather than evidence. The nature of national performance audit regimes appears to play an important part in shaping these discourses, which are themselves evolving, partly in interaction with local feedback.
Introduction: Evidence from the Comparison of Public Service Performance
Authors: James Oliver , Wilson Deborah
Published: January 2010

Systems for assessing the comparative performance of organizations providing public services are increasingly apparent across service sectors and jurisdictions. This article sets out an agenda of research themes about these systems.The themes include the performance concepts and measures adopted, purposes of systems (with variation from information-gathering to incorporation in systems of judgement and decision-making by a range of stakeholders), the reasons for the increasing prevalence of the systems, and the impacts of systems on public services — both intended and unintended.The article argues that the comparative analysis of comparative performance systems is a valuable approach, with comparison looking across both jurisdictions and public service domains. While such analysis is currently at an early stage of development, drawing together the findings of the articles contained in this special issue illustrates some of the insights that can be gained into these themes.