bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Are the Most Important Dimensions of Personality?Evidence from Studies of Descriptors in Diverse Languages
Authors: Saucier Gerard
Published: June 2009

Progress is reviewed with respect on how attributes of personality and character can best be organized and structured. Key insights on this important scientific issue have been gained by a lexical approach, which posits that the degree of representation of an attribute in language corresponds substantially with the general importance of the attribute in real‐world transactions. The rationale for studying the language of personality is explained, followed by a review of the most salient findings from lexical studies of person‐descriptors in 16 languages. In these studies, one‐ and two‐factor structures are found to be not only the most parsimonious but also the most easily replicated across variable selection procedures, and across languages and cultures. Structures with more factors are likely to show a comparative predictive advantage, but replicate more unevenly. Lexical studies appear to support a six‐factor model at least as well as the Big Five. Future research attention should be directed toward inclusion of a wider range of individual differences, integration with models of temperament, and the search for causal factors and underlying mechanisms that are associated with the best‐replicated personality dimensions.
Asymmetric Comparison in Choice Processes
Authors: Ritter Johannes O. , Freund Alexandra M.
Published: June 2009

Since Tversky's (1977) seminal paper on asymmetric comparisons was published, comparisons of different options are generally believed to be directional. Interestingly, the asymmetry involved in comparisons has not been considered systematically for choices between different options. This paper argues that, in decision situations, one of the options serves as a dominant standard against which the others are evaluated, which results in asymmetric comparisons and, in turn, has important and systematic consequences for the choice process. This paper outlines which conditions should result in asymmetric comparisons. Taking existing models of asymmetric comparisons into account, a process model will be presented using the loss of a previously available choice option as an example.
Optimism, Pessimism, and Motivation: Relations to Adjustment
Authors: Chang Edward C. , Chang Rita , Sanna Lawrence J.
Published: June 2009

The present work reviews the literature examining connections involving the key constructs of optimism and pessimism with motivation and adjustment. We review historical and conceptual models of optimism and pessimism. We then examine how these central constructs have been linked to both adaptive and maladaptive motivational processes and outcomes in the empirical literature. How cultural factors may impact the function of optimism and pessimism is also discussed. We end with a brief discussion of emerging issues that would be useful to examine in future research on optimism and pessimism.
Suggestions for a New Integration in the Psychology of Morality
Authors: Sunar Diane
Published: June 2009

To prepare a basis for a new model of morality, theories in the psychology of morality are reviewed, comparing those put forward before and after the emergence of evolutionary psychology in the last quarter of the 20th century. Concepts of embodied sociality and reciprocal moral emotions are introduced. Three ‘morality clusters’ consisting of relational models (Fiske, 1991), moral domains (Shweder, Much, Mahapatra, & Park, 1997) and reciprocal sets of other‐blaming and self‐conscious emotions are linked to three evolutionary bases for morality (kin selection, social hierarchy, and reciprocal altruism). Evidence regarding these concepts is marshaled to support the model. The ‘morality clusters’ are compared with classifications based on Haidt's moral foundations (Haidt & Graham 2007). Further evidence regarding hierarchy based on sexual selection, exchange and reciprocity, moral development, cultural differences and universals, and neurological discoveries, especially mirror neurons, is also discussed.
Masculinities, Femininities, Behaviour and Health
Authors: Lyons Antonia C.
Published: June 2009

Using the notion that gender is performed in daily life and through daily activities, I review some of the health behaviour literature which employs ideas about masculinity and femininity. I argue that recent theorising about both masculinities (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005) and femininities (Schippers, 2007) can be extremely useful in this field. I consider two specific health behaviours in light of this theorising, namely healthy eating and drinking alcohol, and explore how and which versions of masculinities and femininities are played out, which are problematic, and what they mean for gender hegemony. I argue that across both areas (and across other health behaviours), there are three specific issues that are important and require further conceptual development and empirical work: (1) the relationality of gender; (2) masculinities and femininities as embodied; and (3) the local, contingent and intersectional nature of masculinities and femininities. This conceptual framework and the aspects of relationality, embodiment and intersectionality have important implications not only for understanding health behaviours, but for any social psychological work theorising identities and everyday social practice.
An Introduction to Item Response Theory Using the Need for Cognition Scale
Authors: Edwards Michael C.
Published: June 2009

This paper provides an introduction to two commonly used item response theory (IRT) models (the two‐parameter logistic model and the graded response model). Throughout the paper, the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS) is used to help illustrate different features of the IRT model. After introducing the IRT models, I explore the assumptions these models make as well as ways to assess the extent to which those assumptions are plausible. Next, I describe how adopting an IRT approach to measurement can change how one thinks about scoring, score precision, and scale construction. I briefly introduce the advanced topics of differential item functioning and computerized adaptive testing before concluding with a summary of what was learned about IRT generally, and the NCS specifically.
Contemporary Research on Social Movements and Protest in Latin America: Promoting Democracy, Resisting Neoliberalism, and Many Themes in between
Authors: Strawn Kelley D.
Published: June 2009

This essay outlines how research on Latin American social movements has evolved since the late 1980s. Emphasis is given to two topics. First, the essay examines how Latin American social movement research has historically been oriented toward social movement theories that emerged out of the study of European movements and, to a lesser extent, movements in the United States. At the same time, it discusses how the unique historical and contextual factors of Latin American societies have repeatedly been found to defy adequate explanation by these theories. Second, the essay outlines five major themes that characterize the Latin American social movement literature: the dynamics of movements in relation to transitions to democracy, and to neo‐liberal economic reforms, as well as transnational movement dynamics, indigenous movements, and women's movements.
Gender Stratification and Publication in American Science: Turning the Tools of Science Inward
Authors: Light Ryan
Published: June 2009

Gender stratification continues to pervade the American workplace, and academic science as a vocation is hardly exempt. In this article, I review prior work on why and how gender inequality affects scientific careers. I focus specifically on scientific publication, an important determinant of scientific success. The research indicates that processes of gender stratification operate through formal and informal relationships contributing to the inequality we continue to find in academic science. Following Bourdieu (2004), I argue that sociology's unique reflexivity – that is, our ability to turn the tools of science inward – offers an important vantage point and contribution to our understanding of stratification in science specifically, in workplaces more generally, and in society at large.
Cultural Approaches to Understanding School Violence
Authors: Waldron Linda M.
Published: June 2009

In terms of research on school violence, criminologists have dominated the field; yet, this work has narrowly centered on crime as an indicator of violence. Although cultural sociologists have done noteworthy research on schooling and education, much of the focus has been on academic achievement. Yet, some cultural scholars have analyzed the expressions and practices of school violence, and in this paper, I argue that this approach reveals a rich, complex understanding of aggression and violence that is needed in sociological research on school violence. This includes looking at not only crime and more traditional, physical expression of violence, but also taking seriously verbal, emotion, sexual, or racial forms of violence, in addition to violence that is perpetuated by institutions. This paper reviews some of the more conventional studies on school violence and then looks at how cultural sociologists have begun to broaden this perspective. I use Swidler's ‘cultural toolkit’ as a framework for analyzing school violence, focusing on symbolic violence, cultural scripts, cultural resources and ideology as some of the cultural tools that prove useful to expanding our understanding of schooling and violence.
Biomedical Informatics Unit (BMIU): Slim‐Prim System Bridges the Gap Between Laboratory Discovery and Practice
Authors: Viangteeravat Teeradache , Brooks Ian M. , Ketcherside W. Joseph , Houmayouni Ramin , Furlotte Nicholas , Vuthipadadon Somchan , McDonald Chanchai S.
Published: June 2009

With current national emphasis on translational research, data exchange systems are needed that bridge basic science and clinical research. To meet this challenge, an electronic system was developed by the Biomedical Informatics Unit (BMIU) of the University of Tennessee Clinical Translation Science Institute (UT CTSI). This integrated data system collects, processes, archives, and distributes basic, clinical, and translational research data. The system provides information via web‐based applications in a secure and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)‐compliant manner to facilitate data sharing and analysis across domains. The system is currently in use by a number of studies and has proven to be an effective tool for data collection and processing in clinical studies.
Training the Next Generation of Research Mentors: The University of California, San Francisco, Clinical & Translational Science Institute Mentor Development Program
Authors: Feldman Mitchell D. , Huang Laurence , Guglielmo B. Joseph , Jordan Richard , Kahn James , Creasman Jennifer M. , Wiener‐Kronish Jeanine P. , Lee Kathryn A. , Tehrani Ariane , Yaffe Kristine , Brown Jeanette S.
Published: June 2009

Mentoring is a critical component of career development and success for clinical translational science research faculty. Yet few programs train faculty in mentoring skills. We describe outcomes from the first two faculty cohorts who completed a Mentor Development Program (MDP) at UCSF. Eligibility includes having dedicated research time, expertise in a scientific area and a desire to be a lead research mentor. A post‐MDP survey measured the program's impact on enhancement of five key mentoring skills, change in the Mentors‐in‐Training (MIT) self‐rated importance of being a mentor to their career satisfaction, and overall confidence in their mentoring skills. Since 2007, 29 MITs participated in and 26 completed the MDP. Only 15% of the MITs reported any previous mentor training. Overall, 96% of MITs felt that participation in the MDP helped them to become better mentors. A majority reported a significant increase in confidence in mentoring skills and most reported an increased understanding of important mentoring issues at UCSF. MITs reported increased confidence in overall and specific mentoring skills after completion of the MDP. The MDP can serve as a model for other institutions to develop the next generation of clinical‐translational research mentors.
Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms by a Novel Antibacterial Envelope for Use with Implantable Cardiac Devices
Authors: Agostinho Alessandra , James Garth , Wazni Oussama , Citron Mark , Wilkoff Bruce D.
Published: June 2009

Biofilm formation on representative implantable medical devices using a known human pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus) was significantly reduced (p < 0.01) at all time points measured (24,48, and 72 hours) by employing a novel antibacterial envelope (AIGIS Rx™). The result was demonstrated using a standard US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) bioreactor model and the results were confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The antibacterial envelope used in the study is coated with a proprietary combination broad spectrum antibiotics (rifampin and minocycline) embedded in a resorbable polymeric coating. The antibiotics are designed to elute out of the coating over a multi‐day period for controlled, site‐specific drug delivery.

The infection rate for patients receiving pacemakers and defibrillators is increasing faster than the rate of new implants and the growing resistance of S. aureus strains suggests that conventional, systemic antibiotic prophylaxis may have limited future utility. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that bacterial biofilms result in infections of implantable medical devices. These findings demonstrate the in vitro efficacy of a new means to address potential biofilm‐derived Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) related to implantable medical devices composed of titanium inclusive of pacemakers and defibrillators by means of a locally delivered, low dose, combination antibacterial treatment.
Meeting report: consensus from the first and second Global Workshops in Melanoma November 19–20, 2008
Authors: Agarwala Sanjiv S. , Becker Jurgen C. , Eggermont Alexander M. , Flaherty Keith T. , Garbe Claus , Goldstein Alisa M. , Halpern Allan , Kashani‐Sabet Mohammed , Hauschild Axel , Kirkwood John M. , Leachman Sancy , Lorigan Paul , McMahon Martin , Messina Jane , Ribas Antoni , Samlowski Wolfram E. , Schadendorf Dirk , Sondak Vernon K.
Published: June 2009

This overview of the current state of melanoma research and treatment and directions for moving forward represents the consensus of discussions between expert panelists at the First and Second Global Workshops on Melanoma held in Fajardo, Peurto Rico on November 30–December 1, 2007 and Clearwater Beach, Florida on November 19–20, 2008.
Impact of graphic and text warnings on cigarette packs: findings from four countries over five years
Authors: Borland R , Wilson N , Fong G T , Hammond D , Cummings K M , Yong H-H , Hosking W , Hastings G , Thrasher J , McNeill A
Published: June 2009

Objectives:

To examine the impact of health warnings on smokers by comparing the short-term impact of new graphic (2006) Australian warnings with: (i) earlier (2003) United Kingdom larger text-based warnings; (ii) and Canadian graphic warnings (late 2000); and also to extend our understanding of warning wear-out.

Methods:

The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey (ITC Project) follows prospective cohorts (with replenishment) of adult smokers annually (five waves: 2002–2006), in Canada, United States, UK and Australia (around 2000 per country per wave; total n = 17 773). Measures were of pack warning salience (reading and noticing); cognitive responses (thoughts of harm and quitting); and two behavioural responses: forgoing cigarettes and avoiding the warnings.

Results:

All four indicators of impact increased markedly among Australian smokers following the introduction of graphic warnings. Controlling for date of introduction, they stimulated more cognitive responses than the UK (text-only) changes, and were avoided more, did not significantly increase forgoing cigarettes, but were read and noticed less. The findings also extend previous work showing partial wear-out of both graphic and text-only warnings, but the Canadian warnings have more sustained effects than UK ones.

Conclusions:

Australia’s new health warnings increased reactions that are prospectively predictive of cessation activity. Warning size increases warning effectiveness and graphic warnings may be superior to text-based warnings. While there is partial wear-out in the initial impact associated with all warnings, stronger warnings tend to sustain their effects for longer. These findings support arguments for governments to exceed minimum FCTC requirements on warnings.
Reversible Control of Primary and Secondary Self‐Assembly of Poly(4‐allyloxystyrene)‐Block‐Polystyrene
Authors: Yoshida Eri , Kuwayama Satoshi
Published: June 2009

The reversible control of primary and secondary self‐assemblies was attained using a
poly(4‐allyloxystyrene)‐block‐polystyrene diblock copolymer (PASt‐b‐PSt) through variations in temperature. The copolymer showed no self‐assembly in cyclohexane over 35∘C and existed as a unimer with a 37.1 nm hydrodynamic diameter. When the temperature was lowered to
30∘C, the copolymer formed micelles with 269.9 nm by the primary self‐assembly. As the result of further lowering the temperature to 20∘C, the secondary self‐assembly of the micelles occurred to produce ca. 2975.9 nm aggregates. The aggregates were dissociated into unimers by increasing the temperature up to 40∘C. The light scattering studies demonstrated that the thermoresponsivity of the copolymer showed good hysteresis throughout the variation in the temperature in the range between 20 and 40∘C, based on the Marquadt analysis of the hydrodynamic diameter distribution. It was found that the primary and secondary self‐assemblies of the copolymer were perfectly controlled by the temperature.
Implementing Statistical Multiplexing in DVB-H
Authors: Rezaei Mehdi , Bouazizi Imed , Gabbouj Moncef
Published: June 2009

A novel technique for implementing statistical multiplexing (StatMux) of broadcast services over Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds (DVB-H) channels is proposed. DVB-H uses a time-sliced transmission scheme to reduce the power consumption used for radio reception part in DVB-H receivers. Due to the time-sliced transmission scheme, the implementation of known StatMux methods for DVB-H application presents some challenges which are addressed in this paper. The proposed StatMux technique is implemented in conjunction with the time-slicing transmission scheme. The combination is similar to a time division multiplexing (TDM) scheme. The proposed StatMux method considerably decreases the end-to-end delay of DVB-H services while it maximizes the usage of available bandwidth. Moreover, the proposed method can effectively decrease the channel switching delay of DVB-H services. Simulation results show a high performance for the proposed StatMux method.
Porcine Cysticercosis in Southeast Uganda: Seroprevalence in Kamuli and Kaliro Districts
Authors: Waiswa C. , Fèvre E. M. , Nsadha Z. , Sikasunge C. S. , Willingham A. L.
Published: June 2009

The recent recognition of neurocysticercosis as a major cause of epilepsy in Uganda and changes in pig demography have lead to a need to better understand the basic epidemiology ofTaenia soliuminfections in pigs and humans. Human exposure is a function of the size of the animal reservoir of this zoonosis. This is the first field survey for porcine cysticercosis to investigate the prevalence of antigen-positive pigs across an entire rural district of south-east Uganda. In our field surveys, 8.6% of 480 pigs screened were seropositive for the parasite by B158/B60 Ag-ELISA. In addition, of the 528 homesteads surveyed 138 (26%) did not have pit latrines indicating a high probability of pigs having access to human faeces and thusT. soliumeggs. This study thus indicates the need for better data on this neglected zoonotic disease in Uganda, with a particular emphasis on the risk factors for infection in both pigs and humans. In this regard, further surveys of pigs, seroprevalence surveys in humans and an understanding of cysticercosis-related epilepsy are required, together with risk-factor studies for human and porcine infections.
Leiomyosarcomas of Vascular Origin in the Extremity
Authors: Abed R. , Abudu A. , Grimer R. J. , Tillman R. M. , Carter S. R. , Jeys L.
Published: June 2009

Between 1996 and 2006 a total of 278 patients with soft tissue Leiomyosarcoma were treated at our centre. We identified 16 patients (5.8%) where the tumour directly arose from the blood vessels. These tumours were studied to determine their prognosis and behaviour. All tumors were in the lower limbs: 11 from the femoral vein, 3 popliteal vein, and 2 from the posterior tibial vein. Mean tumour size was 10.4 cm (3 to 33). Histological grade was high in all patients. Surgical treatment was amputation in one, excision with or without vascular reconstruction in 12 followed by radiotherapy, and 3 patients had no surgery because of advanced disease at diagnosis. Seven out of the 16 patients (44%) had metastasis at diagnosis, and five patients without metastasis at diagnosis rapidly developed metastases at a median time of 5 months from diagnosis (2–30 months). The overall survival of the patients at 5 years was 25% which was considerably worse than those with nonvascular leiomyosarcoma. We conclude that patients with leiomyosarcoma of vascular origin have a very high risk of metastases and poor prognosis when treated in the conventional way.
Development, Characterization, and Application of a Versatile Single Particle Detection Apparatus for Time-Integrated and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Measurements—Part II: Experimental Evaluation
Authors: Wu Xihong , Merten J. A. , Omenetto N. , Smith B. W. , Winefordner J. D.
Published: June 2009

This paper describes the experimental realization and characterization of a versatile single particle detection apparatus. The system utilizes a novel particle beam inlet that can serve as either an on-line particle concentrator (i.e., all diameters confined in a narrow beam) or as a segregator (i.e., selected diameters confined in a narrow beam) and can be operated in a high-speed mode as well as in a low-speed mode, thus allowing different interaction times between the particles and the laser beam. An aerodynamic sizing technique has been incorporated into the system to provide rapid, real-time, and high-resolution sizing. Parameters such as transmission efficiency and size-segregation efficiency have been measured. The performance of the instrument has been demonstrated by on-line detection of spectrally resolved and time resolved fluorescence detection from airborne dye-doped particles and aerosolized endogenous fluorophores found in biological
agents.
New Target Genes for the Peroxisome Proliferator‐Activated Receptor‐γ (PPARγ) Antitumour Activity: Perspectives from the Insulin Receptor
Authors: Foti Daniela P. , Paonessa Francesco , Chiefari Eusebio , Brunetti Antonio
Published: June 2009

The insulin receptor (IR) plays a crucial role in mediating the metabolic and proliferative functions triggered by the peptide hormone insulin. There is considerable evidence that abnormalities in both IR expression and function may account for malignant transformation and tumour progression in some human neoplasias, including breast cancer. PPARγ is a ligand‐activated, nuclear hormone receptor implicated in many pleiotropic biological functions related to cell survival and proliferation. In the last decade, PPARγ agonists—besides their known action and clinical use as insulin sensitizers—have proved to display a wide range of antineoplastic effects in cells and tissues expressing PPARγ, leading to intensive preclinical research in oncology. PPARγ and activators affect tumours by different mechanisms, involving cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, antiinflammatory, and antiangiogenic effects. We recently provided evidence that PPARγ and agonists inhibit IR by non canonical, DNA‐independent mechanisms affecting IR gene transcription. We conclude that IR may be considered a new PPARγ “target” gene, supporting a potential use of PPARγ agonists as antiproliferative agents in selected neoplastic tissues that overexpress the IR.
Trichomonas vaginalisInfection and Associated Risk Factors in a Socially-Marginalized Female Population in Coastal Peru
Authors: Leon Segundo R. , Konda Kelika A. , Bernstein Kyle T. , Pajuelo Jose B. , Rosasco Ana M. , Caceres Carlos F. , Coates Thomas J. , Klausner Jeffrey D.
Published: June 2009

Objective. The epidemiology ofTrichomonas vaginalisinfection among sexually active socially-marginalized women in three urban, coastal Peruvian cities was examined in order to quantify the prevalence of trichomonas infection and identify associated risk factors.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional, venue-based study of women from socially-marginalized populations in three coastal Peruvian cities.Results. Among the 319 women enrolled, the overall prevalence of trichomonal infection was 9.1% (95% CI, 5.9%–12.3%). The mean age was 26.3 years, and 35.5% reported having had unprotected intercourse with nonprimary partners and 19.8% reported two or more sex partners in the last three months. Trichomonal infection was associated with increased number of sex partners (PR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4–4.6) and unprotected sex with nonprimary partner in the last three months (PR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1–4.9).Conclusions. A moderately high prevalence of trichomonal infection was found among women in our study. Trichomonal infection was associated with unprotected sex and multiple sex partners. Efforts to control the continued spread of trichomonal infection are warranted.
A Combined Multisensor Optimal Estimation Retrieval Algorithm for Oceanic Warm Rain Clouds
Authors: Rapp Anita D. , Elsaesser G. , Kummerow C.
Published: June 2009

The complicated interactions between cloud processes in the tropical hydrologic cycle and their responses to changes in environmental variables have been the focus of many recent investigations. Most studies that examine the response of the hydrologic cycle to temperature changes focus on deep convection and cirrus production, but recent results suggest that warm rain clouds may be more sensitive to temperature changes. These clouds are prevalent in the tropics and make considerable contributions to the radiation budget and to total tropical rainfall, as well as serving to moisten and precondition the atmosphere for deep convection. A change in the properties of these clouds in climate-change scenarios could have significant implications for the hydrologic cycle. Existing microwave and visible retrievals of warm rain cloud liquid water path (LWP) disagree over the range of sea surface temperatures (SST) observed in the tropical western Pacific Ocean. Although both retrieval methods show similar behavior for nonraining clouds, the two methods show very different warm-rain-cloud LWP responses to SST, both in magnitude and trend. This makes changes to the relationship between precipitation and cloud properties in changing temperature regimes difficult to interpret. A combined optimal estimation retrieval algorithm that takes advantage of the strengths of the different satellite measurements available on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been developed. Deconvolved TRMM Microwave Imager brightness temperatures are combined with cloud fraction from the Visible and Infrared Scanner and rainwater estimates from the TRMM precipitation radar to retrieve the cloud LWP in warm rain systems. This algorithm is novel in that it takes into account the water in the rain and estimates the LWP due to only the cloud water in a raining cloud, thus allowing investigation of the effects of precipitation on cloud properties.
Quantifying the Eddy Feedback and the Persistence of the Zonal Index in an Idealized Atmospheric Model
Authors: Chen Gang , Plumb R. Alan
Published: June 2009

An idealized atmospheric model is employed to quantify the strength of the eddy feedback and the persistence of the zonal index. The strength of the surface frictional damping on the zonal index is varied, and an external zonal momentum forcing is included to compensate for the momentum change associated with the friction change such that the climatological jet latitude and shape are unchanged.

The model can generate a nearly identical climatology and leading mode of the zonal mean zonal wind for different frictional damping rates, except when the jet undergoes a regime transition. For those experiments without a regime transition, as the surface friction is increased, the strength of eddy feedback is enhanced but the zonal index becomes less persistent. A simple feedback model suggests that the e-folding decorrelation time scale of the zonal index can be determined by the frictional damping rate and the strength of eddy feedback. The strength of eddy feedback is found to be related to the instantaneous vertical wind shears near the surface controlled by the frictional damping. Furthermore, the climate response to an external zonal torque is proportional to the decorrelation time scale, although the simple prediction used here overestimates the climate response by a factor of 2.
A Simple Model of Climatological Rainfall and Vertical Motion Patterns over the Tropical Oceans
Authors: Back Larissa E. , Bretherton Christopher S.
Published: June 2009

A simple model is developed that predicts climatological rainfall, vertical motion, and diabatic heating profiles over the tropical oceans given the sea surface temperature (SST), using statistical relationships deduced from the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). The model allows for two modes of variability in the vertical motion profiles: a shallow mode responsible for all “boundary layer” convergence between 850 hPa and the surface, and a deep mode with no boundary layer convergence. The model is based on the argument expressed in the authors’ companion paper that boundary layer convergence can be usefully viewed as a forcing on deep convection, not just a result thereof. The shallow mode is either specified from satellite observations or modeled using a simple mixed-layer model that has SST as well as 850-hPa geopotential height, winds, and temperature as boundary conditions. The deep-mode amplitude is empirically shown to be proportional to a simple measure of conditional instability in convecting regions, and is determined by the constraint that radiative cooling must balance adiabatic warming in subsidence regions.

This two-mode model is tested against a reanalysis-derived dry static energy budget and in a reanalysis-independent framework based on satellite-derived surface convergence and using SST as a proxy for conditional instability. It can predict the observed annual mean and seasonal cycle of rainfall, vertical motion, and diabatic heating profiles across the tropical oceans with significantly more skill than optimized predictions using a thresholded linear relationship with SST. In most warm-ocean regions, significant rainfall only occurs in regions of monthly-mean boundary layer convergence. In such regions, deep-mode amplitude and rainfall increase linearly with SST, with an additional rainfall contribution from the shallow mode directly tied to boundary layer convergence. This second contribution is significant mainly in the east and central Pacific ITCZ, where it is responsible for that region’s “bottom-heavy” vertical-velocity, diabatic heating, and cloud profiles.
Observed Subseasonal Variability of Oceanic Barrier and Compensated Layers
Authors: Liu Hailong , Grodsky Semyon A. , Carton James A.
Published: June 2009

A monthly gridded analysis of barrier-layer and compensated-layer width based on observed vertical profiles of temperature and salinity and covering the period 1960–2007 is explored for evidence of subseasonal variability and its causes. In the subtropics and midlatitudes this variability is mostly evident during the local cold season when barrier layers and compensated layers are present. There is significant variability of anomalous (nonseasonal) barrier-layer and compensated-layer width on interannual periods, while in the North Pacific longer-term changes are also detectable. In the winter North Pacific a salinity-stratified barrier layer exists at subpolar latitudes. Farther south along the Kuroshio Extension a compensated layer exists. The width of the barrier layer varies from year to year by up to 60 m while compensated-layer width varies by half as much. During the observation period the barrier-layer width decreased in response to a strengthening of the Aleutian low pressure system, the resulting strengthening of dry northerly winds, and a decrease of precipitation. In contrast, the compensated-layer width increased in response to this pressure system strengthening and related amplification of the midlatitude westerly winds, the resulting increase of net surface heat loss, and its effect on the temperature and salinity of the upper-ocean water masses. The tropical Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans all have permanent barrier layers. Their interannual variability is less than 20 m but is comparable in magnitude to the time mean barrier-layer width in these areas. In the tropical Pacific west of 160°E and in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean, the barrier-layer width changes by approximately 5 m in response to a 10-unit change in the Southern Oscillation index. It thickens during La Niñas as a result of the presence of abundant rainfall and thins during dry El Niños. Interannual variations of barrier-layer width in the equatorial Pacific are weak east of 160°E with an exception of the area surrounding the eastern edge of the warm pool. Here subduction of salty water contributes to locally stronger variations of barrier-layer width.
Linear Waves in Midlatitudes on the Rotating Spherical Earth
Authors: De Leon Yair , Paldor Nathan
Published: June 2009

The linear waves of the shallow water equations in a zonal channel in midlatitudes on the rotating spherical earth are investigated analytically and numerically by solving several relevant eigenvalue problems. For baroclinic deformation radii in the ocean, the phase speed of long Rossby waves in a sufficiently wide channel on the sphere can be 5 times that of their harmonic β-plane counterparts. The difference between the two phase speeds increases with the channel width and decreases with 1) the latitude of the equatorward wall, 2) the radius of deformation, and 3) the mode number. For Poincaré (inertia–gravity) waves, the phase speed on the sphere is slightly lower than that of harmonic waves on the β plane. The meridionally dependent amplitude of the meridional velocity is identical for both waves and is trapped near the equatorward wall—that is, its amplitude is maximal within a few deformation radii from this wall. The phase speeds of the Kelvin and anti-Kelvin waves on a sphere are determined by the latitudes of the equatorward and poleward walls, respectively, where they attain their maximal height amplitude. Accordingly, the phase speed of the anti-Kelvin wave is larger than that of the westward-propagating Poincaré waves in a certain wavenumber range, whereas the phase speed of eastward-propagating Poincaré waves does not approach that of the Kelvin wave even at large wavenumbers. Analytical expressions for the phase speed of trapped Poincaré and Rossby waves are obtained for small deformation radii in wide channels by approximating the meridional velocity’s eigenfunction by an Airy function that decays with distance from the equatorward wall. The exact latitude of the poleward wall does not affect the solution, provided it is several deformation radii away from the equatorward boundary and the exact channel width increases with the radius of deformation. For a sufficiently small radius of deformation, such as that observed in the ocean, the solution is trapped, even for very narrow channels, and the phase speed is only slightly larger than that of harmonic waves.
Early Spring Oceanic Heat Fluxes and Mixing Observed from Drift Stations North of Svalbard*
Authors: Sirevaag Anders , Fer Ilker
Published: June 2009

From several drifting ice stations north of Svalbard, Norway, observations were made in early spring of the ocean turbulent characteristics in the upper 150 m using a microstructure profiler and close to the under-ice surface using eddy correlation instrumentation. The dataset is used to obtain average heat fluxes at the ice–water interface, in the mixed layer, across the main pycnocline, as well over different water masses in the region. The results are contrasted with proximity to the branches of the warm and saline Atlantic water current, the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC), which is the main oceanic heat and salinity source both to the region and to the Arctic Ocean. Hydrographic properties show that the surface water mass modification is typically due to atmospheric cooling with relatively less influence of ice melting. Surface heat fluxes of O(100) W m−2 are found within the branches of the WSC and over shelf areas with elevated levels of mixing due to strong tides. Away from the shelves and WSC, however, ocean-to-ice turbulent heat fluxes are typical of the central Arctic. Deeper in the water column, entrainment from below together with equally important horizontal advection and diffusion increase the heat content of the mixed layer and contribute to the heat flux maximum in the upper layers. The results in this study emphasize the importance of mixing along the boundaries, over shelves, and topography for the cooling of the Atlantic water layer in the Arctic in general, and for the regional heat budget, hence the ice cover and cooling of the WSC north of Svalbard, in particular.
Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of Ozone near the Mesopause from Observations of the 11.072-GHz Line
Authors: Rogers A. E. E. , Lekberg M. , Pratap P.
Published: June 2009

Ground-based observations of the 11.072-GHz line of ozone were made from January 2008 through January 2009. These observations provide an estimate of the diurnal and seasonal variations of ozone in the mesopause region. The 11-GHz line is more sensitive to the ozone at higher altitudes than ground observations of the 142-GHz line, because of the reduced Doppler line width. The observations show an increase in the volume mixing ratio of ozone above 80 km at night by more than a factor of 10 and a seasonal variation of about a factor of 2, which is consistent with the semiannual variations of atomic hydrogen in the mesopause region. The diurnal amplitude and rates of change of the mixing ratios at sunrise and sunset are compared with ground-based observations of the 142-GHz line and the observations of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite, as well as with a simplified chemical model of the creation and destruction of ozone in the mesopause region.
Quality Control of Surface Wave Data Estimated from Low Signal-to-Noise Ratio HF Radar Doppler Spectra
Authors: Hisaki Yukiharu
Published: June 2009

Ocean wave spectra estimated by high-frequency (HF) radar are very sensitive to the noise of Doppler spectra. The method for estimating wave spectra has been improved. This method is a nonlinear inversion and can be applied to a single radar case by combining the energy balance equation and the regularization constraint. A simple method for selecting radar-estimated wave data for various weights of the nonlinear weighted least squares problem and initial guesses of the iterative algorithm is proposed. This method is based on the residuals of the objective function to be minimized and is then applied to observed Doppler spectra. The selected radar-estimated wave heights using the method correlated well with in situ observations, even in conditions of low signal-to-noise ratios of Doppler spectra, low wave heights, and small temporal variations of wave heights. The optimal value of the criterion of the residuals is dependent on the required wave height accuracy and number of selected radar-estimated wave data.
Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2007
Authors: Brennan Michael J. , Knabb Richard D. , Mainelli Michelle , Kimberlain Todd B.
Published: June 2009

The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season had 15 named storms, including 14 tropical storms and 1 subtropical storm. Of these, six became hurricanes, including two major hurricanes, Dean and Felix, which reached category 5 intensity (on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale). In addition, there were two unnamed tropical depressions. While the number of hurricanes in the basin was near the long-term mean, 2007 became the first year on record with two category 5 landfalls, with Hurricanes Dean and Felix inflicting severe damage on Mexico and Nicaragua, respectively. Dean was the first category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin to make landfall in 15 yr, since Hurricane Andrew (1992). In total, eight systems made landfall in the basin during 2007, and the season’s tropical cyclones caused approximately 380 deaths. In the United States, one hurricane, one tropical storm, and three tropical depressions made landfall, resulting in 10 fatalities and about $50 million in damage.
Synoptic-Scale Flow and Valley Cold Pool Evolution in the Western United States
Authors: Reeves Heather Dawn , Stensrud David J.
Published: June 2009

Valley cold pools (VCPs), which are trapped, cold layers of air at the bottoms of basins or valleys, pose a significant problem for forecasters because they can lead to several forms of difficult-to-forecast and hazardous weather such as fog, freezing rain, or poor air quality. Numerical models have historically failed to routinely provide accurate guidance on the formation and demise of VCPs, making the forecast problem more challenging. In some case studies of persistent wintertime VCPs, there is a connection between the movement of upper-level waves and the timing of VCP formation and decay. Herein, a 3-yr climatology of persistent wintertime VCPs for five valleys and basins in the western United States is performed to see how often VCP formation and decay coincides with synoptic-scale (∼200–2000 km) wave motions. Valley cold pools are found to form most frequently as an upper-level ridge approaches the western United States and in response to strong midlevel warming. The VCPs usually last as long as the ridge is over the area and usually only end when a trough, and its associated midlevel cooling, move over the western United States. In fact, VCP strength appears to be almost entirely dictated by midlevel temperature changes, which suggests large-scale forcing is dominant for this type of VCP most of the time.
Effect of Fiber Sizing — Test Fluid Interaction on the Unsaturated and Saturated Flow in the VARTM Process
Authors: Sharma Sanjay , Siginer Dennis A. , Dukipatti Ravi K. , Soschinske Kurt A.
Published: June 2009

The focus of this experimental investigation is the sizing-test fluid interaction reported to result in variable flow behavior in and permeability values for porous media. The flow behavior is studied for Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM). Three types of sizing and three test fluids were chosen for the experiments. Two carbon stitch and two glass stitch bonded fabrics of different tow sizes were used for flow characterization. The present study uses two fluids with the same viscosity for each fabric to determine fluid-sizing interaction. The results show that the permeability values are the same with the fluids of same viscosity. The saturated flow behavior due to the heterogeneous nature of the media is different from the one observed in RTM processes. For VARTM processes the dual scale flow characteristics is not observed for a variety of tow sizes.
Design of New Hybrid Composites using Metal Embedded in Polymer Foam and Foam Composite
Authors: Ahmed Ahsan , Fahim Atef , Naguib Hani E.
Published: June 2009

Adhesion and loading bearing properties of polyurethane (PU) foams and sandwich composite with metallic inserts are studied. Metal or solid polymer anchors are used as the load transfer components for PU foam and sandwich composites when they are used as the structural element in design. The traditional method of fixation of these components in foams is gluing and fastening. In this work, the anchors are in the form of inserts and are imbedded in the PU during the foaming process. Flexural testing was conducted on PU with and without metallic inserts to establish typical interaction trends. The load-deflection response, mode of failure, and fracture stresses of the PU structures are elucidated. Results show that long taper and leaf inserts imbedded in foam and sandwich composite provide better load carrying capacity. Comparisons between the taper and leaf inserts are documented. Leaf inserts inside a foam and sandwich composite show better results as compared to taper inserts in terms of adhesion and failure stresses. A linear elastic fracture model is also developed for the foam beam, and the fracture toughness is calculated. FEA analyses of the interaction between the inserts and the PU and sandwich composites under different loads were carried out. The FEA modeling results coincide with the experimental ones, hence validating the model.
Creative Responses to Separation: Israeli and Palestinian Joint Activism in Bil'in
Authors: Hallward Maia Carter
Published: June 2009

This article examines creative ways in which Israeli and Palestinian activists engage with each other and the powers seeking to separate them in their nonviolent struggles for a just and lasting peace. Using the geopolitical theory of territoriality, the article briefly examines a number of administrative, physical, and psychological barriers facing joint activism and the strategies activists use to counteract them. Drawing on nonviolent theory and practice, the article analyzes how activists exert power through the creative use of symbols and practices that undermine the legitimacy of occupation policies. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2004—05 and July 2006, the article explores the implications of this activism on conceptions of identity, and strategies for restarting a moribund peace process. The relative `success' of sustained joint action in Bil'in can provide scholars and policymakers with innovative approaches for addressing some of the outstanding issues needing to be addressed by official negotiators. Although government bodies are more constrained than activists, the imaginative means of engaging with the system — and the reframing of issues through the redeployment of `commonplaces' — can perhaps provide inspiration, if not leverage, for thinking outside of the box.
Threat Perceptions and Feelings as Predictors of Jewish-Israeli Support for Compromise with Palestinians
Authors: Maoz Ifat , Mccauley Clark
Published: June 2009

A representative sample of Israeli Jews (N = 504) completed a survey assessing attitudes towards compromise in the Israeli—Palestinian conflict. Support for compromise was well predicted (R = .63) by a combination of four scales: perception of collective threat from Palestinians, perception of zero-sum relations between Palestinians and Israelis, personal fear of Palestinians, and sympathy towards Palestinians. Feelings of hostility towards Palestinians did not make an independent contribution to this prediction. As hypothesized, respondents who perceived high collective threat and zero-sum relations were much less supportive of making concessions to Palestinians. However, respondents who indicated feeling personal fear were in regression analysis slightly more supportive of compromise. Sympathy toward Palestinians was associated with more support for compromise. Additionally, religiosity was strongly associated with decreased support for compromise. However, entering threat perceptions and sympathy into the equation substantially reduced the predictive value of religiosity, indicating that psychological mechanisms underlie, at least in part, the tendency of more religious respondents to show less support for making concessions to Palestinians.