bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warm Season Variations in the Low-Level Circulation and Precipitation over the Central United States in Observations, AMIP Simulations, and Idealized SST Experiments
Authors: Weaver Scott J. , Schubert Siegfried , Wang Hailan
Published: June 2009

Sea surface temperature (SST) linkages to central U.S. low-level circulation and precipitation variability are investigated from the perspective of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) and recurring modes of SST variability. The observed and simulated links are first examined via GPLLJ index regressions to precipitation, SST, and large-scale circulation fields in the NCEP–NCAR and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) reanalyses, and NASA’s Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project (NSIPP1) and Community Climate Model, version 3 (CCM3) ensemble mean Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations for the 1949–2002 (1979–2002 for NARR) period. Characteristics of the low-level circulation and its related precipitation are further examined in the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Drought Working Group idealized climate model simulations (NSIPP1 and CCM3) forced with varying polarities of recurring modes of SST variability.

It is found that the observed and simulated correlations of the GPLLJ index to Atlantic and Pacific SST, large-scale atmospheric circulation, and Great Plains precipitation variability for 1949–2002 are robust during the July–September (JAS) season and show connections to a distinct global-scale SST variability pattern, one similar to that used in forcing the NSIPP1 and CCM3 idealized simulations, and a subtropical Atlantic-based sea level pressure (SLP) anomaly with a maximum over the Gulf of Mexico. The idealized simulations demonstrate that a warm Pacific and/or a cold Atlantic are influential over regional hydroclimate features including the monthly preference for maximum GPLLJ and precipitation in the seasonal cycle. Furthermore, it appears that the regional expression of globally derived SST variability is important for generating an anomalous atmospheric low-level response of consequence to the GPLLJ, especially when the SST anomaly is positioned over a regional maximum in climatological SST, and in this case the Western Hemisphere warm pool.
Impact of Climate Change on Stratospheric Sudden Warmings as Simulated by the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model
Authors: McLandress Charles , Shepherd Theodore G.
Published: June 2009

The dynamics of Northern Hemisphere major midwinter stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) are examined using transient climate change simulations from the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM). The simulated SSWs show good overall agreement with reanalysis data in terms of composite structure, statistics, and frequency. Using observed or model sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is found to make no significant difference to the SSWs, indicating that the use of model SSTs in the simulations extending into the future is not an issue. When SSWs are defined by the standard (wind based) definition, an absolute criterion, their frequency is found to increase by ∼60% by the end of this century, in conjunction with a ∼25% decrease in their temperature amplitude. However, when a relative criterion based on the northern annular mode index is used to define the SSWs, no future increase in frequency is found. The latter is consistent with the fact that the variance of 100-hPa daily heat flux anomalies is unaffected by climate change. The future increase in frequency of SSWs using the standard method is a result of the weakened climatological mean winds resulting from climate change, which make it easier for the SSW criterion to be met. A comparison of winters with and without SSWs reveals that the weakening of the climatological westerlies is not a result of SSWs. The Brewer–Dobson circulation is found to be stronger by ∼10% during winters with SSWs, which is a value that does not change significantly in the future.
Relationship between Winter/Spring Snowfall and Summer Precipitation in the Northern Great Plains of North America
Authors: Quiring Steven M. , Kluver Daria B.
Published: June 2009

On the basis of snowfall observations from 1929 to 1999, positive (negative) snowfall anomalies are associated with wetter (drier) than normal conditions during the summer [July–August (JJA)] in the northern Great Plains. The five driest summers are associated with negative snowfall anomalies during the preceding winter (−66.7 mm) and spring (−62.4 mm) that cover most of the study region (∼85%). Snowfall anomalies during the late spring (April–May) are more important for determining summer moisture conditions than snowfall anomalies in fall [September–November (SON)] or winter [December–February (DJF)]. The link between snowfall anomalies and summer moisture conditions appears to be, at least partly, through soil moisture since positive (negative) snowfall anomalies are associated with wetter (drier) soils, a later (earlier) date of snowmelt, cooler (warmer) air temperatures, and more (less) evaporation during spring and summer. However, the relationship between spring snowfall and summer moisture conditions is only statistically significant when the moisture anomaly index (Z), which accounts for both temperature and precipitation, is used to characterize summer moisture conditions and the signal is weak when just considering precipitation (e.g., standardized precipitation index). Results also indicate that the strength of the relationship between winter/spring snowfall and summer moisture varies significantly over space and time, which limits its utility for seasonal forecasting.
LMODEL: A Satellite Precipitation Methodology Using Cloud Development Modeling. Part I: Algorithm Construction and Calibration
Authors: Bellerby Tim , Hsu Kuo-lin , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: June 2009

The Lagrangian Model (LMODEL) is a new multisensor satellite rainfall monitoring methodology based on the use of a conceptual cloud-development model that is driven by geostationary satellite imagery and is locally updated using microwave-based rainfall measurements from low earth-orbiting platforms. This paper describes the cloud development model and updating procedures; the companion paper presents model validation results. The model uses single-band thermal infrared geostationary satellite imagery to characterize cloud motion, growth, and dispersal at high spatial resolution (∼4 km). These inputs drive a simple, linear, semi-Lagrangian, conceptual cloud mass balance model, incorporating separate representations of convective and stratiform processes. The model is locally updated against microwave satellite data using a two-stage process that scales precipitable water fluxes into the model and then updates model states using a Kalman filter. Model calibration and updating employ an empirical rainfall collocation methodology designed to compensate for the effects of measurement time difference, geolocation error, cloud parallax, and rainfall shear.
Wave Modeling—Missing the Peaks
Authors: Cavaleri Luigi
Published: June 2009

The paper analyzes the capability of the present wave models of properly reproducing the conditions during and at the peak of severe and extreme storms. After providing evidence that this is often not the case, the reasons for it are explored. First, the physics of waves considered in wave models is analyzed. Although much improved with respect to the past, the wind accuracy is still a relevant factor at the peak of the storms. Other factors such as wind variability and air density are considered. The classical theory of wave generation by J. W. Miles’s mechanism, with subsequent modifications, is deemed not sufficiently representative of extreme conditions. The presently used formulations for nonlinear energy transfer are found to lead to too wide distributions in frequency and direction, hence reducing the input by wind. Notwithstanding some recent improvements, the white-capping formulation still depends on parameters fitted to the bulk of the data. Hence, it is not obvious how they will perform in extreme conditions when the physics is likely to be different.

Albeit at different levels in different models, the advection still implies the spreading of energy, hence a spatial smoothing of the peaks. The lack of proper knowledge of the ocean currents is found to substantially affect the identification of how much energy can—in some cases—be concentrated at a given time and location. The implementation of the available theories and know-how in the present wave models are often found inconsistent from model to model. It follows that in this case, it is not possible to exchange corresponding pieces of software between two models without substantially affecting the quality of the results.

After analyzing various aspects of a wave model, the paper makes some general considerations. Because wave growth is the difference between processes (input and output) involving large amounts of energy, it is very sensitive to small modifications of one or more processes. Together with the strong, but effective, tuning present in a wave model, this makes the introduction of new physics more complicated. It is suggested that for long-term improvements, operational and experimental applications need to proceed along parallel routes, with the latter looking more to the physics without the necessity of an immediately improved overall performance.

In view of the forthcoming increase of computer power, a sensitivity study is suggested to identify the most critical areas in a wave model to determine where to invest for further improvements.

The limits on the description of the physics of the processes when using the spectral approach, particularly in extreme conditions, are considered. For further insights and as a way to validate the present theories in these conditions, the use is suggested of numerical experiments simulating in great detail the physical interaction between the lower atmosphere and the single waves.
High-Spectral- and High-Temporal-Resolution Infrared Measurements from Geostationary Orbit
Authors: Schmit Timothy J. , Li Jun , Ackerman Steven A. , Gurka James J.
Published: June 2009

The first of the next-generation series of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) is scheduled for launch in 2015. The new series of GOES will not have an infrared (IR) sounder dedicated to acquiring high-vertical-resolution atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. High-spectral-resolution sensors have a much greater vertical-resolving power of temperature, moisture, and trace gases than low-spectral-resolution sensors. Because of coarse vertical resolution and limited accuracy in the legacy sounding products from the current GOES sounders, placing a high-spectral-resolution IR sounder with high temporal resolution in the geostationary orbit can provide nearly time-continuous three-dimensional moisture and wind profiles. This would allow substantial improvements in monitoring the mesoscale environment for severe weather forecasting and other applications. Application areas include nowcasting (and short-term forecasts) and numerical weather prediction, which require products such as atmospheric moisture and temperature profiles as well as derived parameters, clear-sky radiances, vertical profiles of atmospheric motion vectors, sea surface temperature, cloud-top properties, and surface properties. Other application areas include trace gases/air quality, dust detection and characterization, climate, and calibration. This paper provides new analysis that further documents the available information regarding the anticipated improvements and their benefits.
Polar Stratospheric Cloud Observations in the 2006/07 Arctic Winter by Using an Improved Micropulse Lidar
Authors: Cordoba-Jabonero Carmen , Gil Manuel , Yela Margarita , Maturilli Marion , Neuber Roland
Published: June 2009

The potential of a new improved version of micropulse lidar (MPL-4) on polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) detection is evaluated in the Arctic over Ny-Ålesund (79°N, 12°E), Norway. The campaign took place from January to February 2007 in the frame of the International Polar Year (IPY) activities. Collocated Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Koldewey Aerosol Raman Lidar (KARL) devoted to long-term Arctic PSC monitoring is used for validation purposes. PSC detection is based on lidar retrievals of both backscattering ratio R and volume depolarization ratio δV. Two episodes were unequivocally attributed to PSCs: 21–22 January and 5–6 February 2007, showing a good correlation between MPL-4 and KARL backscattering ratio datasets (mean correlation coefficient = 0.92 ± 0.03). PSC layered structures were characterized for four observational periods coincident with KARL measurements. Also, PSC type classification was determined depending on the retrieved R and δV values as compared with those obtained by KARL long-term Arctic PSC measurements. Tropospheric cloud cover from lidar observations and both ECMWF potential vorticity and temperature at 475 K, in addition to temperature profiles from AWI daily radiosoundings, are also reported. Height-resolved and temporal evolution of both PSC episodes obtained from MPL-4 measurements clearly show that MPL-4 is a suitable instrument to provide long-term PSC statistic monitoring in polar regions. These results are the first reported on PSC detection in the Arctic by using a low-energy and highly pulsed lidar operating on autonomous and full-time continuous mode MPL-4.
Using Dual-Polarized Radar and Dual-Frequency Profiler for DSD Characterization: A Case Study from Darwin, Australia
Authors: Bringi V. N. , Williams C. R. , Thurai M. , May P. T.
Published: June 2009

Comparisons are made between the reflectivity Z, median volume diameter D0, and rain rate R from a dual-frequency profiler and the C-band polarimetric radar (C-POL), which are both located near Darwin, Australia. Examples from the premonsoon “buildup” regime and the monsoon (oceanic) regime are used to illustrate the excellent agreement between the dual-profiler retrievals and the polarimetric radar-based retrievals. This work builds on similar works that were limited in scope to shallow tropical showers and predominantly stratiform rain events. The dual-frequency profiler retrievals of D0 and R herein are based on ensemble statistics, whereas the polarimetric radar retrievals are based on algorithms derived by using one season of disdrometer data from Darwin along with scattering simulations. The latest drop shape versus D relation is used as well as the canting angle distribution results obtained from the 80-m fall bridge experiment in the scattering simulations. The scatterplot of D0 from dual-frequency profiler versus Zdr measurements from C-POL is shown to be consistent not only with the theoretical simulations and prior data but also within prior predicted error bars for both stratiform rain as well as convective rain.

Based on dual-frequency profiler–retrieved gamma drop size distribution parameters, a new smoothly varying “separator” indexing scheme has been developed that classifies between stratiform and convective rain types, including a continuous “transition” region between the two. This indexing technique has been applied on a number of low-elevation-angle plan position indicator (PPI) sweeps with the C-POL from the two regime examples, to construct “unconditioned” histograms of D0 in stratiform and convective rain (to within the sensitivity of the radar). With reference to the latter, it is demonstrated that the distribution of D0 is different in the buildup example than in the monsoon example, because of the differences in both the microphysical and kinematic features between the two regimes. In particular, (i) the mean D0 is significantly larger in the buildup example than in the monsoon example, irrespective of rain type; (ii) the histogram width (or standard deviation) is much larger for the buildup example than the monsoon example, irrespective of rain type; and (iii) the histogram skewness is negative for the monsoon regime example because of a lack of larger D0 values, whereas the buildup histogram is positively skewed irrespective of rain type.
Uncertainties of Estimates of Inertia–Gravity Energy in the Atmosphere. Part I: Intercomparison of Four Analysis Systems
Authors: Žagar N. , Tribbia J. , Anderson J. L. , Raeder K.
Published: June 2009

This paper presents the application of the normal-mode functions to diagnose the atmospheric energy spectra in terms of balanced and inertia–gravity (IG) contributions. A set of three-dimensional orthogonal normal modes is applied to four analysis datasets from July 2007. The datasets are the operational analysis systems of NCEP and ECMWF, the NCEP–NCAR reanalyses, and the Data Assimilation Research Testbed–Community Atmospheric Model (DART–CAM), an ensemble analysis system developed at NCAR. The differences between the datasets can be considered as a measure of uncertainty of the IG contribution to the global energetics.

The results show that the percentage of IG motion in the present NCEP, ECMWF, and DART–CAM analysis systems is between 1% and 2% of the total energy field. In the wave part of the flow (zonal wavenumber k ≠ 0), the IG energy contribution is between 9% and 15%. On the contrary, the NCEP–NCAR reanalyses contain more IG motion, especially in the Southern Hemisphere extratropics. Each analysis contains more energy in the eastward IG motion than in its westward counterpart. The difference is about 2%–3% of the total wave energy and it is associated with the motions projected onto the Kelvin wave in the tropics.

The selected truncation parameters of the expansion (zonal, meridional, and vertical truncation) ensure that the projection provides the optimal fit to the input data on model levels. This approach is different from previous applications of the normal modes and under the linearity assumption it allows the application of the inverse projection to obtain details of circulation associated with a selected type of motion. The bulk of the IG motion is confined to the tropics. For the successful reproduction of three-dimensional circulations by the normal modes it is important that the expansion includes a number of vertical modes.
Uncertainties of Estimates of Inertia–Gravity Energy in the Atmosphere. Part II: Large-Scale Equatorial Waves
Authors: Žagar N. , Tribbia J. , Anderson J. L. , Raeder K.
Published: June 2009

This paper analyzes the spectra and spatiotemporal features of the large-scale inertia-gravity (IG) circulations in four analysis systems in the tropics. Of special interest is the Kelvin wave (KW), which represents between 7% and 25% of the total IG wave (zonal wavenumber k ≠ 0) energy. The mixed Rossby–gravity (MRG) mode comprises between 4% and 15% of the IG wave energy. At the longest scales, the KW spectra are fitted by a law while the MRG energy spectrum appears flat. At shorter scales both modes follow a −3 law. Energy spectra of the total IG wave motion at long zonal scales (zonal wavenumber smaller than 7) have slopes close to −1.

The average circulation associated with KW is characterized by reverse flows in the upper and lower troposphere consistent with the ideas behind simple tropical models. The inverse projection is used to quantify the role of Kelvin and MRG waves in current analysis systems in the upper troposphere over the Indian Ocean. At these levels, easterlies between 10°S and 30°N are represented by the KW to a significant degree while the cross-equatorial flow toward the descending branch of the Hadley cell at 10°S is associated with the MRG waves.

The transient structure of equatorial waves is presented in the space of normal modes defined by the zonal wavenumbers, meridional Hough functions, and the vertical eigenfunctions. The difference in the depth of the model domain in DART–CAM and NCEP–NCAR on one hand and ECMWF and NCEP on the other appears to be one reason for different wave propagation properties. In the latter case the vertical energy propagation is diagnosed by filtering the propagating KW modes back to physical space. The results agree with the linear theory of vertically propagating equatorial waves.
The Amplitude Asymmetry between Synoptic Cyclones and Anticyclones: Implications for Filtering Methods in Feature Tracking
Authors: Donohoe Aaron , Battisti David S.
Published: June 2009

The “background” state is commonly removed from synoptic fields by use of either a spatial or temporal filter prior to the application of feature tracking. Commonly used spatial and temporal filters applied to sea level pressure data admit substantially different information to be included in the synoptic fields. The spatial filter retains a time-mean field that has comparable magnitude to a typical synoptic perturbation. In contrast, the temporal filter removes the entire time-mean field. The inclusion of the time-mean spatially filtered field biases the feature tracking statistics toward large cyclone (anticyclone) magnitudes in the regions of climatological lows (highs). The resulting cyclone/anticyclone magnitude asymmetries in each region are found to be inconsistent with the unfiltered data fields and merely result from the spurious inclusion of the time-mean fields in the spatially filtered data. The temporally filtered fields do not suffer from the same problem and produce modest cyclone/anticyclone magnitude asymmetries that are consistent with the unfiltered data. This analysis suggests that the weather forecaster’s assertion that cyclones have larger amplitudes than anticyclones is due to a composite of a small magnitude asymmetry in the synoptic waves and a large contribution from inhomogeneity in the background (stationary) field.
Leaf Area Index Specification for Use in Mesoscale Weather Prediction Systems
Authors: Knote Christoph , Bonafe Giovanni , Di Giuseppe Francesca
Published: June 2009

The energy budget at the surface is strongly influenced by the presence of vegetation, which alters the partitioning of thermal energy between sensible and latent heat fluxes. Despite its relevance, numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems often use only two parameters to describe the vegetation cover: the fractional area of vegetation occupying a given pixel and the leaf area index (LAI). In this study, the Consortium for Small-Scale Modelling (COSMO) limited-area forecast model is used to investigate the sensitivity of regional predictions to LAI assumptions over the Italian peninsula. Three different approaches are compared: a space- and time-invariant LAI dataset, a LAI specification based on Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) land classes, and a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite-retrieved dataset. The three approaches resolve increasingly higher moments both in time and space of LAI probability density functions. Forecast scores employing the three datasets can therefore be used to assess the required degree of accuracy needed for this parameter. The MODIS dataset is the only one able to capture the expected vegetative cycle that is typical of the Mediterranean ecosystem and noticeably improves the 850-hPa temperature and humidity forecast scores up to +72 h forecast time. This suggests that accounting for LAI temporal and spatial variability could potentially improve the prevision of lower-level variables. Nevertheless, model biases of 2-m screen temperatures are not substantially reduced by the more detailed LAI specification when comparisons to synoptic observing stations are performed. Using long-term measurements collected by the CarboEurope project, a detailed verification of sensible and latent heat flux predictions is also presented. It shows that the desirable positive impact arising from a better LAI specification is nullified by the large uncertainties in the initialization of the soil moisture, which remains a crucial parameter for the reduction of screen-level biases.
A Variational Multiple–Doppler Radar Three-Dimensional Wind Synthesis Method and Its Impacts on Thermodynamic Retrieval
Authors: Liou Yu-Chieng , Chang Ya-Ju
Published: June 2009

A multiple–Doppler radar synthesis method is developed to recover the three-dimensional wind field. In this method the solutions are obtained by variationally adjusting the winds to satisfy a series of constraints in weak formats. Among them, the primary ones are multiple-radar radial velocity observations, the anelastic continuity equation, the vertical vorticity equation, the background wind, and spatial smoothness terms. The retrieved wind products are at two time levels, and can be readily applied to deduce the information about the pressure and temperature through the use of the thermodynamic retrieval algorithm, in which the temporal derivatives of the wind fields are required.

Experiments using model-simulated data are conducted, from which two major findings are obtained. First, the wind field along and near the radar baseline can still be recovered. This is a major advantage over the traditional approach. Therefore, the proposed method is capable of providing uninterrupted observations of a weather system as it passes the baseline. This allows for more flexibility when designing the radar deployment in field experiments. Second, if the winds are applied to infer the thermodynamic fields using the traditional dynamic retrieval method, and an extra sounding (e.g., radiosonde or dropsonde) is combined in order to specify the horizontal average of the thermodynamic perturbations, the preferable place to release this sounding is within the region of weak, rather than strong, convection.

In additional to the aforementioned findings, with this method there is no need to prescribe the top or bottom boundary conditions for the vertical velocities in the traditional sense. Since the computation is performed without explicit vertical integration of the continuity equation, the problem of error accumulation due to inappropriate boundary conditions for the vertical velocities is prevented. These finding are consistent with some previous publications. Furthermore, the instability that occurs during traditional iterative dual-Doppler wind synthesis based on a Cartesian coordinate can also be avoided. Finally, data from any number of radars can be easily added to the computation.

This method is also tested using the radar datasets collected during the Southwest Monsoon Experiment/Terrain-Influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SoWMEX/TiMREX), which was conducted from May to June 2008 in Taiwan, and reasonable results are obtained.
Factors Affecting Surface Wind Speeds in Gravity Waves and Wake Lows
Authors: Coleman Timothy A. , Knupp Kevin R.
Published: June 2009

Ducted gravity waves and wake lows have been associated with numerous documented cases of “severe” winds (>25 m s−1) and wind damage. These winds are associated with the pressure perturbations and transient mesoscale pressure gradients occurring in many gravity waves and wake lows. However, not all wake lows and gravity waves produce significant winds nor wind damage. In this paper, the factors that affect the surface winds produced by ducted gravity waves and wake lows are reviewed and examined. It is shown theoretically that the factors most conducive to high surface winds include a large-amplitude pressure disturbance, a slow intrinsic speed of propagation, and an ambient wind with the same sign as the pressure perturbation (i.e., a headwind for a pressure trough). Multiple case studies are presented, contrasting gravity waves and wake lows with varying amplitudes, intrinsic speeds, and background winds. In some cases high winds occurred, while in others they did not. In each case, the factor(s) responsible for significant winds, or the lack thereof, are discussed. It is hoped that operational forecasters will be able to, in some cases, compute these factors in real time, to ascertain in more detail the threat of damaging wind from an approaching ducted gravity wave or wake low.
Spatial Forecast Verification Methods Intercomparison Project: Application of the SAL Technique
Authors: Wernli Heini , Hofmann Christiane , Zimmer Matthias
Published: June 2009

In this study, a recently introduced feature-based quality measure called SAL, which provides information about the structure, amplitude, and location of a quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) in a prespecified domain, is applied to different sets of synthetic and realistic QPFs in the United States. The focus is on a detailed discussion of selected cases and on the comparison of the verification results obtained with SAL and some classical gridpoint-based error measures. For simple geometric precipitation objects it is shown that SAL adequately captures errors in the size and location of the objects, however, not in their orientation. The artificially modified (so-called fake) cases illustrate that SAL has the potential to distinguish between forecasts where intense precipitation objects are either isolated or embedded in a larger-scale low-intensity precipitation area. The real cases highlight that a quality assessment with SAL can lead to contrasting results compared to the application of classical error measures and that, overall, SAL provides useful guidance for identifying the specific shortcomings of a particular QPF. It is also discussed that verification results with SAL and other error measures should be interpreted with care if considering large domains, which may contain meteorologically distinct precipitation systems.
Increasing access to health education in eastern Uganda: Rethinking the role and preparation of volunteers
Authors: Siu Godfrey E , Whyte Susan R
Published: June 2009

Objective In many parts of Uganda, the demand for health education is greater than the conventional health sector can provide and community health education volunteers fill the gap. Using two case study non government organizations (NGOs) that heavily rely on volunteers as health educators, this article shows the problems of unsystematic preparation of volunteers for their roles in health education.

Design An exploratory cross-sectional design using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was used.

Setting Two case study NGOs that heavily rely on volunteers as health educators were selected in a rural district in eastern Uganda.

Method Focus group discussions and observation of health education sessions were conducted, as well as in-depth interviews with volunteers and staff of the selected NGOs.

Results The NGOs were enthusiastic about the role of volunteers in health education and regarded them positively. However, the process of recruitment was informal. Orientation of the volunteers was insufficient and rather unsystematic. A minimal focus was placed on methods of conducting health education during the training of the volunteers, suggesting a failure to view health education as a professional field. This left the practice of health education at the mercy of the volunteers' own less reflective self-designed pedagogical approach.

Conclusion While there is a high enthusiasm for the potential role of volunteers, by both the NGOs and the community, their preparation for health education so far does not measure up to the demands of the tasks they are to perform. The limited emphasis on skills in planning, organizing and methods of health education leaves the practice of health education haphazard and indicates failure to view the area as a professional field.
Perceptions of healthy eating: A qualitative study of school-going children in South India
Authors: Swaminathan S. , Thomas T. , Kurpad A.V. , Vaz M.
Published: June 2009

Objective To document children's views on healthy eating, perceptions of healthy and unhealthy foods and health consequences of consuming unhealthy foods.

Design Baseline data from a three-year longitudinal study.

Setting A purposive sample of 307 school children aged 7 to 15 years were recruited from three schools representing various socio-economic status (SES).

Method An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from children on their general dietary habits, perceptions on meaning of healthy eating, healthy and unhealthy foods and perceived health consequences of consuming unhealthy foods. Content analysis of the data was performed.

Results Children's views on the meaning of healthy eating centred around seven concepts. In older children, those with mothers with higher educational levels and normal/underweight children, perception of meaning of healthy eating was largely based on diet composition. Listings of healthy foods varied based on age group, gender and mother's educational level, while that of unhealthy foods was related to age group and SES. This knowledge, however, did not translate into eating choices, with no differences in intake of fried foods/snacks, aerated drinks, fast foods, sweets and chocolates evident across age groups, gender, SES and mother's educational level. Children from families with a history of chronic disease had an increased awareness ( p < 0.001) of links between unhealthy eating and chronic disease, although intakes did not differ from those children without a family history of chronic disease. Conclusion A concerted effort is required to translate the knowledge of children into positive behaviour change towards healthy eating.
Helping teenagers stop smoking: Comparative observations across youth settings in Cardiff
Authors: Bowles Hannah , Maher Alison , Sage Robert
Published: June 2009

Objective This paper presents comparative observations between schools/colleges, youth centres, and specialist youth provision, in relation to delivery of the 2tuff2puff six-week smoking cessation and awareness programme to young people in Cardiff.

Design A six-week smoking cessation programme was delivered to 12—23 year olds in various youth venues, using weekly records of attendance and compulsory questionnaires delivered by the group facilitator at week one and week six.

Setting Twenty-two groups were delivered in 14 youth settings across Cardiff. These settings were categorized into three types: schools/ colleges; youth centres; and specialist youth provisions.

Method Data collected from 179 young people at week one and 84 young people at week six were used to measure changes in weekly smoking behaviour, weekly expenditure on cigarettes, knowledge about smoking and smoking cessation, attitudes toward smoking, motivation to quit/ cut down, and attrition. These were compared across the three different setting types. Youth Health Development Officers rated the three setting types on five factors (ease of access/communication with venue; suitability for sessions/acceptability to young people; supportiveness of environment for making a quit attempt; recruitment of young people; and data collection and evaluation) to reflect their practical experiences of delivering the six-week smoking cessation programme across the different youth settings.

Results Schools/colleges and specialist youth provision had the highest levels of attendance, and positive change in attitude toward quitting was greatest in specialist youth settings (79 per cent of attendees were more determined to quit).

Conclusion Overall, when both practical delivery issues and young peoples' outcome measures were considered, specialist youth provisions were the most effective settings for delivery of this programme. Delivery of smoking awareness as part of a wider health curriculum for groups of excluded young people is also recommended.
Oral health promotion for linguistically and culturally diverse populations: Understanding the local non-English-speaking population
Authors: Clarke Wendy , Periam Catherine , Zoitopoulos Liana
Published: June 2009

Changes in the prevalence of oral diseases and the funding of National Health Service Dentistry in the United Kingdom have combined to emphasize the role of the dental team in the prevention of disease. As part of this, oral health promotion plays a vital role in local communities and educational settings. Like many other inner-city London boroughs, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham have linguistically and culturally diverse populations, accompanied in recent years by an increasing demand and need for oral health promotion for non English speakers and those with low English language proficiency. Using the population of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham as an example, this paper will highlight the complexity of developing oral health promotion resources for non-English-speaking populations, where language is a barrier to accessing information and services. Practical strategies for delivering health promotion in the community will also be considered.
Prevalence of dental fear and anxiety amongst patients in selected dental clinics in Ghana
Authors: Ofori Marian A , Adu-Ababio F. , Nyako E.A. , Ndanu Tom A
Published: June 2009

Objective To find out the prevalence of dental anxiety and fear amongst patients in various selected dental clinics in Accra, Ghana.

Study design Dental patients ( n = 279) who had either been exposed to dental treatments or had no prior dental exposure, attending four selected dental clinics in Accra were randomly sampled. They were interviewed with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) used to evaluate dental anxiety, and the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) used to measure dental fear among the respondents.

Results A high level of dental anxiety was found in 13.6 per cent of the study sample, while 47.3 per cent were fearful of various dental treatments. Female patients recorded a higher DFS score than males (22.84 ± 9.87 and 19.7 ± 8.15 respectively). The MDAS showed a significant difference between the sexes (X2 = 6.912, p = 0.032). The DFS showed a significant difference (F = 2.56, p = 0.039) existing within the age group, with the younger age group showing the highest DFS value. There was no significant difference between the mean scores of the MDAS and the DFS of the study group with regard to educational level. Previous dental experience did not have any impact on fear or anxiety levels ( p > 0.05)

Conclusions Dental anxiety and fear has been found to be high amongst dental patients in Ghana. Females are more likely to report higher dental anxiety and fear scores than males. Dental surgeons and the whole dental team should be made aware of this situation and the appropriate treatment plan created for an anxious or fearful patient.
A discussion paper on the assessment of student learning outcomes for healthcare management
Authors: Roberts Velma , Perryman Martha , Rivers Patrick A
Published: June 2009

As employers, parents, and policy makers demand more accountability from higher education, transferring student learning to health services management practice is more important than ever. If educators want to give these stakeholders the evidence-based performance results they expect, assessment of student learning outcomes, as well as aggregate statistics on groups of students, is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to outline how healthcare management faculty can use a learning-centered approach to assess student learning outcomes, to discuss how assessment of student learning outcomes can be the most effective way to develop and transfer knowledge to practice, and to recommend implementation strategies for practical application in the classroom.
Everybody Loves Me: Self-Evaluations and Metaperceptions of Dating Popularity
Authors: Preuss Gregory S. , Alicke Mark D.
Published: June 2009

A limitation of most comparative bias studies is that they lack an objective criterion against which to assess the accuracy of self-evaluations. Furthermore, comparisons are usually made with large populations or “average peers” rather than specific others. To assess the robustness of self-enhancement when strong reality constraints are imposed, we created a video dating paradigm in which participants made profiles that they believed would be evaluated by opposite-sex peers. Blocks of seven profiles were created, and participants ranked their own profiles and estimated how others who viewed their videos would rank them (metaperceptions). Each actor was yoked to one observer who saw and ranked the same block of profiles. Despite the presence of an external reality check, participants in all three studies evinced strong self-enhancement tendencies as measured in self-rankings and metaperception judgments that exceeded those provided by observers.
Contagion Without Contact: Anticipatory Mood Matching in Response to Affiliative Motivation
Authors: Huntsinger Jeffrey R. , Lun Janetta , Sinclair Stacey , Clore Gerald L.
Published: June 2009

We investigated whether the desire to have a smooth and pleasant interaction with an anticipated interaction partner caused participants' moods to become similar to their imminent partners' moods. We found evidence of anticipatory mood matching when participants were motivated to affiliate with a partner through goal priming (Experiments 1 and 2) and outcome dependency (Experiment 3). Prior research has demonstrated mood contagion arising from actual social interaction but these experiments establish contagion without contact, an outcome evident regardless of whether mood was assessed via self-report (Experiments 1 through 3) or information-processing style (Experiment 3).
On the Meaning and Measure of Narcissism
Authors: Brown Ryan P. , Budzek Karolyn , Tamborski Michael
Published: June 2009

For three decades, social-personality research on overt narcissism has relied almost exclusively on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). However, the NPI suffers from a host of psychometric and validity concerns that make composite NPI scores (summed across its subscales) difficult to interpret. The present studies propose that narcissistic characteristics tend to fall under two general clusters: grandiosity and entitlement. The studies show that measures of grandiosity and entitlement interact to predict scores on the NPI, controlling for gender, self-esteem, and basic personality (Study 1), but also that grandiosity and entitlement function independently with respect to mental health (Study 2) and ethical misconduct (Study 3). Together, these results challenge the view of overt narcissism as a unidimensional construct and underscore the importance of distinguishing between grandiose and entitled aspects of the narcissistic self-concept.
Negation and the creation of implicit meaning in poetry
Authors: Nahajec Lisa
Published: June 2009

Creating meaning through the use of negation is a cooperative process between speaker and hearer or writer and reader; at surface level, negation acts as an instruction that a proposition should be understood as an unrealized state, event or existence. However, this unrealized state of affairs appears to add no positive information to an ongoing discourse, and approaches based on an analysis of formal semantics and predicate logic are limited in their ability to account for how negated propositions are meaningful in discourse. A reader must infer the intended relevant meaning of a negated proposition based on the assumption that it functions explicitly to deny its opposite, positive counterpart. Further, in order to understand a negated proposition we must be able to conceptualize the positive proposition that is being denied, and this concept, though understood as an unrealized state of affairs, adds to the ongoing discourse both as a concept and as an expectation. A cognitive approach to the analysis of negation in natural language provides the tools to examine how readers and writers cooperate to make meaning. In this article, I use a cognitive stylistic approach, Text World Theory (Werth, 1999), as a framework in my analysis of a small selection of poems, 'The Tyre' (Simon Armitage), 'The Listeners' (Walter de la Mare) and 'Talking in Bed' (Philip Larkin) to explore how negation, as a pragmatic phenomenon, creates unrealized worlds, which far from being discarded are integral to the construction of meaning and effect.
Parentheticals and point of view in free indirect style
Authors: Blakemore Diane
Published: June 2009

This article explores the functions of parentheticals in Free Indirect Style (FIS), and in particular their role in enabling the author to represent thoughts from a variety of perspectives — including his own. I argue that while there is a sense in which a FIS text can achieve relevance by creating a sense of mutuality that is unmediated by the presence of the author, there are also features which allow the author to signal his own attitudes towards the characters whose thoughts he is representing. Indeed, as Dillon and Kirchhoff (1976) and Fludernik (1993) have shown, an author is able to communicate a sense of ironic distance even if he does not necessarily explicitly comment on his characters. Using examples from Katherine Mansfield, Malcolm Lowry and Virginia Woolf, I show that parentheticals play a role both in establishing a sense of affective mutuality between reader and character and in establishing a sense of irony by placing represented thoughts in a ludicrous light.
Cognitive bias and the poetics of surprise
Authors: Tobin Vera
Published: June 2009

The 'curse of knowledge' is a pervasive cognitive bias that makes it very difficult for us accurately to imagine, once we know something, what it is like not to know it. This article analyzes examples drawn from both novels and films to demonstrate that this bias plays a substantial and previously unexamined role in narrative structure. I argue that narratives often take advantage of the curse of knowledge to solve an ongoing storytelling dilemma: how to engineer satisfying twists that genuinely surprise audiences but also avoid coming off as non-sequiturs or cheats. The curse of knowledge provides a useful mechanism to encourage readers to over-generalize propositions in predictable and reproducible ways, while making it likely that they will also agree, in retrospect, that these generalizations were mistaken. The same bias serves to enhance the impression, in hindsight, that the narrative's outcome was indeed possible to predict. Finally, building on Mental Spaces theory (Fauconnier, 1985, 1997) and simulation-based theories of language processing (e.g. Barsalou, 1999; MacWhinney, 2005), I argue that the curse of knowledge is an artifact of a more general cognitive shortcut that is implicated in features of 'correct' sentence interpretation such as presupposition projection as well as in phenomena traditionally described as curse-of-knowledge errors. This account unifies the discussed examples and helps to explain why certain devices, particularly unreliable narration, emerge so frequently as aids to narrative surprise.
Salient inferences: Pragmatics and The Inheritors
Authors: Clark Billy
Published: June 2009

This article considers the role of accounts of inferential processes in the stylistic analysis of texts. It approaches this question by considering the range of contributions an account of inferential processes might make to the stylistic analysis of William Golding's 1955 novel The Inheritors. It considers what such an account might add to insights already provided by previous analyses, including Halliday's famous analysis ('Linguistic Function and Literary Style', 1971) and Hoover's more recent corpus-based work ( Language and Style in 'The Inheritors', 1999), both of which say relatively little about inferential processes. This article suggests that an account of inferential processes is in principle a vital part of any adequate account of how texts create effects, even though it is not always practical to offer a detailed account. In some cases, including the case of The Inheritors, the nature of the inferential processes which the text gives rise to makes an important contribution to how we understand and respond to the text.