bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Three-Dimensional Wave-Activity Relation for Pseudomomentum
Authors: Ran Lingkun , Gao Shouting
Published: June 2007

A three-dimensional, nonhydrostatic local wave-activity relation for pseudomomentum is derived from the nonhydrostatic primitive equations in Cartesian coordinates by using an extension of the momentum–Casimir method. The stationary and zonally symmetric basic states are chosen and a Casimir function, which is the single-valued function of potential vorticity and potential temperature, is introduced in the derivation.

The wave-activity density and wave-activity flux of the local wave-activity relation for pseudomomentum are expressed entirely in terms of Eulerian quantities so that they are easily calculated with atmospheric data and do not require the knowledge of particle placements. Constructed in the ageostrophic and nonhydrostatic dynamical framework, the local wave-activity relation for pseudomomentum is applicable to diagnosing the evolution and propagation of mesoscale weather systems.
An Evaluation of Microphysics Fields from Mesoscale Model Simulations of Tropical Cyclones. Part I: Comparisons with Observations
Authors: Rogers Robert F. , Black Michael L. , Chen Shuyi S. , Black Robert A.
Published: June 2007

This study presents a framework for comparing hydrometeor and vertical velocity fields from mesoscale model simulations of tropical cyclones with observations of these fields from a variety of platforms. The framework is based on the Yuter and Houze constant frequency by altitude diagram (CFAD) technique, along with a new hurricane partitioning technique, to compare the statistics of vertical motion and reflectivity fields and hydrometeor concentrations from two datasets: one consisting of airborne radar retrievals and microphysical probe measurements collected from tropical cyclone aircraft flights over many years, and another consisting of cloud-scale (1.67-km grid length) tropical cyclone simulations using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). Such comparisons of the microphysics fields can identify biases in the simulations that may lead to an identification of deficiencies in the modeling system, such as the formulation of various physical parameterization schemes used in the model. Improvements in these schemes may potentially lead to better forecasts of tropical cyclone intensity and rainfall.

In Part I of this study, the evaluation framework is demonstrated by comparing the radar retrievals and probe measurements to MM5 simulations of Hurricanes Bonnie (1998) and Floyd (1999). Comparisons of the statistics from the two datasets show that the model reproduces many of the gross features seen in the observations, though notable differences are evident. The general distribution of vertical motion is similar between the observations and simulations, with the strongest up- and downdrafts making up a small percentage of the overall population in both datasets, but the magnitudes of vertical motion are weaker in the simulations. The model-derived reflectivities are much higher than observed, and correlations between vertical motion and hydrometeor concentration and reflectivity show a much stronger relationship in the model than what is observed. Possible errors in the data processing are discussed as potential sources of differences between the observed and simulated datasets in Part I. In Part II, attention will be focused on using the evaluation framework to investigate the role that different model configurations (i.e., different resolutions and physical parameterizations) play in producing different microphysics fields in the simulation of Hurricane Bonnie. The microphysical and planetary boundary layer parameterization schemes, as well as higher horizontal and vertical resolutions, will be tested in the simulation to identify the extent to which changes in these schemes are reflected in improvements of the statistical comparisons with the observations.
Interpreting the Opposition between Two Block-Onset Forcing Mechanisms
Authors: Dong Li , Colucci Stephen J.
Published: June 2007

The opposition between two block-onset forcing mechanisms, previously identified in midtropospheric analyses over the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes, is analytically interpreted with an idealized model. These mechanisms are the interaction (Finter) between deformation and potential vorticity and the advection (Fadv) of meridionally varying potential vorticity. Weather systems of concern, primarily consisting of planetary- and synoptic-scale waves, mostly fall into two regimes of zonal and meridional wavenumber space in which the opposition between the two block-onset forcing mechanisms is analytically derived. A synoptic interpretation of this opposition is schematically presented within the framework of barotropic dynamics. It is found that whether blocking occurs in diffluent or confluent flow depends upon the critical wavelength associated with the geostrophic flow. Blocking tends to take place in the diffluent flow of long waves in which Finter dominates over Fadv. In addition, blocking also tends to occur in the confluent flow of relative short waves in which Fadv prevails over Finter. An investigation of Rossby wave phase speeds in one diagnosed case reveals a lengthening with time of the dominant wave until it reaches the stationary wavelength on the block-onset day. In this context blocking may be understood as a stationarity and thus persistence of one of the two block-onset forcing mechanisms.
Evidence for Tilted Toroidal Circulations in Cumulus
Authors: Damiani Rick , Vali Gabor
Published: June 2007

Intense vortical circulations, often organized in counterrotating vortex pairs, were detected in midcontinental cumulus congestus over southeast Wyoming in July 2003. The sampled clouds developed in dry environments and at cold temperatures, and were a few kilometers in depth and width. Observations were obtained with the Wyoming Cloud Radar from aboard the Wyoming King Air research aircraft. Dual-Doppler analyses of the data yielded high-resolution (30–45 m) depictions of the horizontal components of air motions across vigorously growing clouds. The vortices found in the horizontal cross sections are interpreted as components of the toroidal circulations in thermals when those are tilted because of the effect of ambient cross flow. This configuration also leads to a partial stabilization of the vertical trajectory of the updraft, by opposing the drag by the ambient wind. Additionally, dry air intrusions were seen to accompany these features when the vortices developed near the cloud outer boundaries; recirculation of hydrometeors occurred when the vortices were adjacent to in-cloud downdrafts. These features are also evident in the radar reflectivity patterns. In general, gradients of velocities and vorticity values in horizontal planes are comparable to those found in vertical planes.
Idealized Numerical Simulations of the Interactions between Buoyant Plumes and Density Currents
Authors: Cunningham Philip
Published: June 2007

Idealized numerical experiments using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model are performed to examine the fundamental dynamical processes associated with the interactions between buoyant plumes and density currents. The aim of these simulations is to provide insight into the rapid changes in the structure of plumes that may be observed during the passage of density current phenomena such as thunderstorm outflows, sea-breeze fronts, or intense cold fronts. The LES model results indicate that when the ambient winds are calm the vertical velocity in the plume decreases with the passage of the density current, but that when the ambient winds oppose the motion of the density current a significant increase in vertical velocity in the plume may occur temporarily. In the latter case, the pressure perturbation and the associated region of horizontal convergence that lead the head of the density current interact with the tilted plume, causing the base of the plume to become vertical and resulting in a dramatic increase in vertical velocity within the plume. This basic dynamical behavior occurs over a relatively broad range of parameters, provided the characteristic velocity in the density current (taken as the densimetric speed) exceeds the ambient wind speed. When this is the case, the interaction is dominated by the effect of the density current on the buoyant plume such that the plume is essentially advected as a passive tracer by the flow due to the density current, and the increase in vertical velocity depends on the inverse of the convective Froude number of the buoyant plume.
Multiscale Organization of Convection Simulated with Explicit Cloud Processes on an Aquaplanet
Authors: Nasuno Tomoe , Tomita Hirofumi , Iga Shinichi , Miura Hiroaki , Satoh Masaki
Published: June 2007

This study investigated the multiscale organization of tropical convection on an aquaplanet in a model experiment with a horizontal mesh size of 3.5 km (for a 10-day simulation) and 7 km (for a 40-day simulation). The numerical experiment used the nonhydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model (NICAM) with explicit cloud physics.

The simulation realistically reproduced multiscale cloud systems: eastward-propagating super cloud clusters (SCCs) contained westward-propagating cloud clusters (CCs). SCCs (CCs) had zonal sizes of several thousand (hundred) kilometers; typical propagation speed was 17 (10) m s−1. Smaller convective structures such as mesoscale cloud systems (MCs) of O(10 km) and cloud-scale elements (<10 km) were reproduced. A squall-type cluster with high cloud top (z > 16 km) of O(100 km) area was also reproduced.

Planetary-scale equatorial waves (with wavelengths of 10 000 and 40 000 km) had a major influence on the eastward propagation of the simulated SCC; destabilization east of the SCC facilitated generation of new CCs at the eastern end of the SCC. Large-scale divergence fields associated with the waves enhanced the growth of deep clouds in the CCs. A case study of a typical SCC showed that the primary mechanism forcing westward propagation varies with the life stages of the CCs or with vertical profiles of zonal wind. Cold pools and synoptic-scale waves both affected CC organization. Cloud-scale elements systematically formed along the edges of cold pools to sustain simulated MCs. The location, movement, and duration of the MCs varied with the large-scale conditions.
A New Characterization of Rain and Clouds: Results from a Statistical Inversion of Count Data
Authors: Jameson A. R.
Published: June 2007

Most variables in meteorology are statistically heterogeneous. The statistics of data from several different locations, then, can be thought of as an amalgamation of information contained in several contributing probability density functions (PDFs) having different sets of parameters, different parametric forms, and different mean values. The frequency distribution of such data, then, will often be multimodal.

Usually, however, in order to achieve better sampling, measurements of these variables over an entire set of data gathered at widely disparate locations are processed as though the data were statistically homogeneous, that is, as though they were fully characterized by just one PDF and one single set of parameters having one mean value. Is there, instead, a better way of treating the data in a manner that is consistent with this statistical heterogeneity?

This question is addressed here using a statistical inversion technique developed by Tarantola based upon Bayesian methodology. Two examples of disdrometer measurements in real rain, one 16 h and the other 3 min long, reveal the presence of multiple mean values of the counts at all the different drop sizes. In both cases the heterogeneous rain can be decomposed into five–seven statistically homogeneous components, each characterized by its own steady drop size distribution. Concepts such as stratiform versus convective rain can be given more precise meaning in terms of the contributions each component makes to the rain. Furthermore, this discovery permits the explicit inclusion of statistical heterogeneity into some analytic theories.
Modal and Nonmodal Symmetric Perturbations. Part II: Nonmodal Growths Measured by Total Perturbation Energy
Authors: Xu Qin , Lei Ting , Gao Shouting
Published: June 2007

Maximum nonmodal growths of total perturbation energy are computed for symmetric perturbations constructed from the normal modes presented in Part I. The results show that the maximum nonmodal growths are larger than the energy growth produced by any single normal mode for a give optimization time, and this is simply because the normal modes are nonorthogonal (measured by the inner product associated with the total perturbation energy norm). It is shown that the maximum nonmodal growths are produced mainly by paired modes, and this can be explained by the fact that the streamfunction component modes are partially orthogonal between different pairs and parallel within each pair in the streamfunction subspace. When the optimization time is very short (compared with the inverse Coriolis parameter), the nonmodal growth is produced mainly by the paired fastest propagating modes. When the optimization time is not short, the maximum nonmodal growth is produced almost solely by the paired slowest propagating modes and the growth can be very large for a wide range of optimization time if the parameter point is near the boundary and outside the unstable region. If the parameter point is near the boundary but inside the unstable region, the paired slowest propagating modes can contribute significantly to the energy growth before the fastest growing mode becomes the dominant component.

The maximum nonmodal growths produced by paired modes are derived analytically. The analytical solutions compare well with the numerical results obtained in the truncated normal mode space. The analytical solutions reveal the basic mechanisms for four types of maximum nonmodal energy growths: the PP1 and PP2 nonmodal growths produced by paired propagating modes and the GD1 and GD2 nonmodal growths produced by paired growing and decaying modes. The PP1 growth is characterized by the increase of the cross-band kinetic energy that excessively offsets the decrease of the along-band kinetic and buoyancy energy. The situation is opposite for the PP2 growth. The GD1 (or GD2) growth is characterized by the reduction of the initial cross-band kinetic energy (or initial along-band kinetic and buoyancy energy) due to the inclusion of the decaying mode.
Intercomparisons of Stratospheric Water Vapor Sensors: FLASH-B and NOAA/CMDL Frost-Point Hygrometer
Authors: Vömel H. , Yushkov V. , Khaykin S. , Korshunov L. , Kyrö E. , Kivi R.
Published: June 2007

Studies of global climate rely critically on accurate water vapor measurements. In this paper, a comparison of the NOAA/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) frost-point hygrometer and the Fluorescent Advanced Stratospheric Hygrometer for Balloon (FLASH-B) Lyman-alpha hygrometer is reported. Both instruments were part of a small balloon payload that was launched multiple times at Sodankylä, Finland. The comparison shows agreement well within the instrumental uncertainties between both sensors in the Arctic stratospheric vortex. The mean deviation between both instruments in the range between 15 and 25 km is −2.4% ± 3.1% (one standard deviation). The comparison identified some instrumental issues, such as a low mirror-temperature calibration correction for the NOAA/CMDL frost-point hygrometer as well as a time lag. It was found that the FLASH-B hygrometer measures water vapor reliably above 7 km in the polar atmosphere. Comparisons in the upper troposphere are affected by the gain change of the NOAA/CMDL hygrometer, causing a lag and a wet bias in the tropospheric low gain setting under the dry conditions in the upper troposphere.
Calibration of Sun Radiometer–Based Atmospheric Water Vapor Retrievals Using GPS Meteorology
Authors: Bokoye Amadou Idrissa , Royer Alain , Cliche Patrick , O’Neill Norm
Published: June 2007

A study of the validation and calibration process for integrated water vapor (IWV) measurements derived from sun radiometry at the 940-nm solar absorption channel employed in the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Aerosol Canada (AEROCAN) is presented. The sun radiometer data are compared with GPS meteorology records used as a reference. Three Canadian sites from different climatic regimes covering the period 2000–04 are considered. The observations from five different sun radiometers (IWV-SUN) were processed using the initial AERONET IWV retrieval procedure (V1) whereas GPS-derived IWV (IWV-GPS) was retrieved using “GPSpace” software developed by the Geodetic Survey division of Natural Resources Canada.

A sensitivity study is carried out to highlight the influence of both central wavelength and signal amplitude on the 940-nm filter characteristics, which are instrument dependent and can drift due to aging. The comparison between IWV-SUN (V1) and IWV-GPS shows an average rmse of 0.23 ± 0.11 g cm−2 (22%) and a mean bias of −0.09 ± 0.16 g cm−2 (9%). Furthermore, it is shown that the use of GPS for determining the 940-nm channel calibration constants for the solar radiometers improves IWV retrievals (rmse reduced by about 35% and bias by a factor of 3–10) without any knowledge of the 940-nm filter characteristics. These results are discussed within the context of the new AERONET IWV processing procedure (V2), which accounts for solar 940-nm region filter characteristics. The GPS receiver technique appears to be a powerful calibration tool because of its continuous observation capability, its robustness, and its operational simplicity.
Sensor Corrections for Sea-Bird SBE-41CP and SBE-41 CTDs
Authors: Johnson Gregory C. , Toole John M. , Larson Nordeen G.
Published: June 2007

Sensor response corrections for two models of Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc., conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) instruments (the SBE-41CP and SBE-41) designed for low-energy profiling applications were estimated and applied to oceanographic data. Three SBE-41CP CTDs mounted on prototype ice-tethered profilers deployed in the Arctic Ocean sampled diffusive thermohaline staircases and telemetered data to shore at their full 1-Hz resolution. Estimations of and corrections for finite thermistor time response, time shifts between when a parcel of water was sampled by the thermistor and when it was sampled by the conductivity cell, and the errors in salinity induced by the thermal inertia of the conductivity cell are developed with these data. In addition, thousands of profiles from Argo profiling floats equipped with SBE-41 CTDs were screened to select examples where thermally well-mixed surface layers overlaid strong thermoclines for which standard processing often yields spuriously fresh salinity estimates. Hundreds of profiles so identified are used to estimate and correct for the conductivity cell thermal mass error in SBE-41 CTDs.
Nonparametric Estimation of Raindrop Size Distributions from Dual-Polarization Radar Spectral Observations
Authors: Moisseev Dmitri N. , Chandrasekar V.
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a method to retrieve raindrop size distributions (DSD) from slant profile dual-polarization Doppler spectra observations. It is shown that using radar measurements taken at a high elevation angle raindrop size distributions can be retrieved without making an assumption on the form of a DSD. In this paper it is shown that drop size distributions can be retrieved from Doppler power spectra by compensating for the effect of spectrum broadening and mean velocity shift. To accomplish that, spectrum deconvolution is used where the spectral broadening kernel width and wind velocity are estimated from spectral differential reflectivity measurements. Since convolution kernel is estimated from dual-polarization Doppler spectra observations and does not require observation of a clear-air signal, this method can be used by most radars capable of dual-polarization spectra measurements.

To validate the technique, sensitivity of this method to the underlying assumptions and calibration errors is evaluated on realistic simulations of radar observations. Furthermore, performance of the method is illustrated on Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey radar (CSU–CHILL) measurements of stratiform precipitation.
A Pressure-Sphere Anemometer for Measuring Turbulence and Fluxes in Hurricanes
Authors: Eckman Richard M. , Dobosy Ronald J. , Auble David L. , Strong Thomas W. , Crawford Timothy L.
Published: June 2007

Turbulence and air-surface exchange are important factors throughout the life cycle of a tropical cyclone. Conventional turbulence instruments are not designed to function in the extreme environment encountered in such storms. A new instrument called the Extreme Turbulence (ET) probe has been developed specifically for measuring turbulence on a fixed tower in hurricane conditions. Although the probe is designed for surface deployment, it is based on the same pressure-sphere technology used for aircraft gust probes.

The ET probe is designed around a 43-cm-diameter sphere with 30 pressure ports distributed over its surface. A major obstacle during development was finding a method to prevent water from fouling the pressure ports. Two approaches were investigated: a passive approach using gravity drainage and an active approach using an air pump to flush water from the ports. The probes were tested in both dry and wet conditions by mounting them on a vehicle side by side with more conventional instruments. In dry conditions, test data from the ET probes were in good agreement with the conventional instruments. In rain, probes using the passive rain defense performed about as well as in dry conditions, with the exception of some water intrusion into the temperature sensors. The active rain defense has received only limited attention so far, mainly because of the success and simplicity of the passive defense.
Three-Dimensional Mapping of Fluorescent Dye Using a Scanning, Depth-Resolving Airborne Lidar
Authors: Sundermeyer M. A. , Terray E. A. , Ledwell J. R. , Cunningham A. G. , LaRocque P. E. , Banic J. , Lillycrop W. J.
Published: June 2007

Results are presented from a pilot study using a fluorescent dye tracer imaged by airborne lidar in the ocean surface layer on spatial scales of meters to kilometers and temporal scales of minutes to hours. The lidar used here employs a scanning, frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser to emit an infrared (1064 nm) and green (532 nm) pulse 6 ns in duration at a rate of 1 kHz. The received signal is split to infrared, green, and fluorescent (nominally 580–600 nm) channels, the latter two of which are used to compute absolute dye concentration as a function of depth and horizontal position. Comparison of dye concentrations inferred from the lidar with in situ fluorometry measurements made by ship shows good agreement both qualitatively and quantitatively for absolute dye concentrations ranging from 1 to >10 ppb. Uncertainties associated with horizontal variations in the natural seawater attenuation are approximately 1 ppb. The results demonstrate the ability of airborne lidar to capture high-resolution three-dimensional “snapshots” of the distribution of the tracer as it evolves over very short time and space scales. Such measurements offer a powerful observational tool for studies of transport and mixing on these scales.
Spatial Mapping of Time-Variable Errors in Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon Sea Surface Height Measurements
Authors: Ponte Rui M. , Wunsch Carl , Stammer Detlef
Published: June 2007

Fitting ocean models to altimeter sea surface height (SSH) measurements requires knowledge of instrument noise (radar noise, sea state bias, path delay corrections, and orbit errors) and “representation” errors related to SSH signals (e.g., tidal or pressure driven) not computed in the models. Comparisons between the independent Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon and Jason-1 altimetric missions when they were in identical orbits show that point by point the data are consistent within the mission specifications of about 3-cm rms, but large-scale dependences exist in the data differences, and these are both poorly known and capable of introducing major errors into oceanic state estimates. Here the authors focus on the time-variable component of the spatially dependent errors. The analysis reveals errors ranging from 2 cm in the Tropics to 4 cm at mid- and high latitudes and roughly consistent with a dependence of instrument noise on significant wave height. Analysis of the representation errors suggests that, over the deep ocean, uncertainties associated with the simplifying assumption of an inverted barometer response to pressure loading are larger than the remaining errors in modeling the large-scale tides. Over extensive regions, however, errors associated with eddy signals missing in coarse resolution models dominate. Obtaining a more quantitative estimate of the latter errors remains a challenge.
Signature of Lighthouses, Ships, and Small Islands in Altimeter Waveforms
Authors: Tournadre J.
Published: June 2007

High-rate (20 Hz) altimeter echo waveforms are particularly sensitive to small-scale changes of surface backscatter and they contain a wealth of information on the sea surface. A detailed analysis of these waveforms often reveals the signatures of objects that emerge from the sea. Such objects, such as beacons, lighthouses, ships, and small islands, have deterministic signatures that can be estimated using simple geometry. Examples of signatures of ships, beacons, and islands in the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason altimeters waveforms are presented and analyzed. Some potential applications are also presented.
Shallow Angle Wave Profiling Lidar
Authors: Belmont M. R. , Horwood J. M. K. , Thurley R. W. F. , Baker J.
Published: June 2007

A lidar scanning system is described that is primarily designed to measure sea wave shape. The device is capable of measuring real-time spatial profiles over distances of hundreds of meters, and as the lidar must inevitably operate from modest elevations (e.g., from a vessel’s masthead), it is inherently a very shallow angle metrology device. This results in a highly nonuniform distribution of the wave elevation values. The vertical and horizontal resolution is primarily set by the characteristics of the optical system employed and range/data capacity is set by signal-to-noise ratio considerations. Illustrative data are presented as consecutive profiles taken 0.2 s apart for highly trochoidal waves under conditions where the height was recorded to ±0.03 m and horizontal sample separation to ±0.025 m. A comparison is presented with traditional wave staff measurements.
The Gospel of Thomas
Authors: Deconick April D.
Published: June 2007

This article views the Gospel of Thomas as the product of an early Eastern form of Christianity, most probably originating in a Syrian context. The text should not be seen as representing some Gnostic or marginal sapiential form of Christianity, rather it reflects a trajectory in `orthodox' Christianity that valued mystical or esoteric teaching. Such traditions have been found in mainstream Christianity throughout its history. The text of the Gospel of Thomas is understood to be a rolling corpus, or aggregate of sayings that represent different moments in the life and history of the early Thomasine community.
On Becoming a Family: Multiculturality and Interculturality in South Africa
Authors: Jonker Louis
Published: June 2007

This article presents a summary of a research project taking place in the Western Cape of South Africa at the moment. 1 The project depicts South African society as a society that has come a long way since 1990 to accepting multiculturality. However, it argues that a move towards interculturality has not necessarily taken place at the same time. The project begins with the hypothesis that a development of hermeneutical skills among Christian communities of reading the Bible together with `the other' could contribute significantly towards the fostering of interculturality in the broader South African society. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the studying of the dynamics of intercultural Bible reading could provide us with better insight into the dynamics of a shift from multiculturality to interculturality in South African society.
Attachment and Amae
Authors: Rothbaum Fred , Kakinuma Miki , Nagaoka Rika , Azuma Hiroshi
Published: June 2007

Attachment investigators provide evidence that security takes similar forms and has similar antecedents and consequences in diverse cultures. However, there is also evidence that security differs across culture, and the nature of the similarities and differences are not well understood. A total of 39 mothers from the United States and 32 mothers from Japan were interviewed to assess beliefs about attachment and amae (expectations of indulgence and interdependence). Cultural similarities involved the manifestation of security and insecurity, the role of maternal responsiveness, and the link between security and desirable child characteristics. Cultural differences also emerged: There is more exploration associated with security and more anger and aggression associated with insecurity in the United States, and U.S. mothers link security with a much greater range of positive attributes than do Japanese mothers, who more often link security with accommodative behaviors. In mildly stressful situations, Japanese mothers more often attribute the child's inappropriate behavior to needs for security and interdependence and less often attribute these behaviors to egotism and self-maximization.
Taking liberties in festive song
Authors: Jassal Smita Tewari
Published: June 2007

The annual emergence of Holi cassette recordings in north India functions as the starting point for an investigation into issues of culture and social change, gender constructs, kin-ship norms, lower-caste assertion and a range of caste, class and gender concerns. Publicly characterised as obscene (ashlil) or, more appropriately, ‘transgressive’, the dominant motif in these recordings is the ‘joking’ relationship between a woman and her younger brother-in–law (the bhabhi–devar bond). This article explores how themes and forms characteristic of folk traditions change when the means of communication change. The cassette recordings hint at the existence of women's spaces within the culture of Holi. However, the appropriation of a genre that was essentially a space for rural women's innovation and improvisation has modified women's song traditions and commercialised them in such a way that monetary rewards accrue to the appropriators while the women are silenced and remain objects of the male gaze.
Islam, political authority and emotion in northern Pakistan
Authors: Marsden Magnus
Published: June 2007

This article explores local manifestations of ‘Islamism’ in the one-time princely kingdom of Chitral, in northern Pakistan. Chitral's former princely family continues to exert significant political influence in the region today, whilst court-derived forms of status distinction alongside newer expressions of class difference are of central importance to Chitrali social life. Many Chitrali ‘men of piety’ (dashmanan) are critical about the continued power of the princes and claim that only they can deliver ‘simple’ Chitralis from the unIslamic legacies of their feudal past. Yet Chitrali Muslims reflect upon and engage with the Islamising messages of the dashmanan in multidimensional ways that are not defined instrumentally by the region's shifting system of status hierarchy alone. In particular, the vocal styles of Chitral's politically active dashmanan are widely said by Chitrali Muslims to reflect their animalistic and unrefined emotional dispositions. By exploring the ways in which this dynamic and locally contested theory is deployed by Chitralis to evaluate the behaviour of the dashmanan, I seek to furnish new insights into the shaping of local expressions of ‘Islamism’ in Pakistan and elsewhere in South Asia today.
Sir Insulin Monk Versus the Evil Diana Betes
Authors: Fenn Jeanne , Rosales Cecilia , Logue Claire
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this article is to share an innovative method of integrating community resources into a program designed to deliver age-appropriate and culturally appropriate diabetes education to youth. The educational program involves an interactive dialogue that engages school-aged children in an active process of learning about diabetes. School or community-based settings provide the best venue for presenting information to youth on diabetes. In addition, peer education is an excellent method of creating interest among youth. Many adults have received diabetes education simply by observing the program. This program has become an appealing and interactive method of delivering type 2 diabetes prevention information to children of all ages.
Understanding Sleep in Persons With Diabetes
Authors: Chasens Eileen R.
Published: June 2007

Restorative sleep is as essential for well-being as proper diet or exercise in persons with type 2 diabetes. However, sleep disorders such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome/ periodic leg movements, and obstructive sleep apnea increase in prevalence with age and are very common in persons with type 2 diabetes. Disrupted sleep may result in weight gain, increased insulin resistance, and decreased daytime functioning. Although sleep disturbances have a major influence on health and quality of life, diagnosis and treatment can reduce their negative effects. Diabetes educators are pivotal in patient assessment, management, teaching, and collaborating with the primary health care provider to deliver holistic management of the patient with diabetes. This article will provide diabetes educators with various strategies for assessing sleep, including an easy 8-item questionnaire that can be used in the clinical setting. In addition, interventions to improve sleep hygiene that can be easily implemented by diabetes educators will be described.
Acute First-Time Hamstring Strains during Slow-Speed Stretching
Authors: Askling Carl M. , Tengvar Magnus , Saartok Tönu , Thorstensson Alf
Published: June 2007

Background

Hamstring strains can be of 2 types with different injury mechanisms, 1 occurring during high-speed running and the other during stretching exercises.

Hypothesis

A stretching type of injury to the proximal rear thigh may involve specific muscle-tendon structures that could affect recovery time.

Study Design

Case series (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods

Fifteen professional dancers with acute first-time hamstring strains were prospectively included in the study. All subjects were examined, clinically and with magnetic resonance imaging, on 4 occasions after injury: at day 2 to 4, 10, 21, and 42. The clinical follow-up period was 2 years.

Results

All dancers were injured during slow hip-flexion movements with extended knee and experienced relatively mild acute symptoms. All injuries were located proximally in the posterior thigh close to the ischial tuberosity. The injury involved the semimembranosus (87%), quadratus femoris (87%), and adductor magnus (33%). All injuries to the semimembranosus involved its proximal free tendon. There were no significant correlations between clinical or magnetic resonance imaging parameters and the time to return to preinjury level (median, 50 weeks; range, 30-76 weeks).

Conclusion

Stretching exercises can give rise to a specific type of strain injury to the posterior thigh. A precise history and careful palpation provide the clinician enough information to predict a prolonged time until return to preinjury level. One factor underlying prolonged recovery time could be the involvement of the free tendon of the semimembranosus muscle.
Bullying Risk in Children With Learning Difficulties in Inclusive Educational Settings
Authors: Luciano Severina , Savage Robert S.
Published: June 2007

This study investigated whether students with learning difficulties (LDs) attending inclusive schools that eschewed segregated “pull out” programs reported more incidents of being bullied than their peers without LDs. Cognitive and self-perception factors associated with reports of peer victimization were also explored. Participants were 13 Grade 5 students with LDs and 14 classmates without LDs, matched on gender. Results showed that students with LDs self-reported significantly more incidents of being bullied than students without LDs. After statistical controls for group differences in receptive vocabulary, differences in bullying were no longer significant. Results suggest first that children with LDs in inclusive schools that eschew pull-out programs may still experience significant bullying. Second, the link between LDs, peer rejection, and victimization may reflect the social impact of language difficulties. Implications for reducing peer victimization in inclusive settings are discussed.
A Comparison of Independent, Interdependent, and Dependent Group Contingencies With Randomized Reinforcers to Increase Reading Fluency
Authors: Alric Jolie M. , Bray Melissa A. , Kehle Thomas J. , Chafouleas Sandra M. , Theodore Lea A.
Published: June 2007

Fluency, or the rate at which a student reads, is developed in the early stages of literacy and has been shown to correlate with comprehension. A myriad of interventions have been developed to increase fluency. Group contingencies are one of these that in particular have shown some positive effects on reading fluency. Advantages to using them are that they are practical, efficient, and economical for teachers to use when monitoring a target behavior. This investigation employs an alternating treatments design to compare the effectiveness of independent, interdependent, and dependent group contingencies with randomized reinforcers on reading fluency. The results reveal moderate effects of all three contingencies on measures of reading fluency. Group contingencies are an important and increasingly popular intervention; however, the choice of which contingency to use is based on the unique aspects of the classroom.
Multiple Traumatic Experiences and the Development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Scott Sheryn T.
Published: June 2007

This study assesses the differential and combined impacts of multiple lifetime stressors in the development and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. One hundred and four clinical and 64 nonclinical participants were assessed for their exposure to four types of interpersonal trauma: physical and sexual abuse in childhood, lifetime community violence, and domestic violence in adulthood. PTSD symptomatology was assessed using the Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC). Results indicated that exposure to lifetime multiple traumatic experiences was positively correlated with severity of PTSD symptoms. Clinical participants had experienced significantly more multiple traumas and had a higher rate of PTSD than the nonclinical participants. Results also suggested that adults who had experienced childhood sexual abuse were at higher risk for the development of PTSD related to interpersonal violence than adults who were not sexually abused as children.
Using Geographically Weighted Regression to Explore Local Crime Patterns
Authors: Cahill Meagan , Mulligan Gordon
Published: June 2007

The present research examines a structural model of violent crime in Portland, Oregon, exploring spatial patterns of both crime and its covariates. Using standard structural measures drawn from an opportunity framework, the study provides results from a global ordinary least squares model, assumed to fit for all locations within the study area. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is then introduced as an alternative to such traditional approaches to modeling crime. The GWR procedure estimates a local model, producing a set of mappable parameter estimates and t-values of significance that vary over space. Several structural measures are found to have relationships with crime that vary significantly with location. Results indicate that a mixed model— with both spatially varying and fixed parameters—may provide the most accurate model of crime. The present study demonstrates the utility of GWR for exploring local processes that drive crime levels and examining misspecification of a global model of urban violence.
The Importance of Employment Protection for Skill Development in Coordinated Market Economies
Authors: Harcourt Mark , Wood Geoffrey
Published: June 2007

During the heyday of neoliberalism, employment protection was widely believed to be one of the main causes of Europe's poor economic performance and high unemployment. We challenge this view and instead argue that employment protection is crucial to preserving Europe's export success in higher value-added industries. In particular, we explore the relationship between employment protection and skills development.
Colonization, Conquest, and the Supply of Food and Transport: The Reorganization of Logistics Management, 1780—1795
Authors: Morriss Roger
Published: June 2007

Although in 1776—83 Britain failed to suppress its American colonists, the necessity to maintain an army across the Atlantic developed both the infrastructure and the experience needed to manage an empire. For it began a rationalization in the management of the supply of military food and transport that was completed in 1793—94 when the naval Victualling and Transport Boards undertook those responsibilities, and it built upon knowledge acquired in the supply of the Falklands garrison (1767—72) to permit the shipment after the war of colonists and supplies to Australia, Nova Scotia, and Sierra Leone. This infrastructure and experience provided the foundation for the great expeditions of the French Revolutionary War and the development of a global network of colonial garrisons during the Napoleonic War.
Gender Development in Education and Health
Authors: Pradhan Rudra Prakash
Published: June 2007

This article discusses gender development in Indian states particularly with respect to education and health. While literacy is taken as an indicator to education, life expectancy and infant survival rate (ISR) are considered the indicators to health. The study finds that gender development is substantially high in Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. But it is significantly low in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and Bihar. It also finds that the performance of poor states remains poor and rich states remains rich over the years. But no state is extremely good or bad in all the basic dimensions of gender development except Kerala. It finally suggests that there is need to stress on all dimensions of gender development simultaneously in order to maintain a high gender development in the economy. For this the government (both central as well as respective state governments) has to play a significant role.
Forecasting as an Operations Management Tool in a Medical Examiner's Office
Authors: Omalu Bennet I. , Shakir Abdulrezak M. , Lindner Jennifer L. , Tayur Sridhar R.
Published: June 2007

Quantitative analysis in business decision making and operations management has evolved into an independent but non-exclusive alternative to qualitative analysis. We are the first to commoditise the autopsy and establish it as the fundamental cost base/object for a medical examiner's office. We apply the multiplicative seasonal forecasting method for the determination of autopsy demand and the optimal quantitative operations management of a medical examiner's office. Five-year historical data and archives were reviewed at the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office, Pennsylvania. The numbers of daily and monthly autopsies performed were collected. Seasonal factors were derived for two seasonal series: days of the week and months of the year. Monday had the lowest seasonal factor of 0.94 and Saturday had the highest of 1.08. October had the lowest seasonal factor of 0.94 and January had the highest at 1.10. Human and other resources may be optimally task-assigned and scheduled based on differential seasonal series forecasting of autopsy demand. Conferences and vacations may also be scheduled on the days and months with lower seasonal factors. Forecasting methods are increasingly becoming an operations management tool in the health and death investigation industries.
Evaluation of Reproductive Health Care Awareness among College Girls of Jabalpur City, Madhya Pradesh
Authors: Nema Anjana , Sharma K.K.N.
Published: June 2007

The present study was undertaken to assess reproductive health care awareness among 250 college girls of Other Backward Classes of Jabalpur city, Madhya Pradesh. The study reveals that 38.4 per cent had information regarding premarital counselling. Of this, 65.6 per cent girls accepted that guidance and counselling before marriage is necessary; 46.4 per cent felt free to discuss their sexual queries; and 94.4 per cent girls were in favour of sex education. They felt that doctors (38.5 per cent) and mothers (32.6 per cent) should provide sex education, and 51.2 per cent students accepted that female reproductive health was the most important segment of reproductive health, and 98.4 per cent girls desired more information. Seventy-four per cent girls had information regarding postmarital sexual information, 66 per cent on conception and pregnancy. Only 19.2 per cent girls knew about male reproductive organs, and 15.2 per cent had ever heard about STD. Only 13.6 per cent girls had positive opinion of premarital sex, while 44 per cent were aware of the unsafe period of pregnancy, 12.8 per cent had a good idea of parturition, and 70.4 per cent knew that an unwanted pregnancy could be terminated. Fifty-two per cent accepted that abortion by a trained person is safe, and 82.4 per cent accepted that there is need for adolescent clinics to combat various problems among the youth. Regarding their source of information, the electronic media emerged as the most powerful . It was noticed that students desired to update their knowledge of reproductive health. They also advocated pre-marital counselling. Therefore, it is suggested that the college administration should establish an adolescent clinic or premarital counselling cell. The media, especially television, should realise its social responsibility and telecast informative and interesting medical programmes on this vital issue.
Water as Foe, Water as Friend
Authors: Chapman Graham P. , Rudra Kalyan
Published: June 2007

In September 2000 at the end of a good monsoon and during a tropical cyclonic storm, Bengal suffered a particularly severe flood in which more than 1,500 people died. In West Bengal more than 20 million people and in Bangladesh more than 3 million lost their homes and virtually all of their possessions. This paper explores different experiences of the disaster, and many differing explanations of its causes, both physical and social. It proposes the idea that the specific form of development that has taken place in Bengal since the mid nineteenth century, the ‘standard’ road–rail and urban–industrial model, has been transplanted into an inappropriate geographical setting. The result is that the urban sector has externalised its costs onto the rural poor. In this context it is suggested that the new ‘open policy’ on floods, also advocated elsewhere in the world, be seriously considered as more appropriate and sustainable for Bengal.