bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Wavelength of the Rossby Waves Radiated by Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Krouse Kyle D. , Sobel Adam H. , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: February 2008

The authors present a theory for the zonal wavelength of tropical depression–type disturbances, which occur as a result of Rossby wave radiation from a preexisting tropical cyclone (TC). In some cases, such disturbances undergo tropical cyclogenesis, resulting in a pair of tropical cyclones; the theory then predicts the zonal separation distance of such tropical cyclone pairs.

Numerical experiments are presented in which a thermally forced vortex, superimposed on an initial state of rest, is moved at different velocities in a shallow-water model on a sphere. Vortices moving westward generate coherent wave trains to the east or southeast (depending on the amplitude of the vortex), resembling those in observations. The zonal wavelengths of these wave trains in each case are well described by the linear stationary solution in the frame comoving with the vortex. Vortices moving eastward or remaining stationary do not generate such trains, also consistent with linear theory, which admits no stationary solutions in such cases. It is hypothesized that the wavelengths of observed disturbances are set by the properties of the relevant stationary solution. The environmental flow velocity that determines this wavelength is not the translation velocity of the tropical cyclone, but the difference between the steering flow of the radiated Rossby waves and that of the TC. The authors argue that either horizontal or vertical shear in the environment of the TC can generate differences between these steering flows of the necessary magnitude and sign to generate the observed wavelengths.
The Gradient Genesis of Stratospheric Trace Species in the Subtropics and around the Polar Vortex
Authors: Miyazaki Kazuyuki , Iwasaki Toshiki
Published: February 2008

Mechanisms that control the formation and decay of meridional gradients in stratospheric trace species in the subtropics and around the polar vortex are investigated using a gradient genesis equation that uses mass-weighted isentropic zonal means. Application of this method to global nitrous oxide (N2O) data output from a global chemical transport model shows that mean vertical transport increases the meridional tracer gradient from the subtropics to midlatitudes through the shearing deformation, particularly related to overturning of the Brewer–Dobson circulation. Mean meridional transport advects the subtropical tracer gradient toward midlatitudes, while the eddy stairstep effect, steepening at the edge of the well-mixed region because of a meridional gradient in the diffusion coefficient, increases the tracer gradient in the subtropics and around the polar vortex. Mechanisms controlling the evolution of the tracer gradients in the subtropics differ between spring and autumn. The autumnal subtropical tracer gradient maximum is generated mainly from shearing deformation of the mean vertical transport, but less from mean and eddy meridional fluxes. In spring, the eddy stairstep effect also contributes to the generation of the subtropical tracer gradient maximum. Strong divergence forces stretching deformation that causes the springtime subtropical tracer gradient to decay. The gradient genesis mechanism around the Antarctic polar vortex is significantly different from that in the subtropics. Development of the tracer gradient around the Antarctic polar vortex is mostly controlled by mean meridional stretching motion in the middle stratosphere. Vertical advection and eddy smoothing effects flatten the tracer gradient as the polar vortex decays.
An Investigation of the Slope–Shape Relation for Gamma Raindrop Size Distribution
Authors: Chu Yen-Hsyang , Su Ching-Lun
Published: February 2008

The gamma drop size distribution (DSD) has been widely used in the meteorological community for years to model observed DSD. It has been found that the relation between the slope (Λ) and shape (μ) parameters of the gamma DSD can be empirically described by a polynomial of second degree. In this article, on the basis of disdrometer-measured DSDs from seven independent precipitation events associated with different weather systems, an empirical μ–Λ relation that is slightly different from those reported by other scientists is obtained by best fitting a quadratic polynomial to observed data. In addition to the empirical relation, a μ–Λ relation is derived based on theoretical relations between gamma DSD moments and Λ and μ. It is shown that the derived μ–Λ relation is independent of the order of the moment of the gamma DSD. The key factor dominating the μ–Λ relation is the ratio of the number density parameter N(Dm) to total number density of the raindrop M0, where Dm is the mean diameter of the DSD. It is further shown that the skewness and the variance of the DSD determine the magnitude of the ratio N(Dm)/M0 that governs the slope of the μ–Λ relation. A comparison between the derived and the empirical μ–Λ relations shows that their behaviors are very similar, especially for large rainfall rates characterized by smaller Λ and μ values. Moreover, the ratio N(Dm)/M0 bears a weak relation to the rainfall rate R. Nevertheless, the square of the ratio M0/N(Dm) is closely related to the ratio R/M0 and their relation can also be described by a second-degree polynomial. Considering this property, the authors examine the validity of the various μ–Λ relations by simulating the relations between R/M0 and [M0/N(Dm)]2. A comparison between observed and simulated results shows that the relation generated from the derived μ–Λ relation bears the best resemblance to the observed one in both magnitude and shape.
A Wavelet Representation of Synoptic-Scale Coherent Structures
Authors: Plu Matthieu , Arbogast Philippe , Joly Alain
Published: February 2008

Midlatitude cyclogenesis as interpreted in the framework of either baroclinic development or potential vorticity thinking heavily relies on the concept of synoptic-scale anomaly. Given the existence of potential vorticity inversion and attribution, what is at stake to provide a mathematical definition for this concept is a complete finite-amplitude alternative to the linear-based theory of cyclogenesis. The existence of a reasonably objective way to represent anomalies in both real and idealized flows would not only help understanding cyclogenesis, it would also have many other applications for both theory and in practical forecasts. Inspired by the recent theory of wavelet representation of coherent structures in two-dimensional fluid mechanics, a wavelet representation of three-dimensional potential vorticity anomalies is built. This algorithm relies on the selection of the appropriate two-dimensional wavelet coefficients from the stationary wavelet transform in order to guarantee the critical translation-invariance property. The sensitivity of the algorithm to the position, size, and shape of the structures is assessed.

The wavelet extraction is then applied to the upper-level precursor of a real-case storm of December 1999 and is compared to a basic monopolar extraction. Using potential vorticity inversion and forecasts with a primitive-equation model, it is found that both anomalies have similar implications on the development of the surface cyclone. However, the coherence in time of the extracted wavelet structure in the forecast and analysis sequence is more satisfactory than the extracted monopole: this suggests that the underlying mathematical description of an anomaly proposed here does, indeed, point toward the direction of an actual physical reality of the concept.
Tropospheric Rossby Wave Breaking and the NAO/NAM
Authors: Strong Courtenay , Magnusdottir Gudrun
Published: February 2008

Objective analysis of several hundred thousand anticyclonic and cyclonic breaking Rossby waves is performed for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters of 1958–2006. A winter climatology of both anticyclonic and cyclonic Rossby wave breaking (RWB) frequency and size (zonal extent) is presented for the 350-K isentropic surface over the NH, and the spatial distribution of RWB is shown to agree with theoretical ideas of RWB in shear flow.

Composites of the two types of RWB reveal their characteristic sea level pressure anomalies, upper- and lower-tropospheric velocity fields, and forcing of the upper-tropospheric zonal flow. It is shown how these signatures project onto the centers of action and force the velocity patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM). Previous studies have presented evidence that anticyclonic (cyclonic) breaking leads to the positive (negative) polarity of the NAO, and this relationship is confirmed for RWB over the midlatitudes centered near 50°N. However, an opposite and statistically significant relationship, in which cyclonic RWB forces the positive NAO and anticyclonic RWB forces the negative NAO, is shown over regions 20° to the north and south, centered at 70° and 30°N, respectively.

On a winter mean basis, the frequency of RWB over objectively defined regions covering 12% of the area of the NH accounts for 95% of the NAO index and 92% of the NAM index. A 6-hourly analysis of all the winters indicates that RWB over the objectively defined regions affects the NAO/NAM without a time lag. Details of the objective wave-breaking analysis method are provided in the appendix.
Interdecadal Variation of ENSO Predictability in Multiple Models
Authors: Tang Youmin , Deng Ziwang , Zhou Xiaobing , Cheng Yanjie , Chen Dake
Published: February 2008

In this study, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) retrospective forecasts were performed for the 120 yr from 1881 to 2000 using three realistic models that assimilate the historic dataset of sea surface temperature (SST). By examining these retrospective forecasts and corresponding observations, as well as the oceanic analyses from which forecasts were initialized, several important issues related to ENSO predictability have been explored, including its interdecadal variability and the dominant factors that control the interdecadal variability.

The prediction skill of the three models showed a very consistent interdecadal variation, with high skill in the late nineteenth century and in the middle–late twentieth century, and low skill during the period from 1900 to 1960. The interdecadal variation in ENSO predictability is in good agreement with that in the signal of interannual variability and in the degree of asymmetry of ENSO system. A good relationship was also identified between the degree of asymmetry and the signal of interannual variability, and the former is highly related to the latter. Generally, the high predictability is attained when ENSO signal strength and the degree of asymmetry are enhanced, and vice versa. The atmospheric noise generally degrades overall prediction skill, especially for the skill of mean square error, but is able to favor some individual prediction cases. The possible reasons why these factors control ENSO predictability were also discussed.
Water Masses in the Pacific in CCSM3
Authors: Thompson Lu Anne , Cheng Wei
Published: February 2008

An examination of model water masses in the North Pacific Ocean is performed in the Community Climate System version 3 (CCSM3) and its ocean-only counterpart. While the surface properties of the ocean are well represented in both simulations, biases in thermocline and intermediate-water masses exist that point to errors in both ocean model physics and the atmospheric component of the coupled model. The lack of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) in both simulations as well as the overexpression of a too-fresh Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is indicative of ocean model deficiencies. These properties reflect the difficulty of low-resolution ocean models to represent processes that control deep-water formation both in the Southern Ocean and in the Okhotsk Sea. In addition, as is typical of low-resolution ocean models, errors in the position of the Kuroshio, the North Pacific subtropical gyre western boundary current (WBC), impact the formation of the water masses that form the bulk of the thermocline as well as the properties of the NPIW. Biases that arise only in the coupled simulation include too-salty surface water in the subtropical North Pacific and too deep a thermocline, the source of which is the too-strong westerlies at midlatitudes. Biases in the location of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the southern Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) lead to the opposite hemispheric asymmetry in water mass structure when compared to observations. The atmospheric component of the coupled model acts to compound most ocean model biases.
Eddy Formation near the West Coast of Greenland
Authors: Bracco Annalisa , Pedlosky Joseph , Pickart Robert S.
Published: February 2008

This paper extends A. Bracco and J. Pedlosky’s investigation of the eddy-formation mechanism in the eastern Labrador Sea by including a more realistic depiction of the boundary current. The quasigeostrophic model consists of a meridional, coastally trapped current with three vertical layers. The current configuration and topographic domain are chosen to match, as closely as possible, the observations of the boundary current and the varying topographic slope along the West Greenland coast. The role played by the bottom-intensified component of the boundary current on the formation of the Labrador Sea Irminger Rings is explored. Consistent with the earlier study, a short, localized bottom-trapped wave is responsible for most of the perturbation energy growth. However, for the instability to occur in the three-layer model, the deepest component of the boundary current must be sufficiently strong, highlighting the importance of the near-bottom flow. The model is able to reproduce important features of the observed vortices in the eastern Labrador Sea, including the polarity, radius, rate of formation, and vertical structure. At the time of formation, the eddies have a surface signature as well as a strong circulation at depth, possibly allowing for the transport of both surface and near-bottom water from the boundary current into the interior basin. This work also supports the idea that changes in the current structure could be responsible for the observed interannual variability in the number of Irminger Rings formed.
Development of a Corrugated Test Specimen for Composite Materials Energy Absorption
Authors: Feraboli Paolo
Published: February 2008

One of the key factors preventing the widespread adoption of composites in primary crash structures is the absence of specialized test methods for the characterization of specific energy absorption (SEA). Aside from thin-walled tubular specimens, a limited number of attempts have been made at using a plate specimen, which is easier to manufacture but requires complex anti-buckling fixtures. A new method, featuring a corrugated plate, which can be easily manufactured and is self-stabilizing and hence does not require a dedicated test fixture, is suggested here. A systematic investigation is performed to validate the possibility of using such specimen to screen candidate material systems and laminate designs, with the specific goal of isolating the sensitivity of the method to intrinsic specimen parameters.
The Influence of Forming Pressure on Piezo-resistivity and Temperature-resistivity Effects of CFSC
Authors: Wang Shoude  , Huang Shifeng  , Liu Futian  , Cheng Xin
Published: February 2008

Carbon fiber/sulfoaluminate cement composites (CFSC) were prepared by pressing technology; the influence of forming pressure on piezo-resistivity and temperature-resistivity effects of CFSC were studied. The studied results indicate that CFSC has good piezo-resistivity effect when the forming pressure is 7 MPa as well as 10 MPa. With the forming pressure rising, the porosity of CFSC decreases and its resistivity value decreases also. The relationship between the resistivity of CFSC and temperature could be described by a linear equation. Based on this linear equation, the surrounding temperature could be figured out if the resistivity of CFSC is already known. However, the forming pressure has no influence on the slope of this linear equation. The curves of the equations of the samples prepared under different forming pressure are parallel with each other. Only the value of the equation curve is different.
Investigation of a Novel Composite Cladding Wall Panel in Flexure
Authors: Shawkat Waleed , Honickman Hart , Fam Amir
Published: February 2008

A composite panel consisting of polyurethane foam core sandwiched between two carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) skins is investigated in one-way bending. While most studies on sandwich panels are typically geared towards aerospace applications, to the authors' knowledge, this is the first study on application in cladding of buildings. Ten panels were tested to investigate their structural performance and failure modes. Test parameters include consistency of quality and performance, moment-shear ratio, moisture absorption and orientation of architectural masonry-like coating. The panels were 14 times lighter than conventional reinforced concrete panels of equivalent strength and stiffness. The study showed that design is stiffness driven as deflection limits in service will likely govern. Shear deformations of core may have a significant contribution to deflections. Most common failure mode was outward buckling of CFRP skin. Some panels failed by shear in the foam core, and in one panel, CFRP skin crushed. When the masonry-like coating was positioned in compression, it forced a shear failure but when located in tension to simulate wind suction, skin buckling occurred at lower load. While this study showed excellent potential for this novel cladding, it is recommended to laminate FRP layers to prefabricated solid foam cores, rather than injecting liquid foam in between FRP skins, to improve quality control during fabrication.
Intensifying Instruction
Authors: Harn Beth A. , Linan-Thompson Sylvia , Roberts Gregory
Published: February 2008

Research is clear on the benefit of early intervention efforts and the importance of intensive instructional supports; however, understanding which features to intensify is less clear. General intervention features of group size, instructional delivery, and time are areas schools can consider manipulating to intensify instruction. Also, each of these features can vary along a continuum making them easier or more challenging for schools to implement. What is unclear is if implementing very intensive interventions early in school (first grade), which require significantly more school resources, provides accordingly accelerated student learning. This article investigates the role of intensifying instructional time for the most at-risk first graders in schools implementing research-based instructional and assessment practices within multitiered instructional support systems. Results indicate that students receiving more intensive intervention made significantly more progress across a range of early reading measures. Intervention features, limitations, recommendations for practice, and implications for treatment resisters are discussed.
Indexing Response to Intervention
Authors: Simmons Deborah C. , Coyne Michael D. , Kwok Oi-man , McDonagh Sarah , Harn Beth A. , Kame'enui Edward J.
Published: February 2008

In this study, response to intervention and stability of reading performance of 41 kindergarten children identified as at risk of reading difficulty were evaluated from kindergarten through third grade. All students were assessed in the fall of each academic year to evaluate need for intervention, and students who fell below the 30th percentile on criterion measures received small-group supplemental intervention. Measures included a combination of commercial normative referenced measures and specific skill and construct measures to assess growth or change in reading risk status relative to 30th percentile benchmarks. Results indicated that consistent with the findings of prior research involving students with comparable entry-level performance, the majority of children identified as at risk in the beginning of kindergarten responded early and positively to intervention. On average, absolute performance levels at the end of kindergarten positioned students for trajectories of later reading performance that exceeded the 50th percentile on the majority of measures. Moreover, changes in risk status that occurred early were generally sustained over time. Only oral reading fluency performance failed to exceed the 30th percentile for the majority of students.
Multiculturalism in the Devolved Context: Minority Ethnic Negotiation of Identity through Engagement in the Arts in Scotland
Authors: Netto Gina
Published: February 2008

This article contributes to theorizing on multiculturalism by countering some previously identified criticisms of the notion of minority integration through cultural recognition. This is achieved by drawing on empirical evidence on identity construction and negotiation by minority ethnic communities through engagement in the arts.The socio-political context of the study is devolved Scotland, where multiculturalism is entangled with issues of national self-definition. The study reveals considerable interest by minority ethnic communities in engaging in the arts, particularly those associated with their ethnic background. However, such efforts are constrained by structural and cultural relations and differential power to claim resources from public organizations. The article argues that in the devolved context, minority ethnic communities' ability to claim interpretive space in the public arena is crucially dependent on the extent to which their claims to evolving representations of national culture are recognized within a wider drive to promote separate nationhood.
Plural Action
Authors: Schmid Hans Bernhard
Published: February 2008

In this paper, I distinguish three claims, which I label individual intentional autonomy, individual intentional autarky, and intentional individualism. The autonomy claim is that under normal circumstances, each individual's behavior has to be interpreted as his or her own action. The autarky claim is that the intentional interpretation of an individual's behavior has to bottom out in that individual's own volitions, or pro-attitudes. The individualism claim is weaker, arguing that any interpretation of an individual's behavior has to be given in terms of individual intentional states. I argue that individual intentional autonomy implies neither individual intentional autarky, nor intentional individualism, with which it is usually lumped together. I further argue that this insight is the key to an adequate view of an important class of actions, i.e., plural actions.
Applied Cognitive Psychology and the “Strong Replacement” of Epistemology by Normative Psychology
Authors: Lee Carole J.
Published: February 2008

Applied Cognitive Psychology (ACP) is normative in the sense that (1) it aims to make recommendations for improving human judgment; (2) it aims to have a practical impact on morally and politically significant human decisions and actions; and (3) it studies normative, rational judgment qua rational judgment. These nonstandard ways of understanding ACP as normative collectively suggest a new interpretation of the strong replacement thesis that does not call for replacing normative epistemic concepts, relations, and inquiries with descriptive, causal ones. Rather, it calls for recognizing that the aims and normative inquiries of epistemology and normative psychology have become intermutual in nature.
Richard Rorty's Philosophical Legacy
Authors: Fuller Steve
Published: February 2008

Richard Rorty's recent death has unleashed a strikingly mixed judgment of his philosophical legacy, ranging from claims to originality to charges of charlatanry. What is clear, however, is Rorty's role in articulating a distinctive American voice in the history of philosophy. He achieved this not only through his own wide-ranging contributions but also by repositioning the pragmatists, especially William James and John Dewey, in the philosophical mainstream. Rorty did for the United States what Hegel and Heidegger had done for Germany—to portray his nation as philosophy's final resting place. He was helped by postwar German philosophers like Jürgen Habermas who were happy to defer to their American conquerors. Rorty's philosophical method can be understood as a sublimation of America's world-historic self-understanding: a place suspicious of foreigners unless they are willing to blend into the “melting pot.” In retrospect, the breadth and confidence of Rorty's writing will come to symbolize the moment when the United States, for better or worse, came to be the world's dominant philosophical power.
Review Essay: Prospects for Economic Sociology
Authors: Hodgson Geoffrey M.
Published: February 2008

Swedberg's two-volume collection of essays covering New Developments in Economic Sociology contains some excellent material, worthy of study by both economists and sociologists. However, there are definitional and conceptual problems in the whole project of “economic sociology” exacerbated by the disappearance of any consensus concerning the boundaries between the disciplines of sociology and economics. Neither has “economic sociology” acquired an adequately clear identity through the use of distinctive concepts or theories. Its future prospects are further questioned by recent changes within economics itself, including greater attention to institutional structures, and the abandonment of strictly self-interested and context-independent rationality.
Peer Relationships and Violence Among Female Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Silverman Jenna R. , Caldwell Roslyn M.
Published: February 2008

The present study examined the relationships among various aspects of peer relationships to violence in 128 female juvenile offenders representing four racial/ethnic groups (i.e., Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and biracial/multiracial). Results revealed that high levels of peer association and extrinsic rewards from peer relationships best predicted violence among all groups. Furthermore, among Hispanics, positive peer attitudes toward delinquency significantly contributed to violence. Among Caucasians, greater time spent with peers was associated with higher levels of violence. For African Americans, tangible rewards from peer relationships significantly contributed to violence. No significant results were found among biracial/multiracial female offenders. The findings from this study highlight the significant influence of peer relationships on violence among juvenile offenders and suggest the need for further research on racial and ethnic differences.
Violent Video Games and Aggression
Authors: Ferguson Christopher J. , Rueda Stephanie M. , Cruz Amanda M. , Ferguson Diana E. , Fritz Stacey , Smith Shawn M.
Published: February 2008

Two studies examined the relationship between exposure to violent video games and aggression or violence in the laboratory and in real life. Study 1 participants were either randomized or allowed to choose to play a violent or nonviolent game. Although males were more aggressive than females, neither randomized exposure to violent-video-game conditions nor previous real-life exposure to violent video games caused any differences in aggression. Study 2 examined correlations between trait aggression, violent criminal acts, and exposure to both violent games and family violence. Results indicated that trait aggression, family violence, and male gender were predictive of violent crime, but exposure to violent games was not. Structural equation modeling suggested that family violence and innate aggression as predictors of violent crime were a better fit to the data than was exposure to video game violence. These results question the common belief that violent-video-game exposure causes violent acts.
Predictive Validity of the Structured Assessment for Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) With Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Meyers Joanna R. , Schmidt Fred
Published: February 2008

Violence is a serious social problem that is often encountered in the youth justice system. Identifying those adolescents who are at the highest risk for future violence is an important step toward effective rehabilitation. The current study examined the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment for Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), a structured professional judgment risk tool, in a sample of 121 juvenile offenders. The SAVRY was found to have strong predictive validity, a finding that was robust across gender and ethnicity. The SAVRY obtained ROC values of .75 and .66 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 1 year, and values of .76 and .77 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 3-year follow-up. For nonviolent recidivism, the ROC values were .80 for 1-year and .68 during 3 years. Use of the SAVRY in the youth justice system, and limitations of the study, are discussed.
Cognitive Skills Behavior Programs for Offenders in the Community
Authors: Hollin Clive R. , McGuire James , Hounsome Juliet C. , Hatcher Ruth M. , Bilby Charlotte A.L. , Palmer Emma J.
Published: February 2008

This study presents the findings of an evaluation of the effect on reconviction of three general offending behavior programs involving adult male offenders in the English and Welsh Probation Service. Using a quasi-experimental design controlling for population factors, there was no difference in the reconviction rates of offenders allocated to programs and a comparison group. Offenders who completed a program had a lower rate of reconviction compared to the nonstarter, noncompleter, and comparison groups. A range of explanations for this “completion effect” is discussed, particularly with regard to the emerging literature on readiness to change.
Role Playing
Authors: Van Hasselt Vincent B. , Romano Stephen J. , Vecchi Gregory M.
Published: February 2008

Role playing has been a mainstay of behavioral assessment for decades. In recent years, however, this analogue strategy has also enjoyed widespread application in the field of law enforcement. Most notably, role-play procedures have become an integral component of assessment and training efforts in hostage and crisis negotiation, which attempts to resolve high-risk and often volatile situations in a peaceful, nonviolent manner when possible. The purpose of this paper is to (a) describe development and validation of a role-play test specifically geared toward law enforcement negotiators, (b) present different role-play formats that have been incorporated in law enforcement negotiation training, and (c) discuss limitations and considerations in use of these instruments. Suggestions for directions that future efforts in this area might take are offered. The heuristic value of role playing in crisis management, counterterrorism, and emergency and mass casualty disaster training exercises is also underscored.
A Mindfulness-Based Health Wellness Program for an Adolescent With Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Singh Nirbhay N. , Lancioni Giulio E. , Singh Ashvind N. , Winton Alan S. W. , Singh Judy , McAleavey Kristen M. , Adkins Angela D.
Published: February 2008

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome have hyperphagia, a characteristic eating disorder defined by a marked delay in the satiety response when compared to controls. This eating disorder has been particularly difficult to control. The authors taught and evaluated effectiveness of regular exercise alone, regular exercise plus healthy eating, and mindfulness-based strategies combined with exercise and healthy eating to an adolescent with this syndrome. Mindfulness-based strategies included mindful eating, visualizing and labeling hunger, and rapidly shifting attention away from hunger by engaging in Meditation on the Soles of the Feet. On average, when compared to baseline levels, there were decreases in weight with regular exercise and exercise plus healthy eating, but the most consistent and sustained changes were evidenced when mindfulness training was added to exercise and healthy eating. The adolescent continued using the mindfulness health wellness program and further reduced his weight during the 3-year follow-up period.
A Pilot Study of Sensation-Focused Intensive Treatment for Panic Disorder With Moderate to Severe Agoraphobia: Preliminary Outcome and Benchmarking Data
Authors: Bitran Stella , Morissette Sandra B. , Spiegel David A. , Barlow David H.
Published: February 2008

This report presents results of a treatment for panic disorder with moderate to severe agoraphobia (PDA-MS) called sensation-focused intensive treatment (SFIT). SFIT is an 8-day intensive treatment that combines features of cognitive— behavioral treatment for panic disorder, such as interoceptive exposure and cognitive restructuring with ungraded situational exposure. SFIT focuses on feared physical sensations as well as agoraphobic avoidance. Preliminary data support the utility of SFIT in improving PDA-MS. The goal of this exploratory study was to further investigate the effectiveness of SFIT and evaluate factors related to treatment outcome, including severity of panic symptoms, gender, comorbidity, self-efficacy, and place of residence (local vs. remote). SFIT was found to be effective in decreasing panic symptoms from pre- to posttreatment, with treatment gains maintained at follow-up. The implications of these findings for the treatment of PDA are discussed.
Habituation of Premonitory Sensations During Exposure and Response Prevention Treatment in Tourette's Syndrome
Authors: Verdellen Cara W. J. , Hoogduin Cees A. L. , Kato Bernet S. , Keijsers Ger P. J. , Cath Danielle C. , Hoijtink Herbert B.
Published: February 2008

Exposure to premonitory sensations and response prevention of tics (ER) has been shown to be a promising new treatment for Tourette's syndrome (TS). The present study tested the hypothesis that habituation to unpleasant premonitory sensations associated with the tic is an underlying mechanism of change in ER. Patients rated the severity of sensations and urges at 15-minute intervals during ten 2-hour ER sessions. Multilevel models using multiple time trend analyses showed significant reductions of the sensory severity ratings both within and between sessions. The decrease of these severity ratings was related to the frequency of tics exhibited during sessions, regardless of tic severity at baseline. These results support the hypothesis that habituation may be at least part of the underlying working mechanism of exposure in the treatment of tics in TS and that effective tic suppression during sessions is an important factor in this habituation process.
Redoing gender through divorce
Authors: Walzer Susan
Published: February 2008

Much theoretical and empirical scholarship suggests that in heterosexual marriage, norms for work and love are differentiated by gender. Grounded in an inductive analysis of archival interview data from the 1980s, this article suggests that gendered processes, relatively unrecognized as married people enact them day to day, are identified and revised in retrospective accounts of divorced people. I describe four areas of gender differentiation institutionalized in marriage — breadwinning, housework, parenting, and emotional expression — and offer the concept of “redoing” gender to capture the process of repudiating previous forms of gender accountability. If marriage is a site for “doing” gender, for some people, divorce generates “redoing” in the sense that they change their expectations for masculine and feminine behavior in families.
Relationship social comparison tendencies, insecurity, and perceived relationship quality
Authors: Smith LeBeau Lavonia , Buckingham Justin T.
Published: February 2008

Three studies examine associations between relationship social comparison (RSC) tendencies, insecurity, and perceived relationship quality. Study 1 (68 females, 9 males) showed that RSC was associated with self-esteem, anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and relationship insecurity. RSC associations with anxious attachment and insecurity, but not avoidant attachment, held when controlling for self-esteem. Study 2 (322 females, 95 males) showed that RSC was associated with intimacy, satisfaction, investment, commitment, and relationship alternatives. RSC associations held when controlling for general comparison tendencies for all except investment. Study 3 (61 females, 11 males) showed that RSC was associated with changes in relationship insecurity and satisfaction over time, and that insecurity mediated the relationship between RSC and satisfaction.
A model for predicting stress levels and marital satisfaction for stepmothers utilizing a stress and coping approach
Authors: Johnson Amy Janan , Wright Kevin B. , Craig Elizabeth A. , Gilchrist Eileen S. , Lane Lindsay T. , Haigh Michel M.
Published: February 2008

Drawing from a stress and coping framework and previous research regarding stepfamilies, the researchers develop and test a theoretical model predicting stepmother stress and marital satisfaction. Factors in the model include residency of the stepmother's stepchildren, whether the stepmother has biological children, social support resources, role clarity, and responsibility for household chores and stepchild care. The results indicate that the data fit the model well. By examining all of these variables in a model several advantages are achieved, including integrating and extending prior research findings on stepfamilies, comparing the relative strengths of these variables in their relationship with stress and satisfaction, and illustrating factors that can be targeted to encourage the viability of the various types of stepmother—father couples.
Cultural differences in intimacy: The influence of gender-role ideology and individualism—collectivism
Authors: Marshall Tara C.
Published: February 2008

Two studies examined emotional intimacy in European Canadian and Chinese Canadian dating relationships. Cultural differences in gender-role ideology and individualism—collectivism were hypothesized to differentially contribute to self-disclosure and responsiveness, and in turn, intimacy. Study 1 revealed that Chinese Canadians' lower intimacy relative to European Canadians was mediated by their greater gender-role traditionalism but not by their individualism or collectivism. Study 2 further linked greater gender-role traditionalism to lower self-disclosure, and in turn, lower intimacy. Results also revealed that Chinese Canadians' lower intimacy mediated their lower relationship satisfaction and higher rate of relationship termination in Study 1, but that Chinese Canadians were not any more likely to terminate their relationships in Study 2.
Emotional expression in tsukiau dating relationships in Japan
Authors: Farrer James , Tsuchiya Haruka , Bagrowicz Bart
Published: February 2008

This article uses qualitative interviews with 135 Japanese in their 20s to discover the meanings and purposes they associate with tsukiau (“going steady”) relationships. Relating our findings to Sternberg's triangular theory of love, we find that all three components of intimacy, commitment, and passion are emphasized in tsukiau relationships, though in culturally specific ways. The findings suggest that in a society in which people marry later than before, dating relationships can be a new type of comfort zone for young Japanese adults redefining the boundaries of the “inner” and “outer” self, often replacing or displacing family ties as the context for displaying a backstage “true self.” The tsukiau relationship thus represents a transitional life stage for heterosexual Japanese young people.
How feasible is the attainment of community ambulation after stroke? A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate community-based physiotherapy in subacute stroke
Authors: Lord Susan , McPherson Kathryn M , McNaughton Harry K , Rochester Lynn , Weatherall Mark
Published: February 2008

Objective: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated an assistant-led, community-based intervention to improve community mobility and participation after stroke, and examined the potential for independent community ambulation in people with subacute stroke who present with moderate gait deficit.

Design: A multicentre, pilot randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Three hospitals and three community settings in New Zealand.

Subjects: Thirty post-acute, home-dwelling stroke survivors were randomly allocated to receive intervention in the community (n = 14) or as hospital outpatients (n = 16) twice a week for seven weeks.

Interventions: The community intervention involved practice of functional gait activities in community environments relevant to each participant. Hospital-based physiotherapy was based upon a Motor Relearning approach.

Main measures: The primary outcome measure was gait speed (m/min). Secondary outcomes included endurance (six-minute walk time), Activities-specific Confidence Balance Scale, and the Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcomes measured at baseline, post intervention and six months.

Results: Large gains in gait speed were obtained for participants in both groups: community group mean (SD) 16 (16.1) m/min; physiotherapy group mean (SD) 15.9 (16.1) m/min, maintained at six months. There were no significant differences between groups for primary and secondary outcomes after treatment (P = 0.86 ANOVA) or at six months (P = 0.83 ANOVA). Only 11 participants reported independent community ambulation. Levels of social integration were low to moderate.

Conclusions: A community-based gait recovery programme appears a practicable alternative to routine physiotherapy, however independent community ambulation is a challenging rehabilitation goal.
Multiple-task walking training in people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease: a pilot study
Authors: Canning Colleen G , Ada Louise , Woodhouse Elke
Published: February 2008

Objective: To determine whether multiple-task training of walking is feasible and worthwhile in people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.

Design: Baseline-controlled pilot study with three-week baseline, training and retention phases.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Subjects: Five people aged 61 ±8 years with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr stages II—III).

Interventions: Multiple-task training was performed for 30 minutes once a week during the three-week training phase.

Main measures: Participants were tested and trained during the `on' phase

of medication. Feasibility of training was examined using 10 cm visual analogue scales to measure participant perception of mental fatigue, physical fatigue, difficulty, anxiety and confidence. Walking velocity, stride length and cadence under multiple-task conditions were measured.

Results: Participants reported low levels of mental fatigue, physical fatigue, difficulty and anxiety as well as high levels of confidence associated with multiple-task training. No adverse effects of training were reported. Multiple-task walking velocity increased by 0.09 ± 0.06 m/s (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02 to 0.16) between the baseline and training phase and this increase was maintained in the retention phase.

Conclusion: Multiple-task training is feasible in people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. The data suggest sustained benefits on multiple-task walking velocity are possible. A randomized controlled trial of multiple-task training efficacy is warranted.
Comparison of the effect of two types of acupuncture on quality of life in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a preliminary single-blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Donnellan Clare P , Shanley Jackie
Published: February 2008

Objective: To compare the effect of two types of acupuncture on the quality of life of individuals with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and provide preliminary evidence regarding the safety of this intervention for this population.

Design: Preliminary single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Outpatient attendance at rehabilitation unit.

Participants: Fourteen participants with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Interventions: Chinese medical acupuncture or minimal acupuncture. Participants received 10 treatments over five weeks.

Measures: Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29, Fatigue Severity Scale and General Health Questionnaire 12 were measured pre and post intervention. Adverse events and other responses during treatment were recorded prospectively.

Results: Participants receiving minimal acupuncture demonstrated

statistically significant greater improvement in the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 psychological subscale compared with those receiving Chinese medical acupuncture in an intention-to-treat analysis (P=0.04), with mean change in Chinese acupuncture group of 6.0 (SD 13.9) and in minimal acupuncture group of 23.0 (SD 21.0). No other statistically significant difference between the groups was found. No major adverse events were noted. Minor adverse events such as lower limb muscle spasms or pain were noted in some participants in both intervention groups.

Conclusion: Minimal acupuncture resulted in greater improvement of Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 psychological subscale compared with Chinese medical acupuncture. No other differences between the groups were found. In view of the small sample these results are not conclusive. This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that acupuncture is safe for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. A large-scale trial is required to provide more definitive evidence.
The Making of Space, Race and Place
Authors: Dickinson Maggie
Published: February 2008

■ This article examines New York City's war on graffiti from 1970 until the present and the ways in which the city's reaction to the popular youth practice was largely shaped by the neoliberal restructuring process occurring throughout the same period. It explores the racialization and criminalization of the youth who practiced graffiti, and the ways in which this process manifested itself as a contestation over the use of urban space. Finally, it explores the practice of graffiti and the role of cultural practices more generally in relation to an anti-racist discourse.
Cultivating Autonomy
Authors: Williams Gwyn
Published: February 2008

■ This article explores the resistance of alterglobalization activists on the Larzac plateau in southern France to various forms of power. As part of a technique of resistance activists cultivate themselves as `autonomous' political subjects and organize a movement considered to be an `autonomous' counterpower. In addition to being a political goal, autonomy is problematically tangled up in many aspects of their lives and is of frequent concern in their efforts to resist. Autonomy also constitutes a theoretical problem in anthropological discussions of power and resistance. An autonomous space of resistance is often assumed by social movement theorists or denied by those who argue that power and resistance are inseparable. I argue in this article that autonomy, understood as something socially relative rather than absolute, is produced in the process of resisting via particular practices through which power and resistance come to oppose one another.