Can climate models capture the structure of extratropical cyclones?

Composites of wind speeds, equivalent potential temperature, mean sea level pressure, vertical velocity, and relative humidity have been produced for the 100 most intense extratropical cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere winter for the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) and the high resolution global environment model (HiGEM). Features of conceptual models of cyclone structure—the warm conveyor belt, cold conveyor belt, and dry intrusion—have been identified in the composites from ERA-40 and compared to HiGEM. Such features can be identified in the composite fields despite the smoothing that occurs in the compositing process. The surface features and the three-dimensional structure of the cyclones in HiGEM compare very well with those from ERA-40. The warm conveyor belt is identified in the temperature and wind fields as a mass of warm air undergoing moist isentropic uplift and is very similar in ERA-40 and HiGEM. The rate of ascent is lower in HiGEM, associated with a shallower slope of the moist isentropes in the warm sector. There are also differences in the relative humidity fields in the warm conveyor belt. In ERA-40, the high values of relative humidity are strongly associated with the moist isentropic uplift, whereas in HiGEM these are not so strongly associated. The cold conveyor belt is identified as rearward flowing air that undercuts the warm conveyor belt and produces a low-level jet, and is very similar in HiGEM and ERA-40. The dry intrusion is identified in the 500-hPa vertical velocity and relative humidity. The structure of the dry intrusion compares well between HiGEM and ERA-40 but the descent is weaker in HiGEM because of weaker along-isentrope flow behind the composite cyclone. HiGEM’s ability to represent the key features of extratropical cyclone structure can give confidence in future predictions from this model

Evaluation of a sleep hygiene program to improve inmate sleep quality

Research investigating the effectiveness of treatments for inmates with poor sleep quality appears minimal. Some difficulties related to poor sleep quality can be addressed effectively with little time and expense. Studies show that psychoeducational interventions are effective in reducing sleep complaints and improving sleep quality in a variety of populations including college students and adults. However, the effect of sleep hygiene interventions on inmate sleep complaints is unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate a psychoeducational intervention program aimed at improving prison inmate sleep habits, length, and quality. Participants of this study were inmates at a department of corrections facility for men in the southern United States. Using the Sleep Quality Index, the Sleep Habits Questionnaire; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Sleep Hygiene Awareness and Practice Scale the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention program aimed at improving sleep quality, length, and habits for inmates was evaluated using multivariate analysis of variance. Results revealed that the intervention program did not have a significant impact on sleep quality, length, or habits for study participants. However, inmates in this sample had a higher rate of sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality than reported in previous studies with adults and college student populations. This finding suggests a need for effective sleep hygiene interventions in the prison environment

Connecting pedagogies: Accelerating impact with service learning and information literacy

Librarians can play an important role in supporting service learning initiatives in making informed use of the knowledge resources available to them. Presenters will outline how the pedagogy that underlies service learning also foregrounds the pedagogy that occurs in library-based research instruction, i.e. information literacy. Attendees will learn how to connect service learning and information literacy through the use of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. This framework can serve as an important tool for: designing campus resources that can impact community welfare; creating environments of collaboration across the education continuum; and appraising the impact of community-based assignments

Connecting Pedagogies: Service Learning and Information Literacy Accelerate Impact

Librarians can play an important role in supporting service learning initiatives and administrators in making informed use of the knowledge resources available to them. Presenters will outline how the pedagogy that underlies service learning also foregrounds the pedagogy that occurs in library-based research instruction, otherwise known as information literacy. Attendees will learn how to connect service learning and information literacy through the use of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. This framework can serve as an important tool for: designing campus resources that can impact community welfare; creating environments of collaboration across the education continuum; and appraising the impact of community-based assignments

Can climate models capture the structure of extratropical cyclones?

Composites of wind speeds, equivalent potential temperature, mean sea level pressure, vertical velocity, and relative humidity have been produced for the 100 most intense extratropical cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere winter for the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) and the high resolution global environment model (HiGEM). Features of conceptual models of cyclone structure—the warm conveyor belt, cold conveyor belt, and dry intrusion—have been identified in the composites from ERA-40 and compared to HiGEM. Such features can be identified in the composite fields despite the smoothing that occurs in the compositing process. The surface features and the three-dimensional structure of the cyclones in HiGEM compare very well with those from ERA-40. The warm conveyor belt is identified in the temperature and wind fields as a mass of warm air undergoing moist isentropic uplift and is very similar in ERA-40 and HiGEM. The rate of ascent is lower in HiGEM, associated with a shallower slope of the moist isentropes in the warm sector. There are also differences in the relative humidity fields in the warm conveyor belt. In ERA-40, the high values of relative humidity are strongly associated with the moist isentropic uplift, whereas in HiGEM these are not so strongly associated. The cold conveyor belt is identified as rearward flowing air that undercuts the warm conveyor belt and produces a low-level jet, and is very similar in HiGEM and ERA-40. The dry intrusion is identified in the 500-hPa vertical velocity and relative humidity. The structure of the dry intrusion compares well between HiGEM and ERA-40 but the descent is weaker in HiGEM because of weaker along-isentrope flow behind the composite cyclone. HiGEM’s ability to represent the key features of extratropical cyclone structure can give confidence in future predictions from this model

Investigating Peer Review as an Intentional Learning Strategy to Foster Collaborative Knowledge-Building in Students of Instructional Design

Peer review has been advocated for as an intentional strategy to support the knowledge and skill attainment of adult learners preparing for professional practice, including those students preparing for instructional design and technology practice. The purposes of this article are to discuss the practical application of peer review as an instructional strategy by articulating its use in both face-to-face and online Instructional Design courses and to formulate directions for future research on the use of peer review in instructional practice. Findings from a literature review of student-to-student peer review and the authors\u27 experiences with the use of peer review in Instructional Design courses are used to foster a discussion that interweaves both important scholarly and practical elements

“Some Days Are Much Holier Than Others”: Relational Uncertainty and Partner Influence in Christian Dating Couples\u27 Sexual Intimacy Negotiation

When intrafaith couples\u27 religion strictly prohibits premarital sexual intercourse, negotiating sexual intimacy can become a multilayered process of identity negotiation that compounds the difficulty of sexual communication. Through the lens of relational turbulence theory, this study explored how devout Christian couples negotiate sexual intimacy by reanalyzing qualitative interview data the first author collected in 2017 from 16 self-identified Christians (8 heterosexual couples). Seven themes revealed how relational uncertainty, partner interference, and partner facilitation manifested in the context of sexual intimacy negotiation. Themes of relational uncertainty experience and prevention included assumption of shared values, relationship talk, and sexual behaviors as an uncertainty catalyst. Partner facilitation and interference emerged as themes of sexual escalation and de-escalation including snowball effect, pinpointing underlying motivations for boundary violations, gatekeeping sexual temptation, and drawing from shared values of sacrifice and prayer. These interpretive findings advance the literature on relational turbulence theory and provide Christian dating couples with practical advice for how to negotiate sexual intimacy in committed premarital relationships

Locally-Owned Retail Stores and Downtown Revitalization:Investigating the Role of Place Attachment

Through revitalization, many downtown areas across the US are seeking to become shopping destinations by creating consumption spaces that are distinct from those in the suburbs. It is possible that the role of place and the bonds that people form with places are key factors involved in achieving the success of distinct consumption spaces. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of attachment to place within the dynamic that exists between local retail store ownership and downtown revitalization. An ethnographic approach to research was employed. Findings of this study highlight the importance of place attachment not just among participants as owners of small retail stores, but for the entire downtown as a community of retailers operating within an area that is being revitalized

Locally-Owned Retail Stores and the Revitalized Downtown: An Investigation of the Role of Civic Engagement and Local Capitalism

Downtown areas were once vital areas for commerce and consumption. Suburbanization changed this, vacating downtown for decentralized locations following the population sprawl. Recently the renaissance of many downtowns across the US has occurred, as locally-owned retailers returned to downtown areas and consumers are following by supporting these efforts. Civic engagement is key for downtown revitalization, and may occur more readily when linked with opportunities for consumption via local capitalism, providing a reason for people to return to downtown. Despite trends in downtown revitalization, few studies examine the topic, none link the locally-owned retail store to concepts of civic engagement and local capitalism. The purpose of this study was to explore how locally-owned retail stores offer a mechanism for revitalization that is fueled by civic engagement through both customers and store owners employing an ethnographic research design. Findings indicate that through local capitalism, civic engagement is key to successful downtown revitalization