Mesospheric turbulence during PMWE-conducive conditions

International audienceStrong radar returns at VHF known as Polar Mesospheric Winter Echoes (PMWE) seem to occur during periods of intense ionisation of the mesosphere. Apart from a mechanism to produce such ionisation, viz. solar proton precipitation, other prerequisites have been proposed, such as neutral air turbulence. Here, we employ a medium frequency radar to examine whether the atmospheric state is conducive to the appearance of PMWE; echo power signatures (isolated lower mesospheric echoes ? "ILME") are indicators of the necessary ionisation at sufficient depth in the middle atmosphere, and also echo fading times give information on turbulence. We fail to find evidence for causal relationship between ILME and turbulence but suggest that on occasion turbulence may be enhanced related to proton precipitation. The results presented provide a basis for investigating whether turbulence is a prerequisite for PMWE

Tidal signatures in mesospheric turbulence

We search for the presence of tidal signatures in high latitude mesospheric turbulence as parameterized by turbulent energy dissipation rate estimated using a medium frequency radar, quantifying our findings with the aid of correlation analyses. A diurnal periodicity is not particularly evident during the winter and spring months but is a striking feature of the summer mesopause. While semidiurnal variation is present to some degree all year round, it is particularly pronounced in winter. We find that the maximum in the summer 24-h variation corresponds to that of the westward phase of the diurnal tide, and that the maximum in the winter 12 h variation corresponds to that of the southward phase of the semidiurnal tide. This information is used to infer the horizontal propagation direction of gravity waves: during the summer the eastward direction is consistent with closure of the summer vortex, while in winter the inferred directions require more complex arguments

Sexual Ethics Training in Seminary: Preparing Students to Manage Feelings of Sexual Attraction

Sexual boundary violations by clergy have received heightened media attention in recent years with far reaching implications for the long-term well-being of the Church as an institution. While much has been written about the causes and implications of sexual misconduct by clergy, very little research has addressed preventative efforts. Prevention begins in graduate school or seminary. How do seminary alumni perceive the quality of their training in the areas of understanding and maintaining sexual health as well as in managing feelings of sexual attraction in professional contexts? In this survey, 585 alumni from 5 evangelical seminaries answered questions related to their graduate training with regard to their coursework and training environments. Results suggest that minimal attention is given to both. Respondents were more likely than other helping professionals (i.e., psychologists) to believe that the experience of sexual attraction is unethical and to deny experiencing it in their professional contexts. Survey respondents reported coping with feelings of sexual attraction in a private, internal manner. However, respondents reported a surprisingly low incidence of sexual misconduct compared to previous research of clergy. Implications and future research directions are discussed

Gravity wave characteristics in the mesopause region revealed from OH airglow imager observations over Northern Colorado

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2014. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 119 (2014): 630-645, doi:10.1002/2013JA018955.Using 5 years of all-sky OH airglow imager data over Yucca Ridge Field Station, CO (40.7°N, 104.9°W), from September 2003 to September 2008, we extract and deduce quasi-monochromatic gravity wave (GW) characteristics in the mesopause region. The intrinsic periods are clustered between approximately 4 and 10 min, and many of them are unstable and evanescent. GW occurrence frequency exhibits a clear semiannual variation with equinoctial minima, which is likely related to the seasonal variation of background wind. The anomalous propagation direction in January 2006, with strong southward before major warming starting in 21 January and weak southward propagation afterward, was most likely affected by stratospheric sudden warming. The momentum fluxes show strongly anticorrelated with the tides, with ~180° out of phase in the zonal component. While in the meridional component, the easterly maximum occurred approximately 2–6 h after maximum easterly tidal wind. However, the anticorrelations are both weakest during the summer. The dissipating and breaking of small-scale and high-frequency GW's components could have a potential impact on the general circulation in the mesopause region.This work was carried out at the University of Science and Technology of China, with support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China grants (41025016, 41127901, 41225017, 41074108, and 41121003), the National Basic Research Program of China grant 2012CB825605, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Research Program KZZD-EW-01, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.2014-07-3

Polar vortex evolution during Northern Hemispheric winter 2004/05

As a part of the project "Atmospheric Wave Influences upon the Winter Polar Vortices (0–100 km)" of the CAWSES program, data from meteor and Medium Frequency radars at 12 locations and MetO (UK Meteorological Office) global assimilated fields have been analyzed for the first campaign during the Northern Hemispheric winter of 2004/05. The stratospheric state has been described using the conventional zonal mean parameters as well as Q-diagnostic, which allows consideration of the longitudinal variability. The stratosphere was cold during winter of 2004/05, and the polar vortex was relatively strong during most of the winter with relatively weak disturbances occurring at the end of December and the end of January. For this winter the strongest deformation with the splitting of the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere was observed at the end of February. Here the results show strong latitudinal and longitudinal differences that are evident in the stratospheric and mesospheric data sets at different stations. Eastward winds are weaker and oscillations with planetary wave periods have smaller amplitudes at more poleward stations. Accordingly, the occurrence, time and magnitude of the observed reversal of the zonal mesospheric winds associated with stratospheric disturbances depend on the local stratospheric conditions. In general, compared to previous years, the winter of 2004/05 could be characterized by weak planetary wave activity at stratospheric and mesospheric heights

A ‘Force for Good’? Police Reform in Post?conflict Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone Police Force has its origins in British colonial administration. After Independence and with the consolidation of one?party rule the force slid into disrepute. The outbreak of civil conflict in 1991 largely decimated the force but the gradual restoration of peace provided an opportunity for police reform. This article covers the aspects of the political and institutional environment that helped engender change, as well as constraints faced by the reform agenda. It considers how the officers actually carried out the task at hand, and shares lessons as to what reform tactics worked and which were less successful. While several challenges remain, the reform programme has been largely successful, hinging on – among other factors – the appointment of a British Inspector General of Police; the availability of a core of reform?minded officers; long?term external technical and financial assistance; and a conducive political environment for change

International consensus statement on the design, delivery and evaluation of sport-based interventions aimed at promoting social, psychological and physical well-being in prison

Objective To develop an international consensus statement to advise on designing, delivering and evaluating sport-based interventions (SBIs) aimed atpromoting social, psychological and physical well-being in prison.Design Modified Delphi using two rounds of survey questionnaires and two consensus workshops. Participants A multidisciplinary panel of more than 40experts from 15 international jurisdictions was formed, including representation from the following groups and stakeholders: professionals working in the justicesystem; officials from sport federations and organisations; academics with research experience of prisons, secure forensic mental health settings and SBIs; and policymakers in criminal justice and sport.Results A core research team and advisory board developed the initial rationale, statement and survey. This survey produced qualitative data which was analysedthematically. The findings were presented at an in-person workshop. Panellists discussed the findings, and, using a modified nominal group technique, reached a consensus on objectives to be included in a revised statement. The core research team and advisory board revised the statement and recirculated it with a second survey.Findings from the second survey were discussed at a second, virtual, workshop. The core research team and advisory board further revised the consensus statement and recirculated it asking panellists for further comments.This iterative process resulted in seven final statement items; all participants have confirmed that they agreed with the content, objectives and recommendations of the final statement.Conclusions The statement can be used to assist those that design, deliver and evaluate SBIs by providing guidance on: (1) minimum levels of competence for those designing and delivering SBIs; (2) the design and delivery of inclusive programmes prioritising disadvantaged groups; and (3) evaluation measures which are carefully calibrated both to capture proposed programme outcomes and to advance an understanding of the systems, processes andexperiences of sport engagement in prison

The coalition for conservation genetics: working across organizations to build capacity and achieve change in policy and practice

The Coalition for Conservation Genetics (CCG) brings together four eminentorganizations with the shared goal of improving the integration of geneticinformation into conservation policy and practice. We provide a historicalcontext of conservation genetics as a field and reflect on current barriers toconserving genetic diversity, highlighting the need for collaboration acrosstraditional divides, international partnerships, and coordinated advocacy. Wethen introduce the CCG and illustrate through examples how a coalitionapproach can leverage complementary expertise and improve the organiza-tional impact at multiple levels. The CCG has proven particularly successfulat implementing large synthesis-type projects, training early-career scientists,and advising policy makers. Achievements to date highlight the potential forthe CCG to make effective contributions to practical conservation policy andmanagement that no one“parent”organization could achieve on its own.Finally, we reflect on the lessons learned through forming the CCG, and ourvision for the futur