Centralization, organizational strategy, and public service performance

We test the separate and joint effects of centralization and organizational strategy on the performance of 53 UK public service organizations. Centralization is measured as both the hierarchy of authority and the degree of participation in decision making, whereas strategy is measured as the extent to which service providers are prospectors, defenders, and reactors. We find that centralization has no independent effect on service performance, even when controlling for prior performance, service expenditure, and external constraints. However, the impact of centralization is contingent on the strategic orientation of organizations. Centralized decision making works best in conjunction with defending, and decentralized decision making works best in organizations that emphasize prospecting.postprin

A Generalization of the Goldberg-Sachs Theorem and its Consequences

The Goldberg-Sachs theorem is generalized for all four-dimensional manifolds endowed with torsion-free connection compatible with the metric, the treatment includes all signatures as well as complex manifolds. It is shown that when the Weyl tensor is algebraically special severe geometric restrictions are imposed. In particular it is demonstrated that the simple self-dual eigenbivectors of the Weyl tensor generate integrable isotropic planes. Another result obtained here is that if the self-dual part of the Weyl tensor vanishes in a Ricci-flat manifold of (2,2) signature the manifold must be Calabi-Yau or symplectic and admits a solution for the source-free Einstein-Maxwell equations.Comment: 14 pages. This version matches the published on

Is Mental Health Competence in Childhood Associated With Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescence? Findings From the UK Millennium Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Promoting positive mental health, particularly through enhancing competencies (such as prosocial behaviors and learning skills), may help prevent the development of health risk behaviors in adolescence and thus support future well-being. Few studies have examined how mental health competencies in childhood are associated with adolescent health risk behaviors, which could inform preventative approaches. METHODS: Using UK Millennium Cohort Study data (n = 10,142), we examined how mental health competence (MHC) measured at the end of elementary school (11 years) is associated with self-reported use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, antisocial behavior, and sexual contact with another young person at age 14 years. A latent measure of MHC was used, capturing aspects of prosocial behavior and learning skills, categorized as high MHC, high-moderate MHC, moderate MHC, and low MHC. Logistic and multinomial regression estimated odds ratios and relative risk ratios for binary and categorical outcomes, respectively, before and after adjusting for confounders. Weights accounted for sample design and attrition and multiple imputation for item missingness. RESULTS: Those with low, moderate, or high-moderate MHC at age 11 years were more likely to have taken part in health risk behaviors at age 14 years compared with those with high MHC. The largest associations were seen for low MHC with binge drinking (relative risk ratio: 1.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.4]), having tried cigarettes (odds ratio: 2.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.6-3.1]) and tried illegal drugs (odds ratio: 2.0 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.1) after adjusting for confounders (which attenuated results but largely maintained significant findings). CONCLUSIONS: MHC in late childhood is associated with health risk behaviors in midadolescence. Interventions that increase children's MHC may support healthy development during adolescence, with the potential to improve health and well-being through to adulthood

Constraining annual and seasonal radon-222 flux density from the Southern Ocean using radon-222 concentrations in the boundary layer at Cape Grim

Radon concentrations measured between 2001 and 2008 in marine air at Cape Grim, a baseline site in northwestern Tasmania, are used to constrain the radon flux density from the Southern Ocean. A method is described for selecting hourly radon concentrations that are least perturbed by land emissions and dilution by the free troposphere. The distribution of subsequent radon flux density estimates is representative of a large area of the Southern Ocean, an important fetch region for Southern Hemisphere climate and air pollution studies. The annual mean flux density (0.27 mBq m 2 s 1) compares well with the mean of the limited number of spot measurements previously conducted in the Southern Ocean (0.24 mBq m 2 s 1), and to some spot measurements made in other oceanic regions. However, a number of spot measurements in other oceanic regions, as well as most oceanic radon flux density values assumed for modelling studies and intercomparisons, are considerably lower than the mean reported here. The reported radon flux varies with seasons and, in summer, with latitude. It also shows a quadratic dependence on wind speed and significant wave height, as postulated and measured by others, which seems to support our assumption that the selected least perturbed radon concentrations were in equilibrium with the oceanic radon source. By comparing the least perturbed radon observations in 2002 2003 with corresponding ‘TransCom’ model intercomparison results, the best agreement is found when assuming a normally distributed radon flux density with s 0.075 mBq m 2 s 1. © 2013, W. Zahorowski et al

Simulations of atmospheric methane for Cape Grim, Tasmania, to constrain southeastern Australian methane emissions

This study uses two climate models and six scenarios of prescribed methane emissions to compare modelled and observed atmospheric methane between 1994 and 2007, for Cape Grim, Australia (40.7° S, 144.7° E). The model simulations follow the TransCom-CH4 protocol and use the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) and the CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM). Radon is also simulated and used to reduce the impact of transport differences between the models and observations. Comparisons are made for air samples that have traversed the Australian continent. All six emission scenarios give modelled concentrations that are broadly consistent with those observed. There are three notable mismatches, however. Firstly, scenarios that incorporate interannually varying biomass burning emissions produce anomalously high methane concentrations at Cape Grim at times of large fire events in southeastern Australia, most likely due to the fire methane emissions being unrealistically input into the lowest model level. Secondly, scenarios with wetland methane emissions in the austral winter overestimate methane concentrations at Cape Grim during wintertime while scenarios without winter wetland emissions perform better. Finally, all scenarios fail to represent a~methane source in austral spring implied by the observations. It is possible that the timing of wetland emissions in the scenarios is incorrect with recent satellite measurements suggesting an austral spring (September–October–November), rather than winter, maximum for wetland emissions. © Author(s) 2015

Sea-air CO2 fluxes in the Indian Ocean between 1990 and 2009

The Indian Ocean (44 S-30 N) plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, yet it remains one of the most poorly sampled ocean regions. Several approaches have been used to estimate net sea-air CO2 fluxes in this region: interpolated observations, ocean biogeochemical models, atmospheric and ocean inversions. As part of the RECCAP (REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes) project, we combine these different approaches to quantify and assess the magnitude and variability in Indian Ocean sea-air CO2 fluxes between 1990 and 2009. Using all of the models and inversions, the median annual mean sea-air CO2 uptake of −0.37 ± 0.06 PgC yr -1 is consistent with the −0.24 ± 0.12 PgC yr -1 calculated from observations. The fluxes from the southern Indian Ocean (18-44 S; -0.43 ± 0.07 PgC yr-1 are similar in magnitude to the annual uptake for the entire Indian Ocean. All models capture the observed pattern of fluxes in the Indian Ocean with the following exceptions: underestimation of upwelling fluxes in the northwestern region (off Oman and Somalia), overestimation in the northeastern region (Bay of Bengal) and underestimation of the CO2 sink in the subtropical convergence zone. These differences were mainly driven by lack of atmospheric CO2 data in atmospheric inversions, and poor simulation of monsoonal currents and freshwater discharge in ocean biogeochemical models. Overall, the models and inversions do capture the phase of the observed seasonality for the entire Indian Ocean but overestimate the magnitude. The predicted sea-air CO 2 fluxes by ocean biogeochemical models (OBGMs) respond to seasonal variability with strong phase lags with reference to climatological CO 2 flux, whereas the atmospheric inversions predicted an order of magnitude higher seasonal flux than OBGMs. The simulated interannual variability by the OBGMs is weaker than that found by atmospheric inversions. Prediction of such weak interannual variability in CO2 fluxes by atmospheric inversions was mainly caused by a lack of atmospheric data in the Indian Ocean. The OBGM models suggest a small strengthening of the sink over the period 1990-2009 of -0.01 PgC decade-1. This is inconsistent with the observations in the southwestern Indian Ocean that shows the growth rate of oceanic pCO 2 was faster than the observed atmospheric CO2 growth, a finding attributed to the trend of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) during the 1990s

The cortisol awakening response predicts same morning executive function: results from a 50-day case study

A relationship between individual differences in trait estimates of the cortisol-awakening response (CAR) and indices of executive function (EF) has been reported. However, it is difficult to determine causality from such studies. The aim of the present study was to capitalise upon state variation in both variables to seek stronger support for causality by examining daily co-variation. A 50 days researcher–participant case study was employed, ensuring careful adherence to the sampling protocol. A 24-year-old healthy male collected saliva samples and completed an attention-switching index of EF on the morning of each study day. Subsidiary control measures included wake time, sleep duration, morning fatigue, and amount of prior day exercise and alcohol consumption. As the CAR preceded daily measurement of EF, we hypothesised that, over time, a greater than average CAR would predict better than average EF. This was confirmed by mixed regression modelling of variation in cortisol concentrations, which indicated that the greater the increase in cortisol concentrations from 0 to 30 min post-awakening (CAR) the better was subsequent EF performance at 45 min post-awakening (t = 2.29, p = 0.024). This effect was independent of all potential confounding measures. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the understanding of the relationship between the CAR and the cognitive function, and the previously suggested role of the CAR in “boosting” an individual’s performance for the day ahead

Imaging high-dimensional spatial entanglement with a camera

The light produced by parametric down-conversion shows strong spatial entanglement that leads to violations of EPR criteria for separability. Historically, such studies have been performed by scanning a single-element, single-photon detector across a detection plane. Here we show that modern electron-multiplying charge-coupled device cameras can measure correlations in both position and momentum across a multi-pixel field of view. This capability allows us to observe entanglement of around 2,500 spatial states and demonstrate Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen type correlations by more than two orders of magnitude. More generally, our work shows that cameras can lead to important new capabilities in quantum optics and quantum information science.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Hydrogen-poor superluminous stellar explosions

Supernovae (SNe) are stellar explosions driven by gravitational or thermonuclear energy, observed as electromagnetic radiation emitted over weeks or more. In all known SNe, this radiation comes from internal energy deposited in the outflowing ejecta by either radioactive decay of freshly-synthesized elements (typically 56Ni), stored heat deposited by the explosion shock in the envelope of a supergiant star, or interaction between the SN debris and slowly-moving, hydrogen-rich circumstellar material. Here we report on a new class of luminous SNe whose observed properties cannot be explained by any of these known processes. These include four new SNe we have discovered, and two previously unexplained events (SN 2005ap; SCP 06F6) that we can now identify as members. These SNe are all ~10 times brighter than SNe Ia, do not show any trace of hydrogen, emit significant ultra-violet (UV) flux for extended periods of time, and have late-time decay rates which are inconsistent with radioactivity. Our data require that the observed radiation is emitted by hydrogen-free material distributed over a large radius (~10^15 cm) and expanding at high velocities (>10^4 km s^-1). These long-lived, UV-luminous events can be observed out to redshifts z>4 and offer an excellent opportunity to study star formation in, and the interstellar medium of, primitive distant galaxies.Comment: Accepted to Nature. Press embargoed until 2011 June 8, 18:00 U

Proactive and politically skilled professionals: What is the relationship with affective occupational commitment?

The aim of this study is to extend research on employee affective commitment in three ways: (1) instead of organizational commitment the focus is on occupational commitment; (2) the role of proactive personality on affective occupational commitment is examined; and (3) occupational satisfaction is examined as a mediator and political skills as moderator in the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. Two connected studies, one in a hospital located in the private sector and one in a university located in the public sector, are carried out in Pakistan, drawing on a total sample of over 400 employees. The results show that proactive personality is positively related to affective occupational commitment, and that occupational satisfaction partly mediates the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. No effect is found for a moderator effect of political skills in the relationship between proactive personality and affective occupational commitment. Political skills however moderate the relationship between proactive personality and affective organizational commitment