Showing papers by "San Jose State University published in 2003"

The effects of physical attractiveness on job‐related outcomes: a meta‐analysis of experimental studies

Abstract: We report the findings of a meta-analytic review of experimental studies concerned with the biasing effect of physical attractiveness on a variety of job-related outcomes. In support of implicit personality theory, attractive individuals were found to fare better than unattractive individuals in terms of a number of such outcomes. The weighted mean effect size, d, was .37 for all studies. In addition, tests for moderating effects showed that (a) the attractiveness bias did not differ between studies that provided low versus high amounts of job-relevant information about the targets, (b) the same bias was greater for within-subjects research designs than for between-subjects designs, (c) professionals were as susceptible to the bias as were college students, (d) attractiveness was as important for men as for women, and (e) the biasing effect of attractiveness has decreased in recent years. Implications of these findings are considered.

Growth of Epitaxial Nanowires at the Junctions of Nanowalls

Abstract: Interfacing semiconducting nanostructures with conducting or insulating substrates to attain a three-dimensional (3D) integrated platform is highly desirable for advanced nanoscale electronics and optoelectronics applications ( [1][1] ). As such, the assembly and synthesis of these nanostructures, which demonstrate multiple dimensionality, using a bottom-up approach would be useful. Taking ZnO as an example, we show here that high crystallinity 1D and 2D nanostructures can be epitaxially and vertically grown into 3D architectures on both conducting and insulating single crystalline substrates. Our objective was to grow vertically well-aligned 2D and 1D semiconducting nanostructures for nanoelectronics and nanosensor applications. Using a carbothermal reduction process and gold (Au)-catalyzed epitaxial growth ( [2][2] – [4][3] ), we have been able to reproducibly grow hierachically well-ordered and vertically aligned 2D and 1D ZnO nanostructures on electrically conducting, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and on insulating (1120) sapphire substrates. We achieve these by specifically controlling either the spacing between the catalyst spots or the thickness of the catalyst thin film. When the Au film thickness is maintained above the threshold limit of 15 A, we obtained highly intricate quasi-3D nanostructures ([Fig. 1A][4] and inset), which are composed of an array of vertical 1D nanowires on top of a 2D network of intricate “nanowalls.” The scanning electron microscope (SEM) (top view) further reveals a random honeycomb-like pattern, resembling typical structures observed from anodization of thin-film aluminum. The nanowires are observed to grow from the “nodes” of the nanowalls. The average diameters of the nanowires and the thickness of the nanowalls are of the same order of magnitude (∼80 nm). The hexagonal facets (0001) of the nanowires ( [4][3] ) are clearly visible in the SEM images. This suggests that epitaxial growth of the nanowires occurs at the nodes of the nanowalls, which are themselves assembled epitaxially on the substrates and presumably also have their c -plane parallel to the substrates. The nanowalls have essentially vertical side wall profiles. By controlling the growth time, 2D nanowalls ([Fig. 1B][4]) could be obtained before onset of the 1D nanowires. When the catalyst thickness is kept below the threshold limit of 15 A, discrete individual free-standing 1D nanowires are obtained ([Fig. 1C][4]). ![ Fig. 1. ][5] Fig. 1. Zinc oxide nanowalls and nanowires. ( A ) SEM image of quasi-3D ZnO nanostructures grown on a sapphire using ∼40 to 50 A Au thin film as the catalyst. The inset shows a SEM perspective view. ( B ) 2D ZnO nanowalls on a sapphire with a height ∼5 μm. ( C ) An array of free-standing 1D ZnO nanowires on a HOPG substrate using ∼15 A Au ultrathin film as the catalyst. ( D ) Schematic illustration showing the growth mechanism of ZnO nanowalls and nanowires. The first four sketches are top views; the last, a perspective view. Vertical growth of the ZnO nanostructures are observed as a result of the good epitaxial lattice match of the c plane of ZnO with the hexagonal basal plane of HOPG and (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(11{\bar{2}}0\) \end{document}) plane of sapphire. Unlike the governing mechanism in the growth of carbon nanowalls ( [5][6] ), the observed growth phenomena appear to be a result of the interplay between the dynamic wetting behavior and thermal-enhanced surface diffusion of gold adatoms on the substrates. The limited wettability between the substrate and Au film facilitates the formation of Au network patterns at an elevated temperature, in contrast to totally isolated droplets that form due to a total incompatibility or a continuous film that forms due to a complete wetting. Control experiments with different growth durations but without ZnO and carbon feed-stock have been performed and examined under an atomic force microscope (AFM). Consistency in the AFM granulometry results has suggested aggregation of the Au nanograins forming larger particulates with narrow grain boundaries within complex channeled Au networks that resemble the 2D nanowall patterns, as depicted in [Fig. 1D][4]. We believe that, with improved wetting to the substrate, ZnO epitaxial growth is initiated along the grain boundaries because these are the most thermodynamically active sites for saturation and precipitation of the Zn atoms (green arrows). As the ZnO nanowalls continue to grow via vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, the surface energy at the nodes increases with resultant Au atoms diffusing and accumulating at the nodes (red arrows) for overall energy compensation. At a critical saturation point, 1D nanowires begin to grow from the nodes via the same mechanism. In the 1D individual nanowire growth, the Au nanoparticles are typically well-separated and the surface diffusion length may not be extended enough to allow a continuous network formation. Though it is well known that nanowires are useful in many electronics and optoelectronics applications, the nanowalls and high surface-to-volume ratio nanostructures with multiple dimensionality may be useful in applications in energy storage or conversion and data storage and memory devices. Supporting Online Material [www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5623/1249/DC1][7] Materials and Methods Fig. S1 1. [↵][8] International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors 2001 (Semiconductor Industry Association, San Jose, CA, 2001); available at 2. [↵][9] H. T. Ng et al. , Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2023 (2003). [OpenUrl][10][CrossRef][11] 3. Materials and methods are available as supporting material on Science Online. 4. [↵][12] M. Huang et al ., Science 292, 1897 (2001). [OpenUrl][13][Abstract/FREE Full Text][14] 5. [↵][15] Y. Wu, P. Qiao, T. Chong, Z. Shen, Adv. Mater. 14, 64 (2002). [OpenUrl][16] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-4 [4]: #F1 [5]: pending:yes [6]: #ref-5 [7]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5623/1249/DC1 [8]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAppl.%2BPhys.%2BLett.%26rft.volume%253D82%26rft.spage%253D2023%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1063%252F1.1564870%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1063/1.1564870&link_type=DOI [12]: #xref-ref-4-1 "View reference 4 in text" [13]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DScience%26rft.stitle%253DScience%26rft.issn%253D0036-8075%26rft.aulast%253DHuang%26rft.auinit1%253DM.%2BH.%26rft.volume%253D292%26rft.issue%253D5523%26rft.spage%253D1897%26rft.epage%253D1899%26rft.atitle%253DRoom-Temperature%2BUltraviolet%2BNanowire%2BNanolasers%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1126%252Fscience.1060367%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F11397941%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [14]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6Mzoic2NpIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjEzOiIyOTIvNTUyMy8xODk3IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MjM6Ii9zY2kvMzAwLzU2MjMvMTI0OS5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30= [15]: #xref-ref-5-1 "View reference 5 in text" [16]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAdv.%2BMater.%26rft.volume%253D14%26rft.spage%253D64%26rft.atitle%253DADV%2BMATER%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx

Problematizing Cultural Stereotypes in TESOL

Abstract: Mitchell, J. (1994). Sex kills. On Turbulent Indigo [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: Reprise Records/Crazy Crow Music. Morgan, D. (2003, August 10). A debate over U.S. 'empire' builds in unexpected circles [Electronic version]. Washington Post, p. A3. Retrieved October 20, 2003, from http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/081203G.shtml Murphy, B. (2003, April 5). Neoconservative clout seen in U.S. Iraq policy. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 20, 2003, from http://www.jsonline.com/news /gen/apr03/131523.asp Pennycook, A. (1994). The cultural politics of English as an international language. London: Longman. Pennycook, A. (Ed.). (1999). Critical approaches to TESOL [Special-topic issue]. TESOL Quarterly, 33(3). Pennycook, A. (2001). Critical applied linguistics: A critical introduction. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

The enigma of social support and occupational stress: source congruence and gender role effects.

Abstract: Research on the potential ameliorating effects of social support on occupational stress produces weak, inconsistent, and even contradictory results. This study of 117 employees, mostly from a southern U.S. hospital supply company, examined potential moderators that were theorized might reduce the confusion: source congruence (congruence between sources of the stressor and of social support) and gender role. Congruence between the sources of stressors and of social support appeared to make little difference in determining the moderating or buffering effect of social support on the relationship between stressors and strain. Gender role, however, may moderate the relationship between social support and individual stains such that more feminine people react more strongly and positively to social support than more masculine people do.

Judd–Ofelt analysis of the Er3+(4f11) absorption intensities in phosphate glass: Er3+, Yb3+

Abstract: A spectroscopic Judd–Ofelt investigation has been performed on Er3+ in the doubly doped phosphate glass:Er3+, Yb3+ in order to assess its potential as a laser system. The standard Judd–Ofelt model was applied to the room-temperature absorption intensities of Er3+(4f11) transitions to determine the intensity parameters: Ω2=6.28×10−20 cm2, Ω4=1.03×10−20 cm2, and Ω6=1.39×10−20 cm2 in the phosphate glass host. The intensity parameters are used to determine the radiative decay rates (emission probabilities of transitions) and branching ratios of the Er3+ transitions from the excited-state J manifolds to the lower-lying J′ manifolds. The radiative lifetimes of these excited states are determined from the radiative decay rates. The predicted decay rates and radiative lifetimes are compared to those of Er3+ transitions in other glass hosts. The quantum efficiency of the eye-safe laser transition 4I13/2→4I15/2 (1.54 μm) of Er3+ is approximately 80% in the phosphate glass host.

Doing Race in the Context of Feminist Interviewing: Constructing Whiteness Through Talk:

Abstract: In this article, the author examines how fieldwork serves as an interactional context through which the qualitative researcher’s racial identity and the racial identities of those under study are actively managed, negotiated, and solidified. Focusing on the context of feminist interviewing, the author highlights how the researcher and the researched, as they both construct their symbolic worlds through talk of it, rely on taken-for-granted notions about what whiteness means and in doing so, embed these notions within the research encounter. She gives particular consideration to the relations of talk through which whiteness gains meaning to theorize how her own racial position as racial insider/ outsider became meaningful through and to research. Defining whiteness as interactional accomplishment, the author argues that as researchers do research, they also are actively engaged in doing race. Two interviews conducted for an ethnography of high school proms serve as the basis of this analysis.

Epitaxial Directional Growth of Indium-Doped Tin Oxide Nanowire Arrays

Abstract: In this report, we show controlled in-situ doping of a single crystalline metal oxide nanowire, using indium-doped tin oxide (In−SnO2) as an example, during a heteroepitaxial growth process. Highly regular and high-density arrays of In−SnO2 nanowires, which demonstrate three- and four-fold growth symmetry, are obtained directly on optical sapphire substrates. Similar synthesis strategies, involving careful selection of desired growth conditions and smart manipulation of favorable thermodynamic properties, could be extended to production of various doped metal oxide nanowires.

Natural Mentors in the Lives of African American Adolescent Mothers: Tracking Relationships over Time.

Abstract: In this study, we focused on the academic attainment of African American adolescents as they made the transition from pregnancy or recent delivery to 2 years postpartum. We examined the duration, characteristics, and effects of relationships that endured over 2 years postpartum, and the role of adolescents' mentor versus maternal support. Compared to participants who did not identify mentors at either time point, participants whose mentor relationships endured over the course of the 2-year study were more likely to have remained in school or graduated. Subsequent analyses revealed that long-term mentor relationships were characterized by weekly and, in many instances, daily interactions. Additionally, participants in long-term mentor relationships reported deriving more emotional support from their mentors than from their mothers, were more satisfied with mentor support, and indicated that this support was more important to them than maternal support.

A New Rough Sets Model Based on Database Systems

Abstract: Rough sets theory was proposed by Pawlak in the early 1980s and has been applied successfully in a lot of domains. One of the major limitations of the traditional rough sets model in the real applications is the inefficiency in the computation of core and reduct, because all the intensive computational operations are performed in flat files. In order to improve the efficiency of computing core attributes and reducts, many novel approaches have been developed, some of which attempt to integrate database technologies. In this paper, we propose a new rough sets model and redefine the core attributes and reducts based on relational algebra to take advantages of the very efficient set-oriented database operations. With this new model and our new definitions, we present two new algorithms to calculate core attributes and reducts for feature selections. Since relational algebra operations have been efficiently implemented in most widely-used database systems, the algorithms presented in this paper can be extensively applied to these database systems and adapted to a wide range of real-life applications with very large data sets. Compared with the traditional rough set models, our model is very efficient and scalable.

Wireless advertising's challenges and opportunities

Abstract: Rapidly developing wireless net-working technology and the growing mobile-device user base have fueled interest in activities that deliver advertisements to mobile devices over a wireless network. Studies by wireless media research companies indicate that delivering permission-based alerts to wireless phones captures consumers' attention, drives response actions, and builds brand awareness. Wireless devices are accessible, personal, and location aware. These characteristics allow for highly targeted, flexible, and dynamic wireless advertisements. Yet the target audience is vast, and users must be able to search for information, issue inquiries, and make purchases at any mobile location.

A probabilistic theory of coherence

Abstract: Desideratum (1) captures the qualitative features that a probabilistic generalization of logical coherence should satisfy — it requires C to respect the extreme deductive cases, and to be properly sensitive to probabilistic dependence (a general notion of probabilistic dependence will be defined precisely, and in a slightly non-standard way, below). I propose a probabilistic measure of coherence C based on a slight modification of Kemeny and Oppenheim’s (1952) measure of factual support F. The formulation of C is somewhat intricate. We begin with some preliminary definitions. First, we define the two-place function F(X,Y). F(X,Y) may be interpreted as the degree to which one proposition Y supports another proposition X (relative to a finitely additive, regular, Kolmogorov (1956) probability function Pr).

Head Tracking Latency in Virtual Environments: Psychophysics and a Model:

Abstract: Quantification of perceptual sensitivity to latency in virtual environments (VEs) and elucidation of the mechanism by which latency is perceived is essential for development of countermeasures by VE designers. We test the hypothesis that observers use “image slip” (i.e., motion of the VE scene caused by system time lags) to detect the consequences of latency rather than explicitly detecting time delay. Our presumption is that forcing observers to change from constant rate to randomly paced head motion will disrupt their ability to discriminate latency based on perceived image slip. This study indicates that the disruption in motion pattern causes a shift in latency detection criteria and a minor degradation in discrimination ability. It is likely therefore that observers make at least some use of image slip in discriminating VE latency. It can also be inferred that when observers learn to discriminate latency, their Just Noticeable Difference (JND) remains below 17 ms.

Vanishing dual-task interference after practice: has the bottleneck been eliminated or is it merely latent?

Abstract: Practice can, in some cases, largely eliminate measured dual-task interference. Does this absence of interference indicate the absence of a processing bottleneck (defined as an inability to carry out certain stages in parallel)? The authors show that a bottleneck need not produce any observable interference, provided that there is no temporal overlap in the demand for bottleneck stages on the 2 tasks. Such a "latent" bottleneck is especially likely after practice, when central stages are short. The authors provide new evidence that a latent bottleneck occurred for a participant who produced no interference in M. Van Selst, E. Ruthruff, and J. C. Johnston (1999). These findings demonstrate that the absence of dual-task interference does not necessarily indicate the absence of a processing bottleneck.

Assessing cancer beliefs in a Chinese immigrant community.

Abstract: Although many studies have focused on cancer screening utilization and attitudes, no study has yet been conducted that examines community beliefs toward a cancer diagnosis and some of the beliefs about cancer and cancer patients. While certain types of cancer have been decreasing in the White population, minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed in a later stage and die of cancer. Stigmas caused by a cancer diagnosis and the disease itself may be a contributing factor in late detection and increased mortality. A telephone survey of 798 Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco was conducted. Subjects were asked several questions with established responses regarding their beliefs about cancer. One quarter of the 798 participants still believe cancer is contagious. Many also believe cancer is caused by environmental as well as personal action such as immoral behavior. A logistic regression model indicated that women who are at a low income level and have resided in the United States for an extended period of time are more likely to believe cancer is contagious. Community stigmas toward cancer and cancer survivors will prevent some Chinese immigrants from seeking early diagnosis. Multimedia education efforts that utilize print, television, and radio may provide a point of entry to reach otherwise unreachable individuals. This concerted education effort may help to dispel some of the myths regarding cancer, its treatment, and prognosis. It is hoped this would encourage a healthy dialogue about cancer, thus increasing screening and early detection among Chinese immigrants.

Parental alignments and rejection: an empirical study of alienation in children of divorce.

Abstract: This study of family relationships after divorce examined the frequency and extent of child-parent alignments and correlates of children's rejection of a parent, these being basic components of the controversial idea of "parental alienation syndrome." The sample consisted of 215 children from the family courts and general community two to three years after parental separation. The findings indicate that children's attitudes toward their parents range from positive to negative, with relatively few being extremely aligned or rejecting. Rejection of a parent has multiple determinants, with both the aligned and rejected parents contributing to the problem, in addition to vulnerabilities within children themselves.

The Treatment of Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Behaviors: A Single-Subject Demonstration of Clinical Improvement Using Functional Analytic Psychotherapy

Abstract: This article presents single-subject data for the treatment of histrionic and narcissistic personality disorder behaviors using a relatively brief course of an interpersonal therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (Kohlenberg & Tsai, 1991). The treatment produced significant changes in these behaviors both statistically and qualitatively. Empirical methods for analyzing the changes across sessions and for determining that the therapist engaged in the proposed mechanism of clinical change are discussed. While these data are for one subject, the results of treatment provide both a method of treating difficult and long-standing client behaviors such as these, and for assessing the progress of therapy.

Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from a Coastal Region of California

Abstract: A study was conducted in Santa Cruz County to estimate the prevalence and distribution of the agents of Lyme disease, human granulocytic (HGE), and human monocytic (HME) ehrlichiosis in 1,187 adult ixodid ticks collected from eight public-use recreation areas over a 2-yr period. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, was detected by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 44 of 776 (5.67%) Ixodes pacificus ticks and in 3 of 58 (5.17%) Dermacentor variabilis ticks. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of HGE, was detected by PCR in 48 (6.19%) I. pacificus ticks and 5 (8.62%) D. variabilis ticks. Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of HME, was detected by nested PCR in just five (0.64%) I. pacificus ticks and four (6.9%) D. variabilis ticks. Interestingly, eight (1.03%) I. pacificus ticks were co-infected with B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum, and just one (0.12%) tick was co-infected with B. burgdorferi and E. chaffeensis. Less than 1% of 353 Dermacentor occidentalis ticks showed evidence of infection with any of the agents tested. To our knowledge, this is the first reported identification of A. phagocytophilum and E. chaffeensis in D. occidentalis ticks from California. This study represents the first extensive survey of Lyme and the ehrlichial diseases across multiple areas of Santa Cruz County, and suggests that prevalence of B. burgdorferi in Santa Cruz County may be higher than other areas of the state.

Judd–Ofelt analysis of the Er3+ (4f11) absorption intensities in Er3+−doped garnets

Abstract: Spectroscopic and laser properties of three different Er3+−doped garnet systems are characterized by employing the Judd–Ofelt (JO) analysis. The three garnet hosts are Y3Al5O12 (YAG), Y3Sc2Ga3O12 (YSGG), and Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG). The JO model has been applied to the room temperature absorption intensities of Er3+ (4f11) transitions to establish the so-called JO intensity parameters: Ω2, Ω4, and Ω6 in the three garnet hosts. The intensity parameters are used to determine the radiative decay rates (emission probabilities of transitions) and branching ratios of the Er3+ transitions from the excited state J manifolds to the lower-lying J′ manifolds. The predicted decay rates and branching ratios of these Er3+ transitions in YAG, YSGG, and GGG hosts are compared. From the radiative decay rates, the radiative lifetimes of the Er3+ excited states are determined in the three garnets and are also compared. We also report the spectroscopic quality factors, Ω4/Ω6, obtained for the three garnets. The quantum efficiencies ...

Exploring Relationships in Body Dimensions

Abstract: Body girth measurements and skeletal diameter measurements, as well as age, weight, height and gender, are given for 507 physically active individuals – 247 men and 260 women. These data can be used to provide statistics students practice in the art of data analysis. Such analyses range from simple descriptive displays to more complicated multivariate analyses such as multiple regression and discriminant analysis.

Academic Performance of Nursing Students: Do Prerequisite Grades and Tutoring MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of prerequisite science course performance and tutoring services with academic performance of first semester nursing students. Quantitative data were gathered from student records after a semester in which tutoring services were offered. The convenience sample consisted of 37 students enrolled in first semester nursing courses. Influence on academic performance was determined by comparing the academic performance of two groups, students who attended four or fewer tutorial sessions and students who attended five or more tutorial sessions. Previous academic performance was shown to have a statistically significant relationship with first semester nursing school performance. Recommendations for nursing faculty are offered.

A stratospheric aerosol climatology from SAGE II and CLAES measurements: 2. Results and comparisons, 1984–1999

Abstract: [1] This paper presents a climatology of the stratospheric aerosol produced with our look-up table (LUT) technique using data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) and the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) instruments. The LUT climatology spans the period from December 1984 to August 1999. It includes values and uncertainties of measured extinction and optical depth at four SAGE II wavelengths (0.385–1.02 μm) and supplements these with results from the CLAES 12.82 μm wavelength during the key period January 1992 through May 1993, when the large particle sizes from the Pinatubo volcanic injection made many SAGE II extinction and optical depth spectra wavelength independent. Also included are retrieved values of effective radius Reff, distribution width σg, surface area S, and volume V. Aerosol retrievals show notable increases in all these parameters after major volcanic eruptions, with increases in Reff lagging increases in the others. Postvolcanic increases in σg, indicative of broader size distributions, are consistent with sudden increases in numbers of both small and large particles that exceed increases in intermediate-size particles. After Pinatubo, retrieved Reff and σg took nearly 5 years to return to pre-eruption values, while slightly shorter recovery times were obtained for S and V. During low-aerosol-loading periods, size distributions narrow in going from the tropical core to higher latitudes at altitudes between 20 and 22 km. Seasonal variations in S and V are observed at high latitudes for several altitude bands, but are less obvious in Reff. With some exceptions, LUT retrievals agree well with most previous climatologies. For example, agreement is good between LUT retrieved surface area and results from balloon-borne measurements, where available. However, there are a few noteworthy discrepancies. For example, values of surface area from principal component analysis of SAGE II data are less than LUT retrievals during near-background periods (e.g., 1989 to mid-1991, and after 1996) and greater than LUT retrievals in the peak of the Pinatubo plume. The smaller LUT-derived surface areas during the Pinatubo peak result from the constraint provided by the CLAES 12.82 μm extinction measurements.

‘They Stole Our Land’: Debating the Expropriation of White Farms in Zimbabwe

Abstract: In Zimbabwe today, Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF colleagues are busy expropriating white-owned farms, and claiming the moral high ground while they do so. Indeed, many observers, inside Zimbabwe and elsewhere, take it for granted that, whatever Mugabe's excesses, there is justice in his cause. But is there? This paper examines three moral arguments that Mugabe and his supporters advance to justify their land policies: that the peasants need the land, that the war of liberation was fought for the land, and that Zimbabweans are only taking back land that was originally stolen from them. The last of these arguments, which rests on an implicit entitlement theory of justice, is the strongest, and this essay therefore scrutinises it closely. It argues, however, that despite their emotive appeal, all three arguments are flawed beyond repair. Debunking them should help pave the way for a more sensible and more viable approach to the land question in Zimbabwe.

Accounting education, firm training and information technology: a research note

Abstract: Rapid developments in information technology (IT) have posed many challenges to the accounting profession. In this study we examined what has been done in US colleges by polling auditors' perceptions to investigate whether US accounting firms provide their auditors with more information on current IT topics than colleges do. Also educators in the USA are surveyed to find out what they are planning to do in college courses to ensure that accounting graduates acquire necessary IT knowledge/skills. The results indicate that the entry-level auditors have had significantly more exposure to IT topics while in college than the senior auditors had, which suggests that educators have modified their curricula by incorporating more IT topics into accounting programmes. According to the findings, educators recognize the importance of IT topics, but only a few IT topics can/will be covered in accounting curricula. Implications, limitations, and future research directions of this study are also discussed. 1Currently vi...