University of Reading

About: University of Reading is a education organization based out in Reading, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Climate change. The organization has 18728 authors who have published 46707 publications receiving 1758671 citations. The organization is also known as: University College, Reading.

The formation mechanism of the Bonin high in August

Abstract: The Bonin high is a subtropical anticyclone that is predominant near Japan in the summer. This anticyclone is associated with an equivalent-barotropic structure, often extending throughout the entire troposphere. Although the equivalent-barotropic structure of the Bonin high has been known for years among synopticians because of its importance to the summer climate in east Asia, there are few dynamical explanations for such a structure. The present paper attempts to provide a formation mechanism for the deep ridge near Japan. We propose a new hypothesis that this equivalent-barotropic ridge near Japan is formed as a result of the propagation of stationary Rossby waves along the Asian jet in the upper troposphere (‘the Silk Road pattern’). First, the monthly mean climatology is examined in order to demonstrate this hypothesis. It is shown that the enhanced Asian jet in August is favourable for the propagation of stationary Rossby waves and that the regions of descent over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Aral Sea act as two major wave sources. Second, a primitive-equation model is used to simulate the climatology of August. The model successfully simulates the Bonin high with an equivalent-barotropic structure. The upper-tropospheric ridge is found to be enhanced by a height anomaly of more than 80 m at 200 hPa, when a wave packet arrives. Sensitivity experiments are conducted to show that the removal of the diabatic cooling over the Asian jet suppresses the Silk Road pattern and formation of an equivalent-barotropic ridge near Japan, while the removal of the diabatic heating in the western Pacific does not. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society

Achievement emotions and academic performance: longitudinal models of reciprocal effects

Abstract: A reciprocal effects model linking emotion and achievement over time is proposed. The model was tested using five annual waves of the Project for the Analysis of Learning and Achievement in Mathematics (PALMA) longitudinal study, which investigated adolescents’ development in mathematics (Grades 5–9; N = 3,425 German students; mean starting age = 11.7 years; representative sample). Structural equation modeling showed that positive emotions (enjoyment, pride) positively predicted subsequent achievement (math end-of-the-year grades and test scores), and that achievement positively predicted these emotions, controlling for students’ gender, intelligence, and family socioeconomic status. Negative emotions (anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, hopelessness) negatively predicted achievement, and achievement negatively predicted these emotions. The findings were robust across waves, achievement indicators, and school tracks, highlighting the importance of emotions for students’ achievement and of achievement for the development of emotions.

A new family of mathematical models describing the human growth curve

Abstract: A new family of mathematical functions to fit longitudinal growth data is described. All members derive from the differential equation dh/dt = s(t). (h1-h) where h1 is adult size and s(t) is a function of time. The form of s(t) is given by one of many functions, all solutions of differential equations, thus generating a family of different models. Three versions were compared. All were superior to previously described models. Model 1, in which s(t) was defined by ds/dt = (s1 - s)(s - s0) was especially accurate and robust, containing only five parameters to describe growth in stature from age two to maturity. Derived "biological" parameters such as Peak Height Velocity were very consistent between these three members of the family but, in some cases, differed signficantly from previous estimates.