bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biological effects of high-diluted substances and periodic table of elements
Authors: Taddei-Ferretti Cloe
Published: December 2021

Background and Aims. There are several experimental evidences for the effects of high-diluted substances (see e.g. C. Taddei-Ferretti, A. Cotugno 1997, on effects of high-diluted drugs on the prevention and control of mice teratogenicity induced by purine derivatives; N.C. Sukul, C. Taddei-Ferretti, S.P. Sinha Babu, A. De, B. Nandi, A. Sukul, R. Dutta-Nag 2000, on high-diluted Nux vomica countering alcohol-induced loss of righting reflex in toads). Also the physical characterization and mechanism of action of high-diluted drugs have been studied (see e.g. N.C. Sukul, A. Sukul, High dilution effects: Physical and biochemical basis 2004). However, further experimental researches are needed to clarify how physical characteristics of a drug are linked to its global biological effects. Considerations on some high-diluted mineral remedies will be developer here.

Methods. In Organon, sect. 119, S. Hahnemann writes: Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â«As certainly each species of plants is different from every other one with regard to external appearance, way of life and growth, taste and smell, and as certainly each mineral, each salt is different from the others with regard to external, internal, physical and chemical qualities [...], so certainly all these vegetal and mineral substances have pathogenetic ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ and thus also curative ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ effects different among themselves [...]Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â».

This statement may be taken as basis for considering the characteristics of some elements, as ordered in the periodic table, in relation to those of some high-diluted mineral remedies.

Conclusions. The elements were previously ordered in the periodic table according to the atomic weight chemically determined, and later more precisely according to the atomic number (number of protons). Then also the electronic configuration was taken into account: properties depending on atomic mass and deep electrons are not periodical, while chemical and several physical properties are linked to external electrons which have periodical configuration.

In particular, let us consider the group of elements C, P, S, Cl and the group of elements Ca, Mg, K, Na. One may conclude that the four elements of the first group (respectively receiver-or-donor of 4 electrons, receiver of 3, of 2, of 1 electron), which, according to H. Bernard, are linked to the fixed human constitutions, are close among themselves in the periodic table, while they are very distant from the four elements of the second group (respectively donor of 2, of 2, of 1, of 1 electron), which are close among themselves and are linked to the changing constitutional stages.
Homeopathy and the science of high dilutions: when to believe the unbelievable
Authors: Bellavite Paolo , Betti Lucietta
Published: December 2021

In 1988, a Nature Editorial titled ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œWhen to believe the unbelievableÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â noted that the famous high-dilution experiments of the Benveniste group had no physical basis and suggested that ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œprudent people should, for the time being, suspend judgment.ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â In point of fact, judgment was not suspended and in the ensuing weeks the authors were resoundingly condemned and ridiculed for the purported lack of replication of their findings. Twenty-four years later, the concept that a solution diluted beyond the Avogadro-Loschmidt constant may show some biological and pharmacological activity is still ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œunbelievableÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â from an ordinary common sense perspective, but things are dramatically changing. Several groups of researchers from countries all over the world have been investigating this difficult question, which has weighty implications not just for pharmacology (homeopathy) but also for biology, physics and the environmental sciences. The XXVI meeting of GIRI (International research group on ultra-low dose and high-dilution effects), scheduled to take place in Florence on 20-22 September 2012, will present a growing body of evidence in favor of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œexistenceÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â of high-dilution/dynamization effects. Continuing the excellent work of the preceding editions, the meeting features a rich and outstanding program organized into four main tracks: physico-chemical features of high dilutions; studies done in planta and in the field; clinical and veterinary evidence; and laboratory models.

...

For two centuries, homeopathy and science have been regarded as two opposing and conflicting fields. Now things are changing, as scientific evidence begins to support many homeopathic tenets, and the homeopathic world increasingly stimulates science to investigate previously under-evaluated and little understood subtle phenomena. For over 26 years from the foundation, the international GIRI group has been stimulating fruitful dialogue in the interest of furthering true scienceÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Âi.e., that which is free from ideological barriers and pre-judgments. Quite often, scientific ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œdogmasÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â have been disrupted by new evidence, or previously dismissed phenomena have gained importance in the light of a new conceptual framework. The unusual properties of high dilutions/dynamizations, which merit further investigation, are potentially relevant not just to homeopathic pharmaceutical science, but also to agriculture (ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œagrohomeopathyÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â), environmental sciences and, in general, to the future of mankind.
Measurement report: Characterization and source apportionment of coarse particulate matter in Hong Kong: Insights into the constituents of unidentified mass and source origins in a coastal city in southern China
Authors: Wong Yee Ka , Liu Kin Man , Yeung Claisen , Leung Kenneth K. M. , Yu Jian Zhen
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Coarse particulate matter (i.e., PM with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 micrometers or PMcoarse) has been increasingly recognized of its importance in PM10 regulation because of its growing proportion in PM10 and the accumulative evidence for its adverse health impact. In this work, we present comprehensive PMcoarse speciation results obtained through a one-year long (January 2020–February 2021) joint PM10 and PM2.5 chemical speciation study in Hong Kong, a coastal and highly urbanized city in southern China. The annual average concentration of PMcoarse is 14.9 ± 8.6 μg m–3 (±standard deviation), accounting for 45 % of PM10 (32.9 ± 18.5 μg m–3). The measured chemical components explain ~75 % of the PMcoarse mass. The unexplained part is contributed by unmeasured geological components and residue liquid water content, supported by analyses by positive matrix factorization (PMF) and the thermodynamic equilibrium model ISORROPIA II. The PMcoarse mass is apportioned to four sources resolved by PMF, namely soil dust, copper-rich dust, fresh sea salt, and an aged sea salt factor containing secondary inorganic aerosols (mostly nitrate). Back-trajectory cluster analysis reveals significant variations in source contributions with the air mass origin. Under the influence of marine air mass, PMcoarse is the lowest (average = 8.0 μg m–3) and sea salt is the largest contributor (47 %), followed by the two dust factors (38 % in total). When the site receives air mass from the northern continental region, PMcoarse increased substantially to 21.2 μg m–3, with the two dust factors contributing 90 % of the aerosol mass. The potential dust source areas are mapped using the Concentration-Weighted Trajectory technique, showing either the Greater Bay Area or the greater part of southern China as the origin of fugitive dust emissions leading to elevated ambient PMcoarse loadings in Hong Kong. This study, first of this kind in our region, provides highly relevant guidance to other locations with similar monitoring needs. Additionally, the study findings point to the needs for further research on the sources, transport, aerosol processes, and health effects of PMcoarse.
Estimated regional CO2 flux and uncertainty based on an ensemble of atmospheric CO2 inversions
Authors: Chandra Naveen , Patra Prabir K. , Niwa Yousuke , Ito Akihiko , Iida Yosuke , Goto Daisuke , Morimoto Shinji , Kondo Masayuki , Takigawa Masayuki , Hajima Tomohiro , Watanabe Michio
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Global and regional sources and sinks of carbon across the earth’s surface have been studied extensively using atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) observations and chemistry-transport model (ACTM) simulations (top-down/inversion method). However, the uncertainties in the regional flux (+ve: source to the atmosphere; −ve: sink on land/ocean) distributions remain unconstrained mainly due to the lack of sufficient high-quality measurements covering the globe in all seasons and the uncertainties in model simulations. Here, we use a suite of 16 inversion cases, derived from a single transport model (MIROC4-ACTM) but different sets of a priori (bottom-up) terrestrial biosphere and oceanic fluxes, as well as prior flux and observational data uncertainties (50 sites) to estimate CO2 fluxes for 84 regions over the period 2000–2020. The ensemble inversions provide a mean flux field that is consistent with the global CO2 growth rate, land and ocean sink partitioning of −2.9 ± 0.3 (±1σ uncertainty on mean) and −1.6 ± 0.2 PgC yr−1, respectively, for the period 2011–2020 (without riverine export correction), offsetting about 22–33 % and 16–18 % of global fossil-fuel CO2 emissions. Aggregated fluxes for 15 land regions compare reasonably well with the best estimations for (approx. 2000–2009) given by the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP), and all regions appeared as a carbon sink over 2011–2020. Interannual variability and seasonal cycle in CO2 fluxes are more consistently derived for different prior fluxes when a greater degree of freedom is given to the inversion system (greater prior flux uncertainty). We have evaluated the inversion fluxes using independent aircraft and surface measurements not used in the inversions, which raises our confidence in the ensemble mean flux rather than an individual inversion. Differences between 5-year mean fluxes show promises and capability to track flux changes under ongoing and future CO2 emission mitigation policies.
A process-oriented evaluation of CAMS reanalysis ozone during tropopause folds over Europe for the period 2003–2018
Authors: Akritidis Dimitris , Pozzer Andrea , Flemming Johannes , Inness Antje , Nédélec Philippe , Zanis Prodromos
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Tropopause folds are the key process underlying stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) of ozone, thus, affecting tropospheric ozone levels and variability. In the present study we perform a process-oriented evaluation of Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalysis (CAMSRA) O3 during folding events, over Europe and for the time period from 2003 to 2018. A 3-D labeling algorithm is applied to detect tropopause folds in CAMSRA, while ozonesonde data from WOUDC (World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre) and aircraft measurements from IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) are used for CAMSRA O3 evaluation. The profiles of observed and CAMSRA O3 concentrations indicate that CAMSRA reproduces the observed O3 increases in the troposphere during the examined folding events. Nevertheless, at some of the examined sites, CAMSRA overestimates the observed O3 concentrations, mostly at the upper portion of the observed increases, with a median fractional gross error (FGE) among the examined sites > 0.2 above 400 hPa. The use of a control run without data assimilation, reveals that the aforementioned overestimation of CAMSRA O3 arises from the data assimilation implementation. Overall, although data assimilation assists CAMSRA O3 to follow the observed O3 enhancements in the troposphere during the STT events, it introduces biases in the upper troposphere resulting in no clear quantitative improvement compared to the control run without data assimilation. Less biased assimilated O3 products, with finer vertical resolution in the troposphere, in addition to higher IFS (Integrated Forecasting System) vertical resolution, are expected to provide a better representation of O3 variability during tropopause folds.
Propagation paths and source distributions of resolved gravity waves in ECMWF-IFS analysis fields around the southern polar night jet
Authors: Strube Cornelia , Preusse Peter , Ern Manfred , Riese Martin
Published: December 2021

Abstract. In the southern winter polar stratosphere, the distribution of gravity wave momentum flux in many state-of-the-art
climate simulations is inconsistent with long-time satellite and superpressure balloon observations around 60∘ S. Recent studies hint that a lateral shift between prominent gravity wave sources in the tropospheric mid-latitudes and the location where gravity wave activity is present in the stratosphere causes at least part of the discrepancy. This lateral shift cannot be represented by the column-based gravity wave drag parameterisations used in most general circulation models. However, recent high-resolution analysis and re-analysis products of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Integrated Forecast System (ECMWF-IFS) show good agreement with the observations and allow for a
detailed investigation of resolved gravity waves, their sources, and propagation paths. In this paper, we identify resolved gravity waves in the ECMWF-IFS analyses for a case of high gravity wave activity in the lower stratosphere using
small-volume sinusoidal fits to characterise these gravity waves. The 3D wave vector
together with perturbation amplitudes, wave frequency, and a fully described
background atmosphere are then used to initialise the Gravity Wave Regional or Global Ray Tracer (GROGRAT) gravity wave ray tracer and follow the gravity waves backwards from the stratosphere. Finally, we check for the indication of source processes on the path of each ray and, thus, quantitatively attribute gravity waves to sources that are represented within the model. We find that stratospheric gravity waves are indeed subject to far (>1000 km) lateral displacement from their sources, which already take place at low altitudes (<20 km). Various source processes can be linked to waves within stratospheric gravity wave (GW)
patterns, such as the orography equatorward of 50∘ S and non-orographic
sources above the Southern Ocean. These findings may explain why superpressure
balloons observe enhanced gravity wave momentum fluxes in the lower stratosphere over
the Southern Ocean despite an apparent lack of sources at this latitude. Our
results also support the need to improve gravity wave parameterisations to account
for meridional propagation.
Remote sensing of methane plumes: instrument tradeoff analysis for detecting and quantifying local sources at global scale
Authors: Jongaramrungruang Siraput , Matheou Georgios , Thorpe Andrew K. , Zeng Zhao-Cheng , Frankenberg Christian
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with a significant impact on radiative forcing, tropospheric air quality, and stratospheric water vapor. Remote sensing observations enable the detection and quantification of local methane emissions across large geographical areas, which is a critical step for understanding local flux distributions and subsequently prioritizing mitigation strategies. Obtaining methane column concentration measurements with low noise and minimal surface interference has direct consequences for accurately determining the location and emission rates of methane sources. The quality of retrieved column enhancements depends on the choices of the instrument and retrieval parameters. Here, we studied the changes in precision error and bias as a result of different spectral resolutions, instrument optical performance, and detector exposure times by using a realistic instrument noise model. In addition, we formally analyzed the impact of spectrally complex surface albedo features on retrievals using the iterative maximum a posteriori differential optical absorption spectroscopy (IMAP-DOAS) algorithm. We built an end-to-end modeling framework that can simulate observed radiances from reflected solar irradiance through a simulated CH4 plume over several natural and artificial surfaces. Our analysis shows that complex surface features can alias into retrieved methane abundances, explaining the existence of retrieval biases in current airborne methane observations. The impact can be mitigated with higher spectral resolution and a larger polynomial degree to approximate surface albedo variations. Using a spectral resolution of 1.5 nm, an exposure time of 20 ms, and a polynomial degree of 25, a retrieval precision error below 0.007 mole m−2 or 1.0 % of total atmospheric CH4 column can be achieved for high albedo cases, while minimizing the bias due to surface interference such that the noise is uncorrelated among various surfaces. At coarser spectral resolutions, it becomes increasingly harder to separate complex surface albedo features from atmospheric absorption features. Our modeling framework provides the basis for assessing tradeoffs for future remote sensing instruments and algorithmic designs. For instance, we find that improving the spectral resolution beyond 0.2 nm would actually decrease the retrieval precision, as detector readout noise will play an increasing role. Our work contributes towards building an enhanced monitoring system that can measure CH4 concentration fields to determine methane sources accurately and efficiently at scale.
Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of organic matter in Swedish forest soils and its relationship with climate, tree species, and soil texture
Authors: Spohn Marie , Stendahl Johan
Published: December 2021

Abstract. While the carbon (C) content of temperate and boreal forest soils is relatively well studied, much less is known about the ratios of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) of the soil organic matter, and the abiotic and biotic factors that shape them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore carbon, nitrogen, and organic phosphorus (OP) contents and element ratios in temperate and boreal forest soils and their relationships with climate, dominant tree species, and soil texture. For this purpose, we studied 309 forest soils with a stand age >60 years located all over Sweden between 56° N and 68° N. The soils are a representative subsample of Swedish forest soils with a stand age >60 years that were sampled for the Swedish Forest Soil Inventory. We found that the N stock of the organic layer increased by a factor of 7.5 from −2 °C to 7.5 °C mean annual temperature (MAT), it increased almost twice as much as the organic layer stock along the MAT gradient. The increase in the N stock went along with an increase in the N : P ratio of the organic layer by a factor of 2.1 from −2 °C to 7.5 °C MAT (R2 = 0.36, p < 0.001). Forests dominated by pine had higher C : N ratios in the litter layer and mineral soil down to a depth of 65 cm than forests dominated by other tree species. Further, also the C : P ratio was increased in the pine-dominated forests compared to forests dominated by other tree species in the organic layer, but the C : OP ratio in the mineral soil was not elevated in pine forests. C, N and OP contents in the mineral soil were higher in fine-textured soils than in coarse-textured soils by a factor of 2.3, 3.5, and 4.6, respectively. Thus, the effect of texture was stronger on OP than on N and C, likely because OP adsorbs very rigidly to mineral surfaces. Further, we found, that the P and K concentrations of the organic layer were inversely related with the organic layer stock. The C and N concentrations of the mineral soil were best predicted by the combination of MAT, texture, and tree species, whereas the OP concentration was best predicted by the combination of MAT, texture and the P concentration of the parent material in the mineral soil. In the organic layer, the P concentration was best predicted by the organic layer stock. Taken together, the results show that the N : P ratio of the organic layer was most strongly related to MAT. Further, the C : N ratio was most strongly related to dominant tree species, even in the mineral subsoil. In contrast, the C : P ratio was only affected by dominant tree species in the organic layer, but the C : OP ratio in the mineral soil was hardly affected by tree species due to the strong effect of soil texture on the OP concentration.
Balanced estimate and uncertainty assessment of European climate change using the large EURO-CORDEX regional climate model ensemble
Authors: Evin Guillaume , Somot Samuel , Hingray Benoit
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Large multiscenario multimodel ensembles (MMEs) of regional climate model (RCM) experiments driven by global climate models (GCMs) are made available worldwide and aim at providing robust estimates of climate changes and associated uncertainties. Due to many missing combinations of emission scenarios and climate models leading to sparse scenario–GCM–RCM matrices, these large ensembles, however, are very unbalanced, which makes uncertainty analyses impossible with standard approaches. In this paper, the uncertainty assessment is carried out by applying an advanced statistical approach, called QUALYPSO, to a very large ensemble of 87 EURO-CORDEX climate projections, the largest MME based on regional climate models ever produced in Europe. This analysis provides a detailed description of this MME, including (i) balanced estimates of mean changes for near-surface temperature and precipitation in Europe, (ii) the total uncertainty of projections and its partition as a function of time, and (iii) the list of the most important contributors to the model uncertainty. For changes in total precipitation and mean temperature in winter (DJF) and summer (JJA), the uncertainty due to RCMs can be as large as the uncertainty due to GCMs at the end of the century (2071–2099). Both uncertainty sources are mainly due to a small number of individual models clearly identified. Due to the highly unbalanced character of the MME, mean estimated changes can drastically differ from standard average estimates based on the raw ensemble of opportunity. For the RCP4.5 emission scenario in central–eastern Europe for instance, the difference between balanced and direct estimates is up to 0.8 ∘C for summer temperature changes and up to 20 % for summer precipitation changes at the end of the century.
The effect of debris-flow sediment grain size distribution on fan forming processes
Authors: Tsunetaka Haruka , Hotta Norifumi , Sakai Yuichi , Wasklewicz Thad
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Knowledge of the processes driving debris-flow fan evolution are critical in the support of efforts to mitigate related hazards, reduce risk to populations and infrastructure, and reconstruct the history of sediment dynamics in mountainous areas. Research on debris-flow fan development has focused on topographic controls, debris-flow volume and rheology, and the sequence of occurrence of debris flows. While these items have explained a great deal about fan formation and specifically avulsion and runout mechanisms, there is a need to further investigate other properties as they relate to debris-flow fan formative process. Here, we examined the role of debris-flow grain-size distribution on fan formation. Flume experiments were employed to examine the morphology of debris-flow fans that resulted from flows with mono- or multi-granular sediment composition with the same average grain size. All other flow characteristics were held constant. The mono-granular flows formed a symmetric-like fan morphology because there was little avulsion during the formation process. The multi-granular flows produced fans with an asymmetric morphology. Avulsions occurred on both lateral extents of the fan during the early stages of fan development and caused the runout direction to shift produce the fan asymmetry. Grain-size distribution was closely related to spatial diversity in fan morphology and stratigraphy.
Leveling airborne geophysical data using a unidirectional variational model
Authors: Zhang Qiong , Sun Changchang , Yan Fei , Lv Chao , Liu Yunqing
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Airborne geophysical data leveling is an indispensable step to the conventional data processing. Traditional data leveling methods mainly explore the leveling error properties in the time and frequency domain. A new technique is proposed to level airborne geophysical data in view of the image space properties of leveling error, including directional distribution property and amplitude variety property. This work applied unidirectional variational model on entire survey data based on the gradient difference between the leveling errors in flight line direction and the tie-line direction. Then spatially adaptive multi-scale model is introduced to iteratively decompose the leveling errors which effectively avoid the difficulty on the parameter selection. Considering the anomaly data with large amplitude may hide the real data level, a leveling preprocessing method is given to construct a smooth field based on the gradient data. The leveling method can automatically extract the leveling errors of the entire survey area simultaneously without the participation of staff members or tie-line control. We have applied the method to the airborne electromagnetic, magnetic data, and apparent conductivity data collected by Ontario Geological Survey to confirm its validity and robustness by comparing the results with the published data.
Rad-cGAN v1.0: Radar-based precipitation nowcasting model with conditional Generative Adversarial Networks for multiple domains
Authors: Choi Suyeon , Kim Yeonjoo
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Numerical weather prediction models and probabilistic extrapolation methods using radar images have been widely used for precipitation nowcasting. Recently, machine-learning-based precipitation nowcasting models have also been actively developed for relatively short-term precipitation predictions. This study aimed to develop a radar-based precipitation nowcasting model using an advanced machine learning technique, conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN), which shows high performance in image generation tasks. The cGAN-based precipitation nowcasting model, named Rad-cGAN, developed in this study was trained with a radar reflectivity map of the Soyang-gang Dam region in South Korea with a spatial domain of 128 × 128 km, spatial resolution of 1 km, and temporal resolution of 10 min. The model performance was evaluated using previously developed machine-learning-based precipitation nowcasting models, namely convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) and U-Net, as well as the baseline Eulerian persistence model. We demonstrated that Rad-cGAN outperformed other models not only for the chosen site but also for the entire domain across the Soyang-gang Dam region. Additionally, the proposed model maintained good performance even with lead times up to 80 min based on the critical success index at the intensity threshold of 0.1 mm h−1, while RainNet and ConvLSTM achieved lead times of 70 and 40 min, respectively. We also demonstrated the successful implementation of the transfer learning technique to efficiently train model with the data from other dam regions in South Korea, such as the Andong and Chungju Dam regions. We used pre-trained model, which was completely trained in the Soyang-gang Dam region. This study confirms that Rad-cGAN can be successfully applied to precipitation nowcasting with longer lead times, and using the transfer learning approach it shows good performance in regions other than the originally trained region.
Comparing the runoff decompositions of small testbed catchments: end-member mixing analysis against hydrological modelling
Authors: Bugaets Andrey , Gartsman Boris , Gubareva Tatiana , Lupakov Sergei , Kalugin Andrey , Shamov Vladimir , Gonchukov Leonid
Published: December 2021

Abstract. This study is focused on the comparison of catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall-runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, SWAT) against hydrograph decomposition onto the principal constituents evaluated from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). There used the data provided by the short-term in-situ observations at two small mountain-taiga experimental catchments located in the south of Pacific Russia. All used RR models demonstrate that two neighboring small catchments disagree significantly in mutual dynamics of the runoff fractions due to geological and landscape structure differences. The geochemical analysis confirmed the differences in runoff generation processes at both studied catchments. The assessment of proximity of the runoff constituents to the hydrograph decomposition with the EMMA that makes a basis for the RR models benchmark analysis. We applied three data aggregation intervals (season, month and pentad) to find a reasonable data generalization period ensuring results clarity. In terms of runoff composition, the most conformable RR model to EMMA is found to be ECOMAG, HBV gets close to reflect specific runoff events well enough, SWAT gives distinctive behavior against other models. The study shows that along with using the standard efficiency criteria reflected proximity of simulated and modelling values of runoff, compliance with the EMMA results might give useful auxiliary information for hydrological modelling results validation.
Machine-learning methods to assess the effects of a non-linear damage spectrum taking into account soil moisture on winter wheat yields in Germany
Authors: Peichl Michael , Thober Stephan , Samaniego Luis , Hansjürgens Bernd , Marx Andreas
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Agricultural production is highly dependent on the weather. The mechanisms of action are complex and interwoven, making it difficult to identify relevant management and adaptation options. The present study uses random forests to investigate such highly non-linear systems for predicting yield anomalies in winter wheat at district levels in Germany. In order to take into account sub-seasonality, monthly features are used that explicitly take soil moisture into account in addition to extreme meteorological events. Clustering is used to show spatially different damage potentials, such as a higher susceptibility to drought damage from May to July in eastern Germany compared to the rest of the country. In addition, relevant heat effects are not detected if the clusters are not sufficiently defined. The variable with the highest importance is soil moisture in March, where higher soil moisture has a detrimental effect on crop yields. In general, soil moisture explains more yield variations than the meteorological variables. The approach has proven to be suitable for explaining historical extreme yield anomalies for years with exceptionally high losses (2003, 2018) and gains (2014) and the spatial distribution of these anomalies. The highest test R-squared (R2) is about 0.68. Furthermore, the sensitivity of yield variations to soil moisture and extreme meteorological conditions, as shown by the visualization of average marginal effects, contributes to the promotion of targeted decision support systems.
Towards disentangling heterogeneous soil moisture patterns in cosmic-ray neutron sensor footprints
Authors: Rasche Daniel , Köhli Markus , Schrön Martin , Blume Theresa , Güntner Andreas
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for non-invasive soil moisture estimations at the field scale. The derivation of soil moisture generally relies on secondary cosmic-ray neutrons in the epithermal to fast energy ranges. Most approaches and processing techniques for observed neutron intensities are based on the assumption of homogeneous site conditions or of soil moisture patterns with correlation lengths shorter than the measurement footprint of the neutron detector. However, in view of the non-linear relationship between neutron intensities and soil moisture, it is questionable whether these assumptions are applicable. In this study, we investigated how a non-uniform soil moisture distribution within the footprint impacts the CRNS soil moisture estimation and how the combined use of epithermal and thermal neutrons can be advantageous in this case. Thermal neutrons have lower energies and a substantially smaller measurement footprint around the sensor than epithermal neutrons. Analyses using the URANOS (Ultra RApid Neutron-Only Simulation) Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the measurement footprint dynamics at a study site in northeastern Germany revealed that the thermal footprint mainly covers mineral soils in the near-field to the sensor while the epithermal footprint also covers large areas with organic soils. We found that either combining the observed thermal and epithermal neutron intensities by a rescaling method developed in this study or adjusting all parameters of the transfer function leads to an improved calibration against the reference soil moisture measurements in the near-field compared to the standard approach and using epithermal neutrons alone. We also found that the relationship between thermal and epithermal neutrons provided an indicator for footprint heterogeneity. We, therefore, suggest that the combined use of thermal and epithermal neutrons offers the potential of a spatial disaggregation of the measurement footprint in terms of near- and far-field soil moisture dynamics.
The international tephra research group ‘Commission on Tephrochronology’ and its activities – the first 60 years
Authors: Lowe David J. , Abbott Peter M. , Suzuki Takehiko , Jensen Britta J. L.
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Modern tephra studies per se began almost 100 years ago (in the late 1920s) but the first collective of tephrochronologists, with a common purpose and nascent global outlook, was not formed until 7 September, 1961, in Warsaw, Poland. On that date, the inaugural ‘Commission on Tephrochronology’ (COT) was ratified under the aegis of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). COT’s formation can be attributed largely to the leadership of Kunio Kobayashi of Japan, the commission’s president for its first 12 years. We were motivated to record COT’s heritage for posterity and also because the discipline of tephrochronology, including the study of cryptotephras, continues to grow globally at a significant rate. This is recognition of tephrochronology as both a unique correlational and age-equivalent dating method, and as a complementary method in other fields, such as volcanology, in which tephra research has been employed to develop eruption histories and hazards and to help understand volcano-climate interactions. In this article, we review the history of COT (which also functioned under other names, abbreviated as COTS, CEV, ICCT, COTAV, SCOTAV, INTAV) under the umbrella of INQUA for 53 of the last 60 years, or under IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior) for seven of the last 60 years, including since 2019. We describe the development of the commission and its subsequent activities that include organising nine specialist tephra-field meetings in seven different countries, numerous conference sessions or workshops, and generating tephra-themed issues of journals/books or specialist internet documents or websites. The commission began to prosper after 1987 when key changes occurred, and it has blossomed further, especially in the past decade or so as an entire new cohort of specialists has emerged alongside new analytical and dating techniques to become a vibrant global group today. We name 29 elected officers involved with COT since 1961 and their roles, and 15 honorary life members. We also document the aims of the commission and conclude by evaluating its legacies and current and future work.
Automated mapping of the seasonal evolution of surface meltwater and its links to climate on the Amery Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Authors: Tuckett Peter A. , Ely Jeremy C. , Sole Andrew J. , Lea James M. , Livingstone Stephen J. , Jones Julie M. , van Wessem J. Melchior
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Surface meltwater is widespread around the Antarctic Ice
Sheet margin and has the potential to influence ice shelf stability, ice
flow and ice–albedo feedbacks. Our understanding of the seasonal and
multi-year evolution of Antarctic surface meltwater is limited. Attempts to
generate robust meltwater cover time series have largely been constrained by
computational expense or limited ice surface visibility associated with
mapping from optical satellite imagery. Here, we add a novel method for
calculating visibility metrics to an existing meltwater detection method
within Google Earth Engine. This enables us to quantify uncertainty induced
by cloud cover and variable image data coverage, allowing time series of
surface meltwater area to be automatically generated over large spatial and
temporal scales. We demonstrate our method on the Amery Ice Shelf region of
East Antarctica, analysing 4164 Landsat 7 and 8 optical images between 2005
and 2020. Results show high interannual variability in surface meltwater
cover, with mapped cumulative lake area totals ranging from 384 to
3898 km2 per melt season. By incorporating image visibility
assessments, however, we estimate that cumulative total lake areas are on
average 42 % higher than minimum mapped values. We show that modelled
melt predictions from a regional climate model provide a good indication of
lake cover in the Amery region and that annual lake coverage is typically
highest in years with a negative austral summer SAM index. Our results
demonstrate that our method could be scaled up to generate a multi-year time
series record of surface water extent from optical imagery at a
continent-wide scale.
Cars and Polish military intelligence in the Free City of Danzig (1920–1939)
Authors: Gondek Bartosz , Jendrzejewski Artur
Published: December 2021

Cars in the interwar became a popular means of communication. Therefore, also benefited from it in
intelligence work. Mainly it was just that their exploitation was cheaper than rail travel. On the other hand,
gave it the ability to travel freely and quickly, and also perform some espionage tasks . At the same time we
had to be careful, because foreign intelligence quickly versed in the ways of movement of Polish officers in
Gdansk. The development of the automotive industry caused a lot of interest in new models, including rapid
and sports. Therefore, sometimes the variety of brands became an indispensable element of Gdańsk streets,
where there had place also collisions and accidents. Having a car also scheduled between social status, and so
the more expensive and nicer car had the individual, the more significant was his position in society Gdansk.
Gdańsk policymakers drove expensive cars, imported from abroad. In this image also entered the Polish
intelligence chief, Maj. Jan Henryk Żychoń who loved, next to glamorous parties, expensive cars. And this led
to accusations him by officers working in an easterly direction, to cooperate with foreign intelligence, because
there seen the source of his finances. Żychoń had no worries about false allegations, the transparency of the
work of subordinate officers stations, seemed numerous instructions, even for drivers of company vehicles.
This had a big impact on the streamlining of information. Cars were also cause other problems, “ace Polish
intelligence” that exacerbated the dispute with his former opponents.
A Systematic Review of Philippine Research Productivity: A Bourdieusian Perspective
Authors: Alcazaren Holden Kenneth G.
Published: December 2021

In a neoliberal globalized institution, research productivity (RP) among faculty members has become an important aspect determining university rankings and academic performance. Coping with the demands of RP, many universities aim to improve their faculty’s scholarly academic repertoire through incentivizing research publications and providing research training programs. Drawing from sociological perspectives, this systematic review outlines the factors and consequences of research productivity as a capital in the context of Philippine academics.  Based on the review, one glaring issue is the low RP of the country compared to its ASEAN and Western counterparts across both soft and hard sciences. Using Bourdieu’s theory on capital, the constant accumulation of faculty members for RP as capital has resulted in their struggle for legitimization in their professions and overcoming the paradox of national policies and institutional policies. Moreover, the review revealed additional pressure for faculty members to keep up with the demands of national policies requiring scholarly outputs while struggling to handle various institutional practices that can be restrictive towards research works.
Health Problems, Financial Capacity, and Access to Healthcare of Older Persons in Metro Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Authors: Bustillo Theorose June Q. , Oracion Enrique G. , Pyponco Chereisle G.
Published: December 2021

This descriptive qualitative study explored the experiences of older persons how they availed of and assessed the quality of available healthcare services to address their needs given their capacity to pay. The focus revolved around the concept of financial capacity for healthcare needs to address health problems during old age. Experiences were documented through face-to-face interviews of purposively identified eight older persons using semi-structured guide questions. Thematic analysis was applied, which revealed that financial capacity matters in health quality relative to the particular health problems the older persons have endured. The findings further revealed differentiated access to healthcare services given the variable economic conditions of older persons. This paper reiterates their recommendations that providing them the needed healthcare assistance and information about the management and prevention of common ailments affecting them may avert their health problems from becoming worse and more expensive to cure beyond their financial capacity.
Exploring Online Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Business English Teaching: A Hermeneutic Study
Authors: Moreno Ana Mariel A. , Ballena Constantino T.
Published: December 2021

This study explored the online Business English teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to understand its essence in Business English teaching.  It sought to uncover what they thought about PCK in Business English lessons and how they developed their PCK as they engaged themselves in the everyday teaching of Business English. Hermeneutic phenomenology was employed since the purpose of the study concerns the reflection and interpretation of the online Business English teachers' experiences. The participants of the study were six online Business English teachers from one ESL Company in the Philippines catering to business professionals. They were chosen through homogeneous purposive sampling. The data collection included in-depth interviewing following semi-structured interviews and observations to gather rich descriptions of the participants' reflection and interpretation of their experiences. The data were analyzed using the six-step data analysis of Smith et al. (2021) due to the interpretive nature of the study. The results of the analysis revealed that the online Business English teachers thought of PCK as knowledge of strategizing, knowledge of Business English as the language in the workplace, and knowledge of Business English being distinct from General English. Additionally, the findings reported that teachers developed their PCK through several sources such as their encounter in the field, growth processes, and perceived need for further PCK development in Business English teaching. A creative synthesis captures the essential themes. Despite the online Business English teachers’ patent consciousness of their PCK in Business English, they still demonstrated the need to be exposed more to the business field and broaden their knowledge of business phrases and expressions.  Teacher interaction with various types of students, and feedback from senior colleagues helped develop and widen their PCK in Business English.
Policía Local y ordenación urbana. Nuevas estrategias de gestión y protección del patrimonio histórico
Authors: Rufián Fernández Francisco José
Published: December 2021

Las competencias que ejercen los ayuntamientos van adquiriendo más y más relevancia con el paso del tiempo y la evolución de estas tiene, además, entre sus principales características, una clara y directa afección a la vida diaria de sus habitantes. Las previsiones para un futuro próximo no hacen sino enfatizar este hecho, acarreando importantes desafíos para los gestores municipales, especialmente en las ciudades que conservan su patrimonio histórico como herencia y memoria de su evolución, y este se ha convertido además en elemento identificable y fuente de recursos para la propia ciudad. En el presente artículo se realizará un somero resumen de cuáles son estas características, y cómo los nuevos retos que se plantean convierten a las policías locales en una herramienta necesaria para la correcta gestión y conservación del patrimonio histórico en las ciudades, debido a su multidisciplinariedad y capacidades, pero centrándonos en las competencias urbanísticas de los municipios.
En busca del primer Homo: gestión de las investigación arqueológica en la garganta de Olduvai (Tanzania)
Authors: Domínguez-Rodrigo Manuel , Vegara-Riquelme Marina , Aramendi Julia , Organista Elia , Cobo-Sánchez Lucía , Hernández-Vivanco Lucía , Diez-Martín Fernando , Maíllo-Fernández José Manuel , Martín-Perea David , Uribelarrea David , Baquedano Enrique
Published: December 2021

Los yacimientos de la Garganta de Olduvai (Tanzania) constituyen un enclave único para el estudio de los primeros representantes del género Homo. La buena preservación de estos yacimientos y la cantidad de fósiles hallados en ellos posibilita que se sigan desarrollando excavaciones arqueológicas en este lugar. El equipo de investigación The Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project (TOPPP), que trabaja en estos yacimientos desde 2006, promovió la construcción de la Estación Científica Aguirre-Mturi con el propósito de mejorar las condiciones laborales del personal investigador y de hacer del campamento un lugar seguro de trabajo. Durante el proceso de creación y construcción se tuvo en cuenta la salvaguarda de los materiales arqueológicos, y gracias a la existencia de un laboratorio en el campamento, es posible realizar tareas como la limpieza, el análisis y la restauración del material recuperado. En España, la creación del Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), sede actual del equipo TOPPP, nace con el objetivo de promover el estudio de la paleoantropología africana y el origen del ser humano en África. Junto a los trabajos de investigación, TOPPP realiza una intensa actividad divulgativa donde destaca la creación de exposiciones temporales y permanentes en España y Tanzania.