bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does God Know the Occurrence of a Change Among Particulars? Avicenna and the Problem of God’s Knowledge of Change
Authors: ZADYOUSEFI AMIRHOSSEIN
Published: October 2018

(i) God is omniscient; therefore, for any change, C, among particulars, God knows the occurrence of C. (ii) If God knows the occurrence of C, then X. (iii) not-X. It is clear that the set of propositions (i)—(iii) is inconsistent. This is the general form of two problems—which I call the ‘problem of change in knowledge’ (PCK) and the ‘problem of change in essence’ (PCE)—for Avicenna concerning God’s knowledge of particulars. No work in the secondary literature has discussed exactly what PCK and PCE are. In this paper, I will clarify exactly what they are.
FREE ACTIONS OF SOME COMPACT GROUPS ON MILNOR MANIFOLDS
Authors: DEY PINKA , SINGH MAHENDER
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we investigate free actions of some compact groups on cohomology real and complex Milnor manifolds. More precisely, we compute the mod 2 cohomology algebra of the orbit space of an arbitrary free ℤ2 and $\mathbb{S}^1$-action on a compact Hausdorff space with mod 2 cohomology algebra of a real or a complex Milnor manifold. As applications, we deduce some Borsuk–Ulam type results for equivariant maps between spheres and these spaces. For the complex case, we obtain a lower bound on the Schwarz genus, which further establishes the existence of coincidence points for maps to the Euclidean plane.
Endoscopic triple-C tympanoplasty: an alternative approach to anteriorly located tympanic membrane repair
Authors: Demirhan H , Yiğit Ö , Hamit B , Çakır M
Published: October 2018

Objective

Anteriorly located tympanic membrane perforations can negatively affect surgical success rates. This study aimed to present, using our case series results, endoscopic triple-C (composite chondroperichondrial clip) tympanoplasty as an alternative method in the repair of tympanic membrane anterior quadrant perforations.

Methods

This study included patients with a perforation sized greater than 3 mm, who had an anterior quadrant dominant perforation where the anterior portion could not be seen during microscopic examination; all underwent endoscopic triple-C tympanoplasty.

Results

Operating time was 30–79 minutes (mean, 46.6 minutes). The post-operative graft success rate at six months was 92 per cent (23 out of 25). Mean post-operative follow-up duration was 21.5 ± 7.3 months (range, 11–40 months), and no intratympanic cholesteatoma was observed.

Conclusion

Endoscopic triple-C tympanoplasty is a comfortable, minimally invasive alternative method to repair anterior tympanic membrane perforations. The graft success rate and the degree of recovery from hearing loss were in accordance with the literature. However, more reliable results may be obtained in a larger series with longer follow-up times.
Addressing malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries with double-duty actions
Authors: Pradeilles Rebecca , Baye Kaleab , Holdsworth Michelle
Published: October 2018

Multiple forms of malnutrition co-exist (the double burden) in low- and middle-income countries, but most interventions and policies target only one form. Identifying shared drivers of the double burden of malnutrition is a first step towards establishing effective interventions that simultaneously address the double burden of malnutrition (known as double-duty actions). We identified shared drivers for the double burden of malnutrition, to assess which double-duty actions are likely to have the greatest reach in preventing all forms of malnutrition, in the context of the sustainable development goals. We reviewed existing conceptual frameworks of the drivers of undernutrition, obesity and environmental sustainability. Shared drivers affecting all forms of malnutrition and environmental sustainability were captured using a socio-ecological approach. The extent to which drivers were addressed by the five double-duty actions proposed by the WHO was assessed. Overall, eighty-three shared drivers for the double burden of malnutrition were identified. A substantial proportion (75·0%) could be addressed by the five WHO double-duty actions. ‘Regulations on marketing’ and ‘promotion of appropriate early and complementary feeding in infants’ addressed the highest proportion of shared drivers (65·1% and 53·0%, respectively). Twenty-four drivers were likely to be sensitive to environmental sustainability, with ‘regulations on marketing’ and ‘school food programmes and policies’ likely to have the greatest environmental reach. A quarter of the shared drivers remained unaddressed by the five WHO double-duty actions. Substantially more drivers could be addressed with minor modifications to the WHO double-duty actions and the addition of de novo actions.
Racial/ethnic variation in trauma-related psychopathology in the United States: a population-based study
Authors: McLaughlin Katie A. , Alvarez Kiara , Fillbrunn Mirko , Green Jennifer Greif , Jackson James S. , Kessler Ronald C. , Sadikova Ekaterina , Sampson Nancy A. , Vilsaint Corrie L. , Williams David R. , Alegría Margarita
Published: October 2018

Background

The prevalence of mental disorders among Black, Latino, and Asian adults is lower than among Whites. Factors that explain these differences are largely unknown. We examined whether racial/ethnic differences in exposure to traumatic events (TEs) or vulnerability to trauma-related psychopathology explained the lower rates of psychopathology among racial/ethnic minorities.

Methods

We estimated the prevalence of TE exposure and associations with onset of DSM-IV depression, anxiety and substance disorders and with lifetime post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, a national sample (N = 13 775) with substantial proportions of Black (35.9%), Latino (18.9%), and Asian Americans (14.9%).

Results

TE exposure varied across racial/ethnic groups. Asians were most likely to experience organized violence – particularly being a refugee – but had the lowest exposure to all other TEs. Blacks had the greatest exposure to participation in organized violence, sexual violence, and other TEs, Latinos had the highest exposure to physical violence, and Whites were most likely to experience accidents/injuries. Racial/ethnic minorities had lower odds ratios of depression, anxiety, and substance disorder onset relative to Whites. Neither variation in TE exposure nor vulnerability to psychopathology following TEs across racial/ethnic groups explained these differences. Vulnerability to PTSD did vary across groups, however, such that Asians were less likely and Blacks more likely to develop PTSD following TEs than Whites.

Conclusions

Lower prevalence of mental disorders among racial/ethnic minorities does not appear to reflect reduced vulnerability to TEs, with the exception of PTSD among Asians. This highlights the importance of investigating other potential mechanisms underlying racial/ethnic differences in psychopathology.
Context, word, and student predictors in second language vocabulary learning
Authors: MULDER EVELIEN , VAN DE VEN MARCO , SEGERS ELIANE , VERHOEVEN LUDO
Published: October 2018

We examined to what extent the variation in vocabulary learning outcomes (vocabulary knowledge, learning gain, and rate of forgetting) in English as a second language (L2) in context can be predicted from semantic contextual support, word characteristics (cognate status, Levenshtein distance, word frequency, and word length), and student characteristics (prior vocabulary knowledge, reading ability, and exposure to English) in 197 Dutch adolescents. Students were taught cognates, false friends, and control words through judging sentences with varying degrees of semantic contextual support using a pretest/posttest between subjects design. Participants were presented with an English target word and its Dutch translation, followed by an English sentence. They were instructed to judge the plausibility of the sentence. Mixed-efffects models indicated that learning gains were higher for sentences with more semantic contextual support and in students with stronger reading comprehension skills. We were the first to show that Levenshtein distance is an important predictor for L2 vocabulary learning outcomes. Furthermore, more accurate as well as faster learning task performance lead to higher learning outcomes. It can thus be concluded that L2 study materials containing semantically supportive contexts and that focus on words with little L1-L2 overlap are most effective for L2 vocabulary learning.
Domestic entanglements: Family, state, hierarchy, and the Hobbesian state of nature
Authors: Levin Jamie , MacKay Joseph
Published: October 2018

This article revisits the Hobbesian account of the state of nature and the formation of states, attending to Hobbes’s account of the family. Drawing on feminist readings, we find in theLeviathanan account of the family as a natural political community. We contend specifically that a focus on conceptions of family life in theLeviathan, and in works by Hobbes’s early modern peers, points to the role of the family as a site of socialisation in the prelude to early state formation and in the formation of political hierarchies more generally – including, we suggest, the formation of international hierarchies. These accounts have thus far been missing from International Relations theory. Contra conventional IR theoretic readings of theLeviathan, the Hobbesian state of nature contains the seeds of both anarchy and hierarchy, as overlapping social configurations. While anarchy emerges clearly in the famous condition of ‘war of all against all’, hierarchy also exists in Hobbes’s depiction of family life as a naturally occurring proto-state setting. On the basis of this contemporary feminist analysis of a classic text, we consider implications for the emerging ‘new hierarchy studies’ in IR.
Generation of collimated electron jets from plasma under applied electromagnetostatic field
Authors: Qiu Jing , Shen Baifei , Zhang Lingang , Zhang Xiaomei , Huang Shan , Cao Lihua , Yu Wei
Published: October 2018

The collimated electron jets ejected from cylindrical plasma are produced in particle-in-cell simulation under the applied longitudinal magnetostatic field and radial electrostatic field, which is a process that can be conveniently performed in a laboratory. We find that the applied magnetostatic field contributes significantly to the jet collimation, whereas the applied electrostatic field plays a vital role in the jet formation. The generation mechanism of collimated jets can be well understood through energy gain of the tagged electrons, and we conclude that the longitudinal momentum of the electrons is converted from the transverse momentum via the transverse-induced magnetic field. It has been found that the ejecting velocity of the jets is close to the speed of light when the applied electrostatic field reaches 3 × 1010 V/m. The present scheme may also give us an insight into the formation of astrophysical jets in celestial bodies.
The Political and Economic Consequences of Nationalist Protest in China: The 2012 Anti-Japanese Demonstrations
Authors: Foley Kevin , Wallace Jeremy L. , Weiss Jessica Chen
Published: October 2018

What are the consequences of nationalist unrest? This paper utilizes two original datasets, which cover 377 city-level anti-Japanese protests during the 2012 Senkaku/Diaoyu Island crisis and the careers of municipal leaders, to analyse the downstream effects of nationalist unrest at the subnational level. We find both political and economic consequences of China's 2012 protest demonstrations against Japan. Specifically, top Party leaders in cities that saw relatively spontaneous, early protests were less likely to be promoted to higher office, a finding that is consistent with the widely held but rarely tested expectation that social instability is punished in the Chinese Communist Party's cadre evaluation system. We also see a negative effect of nationalist protest on foreign direct investment (FDI) growth at the city level. However, the lower promotion rates associated with relatively spontaneous protests appear to arise through political rather than economic channels. By taking into account data on social unrest in addition to economic performance, these results add to existing evidence that systematic evaluation of leaders’ performance plays a major role in the Chinese political system. These findings also illuminate the dilemma that local leaders face in managing popular nationalism amid shifting national priorities.
Narratives and Pathways towards an Ecological Civilization in Contemporary China
Authors: Geall Sam , Ely Adrian
Published: October 2018

Since the United States committed to withdraw from the UN Paris Agreement on climate change, international observers have increasingly asked if China can take the lead instead to raise global ambition in the context of a world leadership vacuum. Given the country's increasing economic and strategic focus on sustainable and low-carbon innovation, China might seem well placed to do so. However, much depends on the direction of governance and reform within China regarding the environment. To better understand how the government is seeking to make progress in these areas, this article explores key political narratives that have underpinned China's policies around sustainable development (kechixu fazhan) and innovation (chuangxin) within the context of broader narratives of reform. Drawing on theoretical insights from work that investigates the role of power in shaping narratives, knowledge and action around specific pathways to sustainability, this article explores the ways in which dominant policy narratives in China might drive particular forms of innovation for sustainability and potentially occlude or constrain others. In particular, we look at ecological civilization (shengtai wenming) as a slogan that has gradually evolved to become an official narrative and is likely to influence pathways to sustainability over the coming years.
Assessment of the Positioning Accuracy of DGPS and EGNOS Systems in the Bay of Gdansk using Maritime Dynamic Measurements
Authors: Specht Cezary , Pawelski Jan , Smolarek Leszek , Specht Mariusz , Dabrowski Pawel
Published: October 2018

Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS) and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) are included in a group of supporting systems (Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS)/Space-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)) for the American GPS. Their main task is to ensure better positioning characteristics (accuracy, reliability, continuity and availability) compared to GPS. Therefore, they are widely applied wherever GPS failures affect human safety, mainly in aviation, land and marine navigation. The aim of this paper is to assess the predictable positioning accuracy of DGPS and EGNOS receivers using a vessel manoeuvring in the Bay of Gdansk. Two receivers were used in the study: a Simrad MXB5 (DGPS) and a Trimble GA530 (EGNOS), which were simultaneously recording their coordinates. The obtained values were compared with the trajectory computed using a geodetic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver (Trimble R10) connected to a GNSS network, ensuring an accuracy of 2–3 cm (p = 0·95). During a four-hour measurement session, the accuracy statistics of these systems were determined based on around 11,500 positionings. Studies have shown that both positioning systems ensure a similar level of accuracy of their positioning services (approximately 0·5–2 m) and they meet the accuracy requirements set in published standards.
A case study in programming coinductive proofs: Howe’s method
Authors: MOMIGLIANO ALBERTO , PIENTKA BRIGITTE , THIBODEAU DAVID
Published: October 2018

Bisimulation proofs play a central role in programming languages in establishing rich properties such as contextual equivalence. They are also challenging to mechanize, since they require a combination of inductive and coinductive reasoning on open terms. In this paper, we describe mechanizing the property that similarity in the call-by-name lambda calculus is a pre-congruence using Howe’s method in theBelugaformal reasoning system. The development relies on three key ingredients: (1) we give a higher order abstract syntax (HOAS) encoding of lambda terms together with their operational semantics as intrinsically typed terms, thereby avoiding not only the need to deal with binders, renaming and substitutions, but keeping all typing invariants implicit; (2) we take advantage ofBeluga’s support for representing open terms using built-in contexts and simultaneous substitutions: this allows us to directly state central definitions such as open simulation without resorting to the usual inductive closure operation and to encode very elegantly notoriously painful proofs such as the substitutivity of the Howe relation; (3) we exploit the possibility of reasoning by coinduction inBeluga’s reasoning logic. The end result is succinct and elegant, thanks to the high-level abstractions and primitivesBelugaprovides. We believe that this mechanization is a significant example that illustratesBeluga’s strength at mechanizing challenging (co)inductive proofs using HOAS encodings.
Echocardiographic MRI: an innovative fusion of functional and anatomic assessment strategy for CHD
Authors: Gearhart Addison S. , Raymundo Stephanie A. , Chang Anthony C.
Published: October 2018

We present a pilot case using an innovative fusion of echocardiogram and MRI achieved with a MATLAB-based imaging programme to explore the feasibility of this imaging strategy in the functional and anatomic assessment of a patient with repaired tetralogy of Fallot requiring pulmonary valve intervention. Echocardiogram and MRI neutralises the disadvantages and limitations of each individual imaging modality and yields important anatomic and haemodynamic information crucial to the treatment decision-making process. Future image fusion strategies can apply to three-dimensional images and image-directed therapy for CHD.
A Randomized Trial Comparing Telephone Tree, Text Messaging, and Instant Messaging App for Emergency Department Staff Recall for Disaster Response
Authors: Homier Valerie , Hamad Raphael , Larocque Josée , Chassé Pierre , Khalil Elene , Franc Jeffrey M.
Published: October 2018

Introduction

A crucial component of a hospital’s disaster plan is an efficient staff recall communication method. Many hospitals use a “calling tree” protocol to contact staff members and recall them to work. Alternative staff recall methods have been proposed and explored.

Methods

An unannounced, multidisciplinary, randomized emergency department (ED) staff recall drill was conducted at night - when there is the greatest need for back-up personnel and staff is most difficult to reach. The drill was performed on December 14, 2017 at 4:00am and involved ED staff members from three hospitals which are all part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC; Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Three tools were compared: manual phone tree, instant messaging application (IMA), and custom-made hospital Short Message Service (SMS) system. The key outcome measures were proportion of responses at 45 minutes and median response time.

Results

One-hundred thirty-two participants were recruited. There were 44 participants in each group after randomization. In the manual phone tree group, 18 (41%) responded within 45 minutes. In the IMA group, 11 participants (25%) responded in the first 45 minutes. In the SMS group, seven participants responded in the first 45 minutes (16%). Manual phone tree was significantly better than SMS with an effect size of 25% (95% confidence interval for effect: 4.6% to 45.0%; P=.018). Conversely, there was no significant difference between manual phone tree and IMA with an effect size of 16% (95% confidence interval for effect: −5.7% to 38.0%; P=.17) There was a statistically significant difference in the median response time between the three groups with the phone tree group presenting the lowest median response time (8.5 minutes; range: 2.0 to 8.5 minutes; P=.000006).

Conclusion:

Both the phone tree and IMA groups had a significantly higher response rate than the SMS group. There was no significant difference between the proportion of responses at 45 minutes in the phone tree and the IMA arms. This study suggests that an IMA may be a viable alternative to the traditional phone tree method. Limitations of the study include volunteer bias and the fact that there was only one communication drill, which did not allow staff members randomized to the IMA and SMS groups to fully get familiar with the new staff recall methods.

HomierV, HamadR, LarocqueJ, ChasséP, KhalilE, FrancJM.A randomized trial comparing telephone tree, text messaging, and instant messaging app for emergency department staff recall for disaster response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):471–477.
Evaluation of Bacterial Contamination on Prehospital Ambulances Before and After Disinfection
Authors: Farhadloo Roohollah , Goodarzi Far Jalil , Azadeh Mohammad Reza , Shams Saeed , Parvaresh-Masoud Mohammad
Published: October 2018

Background

The contamination of the environment, ambulance equipment, and staff hands consequently are major factors which create nosocomial infections in emergency patients. The contamination of equipment and devices plays an important role in nosocomial infections.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a disinfectant on the rate of microbial contamination of ambulances in Qom Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Qom, Iran.

Methods

This is a quasi-experimental study with a before-after design in order to determine microbial contaminations at the rear and front cabin of ambulances, as well as medical equipment being utilized in Qom EMS. Saya sept-HP-2% solution was used for disinfection. Bacteriological standard methods were used to identify the contaminations.

Results

The contamination rates before and after use of disinfection solution were 52% and eight percent, respectively. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most commonly isolated bacterial agent from the equipment (53%). In all equipment, the contamination level has shown a significant reduction after applying disinfectant.

Conclusions:

In spite of the fact that the rate of infection from ambulance equipment is high, the results showed that the use of the suitable disinfectant had an effective role in the reduction of bacteria.

FarhadlooR, Goodarzi FarJ, AzadehMR, ShamsS, Parvaresh-MasoudM.Evaluation of bacterial contamination on prehospital ambulances before and after disinfection. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):602–606.
Screening China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) Members: A Self-Leadership Perspective
Authors: Hao Xinxin , Li Xiaoxue , Zheng Jingchen
Published: October 2018

Objective

This study aims at establishing the self-leadership development model (SLM) of China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members as a supplement to current selection standards of CEMT members.

Methods

Raw dataset was obtained through two ways: in-depth interviews and documentary materials (memoirs and articles). The in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 CEMT members, all of whom have participated in multiple disaster relief activities and have been CEMT members for more than two years. This paper followed a grounded theory methodology dealing with all data.

Results

Based on tasks, the SLM-CEMT consists of three basic parts: (1) making plans; (2) action; and (3) outcomes. Different parts involve various self-leadership strategies, of which five are the original dimensions of previous research (goal-setting, visualizing successful performance, self-talk, self-reward, and self-correcting feedback) and three are new dimensions (role clarity, self-initiative, and self-vigilance).

Conclusions:

The SLM-CEMT, with the three new parts, provides a new look at screening CEMT members as well as pondering on future research. Based on the SLM-CEMT, administrators could screen more qualified CEMT members. For the limitations, future work will be on the generalization and confirmation of this model.

HaoX,LiX,ZhengJ.Screening China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members: a self-leadership perspective.Prehosp Disaster Med.2018;33(6):596–601.
The Time of Troubles in Alexander Dugin’s Narrative
Authors: Shlapentokh Dmitry
Published: October 2018

Alexander Dugin (b. 1962) is one of the best-known philosophers and public intellectuals of post-Soviet Russia. While his geopolitical views are well-researched, his views on Russian history are less so. Still, they are important to understand hisWeltanschauungand that of like-minded Russian intellectuals. For Dugin, the ‘Time of Troubles’ – the period of Russian history at the beginning of the seventeenth century marked by dynastic crisis and general chaos – constitutes an explanatory framework for the present. Dugin implicitly regarded the ‘Time of Troubles’ in broader philosophical terms. For him, the ‘Time of Troubles’ meant not purely political and social upheaval/dislocation, but a deep spiritual crisis that endangered the very existence of the Russian people. Russia, in his view, has undergone several crises during its long history. Each time, however, Russia has risen again and achieved even greater levels of spiritual wholeness. Dugin believed that Russia was going through a new ‘Time of Troubles’. In the early days of the post-Soviet era, he believed that it was the collapse of the USSR that had led to a new ‘Time of Troubles’. Later, he changed his mind and proclaimed that the Soviet regime was not legitimate at all and, consequently, that the ‘Time of Troubles’ started a century ago in 1917. Dugin holds a positive view of Putin in general. Still, his narrative implies that Putin has been unable to arrest the destructive process of a new Time of Trouble.
Germination Biology of Sesbania (Sesbania cannabina): An Emerging Weed in the Australian Cotton Agro-environment
Authors: Iqbal Nadeem , Manalil Sudheesh , Chauhan Bhagirath S. , Adkins Steve W.
Published: October 2018

Sesbania [Sesbania cannabina(Retz.) Pers.] is a problematic emerging weed species in Australian cotton-farming systems. However, globally, no information is available regarding its seed germination biology, and better understanding will help in devising superior management strategies to prevent further infestations. Laboratory and glasshouse studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of various environmental factors such as light, temperature, salt, osmotic and pH stress, and burial depth on germination and emergence of two Australian biotypes ofS. cannabina. Freshly harvested seeds of both biotypes possessed physical dormancy. A boiling-water scarification treatment (100±2 C) of 5-min duration was the optimum treatment to overcome this dormancy. Once dormancy was broken, the Dalby biotype exhibited a greater germination (93%) compared with the St George biotype (87%). The nondormant seeds of both biotypes showed a neutral photoblastic response to light and dark conditions, with germination marginally improved (6%) under illumination. Maximum germination of both biotypes occurred under an alternating temperature regime of 30/20 and 35/25 C and under constant temperatures of 32 or 35 C, with no germination at 8 or 11 C. Seed germination of both biotypes decreased linearly from 87% to 14% with an increase in moisture stress from 0.0 to −0.8 MPa, with no germination possible at −1.0 MPa. There was a gradual decline in germination for both biotypes when imbibed in a range of salt solutions of 25 to 250 mM, with a 50% reduction in germination occurring at 150 mM. Both biotypes germinated well under a wide range of pH values (4.0 to 10.0), with maximum germination (94%) at pH 9.0. The greatest emergence rate of the Dalby (87%) and St George (78%) biotypes was recorded at a burial depth of 1.0 cm, with no emergence at 16.0 cm. Deep tillage seems to be the best management strategy to stopS. cannabina’s emergence and further infestation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) fields. The findings of this study will be helpful to cotton agronomists in devising effective, sustainable, and efficient integrated weed management strategies for the control ofS. cannabinain cotton cropping lands.
Kontrastmittelverstärkter Ultraschall (CEUS) in der Verlaufskontrolle nach endovaskulärer Aneurysmaausschaltung (EVAR)
Authors: Hügel Ulrike , Schmidli Jürg , Baumgartner Iris , Thalhammer Christoph
Published: October 2018

Zusammenfassung. Das abdominale Aortenaneurysma wird heutzutage mehrheitlich mittels endovaskulärer Aneurysmaausschaltung minimalinvasiv behandelt. Allerdings ist diese Therapie mit möglichen Komplikationen im Langzeitverlauf assoziiert und die Patienten müssen lebenslang monitorisiert werden. Dieser Beitrag gibt eine Übersicht über Verlaufskontrollen bei Endoprothesen mit besonderem Augenmerk auf die Wertigkeit des kontrastmittelverstärkten Ultraschalls.
Signatures of Heavy Precipitation on the Thermodynamics of Clouds Seen From Satellite: Changes Observed in Temperature Lapse Rates and Missed by Weather Analyses
Authors: de la Torre Juárez Manuel , Padullés Ramon , Turk F. Joseph , Cardellach Estel
Published: October 2018

Analyses of the thermodynamics of precipitating clouds are mostly based on localized in situ campaigns or, more globally, weather analyses and reanalyses. This work presents a comparison of weather analyses to satellite observations and a radiometeorological method that shows how precipitating layers inside clouds coincide with weather analyses underestimates of the amount of water vapor. The thermodynamic information from inside precipitating clouds is extracted using observed radio occultation (RO) refractivity profiles without requiring weather analysis input, thus reducing analysis‐induced biases. The radiometeorological method is described by first identifying the differences between adiabatically dry, mixing‐ratio conserving, and saturated pseudoadiabatic refractivity profiles. These reference profiles are then compared to observed RO refractivity profiles within precipitating and nonprecipitating clouds to infer changes in their height‐dependent thermodynamic states and in stability to convection. Precipitation is found to start below layers close to pseudoadiabatic and precipitation layers coincide with changes into conditional stability against convection. A statistical comparison between observed profiles and the gradients predicted for a saturated pseudoadiabatic profile is made and finds that on the global average, precipitation separates clouds from the Clausius‐Clapeyron law and profiles are close to a saturated pseudoadiabat. The results (a) help constrain the physical processes associated to precipitation inside clouds and (b) validate the potential of graphical RO techniques to analyze observations without ancillary temperature data from weather analyses.
Taking the Pulse of Soil
Authors: He Hailong , Si Bing , Horton Robert
Published: October 2018

Heat pulse methods for measuring thermal, hydrologic, and other properties of soils have advanced our understanding of soil characteristics.
Digging Deep into Geosciences with Minecraft
Authors: Hobbs Laura , Stevens Carly , Hartley Jackie
Published: October 2018

Building volcanoes, caves, and other features in an “open-world” computer game is an engaging way to teach the next generation about Earth.
Peruvian Mountain Birds Take an “Escalator to Extinction”
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: October 2018

As the climate warms, tropical birds living in the mountains are retreating to higher elevations to avoid the heat. What happens when they run out of mountain slope to escape to?
Projecting Changes in Societally Impactful Northeastern U.S. Snowstorms
Authors: Zarzycki C. M.
Published: October 2018

The northeastern United States is vulnerable to many impacts from snowfall‐producing winter cyclones that are amplified by the proximity of population centers to storm tracks. Historically, climatic snowfall assessments have centered around seasonal means even though local impacts typically occur at scales of hours to days. To detect snowstorms at the event level, an objective algorithm is defined based on the Regional Snowfall Index. The metric collocates storm snowfall with population to produce statistics of snowstorms with societal impacts. When applied to the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble, broad declines in snowstorm frequency are projected by the later 21st century. These decreases are primarily due to a warmer atmosphere less conducive to snowfall as the predominant precipitation type. However, reductions are less significant for major events, since more hostile thermodynamic environments are partially offset by increased precipitation associated with cyclones that dynamically drive high‐impact snowstorms.
Plant Physiological Responses to Rising CO2 Modify Simulated Daily Runoff Intensity With Implications for Global‐Scale Flood Risk Assessment
Authors: Kooperman Gabriel J. , Fowler Megan D. , Hoffman Forrest M. , Koven Charles D. , Lindsay Keith , Pritchard Michael S. , Swann Abigail L. S. , Randerson James T.
Published: October 2018

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of flooding events and, thus, the risks of flood‐related mortality and infrastructure damage. Global‐scale assessments of future flooding from Earth system models based only on precipitation changes neglect important processes that occur within the land surface, particularly plant physiological responses to rising CO2. Higher CO2 can reduce stomatal conductance and transpiration, which may lead to increased soil moisture and runoff in some regions, promoting flooding even without changes in precipitation. Here we assess the relative impacts of plant physiological and radiative greenhouse effects on changes in daily runoff intensity over tropical continents using the Community Earth System Model. We find that extreme percentile rates increase significantly more than mean runoff in response to higher CO2. Plant physiological effects have a small impact on precipitation intensity but are a dominant driver of runoff intensification, contributing to one half of the 99th and one third of the 99.9th percentile runoff intensity changes.
Regional Changes in the Mean Position and Variability of the Tropical Edge
Authors: Totz Sonja , Petri Stefan , Lehmann Jascha , Coumou Dim
Published: October 2018

Recent studies indicate that the tropical belt has been expanding during recent decades, which can significantly influence precipitation in subtropical climates. Often the location of the tropical border is identified using the Hadley cell edge (HCE) or the subtropical jet stream (STJ), but most studies concentrated on the zonal‐mean state, thereby missing regional impacts. Here we detect longitudinal‐resolved trends in STJ cores and HCEs over 1979–2016 in both hemispheres at a higher spatial and temporal resolution than previous studies. Besides pronounced regional trend differences in both sign and magnitude, we show that winter HCE and STJ variability increased in the Mediterranean region and decreased over the American and Asian continents. Rainfall variability in these regions changed likewise, and most of those changes can be explained by changes in HCE/STJ variability. This highlights the importance of understanding future tropical belt changes both regionally and in terms of variability.
The Relative Importance of Factors Influencing Tropical Cyclone Rapid Intensity Changes
Authors: Prasanth Sai , Haddad Ziad S. , Hristova‐Veleva Svetla M. , Marks Jr. F. D.
Published: October 2018

Predicting rapid intensity changes in tropical cyclones (TCs) is a major challenge due to the influence of multiple competing processes within the vortex and in the TC environment. We present an empirical framework that quantifies the relative importance of the various factors that influence critical transitions in TC intensities. Our analysis of model simulations of recent TCs over the Bay of Bengal identifies the following variables within the vortex as the biggest influence on TC rapid intensity changes: the amplitudes of wave number 1 of the precipitation in the rainband region and the 700‐to 850‐mb horizontal moisture flux convergence and the amplitude of wave number 0 of precipitation within the radius of maximum winds. Likewise, the most important environmental variables identified are the angle between the driest air and the shear vector and the magnitude of vertical wind shear. These findings provide guidance on guidance for future observational efforts and data assimilation into TC forecasting models.
Geophysical Constraints on the Relationship Between Seamount Subduction, Slow Slip, and Tremor at the North Hikurangi Subduction Zone, New Zealand
Authors: Barker Daniel H. N. , Henrys Stuart , Caratori Tontini Fabio , Barnes Philip M. , Bassett Dan , Todd Erin , Wallace Laura
Published: October 2018

We use a prestack depth migration reflection image and magnetic anomaly data across the northern Hikurangi subduction zone, New Zealand, to constrain plate boundary structure and geometry of a subducting seamount in a region of shallow slow slip and recent International Ocean Discovery Program drilling. Our 3‐D model reveals the subducting seamount as a SW‐NE striking, lozenge‐shaped ridge approximately 40 km long and 15 km wide, with relief up to 2.5 km. This seamount broadly correlates with a 20‐km‐wide gap separating two patches of large (>10 cm) slow slip and the locus of tectonic tremor associated with the September–October 2014 Gisborne slow slip event. Largest slow slip magnitudes occurred where the décollement is underlain by a 3.0‐km‐thick zone of highly reflective subducting sediments. Wave speeds within this zone are 7% lower than adjacent and overlying strata, supporting the view that high fluid pressures within subducting sediments may facilitate shallow slow slip along the north Hikurangi margin.
Earthquake Rupture in Fault Zones With Along‐Strike Material Heterogeneity
Authors: Huang Yihe
Published: October 2018

Geological and geophysical observations reveal along‐strike fault zone heterogeneity on major strike‐slip faults, which can play a significant role in earthquake rupture propagation and termination. I present 2‐D dynamic rupture simulations to demonstrate rupture characteristics in such heterogeneous fault zone structure. The modeled rupture is nucleated in a damaged fault zone and propagates on a preexisting fault toward the zone of intact rocks. There is an intermediate range of nucleation lengths that only allow rupture to spontaneously propagate in the damaged fault zone but not in a homogeneous medium given the same stresses and frictional parameters. Rupture with an intermediate nucleation length tends to stop when it reaches the zone of intact rocks for uniform fault stress conditions, especially when the rupture propagation distance in the damaged fault zone is relatively short and when the damaged fault zone is relatively narrow or smooth in the fault‐normal direction. Pronounced small‐scale heterogeneity within the damaged fault zone also contributes to such early rupture termination. In asymmetric fault zones bisected by a bimaterial fault, rupture moving in the direction of slip of faster rocks tends to terminate under the same conditions as in symmetric fault zones, whereas rupture moving in the direction of slip of slower rocks can penetrate into the zone of intact rocks. A sufficiently large asperity located at the edge of the zone of intact rocks also allows break‐through rupture. The results suggest that the along‐strike fault zone heterogeneity can play a critical role in seismicity distribution.
X‐Band Radar Mapping of Morphological Changes at a Dynamic Coastal Inlet
Authors: Rogowski Peter , de Paolo Tony , Terrill Eric , McNinch Jesse
Published: October 2018

Remote sensing of the complex interactions between bathymetry, tidal flow, and waves in coastal inlets provides high‐resolution data sets that can be exploited to characterize the morphological variability of shallow ebb tidal deltas (ETD). Here we used observations from a mobile X‐band radar platform to determine optimal conditions during which radar‐derived shoal signatures best represent positions of underlying shoals. Significant increases in the spatial errors of radar shoal signatures were observed when offshore wave energy intensified. Consequently, the lowest spatial errors occurred when the radar shoal signatures were primarily a function of the tidal flow (i.e., low sea state). We used these findings to quantify shoal migration patterns at the New River Inlet, North Carolina. We found that the southwestern portion of the ETD had the largest morphological variability with typical shoreward migration rates of 2–3 m/day driven by incident wave energy. The migration rates and patterns estimated from X‐band observations were consistent with numerical modeling results and a previous video‐based New River remote sensing study. Our results confirm that X‐band radar can be used to quickly map shallow ETDs (e.g., 5 min of observations), allowing for rapid morphological assessments from shore or boat‐based platforms. The methods would prove particularly useful for initial assessment as well as continual monitoring of dynamic tidal inlets where large morphological responses can be rapidly assessed and used for geomorphological studies, and as decision aids for maritime or engineering operations.
The Seismic Potential in the Seismic Gap Between the Wenchuan and Lushan Earthquakes Revealed by the Joint Inversion of Receiver Functions and Ambient Noise Data
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Liang Chuntao , Hua Qian , Li Ying , Yang Yihai , He Fujun , Fang Lihua
Published: October 2018

Based on a dense seismic array deployed to monitor the seismic gap between the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes, a joint inversion of dispersion curves and receiver functions yielded a fine velocity structure in this region with the highest resolution of approximately 20 km. The results show that the upper crust of the Songpan‐Ganzi terrane overthrusted onto the basement of the Sichuan Basin, indicating that the crustal shortening model may be the major mechanism that accounts for the growth of the Longmenshan. The results also show a low‐velocity zone (Vs < 3.5 km/s) and thickened crust (>67 km) beneath the seismic gap, which could be associated with partial melting. The heat transferred from the partial melting at the base of the seismic gap may increase the temperature of the faults to as high as 300–400 °C and cause the segment of the Longmenshan Fault in the seismic gap to become “aseismic.” In contrast, the Shuangshi‐Dachuan Fault, Dayi Fault, and other blind faults to the east‐southeast of the seismic gap are located above a high‐velocity body. The seismogenic environment of these faults is similar to the segments ruptured during the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes, both of which occurred above the westward extension of the strong Sichuan Basin. Higher seismic activity was also observed along these faults than that above the low‐velocity zone. Therefore, we deduce that a major earthquake on these faults is possible and that the magnitude could be larger than that of the Dayi earthquake (M 6.2).
Constraints on the Cenozoic Deformation of the Northern Eastern Cordillera, Colombia
Authors: Siravo G. , Fellin M. G. , Faccenna C. , Bayona G. , Lucci F. , Molin P. , Maden C.
Published: October 2018

The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia rose to maximum elevations of >5 km during the Cenozoic by inversion of a Mesozoic rift basin. Previous studies proposed that the exhumation of the Eastern Cordillera increased from ~6 Ma to the present due to the interplay between tectonic shortening and climate. In this study, we integrate new field observations, structural data, low‐temperature thermochronology, thermobarometry, and vitrinite reflectance along a section through the Tablazo, Cocuy, and Llanos regions to estimate the amount of shortening and the exhumation history. Our results indicate that shortening started as early as the latest Maastrichtian‐Paleocene in the Tablazo and Cocuy regions. Exhumation migrated eastward, starting in the Paleocene in the west and continuing in the Miocene in the east. The amount and rate of exhumation peaked in the Cocuy region with values of <5 km and < 0.4 km/Ma, respectively. At the highest elevations in the Cocuy Sierra, we also found evidence of a low‐pressure/high‐temperature metamorphic overprint, possibly related to shallow and local magmatic intrusions that occurred in the Late Miocene. Our cross‐section interpretation suggests a low amount of shortening (13%) that is mainly accommodated by high‐angle inverted faults and by the frontal thrust system. The presence of shallow magmatic bodies, moderate exhumation, and low shortening raises questions about the processes (isostatic versus dynamic) that drove the topographic growth of the high Cocuy Sierra.
Plau and Tgfbr3 are YAP-regulated genes that promote keratinocyte proliferation
Authors: Corley Susan M. , Mendoza-Reinoso Veronica , Giles Nichole , Singer Emma Suwanun , Common John E. , Wilkins Marc R. , Beverdam Annemiek
Published: October 2018

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a mechanosensor protein and a downstream effector of the Hippo kinase pathway, which controls organ growth, cell proliferation, survival, maintenance and regeneration. Unphosphorylated YAP translocates to the nucleus where it acts as a cofactor of primarily the TEAD transcription factors to activate target gene transcription and cell proliferation. Perturbed YAP activation results in tumorigenesis. The pathways downstream of activated YAP that drive cell proliferation remain relatively unexplored. In this study, we employed YAP2-5SA-∆C transgenic mice, which overexpress a mildly activated YAP mutant protein in basal keratinocytes leading to increased proliferation of the epidermal stem/progenitor cell populations. We performed massively-parallel sequencing of skin biopsy mRNA (RNA-Seq) and found dysregulation of 1491 genes in YAP2-5SA-∆C skin, including many with roles in cell activation and proliferation. Furthermore, we found that 150 of these dysregulated genes harbored YAP/TEAD binding motifs in the 3′ UTR, suggesting that these may be direct YAP/TEAD target genes in the control of epidermal regeneration. Further validation and functional characterization assays identified Plau and Tgfbr3 as prime candidate genes that may be activated by epidermal YAP activity in the mouse skin in vivo to promote keratinocyte proliferation. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms regulated by YAP that control tissue homeostasis, and in particular in conditions where YAP is aberrantly activated such as in neoplastic and regenerative skin disease.