bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emergency preparedness in a sample of persons with disabilities
Authors: Gershon, MHS, DrPH Robyn R. M. , Kraus, MPH, MCP Lewis E. , Raveis, PhD Victoria H. , Sherman, PhD Martin F. , Kailes, MSW June I.
Published: June 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize emergency preparedness in this vulnerable population, and to ascertain the role of the personal assistant (PA) and the potential impact of prior emergency experience on preparedness efforts.Design: Cross-sectional Internet-based survey conducted in 2011.Setting: Convenience sample.Participants: Two-hundred fifty-three community residents with cognitive and/or physical disabilities, all receiving personal assistance services.Main outcome variables: Emergency preparedness, operationalized as responses to a seven-item scale.Results: The mean score for the emergency preparedness scale was 2.32 (SD = 2.74), range 0-7. Even though 62.8 percent (n = 159) of the participants had previously experienced one or more large-scale emergencies, only 47.4 percent (n = 120) of the entire sample and 55.3 percent (n = 88) of those with actual emergency experience reported preparing an emergency plan. Sixty-three percent (n = 76) of those reporting a plan had involved their PA in its development. Participants who reported such involvement were significantly more likely to have higher scores on the emergency preparedness scale (p 0.001). Participants who had experienced a prior emergency were also more likely to score higher on the emergency preparedness scale (p 0.001). In general, participants reported limited attention to other basic preparedness recommendations: only 28 percent (n = 70) had prepared a “go-bag” with necessary supplies, 29 percent (n = 74) had developed a strategy for communicating with their PA during emergencies, and 32 percent (n = 81) had stockpiled emergency supplies. Of particular importance, only 26 percent (n = 66) had made alternative back-up plans for personal assistance.Conclusions: Involving the PA in the planning process and experiencing an emergency were both significantly associated with higher emergency preparedness scores in this sample of people living with disabilities. However, critical deficiencies in preparedness were noted, such as lack of back-up plans for replacing their PA. Despite a concerted national effort to improve preparedness in the population of people living with disabilities, important preparedness gaps remain. These findings highlight the need for additional study on emergency preparedness barriers in people living with disabilities so that effective strategies to reduce vulnerabilities can be identified.
Public health preparedness and response competency model methodology
Authors: Ablah, PhD, MPH Elizabeth , Weist, MA, MPH, CPH Elizabeth McGean , McElligott, MPH, CPH John E. , Biesiadecki, MSPH, CPH Laura A. , Gotsch, DrPH, MCHES Audrey R. , Keck, MD, MPH C. William , Gebbie, DrPH, RN Kristine M.
Published: June 2014

Objective: The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act calls for establishing a competency-based training program to train public health practitioners. To inform such training, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Schools of Public Health managed groups of experts to produce a competency model which could function as a national standard of behaviorally based, observable skills for the public health workforce to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from all hazards.Design: A systematic review of existing competency models generated a competency model of proposed domains and competencies.Participants: National stakeholders were engaged to obtain consensus through a three-stage Delphi-like process.Results: The Delphi-like process achieved 84 percent, 82 percent, and 79 percent response rates in its three stages. Three hundred sixty six unique individuals responded to the three-round process, with 45 percent (n = 166) responding to all three rounds. The resulting competency model features 18 competencies within four core learning domains targeted at midlevel public health workers.Conclusions: Practitioners and academics have adopted the Public Health Preparedness and Response Core Competency Model, some of whom have formed workgroups to develop curricula based on the model. Efforts will be needed to develop evaluation materials for training and education programs to refine the model as well as for future training and education initiatives.
Pediatric Surge Pocket Guide: Review of an easily accessible tool for managing an influx of pediatric patients
Authors: Lin, BS Ann C. , Burke, PhD, MPH Rita V. , Reynaldo, PhD Sadina , Berg, MPH Bridget M. , Upperman, MD, FAAP, FACS Jeffrey S.
Published: June 2014

As seen in recent disasters, large-scale crisis events have the potential to cause significant pediatric death and injury. During such disaster situations, both distance and decreased mobility will likely limit access to pediatric hospitals. Thus, all hospitals, regardless if they regularly treat children or not, should anticipate an influx of pediatric patients in the event of a disaster. The Pediatric Surge Pocket Guide was developed for and distributed at a Pediatric Medical Surge Workshop held by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in June 2009. Designed both as a supplement to the workshop training and as an effective stand-alone resource, the Guide provides comprehensive pediatric-specific recommendations for hospitals experiencing a surge in pediatric capacity. Because of its unique pocket-size format, the Guide has the potential to be a readily accessible tool with application to a wide range of disaster or nondisaster situations, for use in hospital or nonhospital settings, and by pediatric specialists, nonspecialists, and nonclinicians alike.
Is portable ultrasonography accurate in the evaluation of Schanz pin placement during extremity fracture fixation in austere environments?
Authors: Dahl, MD, FAWM Brian P. , Pemberton, MD Aaron J. , Beck, MD Ryan T. , Cetindag, MD I. Bulent , Wohltmann, MD Christopher D. , McAndrew, MD Mark
Published: June 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ultrasonography to confirm Schanz pin placement in a cadaveric model, and the interobserver repeatability of the ultrasound methodology.Design: This investigation is a repeated measures cadaveric study with multiple examiners.Participants: Cadaveric preparation and observations were done by an orthopaedic traumatologist and resident, and two general surgery traumatologists.Interventions: A total of 16 Schanz pins were equally placed in bilateral femora and tibiae. Four examiners took measurements of pin protrusion beyond the distal cortices using first ultrasonography and then by direct measurement after gross dissection.Main Outcome Measure(s): Distal Schanz pin protrusion length measurements from both ultrasonography and direct measurement post dissection.Results: Schanz pin protrusion measurements are underestimated by ultrasonography (p 0.01) by an average of 10 percent over the range of 5 to 18 mm, and they display a proportional bias that increases the under reporting as the magnitude of pin protrusion increases. Ultrasound data demonstrate good linear correlation and closely represent actual protrusion values in the 5 to 12 mm range. Interobserver repeatability analysis demonstrated that all examiners were not statistically different in their measurements despite minimal familiarity with the ultrasound methodology (p 0.8).Conclusions: Despite the statistical imparity of pin protrusion measurement via ultrasound compared to that of gross dissection, a consideration of the clinical relevance of ultrasound measurement bias during an austere operating theatre leads to the conclusion that ultrasonography is an adequate methodology for Schanz pin protrusion measurement.
The wide-area medical transportation following the Great East Japan Earthquake: The Japanese government’s control and coordination
Authors: Okumura, MD, PhD Tetsu
Published: June 2014

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Effectiveness of three just-in-time training modalities for N-95 mask fit testing
Authors: Jones, MD David , Stoler, MD Genevieve , Suyama, MD Joe
Published: June 2014

Objective: To compare and contrast three different training modalities for fit testing N-95 respirator face masks.Design: Block randomized interventional study.Setting: Urban university.Participants: Two hundred eighty-nine medical students.Interventions: Students were randomly assigned to video, lecture, or slide show to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods for fit testing large groups of people.Main outcome measures: Ease of fit and success of fit for each instructional technique.Results: Mask 1 was a Kimberly-Clark duckbill N-95 respirator mask, and mask 2 was a 3M™carpenters N-95 respirator mask. “Ease of fit” was defined as the ability to successfully don a mask in less than 30 seconds. “Success of fit” was defined as the ability to correctly don a mask in one try. There were no statistical differences by training modality for either mask regarding ease of fit or success of fit.Conclusion: There were no differences among video presentation, small group demonstration, and self-directed slide show just-in-time training modalities for ease of fit or success of fit N-95 respirator mask fitting. Further study is needed to explore more effective fit training modalities.
A community outreach influenza vaccination drive as a model for mass disaster prophylaxis
Authors: Lawrenz, BS Joshua , Puetz, MS Joseph , Kuschel, BS Stephanie , Rudzinski, MD John
Published: June 2014

In October 2012, more than 120 student and faculty volunteers from six different health professional schools (medical, pharmacy, and nursing) vaccinated 430 individuals against influenza at five point of distribution sites in Winnebago County, IL, at no cost to the recipients. In total, 18 organizations, including faith-based and nonprofit groups, organized this vaccination drive, targeting an at-risk population of homeless and impoverished individuals. Preclinical students were provided just-in-time training in vaccine administration and Incident Command System methodology. This community-wide collaborative effort uniquely demonstrates the effectiveness of student volunteerism in emergency preparedness, as well as providing a model for mass prophylaxis in a disaster scenario.
Patient aberrant drug taking behaviors in a large family medicine residency program: A retrospective chart review of screening practices, incidence, and predictors
Authors: Lewis, PharmD Matthew , Herndon, PharmD, BCPS, CPE Christopher M. , Chibnall, PhD John T.
Published: June 2014

Introduction: Potentially aberrant drug-taking behaviors (pADTB) are described as any departure from strict adherence to prescribed use of medications for their intended indication. There are several validated instruments, processes, and databases available to assist the clinician in screening and stratifying risk for patients in which controlled substances are being prescribed or considered. Actual utilization of these tools in nonspecialist healthcare settings is largely unknown. The primary objective of this retrospective chart review was to describe utilization patterns of these common tools within a 56 physician family medicine training program. Secondary objectives included identification of site-specific predictors of pADTB and correlation of prescribing patterns with documented aberrant behaviors.Methods: A total of 202 chronic pain patients were identified for inclusion based on prior 12-month prescription and refill records within the electronic health record (EHR) from March 2008 through March 2009. Each patient included had at least one opioid for 30 days within the study period and had chronic pain symptoms for at least 90 days. Each chart was reviewed for predefined pADTB, controlled substance refill request, prescription drug monitoring profile, and post hoc investigator completion of the Opioid Risk Tool Clinician Form. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis was used to report results.Results: Clinician documentation of risk-screening tool use of any type was limited to one patient of the 202 records reviewed. Within this sample, 203 unique pADTB were documented in the EHR records of 89 (44.1 percent) patients. Patients prescribed morphine or tramadol appeared to exhibit less use of multiple prescribers and multiple pharmacies while an association between this behavior and two or more concurrent opioid prescriptions became apparent. Those taking fentanyl or morphine exhibited unsanctioned dose escalations more frequently.Conclusions: These results suggest that routine evaluation of risk for abuse or misuse of opioid analgesics occurs infrequently in a large family medicine training program. pADTB exhibited by patients using opioids for chronic pain syndromes in this sample were consistent with those reported in other similar settings. Policies and procedures in primary care settings for improved risk evaluation and ongoing monitoring of chronic opioid therapy is needed.
Social Anxiety, Anticipatory Processing and Negative Expectancies for an Interpersonal Task in Middle Childhood
Authors: Vassilopoulos Stephanos P. , Moberly Nicholas J. , Tsoumanis Panagiotis
Published: June 2014

Cognitive models assume that socially anxious individuals engage in negatively-biased anticipatory processing that enhances anxiety and exacerbates maladaptive cognitions. To date little is known about this anticipatory processing and its relationship with mood and predicted performance in socially anxious children. In the present study, a school sample of 181 children (aged 10-11 years) was instructed to either engage in anticipatory processing or perform a distraction task while preparing to give a speech in front of the class. Results showed that trait social anxiety was associated with more negative estimates of personal appearance and catastrophic thoughts relating to speech performance. Following the manipulation, children in the distraction condition showed significant reductions in state anxiety, but children in the anticipation condition did not. Furthermore, children in the anticipation condition gave more negative predictions of personal appearance during the speech task than children in the distraction condition. Crucially, trait social anxiety was more strongly associated with catastrophic thinking and negative expectations of their personal appearance when children were instructed to engage in anticipatory processing rather than distraction. The findings provide further support for the suggestion that anticipatory processing plays a role in maintaining childhood social anxiety.
WAIS Divide ice core suggests sustained changes in the atmospheric formation pathways of sulfate and nitrate since the 19th century in the extratropical Southern Hemisphere
Authors: Sofen E. D. , Alexander B. , Steig E. J. , Thiemens M. H. , Kunasek S. A. , Amos H. M. , Schauer A. J. , Hastings M. G. , Bautista J. , Jackson T. L. , Vogel L. E. , McConnell J. R. , Pasteris D. R. , Saltzman E. S.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The 17O excess (Δ17O = δ17O−0.52 × δ18O) of sulfate and nitrate reflects the relative importance of their different production pathways in the atmosphere. A new record of sulfate and nitrate Δ17O spanning the last 2400 years from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core project shows significant changes in both sulfate and nitrate Δ17O in the most recent 200 years, indicating changes in their formation pathways. The sulfate Δ17O record exhibits a 1.1 ‰ increase in the early 19th century from (2.4 ± 0.2) ‰ to (3.5 ± 0.2) ‰, which suggests that an additional 12–18% of sulfate formation occurs via aqueous-phase production by O3, relative to that in the gas phase. Nitrate Δ17O gradually decreases over the whole record, with a more rapid decrease between the mid-19th century and the present day of 5.6 ‰, indicating an increasing importance of RO2 in NOx cycling between the mid-19th century and the present day in the mid- to high-latitude Southern Hemisphere. The former has implications for the climate impacts of sulfate aerosol, while the latter has implications for the tropospheric O3 production rate in remote low-NOx environments. Using other ice core observations, we rule out drivers for these changes other than variability in extratropical oxidant (OH, O3, RO2, H2O2, and reactive halogens) concentrations. However, assuming OH, H2O2, and O3 are the main oxidants contributing to sulfate formation, Monte Carlo box model simulations require a large (≥ 260%) increase in the O3 / OH mole fraction ratio over the Southern Ocean in the early 19th century to match the sulfate Δ17O record. This unlikely scenario points to a~deficiency in our understanding of sulfur chemistry and suggests other oxidants may play an important role in sulfate formation in the mid- to high-latitude marine boundary layer. The observed decrease in nitrate Δ17O since the mid-19th century is most likely due to an increased importance of RO2 over O3 in NOx cycling and can be explained by a 60–90% decrease in the O3 / RO2 mole fraction ratio in the extratropical Southern Hemisphere NOx-source regions.
Testing secondary organic aerosol models using smog chamber data for complex precursor mixtures: influence of precursor volatility and molecular structure
Authors: Jathar S. H. , Donahue N. M. , Adams P. J. , Robinson A. L.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. We use secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production data from an ensemble of unburned fuels measured in a smog chamber to test various SOA formation models. The evaluation considered data from 11 different fuels including gasoline, multiple diesels, and various jet fuels. The fuels are complex mixtures of species; they span a wide range of volatility and molecular structure to provide a challenging test for the SOA models. We evaluated three different versions of the SOA model used in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. The simplest and most widely used version of that model only accounts for the volatile species (species with less than or equal to 12 carbons) in the fuels. It had very little skill in predicting the observed SOA formation (R2 = 0.04, fractional error = 108%). Incorporating all of the lower-volatility fuel species (species with more than 12 carbons) into the standard CMAQ SOA model did not improve model performance significantly. Both versions of the CMAQ SOA model over-predicted SOA formation from a synthetic jet fuel and under-predicted SOA formation from diesels because of an overly simplistic representation of the SOA formation from alkanes that did not account for the effects of molecular size and structure. An extended version of the CMAQ SOA model that accounted for all organics and the influence of molecular size and structure of alkanes reproduced the experimental data. This underscores the importance of accounting for all low-volatility organics and information on alkane molecular size and structure in SOA models. We also investigated fitting an SOA model based solely on the volatility of the precursor mixture to the experimental data. This model could describe the observed SOA formation with relatively few free parameters, demonstrating the importance of precursor volatility for SOA formation. The exceptions were exotic fuels such as synthetic jet fuel that expose the central assumption of the volatility-dependent model that most emissions consist of complex mixtures with similar distribution of molecular classes. Despite its shortcomings, SOA formation as a function of volatility may be sufficient for modeling SOA formation in chemical transport models.
Evolution of the complex refractive index in the UV spectral region in ageing secondary organic aerosol
Authors: Flores J. M. , Zhao D. F. , Segev L. , Schlag P. , Kiendler-Scharr A. , Fuchs H. , Watne Å. K. , Bluvshtein N. , Mentel Th. F. , Hallquist M. , Rudich Y.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The chemical and physical properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed by the photochemical degradation of biogenic and anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC) are as yet still poorly constrained. The evolution of the complex refractive index (RI) of SOA, formed from purely biogenic VOC and mixtures of biogenic and anthropogenic VOC, was studied over a diurnal cycle in the SAPHIR photochemical outdoor chamber in Jülich, Germany. The correlation of RI with SOA chemical and physical properties such as oxidation level and volatility was examined. The RI was retrieved by a newly developed broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometer for aerosol optical extinction measurements in the UV spectral region (360 to 420 nm). Chemical composition and volatility of the particles were monitored by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer, and a volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer. SOA was formed by ozonolysis of either (i) a mixture of biogenic VOC (α-pinene and limonene), (ii) biogenic VOC mixture with subsequent addition of an anthropogenic VOC (p-xylene-d10), or (iii) a mixture of biogenic and anthropogenic VOC. The SOA aged by ozone/OH reactions up to 29.5 h was found to be non-absorbing in all cases. The SOA with p-xylene-d10 showed an increase of the scattering component of the RI correlated with an increase of the O / C ratio and with an increase in the SOA density. There was a greater increase in the scattering component of the RI when the SOA was produced from the mixture of biogenic VOCs and anthropogenic VOC than from the sequential addition of the VOCs after approximately the same ageing time. The increase of the scattering component was inversely correlated with the SOA volatility. Two RI retrievals determined for the pure biogenic SOA showed a constant RI for up to 5 h of ageing. Mass spectral characterization shows the three types of the SOA formed in this study have a significant amount of semivolatile components. The influence of anthropogenic VOCs on the oxygenated organic aerosol as well as the atmospheric implications are discussed.
Submicron aerosols at thirteen diversified sites in China: size distribution, new particle formation and corresponding contribution to cloud condensation nuclei production
Authors: Peng J. F. , Hu M. , Wang Z. B. , Huang X. F. , Kumar P. , Wu Z. J. , Yue D. L. , Guo S. , Shang D. J. , Zheng Z. , He L. Y.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Understanding the particle number size distributions in diversified atmospheric environments is important in order to design mitigation strategies related to submicron particles and their effect on regional air quality, haze and human health. In this study, we conducted 15 different field measurement campaigns, each one-month long, between 2007 and 2011 at 13 individual sites in China. These were 5 urban sites, 4 regional sites, 3 coastal/background sites and one ship cruise measurement along eastern coastline of China. Size resolved particles were measured in the 15–600 nm size range. The median particle number concentrations (PNC) were found to vary in the range of 1.1–2.2 × 104 cm−3 at urban sites, 0.8–1.5 × 104 cm−3 at regional sites, 0.4–0.6 × 104 cm−3 at coastal/background sites, and 0.5 × 104 cm−3 during cruise measurements. Peak diameters at each of these sites varied greatly from 24 nm to 115 nm. Particles in the 15–25 nm (nucleation mode), 25–100 nm (Aitken mode) and 100–600 nm (accumulation mode) range showed different characteristics at each of the studied sites, indicating the features of primary emissions and secondary formation in these diversified atmospheric environments. Diurnal variations show a build-up of accumulation mode particles belt at regional sites, suggesting the contribution of regional secondary aerosol pollution. Frequencies of new particle formation (NPF) events were much higher at urban and regional sites than at coastal sites and cruise measurement. The average growth rates (GRs) of nucleation mode particles were 8.0–10.9 nm h−1 at urban sites, 7.4–13.6 nm h−1 at regional sites and 2.8–7.5 nm h−1 at both coastal and cruise measurement sites. The high gaseous precursors and strong oxidation at urban and regional sites not only favored the formation of particles, but also accelerated the growth rate of the nucleation mode particles. No significant difference in condensation sink (CS) during NPF days were observed among different site types, suggesting that the NPF events in background area were more influenced by the pollutant transport. In addition, average contributions of NPF events to potential cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) at 0.2% super-saturation in the afternoon of all sampling days were calculated as 11% and 6% at urban sites and regional sites, respectively. On the other hand, NPF events at coastal and cruise measurement sites had little impact on potential production of CCN. This study provides a large dataset of aerosol size distribution in diversified atmosphere of China, improving our general understanding of emission, secondary formation, new particles formation and corresponding CCN activity of submicron aerosols in Chinese environments.
Climate-mediated spatiotemporal variability in terrestrial productivity across Europe
Authors: Wu X. , Babst F. , Ciais P. , Frank D. , Reichstein M. , Wattenbach M. , Zang C. , Mahecha M. D.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Quantifying the interannual variability (IAV) of the terrestrial ecosystem productivity and its sensitivity to climate is crucial for improving carbon budget predictions. In this context it is necessary to disentangle the influence of climate from impacts of other mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal patterns of IAV of the ecosystem productivity. In this study we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of IAV of historical observations of European crop yields in tandem with a set of climate variables. We further evaluated if relevant remote-sensing retrievals of NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and FAPAR (fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) depict a similar behaviour. Our results reveal distinct spatial patterns in the IAV of the analysed proxies linked to terrestrial productivity. In particular, we find higher IAV in water-limited regions of Europe (Mediterranean and temperate continental Europe) compared to other regions in both crop yield and remote-sensing observations. Our results further indicate that variations in the water balance during the active growing season exert a more pronounced and direct effect than variations of temperature on explaining the spatial patterns in IAV of productivity-related variables in temperate Europe. Overall, we observe a temporally increasing trend in the IAV of terrestrial productivity and an increasing sensitivity of productivity to water availability in dry regions of Europe during the 1975–2009 period. In the same regions, a simultaneous increase in the IAV of water availability was detected. These findings suggest intricate responses of carbon fluxes to climate variability in Europe and that the IAV of terrestrial productivity has become potentially more sensitive to changes in water availability in the dry regions in Europe. The changing sensitivity of terrestrial productivity accompanied by the changing IAV of climate is expected to impact carbon stocks and the net carbon balance of European ecosystems.
How drought severity constrains GPP and its partitioning among carbon pools in a Quercus ilex coppice?
Authors: Rambal S. , Lempereur M. , Limousin J. M. , Martin-StPaul N. K. , Ourcival J. M. , Rodríguez-Calcerrada J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The partitioning of photosynthates toward biomass compartments has a crucial role in the carbon sink function of forests. Few studies have examined how carbon is allocated toward plant compartments in drought prone forests. We analyzed the fate of GPP in relation to yearly water deficit in an old evergreen Mediterranean Quercus ilex coppice severely affected by water limitations. Gross and net carbon fluxes between the ecosystem and the atmosphere were measured with an eddy-covariance flux tower running continuously since 2001. Discrete measurements of litterfall, stem growth and fAPAR allowed us to derive annual productions of leaves, wood, flowers and acorns and an isometric relationship between stem and belowground biomass has been used to estimate perennial belowground growth. By combining eddy-covariance fluxes with annual productions we managed to close a C budget and derive values of autotrophic and heterotrophic respirations, NPP and carbon use efficiency (CUE, the ratio between NPP and GPP). Average values of yearly NEP, GPP and Reco were 282, 1259 and 977 g C m−2. The corresponding ANPP components were 142.5, 26.4 and 69.6 g C m−2 for leaves, reproductive effort (flowers and fruits) and stems. Gross and net carbon exchange between the ecosystem and the atmosphere were affected by annual water deficit. Partitioning to the different plant compartments was also impacted by drought, with a hierarchy of responses going from the most affected, the stem growth, to the least affected, the leaf production. The average CUE was 0.40, which is well in the range for Mediterranean-type forest ecosystems. CUE tended to decrease more slightly in response to drought than GPP and NPP, probably due to drought-acclimation of autotrophic respiration. Overall, our results provide a baseline for modeling the inter-annual variations of carbon fluxes and allocation in this widespread Mediterranean ecosystem and highlight the value of maintaining continuous experimental measurements over the long term.
Parameterizing deep convection using the assumed probability density function method
Authors: Storer R. L. , Griffin B. M. , Höft J. , Weber J. K. , Raut E. , Larson V. E. , Wang M. , Rasch P. J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Due to their coarse horizontal resolution, present-day climate models must parameterize deep convection. This paper presents single-column simulations of deep convection using a probability density function (PDF) parameterization. The PDF parameterization predicts the PDF of subgrid variability of turbulence, clouds, and hydrometeors. That variability is interfaced to a prognostic microphysics scheme using a Monte Carlo sampling method. The PDF parameterization is used to simulate tropical deep convection, the transition from shallow to deep convection over land, and mid-latitude deep convection. These parameterized single-column simulations are compared with 3-D reference simulations. The agreement is satisfactory except when the convective forcing is weak. The same PDF parameterization is also used to simulate shallow cumulus and stratocumulus layers. The PDF method is sufficiently general to adequately simulate these five deep, shallow, and stratiform cloud cases with a single equation set. This raises hopes that it may be possible in the future, with further refinements at coarse time step and grid spacing, to parameterize all cloud types in a large-scale model in a unified way.
Parameters sensitivity analysis for a~crop growth model applied to winter wheat in the Huanghuaihai Plain in China
Authors: Liu M. , He B. , Lü A. , Zhou L. , Wu J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Parameters sensitivity analysis is a crucial step in effective model calibration. It quantitatively apportions the variation of model output to different sources of variation, and identifies how "sensitive" a model is to changes in the values of model parameters. Through calibration of parameters that are sensitive to model outputs, parameter estimation becomes more efficient. Due to uncertainties associated with yield estimates in a regional assessment, field-based models that perform well at field scale are not accurate enough to model at regional scale. Conducting parameters sensitivity analysis at the regional scale and analyzing the differences of parameter sensitivity between stations would make model calibration and validation in different sub-regions more efficient. Further, it would benefit the model applied to the regional scale. Through simulating 2000 × 22 samples for 10 stations in the Huanghuaihai Plain, this study discovered that TB (Optimal temperature), HI (Normal harvest index), WA (Potential radiation use efficiency), BN2 (Normal fraction of N in crop biomass at mid-season) and RWPC1 (Fraction of root weight at emergency) are more sensitive than other parameters. Parameters that determine nutrition supplement and LAI development have higher global sensitivity indices than first-order indices. For spatial application, soil diversity is crucial because soil is responsible for crop parameters sensitivity index differences between sites.
C-Coupler1: a Chinese community coupler for Earth System Modelling
Authors: Liu L. , Yang G. , Wang B. , Zhang C. , Li R. , Zhang Z. , Ji Y. , Wang L.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Coupler is a fundamental software tool for Earth System Modelling. Targeting the requirements of 3-D coupling, high-level sharing, common model software platform and better parallel performance, we started to design and develop a community coupler (C-Coupler) from 2010 in China, and finished the first version (C-Coupler1) recently. The C-Coupler1 is a parallel 3-D coupler that achieves the same (bit-identical) result with any number of processes. Guided by the general design of the C-Coupler, the C-Coupler1 enables various component models and various coupled model versions to be integrated on the same common model software platform to achieve a~higher-level sharing, where the component models and the coupler can keep the same code version in various model versions for simulation. Moreover, it provides the C-Coupler platform, a uniform runtime environment for operating various kinds of model simulations in the same manner. Now the C-Coupler1 is ready for Earth System Modelling, and it is publicly available. In China, there are more and more model groups using the C-Coupler1 for the development and application of models.
Detailed temperature–salinity distribution in the Northeast Atlantic from ship and Argo vertical casts
Authors: Bashmachnikov I. , Neves F. , Nascimento A. , Medeiros J. , Ambar I. , Dias J. , Carton X.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The present study defines new interpolation functions for hydrological data. These functions are applied to generate climatological maps of temperature–salinity distribution with 25 m depth interval and 30 km space interval (MEDTRANS data-set). The data underwent a rigorous data quality control, having passed several filtering procedures. The gridding was done on neutral density surfaces, which allows better representation of the relative intensity of thermohaline fronts for the same gridding radius. The gridding was done using multi-pass Barnes' Optimum Interpolation procedure with spatially variable size of the gridding window. The shape of the window accounted for topographic influence: the dominant along-slope direction of water mass transport. One of the new features was the use of a local ratio of topographic to planetary β-effects to define the shape of the window as a function of the relative importance of the topographic influence. The N/f ratio was used for simulation of the baroclinic decrease of the topographic influence on water mass transport with the distance from the bottom. The gridded fields are available at the web-site of the Center of Oceanography of the University of Lisbon (http://co.fc.ul.pt/en/data). The new MEDTRANS climatology gives more details to the distribution of water characteristics in the Subtropical Northeast Atlantic, in particular near the Iberian Peninsula. The geostrophic currents relative to the 1900 m reference level demonstrate the local circulation features, in good correspondence to the theory and to previous studies: the acceleration in the meanders of the Azores current; the cyclonic gyre in the Gulf of Cadiz; the splitting and separation of the Mediterranean Water outflow from the continental slope near the Gorringe and the Galicia banks. Those features are not reproduced by the alternative climatologies. Seasonal climatologies, computed for the warm (May–October) and cold (November–April) seasons, revealed stronger zonal extension of the upper ocean patterns during the warm season, as compared to the cold one. At the Iberian continental slope, the seasonality manifested itself in more saline and denser lower core of the Mediterranean Water during the warm season as compared to the cold season.
Variations of soil profile characteristics due to varying time spans since ice retreat in the inner Nordfjord, western Norway
Authors: Navas A. , Laute K. , Beylich A. A. , Gaspar L.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. In the Erdalen and Bødalen drainage basins located in the inner Nordfjord in western Norway the soils were formed after deglaciation. The climate in the uppermost valley areas is sub-arctic oceanic, and the lithology consists of Precambrian granitic orthogneisses on which Leptosols and Regosols are the most common soils. The Little Ice Age glacier advance affected parts of the valleys with the maximum glacier extent around AD 1750. In this study five sites on moraine and colluvium materials were selected to examine main soil properties, grain size distribution, soil organic carbon and pH to assess if soil profile characteristics and patterns of fallout radionuclides (FRNs) and environmental radionuclides (ERNs) are affected by different stages of ice retreat. The Leptosols on the moraines are shallow, poorly developed and vegetated with moss and small birches. The two selected profiles show different radionuclide activities and grain size distribution. The sampled soils on the colluviums outside the LIA glacier limit became ice-free during the Preboral. The Regosols present better-developed profiles, thicker organic horizons and are fully covered by grasses. Activity of 137Cs and 210Pbex concentrate at the topsoil and decrease sharply with depth. The grain size distribution of these soils also reflects the difference in geomorphic processes that have affected the colluvium sites. Significantly lower mass activities of FRNs were found in soils on the moraines than on colluviums. Variations of ERN activities in the valleys were related to characteristics of soil mineralogical composition. These results indicate differences in soil development that are consistent with the age of ice retreat. In addition, the pattern distribution of 137Cs and 210Pbex activities differs in the soils related to the LIA glacier limits in the drainage basins.
Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar-amended plots
Authors: Weyers S. L. , Spokas K. A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different plant-based feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms in the fall of 2008. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried in July of 2011 below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a uncharred wood-pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Overall, these findings indicate that no significant alteration in the microbial dynamics of the soil decomposer communities occurred as a consequence of the application of plant-based biochars evaluated here.
Simulation of seismic waves at the Earth crust (brittle-ductile transition) based on the Burgers model
Authors: Carcione J. M. , Poletto F. , Farina B. , Craglietto A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The Earth crust presents two dissimilar rheological behaviours depending on the in-situ stress-temperature conditions. The upper, cooler, part is brittle while deeper zones are ductile. Seismic waves may reveal the presence of the transition but a proper characterization is required. We first obtain a stress–strain relation including the effects of shear seismic attenuation and ductility due to shear deformations and plastic flow. The anelastic behaviour is based on the Burgers mechanical model to describe the effects of seismic attenuation and steady-state creep flow. The shear Lamé constant of the brittle and ductile media depends on the in-situ stress and temperature through the shear viscosity, which is obtained by the Arrhenius equation and the octahedral stress criterion. The P- and S-wave velocities decrease as depth and temperature increase due to the geothermal gradient, an effect which is more pronounced for shear waves. We then obtain the P-S and SH equations of motion recast in the velocity-stress formulation, including memory variables to avoid the computation of time convolutions. The equations correspond to isotropic anelastic and inhomogeneous media and are solved by a direct grid method based on the Runge–Kutta time stepping technique and the Fourier pseudospectral method. The algorithm is tested with success against known analytical solutions for different shear viscosities. A realistic example illustrates the computation of surface and reverse-VSP synthetic seismograms in the presence of an abrupt brittle-ductile transition.
The sub-ice platelet layer and its influence on freeboard to thickness conversion of Antarctic sea ice
Authors: Price D. , Rack W. , Langhorne P. J. , Haas C. , Leonard G. , Barnsdale K.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. This is an investigation to quantify the influence of the sub-ice platelet layer on satellite measurements of total freeboard and their conversion to thickness of Antarctic sea ice. The sub-ice platelet layer forms as a result of the seaward advection of supercooled ice shelf water from beneath ice shelves. This ice shelf water provides an oceanic heat sink promoting the formation of platelet crystals which accumulate at the sea ice–ocean interface. The build-up of this porous layer increases sea ice freeboard, and if not accounted for, leads to overestimates of sea ice thickness from surface elevation measurements. In order to quantify this buoyant effect, the solid fraction of the sub-ice platelet layer must be estimated. An extensive in situ data set measured in 2011 in McMurdo Sound in the southwestern Ross Sea is used to achieve this. We use drill-hole measurements and the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption to estimate a mean value for the solid fraction of this sub-ice platelet layer of 0.16. This is highly dependent upon the uncertainty in sea ice density. We test this value with independent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) surface elevation data to estimate sea ice thickness. We find that sea ice thickness can be overestimated by up to 19%, with a mean deviation of 12% as a result of the influence of the sub-ice platelet layer. It is concluded that within 100 km of an ice shelf this influence might need to be considered when undertaking sea ice thickness investigations using remote sensing surface elevation measurements.
Social dynamics of Twitter usage in London, Paris, and New York City
Authors: Adnan Muhammad , Longley Paul A. , Khan Shariq M.
Published: June 2014

The penetration and use of social media services differs from city to city. This paper investigates the social dynamics of Twitter social media usage in three ethnically diverse cities — London, Paris, and New York City. We present a spatial analysis of Tweeting activity in the three cities, broken down by ethnicity and gender. We model the ethnic identity of Twitter users using their paired forenames and surnames. The geo–tagged Tweets provide an insight into the geography of their activity patterns across the three cities. The gender of each Twitter user is identified through classification of forenames, suggesting that, irrespective of the ethnic identity, the majority of Twitter users are male. Taken together, the results present a window on the activity patterns of different ethnic groups.
Addressing the Yield Gap in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Hillocks R.J.
Published: June 2014

Increases in the production of food crops are no longer keeping pace with population growth in Africa, so the continent is increasingly relying on food imports. This would not be the case if crop yields were closer to their potential under good crop management. As climate change makes rainfall more variable, it becomes more risky for smallholders to adopt high-input technologies for crop intensification. This paper uses case studies on the yield gap in cassava, maize and cotton and examines the factors that contribute to low yields, the disincentives for technology adoption and some of the strategies required to close the yield gap. The paper argues that institutional factors are as important as technical ones in addressing the current yield gap in Africa. The main conclusions are that the yield gap is much more difficult to close in rainfed agriculture than in irrigated production where low soil fertility constrains the response to inorganic fertilizer. The combination of institutional and agronomic factors that influence the ability of farmers to improve crop yields profitably often operates at the farm or local level.
Target Groups of Rural Development Policies
Authors: Hien Huynh Thanh , Franke Christian , Piorr Annette , Lange Andrej , Zasada Ingo
Published: June 2014

There is a lack of empirical knowledge about the complex factors that shape a farmer's decisions to participate in rural development (RD) measures. The objective of this study was to develop and test the suitability of an original typology that identifies distinct groups affected by the thematic objectives of the European Union's RD policies. The results are based on empirical data (n = 277) drawn from two case study areas in Germany, where information related to farm structures was collected along with the self-assessment statements of farmers. The paper emphasizes the description and reasoning of the methodological steps performed to achieve this typology. First, factor analysis was used to reduce datasets and to exclude multicollinearity problems. A two-step cluster analysis was then applied to classify farms into representative types within the derived typology. Finally, farmers' self-perception statements were analysed in relation to the farm typology by using qualitative description methods.
Organic Cotton Production as an Adaptation Option in North-West Benin
Authors: Kloos Julia , Renaud Fabrice G.
Published: June 2014

Organic agriculture is increasingly recognized as an adaptation measure to support sustainable livelihoods under a changing climate. This study assesses how it constitutes a suitable adaptation strategy in north-west Benin to make rural households more resilient to the increased likelihood of flooding, high-intensity rainfall or droughts. Based on household interviews, focus group discussions and expert interviews in villages around the Pendjari National Park, it was found that agricultural practices of organic cotton production directly reduced the most frequent climatic risks that households faced, and indirectly contributed to reducing economic risks and to empowering women. But there are also obstacles, such as the availability of sufficient organic material and the need for transport to dispersed fields, which currently limit adaptation potential.