Exploring strategies for coupled 4D-Var data assimilation using an idealised atmosphere-ocean model

Operational forecasting centres are currently developing data assimilation systems for coupled atmosphere-ocean models. Strongly coupled assimilation, in which a single assimilation system is applied to a coupled model, presents significant technical and scientific challenges. Hence weakly coupled assimilation systems are being developed as a first step, in which the coupled model is used to compare the current state estimate with observations, but corrections to the atmosphere and ocean initial conditions are then calculated independently. In this paper we provide a comprehensive description of the different coupled assimilation methodologies in the context of four dimensional variational assimilation (4D-Var) and use an idealised framework to assess the expected benefits of moving towards coupled data assimilation. We implement an incremental 4D-Var system within an idealised single column atmosphere-ocean model. The system has the capability to run both strongly and weakly coupled assimilations as well as uncoupled atmosphere or ocean only assimilations, thus allowing a systematic comparison of the different strategies for treating the coupled data assimilation problem. We present results from a series of identical twin experiments devised to investigate the behaviour and sensitivities of the different approaches. Overall, our study demonstrates the potential benefits that may be expected from coupled data assimilation. When compared to uncoupled initialisation, coupled assimilation is able to produce more balanced initial analysis fields, thus reducing initialisation shock and its impact on the subsequent forecast. Single observation experiments demonstrate how coupled assimilation systems are able to pass information between the atmosphere and ocean and therefore use near-surface data to greater effect. We show that much of this benefit may also be gained from a weakly coupled assimilation system, but that this can be sensitive to the parameters used in the assimilation

Tackle your Tics:pilot findings of a brief, intensive group-based exposure therapy program for children with tic disorders

Tourette syndrome (TS) and other chronic tic disorders (CTD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, which can have a huge burden on families and society. Behavioral treatment is a first-line intervention for tic disorders. Despite demonstrated efficacy, tic reduction and utilization rates of behavioral treatment remain relatively low. Patient associations point to an urgent need for easy-to-undergo treatments that focus both on tic reduction and improvement of quality of life. To enhance treatment outcome and overcome treatment barriers, this pilot study's aim was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary results of a brief, intensive group-based treatment. Tackle your Tics is a 4-day intensive and comprehensive group-based program for children and adolescents (9-17 years) with a tic disorder, consisting of exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment and additional supporting components, such as coping strategies, relaxing activities and parent support. Assessments were performed pre- and post-treatment and at 2 months follow-up, to test outcomes on tic severity and quality of life, and explore premonitory urges, emotional and behavioral functioning and treatment satisfaction (N = 14, of whom 13 completed the treatment). Parents and children rated this treatment positive on a treatment satisfaction questionnaire. On tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) and quality of life (Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale for children and adolescents), improvements between pre-treatment and follow-up were found. Intensive ERP in group format is promising as a feasible treatment to improve both tic severity as well as quality of life. Larger controlled trials are needed to establish its effectiveness

The EarthCARE satellite: the next step forward in global measurements of clouds, aerosols, precipitation, and radiation

The collective representation within global models of aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and their radiative properties remains unsatisfactory. They constitute the largest source of uncertainty in predictions of climatic change and hamper the ability of numerical weather prediction models to forecast high-impact weather events. The joint European Space Agency (ESA)–Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Earth Clouds, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite mission, scheduled for launch in 2018, will help to resolve these weaknesses by providing global profiles of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and associated radiative properties inferred from a combination of measurements made by its collocated active and passive sensors. EarthCARE will improve our understanding of cloud and aerosol processes by extending the invaluable dataset acquired by the A-Train satellites CloudSat, Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and Aqua. Specifically, EarthCARE’s cloud profiling radar, with 7 dB more sensitivity than CloudSat, will detect more thin clouds and its Doppler capability will provide novel information on convection, precipitating ice particle, and raindrop fall speeds. EarthCARE’s 355-nm high-spectral-resolution lidar will measure directly and accurately cloud and aerosol extinction and optical depth. Combining this with backscatter and polarization information should lead to an unprecedented ability to identify aerosol type. The multispectral imager will provide a context for, and the ability to construct, the cloud and aerosol distribution in 3D domains around the narrow 2D retrieved cross section. The consistency of the retrievals will be assessed to within a target of ±10 W m–2 on the (10 km)2 scale by comparing the multiview broadband radiometer observations to the top-of-atmosphere fluxes estimated by 3D radiative transfer models acting on retrieved 3D domains

Homing in on the hepatic scar:recent advances in cell-specific targeting of liver fibrosis

Despite the high prevalence of liver disease globally, there are currently no approved anti-fibrotic therapies to treat patients with liver fibrosis. A major goal in anti-fibrotic therapy is the development of drug delivery systems that allow direct targeting of the major pro-scarring cell populations within the liver (hepatic myofibroblasts) whilst not perturbing the homeostatic functions of other mesenchymal cell types present within both the liver and other organ systems. In this review we will outline some of the recent advances in our understanding of myofibroblast biology, discussing both the origin of myofibroblasts and possible myofibroblast fates during hepatic fibrosis progression and resolution. We will then discuss the various strategies currently being employed to increase the precision with which we deliver potential anti-fibrotic therapies to patients with liver fibrosis

Revisiting the Local Scaling Hypothesis in Stably Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence: an Integration of Field and Laboratory Measurements with Large-eddy Simulations

The `local scaling' hypothesis, first introduced by Nieuwstadt two decades ago, describes the turbulence structure of stable boundary layers in a very succinct way and is an integral part of numerous local closure-based numerical weather prediction models. However, the validity of this hypothesis under very stable conditions is a subject of on-going debate. In this work, we attempt to address this controversial issue by performing extensive analyses of turbulence data from several field campaigns, wind-tunnel experiments and large-eddy simulations. Wide range of stabilities, diverse field conditions and a comprehensive set of turbulence statistics make this study distinct

Evapotranspiration estimation considering anthropogenic heat based on remote sensing in urban area

Urbanization influences hydrologic cycle significantly on local, regional even global scale. With urbanization the water resources demand for dense population sharpened, thus it is a great challenge to ensure water supply for some metropolises such as Beijing. Urban area is traditionally considered as the area with lower evapotranspiration (ET) on account of the impervious surface and the lower wind speed. For most remote sensing models, the ET, defined as latent heat in energy budget, is estimated as the difference between net radiation and sensible heat. The sensible heat is generally higher in urban area due to the high surface temperature caused by heat island, therefore the latent heat (i.e. the ET) in urban area is lower than that in other region. We estimated water consumption from 2003 to 2012 in Beijing based on water balance method and found that the annual mean ET in urban area was about 654 mm. However, using Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model, the annual mean ET in urban area was only 348 mm. We attributed this inconsistence to the impact of anthropogenic heat and quantified this impact on the basis of the night-light maps. Therefore, a new model SEBS-Urban, coupling SEBS model and anthropogenic heat was developed to estimate the ET in urban area. The ET in urban area of Beijing estimated by SEBS-Urban showed a good agreement with the ET from water balance method. The findings from this study highlighted that anthropogenic heat should be included in the surface energy budget for a highly urbanized area

Strategies for blocking the fibrogenic actions of connective tissue growth factor (CCN2): From pharmacological inhibition in vitro to targeted siRNA therapy in vivo

Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) is a major pro-fibrotic factor that frequently acts downstream of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-mediated fibrogenic pathways. Much of our knowledge of CCN2 in fibrosis has come from studies in which its production or activity have been experimentally attenuated. These studies, performed both in vitro and in animal models, have demonstrated the utility of pharmacological inhibitors (e.g. tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), prostaglandins, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) agonists, statins, kinase inhibitors), neutralizing antibodies, antisense oligonucleotides, or small interfering RNA (siRNA) to probe the role of CCN2 in fibrogenic pathways. These investigations have allowed the mechanisms regulating CCN2 production to be more clearly defined, have shown that CCN2 is a rational anti-fibrotic target, and have established a framework for developing effective modalities of therapeutic intervention in vivo