Controls on the width of tropical precipitation and its contraction under global warming

AD and ARA were funded by the National Science Foundation Paleo Perspective on Climate Change (P2C2) Grant number AGS-1702827.Climate models robustly and unanimously simulate narrowing of the intense tropical precipitation under greenhouse gas forcing. We argue that the meridional width of tropical precipitation is controlled by the seasonal meridional range of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). The contraction of tropical precipitation under greenhouse forcing results from a reduced seasonal range of ITCZ migration. An energetic theory -- similar to the energetic theory for ITCZ shifts based on the hemispheric contrast of energy input to the atmosphere-- is developed. The meridional width of tropical precipitation is proportional to the seasonal range of the inter-hemispheric contrast in atmospheric heating divided by the efficiency of atmospheric cross-equatorial heat transport. Climate models are biased toward overly expansive tropical precipitation resulting from an exaggerated seasonal atmospheric heating. The robust contraction of tropical precipitation under global warming results from increased efficiency of inter-hemispheric energy transport consistent with enhanced gross moist stability of the tropical atmosphere.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Experiences of Rural School Attorneys: Implications for School Leaders

Rural school leaders encounter an array of complex issues that require legal counsel. Student discipline, contract disputes, employee conduct, special education, and a host of other topics require school boards and superintendents to utilize school attorneys. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the daily experiences of ten school attorneys representing multiple school districts in rural areas. Three salient themes emerged (a) the work of a school attorney, (b) relationships and interactions with school personnel, and (c) insights for others. Themes provide a comprehensive picture regarding school attorneys’ roles, responsibilities, and engagements with school personnel within rural schools. Implications, including the importance of building relationships between school attorneys and school leaders and of gaining experience in schools are offered. Finally, future research with more school attorneys specializing in special education and disability law, who represent diverse and rich backgrounds in rural settings would augment the findings from this study

Two Rb-Sr Whole Rock Isochrons from Plutons In the Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada

Two Rb-Sr Hhole rock isochrons have been obtained from plutons In the Cobequid Highlands of Nova Scotia: the Debert River and Hart Lake-Byers Lake Plutons. The undeformed, unfoilated Debert River Pluton yielded an age of 596± 70 Ma and an Initial 87Sr/88Sr ratio of 0.7059 ± 0.0007. This age places an upper age limit on the detonation recorded In the Folly River Schist (youngest unit of the Bass River Complex), the d I or I tic Frog Lake Pluton, and the sedimentary rocks immediately north and east of the Debert River Pluton. The Hart Lake-Byers Lake Pluton yielded anageof348±5Maandan Initial 87Sr/88Sr ratio of 0.7046 ± 0.0008. The similarity of this age to that of the adjacent felsic volcanics of the Byers Brook For nation suggests that they are comagmatic and confine that a Carboniferous igneous event forms an Important part of the geological history of the Cobequid Highlands. The Initial 87Sr/88Sr ratio and the blotite-hornblende content of the two granites suggest a mafic Igneous loner crustal source or possible untie component for the magma. RÉSUMÉ Les plutons de Debert River et Hart Lake-Byers Lake dans les monts Cobequld en Nouvel le-Écosse ont livre deux isochrones Rb-Sr de roche globale. Il déformé ni fellé, le pluton de Debert River a donné un âge de 596± 70 Ma et un rapport 87Sr/88Sr initial de 0.7059 ± 0.0007. Ceci place une limite supérieure sur l’âge de la déformation enregistrée dans le schiste de Folly River (L’unité la plus jeune du complexe de Bass River), le pluton diorltique de Frog Lake et dans les roches sédimentaires Jouxtant le pluton de Debert River au nord et à l’est. Le pluton de Hart Lake-Byers Lake à produit un âge de 348 ± 5 Ma et un rapport isotopique 87Sr/88Sr initial de 0.7046 ± 0.008. Cet âge, similaire à ceux des volcanites felslques adjacentes de la formation de Byers Brook, suggére qu'lis sent comagnatiques, signe evident qu'un épisode igné carbonifère forme l’un des faits majeurs de L’histoire géologique des monts Cobequid. Le rapport 87Sr/88Sr initial et la teneur en blotite et hornbIende de ces deux granites suggérent une genèse crustale profonde du magma avec une possible contribution mantellique. [Traduit par le journal

Pressure Tuning of the Charge Density Wave in the Halogen-Bridged Transition-Metal (MX) Solid Pt2Br6(NH3)4Pt_2Br_6(NH_3)_4

We report the pressure dependence up to 95 kbar of Raman active stretching modes in the quasi-one-dimensional MX chain solid $Pt_2Br_6(NH_3)_4$. The data indicate that a predicted pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition does not occur, but are consistent with the solid undergoing either a three-dimensional structural distortion, or a transition from a charge-density wave to another broken-symmetry ground state. We show that such a transition cacan be well-modeled within a Peierls-Hubbard Hamiltonian. 1993 PACS: 71.30.+h, 71.45.Lr, 75.30.Fv, 78.30.-j, 81.40.VwComment: 4 pages, ReVTeX 3.0, figures available from the authors on request (Gary Kanner, [email protected]), to be published in Phys Rev B Rapid Commun, REVISION: minor typos corrected, LA-UR-94-246

The impact of a gender-specific physical activity intervention on the fitness and fatness profile of men in Ireland

Background: Amid increasing concerns about rising obesity rates and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, physical activity (PA) is seen as a prophylactic to many chronic conditions affecting men. Men respond best to community-based PA programmes, using gender-specific promotional and delivery strategies. ‘Men on the Move’ (MOM) was developed on this basis and targeted inactive adult men in Ireland. Methods: Sedentary men (n=927; age=50.7±10.9yr; Weight=92.7±16.0kg; METS=6.06±2.13) were recruited across 8 counties; 4 ‘intervention group’ (IG; n=501), and 4 ‘comparison-in-waiting group’ (CG; n=426). The MOM programme involved structured group exercise twice weekly for 12 weeks, along with health-related workshops with the groups maintained up to 52W. Primary outcome measures (aerobic fitness, bodyweight and waist circumference (WC)) together with self-administered questionnaires were used to gather participant data at baseline, 12, 26 and 52 weeks (W). Results: Results show a net positive effect on aerobic fitness, bodyweight and WC, with significant (p<0.05) net change scores observed in the IG compared to the CG (METS: 12W=+2.20, 26W=+1.89, 52W=+0.92; Weight: 12W=-1.72kg, 26W=-1.95kg, 52W=-1.89kg; WC: 12W=-4.54cm, 26W=-2.69cm, 52W=-3.16cm). The corresponding reduction in cardiovascular disease risk is particularly significant in the context of a previously inactive and overweight cohort. The high ‘dropout’ (42.7% presenting at 52W) however, is of particular concern, with ‘dropouts’ having lower levels of aerobic fitness and higher bodyweight/WC at baseline. Conclusions: Notwithstanding dropout issues, findings address an important gap in public health practice by informing the translational scale-up of a small controllable gender-specific PA intervention, MOM, to a national population based PA intervention targeting inactive men

Evaluation of a gender-sensitive physical activity programme for inactive men in Ireland: Protocol paper for a pragmatic controlled trial

The excess burden of ill-health, mortality and premature death experienced by many men, and poorer men in particular, across the developed world has prompted calls for the development of gender sensitised health related services for men. An emergent body of evidence indicates that successful public health work with men can be accomplished when it utilises elements with which men are familiar and secure. In particular, physical activity (PA) is proven here to be a useful ‘hook’ to engage men. ‘Men on the Move’ (MoM) is a community-based PA programme designed to engage inactive men to improve their overall health and well-being. The MoM programme was delivered by practitioner partnerships in diverse communities and among diverse groups of men under ‘real world’ conditions to assess both its efficacy and replicability with a view to scaling-up the programme nationally for population wide impact. Establishing appropriate protocols is critical when conducting research that translates into practice, is replicable in practice and can be disseminated at a population level. The purpose of this paper is to detail the protocols used in the design, implementation and evaluation of the MoM programme. Specifically, the process of engaging men in a community based PA intervention and sustaining that engagement over the 12 weeks and the protocols used to evaluate the impact of participation in MoM on biopsychosocial health up to 52 weeks will be outlined. If the intervention proves successful, gender-sensitive community based PA interventions for men could be a promising avenue to address their health needs. These findings may be of support to both practitioners endeavouring to engage men and others engaged in translational research to ensure their research translates to meaningful action in practice