231 research outputs found
Early-Holocene warming in Beringia and its mediation by sea-level and vegetation changes
Arctic land-cover changes induced by recent global climate change (e.g., expansion of woody vegetation into tundra and effects of permafrost degradation) are expected to generate further feedbacks to the climate system. Past changes can be used to assess our understanding of feedback mechanisms through a combination of process modelling and paleo-observations. The sub-continental region of Beringia (Northeast Siberia, Alaska, and northwestern Canada) was largely ice-free at the peak of deglacial warming and experienced both major vegetation change and loss of permafrost when many arctic regions were still ice covered. The evolution of Beringian climate at this time was largely driven by global features, such as the amplified seasonal cycle of Northern Hemisphere insolation and changes in global ice volume and atmospheric composition, but changes in regional land-surface controls, such as the widespread development of thaw lakes, the replacement of tundra by deciduous forest or woodland, and the flooding of the BeringâChukchi land bridge, were probably also important. We examined the sensitivity of Beringiaâs early Holocene climate to these regional-scale controls using a regional climate model (RegCM). Lateral and oceanic boundary conditions were provided by global climate simulations conducted using the GENESIS V2.01 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with a mixed-layer ocean. We carried out two present day simulations of regional climate, one with modern and one with 11 ka geography, plus another simulation for 6 ka. In addition, we performed five ? 11 ka climate simulations, each driven by the same global AGCM boundary conditions: (i) 11 ka âControlâ, which represents conditions just prior to the major transitions (exposed land bridge, no thaw lakes or wetlands, widespread tundra vegetation), (ii) sea-level rise, which employed present day continental outlines, (iii) vegetation change, with deciduous needleleaf and deciduous broadleaf boreal vegetation types distributed as suggested by the paleoecological record, (iv) thaw lakes, which used the present day distribution of lakes and wetlands; and (v) post-11 ka âAllâ, incorporating all boundary conditions changed in experiments (ii)â(iv). We find that regional-scale controls strongly mediate the climate responses to changes in the large-scale controls, amplifying them in some cases, damping them in others, and, overall, generating considerable spatial heterogeneity in the simulated climate changes. The change from tundra to deciduous woodland produces additional widespread warming in spring and early summer over that induced by the 11 ka insolation regime alone, and lakes and wetlands produce modest and localized cooling in summer and warming in winter. The greatest effect is the flooding of the land bridge and shelves, which produces generally cooler conditions in summer but warmer conditions in winter and is most clearly manifest on the flooded shelves and in eastern Beringia. By 6 ka continued amplification of the seasonal cycle of insolation and loss of the Laurentide ice sheet produce temperatures similar to or higher than those at 11 ka, plus a longer growing season
The Critical Importance of Asking Good Questions: The Role of Epidemiology Doctoral Training Programs
Epidemiologic methods have advanced tremendously in the last several decades. As important as they are, even the most sophisticated approaches are unable to provide meaningful answers when the user lacks a clear study question. Yet, instructors have more and more resources on how to conduct studies and analyze data but few resources on how to ask clearly defined study questions that will guide those methods. Training programs have limited time for coursework, and if novel statistical estimation methods become the focus of instruction, programs that go this route may end up underemphasizing the process of asking good study questions, designing robust studies, considering potential biases in the collected data, and appropriately interpreting the results of the analysis. Given the demands for space in curricula, now is an appropriate time to reevaluate what we teach epidemiology doctoral students. We advocate that programs place a renewed focus on asking good study questions and following a comprehensive approach to study design and data analysis in which questions guide the choice of appropriate methods, helping us avoid methods for methods' sake and highlighting when application of a new method can provide the opportunity to answer questions that were intractable with traditional approaches
A cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the 'Girls Active' intervention: a study protocol
Background: Despite the health benefits of physical activity, data from the UK suggest that a large proportion of adolescents do not meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This is particularly evident in girls, who are less active than boys across all ages and may display a faster rate of decline in physical activity throughout adolescence. The ‘Girls Active’ intervention has been designed by the Youth Sport Trust to target the lower participation rates observed in adolescent girls. ‘Girls Active’ uses peer leadership and marketing to empower girls to influence decision making in their school, develop as role models and promote physical activity to other girls. Schools are provided with training and resources to review their physical activity, sport and PE provision, culture and practices to ensure they are relevant and attractive to adolescent girls. Methods/Design: This study is a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) aiming to recruit 20 secondary schools. Clusters will be randomised at the school level (stratified by school size and proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) pupils) to receive either the ‘Girls Active’ intervention or carry on with usual practice (1:1). The 20 secondary schools will be recruited from state secondary schools within the Midlands area. We aim to recruit 80 girls aged 11–14 years in each school. Data will be collected at three time points; baseline and seven and 14months after baseline. Our primary aim is to investigate whether ‘Girls Active’ leads to higher objectively measured (GENEActiv) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescent girls at 14months after baseline assessment compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes include other objectively measured physical activity variables, adiposity, physical activity-related psychological factors and the cost-effectiveness of the ‘Girls Active’ intervention. A thorough process evaluation will be conducted during the course of the intervention delivery. Discussion: The findings of this study will provide valuable information on whether this type of school-based approach to increasing physical activity in adolescent girls is both effective and cost-effective in the UK
Curvature effects on the surface thickness and tension at the free interface of He systems
The thickness and the surface energy at the free interface of
superfluid He are studied. Results of calculations carried out by using
density functionals for cylindrical and spherical systems are presented in a
unified way, including a comparison with the behavior of planar slabs. It is
found that for large species is independent of the geometry. The obtained
values of are compared with prior theoretical results and experimental
data. Experimental data favor results evaluated by adopting finite range
approaches. The behavior of and exhibit overshoots
similar to that found previously for the central density, the trend of these
observables towards their asymptotic values is examined.Comment: 35 pages, TeX, 5 figures, definitive versio
The first dozen years of the history of ITEP Theoretical Physics Laboratory
The theoretical investigations at ITEP in the years 1945-1958 are reviewed.
There are exposed the most important theoretical results, obtained in the
following branches of physics: 1) the theory of nuclear reactors on thermal
neutrons; 2) the hydrogen bomb project ("Tube" in USSR and "Classical Super" in
USA); 3) radiation theory; ~4) low temperature physics; 5) quantum
electrodynamics and quantum field theories; 6) parity violation in weak
interactions, the theory of -decay and other weak processes; 7) strong
interaction and nuclear physics. To the review are added the English
translations of few papers, originally published in Russian, but unknown (or
almost unknown) to Western readers.Comment: 55 pages, 5 fig
Hidden degree of freedom and critical states in a two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of a random magnetic field
We establish the existence of a hidden degree of freedom and the critical
states of a spinless electron system in a spatially-correlated random magnetic
field with vanishing mean. Whereas the critical states are carried by the
zero-field contours of the field landscape, the hidden degree of freedom is
recognized as being associated with the formation of vortices in these special
contours. It is argued that, as opposed to the coherent backscattering
mechanism of weak localization, a new type of scattering processes in the
contours controls the underlying physics of localization in the random magnetic
field system. In addition, we investigate the role of vortices in governing the
metal-insulator transition and propose a renormalization-group diagram for the
system under study.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures; Figs. 1, 7, 9, and 10 have been reduced in
quality for e-submissio
Ginzburg-Landau functional for nearly antiferromagnetic perfect and disordered Kondo lattices
Interplay between Kondo effect and trends to antiferromagnetic and spin glass
ordering in perfect and disordered bipartite Kondo lattices is considered.
Ginzburg-Landau equation is derived from the microscopic effective action
written in three mode representation (Kondo screening, antiferromagnetic
correlations and spin liquid correlations). The problem of local constraint is
resolved by means of Popov-Fedotov representation for localized spin operators.
It is shown that the Kondo screening enhances the trend to a spin liquid
crossover and suppresses antiferromagnetic ordering in perfect Kondo lattices
and spin glass ordering in doped Kondo lattices. The modified Doniach's diagram
is constructed, and possibilities of going beyond the mean field approximation
are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, RevTeX, 7 EPS figures include
Structural and dynamical properties of superfluid helium: a density functional approach
We present a novel density functional for liquid 4He, properly accounting for
the static response function and the phonon-roton dispersion in the uniform
liquid. The functional is used to study both structural and dynamical
properties of superfluid helium in various geometries. The equilibrium
properties of the free surface, droplets and films at zero temperature are
calculated. Our predictions agree closely to the results of ab initio Monte
Carlo calculations, when available. The introduction of a phenomenological
velocity dependent interaction, which accounts for backflow effects, is
discussed. The spectrum of the elementary excitations of the free surface and
films is studied.Comment: 37 pages, REVTeX 3.0, figures on request at [email protected]
- âŠ