A case study of colliding tornadic storms

Abstract only availableTornadoes occur frequently across the United States each year, causing millions of dollars in damage. Meteorologists are constantly searching for new and improved methods for predicting these weather phenomenons's in order to increase public awareness and warning times. In this case study, one event was found in which two storm cells collided and produced a tornado over the Kansas City, Missouri area, causing an extensive amount of damage. The goals of this study is to first determine what caused the collision between the two storm cells, secondly, whether the collision between the two storm cells increased the intensity of the tornado using NSSL/SPC (National Severe Storms Laboratory/ Storm Prediction Center) meteorologist Stephen F. Corfidi's “vector approach.” A method that involves the use of mathematics to find the mean of the wind directions throughout the cloud layers in the storms and also the location of the low-level jet. Radar imagery was also used in determining the location, time, intensity, and other details of the two storm cells. It is our hope, that the completion of this study will produce results that are conducive to the development of more innovative methods for forecasting this type of event.Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participatio

Microclimate studies of crop environments under different agroforestry arrangements [abstract]

Abstract only availableOne of the factors influencing crop yields is evapotranspiration; the evaporation of water from both plants and soil. Soil moisture provides many nutrients to crops, so evapotranspiration rates are of concern. This study will focus on the environmental conditions above crop fields in Northeastern Missouri and see which conditions lead to higher evapotranspiration rates. The fields also contain two kinds of buffers: a tree and a grass buffer. Weather instrumentation was placed above the crops between the different buffers and data was collected in regular intervals throughout each day over the past two years. The first year the crop was corn, and soybeans the second year. Some of the variables looked at include temperature, humidity, net radiation, wind speed, and wind direction. In this project a comparison is made between the conditions over soybeans between the tree and grass buffer to see which buffer creates which environmental conditions. The main hypothesis was that grass buffers would lead to higher evapotranspiration rates due to higher winds (grass being shorter than trees) advecting moisture away. Evapotranspiration rates were derived using a Penman equation and, using MATLAB, graphs were made of each of the variables using 10-day averages. It was determined that the hypothesis was correct by looking at the data output qualitatively. However, the significance of the difference between the grass and agroforestry buffers has yet to be found since the time period used in the Penman equation is questionable. Therefore the equations used thus far will be examined thoroughly and modified if need be to set the quantitative data to the correct time period. In this results will be obtained that will be more understandable to the general public and science community.CAFNR On Campus Research Internshi

Developing a nowcasting technique for splitting supercells by analyzing rapid update cycle model data [abstract]

Abstract only availableThe goal of this research project was to develop a nowcasting technique, or to at least find out which parameters are changed to help supercells split. This was first completed by overlaying Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model data with the radar data, and analyzing the different parameters of the model data by using Steve Lack's program that was created for storm classification. This involved interpolating the radar data to fit into a grid for the model data. This way, in the end, when you were finished with all of the processing involved in converting the model data into text, you would be able to bring up a table with the different cells identified in it. In this table, you would be able to see the different near storm environment values that are associated with that cell. These values are associated with parameters like Convective Available Potential energy (CAPE), Storm Relative Helicity (SRH), and the winds at different levels. We then view this data and determine if there are any large changes in any of the values, that would help suggest if the supercell is getting ready to split.CAFNR On Campus Research Internshi

The Presentation of Precipitation Information in Television Broadcasts: What is Normal?

In a typical weather broadcast, observed precipitation information such as the daily amount that fell and the accumulated monthly total are shown and compared to the mean monthly average or “normal” precipitation. Such information, however, may not adequately describe whether or not that particular month is fairly typical for the time of year or truly an unusual occurrence. Here it is shown that monthly average precipitation may not be representative of the typical value for a particular month at all. Thus it is suggested that the presentation of precipitation information can be augmented with elementary statistical information in order to give a more meaningful presentation of precipitation information without the need to explain the basis of such statistical information. A study of the climatological behavior of monthly precipitation values over a 118-year period for Columbia, Missouri is performed in order to provide the rationale for displaying "typical" precipitation ranges

Further studies of the heat island associated with a small midwestern city

Recently, the University of Missouri (UM) moved its SuomiNet station from the roof of a building near downtown Columbia, Missouri, USA, to the University's rural South Farm. Comparisons of Columbia Regional Airport (KCOU) data and SuomiNet data are presented both prior to and after the latter's relocation. Analysis reveals an elevation of mean temperature by ∼1.5 ◦C at the downtown location, but no difference between the more rural station and KCOU. These results show that the influence of the Columbia heat island does not extend to 7 km from the city center and that the present SuomiNet location is now more representative

Complete sequence and genomic annotation of carrot torradovirus 1

Carrot torradovirus 1 (CaTV1) is a new member of the genus Torradovirus within the family Secoviridae. CaTV1 genome sequences were obtained from a previous next-generation sequencing (NGS) study and were compared to other members and tentative new members of the genus. The virus has a bipartite genome, and RACE was used to amplify and sequence each end of RNA1 and RNA2. As a result, RNA1 and RNA2 are estimated to contain 6944 and 4995 nucleotides, respectively, with RNA1 encoding the proteins involved in virus replication, and RNA2 encoding the encapsidation and movement proteins. Sequence comparisons showed that CaTV1 clustered within the non-tomato-infecting torradoviruses and is most similar to motherwort yellow mottle virus (MYMoV). The nucleotide sequence identities of the Pro-Pol and coat protein regions were below the criteria established by the ICTV for demarcating species, confirming that CaTV1 should be classified as a member of a new species within the genus Torradovirus

The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe

From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries

Large-Scale Gene-Centric Meta-Analysis across 39 Studies Identifies Type 2 Diabetes Loci

To identify genetic factors contributing to type 2 diabetes (T2D), we performed large-scale meta-analyses by using a custom similar to 50,000 SNP genotyping array (the ITMAT-Broad-CARe array) with similar to 2000 candidate genes in 39 multiethnic population-based studies, case-control studies, and clinical trials totaling 17,418 cases and 70,298 controls. First, meta-analysis of 25 studies comprising 14,073 cases and 57,489 controls of European descent confirmed eight established T2D loci at genome-wide significance. In silico follow-up analysis of putative association signals found in independent genome-wide association studies (including 8,130 cases and 38,987 controls) performed by the DIAGRAM consortium identified a T2D locus at genome-wide significance (GATAD2A/CILP2/PBX4; p = 5.7 x 10(-9)) and two loci exceeding study-wide significance (SREBF1, and TH/INS; p <2.4 x 10(-6)). Second, meta-analyses of 1,986 cases and 7,695 controls from eight African-American studies identified study-wide-significant (p = 2.4 x 10(-7)) variants in HMGA2 and replicated variants in TCF7L2 (p = 5.1 x 10(-15)). Third, conditional analysis revealed multiple known and novel independent signals within five T2D-associated genes in samples of European ancestry and within HMGA2 in African-American samples. Fourth, a multiethnic meta-analysis of all 39 studies identified T2D-associated variants in BCL2 (p = 2.1 x 10(-8)). Finally, a composite genetic score of SNPs from new and established T2D signals was significantly associated with increased risk of diabetes in African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. In summary, large-scale meta-analysis involving a dense gene-centric approach has uncovered additional loci and variants that contribute to T2D risk and suggests substantial overlap of T2D association signals across multiple ethnic groups

Формирование эмоциональной культуры как компонента инновационной культуры студентов

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1 and Darwin was one of the first to recognise that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity, ROH), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3,4. Here we use ROH to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity (SROH) and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in 1 second (FEV1), general cognitive ability (g) and educational attainment (nominal p<1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10, 1.8 × 10−10). In each case increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing convincing evidence for the first time that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5,6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity.

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels