The diurnal cycle of shallow cumulus clouds over land: A single-column model intercomparison study

An intercomparison study for single-column models (SCMs) of the diurnal cycle of shallow cumulus convection is reported. The case, based on measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program Southern Great Plains site on 21 June 1997, has been used in a large-eddy simulation intercomparison study before. Results of the SCMs reveal the following general deficiencies: too large values of cloud cover and Cloud liquid water, unrealistic thermodynamic profiles, and high amounts of numerical noise. Results are also strongly dependent on vertical resolution.These results are analysed in terms of the behaviour of the different parametrization schemes involved: the convection scheme, the turbulence scheme, and the cloud scheme. In general the behaviour of the SCMs can be grouped in two different classes: one class with too strong mixing by the turbulence scheme, the other class with too strong activity by the convection scheme. The coupling between (subcloud) turbulence and the convection scheme plays a crucial role. Finally, (in part) motivated by these results several models have been successfully updated with new parametrization schemes and/or their present schemes have been successfully modifie

A systematic review on the effects of group singing on persistent pain in people with long‐term health conditions

Singing can have a range of health benefits; this paper reviews the evidence of the effects of group singing for chronic pain in people with long‐term health conditions. We searched for published peer‐reviewed singing studies reporting pain measures (intensity, interference and depression) using major electronic databases (last search date 31 July 2018). After screening 123 full texts, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria: five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), seven non‐RCTs and one qualitative study. Included studies were appraised using Downs and Black and the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme quality assessments. Included studies reported differences in the type of singing intervention, long‐term condition and pain measures. Due to the high heterogeneity, we conducted a narrative review. Singing interventions were found to reduce pain intensity in most studies, but there was more equivocal support for reducing pain interference and depression. Additionally, qualitative data synthesis identified three key linked and complementary themes: physical, psychological and social benefits. Group singing appears to have the potential to reduce pain intensity, pain interference and depression; however, we conclude that there is only partial support for singing on some pain outcomes based on the limited available evidence of varied quality. Given the positive findings of qualitative studies, this review recommends that practitioners are encouraged to continue this work. More studies of better quality are needed. Future studies should adopt more robust methodology and report their singing intervention in details. Group singing may be an effective and safe approach for reducing persistent pain and depression in people with long‐term health conditions.Health and Social Care Research Centr

Control of entanglement transitions in quantum spin clusters

Quantum spin clusters provide a new platform for the experimental study of many-body entanglement. Here we address a simple model of a single-molecule nano-magnet featuring N interacting spins in a transverse field. The field can control an entanglement transition (ET). We calculate the magnetisation, low-energy gap and neutron-scattering cross-section and find that the ET has distinct signatures, detectable at temperatures as high as 5% of the interaction strength. The signatures are stronger for smaller clusters

The acheulean handaxe : More like a bird's song than a beatles' tune?

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. KV is supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. MC is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, and Simon Fraser UniversityPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Modified spin-wave study of random antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic spin chains

We study the thermodynamics of one-dimensional quantum spin-1/2 Heisenberg ferromagnetic system with random antiferromagnetic impurity bonds. In the dilute impurity limit, we generalize the modified spin-wave theory for random spin chains, where local chemical potentials for spin-waves in ferromagnetic spin segments are introduced to ensure zero magnetization at finite temperature. This approach successfully describes the crossover from behavior of pure one-dimensional ferromagnet at high temperatures to a distinct Curie behavior due to randomness at low temperatures. We discuss the effects of impurity bond strength and concentration on the crossover and low temperature behavior.Comment: 14 pages, 7 eps figure

Making connections: technological interventions to support students in using, and tutors in creating, assessment feedback

This paper explores the potential of technology to enhance the assessment and feedback process for both staff and students. The ‘Making Connections’ project aimed to better understand the connections that students make between the feedback that they receive and future assignments, and explored whether technology can help them in this activity. The project interviewed 10 tutors and 20 students, using a semi-structured approach. Data were analysed using a thematic approach, and the findings have identified a number of areas in which improvements could be made to the assessment and feedback process through the use of technology. The findings of the study cover each stage of the assessment process from the perspective of both staff and students. The findings are discussed in the context of current literature, and special attention is given to projects from the UK higher education sector intended to address the same issues. Keywords: feed-forward; assessment; practices; technology; technology-enhanced learnin

The implications of service quality gaps for strategy implementation

This article addresses the problem of service quality strategy implementation and proposes three interrelated models: a static model of the organisation; a comprehensive dynamic model of the implementation process, both synthesised from the literature; and a mixed model, which integrates static and dynamic models. The mixed model is combined with the service quality gaps (SQGs) model, drawn at a previous congress paper, to propose a map of the pattern of SQGs occurring at each implementation stage; the organisational variables that can be manipulated to eliminate SQGs; and several implications to practising managers

Feeding spectra and activity of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus kensleyi (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae) at La Plata basin

Background: In inland water systems, it is important to characterize the trophic links in order to identify the ‘trophic species’ and, from the studies of functional diversity, understand the dynamics of matter and energy in these environments. The aim of this study is to analyze the natural diet of Trichodactylus kensleyi of subtropical rainforest streams and corroborate the temporal variation in the trophic activity during day hours. Results: A total of 15 major taxonomic groups were recognized in gut contents. The index of relative importance identified the following main prey items in decreasing order of importance: vegetal remains, oligochaetes, chironomid larvae, and algae. A significant difference was found in the amount of full stomachs during day hours showing a less trophic activity at midday and afternoon. The index of relative importance values evidenced the consumption of different prey according to day moments. Results of the gut content indicate that T. kensleyi is an omnivorous crab like other trichodactylid species. Opportunistic behavior is revealed by the ingestion of organisms abundant in streams such as oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. The consumption of allochthonous plant debris shows the importance of this crab as shredder in subtropical streams. However, the effective assimilation of plant matter is yet unknown in trichodactylid crabs. Conclusions: This research provides knowledge that complements previous studies about trophic relationships of trichodactylid crabs and supported the importance of T. kensleyi in the transference of energy and matter from benthic community and riparian sources to superior trophic levels using both macro- and microfauna.Fil: Williner, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias; ArgentinaFil: de Azevedo Carvalho, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Collins, Pablo Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentin

The role of dimensionality in neuronal network dynamics

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement FP7 ICT 2011 – 284553 (Acronym: Si-CODE), the NEUROSCAFFOLDS Project n. 604263, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 51361130033) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (973 Grant number: 2014CB965003)