IMPACTS OF SOIL MOISTURE VARIABILITY ON CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH LAND-ATMOSPHERE FEEDBACKS

A suite of regional climate model runs was conducted to examine the impacts of mean soil moisture and model resolution on precipitation events in the U.S. Central Plains, and to investigate the relative impacts of energy balance partitioning and net radiation in soil moisture-precipitation feedbacks. Results indicate the presence of a positive feedback between soil moisture and precipitation in the U. S. Central Plains. Energy balance partitioning controls the occurrence of feedbacks, while net radiation was not impacted by mean soil moisture. Spatial scaling properties of modeled fields were examined to determine whether these fields exhibit scale invariance. There is large temporal variability in the scaling coefficients of soil moisture, Bowen ratio and soil temperature. Results imply that scaling characteristics determined from a limited time series of remotely sensed images may not be sufficient for inferring spatial dynamics of soil moisture

Energy Balance Partitioning and Net Radiation Controls on Soil Moisture – Precipitation Feedbacks

A series of model runs using the University of Oklahoma’s Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) were conducted to investigate the relative impacts of energy balance partitioning and net radiation on soil moisture–precipitation feedbacks in the U.S. central plains and to examine how the dominant physical processes are affected by changes in mean soil moisture and spatial resolution. Soil temperature and Bowen ratio are influenced nonlinearly by soil moisture, and by varying the mean soil moisture in the model it was possible to examine the relationship between soil moisture and the scaling characteristics of these fields using the statistical moments. Information theory metrics were used to provide an indication of the uncertainty associated with varying model resolutions. It was determined that energy balance partitioning plays a dominant role in the occurrence of soil moisture–precipitation feedback, while net radiation was not impacted by mean soil moisture. A strong relationship was seen between soil moisture and the scaling properties of Bowen ratio, while soil moisture did not appear to influence the scaling characteristics of soil temperature. Spatial resolution had a large effect on the representation of boundary layer turbulence, with coarser resolutions unable to capture turbulent motions, which are necessary for convective processes. The ability of the model to capture boundary layer turbulence will alter the dynamics of soil moisture–precipitation feedback as the horizontal transport of moisture by turbulent motions will affect the spatial and temporal scales over which feedback occurs. Higher-resolution runs are generally associated with a higher information content. This may provide a methodology for monitoring land– atmosphere feedbacks via remotely sensed soil moisture and vegetation fields through statistical knowledge of the dependency of the resulting precipitation signal on soil moisture and vegetation fields at the resolution they were observed.National Science Foundation EPSCOR Grant NSF EPS 055372

The Balsam Centre Wellbeing Project evaluation and SROI analysis: Summary and full report

Evaluation and Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of a mental ill health and wellbeing support project delivered by The Balsam Centre in Somerset. The project combines one-to-one therapy with participation in arts and horticulture groups. SROI analysis found that the SROI ratio is 1:3.21. This means that the SROI analysis estimates that for every £1 spent on Wellbeing Support Project there is £3.21 of social value created

Sulfur isotope values in the sulfidic Frasassi cave system, central Italy : a case study of a chemolithotrophic S-based ecosystem

This work was supported by NASA Exobiology (NNX07AV54G) (A.Z. and J.F.), a Natural Environment Research Council Fellowship (NE/H016805) (A.Z.), the National Science Foundation (NSF EAR-0525503 and EAR-1124411) (J.M.), and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (PSARC, NNA04CC06A) (J.M.).Sulfide oxidation forms a critical step in the global sulfur cycle, although this process is notoriously difficult to constrain due to the multiple pathways and highly reactive intermediates involved. Multiple sulfur isotopes (δ34S and Δ33S) can provide a powerful tool for unravelling sulfur cycling processes in modern (and ancient) environments, although they have had limited application to systems with well-resolved oxidative S cycling. In this study, we report the major (δ34S) and minor (Δ33S) isotope values of sulfur compounds in streams and sediments from the sulfidic Frasassi cave system, Marche Region, Italy. These microaerophilic cave streams host prominent white biofilms dominated by chemolithotrophic organisms that oxidize sulfide to S0, allowing us to estimate S isotope fractionations associated with in situ sulfide oxidation and to evaluate any resulting isotope biosignatures. Our results demonstrate that chemolithotrophic sulfide oxidation produces 34S enrichments in the S0 products that are larger than those previously measured in laboratory experiments, with 34ɛS0-H2S of up to 8‰ calculated. These small reverse isotope effects are similar to those produced during phototrophic sulfide oxidation (≤ 7‰), but distinct from the small normal isotope effects previously calculated for abiotic oxidation of sulfide with O2 (~-5‰). An inverse correlation between the magnitude of 34ɛS0-H2S effects and sulfide availability, along with substantial differences in Δ33S, both support complex sulfide oxidation pathways and intracellular recycling of S intermediates by organisms inhabiting the biofilms. At the ecosystem level, we calculate fractionations of less than 40‰ between sulfide and sulfate in the water column and in the sediments. These fractionations are smaller than those typically calculated for systems dominated by sulfate reduction (> 50‰), and contrast with the commonly held assumption that oxidative recycling of sulfide generally increases overall fractionations. The relatively small fractionations appear to be related to the sequestration of S0 in the biofilms (either intra- or extra-cellularly), which removes this intermediate substrate from fractionation by further disproportionation or oxidation reactions. In addition, the net 33λH2S-SO4 values calculated in this system are larger than data published for systems dominated by reductive sulfur cycling, partially due to the isotopic imprint of chemolithotrophic sulfide oxidation on the aqueous sulfide pool. These distinct isotopic relationships are retained in the sedimentary sulfur pool, suggesting that trends in 34S and 33S isotope values could provide an isotopic fingerprint of such chemolithotrophic ecosystems in modern and ancient environments.PostprintPeer reviewe

Over the Hills and Through the Hollers: How One Program is Assisting Residents of Appalachian with Opioid Use Recovery

Introduction: The consequences of increasing opioid misuse in the U.S. over the last two decades have been severe, contributing to hundreds of thousands of lives lost and heavy tolls on individuals, families, and society. The Appalachian Region has been hit particularly hard, with its predominantly rural landscape seeing disproportionate increases in opioid misuse and overdoses. These cases have been difficult to address due to poor treatment access and capacity constraints in many areas of Appalachia. Purpose: The current study focuses on evaluating The Kentucky Access to Recovery Program (KATR), which provides services to individuals recovering from opioid addiction residing in several counties in Eastern Kentucky. Its purpose is to understand the impact of KATR on service recipients’ access to recovery services and supports. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 service recipients, three service providers, and four vendors of support services related to housing, transportation, medical/dental care, employment, and childcare. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Themes related to individual-level impacts were identified and discussed, including behavioral changes related to recovery, physical and mental health improvements, relationship repair, regaining custody of children, provision of needed supports, and ability to gain employment and improve finances. Study findings showed that KATR had meaningful impacts on the lives of service recipients by helping meet needs and reducing barriers to their ongoing recovery. Implications: Through its use of vouchers for support services and basic-needs provision, KATR demonstrates a potentially effective strategy for increasing access to health-related social services for persons in recovery in predominantly rural areas

Pathways to Retention: Job Satisfaction, Burnout, & Organizational Commitment Among Social Workers

Purpose: Job satisfaction, burnout, and organizational commitment remain concerns for human service organizations. Few studies have utilized a large sample of social workers to investigate these factors while also considering practice setting. In the present study, work-related burnout, satisfaction with workload, and satisfaction with organizational environment are examined as factors contributing to organizational commitment while comparing the measurement and predictive strength of these factors based on practice setting. Method: Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were used to estimate and compare factors related to organizational commitment with a sample of 1,786 social workers practicing in the United States. Results: Satisfaction with organizational environment showed a strong positive relationship with organizational commitment. Work-related burnout was confirmed to have a negative relationship with organizational commitment. No measurement or structural model differences existed between social workers from different types of practice settings. Discussion: Findings suggest that increasing satisfaction with organizational environment is a better target for retaining employees than reducing workloads. Results emphasize the need for human service organizations to foster work environments which provide a climate of wellness, support, and recognition of employees\u27 contributions at work

Use of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory with Social Workers: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Burnout among social workers continues to be a relevant issue as it can lead to major problems: personal health issues, service deterioration, and turnover. This study examined the use of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory with U.S. social workers (N = 1774) in direct-service and non-direct-service roles. The CBI is a no-cost alternative to the commonly employed Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results revealed that the CBI is a suitable tool to measure burnout among social workers regardless of position. Screening, identifying sources, and action planning to reduce burnout are critical steps for organizations to ensure a quality atmosphere for employees and clients

Seasonal trends in air temperature and precipitation in IPCC AR4 GCM output for Kansas, USA: evaluation and implications

Understanding the impacts of future climate change in Kansas is important for agricultural and other socioeconomic sectors in the region. To quantify these impacts, seasonal trends in air temperature and precipitation patterns from decadally averaged monthly output of 21 global climate models under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A1B scenario used in the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change Assessment Report 4 are examined for six grid cells representing Kansas. To ascertain the performance of the models, we compared model output to kriged meteorological data from stations in the Global Historical Climate Network for the period from 1950 to 2000. Agreement between multimodel ensemble mean output and observations is very good for temperature (r2 all more than 0.99, root mean square errors range from 0.84 to 1.48°C) and good for precipitation (r2 ranging between 0.64 and 0.89, root mean square errors range from 322 to 1144 mm). Seasonal trends for the second half of the 20th century are generally not observed except in modelled temperature trends. Linear trends for the 21st century are significant for all seasons in all grid cells for temperature and many for precipitation. Results indicate that temperatures are likely to warm in all seasons, with the largest trends being on the order of 0.04 °C/year in summer and fall. Precipitation is likely to increase slightly in winter and decrease in summer and fall. These changes have profound implications for both natural ecosystems and agricultural land uses in the region. Copyright 2009 Royal Meteorological SocietyLand Institute Climate and Energy Project (NFP #49780-720) and the National Science Foundation EPSCoR program (NSF EPS #0553722

Work Experiences of Rural Social Workers in the United States

Rural social workers face unique challenges and opportunities as they seek to address the needs of rural Americans. Using social media, rural social workers in the U.S. were recruited to describe their characteristics and explore factors related to their job satisfaction, burnout, and organizational commitment. Analyses included univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multiple regression. The sample (N = 192) represented 146 counties in 36 states. Participants tended to be White, female, MSW-degreed direct-service providers. Participants were moderately satisfied with their organizational environments and workloads. Age, being Black, and working in settings other than child welfare were most strongly related to satisfaction with workload. Personal burnout scores were highest followed by work-related and client-related burnout. Age and not working in child welfare were most strongly related to lower burnout scores. Being Black and having more tenure in one’s current job were associated with less client-related burnout. Participants indicated moderate levels of commitment to their organizations, with higher salaries and more tenure being the most strongly associated factors. Future research is necessary to examine more closely the work experiences of rural social workers who are younger, identify as racial or ethnic minorities, and employed in child welfare settings