Advanced turbulence models and boundary conditions for flows around different configurations of ground-mounted buildings

When dealing with Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) simulations, commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) acquires a strategic resonance. Thanks to its good compromise between accuracy of results and calculation time, RANS still represents a valid alternative to more resource-demanding methods. However, focusing on the models’ performances in urban studies, LES generally outmatches RANS results, even if the former is at least one order of magnitude more expensive. Consequently, the present work aims to propose a variety of approaches meant to solve some of the major problems linked to RANS simulations and to further improve its accuracy in typical urban contexts. All of these models are capable of switching from an undisturbed flux formulation to a disturbed one through a local deviation or a marker function. For undisturbed flows, a comprehensive approach is adopted, solving the issue of the erroneous stream-wise gradients affecting the turbulent profiles. Around obstacles, Non-Linear Eddy-Viscosity closures are adopted, due to their prominent capability in capturing the anisotropy of turbulence. The purpose of this work is then to propose a new Building Influence Area concept and to offer more affordable alternatives to LES simulations without sacrificing a good grade of accuracy

Leptophlebiidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from Gorgona Island National Natural Park (Tropical Eastern Pacific, Colombia) with the description of two new species

Gorgona National Natural Park comprises Gorgona and Gorgonilla Islands, located in the Colombian Pacific at 35 km from mainland. A large-scale study was conducted in Gorgona including samples from benthos and aereal nets and traps during five fieldworks. We here focus on the family Leptophlebiidae, describing two new species and giving data of four additional species. Terpides iguapoga sp. n. is described and illustrated from nymphs and adults, and can be characterized by the following characters, in the nymph: fore trochanter and femur with row of strong spine-like setae on inner margin, gills with blackish tracheae, posterolateral projections present on terga VI and VIII–IX; in the adult: upper portion of eyes orangeish white, forewing membrane hyaline tinged with yellowish around crossveins and marginal intercalary veins, genitalia with penes abruptly narrowing on distal third. Thraulodes insular sp. n. is described from nymphs and adults and diagnosed as follows, in the nymph: abdominal gills with narrow lamellae, femora with black streak near apex; in the imago: forewing costal area basal to bulla without crossveins, a spot and a band on femora, terga II–VI translucent white, terga VII–X darker, posterior margin of subgenital plate triangular, penes spines short and robust. We give new geographic records for four additional species: Farrodes caribbianus, Farrodes roundsi, Hagenulopsis esmeralda and Hagenulopsis zunigae. Ecological data and distributional maps are provided. Leptophlebiidae presents a reduced diversity in relation to mainland; in general the species recorded show a geographic relation to the Chocoan-Caribbean and Andean mayfly faunas.Fil: Zuñiga, Maria del Carmen. Universidad del Valle; ColombiaFil: Molineri, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Tucuman. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Dominguez, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Tucuman. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Cardona, William. Universidad del Valle; Colombi

PREP-CHEM-SRC – 1.0: a preprocessor of trace gas and aerosol emission fields for regional and global atmospheric chemistry models

The preprocessor PREP-CHEM-SRC presented in the paper is a comprehensive tool aiming at preparing emission fields of trace gases and aerosols for use in atmospheric-chemistry transport models. The considered emissions are from the most recent databases of urban/industrial, biogenic, biomass burning, volcanic, biofuel use and burning from agricultural waste sources. For biomass burning, emissions can be also estimated directly from satellite fire detections using a fire emission model included in the tool. The preprocessor provides emission fields interpolated onto the transport model grid. Several map projections can be chosen. The inclusion of these emissions in transport models is also presented. The preprocessor is coded using Fortran90 and C and is driven by a <i>namelist</i> allowing the user to choose the type of emissions and the databases

Two close large quasar groups of size ∼ 350 Mpc at

The Clowes & Campusano large quasar group (LQG) at inline image has been re-examined using the quasar data from the DR7QSO catalogue of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In the 1991 discovery, the LQG impinged on the northern, southern and eastern limits of the survey. In the DR7QSO data, the western, northern and southern boundaries of the LQG remain essentially the same, but an extension eastwards of ∼2° is indicated. In the DR7QSO data, the LQG has 34 members, with inline image. A new group of 38 members is indicated at inline image and within ∼2bsl000640 of the Clowes & Campusano LQG. The characteristic sizes of these two LQGs, ∼350–400 Mpc, appear to be only marginally consistent with the scale of homogeneity in the concordance cosmology. In addition to their intrinsic interest, these two LQGs provide locations in which to investigate early large-scale structure in galaxies and to identify high-z clusters. A method is presented for assessing the statistical significance and overdensity of groups found by linkage of points

Resiliencia y autoconcepto en adolescentes peruanas en situación de abandono

Una situación de abandono podría incrementar la probabilidad de que las adolescentes tengan una concepción negativa de ellas mismas y dificultar su manera de afrontar situaciones adversas. Por ello, el objetivo principal de este artículo es determinar la relación entre la resiliencia y el autoconcepto en adolescentes en situación de abandono. Participaron 32 adolescentes de un albergue, con edad promedio de 14 años. El autoconcepto se evaluó con la Escala de Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF-5) y para medir resiliencia se utilizó la Escala de Resiliencia para Adolescentes (ERA). Los resultados muestran que hubo una correlación positiva y alta (r= .789) entre ambas variables. Se concluye que, a mejor autoconcepto, habrá mayor nivel de resiliencia

Resiliencia y autoconcepto en adolescentes peruanas en situación de abandono

Una situación de abandono podría incrementar la probabilidad de que las adolescentes tengan una concepción negativa de ellas mismas y dificultar su manera de afrontar situaciones adversas. Por ello, el objetivo principal de este artículo es determinar la relación entre la resiliencia y el autoconcepto en adolescentes en situación de abandono. Participaron 32 adolescentes de un albergue, con edad promedio de 14 años. El autoconcepto se evaluó con la Escala de Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF-5) y para medir resiliencia se utilizó la Escala de Resiliencia para Adolescentes (ERA). Los resultados muestran que hubo una correlación positiva y alta (r= .789) entre ambas variables. Se concluye que, a mejor autoconcepto, habrá mayor nivel de resiliencia

Radial kinematics of brightest cluster galaxies

This is the first of a series of papers devoted to the investigation of a large sample of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), their kinematic and stellar population properties, and the relationships between those and the properties of the cluster. We have obtained high signal-to-noise ratio, long-slit spectra of these galaxies with Gemini and William Herschel Telescope with the primary purpose of investigating their stellar population properties. This paper describes the selection methods and criteria used to compile a new sample of galaxies, concentrating on BCGs previously classified as containing a halo (cD galaxies), together with the observations and data reduction. Here, we present the full sample of galaxies, and the measurement and interpretation of the radial velocity and velocity dispersion profiles of 41 BCGs. We find clear rotation curves for a number of these giant galaxies. In particular, we find rapid rotation (>100 km s−1) for two BCGs, NGC 6034 and 7768, indicating that it is unlikely that they formed through dissipationless mergers. Velocity substructure in the form of kinematically decoupled cores is detected in 12 galaxies, and we find five galaxies with velocity dispersion increasing with radius. The amount of rotation, the velocity substructure and the position of BCGs on the anisotropy–luminosity diagram are very similar to those of ‘ordinary’ giant ellipticals in high-density environments

Diversity and Functional Traits of Lichens in Ultramafic Areas: A Literature Based Worldwide Analysis Integrated by Field Data at the Regional Scale

While higher plant communities found on ultramafics are known to display peculiar characteristics, the distinguishability of any peculiarity in lichen communities is still a matter of contention. Other biotic or abiotic factors, rather than substrate chemistry, may contribute to differences in species composition reported for lichens on adjacent ultramafic and non-ultramafic areas. This work examines the lichen biota of ultramafics, at global and regional scales, with reference to species-specific functional traits. An updated world list of lichens on ultramafic substrates was analyzed to verify potential relationships between diversity and functional traits of lichens in different Köppen–Geiger climate zones. Moreover, a survey of diversity and functional traits in saxicolous communities on ultramafic and non-ultramafic substrates was conducted in Valle d’Aosta (North-West Italy) to verify whether a relationship can be detected between substrate and functional traits that cannot be explained by other environmental factors related to altitude. Analyses (unweighted pair group mean average clustering, canonical correspondence analysis, similarity-difference-replacement simplex approach) of global lichen diversity on ultramafic substrates (2314 reports of 881 taxa from 43 areas) displayed a zonal species distribution in different climate zones rather than an azonal distribution driven by the shared substrate. Accordingly, variations in the frequency of functional attributes reflected reported adaptations to the climate conditions of the different geographic areas. At the regional scale, higher similarity and lower species replacement were detected at each altitude, independent from the substrate, suggesting that altitude-related climate factors prevail over putative substrate–factors in driving community assemblages. In conclusion, data do not reveal peculiarities in lichen diversity or the frequency of functional traits in ultramafic areas

A genome-wide association study follow-up suggests a possible role for PPARG in systemic sclerosis susceptibility

Introduction: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising a French cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) reported several non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing a nominal association in the discovery phase. We aimed to identify previously overlooked susceptibility variants by using a follow-up strategy.<p></p> Methods: Sixty-six non-HLA SNPs showing a P value <10-4 in the discovery phase of the French SSc GWAS were analyzed in the first step of this study, performing a meta-analysis that combined data from the two published SSc GWASs. A total of 2,921 SSc patients and 6,963 healthy controls were included in this first phase. Two SNPs, PPARG rs310746 and CHRNA9 rs6832151, were selected for genotyping in the replication cohort (1,068 SSc patients and 6,762 healthy controls) based on the results of the first step. Genotyping was performed by using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: We observed nominal associations for both PPARG rs310746 (PMH = 1.90 × 10-6, OR, 1.28) and CHRNA9 rs6832151 (PMH = 4.30 × 10-6, OR, 1.17) genetic variants with SSc in the first step of our study. In the replication phase, we observed a trend of association for PPARG rs310746 (P value = 0.066; OR, 1.17). The combined overall Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis of all the cohorts included in the present study revealed that PPARG rs310746 remained associated with SSc with a nominal non-genome-wide significant P value (PMH = 5.00 × 10-7; OR, 1.25). No evidence of association was observed for CHRNA9 rs6832151 either in the replication phase or in the overall pooled analysis.<p></p> Conclusion: Our results suggest a role of PPARG gene in the development of SSc