FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS OF THE STABLE LAYER OVER THE PO VALLEY DURING MAP IOP-8

During Mesoscale Alpine Program (MAP) IOP-8, a strong stable layer formed over the Po Valley and northern Ligurian Sea. Based on observations, reanalysis data and prior studies, we hypothesize that differential advection (Lin et al., 2005) led to the formation of the stable layer and differential advection along with blocking of cool easterly flow by the western flank of the Alps over the Po Valley played significant roles in the maintenance of the stable layer. Numerical sensitivity tests with the MM5 model were performed to examine these possible formation and maintenance mechanisms of the IOP-8 stable layer. When the western flank of the Alps was removed, the stable layer still formed, but eroded more quickly and became much shallower and narrower at the later stage of IOP-8, which is consistent with the hypothesis. It was also found that the Dinaric Alps and evaporative cooling did not play significant roles in forming and maintaining the stable layer

Brief Note: Discovery of the Federally Endangered Freshwater Mussel, Epioblasma obliquata obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820) (Unionidae), in Ohio

Author Institution: Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Otterbein College ; Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesDiscovery of the purple catspaw, Epioblasma obliquata obliquata, in Killbuck Creek, Coshocton County, OH, is reported. This subspecies of unionid mollusc was thought to have been extirpated from the state in the mid to late 1800s and was known only from two nonreproductive populations in Kentucky and Tennessee. The mussel was thought to be on the verge of extinction. Fifteen living and 23 dead specimens of this subspecies were collected in September 1994 from Killbuck Creek. This is the largest known population of this rare subspecies and it is the only known population to currently support breeding individuals. It is threatened by soil erosion resulting from agricultural land-use practices such as clearing of the stream banks for farm fields and cattle grazing and by muskrat predation

Egg development, hatching rhythm and moult patterns in Paralomos spinosissima (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguroidea: Lithodidae) from South Georgia waters (Southern Ocean)

Larval release, hatching rhythms and moult patterns were examined in a captive population of the subantarctic lithodid, Paralomis spinosissima from the South Georgia and Shag Rocks region. Larvae hatched throughout the year with the majority of females starting to release larvae at the end of the austral summer and beginning of autumn. Larval release continued over a period of up to 9 weeks with high variability in the numbers that hatched each day. A similar seasonal pattern to hatching was evident in the moulting of females. Intermoult period for two adult females (CL = 63 and 85 mm) ranged from 894 to 1,120 days while an intermoult period for males was estimated to be in excess of 832 days. The results are consistent with other species of Paralomis and are discussed in relation to physiological and environmental adaptations to the cold-water conditions south of the Antarctic Convergence

INFLUENCE OF THE APENNINES ON TRACK DEFLECTION OF GENOA CYCLONES

Observations of the MAP special observing period reveal two different track patterns for Genoa cyclones as they impinge on the Apennines. In some cases, the cyclones appear to be completely blocked by the orography and are deflected southward (e. g. IOP-1). In other cases, the cyclones do cross over the Apennines, but. experience a period wherein two surface cyclones exist, one on the upstream side and a new, secondary cyclone on the downstream side of the mountains. Aloft, the system propagates without stalling. With time, the upper level trough phases with the secondary cyclone and the secondary cyclone becomes the dominant feature. Such a track is referred to as a discontinuous, but not blocked track for the purposes of this research. One such case during MAP belonging to this category is IOP-8. The aim of this study is to understand the control parameters that dictate whether a cyclone is blocked and deflected or if it is discontinuous, but not blocked. Examination of observations as well as ECMWF reanalysis data shows there is a dependency on the vortex Froude number {Fvortex) with smaller values of Fvortex indicating a greater likelihood for cyclone blocking and deflection. However, numerical sensitivity experiments indicate there are other, more important control parameters that dictate the degree of track deflection

Geography of lumbar paravertebral muscle fatty infiltration

Study Design: Cross-sectional Objective: We quantified fatty infiltration (FI) geography of the lumbar spine to identify whether demographics, temporal low back pain (LBP), and disability influence FI patterns. Summary of Background Data: Lumbar paravertebral muscle FI has been associated with age, sex, LBP, and disability; yet, FI accumulation patterns are inadequately described to optimise interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed lumbar axial T1-weighted MRI in 107 Southern-Chinese adults (54 females, 53 males). Single-slices at the vertebral inferior end-plate per lumbar level were measured for quartiled-FI, and analysed against demographics, LBP, and disability (ODI: Oswestry Disability Index). Results: Mean FI% was higher in females, on the right, increased per level caudally, and from medial to lateral in men (p 0.05). Conclusions: Lumbar paravertebral muscle FI predominates in the lower lumbar spine, notably for those aged 40-65, and depends more on sagittal than transverse distribution. Higher FI in females and differences of mean FI between sexes for BMI, LBP, and disabling ODI suggest sex-differential accumulation patterns. Our study contradicts pain models rationalising lumbar muscle FI and may reflect a normative sex-dependent feature of the natural history of lumbar paravertebral muscles

p3k14c, a synthetic global database of archaeological radiocarbon dates.

Archaeologists increasingly use large radiocarbon databases to model prehistoric human demography (also termed paleo-demography). Numerous independent projects, funded over the past decade, have assembled such databases from multiple regions of the world. These data provide unprecedented potential for comparative research on human population ecology and the evolution of social-ecological systems across the Earth. However, these databases have been developed using different sample selection criteria, which has resulted in interoperability issues for global-scale, comparative paleo-demographic research and integration with paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental data. We present a synthetic, global-scale archaeological radiocarbon database composed of 180,070 radiocarbon dates that have been cleaned according to a standardized sample selection criteria. This database increases the reusability of archaeological radiocarbon data and streamlines quality control assessments for various types of paleo-demographic research. As part of an assessment of data quality, we conduct two analyses of sampling bias in the global database at multiple scales. This database is ideal for paleo-demographic research focused on dates-as-data, bayesian modeling, or summed probability distribution methodologies

Ancient Lowland Maya neighborhoods: Average Nearest Neighbor analysis and kernel density models, environments, and urban scale

Many humans live in large, complex political centers, composed of multi-scalar communities including neighborhoods and districts. Both today and in the past, neighborhoods form a fundamental part of cities and are defined by their spatial, architectural, and material elements. Neighborhoods existed in ancient centers of various scales, and multiple methods have been employed to identify ancient neighborhoods in archaeological contexts. However, the use of different methods for neighborhood identification within the same spatiotemporal setting results in challenges for comparisons within and between ancient societies. Here, we focus on using a single method—combining Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) and Kernel Density (KD) analyses of household groups—to identify potential neighborhoods based on clusters of households at 23 ancient centers across the Maya Lowlands. While a one-size-fits all model does not work for neighborhood identification everywhere, the ANN/KD method provides quantifiable data on the clustering of ancient households, which can be linked to environmental zones and urban scale. We found that centers in river valleys exhibited greater household clustering compared to centers in upland and escarpment environments. Settlement patterns on flat plains were more dispersed, with little discrete spatial clustering of households. Furthermore, we categorized the ancient Maya centers into discrete urban scales, finding that larger centers had greater variation in household spacing compared to medium-sized and smaller centers. Many larger political centers possess heterogeneity in household clustering between their civic-ceremonial cores, immediate hinterlands, and far peripheries. Smaller centers exhibit greater household clustering compared to larger ones. This paper quantitatively assesses household clustering among nearly two dozen centers across the Maya Lowlands, linking environment and urban scale to settlement patterns. The findings are applicable to ancient societies and modern cities alike; understanding how humans form multi-scalar social groupings, such as neighborhoods, is fundamental to human experience and social organization

The Spanish Mediterranean Fishing Guilds (Cofradias): An Example of Collaborative Management with a Key Role in Sustainable Fisheries

[EN] The management of Spanish coastal fisheries is based on a mixed model where the centralised action of the government is combined with the self-organisation of fishers in cofradias (guilds). These institutions have economic and political functions, intermediating between the State and the fishing sector and mediating in the conflicts that may occur. They also have welfare and mutualist tasks. This original and traditional co-management model is part of the social capital of traditional Spanish fishing. The aim of this article is to explore the possibilities of these Spanish fishers' organisations in order to improve the legitimacy of the fishery system and the sustainability of fisheries. Our hypothesis is that updating and adapting some aspects of the cofradias model could produce efficient forms of collaborative management and lead to improvements in the sustainability of fisheries. To validate this hypothesis the study analysed 69 face-to-face interviews in 21 Spanish-Mediterranean guilds. The analysis focused on three core aspects: the control of fishing resources; the integration of fishing knowledge in the management system; and, finally, the guilds contribution to the legitimacy of the system in the eyes of the fishers.This work was supported by National Plan for Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation (Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry). Research Project CSO2016-76135-P. There is no conflict of interest declared in this article.Herrera-Racionero, P.; Lizcano, E.; Miret Pastor, LG.; Mascarell, Y. (2019). The Spanish Mediterranean Fishing Guilds (Cofradias): An Example of Collaborative Management with a Key Role in Sustainable Fisheries. Fisheries. 44(4):172-182. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10224S172182444Alegret J. L.1999.Gestión comunitaria cogestión y mercado. 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An Empirical Study of the Mexican Banking System's Network and Its Implications for Systemic Risk

With the purpose of measuring and monitoring systemic risk, some topological properties of the interbank exposures and the payments system networks are studied. We propose non-topological measures which are useful to describe the individual behavior of banks in both networks. The evolution of such networks is also studied and some important conclusions from the systemic risks perspective are drawn. A unified measure of interconnectedness is also created. The main findings of this study are: the payments system network is strongly connected in contrast to the interbank exposures network; the type of exposures and payment size reveal different roles played by banks; behavior of banks in the exposures network changed considerably after Lehmans failure; interconnectedness of a bank, estimated by the unified measure, is not necessarily related with its assets size