DMI Report 21-17 Including a dynamic Greenland Ice Sheet in the EC-Earth global climate model

Recent observations have indicated rapidly increasing mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet. To explore the interactions and feedbacks of the ice sheets in the climate system, it is important to develop coupled climate-ice sheet models. The integration of an ice sheet model in a global model is challenging, and, currently, relatively few climate models include a two-way coupling to a dynamical ice sheet model. In this work package, we have continued developing the coupled ice sheet-climate model system comprising the global climate model EC-Earth and the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) for Greenland. The new model system, EC-Earth3-GrIS, is upgraded to include the recent model versions, EC-Earth3 and PISM version 1.2. In addition, a new module has been developed to handle the exchange of information between the ice sheet model and EC-Earth using the OASIS3- MCT software interface. The new module reads output from the ice sheet model and exchanges the fields with the relevant EC-Earth components. The ice sheet mask and topography are provided to the atmosphere and land surface components. The heat and freshwater fluxes from basal melt and ice discharge are provided to the ocean module via the runoff-mapper that routes surface runoff into the ocean. The new module also prepares the forcing fields for the ice sheet model, i.e., subsurface temperature and surface mass balance. These fields are calculated in EC- Earth3 using a land ice surface parameterization, developed explicitly for the Greenland ice sheet. The parameterization contains a responsive snow and ice albedo scheme and includes land ice characteristics in the calculation of heat and energy transfer at the surface. Experiments with and without the land ice surface parameterization have been carried out for preindustrial and present-day conditions to assess the influence of the surface parameterization on the calculated surface mass balance. The results show that the ice sheet responds stronger and more realistically to forcing changes when the new surface parameterization is used. Besides the model development, the results from experiments with the first model version, EC- Earth-PISM, have been analyzed. These results stress that a decent surface scheme with a responsive snow albedo scheme is necessary for investigating mass balance changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Overall, our results indicate that the feedbacks induced by the interactive ice sheet have a significant influence on Arctic climate change under warming conditions. In warm scenarios where the CO2 level is raised to four times the preindustrial level, the coupled model has a colder Arctic surface, a fresher ocean, and more sea-ice in winter

Big Changes in How Students are Tested

For the past decade, school accountability has relied on tests for which the essential format has remained unchanged. Educators are familiar with the yearly testing routine: schools are given curriculum frameworks, teachers use the frameworks to guide instruction, students take one big test at year’s end which relies heavily upon multiple-choice bubble items, and then school leaders wait anxiously to find out whether enough of their students scored at or above proficiency to meet state standards. All this will change with the adoption of Common Core standards. Testing and accountability aren’t going away. Instead, they are developing and expanding in ways that aim to address many of the present shortcomings of state testing routines. Most importantly, these new tests will be computer-based. As such, they will potentially shorten testing time, increase tests’ precision, and provide immediate feedback to students and teachers

Differences between low-end and high-end climate change impacts in Europe across multiple sectors

The Paris Agreement established the 1.5 and 2 °C targets based on the recognition “that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change”. We tested this assertion by comparing impacts at the regional scale between low-end ( 4 °C; RCP8.5) climate change scenarios accounting for interactions across six sectors (agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water, coasts and urban) using an integrated assessment model. Results show that there are only minor differences in most impact indicators for the 2020s time slice, but impacts are considerably greater under high-end than low-end climate change in the 2050s and 2080s. For example, for the 2080s, mitigation consistent with the Paris Agreement would reduce aggregate Europe-wide impacts on the area of intensive agriculture by 21% (on average across climate models), on the area of managed forests by 34%, on water stress by 14%, on people flooded by 10% and on biodiversity vulnerability by 16%. Including socio-economic scenarios (SSPs 1, 3, 4, 5) results in considerably greater variation in the magnitude, range and direction of change of the majority of impact indicators than climate change alone. In particular, socio-economic factors much more strongly drive changes in land use and food production than changes in climate, sometimes overriding the differences due to low-end and high-end climate change. Such impacts pose significant challenges for adaptation and highlight the importance of searching for synergies between adaptation and mitigation and linking them to sustainable development goals

Cortical thickness changes after computerized working memory training in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Background: Adaptive computerized working memory (WM) training has shown favorable effects on cerebral cortical thickness as compared to non-adaptive training in healthy individuals. However, knowledge of WM training-related morphological changes in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is limited. Objective: The primary objective of this double-blind randomized study was to investigate differences in longitudinal cortical thickness trajectories after adaptive and non-adaptive WM training in patients with MCI. We also investigated the genotype effects on cortical thickness trajectories after WM training combining these two training groups using longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis in Freesurfer. Method: Magnetic resonance imaging acquisition at 1.5 T were performed at baseline, and after four- and 16-weeks post training. A total of 81 individuals with MCI accepted invitations to undergo 25 training sessions over 5 weeks. Longitudinal Linear Mixed effect models investigated the effect of adaptive vs. non-adaptive WM training. The LME model was fitted for each location (vertex). On all statistical analyzes, a threshold was applied to yield an expected false discovery rate (FDR) of 5%. A secondary LME model investigated the effects of LMX1A and APOE-ε4 on cortical thickness trajectories after WM training. Results: A total of 62 participants/patients completed the 25 training sessions. Structural MRI showed no group difference between the two training regimes in our MCI patients, contrary to previous reports in cognitively healthy adults. No significant structural cortical changes were found after training, regardless of training type, across all participants. However, LMX1A-AA carriers displayed increased cortical thickness trajectories or lack of decrease in two regions post-training compared to those with LMX1A-GG/GA. No training or training type effects were found in relation to the APOE-ε4 gene variants. Conclusion: The MCI patients in our study, did not have improved cortical thickness after WM training with either adaptive or non-adaptive training. These results were derived from a heterogeneous population of MCI participants. The lack of changes in the cortical thickness trajectory after WM training may also suggest the lack of atrophy during this follow-up period. Our promising results of increased cortical thickness trajectory, suggesting greater neuroplasticity, in those with LMX1A-AA genotype need to be validated in future trials.publishedVersio

Development of a Precision Medicine Workflow in Hematological Cancers, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark

Within recent years, many precision cancer medicine initiatives have been developed. Most of these have focused on solid cancers, while the potential of precision medicine for patients with hematological malignancies, especially in the relapse situation, are less elucidated. Here, we present a demographic unbiased and observational prospective study at Aalborg University Hospital Denmark, referral site for 10% of the Danish population. We developed a hematological precision medicine workflow based on sequencing analysis of whole exome tumor DNA and RNA. All steps involved are outlined in detail, illustrating how the developed workflow can provide relevant molecular information to multidisciplinary teams. A group of 174 hematological patients with progressive disease or relapse was included in a non-interventional and population-based study, of which 92 patient samples were sequenced. Based on analysis of small nucleotide variants, copy number variants, and fusion transcripts, we found variants with potential and strong clinical relevance in 62% and 9.5% of the patients, respectively. The most frequently mutated genes in individual disease entities were in concordance with previous studies. We did not find tumor mutational burden or micro satellite instability to be informative in our hematologic patient cohort

The future potential for wine production in Scotland under high-end climate change

Wine production is climate dependent and highly sensitive to weather variability, which makes the sector a good indicator of ongoing and future climate change impacts. Under high-end climate change (HECC), temperatures in Scotland are projected to increase significantly by the end of the twenty-first century. This raises the possibility of future temperatures becoming sufficiently high to support the growth of wine grapes. In this paper, we explore to what extent Scotland might become suitable for wine production under HECC using a climate analogue approach. Specifically, we address the following questions. What are the projected late twenty-first century temperature changes in Scotland? Where in Europe are current climates (based on summer and annual temperatures) similar to those projected for Scotland by the end of the twenty-first century under HECC? Are any of these locations currently wine grape growing regions? The temperature analogues towards the end of the twenty-first century occurred at more southerly latitudes in Europe, with some variability from west to east arising from the influence of continental climates. Temperature analogues alone match with several current wine grape growing regions of Europe, suggesting that future climates in Scotland could support wine production. However, when precipitation and/or lithology and topography are also taken into account, no matches were found with existing European wine grape growing regions. This study demonstrates how the use of climate analogues in combination with other environmental datasets can be useful in understanding future climate change impacts, especially under HECC

Adaptive Computerized Working Memory Training in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment. A Randomized Double-Blind Active Controlled Trial

ObjectiveWe investigated if a 5-week computerized adaptive working memory training program (Cogmed®) of 20 to 25 sessions would be effective in improving the working memory capacity and other neuropsychological functions compared to a non-adaptive working memory training program (active-controlled) in adult patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodsThis randomized double-blinded active control trial included 68 individuals aged 43 to 88 years, 45 men and 23 women, who were diagnosed with MCI at four Memory clinics. The study sample was randomized by block randomization to either adaptive or non-adaptive computerized working memory training. All participants completed the training, and were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery before the intervention, and at 1 and 4 months after training.ResultsCompared to the non-adaptive training group, the adaptive training group did not show significantly greater improvement on the main outcome of working memory performance at 1 and 4 months after training.ConclusionNo difference were found between the two types of training on the primary outcome of working memory, or on secondary outcomes of cognitive function domains, in this sample of MCI patients. Hence, the hypothesis that the adaptive training program would lead to greater improvements compared to the non-adaptive training program was not supported. Within group analyses was not performed due to the stringent RCT design

Long-term patient-important outcomes after septic shock : A protocol for 1-year follow-up of the CLASSIC trial

BackgroundIn patients with septic shock, mortality is high, and survivors experience long-term physical, mental and social impairments. The ongoing Conservative vs Liberal Approach to fluid therapy of Septic Shock in Intensive Care (CLASSIC) trial assesses the benefits and harms of a restrictive vs standard-care intravenous (IV) fluid therapy. The hypothesis is that IV fluid restriction improves patient-important long-term outcomes. AimTo assess the predefined patient-important long-term outcomes in patients randomised into the CLASSIC trial. MethodsIn this pre-planned follow-up study of the CLASSIC trial, we will assess all-cause mortality, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cognitive function 1 year after randomisation in the two intervention groups. The 1-year mortality will be collected from electronic patient records or central national registries in most participating countries. We will contact survivors and assess EuroQol 5-Dimension, -5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) and EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale and Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol score. We will analyse mortality by logistic regression and use general linear models to assess HRQoL and cognitive function. DiscussionWith this pre-planned follow-up study of the CLASSIC trial, we will provide patient-important data on long-term survival, HRQoL and cognitive function of restrictive vs standard-care IV fluid therapy in patients with septic shock.Peer reviewe

Cognitive Profiles and Atrophy Ratings on MRI in Senior Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment

In this cross-sectional study, we sought to describe cognitive and neuroimaging profiles of Memory clinic patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). 51 MCI patients and 51 controls, matched on age, sex, and socio-economic status (SES), were assessed with an extensive neuropsychological test battery that included a measure of intelligence (General Ability Index, “GAI,” from WAIS-IV), and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MCI subtypes were determined after inclusion, and z-scores normalized to our control group were generated for each cognitive domain in each MCI participant. MR-images were scored by visual rating scales. MCI patients performed significantly worse than controls on 23 of 31 cognitive measures (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.001), and on 8 of 31 measures after covarying for intelligence (GAI). Compared to nonamnestic MCI patients, amnestic MCI patients had lower test results in 13 of 31 measures, and 5 of 31 measures after co-varying for GAI. Compared to controls, the MCI patients had greater atrophy on Schelten's Medial temporal lobe atrophy score (MTA), especially in those with amnestic MCI. The only structure-function correlation that remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons was the MTA—long delay recall domain. Intelligence operationalized as GAI appears to be an important moderator of the neuropsychological outcomes. Atrophy of the medial temporal lobe, based on MTA scores, may be a sensitive biomarker for the functional episodic memory deficits associated with MCI

Auditory temporal resolution of a wild white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology 195 (2009): 375-384, doi:10.1007/s00359-009-0415-x.Adequate temporal resolution is required across taxa to properly utilize amplitude modulated acoustic signals. Among mammals, odontocete marine mammals are considered to have relatively high temporal resolution, which is a selective advantage when processing fast traveling underwater sound. However, multiple methods used to estimate auditory temporal resolution have left comparisons among odontocetes and other mammals somewhat vague. Here we present the estimated auditory temporal resolution of an adult male white-beaked dolphin, (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), using auditory evoked potentials and click stimuli. Ours is the first of such studies performed on a wild dolphin in a capture-and-release scenario. The white-beaked dolphin followed rhythmic clicks up to a rate of approximately 1125-1250 Hz, after which the modulation rate transfer function (MRTF) cut-off steeply. However, 10% of the maximum response was still found at 1450 Hz indicating high temporal resolution. The MRTF was similar in shape and bandwidth to that of other odontocetes. The estimated maximal temporal resolution of white-beaked dolphins and other odontocetes was approximately twice that of pinnipeds and manatees, and more than ten-times faster than humans and gerbils. The exceptionally high temporal resolution abilities of odontocetes are likely due primarily to echolocation capabilities that require rapid processing of acoustic cues.We wish to thank the Danish Natural Science Research Council for major financial support (grant no. 272-05-0395)