187 research outputs found

    The build-up, configuration, and dynamical sensitivity of the Eurasian ice-sheet complex to Late Weichselian climatic and oceanic forcing

    Get PDF
    The Eurasian ice-sheet complex (EISC) was the third largest ice mass during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), after the Antarctic and North American ice sheets. Despite its global significance, a comprehensive account of its evolution from independent nucleation centres to its maximum extent is conspicuously lacking. Here, a first-order, thermomechanical model, robustly constrained by empirical evidence, is used to investigate the dynamics of the EISC throughout its build-up to its maximum configuration. The ice flow model is coupled to a reference climate and applied at 10 km spatial resolution across a domain that includes the three main spreading centres of the Celtic, Fennoscandian and Barents Sea ice sheets. The model is forced with the NGRIP palaeo-isotope curve from 37 ka BP onwards and model skill is assessed against collated flowsets, marginal moraines, exposure ages and relative sea-level history. The evolution of the EISC to its LGM configuration was complex and asynchronous; the western, maritime margins of the Fennoscandian and Celtic ice sheets responded rapidly and advanced across their continental shelves by 29 ka BP, yet the maximum aerial extent (5.48 × 106 km2) and volume (7.18 × 106 km3) of the ice complex was attained some 6 ka later at c. 22.7 ka BP. This maximum stand was short-lived as the North Sea and Atlantic margins were already in retreat whilst eastern margins were still advancing up until c. 20 ka BP. High rates of basal erosion are modelled beneath ice streams and outlet glaciers draining the Celtic and Fennoscandian ice sheets with extensive preservation elsewhere due to frozen subglacial conditions, including much of the Barents and Kara seas. Here, and elsewhere across the Norwegian shelf and North Sea, high pressure subglacial conditions would have promoted localised gas hydrate formation

    The role of ocean and atmospheric dynamics in the marine-based collapse of the last Eurasian Ice Sheet

    Get PDF
    Information from former ice sheets may provide important context for understanding the response of today’s ice sheets to forcing mechanisms. Here we present a reconstruction of the last deglaciation of marine sectors of the Eurasian Ice Sheet, emphasising how the retreat of the Norwegian Channel and the Barents Sea ice streams led to separation of the British-Irish and Fennoscandian ice sheets at c. 18.700 and of the Kara-Barents Sea-Svalbard and Fennoscandian ice sheets between 16.000 and 15.000 years ago. Combined with ice sheet modelling and palaeoceanographic data, our reconstruction shows that the deglaciation, from a peak volume of 20 m of sea-level rise equivalent, was mainly driven by temperature forced surface mass balance in the south, and by Nordic Seas oceanic conditions in the north. Our results highlight the nonlinearity in the response of an ice sheet to forcing and the significance of ocean-ice-atmosphere dynamics in assessing the fate of contemporary ice sheets

    Distinct modes of meltwater drainage and landform development beneath the last Barents Sea ice sheet

    Get PDF
    The flow of glacial ice is impacted by basal meltwater drainage systems that fluctuate on a continuum from distributed, high-pressure environments to channelized, lower pressure networks. Understanding the long-term development of dominant drainage modes and impacts on ice flow and landform development is a crucial step in predicting palaeo and contemporary ice-mass response to changes in climate. The spatial and temporal scales at which different drainage modes operate are largely unknown, and the geomorphological legacy of subglacial meltwater networks that evolve over a glaciation provide composite records of drainage system development. Here, we use high-resolution bathymetric data from shallow banks in the central Barents Sea to map the geomorphological imprint of meltwater drainage beneath the collapsing marine-based Barents Sea Ice Sheet (BSIS). We observe a succession of distinct meltwater landforms that provide relative timing constraints for subglacial drainage modes, indicating that extensive networks of channelized drainage were in operation during deglaciation. Interlinked basins and channels suggest that meltwater availability and drainage system development was influenced by filling and draining cycles in subglacial lakes. Networks of eskers also indicate near-margin meltwater conduits incised into basal ice during late-stage deglaciation, and we suggest that these systems were supplemented by increased inputs from supraglacial melting. The abundance of meltwater during the late stages of BSIS deglaciation likely contributed to elevated erosion of the sedimentary substrate and the mobilisation of subglacial sediments, providing a sediment source for the relatively abundant eskers found deposited across bank areas. A newly discovered beaded esker system over 67 km long in Hopendjupet constrains a fluctuating, but generally decelerating, pace of ice retreat from ∼1,600 m a−1 to ∼620 m a−1 over central Barents Sea bank areas during a 91-year timespan

    Correlates of Suicide Ideation and Attempt among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala

    Get PDF
    While suicidal behavior is recognized as a growing public health problem world-wide, little is known about the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behaviors among street and slum youth in Africa, and in Uganda, specifically. The number of youth who live on the streets and in the slums of Kampala appears to be growing rapidly, but their mental health needs have not been documented, which has hampered resource allocation and service implementation. This study of youth, ages 14–24, was conducted in May and June of 2011, to assess the prevalence and correlates of suicidal behavior. Participants (N = 457) were recruited for a 30-minute interviewer-administered survey through eight drop-in centers operated by the Uganda Youth Development Link for youth in need of services. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed to determine associations between psychosocial correlates and suicide ideation and suicide attempt. Reporting both parents deceased Adj.OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.23–4.52), parental neglect due to alcohol use (Adj.OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.16–3.77), trading sex for food, shelter or money (Adj.OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.09–3.51), sadnesss (Adj.OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.20–4.89), loneliness (Adj.OR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.12–6.40) and expectations of dying prior to age 30 (Adj.OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.53–4.23) were significantly associated with suicide ideation in multivariate analyses. Parental neglect due to alcohol use (Adj.OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.11–3.76), sadness (Adj.OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.30–7.87), and expectations of dying prior to age 30 (Adj.OR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.25–3.79) were significantly associated with suicide attempt in multivariate analyses. Given the dire circumstances of this vulnerable population, increased services and primary prevention efforts to address the risk factors for suicidal behavior are urgently needed

    Outbreak of Antiviral Drug–Resistant Influenza A in Long-Term Care Facility, Illinois, USA, 2008

    Get PDF
    An outbreak of oseltamivir-resistant influenza A (H1N1) occurred in a long-term care facility. Eight (47%) of 17 and 1 (6%) of 16 residents in 2 wards had oseltamivir-resistant influenza A virus (H1N1) infections. Initial outbreak response included treatment and prophylaxis with oseltamivir. The outbreak abated, likely because of infection control measures

    The Lantern Vol. 67, No. 1, Fall 1999

    Get PDF
    • I Write Poetry • So Many Poems Start This Way... • Mantra 99 for A. Joe • Indecision • Last Night • My Body Cut Off at the Back • Brittany Sestina • The Hearth • To Jane • Attention • Chemistry • Recombination • Buried • Going Home • Bound for Happiness • Stumble • Punk Rock • Ghost Spray and a Slingshot • Distant Voices • Beyond the Gear Shift • Damn It • Poppy Hands • Waist Deep • The Lie • Paying Your Dueshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1155/thumbnail.jp

    Relationship between craving and personality in treatment-seeking women with substance-related disorders

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Individual differences may impact susceptibility to addiction. The impact of personality features on drug craving, however, has not been studied, particularly in women. METHODS: Ninety-five treatment-seeking women with substance dependence, abstinent for at least 5 and no more than 21 days, were investigated regarding the correlation between personality factors and craving. Personality was assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11). Cravings were assessed through the Pennsylvania Craving Scale (PCS), and the Craving Questionnaire (CQ). Anxiety and depressive symptomatology were also recorded. RESULTS: Craving scores were positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with number of days abstinent from substance use. Also, craving scores were positively associated with the novelty-seeking factor from the TCI and the total score on the BIS-11, and negatively associated with the conscientiousness and agreeableness facets of the NEO-PI-R. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that personality features, particularly impulsiveness, can be important predictors of craving in women, which has important implications for treatment planning

    Impulsivity and the 5-HTTLPR Polymorphism in a Non-Clinical Sample

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Impulsivity has been associated with serotonergic system functions. However, few researchers have investigated the relationship between a polymorphism in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the different components of impulsivity in a non-clinical population. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the different components of impulsivity in a non-clinical population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We administered two neuropsychological tests, the Continuous Performance Task and the Iowa Gambling Task, to 127 healthy participants to measure their levels of motor, attentional and non-planning impulsivity. Then, these participants were grouped by genotype and gender, and their scores on impulsivity measures were compared. There were no significant differences between group scores on attentional, motor and non-planning impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that 5-HTTLPR genotype is not significantly associated with subsets of impulsive behavior in a non-clinical sample when measured by neuropsychological tests. These findings are discussed in terms of the sensitivity of neuropsychological tests to detect impulsivity in a non-clinical population and the role of gender and race in the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR and impulsivity

    Association between Interpersonal Trust, Reciprocity, and Depression in South Korea: A Prospective Analysis

    Get PDF
    Background: A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that low-level social capital is related to poor mental health outcomes. However, the prospective association between social capital and depression remains unclear, and no published studies have investigated the association with longitudinal data in East-Asian countries. Methods: We analyzed data from the ongoing Korean Welfare Panel Study to prospectively investigate association between social capital and depression. Social capital was measured at the individual level by two items specific to interpersonal trust and reciprocity. Depression was annually assessed as a dichotomous variable using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. After excluding participants who had depression in 2006, logistic regression models were applied to estimate the association between each social capital indicator and new-onset depression developed in 2007 or long-term depression in both 2007 and 2008. We also examined the association in a subpopulation restricted to healthy participants after excluding individuals with any pre-existing disability, chronic disease, or poor self-rated health condition. Results: Compared to the high interpersonal trust group, the odds ratios of developing new-onset and long-term depression among the low interpersonal trust group were 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08∼1.38) and 1.23 (95% CI: 1.03∼1.50), respectively, and increased to 1.32 (95% CI: 1.10∼1.57) and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.05∼2.08) in the subpopulation analyses restricted to healthy individuals. Although the low and intermediate reciprocity group also had significantly higher odds of developing new-onset depression compared to the high reciprocity group, the effects were attenuated and statistically non-significant in the subpopulation analyses. Conclusion: Low interpersonal trust appears to be an independent risk factor for new-onset and long-term depression in South Korea

    Countdown to 2030 : tracking progress towards universal coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health

    Get PDF
    Building upon the successes of Countdown to 2015, Countdown to 2030 aims to support the monitoring and measurement of women's, children's, and adolescents' health in the 81 countries that account for 95% of maternal and 90% of all child deaths worldwide. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the rate of decline in prevalence of maternal and child mortality, stillbirths, and stunting among children younger than 5 years of age needs to accelerate considerably compared with progress since 2000. Such accelerations are only possible with a rapid scale-up of effective interventions to all population groups within countries (particularly in countries with the highest mortality and in those affected by conflict), supported by improvements in underlying socioeconomic conditions, including women's empowerment. Three main conclusions emerge from our analysis of intervention coverage, equity, and drivers of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) in the 81 Countdown countries. First, even though strong progress was made in the coverage of many essential RMNCH interventions during the past decade, many countries are still a long way from universal coverage for most essential interventions. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests that available services in many countries are of poor quality, limiting the potential effect on RMNCH outcomes. Second, within-country inequalities in intervention coverage are reducing in most countries (and are now almost non-existent in a few countries), but the pace is too slow. Third, health-sector (eg, weak country health systems) and non-health-sector drivers (eg, conflict settings) are major impediments to delivering high-quality services to all populations. Although more data for RMNCH interventions are available now, major data gaps still preclude the use of evidence to drive decision making and accountability. Countdown to 2030 is investing in improvements in measurement in several areas, such as quality of care and effective coverage, nutrition programmes, adolescent health, early childhood development, and evidence for conflict settings, and is prioritising its regional networks to enhance local analytic capacity and evidence for RMNCH
    corecore