An integrated approach toward the incorporation of clouds in the temperature retrievals from microwave measurements

In this paper, we address the characterization of clouds and its inclusion in microwave retrievals in order to study its effect on tropospheric temperature profiles measured by TEMPERA radiometer. TEMPERA is the first ground-based microwave radiometer that makes it possible to obtain temperature profiles in the troposphere and stratosphere at the same time. In order to characterize the clouds a multi-instrumental approach has been adopted. Cloud base altitudes were detected using ceilometer measurements while the integrated liquid water was measured by TROWARA radiometer. Both instruments are co-located with TEMPERA in Bern (Switzerland). Using this information and a constant Liquid Water Content value inside the cloud a liquid profile is provided to characterize the clouds in the inversion algorithm. Microwave temperature profiles have been obtained incorporating this water liquid profile in the inversion algorithm and also without considering the clouds, in order to assess its effect on the retrievals. The results have been compared with the temperature profiles from radiosondes which are launched twice a day at the aerological station of MeteoSwiss in Payerne (40 km W of Bern). Almost 1 year of data have been analysed and 60 non-precipitating cloud cases were studied. The statistical analysis carried out over all the cases evidenced that temperature retrievals improved in most of the cases when clouds were incorporated in the inversion algorithm

Acculturation process and life domains: Different perceptions of native and immigrant adults in italy

Background: Acculturation process has taken up a relevant place in cross-cultural psychology by demonstrating the strong relationships between cultural context and individual behavioral development. Aim: The purpose of this study is to analyse acculturation strategies and attitudes in different life domains of native and immigrant adults living in Italy, following the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM). Methods: The participants were 250 Italian native and 100 immigrant adults who completed a questionnaire with items to measure their acculturation strategies (real plane) and attitudes (ideal plane), in general and related to different life domains (peripheral and central). Results: Results revealed that the acculturation attitude of immigrants is integration, whereas Italians prefer their assimilation. Conclusion: However, when different life domains are taken into account, immigrants claim to put in practice and prefer integration in most of the domains, whereas Italians perceive immigrants are separated but they prefer their assimilation or integration, depending on the specific domain

Interferencia de direcciones en los pliegues cretácico-terciarios entre Coello y Gualanday

Se estudia un sector del Valle Superior del Magdalena comprendido entre Gualanday, Coello y Doima en el Departamento del Tolima. Su parte W está constituida por sedimentos continentales pertenecientes en su mayor parte al terciario aflorando las formaciones Guaduas y Gualanday, esta última ocupa la mayor parte de esta región; mientras que hacia el E, afloran los sedimentos cretácicos comprendidos entre el maastrichtiano y el coníaciano. La región se caracteriza por la variación que se presenta en la dirección de los ejes de los pliegues, que pasan de una dirección NNE.SSW, observable en los pliegues cretácicos y algunos terciarios, a una orientación N-S presente en los pliegues terciarios formados por el Gualanday superior. La primera de estas direcciones se generó al principio del desarrollo del plegamiento, mientras que la dirección N.S es posterior. Existe por tanto una oblicuidad entre los ejes de las estructuras formadas en primera instancia, y los de las estructuras más tardías. El proceso de desviación de los ejes de los pliegues, trae como consecuencia la presencia de discordancias progresivas y angulares, que se manifiestan localmente, así como también el enfrentamiento de algunas estructuras cretácicas anticlinales con estructuras terciarias sinclinales y la falta de continuidad en el trazado de otras. Es de señalar que aunque la dirección N.S se impone en ocasiones, en otros casos la dirección antigua se mantiene, aún en las estructuras formadas en las capas más modernas, de modo que existe una verdadera interferencia entre las dos direcciones.The present study describes a section of the Upper Magdalena Valley between Gualanday, Coello and Doima in the department of Tolima. Guaduas and Gualanday formations cover the Western part, while the Cretaceous, represented from Maestrichtian to Coniacian, outcrop towards the East. Interesting to note is the difference between the folding of the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary, and the folds of the Upper Gualanday. While the fírst strike NNE-SSW, the latter have a N-S orientation. Direct consequence of this difference are local angular and progressive unconformities, and the opposition of some Cretaceous anticlinals with Tertiary synclinal structures, besides the lack of continuity in others. Although the N-S strike dominates in some cases, the older direction still is maintained in the folds of some younger strata, so there is a real interference between these two directions

Interference directions in the Cretaceous-Tertiary folds between Coello and Gualanday.

The present study describes a section of the Upper Magdalena Valley between Gualanday, Coello and Doima in the department of Tolima. Guaduas and Gualanday formations cover the Western part, while the Cretaceous, represented from Maestrichtian to Coniacian, outcrop towards the East. Interesting to note is the difference between the folding of the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary, and the folds of the Upper Gualanday. While the fírst strike NNE-SSW, the latter have a N-S orientation. Direct consequence of this difference are local angular and progressive unconformities, and the opposition of some Cretaceous anticlinals with Tertiary synclinal structures, besides the lack of continuity in others. Although the N-S strike dominates in some cases, the older direction still is maintained in the folds of some younger strata, so there is a real interference between these two directions.Se estudia un sector del Valle Superior del Magdalena comprendido entre Gualanday, Coello y Doima en el Departamento del Tolima. Su parte W está constituida por sedimentos continentales pertenecientes en su mayor parte al terciario aflorando las formaciones Guaduas y Gualanday, esta última ocupa la mayor parte de esta región; mientras que hacia el E, afloran los sedimentos cretácicos comprendidos entre el maastrichtiano y el coníaciano. La región se caracteriza por la variación que se presenta en la dirección de los ejes de los pliegues, que pasan de una dirección NNE.SSW, observable en los pliegues cretácicos y algunos terciarios, a una orientación N-S presente en los pliegues terciarios formados por el Gualanday superior. La primera de estas direcciones se generó al principio del desarrollo del plegamiento, mientras que la dirección N.S es posterior. Existe por tanto una oblicuidad entre los ejes de las estructuras formadas en primera instancia, y los de las estructuras más tardías. El proceso de desviación de los ejes de los pliegues, trae como consecuencia la presencia de discordancias progresivas y angulares, que se manifiestan localmente, así como también el enfrentamiento de algunas estructuras cretácicas anticlinales con estructuras terciarias sinclinales y la falta de continuidad en el trazado de otras. Es de señalar que aunque la dirección N.S se impone en ocasiones, en otros casos la dirección antigua se mantiene, aún en las estructuras formadas en las capas más modernas, de modo que existe una verdadera interferencia entre las dos direcciones

First Late Ordovician conodont fauna in the Betic Cordillera (South Spain): a palaeobiogeographical contribution

The youngest Ordovician conodont fauna in SW Europe has been found in the Malaguide Complex of the Betic Cordillera, SE Spain. It is also the first Ordovician conodont fauna in the Western Mediterranean Alpine Orogen. The conodont association, attributed to the Hirnantian (upper part of the Amorphognathus ordovicicus Biozone), is characterized by the predominance of Walliserodus amplissimus and Scabbardella altipes and by the absence of Sagittodontina and Istorinus, typical of the Mediterranean Province. This fauna differs markedly from those of the same biozone recorded in the Spanish Variscan Orogen of the Iberian Massif, which are attributed to the Katian. The Malaguide fauna shows, however, striking similarity to faunas of the Carnic Alps and some resemblance to those of the Pyrenees, Northern England and North Wales. These features suggest that Palaeozoic terranes of the Betic Cordillera were located far to the east of their present location and displaced westward during the Alpine Orogeny

Diamond forms during low pressure serpentinisation of oceanic lithosphere

Diamond is commonly regarded as an indicator of ultra-high pressure conditions in Earth System Science. This canonical view is challenged by recent data and interpretations that suggest metastable growth of diamond in low pressure environments. One such environment is serpentinisation of oceanic lithosphere, which produces highly reduced CH4-bearing fluids after olivine alteration by reaction with infiltrating fluids. Here we report the first ever observed in situ diamond within olivine-hosted, CH4-rich fluid inclusions from low pressure oceanic gabbro and chromitite samples from the Moa-Baracoa ophiolitic massif, eastern Cuba. Diamond is encapsulated in voids below the polished mineral surface forming a typical serpentinisation array, with methane, serpentine and magnetite, providing definitive evidence for its metastable growth upon low temperature and low pressure alteration of oceanic lithosphere and super-reduction of infiltrated fluids. Thermodynamic modelling of the observed solid and fluid assemblage at a reference P-T point appropriate for serpentinisation (350 °C and 100 MPa) is consistent with extreme reduction of the fluid to logfO2 (MPa) = −45.3 (ΔlogfO2[Iron-Magnetite] = −6.5). These findings imply that the formation of metastable diamond at low pressure in serpentinised olivine is a widespread process in modern and ancient oceanic lithosphere, questioning a generalised ultra-high pressure origin for ophiolitic diamond.European Union (EU)Spanish Projects CGL2015-65824 RTI2018-099157-A-I00 PID2019-105625RB-C21 A.RNM.186.UGR18Spanish Government RYC-2015-17596Mexican research program CONACYT-Ciencia Basica A1-S-14574Mexican research program UNAM-PAPIIT IA-10141

Changes in serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease (2005–2007 vs. 1997–1999) in children under 2 years of age in a population with intermediate coverage of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine

AbstractSerotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children aged <2 years in Catalonia (Spain) before and after licensing of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (7vPCV) were assessed, using samples taken during 1997–1999 and 2005–2007 respectively. The distribution of serotypes causing IPD within these groups was obtained by serotyping strains sent by 22 Catalan hospitals to the Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid. Between 1997–99 and 2005–2007, the proportion of vaccine serotypes causing IPD in Catalonia fell from 70.54% to 31.67% (p <0.0001). The proportion of vaccine-related serotypes, mainly serotype 19A, increased from 9.82% to 32.50% (p <0.0001). The proportion of non-vaccine, non-related serotypes (serotypes not related to vaccine serotypes) rose from 19.64% to 35.83% (p <0.05). Within this group, the proportions of serotype 24F increased significantly. There has been a change in the distribution of serotypes isolated from cases of IPD in children <2 years old in Catalonia, comprising a reduction in the proportion of 7-valent vaccine serotypes, a rise in vaccine-related serotypes, especially 19A, and a smaller rise in non-vaccine, non-related serotypes, especially serotype 24F. A new 13-valent vaccine will cover 77.91% of the serotypes causing IPD in children <2 years old in Catalonia from 2005 to 2007

Mesozooplankton community structure during summer months in the bay of Cádiz.

Mesozooplankton organisms (>250 μm) were sampled at two stations (inner and outer Bay) in the Bay of Cádiz between May and July 2008. Samples were analysed by means of a semi-automated technique in order to give a preliminary view of the mesoozooplankton community structure in the Bay, based on taxonomic diversity and biomass distribution among size classes. The abundance of organisms increased from May to July in accordance with the increase in temperature and Chlorophyll a (Chla) concentrations. Abundances were higher in the outer Bay station, where Chla concentrations are greater and the water column is more stable. The community changed from being meroplankton- to holoplankton-based due to an increase of Calanoida and especially Cladocera individuals (mainly Penilia avirostris), which are known to peak acutely in the summer. The analysis of Normalised Biomass-Size spectra revealed fairly steep slopes (average -1.3) and relatively high departures from steady state (r2 = 0.8 – 0.94), expectable in a coastal system such as the Bay of Cádiz were disturbance factors are introduced from benthic and tidal processes, together with anthropogenic pressure