Enhanced long-range forecast skill in boreal winter following stratospheric strong vortex conditions

There has been a great deal of recent interest in producing weather forecasts on the 2–6 week sub-seasonal timescale, which bridges the gap between medium-range (0–10 day) and seasonal (3–6 month) forecasts. While much of this interest is focused on the potential applications of skilful forecasts on the sub-seasonal range, understanding the potential sources of sub-seasonal forecast skill is a challenging and interesting problem, particularly because of the likely state-dependence of this skill (Hudson et al 2011). One such potential source of state-dependent skill for the Northern Hemisphere in winter is the occurrence of stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events (Sigmond et al 2013). Here we show, by analysing a set of sub-seasonal hindcasts, that there is enhanced predictability of surface circulation not only when the stratospheric vortex is anomalously weak following SSWs but also when the vortex is extremely strong. Sub-seasonal forecasts initialized during strong vortex events are able to successfully capture the associated surface temperature and circulation anomalies. This results in an enhancement of Northern annular mode forecast skill compared to forecasts initialized during the cases when the stratospheric state is close to climatology. We demonstrate that the enhancement of skill for forecasts initialized during periods of strong vortex conditions is comparable to that achieved for forecasts initialized during weak events. This result indicates that additional confidence can be placed in sub-seasonal forecasts when the stratospheric polar vortex is significantly disturbed from its normal state

Role of Organochlorine Pesticides in Chronic Kidney Diseases of Unknown Etiology

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) contributes to a significant burden on the healthcare system and economy worldwide. In the last two decades, a new form of CKD: chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in which the disease is not attributed to known causes has emerged as a major health issue in different geographical areas over the world mainly from farming community and has become a global concern today. Despite intense and numerous research works dedicated to CKDu, very little is known with certainty regarding its etiology and the pathophysiology behind its development. Recent evidences are emerging in favor of possible role of agrochemicals and pesticides in the pathogenesis of CKDu. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) due to their longer half-life and lipophilic nature persist long in the environment and are known to be biomagnified through food chain. Some study reports by the authors and a few others constitute the important body of evidences depicting the association between chronic exposures to OCPs and occurrence of CKDu through environmental contamination in farming as well as non-farming communities in different geographical areas around the globe

Synthesis, Spectroscopic, and Antimicrobial Studies of Binuclear Metallocene (M = Ti, Zr, or Hf) Derivatives of Bis(mercaptoazoles)

The reactions of (η5 − C5H5)2MCl2 (M = Ti, Zr, or Hf) with mercaptoazoles (LH2), namely, bis(mercaptotriazoles), bis(mercap- tooxadiazoles), and bis(mercaptothiadiazoles) in 2 : 1 molar ratio, respectively, have been studied in dry tetrahydrofuran in the presence of n-butylamine and the binuclear complexes of the type [{(η − C5H5)2 M}2(L)] (M = Ti/Zr/Hf) are obtained. Tentative structural conclusions are drawn for the reaction products based upon elemental analysis, electrical conductance, magnetic moment, and spectral data (UV-Vis, IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR). FAB-mass spectra of few complexes of each series were also carried out to confirm the binuclear structures. Studies were conducted to assess the growth-inhibiting potential of the complexes synthesized, and the ligands against various fungal and bacterial strains

Report on the 1st SPARC Stratospheric Network for the Assessment of Predictability (SNAP). April 24-26 April 2013, Reading, UK

Stratospheric Network for the Assessment of Predictability (SNAP), 24-26 April 2013, Reading, UKThe first SPARC Stratospheric Network for the Assessment of Predictability (SPARC-SNAP) workshop was organized in the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK, from 24 to 26 April 2013. This was a joint workshop with 3rd SPARC Dynamical Variability (SPARC-DynVar) (Manzini et al., this issue) workshop 22-24 April with the 24th April as a joint day. The joint workshop was well attended and had around 100 participants (http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~pn904784/DynVar_SNAP_Workshop/participant.html) from 16 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, and South America (Participants figure). In the SNAP part of workshop (including the joint day) there were two keynote address, nine invited talks, six contributory talks and 24 posters.The authors are grateful to the Natural Environment Research Council and WCRP-SPARC for their financial support

Genome sequencing data for wild and cultivated bananas, plantains and abacá

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordWe performed shotgun genome sequencing on a total of 19 different Musa genotypes including representatives of wild banana species Musa acuminata and M. balibisiana, allopolyploid bananas and plantains, Fe'i banana, pink banana (also known as hairy banana) and abacá (also known as hemp banana). We aligned sequence reads against a previously sequenced reference genome and assessed ploidy and, in the case of allopolyploids, the contributions of the A and B genomes; this provides important quality-assurance data about the taxonomic identities of the sequenced plant material. These data will be useful for phylogenetics, crop improvement, studies of the complex story of intergenomic recombination in AAB and ABB allotriploid bananas and plantains and can be integrated into resources such as the Banana Genome Hub.European Union Horizon 2020Gatsby Charitable Foundatio

Examining the predictability of the Stratospheric Sudden Warming of January 2013 using multiple NWP systems

The first multi-model study to estimate the predictability of a boreal Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) is performed using five NWP systems. During the 2012-2013 boreal winter, anomalous upward propagating planetary wave activity was observed towards the end of December, which followed by a rapid deceleration of the westerly circulation around 2 January 2013, and on 7 January 2013 the zonal mean zonal wind at 60°N and 10 hPa reversed to easterly. This stratospheric dynamical activity was followed by an equatorward shift of the tropospheric jet stream and by a high pressure anomaly over the North Atlantic, which resulted in severe cold conditions in the UK and Northern Europe. In most of the five models, the SSW event was predicted 10 days in advance. However, only some ensemble members in most of the models predicted weakening of westerly wind when the models were initialized 15 days in advance of the SSW. Further dynamical analysis of the SSW shows that this event was characterized by the anomalous planetary wave-1 amplification followed by the anomalous wave-2 amplification in the stratosphere, which resulted in a split vortex occurring between 6 January 2013 and 8 January 2013. The models have some success in reproducing wave-1 activity when initialized 15 days in advance, they but generally failed to produce the wave-2 activity during the final days of the event. Detailed analysis shows that models have reasonably good skill in forecasting tropospheric blocking features that stimulate wave-2 amplification in the troposphere, but they have limited skill in reproducing wave-2 amplification in the stratosphere

A protective role for nitric oxide and salicylic acid for arsenite phytotoxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The authors are thankful to Director, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow for the facilities and for the financial support from the network projects (CSIR-INDEPTH), New Delhi, India. APS is thankful to CSIR New Delhi, India respectively, for the award of Research Associateship. RDT is gratefully thankful to Award of Emeritus Scientist (CSIR). GD is thankful to SERB-DST, New Delhi for award of NPDF. AK is thankful to UGC for award of DSKPDF. Award of Fast Track Scientist to SM from DST is gratefully acknowledged. We are also thankful to Mr. Dilip Chakraborty for technical assistance.Peer reviewedPostprin

Ageratum enation virus Infection Induces Programmed Cell Death and Alters Metabolite Biosynthesis in Papaver somniferum

A previously unknown disease which causes severe vein thickening and inward leaf curl was observed in a number of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) plants. The sequence analysis of full-length viral genome and associated betasatellite reveals the occurrence of Ageratum enation virus (AEV) and Ageratum leaf curl betasatellite (ALCB), respectively. Co-infiltration of cloned agroinfectious DNAs of AEV and ALCB induces the leaf curl and vein thickening symptoms as were observed naturally. Infectivity assay confirmed this complex as the cause of disease and also satisfied the Koch’s postulates. Comprehensive microscopic analysis of infiltrated plants reveals severe structural anomalies in leaf and stem tissues represented by unorganized cell architecture and vascular bundles. Moreover, the characteristic blebs and membranous vesicles formed due to the virus-induced disintegration of the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles were also present. An accelerated nuclear DNA fragmentation was observed by Comet assay and confirmed by TUNEL and Hoechst dye staining assays suggesting virus-induced programmed cell death. Virus-infection altered the biosynthesis of several important metabolites. The biosynthesis potential of morphine, thebaine, codeine, and papaverine alkaloids reduced significantly in infected plants except for noscapine whose biosynthesis was comparatively enhanced. The expression analysis of corresponding alkaloid pathway genes by real time-PCR corroborated well with the results of HPLC analysis for alkaloid perturbations. The changes in the metabolite and alkaloid contents affect the commercial value of the poppy plants