Variability of Hydroclimate in the North American Southwest: Implications for Streamflow, the Spring Dry Season and Ecosystems

The Southwest United States (SWUS) is facing an ongoing drought which has led to water short- ages, in addition to forest mortality due to wildfire and bark beetle outbreaks associated with increased temperatures. This region has a population of 9.6 million people and is one of the fastest growing parts of the United States, and pressure on its resources can be expected to increase in the future. The SWUS is also projected to become more arid in the coming century under greenhouse gas induced climate change, which will impact its environmental, economic and social vitality. This thesis explores the climate dynamics which control water availability, streamflow, and vegetation green-up in the SWUS, in order to constrain our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the ecohydrology of the region, and to inform projections for the 21st century. Chapters 1 and 2 investigate the climate drivers responsible for producing the observed vari- ability in streamflow for the Gila River, a tributary of the Colorado, and the upper Rio Grande. The Gila is the southernmost snowfed river in the SWUS, and has a spring streamflow peak that responds to melting of the snowpack at its headwaters in New Mexico. The Gila is also sufficiently south so that it has a secondary streamflow peak in the summer which is fed by rains from the North American Monsoon (NAM). On interannual timescales, the Gila’s spring peak is primarily influenced by natural variability associated with Pacific sea surface temperature (SST), while the summer peak apparently does not respond to interannual variability. The upper Rio Grande is fur- ther north and east in the SWUS, and only has one streamflow peak occurring in spring-summer which is influenced by both tropical Pacific SST and Atlantic SST. Spring streamflow has also declined in each river post-1998, and this is due to a shift in the tropical Pacific leading to negative precipitation anomalies and drying in the SWUS. Chapter 2 assess a region of the SWUS that receives both winter storm track precipitation and NAM, and therefore has two periods of vegetation green-up annually with an intervening spring dry season. The first peak in vegetation occurs during the spring, and is influenced by the magnitude of winter precipitation and snowmelt, which gradually adds water to the soils. The second peak in vegetation follows the spring dry season when soil moisture recovers with the arrival of the NAM. A climatic shift in the tropical Pacific occurred in 1997/98 and produced a shift to an earlier and more severe spring dry season, and reduced vegetation green-up. An earlier extended dry period in the mid-century (1948 to 1966) also was influenced by a cool phase of the tropical Pacific, which led to a reduction in precipitation of a similar magnitude as the recent drought. However, the recent drought is more severe - and temperatures also have been greater during the recent period. Using a decomposition of the impact of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET) on soil moisture, we found that PET contributed 39% to the negative soil drying anomalies in the recent post-1998 drought, compared to 8% during the earlier extended dry period. This indicates an increased role of temperature during the recent drying. In Chapter 4 we evaluated 18 CMIP5 models based on comparisons with observations of pre- cipitation, net ecosystem exchange, leaf area index and soil moisture from land surface model output. Following our evaluation, we selected three models which best simulated the bimodal region: CanEMS2, GFDL-ESM2G and GFDL-ESM2M. These models indicate that overall this region will be drier in the 21st century; runoff is projected to decrease, particularly in the spring, soil moisture is reduced, and snow fall declines. The variability in projected precipitation, how- ever, is large, and we find that for the most part does not exceed what can be expected from model natural climate variability. The multi-model ensemble from the rest of the CMIP5 models indicate an overall decline in annual precipitation by the end of the 21st century, particularly during the spring. The three models also project an increase in net primary productivity in both the spring and summer growing seasons due to the effects of CO2 fertilization. Enhanced vegetation growth is likely to further exacerbate drying of the soils as vegetation draws down moisture, and enhances water losses via evapotranspiration. The fertilization process is, however, still uncertain and fur- ther studies are needed on the representation of CO2 enhanced vegetation growth in the SWUS to constrain this result. The findings of this thesis have contributed enhanced our knowledge of how climate dynamics, natural variability, and recent warming have influenced the ecohydrology of the SWUS, and also inform future climate projections. Constraining our understanding of this region is of importance given the growing populations, mounting pressures on natural resources, and anthropogenically induced climate change which is expected to affect this region in the 21st century

Lingue minoritarie e geografia. Una lettura territoriale dell'applicazione della Legge 482/99

Di seguito viene descritto il lavoro di sviluppo di un Sistema Informativo Territoriale a supporto del progetto di monitoraggio dei finanziamenti erogati utilizzando la legge 482/99 per la salvaguardia e valorizzazione delle Lingue Minoritarie. Sin dall’anno 2001 le pubbliche amministrazioni, in riferimento agli articoli 9 e 15 della Legge, possono presentare richieste di finanziamento per progetti collegati alla salvaguardia e valorizzazione delle lingue minoritarie al Dipartimento per gli Affari Regionali (d’ora in poi Dipartimento), Servizio Regioni a statuto speciale e Province Autonome per le politiche connesse alle autonomie speciali e delle minoranze della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri. Per l’attuazione degli interventi previsti dall’art. 4 della Legge le Scuole presentano domanda di finanziamento direttamente al Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione. Tali progetti non sono ricompresi nel sistema di monitoraggio Questi progetti vengono analizzati da una apposita commissione che, in base alla coerenza con gli obiettivi della legge, delibera l’ammissibilità degli stessi ed i relativi finanziamenti. Per ogni progetto viene redatta in sede istruttoria una scheda cartacea sintetica che contiene, oltre alle indicazioni anagrafiche dell’ente presentante, gli obiettivi del progetto, la classificazione dello stesso, l’importo richiesto, l’importo ammissibile ed eventuali note. Nell’ambito di una azione attuata in accordo tra il Dipartimento, l’Associazione Nazionale Consorzi universitari (ANCUN) e l’ISAL (Istituto Studi Amministrazione Locale di Udine) si è deciso di informatizzare le schede progettuali sintetiche. Oltre al semplice caricamento delle schede cartacee su una base dati relazionale, si è ritenuto fosse utile, per le successive analisi, poter rappresentare le informazioni sulla cartografia per poter predisporre delle cartografie tematiche utilizzando anche dati socioeconomici, ed è quindi stato implementato un Sistema Informativo Territoriale. Un Sistema informativo Territoriale (SIT) o Geografic Information System (GIS) è un sistema in grado di rappresentare sulla cartografia banche dati alfanumeriche e di effettuare delle analisi predisponendo mappe tematiche

Multiple isoform recovery (MIR)-PCR: a simple method for the isolation of related mRNA isoforms

We present a rapid and efficient method for the detection of related transcripts with different expression levels. This approach combines the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method with a cDNA subtractive technique. The strategy is based on successive subtractions of prevalent isoforms resulting in enrichment of less expressed transcripts. For each subtraction, a biotinylated primer specific for the prevalent isoform is hybridized on the total cDNA and the hybrid is retained on a streptavidin affinity column. The unbound cDNA serves as a template for subsequent isoform identification. To illustrate its application we describe the isolation of three new actin cDNA isoforms in the freshwater planarian Dugesia (S) polychro

Il movimento eremitico nella diocesi di Spoleto in età altomedievale

Il movimento eremitico che interessò sin dalla tarda antichità il distretto territoriale gravitante attorno alla città di Spoleto ha richiamato più volte nel corso del tempo l’attenzione degli studiosi. Non sempre però tale fenomeno è stato indagato in maniera specifica,con un approccio capace di tenere nella giusta considerazione anche le testimonianze materiali riferibili ai primi asceteri. Mentre un numero considerevole di contributi si è concentrato sull’aspetto istituzionale, spirituale, politico e religioso, il dato archeologico è stato preso raramente in considerazione. Non sono venuti meno in verità contributi che hanno affrontato in maniera scrupolosa e attenta lo studio del movimento anacoretico, volgendo una attenzione particolare proprio ai problemi legati al dato materiale. Si tratta per lo più di studi isolati, in cui emerge in maniera evidente il tentativo di tradurre il più possibile in realtà concrete gli stanziamenti ascetici documentati dalle fonti testuali, ricercandone eventuali tracce archeologiche e conducendo ove possibile una accurata analisi dei resti strutturali. In alcuni casi tuttavia la vastità dell’area geografica presa in esame ha inevitabilmente impedito di penetrare in maniera capillare e puntiforme nella indagine dei singoli distretti territoriali, proprio perché altra era la finalità del contributo. Ad essere ancora assente è in pratica la realizzazione di un vero e proprio censimento degli stanziamenti eremitici presenti nel territorio gravitante attorno alla città di Spoleto, la cui necessità fu manifestata peraltro più volte in passato, senza tuttavia suscitare esito alcuno. Intento del presente lavoro è quello di pervenire ad una lettura approfondita del fenomeno eremitico prendendo le mosse da una preliminare azione di censimento degli stanziamenti eremitici esistenti nell’area oggetto di interesse, con una particolare attenzione per i siti ascrivibili all’età altomedievale, seguita, ove possibile, da un attento esame di tipo archeologico dei loro resti strutturali e dei manufatti eventualmente rinvenuti nelle zone ad essi adiacenti

The Geppetto’s dilemma: social sense of agency and artificial agents

The experience of controlling the outcomes produced by our actions is known as sense of agency. During social interaction, fundamental importance is given to monitoring actions performed towards other people, and determining whether an environmental outcome is resulted from our actions or someone else’s. If we cause an outcome in the environment, our perception of the time elapsed between our action and the outcome produced will be compressed. This phenomenon has been defined “temporal binding” and has been widely accepted as implicit evidence of the sense of agency. Using a temporal binding paradigm, Experiments 1-3 show evidence for an implicit sense of agency emerging in participants that executed an indirect social action (i.e., a vocal command). Furthermore, data provide evidence that a temporal binding effect can be generated when observing physical and social actions performed by other people, but only if visual access to their actions is allowed. Given that temporal binding emerges when we observe other humans, the question arises whether such effects are limited to human agents alone. Experiments 4-5 deployed the same temporal binding paradigm to assess subjective time compression experienced in relation to robot-generated actions. Findings suggest that temporal compression was experienced for robotic actions only when the robot was perceived to be independent from human control. Furthermore, experiencing the robot as independent led participants to confer it a higher degree of mental representation, and they were more likely to refer to its components adopting human terms. Experiments 6-7 adopted a spatial alignment paradigm to investigate the contribution of bodily and mental representation towards action representation of other agents. The results of these experiments indicated that humanoid appearance was not a crucial feature to enable action representation. However, data suggests that action representation for other agents may involve higher level mechanisms, such as explicit belief and joint action representation. This thesis combines novel findings with previous scientific literature to expand current cognitive models of agency and action representation, where the perception of mental activity of other agents gains higher relevance compared to their physical appearance

Blindness in Sudan: Is It Time to Scrutinise Survey Methods?

Kuper and Gilbert discuss the limitations of a new survey of blindness in a war-torn area in southern Sudan, published in PLoS Medicine

Acute liver injury and anorexia nervosa: A case report

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by restriction of energy intake leading to a significant decrease in body weight. While it is primarily a psychiatric disorder, numerous medical complications can occur. In this article we describe a case of a 25-year-old woman with a 12-year history of severe restrictive anorexia nervosa that was referred to the Emergency Service of our Hospital, transferred from a psychiatric institute, for severe weight loss, dehydration, and progressive increase in transaminases. During the hospital stay she developed an acute liver injury with an increase in transaminase level up to 40× the ULN. Infective and immunological causes of acute hepatitis were excluded. In the suspect of severe starvation acute liver injury, we performed a nutritional assessment and started parenteral nutrition. After 15 days of parenteral nutrition, she gained 2.5 kg of body weight and liver tests were drastically reduced and nearly normal

Increasing spatiotemporal proximity of heat and precipitation extremes in a warming world quantified by a large model ensemble

Increases in climate hazards and their impacts mark one of the major challenges of climate change. Situations in which hazards occur close enough to one another to result in amplified impacts, because systems are insufficiently resilient or because hazards themselves are made more severe, are of special concern. We consider projected changes in such compounding hazards using the MPI Grand Ensemble under the moderate (RCP4.5) emissions scenario, which produces warming of about 2.25°C between pre-industrial (1851-1880) and 2100. We find that extreme heat events occurring on 3 or more consecutive days increase in frequency by 100-300%, and consecutive extreme precipitation events increase in most regions, nearly doubling for some. The chance of concurrent heat and drought leading to simultaneous maize failures in 3 or more breadbasket regions increases by about 50%, while interannual wet-dry oscillations become at least 20% more likely across much of the subtropics. Our results highlight the importance of taking compounding climate extremes into account when looking at possible tipping points of socio-environmental systems

L’apprendimento della letto-scrittura e i fattori di rischio: un progetto sulla consapevolezza degli insegnanti

Reports of suspected Learning Disorders are significantly increased even when it comes to problems that must be addressed with specific teaching actions. To meet that need, born the pilot project for research-training, financed by the Umbria Region, and that involves the Regional Scholastic Office and the local health authorities of Perugia and Terni, is meant to accompany a championof teachers of the first classes of primary school in the acquisition of a more refined professional skill with respect to the reading and writing, and early identification of risk factors.Research has highlighted the importance of building a methodology and teaching based on observation and documentation. These tools are able to tell the story of every child learns to read and write, in an open setting to learning social perspective and respectful of the times of each. The pilot project will be extended this year to other teachers of other educational institutions andtrained teachers will become, in turn, co-trainers of colleagues in their own educational institution.Reports of suspected Learning Disorders are significantly increased even when it comes to problems that must be addressed with specific teaching actions. To meet that need, born the pilot project for research-training, financed by the Umbria Region, and that involves the Regional Scholastic Office and the local health authorities of Perugia and Terni, is meant to accompany a championof teachers of the first classes of primary school in the acquisition of a more refined professional skill with respect to the reading and writing, and early identification of risk factors.Research has highlighted the importance of building a methodology and teaching based on observation and documentation. These tools are able to tell the story of every child learns to read and write, in an open setting to learning social perspective and respectful of the times of each. The pilot project will be extended this year to other teachers of other educational institutions andtrained teachers will become, in turn, co-trainers of colleagues in their own educational institution