Understanding Changes in Tropical Precipitation due to Climate Change

Projected precipitation changes due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations exhibit considerable spatial structure with increases in the mid- to high-latitudes, and decreases in the subtropics. In the Equatorial regions, precipitation is pro- jected to increase over oceans, over Africa and over the Maritime Continent, but to decrease in the Amazon basin. The decrease in precipitation over the Amazon basin and increase over the Maritime Continent are both enhanced in response to plant physiological changes. The aim of this thesis is to identify basic controls on tropical precipitation change over ocean and land, with a particular focus on the zonal asymmetry in the Equatorial region and amplification of precipitation changes due to vegetation. We find that soil-moisture limits on evaporation and a teleconnection between Equatorial Africa and the Amazon basin contribute to the zonal asymmetry in rainfall changes over the two regions. When vegetation changes are included, the amplification of the drying over the Amazon basin is largely due to relatively weak local evapotranspiration, providing further evidence that loss of the Ama- zon rain forest could lead to strong decreases in rainfall. Furthermore, we find that tropical precipitation changes over a warm surface temperature anomaly are related to changes in the atmospheric energy budget, and that monsoon-type rainfall behaviour can be obtained even when the thermal inertias of land and ocean are the same, thus partly contradicting the historical view of monsoons as a large-scale land-sea breeze. Our findings are based on idealised Atmospheric General Circulation Model simulations with continental configurations ranging from flat rectangles to realistic continents with topography. Despite their simplicity, the simulations exhibit pre- cipitation changes similar to complex General Circulation Models, indicating that the mechanisms identified here contribute to tropical rainfall changes on Earth

Reliability of the g factor over time in Italian INVALSI data (2010-2022): What can achievement-g tell us about the Flynn effect?

Generational intelligence test score gains over large parts of the 20th century have been observed to be negatively associated with psychometric g. Recent reports about changes in the cross-temporal IQ trajectory suggest that ability differentiation may be responsible for both changes in g as well as increasingly (sub)domain specific and inconsistent trajectories. Schooling is considered to be a main candidate cause for the Flynn effect, which suggests that school achievement might be expected to show similar cross-temporal developments. In the present study, we investigated evidence for cross-temporal changes in achievement-based g in a formal large-scale student assessment in Italy (i.e., the INVALSI assessment; N = 1,900,000). Based on data of four school grades (i.e., grades 2, 5, 8, and 10) over 13 years (2010-2022), we observed little evidence for changes in achievement g in general. However, cross-temporal trajectories were differentiated according to school grade, indicating cross-temporal g decreases for lower grade students whilst changes for higher grade students were positive. These findings may be interpreted as tentative evidence for age-dependent achievement-g differentiation. The presently observed achievement g trajectory appears to be consistent with recently observed evidence for a potential stagnation or reversal of cognitive test score gains

Mehrsprachigkeit und interkulturelle Kommunikation in grenzüberschreitender Gesundheitsversorgung im Alpen-Adria Raum

Mehrsprachigkeit und interkulturelle Kommunikation sind die Vorraussetzung fuer eine gut funktionierende Zusammenarbeit ueber die Landesgrenze hinaus. Gerade in Grenzgebieten wie Kaernten, Friaul-Julisch Venetien und Slowenien ist eine gute Kooperation im Gesundheitswesen unabdingbar um die Sicherheit der EU- Buerger zu garantieren

My grade, my right: linking academic entitlement to academic performance

The identifcation of determinants and correlates of academic entitlement is of particular interest for researchers and (academic) tutors alike. Whilst personality traits have been linked to academic entitlement in the past, the relative importance of familial influence remains unclear. Hence, to address this deficit, this study utilizes a sample of business and psychology undergraduates (N=170) in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the impact of academic entitlement on students’ misestimation of coursework grades was assessed in a subsample of psychology undergraduates (N=92). Multiple regression analyses revealed honesty–humility as the strongest predictor of academic entitlement, indicating lower entitlement of more honest students. In contrast, familial influences were unrelated to academic entitlement. Interestingly, higher entitled expectations were associated with larger overestimation of grades. Our findings indicate honesty–humility as an important driver of academic entitlement, whilst entitled expectations appear to be associated with misperceptions of students' own academic performance

Times are changing, Bias isn't:A meta-meta-analysis on publication bias detection practices, prevalence rates, and predictors in industrial/organizational psychology

Effect misestimations plague Psychological Science, but advances in the identification of dissemination biases in general and publication bias in particular have helped in dealing with biased effects in the literature. However, the application of publication bias detection methods appears to be not equally prevalent across subdisciplines. It has been suggested that particularly in I/O Psychology, appropriate publication bias detection methods are underused. In this meta-meta-analysis, we present prevalence estimates, predictors, and time trends of publication bias in 128 meta-analyses that were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (7,263 effect sizes, 3,000,000+ participants). Moreover, we reanalyzed data of 87 meta-analyses and applied nine standard and more modern publication bias detection methods. We show that (a) the bias detection method applications are underused (only 41% of meta-analyses use at least one method) but have increased in recent years, (b) those meta-analyses that apply such methods now use more, but mostly inappropriate methods, and (c) the prevalence of potential publication bias is concerning but mostly remains undetected. Although our results indicate somewhat of a trend toward higher bias awareness, they substantiate concerns about potential publication bias in I/O Psychology, warranting increased researcher awareness about appropriate and state-of-the-art bias detection and triangulation. Embracing open science practices such as data sharing or study preregistration is needed to raise reproducibility and ultimately strengthen Psychological Science in general and I/O Psychology in particular

Silanetriols as in vitro inhibitors for AChE

AbstractThree stable silanetriols with increasing steric protection of the silicon atom have been tested for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). For all tested silanetriols we found reversible inhibition of the AChE activity at a 100μM concentration. The highest inhibition rate was found for the sterically least hindered cyclohexylsilanetriol with 45% inhibition relative to galanthamine hydrobromide for which an IC50 value of 121±3μM was determined as well. The cytotoxicity of the silanetriols used was found to be negligible at concentrations relevant for inhibition

Optimized Synthesis of Tetrafluoroterephthalic Acid: A Versatile Linking Ligand for the Construction of New Coordination Polymers and Metal-Organic Frameworks

Pure 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalic acid (H(2)tfBDC) is obtained in high yields (95%) by reacting 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene with a surplus (>2 equiv) of n-butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and subsequent carbonation with CO2 without any extensive purification procedure. A single crystal X-ray structure analysis of H2tfBDC (1) confirms former data obtained for a deuterated sample (P (1) over bar, Z = 1). Recrystallization from water/acetone leads to single crystals of H(2)tfBDC center dot 2H(2)O (2, P2(1)/c, Z. 2), where an extensive hydrogen bonding network is found. By reacting H2tfBDC with an aqueous ammonia solution, single crystals of (NH4)(2)tfBDC (3, C2/m, Z. 2) are obtained. 3 is thermally stable up to 250 degrees C and shows an enhanced solubility in water compared to H(2)tfBDC. Monosubstituted 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoic acid (H(2)tfBC, 4) is obtained by reacting 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene with stoichiometric amounts (1 equiv) of n-butyllithium in THF. Its crystal structure (Fdd2, Z = 16) shows dimeric units as characteristic structural feature

The Relationship between Model Biases in East Asian Summer Monsoon Rainfall and Land Evaporation

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordThe East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) provides the majority of annual rainfall to countries in East Asia. Although state-of-the-art models broadly project increased EASM rainfall, the spread of projections is large and simulations of present-day rainfall show significant climatological biases. Systematic evapotranspiration biases occur locally over East Asia, and globally over land, in simulations both with and without a coupled ocean. This study explores the relationship between evapotranspiration and EASM precipitation biases. First, idealized model simulations are presented in which the parameterization of land evaporation is modified, while sea surface temperature is fixed. The results suggest a feedback whereby excessive evapotranspiration over East Asia results in cooling of land, a weakened monsoon low, and a shift of rainfall from the Philippine Sea to China, further fueling evapotranspiration. Cross-model regressions against evapotranspiration over China indicate a similar pattern of behavior in Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations. Possible causes of this pattern are investigated. The feedback is not explained by an overly intense global hydrological cycle or by differences in radiative processes. Analysis of land-only simulations indicates that evapotranspiration biases are present even when models are forced with prescribed rainfall. These are strengthened when coupled to the atmosphere, suggesting a role for land-model errors in driving atmospheric biases. Coupled atmosphere-ocean models are shown to have similar evapotranspiration biases to those in AMIP over China, but different precipitation biases, including a northward shift in the ITCZ over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.UK-China Research and Innovation Partnership Fun