Convective Precipitation over Complex Terrain, Current and Future Climate

Given the significance of climate models for assessing climate change impacts, and recent increases in their resolution, there is a need to understand strengths and weaknesses of climate models in reproducing key atmospheric processes, and to assess their performance using accurate ground-based observations. This thesis first investigates the inconsistencies in ground-based observations for cold environments, second, the role of ground-based observations for empirical model validation over complex terrain, and third, uses both observations and model output, to describe a mesoscale process associated with precipitation and their changes in a simulated future climate. Regional climate modelling in a convection-permitting configuration improves simulation of mesoscale systems in which convection initiates and develops, adding value to estimates of convective precipitation compared to models that rely on deep convective parameterization schemes. On the leeside of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in extratropical regions, convective precipitation is influenced by a strong longitudinal gradient of low-level moisture across the foothills. Known as the dryline, this gradient is the result of the convergence of moist air from the interior of the continent and the dry air from the subsidence on the lee side of the Rocky Mountains. The dryline plays a key role in initiating convective precipitation. To find robust answers to questions about a future transient climate, a better understanding is needed of the dryline’s relationship to the location and timing of convective initiation. This research has three objectives: 1) to critically quantify the systematic bias of precipitation measurements on two sides of the northern Canada-U.S. border since the two countries use different standard instrumentation to observe liquid and solid precipitation; 2) to study if a convection-permitting model can reproduce the warm season’s diurnal cycle of precipitation at a continental scale, and 3) to describe a mesoscale mechanism related to the initiation of convective precipitation in the Rocky Mountains vulnerable to climate change at the end of the century. Results show that a correction due to wind-undercatch in monthly solid precipitation is up to 31% during January in the Yukon, whereas across the border in Alaskan stations, it is up to 136%. This correction leads to a smaller and inverted horizontal precipitation gradient in the northern part of the border. In July, the correction for monthly liquid precipitation is around 20% in Alaska and 4% in the Yukon. This inconsistency has to be considered in any regional study using precipitation in cold and windy environments. The research to validate the precipitation diurnal cycle characteristics using a convection-permitting model, uses ground-based observations and a gridded product. Results show that the convection-permitting model can represent the main continental patterns and also represent the precipitation peak transitions from the afternoon to night on the leeside of the Rocky Mountains. However, in the central and eastern region of the study domain, the convection-permitting model performance deteriorates during the diurnal cycle for observed morning peaks (in the central-east U.S.) and overestimates the magnitude of the observed diurnal cycle in the southeast region in the U.S. When a warmer climate scenario is simulated at the end of the century, persistent increase is shown both, in the amplitude of the precipitation diurnal cycle and in the precipitation intensity throughout the domain. The warmer climate simulation also presents an increase in precipitation frequency in the northern region in early summer. These increases may impact the agricultural sector and alter flood risk. Finally, it is found that the convection-permitting model can simulate the dryline, showing an average magnitude of 0.48 g kg-1 km-1 and its maximum intensity being in July. The dryline is present in 37% of the biggest precipitation events (storms with at least one day above the 85% quantile in 13 years period). Although the percentage of the dryline frequency associated with convective initiation in the future scenario is not substantially changed, the dryline is both more intense (0.55 g kg-1 km-1) and narrower. Furthermore, in the simulation of the future climate, an intensification in the north and a dissipation in the southern part of the region was found in a standardized number of occurrences of convective initiation east of the dryline. This finding is associated with a change in the thermodynamical forcing of the most intense precipitation on the selected events in the southern part of the region. By describing the dryline, this research provides a reference point to assess the convective initiation forecasts and offers information on precipitation changes in a warmer scenario at the end of the century

Desenvolvimento de uma versão adaptada do Boston Naming Test para a língua portuguesa

OBJECTIVE: To present the development of an adapted version of the Boston Naming Test for Portuguese speakers, and to investigate the effects of age, education and gender on both the original and the adapted Boston Naming Test in respect of Brazilian Portuguese speakers. METHOD: Eighty items, including the 60 original ones and 20 adapted items were administered to 739 healthy Brazilian subjects aged between 6 and 77 years who received 0 to 17 years of education. RESULTS: The coefficients of the General Linear Model estimation suggested that both age and education were statistically significant to predict total scores. In addition, score variances, justified by such predictors, were 41.20% in the original Boston Naming Test against 25.84% in the adapted Boston Naming Test. These results suggest that the scores from the original BNT are more dependent on age and education than those from the adapted Boston Naming Test. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated the suitability of the adapted Boston Naming Test version for the Brazilian population and described provisional norms for the original and adapted Boston Naming Test for Portuguese speakers.OBJETIVO: Apresentar o desenvolvimento de uma versão adaptada do Boston Naming Test para a língua portuguesa e investigar os efeitos da idade, escolaridade e gênero nas versões original e adaptada do Boston Naming Test. MÉTODO: 80 itens foram administrados incluindo os 60 originais e 20 itens adaptados em 739 brasileiros saudáveis com idades entre 6 e 77 anos e escolaridade entre 0 e 17 anos. RESULTADOS: Os coeficientes de estimação do Modelo Linear Geral sugeriram que a idade e escolaridade eram preditores significativos do resultado total. Além disto, as variâncias dos resultados explicadas por estes preditores no Boston Naming Test original era de 41,20%, enquanto que no adaptado era de 25,84%. Estes achados sugerem que os resultados do Boston Naming Test original são mais dependentes de idade e escolaridade do que os do adaptado. CONCLUSÃO: Estes achados demonstram a adequação do Boston Naming Test adaptado para a população brasileira e descrevem normas provisionais da versão original e adaptada do Boston Naming Test para a língua portuguesa

Alterações neuropsicológicas em pacientes com traumatismo crânio encefálico leve-moderado

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most frequent causes of brain damage. Cognitive deficits reported in the literature after moderate to severe TBI include memory, language, executive functions, attention and information processing speed impairments. However, systematic studies on patients with mild TBI are scarce although neuropsychological changes are present. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cognitive functioning of patients with mild to moderate TBI. METHOD: We evaluated 12 patients with mild to moderate TBI using a comprehensive protocol (PN01) of neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: There were significant deficits of episodic memory including immediate and delayed verbal memory recall, verbal recognition, immediate and delayed visual memory recall, naming, verbal fluency and information processing speed. CONCLUSION: These results emphasize the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological assessments even in cases of mild TBI in order to identify impaired and preserved functions providing adequate managing including rehabilitation programs for each case.Traumatismo craniencefálico (TCE) é uma das causas mais freqüentes de lesão cerebral. São relatados na literatura déficits cognitivos após TCE moderado-grave relacionados à memória, linguagem, funções executivas, atenção e velocidade de processamento de informações. Estudos em pacientes com TCE leve são escassos embora alterações neuropsicológicas sejam encontradas nestes pacientes. OBJETIVO: Investigar o funcionamento cognitivo de pacientes com TCE leve e moderado através de um protocolo abrangente (PN01) de testes neuropsicológicos. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 12 pacientes com TCE leve e moderado. RESULTADOS: Foram identificados déficits graves de memória episódica verbal para evocação imediata, tardia e de reconhecimento, de memória episódica visuo-espacial para evocação imediata e tardia, nomeação, fluência verbal nominal e velocidade de processamento de informações. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados do estudo argumentam a favor da importância de avaliação neuropsicológica abrangente mesmo em casos de TCE leve a fim de se identificar funções comprometidas e preservadas, proporcionando condutas e programas de reabilitação adequados a cada caso

Hydroclimate of the Andes Part I: Main Climatic Features

The Andes is the longest cordillera in the world and extends from northern South America to the southern extreme of the continent (from 11°N to 53°S). The Andes runs through seven countries and is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems strongly related to the contrasting climate over its eastern and western sides, as well as along its latitudinal extension. This region faces very high potential impacts of climate change, which could affect food and water security for about 90 million people. In addition, climate change represents an important threat on biodiversity, particularly in the tropical Andes, which is the most biodiverse region on Earth. From a scientific and societal view, the Andes exhibits specific challenges because of its unique landscape and the fragile equilibrium between the growing population and its environment. In this manuscript, we provide an updated review of the most relevant scientific literature regarding the hydroclimate of the Andes with an integrated view of the entire Andes range. This review paper is presented in two parts. Part I is dedicated to summarize the scientific knowledge about the main climatic features of the Andes, with emphasis on mean large-scale atmospheric circulation, the Andes-Amazon hydroclimate interconnections and the most distinctive diurnal and annual cycles of precipitation. Part II, which is also included in the research topic “Connecting Mountain Hydroclimate Through the American Cordilleras,” focuses on the hydroclimate variability of the Andes at the sub-continental scale, including the effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation.Fil: Espinoza, Jhan Carlo. Universite Grenoble Alpes; FranciaFil: Garreaud, René. Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas; ChileFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sede Medellin; ColombiaFil: Arias, Paola A.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Molina Carpio, Jorge. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Masiokas, Mariano Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Viale, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Scaff, Lucia. University of Saskatchewan; Canad

Hydroclimate of the Andes Part II: Hydroclimate Variability and Sub-Continental Patterns

This paper provides an updated review of the most relevant scientific literature related to the hydroclimate of the Andes. The Andes, the longest cordillera in the world, faces major challenges regarding climate variability and climate change, which impose several threats to sustainable development, including water supply and the sustainability of ecosystem services. This review focuses on hydroclimate variability of the Andes at a sub-continental scale. The annual water cycle and long-term water balance along the Andes are addressed first, followed by the examination of the effects of orography on convective and frontal precipitation through the study of precipitation gradients in the tropical, subtropical and extratropical Andes. In addition, a review is presented of the current scientific literature on the climate variability in the Andes at different timescales. Finally, open research questions are presented in the last section of this article.Fil: Arias, Paola A.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Garreaud, René. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Espinoza, Jhan Carlo. Universite Grenoble Alpes; FranciaFil: Molina Carpio, Jorge. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Masiokas, Mariano Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Viale, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Scaff, Lucia. University of Saskatchewan; CanadáFil: van Oevelen, Peter J.. George Mason University; Estados Unido

Comprometimentos cognitivos em pacientes com gliomas de baixo grau e gliomas de alto grau

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between brain tumors and cognitive deficits is well established in the literature. However, studies investigating the cognitive status in low and high-grade gliomas patients are scarce, particularly in patients with average or lower educational level. This study aimed at investigating the cognitive functioning in a sample of patients with low and high-grade gliomas before surgical intervention. METHOD: The low-grade (G1, n=19) and high-grade glioma (G2, n=8) patients underwent a detailed neuropsychological assessment of memory, executive functions, visuo-perceptive and visuo-spatial abilities, intellectual level and language. RESULTS: There was a significant impairment on verbal and visual episodic memory, executive functions including mental flexibility, nominal and categorical verbal fluency and speed of information processing in G2. G1 showed only specific deficits on verbal and visual memory recall, mental flexibility and processing speed. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated different levels of impairments in the executive and memory domains in patients with low and high grade gliomas.OBJETIVO: A associação entre tumores cerebrais e déficits cognitivos é bem estabelecida na literatura. No entanto, estudos sobre a cognição de pacientes com gliomas de baixo e alto grau são escassos, especialmente, em sujeitos com baixa escolaridade. Este estudo investigou o funcionamento cognitivo de uma amostra de pacientes com gliomas de baixo e alto grau antes da intervenção cirúrgica. MÉTODO: Os pacientes com glioma de baixo grau (G1, n=19) e alto grau (G2, n=8) foram avaliados quanto à memória, funções executivas, habilidades visuo-perceptivas e visuo-espaciais, nível intelectual e linguagem. RESULTADOS: Houve prejuízo significativo em G2 na memória episódica verbal e visual, funções executivas incluindo flexibilidade mental, fluência verbal nominal e categórica e velocidade de processamento de informações. G1 demonstrou apenas déficits específicos de evocação verbal e visual, flexibilidade mental e velocidade de processamento. CONCLUSÃO: Estes achados demonstraram níveis diferenciados de comprometimento nos domínios executivos e mnésticos de pacientes com gliomas de baixo e alto grau

Rehabilitation of executive dysfunction: a controlled trial of an attention and problem solving treatment group

In this study, the effectiveness of a group-based attention and problem solving (APS) treatment approach to executive impairments in patients with frontal lobe lesions was investigated. Thirty participants with lesions in the frontal lobes, 16 with left frontal (LF) and 14 with right frontal (RF) lesions, were allocated into three groups, each with 10 participants. The APS treatment was initially compared to two other control conditions, an information/education (IE) approach and treatment-as-usual or traditional rehabilitation (TR), with each of the control groups subsequently receiving the APS intervention in a crossover design. This design allowed for an evaluation of the treatment through assessment before and after treatment and on follow up, six months later. There was an improvement on some executive and functional measures after the implementation of the APS programme in the three groups. Size, and to a lesser extent laterality, of lesion affected baseline performance on measures of executive function, but there was no apparent relationship between size, laterality or site of lesion and level of benefit from the treatment intervention. The results were discussed in terms of models of executive functioning and the effectiveness of domain specific interventions in the rehabilitation of executive dysfunction