scholarly journals Predictability of Precipitation Over the Conterminous U.S. Based on the CMIP5 Multi-Model Ensemble

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingkai Jiang ◽  
Benjamin S. Felzer ◽  
Dork Sahagian

Abstract Characterizing precipitation seasonality and variability in the face of future uncertainty is important for a well-informed climate change adaptation strategy. Using the Colwell index of predictability and monthly normalized precipitation data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model ensembles, this study identifies spatial hotspots of changes in precipitation predictability in the United States under various climate scenarios. Over the historic period (1950–2005), the recurrent pattern of precipitation is highly predictable in the East and along the coastal Northwest, and is less so in the arid Southwest. Comparing the future (2040–2095) to the historic period, larger changes in precipitation predictability are observed under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 8.5 than those under RCP 4.5. Finally, there are region-specific hotspots of future changes in precipitation predictability, and these hotspots often coincide with regions of little projected change in total precipitation, with exceptions along the wetter East and parts of the drier central West. Therefore, decision-makers are advised to not rely on future total precipitation as an indicator of water resources. Changes in precipitation predictability and the subsequent changes on seasonality and variability are equally, if not more, important factors to be included in future regional environmental assessment.

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-281
Author(s):  
Sylvia Dümmer Scheel

El artículo analiza la diplomacia pública del gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas centrándose en su opción por publicitar la pobreza nacional en el extranjero, especialmente en Estados Unidos. Se plantea que se trató de una estrategia inédita, que accedió a poner en riesgo el “prestigio nacional” con el fin de justificar ante la opinión pública estadounidense la necesidad de implementar las reformas contenidas en el Plan Sexenal. Aprovechando la inusual empatía hacia los pobres en tiempos del New Deal, se construyó una imagen específica de pobreza que fuera higiénica y redimible. Ésta, sin embargo, no generó consenso entre los mexicanos. This article analyzes the public diplomacy of the government of Lázaro Cárdenas, focusing on the administration’s decision to publicize the nation’s poverty internationally, especially in the United States. This study suggests that this was an unprecedented strategy, putting “national prestige” at risk in order to explain the importance of implementing the reforms contained in the Six Year Plan, in the face of public opinion in the United States. Taking advantage of the increased empathy felt towards the poor during the New Deal, a specific image of hygienic and redeemable poverty was constructed. However, this strategy did not generate agreement among Mexicans.


Author(s):  
Christopher A. Bail

In July 2010, Terry Jones, the pastor of a small fundamentalist church in Florida, announced plans to burn two hundred Qur'ans on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Though he ended up canceling the stunt in the face of widespread public backlash, his threat sparked violent protests across the Muslim world that left at least twenty people dead. This book demonstrates how the beliefs of fanatics like Jones are inspired by a rapidly expanding network of anti-Muslim organizations that exert profound influence on American understanding of Islam. The book traces how the anti-Muslim narrative of the political fringe has captivated large segments of the American media, government, and general public, validating the views of extremists who argue that the United States is at war with Islam and marginalizing mainstream Muslim-Americans who are uniquely positioned to discredit such claims. Drawing on cultural sociology, social network theory, and social psychology, the book shows how anti-Muslim organizations gained visibility in the public sphere, commandeered a sense of legitimacy, and redefined the contours of contemporary debate, shifting it ever outward toward the fringe. The book illustrates the author's pioneering theoretical argument through a big-data analysis of more than one hundred organizations struggling to shape public discourse about Islam, tracing their impact on hundreds of thousands of newspaper articles, television transcripts, legislative debates, and social media messages produced since the September 11 attacks. The book also features in-depth interviews with the leaders of these organizations, providing a rare look at how anti-Muslim organizations entered the American mainstream.


Author(s):  
D Samba Reddy

Thirty-nine (39) new drugs have been approved by the U.S. FDA in 2012, a record highest number of approvals since 1996. The record is a sign that pharma companies are poised to tap recent advances from genomics and proteomics. This list includes novel new drugs, known as new molecular entities (NMEs), biologics and new products. Many life-saving drugs are approved for marketing. The list includes a total of 10 drugs for cancer treatment, and nearly a quarter of those approved in 2012 had orphan drug status.  Among the breakthrough drugs approved in 2012 were ivacaftor (cystic fibrosis), vasmodegib (skin cancer), HPC-C (human cord blood product), ruxolitinib (myelofibrosis) and a new combination drug to treat HIV. In addition,  several unique products were approved for the treatment of macular degeneration, chronic weight management, overactive bladder, actinic keratosis, erectile dysfunction, glaucoma, respiratory distress syndrome, and COPD. The approval of 39 drugs in 2012 underscores a robust success rate and confirms that innovation is once again beginning to pay off. In the existing climate of reduced revenues in the face of generic competitions, the future and survival of big companies rests heavily on their unique niche products. It is apparent that big Pharma and a growing number of emerging Biotechs alike have focused their attention on developing new NMEs for rare diseases. In 2012, the length of the FDA’s review is shorter than agencies in other countries. Innovative models adopted for R&D strategies, communications, and new regulatory changes appear to shorten development timelines. Despite record drug approvals, there is bleak scope for blockbusters because most of these drugs have a limited market. The pipeline for blockbusters appears very low. However, there is unmet medical need for new drugs in autism, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Overall, the new drug approval list unveils unique and reemerging trends indicating that the pharma companies are poised for big growth from new brands approved for marketing for narrow-spectrum indications.    


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
Dwi Putri Agustini

The present phenomenon has clearly brought a change and the influence of the development of traditional music in Palembang society, if this is not carefully addressed, it will experience a shift, alienation and even lose its supporters. The rejung pesirah music group is one of the music groups that still maintains traditional arts in the people of Palembang. This study examines how the adaptation strategy of the rejung pesirah music group in dealing with changes and developments in Palembang society. For this reason, the approach used is cultural anthropology with qualitative case study research methods in Palembang. Data collection is done through observation, interviews and document studies that use triangulation techniques as the validation of the data, while for data analysis through content analysis and interactive models. The results showed that the adaptation strategy undertaken by the rejung pesirah music group was an act and creative ability and had a positive mindset, understanding in responding to changes and needs as an impulse to develop in the face of environmental change and development through learning processes and cultural modification, which resulted a creativity that is the creation of songs, musical arrangements, and musical instruments in the rejung pesirah music group.


Author(s):  
William W. Franko ◽  
Christopher Witko

The authors conclude the book by recapping their arguments and empirical results, and discussing the possibilities for the “new economic populism” to promote egalitarian economic outcomes in the face of continuing gridlock and the dominance of Washington, DC’s policymaking institutions by business and the wealthy, and a conservative Republican Party. Many states are actually addressing inequality now, and these policies are working. Admittedly, many states also continue to embrace the policies that have contributed to growing inequality, such as tax cuts for the wealthy or attempting to weaken labor unions. But as the public grows more concerned about inequality, the authors argue, policies that help to address these income disparities will become more popular, and policies that exacerbate inequality will become less so. Over time, if history is a guide, more egalitarian policies will spread across the states, and ultimately to the federal government.


Author(s):  
Richard Gowan

During Ban Ki-moon’s tenure, the Security Council was shaken by P5 divisions over Kosovo, Georgia, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. Yet it also continued to mandate and sustain large-scale peacekeeping operations in Africa, placing major burdens on the UN Secretariat. The chapter will argue that Ban initially took a cautious approach to controversies with the Council, and earned a reputation for excessive passivity in the face of crisis and deference to the United States. The second half of the chapter suggests that Ban shifted to a more activist pressure as his tenure went on, pressing the Council to act in cases including Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, and Syria. The chapter will argue that Ban had only a marginal impact on Council decision-making, even though he made a creditable effort to speak truth to power over cases such as the Central African Republic (CAR), challenging Council members to live up to their responsibilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-107
Author(s):  
Richard Francis Wilson

This article is a theological-ethical Lenten sermon that attempts to discern the transcendent themes in the narrative of Luke 9-19 with an especial focus upon “setting the face toward Jerusalem” and the subsequent weeping over Jerusalem. The sermon moves from a passage from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying through a series of hermeneutical turns that rely upon insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Will Campbell, Augustine, and Paul Tillich with the hope of illuminating what setting of the face on Jerusalem might mean. Tillich’s “eternal now” theme elaborates Augustine’s insight that memory and time reduce the present as, to paraphrase the Saint, that all we have is a present: a present remembered, a present experienced, and a present anticipated. The Gospel is a timeless message applicable to every moment in time and history. The sermon seeks to connect with recent events in the United States and the world that focus upon challenges to the ideals of social justice and political tyranny.


Author(s):  
Isaac Kwesi Nooni ◽  
Daniel Fiifi T. Hagan ◽  
Guojie Wang ◽  
Waheed Ullah ◽  
Jiao Lu ◽  
...  

The main goal of this study was to assess the interannual variations and spatial patterns of projected changes in simulated evapotranspiration (ET) in the 21st century over continental Africa based on the latest Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and the Representative Concentration Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) provided by the France Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM-CM) model in the Sixth Phase of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) framework. The projected spatial and temporal changes were computed for three time slices: 2020–2039 (near future), 2040–2069 (mid-century), and 2080–2099 (end-of-the-century), relative to the baseline period (1995–2014). The results show that the spatial pattern of the projected ET was not uniform and varied across the climate region and under the SSP-RCPs scenarios. Although the trends varied, they were statistically significant for all SSP-RCPs. The SSP5-8.5 and SSP3-7.0 projected higher ET seasonality than SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5. In general, we suggest the need for modelers and forecasters to pay more attention to changes in the simulated ET and their impact on extreme events. The findings provide useful information for water resources managers to develop specific measures to mitigate extreme events in the regions most affected by possible changes in the region’s climate. However, readers are advised to treat the results with caution as they are based on a single GCM model. Further research on multi-model ensembles (as more models’ outputs become available) and possible key drivers may provide additional information on CMIP6 ET projections in the region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 360-360
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen Wong

Abstract Filial caregivers (e.g., individuals caring for a parent or parent-in-law) are a part of the growing number of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. The responsibilities that filial caregivers navigate in midlife and late adulthood may expose them to multiple types of discrimination that may decrease their physical health, though this relationship has been understudied. As numbers of family caregivers grow, it is important to examine the potential vulnerability of younger and older filial caregivers’ physical health in the context of discrimination. Informed by the life course perspective, this study compares the physical health of younger (aged 34-64) and older (aged 64-74) filial caregivers who experience discrimination. Filial caregivers (N=270; Mage=53; SD=9.37) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II) Survey reported on demographics, family caregiving, daily discrimination, self-rated physical health, and chronic conditions via questionnaires and phone interviews. Regression analyses showed no differences between younger and older adults’ self-rated physical health or average chronic conditions. However, moderation analyses revealed that younger filial caregivers who experienced greater discrimination reported poorer self-rated physical health than their older counter parts as well as younger and older filial caregivers who experienced less discrimination. Additionally, younger caregivers with greater discrimination exposure exhibited more number of chronic conditions as compared to other caregivers. The study results highlight the impact of the intersection between filial caregivers’ age and discrimination on physical health. Findings have the potential to inform programs that could promote the health of filial caregivers in the face of discrimination.


Author(s):  
Alison G. Vredenburgh ◽  
Rodrigo J. Daly Guris ◽  
Kevin G. Welner ◽  
Sreekanth R. Cheruku

By October, we will have learned a great deal about responding to an epidemic or pandemic that has proved to have a level of transmission unprecedented in the modern era. The possible and likely responses include many unknowns. Coordinated and collaborative implementation has been complicated by conflicting information from multiple governments and organizations in several languages. What will we learn about how the United States can improve its ability to respond? How do we develop consistent and accurate warnings and messaging to the public in order to increase compliance regarding a new, and not well understood, epidemic? What factors increase or decrease compliance? How are US education policymakers deciding about face-to-face instruction? How have physicians and hospitals adapted their workflows in the face of uncertainty and supply chain inconsistencies? This panel will include a warnings expert, an expert on education law and policy, and two physicians.


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