Advances in understanding large-scale responses of the water cycle to climate change

Globally, thermodynamics explains an increase in atmospheric water vapor with warming of around 7%/°C near to the surface. In contrast, global precipitation and evaporation are constrained by the Earth's energy balance to increase at ∼2–3%/°C. However, this rate of increase is suppressed by rapid atmospheric adjustments in response to greenhouse gases and absorbing aerosols that directly alter the atmospheric energy budget. Rapid adjustments to forcings, cooling effects from scattering aerosol, and observational uncertainty can explain why observed global precipitation responses are currently difficult to detect but are expected to emerge and accelerate as warming increases and aerosol forcing diminishes. Precipitation increases with warming are expected to be smaller over land than ocean due to limitations on moisture convergence, exacerbated by feedbacks and affected by rapid adjustments. Thermodynamic increases in atmospheric moisture fluxes amplify wet and dry events, driving an intensification of precipitation extremes. The rate of intensification can deviate from a simple thermodynamic response due to in‐storm and larger‐scale feedback processes, while changes in large‐scale dynamics and catchment characteristics further modulate the frequency of flooding in response to precipitation increases. Changes in atmospheric circulation in response to radiative forcing and evolving surface temperature patterns are capable of dominating water cycle changes in some regions. Moreover, the direct impact of human activities on the water cycle through water abstraction, irrigation, and land use change is already a significant component of regional water cycle change and is expected to further increase in importance as water demand grows with global population

Adaptive intelligence applied to numerical optimisation

The article presents modification strategies theoretical comparison and experimental results achieved by adaptive heuristics applied to numerical optimisation of several non-constraint test functions. The aims of the study are to identify and compare how adaptive search heuristics behave within heterogeneous search space without retuning of the search parameters. The achieved results are summarised and analysed, which could be used for comparison to other methods and further investigation

Some Observations on Financial Abuse at the Local Level

A ZJE article on corruption at the workplace in the then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe.)The title of this paper is a piece of verbatim advice given by the chairman of a selection committee to a successful job applicant. The opening quotation comes from a member of a co-operative executive committee, an immediate reaction to a fieldworker's preliminary inquiries regarding missing money in the cooperative. Taken together, these quotable field notes illustrate one of the many paradoxes of third world development. On the one hand, literacy is an essential skill in financial administration, and numeracy is even more important. On the other hand, precisely because these skills are in short supply and are not easily controlled, especially in rural areas, they are regarded with suspicion, for it is the literate, numerate individual who may use precisely these skills to defraud less educated fellows

Transcription profiling reveals potential mechanisms of dysbiosis in the oral microbiome of rhesus macaques with chronic untreated SIV infection.

A majority of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have inadequate access to antiretroviral therapy and ultimately develop debilitating oral infections that often correlate with disease progression. Due to the impracticalities of conducting host-microbe systems-based studies in HIV infected patients, we have evaluated the potential of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected rhesus macaques to serve as a non-human primate model for oral manifestations of HIV disease. We present the first description of the rhesus macaque oral microbiota and show that a mixture of human commensal bacteria and "macaque versions" of human commensals colonize the tongue dorsum and dental plaque. Our findings indicate that SIV infection results in chronic activation of antiviral and inflammatory responses in the tongue mucosa that may collectively lead to repression of epithelial development and impact the microbiome. In addition, we show that dysbiosis of the lingual microbiome in SIV infection is characterized by outgrowth of Gemella morbillorum that may result from impaired macrophage function. Finally, we provide evidence that the increased capacity of opportunistic pathogens (e.g. E. coli) to colonize the microbiome is associated with reduced production of antimicrobial peptides

Pengembangan Modul Multimedia Pembelajaran Berbasis Inkuiri Terbimbing Materi Kelarutan dan Hasil Kali Kelarutan Kelas XI SMA/MA

Penelitian pengembangan ini bertujuan untuk: 1) Mengetahui kelayakan modul multimedia berbasis inkuiri terbimbing pada materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan, 2) Mengetahui efektivitas modul multimedia berbasis inkuiri terbimbing untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa pada materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan. Penelitian ini menggunakan prosedur 4D, yakni: 1) tahap pendefinisian, 2) tahap perancangan, 3) tahap pengembangan, 4) tahap penyebaran, Penelitian dilakukan di SMA N 2 Surakarta dan SMA N 8 Surakarta. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui angket, observasi, dan tes. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: 1) Hasil penilaian siswa terhadap modul multimedia pada uji coba lapangan diperoleh nilai 84,9% dengan kategori sangat baik. Hasil penilaian guru terhadap modul multimedia pada uji coba lapangan diperoleh nilai 86,5% dengan kategori sangat baik. Sedangkan, hasil penilaian guru terhadap modul multimedia pada tahap penyebaran diperoleh nilai 90,1% dengan kategori sangat baik. 2) Hasil uji efektivitas pada SMA Negeri 2 Surakarta dan SMA Negeri 8 Surakarata diperoleh hasil bahwa pada kelas eksperimen memperoleh rata-rata nilai yang lebih tinggi dibanding kelas kontrol pada aspek pengetahuan, sikap, dan keterampilan. Pada uji kesetaraan diperoleh hasil bahwa pada kedua SMA tersebut terdapat perbedaan pada aspek pengetahuan antara kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol

Accessible Education for Muslim Learners with Disabilities: Insights from Two Case Studies

This qualitative research studied the perceptions of Muslim Learners with Disabilities (MLWD) and key informants regarding access to education utilizing case studies and thematic coding. MLWDs strongly identified with their faith as an important feature of identity. Participants were framing disability using the Islamic and the bio-medical perspectives which affirmed the synchronization of Islam with science as well as the affirmation model of disability which viewed persons with disabilities as active participants who constructed their own definitions of disability. Important elements in gaining greater access to education are: having a firm identity, parental attitudes, involvement in the child’s education, having sufficient funds, and providing a nurturing home and community. However, having grit can offset a low parental level of education, low socio-economic status, and low home and community support so that MLWDs can have greater access to education

Development of a web-based insulin decision aid for the elderly: usability barriers and guidelines

In recent years, researchers have attempted to shift patient decision aids (PDAs) from paper-based to web-based to increase its accessibility. Insulin decision aids help diabetes patients, most of whom are elderly to make an informed decision to start insulin. However, the lack of usability guidelines applicable for such target group causes developers to struggle to answer the challenging question ‘How can such web service be made usable, and, ultimately, acceptable and accessible for elderly patients?’. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify the common usability requirements that may facilitate good practices to empower elderly diabetes patients in utilizing a web-based insulin decision aid for their benefit. We set out an approach to use prototyping and retrospective think-aloud techniques to explore web usability barriers that elderly patients may encounter when using an insulin decision aid web site and use the feedback for improving the prototype. Usability requirements were captured iteratively through scoping, brainstorming, prototype, testing and evaluating. The study suggests that the insights from experts and users are equally important to assure the validity of the identified usability guidelines; they reflect the accessibility needs of the aging community while complementing the key requirements of an insulin decision aid. The study contributes to recommend web usability guidelines backed by a series of expert and user evaluations which could be a proactive resource to improve usability, acceptability and accessibility of online insulin decision aids for elderly with diabetes

Evaluation of maxillary incisor true intrusion – A comparison between mini-implants and Conventional mechanics

INTRODUCTION : Recently mini-implants are being used to provide anchorage during orthodontic treatment. In this study comparison of true intrusion of incisors with mini-implants and conventional mechanics is evaluated . METHOD : A proposed sample size of 15 patients for mini-implants anchorage and 15 patients for conventional mechanics is taken. Lateral cephalometric pre-treatment and post-treatment radiographs were analysed . RESULTS : The utility arch group and the mini-implant group individually showed significant amount of intrusion and the intergroup comparison showed that there was no significant (p>0.05) difference between the two groups in the quantum of intrusion achieved. There was mild proclination in the implant group .There was mild retroclination in the utility arch group. There was no molar movement in the implant group. There was mild mesialization and extrusion of molars in the utility arch group, but it was not significant