University at Albany, State University of New York
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Understanding Variations And Trends In Convection Over The Congo Basin From A Diurnal Perspective
Get PDFTropical rainforests regulate global and regional climate systems and play a vital role in the world’s water and carbon cycles. The Congo Basin, situated in central equatorial Africa, is home to the second largest rainforest on the planet and is one of the most convective regions in the world. Recent studies indicate that a large-scale and long-term drying trend, characterized by an increase in dry season length, a decrease in forest greenness, and a decrease in precipitation, has been stressing the region since the 1980’s. Despite the alarming drying trend and the Congo’s important role in the planetary circulation and the global terrestrial water and biochemical cycles, the region remains largely understudied compared to other major rainforests. Motivated by the need to better understand changes in convection and its associations with the drying trend, this dissertation aims to investigate variations and trends in convection from a diurnal perspective and explores relevant physical processes over the region. First, trends in thunderstorm activity were investigated from 1983 to 2018 across all seasons, i.e., December-February (DJF), March-May (MAM), June-August (JJA), and September-November (SON). An analysis of Gridded Satellite (GridSat-B1) cold cloud fractions (i.e., areas with low brightness temperatures) and the Gálvez-Davison Index (GDI) reveals an increase in thunderstorm activity throughout all seasons, primarily linked to a decrease in hydrostatic stability. More specifically, the observed changes can be attributed to a decrease in temperature at 500 hPa, an increase in the temperature gradient between 700 and 950 hPa, and a decrease of the equivalent potential temperature (θe) gradient with height. These changes collectively act to decrease vertical stability and subsequently increase convective activity over the region. Second, to increase our understanding of trends in thunderstorms over the Congo, changes in the diurnal cycle of convection were investigated from 1979 to 2019, and possible connections to the observed drying trend were explored. An analysis of the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data (ERA5) as well as GridSat-B1 and MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data highlight a decrease in clouds in the morning, contrasted by an increase in clouds and convective activity in the afternoon, during all four seasons. Additionally, findings revealed a decrease in precipitation efficiency (i.e., the ratio between rainfall and total column water) and an increase in cloud base height. These detected changes can potentially be connected to the drying conditions over the region. Elevated surface temperatures and reduced surface relative humidity will likely raise the lifting condensation level, and ultimately decrease the precipitation efficiency. These factors would collectively exacerbate the existing drying trend. Third, the impacts of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) on the diurnal cycles of convection and precipitation were evaluated during October through March from 1985 to 2019. GridSat-B1 and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite data were used in conjunction with ERA5 reanalysis data, aiming to investigate the differences in the diurnal cycles of convection and precipitation during the MJO enhanced convective phase (RMM phases 1 and 2) versus the MJO suppressed convective phase (RMM phases 5 and 6). Results indicate increased precipitation and convection during the MJO enhanced convective phase and decreased precipitation and convection during the MJO suppressed convective phase as would be expected, where the largest differences were discovered during the morning hours, the time of day when convective processes are weakest. Additionally, the MJO’s impact on stratiform precipitation was found to be more pronounced, while the convective precipitation fractions remain similar during both MJO phases. These identified changes were attributed to MJO induced shifts in circulation patterns: Enhanced upward air motion in the mid- and upper levels coupled with strong divergence in the upper levels act to increase stratiform rainfall during the enhanced phase. In contrast, the suppressed phase is characterized by strong mid-level divergence and upper- to mid-level subsidence, mainly during the nighttime and morning hours, resulting in decreased convection and precipitation. Finally, the impacts of drying soils associated with the Congo drying trend on atmospheric stability and convection were investigated by using the Weather Forecasting and Research (WRF) model. The WRF model was run at a 4 km convection permitting resolution, and hourly ERA5 reanalysis data were used for initial and boundary conditions. Two sets of WRF simulations were conducted, i.e., one dry season case (16-January to 21-January 2018) and one wet season case (21-October to 26-October 2019), resulting in two six-day case studies. For the experiment run (EXP), the soil moisture was decreased by 50% compared to the control run (CTL). No other changes were made to the EXP run. Results highlight a decrease in low-level clouds with drier soils, which was attributed to the simulated decrease in near surface water vapor and increase in temperature in the lower levels. Conversely, mid- and high-level clouds were increased. Factors contributing to the observed increase in clouds include increased lifting condensation level (LCL) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights and decreased atmospheric stability due to the warming of the lower levels. Additionally, simulated circulation changes such as increased vertical velocity as well as increased near surface convergence and mid-level divergence likely contribute to the increase in mid-level clouds. Comparing both case studies, the changes during the dry season were more pronounced, possibly due to the already limited moisture availability, while the changes during the wet season were comparatively more subtle
A Reimagined Periphery: Environment And The Construction Of The French Colonial Empire In North Africa
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the relationship between environmental knowledge and empire building in French North Africa during nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Since its 1830 invasion of Algiers, France engaged in a century-long conquest of the Maghreb, extending sphere of influence to the neighboring regions of Tunisia, Morocco, and the Soudan. Under the guise of the mission civilisatrice, colonialists stressed their conquest’s goal of spreading enlightened French civilization for the benefit of both the indigenous populations and the world at large. France’s conquest of North Africa was not, however, solely focused on the peoples and cultures of the region. Simultaneously, France engaged in a conquest of the varied and often hostile environments of North Africa, seeking to subdue nature for the benefit of the colonial enterprise. This dissertation analyzes several key projects designed to “correct” the perceived “backwardness” of the North African landscape, focusing on the urban and rural environments of Algeria and Tunisia. Applying James C. Scott’s “high modernist ideology” framework for colonial expansion, this dissertation examines infrastructural development as a means of making the urban and rural landscapes of Algeria and Tunisia more “legible” and thus manageable. Projects including urban planning and renewal, intracolonial railway development, and large-scale hydroengineering were part of this broader effort to tame environments perceived to be unpredictable and unproductive. With few exceptions, these projects largely failed after decades of surveys, debates, and investments. Much like France’s failure to subdue the peoples of the Maghreb, its attempts to quell and manage nature were largely fruitless, but they nonetheless exerted an influence on the development of French environmental knowledge as well as the development activities of post-colonial states in the region
Determining The Time Since Deposition Of Bloodstains Based On Vibrational Spectroscopy For Forensic Purposes
Get PDFAt the scene of violent crimes, bloodstain evidence is one of the most frequently found and valuable types of evidence. Blood traces discovered at crime scenes can provide crucial information to an investigation. By obtaining a DNA profile from the bloodstain, the profile can be used to link someone to a crime scene, which can corroborate or dispute a witness\u27s statement. However, the current analysis of bloodstains is still not able to answer a key question for investigators: how much time has passed since the criminal event occurred? In addition, an equally important aspect of crime reconstruction is the ability to determine which bloodstains are relevant to the crime based on the time since deposition. This research primarily focuses on answering that question, using vibrational spectroscopy methods to determine the time since deposition of peripheral and menstrual bloodstains. Raman spectroscopy paired with chemometrics was utilized for the prediction of TSD (time since deposition) for bloodstains aged under an extreme thermal environment (35°C to 55°C) up to one-week post-deposition. It was found that peripheral bloodstains degraded faster when exposed to an extreme thermal environment. TSD quantitative predictions were accomplished through the creation of classification and regression models
Identifying Novel Therapeutics And Modifiers Of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1
Get PDFThe expansion of microsatellite repeats within the human genome has been identified as the cause of numerous hereditary diseases, including myotonic dystrophy (DM). DM is an autosomal dominant disease with a worldwide prevalence of ~1:8000 individuals. DM presents multisystemic symptoms such as myotonia, cardiac conduction defects, muscle wasting and weakness, insulin resistance, and cataracts. There are two genetically distinct, yet clinically similar types of DM: DM type 1 (DM1), caused by CTG repeat expansions in the 3’ UTR of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene and DM type 2 (DM2), resulting from CCTG repeat expansions in the first intron of the CCHC-type zinc finger nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) gene. When transcribed, these repeat expansions produce toxic expansion RNAs that sequester RNA binding proteins (RBPs), like the muscleblind-like (MBNL) family of alternative splicing regulators, leading to the loss of their function. Dysregulation of splicing (mis-splicing) is one of the effects from the expanded toxic RNAs and has been correlated to multiple symptoms observed in DM. While there is currently no cure or effective treatment for DM, different therapeutic approaches are currently being explored for the disease. Our lab has focused on the design and testing of small molecules, such as diamidines and microtubule inhibitors, that have been shown to reduce the toxicity of the expanded repeats. Unfortunately, many of these compounds are toxic, have significant off-target effects or only demonstrate modest splicing rescue. Based on our previous work we have designed and produced a series of novel small molecules referred to as modified polycyclic compounds (MPCs). To assess which MPCs could serve as potential DM1 therapeutics, we screened more than twenty of these new compounds in patient derived fibroblasts for their ability to rescue DM1 mis-spliced exons. We have identified four MPCs which partially rescued mis-splicing in DM1 fibroblasts and based on a splicing score metric selected three of the MPCs for further testing in patient derived myotubes. Our lead MPCs, MPC03 and MPC04, were able to partially rescue mis-splicing at nanomolar concentrations in both fibroblasts and myotubes while showing minimal effects on cell viability. We also assessed global effects of MPCs through RNA sequencing of myotube samples and observed rescue of DM1 associated mis-splicing. We tested our lead MPCs in a DM1 mouse model which contains expanded CTG repeats in a human skeletal actin transgene (HSALR). In a five-day pilot study, MPC03 and MPC04 were able to decrease the transgene levels of expanded CUG repeats in this mouse model and partially rescued mis-splicing. Based on their activity in human cell models with minimal cell viability effects and the reduction of the CUG transgene in the HSALR, MPCs are a promising class of small molecules for DM1. Another aspect of DM1 explored in this dissertation is the existence of disease modifiers as a possible explanation of the heterogeneity observed in DM1 in terms of severity and symptoms. Based on a screen in a CUG repeat expansion HeLa cell line, we observed that knock down of core spliceosome components can modulate expanded CUG RNA levels and reduce the severity of mis-splicing. These findings were also observed in DM1 fibroblasts and myoblasts as knockdown of Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein D2 (SNRPD2) reduced DMPK transcript levels and shifted inclusion levels of exons mis-spliced in DM1 towards unaffected levels. In summary, the research presented in this thesis identified potential new therapeutics for DM as well as showing that components of the spliceosome can act as modifiers in patient-derived cell models. Future studies will determine the potential for MPCs to move into clinical studies and the role of spliceosome components to act as modifiers of the disease
Client Treatment Preferences In Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy For Depression In Participants With Depressive Symptoms
Get PDFResearch on psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), a promising treatment option for major depression, has not revealed if potential clients show preferences about the demographic characteristics of providers comparable to those common in other forms of psychotherapy. Previous work suggests that honoring comparable client preferences can enhance therapeutic outcomes. This study aims to investigate the importance ratings for a same-gender and a same-race therapist in both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and PAT
Trivial Units In Truncated Group Rings
Get PDFIn this thesis we classify all finite groups where the corresponding truncated group ring over the ring of algebraic integers of quadratic imaginary fields has only trivial units. This is done by extending the thesis of Brian Rich to quadratic imaginary number fields and also covering the case of non-abelian groups over ordinary integers. We also show a different method to prove the theorems of Higman and Herman-Li for ordinary group rings. The motivation for determining the units of truncated group rings is in determining the subgroup of Swan classes that arises in integral representation theory
Social Emotional Engagement In Knowledge Building In Grade 5 Science Classrooms
Get PDFThis dissertation examines students’ social-emotional experience with knowledge building pedagogy from the lenses of grit and growth mindset. The goal of this dissertation is to understand how interest, perseverance of effort and growth mindset oriented feedback engage students social emotionally in knowledge building to sustain and deepen their inquiry and discourse. This dissertation includes two qualitative studies across two separate school years. Study 1 examines how fifth-grade students perceived and coped with the new changes and challenges brought to them by knowledge building pedagogy. The goal of Study 1 is to understand students’ social-emotional engagement in knowledge building at individual level. The data source is nine students’ interview transcripts. The findings show that students made cognitive and social emotional efforts to address a range of knowledge building inquiry challenges. Study 2 examines both individual students’ social emotional experience with knowledge building pedagogy and how growth-mindset oriented feedback supported students’ interest and perseverance of effort in pursuing and deepening their science inquiry. The goal of Study 2 is to understand students’ social-emotional engagement in knowledge building at both individual and community levels. The data source includes eight students’ interview transcripts, and video-recordings and transcripts of nine classroom meetings. Deductive and inductive approaches to data analysis were applied to analyze the class recording data. The findings suggest that student’s interest and persistent effort, as well as teacher’s growth mindset oriented feedback in the knowledge building community, engage students social emotionally to face and overcome inquiry challenges to achieve community knowledge advancement
A Systematic Literature Review Of Online Learning And Mathematics Achievement Among Students With Disabilities, English Language Learners, And Impoverished Students
Get PDFOnline instruction has become increasingly utilized in K-12 education. Used by alternativeschool settings for multiple decades, the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of students in public, charter, and private schools into online learning spaces in early 2020. Almost every student, including those most vulnerable to academic difficulties, engaged in core academic instruction utilizing online learning modalities for extended periods of time. The current study is a systematic literature review of the impact of online learning modalities on academic achievement in mathematics among K-12 students with disabilities, English language learners, and students from impoverished backgrounds. Retrieving research from two databases utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a total of 24 articles were reviewed. Overall findings, limitations of the extent research, and future research directions are discussed
“Don’T Assume You Know What You’Re Dealing With” Experiences Of Autistic Adults In The Workplace
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Cultural and Environmental Change in a Period of Westernized Tourism: Bali, Indonesia
Get PDFDutch colonizers opened Bali for tourism at the beginning of the 20th century, and since that time tourism has led to changes in Bali’s culture, environment, and local resources. In the late 1900s, tourism grew to a new level, which resulted in a shift of industry control away from Balinese people. This project examines the problem of tourism from a social and environmental science lens. By compiling literature and science from various fields of study, this project aims to illustrate the complexity of Bali’s tourism problem in an interdisciplinary way. The lack of local control over tourism perpetuated and exacerbated the damage to Bali’s culture and environment resulting in over development, loss of natural resources, and poor waste disposal systems. Indonesia, and Bali specifically, need an improved system to control tourism which could promote sustainability of culture and land. Improvement of the Environmental Impact Assessment and incorporation of traditional Balinese knowledge could help promote sustainable tourism while making experiences more authentic for visitors. This project emphasizes the importance of looking at issues with an interdisciplinary lens to develop a comprehensive solution