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Morphological examination of Anthrenus oceanicus Fauvel (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae)
No full textA morphological examination of Anthrenus oceanicus Fauvel is presented. This species is
considered a member of the Palaearctic Anthrenus pimpinellae species complex. Descriptions and images of habitus features, male terminalia, and sclerites within the bursa copulatrix are presented. The distribution of A. oceanicus is provided. Anthrenus oceanicus differs in many respects from all other members of the A. pimpinellae species complex. The conclusion is that A. oceanicus belongs to a different taxonomic lineage than the rest of the A. pimpinellae complex species
Understanding the entrainment and detrainment processes in maritime shallow cumulus clouds using Lagrangian trajectories: buoyancy sorting or acceleration sorting?
Get PDFLagrangian trajectories are studied to understand the entrainment and detrainment processes in maritime shallow cumulus clouds and to examine hypotheses in convection parameterization schemes. Analysis of vertical momentum in cumulus clouds using Lagrangian trajectories and using a bulk budget approach both indicate that the overall impact of entrainment and detrainment on momentum is to accelerate the cloud updraft, rather than acting as a drag force. Following the trajectories, it is found that the entrained air has larger mean vertical velocity than the detrained air, in contradiction with the typical assumption in the mass-flux based plume models. This finding indicates the necessity for a careful treatment of the dynamical properties in the near cloud environment. Investigating the buoyancy of entraining and detraining trajectories, we find that the widely accepted “buoyancy sorting” hypothesis is not able to correctly describe both entrainment and detrainment processes, regardless of how the cloud objects are defined. Instead, whether a mixed parcel is likely to be entrained into or detrained out of the cloud depends on its vertical acceleration. More specifically, vertically accelerated parcels near cloud edge are more likely to be entrained and vertically decelerated parcels are more likely to be detrained. Thus, the “acceleration sorting” hypothesis is proposed. Decomposition of the vertical momentum budget for the entrained and detrained trajectories shows that it is the pressure gradient acceleration, especially the dynamical pressure gradient acceleration associated with the flow structure and the effective buoyancy, rather than the buoyancy alone, that dominate the “acceleration sorting”. Our results suggest that the flow structure of cloud thermals might be a potential candidate responsible for “acceleration sorting” processes during the entrainment and detrainment
Sensitivity of the representation of polar lows to typical climate model resolutions
Get PDFPolar lows (PLs) are intense maritime mesoscale cyclones that often form during marine cold air outbreaks. The objective of this study is to determine the atmospheric model horizontal resolution needed to correctly represent PLs for climate modelling. Three simulations have been conducted with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using grid spacings of 50, 25 and 12.5 km. PLs have been tracked using a combination of objective and subjective tracking methods. The number of PLs detected in each simulation increases, and their average equivalent radius decreases, as the model resolution increases. A comparison against three PL track climatologies shows that the hit rate increases with increasing resolution of the atmospheric model. The lifetime maxima of the area-maximum 10-m wind speed and area-average surface sensible heat fluxes associated with PLs are on average 12% and 20% larger, respectively, in the higher-resolution simulations than in the lower-resolution one. The lifetime maximum of the area-maximum 1-h accumulated precipitation is 67% and 133% larger in the 25- and 12.5-km simulations, respectively, than in the lower-resolution one. We conclude that a better representation of PLs can be obtained by increasing the resolution of atmospheric models from 50 to 25 km, but further increasing the resolution to 12.5 km will not result in a substantial improvement
Asymmetric markup responses to monetary shocks over the business cycle
Get PDFA rich literature has long studied the asymmetric effects of monetary policy over the business cycle, generally presenting mixed results. Most of the empirical work, however, focuses on the responses of output and prices. Our analysis centres on the dynamics of the markup, given the key role that it plays in the transmission of monetary policy, the fact that it constitutes a key leading indicator for predicting economic and financial crises, its direct relationship with income distribution, and the scarce studies on the subject. Recent empirical findings suggest that the markup decreases (increases) in response to a monetary policy tightening (easing) shock, a counterintuitive result if we consider the basic New Keynesian model, which delivers a countercyclical response of the markup conditional on a monetary shock. We show that the dynamics of the markup depend on whether the monetary policy shock takes place during a period of expansion or recession, with the markup responding as expected in the New Keynesian model in recessions, but failing to do so in expansions. Our results have important policy implications, providing evidence that the transmission mechanism of monetary policy through the markup would not be operative during booms
Commemorating Irma Bandiera and the women of the Resistance: the monumental memoryscape of Bologna
Get PDFPublic art is fundamental in the shaping of a city’s identity: in the city of Bologna’s case, this identity is inextricably tied to the Resistance. The presence or absence of women in monumental commemorations, then, becomes a way to either include or exclude them from this shared identity. By centring its analysis on the monuments dedicated to the Resistance’s fallen erected since 1945, this article will utilise the case study of Irma Bandiera to analyse women’s presence within the commemorative topography of the city. Through the study of two monuments, the Monumento Ossario ai Caduti Partigiani and the Memoriale alle 128 partigiane cadute, this article will also highlight the role of the local community in the creation of a shared and representative identity
Spatial planning for thermal comfort justice in an era of climate extremes: the case of Mardin, Türkiye
No full textTo date, thermal comfort has been understood either as an individual (bodily) issue to be modified for those able
to via consumption-side measures such as air conditioning, or as a technical question requiring adaptations pre-
dominantly at the building scale. Contributing to literature at the interface of critical temperature, urban heat
and climate justice studies and spatial planning, the paper frames thermal (dis)comfort as a critical urban gover-
nance and social justice issue. The paper considers the potential of spatial planning systems to deliver more ther-
mally-just built environments. Presenting an illustrative case study of the city of Mardin in south-eastern
Türkiye, it explores the barriers to planning for thermally comfortable urban environments in the context of ex-
treme heat. The results show that while the city's planning systems are procedurally robust, they fail to position
thermal (dis)comfort as a socio-spatial justice issue requiring a scalar (e.g. city-level) response. Drawing on the case study, and the literature review, the paper presents a two-stage set of recommendations to embed thermal
comfort justice within planning systems
Park Life: the difference between having financial information and understanding it on park home owners’ quality of life
No full textFew older people move each year, yet many are open to moving if it improves their quality of life and enables them to live independently. Residential park homes, manufactured homes typically owned by the resident but sited on rented land, are marketed as a relatively luxurious affordable downsizing option for older people who wish to maintain their independence. A notable characteristic of the sector is a 10% commission on the resale value of a dwelling. We utilise unique data from a large-scale survey (N=1521) of park home residents to investigate how the provision and clarity of information regarding this commission at the time of purchase influences the subjective wellbeing of park home owners. Our empirical analysis reveals that clear, fully understood information about the commission significantly enhances owners’ subjective life satisfaction, whereas mere awareness of this commission does not have a statistically significant effect. Our findings extend the understanding of the effect of (asymmetrical) information in housing decision making and provide specific insights for promoting residential mobility which extend beyond this niche housing sector
Constructing country‐specific debt indices for developing countries
Get PDFContemporary crises continue to keep governments in protracted periods of borrowing, increasing the stock and flow of sovereign indebtedness. Especially for developing economies and small states, singular metrics of public debt such as the debt-to-GDP ratio may not reflect the country's true debt position. We consolidate various indicators of public debt to construct a novel composite debt index and its companion debt volatility index. We demonstrate our approach, based on principal component analysis, using a natural resource-rich but relatively data-poor country, Trinidad and Tobago, where debt management is a recurring macroeconomic concern, but comprehensive debt indices remain unavailable. The movements in our indices align with historical episodes that would influence country-specific public debt levels. Our approach is straightforward to adapt and apply to developing countries, where a uniform measure of debt is either unavailable or provides an incomplete perspective of fiscal stress when such a measure exists. We further illustrate the usefulness of the constructed indices by investigating the debt-growth nexus. Consistent with several empirical studies, our novel debt indices for this country provide evidence of a negative, significant, and robust impact of debt on growth when the traditional debt-to-GDP measure suggests none
Navigating challenges in peer support work: perspectives of peer supporters from a stepped care intervention for older adults with depressive symptoms
Get PDFServing as peer supporters in later life has been linked to a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. How the wisdom of older adults could be leveraged to improve the implementation of peer support work, however, has rarely been considered. We aimed to examine the perspectives of peer supporters in this study, including the challenges they encountered in practice and the strategies they developed to navigate their roles. Methods: A series of semi‐structured focus group interviews was conducted with 23 peer supporters (mean age = 66.2 years, SD = 7.1) in a community‐based stepped‐care intervention service for depressive symptoms in older adults aged 60 years and older in Hong Kong. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis and discussed with peer supporters to ensure relevance. Results: Three themes emerged to reflect challenges faced in peer support work: role ambiguity, boundary setting, and engaging with service users. To address these challenges, centring attention on meaningful engagement with users, managing expectations of users regarding the scope of peer support, and expanding the social networks of both users and peer supporters were prioritised. The importance of professional development through continuous learning and mentorship programmes, as well as creating user‐centred environments, was also highlighted. Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that older adults have the potential to actively navigate through service challenges by leveraging their internal capabilities and external resources. Integrating these insights into future peer support service design could enhance service delivery and empower older adults to become active agents of employment and care, thereby contributing to productive and healthy ageing initiatives. Patient and Public Contribution: The Joy Age Peer Support network adopts a co‐production and partnership approach to designing all services and research. The present work was part of an effort to ensure that the lived experiences and wisdom of peer supporters could be reflected in future service design. All findings of this study were discussed with peer supporters to ensure their relevance
Performance evaluation of real-time sub-to-seasonal (S2S) rainfall forecasts over West Africa of 2020 and 2021 monsoon seasons for operational use
Get PDFAccurate sub-seasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) forecasts are critical for mitigating extreme weather impacts and supporting development in West Africa. This study evaluates real-time ECMWF S2S rainfall forecasts during the 2020–2021 West African monsoon (March–October) and uses corresponding hindcasts for comparison. We verify forecasts at 1–4 dekads lead against two satellite-based rainfall datasets (TAMSAT and GPM-IMERG) to cover observational uncertainty. The analysis focuses on spatio-temporal monsoon patterns over the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) and Sahel (SAH). The results show that ECMWF-S2S captures key monsoon features. The forecast skill is generally higher over the Sahel than the GoG, and peaks during the main monsoon period (July–August). Notably, forecasts achieve approximately 80% synchronization with observed rainfall-anomaly timing, indicating that roughly 4 out of 5 dekads have correctly predicted wet/dry phases. Probabilistic evaluation shows strong reliability. The debiased ranked probability skill score (RPSS) is high across thresholds, whereas the average ROC AUC (~0.68) indicates moderate discrimination. However, forecasts tend to under-predict very low rains in the GoG and very high rains in the Sahel. Using multiple datasets and robust metrics helps mitigate observational uncertainty. These results, for the first real-time S2S pilot over West Africa, demonstrate that ECMWF rainfall forecasts are skillful and actionable (especially up to 2–3 dekads ahead), providing confidence for early-warning and planning systems in the region