scholarly journals Climate Patterns in the World’s Longest History of Storm-Erosivity: The Arno River Basin, Italy, 1000–2019 CE

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazzareno Diodato ◽  
Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist ◽  
Gianni Bellocchi

Rainfall erosivity causes considerable environmental damage by driving soil loss. However, the long-term evolution of erosive forcing (over centennial to millennial time-scales) remains essentially unknown. Using a rainfall erosivity model (REMARB), this study simulates the variability of rainfall erosivity in Arno River Basin (ARB), Italy, a Mediterranean fluvial basin, for the period 1000–2019 CE resulting in the world’s longest time-series of erosivity. The annual estimates show a noticeable and increasing variability of rainfall erosivity during the Little Ice Age (∼1250–1849), especially after c. 1490, until the end of 18th century. During this cold period, erosive forcing reached ∼1600 MJ mm hm−2 h−1 yr−1 once every four years, and ∼3000 MJ mm hm−2 h−1 yr−1 once every 20 years. The extremes of rainfall erosivity (the 98th percentile) followed a similar increasing trend, with an acceleration of the hydrological hazard (erosivity per unit of rainfall) during the 20th century. The comparison of REMARB output with the sediment yield of the basin (1951–2010) confirmed the model’s ability to predict geomorphological effects in the ARB. Thus, our methodology could be applied to simulate erosivity in environmentally similar basins. A relationship has been identified between the Atlantic Multidecadal Variation and erosivity patterns, suggesting a role of North Atlantic circulation dynamics on the hydrology of central Italy’s fluvial basins.

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2249-2266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Steiger ◽  
Kerim H. Nisancioglu ◽  
Henning Åkesson ◽  
Basile de Fleurian ◽  
Faezeh M. Nick

Abstract. Rapid retreat of Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers coincides with regional warming trends, which have broadly been used to explain these rapid changes. However, outlet glaciers within similar climate regimes experience widely contrasting retreat patterns, suggesting that the local fjord geometry could be an important additional factor. To assess the relative role of climate and fjord geometry, we use the retreat history of Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland, since the Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum in 1850 as a baseline for the parameterization of a depth- and width-integrated ice flow model. The impact of fjord geometry is isolated by using a linearly increasing climate forcing since the LIA and testing a range of simplified geometries. We find that the total length of retreat is determined by external factors – such as hydrofracturing, submarine melt and buttressing by sea ice – whereas the retreat pattern is governed by the fjord geometry. Narrow and shallow areas provide pinning points and cause delayed but rapid retreat without additional climate warming, after decades of grounding line stability. We suggest that these geometric pinning points may be used to locate potential sites for moraine formation and to predict the long-term response of the glacier. As a consequence, to assess the impact of climate on the retreat history of a glacier, each system has to be analyzed with knowledge of its historic retreat and the local fjord geometry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
pp. 641-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azza Ramadan ◽  
Mark D. Wheatcroft ◽  
Adrian Quan ◽  
Krishna K. Singh ◽  
Fina Lovren ◽  
...  

Autophagy regulates cellular homeostasis and integrates the cellular pro-survival machinery. We investigated the role of autophagy in the natural history of murine abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). ApoE−/− mice were implanted with saline- or angiotensin II (Ang-II)-filled miniosmotic pumps then treated with either the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ; 50 mg·(kg body mass)–1·day–1, by intraperitoneal injection) or saline. Ang-II-elicited aneurysmal expansion of the suprarenal aorta coupled with thrombus formation were apparent 8 weeks later. CQ had no impact on the incidence (50% for Ang-II compared with 46.2% for Ang-II + CQ; P = NS) and categorical distribution of aneurysms. The markedly reduced survival rate observed with Ang-II (57.1% for Ang-II compared with 100% for saline; P < 0.05) was unaffected by CQ (61.5% for Ang-II + CQ; P = NS compared with Ang-II). CQ did not affect the mean maximum suprarenal aortic diameter (1.91 ± 0.19 mm for Ang-II compared with 1.97 ± 0.21 mm for Ang-II + CQ; P = NS). Elastin fragmentation, collagen accumulation, and smooth muscle attrition, which were higher in Ang-II-treated mice, were unaffected by CQ treatment. Long-term CQ administration does not affect the natural history and prognosis of experimental AAA, suggesting that global loss of autophagy is unlikely to be a causal factor in the development of aortic aneurysms. Manipulation of autophagy as a mechanism to reduce AAA may need re-evaluation.


Author(s):  
Paweł Bukowski ◽  
Filip Novokmet

AbstractWe construct the first consistent series on the long-term distribution of income in Poland by combining tax, household survey and national accounts data. We document a U-shaped evolution of inequalities from the end of the nineteenth century until today: (1) inequality was high before WWII; (2) abruptly fell after the introduction of communism in 1947 and stagnated at low levels during the whole communist period; (3) experienced a sharp rise with the return to capitalism in 1989. We find that official survey-based measures strongly under-estimate the rise in inequality since 1989. Our results highlight the prominent role of capital income in driving the U-shaped evolution of top income shares. The unique inequality history of Poland speaks to the central role of institutions and policies in shaping inequality in the long run.


2021 ◽  
pp. 87-99
Author(s):  
G. KH. ISMAIYLOV ◽  
◽  
N. V. MURASCHENKOVA ◽  
I. G. ISMAIYLOVA

The results of the analysis and assessment of changes in annual and seasonal characteristics of hydrometeorological processes in a private catchment area of the Kuibyshev hydroelectric complex of the Volga river are presented. To analyze the temporal dynamics of the variability of the annual and seasonal characteristics of the hydrometeorological processes in the considered territory of the river basin we used more than 100 years of observations of annual and seasonal fluctuations of lateral inflow, total atmospheric precipitation and air temperature regimes on the Volgariver. Relationship equations for annual and seasonal changes in hydrometeorological characteristics in time are obtained. It was found that long-term fluctuations of hydrometeorological processes (lateral inflow, total atmospheric precipitation and air temperature) are characterized by tendencies (trends). The analysis of these trends showed that the non-standard climatic situation, starting from the 70s of the last century, had a very significant impact on the distribution of annual and especially on the seasonal (low-water and winter) characteristics of hydrometeorological processes. It has been established that non-standard unidirectional changes are found in the fluctuations in the total atmospheric precipitation. If the winter total precipitation is characterized over the 100-year period in question by a continuously decreasing trend,the summer-autumn period is an increasing trend. This leads to the fact that long-term fluctuations in total precipitation during the period of low water are formed as a stationary process. At the same time, the total precipitation of the spring flood and inflowing to the Kuibyshev hydroelectric unit is characterized by a constantly increasing trend.


Author(s):  
Christophe Sand

New Caledonia is the southern-most archipelago of Melanesia. Its unique geological diversity, as part of the old Gondwana plate, has led to specific pedological and floral environments that have, since first human settlement, influenced the ways Pacific Islanders have occupied and used the landscape. This essay presents some of the key periods of the nearly 3,000 years of pre-colonial human settlement. After having presented a short history of archaeological research in New Caledonia, the essay focuses first on the Lapita foundation, which raises questions of long-term contacts and cultural change. The second part details the unique specificities developed during the “Traditional Kanak Cultural Complex,” during the millennium predating first European contact, as well as highlighting the massive changes brought by the introduction of new diseases, in the decades before the colonial settlement era. This leads to questions about archaeological history and the role of archaeology in the present decolonizing context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 1850013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard O. Barraqué ◽  
Patrick Laigneau ◽  
Rosa Maria Formiga-Johnsson

The Agences de l’eau (Water Agencies) are well known abroad as the French attempt to develop integrated water management at river basin scale through the implementation of the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP). Yet, after 30 years of existence, environmental economists became aware that they were not implementing the PPP, and therefore were not aiming at reducing pollution through economic efficiency. Behind the purported success story, which still attracts visitors from abroad, a crisis has been recently growing. Initially based on the model of the German (rather than Dutch) waterboards, the French system always remained fragile and quasi-unconstitutional. It failed to choose between two legal, economic and institutional conceptions of river basin management. These principles differ on the definition of the PPP, and on the role of levies paid by water users. After presenting these two contrasting visions, the paper revisits the history of the French Agences, to show that, unwilling to modify the Constitution to make room for specific institutions to manage common pool resources, Parliament and administrative elites brought the system to levels of complexity and incoherence which might doom the experiment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Anindita L. ◽  
Aris Aji K. ◽  
Arcadia Sulistijo J.

Hypertension presents an increase in blood pressure following the oral manifestations, such as gingival enlargement. A 42-year-old woman came to the General Sudirman University Dental and Oral Hospital complaining of enlarged front gums seven years ago. The patient had a history of hypertension and regularly consumed drugs, amlodipine 5 mg. Extraoral examination revealed no lymphadenopathy and no swelling of the head and neck area. Intraoral examination revealed a gingival enlargement involving the papilla to the gingival margin present on the entire upper and lower labial gingival surface. The patient's diagnosis was gingival enlargement caused by gingival enlargement due to the use of amlodipine. Gingival enlargement has been noted with long-term or high-dose amlodipine use. The mechanism of amlodipine in causing gingival enlargement is through the role of fibroblasts with abnormal susceptibility to the drug, resulting in increased levels of protein synthesis, especially collagen. The role of pro-inflammatory cytokines occurs through an increase in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 in the inflamed gingival tissue due to the gingival fibrogenic response to drugs. Therapies were DHE and scaling and root planning as phase I in periodontal treatment. Plaque elimination is vital to reduce gingival inflammation that may occur. Substitution of the drug amlodipine may be needed if there is no improvement. Based on case reports, hypertension patients who took amlodipine could have gingival enlargement. The therapy given was plaque elimination in the form of DHE and Scaling and regular check-ups with the dentist.


Author(s):  
Elena A. Schneider

The introduction sketches the contours of the British six-week invasion and eleven-month occupation of Havana in 1762–1763, a major event in the history of the Atlantic world. It describes the framework of the book, “an event history” that relies on multiple, overlapping temporal and spatial frames in order to tie together many different strands of history, historical actors, perspectives, and scales. In giving a long-term history of the causes, central dynamics, and enduring consequences of this event, the book focuses on the crucial role of the slave trade and people of African descent. The actions of people of African descent and imperial rivalry over the slave trade shaped both the invasion and occupation of Havana in ways yet to be fully understood. The rest of the book explores the painful irony that black soldiers’ brave service in Havana during the British siege helped lead to new Spanish policies that endorsed and expanded slavery and the slave trade.


1976 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 329-331
Author(s):  
William H. Jacobson

The role of the para-professional in the modern orientation and mobility program is discussed. A brief history of the mobility profession is recounted to give a proper perspective in which to view present and future trends. The para-professional is then compared with his professional counterpart, the certified orientation and mobility specialist. The attitudes, duties, and goals of the mobility specialist and his profession are explored in relationship to those of the para-professional. The author concludes that the profession is too young and the historical trend too contradictory to permit acceptance of para-professionals in the mobility program at this time.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kornelia Kończal

In early 2018, the Polish parliament adopted controversial legislation criminalising assertions regarding the complicity of the ‘Polish Nation’ and the ‘Polish State’ in the Holocaust. The so-called Polish Holocaust Law provoked not only a heated debate in Poland, but also serious international tensions. As a result, it was amended only five months after its adoption. The reason why it is worth taking a closer look at the socio-cultural foundations and political functions of the short-lived legislation is twofold. Empirically, the short history of the Law reveals a great deal about the long-term role of Jews in the Polish collective memory as an unmatched Significant Other. Conceptually, the short life of the Law, along with its afterlife, helps capture poll-driven, manifestly moralistic and anti-pluralist imaginings of the past, which I refer to as ‘mnemonic populism’. By exploring the relationship between popular and political images of the past in contemporary Poland, this article argues for joining memory and populism studies in order to better understand what can happen to history in illiberal surroundings.


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