Spatial Patterns of Intraseasonal Variability of Chlorophyll and Sea Surface Temperature in the California Current

Six years of daily satellite data are used to quantify and map intraseasonal variability of chlorophyll and sea surface temperature (SST) in the California Current. We define intraseasonal variability as temporal variation remaining after removal of interannual variability and stationary seasonal cycles. Semivariograms are used to quantify the temporal structure of residual time series. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses of semivariograms calculated across the region isolate dominant scales and corresponding spatial patterns of intraseasonal variability. The mode 1 EOFs for both chlorophyll and SST semivariograms indicate a dominant timescale of similar to 60 days. Spatial amplitudes and patterns of intraseasonal variance derived from mode 1 suggest dominant forcing of intraseasonal variability through distortion of large scale chlorophyll and SST gradients by mesoscale circulation. Intraseasonal SST variance is greatest off southern Baja and along southern Oregon and northern California. Chlorophyll variance is greatest over the shelf and slope, with elevated values closely confined to the Baja shelf and extending farthest from shore off California and the Pacific Northwest. Intraseasonal contributions to total SST variability are strongest near upwelling centers off southern Oregon and northern California, where seasonal contributions are weak. Intraseasonal variability accounts for the majority of total chlorophyll variance in most inshore areas save for southern Baja, where seasonal cycles dominate. Contributions of higher EOF modes to semivariogram structure indicate the degree to which intraseasonal variability is shifted to shorter timescales in certain areas. Comparisons of satellite-derived SST semivariograms to those calculated from co-located and concurrent buoy SST time series show similar features.

Territorial Cohesion through Spatial Policies: An Analysis with Cultural Theory and Clumsy Solutions

The European Territorial Cohesion Policy has been the subject of numerous debates in recent years. Most contributions focus on understanding the term itself and figuring out what is behind it, or arguing for or against a stronger formal competence of the European Union in this field. This article will leave out these aspects and pay attention to (undefined and legally non-binding) conceptual elements of territorial cohesion, focusing on the challenge of linking it within spatial policies and organising the relations. Therefore, the theoretical approach of Cultural Theory and its concept of clumsy solution are applied to overcome the dilemma of typical dichotomies by adding a third and a fourth (but not a fifth) perspective. In doing so, normative contradictions between different rational approaches can be revealed, explained and approached with the concept of ‘clumsy solutions’. This contribution aims at discussing how this theoretical approach helps us explain and frame a coalition between the Territorial Cohesion Policy and spatial policies. This approach contributes to finding the best way of linking and organising policies, although the solution might be clumsy according to the different rationalities involved.

Deficit actual tool use in schizophrenia is linked to structural alterations in key regions of planning and executing of tool use and connecting fibers

Introduction: Schizophrenia patients frequently suffer from complex motor abnormalities including fine and gross motor disturbances, abnormal involuntary movements, neurological soft signs and parkinsonism. These symptoms occur early in the course of the disease, continue in chronic patients and may deteriorate with antipsychotic medication. Furthermore gesture performance is impaired in patients, including the pantomime of tool use. Whether schizophrenia patients would show difficulties of actual tool use has not yet been investigated. Human tool use is complex and relies on a network of distinct and distant brain areas. We therefore aim to test if schizophrenia patients had difficulties in tool use and to assess associations with structural brain imaging using voxel based morphometry (VBM) and tract based spatial statistics (TBSS). Methode: In total, 44 patients with schizophrenia (DSM-5 criteria; 59% men, mean age 38) underwent structural MR imaging and performed the Tool-Use test. The test examines the use of a scoop and a hammer in three conditions: pantomime (without the tool), demonstration (with the tool) and actual use (with a recipient object). T1-weighted images were processed using SPM8 and DTI-data using FSL TBSS routines. To assess structural alterations of impaired tool use we first compared gray matter (GM) volume in VBM and white matter (WM) integrity in TBSS data of patients with and without difficulties of actual tool use. Next we explored correlations of Tool use scores and VBM and TBSS data. Group comparisons were family wise error corrected for multiple tests. Correlations were uncorrected (p < 0.001) with a minimum cluster threshold of 17 voxels (equivalent to a map-wise false positive rate of alpha < 0.0001 using a Monte Carlo procedure). Results: Tool use was impaired in schizophrenia (43.2% pantomime, 11.6% demonstration, 11.6% use). Impairment was related to reduced GM volume and WM integrity. Whole brain analyses detected an effect in the SMA in group analysis. Correlations of tool use scores and brain structure revealed alterations in brain areas of the dorso-dorsal pathway (superior occipital gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and dorsal premotor area) and the ventro-dorsal pathways (middle occipital gyrus, inferior parietal lobule) the action network, as well as the insula and the left hippocampus. Furthermore, significant correlations within connecting fiber tracts - particularly alterations within the bilateral corona radiata superior and anterior as well as the corpus callosum -were associated with Tool use performance. Conclusions: Tool use performance was impaired in schizophrenia, which was associated with reduced GM volume in the action network. Our results are in line with reports of impaired tool use in patients with brain lesions particularly of the dorso-dorsal and ventro-dorsal stream of the action network. In addition an effect of tool use on WM integrity was shown within fiber tracts connecting regions important for planning and executing tool use. Furthermore, hippocampus is part of a brain system responsible for spatial memory and navigation.The results suggest that structural brain alterations in the common praxis network contribute to impaired tool use in schizophrenia.

A systematized workflow for assessing land resources using readily available spatial datasets

Land degradation as well as land conservation maps at a (sub-) national scale are critical for pro-ject planning for sustainable land management. It has long been recognized that online accessible and low-cost raster data sets (e.g. Landsat imagery, SRTM-DEM’s) provide a readily available basis for land resource assessments for developing countries. However, choice of spatial, tempo-ral and spectral resolution of such data is often limited. Furthermore, while local expert knowl-edge on land degradation processes is abundant, difficulties are often encountered when linking existing knowledge with modern approaches including GIS and RS. The aim of this study was to develop an easily applicable, standardized workflow for preliminary spatial assessments of land degradation and conservation, which also allows the integration of existing expert knowledge. The core of the developed method consists of a workflow for rule-based land resource assess-ment. In a systematic way, this workflow leads from predefined land degradation and conserva-tion classes to field indicators, to suitable spatial proxy data, and finally to a set of rules for clas-sification of spatial datasets. Pre-conditions are used to narrow the area of interest. Decision tree models are used for integrating the different rules. It can be concluded that the workflow presented assists experts from different disciplines in col-laboration GIS/RS specialists in establishing a preliminary model for assessing land degradation and conservation in a spatially explicit manner. The workflow provides support when linking field indicators and spatial datasets, and when determining field indicators for groundtruthing.

Matching Social and Ecological Systems in Complex Ocean Fisheries

This paper considers ocean fisheries as complex adaptive systems and addresses the question of how human institutions might be best matched to their structure and function. Ocean ecosystems operate at multiple scales, but the management of fisheries tends to be aimed at a single species considered at a single broad scale. The paper argues that this mismatch of ecological and management scale makes it difficult to address the fine-scale aspects of ocean ecosystems, and leads to fishing rights and strategies that tend to erode the underlying structure of populations and the system itself. A successful transition to ecosystem-based management will require institutions better able to economize on the acquisition of feedback about the impact of human activities. This is likely to be achieved by multiscale institutions whose organization mirrors the spatial organization of the ecosystem and whose communications occur through a polycentric network. Better feedback will allow the exploration of fine-scale science and the employment of fine-scale fishing restraints, better adapted to the behavior of fish and habitat. The scale and scope of individual fishing rights also needs to be congruent with the spatial structure of the ecosystem. Place-based rights can be expected to create a longer private planning horizon as well as stronger incentives for the private and public acquisition of system relevant knowledge.

A novel treatment planning methodology for high dose 166Ho-DOTMP therapy in patients with multiple myeloma

Bone marrow ablation, i.e., the complete sterilization of the active bone marrow, followed by bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a comment treatment of hematological malignancies. The use of targeted bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals to selectively deliver radiation to the adjacent bone marrow cavities while sparing normal tissues is a promising technique. Current radiopharmaceutical treatment planning methods do not properly compensate for the patient-specific variable distribution of radioactive material within the skeleton. To improve the current method of internal dosimetry, novel methods for measuring the radiopharmaceutical distribution within the skeleton were developed. 99mTc-MDP was proven as an adequate surrogate for measuring 166Ho-DOTMP skeletal uptake and biodistribution, allowing these measures to be obtained faster, safer, and with higher spatial resolution. This translates directly into better measurements of the radiation dose distribution within the bone marrow. The resulting bone marrow dose-volume histograms allow prediction of the patient disease response where conventional organ scale dosimetry failed. They indicate that complete remission is only achieved when greater than 90% of the bone marrow receives at least 30 Gy. ^ Comprehensive treatment planning requires combining target and non-target organ dosimetry. Organs in the urinary tract were of special concern. The kidney dose is primarily dependent upon the mean transit time of 166 Ho-DOTMP through the kidney. Deconvolution analysis of renograms predicted a mean transit time of 2.6 minutes for 166Ho-DOTMP. The radiation dose to the urinary bladder wall is dependent upon numerous factors including patient hydration and void schedule. For beta-emitting isotopes such as 166Ho, reduction of the bladder wall dose is best accomplished through good patient hydration and ensuring a partially full bladder at the time of injection. Encouraging the patient to void frequently, or catheterizing the patient without irrigation, will not significantly reduce the bladder wall dose. ^ The results from this work will produce the most advanced treatment planning methodology for bone marrow ablation therapy using radioisotopes currently available. Treatments can be tailored specifically for each patient, including the addition of concomitant total body irradiation for patients with unfavorable dose distributions, to deliver a desired patient disease response, while minimizing the dose or toxicity to non-target organs. ^

An individual based model spatial distribution, production and biomass for Calanus finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea

The copepod Calanus finmarchicus is the dominant species of the meso-zooplankton in the Norwegian Sea, and constitutes an important link between the phytoplankton and the higher trophic levels in the Norwegian Sea food chain. An individualbased model for C. finmarchicus, based on super-individuals and evolving traits for behaviour, stages, etc., is two-way coupled to the NORWegian ECOlogical Model system (NORWECOM). One year of modelled C. finmarchicus spatial distribution, production and biomass are found to represent observations reasonably well. High C. finmarchicus abundance is found along the Norwegian shelf-break in the early summer, while the overwintering population is found along the slope and in the deeper Norwegian Sea basins. The timing of the spring bloom is generally later than in the observations. Annual Norwegian Sea production is found to be 29 million tonnes of carbon and a production to biomass (P/B) ratio of 4.3 emerges. Sensitivity tests show that the modelling system is robust to initial values of behavioural traits and with regards to the number of super-individuals simulated given that this is above about 50,000 individuals. Experiments with the model system indicate that it provides a valuable tool for studies of ecosystem responses to causative forces such as prey density or overwintering population size. For example, introducing C. finmarchicus food limitations reduces the stock dramatically, but on the other hand, a reduced stock may rebuild in one year under normal conditions. The NetCDF file contains model grid coordinates and bottom topography.

Magnetic susceptibility and electric conductivity of marine surficial sediments by benthic electromagnetic profiling

Distribution, accumulation and diagenesis of surficial sediments in coastal and continental shelf systems follow complex chains of localized processes and form deposits of great spatial variability. Given the environmental and economic relevance of ocean margins, there is growing need for innovative geophysical exploration methods to characterize seafloor sediments by more than acoustic properties. A newly conceptualized benthic profiling and data processing approach based on controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) imaging permits to coevally quantify the magnetic susceptibility and the electric conductivity of shallow marine deposits. The two physical properties differ fundamentally insofar as magnetic susceptibility mostly assesses solid particle characteristics such as terrigenous or iron mineral content, redox state and contamination level, while electric conductivity primarily relates to the fluid-filled pore space and detects salinity, porosity and grain-size variations. We develop and validate a layered half-space inversion algorithm for submarine multifrequency CSEM with concentric sensor configuration. Guided by results of modeling, we modified a commercial land CSEM sensor for submarine application, which was mounted into a nonconductive and nonmagnetic bottom-towed sled. This benthic EM profiler Neridis II achieves 25 soundings/second at 3-4 knots over continuous profiles of up to hundred kilometers. Magnetic susceptibility is determined from the 75 Hz in-phase response (90% signal originates from the top 50 cm), while electric conductivity is derived from the 5 kHz out-of-phase (quadrature) component (90% signal from the top 92 cm). Exemplary survey data from the north-west Iberian margin underline the excellent sensitivity, functionality and robustness of the system in littoral (~0-50 m) and neritic (~50-300 m) environments. Susceptibility vs. porosity cross-plots successfully identify known lithofacies units and their transitions. All presently available data indicate an eminent potential of CSEM profiling for assessing the complex distribution of shallow marine surficial sediments and for revealing climatic, hydrodynamic, diagenetic and anthropogenic factors governing their formation.

Numerical modeling of marine radiocarbon reservoir ages during the last deglaciation

A critical problem in radiocarbon dating is the spatial and temporal variability of marine reservoir ages (MRAs). We assessed the MRA evolution during the last deglaciation by numerical modeling, applying a self-consistent iteration scheme in which an existing radiocarbon chronology (derived by Hughen et al., Quat. Sci. Rev., 25, pp. 3216-3227, 2006) was readjusted by transient, 3-D simulations of marine and atmospheric Delta14C. To estimate the uncertainties regarding the ocean ventilation during the last deglaciation, we considered various ocean overturning scenarios which are based on different climatic background states (PD: modern climate, GS: LGM climate conditions). Minimum and maximum MRAs are included in file 'MRAminmax_21-14kaBP.nc'. Three further files include MRAs according to equilibrium simulations of the preindustrial ocean (file 'C14age_preindustrial.nc'; this is an update of our results published in 2005) and of the glacial ocean (files 'C14age_spinupLGM_GS.nc' and 'C14age_spinupLGM_PD.nc').

Globale räumlich-zeitliche Klimavariabilität im Holozän (GHOST) [Global Holocene Spatial and Temporal Climate Variability]

Verbindung mariner Paläotemperatur-Kurven mit dreidimensionaler, gekoppelter Atmosphäre-Ozean Modellierung [Integrating marine multiproxy temperature estimates and three-dimensional coupled atmosphere/ocean modelling] Das Projekt war ein Beitrag zur Untersuchung des Klimas des Holozäns. Es basierte auf zwei Standbeinen: Der Heranziehung von weltweit verfügbaren, unbearbeiteten, aktualisierten und neu zusammengestellten marinen multiproxy Temperaturrekonstruktionen einerseits und der Verwendung von gekoppelten Zirkulationsmodellen für Atmosphäre und Ozean andererseits. Das Modell arbeitete mit relativ geringer Auflösung und Rechenzeit und ist für transiente Simulationen des Paläoklimas angepaßt. Für eine möglichst große globale Abdeckung der Zeitserien von Klimaproxies wurden Sedimentdaten herangezogen, die eine geringe aber dennoch höchstmögliche zeitliche Auflösung im Bereich von 50 bis 200 Jahren besitzen. Sowohl Datenrekonstruktion als auch gekoppelte Klimamodellierung erzeugten dreidimensionale Datensätze, zwei räumliche Dimensionen auf der Erdoberfläche, sowie die Zeit als dritte Dimension. Raumzeitliche Muster wurden im Rahmen des Projektes untersucht. Die eingehende Analyse rekonstruierter wie der Modell-Daten sollte einerseits das Verständnis für Klimaänderungen verbessern, die in Proxydaten gefunden werden und andererseits eine Validierung der Klimavariabilität im Modell ermöglichen. Die Musteranalyse ergab Einblicke in die Mechanismen, die zur Heterogenität von Erwärmung und Abkühlung im Holozän beitragen. Die Weiterführung der Klimasimulationen des Holozäns in die Zukunft der nächsten Jahrhunderte diente einer besseren Abschätzung der zukünftigen Klimaänderung.

Spatial distribution of isotopic compositions of Globigerina bulloides and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (dex.) and the faunal assemblages of planktic foraminifera in surface sediment samples along the Chilean continental slope between 23°S and 44°S

We report on the spatial distribution of isotopic compositions of the two planktic foraminifera species Globigerina bulloides and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (dex.), and the faunal assemblages of planktic foraminifera in 91 surface sediment samples along the Chilean continental slope between 23°S and 44°S. Both d13C and d18O data of N. pachyderma (dex.) show little variability in the study area. North of 39°S, the isotopic values of N. pachyderma (dex.) are heavier than those of G. bulloides, whereas south of 39°S, this relation inverses. This is indicative for a change from a well-mixed, deep thermocline caused by coastal upwelling north of 39°S to well-stratified water masses in a non-upwelling environment south of 39°S. In addition, the faunal composition of planktic foraminifera marks this change by transition from an upwelling assemblage north of 39°S to a high-nutrient-non-upwelling assemblage south of 39°S, which is characterized by decreased contributions of upwelling indicators such as G. bulloides, N. pachyderma (sin.), and Globigerinita glutinata. In general, we can conclude that food and light rather than temperature are the primary control of the planktic foraminiferal assemblage between 23°S and 44°S off Chile. Our data point to higher marine productivity at upwelling centers north of 25°S and at 30-33°S. South of 39°S, significant supply of nutrients by fluvial input most likely boosts the productivity.