NAEA News, Volume 63, Number 4, August–September 2021

The Indian summer monsoon season (June to September) has been divided into two sub-seasons, viz., June + July (JJ) and August + September (AS). The performance of all-India AS rainfall has been examined when JJ rainfall is reported as being in excess/deficit, during the period 1871–2012. The study shows that the performance of AS rainfall is higher/lower than the JJ rainfall when JJ rainfall is in deficit/excess. The mean values of JJ and AS rainfalls are computed when JJ rainfall is in deficit/excess. The difference between the mean values is statistically significant. Sea surface temperature (SST) data over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal for the period 1941–2011 have been used to examine the relationship between JJ SST and JJ, AS and AS − JJ (AS minus JJ) rainfalls. A statistically significant negative correlation is observed between JJ SST and JJ rainfall while significant positive correlation is observed between JJ SST and AS − JJ rainfall. The sub-seasonal relationship has been explained through the changes in the surface meridional temperature gradient over the Indian land and Oceanic regions in the JJ sub-season due to the performance of rainfall during the JJ sub-season. Wind data at 850 and 200 hPa levels for the period 1949–2012 have been analyzed to examine anomalies during deficit and excess JJ years. During deficit JJ rainfall years, easterly wind anomalies are observed at lower tropospheric levels over the Arabian Sea, which influence SST distributions. The SST distribution strengthens the meridional temperature gradient for developing the strong monsoon circulation during the AS sub-season thereby increasing the AS rainfall. A reverse situation is observed during excess JJ sub-seasons.

During the last two decades, forest and land fire is a catastrophic event that happens almost every year in Indonesia. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technic to monitor forest fires using satellite data to obtain the latest information of burned area in a large scale area. The objective of this research is to develop a method for burned area mapping that happened between two Landsat 8 data recording on August 13rd and September 14th 2015. Burned area was defined as a burned area of vegetation. The hotspot distribution during the period August - September 2015 was used to help visual identification of burned area on the Landsat image and to verify the burned area resulted from this research. Samples were taken at several land covers to determine the spectral pattern differences among burned area, bare area and other land covers, and then the analysis was performed to determine the suitable spectral bands or indices and threshold values that will be used in the model. Landsat recorded on August 13rd before the fire was extracted for soil, while Landsat recorded on September 14th after the fire was extracted for burned area. Multi-temporal analysis was done to get the burned area occurring during the certain period. The results showed that the clouds could be separated using combination of ocean blue and cirrus bands, the burned area was extracted using a combination of NIR and SWIR band, while soil was extracted using ratio SWIR / NIR. Burned area obtained in this study had high correlation with the hotspot density of MODIS with the accuracy was around 82,4 %.

Effect of nutritional flushing on the productivity of Finnish Landrace ewes

The reproductive function of ewes and the development of their offspring are largely influenced by their clinical condition and the temperature of the environment. The maximum temperature values have significantly increased over the last two decades, making climate change a pressing issue for sheep breeding worldwide, including Ukraine. The consequences of exposure to high temperatures of the outside air, above all, in the mating season, can be marked by a significant increase in the heat load on the body of the brood stock, a decrease in clinical indicators and reproductive capacity. On the other hand, the current understanding of how these components interact is insufficient, which conditions the relevance of this work. In order to determine the effective terms of insemination of sheep in the mating season of 2021, taking into account the terms of insemination and the characteristics of the outside air temperature, three technological groups of ewes were formed, which were in the same flock and were artificially inseminated with freshly obtained sperm from the same breeders in August–September: from August 15 to August 27; from August 28 to September 9 and from September 10 to September 21. It was discovered that ewes inseminated between August 28th and September 9th were less adaptable to environmental conditions, experiencing increased daily fluctuations of body temperature, pulse and breathing rates, stillborn lambs, cases of abortion, and decreased preservation of young animals, including ewe lambs, which are highly valuable in breeding – by 15.8% and 10.9% concerning the initial and final phases of the insemination period. However, the young lambs born from ewes inseminated between August 15th and August 27th had the highest survival rate until weaning due to better survival of ewe lambs compared to those inseminated during later phases of the mating season against the background of a lower percentage of output of rams until the moment of weaning against ewes that were inseminated from August 28 to September 9. It has been shown that the growth rate of lambs during early postnatal development varies depending on the timing of their mothers' insemination. Ewes inseminated between August 15th and 27th produced lambs with the highest weight at 90 days, reaching 26.81 and 24.18 kg, respectively; 20.1% and 26.8% more than rams, and 19.1% and 18.8% more than female lambs whose mothers were inseminated in the middle and at the end of the breeding season. A similar picture is characteristic of the average daily growth values. It was determined that the formation of clinical indicators, and above all, the body temperature of young animals born from mothers fertilized at the beginning and in the middle of the mating season, was the most intense. The results of this study made it possible to understand the adaptive mechanisms of the response of sheep to changes in environmental temperature, which will be useful in future investigations to determine its effect on the thermopotential and clinical condition of lambs during the first day after birth, which is the most critical.

Animals living in nontropical climates modify their physiology and behavior to adapt to seasonal environmental changes. Part of this adaptation involves the release of catecholamine from sympathetic nerve endings and the adrenal medulla, which play a major role in regulating energy balance. The aim of this work was to investigate whether adult male viscachas in their natural habitat exhibits structural changes in the adrenal medulla during the annual seasonal cycle. In August-September, chromaffin granules revealed ultrastructural changes suggestive of piecemeal degranulation. Quantitative morphometric analysis by transmission electron microscopy showed a significantly lower percentage of resting chromaffin granules and a higher percentage of altered granules and empty containers in August-September (late winter) compared to February-March (late summer), suggesting an increased secretory process of catecholamines in August-September. The mechanism of piecemeal degranulation might amplify this process, encouraging the adaptive response to winter environmental conditions. Tissue levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine (analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography) changed throughout the year, reaching maximum values in February-March and minimum values in August-September. These results demonstrate morphological and biochemical seasonal variations of the adrenal medulla, suggesting that epinephrine might promote energy mobilization, which allow the Lagostomus to cope with adverse environmental conditions and thus to survive during winter season.

Low-frequency intraseasonal oscillations in the tropical atmosphere in general circulation models (GCMs) were studied extensively in many previous studies. However, the simulation of the quasi-biweekly oscillation (QBWO), which is an important component of the intraseasonal oscillations, in GCMs has not received much attention. This paper evaluates the QBWO features over the South China Sea in early [May–June (MJ)] and late [August–September (AS)] summer in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model, version 5.3 (CAM5), using observations and reanalysis data. Results show that the major features of the spatial distribution of the QBWO in both MJ and AS are simulated reasonably well by the model, although the amplitude of the variation is overestimated. CAM5 captures the local oscillation in MJ and the westward propagation in AS of the QBWO. Although there are important biases in geographical location and intensity in MJ, the model represents the QBWO horizontal and vertical structure qualitatively well in AS. The diagnosis of the eddy vorticity budget is conducted to better understand the QBWO activities in the model. Both horizontal advection of relative vorticity and that of planetary vorticity (Coriolis parameter) are important for the local evolution of the QBWO in MJ in observations as well as model simulation, whereas advection of planetary vorticity contributes to the westward propagation of QBWO vorticity anomalies in AS. Since the Coriolis parameter f only changes with latitude, this suggests that the correct simulation of anomalous meridional wind is a key factor in the realistic simulation of the QBWO in the model.

Previous studies suggested that sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical central‐eastern Pacific (TCEP) and tropical Northern Atlantic (TNA) both have significant impacts on the inter‐annual variation of precipitation over the monsoon transitional zone (MTZ) in China during August–September. This study further reveals that the relationship between TCEP (TNA) SST and MTZ precipitation during August–September is strongly modulated by the sign of the TNA (TCEP) SST. When TCEP and TNA SST anomalies have the same sign, connections of the TCEP and TNA SST with the MTZ precipitation are unclear. In contrast, TCEP and TNA SST changes both have significant relation with the MTZ precipitation when they have the opposite sign. During the same‐sign years, the anticyclonic (cyclonic) anomaly over the western North Pacific generated by the TCEP SST cooling (warming) is weakened by the cyclonic (anticyclonic) anomaly triggered by the TNA SST cooling (warming). Thus, connections of the MTZ precipitation with the TCEP and TNA SST are weak. However, during the opposite‐sign years, the anticyclonic anomalies over the western North Pacific generated by the TCEP SST anomalies have a constructive superposition on those induced by the TNA SST changes. As such, connections of the TCEP and TNA SST with the MTZ precipitation variation are significant. Further analysis shows that the prediction skill of precipitation over the MTZ is enhanced if taking both the TCEP and TNA SST signals into account.

In the current manuscript, we investigate the relationship between sea‐ice extent (August–September) over Kara–Laptev Seas (SIEKL) and the variability of Ural blocking in the following winter months (December–February, DJF). It is found that the linkage between SIEKL and Ural blocking in the following winter arises partly due to the influence of barotropic teleconnection pattern, emanated from the east coast of North America. The teleconnection can influence the mean Kara–Laptev sea ice variability during August–September. The memory of this teleconnection in the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the North Atlantic Ocean further influences the Ural blocking in the following winter. The relationship between the SIEKL and Ural blocking has experienced a significant interdecadal change around mid‐1990s. The SIEKL‐related positive geopotential height anomalies over the Ural Mountains in the following winter are stronger during 1979–1996 period compare to the 1997–2017 periods. The differences in geopotential height anomalies between the two periods are related to the differences in the strength of synoptic‐scale eddy feedback. The feedback is stronger in the earlier period, which is conductive to the maintenance and amplification of positive geopotential height anomalies over the Ural Mountains, whereas the feedback is weaker in the later period. Further analysis suggests that the weakening of synoptic‐scale eddy feedback is due to weakening in the intensity of wintertime synoptic‐scale eddy activity on an interdecadal scale over the Barents Sea and northern Siberian sector.

Haze pollution in central North China has become a hot topic in recent decades due to its serious environmental and health effects. In this work, the interannual relationship between haze days in December–January (DJ_HD) and leaf area index in August–September (AS_LAI) over central North China, along with the possible physical mechanisms involved, are investigated. The relationship varies in different periods, being significant during 1982–2000 (P1) but insignificant during 2001–2014 (P2). During P1, there is an in-phase relationship between AS_LAI and surface evaporation, and an out-of-phase relationship between AS_LAI and surface albedo in August–September. The surface evaporation and albedo anomalies persist to October–November and are associated with lower top-layer volumetric soil water, upward sensible heat flux and downward latent heat flux anomalies in October–November, which act as the bridge in the relationship between AS_LAI and DJ_HD. Both the volumetric soil water and heat fluxes anomalies persist to December–January and correspond to atmospheric circulations similar to the weakened East Asian winter monsoon pattern, which is the dominant system for winter haze events. Thus, the ventilation conditions in December–January are favorable for the accumulation of haze particles. However, during P2, the relationships are not significant between AS_LAI and volumetric soil water or surface soil temperature during October–January. Meanwhile, the East Asian winter monsoon is likely strengthened and tends to be more significantly affected by factors including Arctic sea ice, Arctic Oscillation, etc. Therefore, the effects of AS_LAI on the monsoon may become insignificant and, in turn, the relationship between AS_LAI and DJ_HD becomes insignificant during P2.

Sex ratio in catches of American mink – How to catch the females

Abstract. Using an intermediate-complexity UVic Earth System Climate Model (UVic Model), the geographical and seasonal implications and indicative senses of the Guliya temperature proxy found in the Guliya δ18O ice core record (hereinafter, the Guliya δ18O-temperature proxy record) are investigated under time-dependent orbital and CO2 forcings with an acceleration factor of 50 over the past 130 ka. The results reveal that the simulated August–September Guliya surface air temperature (SAT) reproduces the 21-ka precession and 43-ka obliquity cycles of the Guliya δ18O-temperature proxy record, showing an in-phase variation with the latter. Moreover, the Guliya δ18O-temperature proxy record may be also an indicator of the August–September Northern Hemispheric (NH) SAT. Corresponding to the difference between the extreme warm and cold phases of the precession cycle in the Guliya August–September SAT, there are two anomalous patterns in SAT and sea surface temperature (SST). The first anomalous pattern shows increases of SAT and SST toward the Arctic, which is possibly associated with an increase of the NH incoming solar radiation that is caused by the in-phase superposition between the precession and obliquity cycles. The second anomalous pattern shows increases of SAT and SST toward the equator, which is possibly due to a decrease of incoming solar radiation over the NH polar that results from the anti-phase counteraction between the precession and obliquity cycles. The summer (winter) Guliya and NH temperatures are higher (lower) in the warm phases of the August–September Guliya than in their cold phases. Moreover, in August–September, the Guliya SAT is closely related to the North Atlantic SST, in which the Guliya precipitation might act as a "bridge" linking the Guliya SAT and the North Atlantic SST.

BACKGROUND Studies of early to mid-20th century birth records found that people with schizophrenia had been born most often in late winter (February–March) and least often in late summer (August–September). A late-winter birth peak coinciding with the schizophrenia peak also occurred during those times in the non-schizophrenic general populations. Ödegård suggested in 1977 that the schizophrenia and general-birth rhythms represented the same phenomenon, with the former being a mere exaggeration of the latter. However, unlike the schizophrenia rhythm, the general-population birth rhythm was bimodal, with a second peak occurring in August–September and coinciding with the schizophrenia dip. METHODS We reexamined those intriguing coincidences in light of newer findings including evidence of a schizophrenia-like rhythm of births in neural tube defects (NTDs) and extreme left-handedness. RESULTS Based on U.S. data, we found that for all three anomalies (schizophrenia, NTDs, and sinistrality) the maximum risk and the minimum risk (a resistance peak) coincided with, respectively, the February–March and August–September peaks of general-population births. We also found that, while superficially similar, the two general-birth peaks were more likely to represent different phenomena with opposite causes (possibly the June vs December sunlight) and radically different mechanisms of enhanced embryonic survival (increased post-implantation viability in the February–March case and increased implantation rates in the August–September case). CONCLUSIONS We propose a mechanism of selective embryonic survival whereby the birth-month-associated risk levels for the various anomalies would all represent traits genetically or epigenetically inherent to the two differently selected populations of surviving embryos. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions impacted dietary habits during the initial months of the pandemic, but long-term effects are unclear. In this longitudinal study, self-selected UK adults (n = 1,733, 71.1% female, 95.7% white ethnicity) completed three online surveys (May–June, August–September, and November–December 2020, with a retrospective pre-pandemic component in the baseline survey), self-reporting sociodemographics, lifestyle, and behaviours, including high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) snacks, HFSS meals, and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Data were analysed using generalised estimating equations. Monthly HFSS snacks portion intake increased from pre-pandemic levels (48.3) in May–June (57.6, p < 0.001), decreased in August–September (43.7, p < 0.001), before increasing back to pre-pandemic levels in November–December (49.2, p < 0.001). A total of 48.5% self-reported increased [25.9 (95% confidence interval: 24.1, 27.8)] and 47.7% self-reported decreased [24.1 (22.4, 26.0)] monthly HFSS snacks portion intakes in November–December compared with pre-pandemic levels. Monthly HFSS meals portion intake decreased from pre-pandemic levels (7.1) in May–June (5.9, p < 0.001), was maintained in August–September (5.9, p = 0.897), and then increased again in November–December (6.6, p < 0.001) to intakes that remained lower than pre-pandemic levels (p = 0.007). A total of 35.2% self-reported increased [4.8 (4.3, 5.3)] and 44.5% self-reported decreased [5.1 (4.6, 5.6)] monthly HFSS meals portion intakes in November–December compared with pre-pandemic levels. The proportion meeting FV intake recommendations was stable from pre-pandemic through to August–September (70%), but decreased in November–December 2020 (67%, p = 0.034). Increased monthly HFSS snacks intake was associated with female gender, lower quality of life, and – in a time - varying manner – older age and higher HFSS meals intake. Increased monthly HFSS meals intake was associated with female gender, living with adults only, and higher HFSS snacks intake. Reduced FV intake was associated with higher body mass index (BMI) and lower physical activity. These results suggest large interindividual variability in dietary change during the first year of the pandemic, with important public health implications in individuals experiencing persistent increases in unhealthy diet choices, associated with BMI, gender, quality of life, living conditions, physical activity, and other dietary behaviours.

The ambient concentrations of carbonyl compounds were measured in Waliguan (WLG) Observatory at the east edge of Qinghai‐Tibetan in August–September and December, 2005. The average concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and 2‐butenal were 4.16 ± 1.89, 4.25 ± 3.32, 2.02 ± 0.86, and 1.93 ± 1.58 ppbv (n = 42), respectively, in August–September and 1.48 ± 0.42, 3.91 ± 0.81, 1.88 ± 0.69, and 0.69 ± 0.16 ppbv (n = 12), respectively, in December. Biomass used as fuel for cooking by local residents was considered as the dominant source for 2‐butenal. Photooxidation of VOC (especially biogenic emission of isoprene) was one source for formaldehyde and methyl vinyl ketone in August–September. Animal excrement was probably an additional source for formaldehyde and acetone. Back trajectory analysis indicated that long‐distance transportation from polluted air might be one important source for formaldehyde, acetone, and acetaldehyde in WLG.

Boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, captured in pheromone traps (8 km from cotton) in August-September were different from those found in cotton fields as reported in other studies and had the characteristics of migrants. Boll weevils captured in October were different from those captured in August–September. Those captured in August-September had a high level of respiration: only 5% used <1 μl oxygen per mg boll weevil per h; after 13 October, ca. 60% used <1 μl oxygen. After 2 weeks of feeding on squares and bolls, boll weevils captured in August–September had the same mean respiratory rate regardless of food, photoperiod, or temperature. Some boll weevils that were fed bolls had respiration rates <1 μl oxygen per mg boll weevil per h; only one group of weevils fed squares had this low rate. Boll weevils that were fed squares for 2 weeks at 21°C with either a photoperiod of 13:11 or 11:13 (L:D), and then survived for 1 month at 13°C and a photoperiod of 11:13, had a significantly higher rate of respiration than boll weevils fed squares at 27°C. In contrast, boll weevils that survived 1 month at 13°C with a photoperiod of 11:13, after being fed bolls for 2 weeks at 21°C with a photoperiod of 13:11, had a significantly lower rate of respiration than those fed bolls at 27°C. All survivors that had fed on bolls had a higher rate of respiration than those fed squares. Newly emerged boll weevils that were fed squares, but not exposed to 13°C, showed an increased rate of respiration. Individual determination of the respiration level may provide a nondestructive method to separate reproductive from potentially diapausing boll weevils.