Modern temperatures in central-north Greenland warmest in past millennium.

The Greenland Ice Sheet has a central role in the global climate system owing to its size, radiative effects and freshwater storage, and as a potential tipping point1. Weather stations show that the coastal regions are warming2, but the imprint of global warming in the central part of the ice sheet is unclear, owing to missing long-term observations. Current ice-core-based temperature reconstructions3-5 are ambiguous with respect to isolating global warming signatures from natural variability, because they are too noisy and do not include the most recent decades. By systematically redrilling ice cores, we created a high-quality reconstruction of central and north Greenland temperatures from AD 1000 until 2011. Here we show that the warming in the recent reconstructed decade exceeds the range of the pre-industrial temperature variability in the past millennium with virtual certainty (P < 0.001) and is on average 1.5 ± 0.4 degrees Celsius (1 standard error) warmer than the twentieth century. Our findings suggest that these exceptional temperatures arise from the superposition of natural variability with a long-term warming trend, apparent since AD 1800. The disproportionate warming is accompanied by enhanced Greenland meltwater run-off, implying that anthropogenic influence has also arrived in central and north Greenland, which might further accelerate the overall Greenland mass loss.

Atmosphere-Snow Exchange Explains Surface Snow Isotope Variability.

The climate signal imprinted in the snow isotopic composition allows to infer past climate variability from ice core stable water isotope records. The concurrent evolution of vapor and surface snow isotopic composition between precipitation events indicates that post-depositional atmosphere-snow humidity exchange influences the snow and hence the ice core isotope signal. To date, however, this is not accounted for in paeleoclimate reconstructions from isotope records. Here we show that vapor-snow exchange explains 36% of the summertime day-to-day δ18O variability of the surface snow between precipitation events, and 53% of the δD variability. Through observations from the Greenland Ice Sheet and accompanying modeling we demonstrate that vapor-snow exchange introduces a warm bias on the summertime snow isotope value relevant for ice core records. In case of long-term variability in atmosphere-snow exchange the relevance for the ice core signal is also variable and thus paleoclimate reconstructions from isotope records should be revisited.

Evidence of Isotopic Fractionation During Vapor Exchange Between the Atmosphere and the Snow Surface in Greenland.

Several recent studies from both Greenland and Antarctica have reported significant changes in the water isotopic composition of near-surface snow between precipitation events. These changes have been linked to isotopic exchange with atmospheric water vapor and sublimation-induced fractionation, but the processes are poorly constrained by observations. Understanding and quantifying these processes are crucial to both the interpretation of ice core climate proxies and the formulation of isotope-enabled general circulation models. Here, we present continuous measurements of the water isotopic composition in surface snow and atmospheric vapor together with near-surface atmospheric turbulence and snow-air latent and sensible heat fluxes, obtained at the East Greenland Ice-Core Project drilling site in summer 2016. For two 4-day-long time periods, significant diurnal variations in atmospheric water isotopologues are observed. A model is developed to explore the impact of this variability on the surface snow isotopic composition. Our model suggests that the snow isotopic composition in the upper subcentimeter of the snow exhibits a diurnal variation with amplitudes in δ18O and δD of ~2.5‰ and ~13‰, respectively. As comparison, such changes correspond to 10-20% of the magnitude of seasonal changes in interior Greenland snow pack isotopes and of the change across a glacial-interglacial transition. Importantly, our observation and model results suggest, that sublimation-induced fractionation needs to be included in simulations of exchanges between the vapor and the snow surface on diurnal timescales during summer cloud-free conditions in northeast Greenland.

[Mobile computer-assisted psychometric diagnosis. Economic advantages and results on test stability]. / Mobile computergestützte psychometrische Diagnostik. Okonomische Vorteile und Ergebnisse zur Teststabilität.

In psychotherapy, there is a rising need to evaluate the therapeutic process and outcome quality. However, the effort for documentation binds manpower and is a burden on economic resources. Hence, we studied the usability of a new by developed, mobile, computer-assisted basis assessment (ComBas 1.3) in comparison with paper-and-pencil versions with respect to its effects on data structure and cost reduction. More than 9000 standardised psychometric tests (personality inventory: Giessentest, complaint checklist: Giessener Beschwerdebogen, mood checklist: Berliner Stimmungsfragebogen) were applied with each method to 1400 psychosomatic patients. It was found that usage of the mobile computer-assisted assessment reduced the time by 2/3 spent on documentation, because data organisation and accessibility for clinical, scientific, and educational needs were significantly improved. Moreover, no differences in stability coefficients and data distribution were seen between the two methods. In trait variables, there was also an equivalence in scale means, but in state variables, especially in complaint scales, we identified a tendency toward higher scale means in computer-assisted measurement. We cannot establish whether this is only a methodical effect or is additionally influenced by changes in samples during the evaluation period between 1989 and 1996. Hence, we concluded that comparison samples for state instruments should be adjusted to the applied test form and actualised for use in individual diagnostics.

[Testing a screening strategy for identifying psychosomatic patients in gynecologic practice]. / Testung einer Screening-Strategie zur Identifizierung psychosomatisch auffälliger Patientinnen einer gynäkologischen Praxis.

In a pilot-study 103 gynecological outpatients answered a gynecological questionnaire (FGB) including items of the (non-gynecological) complaints questionnaire (GBB) and a mood questionnaire (BSF). Cluster analyses of the FGB- and BSF-scores identify four groups. One group, consisting of 26 outpatients (= 25%), has as high GBB- and BSF-scores as a group of 256 psychosomatic in-patients answering these questionnaires at the beginning of their psychosomatic therapy. These 26 outpatients are labeled as high risk patients. Further results show high correlations between all FGB- and GBB-scores among the gynecological outpatients. A significant connection between the four group classification and ten biopsychosocial variables is found only for the variable professional state. The results are seen as a first confirmation of the tested screening-strategy. Moreover they give evidence that further investigations should pay more attention to the connection between job strain and gynecological complaints or disorders.

Quality of life of liver transplant recipients. A pilot study.

In a cross-sectional survey of the quality of life of 45 liver transplant recipients, physical and psychological status, physical complaints, capability to participate in daily life, social support, and global quality of life were assessed. The average time of follow-up was 9 months after transplantation. Nine patients had moderate liver damage, 12 suffered from drug side effects, and 10 had extrahepatic diseases. Physical complaints, especially rheumatism, exhaustion, and gastric complaints, were higher than in the general population. Most patients were able to participate in daily life (do housework, take part in family life, etc.). Apart from the complex "health" (use of body), they did not differ in this respect from healthy individuals. Eighty percent of the patients reported having very good social support. The psychological status was generally good, with only 5% complaining of anxiety and nervousness. Sixty percent regarded their quality of life to be very high, 31% reported medium quality of life, and 9% felt very bad. No relationship was found between low quality of life and transplant malfunction; patients with extrahepatic diseases had the lowest quality of life. Among all subgroups, the individuals who were actively working again felt best. Psychological qualities necessary for coping with daily life (self-assurance, self-realization, satisfaction, and happiness) correlated most with the global quality of life (r = 0.80), whereas no relationship was found between quality of life and complaints in total (r = -0.32). This survey shows that during the first year after transplantation, transplant recipients report a high quality of life in important areas of living, despite many physical complaints, and even display an almost euphoric mood.