bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Organizations and Food: Nearing the End of the Lean Season?
Authors: Wolkenhauer Anna
Published: April 2021

This chapter maps the field of international organizations (IOs) in food that has been institutionalized as a global policy field since WWII and has undergone several shifts since then. The chapter traces the emergence of the major IOs of the field, especially the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Program, and more recently also the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The second half of the twentieth century began with visionary ideas about the global regulation of food production and consumption, moved to a concern with smallholders and food security, and ended with a neoliberal shift away from production toward ensuring consumption through world trade. The new millennium is marked by a rhetorical consensus between the main IOs, new debates about production, hopes in the social protection agenda, as well as increasingly vocal organized critics of the dominant order.
Theoretische Grundlagen: Beitrag der soziologischen Systemtheorie
Authors: Schwarting Rena
Published: April 2021

Vor dem Hintergrund des Fehlens von genuin organisationssoziologisch angeleiteten Studien zu vormodernen Fällen der Organisationsbildung begründe ich im Folgenden die Wahl eines systemtheoretischen Zugangs. Die Ausgangsvermutung dieser Arbeit ist, dass sich mit der Gründung des RKG am Ende des 15. Jahrhunderts die Strukturbedingungen der höchsten Rechtsprechung von der Interaktion unter Anwesenden auf formale Organisation umstellten.
Characterizing Urban Mobility Patterns: A Case Study of Mexico City
Authors: Melikov Pierre , Kho Jeremy A. , Fighiera Vincent , Alhasoun Fahad , Audiffred Jorge , Mateos José L. , González Marta C.
Published: April 2021

Seamless access to destinations of value such as workplaces, schools, parks or hospitals, influences the quality of life of people all over the world. The first step to planning and improving proximity to services is to estimate the number of trips being made from different parts of a city. A challenge has been representative data available for that purpose. Relying on expensive and infrequently collected travel surveys for modeling trip distributions to facilities has slowed down the decision-making process. The growing abundance of data already collected, if analyzed with the right methods, can help us with planning and understanding cities. In this chapter, we examine human mobility patterns extracted from data passively collected. We present results on the use of points of interest (POIs) registered on Google Places to approximate trip attraction in a city. We compare the result of trip distribution models that utilize only POIs with those utilizing conventional data sets, based on surveys. We show that an extended radiation model provides very good estimates when compared with the official origin–destination matrices from the latest census in Mexico City.
Urban Sensing with Spaceborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Liang Hongyu , Xu Wenbin , Ding Xiaoli , Zhang Lei , Wu Songbo
Published: April 2021

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and interferometric SAR (InSAR) are state-of-the-art radar remote sensing technologies and are very useful for urban remote sensing. The technologies have some very special characteristics compared to optical remote sensing and are especially advantageous in cloudy regions due to the ability of the microwave radar signals used by the current SAR sensors to penetrate clouds. This chapter introduces the basic concepts of SAR, differential InSAR, and multi-temporal InSAR, and their typical applications in urban remote sensing. Examples of applying the various InSAR techniques in generating DEMs and monitoring ground and infrastructure deformation are given. The capabilities and limitations of InSAR techniques in urban remote sensing are briefly discussed.
Photogrammetry for 3D Mapping in Urban Areas
Authors: Wu Bo
Published: April 2021

Photogrammetry is the technology for obtaining 3D geometric information from photographs or images. This chapter describes the fundamental knowledge and latest advances in photogrammetry for 3D mapping in urban areas. First, the key fundamental techniques in photogrammetry for deriving 3D information from imagery are presented. Then, the latest advances in photogrammetry for 3D mapping in urban areas, including structure-from-motion (SfM), multi-view stereo (MVS), and integrated 3D mapping from multiple-source data, are described and discussed. Examples of using photogrammetry for 3D mapping and modeling in urban applications are presented. Finally, concluding remarks and future outlooks are addressed.
Mobile Mapping Technologies
Authors: Chiang Kai Wei , Tsai Guang-Je , Zeng Jhih Cing
Published: April 2021

This chapter introduces the historic development as well as the latest progress of mobile mapping systems. First, mobile mapping technologies, including the introduction of positioning and mapping sensors, and how they can be integrated together, are briefly reviewed. Then the development of land-based, aerial, marine, and mobile portable mapping platforms is presented. The latest progress in mobile-mapping technologies is further discussed, along with sensor fusion schemes, seamless indoor and outdoor mapping strategies, and disaster response applications. In addition, this chapter explores future and potential applications, such as high-definition (HD) maps and autonomous mapping with autonomous systems.
Defining Urban Science
Authors: Batty Michael
Published: April 2021

This introductory chapter provides a brief overview of the theories and models that constitute what has come to be called urban science. Explaining and measuring the spatial structure of the city in terms of its form and function is one of the main goals of this science. It provides links between the way various theories about how the city is formed, in terms of its economy and social structure, and how these theories might be transformed into models that constitute the operational tools of urban informatics. First the idea of the city as a system is introduced, and then various models pertaining to the forces that determine what is located where in the city are presented. How these activities are linked to one another through flows and networks are then introduced. These models relate to formal models of spatial interaction, the distribution of the sizes of different cities, and the qualitative changes that take place as cities grow and evolve to different levels. Scaling is one of the major themes uniting these different elements grounding this science within the emerging field of complexity. We then illustrate how we might translate these ideas into operational models which are at the cutting edge of the new tools that are being developed in urban informatics, and which are elaborated in various chapters dealing with modeling and mobility throughout this book.
Cultivating Urban Big Data
Authors: Xiao Ningchuan , Miller Harvey J.
Published: April 2021

Urban big data often contain spatial and temporal elements that have increasingly become an integral part of various applications and projects such as smart mobility, smart city, and other digitally enhanced urban infrastructure. It is critical to develop an open and collaborative environment so that these data can be used by a wide range of users. This chapter first discusses some characteristics and sources of urban big data. Three hypothetical user stories are described to highlight the potential of these data. After describing the internal data structure of these data and techniques that can be used to retrieve the data, we discuss the difficulty in making the data useful for the general public and elaborate on a self-organizing agile approach to developing an urban big data infrastructure.
Spatial Search
Authors: Di Liping , Yu Eugene G.
Published: April 2021

Urban studies concern the evolution of spatial structure in cities, where information is often tied to location. The discovery of information is in a high-dimensional space based on spatial and temporal dimensions, where the spatial relationships of components play roles in studying urban evolution. Spatial search in urban studies has to deal with diverse aspects of data structures (structured versus unstructured), data spatial context (implicit versus explicit), data spatial relationships (containment versus intersection), data volume (large volume versus large variety), spatial search speed (speed against different requirements), and spatial search accuracy (exactness versus relevance). This chapter reviews the technology in mining and extracting spatial information into urban geographic information systems, spatially indexing the urban information for effective spatially aware search, spatial relationships and their search algorithms, improving spatial relevance with different spatial similarity measures and algorithms, and open standards and interoperability in spatial search in the Web environment. Emerging technologies for spatial search in urban studies are also reviewed. Applications of spatial search in urban studies are exemplified and evaluated.
Urban IoT: Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities for Mass Data Collection, Analysis, and Visualization
Authors: Hudson-Smith Andrew , Wilson Duncan , Gray Steven , Dawkins Oliver
Published: April 2021

Urban Internet of Things (IoT) is in an early speculative phase. Often linked to the smart city movement, it provides a way of sensing and collecting data—environmental, societal, and transitional—both automatically, remotely, and with increasing levels of spatial and temporal detail. From city-wide data collection down to the scale of individual buildings and rooms, this chapter details the technology behind the rise of IoT in urban areas and explores the challenges (societal and technical) behind city-wide deployments. Drawing from a series of deployments at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, it details the challenges and opportunities for mass data collection. Widening out the view, it looks at what is becoming known as “the humble lamp post” in Urban IoT fields to detail the potential of Urban IoT with the objects that already form part of the urban fabric. Finally, it examines the potential of Urban IoT for input into urban modeling and how we are on the edge of a shift in the collection, analysis, and communication of urban data.
MacMahon KZ equation for Ding-Iohara-Miki algebra
Authors: Cheewaphutthisakun Panupong , Kanno Hiroaki
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We derive a generalized Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation for the correlation function of the intertwiners of the vector and the MacMahon representations of Ding-Iohara-Miki algebra. These intertwiners are cousins of the refined topological vertex which is regarded as the intertwining operator of the Fock representation. The shift of the spectral parameter of the intertwiners is generated by the operator which is constructed from the universal R matrix. The solutions to the generalized KZ equation are factorized into the ratio of two point functions which are identified with generalizations of the Nekrasov factor for supersymmetric quiver gauge theories.
SPECIAL VINBERG CONES
Authors: ALEKSEEVSKY D. V. , CORTÉS V.
Published: April 2021

The paper is devoted to the generalization of the Vinberg theory of homogeneous convex cones. Such a cone is described as the set of “positive definite matrices” in the Vinberg commutative algebra ℋn of Hermitian T-matrices. These algebras are a generalization of Euclidean Jordan algebras and consist of n × n matrices A = (aij), where aii ∈ ℝ, the entry aij for i < j belongs to some Euclidean vector space (Vij ; 𝔤) and $$ {a}_{ji}={a}_{ij}^{\ast }=\mathfrak{g}\left({a}_{ij},\cdot \right)\in {V}_{ij}^{\ast } $$

a
ji

=

a
ij
∗

=
g

a
ij

⋅

∈

V
ij
∗

belongs to the dual space $$ {V}_{ij}^{\ast }. $$

V
ij
∗

.
The multiplication of T-Hermitian matrices is defined by a system of “isometric” bilinear maps Vij × Vjk → Vij ; i < j < k, such that |aij ⋅ ajk| = |aij| ⋅ |aik|, alm ∈ Vlm. For n = 2, the Hermitian T-algebra ℋn= ℋ2 (V) is determined by a Euclidean vector space V and is isomorphic to a Euclidean Jordan algebra called the spin factor algebra and the associated homogeneous convex cone is the Lorentz cone of timelike future directed vectors in the Minkowski vector space ℝ1,1⊕ V . A special Vinberg Hermitian T-algebra is a rank 3 matrix algebra ℋ3(V; S) associated to a Clifford Cl(V )-module S together with an “admissible” Euclidean metric 𝔤S.

We generalize the construction of rank 2 Vinberg algebras ℋ2(V ) and special Vinberg algebras ℋ3(V; S) to the pseudo-Euclidean case, when V is a pseudo-Euclidean vector space and S = S0 ⊕ S1 is a ℤ2-graded Clifford Cl(V )-module with an admissible pseudo-Euclidean metric. The associated cone 𝒱 is a homogeneous, but not convex cone in ℋm; m = 2; 3. We calculate the characteristic function of Koszul-Vinberg for this cone and write down the associated cubic polynomial. We extend Baez’ quantum-mechanical interpretation of the Vinberg cone 𝒱2 ⊂ ℋ2(V ) to the special rank 3 case.
Evidenzbasierte Ernährung bei zerebrovaskulären und kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen
Authors: Deupmann A.-K. , Debus E. S. , Grundmann R. T.
Published: April 2021

Zielsetzung

Anhand einer systematischen Literaturrecherche soll eine evidenzbasierte Ernährungsempfehlung zur Vorbeugung von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen erarbeitet werden.

Methoden

Pubmed-Recherche bis Oktober 2019 zu nationalen und internationale Leitlinien, Metaanalysen, randomisierten Studien und Registerstudien der letzten 10 Jahre. Nur Veröffentlichungen, die den Einfluss der Ernährung auf den primären Studienendpunkt einer Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankung untersuchten, wurden berücksichtigt. Folgende Schlagwörter wurden für die Literaturrecherche verwendet: „diet“, „cardiovascular disease“, „nutrition“, „stroke“.

Ergebnisse

Ein vermehrter Verzehr von gesättigten Fettsäuren zeigte keinen Zusammenhang mit einem höheren Risiko für eine Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankung, trans-Fettsäuren sollten hingegen vermieden werden. Der Verzehr von pflanzlichen Fetten ist jenen tierischer Herkunft vorzuziehen. Eine Ernährung mit geringerem Kohlenhydratanteil ergab eine höhere Gesamtmortalität. Ein gesteigerter Verzehr von Ballaststoffen kann das Risiko für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen und koronare Herzkrankheit (KHK) reduzieren und ist somit zu empfehlen. Der Verzehr von Obst und Gemüse reduziert signifikant das Risiko für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen und KHK, das Gleiche gilt für den Verzehr von Nüssen. Für den Verzehr von rotem und verarbeitetem Fleisch lässt sich zwar mit ansteigendem Konsum eine Tendenz für eine Risikosteigerung für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen feststellen, jedoch ist die Evidenz hierzu gering. Ein moderater Konsum von Alkohol könnte das Risiko für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen minimieren, gesüßte Getränke in größeren Mengen erhöhen hingegen das Risiko. Die mediterrane Diät ist die anerkannteste Form der Ernährung zur Vorbeugung von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. Empfohlen wird auch die „Dietary-Approaches-to-Stop-Hypertension“(DASH)-Diät, besonders für Patienten mit erhöhtem Blutdruck. Die Evidenz der Aussagen für Letztere ist allerdings nur mäßig.

Folgerung

Die Inzidenz von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen könnte bei entsprechender Ernährung signifikant gesenkt werden.
Europe After COVID-19: A New Role for German Leadership?
Authors: Saraceno Francesco
Published: April 2021

The German change of attitude concerning fiscal policy and the mutualisation of efforts to fight the pandemic is driven by self-interest, and as such might be structural.
Une Étude critique de Madame la présidente de Fatou Fanny-Cissé
Authors: Iloh Ngozi Obiajulum
Published: April 2021

This article discusses the Ivorian writer, Fatou Fanny-Cissé’s novel, Madame la présidente, published in 2015. The novel offers a fundamental critique of African democracy and the contemporary politics in Africa. The Republic of Louma is an imaginary country that show-cases electoral crises in an imaginary contemporary continent. The plot about a female dictator has a strong feminist inclination. The feminisation of presidential elections is a caricature of the dictatorial tendencies of African leaders. The themes discussed are true to contemporary political events in Africa as well as other parts of the world. The presentation reveals a lucid picture of feminine dictatorial politics.
Investigating Relationships Between Learning Environment Perceptions, Motivation and Self-Regulation for Female Science Students in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Aldridge Jill M , Rowntree Kate
Published: April 2021

The global lack of student motivation towards learning science and gender imbalance in STEM careers provided the impetus for this study, which had two key aims: (1) to examine the influence of female students’ perceptions of the psychosocial learning environment on their motivation towards and self-regulation in science learning,; and (2) to investigate the influence of their reported motivation on their self-regulation of effort. Data were collected from 338 female students in grades 6 to 9 science classes across 16 government schools in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Structural equation modelling was used to explore the hypothesised relationships, which indicated that there were statistically significant relationships between learning environment perceptions, motivation and self-regulation. The results provide exigent information to both teachers, policy-makers and researchers with regard to the influences of the psychosocial learning environment on female students’ motivation towards science, as well as the influence of motivation towards science on their self-regulatory behaviour within science classroom settings.
Considerations about learning Word2Vec
Authors: Di Gennaro Giovanni , Buonanno Amedeo , Palmieri Francesco A. N.
Published: April 2021

Despite the large diffusion and use of embedding generated through Word2Vec, there are still many open questions about the reasons for its results and about its real capabilities. In particular, to our knowledge, no author seems to have analysed in detail how learning may be affected by the various choices of hyperparameters. In this work, we try to shed some light on various issues focusing on a typical dataset. It is shown that the learning rate prevents the exact mapping of the co-occurrence matrix, that Word2Vec is unable to learn syntactic relationships, and that it does not suffer from the problem of overfitting. Furthermore, through the creation of an ad-hoc network, it is also shown how it is possible to improve Word2Vec directly on the analogies, obtaining very high accuracy without damaging the pre-existing embedding. This analogy-enhanced Word2Vec may be convenient in various NLP scenarios, but it is used here as an optimal starting point to evaluate the limits of Word2Vec.
Quantifying trade-offs between ecological gains, economic costs, and landowners’ preferences in boreal mire protection
Authors: Nieminen Eini , Kareksela Santtu , Halme Panu , Kotiaho Janne Sakari
Published: April 2021

Private land often encompasses biodiversity features of high conservation value, but its protection is not straightforward. Commonly, landowners’ perspectives are rightfully allowed to influence conservation actions. This unlikely comes without consequences on biodiversity or other aspects such as economic considerations, but these consequences are rarely quantitatively considered in decision-making. In the context of boreal mire protection in Finland, we report how acknowledging landowners’ resistance to protection changes the combination of mires selected to conservation compared to ignoring landowners’ opinions. Using spatial prioritization, we quantify trade-offs arising between the amount of landowners’ resistance, protected biodiversity, and financial costs in different conservation scenarios. Results show that the trade-offs cannot be fully avoided. Nevertheless, we show that the systematic examination of the trade-offs opens up options to alleviate them. This can promote the evaluation of different conservation policy outcomes, enabling better-informed conservation decisions and more effective and socially sustainable allocation of conservation resources.
Novel Method of Evaluating Liver Transplant Surgery Fellows Using Objective Measures of Operative Efficiency and Surgical Outcomes
Authors: Yu Jennifer , Vachharajani Neeta , Ahmed Ola , Scherer Meranda D. , Matson Sarah C. , Wellen Jason R. , Shenoy Surendra , Chapman William C. , Doyle Maria B. , Khan Adeel S.
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND:

The majority of liver transplantations (LTs) in North America are performed by transplant surgery fellows with attending surgeon supervision. Although a strict case volume requirement is mandatory for graduating fellows, no guidelines exist on providing constructive feedback to trainees during fellowship.

STUDY DESIGN:

A retrospective review of all adult LTs performed by abdominal transplant surgery fellows at a single American Society of Transplant Surgeons-accredited academic institution from 2005 to 2019 was conducted. Data from the most recent 5 fellows were averaged to generate reference learning curves for 8 variables representing operative efficiency (ie total operative time, warm ischemia time, and cold ischemia time) and surgical outcomes (ie intraoperative blood loss, unplanned return to the operating room, biliary complication, vascular complication, and patient/graft loss). Data for newer fellows were plotted against the reference curves at 3-month intervals to provide an objective assessment measure.

RESULTS:

Three hundred and fifty-two adult LTs were performed by 5 fellows during the study period. Mean patient age was 56 years; 67% were male; and mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score at transplantation was 22. For the 8 primary variables, mean values included the following: total operative time 330 minutes, warm ischemia time 28 minutes, cold ischemia time 288 minutes, intraoperative blood loss 1.59 L, biliary complication 19.6%, unplanned return to operating room 19.3%, and vascular complication 2.3%. A structure for feedback to fellows was developed using a printed report card and through in-person meetings with faculty at 3-month intervals.

CONCLUSIONS:

Comparative feedback using institution-specific reference curves can provide valuable objective data on progression of individual fellows. It can aid in the timely identification of areas in need of improvement, which enhances the quality of training and has the potential to improve patient care and transplantation outcomes.
A recent change in the relation between women's income and childbirth: heterogeneous effects of work-family balance policy
Authors: Chung Min-Su , Lee Keunjae
Published: April 2021

It has been widely perceived in South Korea that the rise in a woman's income is negative for her childbirth. This study tries to verify the hypothesis empirically because the Korean government initiated the basic plan for low fertility in 2006 and has constantly strengthened work–family balance policy since then. Our analysis using a household annual data over 18 years, 1999–2016, indicates that married women's economic power relates positively to childbirth for the period after 2006. We also find that the higher birth likelihood among top income quartile women is largely attributed to their better accessibility to maternity protection benefits. These findings imply that the government's efforts to support work–family balance have been successful to a certain extent. However, the benefits remain limited only to high-income women.
Designing a Multicenter Registry of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections in Fars, Iran
Authors: Emami Amir , Akbari Ali , Javanmardi Fatemeh , Lotfi Mehrzad , Moghadami Mohsen , Sharifi Mehrdad , Bakhtiari Hamid , Falahati Farshad
Published: April 2021

Objective:

A year after the emergence of a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as a new crisis in respiratory infections, there remain many uncertainties and unknowns about SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, called coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Although COVID-19 is known as a respiratory disease, some atypical manifestations have been seen, different from those seen in other types of viral respiratory infections. This paper aims to describe designing, launching, and implementing a data collection system for all respiratory diseases, with a focus on SARS-CoV-2 from the onset of this pandemic.

Method:

The current registry is designed in compliance with the standard Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines, along with the declaration of Helsinki principles.

Results:

A respiratory disease registry, with an emphasis on COVID-19 and other co-infections, was developed. Data consisted of demographic, clinical, and supporting information about SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viral diseases.

Conclusion:

It is hoped that the current data registry will facilitate patient evaluation and improve the outcomes of cases of respiratory infection defined by a particular condition, disease, or exposure. Moreover, the registry can harmonize data about the treatment, outcomes, and well-being of patients who receive care over time, and identify best practices.
Adjunctive vitamin A and D for the glycaemic control in patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Xiong Ke , Wang Jinyu , Ma Aiguo
Published: April 2021

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of vitamin A, D and their interaction on the glycaemic control in patients with both diabetes and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis infection and its treatment induce hyperglycaemia and complicate the glycaemic control in patients with diabetes. A randomised controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design was conducted in a tuberculosis-specialised hospital in Qingdao, China. A total of 279 patients who have both diabetes and tuberculosis were included in this analysis. The patients received standard anti-tuberculosis treatment alone (control group), or together with a dose of vitamin A (600 μg RAE/d) or vitamin D (10 μg/d) or a combination of vitamin A (600 μg RAE/d) and vitamin D (10 μg/d) for 2 months. The effects of the intervention on fasting plasma glucose and 2-h postprandial blood glucose were investigated by ANCOVA. The analysis was adjusted for baseline values, age, sex, smoking, drinking and antidiabetic treatment as covariates. No significant effect was observed for vitamin A and D supplementation on fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, BMI and related blood parameters. No interaction was observed between vitamin A and D supplementation for these endpoints. Vitamin A and D supplementation showed a null effect on the glycaemic control for patients with concurrent diabetes and tuberculosis. Future work should evaluate the effect of vitamin A and D supplementation on insulin-related indices for these patients and investigate the effect of vitamin D receptor genotypes.
John Connelly's Long March through East European History
Authors: Cohen Gary B.
Published: April 2021

John Connelly, a member of the history faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, for the last quarter century, has produced what will surely stand as a landmark among grand syntheses on the modern history of Eastern Europe. The book title uses the geographical designation favored during the Cold War, but the subject is more precisely East Central Europe, a term that Connelly uses interchangeably with Eastern Europe to designate the lands lying between Germany and Austria in the west and the former components of the Soviet Union to the east.
Porpoise, punishment and partnership: the meaning of presenting and consuming a marine mammal in late medieval coastal Flanders
Authors: Dillen Kristiaan
Published: April 2021

Late medieval sources reveal an annual handover of a marine mammal between the council of the small coastal city of Blankenberge and the aldermen of Bruges. The reason for the transfer is not disclosed by the sources, and there is no consensus among historians as to the interpretation of this behaviour. This article explores the role of the presentation and consumption of a porpoise in the relationship between Blankenberge and the nearby medieval metropolis of Bruges. I argue that a porpoise supported the crucial, mutually beneficial ties of solidarity between two communities favouring their position and opportunities in the competitive maritime landscape.
Evaluating the implementation and impact of a healthier checkout programme at a regional convenience store chain
Authors: Baquero Barbara , Anderson Steeves Elizabeth , Polacsek Michele , De Marco Molly , Chapman Leah , Leone Lucia A , Simon Caitlin
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To test the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a healthier checkout pilot study in a convenience store chain.

Design:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted comparing a 3-month ‘healthier checkouts’ intervention in ten convenience stores which stocked eight healthier items in the checkout space and ten comparison stores assigned to continue stocking their current checkout space product mix. All aspects of the intervention were implemented by the retailer. The research team conducted in-person fidelity checks to assess implementation. Sales data were collected from the retailer in order to compare mean baseline to intervention sales of the eight healthier items in intervention and comparison groups while controlling for overall store sales.

Setting:

Convenience store chain.

Participants:

Twenty convenience stores in New Hampshire.

Results:

The increases in sales of healthier items between the baseline and intervention periods among the intervention and comparison stores were not statistically significant; however, the overall pattern of the results showed promising changes that should be expanded on in future studies. Intervention fidelity checks indicated that results may have been attenuated by variability in intervention implementation.

Conclusions:

This study advances the evidence for effective promotion of healthier food purchases in the convenience store chain setting and adds to the current literature on retail checkout space interventions. Additional research is needed to confirm and expand these results.
A Political Profile of U.S. Pagans
Authors: Marchetti Kathleen
Published: April 2021

Although prior research has explored the demographic characteristics, religious practices, and beliefs of modern Pagans, their political attitudes and actions have yet to be studied in depth. Further, most extant research is based on non-random samples of Pagans which calls into question the generalizability of prior findings. This article examines Pagans' political attitudes and behavior using a representative sample of Pagans in the United States drawn from the 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Study. Descriptive and multivariate analyses show that Pagan religious identity shapes political views and behavior despite the varied and decentralized nature of Paganism. Overall, Pagans are relatively liberal and supportive of issues common across Pagan traditions like the environment and LGBTQ rights. However, Pagans are somewhat less politically engaged than non-Pagans as evidenced by their lower levels of party identity and voter registration.
Evaluating efficacy of preemergence soybean herbicides using field treated soil in greenhouse bioassays
Authors: Ribeiro Victor H. V. , Oliveira Maxwel C. , Smith Daniel H. , Santos Jose B. , Werle Rodrigo
Published: April 2021

Amid widespread occurrence of herbicide-resistant weeds in the United States, the use of PRE herbicides and cover crops have resurged once again as important strategies for weed management in cropping systems. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the length of soil residual weed control from PRE soybean herbicides and the detrimental impact of these herbicides on cover crop species using field treated soil in greenhouse bioassays. Greenhouse bioassays were conducted using soil from field experiments conducted in 2018 and 2019 in Arlington and Lancaster, WI. PRE herbicides consisted of imazethapyr, chlorimuron-ethyl, and cloransulam-methyl (acetolactate synthase [ALS] inhibitors); metribuzin (photosystem II [PS II] inhibitor); sulfentrazone, flumioxazin, and saflufenacil (protoporphyrinogen oxidase [PPO] inhibitors); acetochlor, S-metolachlor, dimethenamid-P, and pyroxasulfone (very long-chain fatty acid [VLCFA] inhibitors); and a nontreated control. Greenhouse bioassays were conducted using soil (depth, 0 to 10 cm) sampled at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 d after treatment (DAT). Palmer amaranth and giant foxtail (weeds), and radish and cereal rye (cover crops) were used as bioindicators of herbicide levels in the soil. Bioassay results showed extended soil residual control of Palmer amaranth with sulfentrazone and pyroxasulfone; extended residual control of giant foxtail was observed with pyroxasulfone and S-metolachlor. Chlorimuron-ethyl and metribuzin were the most injurious herbicides to radish and cereal rye shortly after application, respectively, but minimal injury was observed from soil samples collected 50 DAT, indicating the use of PRE and fall-seeded cover crops in southern Wisconsin can be compatible. These results can support growers and practitioners with selection of effective PRE herbicides for Palmer amaranth and giant foxtail control and reduced impact on fall-seeded radish and cereal rye cover crops, altogether leading to more effective, diverse, and sustainable weed management programs.
Arctic Winter Temperature Variations Correlated With ENSO Are Dependent on Coincidental Sea Ice Changes
Authors: McCrystall Michelle R. , Screen James A.
Published: April 2021

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a well‐known modulator of global climate and is correlated with observed temperature variations over the Barents‐Kara Sea (BKS). However, the origins and causality of this observed correlation are unclear. Here, we show that historical climate model simulations, on average, fail to reproduce the observed ENSO‐BKS correlation. However, individual realizations do show a relationship as observed. We find that the internal variability of BKS sea ice is the main factor between realizations that reproduce the ENSO‐BKS correlation and those that do not. Furthermore, we find that atmospheric model simulations prescribed with observed sea ice variability reproduce the ENSO‐BKS correlation. We conclude that ENSO‐correlated winter BKS temperature variations are dependent on coincidental sea ice changes.
Seasonally Resolved Holocene Sea Ice Variability Inferred From South Pole Ice Core Chemistry
Authors: Winski Dominic A. , Osterberg Erich C. , Kreutz Karl J. , Ferris David G. , Cole‐Dai Jihong , Thundercloud Zayta , Huang Jiayue , Alexander Becky , Jaeglé Lyatt , Kennedy Joshua A. , Larrick Carleigh , Kahle Emma C. , Steig Eric J. , Jones Tyler R.
Published: April 2021

Variability in sea ice is a critical climate feedback, yet the seasonal behavior of Southern Hemisphere sea ice and climate across multiple timescales remains unclear. Here, we develop a seasonally resolved Holocene sea salt record using major ion measurements of the South Pole Ice Core (SPC14). We combine the SPC14 data with the GEOS‐Chem chemical transport model to demonstrate that the primary sea salt source switches seasonally from open water (summer) to sea ice (winter), with wintertime variations disproportionately responsible for the centennial to millennial scale structure in the record. We interpret increasing SPC14 and circum‐Antarctic Holocene sea salt concentrations, particularly between 8 and 10 ka, as reflecting a period of winter sea ice expansion. Between 5 and 6 ka, an anomalous drop in South Atlantic sector sea salt indicates a temporary sea ice reduction that may be coupled with Northern Hemisphere cooling and associated ocean circulation changes.
Heat Transfer Through the Wairakei‐Tauhara Geothermal System Quantified by Multi‐Channel Data Modeling
Authors: Ardid Alberto , Archer Rosalind , Bertrand Edward , Sepulveda Fabian , Tarits Pascal , Dempsey David
Published: April 2021

To obtain the fullest picture of geothermal systems, it is necessary to integrate different types of data, for example, surface electromagnetic surveys, lithology, geochemistry, and temperature logs. Here, by joint modeling a multichannel data set we quantify the spatial distribution of heat transfer through the hydrothermally altered, impermeable smectite layer that has developed atop the Wairakei‐Tauhara system, New Zealand. Our approach involves first constraining magnetotelluric inversion models with methylene blue analysis (an indicator of conductive clay) and mapping these onto temperature and lithology data from geothermal wells. Then, one‐dimensional models are fitted to the temperature data to estimate heat flux variations across the field. As a result, we have been able to map the primary seal that insulates the geothermal reservoir and estimate the heat flow of the system. The approach could be applied in geothermal provinces around the world with implications for sustainable resource management and our understanding of these magmatic systems.
A Toy Model to Investigate Stability of AI‐Based Dynamical Systems
Authors: Balogh B. , Saint‐Martin D. , Ribes A.
Published: April 2021

The development of atmospheric parameterizations based on neural networks is often hampered by numerical instability issues. Previous attempts to replicate these issues in a toy model have proven ineffective. We introduce a new toy model for atmospheric dynamics, which consists in an extension of the Lorenz’63 model to a higher dimension. While feedforward neural networks trained on a single orbit can easily reproduce the dynamics of the Lorenz’63 model, they fail to reproduce the dynamics of the new toy model, leading to unstable trajectories. Instabilities become more frequent as the dimension of the new model increases, but are found to occur even in very low dimension. Training the feedforward neural network on a different learning sample, based on Latin Hypercube Sampling, solves the instability issue. Our results suggest that the design of the learning sample can significantly influence the stability of dynamical systems driven by neural networks.
On the Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes Preceding Narrow Bipolar Events
Authors: Zhang Hongbo , Lu Gaopeng , Lyu Fanchao , Xiong Shaolin , Ahmad Mohd Riduan , Yi Qibin , Li Dongshuai , Xian Tao , Yang Jing , Liu Feifan , Zhu Baoyou , Pu Yunjiao , Cummer Steven A. , Briggs Michael S. , Qie Xiushu
Published: April 2021

Narrow bipolar events (NBEs) are occasionally reported to occur within a few ms after Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flashes (TGFs), while the formation mechanism remains mysterious partially due to the lack of sufficient observations. Here, nine more TGFs of this scenario are reported with concurrent LF sferics and lightning location data. The gamma‐ray production in these TGFs preceded the occurrence of NBEs by a minimum of 60 µs up to 13.5 ms, and no other fast leader discharge was found within 20 ms before the TGF. The TGF‐preceded positive NBEs occurred at altitudes of 8.6–11 km in thunderstorms, likely in the high electric field (E‐field) region of lightning initiation. The analyses show that the NBE‐preceding TGFs bear harder energy spectrum with larger proportion of high‐energy photons than EIP‐related TGFs produced in association with lightning leader. Our findings support the relativistic feedback mechanism of gamma‐ray generation in the large‐scale thunderstorm E‐field.
First Observation of the Oxygen 630 nm Emission in the Martian Dayglow
Authors: Gérard J.‐C. , Aoki S. , Gkouvelis L. , Soret L. , Willame Y. , Thomas I. R. , Depiesse C. , Ristic B. , Vandaele A. C. , Hubert B. , Daerden F. , Patel M. R. , López‐Moreno J.‐J. , Bellucci G. , Mason J. P. , López‐Valverde M. A.
Published: April 2021

Following the recent detection of the oxygen green line airglow on Mars, we have improved the statistical analysis of the data recorded by the NOMAD/UVIS instrument on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission by summing up hundreds of spectra to increase the signal‐to‐noise ratio. This led to the observation of the OI 630 nm emission, the first detection in a planetary atmosphere outside the Earth. The average limb profile shows a broad peak intensity of 4.8 kR near 150 km. Comparison with a photochemical model indicates that it is well predicted by current photochemistry, considering the sources of uncertainty. The red/green line intensity ratio decreases dramatically with altitude as a consequence of the efficient quenching of O(1D) by CO2. Simultaneous observations of the green and red dayglow will provide information on variations in the thermosphere in response to seasonal changes and the effects of solar events.
Diachronous Growth of the Northern Tibetan Plateau Derived From Flexural Modeling
Authors: Wang Lin , Cheng Feng , Zuza Andrew V. , Jolivet Marc , Liu Yiduo , Guo Zhaojie , Li Xiangzhong , Zhang Changhao
Published: April 2021

The early Cenozoic topography of the northern Tibetan plateau remains enigmatic because of the paucity of independent paleoelevation constraints. Long‐held views of northward propagating deformation imply a low Paleogene elevation, but this prediction is speculative. We apply flexural modeling to reconstructed Paleogene isopach data obtained from the Qaidam basin, which requires a larger topographic load in the Qilian Shan and a smaller load in the Eastern Kunlun Shan. Incorporating knowledge of proto‐Paratethys marine incursions in the Paleogene Qaidam basin, we infer a topographically low (0.4–1.0 km) Eastern Kunlun Shan and a higher (0.4–1.5 km) Qilian Shan during the Paleogene. This implied paleo‐relief contrasts with previous predictions and suggests more recently, Neogene surface uplift in the Eastern Kunlun Shan has been more significant than in Qilian Shan, highlighting diachronous growth of the northern Tibetan plateau. The low‐moderate paleoelevation implies a warmer and more humid climate in Northern Tibet during the Paleogene.
Chasing Carbon Unicorns
Authors: Pardikar Rishika
Published: April 2021

According to a new report, net zero targets many governments are pursuing are distractions from the urgent need to drastically reduce carbon emissions.
Role of Intense Arctic Storm in Accelerating Summer Sea Ice Melt: An In Situ Observational Study
Authors: Peng Liran , Zhang Xiangdong , Kim Joo‐Hong , Cho Kyoung‐Ho , Kim Baek‐Min , Wang Zhaomin , Tang Han
Published: April 2021

Intense storms have been more frequently observed in the Arctic during recent years, in coincidence with extreme sea ice loss events. However, it is still not fully understood how storms drive such events due to deficient observations and modeling discrepancies. Here we address this problem by analyzing in situ observations acquired during an Arctic expedition, which uniquely captured an intense storm in summer 2016. The result shows a pronounced acceleration of sea ice loss during the storm process. Diagnostic analysis indicates a net energy loss at the ice surface, not supporting the accelerated melting. Although the open water surface gained net heat energy, it was insufficient to increase the mixed‐layer temperature to the observed values. Dynamic analysis suggests that storm‐driven increase in ocean mixing and upward Ekman pumping of the Pacific‐origin warm water tremendously increased oceanic heat flux. The thermal advection by the Ekman pumping led to a warmed mixed layer by 0.05°C–0.12°C and, in consequence, an increased basal sea ice melt rate by 0.1–1.7 cm day−1.
Aviation Contrail Cirrus and Radiative Forcing Over Europe During 6 Months of COVID‐19
Authors: Schumann U. , Bugliaro L. , Dörnbrack A. , Baumann R. , Voigt C.
Published: April 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic led to a 72% reduction of air traffic over Europe in March–August 2020 compared to 2019. Modeled contrail cover declined similarly, and computed mean instantaneous radiative contrail forcing dropped regionally by up to 0.7 W m−2. Here, model predictions of cirrus optical thickness and the top‐of‐atmosphere outgoing longwave and reflected shortwave irradiances are tested by comparison to Meteosat‐SEVIRI‐derived data. The agreement between observations and modeled data is slightly better when modeled contrail cirrus contributions are included. The spatial distributions and diurnal cycles of the differences in these data between 2019 and 2020 are partially caused by differences in atmospheric and surface conditions, particularly for solar radiation in the spring of 2020. Aviation signals become discernible in the observed differences of these data between 2019 and 2020 when subtracting numerical weather prediction model results that approximate the atmosphere and surface conditions without contrails.
Characteristics of Low‐Harmonic Magnetosonic Waves in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere
Authors: Teng S. , Liu N. , Ma Q. , Tao X.
Published: April 2021

Magnetosonic (MS) waves are electromagnetic waves that play important roles in the acceleration and scattering of radiation belt electrons. However, previous statistical analyses of the global MS wave distribution were mainly restricted to magnetic field measurements. In this study, we first report a low‐harmonic MS wave event observed only by the electric field instrument in Van Allen Probes. The MS wave frequencies follow the local proton gyrofrequency (fcp), which suggests the characteristics of nearly local generation. We further statistically investigate similar wave events using Van Allen Probes data. The identified MS wave power exhibits peaks between 4fcp and 10fcp, regardless of the L‐shell, but it shows a dependence on magnetic local time. This work is supplemental to previous MS wave frequency spectra and provides new insights to better understand the source region of MS waves in the Earth's magnetosphere.
Prokaryotic taxonomy and nomenclature in the age of big sequence data
Authors: Hugenholtz Philip , Chuvochina Maria , Oren Aharon , Parks Donovan H , Soo Rochelle M
Published: April 2021

The classification of life forms into a hierarchical system (taxonomy) and the application of names to this hierarchy (nomenclature) is at a turning point in microbiology. The unprecedented availability of genome sequences means that a taxonomy can be built upon a comprehensive evolutionary framework, a longstanding goal of taxonomists. However, there is resistance to adopting a single framework to preserve taxonomic freedom, and ever increasing numbers of genomes derived from uncultured prokaryotes threaten to overwhelm current nomenclatural practices, which are based on characterised isolates. The challenge ahead then is to reach a consensus on the taxonomic framework and to adapt and scale the existing nomenclatural code, or create a new code, to systematically incorporate uncultured taxa into the chosen framework.