VLBI Analysis with the Multi-Technique Software GEOSAT

GEOSAT is a multi-technique geodetic analysis software developed at Forsvarets Forsknings Institutt (Norwegian defense research establishment). The Norwegian Mapping Authority has now installed the software and has, together with Forsvarets Forsknings Institutt, adapted the software to deliver datum-free normal equation systems in SINEX format. The goal is to be accepted as an IVS Associate Analysis Center and to provide contributions to the IVS EOP combination on a routine basis. GEOSAT is based on an upper diagonal factorized Kalman filter which allows estimation of time variable parameters like the troposphere and clocks as stochastic parameters. The tropospheric delays in various directions are mapped to tropospheric zenith delay using ray-tracing. Meteorological data from ECMWF with a resolution of six hours is used to perform the ray-tracing which depends both on elevation and azimuth. Other models are following the IERS and IVS conventions. The Norwegian Mapping Authority has submitted test SINEX files produced with GEOSAT to IVS. The results have been compared with the existing IVS combined products. In this paper the outcome of these comparisons is presented

Reliability and Stability of VLBI-Derived Sub-Daily EOP Models

Recent investigations have shown significant shortcomings in the model which is proposed by the IERS to account for the variations in the Earth s rotation with periods around one day and less. To overcome this, an empirical model can be estimated more or less directly from the observations of space geodetic techniques. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the quality and reliability of such a model based on VLBI observations. Therefore, the impact of the estimation method and the analysis options as well as the temporal stability are investigated. It turned out that, in order to provide a realistic accuracy measure of the model coefficients, the formal errors should be inflated by a factor of three. This coincides with the noise floor and the repeatability of the model coefficients and it captures almost all of the differences that are caused by different estimation techniques. The impact of analysis options is small but significant when changing troposphere parameterization or including harmonic station position variations

Lift-share using mobile apps in tourism: the role of trust, sense of community and existing lift-share practices

This paper explores the use of mobile technology to enable lift-share in the leisure travel domain of camping tourism. Here mobile devices can connect a user community on the move undertaking non-routine trips and reveal temporal and spatial connections suggesting lift-share opportunities. Data were derived from a questionnaire survey (n=339) administered at campsites in a rural tourism destination in Dorset, UK. Analysis focuses on the role of trust, sense of community and existing lift-share practices in willingness to engage in lift-share and other forms of share use of private vehicles using a mobile app. The findings indicate that previous experience of lift-share and sense of community both have a small effect, however, trust had no effect on the desire to lift-share. Analysis indicates trust is generated through community participation rather than being a precursor to taking part. Lift-share app developers and providers need to design strategies which build trust in the system using peer-to-peer ratings, where appropriate, and establishing user etiquette through user champions and visualising successful exchanges

Global impact of tobacco control policies on smokeless tobacco use : A systematic review protocol

Introduction Smokeless tobacco (ST) was consumed by 356 million people globally in 2017. Recent evidence shows that ST consumption is responsible for an estimated 652 494 all-cause deaths across the globe annually. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was negotiated in 2003 and ratified in 2005 to implement effective tobacco control measures. While the policy measures enacted through various tobacco control laws have been effective in reducing the incidence and prevalence of smoking, the impact of ST-related policies (within WHO FCTC and beyond) on ST use is under-researched and not collated. Methods and analysis A systematic review will be conducted to collate all available ST-related policies implemented across various countries and assess their impact on ST use. The following databases will be searched: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, EconLit, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), African Index Medicus, LILACS, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region, Western Pacific Region Index Medicus and WHO Library Database, as well as Google search engine and country-specific government websites. All ST-related policy documents (FCTC and non-FCTC) will be included. Results will be limited to literature published since 2005 in English and regional languages (Bengali, Hindi and Urdu). Two reviewers will independently employ two-stage screening to determine inclusion. The Effective Public Health Practice Project's 'Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies' will be used to record ratings of quality and risk of bias among studies selected for inclusion. Data will be extracted using a standardised form. Meta-analysis and narrative synthesis will be used. Ethics and dissemination Permission for ethics exemption of the review was obtained from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control's Institutional Ethics Committee, India (CCDC-IEC-06-2020; dated 16 April 2020). The results will be disseminated through publications in a peer-reviewed journal and will be presented in national and international conferences. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020191946

Whole genome sequence and manual annotation of Clostridium autoethanogenum, an industrially relevant bacterium

Clostridium autoethanogenum is an acetogenic bacterium capable of producing high value commodity chemicals and biofuels from the C1 gases present in synthesis gas. This common industrial waste gas can act as the sole energy and carbon source for the bacterium that converts the low value gaseous components into cellular building blocks and industrially relevant products via the action of the reductive acetyl-CoA (Wood-Ljungdahl) pathway. Current research efforts are focused on the enhancement and extension of product formation in this organism via synthetic biology approaches. However, crucial to metabolic modelling and directed pathway engineering is a reliable and comprehensively annotated genome sequence

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics' resources: focus on curated databases

The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) provides world-class bioinformatics databases, software tools, services and training to the international life science community in academia and industry. These solutions allow life scientists to turn the exponentially growing amount of data into knowledge. Here, we provide an overview of SIB's resources and competence areas, with a strong focus on curated databases and SIB's most popular and widely used resources. In particular, SIB's Bioinformatics resource portal ExPASy features over 150 resources, including UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, ENZYME, PROSITE, neXtProt, STRING, UniCarbKB, SugarBindDB, SwissRegulon, EPD, arrayMap, Bgee, SWISS-MODEL Repository, OMA, OrthoDB and other databases, which are briefly described in this article

Supply chain actors’ willingness to switch the business of smokeless tobacco : a mixed-methods study on Naswar business in Pakistan

Ahmad F, Khan Z, Böckmann M, et al. Supply Chain Actors’ Willingness to Switch the Business of Smokeless Tobacco: A Mixed-Methods Study on Naswar Business in Pakistan. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2021;23(9):1498–1506.**Introduction** Provision of alternate livelihoods to smokeless tobacco (SLT) supply chain (SC) actors can help in curtailing SLT business and its consumption. We explored the reasons for SC actors’ engagement in Naswar (SLT used in South Asia) business and their willingness to switch to other alternatives. **Aims and Methods** We conducted an equal-status concurrent mixed-methods study in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. We surveyed 286 general points of sale (GPOS) and exclusive Naswar (EN) vendors through multistage cluster sampling. Additionally, we interviewed 15 tobacco farmers interpretively, being distinct from other SC actors. We assessed the association between vendors’ willingness to switch and their awareness about tobacco-harms, profit margin, Naswar as a family business, length of business, education level, and shop type using logistic regression. Qualitative data assessed the farmer’s viable alternatives to switch and were analyzed using deductive–inductive thematic analysis. **Results** Product demand—77% and profit margins—75% were the main drivers for selling SLT by EN vendors. Half of the GPOS and 25% EN vendors expressed willingness to stop Naswar’s sale. Vendors aware of tobacco-harms were more willing to switch, but less likely to switch if Naswar was perceived to bring “good profit.” Farmers were mainly cultivating tobacco because of profitability, family-run farm, and perceived land-suitability for tobacco. Lack of government support was main constraint for farmers looking to switch. **Conclusions** A considerable portion of Naswar SC actors in Pakistan are willing to switch to viable alternatives, with profitability of alternatives, support from authorities, and social obligations as key considerations in doing so. **Implications** This study highlights that good profit margins in the Naswar business, lack of awareness of tobacco-related health harms, and absence of the government’s support are key detriments to switching to alternative businesses among Naswar SC actors in Pakistan. These findings are the first to come out in the context of both Pakistan and Naswar product, making a case for policy interventions focusing on tax increases, awareness campaigns about tobacco-harms, and a proactive role by the government to provide support for the security of livelihoods to those tobacco SC actors who want to switch to other alternatives

The global impact of tobacco control policies on smokeless tobacco use : a systematic review

Background Smokeless tobacco (ST), used by more than 300 million people globally, results in substantial morbidity and mortality. For ST control, many countries have adopted policies beyond the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which has been instrumental in reducing smoking prevalence. The impact of these ST related policies (FCTC and non-FCTC) on ST remains unclear. Methods We systematically searched 11 electronic databases and grey literature from 2005 to September 2021 in English and key south Asian languages, to summarise ST policies and their impact. Two reviewers independently screened articles; data were extracted after standardisation . Quality of studies was appraised using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Outcomes for impact assessment included ST prevalence, uptake, cessation, and health. Due to substantial heterogeneity in the descriptions of policies and outcomes, data were descriptively and narratively synthesised. Findings We identified 252 eligible studies describing ST policies. Fifty-seven countries had policies targeting ST of which 17 had non-FCTC policies for ST (e.g., spitting bans). Eighteen studies evaluated the impact. These were of variable quality (6 strong, 7 moderate and 5 weak) and reported mainly on prevalence of ST use. The body of work evaluating FCTC-based policy initiatives found that these were associated with reductions in ST prevalence: between -4.4% to -30.3% for taxation and -22.2% to -70.9% for multi-faceted policies. Two studies evaluating the non-FCTC policy of sales bans reported significant reductions in ST sale (-6.4%) and use (-17.6%); one however reported an increased trend in ST use in the youth after total sales ban, likely due to cross-border smuggling. The one study reporting on cessation found 13.3% increase in quit attempts in those exposed (47.5%) to FCTC policy: Education, communication, training, and public awareness, compared to non-exposed (34.2%). Interpretation Many countries have implemented ST control policies, including those that extend beyond FCTC. The available evidence suggests that taxation and multifaceted policy initiatives are associated with meaningful reductions in ST use