What does generation Y want from conferences and incentive programmes?

This article examines the particular characteristics of Generation Y, such as their high expectations, their desire for ongoing education and their technological aptitude. It investigates the ways in which conferences and incentive programmes can be designed in such a way that they appeal to this youngest, but fastest-growing, segment of employees. Approaches include effective use of technology, involvement at the design stage, consideration of CSR and sustainability and effective use of speakers. The recommendations will be of interest to all intermediaries and suppliers in the conference and incentive travel industry, including convention bureaux and other destination marketing organisations, destination management companies, professional conference organisers and incentive travel houses, venues and speakers

Brexit is damaging UK science already. Here is a plan to fix it

British science and technology are already haemorrhaging talent and collaborations because of the Brexit vote, write Mike Galsworthy (left) and Rob Davidson of Scientists for EU. The government’s promise to underwrite Horizon 2020 funding was a bare minimum and uncertainty about future funding has made the UK a much less attractive place for research. They present an eight-point plan to limit damage to UK science and put its knowledge economy back in contention

Debunking the myths about British science after an EU exit

In this extract from their evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, Dr Mike Galsworthy (left) and Dr Rob Davidson explore the relationship between EU membership and the effectiveness of science, research and innovation in the UK

A Predictive Model for Convective Flows Induced by Surface Reactivity Contrast

Concentration gradients in a fluid along a reactive surface due to contrast in surface reactivity generate convective flows. These flows result from contributions by electro and diffusio osmotic phenomena. In this study we have analyzed reactive patterns that release and consume protons, analogous to bimetallic catalytic conversion of peroxide. Here, we present a simple analytical model that accurately predicts the induced potentials and consequent velocities in such systems over a wide range of input parameters. Our model is tested against direct numerical solutions to the coupled Poisson, Nernst-Planck, and Navier-Stokes equations. Our analysis can be used to predict enhancement of mass transport and the resulting impact on overall catalytic conversion, and is also applicable to predicting the speed of catalytic nanomotors

Ecological research in the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia: A discussion of early results

The Large-scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) is a multinational, interdisciplinary research program led by Brazil. Ecological studies in LBA focus on how tropical forest conversion, regrowth, and selective logging influence carbon storage, nutrient dynamics, trace gas fluxes, and the prospect for sustainable land use in the Amazon region. Early results from ecological studies within LBA emphasize the variability within the vast Amazon region and the profound effects that land-use and land-cover changes are having on that landscape. The predominant land cover of the Amazon region is evergreen forest; nonetheless, LBA studies have observed strong seasonal patterns in gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem exchange, as well as phenology and tree growth. The seasonal patterns vary spatially and interannually and evidence suggests that these patterns are driven not only by variations in weather but also by innate biological rhythms of the forest species. Rapid rates of deforestation have marked the forests of the Amazon region over the past three decades. Evidence from ground-based surveys and remote sensing show that substantial areas of forest are being degraded by logging activities and through the collapse of forest edges. Because forest edges and logged forests are susceptible to fire, positive feedback cycles of forest degradation may be initiated by land-use-change events. LBA studies indicate that cleared lands in the Amazon, once released from cultivation or pasture usage, regenerate biomass rapidly. However, the pace of biomass accumulation is dependent upon past land use and the depletion of nutrients by unsustainable land-management practices. The challenge for ongoing research within LBA is to integrate the recognition of diverse patterns and processes into general models for prediction of regional ecosystem function

Do personal narratives make thematic maps more persuasive? Integrating concrete examples into maps of the social determinants of health

Thematic maps about social inequalities can engage audiences, add context to policy debates, and change attitudes toward the issues. The field of communication has long compared the relative persuasiveness of this kind of abstract data versus concrete examples about individuals. While studies have compared the effectiveness of presenting both types of information alongside each other, the line between them is sometimes blurred in data visualization, which can incorporate individuals’ stories in innovative ways. One context in which incorporating examples within thematic maps may help is when discussing the social determinants of health because the complex relationship between individual and community is central to how the determinants influence health, and communication on this can be challenging. In this study, we randomly presented the UK public (N = 389) with maps incorporating varying levels of “exemplification” for three different social determinants: public transport, air pollution, and youth service provision. We tested how this affected engagement, credibility, and perceptions about the issues. Between-group analysis found few significant differences and therefore limited persuasive power. However, within-subject analysis indicated that the maps with individual-centered stories may be more persuasive but only among those less confident in their ability to interpret data visualizations

Improving the science-policy dialogue to meet the challenges of biodiversity conservation: having conversations rather than talking at one-another

A better, more effective dialogue is needed between biodiversity science and policy to underpin the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. Many initiatives exist to improve communication, but these largely conform to a ‘linear’ or technocratic model of communication in which scientific “facts” are transmitted directly to policy advisers to “solve problems”. While this model can help start a dialogue, it is, on its own, insufficient, as decision taking is complex, iterative and often selective in the information used. Here, we draw on the literature, interviews and a workshop with individuals working at the interface between biodiversity science and government policy development to present practical recommendations aimed at individuals, teams, organisations and funders. Building on these recommendations, we stress the need to: (a) frame research and policy jointly; (b) promote inter- and trans-disciplinary research and “multi-domain” working groups that include both scientists and policy makers from various fields and sectors; (c) put in place structures and incentive schemes that support interactive dialogue in the long-term. These are changes that are needed in light of continuing loss of biodiversity and its consequences for societal dependence on and benefits from nature

Investigating teeth eruption and eating quality

In Australia, a sheep ceases to be a lamb as soon as the eruption of its first permanent incisor teeth is evident. As part of a wider program to investigate a number of aspects of sheep meat eating quality, a project was undertaken to determine whether lamb eating quality would be compromised if sheep with partially erupted teeth continued to be classified as lamb. Overall, the results indicated that meat from young sheep with partially erupted teeth was unlikely to be inferior in eating quality than the meat currently classified as lamb