Investigation of cloud/water vapor motion winds from geostationary satellite

Work has been primarily focussed on three tasks: (1) comparison of wind fields produced at MSFC with the CO2 autowind/autoeditor system newly installed in NESDIS operations; (2) evaluation of techniques for improved tracer selection through use of cloud classification predictors; and (3) development of height assignment algorithm with water vapor channel radiances. The contract goal is to improve the CIMSS wind system by developing new techniques and assimilating better existing techniques. The work reported here was done in collaboration with the NESDIS scientists working on the operational winds software, so that NASA funded research can benefit NESDIS operational algorithms

Winter ecology of specialist and generalist morphs of European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus, in subarctic Northern Europe

European whitefish is a model species for adaptive radiation of fishes in temperate and subarctic lakes. In northern Europe the most commonly observed morphotypes are a generalist (LSR) morph and a pelagic specialist (DR) morph. The evolution of a pelagic specialist morph is something of an enigma, however, as this region is characterized by long, dark winters with pelagic primary production limited to a brief window in late summer. We conducted the first winter-based study of polymorphic whitefish populations to determine the winter ecology of both morphs, and we combined seasonal diet and stable isotope analysis with several proxies of condition in three polymorphic whitefish populations. The generalist LSR morph fed on benthic and pelagic prey in summer but was solely reliant on benthic prey in winter. This was associated with a noticeable but moderate reduction in condition, lipid content and stomach fullness in winter relative to summer. In contrast, the DR whitefish occupied a strict pelagic niche in both seasons. A significant reduction in pelagic prey during winter resulted in severe decrease in condition, lipid content and stomach fullness in DR whitefish in winter relative to summer, with the pelagic morph apparently approaching starvation in winter. We suggest that this divergent approach to seasonal foraging is associated with the divergent life-history traits of both morphs.Peer reviewe

Carbon Pricing in the Private Sector: How the Science, and Politics, of Carbon Pricing and Climate Change Influence Business Strategy

Economist Michael Greenstone called the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) “the most important figure you’ve never heard of”. The EPA defines the SCC as “an estimate of the economic damages associated with a small increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, conventionally one metric ton, in a given year.” The dollar figure assigned therefore represents “the value of damages avoided for a small emission reduction (i.e. the benefit of a CO2 reduction).” The current dollar value has different estimates in each state and within each company. The process of calculating the SCC is immensely complex and relies on numerous variables that are highly disputed by scientists, private interest groups and policy makers. Our purpose is to examine motives and trends behind public and private companies using SCC estimates

Cyber-Physical Infrastructure in context : Making sense of the technology landscape

Policy makers and business leaders need a clear grasp of the rapidly evolving relationships between physical and digital networks and related investments, if they are to deliver productivity, growth, and value to society. The terminology that is growing up around these new technologies can become both complex and exclusive, making it hard to innovate and collaborate across these new and shifting technology, business, and language boundaries. This document provides clear, concise explanations of the key domains that sit under the broad umbrella of Cyber-Physical Infrastructure (CPI) : networks of interconnected physical and digital systems that are capable of collecting, analysing, and exchanging data in real-time

Ecological speciation in a generalist consumer expands the trophic niche of a dominant predator

Ecological speciation - whereby an ancestral founder species diversifies to fill vacant niches - is a phenomenon characteristic of newly formed ecosystems. Despite such ubiquity, ecosystem-level effects of such divergence remain poorly understood. Here, we compared the trophic niche of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and their predators in a series of contrasting subarctic lakes where this species had either diversified into four ecomorphologically distinct morphs or instead formed monomorphic populations. We found that the trophic niche of whitefish was almost three times larger in the polymorphic than in the monomorphic lakes, due to an increase in intraspecific specialisation. This trophic niche expansion was mirrored in brown trout (Salmo trutta), a major predator of whitefish. This represents amongst the first evidence for ecological speciation directly altering the trophic niche of a predator. We suggest such mechanisms may be a common and important - though presently overlooked - factor regulating trophic interactions in diverse ecosystems globally.Peer reviewe

A picture is worth a thousand words: developing a common visual literacy amongst first year chemistry students

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND This paper reports on the development and implementation of student-generated submicro drawing questions into a first year chemistry laboratory program. AIMS This study aims are to use student-generated drawings to diagnose alternative conceptions held by first year chemistry students and enhance their understanding of the main concepts covered in each laboratory class. DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION Asking students to attempt submicro drawing tasks for assessment purposes first requires the development of a common visual literacy amongst students that helps to build familiarity with such tasks and allows comparable drawings to be produced. Developing a common visual literacy for this study involved students attempting three drawing tasks and watching a short video presentation. The drawing tasks were accompanied by guidelines but still required students to express their understanding of concepts such as molecular geometry, relative sizes of atoms and ions and the interactions between the chemical entities in their diagrams. Students attempted the questions individually before being invited to attempt them again in collaborative groups. DESIGN AND METHODS The participants for this study were first year general chemistry students at a large university in Victoria, Australia. The study compiled preliminary data which involved the collection of over three hundred student-generated drawings produced solely from the imaginations of the participants during week 1 of semester 1, 2013, followed by participant interviews at the end of the semester. A review of the relevant chemistry education literature and the preliminary data were used to develop the drawing tasks and video presentation that introduced students to a common visual literacy during weeks 1 and 2 of semester 1, 2014. Student-generated drawings collected during the preliminary data stage were assessed against criterion developed using a grounded approach which enabled themes to emerge by coding and categorizing the drawings through repetitive comparison. RESULTS Figures 1 – 3 are examples of student-generated drawings and highlight some of the alternative conceptions that can be revealed when students’ are asked to visually express their understanding of how ions interact in an aqueous solution (Figure 1) and in a solid (Figure 2). Students also revealed a number of alternative conceptions relating to water molecules and a difficulty in representing the detail required for solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions to be demonstrated (Figure 3). Figure 1: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for aqueous calcium nitrate Figure 2: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for solid silver chloride Figure 3: Drawings not meeting one or more criteria developed for liquid water CONCLUSIONS This study is situated within a constructivist framework which seeks to understand students’ alternative conceptions and to introduce effective pedagogical approaches that help to engage students in the learning process. Questions that require students to draw submicro diagrams and use them to facilitate a shared understanding with their peers are consistent with the collaborative nature of chemistry and a student-centred approach

EV’s Leading in China, Ford is a Few Cars Behind

As the world is looking at sustainable energy sources, electric vehicles are likely to be a big part of the perceived future. China has 18.47% of the world’s population, is one of the highest emitters of carbon dioxide, and is the world’s largest market for electric vehicles (Country Meters). China’s GDP was USD 13.608 trillion in 2018 and is expected to increase substantially in coming years (Wang, 2019). With 25 million vehicles sold in 2019, China’s automobile market is the biggest in the world. With that, China accounts for 27.52% of the world’s CO2 emissions (Statista). To decrease that number, China stated in 2019 their goal was to have 60% of all automobiles sold in 2035 to run on electric motors (Tian, 2019). With car sales in China declining rapidly over the past 3 years, automobile companies are looking for a way to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. Ford Motor Company, a $156 billion global leader, has been struggling to compete in China and is now looking to the electric vehicle market as a way to expand. However, China’s EV market is hypercompetitive with over 400 domestic EV manufacturers, including some multinationals like General Motors. To differentiate themselves from the competition, Ford announced plans of building facilities that will specialize in creating technology for their EV’s. SYNC+ is a popular technological option available to enhance the consumers experience (Media Ford, 2019). However, investment in technology could raise the prices of their vehicles. With annual income in China at about 82,413 yuan ($11,727 USD), raising prices may not be an option for Ford (Statista). This case study discusses the many challenges that Ford faces in China and how it needs to change its marketing mix in order to succeed there. Keywords: Ford, China, Electric Vehicles, Pollution, Environment, Automobiles, Case Study, Emerging Markets, International marketin

Can an ethics officer role reduce delays in research ethics approval? A mixed-method evaluation of an improvement project.

OBJECTIVE: Frustration continues to be directed at delays in gaining approvals for undertaking health research in the UK. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an ethics officer intervention on rates of favourable opinions (approval) and provisional opinions (requiring revision and resubmission) and on the time taken to reach a final opinion by research ethics committees (RECs), to characterise how the role operated in practice, and to investigate applicants' views. DESIGN: Mixed-method study involving (i) a 2-group, non-randomised before-and-after intervention study of RECs assigned an ethics officer and a matched comparator group; (ii) a process evaluation involving a survey of applicants and documentary analysis. PARTICIPANTS: 6 RECs and 3 associated ethics officers; 18 comparator RECs; REC applicants. RESULTS: Rates of provisional and favourable opinions between ethics officer and comparator RECs did not show a statistically significant effect of the intervention (logistic regression, p=0.26 for favourable opinions and p=0.31 for provisional opinions). Mean time to reach a decision showed a non-significant reduction (ANOVA, p=0.22) from 33.3 to 32.0 days in the ethics officer RECs compared with the comparator RECs (32.6 to 32.9 days). The survey (30% response rate) indicated applicant satisfaction and also suggested that ethics officer support might be more useful before submission. Ethics officers were successful in identifying many issues with applications, but the intervention did not function exactly as designed: in 31% of applicants, no contact between the applicants and the ethics officer took place before REC review. LIMITATIONS: This study was a non-randomised comparison cohort study. Some data were missing. CONCLUSIONS: An ethics officer intervention, as designed and implemented in this study, did not increase the proportion of applications to RECs that were approved on first review and did not reduce the time to a committee decision.The ethics officer pilot and the controlled evaluation was funded by the HRA. The process evaluation was conducted and funded separately by MD-W’s Wellcome Trust Investigator Award WT097899 with no HRA oversight or involvement beyond facilitating access to the database. MD-W’s contribution to this paper was also supported by University of Leicester study leave at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. RA-SS was funded by a Medical Research Council senior clinical fellowship.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from BMJ Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-01197