Managing Sustainable Consumption: Shaping the Customer Journey with Focus on Sustainability in the Food Industry

As consumer awareness surrounding impacts of the climate crisis continues to be a notable threat, businesses are searching for new models to make their sustainability profile even better. As a result, the implementation of a company’s sustainability vision following the SDGs has to be linked closely to the integration of customers into strategic action. One success factor is the management of customers over their entire life cycle. The Customer Journey serves as a model to systematise this approach, by designing touchpoints throughout the purchasing process in order to motivate consumers to act sustainably. Based on behaviour models, the authors develop recommendations for the food industry to design a sustainable Customer Journey that helps to reduce the percentage of consumers reporting positive attitudes to sustainable products while not exhibiting corresponding behaviour.As consumer awareness surrounding impacts of the climate crisis continues to be a notable threat, businesses are searching for new models to make their sustainability profile even better. As a result, the implementation of a company’s sustainability vision following the SDGs has to be linked closely to the integration of customers into strategic action. One success factor is the management of customers over their entire life cycle. The Customer Journey serves as a model to systematise this approach, by designing touchpoints throughout the purchasing process in order to motivate consumers to act sustainably. Based on behaviour models, the authors develop recommendations for the food industry to design a sustainable Customer Journey that helps to reduce the percentage of consumers reporting positive attitudes to sustainable products while not exhibiting corresponding behaviour

The quasi two-day wave: the results of numerical simulation with the COMMA - LIM Model

The quasi two-day wave (QTDW), a prominent feature of the mesosphere mainly around solstices, is simulated with the COMMA-LIM Model (Cologne Model of the Middle Atmosphere - Leipzig Institute for Meteorology). The calculations are made approximately one month after the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere when the QTDW reaches its maximum in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The results show that the QTDW produces a moderate westward forcing of the zonally averaged flow and a poleward driving of the residual mean meridional circulation.Die Quasi Zwei-Tage Welle (QTDW), eine deutliche Erscheinung in der Mesosphäre kurz nach dem Sommer Solstitium, wird mit dem COMMA-LIM Modell (Cologne Model of the Middle Atmosphere - Leipzig Institute for Meteorology) simuliert. Die Zwei-Tage Welle wurde unter Juli-Bedingungen an der unteren Modellgrenze angeregt, zu der Zeit, zu der sie ihr Maximum in der Mesosphäre und unteren Thermosphäre erreicht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine sich westwärts ausbreitende Welle, die auf den Grundstrom eine moderate Beschleunigung nach Westen ausübt. Die residuelle mittlere Meridional Zirkulation erfährt dadurch eine zum Pol gerichtete Triebkraft

The 48 Layer COMMA-LIM Model: model description, new aspects, and climatology

COMMA-LIM (Cologne Model of the Middle Atmosphere - Leipzig Institute for Meteorology) ist ein 3D-mechanistisches Gitterpuktsmodell, welches sich von ca. 0 bis 135 km in logarhitmischen Druckkordinaten z = -H ln(p=p0) erstreckt, wobei H=7 km und p0 den Referenzdruck am unteren Rand bezeichnet. Die vertikale Auflösung von COMMA-LIM wurde auf 48 Schichten erhöht. Zugleich wurde die Beschreibung des Strahlungsprozesses verbessert, zusammen mit den Beiträgen zur Temperaturbilanz durch atmosphärische Wellen und Turbulenz. Weitere Veränderungen betreffen die numerische Realisation der horizontalen Diffusion und des Filterproblems. Die Beschreibung ist unterteilt in den dynamischen Teil und die Strahlungsbeträge. Die jahreszeitlichen Klimatologien werden vorgestellt und diskutiert.COMMA-LIM (Cologne Model of the Middle Atmosphere - Leipzig Institute for Meteorology) is a 3D-mechanistic gridpoint model extending up from 0 to 135 km with a logharithmic vertical coordinate z = -H ln(p=p0), where H=7 km and p0 is the reference pressure at lower boundary. The resolution of the 24 layer version has been increased to 48 layers and several improvements are made in the parameterisation of radiative processes, heating/cooling due to atmospheric waves and turbulence, as well as in the numerical realization of the horizontal diffusion and filtering. This description is divided into the section describing the changes in the dynamical part and the modifications in radiation routines. After all, the seasonal climatologies will be shown and discussed to demonstrate what the COMMA-LIM is capable of reproducing

Jahreszeitenvorhersagen mit dem DWD - MPI-M - UHH Vorhesagesystem

KlimawandelWir stellen erste Ergebnisse des präoperationellen Systems für Jahreszeitenvorhersagen vor. Dieses System wurde gemeinsam vom Deutschen Wetterdienst, dem MPI-M und der Universität Hamburg entwickelt und beruht auf dem MPI-ESM-LR in einer CMIP5 nahen Version. Es soll als deutscher Beitrag zum internationalen Multi-Modell Ensemble EUROSIP beitragen. Jahreszeitenvorhersagen werden als probabilistische Trendprognosen erstellt. Es ist deshalb erforderlich, für jeden Vorhersagezeitraum eine Klimatologie im Ensemble zur Verfügung zu haben, sogenannte Hindcasts. Die Erzeugung der Anfangsbedingungen der Hindcasts und Forecasts geschieht durch Datenassimilation, hier durch Nudging wichtiger Variablen in Atmosphäre, Ozean und Meereis. Das Ensemble wird durch die Technik des Breedings und der Variation eines Physikparameters generiert (Baehr et al, 2014). Diskutiert werden Qualitätsmetriken (skill scores) des Systems. Vorgestellt werden auch Prozeßstudien zur Vorhersagefähigkeit des Klima-Vorhersagesystem im Hinblick auf verschiedene relevante saisonale Ereignisse

Seasonal Predictability over Europe Arising from El Nino and Stratospheric Variability in the MPI-ESM Seasonal Prediction System

Predictability on seasonal time scales over the North Atlantic–Europe region is assessed using a seasonal prediction system based on an initialized version of the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM). For this region, two of the dominant predictors on seasonal time scales are El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. Multiple studies have shown a potential for improved North Atlantic predictability for either predictor. Their respective influences are however difficult to disentangle, since the stratosphere is itself impacted by ENSO. Both El Niño and SSW events correspond to a negative signature of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which has a major influence on European weather. This study explores the impact on Europe by separating the stratospheric pathway of the El Niño teleconnection. In the seasonal prediction system, the evolution of El Niño events is well captured for lead times of up to 6 months, and stratospheric variability is reproduced with a realistic frequency of SSW events. The model reproduces the El Niño teleconnection through the stratosphere, involving a deepened Aleutian low connected to a warm anomaly in the northern winter stratosphere. The stratospheric anomaly signal then propagates downward into the troposphere through the winter season. Predictability of 500-hPa geopotential height over Europe at lead times of up to 4 months is shown to be increased only for El Niño events that exhibit SSW events, and it is shown that the characteristic negative NAO signal is only obtained for winters also containing major SSW events for both the model and the reanalysis data

Untersuchung der Quasi - 2 - Tage Welle im Sommer 2005

Das seit Juli 2004 kontinuierlich arbeitende Meteorradar am Observatorium Collm (53,3°N, 13°E) der Universität Leipzig dient der Messung des horizontalen Windfeldes sowie der Temperatur in der Mesopausenregion. Neben der Betrachtung des jahreszeitlichen Verhaltens von Grund- und Gezeitenwind ist es möglich, die Aktivität planetarer Wellen zu untersuchen. Spezielles Interesse gilt dabei der Quasi-2-Tage Welle im Sommer 2005, da zu dieser Zeit sowohl eine Verschiebung der maximalen Amplituden hin zu kürzeren als auch zu längeren Perioden beobachtbar war. Als mögliche Ursache dafür werden nichtlineare Wechselwirkungen zwischen der Quasi-2-Tage Welle und planetaren Wellen mit größeren Perioden gesehen. Die Untersuchung derartiger Wechselwirkungen erfolgt mit Hilfe der Bispektralanalyse.Since July 2004 the meteor radar operates continuously at the Observatory (53,3°N, 13°E) of the University of Leipzig. It provides data of the horizontal wind field as well as the temperature of the mesopause region. In addition to the consideration of the seasonal behaviour of prevailing and tidal winds it is possible to examine the activity of planetary waves. Because of the shift of maximum amplitudes of the quasi-2-day wave in summer 2005 to shorter as well as longer periods the event has to be considered more in detail. Possible reasons for the displacements are nonlinear couplings between the quasi-2-day wave and planetary waves with longer periods. The examination of those couplings is performed using bispectral analyses

The influence of NCEP-data assimilated into COMMA-LIM on the 16-day wave

The general circulation model COMMA-LIM solves the primitive equations on a sphere using gridpoints. The relative large interval between adjacent gridpoints (5° × 5.6° latitude versus longitude) causes an incorrect meridional temperature gradient in the coarsly resolved troposphere that leads to too weak winds there, particularly in the lower winter stratosphere above the polar region. By using the technique of nudging 11-year averaged NCEP zonal mean temperature data were assimilated into COMMA-LIM. This means that longitudinal dependent processes as calculated by the model still influence the atmosphere. The nudging method has improved not only the lower atmosphere, but also the middle atmospheric jets show a more realistic behaviour. A numerical experiment by forcing the 16-day wave was carried out in order to investigate the influence of an improved background circulation on the vertical propagation of planetary waves.Das globale Zirkulationsmodell COMMA-LIM berechnet die primitiven Gleichungen auf einem Kugelgitter. Der relativ große Gitterabstand von 5°× 5.6° in Breite und Länge und die grobe vertikale Auflösung führen zu einem inkorrekten meridionalen Temperaturgradienten in der Troposphäre, so dass die troposphärischen Jets und der polare Winterwirbel zu schwach ausgeprägt sind. Mit Hilfe der Methode des Nudging wurden in den unteren 30 km der Atmosphäre 11-Jahres gemittelte NCEP Reanalysedaten des Temperaturfeldes assimiliert. Dabei wurde nur der zonale Mittelwert der berechneten Temperatur an die Reanalysedaten relaxiert, so dass die Antriebsterme, die von COMMA-LIM berechnet werden, erhalten bleiben. Durch diese Methode wurden Wind- und Temperaturfeld sowohl in der Troposphäre als auch in der mittleren Atmosphäre verbessert. Ein Experiment zur Ausbreitung der 16-Tage Welle wurde unter den neuen Bedingungen durchgeführt, und der Einfluß der veränderten Atmosphäre auf die vertikale Wellenausbreitung wurde untersucht

Searching for an Added Value of Precipitation in Downscaled Seasonal Hindcasts over East Africa: COSMO-CLM Forced by MPI-ESM

Downscaling of seasonal hindcasts over East Africa with the regional climate model (RCM) COSMO-CLM (CCLM), forced by the global climate model (GCM) and MPI-ESM, is evaluated. The simulations are done for five months (May to September) for a ten-year period (2000–2009), with the evaluation performed only for June to September. The dry years, 2002 and 2009, and the wet years, 2006 and 2007, are well captured by the models. By using ground based and satellite gridded observation data for evaluation it is found that both COSMO-CLM and MPI-ESM overestimate June to September precipitation over the Ethiopian highlands and in parts of the lowland with respect to all reference datasets. In addition we investigated the potential and real added value for both the RCM and the GCM hindcasts by upscaling (arithmetic mean) the precipitation resolution both in temporal and in spatial scales, over North Ethiopia (EN), South Ethiopia (ES), South Sudan (SS), and Sudan (S). Results inferred that using the RCM for seasonal forecast adds value in capturing extreme precipitation years, especially in the Ethiopian highlands. It is also found that the potential and relative potential added value decrease with decreasing the temporal resolution

Profound Re-Organization of Cell Surface Proteome in Equine Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Response to In Vitro Culturing

The purpose of this study was to characterize the cell surface proteome of native compared to cultured equine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. The RPE plays an essential role in visual function and represents the outer blood-retinal barrier. We are investigating immunopathomechanisms of equine recurrent uveitis, an autoimmune inflammatory disease in horses leading to breakdown of the outer blood-retinal barrier and influx of autoreactive T-cells into affected horses' vitrei. Cell surface proteins of native and cultured RPE cells from eye-healthy horses were captured by biotinylation, analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC MS/MS), and the most interesting candidates were validated by PCR, immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. A total of 112 proteins were identified, of which 84% were cell surface membrane proteins. Twenty-three of these proteins were concurrently expressed by both cell states, 28 proteins exclusively by native RPE cells. Among the latter were two RPE markers with highly specialized RPE functions: cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) and retinal pigment epithelium-specific protein 65kDa (RPE65). Furthermore, 61 proteins were only expressed by cultured RPE cells and absent in native cells. As we believe that initiating events, leading to the breakdown of the outer blood-retinal barrier, take place at the cell surface of RPE cells as a particularly exposed barrier structure, this differential characterization of cell surface proteomes of native and cultured equine RPE cells is a prerequisite for future studies

HLA-B27 as a predictor of effectiveness of treatment with TNF inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis: data from the Swiss Clinical Quality Management Registry

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 on the effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). METHODS: A total of 1109 patients with available HLA-B27 status (831 B27+ patients and 278 B27- patients) fulfilling the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society classification criteria for axSpA from the prospective Swiss Clinical Quality Management Registry initiating a first TNFi were included. Drug retention was investigated with multiple adjusted Cox proportional hazard models with imputation of missing values. Multiple-adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to assess the proportion of patients reaching 50% reduction in the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI50) at 1 year. RESULTS: B27+ and B27- patients differed with regard to age, sex, BASDAI, C-reactive protein (CRP), body mass index, enthesitis, uveitis, and classification status. After adjustment for potential confounders for the relationship between HLA-B27 and drug effectiveness (sex and family history of spondyloarthritis), a higher risk of drug discontinuation was found in B27- patients (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.27-1.83). This difference decreased after additional adjustment for parameters which may act as mediators (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.30-1.55). Male sex and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were consistently associated with longer retention. Comparable results were obtained for BASDAI50 responses. CONCLUSION: The HLA-B27 genotype is an important predictor of treatment effectiveness. Male sex and CRP seem, however, to better describe variability of response in individual patients. This data may help avoiding potential discrimination of B27- individuals with regard to TNFi initiation. Key Points • HLA-B27 is a predictor of effectiveness of TNF inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis. • Variability of response in individual patients is better defined by sex and objective markers of disease activity, such as C-reactive protein