The ‘credibility paradox’ in China’s science communication: Views from scientific practitioners

In contrast to increasing debates on China’s rising status as a global scientific power, issues of China’s science communication remain under-explored. Based on 21 in-depth interviews in three cities, this article examines Chinese scientists’ accounts of the entangled web of influence which conditions the process of how scientific knowledge achieves (or fails to achieve) its civic authority. A main finding of this study is a ‘credibility paradox’ as a result of the over-politicisation of science and science communication in China. Respondents report that an absence of visible institutional endorsements renders them more public credibility and better communication outcomes. Thus, instead of exploiting formal channels of science communication, scientists interviewed were more keen to act as ‘informal risk communicators’ in grassroots and private events. Chinese scientists’ perspectives on how to earn public support of their research sheds light on the nature and impact of a ‘civic epistemology’ in an authoritarian state

Intercontinental Transport of Air Pollution: Relationship to North American Air Quality. A Review of Federal Resarch and Future Needs

This government report describes pollutants which are carried between continents by air currents. The report also addresses current and future research to better understand how these pollutants are transported

Preliminary Survey of Air Quality and Related Health Studies Conducted in the Vicinity of Ground Zero

This document represents the first survey by the research community of the impact of the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York on air quality and public health in lower Manhattan

An algorithm to compare two‐dimensional footwear outsole images using maximum cliques and speeded‐up robust feature

Footwear examiners are tasked with comparing an outsole impression (Q) left at a crime scene with an impression (K) from a database or from the suspect\u27s shoe. We propose a method for comparing two shoe outsole impressions that relies on robust features (speeded‐up robust feature; SURF) on each impression and aligns them using a maximum clique (MC). After alignment, an algorithm we denote MC‐COMP is used to extract additional features that are then combined into a univariate similarity score using a random forest (RF). We use a database of shoe outsole impressions that includes images from two models of athletic shoes that were purchased new and then worn by study participants for about 6 months. The shoes share class characteristics such as outsole pattern and size, and thus the comparison is challenging. We find that the RF implemented on SURF outperforms other methods recently proposed in the literature in terms of classification precision. In more realistic scenarios where crime scene impressions may be degraded and smudged, the algorithm we propose—denoted MC‐COMP‐SURF—shows the best classification performance by detecting unique features better than other methods. The algorithm can be implemented with the R‐package shoeprintr

A Report of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources National Science and Technology Council

This national scientific assessment integrates and interprets the findings of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and synthesizes findings from previous assessments, including reports and products by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It analyzes current natural and human-induced trends in global change, and projects future trends impacting the natural environment, agriculture, water resources, social systems, energy production and use, transportation, and human health. It is intended to help inform discussion of the relevant issues by decisionmakers, stakeholders, and the public. As such, this report addresses the requirements for assessment in the Global Change Research Act of 1990.

Air Quality Forecasting: A Review of Federal Programs and Research Needs

This report provides a brief overview of the state of science of air quality forecasting. The report was composed to guide future federal research in air quality forecasting

Atmospheric Ammonia: Sources and Fate. A Review of Ongoing Federal Research and Future Needs

This report provides a brief summary of the state of the current state of federal scientific research related to atmospheric ammonia, based on discussions from an October, 1999 meeting of the Air Quality Research Subcommittee of CENR

National Plant Genome Initiative

This report is an update on progress of federal plant genome research. The focus in this report is on plants that are economically important to agribusiness

Science and Technology to Support Fresh Water Availability in the United States

This report describes issues regarding water use, conservation, and management. Many parts of the United States are expected to face water shortages in the near future