Climate data and flowering times for 450 species from 1844 deepen the record of phenological change in southern Germany

PREMISE State-sponsored weather stations became ubiquitous by the 1880s, yet many old climate data and phenological observations still need to be digitized and made accessible. METHODS We here make available flowering times for 450 species of herbs and shrubs gathered in 1844 by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868), director of the Munich Botanical Garden. The data formed part of the world’s third-oldest phenological monitoring network as we explain in a brief overview of the history of such networks. Using data from one of the world’s oldest continuously functioning weather stations, Hohenpeißenberg, we relate temperature to flowering in three species with short flowering times and herbarium collections made since 1844 within the city’s perimeter, namely, Anemone patens, A. pulsatilla, and Arum maculatum. RESULTS Mean advances in flowering dates were 1.3–2.1 days/decade or 3.2–4.2 days/1°C warming. These advances are in keeping with similar advances in other European herbs during more recent periods. CONCLUSIONS Future studies might use the 1844 flowering data made available here as a source of information on the availability of particular flowers for specialized pollinators including insects looking for oviposition sites, such as the Psychoda flies that become trapped in Arum inflorescences. Another use of Martius’s 1844 data would be their incorporation into larger-scale analyses of flowering in southern-central Europe

In a no-win situation: The employment–health dilemma

Work and organizational psychology (WOP) research has to date mostly focused on people privileged to have the choice between several attractive job options and less on people who are restricted in their job choice (e.g., due to their qualification or personal contingencies) and have to choose from fewer and often less-than-optimal jobs. Often, the jobs available to the latter are characterized by precarious employment and hazardous working conditions which can put them in the difficult situation of having to choose between a health-threatening job and possible unemployment. Building on interdisciplinary literature, we propose the employment–health dilemma (E-H dilemma) as a framework for analyzing this intrapersonal conflict of having to choose between employment (incurring health threats) and health (incurring economic threats) and discuss potential antecedents and consequences of the E-H dilemma at the societal, organizational, and individual level. We outline the implications of the E-H dilemma and make a case for examining the full spectrum of job choice situations in WOP research. In doing so, we demonstrate what WOP can gain by embracing a more inclusive and multidisciplinary approach: uncovering processes in their entirety (e.g., job choice decisions of all people) and strengthening the role and legitimacy of WOP in society

Model Reduction for Multiscale Lithium-Ion Battery Simulation

In this contribution we are concerned with efficient model reduction for multiscale problems arising in lithium-ion battery modeling with spatially resolved porous electrodes. We present new results on the application of the reduced basis method to the resulting instationary 3D battery model that involves strong non-linearities due to Buttler-Volmer kinetics. Empirical operator interpolation is used to efficiently deal with this issue. Furthermore, we present the localized reduced basis multiscale method for parabolic problems applied to a thermal model of batteries with resolved porous electrodes. Numerical experiments are given that demonstrate the reduction capabilities of the presented approaches for these real world applications

People’s reactions to decisions by human vs. algorithmic decision-makers: the role of explanations and type of selection tests

Research suggests that people prefer human over algorithmic decision-makers at work. Most of these studies, however, use hypothetical scenarios and it is unclear whether such results replicate in more realistic contexts. We conducted two between-subjects studies (N=270; N=183) in which the decision-maker (human vs. algorithmic, Study 1 and 2), explanations regarding the decision- process (yes vs. no, Study 1 and 2), and the type of selection test (requiring human vs. mechanical skills for evaluation, Study 2) were manipulated. While Study 1 was based on a hypothetical scenario, participants in pre-registered Study 2 volunteered to participate in a qualifying session for an attractively remunerated product test, thus competing for real incentives. In both studies, participants in the human condition reported higher levels of trust and acceptance. Providing explanations also positively influenced trust, acceptance, and perceived transparency in Study 1, while it did not exert any effect in Study 2. Type of the selection test affected fairness ratings, with higher ratings for tests requiring human vs. mechanical skills for evaluation. Results show that algorithmic decision-making in personnel selection can negatively impact trust and acceptance both in studies with hypothetical scenarios as well as studies with real incentives

Money in monetary policy design: monetary cross-checking in the New-Keynesian model

In the New-Keynesian model, optimal interest rate policy under uncertainty is formulated without reference to monetary aggregates as long as certain standard assumptions on the distributions of unobservables are satisfied. The model has been criticized for failing to explain common trends in money growth and inflation, and that therefore money should be used as a cross-check in policy formulation (see Lucas (2007)). We show that the New-Keynesian model can explain such trends if one allows for the possibility of persistent central bank misperceptions. Such misperceptions motivate the search for policies that include additional robustness checks. In earlier work, we proposed an interest rate rule that is near-optimal in normal times but includes a cross-check with monetary information. In case of unusual monetary trends, interest rates are adjusted. In this paper, we show in detail how to derive the appropriate magnitude of the interest rate adjustment following a significant cross-check with monetary information, when the New-Keynesian model is the central bank’s preferred model. The cross-check is shown to be effective in offsetting persistent deviations of inflation due to central bank misperceptions. Keywords: Monetary Policy, New-Keynesian Model, Money, Quantity Theory, European Central Bank, Policy Under Uncertaint

Stärkung von Verbundenheit und Zugehörigkeit im digitalen Engagement

aus Reflexion und praktische Implikationen: Das Forschungsprojekt soll die Herausforderungen beleuchten, die sich im digitalen Engagement für den Aufbau und Erhalt von Verbundenheits- und Zugehörigkeitsgefühlen von Freiwilligen mit ihrer Organisation ergeben, unterstützende Maßnahmen erarbeiten und ihre Wirksamkeit evaluieren. Als erster Schritt der Problemdiagnose wurde eine Fokusgruppe durchgeführt, deren Ergebnisse zur Entwicklung von organisationsspezifischen Maßnahmen im nächsten Schritt genutzt werden.... Praktischen Nutzen liefert unser Beitrag in zweierlei Hinsicht. Einerseits zeigen die sechs Cluster relevante Herausforderungen im digitalen Engagement auf und können von anderen gemeinnützigen Organisationen als Leitfaden für die eigene Reflexion und Verbesserung der Zusammenarbeit verwendet werden. Aus der methodischen Perspektive hat sich weiterhin die Integration der Concept Mapping Methode in die Fokusgruppe als sehr nützlich erwiesen. Die Kombination beider Ansätze bietet den Vorteil, dass Ideen zu einem Thema sehr individuell und unbeeinflusst von der Gruppe erarbeitet und strukturiert werden, dann im zweiten Schritt aber in der Gruppe diskutiert werden können

Smart subtitles for vocabulary learning

Language learners often use subtitled videos to help them learn. However, standard subtitles are geared more towards comprehension than vocabulary learning, as translations are nonliteral and are provided only for phrases, not vocabulary. This paper presents Smart Subtitles, which are interactive subtitles tailored towards vocabulary learning. Smart Subtitles can be automatically generated from common video sources such as subtitled DVDs. They provide features such as vocabulary definitions on hover, and dialog-based video navigation. In our pilot study with intermediate learners studying Chinese, participants correctly defined over twice as many new words in a post-viewing vocabulary test when they used Smart Subtitles, compared to dual Chinese-English subtitles. Learners spent the same amount of time watching clips with each tool, and enjoyed viewing videos with Smart Subtitles as much as with dual subtitles. Learners understood videos equally well using either tool, as indicated by self-assessments and independent evaluations of their summaries

Gladstone Harbour Fish Health Investigation 2011-2012

The Gladstone Harbour Fish Health Investigation occurred in response to public concerns regarding fish health in Gladstone Harbour, which were raised with the former Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (now Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)) in August 2011. The majority of concerns were regarding skin redness, lesions and eye damage observed on barramundi caught from the Boyne River or within its vicinity. Further reports included unusual skin redness and occasional lesions observed on a range of fish species from Gladstone Harbour (including sharks), as well as an increase in the incidence of shell erosion on mud crabs. The subsequent investigation aimed to determine the cause of the reported issues and specifically to address public concern regarding the potential impact of industrial activity including dredging in Gladstone Harbour. The investigation, conducted by DAFF, was part of a whole-of-government response, which included sediment and water quality testing; and investigation into human health concerns. The first reports of abnormalities in fish were received months after a major flood event happened in Gladstone from December 2010 until early 2011. The flood event caused a dramatic influx of large barramundi (estimated 30 000), as well as other species from Lake Awoonga into the Boyne River when the Awoonga Dam spilled over. The dam had not spilled over since the 1990s, well before the dam wall was raised in 2002. Many of these fish were injured (some fatally) from the force of the impact when passing over the spillway. It is believed that a smaller number of fish were washed over during a second flood event in early 2012. The initial response investigated fish with visible abnormalities (e.g. missing scales and redness), and signs of disease to indicate the cause of the observed issues. This early sampling (Phase 1) between August 2011 and February 2012 was based on observations of commercial fishing activity, contracted fish surveys and submissions by members of the public. Over 5000 fish, crustaceans and molluscs were visually assessed during this sampling. In January 2012, the Independent Gladstone Fish Health Scientific Advisory Panel released a report recommending a structured sampling program to gauge fish health in Gladstone Harbour sites against comparable unaffected sites (reference sites), through time. It also recommended the development of a conceptual model of possible cause-effect relationships to help guide studies and eliminate potential causal factors. Structured sampling in Gladstone Harbour (Phase 2) was conducted in two major surveys during April–May (Trip 1) and June–July (Trip 2) 2012. These surveys covered 11 sites including two reference sites and focussed on a subset of 10 species. The selected species represented a range of different life cycles (e.g. catadromous and estuarine) and trophic levels (e.g. predatory, omnivorous detritivores and scavengers), and had been reported with a variety of abnormalities. A third targeted survey was conducted in September 2012 to monitor potential seasonal reoccurrence of parasitic infestations in the barramundi from the Boyne River. A total of 3699 fish and crustaceans were visually assessed in the field, with 452 specimens examined by necropsy, and tissues from 120 specimens subjected to histopathology and chemical residue testing

Sustainable protected areas: Synergies between biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development

1. Reconciling conservation and socioeconomic development goals is key to sus- tainability but remains a source of fierce debate. Protected areas (PAs) are be- lieved to play an essential role in achieving these seemingly conflicting goals. Yet, there is limited evidence as to whether PAs are actually achieving the two goals simultaneously. 2. Here, we investigate when and to what extent synergies or trade- offs between biodiversity conservation and local socioeconomic development occur. To ex- plore these relationships, we collected data across a wide range of socioeco- nomic settings through face-to-face survey with PA managers from 114 African and European PAs using structured questionnaire. 3. We found synergies between biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development for 62% of the PAs, albeit with significant differences between African (55%) and European PAs (75%). Moreover, the sustainability of PAs in conserving biodiversity was strongly correlated with the empowerment of the PA management and the involvement of local communities in PA planning and decision-making processes. 4. Our results demonstrate that for PAs to promote synergies between biodiver- sity conservation and local socioeconomic development, and to enhance their long-term sustainability, they should invest in the empowerment of their respec- tive management and involvement of local communities in their planning and management activitie