Forecasting Housing Prices under Different Submarket Assumptions

This research evaluated forecasting accuracy of hedonic price models based on a number of different submarket assumptions. Using home sale data for the City of Knoxville and vicinities merged with geographic information, we found that forecasting housing prices with submarkets defined using expert knowledge and by school district and combining information conveyed in different modeling strategies are more accurate and efficient than models that are spatially aggregated, or with submarkets defined by statistical clustering techniques. This finding provided useful implications for housing price prediction in an urban setting and surrounding areas in that forecasting models based on expert knowledge of market structure or public school quality and simple model combining techniques may outperform the models using more sophisticated statistical techniques.Clustering, Forecasting, Hedonic price, Housing Submarket, Demand and Price Analysis, C53, R21,

Grassroots facilitators as agents of change for promoting sustainable forest management: lessons learned from REDD+ capacity development in Asia

This article aims to provide policymakers and other key stakeholders with insights into the issues and concerns of grassroots stakeholders with regards to REDD+2 policy and programme development. The lessons shared spring from experiences in REDD+ capacity development in South and South-East Asia, covering Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal and Viet Nam. Extensive participatory and contextualized discussions and a series of training events contributed to building a cadre of hundreds of REDD+ trainers and facilitators at different levels and reached out to thousands of grassroots communities in project countries.The opportunities and challenges involved in strengthening communication between policymakers and local stakeholders are highlighted

Channel-Bed Degradation in Major Oklahoma Streams Arkansas River Part III of V (FHWA-07-06 2191)

The purpose of this research is to analyze the flowline data and relate it to the degradation of the river bed at bridge locations in the river. This information may then be used to replace or rehabilitate those bridges that experienced severe degradation. This report evaluates channel degradation in 463.85-mile reach of North Canadian River in Oklahoma. In this study, the 463.85 mile river length is divided into three Reaches: Reach 1- river station (RS) 1 (Bridge Key 16523) to Canton Dam, Reach 2- Canton Dam to Overholser Dam, and Reach 3- Overholser Dam to river station (RS) 40 (Bridge Key b15585). The flowlines of North Canadian River in Oklahoma were observed over a long period. RS 2 in reach 1 shows the maximum degradation of 4.63 feet from 1965 to 2000. In reach 2, RS 9 shows the maximum degradation of 5.83 feet in 58 years. Similarly, in reach 3, RS 33 shows the maximum degradation of 17.67 feet in 38 years. The maximum aggradation of 9.75 in 20 years is observed at RS 21. The North Canadian River in Oklahoma has experienced degradation over 10 feet at three river stations which have been serving more then 10 years. River station (RS 23) at S.H. 270, RS 33 at I-40, and RS 39 at S.H. 84 have experienced degradation of 15.6 feet in 11 years, 17.67 feet in 38 years, and 15.0 feet in 47 years, respectively. These bridges are defined as critical and recommended for rehabilitation or replacement in the replacement cycle. A detailed hydraulic and geotechnical analysis should be performed before reconstruction. It is recommended that degradation of tributaries is evaluated to determine the structures where flowline is severely degrading in North Canadian River basin.Final reportN

Channel-Bed Degradation in Major Oklahoma Streams Arkansas River Part IV of V (FHWA-07-06 2191)

The purpose of this research is to analyze the flowline data and relate it to the degradation of the river bed at bridge locations in the river. This information may then be used to replace or rehabilitate those bridges that experienced severe degradation. This report evaluates channel degradation in 409.76-mile reach of Canadian River in Oklahoma. In this study, the 409.76 mile river length is divided into two Reaches: Reach 1- river station (RS1) to Eufaula Dam, and Reach 2- Eufaula Lake Dam to RS18. The flowlines of Canadian River in Oklahoma were observed for a long period. In Reach-1, RS 14 shows the maximum degradation of 17.60 feet in 19 years from 1985 to 2004. On the other hand, maximum channel aggradation of 3.00 feet is observed at RS 17 in the Eufaula Lake. It was also found that the river station 18, 8.86 mile downstream of the Eufaula Dam, has experienced the degradation of 3.5 feet in 6 years from 1983 to 1989. River station (RS) 7 at U.S. 81, river station 12 at S.H. 3W, and river station 14 at U.S. 283 has experienced 12.05, 10.00, and 17.6 feet of degradation respectively. Degradations in these bridges are experienced in 45, 34, and 19 years respectively. Therefore, RS 7 (Bridge Key b13537), RS 12 (Bridge Key b14520), and RS 14 (Bridge Key b22420) are determined as critical and recommended for rehabilitation or replacement in the replacement cycle. A detailed hydraulic and geotechnical analysis should be performed before reconstruction. It is recommended that degradation of tributaries is evaluated to determine the structures where flowline is severely degrading in Canadian River basin.Final reportN

Counting crocodiles from the sky: Monitoring the critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) population with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

Technology is rapidly changing the methods in the field of wildlife monitoring. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an example of a new technology that allows biologists to take to the air to monitor wildlife. Fixed Wing UAV was used to monitor critically endangered gharial population along 46 km of the Babai River in Bardia National Park. The UAV was flown at an altitude of 80 m along 12 pre-designed missions with a search effort of 2.72 hours of flight time acquired a total of 11,799 images covering an effective surface area of 8.2 km2 of river bank habitat. The images taken from the UAV could differentiate between gharial and muggers. A total count of 33 gharials and 31 muggers with observed density (per km2) of 4.64 and 4.0 for gharial and mugger respectively. Comparison of count data between one-time UAV and multiple conventional visual encounter rate surveys data showed no significant difference in the mean. Basking season and turbidity were important factors for monitoring crocodiles along the river bank habitat. Efficacy of monitoring crocodiles by UAV at the given altitude can be replicated in high priority areas with less operating cost and acquisition of high resolution data

Taking the Pulse of PyroCumulus Clouds

Forest fires can burn large areas, but can also inject smoke into the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS), where stakes are even higher for climate, because emissions tend to have a longer lifetime, and can produce significant regional and even global climate effects, as is the case with some volcanoes. Large forest fires are now believed to be more common in summer, especially in the boreal regions, where pyrocumulus (pyroCu), and occasionally pyrocumuionimbus (pyroCb) clouds are formed, which can transport emissions into the UT/LS. A major difficulty in developing realistic fire plume models is the lack of observational data within fire plumes that resolves structure at a few 100 m scales, which can be used to validate these models. Here, we report detailed airborne radiation measurements within strong pyroCu taken over boreal forest fires in Saskatchewan, Canada during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) summer field campaign in 2008. We find that the angular distribution of radiance within the pyroCu is closely related to the diffusion domain in water clouds and can be described by very similar simple cosine functions. We demonstrate with Monte Carlo simulations that radiation transport in pyroCu is inherently a 3D phenomenon and must account for particle absorption. However, the simple cosine function promises to offer an easy solution for climate models. The presence of a prominent smoke core, defined by strong extinction in the UV, VIS and NIR, suggests that the core might be an important pathway for emission transport to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. We speculate that this plume injection core is generated and sustained by complex processes not yet well understood, but not necessarily related directly to the intense fires that originally initiated the plume rise

Ecosystem services for human wellbeing: Trade-offs and governance

Following the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005, the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) research programme was developed to address outstanding research and policy questions concerning how ecosystem services could contribute to sustainable poverty alleviation. Ecosystem functions and processes directly and indirectly underpin people's health and wellbeing, and are called ecosystem services. Considerations of the many linkages involved have highlighted the overall complexity across scales of both ecosystems and relevant governance systems, interdependencies and complex interactions between people and ecosystems and the significant governance challenges that are implicit in the Sustainable Development Goal framework. Referring back to the original ESPA framework, it is clear that while much work has focused on unpacking the central core of 'wellbeing', relatively little dealt with the surrounding 'ecosystems' circle. Provisioning services tend to dominate ecosystem decisions, commonly driven by markets that are not accessible to local communities

Variability in Surface BRDF at Different Spatial Scales (30 m-500 m) Over a Mixed Agricultural Landscape as Retrieved from Airborne and Satellite Spectral Measurements

Over the past decade, the role of multiangle remote sensing has been central to the development of algorithms for the retrieval of global land surface properties including models of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), albedo, land cover/dynamics, burned area extent, as well as other key surface biophysical quantities represented by the anisotropic reflectance characteristics of vegetation. In this study, a new retrieval strategy for fine-to-moderate resolution multiangle observations was developed, based on the operational sequence used to retrieve the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 5 reflectance and BRDF/albedo products. The algorithm makes use of a semiempirical kernel-driven bidirectional reflectance model to provide estimates of intrinsic albedo (i.e., directional-hemispherical reflectance and bihemispherical reflectance), model parameters describing the BRDF, and extensive quality assurance information. The new retrieval strategy was applied to NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) data acquired during the 2007 Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign (CLASIC) over the well-instrumented Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site in Oklahoma, USA. For the case analyzed, we obtained approx.1.6 million individual surface bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) retrievals, from nadir to 75 off-nadir, and at spatial resolutions ranging from 3 m - 500 m. This unique dataset was used to examine the interaction of the spatial and angular characteristics of a mixed agricultural landscape; and provided the basis for detailed assessments of: (1) the use of a priori knowledge in kernel-driven BRDF model inversions; (2) the interaction between surface reflectance anisotropy and instrument spatial resolution; and (3) the uncertain ties that arise when sub-pixel differences in the BRDF are aggregated to a moderate resolution satellite pixel. Results offer empirical evidence concerning the influence of scale and spatial heterogeneity in kernel-driven BRDF models; providing potential new insights into the behavior and characteristics of different surface radiative properties related to land/use cover change and vegetation structure

Stigma against mental health disorders in Nepal conceptualised with a 'what matters most' framework: a scoping review.

Stigma related to mental disorders is a barrier to quality mental healthcare. This scoping review aimed to synthesise literature on stigma related to mental disorders in Nepal to understand stigma processes. The anthropological concept of 'what matters most' to understand culture and stigma was used to frame the literature on explanatory models, manifestations, consequences, structural facilitators and mitigators, and interventions. We conducted a scoping review with screening guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A structured search was done using three international databases (PsycINFO, Medline and Web of Science), one Nepali database (NepJol) and cross-referencing for publications from 1 January 2000 through 24 June 2020. The search was repeated to include structural stigma-related terms. Quality of quantitative studies was assessed using the Systematic Assessment of Quality in Observational Research (SAQOR) tool. The review was registered through the Open Science Framework (OSF) (osf.io/u8jhn). The searches yielded 57 studies over a 20-year period: 19 quantitative, 19 qualitative, nine mixed methods, five review articles, two ethnographies and three other types of studies. The review identified nine stigma measures used in Nepal, one stigma intervention, and no studies focused on adolescent and child mental health stigma. The findings suggest that 'what matters most' in Nepali culture for service users, caregivers, community members and health workers include prestige, productivity, privacy, acceptance, marriage and resources. Cultural values related to 'what matters most' are reflected in structural barriers and facilitators including lack of policies, programme planning and resources. Most studies using quantitative tools to assess stigma did not describe cultural adaptation or validation processes, and 15 out of the 18 quantitative studies were 'low-quality' on the SAQOR quality rating. The review revealed clear gaps in implementation and evaluation of stigma interventions in Nepal with only one intervention reported, and most stigma measures not culturally adapted for use. As stigma processes are complex and interlinked in their influence on 'what matters most' and structural barriers and facilitators, more studies are required to understand this complexity and establish effective interventions targeting multiple domains. We suggest that stigma researchers should clarify conceptual models to inform study design and interpretations. There is a need to develop procedures for the systematic cultural adaptation of stigma assessment tools. Research should be conducted to understand the forms and drivers of structural stigma and to expand intervention research to evaluate strategies for stigma reduction

Bone mineral density (BMD) in rats in a model of metabolic syndrome (METS)

Background/Aims: Studies assessing association between MetS and bone status have yielded inconsistent results; subjects with MetS had lower bone mineral density (BMD) but also lower fracture risk. We investigated BMD in an animal model of MetS and the effects of feeding a variety of different nutraceuticals. Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed on either a corn starch (CS) or highcarbohydrate, high-fat (HCHF) diet that produces physiological characteristics of MetS for 8 weeks followed by a further 8 weeks during which half of each group of rats received a dietary supplement of a nutraceutical (including cardamom, chia, inulin, lignan, linseed oil, caffeine, seaweeds; n ¼ 8-15 per group, n ¼ 194 control diet). BMD of rats was determined at 16 weeks using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (Norland XR36). Difference between groups was tested using two-way ANOVA; factors, diet and nutraceutical. Results:Rats fed the HCHF diet were significantly heavier than those fed on the CS diet (474.5 ± 4.3 vs. 401.7 ± 4.3 g, p < 0.0001 respectively) but control HCHF rats had significantly lower (p<0.0001)%BMD than CS-fed rats (0.035±0.0002 vs. 0.041 ± 0.0002% respectively). Caffeine (p < 0.001), lignan (p ¼ 0.005) and seaweeds (p < 0.001) significantly decreased BMD while feeding lignan (p ¼ 0.005) and linseed oil (p¼0.038) increased BMD relative to controls. Inulin (p< 0.001) and chokeberry (p ¼ 0.0015) significantly increased %BMD. Conclusions: An HCHF (MetS) diet increased overall BMD due to a larger body mass but decreased BMD relative to body weight; partly offset by supplementation with chia seeds, chokeberry or inulin