Surface Level Ozone and its Adverse Effects on Crops and Forests: A Need for an Interdisciplinary Understanding

Surface level ozone (O3) is clearly a global scale problem with regard to its adverse effects on crops, forests and native, terrestrial plant ecosystems. Photochemists and meteorologists are continuing to define the chemistry and physics of the prevalence of O3at the ground level. Similarly, plant scientists in the U.S. and Europe have examined the effects of O3on crops and tree seedlings or saplings through large-scale studies. Examples include the U.S. National Crop Loss Assessment Network (NCLAN), the U.S. EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s) San Bernardino National Forest Photochemical Oxidant Study, European Open-top Chambers Programme (EOTCP), and several ongoing EU (European Union) projects. In addition, there have been studies on mature tree responses through field measurements and by simulation modeling.

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Combined Block Adjustment for Optical Satellite Stereo Imagery Assisted by Spaceborne SAR and Laser Altimetry Data

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13163062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 3062

Author(s):

Guo Zhang ◽

Boyang Jiang ◽

Taoyang Wang ◽

Yuanxin Ye ◽

Xin Li

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Satellite Image ◽

Field Measurements ◽

High Elevation ◽

Global Scale ◽

Stereo Image ◽

Image Process ◽

Control Points ◽

Altimetry Data ◽

Laser Altimetry

To ensure the accuracy of large-scale optical stereo image bundle block adjustment, it is necessary to provide well-distributed ground control points (GCPs) with high accuracy. However, it is difficult to acquire control points through field measurements outside the country. Considering the high planimetric accuracy of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and the high elevation accuracy of satellite-based laser altimetry data, this paper proposes an adjustment method that combines both as control sources, which can be independent from GCPs. Firstly, the SAR digital orthophoto map (DOM)-based planar control points (PCPs) acquisition is realized by multimodal matching, then the laser altimetry data are filtered to obtain laser altimetry points (LAPs), and finally the optical stereo images’ combined adjustment is conducted. The experimental results of Ziyuan-3 (ZY-3) images prove that this method can achieve an accuracy of 7 m in plane and 3 m in elevation after adjustment without relying on GCPs, which lays the technical foundation for a global-scale satellite image process.

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Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084369 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4369

Author(s):

Kahler W. Stone ◽

Kristina W. Kintziger ◽

Meredith A. Jagger ◽

Jennifer A. Horney

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Workforce ◽

Work Experience ◽

Large Scale ◽

Health Workers ◽

Public Health Workforce ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

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Remote Sensing Methods for the Biophysical Characterization of Protected Areas Globally: Challenges and Opportunities

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi10060384 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 384

Author(s):

Javier Martínez-López ◽

Bastian Bertzky ◽

Simon Willcock ◽

Marine Robuchon ◽

María Almagro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Global Scale ◽

Area Network ◽

Biophysical Characterization ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Scale Characterization

Protected areas (PAs) are a key strategy to reverse global biodiversity declines, but they are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and concomitant effects. Thus, the heterogeneous landscapes within PAs, containing a number of different habitats and ecosystem types, are in various degrees of disturbance. Characterizing habitats and ecosystems within the global protected area network requires large-scale monitoring over long time scales. This study reviews methods for the biophysical characterization of terrestrial PAs at a global scale by means of remote sensing (RS) and provides further recommendations. To this end, we first discuss the importance of taking into account the structural and functional attributes, as well as integrating a broad spectrum of variables, to account for the different ecosystem and habitat types within PAs, considering examples at local and regional scales. We then discuss potential variables, challenges and limitations of existing global environmental stratifications, as well as the biophysical characterization of PAs, and finally offer some recommendations. Computational and interoperability issues are also discussed, as well as the potential of cloud-based platforms linked to earth observations to support large-scale characterization of PAs. Using RS to characterize PAs globally is a crucial approach to help ensure sustainable development, but it requires further work before such studies are able to inform large-scale conservation actions. This study proposes 14 recommendations in order to improve existing initiatives to biophysically characterize PAs at a global scale.

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Using Participatory Spatial Tools to Unravel Community Perceptions of Land-Use Dynamics in a Mine-Expanding Landscape in Ghana

Environmental Management ◽

10.1007/s00267-021-01494-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jane J. Aggrey ◽

Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽

Kwabena O. Asubonteng

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Large Scale ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Small Scale ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Food Crop ◽

Mosaic Landscape ◽

Rural Landscapes ◽

The Future

AbstractArtisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana’s Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.

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Deterministic and Empirical Approach for Millimeter-Wave Complex Outdoor Smart Parking Solution Deployments

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21124112 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (12) ◽

pp. 4112

Author(s):

Fidel Alejandro Rodríguez-Corbo ◽

Leyre Azpilicueta ◽

Mikel Celaya-Echarri ◽

Peio Lopez-Iturri ◽

Ana V. Alejos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Radio Channel ◽

Path Loss ◽

Ground Level ◽

Directional Antennas ◽

Scale Parameters ◽

Parking Lot ◽

Smart Parking ◽

Wireless Communications Systems

The characterization of different vegetation/vehicle densities and their corresponding effects on large-scale channel parameters such as path loss can provide important information during the deployment of wireless communications systems under outdoor conditions. In this work, a deterministic analysis based on ray-launching (RL) simulation and empirical measurements for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications for outdoor parking environments and smart parking solutions is presented. The study was carried out at a frequency of 28 GHz using directional antennas, with the transmitter raised above ground level under realistic use case conditions. Different radio channel impairments were weighed in, considering the progressive effect of first, the density of an incremental obstructed barrier of trees, and the effect of different parked vehicle densities within the parking lot. On the basis of these scenarios, large-scale parameters and temporal dispersion characteristics were obtained, and the effect of vegetation/vehicle density changes was assessed. The characterization of propagation impairments that different vegetation/vehicle densities can impose onto the wireless radio channel in the millimeter frequency range was performed. Finally, the results obtained in this research can aid communication deployment in outdoor parking conditions.

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Patients’ attitudes toward conventional and herbal treatments for depression and anxiety: A cross-sectional Israeli survey

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764021992385 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002076402199238

Author(s):

Or Burstein ◽

Alon Shamir ◽

Nurit Abramovitz ◽

Ravid Doron

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Large Scale ◽

Prescription Medications ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

Final Sample ◽

Choice Of Treatment

Background: As many patients view conventional antidepressants and anxiolytics negatively, it is not surprising that the willingness to apply these treatments is far from ideal, thus posing a critical barrier in promoting an effective and durable treatment. Aim: The present study aimed to explore patients’ attitudes toward conventional and herbal treatments for depression and anxiety, while considering cultural and demographic factors, to further elucidate the antecedes that putatively determine the treatment’s outcome. Methods: During June 2017, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using stratified sampling from a large-scale Israeli volunteer online panel. The final sample included 591 Jewish Israeli adults that reported they were suffering from depression or anxiety. Results: A heterogeneous range of attitudes toward treatment was found: for example, a large group of patients did not utilize prescription medications (39%), a professional consultation (12.9%), or any form of treatment (17.4%). Interestingly, these patients were significantly more likely to support naturally-derived treatments and were less concerned with scientific proof. Further, adverse effects were demonstrated as a prominent factor in the choice of treatment. A higher incidence of adverse effects was associated with an increased willingness to consider an alternative herbal treatment. Noteworthy attitudes were found in orthodox-Jewish individuals, who showed similar consultation rates, but utilized more psychological, rather than pharmacological treatments. Conclusions: It is proposed that patients’ perspectives and cultural backgrounds are needed to be taken into consideration during the clinical assessment and choice of treatment. The findings imply that a particular emphasis should be placed on patients that discard conventional pharmacological options and on distinct cultural aspects. Several recommendations for revising the current policy are advocated to promote more culturally-informed and patient-oriented care.

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Penetration of large-scale electrostatic fields generated in the ionospheric dynamo region into the atmosphere at ground level and at altitudes in the F region

Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics ◽

10.1007/bf01038125 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 1043-1048

Author(s):

B. N. Gershman ◽

A. V. Samsonov

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Ground Level ◽

Ionospheric Dynamo ◽

F Region ◽

Electrostatic Fields

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Atmospheric Circulation Effects on Wind Speed Variability at Turbine Height

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology ◽

10.1175/jam2466.1 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 445-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Katherine Klink

Keyword(s):

Wind Speed ◽

Pressure Gradient ◽

Large Scale ◽

Ground Level ◽

The Arctic ◽

Circulation Index ◽

Regression Equations ◽

Change Models ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

The North

Abstract Mean monthly wind speed at 70 m above ground level is investigated for 11 sites in Minnesota for the period 1995–2003. Wind speeds at these sites show significant spatial and temporal coherence, with prolonged periods of above- and below-normal values that can persist for as long as 12 months. Monthly variation in wind speed primarily is determined by the north–south pressure gradient, which captures between 22% and 47% of the variability (depending on the site). Regression on wind speed residuals (pressure gradient effects removed) shows that an additional 6%–15% of the variation can be related to the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Niño-3.4 sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Wind speeds showed little correspondence with variation in the Pacific–North American (PNA) circulation index. The effect of the strong El Niño of 1997/98 on the wind speed time series was investigated by recomputing the regression equations with this period excluded. The north–south pressure gradient remains the primary determinant of mean monthly 70-m wind speeds, but with 1997/98 removed the influence of the AO increases at nearly all stations while the importance of the Niño-3.4 SSTs generally decreases. Relationships with the PNA remain small. These results suggest that long-term patterns of low-frequency wind speed (and thus wind power) variability can be estimated using large-scale circulation features as represented by large-scale climatic datasets and by climate-change models.

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Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Extremes in Superparameterized CAM in Response to Warmer SSTs

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-17-0214.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (24) ◽

pp. 9827-9845 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Xin Zhou ◽

Marat F. Khairoutdinov

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Rain Rate ◽

Precipitable Water ◽

Heavy Precipitation ◽

Global Scale ◽

Precipitation Extremes ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Hourly Data ◽

Cloud Resolving Model ◽

Cold Extremes

Subdaily temperature and precipitation extremes in response to warmer SSTs are investigated on a global scale using the superparameterized (SP) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), in which a cloud-resolving model is embedded in each CAM grid column to simulate convection explicitly. Two 10-yr simulations have been performed using present climatological sea surface temperature (SST) and perturbed SST climatology derived from the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. Compared with the conventional CAM, SP-CAM simulates colder temperatures and more realistic intensity distribution of precipitation, especially for heavy precipitation. The temperature and precipitation extremes have been defined by the 99th percentile of the 3-hourly data. For temperature, the changes in the warm and cold extremes are generally consistent between CAM and SP-CAM, with larger changes in warm extremes at low latitudes and larger changes in cold extremes at mid-to-high latitudes. For precipitation, CAM predicts a uniform increase of frequency of precipitation extremes regardless of the rain rate, while SP-CAM predicts a monotonic increase of frequency with increasing rain rate and larger change of intensity for heavier precipitation. The changes in 3-hourly and daily temperature extremes are found to be similar; however, the 3-hourly precipitation extremes have a significantly larger change than daily extremes. The Clausius–Clapeyron scaling is found to be a relatively good predictor of zonally averaged changes in precipitation extremes over midlatitudes but not as good over the tropics and subtropics. The changes in precipitable water and large-scale vertical velocity are equally important to explain the changes in precipitation extremes.

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