The Controlling of the Subtropical High Leading Modes on the Spatial Pattern of Tropical Cyclone Genesis in the Western North Pacific and Tracks Landing on the East Coast of China

As a prime circulation system, the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) significantly impacts tropical cyclone (TC) activities over the western North Pacific (WNP), especially TCs landing on the east coast of China; however, the associated mechanism is not firmly established. This study investigates the underlying dynamic impact of the first two empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of the WPSH on the interannual variability in the genesis and number of TCs landing over the WNP. The results show that these two dominant modes control the WNP TC activity over different subregions via different environmental factors. The first mode (EOF1) affects the TC genesis number over region I (105°–128° E, 5°–30° N) (r = −0.49) and region II (130°–175° E, 17°–30° N) (r = −0.5) and controls the TCs landing on the east coast of China, while the second mode (EOF2) affects the TC genesis number over region III (128°–175° E, 5°–17° N) (r = −0.69). The EOF1 mode, a southwest-northeast-oriented enhanced pattern, causes the WPSH to expand (retreat) along the southwest-northeast direction, which makes both mid-low-level relative humidity and low-level vorticity unfavorable (favorable) for TC genesis in region I and region II and steers fewer (more) TC tracks to land on the coast of China. The EOF2 mode features a strengthened WPSH over the southeast quarter of the WNP region. The active (inactive) phases of this mode control the low-level vorticity and vertical wind shear in region III, which lead to less (more) TC genesis over this region. The prediction equations combining the two modes of the WPSH for the total number of TCs and TCs that make landfall show high correlation coefficients. Our findings verify the high prediction skill of the WPSH on WNP TC activities, provide a new way to predict TCs that will make landfall on the east coast of China, and help to improve the future projection of WNP TC activity.

Domestic Architecture at Letchworth (8JE337) and Other Woodland Period Ceremonial Centers in the Gulf Coastal Plain

Architectural remains, especially domestic architecture, are essential for understanding the ways in which households organized themselves socially and economically in the past. Unfortunately, these remains are infrequently identified from Woodland period (1000 BC–AD 1000) archaeological sites along the Gulf Coast, an area home to well-known ceramic and mortuary traditions during this time. As a result, our knowledge of Woodland period households in the region is scant. In this article I present a newly discovered house from Letchworth (8JE337), a large Woodland period ceremonial center in northwest Florida, and compare it to the few published examples of houses from this region. I show that domestic architecture along the Gulf Coast during the Woodland period is diverse, suggesting differences in the organization of households and the historical development of ceremonial centers.

The Agricultural Settlement of the Arabah and the Political Ecology of Zionism

Agricultural settlement geared to capitalist commodity production and accompanied by massive ecological interventions has historically been central to the Zionist colonial project of creating a permanent Jewish presence in the “Land of Israel.” The hyperarid southern region known as the Central Arabah is an instructive edge-case: in the 1960s, after the expulsion of the bedouin population, cooperative settlements were established here and vegetables produced through “Hebrew self-labor,” with generous assistance from the state. In the 1990s the region was again transformed as the importation of migrant workers from Thailand enabled farmers to expand cultivation of bell peppers for global markets. But today ecological destruction, depletion of water resources, and global warming cast doubt over the viability of settlement in this climatically extreme region. I locate the settlements of the Arabah within the historical political ecology of the Zionist movement, arguing that their current fragility exposes the essential precarity of capitalist colonization.

Assessment of CMIP6 Model Performance for Wind Speed in China

As the major renewable energy, wind can greatly reduce carbon emissions. Following the “carbon neutral” strategy, wind power could help to achieve the realization of energy transformation and green development. Based on ERA5 reanalysis data and the multi-ensemble historical and scenario simulations of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), a variety of statistical analyses are used to evaluate the performance of CMIP6 simulating the wind speed in China. The conclusions are as follows: spatial patterns of the nine CMIP6 models are similar with ERA5, but BCC-CSM2-MR and MRI-ESM2-0 highly overestimate the wind speed in northwest China. CESM2-WACCM, NorESM2-MM, and HadGEM3-GC31-MM behave better than the other six CMIP6 models in four specific regions are chosen for detailed study. CESM2-WACCM, NorESM2-MM, and HadGEM3-GC31-MM tend to simulate a larger wind speed than ERA5 except the yearly averaged wind speed in region II and region IV. CESM2-WACCM and NorESM2-MM simulate a large monthly mean wind speed, but the value is relatively close with ERA5 in the summer. HadGEM3-GC31-MM overestimates wind speed in region I and region II from April to October, but gets closer with ERA during winter. CESM2-WACCM, NorESM2-MM, and HadGEM3-GC31-MM simulate an increasing trend in Tibetan Plateau and Xinjiang in the next 100 years, while NorESM2-MM projects rising wind speed in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, and HadGEM3-GC31-MM simulates increasing wind speed in the northeast and central China. The future wind speed in three models is projected to decline in region I, and the value of HadGEM3-GC31-MM is much larger. In region II, wind speed simulated by three models is projected to decrease, but the wind speed from HadGEM3-GC31-MM in region III and modeled wind speed in region IV from NorESM2-MM would climb with the slope equal to 0.0001 and 0.0012, respectively. This study indicates that the CMIP6 models have certain limitations to perform realistic wind changes, but CMIP6 could provide available reference for the projection of wind in specific areas.

Gender Inequality And Economic Development: Evidence From Sub-Sahara Africa

In developed countries, there is a substantial gender convergence over the last century. This cannot be said for Sub-Sahara Africa. Women are underrepresented in most economic and political spheres of the region. The implication is that the productivity of men increases relative to women thus decreases the supply of women’s labor force and increases the supply of men’s labor force. This study provides evidence of gender inequality on economic development in the Sub-Sahara Africa region. I conduct panel regression of 29 Sub Sahara African countries over the period from 1996 to 2019. Our results show that there is a significant negative impact of gender inequality on economic development in the region, holding other variables constant. Conversely, gender parity will positively affect economic development as evidence in our results. I also find that, Capital accumulation (proxy as Gross Capital Formation), trade openness and population growth are key drivers of economic development of the region. I recommend policies that promote gender equity, trade openness, and growth of healthy population to promote economic development in the region.JEL: A, B, E, H, J, O,

Thornthwaite Models for Estimating Potential evapotranspiration in Medan City

Evapotranspiration plays a big role in the hydrology process. Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) always keeps soil moisture available, although an amount of water evaporates through evaporation and transpiration. The Thornthwaite equation uses air temperature and latitude from meteorological observations for estimating PET. Medan City is one of the biggest cities in Indonesia that have a problem with land-use change that affected water balance. This study is to estimate the PET and to learn the water balance in Medan City. The monthly temperature data for the period 2011-2020 is collected from three meteorological stations for estimating PET using the Thornthwaite equation. The highest monthly temperature is in Belawan Maritime Meteorological Station yet the lowest rainfall. The trends of PET depend on the month. The highest PET in Jan.-Apr. and Sep.-Dec. are in Belawan Maritime Meteorological Station, while the highest PET in May-Aug. is in Indonesia Agency for Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Region I Medan. The P-PET has shown negative and positive values. The lowest P-PET is found in Belawan Maritime Meteorological Station in March and the highest P-PET is found in Indonesia Agency for Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Region I Medan in October.

Emerging Community Pantries in the Philippines during the Pandemic: Hunger, Healing, and Hope

This research is a critical approach to the emergence of community pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic as at-once contestatory and transformative narratives, foregrounding the Filipino poor’s experience of hunger, suffering, and marginality, while also highlighting their collective hope for a better world. I began by exploring the emergence of the community pantry in the Philippines, which was prompted by the government’s inadequate response to the plight of the hungry poor due to prolonged mandatory lockdown in the National Capital Region. I then turned to Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of hunger as the basis for the ethical giving displayed in the community pantries, which is a symbolic arena where leadership is questioned and the marginalized voices of the hungry poor are both mainstreamed and articulated. I brought ethical giving into relation with the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam as the platform for the possibility of healing wounded relations. I constructed a particular weave between the community pantry and the Filipinos’ shared experiences of hunger that touches on the ethical that can create liberating spaces for collective hope. In conclusion, I argue that this study is valuable for confronting unexamined assumptions of the relationship between hunger, healing, and hope for critical pedagogy and critical spirituality, which can have significant philosophical and theological implications.

Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella contamination of wild boar (Sus scrofa) carcasses: comparison between different sampling strategies

During 2020, a total of 64 wild boar carcasses were tested for Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC), Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica in the abdominal region (i) within 5 h after hunting in the game collection point and (ii) before dressing and processing in the game-handling establishment (GHE) (49 carcasses—average time interval between (i) and (ii): 4.3 days). Because of COVID-19 restrictions, 15 carcasses were transported to a near slaughterhouse (average time interval between (i) and (ii): 2.3 days). Mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) were collected and tested for Salmonella and Y. enterocolitica. Results are shown in relation to sampling A (49 carcasses—GHE) and sampling B (15 carcasses—slaughterhouse). Sampling A: EBC median values were (i) 2.51 log10 CFU/cm2 and (ii) 2.79 log10 CFU/cm2. EBC increase between (i) and (ii) was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Salmonella prevalence on carcasses varied from (i) 2.0 to (ii) 6.1%. Sampling B: EBC median values were (i) 3.1 log10 CFU/cm2 and (ii) 3.32 log10 CFU/cm2. EBC increase between (i) and (ii) was not statistically significant (p = 0.191). Salmonella prevalence on carcasses varied from (i) 6.7 to (ii) 0.0%. The prevalence (sampling A + B) of lymphatic Salmonella carriers was 7.8% (5/64). From carcasses and/or MNLs, the serovars Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Agama, Zaiman and Diarizonae O:50 (z) were detected. Y. enterocolitica was never isolated. Long chilling periods prior to wild game processing should be avoided, and carcasses should be tested at GHE rather than after shooting to proper reflect the microbial load of wild boar meat entering the food chain.

Knowledge exchange and the creative industries: A reflective commentary on current practice

This reflective commentary summarizes the key learnings that arose from the 2019/20 Knowledge Exchange and the Creative Industries seminar series. These seminars at the University of Bristol, UK, looked at engagement with research within the creative industries. Each seminar showcased an academic and artistic partnership from across South West England and Wales which resulted in an artistic output that could be classified as ‘immersive’, including, but not limited to, audio storytelling applications, augmented reality games, virtual reality projects, films and theatre productions. Each seminar involved collaborators sharing their experiences and thoughts on best practice, possible styles and potential pitfalls in knowledge exchange projects. My commentary provides an overview of the partnerships, which represent a snapshot of current knowledge exchange practices in the region. I summarize the common trends that emerged throughout the seminars, including methods of initiating a collaboration, the scalability of partnerships between industry and academia, the challenges surrounding process when working on multi-partner collaborations, and questions of ethics and intellectual property. I also reflect upon the processes and learnings that arose from hosting the series, to guide others who are thinking about strategies to encourage collaboration. Overall, the commentary offers a blueprint of considerations for those in both academia and the creative industries who are considering embarking upon knowledge exchange projects. By drawing attention to the lessons learned from a series of successful partnerships, the discussion paves the way for future projects of engaged research within the creative industries.