VELOX – A new thermal infrared imager for airborne remote sensing of cloud and surface properties

The new airborne thermal infrared (TIR) imager VELOX (Video airbornE Longwave Observations within siX channels) is introduced. The commercial camera system of VELOX covers six spectral bands with center wavelengths between 7.7 µm and 12 µm. VELOX is currently applied on board the German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). It observes two-dimensional fields of upward terrestrial spectral radiance with a horizontal spatial resolution of approximately 10 m by 10 m at a target distance of 10 km. Atmospheric temperature values are rather low compared to the original application of the TIR imager system and range close to the detection limit of the sensor. This challenge requires additional calibration efforts to reduce the measurement uncertainties of VELOX. These calibration and correction procedures, including radiometric calibrations, non-uniform corrections, bad-pixel replacements, and window corrections for data collected by VELOX, are presented. First measurements acquired by VELOX during the EUREC4A (ElUcidating the RolE of Cloud-Circulation Coupling in ClimAte) campaign are presented, including an analyses of the cloud top brightness temperature, cloud mask/fraction, and cloud top altitude data. They reveal that the cloud top temperature can be resolved with a resolution of better than 0.1 K, which translates into a resolution of approximately 40 m with respect to cloud top altitude.

Downstream funding success of early career researchers for resubmitted versus new applications: A matched cohort

Background Early career researchers face a hypercompetitive funding environment. To help identify effective intervention strategies for early career researchers, we examined whether first-time NIH R01 applicants who resubmitted their original, unfunded R01 application were more successful at obtaining any R01 funding within 3 and 5 years than original, unfunded applicants who submitted new NIH applications, and we examined whether underrepresented minority (URM) applicants differentially benefited from resubmission. Our observational study is consistent with an NIH working group’s recommendations to develop interventions to encourage resubmission. Methods and findings First-time applicants with US medical school academic faculty appointments who submitted an unfunded R01 application between 2000–2014 yielded 4,789 discussed and 7,019 not discussed applications. We then created comparable groups of first-time R01 applicants (resubmitted original R01 application or submitted new NIH applications) using optimal full matching that included applicant and application characteristics. Primary and subgroup analyses used generalized mixed models with obtaining any NIH R01 funding within 3 and 5 years as the two outcomes. A gamma sensitivity analysis was performed. URM applicants represented 11% and 12% of discussed and not discussed applications, respectively. First-time R01 applicants resubmitting their original, unfunded R01 application were more successful obtaining R01 funding within 3 and 5 years than applicants submitting new applications—for both discussed and not discussed applications: discussed within 3 years (OR 4.17 [95 CI 3.53, 4.93]) and 5 years (3.33 [2.82–3.92]); and not discussed within 3 years (2.81 [2.52, 3.13]) and 5 years (2.47 [2.22–2.74]). URM applicants additionally benefited within 5 years for not discussed applications. Conclusions Encouraging early career researchers applying as faculty at a school of medicine to resubmit R01 applications is a promising potential modifiable factor and intervention strategy. First-time R01 applicants who resubmitted their original, unfunded R01 application had log-odds of obtaining downstream R01 funding within 3 and 5 years 2–4 times higher than applicants who did not resubmit their original application and submitted new NIH applications instead. Findings held for both discussed and not discussed applications.

Assessing Malaysia and Indonesia as emerging retail markets: an institution-based view

PurposeDespite the significant potential of Malaysia and Indonesia as emerging Southeast Asian retail markets, their nuanced differences in relation to global retailers have not been fully analyzed. Drawing the institutional theory, this study analyzed the institutional environments of Malaysian and Indonesian markets contrasting their similarities and differences in formal (i.e. explicit, regulatory) and informal (i.e. tacit normative and cultural-cognitive) institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis of this exploratory is based on a large number of publicly available sources, including research papers, government documents and reports. The paper triangulated the validity of the data with multiple sources, including scholars, business professionals and government officers at the chamber of commerce in the countries.FindingsAlthough the two countries adjacently located in Southeast Asia share Islam as a major religion and the Bahasa language, there are significant differences in their formal institutions related to the retail environment, such as openness to foreign investment and retail infrastructure. Based on the analyses, this study provided recommendations for global retail companies targeting or planning to enter the Malaysian and Indonesian markets.Originality/valueThis paper was an original application of institutional theory to Malaysia and Indonesia and analyzed the two emerging economies where institutions vary and are less visible to many multinational companies.

Waiting for IR Godot? In search of transformative encounters between Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations

Within the Special Issue ‘Reaching for allies? The dialectics and overlaps between International Relations and Area Studies in the study of politics, security, and conflicts’, this article investigates the post-2011 changing relationship between International Relations (IR) and Middle Eastern Studies (MES). The article departs from the assumption that the reading and writing of security in, on and from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has historically been trapped between the projection of security from abroad and endogenous security narratives. We argue that within the post-Arab uprisings renewed scholarly attention, with studies on security in, on and from the MENA region expressing an all-time methodological pluralism and the increasing and original application of bottom-up and non-military security understandings to regional security, societal and human security are among the most promising notions for transformative dialogue between IR and MES. In broader theoretical terms, we show how the ongoing debate on post-Weberian notions of statehood and post-Westphalian sovereignty point to an already transformative dialogue between IR and MES. The article illustrates this trend with two case studies – on Tunisia and on Iraq – pointing to changing security concepts reflecting changing security practices.

OV06 EXTENDING THE INDICATIONS OF TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS RELEASE: SUBLAY MESH REPAIR FOR A RARE CASE OF ACQUIRED DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA

Aim Acquired diaphragmatic hernia (ADH) is rare and its treatment is challenging. Posterior component separation (PCS) with transversus abdominis release (TAR) is gaining wide acceptance for the repair of complex abdominal hernia, including those located in proximity of the abdominal borders. In this view the central tendon of the diaphragm could be intended as the rooftop border of the peritoneal sac. We describe an original application of TAR for the treatment of an unusual case of ADH. Material and Methods a 54 year-old man was referred to our department for an ADH, following two previous sternotomies for an aortic aneurysm, conditioning respiratory symptoms. A thoraco-abdominal contrast enhanced CT-scan confirmed an anterior left diaphragmatic defect with a transverse diameter of 8.5 cm and a huge sac containing the great omentum and the distal transverse colon, with atelectasis of the inferior lobe of the lung. A subxiphoid M1W2L2 incisional hernia was also detected. The patient underwent a midline xipho-umbilical laparotomy and a repair by partial TAR with posterior rectus sheath release and progressive dissection of the diaphragmatic muscular fibers far beyond the DH. A sublay repair with a large dual layer PVDF mesh was then accomplished. Results Postoperative course was uneventful and no recurrence was recorded at 6 months follow up. Conclusions partial-TAR could be a good option for repair of anteriorly placed ADH, ensuring a stable anatomical repair with an overlap that is usually wider than after laparoscopic IPOM repair. This novel indication confirms the extreme versatility of TAR for the repair of complex ventral hernia

Controlling turning contouring of shaped parts

The machining of contoured shaped surfaces of parts with a circular cross-section is executed on CNC lathes using control programs. All known CAM systems offer canned cycles for such surfaces. In most cases, it is recommended to use G71, G72 and G73 canned cycles for roughing contouring. The aim of the study is to analyze the cutting processes in roughing and finishing and to assess their influence on the surface quality of the part. A modeling technique is proposed, which is based on the use of an original application soft that allows simulating all machining cycles with fixing the results in the form of oscillograms of changes in the depth of cut. Comparative analysis of the results allows you to choose the most acceptable machining cycle for a specific profile of the contour of the part. The developed program also makes it possible to obtain the predicted accuracy of machining along the entire contour, which may arise as a result of technological heredity. In addition, the array of data on cutting depth obtained during the simulation, which is the main disturbance of the process, allows one to design the law of control of the cutting mode, for example, on the feed, which will lead to the stabilization of the cutting process. Анотація. Обробка контурних фасонних поверхонь деталей, що мають круглий поперечний переріз, виконується на токарних верстатах з ЧПУ по керуючим програмами. Всі відомі САМ-системи пропонують стандартні цикли для обробки таких поверхонь. У більшості випадків рекомендується застосовувати стандартні цикли чорнової контурної обробки G71, G72 і G73. Метою дослідження є аналіз процесів різання в чорновий і фінішної обробки і оцінка їх впливу на якість поверхні деталі. Порівняльний аналіз результатів дозволяє вибрати найбільш прийнятний цикл обробки для конкретного профілю контуру деталі. Розроблена програма також дозволяє отримати прогнозовану точність обробки по всьому контуру, яка може виникнути в результаті технологічної спадковості. Крім того, отриманий під час моделювання масив даних по глибині різання, який є головним обуренням процесу, дозволяє спроектувати закон управління режимом, наприклад, з подачі, які призведе до стабілізації процесу різання.

Geolocated dataset of Chinese overseas development finance

China is now the world’s largest source of bilateral development finance and will likely continue to play a prominent role in sovereign lending through its multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. This paper introduces major methodological enhancements in tracking this finance: the use of an original application programming interface (API) to gathers news in multiple languages; double-verification of every record to ensure every finance commitment has been formalized; and visual geo-location to trace the precise footprint of every project. The resulting dataset enables economic, environmental, and social analyses with high-precision spatial accuracy, as well as spatiotemporal monitoring by project stakeholders and enhanced planning by project managers. It covers the years 2008–2019 to enable analysis before and after the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative. It includes 862 finance commitments, 669 of which have geographic location, to 94 countries across the world.

Challenges and Opportunities for Recycled Polyethylene Fishing Nets: Towards a Circular Economy

Plastic waste generation has become an important problem that critically affects marine and oceans environments. Fishing nets gear usually have a relatively short lifespan, and are abandoned, discarded and lost, what makes them one of the largest generators of ocean plastic waste. Recycled polyolefin resins from fishing nets (rFN), especially from polyethylene (PE), have poor properties due to the presence of contaminants and/or excessive degradation after its lifetime. These reasons limit the use of these recycled resins. This work aims to study the incorporation of recycled fishing nets PE-made to different grades of virgin PE, in order to evaluate the potential use of these rFN in the development of new products. The recovered fishing nets have been fully characterized to evaluate its properties after the collection and recycling process. Then, different PE virgin resins have been mechanically blended with the recovered fishing nets at different recycling contents to study its feasibility for fishing nets or packaging applications. Critical mechanical properties for these applications, as the elongation at break, impact strength or environmental stress cracking resistance have been deeply evaluated. Results show important limitations for the manufacture of fibers from recycled PE fishing nets due to the presence of inorganic particles from the marine environment, which restricts the use of rFN for its original application. However, it is proved that a proper selection of PE raw resins, to be used in the blending process, allows other possible applications, such as non-food contact bottles, which open up new ways for using the fishing nets recyclates, in line with the objectives pursued by the Circular Economy of Plastics.

Polish network of research infrastructure for plant phenotyping

This document is an edited version of the original application for inclusion of a strategic research infrastructure project in the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. The application entitled "Polish network of research infrastructure for plant phenotyping" was submitted to the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education in June 2018; the project was not included in the Roadmap published in January 2020. The original document did not contain this abstract.

Gendered brokerage and firm performance – An interlock analysis of the UK

PurposeCorporate success depends partially on the quality of knowledge accessible to the executive board. One route of access to such knowledge is the appointment of directors who already hold directorships with prominent other corporate actors. Such director appointments provide interlocks to a corporate knowledge ecosystem (Haunschild and Beckman, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to examine how linkages between companies belonging to different sectors impact firm performance and to examine how linkages created by female directors, as opposed to male directors, shape performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper investigates the interlocks created between UK FTSE 350 companies from 2010 to 2018. It draws on network analysis to map the roles that male and female directors play in linking firms with varying sector classifications. The paper provides an examination of the impact of these roles on firm performance, through a panel data regression analysis.FindingsThis paper finds that there is an increase of inter-industry brokers over the period, and that men are still dominant in both the network and creating inter-industry ties amongst companies. However, the role of women in establishing these ties appears to be changing, and women are more important when it comes to create inter-industry ties among key economic sectors.Originality/valueThis paper provides a novel approach to examine the interplay between gendered inter (and intra) sectoral linkages and firm performance. It provides an original application of the two-mode brokerage analysis framework proposed in Jasny and Lubell (2015).