Global Pressure Research Articles

Understanding biochemistry: basic aspects of statistics for life sciences.

If the biological world is one thing it is variable. As scientists we seek to measure, quantify and explain the causes of this variation. The approach we take to this is remarkably similar whether our research is exploring global temperature, blood pressure, cancer incidence or enzyme kinetics. This approach involves defining clear research questions and applying statistical methods to answer them robustly. This article will introduce a practical example that will be used throughout, specifically whether genetic variation can explain variation in coffee consumption. We assume little experience with statistics and walk through the statistical approach that biologists can use, firstly by describing our data with summary statistics and then by using statistical tests to help arrive at answers to our research question. A General Linear Model (GLM) approach will be used as this is what many common statistical tests are. We explore how to visualise and report results, while checking the assumptions of our analysis. The better we can understand and apply statistics to biological problems, the better we can communicate results and future research to others. The popular statistical programming language R will be used throughout.

Patterns of change in coral reef communities of a remote Maldivian atoll revisited after eleven years

Coral reefs are exposed worldwide to several global and local human pressures including climate change and coastal development. Assessing the effects of such pressures on coral reef communities and the changes they undergo over time is mandatory to understand their possible future trends. Nonetheless, some coral reefs receive no or little scientific attention, as in the case of Huvadhoo Atoll that is an under-studied region in the southernmost area of the Maldives (Indian Ocean). This study analyzes the changes occurring over time in eight coral reefs (four inner reefs within the atoll lagoon and four outer reefs on the ocean side) at Huvadhoo Atoll, firstly surveyed in 2009 and revisited in 2020 using the same field methods. The cover of 23 morphological benthic descriptors (including different growth forms of Acropora) was taken into account and then grouped into three categories (i.e., hard coral, other benthic taxa and abiotic descriptors) to analyze the change in the composition of the coral reef community. Significant changes (e.g., increase in hard coral cover and decrease in abiotic descriptors) were observed in the inner reefs as compared to the outer reefs, which showed less variability. A significant decrease in tabular Acropora cover was observed in both inner and outer reefs, with possible negative effects on reef complexity and functioning. By comparing two time periods and two reef types, this study provides novel information on the change over time in the community composition of Maldivian coral reefs.

Sustainable strategy as a lever for corporate legitimacy and long-term competitive advantage: an examination of an emerging market multinational

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the process of integrating sustainability into the corporate strategy of an emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNE) to achieve and maintain corporate legitimacy over time. The research explores how deploying a corporate sustainability strategy enhances the company’s long-term competitive relevance by creating and maintaining corporate legitimacy and transferring practices based on sustainable development goals within the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative single-case design, focusing on a corporate energy services company (Interconexión Eléctrica S.A.) operating in volatile, uncertain and turbulent environments.FindingsThe findings indicate that integrating sustainability into the corporate strategy enables subsidiaries to effectively meet global requirements, considering internal and external pressures. This integration also fosters the development of unique capabilities and the internalization of standards, addressing liabilities in foreign markets, thus providing a competitive advantage and safeguarding corporate legitimacy among stakeholders.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the international business literature by providing insights into strategy development and implementation in EMNEs. Specifically, it demonstrates how a Latin American emerging multinational enterprise (multilatina) adopts new sustainability strategies to enhance its business competitiveness. The study also offers guidance for emerging market companies on developing sustainability strategies and transferring them to subsidiaries operating in complex institutional environments. Furthermore, the research provides a rationale for governments and civil society organizations on why firms are committed to sustainability, highlighting its positive impact on firm’s competitiveness and survival in international markets.

Temporal variations of carbon and water fluxes in a subtropical mangrove forest: Insights from a decade-long eddy covariance measurement

Mangroves, highly efficient ecosystems in sequestering CO2, are strongly impacted by climate change. The lack of long-term observation in mangroves hinders the evaluation of seasonal and inter-annual variability in carbon and water fluxes and their responses to various environmental drivers. In this study, we measured net ecosystem CO2 exchange and evapotranspiration between the atmosphere and subtropical mangroves using the eddy covariance technique over a decade (2010–2019) in southern China. This mangrove forest acted as a strong CO2 sink, with annual net ecosystem production (NEP) ranging from 622.5 to 832.8 g C m−2 year−1. The annual evapotranspiration (ET) varied between 934.6 and 1004.9 mm year−1. During the study period, ET consistently remained higher in the wet season (May to October) compared to the dry season, while NEP did not exhibit consistent seasonal variation. Path analysis indicated that during the dry season, NEP was primarily influenced by global solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit. However, in the wet season, NEP was regulated by a combination of global solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit, air temperature, and tidal inundation time. Additionally, the promoting effect of global solar radiation on NEP decreased in the wet season, while the inhibitory influences of higher temperature and vapor pressure deficit on NEP intensified during the period. Unlike NEP, the dominant factors affecting ET (global solar radiation, air temperature, and vapor pressure deficit) and their intensities remained relatively consistent during both seasons. Furthermore, the relative importance of global solar radiation on NEP and ET increased over the decade, while the influence of tidal inundation time diminished. This study not only improves the understanding of the response of subtropical mangroves to climate change but also provides a valuable benchmark dataset to validate the interannual variability of mangrove carbon and water fluxes estimated from the models.

Fast-Responding Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements of the IC3X at Mach 7.2

Global surface pressure measurements of a 5.7% scale AFRL Initial Concept 3.X vehicle (IC3X) were obtained using a fast-responding ruthenium-based pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) at the UTSA Mach 7 Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel at two different angles of attack, 0° and 2.5°. Static calibration of the paint was performed over a range of 0.386 kPa to 82.7 kPa to relate luminescent intensity to pressure. Details on the facility, paint preparation, application, calibration, and image processing techniques are provided in the manuscript. The results from statistical, spectral, and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analyses are presented to characterize the pressure field observed on the model. The experimental results qualitatively follow the expected trends and correspond to the occurrence of shock waves and expansion fans, which were visualized via Schlieren imaging. The theoretical pressure range obtained from conical shock analysis for 0° agrees with the experimentally derived pressure range for the model, and the outliers are attributed to errors in image registration. This study presents preliminary pressure measurements that pave the way for obtaining time-resolved global PSP measurements to train and validate aerothermodynamic machine learning models.

Benefits and trade-offs of optimizing global land use for food, water, and carbon

Current large-scale patterns of land use reflect history, local traditions, and production costs, much more so than they reflect biophysical potential or global supply and demand for food and freshwater, or-more recently-climate change mitigation. We quantified alternative land-use allocations that consider trade-offs for these demands by combining a dynamic vegetation model and an optimization algorithm to determine Pareto-optimal land-use allocations under changing climate conditions in 2090-2099 and alternatively in 2033-2042. These form the outer bounds of the option space for global land-use transformation. Results show a potential to increase all three indicators (+83% in crop production, +8% in available runoff, and +3% in carbon storage globally) compared to the current land-use configuration, with clear land-use priority areas: Tropical and boreal forests were preserved, crops were produced in temperate regions, and pastures were preferentially allocated in semiarid grasslands and savannas. Transformations toward optimal land-use patterns would imply extensive reconfigurations and changes in land management, but the required annual land-use changes were nevertheless of similar magnitude as those suggested by established land-use change scenarios. The optimization results clearly show that large benefits could be achieved when land use is reconsidered under a "global supply" perspective with a regional focus that differs across the world's regions in order to achieve the supply of key ecosystem services under the emerging global pressures.

Challenges and Opportunities of Altasia: A National Benchmarking Assessment

As global pressures mount to diversify supply chain strategies beyond China, the concept of “Altasia” has emerged, encompassing 14 alternative countries. This study offers a comprehensive framework describing the historical context, driving factors, and theoretical underpinnings motivating the global shift away from China. Our research model delineates the strategic pathways employed by multinational corporations to navigate the decoupling process, particularly in identifying alternative manufacturing hubs across the Altasia region. This article critically examines the multifaceted challenges and opportunities inherent in Altasia as a collective entity comprising these 14 alternative countries. Furthermore, it explores the transformative implications of this paradigm shift on the broader global supply chain ecosystem. In conclusion, we highlight the forward-looking significance of these findings, shedding light on avenues for future research endeavors in this evolving landscape.

Machine Learning-Based Calibrated Model for Forecast Vienna Mapping Function 3 Zenith Wet Delay

An accurate estimation of zenith wet delay (ZWD) is crucial for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning and GNSS-based precipitable water vapor (PWV) inversion. The forecast Vienna Mapping Function 3 (VMF3-FC) is a forecast product provided by the Vienna Mapping Functions (VMF) data server based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)-based numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The VMF3-FC can provide ZWD at any time and for any location worldwide; however, it has an uneven accuracy distribution and fails to match the application requirements in certain areas. To address this issue, in this study, a calibrated model for VMF3-FC ZWD, named the XZWD model, was developed by utilizing observation data from 492 radiosonde sites globally from 2019–2021 and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. The performance of the XZWD model was validated using 2022 observation data from the 492 radiosonde sites. The XZWD model yields a mean bias of −0.03 cm and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 1.64 cm. The XZWD model outperforms the global pressure and temperature 3 (GPT3) model, reducing the bias and RMSE by 94.64% and 58.90%, respectively. Meanwhile, the XZWD model outperforms VMF3-FC, with a reduction of 92.68% and 6.29% in bias and RMSE, respectively. Furthermore, the XZWD model reduces the impact of ZWD accuracy by latitude, height, and seasonal variations more effectively than the GPT3 model and VMF3-FC. Therefore, the XZWD model yields higher stability and accuracy in global ZWD forecasting.

Ecological gradients in a marine cave revisited 26 years after

Marine caves are unique and vulnerable habitats threatened by multiple global and local pressures. Changes in the sessile epibenthic community of the Grotta Azzurra of Capo Palinuro (Salerno, Italy) during the last 26 years have been evaluated using growth forms and trophic guilds as non-taxonomic descriptors, informative of the structure and the functioning of the cave ecosystem, respectively. Photographic samples were collected in 1992 and 2018 to investigate the stability of the ecosystem response to the three main environmental gradients occurring inside the cave: i) confinement, ii) depth, and iii) light. Benthic communities were well spatially distributed along the three gradients inside the cave according to both the morphology and the feeding strategy of organisms, although the zonation was less marked considering trophic guilds. Gradients persisted and zones remained distinct through time, notwithstanding significant changes in community composition. The trophic organization was preserved throughout the cave, but significant changes in the spatial organization of benthic assemblages were widely observed, mainly due to 3-dimensional growth forms replaced by 2-dimensional (i.e., encrusting) growth forms and by increased sedimentation, thus causing the structural homogenization of the cave community. The outermost and the deepest sectors of the cave experienced higher changes compared to the most confined, blind-ended, sector and to the shallowest depths, which resulted comparatively more stable. From a functional point of view, filter feeders always dominated the communities (even considering their shift from erect to encrusting morphologies) and the few observed changes were due to the reduction of photophilic autotrophs and active ciliate without lophophore and the increase of mixotrophic sponges. As local human pressures remained low through the period considered, the changes observed are likely to be mainly due to global warming, which caused increased sea surface water temperatures and repeated summer heat waves (reported in 1994, 2003, 2008, 2012, and 2015). Regular monitoring programs on marine caves should be promoted to create historical series of data precious to better understand magnitude and pattern of change in the long-term evolution, and to estimate the recovery time of such priority habitats.

Editorial: water and environmental solutions for adaptation to global change pressures in developing countries

Editorial: water and environmental solutions for adaptation to global change pressures in developing countries

Расширение диапазона использования условного наклонения в современном испанском языке на примере бизнес-ситуаций

<p>This paper aims to comprehensively analyze the range of use for the conditional tense in the modern Spanish language in the context of the business environment. In the last few decades, its use spectrum has widened significantly, which is visible in expanding into the Present, Past and Future areas. This process is also apparent in different language registers: in colloquial speech and journalism and in the business sector. Based on theory and practical experience, the author analyses the conditional tense as a simple tense with great potential as a form of communication in business and mass media. We found that in some cases, the conditional tense could be substituted by other present or subjunctive tenses. That change shows us the tendency to prioritize simple tenses shaped by globalization and migratory pressures. This perspective may be interesting and valuable for language professors, businesspeople, and Spanish students in the light of the negotiation planning as well as interview and exam preparation, as the research can inspire them to use these speech models in their daily lives and business environment, bringing them closer to spontaneous fluent speaking.</p>

Social reproduction in crisis: Gendered labour regimes in agro‐export sectors in Ecuador and Chile

AbstractThe pandemic lays bare the centrality of social reproduction in upholding global commodity networks. Capitalism's reliance on gendered and racialized systems of social reproduction has deepened structural contradictions and socio‐economic divides across agro‐export sectors and agrarian communities. We analyse how COVID‐19 policies and responses in Ecuador and Chile are reshaping systems of social and labour protection in feminized agro‐export sectors. We integrate labour regime and gender regime frameworks, showing how they are (1) co‐constituted via global forces, national policies, institutional pressures and local practices; (2) intertwined in neoliberal and social‐democratic development models; and (3) forged through control, consent and resistance. We analyse national legal frameworks and policy responses to COVID‐19, as well as industry, union and worker reactions, illustrating how ‘neutral’ policies have gendered outcomes, (re)creating false binaries between production and reproduction and paid and unpaid work. We find that the pandemic has reshaped gendered labour regimes in agro‐exports: in Ecuador, undermining the fragile commitment to a social‐democratic gendered labour regime and in Chile, strengthening social‐democratic supports and promises of a more equitable gendered labour regime. In both cases, states and firms have neglected to include social reproduction in the ‘costs’ of development, thus threatening national development models grounded in the exploitation of cheap female labour in agro‐export sectors.

The adoption of the green label by SMEs in the hotel sector: a leverage for reassuring their customers

PurposeIn the era of new technological revolution, seeking to survive and guarantee business sustainability in their digital internationalization, enterprises choose to become environmentally oriented. The need for new green business models has become evident in recent years, and enterprises offer green services in creative and eco-friendly ways. However, does the display of a green label on hotels' websites really promote the eco-conscious tourists' online booking intention? This study aims to examine the impact of the perceived label on the online sustainable hotel booking intention of the eco-conscious tourists, using the foundations of signal theory.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a structural equation model to integrate several constructs with a sample of 349 validated responses.FindingsThe empirical results highlight, the importance of the green label perception on the eco-conscious tourists' booking intention of online sustainable hotel and the role that green trust and green perceived risk play as a mediating variable between the perception of the exposed label and the booking intention. Indeed, when booking a sustainable hotel online, the tourists may be sensitive to the exposure of a green label. Therefore, this signal decreases the perceived risk of unsustainability and ultimately increases the trust in hotel's sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe first limitation is related to the sample employed in this study. Given that most of the participants were residents of France, the results of this study may not be generalized to the entire population. Secondly, a range of other factors can affect the eco-conscious tourists' intentions to book online a hotel with green label, such as their attitude, social media influence, tourists' satisfaction, etc. Indeed, other variables and/or signals could be adopted to study online booking intention in the pandemic era.Practical implicationsIn light of these results, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. The findings make an important contribution to SMEs sustainability and internationalization by exploring new ties. This study considers how SMEs and specifically hotels start following green practices (e.g. adoption of an eco-label) relevant to their international environment where they operate and in response to global pressures. SMEs can survive better in the highly competitive global environment where they need to employ more green practices, however, managers should consider how green trust and green perceived risk can affect customer behavior. It also adds to the existing literature by dealing with customer perceptions about the green label of sustainable hotels and its subsequent effect on booking intention.Originality/valueThis study had shown the importance of the display of green label on the eco-conscious tourist's online booking intention.

Book Review: The Politics of English Language Education and Social Inequality

Review of the book "The Politics of English Language Education and Social Inequality: Global Pressures, National Priorities and Schooling in India".

Ecological risk assessment of metal pollutants in two agriculturally impacted estuaries

A focused diagnosis of ecosystem health in two South African estuaries (Kromme and Gamtoos) was conducted. Four pollution indices were used, i.e., geoaccumulation (Igeo), ecological risk (RI), contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI), to assess toxicity levels of metal contaminants in relation to background values. The Igeo results (11.1 %) can be classified as contaminated, with Cd, the only element with high values in both estuaries. Likely sources (herbicides, pesticides) of Cd are used in the agricultural dominated catchments. There was a high concentration of Mn (13.4 ± 2.51 and 12.3 ± 1.13 μg·g−1) and Fe (1289 ± 243 and 1291 ± 130 μg·g−1) at site 4 for Gamtoos and Kromme estuary respectively compared to the other metal elements. Although results indicate low metal contamination, with increasing global anthropogenic pressure, continuous monitoring should be prioritised to assist in managing estuarine systems that support a wide range of socio-economic and ecosystem services.

Automation of embodied carbon calculation in digital built environment- tool utilizing UK LCI database

Global and governmental pressures have been acting as motivators towards delivering sustainable and low carbon buildings. One of the main sources responsible for carbon in buildings is embodied carbon that depends on material choices. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology developed to assess the materials, using embodied factors throughout the whole life cycle of the material. Although there are promising possibilities for incorporating LCA with building information modelling platforms, dynamic,early design assessment and automated integration still lacking. This paper proposes a novel framework and tool for automating embodied carbon calculations within the BIM environment. The approach leverages literature reviews and hands-on exploration to establish the foundation of a BIM-integrated LCA tool. The proposed tool aims to provide vital information for informed decision-making, minimizing errors, and facilitating low carbon building design. Ultimately, this framework could enhance early decision making, reduce error, time, effort and accelerate iterative design assessment.

Leveraging large soil spectral libraries for sensor-agnostic field condition predictions of several agronomically important soil properties

Global pressures to improve soil organic carbon sequestration and soil health in general amongst the world’s agricultural soils are creating a demand for improved practice to drive positive and sustainable changes in the natural capital of soils. Incentive programs aimed to promote this must be informed by accurate observations of the state of soils, both temporally and spatially. Soil spectral inference is a useful method for capturing the state of soils cost-effectively, but the price of standard laboratory grade visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) sensors can limit its application. Further, the acquisition of spectra by these laboratory grade sensors is performed primarily in air-dried and ground condition, adding a time lag to information retrieval. Recently, low-cost, portable miniaturised near-infrafred (NIR) spectrometers have become available and have shown to be a viable alternative for the measurement of several agronomically important soil properties, which are also vital to the maintenance of soil health, including soil organic carbon (SOC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). However, the implementation of new spectrometers, to new locations requires the creation of new spectral libraries, an expensive and labour-intensive process requiring large amounts of soil analytical and spectral data gathering. Thus, existing, laboratory grade Vis-NIR spectral libraries present a high-quality and high-resolution resource to leverage. This work demonstrates how existing spectral library resources can be accessed with cheaper, portable miniaturised NIR spectrometers with appropriate spectral filtering, and appropriate transformation matrices. In addition, the work shows that by correcting for the influences of spectral differences between soils scanned in field condition, and those prepared for analysis in the laboratory, greater uptake of spectral inference as a tool to evaluate the state of soils can be enabled. This work also demonstrates how large existing laboratory grade spectral libraries such as the CSIRO national Australian Vis-NIR soil spectral library can be queried and using memory-based learning or similar methods, such as RS-Local, and the most appropriate samples may be identified to be used for the prediction of soil properties. This work builds off an existing framework for the use of soil spectral inference for monitoring the state of soil, the Australian 2021 Soil Organic Carbon Credits Methodology Determination. Methods are demonstrated for the prediction of nine agronomically important soil properties, SOC, pH in water, pH in CaCl2, electrical conductivity, CEC, and exchangeable Ca, K, Mg and Na. For SOC a model using only 20 local samples was produced in this work with a Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) of 0.72, surpassing both the minimum requirement under the carbon credits methodology determination (LCCC 0.6), and a 50 sample local only model (LCCC 0.61). This example demonstrates that a significant further potential cost saving in laboratory analysis across soil monitoring projects can be achieved through selectively leveraging a large spectral library resource.

Comparative Study on Tobacco Control in India and the United Kingdom: Analysis of Executive Policies

Context: In recent decades, the tobacco epidemic has spread worldwide. The impact of tobacco control policies has been different among countries. This paper aims to explain how two countries, the United Kingdom (UK) and India, with different political, social, and cultural contexts, implemented the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Evidence Acquisition: A comparative study was done for tobacco control in UK and India in 2022. A review of literature in five databases, observational data and legal documents on tobacco use were undertaken. To identify and explain the factors that pose challenges to the implementation of tobacco control policies, country reports and health policy monitoring and research databases (in total, 27 papers and 16 reports) were reviewed. Results: Having different economic, social, and cultural backgrounds, a similar pathway to control the tobacco industry can be seen in UK and India. The factors that can explain the similar outcomes in two countries are the global pressure of WHO, increased awareness of people and policymakers, and a sense of urgency about the tobacco problem in both societies. Conclusions: At different stages of tobacco control in both countries, various interest groups with different routes of political influence used veto opportunities to overturn political decisions in the policy process. Continuous analysis of interest groups and their status quo is necessary to restrict the tobacco industry in favor of public health. Governments should carefully recognize the stakeholders and stake challengers in the policy domain and balance their interests.

Enhanced structural damage behavior of liquid-filled tank by reactive material projectile impact

A series of ballistic experiments were performed to investigate the damage behavior of high velocity reactive material projectiles (RMPs) impacting liquid-filled tanks, and the corresponding hydrodynamic ram (HRAM) was studied in detail. PTFE/Al/W RMPs with steel-like and aluminum-like densities were prepared by a pressing/sintering process. The projectiles impacted a liquid-filled steel tank with front aluminum panel at approximately 1250 m/s. The corresponding cavity evolution characteristics and HRAM pressure were recorded by high-speed camera and pressure acquisition system, and further compared to those of steel and aluminum projectiles. Significantly different from the conical cavity formed by the inert metal projectile, the cavity formed by the RMP appeared as an ellipsoid with a conical front. The RMPs were demonstrated to enhance the radial growth velocity of cavity, the global HRAM pressure amplitude and the front panel damage, indicating the enhanced HRAM and structural damage behavior. Furthermore, combining the impact-induced fragmentation and deflagration characteristics, the cavity evolution of RMPs under the combined effect of kinetic energy impact and chemical energy release was analyzed. The mechanism of enhanced HRAM pressure induced by the RMPs was further revealed based on the theoretical model of the initial impact wave and the impulse analysis. Finally, the linear correlation between the deformation-thickness ratio and the non-dimensional impulse for the front panel was obtained and analyzed. It was determined that the enhanced near-field impulse induced by the RMPs was the dominant reason for the enhanced structural damage behavior.

The effect of carbon tariffs and the associated coping strategies: A global supply chain perspective

Carbon regulation differences are the main obstacle to global carbon emissions reductions. To alleviate the global environmental pressures from carbon emissions, high-carbon-regulated countries are seeking to impose carbon tariffs on imported products. In response, low-carbon-regulated countries can choose to allocate carbon quotas on manufacturers (H strategy) or provide subsidies to reduce their emissions reduction costs (S strategy). Therefore, it is worth exploring the joint impact of carbon tariffs and the associated coping strategies. In this context, this paper explores optimal manufacturing production and emissions reductions, analyses the impact of carbon tariffs on carbon emissions and social welfare, and examines strategy selection in low-carbon regulated countries. It is found that both the production and profits for manufacturers with relatively low carbon emissions reduction costs can increase with carbon tariffs. When a carbon tariff is fixed, the response strategy in low-carbon-regulated countries can either increase or decrease global carbon emissions. Carbon tariffs always have a negative impact on the social welfare of low-carbon-regulated countries. Interestingly, carbon tariffs may also harm the social welfare of high-carbon-regulated countries, especially when their manufacturers have high emissions reduction costs. Finally, as for social welfare in low-carbon-regulated countries, high-carbon-regulated countries, and the global community, both H and S strategies can be win-win strategies when emissions reduction cost subsidies are moderate. However, when emissions reduction cost subsidies are high, H strategy is found to be a win-win strategy.