High Levels Of Threat Research Articles

Numerical investigation of ballistic performance of shear thickening fluid (STF)-Kevlar composite

Body armors are generally made of several layers of para-aramid fabrics, with Kevlar being the most popular among them. While Kevlar has high strength to weight ratio and sufficient flexibility, the difficulty arises when armors are designed for high threat level. In such cases, ballistic inserts (commonly made of ceramic, metal or composite) are often used in body armor, which make the armor stiffer and bulky. A natural question therefore arises that whether the stiff ballistic inserts can be replaced by something flexible without compromising the strength of the armor. In this context the shear thickening fluid (STF) appears to be an interesting material. The present study is an attempt to numerically investigate the potential of STF in such applications. Towards this, two Kevler-STF composite targets made of Kevlar-STF-Kevlar sandwich composite and STF impregnated Kevlar are considered. Ballistic response of the composite is studied via the coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) approach. In the CEL approach, Kevlar yarn is modelled using Lagrangian membrane element and STF is embedded in an Eulerian mesh. Simulations are performed with different projectiles, impact velocities and STF characteristics (shear rate vs viscosity behaviour). In the process the effect of STF in improving ballistic response is brought out.

Five-Year Impacts of Family Stressors and Combat Threat on the Mental Health of Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans.

It has been well established that warfare-related stress puts service members at risk for a range of mental health problems after they return from deployment. Less is known about service members' experience of family stressors during deployment. The aims of this study were to (a) evaluate whether family stressors would contribute unique variance to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms above and beyond combat threat during deployment and (b) examine whether family stressors would amplify the negative effects of combat threat on postmilitary mental health 5 years postdischarge. Study participants reported their experience of objective and subjective family stressors and combat threat during deployment. Objective family stressors demonstrated unique associations with PTSD and depression symptoms and remained significant after accounting for ongoing family stressors reported at follow-up. A significant interaction was found between objective family stressors and combat threat on PTSD symptoms, r = -.10. Although the association between combat threat and PTSD was significant for participants who reported high, B = 0.04; and low, B = 0.09, exposure to family stressors, the steeper slope for those exposed to fewer family stressors indicates a stronger effect of combat threat. Follow-up analyses revealed that veterans who experienced high amounts of family stress and high levels of combat threat reported significantly worse PTSD symptoms than those who reported low family stress, t(256) = 3.98, p < .001. Findings underscore the importance of attending to the role that family stressors experienced during deployment play in service members' postmilitary mental health.

The role of Germany in the illegal global pangolin trade

The illegal pangolin trade is of global concern and is placing all pangolin species under high levels of threat. Following a preliminary analysis of global pangolin seizures from 2010 to 2015, Germany emerged as a transit country, especially for pangolins being shipped from Africa to Asia. We analysed seizure data involving Germany from 2010 to 2018 to characterise Germany's role in international pangolin trafficking and the trafficking dynamics.The majority of shipments involving Germany came from West Africa, and predominantly from Nigeria. Scales were the most confiscated commodity and we found the postal services to be used as an important means of transport, with 90% of incidents being shipped via airmail packages.We highlight the need for further monitoring of, and research into, the international trade in Traditional Medicines. Such shipments are often overlooked, as they are particularly hard to detect, if derivatives of endangered wildlife are not clearly identified on the ingredient list of such medicines. We further found a large discrepancy between seizures on administrative record and seizures as reported by the media. Recognising these country-specific biases in media reporting of wildlife seizures may improve analyses of wildlife seizures in the future.

Preliminary Result of Hypocenter Relocation Using Double Difference Method along Sumatran Fault, Indonesia

The Sumatran fault zone has a high seismicity and seismic hazard threat levels due to this fracture through densely populated areas. The fault zone of Sumatera has 19 main segments which each segment has the possibility to generate a strong earthquake. Therefore, in this study we attempt to improve the accuracy of hypocenter locations which is needed as basic analysis in advance seismology and in seismic hazard analysis. The final objective of this study is to analyze the subsurface seismic velocity structure of the Sumatran fault by applying seismic tomography method. For the preliminary result, we have been conducting double-difference method to relocate 967 events recorded by 49 stations compiled by Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia (MCGA) from 2009 to 2017 along Sumatran fault. Our preliminary results from the relocation proces indicate prominent features of event cluster around Sumatra fault system. The next step, we will improve the onset of P-and S-wave arrival time by using waveform cross-correlation in order to get more reliable hypocenter location.

Known unknowns: Filling the gaps in scientific knowledge production in the Caatinga

The Caatinga is an ecologically unique semi-arid region of northeast Brazil characterized by high levels of endemism and severe anthropogenic threats from agricultural development and climate change. It is also one of the least known biomes in Brazil due to a combination of inadequate investment, low regional research capacity and difficult working conditions. However, while the lack of scientific knowledge of the Caatinga is well known, the spatial and temporal distribution of knowledge production has not been investigated. This is important because such biases undermine the development of effective conservation policy and practice and increase the uncertainty associated with conservation actions. Here, we map the geography of conservation knowledge production in the Caatinga and use an innovative hurdle model to identify the presumptive factors driving these patterns. Our analysis revealed strong geographic patterns, with research sites concentrated in the east of the region and in areas close to roads and research centres. There was also a positive association between conservation knowledge production and risk of desertification, indicating that conservation scientists are responding to conservation challenges faced by Caatinga’s fauna and flora arising from climate change. Our results also highlight the pivotal role of pioneer scientists (those who develop research sites in previously unstudied/understudied areas) in determining the future geographic patterns of knowledge production. We conclude our article with a brief discussion of potential policies for increasing the spatial representativeness of conservation research in this remarkable ecosystem.

Literary Journalism in the Face of Global Food Crisis: Techniques on the way out

Over the years, world leaders have continued to troubleshoot approaches to combating hunger. Although the increasing hunger appears to be affecting countries in different continents of the world, African countries and part Asia appear to be most hit. This study examines the nexus between literary journalism and combating the global hunger crisis with specific attention to Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the extent literary journalism can be deployed to combat hunger, the techniques to deploy in using literary journalism to drive government policies on food sufficiency and encourage public participation in agriculture. Literary journalism, though an emerging field, has the potential of promoting agricultural activities and policies that will lead to eventual food security. Literary journalism presents an opportunity through which agriculture can be developed and food security enhanced. Understanding the approaches and techniques of literary journalism for combating global food crisis is a significant contribution to literature in the following ways: First, it will provide newer insights into the role of literary journalism in agricultural development and food security. In the second place, this study contributes to literature by opening a new vista in the study of literary journalism. The International Food Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization in its Global Hunger Index grouped Nigeria among countries with a high level of hunger threat, with an index of 25.5 which was categorized as serious hunger threat. Based on the concept of 'breakable rules' by Mark Kramer, the following characteristics of literary journalism stand out: immersion in the story worlds; developing implicit rules (covenants) on accuracy and sincerity; description mainly about everyday, routine events; development of meaning, based on a consistent reaction of readers. This study raises the following researcher questions: To what extent can literary journalism promote food security? What literary journalism techniques can be used to encourage participation in agriculture? What literary journalism techniques can be used to drive government policies and programs in agriculture? A total of 30 respondents provided narratives on the nexus between literary journalism and food sufficiency. A structured interview guide was used as the instrument for data collection while thematic analysis guide was used to analyze the result of study. The result of the semi-structured interview revealed that literary journalism can aid in combating food crisis globally and in Nigeria in particular to a large extent. It was also found that the techniques to be used for combating food crisis include scene-by scene, infotainment, dialogue, subjectivity and accuracy. During the interview sessions, it was discovered that the respondents reported that literary journalism has not been given its pride of place in Nigeria, unlike other parts of the world like the United States of America where it has been in practice since the 1960s.These results were examined with the framework of ACADA model. The model stands for Assessment, Communication, Analysis Design and Action. The model was developed by the United Nations for International Children Emergency Fund. The implications of these results on food sufficiency and the expansion of literature on literary journalism were also discussed.

Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to Examine the Nature and Impact of Breast Cancer Prevention Information on Mobile-Based Social Media: Content Analysis.

BackgroundWith the rise of mobile technology, an increasing number of people use mobile-based social media to access health information. Many scholars have explored the nature of health information on social media; however, the impact of such information on people was understudied.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the nature and impact of health information on mobile-based social media. Specifically, we investigated how the levels of threat and efficacy of breast cancer prevention information affect individuals’ engagement with the information, such as readings and likes.MethodsBreast cancer prevention articles posted on a Chinese mobile-based social media platform (ie, WeChat Subscription Account [WeChat SA]) from January 1 to December 31, 2017, were extracted using the Python Web Crawler. We used content analysis and analysis of covariance to analyze our data.ResultsThe results revealed that the vast majority of titles and main bodies of the articles involved one of the extended parallel process model components: threat or efficacy.ConclusionsBreast cancer prevention information on WeChat SA was well designed. Both threat and efficacy significantly affected the number of readings, whereas only efficacy had a significant effect on the number of likes. Moreover, breast cancer prevention information that contained both high levels of threat and efficacy gained the largest number of readings and likes.

Testing terror management health model and integrating its predictions with the theory of psychological reactance

ABSTRACTTwo experiments (Nstudy1 = 203; Nstudy2 = 177), using STD prevention messages and a 2 (mortality: salient, control) × 2 (freedom threat: high, low) design, tested the Terror Management Health Model and integrated its predictions with the Theory of Psychological Reactance to examine how reactance and mortality salience interact to affect risk communication. In Study 1, mortality salience mitigated freedom-threat perceptions but only at low threat to freedom and, consistent with distal defenses, reduced intentions to use condoms and abstain from sex. Study 2 examined the effects of mortality salience on proximal defenses. As predicted, mortality salience mitigated high levels of freedom threat, but, contrary to TMHM, it also reduced condom use intentions. These and other results are discussed.

ABRASION HAZARD ANALYSIS IN THE BANGGAI KEPULAUAN DISTRICT

The threat of abrasion even though comes as a slow onset process, but it is certainly and can disrupt the interests of the community. One of the areas that threaten by abrasion is Banggai Kepulauan Regency. To find out how big the threat of abrasion and it’s alternative handling, An abrasion hazard analysis has been carried out based on the calculation of 3 main parameters obtained from secondary data and some of them are detailed by field observations, namely wave height parameters and routinity level, coastal rock / sediment composition, and coastal slope . The results showed that the total coastal length which has a high hazard level is 250.87 km and the Liang sub-district is a district that has the longest high level of abrasion threat, which is 41.11 km long. The alternative measures for abrasion protection, in addition to the physical construction of abrasion-retaining structures as found in the field, is through the protection of green belts and the prohibition of the establishment of houses on abrasive coastal areas.

Quantifying biases in marine-protected-area placement relative to abatable threats.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a critical defense against biodiversity loss in the world's oceans, but to realize near‐term conservation benefits, they must be established where major threats to biodiversity occur and can be mitigated. We quantified the degree to which MPA establishment has targeted stoppable threats (i.e., threats that can be abated through effectively managed MPAs alone) by combining spatially explicit marine biodiversity threat data in 2008 and 2013 and information on the location and potential of MPAs to halt threats. We calculated an impact metric to determine whether countries are protecting proportionally more high‐ or low‐threat ecoregions and compared observed values with random protected‐area allocation. We found that protection covered <2% of ecoregions in national waters with high levels of abatable threat in 2013, which is ∼59% less protection in high‐threat areas than if MPAs had been placed randomly. Relatively low‐threat ecoregions had 6.3 times more strict protection (International Union for Conservation of Nature categories I–II) than high‐threat ecoregions. Thirty‐one ecoregions had high levels of stoppable threat but very low protection, which presents opportunities for MPAs to yield more significant near‐term conservation benefits. The extent of the global MPA estate has increased, but the establishment of MPAs where they can reduce threats that are driving biodiversity loss is now urgently needed.

Differential Associations of Deprivation and Threat With Cognitive Control and Fear Conditioning in Early Childhood.

Early-life adversity (ELA) is strongly associated with risk for psychopathology. Within adversity, deprivation, and threat may lead to psychopathology through different intermediary pathways. Specifically, deprivation, defined as the absence of expected cognitive and social inputs, is associated with lower performance on complex cognitive tasks whereas threatening experiences, defined as the presence of experiences that reflect harm to the child, are associated with atypical fear learning and emotional processes. However, distinct associations of deprivation and threat on behavioral outcomes have not been examined in early childhood. The present study examines how deprivation and threat are associated with cognitive and emotional outcomes in early childhood. Children 4–7 years old completed behavioral tasks assessing cognitive control (N = 58) and fear conditioning (N = 45); deprivation and threat were assessed using child interview and parent questionnaires. Regression analyses were performed including deprivation and threat scores and controls for age, gender, and IQ. Because this is the first time these variables have been examined in early childhood, interactions with age were also examined. Deprivation, but not threat was associated with worse performance on the cognitive control task. Threat, but not deprivation interacted with age to predict fear learning. Young children who experienced high levels of threat showed evidence of fear learning measured by differential skin conductance response even at the earliest age measured. In contrast, for children not exposed to threat, fear learning emerged only in older ages. Children who experienced higher levels of threat also showed blunted reactivity measured by amplitude of skin conductance response to the reinforced stimuli regardless of age. Results suggest differential influences of deprivation and threat on cognitive and emotional outcomes even in early childhood. Future work should examine the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes and link changes with increased risk for negative outcomes associated with adversity exposure, such as psychopathology.

Marine biodiversity research in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan: current status and trends.

Marine biodiversity and derived ecosystem services are critical to the healthy functioning of marine ecosystems, and to human economic and societal well-being. Thus, an understanding of marine biodiversity in different ecosystems is necessary for their conservation and management. Coral reefs in particular are noted for their high levels of biodiversity, and among the world’s coral reefs, the subtropical Ryukyu Islands (RYS; also known as the Nansei Islands) in Japan have been shown to harbor very high levels of marine biodiversity. This study provides an overview of the state of marine biodiversity research in the RYS. First, we examined the amount of English language scientific literature in the Web of Science (WoS; 1995–2017) on six selected representative taxa spanning protists to vertebrates across six geographic sub-regions in the RYS. Our results show clear taxonomic and sub-region bias, with research on Pisces, Cnidaria, and Crustacea to be much more common than on Dinoflagellata, Echinodermata, and Mollusca. Such research was more commonly conducted in sub-regions with larger human populations (Okinawa, Yaeyama). Additional analyses with the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) records show that within sub-regions, records are concentrated in areas directly around marine research stations and institutes (if present), further showing geographical bias within sub-regions. While not surprising, the results indicate a need to address ‘understudied’ taxa in ‘understudied sub-regions’ (Tokara, Miyako, Yakutane, Amami Oshima), particularly sub-regions away from marine research stations. Second, we compared the numbers of English language scientific papers on eight ecological topics for the RYS with numbers from selected major coral reef regions of the world; the Caribbean (CAR), Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and the Red Sea (RES). As expected, the numbers for all topics in the RYS were well below numbers from all other regions, yet within this disparity, research in the RYS on ‘marine protected areas’ and ‘herbivory’ was an order of magnitude lower than numbers in other regions. Additionally, while manuscript numbers on the RYS have increased from 1995 to 2016, the rate of increase (4.0 times) was seen to be lower than those in the CAR, RES, and GBR (4.6–8.4 times). Coral reefs in the RYS feature high levels of both endemism and anthropogenic threats, and subsequently they contain a concentration of some of the world’s most critically endangered marine species. To protect these threatened species and coral reef ecosystems, more data are needed to fill the research gaps identified in this study.

Delivering water security in a changing world

Eighty per cent of the world&apos;s population is exposed to high levels of threats to water security and a severe water crisis is looming by 2070. Faced with these alarming estimates, the author argues that a business-as-usual attitude will not work. Water management is a scientific issue, but it is also a matter of politics, governance and societal values. A new transdisciplinary science is urgently needed.

A Threat Analysis of Human Bond Communications

In this paper we provide a high-level threat analysis of Human Bond Communications, using the STRIDE methodology. To this end, we provide an overview over Human Bond Communications and define a sample set of cases. The Human Bond Communications cases are such that the threats literally may be existential by nature. We also outline the STRIDE threat analysis methodology, and apply it to the sample set of cases previously defined. The threat analysis is carried out at a high abstraction level to highlight the major threats.

On decision optimality of terrorism risk mitigation measures for iconic bridges

This paper describes the assessment of the cost efficiency of risk mitigation strategies for terrorist attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for an iconic bridge structure. The assessment is performed with a decision theoretical framework building upon very recent advances in the COST Action TU1402 on Quantifying the Value of Structural Heath Monitoring. The decision scenario is formulated for a decision maker constituting an authority responsible for the societal safety of the infrastructure and consequently the direct risks for the infrastructure owner and the indirect risk due to fatalities and importance of the infrastructure are considered. The mitigation strategies are classified within the decision theoretical context as prior analyses for the assessment of protection strategies and as control strategies requiring a pre-posterior decision analysis. The identification of efficient risk mitigation strategies is based (1) on the risk and expected cost based optimization of actions and information and their combination before implementation, (2) on quantifying and ensuring the significance in risk and expected cost reduction and (3) on quantifying and ensuring a high probability of cost efficiency. These criteria, i.e. the optimality, significance and efficiency ensure the performance of the strategies at the decision point in time before implementation. It is found that the strategies are relying on the identification of the threat level and that control strategies are in favor as their significance and probability of efficiency are higher and their costs are adjustable. However, for high threat levels, both the bridge protection strategies and control strategies are cost efficient.

Hot Temperatures, Aggression, and Death at the Hands of the Police: Evidence from the U.S.

We study the effect of temperature on police-involved civilian deaths in the U.S. from 2000 to 2016. We show that violent crimes and the number of officers assaulted or killed both increase with warmer days (>17C), indicating a greater personal danger on such days. Consistent with higher threat levels, we found suggestive evidence that fatal shootings similarly increased during warmer days. However, accounting for a surge in officer-civilian interaction, we found no additional effect of high temperatures on fatal shootings, indicating a lack of behavioral or physiological response from the officers. Finally, our results for other causes of death show that during extremely warm days (>32C), the number of casualties associated with Taser use and physical restraint were significantly higher independently of increased interaction between officers and civilians. The results suggest a need to reevaluate the use of Tasers and techniques of physical restraint to prevent unintended deaths.

PENGENDALIAN KAWASAN PERMUKIMAN PERKOTAAN DI KAWASAN KONSERVASI KECAMATAN BOGOR SELATAN

The South Bogor District which is a conservation area who has a function and the role of conservation area and land that can provide portection for the area of his men, and is the settlement with congestion low. But the development of the settlement within 10 years, from the 2007-2016 has resulted in the change in the use of the land in this area of 481,91 Ha or an average of 48.19 Ha/year. The purpose of this research is composed a strategy that needs to be done to control the develop housing area, so that the existence of a conservation are stay awake. Methods used is method superimpose and scoring then do the factors that most influential on the aberration of utilization of land. From the analysis of the level of threat is conservation areas, most of the area included in the middle classification with an area of 938.58 Ha (46.55 %), a high threat level of 283.30 Ha (14.05%), while low threat level with an area reaching 794.26 Ha (39.40%). In addition, from the overlay of the spatial pattern map contained in the RTRW with the existing conditions, it shows existence land use mismatches specified in the spatial plan an area of 1,662.40 Ha or 59.77%. The factors that cause the change in land use in this conservation area are population development, socio-economic conditions, accessibility, supervision of settlement construction, and licensing problems. Output the study of internal factors and external factors is conducted then a strategy can be done improve the supervision of development involving with communities by cracking down on violations of the utilization of space in the area that are not in accordance with the spatial plans, as well as maintain and preserve conservation areas through the housing development that environmentally.

Can local ecological knowledge provide meaningful information on coastal cetacean diversity? A case study from the northern South China Sea

Identifying and evaluating potentially suitable tools to assess the status of cetaceans in coastal waters with high levels of anthropogenic threat represents a first step towards effective conservation management. Local ecological knowledge (LEK) can often provide more extensive information on focal species and biological resources than is available from standard ecological surveys, and is increasingly recognized as an important source of data for conservation research and management, but it has rarely been used as a tool to assess the status of cetaceans. We investigated the efficacy of using LEK from local fishers combined with stranding records to characterise the diversity and distribution of coastal cetaceans in the northern South China Sea, a region with high historical levels of cetacean abundance and diversity but which is experiencing intensifying anthropogenic pressures. Fishers were unable to identify most regionally occurring cetaceans to species level. However, we were able to determine the distributions of eight categories of cetaceans that were observed by fishers, and a previously unknown population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin reported from the coastal waters of Hainan that was later confirmed through boat-based surveys. The number of sightings of different cetacean categories reported by fishers has a significant positive linear relationship with independent data on numbers of stranded cetaceans, validating the accuracy of our respondent data and indicating that LEK can provide useful, quantitative information on abundance rankings of different cetacean categories.

Responding to disruptive business model innovations: the case of traditional banks facing fintech entrants

The revolutionary changes brought by fintech entrants (“Fintechs”) in the financial services sector has caused severe turbulence in the operational and service activities of the incumbent ‘traditional’ banking organizations (“Banks”). Prior research in strategy and marketing literatures has suggested several general options for incumbents’ strategic responses to entrants with disruptive business models, such as competition, alliance or acquisitions. So far, however, no research paper has offered a systematic framework to guide an incumbent bank’s choice of the appropriate strategic response based on its assessment of the nature of the threat posed by a fintech entrant in its domain. In this conceptual article, we first review the evolution of the current fintech challenge to well-established traditional banks taking a marketing perspective that amalgamates key marketing concepts with an understanding of millennial lifestyles. Next, we define four categories of the type of threat posed by a fintech entrant to an incumbent bank by distinguishing between high and low levels of market-centered disruptive threats and technology-centered disruptive threats as perceived by the incumbent. Based on this categorization, we identify with supporting rationale the incumbent bank’s most appropriate choice from the strategic options of Buy, Make, Ally, Hold or Exit considering the type of fintech threat it faces. We also provide several case examples from the Indian context to support our prescriptions.

C.13.02 Impact of antipsychotic side effects on patient functioning: The patient's perspective

In order to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Germany has implemented drastic restrictions on public or social life, while health institutions are invoked to postpone elective procedures. Although urologists are less involved in the direct treatment of COVID-19 patients, the current situation strongly affects the urological work routine.To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of work and personal life among urologists in Germany.A total of 589 urologists in Germany participated in an online survey between March 27 and April 11, 2020.Participants were stratified into subgroups according to professional characteristics.Most urologists rated Germany as “well prepared” and the increasing restrictions of social life as “very positive.” Routine operation was more restricted in hospitals than in the outpatient sector (p = 0.046). Moreover, urologists from the outpatient sector felt significantly less prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.001), reported a higher shortage of protective medical equipment (p < 0.001), and described a tendency toward a higher level of threat (p = 0.054). Although restrictions regarding telemedicine approaches were reported by 60% of participants, the outpatient sector used telehealth more frequently than hospitals (25.5% vs 17.0%, p < 0.001). Limitations include the national design and the restricted survey period.This survey systematically evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal and professional aspects of German urologists. We identified several issues, such as a higher shortage of medical protective equipment in the outpatient sector that could trigger specific measures to further improve the quality of urological care in Germany.We evaluated a potential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on professional and personal aspects of the urologists in Germany. Our results suggest that the outpatient sector should receive specific attention as, for example, shortage of protective equipment was more common.