The socioeconomics of food crop production and climate change vulnerability: a global scale quantitative analysis of how grain crops are sensitive to drought

Many studies warn that climate change may undermine global food security. Much work on this topic focuses on modelling crop-weather interactions but these models do not generally account for the ways in which socio-economic factors influence how harvests are affected by weather. To address this gap, this paper uses a quantitative harvest vulnerability index based on annual soil moisture and grain production data as the dependent variables in a Linear Mixed Effects model with national scale socio-economic data as independent variables for the period 1990-2005. Results show that rice, wheat and maize production in middle income countries were especially vulnerable to droughts. By contrast, harvests in countries with higher investments in agriculture (e.g higher amounts of fertilizer use) were less vulnerable to drought. In terms of differences between the world's major grain crops, factors that made rice and wheat crops vulnerable to drought were quite consistent, whilst those of maize crops varied considerably depending on the type of region. This is likely due to the fact that maize is produced under very different conditions worldwide. One recommendation for reducing drought vulnerability risks is coordinated development and adaptation policies, including institutional support that enables farmers to take proactive action.

Intermittently-visual tracking experiments reveal the roles of error-correction and predictive mechanisms in the human visual-motor control system

Prediction mechanism is necessary for human visual motion to compensate a delay of sensory-motor system. In a previous study, “proactive control” was discussed as one example of predictive function of human beings, in which motion of hands preceded the virtual moving target in visual tracking experiments. To study the roles of the positional-error correction mechanism and the prediction mechanism, we carried out an intermittently-visual tracking experiment where a circular orbit is segmented into the target-visible regions and the target-invisible regions. Main results found in this research were following. A rhythmic component appeared in the tracer velocity when the target velocity was relatively high. The period of the rhythm in the brain obtained from environmental stimuli is shortened more than 10%. The shortening of the period of rhythm in the brain accelerates the hand motion as soon as the visual information is cut-off, and causes the precedence of hand motion to the target motion. Although the precedence of the hand in the blind region is reset by the environmental information when the target enters the visible region, the hand motion precedes the target in average when the predictive mechanism dominates the error-corrective mechanism.

A vision for attaining food security

Food is fundamental to human wellbeing and development. Increased food production remains a cornerstone strategy in the effort to alleviate global food insecurity. But despite the fact that global food production over the past half century has kept ahead of demand, today around one billion people do not have enough to eat, and a further billion lack adequate nutrition. Food insecurity is facing mounting supply-side and demand-side pressures; key among these are climate change, urbanisation, globalisation, population increases, disease, as well as a number of other factors that are changing patterns of food consumption. Many of the challenges to equitable food access are concentrated in developing countries where environmental pressures including climate change, population growth and other socio-economic issues are concentrated. Together these factors impede people's access to sufficient, nutritious food; chiefly through affecting livelihoods, income and food prices. Food security and human development go hand in hand, and their outcomes are co-determined to a significant degree. The challenge of food security is multi-scalar and cross-sector in nature. Addressing it will require the work of diverse actors to bring sustained improvements inhuman development and to reduce pressure on the environment. Unless there is investment in future food systems that are similarly cross-level, cross-scale and cross-sector, sustained improvements in human wellbeing together with reduced environmental risks and scarcities will not be achieved. This paper reviews current thinking, and outlines these challenges. It suggests that essential elements in a successfully adaptive and proactive food system include: learning through connectivity between scales to local experience and technologies high levels of interaction between diverse actors and sectors ranging from primary producers to retailers and consumers, and use of frontier technologies.

Transition from an anti-phase error-correction-mode to a synchronization mode in the mutual hand tracking

Proactive motion in hand tracking and in finger bending, in which the body motion occurs prior to the reference signal, was reported by the preceding researchers when the target signals were shown to the subjects at relatively high speed or high frequencies. These phenomena indicate that the human sensory-motor system tends to choose an anticipatory mode rather than a reactive mode, when the target motion is relatively fast. The present research was undertaken to study what kind of mode appears in the sensory-motor system when two persons were asked to track the hand position of the partner with each other at various mean tracking frequency. The experimental results showed a transition from a mutual error-correction mode to a synchronization mode occurred in the same region of the tracking frequency with that of the transition from a reactive error-correction mode to a proactive anticipatory mode in the mechanical target tracking experiments. Present research indicated that synchronization of body motion occurred only when both of the pair subjects operated in a proactive anticipatory mode. We also presented mathematical models to explain the behavior of the error-correction mode and the synchronization mode.

The impact of cognitive control on children's goal monitoring in a time-based prospective memory task

The present study investigated whether developmental changes in cognitive control may underlie improvements of time-based prospective memory. Five-, 7-, 9-, and 11-year-olds (N = 166) completed a driving simulation task (ongoing task) in which they had to refuel their vehicle at specific points in time (PM task). The availability of cognitive control resources was experimentally manipulated by imposing a secondary task that required divided attention. Children completed the driving simulation task both in a full attention condition and a divided attention condition where they had to carry out a secondary task. Results revealed that older children performed better than younger children on the ongoing task and PM task. Children performed worse on the ongoing and PM tasks in the divided attention condition compared to the full attention condition. With respect to time monitoring in the final interval prior to the PM target, divided attention interacted with age such that older children’s time monitoring was more negatively affected by the secondary task compared to younger children. Results are discussed in terms of developmental shifts from reactive to proactive monitoring strategies.

A pilot study investigating the effects of a single dose of a flavonoid-rich blueberry drink on memory in 8-10 year old children

Recent evidence from animal and adult human subjects has demonstrated potential benefits to cognition from flavonoid supplementation. This study aimed to investigate whether these cognitive benefits extended to a sample of school-aged children. Using a cross-over design, with a wash out of at least seven days between drinks, fourteen 8-10 year old children consumed either a flavonoid-rich blueberry drink or matched vehicle. Two hours after consumption, subjects completed a battery of five cognitive tests comprising the Go-NoGo, Stroop, Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Task, Object Location Task, and a Visual N-back. In comparison to vehicle, the blueberry drink produced significant improvements in the delayed recall of a previously learned list of words, showing for the first time a cognitive benefit for acute flavonoid intervention in children. However, performance on a measure of proactive interference indicated that the blueberry intervention led to a greater negative impact of previously memorised words on the encoding of a set of new words. There was no benefit of our blueberry intervention for measures of attention, response inhibition or visuo-spatial memory. While findings are mixed, the improvements in delayed recall found in this pilot study suggest that, following acute flavonoid-rich blueberry interventions, school aged children encode memory items more effectively.

Why the hand motion proceeds the target in tracking experiment?

In the present study, to shed light on a role of positional error correction mechanism and prediction mechanism in the proactive control discovered earlier, we carried out a visual tracking experiment, in which the region where target was shown, was regulated in a circular orbit. Main results found in this research were following. Recognition of a time step, obtained from the environmental stimuli, is required for the predictive function. The period of the rhythm in the brain obtained from environmental stimuli is shortened about 10%, when the visual information is cut-off. The shortening of the period of the rhythm in the brain accelerates the motion as soon as the visual information is cut-off, and lets the hand motion precedes the target motion. Although the precedence of the hand in the blind region is reset by the environmental information when the target enters the visible region, the hand precedes in average the target when the predictive mechanism dominates the error-corrective mechanism.

Pedagoger i det sociala uppdragets gränstrakter : Att hantera familjerättsliga processer, hot och våld

Pedagogues in the borderland of their social task: dealing with family law proceedings, threats and violence Drawing upon an explorative study of family law proceedings from a school perspective, the aim of this paper is to examine the school staff’s strategies for solving or coping with problematic situations in this context. Gendered conflicts between adults and violence are extreme cases for pedagogues in school and preschool. How do the staff cope with their own and the children’s vulnerability? Based upon interviews with 22 informants, the staff’s strategies are outlined and discussed in relation to organizational and professional circumstances and intersecting social relations of power. An analytical construction of six types of proactive and reactive strategies, ranging from distance keeping to normalization of own exposure, is utilized in the analysis. Findings suggest that the staff’s strategies to handle challenging events in this context vary with the parent’s gender, class position and ethnicity. Further, it is argued that creating a sense of safety and promoting learning among the children may be obstructed by lack of support from the school’s organization, demands on staff to perform customer oriented attitudes towards parents and lack of clarity concerning the limits of the social task. Conflicts between the organization and profession on the one hand and the educational and the social task on the other hand, are thus illuminated. In conclusion, a further aim of this article is to contribute to broader discussions on men’s violence against women and children – in families as well as in workplaces and in the intersection between these two areas. 

Personlighetsbedömning i samband med rekrytering : En studie om bemanningsbranschens personlighetsbedömning vid en rekrytering

Att medarbetare är av existentiell betydelse för en organisations överlevnad är sedan länge känt. Därmed är rekrytering en av de viktigaste funktionerna inom HR för att attrahera rätt kompetens till organisationen då en misslyckad rekrytering vanligen leder till bortkastad tid och dyra rekryteringsprocesser. Något som kommit att få allt större betydelse vid urvalet och bedömningen av nya medarbetare är kandidaters personlighet. Forskning visar att personlighetsdrag spelar en stor roll när det kommer till framtida arbetsprestationer och förmågan att göra rätt bedömningar av människor är därför central. Teorier om synen på personlighet, kompetens, kompetensbaserad rekrytering och urval samt bedömningsmetoder och personlighetsbedömning används för att analysera studiens resultat. Denna kvalitativa studies övergripande syfte var att öka förståelsen för hur rekryterare bedömer en kandidats personlighet vid en rekryteringsprocess inom bemanningsföretag. Bemanningsföretag är företag som ständigt arbetar med rekrytering och uthyrning av personal, varför ett proaktivt bemanningsarbete krävs för att skapa en konkurrensfördel på marknaden. Inför denna fallstudie kontaktades tre av den svenska bemanningsbranschens största aktörer varav två rekryterare på vardera företag deltog i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Personlighet ansågs generellt som något viktigt som samtliga rekryterare lade stor vikt vid under hela processens gång, från utformandet av kravprofilen till avslutande bedömning. Bedömningen skedde genom såväl test som intervju och referenstagning. Samtliga poängterade vikten av att alltid göra en helhetsbedömning av kandidaten och att det därmed var svårt att vikta exempelvis formella kompetenser mot personliga egenskaper. Resultatet visar att bemanningsbranschens arbete med personlighetsbedömning vid rekrytering utgår ifrån strukturerade bedömningsmetoder. Deras gedigna och proaktiva arbete med rekrytering lever upp till påståendet om att personalen är en organisations viktigaste resurs och vikten av att förstå innebörden av personlighetens betydelse i uttrycket ”rätt person på rätt plats”.

Applikationsövervakning : Dess möjliga bidrag till en verksamhet

Applikationsövervakning är en term för att i realtid övervaka applikationer och kunna upptäcka fel innan slutanvändaren märker av ett problem. Med övervakning av applikationer menas inte bara den enskilda programvaran utan allt som rör applikationen i fråga. Trafikverkets önskemål är att leverera en hög kvalité i sina applikationer. I nuläget har utvecklare ingen eller dålig insyn i hur en applikation levererar i en skarp miljö efter att de lämnat över ansvaret till drift. För att kunna hålla en bra kvalité i sina applikationer så vill de undersöka hur applikationsövervakning kan hjälpa till att se behov av ändringar i applikationer innan större problem uppstår. I en fallstudie bestående av intervjuer och dokumentstudier kommer genom användning av situationsbaserad FA/SIMM nuvarande arbetssätt fångas. Samt fånga mål och problem som uttrycks i verksamheten kring utveckling & förvaltning och drift av applikationer. Dessa kommer sedan analyseras för att undersöka på vilket sätt applikationsövervakning skulle hjälpa utvecklare & förvaltare, men även driftspersonal i deras arbete. Resultatet av detta visar att de problem och mål som tas upp dels är organisatoriska i sin natur och arbetssättet DevOps framhålls som en möjlig lösning. Även att applikationsövervakning de facto skulle kunna bidra till en ökad kvalité i applikationerna genom att tillföra en möjlighet att arbeta mer proaktivt.

PokerMapper: : mapping executive functions, poker playing ability and responsible gambling in online environments

Research objectives Poker and responsible gambling both entail the use of the executive functions (EF), which are higher-level cognitive abilities. The main objective of this work was to assess if online poker players of different ability show different performances in their EF and if so, which functions are the most discriminating ones. The secondary objective was to assess if the EF performance can predict the quality of gambling, according to the Gambling Related Cognition Scale (GRCS), the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Sample and methods The study design consisted of two stages: 46 Italian active players (41m, 5f; age 32±7,1ys; education 14,8±3ys) fulfilled the PGSI in a secure IT web system and uploaded their own hand history files, which were anonymized and then evaluated by two poker experts. 36 of these players (31m, 5f; age 33±7,3ys; education 15±3ys) accepted to take part in the second stage: the administration of an extensive neuropsychological test battery by a blinded trained professional. To answer the main research question we collected all final and intermediate scores of the EF tests on each player together with the scoring on the playing ability. To answer the secondary research question, we referred to GRCS, PGSI and SOGS scores.  We determined which variables that are good predictors of the playing ability score using statistical techniques able to deal with many regressors and few observations (LASSO, best subset algorithms and CART). In this context information criteria and cross-validation errors play a key role for the selection of the relevant regressors, while significance testing and goodness-of-fit measures can lead to wrong conclusions.   Preliminary findings We found significant predictors of the poker ability score in various tests. In particular, there are good predictors 1) in some Wisconsin Card Sorting Test items that measure flexibility in choosing strategy of problem-solving, strategic planning, modulating impulsive responding, goal setting and self-monitoring, 2) in those Cognitive Estimates Test variables related to deductive reasoning, problem solving, development of an appropriate strategy and self-monitoring, 3) in the Emotional Quotient Inventory Short (EQ-i:S) Stress Management score, composed by the Stress Tolerance and Impulse Control scores, and in the Interpersonal score (Empathy, Social Responsibility, Interpersonal Relationship). As for the quality of gambling, some EQ-i:S scales scores provide the best predictors: General Mood for the PGSI; Intrapersonal (Self-Regard; Emotional Self-Awareness, Assertiveness, Independence, Self-Actualization) and Adaptability  (Reality Testing, Flexibility, Problem Solving) for the SOGS, Adaptability for the GRCS. Implications for the field Through PokerMapper we gathered knowledge and evaluated the feasibility of the construction of short tasks/card games in online poker environments for profiling users’ executive functions. These card games will be part of an IT system able to dynamically profile EF and provide players with a feedback on their expected performance and ability to gamble responsibly in that particular moment. The implementation of such system in existing gambling platforms could lead to an effective proactive tool for supporting responsible gambling. 

Prospects for Developing Countries

While developing countries generally shared the sentiment that they were going to suffer from the effects of climate change policy, evidence to the contrary has emerged during the short time since the Kyoto Protocol’s entry into force. Defying expectations that developing nations could only lose from climate change policy, Brazil has shown that it is actually quite possible to benefit significantly from these policies. Brazil has been proactive in developing the infrastructure to become involved in climate change negotiations, as well as using policy tools such as the CDM. Its actions have resulted in significant economic, developmental, and environmental benefits. The case of Brazil allows for some insight into how other countries with similar developmental profiles —specifically China and India—stand to benefit from climate change policy, and how these benefits will translate into policy for future climate negotiations.

Um modelo de EIS - enterprise information system - que identifica características para comportamentos proativos na recuperação de informações

Este documento constitui uma dissertação de mestrado, requisito parcial para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Administração pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. O tema da pesquisa é o relacionamento existente entre as características técnicas de um projeto de sistema de informação e apoio à decisão e os comportamentos dos usuários no seu uso. O objetivo é desenvolver e apresentar um modelo conceitual de EIS (“Enterprise Information Systems”), a partir da literatura, das tendências tecnológicas e de estudos de caso, que identifique características para comportamentos proativos dos usuários na recuperação de informações. Adotou-se o conceito de comportamento proativo na recuperação de informações como a combinação das categorias exploração de dados e busca focada. Entre os principais resultados, pode-se destacar a definição de categorias relacionadas com as características dos sistemas - flexibilidade, integração e apresentação - e de categorias relacionadas com os comportamentos dos usuários na recuperação de informações - exploração de dados e busca focada, bem como a apresentação de um modelo conceitual para sistemas EIS. Pode-se destacar também a exploração de novas técnicas para análise qualitativa de dados, realizada com o objetivo de buscar uma maior preservação do contexto nos estudos de caso.

A evolução da prática ambiental em empresas indústriais: algumas considerações sobre o estado-atual-da-arte e o caso brasileiro

O objetivo desse trabalho é estudar a evolução das formas de incorporação da dimensão ambiental nas atividades empresariais industriais, particularmente no que se refere à identificação, caracterização e análise das práticas administrativas e operacionais das empresas consistentes com as fases típicas da preocupação ambiental de suas respostas e suas responsabilidades internas. Para a caracterização desse objetivo, procurou-se elaborar um modelo teórico que identificasse as diversas propostas que as empresas podem adotar frente à dimensão ambiental. Na laboração desse modelo, verificou-se que as empresas industriais e suas relações com as pressões e os problemas ambientais têm apresentado os seguintes padrões: o não atendimento às pressões e aos problemas ou a ignorância acerca deles abriga uma posição de não-conformidade; o atendimento às pressões e aos problemas após seu surgimento confere uma postura reativa; a empresa que está em transição processa sua resposta concomitante ao surgimento das pressões e problemas; a proativa antecipa soluções dentro de um quadro de preocupações mais amplo e de longo prazo, buscando neutralizar as ameaças ao mesmo tempo que procura capturar benefícios de um tratamento adequado ao meio ambiente. Um nível ainda mais superior que este último emergiria como decorrência da evolução da relação pressão/resposta e das percepções, conceitos e práticas envolvidos nessa relação. O nível de resposta mais superior, que poderíamos denominar de "sustentável e responsável", se tornará possível na medida em que irá se pautar fundamentalmente com base no pacto de gerações, cumprindo os objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável que, em seu sentido mais amplo, visa promover a harmonia entre os seres humanos e entre a humanidade e a natureza.