Global networks, cities and economic performance: Observations from an analysis of cities in Europe and the USA

The network paradigm has been highly influential in spatial analysis in the globalisation era. As economies across the world have become increasingly integrated, so-called global cities have come to play a growing role as central nodes in the networked global economy. The idea that a city’s position in global networks benefits its economic performance has resulted in a competitive policy focus on promoting the economic growth of cities by improving their network connectivity. However, in spite of the attention being given to boosting city connectivity little is known about whether this directly translates to improved city economic performance and, if so, how well connected a city needs to be in order to benefit from this. In this paper we test the relationship between network connectivity and economic performance between 2000 and 2008 for cities with over 500,000 inhabitants in Europe and the USA to inform European policy.

Metrics for linking emissions of gases and aerosols to global precipitation changes

Recent advances in understanding have made it possible to relate global precipitation changes directly to emissions of particular gases and aerosols that influence climate. Using these advances, new indices are developed here called the Global Precipitation-change Potential for pulse (GPP_P) and sustained (GPP_S) emissions, which measure the precipitation change per unit mass of emissions. The GPP can be used as a metric to compare the effects of different emissions. This is akin to the global warming potential (GWP) and the global temperature-change potential (GTP) which are used to place emissions on a common scale. Hence the GPP provides an additional perspective of the relative or absolute effects of emissions. It is however recognised that precipitation changes are predicted to be highly variable in size and sign between different regions and this limits the usefulness of a purely global metric. The GPP_P and GPP_S formulation consists of two terms, one dependent on the surface temperature change and the other dependent on the atmospheric component of the radiative forcing. For some forcing agents, and notably for CO2, these two terms oppose each other – as the forcing and temperature perturbations have different timescales, even the sign of the absolute GPP_P and GPP_S varies with time, and the opposing terms can make values sensitive to uncertainties in input parameters. This makes the choice of CO2 as a reference gas problematic, especially for the GPP_S at time horizons less than about 60 years. In addition, few studies have presented results for the surface/atmosphere partitioning of different forcings, leading to more uncertainty in quantifying the GPP than the GWP or GTP. Values of the GPP_P and GPP_S for five long- and short-lived forcing agents (CO2, CH4, N2O, sulphate and black carbon – BC) are presented, using illustrative values of required parameters. The resulting precipitation changes are given as the change at a specific time horizon (and hence they are end-point metrics) but it is noted that the GPPS can also be interpreted as the time-integrated effect of a pulse emission. Using CO2 as a references gas, the GPP_P and GPP_S for the non-CO2 species are larger than the corresponding GTP values. For BC emissions, the atmospheric forcing is sufficiently strong that the GPP_S is opposite in sign to the GTP_S. The sensitivity of these values to a number of input parameters is explored. The GPP can also be used to evaluate the contribution of different emissions to precipitation change during or after a period of emissions. As an illustration, the precipitation changes resulting from emissions in 2008 (using the GPP_P) and emissions sustained at 2008 levels (using the GPP_S) are presented. These indicate that for periods of 20 years (after the 2008 emissions) and 50 years (for sustained emissions at 2008 levels) methane is the dominant driver of positive precipitation changes due to those emissions. For sustained emissions, the sum of the effect of the five species included here does not become positive until after 50 years, by which time the global surface temperature increase exceeds 1 K.

Concord Grape Juice, cognitive function and driving performance: a 12 week, placebo controlled, randomised, crossover trial in mothers of pre-teen children

Background: Daily consumption of Concord grape juice (CGJ) over three to four months has been shown to improve memory function in adults with mild cognitive impairment, and reduce blood pressure in hypertensive adults. These benefits are likely due to the high concentration of polyphenols in CGJ. Increased stress can impair cognitive function and elevate blood pressure. Thus we examined the potential beneficial effect of CGJ in individuals experiencing somewhat stressful demanding lifestyles. Objective: To examine the effects of twelve weeks’ daily consumption of CGJ on cognitive function, driving performance, and blood pressure in healthy, middle-aged working mothers. Design: Twenty five healthy mothers of pre-teen children, aged 40-50 years, who were employed for > 30 hours/week consumed 12oz (355ml) CGJ (containing 777mg total polyphenols) or an energy, taste and appearance matched placebo daily for twelve weeks according to a randomised, crossover design with a four week washout. Verbal and spatial memory, executive function, attention, blood pressure and mood were assessed at baseline, six weeks and twelve weeks. Immediately following the cognitive battery, a subsample of seventeen females completed a driving performance assessment in the University of Leeds Driving Simulator. The twenty five minute driving task required participants to match the speed and direction of a lead vehicle. Results: Significant improvements in immediate spatial memory and driving performance were observed following CGJ relative to placebo. There was evidence of an enduring effect of CGJ such that participants who received CGJ in arm 1 maintained better performance in the placebo arm. Conclusions: Cognitive benefits associated with chronic consumption of flavonoid-rich grape juice are not exclusive to adults with mild cognitive impairment. Moreover, these cognitive benefits are apparent in complex everyday tasks such as driving. Effects may persist beyond cessation of flavonoid consumption and future studies should carefully consider the length of washout within crossover designs.

Texture, realism, performance: exploring the intersection of transtexts and the contemporary sitcom

Contemporary US sitcom is at an interesting crossroads: it has received an increasing amount of scholarly attention (e.g. Mills 2009; Butler 2010; Newman and Levine 2012; Vermeulen and Whitfield 2013), which largely understands it as shifting towards the aesthetically and narratively complex. At the same time, in the post-broadcasting era, US networks are particularly struggling for their audience share. With the days of blockbuster successes like Must See TV’s Friends (NBC 1994-2004) a distant dream, recent US sitcoms are instead turning towards smaller, engaged audiences. Here, a cult sensibility of intertextual in-jokes, temporal and narrational experimentation (e.g. flashbacks and alternate realities) and self-reflexive performance styles have marked shows including Community (NBC 2009-2015), How I Met Your Mother (CBS 2005-2014), New Girl (Fox 2011-present) and 30 Rock (NBC 2006-2013). However, not much critical attention has so far been paid to how these developments in textual sensibility in contemporary US sitcom may be influenced by, and influencing, the use of transmedia storytelling practices, an increasingly significant industrial concern and rising scholarly field of enquiry (e.g. Jenkins 2006; Mittell 2015; Richards 2010; Scott 2010; Jenkins, Ford and Green 2013). This chapter investigates this mutual influence between sitcom and transmedia by taking as its case studies two network shows that encourage invested viewership through their use of transtexts, namely How I Met Your Mother (hereafter HIMHM) and New Girl (hereafter NG). As such, it will pay particular attention to the most transtextually visible character/actor from each show: HIMYM’s Barney Stinson, played by Neil Patrick Harris, and NG’s Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield. This chapter argues that these sitcoms do not simply have their particular textual sensibility and also (happen to) engage with transmedia practices, but that the two are mutually informing and defining. This chapter explores the relationships and interplay between sitcom aesthetics, narratives and transmedia storytelling (or industrial transtexts), focusing on the use of multiple delivery channels in order to disperse “integral elements of a fiction” (Jenkins, 2006 95-6), by official entities such as the broadcasting channels. The chapter pays due attention to the specific production contexts of both shows and how these inform their approaches to transtexts. This chapter’s conceptual framework will be particularly concerned with how issues of texture, the reality envelope and accepted imaginative realism, as well as performance and the actor’s input inform and illuminate contemporary sitcoms and transtexts, and will be the first scholarly research to do so. It will seek out points of connections between two (thus far) separate strands of scholarship and will move discussions on transtexts beyond the usual genre studied (i.e. science-fiction and fantasy), as well as make a contribution to the growing scholarship on contemporary sitcom by approaching it from a new critical angle. On the basis that transmedia scholarship stands to benefit from widening its customary genre choice (i.e. telefantasy) for its case studies and from making more use of in-depth close analysis in its engagement with transtexts, the chapter argues that notions of texture, accepted imaginative realism and the reality envelope, as well as performance and the actor’s input deserve to be paid more attention to within transtext-related scholarship.

Spider-fed bromeliads: seasonal and interspecific variation in plant performance

Background and Aims Several animals that live on bromeliads can contribute to plant nutrition through nitrogen provisioning (digestive mutualism). The bromeliad-living spider Psecas chapoda (Salticidae) inhabits and breeds on Bromelia balansae in regions of South America, but in specific regions can also appear on Ananas comosus (pineapple) plantations and Aechmea distichantha. Methods Using isotopic and physiological methods in greenhouse experiments, the role of labelled ((15)N) spider faeces and Drosophila melanogaster flies in the nutrition and growth of each host plant was evaluated, as well as seasonal variation in the importance of this digestive mutualism. Key Results Spiders contributed 0.6 +/- 0.2% (mean +/- s.e.; dry season) to 2.7 +/- 1% (wet season) to the total nitrogen in B. balansae, 2.4 +/- 0.4% (dry) to 4.1 +/- 0.3% (wet) in An. comosus and 3.8 +/- 0.4% (dry) to 5 +/- 1% (wet) in Ae. distichantha. In contrast, flies did not contribute to the nutrition of these bromeliads. Chlorophylls and carotenoid concentrations did not differ among treatments. Plants that received faeces had higher soluble protein concentrations and leaf growth (RGR) only during the wet season. Conclusions These results indicate that the mutualism between spiders and bromeliads is seasonally restricted, generating a conditional outcome. There was interspecific variation in nutrient uptake, probably related to each species` performance and photosynthetic pathways. Whereas B. balansae seems to use nitrogen for growth, Ae. distichantha apparently stores nitrogen for stressful nutritional conditions. Bromeliads absorbed more nitrogen coming from spider faeces than from flies, reinforcing the beneficial role played by predators in these digestive mutualisms.

The evolution of jumping performance in anurans: morphological correlates and ecological implications

We investigated the evolution of anuran locomotor performance and its morphological correlates as a function of habitat use and lifestyles. We reanalysed a subset of the data reported by Zug (Smithson. Contrib. Zool. 1978; 276: 1-31) employing phylogenetically explicit statistical methods (n = 56 species), and assembled morphological data on the ratio between hind-limb length and snout-vent length (SVL) from the literature and museum specimens for a large subgroup of the species from the original paper (n = 43 species). Analyses using independent contrasts revealed that classifying anurans into terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and arboreal categories cannot distinguish between the effects of phylogeny and ecological diversification in anuran locomotor performance. However, a more refined classification subdividing terrestrial species into `fossorials` and `non-fossorials`, and arboreal species into `open canopy`, `low canopy` and `high canopy`, suggests that part of the variation in locomotor performance and in hind-limb morphology can be attributed to ecological diversification. In particular, fossorial species had significantly lower jumping performances and shorter hind limbs than other species after controlling for SVL, illustrating how the trade-off between burrowing efficiency and jumping performance has resulted in morphological specialization in this group.

EFFECT OF ENDURANCE TRAINING ON HYPOTHALAMIC SEROTONIN CONCENTRATION AND PERFORMANCE

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that modulates several functions, such as food intake, energy expenditure, motor activity, mood and sleep. Acute exhaustive endurance exercise increases the synthesis, concentration and metabolism of serotonin in the brain. This phenomenon could be responsible for central fatigue after prolonged and exhaustive exercise. However, the effect of chronic exhaustive training on serotonin is not known. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of exhaustive endurance training on performance and serotonin concentrations in the hypothalamus of trained rats. Rats were divided into three groups: sedentary rats (SED), moderately trained rats (MOD) and exhaustively trained rats (EXT), with an increase of 200% in the load carried during the final week of training. Hypothalamic serotonin concentrations were similar between the SED and MOD groups, but were higher in the EXT group (P < 0.05). Performance was lower in the EXT group compared with the MOD group (P < 0.05). Thus, the present study demonstrates that exhaustive training increases serotonin concentrations in the hypothalamus, together with decreased endurance performance after inadequate recovery time. However, the mechanism underlying these changes remains unknown.

Low-level Laser Therapy Improves Skeletal Muscle Performance, Decreases Skeletal Muscle Damage and Modulates mRNA Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in a Dose-dependent Manner

We tested if modulation in mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2) can be related to protective effects of phototherapy in skeletal muscle. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups receiving either one of four laser doses (0.1, 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 J) or a no-treatment control group. Laser irradiation (904 nm, 15 mW average power) was performed immediately before the first contraction for treated groups. Electrical stimulation was used to induce six tetanic tibial anterior muscle contractions. Immediately after sixth contraction, blood samples were collected to evaluate creatine kinase activity and muscles were dissected and frozen in liquid nitrogen to evaluate mRNA expression of COX-1 and COX-2. The 1.0 and 3.0 J groups showed significant enhancement (P < 0.01) in total work performed in six tetanic contractions compared with control group. All laser groups, except the 3.0 J group, presented significantly lower post-exercise CK activity than control group. Additionally, 1.0 J group showed increased COX-1 and decreased COX-2 mRNA expression compared with control group and 0.1, 0.3 and 3.0 J laser groups (P < 0.01). We conclude that pre-exercise infrared laser irradiation with dose of 1.0 J enhances skeletal muscle performance and decreases post-exercise skeletal muscle damage and inflammation.

EMISSIONS CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESIDENTIAL PELLET BOILER AND A STOVE

Gaseous and particulate emissions from a residential pellet boiler and a stove are measured at a realistic 6-day operation sequence and during steady state operation. The aim is to characterize the emissions during each phase in order to identify when the major part of the emissions occur to enable actions for emission reduction where the savings can be highest. The characterized emissions comprised carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO), total organic carbon (TOC) and particulate matter (PM 2.5). In this study, emissions were characterised by mass concentration and emissions during start-up and stop phases were also presented in accumulated mass. The influence of start-up and stop phases on the emissions, average emission factors for the boiler and stove were analysed using the measured data from a six-days test. The share of start-up and stop emissions are significant for CO and TOC contributing 95% and 89% respectively at the 20kW boiler and 82% and 89% respectively at the 12 kW stove. NO and particles emissions are shown to dominate during stationary operation.

Radiation properties of coil-coated steel in building envelope surfaces and the influence on building thermal performance

Recent studies have shown that the optical properties of building exterior surfaces are important in terms of energy use and thermal comfort. While the majority of the studies are related to exterior surfaces, the radiation properties of interior surfaces are less thoroughly investigated. Development in the coil-coating industries has now made it possible to allocate different optical properties for both exterior and interior surfaces of steel-clad buildings. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the influence of surface radiation properties with the focus on the thermal emittance of the interior surfaces, the modeling approaches and their consequences in the context of the building energy performance and indoor thermal environment. The study consists of both numerical and experimental investigations. The experimental investigations include parallel field measurements on three similar test cabins with different interior and exterior surface radiation properties in Borlänge, Sweden, and two ice rink arenas with normal and low emissive ceiling in Luleå, Sweden. The numerical methods include comparative simulations by the use of dynamic heat flux models, Building Energy Simulation (BES), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a coupled model for BES and CFD. Several parametric studies and thermal performance analyses were carried out in combination with the different numerical methods. The parallel field measurements on the test cabins include the air, surface and radiation temperatures and energy use during passive and active (heating and cooling) measurements. Both measurement and comparative simulation results indicate an improvement in the indoor thermal environment when the interior surfaces have low emittance. In the ice rink arenas, surface and radiation temperature measurements indicate a considerable reduction in the ceiling-to-ice radiation by the use of low emittance surfaces, in agreement with a ceiling-toice radiation model using schematic dynamic heat flux calculations. The measurements in the test cabins indicate that the use of low emittance surfaces can increase the vertical indoor air temperature gradients depending on the time of day and outdoor conditions. This is in agreement with the transient CFD simulations having the boundary condition assigned on the exterior surfaces. The sensitivity analyses have been performed under different outdoor conditions and surface thermal radiation properties. The spatially resolved simulations indicate an increase in the air and surface temperature gradients by the use of low emittance coatings. This can allow for lower air temperature at the occupied zone during the summer. The combined effect of interior and exterior reflective coatings in terms of energy use has been investigated by the use of building energy simulation for different climates and internal heat loads. The results indicate possible energy savings by the smart choice of optical properties on interior and exterior surfaces of the building. Overall, it is concluded that the interior reflective coatings can contribute to building energy savings and improvement of the indoor thermal environment. This can be numerically investigated by the choice of appropriate models with respect to the level of detail and computational load. This thesis includes comparative simulations at different levels of detail.

Knowledge effect on firm performance in manufacturing and service firms

This thesis seeks to examine the difference between manufacturing and service firms with respect to the effects of knowledge on performance, and the influence of market turbulence in this relationship. Empirical data, resulting from a survey, was collected from more than 1,206 firms, involving several sectors. Two samples were analyzed, one with 334 manufacturing and other with 509 service firms. The findings indicate no significant difference in the importance of knowledge on performance between these sectors in the absence of market turbulence: knowledge development (KD) has a stronger effect than culture of competitiveness (CC) on firm performance. However, under market turbulence, manufacturers differ from service providers. The positive effect of KD is enhanced, while the positive effect of CC remains the same for manufacturing firms. On the other hand, the positive effect of KD is diminished, while the positive effect of CC is enhanced for service firms. This supports the argument concerning differences in the nature of manufacturing and service industries. From a managerial point of view, results confirm the importance of knowledge, irrespective of firm sector or market turbulence. However, while industrial firms should center efforts on KD, service firms must find a balance where knowledge development (e.g. norms, processes, routines) does not impair their culture of competitiveness (e.g. learning, innovation, action). The thesis contributes to existing literature by proposing that: (1) the positive effect of knowledge on performance is confirmed; (2) under turbulent markets manufacturing and service firms have different responses concerning the influence of knowledge on performance; (3) a multidimensional performance construct based on cost, profitability, and growth is an interesting way to evaluate firm sustained competitive advantage, rather than one-dimensional constructs; (4) the CC x KD interaction, found relevant for supply chains in previous studies, is not supported for firms; (5) differences in unit of analysis, e.g. from supply chains to firms, result in different effects of KD and CC on firm performance; (6) existing scales can be improved with the addition of more diverse indicators, capturing a wider range of concepts (e.g. information transfer measurement); and (7) results from previous studies are supported for Brazilian firms, contributing for theory generalization.

Effect of poultry viscera meal inclusion in broiler diets in different rearing periods on performance, carcass and parts yields

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Digestibility and performance of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) juveniles - fed diets containing different protein, lipid and carbohydrate levels

Due to lack of information on the use of non-protein energy sources in diets for pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance and digestibility of 12 diets containing approximately two crude protein (CP; 220 and 250 g kg(-1)), two lipid (40 and 80 g kg(-1)) and three carbohydrate levels (410, 460 and 500 g kg(-1)). The pacu juveniles-fed diets containing 220 g kg(-1) CP did not respond (P > 0.05) to increased dietary lipid and carbohydrate levels, but the fish-fed diets containing 250 g kg(-1) CP showed a better feed conversion ratio. There were interactions in weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), crude protein intake (CPI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) dependent on dietary carbohydrate and lipid levels, showing positive effects of increasing carbohydrate levels only for fish-fed diets containing 80 g kg(-1) lipid level. However, when the diets contained 40 g kg(-1) lipid, the best energy productive value (EPV) results were obtained at 460 g kg(-1) carbohydrate. A higher usage of lipids (80 g kg(-1)) reduced CPI and was detrimental to protein [apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC)(CP)] and energy (ADC(GE)), but did not affect growth. The ADC(GE) improved proportionally as dietary carbohydrate levels increased (P < 0.05), increasing the concentration of digestible energy. In addition, the WG, CPI, ADC(GE) results showed best use of the energy from carbohydrates when dietary protein level was 250 g kg(-1) CP. The utilization of 250 g kg(-1) CP in feeds for juvenile pacu for optimal growth is suggested. Therefore, the optimum dietary lipid and carbohydrate levels depend on their combinations. It can be stated that pacu uses carbohydrates as effectively as lipids in the maximization of protein usage, as long as it is not lower than 250 g kg(-1) CP or approximately 230 g kg(-1) digestible protein.

Influence of food restriction on the reproduction and larval performance of matrinxã, Brycon amazonicus (Spix and Agassiz, 1829)

Este estudo avaliou o efeito da restrição alimentar e realimentação na reprodução de fêmeas e no crescimento inicial e sobrevivência de larvas de matrinxã, Brycon amazonicus. Matrizes distribuídas em 8 viveiros (15 peixes/tanque) foram alimentadas diariamente (em 4 tanques - G1) e alimentados em ciclos de 3 dias de alimentação seguidos de 2 dias de restrição (em 4 tanques - G2) por 6 meses antes da desova. Na indução à desova, 57% das fêmeas no G1 e 45% no G2 desovaram. Os pesos médios dos oócitos foram 208,1 g (G1) e 131,6 g (G2), sendo os oócitos G2 menores (1,017 ± 0,003 mm) que os oócitos de G1 (1,048 ± 0,002 mm). As taxas de fertilização (71,9 ± 12,6% e 61,2 ± 13,7%) e de eclosão (61,3 ± 33,9% e 67,5 ± 23,4%) entre os G1 e G2 não diferiram. Larvas foram coletadas na eclosão e às 24, 48 e 72 horas de incubação para medida do crescimento e as restantes transferidas para aquários e amostradas 1, 5, 9 e 15 dias depois. Na transferência, as larvas G1 e G2 tinham pesos similares (1,5 ± 0,15 e 1,46 ± 0,07 mg), mas o comprimento das larvas G2 era maior (6,2 ± 0,13 e 6,7 ± 0,14 mm). Ao 9° dia, quando é recomendada a transferência dos juvenis para tanques externos, os juvenis G2 tinham peso (13,6 ± 0,26 e 18,9 ± 0,07 mg) e comprimento (11,8 ± 0,09 e 14,5 ± 0,04 mm) maiores, mas no 15º dia os juvenis G1 eram maiores em peso (90,2 ± 1,19 e 68,6 ± 0,77 mg) e comprimento (18,8 ± 0,16 e 18,5 ± 0,04 mm). Aos 15 dias, a prole das fêmeas submetidas à restrição alimentar apresentou sobrevivência mais alta que a prole das fêmeas alimentadas diariamente (24,7 ± 2,07% e 19,2 ± 1,91%). A restrição alimentar imposta às fêmeas de matrinxã, apesar de reduzir o número de fêmeas que desovaram e a quantidade de oócitos extrusados, não afetou a fertilização e eclosão das larvas e melhorou a sobrevivência final das larvas.

Performance, carcass yield, and qualitative characteristics of breast and leg muscles of broilers fed diets supplemented with vitamin E at different ages

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)