Classifying high-prevalence neighborhoods for cardiovascular disease in Texas

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in the state of Texas. In order to develop effective healthcare policies to combat CVD, it is essential to understand what types of communities are most affected. In this paper, we develop a classification scheme to segment high-prevalence communities based on selected social and demographic characteristics. We find that while many high-prevalence areas reflect traditional relationships between socioeconomic deprivation and poor health outcomes, a subset of more affluent communities in Texas are also affected. This suggests the importance of tailored approaches to prevention that account for this diversity among high-prevalence neighborhoods.     

City of the Spectacle: White Night Melbourne and the politics of public space

Public policy frequently is utilised as a medium to facilitate or restrict access to public space, and to privilege economic priorities. In this context urban arts festivals are used as a means to generate dominant narratives of place and use of public space. Urban arts festivals generate spaces of spectacle and wonder, and are often used as marketing strategies to revitalise urban economies and differentiate cities one from another on the global stage, engendering a commodification of place. The present paper explores this tension through an examination of the role of urban arts festivals in spatial politics. White Night Melbourne is the first Australian iteration of the Nuit Blanche International, an international network of all-night arts festivals. It is used as a case study to explore the impact of an urban arts festival on the spatial politics of Melbourne. A theoretical basis is established using the frame of Guy Debord's ([1967] 1994) The Society of the Spectacle, as well as the concepts of ‘assemblage’ and ‘expressivity’.     

Linking pesticides and human health: A geographic information system (GIS) and Landsat remote sensing method to estimate agricultural pesticide exposure

Accurate pesticide exposure estimation is integral to epidemiologic studies elucidating the role of pesticides in human health. Humans can be exposed to pesticides via residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications (drift). We present an improved geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing method, the Landsat method, to estimate agricultural pesticide exposure through matching pesticide applications to crops classified from temporally concurrent Landsat satellite remote sensing images in California. The image classification method utilizes Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values in a combined maximum likelihood classification and per-field (using segments) approach. Pesticide exposure is estimated according to pesticide-treated crop fields intersecting 500 m buffers around geocoded locations (e.g., residences) in a GIS. Study results demonstrate that the Landsat method can improve GIS-based pesticide exposure estimation by matching more pesticide applications to crops (especially temporary crops) classified using temporally concurrent Landsat images compared to the standard method that relies on infrequently updated land use survey (LUS) crop data. The Landsat method can be used in epidemiologic studies to reconstruct past individual-level exposure to specific pesticides according to where individuals are located.     

The public perception of carbon dioxide capture and storage in the UK: results from focus groups and a survey

Abstract

A series of meetings of two ‘Citizen Panels’ were held to explore public perceptions of off-shore carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and storage (CCS). In addition, a face-to-face survey of 212 randomly selected individuals was conducted. We found that, on first hearing about CCS in the absence of any information on its purpose, the majority of people either do not have an opinion at all or have a somewhat negative perspective. However, when (even limited) information is provided on the role of CO₂ storage in reducing CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere, opinion shifts towards expressing slight support for the concept.

Support depends, however, upon concern about human-caused climate change, plus recognition of the need for major reductions in CO₂ emissions. It also depends upon CCS being seen as just one part of a wider strategy for achieving significant cuts in CO₂ emissions. A portfolio including renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency, and lifestyle change to reduce demand was generally favoured. CCS can be part of such a portfolio, but wind, wave, tidal, solar and energy efficiency were preferred. It was felt that uncertainties concerning the potential risks of CCS had to be better addressed and reduced; in particular the risks of accidents and leakage (including the potential environmental, ecosystem and human health impacts which might result from leakage).     

中国地理与资源期刊集群微信公众号的发展与实践

在“互联网+”时代,微信公众号服务在社会各行业、各领域得到广泛普及,在学术传播方面,能够有效地帮助期刊传播科学文化,增加期刊与读者群之间的“粘性”,扩大期刊的学术影响力和社会知名度。本文对中国地理与资源期刊集群微信公众号的运营发展过程进行总结,同时基于微信后台数据,对微信公众号取得的实践成效进行统计分析,结果表明：① 微信公众号的创立是扩大受众范围、有效传播科学文化、提高期刊影响力的重要手段;② 微信公众号的科学定位、标题创意设计、内容创新以及广泛宣传是吸引公众、提高期刊知名度的必要举措;③ 中国地理与资源期刊集群微信公众号实践成效显著。最后从重视微信用户体验、优化平台菜单设置、增加平台与用户互动及加大宣传力度等几方面提出打造品牌微信公众号的对策建议。     

中国公众对气候变化和气象灾害认知的社会性别差异

对2015年全国公众气象服务评价调查结果的分析显示,我国公众中男性对气候变化认识程度以及对气象灾害预警的认知水平和满意度都比女性高。城镇女性选择环保产品、环保出行及愿意对生活或工作方式做出改变来应对气候变化的比例高于城镇男性,而农村男性选择调整或改变种植或养殖方式、改变种植或养殖品种及转换谋生方式的比例高于女性。男性选择购买相关气象或气候保险、参加培训或辅导的比例比女性高,而女性选择学习气象灾害和气候变化相关的专业知识比例高于男性。女性对气象服务信息的需求比例比男性高。建议：1)积极推进气候变化及其灾害认知的社会性别研究,建立灾害认知性别数据库,将社会性别融入到气象灾害风险管理的整个过程;2)在气象服务中引入社会性别视角,加强针对女性的宣传和指导,开发适合女性的服务产品和信息传播渠道,提升她们应对灾害的意识和能力。     

国际游客凝视与旅游文明——基于“印象·刘三姐”的实证研究

在旅游场景中,旅游交往与凝视无处不在。国际游客来华旅行,接触普通的中国游客、百姓,在最生活化的凝视中强化对中国社会、生活、文明各个方面的认知。本研究以中国最知名的山水实景演出——"印象·刘三姐",为研究场景,以国际游客的自由评论为数据来源,利用Leximancer分析国际游客的"印象·刘三姐"观看体验。研究表明,东道主与在场观众的互动是国际游客体验的重要部分。进一步分析发现,国际游客对演出感到满意,对东道主(当地农民、渔民)的表演大加赞赏。可是,不少国际游客对在场的部分中国游客行为,特别是观演礼仪,感到不满。本研究对旅游资源开发、游客教育、塑造公民文明旅游行为起一定的借鉴意义。     

天气气候与健康——兼论中国气候与中医养生文化

人生活在大气之中,人的健康和疾病深受气象条件影响,我国盛行大陆性季风气候,冬冷夏热和冷干夏湿,这种特殊的气候条件,诞生了中国的特殊医学－中医,中医是中国对人类的巨大贡献,并大大丰富了世界医药文化的宝库。     

广州市公众地理信息服务平台的设计与开发

论述了城市基础测绘部门开发公众地理信息平台的必要性和优势,分析并讨论了公共地理信息服务平台中的公众地理信息服务平台、基础地理信息服务平台和政务地理信息服务平台在数据内容、功能框架、网络体系、服务对象上的不同,以广州市公众地理信息服务平台的开发为例,详细介绍了该平台的数据内容、功能框架和系统特色,该平台对其他城市开发类似的公众地理信息服务平台具有一定的参考作用。     

地震目录三维展示在天津地震数据服务系统中的应用

地震目录是地震系统提供的重要公共服务内容之一,以震源深度为主要展示要素的地震目录三维图像,作为一种新型公共服务产品,可把地震发生的位置形象直观地展示给公众。文章详细阐述了天津地震数据服务系统中震源深度三维图和分布图的设计方法及展示效果,对其所产生的积极作用和意义进行说明,并提出未来的设计方向。