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Evaluation of Seven Satellite-based and Two Reanalysis Global Terrestrial Evapotranspiration Products
Although comprehensive evaluation of different types of global terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) products has been conducted, the satellite remote sensing techniques have prompted the development of several available global ET products, warranting a reassessment as products continue to evolve. Recently, we produced the long-term Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) ET product, but there is a lack of comparison and evaluation with other ET products and EC observations on a global scale. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and uncertainty of seven satellite-based (GLASS-AVHRR, GLASS-MODIS, BESS, FLUXCOM, GLEAM, MOD16, and PML_V2) and two reanalysis (ERA5 and MERRA2) global terrestrial ET products at multiple scales for selecting the most suitable ET products and developing large-scale ET models. At the point scale, their accuracy was evaluated through direct comparison with in situ observations from 230 global flux towers. The results indicate that no single ET product can provide the most accurate ET estimates for all land cover types, although GLASS-MODIS [coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.51, Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) of 0.68] and FLUXCOM [R2 of 0.51, KGE of 0.66] outperform the seven other products [0.54 =\u3c KGE =\u3c 0.66, 0.35 =\u3c R2 =\u3c 0.50] at all sites. At the basin scale, the accuracy of ET products was assessed through 36 large river basins. The R2 values between all ET products and the water balance-derived ET (WBET) are \u3e0.88, while the accuracies of the nine ET products differ in some sense. The three-cornered hat (TCH) method and comparison analysis are applied to assess the uncertainty of nine ET products at the pixel level. The TCH outputs reveal that GLASS-AVHRR and GLASS-MODIS are the two products with the lowest relative uncertainty, while MERRA2 has the largest relative uncertainty. Our results imply that there is no single ET product performing best in all respects. The selection of ET products for scientific research should consider their performance differences in spatial scale as well as the influence of land cover and climate conditions
The Impact of Monetary Incentives on Delay Discounting Within a Year-Long Physical Activity Intervention
Background
Delay discounting is the depreciation in a reward’s perceived value as a function of the time until receipt. Monetary incentive programs that provide rewards contingent on meeting daily physical activity (PA) goals may change participants’ delay discounting preferences. Purpose
Determine if monetary incentives provided in close temporal proximity to meeting PA goals changed delay discounting, and if such changes mediated intervention effects. Methods
Inactive adults (n = 512) wore accelerometers during a 12-month intervention where they received proximal monetary incentives for meeting daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) goals or delayed incentives for study participation. Delay discount rate and average MVPA were assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and a 24-month follow-up. Using structural equation modeling, we tested effects of proximal versus delayed rewards on delay discounting and whether any changes mediated intervention effects on MVPA. PA self-efficacy was also evaluated as a potential mediator, and both self-efficacy and delay discounting were assessed as potential moderators of intervention effects. Results
Proximal rewards significantly increased participants’ delay discounting (β = 0.238, confidence interval [CI]: −0.078, 0.380), indicating greater sensitivity to reinforcement timing. This change did not mediate incentive-associated increases in MVPA at the end of the 12-month intervention (β = −0.016, CI: −0.053, 0.019) or at a 24-month follow-up (β = −0.020, CI: −0.059, 0.018). Moderation effects were not found. Conclusions
Incentive-induced increases in delay discounting did not deleteriously impact MVPA. This finding may help assuage concerns about using monetary incentives for PA promotion, but further research regarding the consequences of changes in delay discounting is warranted
Running Biomechanics Differ During and After Pregnancy Compared to Females Who Have Never Been Pregnant
Background Perinatal running participation has increased recently; however, pregnancy related symptoms can limit activity. Perinatal running biomechanics could inform interventions to help perinatal individuals maintain an active lifestyle. Research question Are perinatal running biomaechanics and muscle activation different compared to nulligravida females? Methods Sixteen pregnant participants completed self-selected velocity running during second trimester (2 T), third trimester (3 T), and postpartum (PP) and 16 matched controls completed these procedures once in this case control study. Kinematic, kinetic, and electromyography (EMG) data were collected using a motion capture system, force plates, and EMG electrodes. Peak trunk, pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle kinematics and hip, knee, and ankle moments during stance phase, and average and peak erector spinae (ES), gluteus maximus (GMax), and gluteus medius (GMed) EMG amplitude and duration of activation during stance and swing phases were calculated. Independent t-tests were used to compare 2 T, 3 T, and PP to control participants (α \u3c 0.05). Results Running velocity was slower during 3 T compared to control participants. At all pregnancy timepoints compared to the control group, peak trunk contralateral rotation was smaller. During 2 T and 3 T peak hip flexor moments were smaller. At 3 T pelvis contralateral rotation was smaller, ES average amplitude was greater during swing, GMax percent duration during stance and GMed percent duration during swing were smaller. At PP trunk flexion was smaller and knee abduction was greater (all p \u3c 0.05). Conclusions Decreased running velocity may help offset increased demand during pregnancy. During 3 T, greater ES activation, smaller trunk and pelvis motion, and altered gluteal activation could indicate trunk rigidity combined with modified hip stabilizer muscle utilization. During PP, the rigid trunk combined with greater knee abduction may indicate hip and trunk strength deficits. Altered trunk and hip motion and activation could be relevant to pathologies such as perinatal low back, pelvic girdle, or knee pain
Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant): Assessing Infant Anhedonia and Its Prospective Association with Adolescent Depressive Symptoms
Background Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist. Methods We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). Then, associations were assessed between infant anhedonia and adolescent self-report of depressive symptoms. Results The HAPI-Infant (47-items), exhibited excellent psychometric properties. Higher anhedonia scores at 6 (r = 0.23, p \u3c .01) and 12 months (r = 0.19, p \u3c .05) predicted elevated adolescent depressive symptoms, and these associations were stronger than for established infant risk indicators such as negative affectivity. Subsequent analyses supported the validity of short (27-item) and very short (12-item) versions of this measure. Limitations The primary limitations of this study are that the HAPI-Infant awaits additional tests of generalizability and of its ability to predict clinical diagnosis of depression. Conclusions The HAPI-Infant is a novel, psychometrically strong diagnostic tool suitable for recognizing anhedonia during the first year of life with strong predictive value for later depressive symptoms. In view of the emerging recognition of increasing prevalence of affective disorders in children and adolescents, the importance of the HAPI-Infant in diagnosing anhedonia is encouraging. Early recognition of anhedonia could target high-risk individuals for intervention and perhaps prevention of mental health disorders
Demonstration of High-Impedance Superconducting NbRe Dayem Bridges
Here, we demonstrate superconducting Dayem-bridge weak-links made of different stoichiometric compositions of NbRe. Our devices possess a relatively high critical temperature, normal-state resistance, and kinetic inductance. In particular, the high kinetic inductance makes this material a good alternative to more conventional niobium-based superconductors (e.g., NbN or NbTiN) for the realization of superinductors and high-quality factor resonators, whereas the high normal-state resistance yields a large output voltage in superconducting switches and logic elements realized upon this compound. Moreover, out-of-plane critical magnetic fields exceeding 2 T ensure that possible applications requiring high magnetic fields can also be envisaged. Altogether, these features make this material appealing for a number of applications in the framework of quantum technologies
Cooperation in Temporary Partnerships
The literature on cooperation in infinitely repeated Prisoner’s Dilemmas covers the extreme opposites of the matching spectrum: partners, a player’s opponent never changes, and strangers, a player’s opponent randomly changes in every period. Here, we extend the analysis to settings where the opponent changes, but not in every period. In these temporary partnerships, players can deter some deviations by directly sanctioning their partner. Hence, relaxing the extreme assumption of one-period matchings can support some cooperation also off equilibrium because a class of strategies emerges that are less extreme than the typical “grim” strategy. We establish conditions supporting full cooperation as a subgame perfect equilibrium under a social norm that complements direct sanctions with a cyclical community sanction. Though this strategy less effectively incentivizes cooperation, it more effectively incentivizes punishment after a deviation, hence, can be preferable to the grim strategy under certain conditions
123 Why We Fell in Love with Diversity with Essraa Nawar
We covered topics
- Journey towards DEI
- First exhibit that changed my life
- Organic Diversity a medium of learning
- Leading Diversity in the university
- Happy accident towards DEI
- I found my Ikigai in DEI
- Do you really fall in love with Diversity?
- Diversity of thought
- Psychological Safety for Business ROI
- Role of AI in the World of Diversity
- Advice for people working in DE
Possible Role of the One-half Heuristic in Overconfidence Research
Overconfidence research often involves estimating performance within a fixed range. Recent studies suggest that overprecision is affected by central tendency bias, the tendency to estimate near the center of a perceived distribution. This paper examines whether a similar pattern influences the other two overconfidence types, overestimation and overplacement. In a laboratory experiment (N = 120), participants estimated their own and the average performance over five rounds of ten Rock–Paper–Scissors games. Each round earned for up to 40 points, but average performance varied across three treatments, with means of 16.6, 20, and 23.3 points. The main question was whether this manipulation would result in the sample appearing overconfident, underconfident, or well-calibrated. The results suggest that calibration depends on the relative position of mean performance to the midpoint of the range. When the mean aligned with half of the range maximum, participants appeared well-calibrated. A lower mean resulted in apparent overestimation, while a higher mean led to apparent overplacement. Experience shifted some estimates toward the actual mean and improved calibration, but only when feedback was not overly noisy. Monetary incentives and gender were controlled for but showed no significant effect on estimation accuracy. This study provides evidence that the one-half heuristic—the tendency to estimate at half the maximum of a given range—can mechanically bias confidence judgments. While further research is needed to confirm its effect in more traditional overconfidence tasks, caution is warranted when interpreting studies in which mean performance deviates from the range midpoint