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A total of 10 radars from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) in Antarctica were used to estimate the spatial area over which energetic electron precipitation (EEP) impacts the D-region ionosphere during pulsating aurora (PsA) events. We use an all-sky camera (ASC) located at Syowa Station to confirm the presence of optical PsAs, and then we use the SuperDARN radars to detect high frequency (HF) radio attenuation caused by enhanced ionisation in the D-region ionosphere. The HF radio attenuation was identified visually by examining quick-look plots of the background HF radio noise and backscatter power from each radar. The EEP impact area was determined for 74 PsA events. Approximately one-third of these events have an EEP impact area that covers at least 12∘ of magnetic latitude, and three-quarters cover at least 4∘ of magnetic latitude. At the equatorward edge of the auroral oval, 44 % of events have a magnetic local time extent of at least 7 h, but this reduces to 17 % at the poleward edge. We use these results to estimate the average size of the EEP impact area during PsAs, which could be used as a model input for determining the impact of PsA-related EEP on the atmospheric chemistry.

Background Two barriers to effective enrollment decisions are low health insurance literacy and lack of knowledge about how to choose a plan. To remedy these issues, digital decision aids have been used to increase the knowledge of plan options and to guide the decision process. Previous research has shown that the way information is presented in a decision aid can impact consumer choice, and existing health insurance decision aids vary in their design, content, and layout. Commercial virtual benefits counselors (VBCs) are digital decision aids that provide decision support by mimicking the guidance provided by an in-person human resources (HR) counselor, whereas more traditional HR websites provide information that requires self-directed navigation through the system. However, few studies have compared how decision processes are impacted by these different methods of providing information. Objective This study aims to examine how individuals interact with two different types of health insurance decision aids (guided VBCs that mimic conversations with a real HR counselor and self-directed HR websites that provide a broad range of detailed information) to make employer-provided health insurance decisions. Methods In total, 16 employees from a local state university completed a user study in which they made mock employer-provided health insurance decisions using 1 of 2 systems (VBC vs HR website). Participants took part in a retrospective think-aloud interview, cued using eye-tracking data to understand decision aid interactions. In addition, pre- and postexperiment measures of literacy and knowledge and decision conflict and usability of the system were also examined. Results Both the VBC and HR website had positive benefits for health insurance knowledge and literacy. Previous health insurance knowledge also impacted how individuals used decision aids. Individuals who scored lower on the pre-experiment knowledge test focused on different decision factors and were more conflicted about their final enrollment decisions than those with higher knowledge test scores. Although both decision aids resulted in similar changes in the Health Insurance Literacy Measure and knowledge test scores, perceived usability differed. Website navigation was not intuitive, and it took longer to locate information, although users appreciated that it had more details; the VBC website was easier to use but had limited information. Lower knowledge participants, in particular, found the website to be less useful and harder to use than those with higher health insurance knowledge. Finally, out-of-pocket cost estimation tools can lead to confusion when they do not highlight the factors that contribute to the cost estimate. Conclusions This study showed that health insurance decision aids help individuals improve their confidence in selecting and using health insurance plans. However, previous health insurance knowledge plays a significant role in how users interact with and benefit from decision aids, even when information is presented in different formats.

BACKGROUND Two barriers to effective enrollment decisions are low health insurance literacy and lack of knowledge about how to choose a plan. To remedy these issues, digital decision aids have been used to increase the knowledge of plan options and to guide the decision process. Previous research has shown that the way information is presented in a decision aid can impact consumer choice, and existing health insurance decision aids vary in their design, content, and layout. Commercial virtual benefits counselors (VBCs) are digital decision aids that provide decision support by mimicking the guidance provided by an in-person human resources (HR) counselor, whereas more traditional HR websites provide information that requires self-directed navigation through the system. However, few studies have compared how decision processes are impacted by these different methods of providing information. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine how individuals interact with two different types of health insurance decision aids (guided VBCs that mimic conversations with a real HR counselor and self-directed HR websites that provide a broad range of detailed information) to make employer-provided health insurance decisions. METHODS In total, 16 employees from a local state university completed a user study in which they made mock employer-provided health insurance decisions using 1 of 2 systems (VBC vs HR website). Participants took part in a retrospective think-aloud interview, cued using eye-tracking data to understand decision aid interactions. In addition, pre- and postexperiment measures of literacy and knowledge and decision conflict and usability of the system were also examined. RESULTS Both the VBC and HR website had positive benefits for health insurance knowledge and literacy. Previous health insurance knowledge also impacted how individuals used decision aids. Individuals who scored lower on the pre-experiment knowledge test focused on different decision factors and were more conflicted about their final enrollment decisions than those with higher knowledge test scores. Although both decision aids resulted in similar changes in the Health Insurance Literacy Measure and knowledge test scores, perceived usability differed. Website navigation was not intuitive, and it took longer to locate information, although users appreciated that it had more details; the VBC website was easier to use but had limited information. Lower knowledge participants, in particular, found the website to be less useful and harder to use than those with higher health insurance knowledge. Finally, out-of-pocket cost estimation tools can lead to confusion when they do not highlight the factors that contribute to the cost estimate. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that health insurance decision aids help individuals improve their confidence in selecting and using health insurance plans. However, previous health insurance knowledge plays a significant role in how users interact with and benefit from decision aids, even when information is presented in different formats.

We demonstrate that the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar at Syowa station, Antarctica, can be used to detect high frequency radio wave attenuation in the D region ionosphere during energetic electron precipitation (EEP) events. EEP‐related attenuation is identified in the radar data as a sudden reduction in the backscatter power and background noise parameters. We focus initially on EEP associated with pulsating aurora and use images from a colocated all‐sky camera as a validation data set for the radar‐based EEP event detection method. Our results show that high‐frequency attenuation that commences during periods of optical pulsating aurora typically continues for 2–4 hr after the camera stops imaging at dawn. We then use the radar data to determine EEP occurrence rates as a function of magnetic local time (MLT) using a database of 555 events detected in 2011. EEP occurrence rates are highest in the early morning sector and lowest at around 15:00–18:00 MLT. The postmidnight and morning sector occurrence rates exhibit significant seasonal variations, reaching approximately 50% in the winter and 15% in the summer, whereas no seasonal variations were observed in other MLT sectors. The mean event lifetime determined from the radar data was 2.25 hr, and 10% of events had lifetimes exceeding 5 hr.

BACKGROUND Personas, based on customer or population data, are widely used to inform design decisions in the commercial sector. The variety of methods available means that personas can be produced from projects of different types and scale. OBJECTIVE This study aims to experiment with the use of personas that bring together data from a survey, household air measurements and electricity usage sensors, and an interview within a research and innovation project, with the aim of supporting eHealth and eWell-being product, process, and service development through broadening the engagement with and understanding of the data about the local community. METHODS The project participants were social housing residents (adults only) living in central Cornwall, a rural unitary authority in the United Kingdom. A total of 329 households were recruited between September 2017 and November 2018, with 235 (71.4%) providing complete baseline survey data on demographics, socioeconomic position, household composition, home environment, technology ownership, pet ownership, smoking, social cohesion, volunteering, caring, mental well-being, physical and mental health–related quality of life, and activity. K-prototype cluster analysis was used to identify 8 clusters among the baseline survey responses. The sensor and interview data were subsequently analyzed by cluster and the insights from all 3 data sources were brought together to produce the personas, known as the Smartline Archetypes. RESULTS The Smartline Archetypes proved to be an engaging way of presenting data, accessible to a broader group of stakeholders than those who accessed the raw anonymized data, thereby providing a vehicle for greater research engagement, innovation, and impact. CONCLUSIONS Through the adoption of a tool widely used in practice, research projects could generate greater policy and practical impact, while also becoming more transparent and open to the public.

A set of 24 isolated, 46 compound, and 36 multi-night substorm events from the years 2008–2013 have been analysed in this study. Isolated substorm events are defined as single expansion–recovery phase pairs, compound substorms consist of multiple phase pairs, and multi-night substorm events refer to recurring substorm activity on consecutive nights. Approximately 200 nights of substorm activity observed over Fennoscandian Lapland have been analysed for their magnetic disturbance magnitude and the level of cosmic radio noise absorption. Substorm events were automatically detected from the local electrojet index data and visually categorized. We show that isolated substorms have limited lifetimes and spatial extents as compared to the other substorm types. The average intensity (both in absorption and ground-magnetic deflection) of compound and multi-night substorm events is similar. For multi-night substorm events, the first night is rarely associated with the strongest absorption. Instead, the high-energy electron population needed to cause the strongest absorption builds up over 1–2 additional nights of substorm activity. The non-linear relationship between the absorption and the magnetic deflection at high- and low-activity conditions is also discussed. We further collect in situ particle spectra for expansion and recovery phases to construct median precipitation fluxes at energies from 30 eV up to about 800 keV. In the expansion phases the bulk of the spectra show a local maximum flux in the range of a few keV to 10 keV, while in the recovery phases higher fluxes are seen in the range of tens of keV to hundreds of keV. These findings are discussed in the light of earlier observations of substorm precipitation and their atmospheric effects.

Ten radars from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) in Antarctica were used to estimate the spatial area over which energetic electron precipitation (EEP) impacts the D-region ionosphere during pulsating aurora (PsA) events. We use an all-sky camera located at Syowa Station to confirm the presence of optical PsA, and then use the SuperDARN radars to detect HF radio attenuation caused by enhanced ionisation in the D-region ionosphere. The HF radio attenuation was identified visually by examining quick-look plots of the background HF radio noise and backscatter power from each radar. The EEP impact area was determined for 74 PsA events. Approximately one third of these events have an EEP impact area that covers at least 12° of magnetic latitude, and three quarters cover at least 4° of magnetic latitude. At the equatorward edge of the auroral oval, 44 % of events have a magnetic local time extent of at least 7 hours, but this reduces to 17 % at the poleward edge. We use these results to estimate the average size of the EEP impact area during PsA, which could be used as a model input for determining the impact of PsA-related EEP on the atmospheric chemistry.

We compare the simultaneous magnetometer, SuperDARN radar, and GPS observations during Pc5 wave event on March 02, 2002. A possible correspondence between those instruments may help to determine the mechanism of the ionosphere modulation by magnetospheric disturbances. Transient Pc5 pulsations (2.6 mHz) in the morning sector, stimulated by the solar wind density jumps, have been detected simultaneously by ground magnetometers and the Kodiak and King Salmon SuperDARN radars. Besides that, pulsations with the same periodicity have been found in the rate of total electron content (TEC), dTEC/dt (ROT), variations in several GPS radio paths. The ratio between the spectral amplitudes of the Doppler velocities and magnetic pulsations (X component) on the ground are Vx/Bx~7-12 (m/s)/nT and Vy/Bx~27 (m/s)/nT. The ratio between the oscillation amplitudes of ROT and ionospheric Doppler meridional (Vx) and azimuthal (Vy) velocities are ROT/Vx~0.02-0.07 (dTECu/min)/(m/s) and ROT/Vy~0.004 (dTECu/min)/(m/s). The correspondence between simultaneous periodic variations of the ionospheric Doppler velocity and geomagnetic field can be reasonably well interpreted quantitively on the basis of theory of Alfven wave interaction with the thin ionospheric layer. However, order-of-magnitudes estimates of possible TEC modulation mechanisms show that a responsible mechanism which can interpret the observed ratios has not been found yet.

This paper presents a new algorithm for detecting high-speed flow channels in the polar cap. The algorithm was applied to Super Dual Auroral Radar Network data, specifically to data from the new Longyearbyen radar. This radar is located at $78.2^\circ$N, $16.0^\circ$E geographical coordinates looking north-east, and is therefore at an ideal location to measure flow channels in the high-latitude polar cap. The algorithm detected $>$500 events over 1 year of observations, and within this paper two case studies are considered in more detail. A flow channel on "old-open field lines" located on the dawn flank was directly driven under quiet conditions over 13 min. This flow channel contributed to a significant fraction (60%) of the cross polar cap potential and was located on the edge of a polar cap arc. Another case study follows the development of a flow channel on newly opened field lines within the cusp. This flow channel is a spontaneously driven event forming under strong solar wind driving and is intermittently excited over the course of almost an hour. As they provide a high fraction of the cross polar cap potential, these small-scale structures are vital for understanding the transport of magnetic flux over the polar cap.

Background Personas, based on customer or population data, are widely used to inform design decisions in the commercial sector. The variety of methods available means that personas can be produced from projects of different types and scale. Objective This study aims to experiment with the use of personas that bring together data from a survey, household air measurements and electricity usage sensors, and an interview within a research and innovation project, with the aim of supporting eHealth and eWell-being product, process, and service development through broadening the engagement with and understanding of the data about the local community. Methods The project participants were social housing residents (adults only) living in central Cornwall, a rural unitary authority in the United Kingdom. A total of 329 households were recruited between September 2017 and November 2018, with 235 (71.4%) providing complete baseline survey data on demographics, socioeconomic position, household composition, home environment, technology ownership, pet ownership, smoking, social cohesion, volunteering, caring, mental well-being, physical and mental health–related quality of life, and activity. K-prototype cluster analysis was used to identify 8 clusters among the baseline survey responses. The sensor and interview data were subsequently analyzed by cluster and the insights from all 3 data sources were brought together to produce the personas, known as the Smartline Archetypes. Results The Smartline Archetypes proved to be an engaging way of presenting data, accessible to a broader group of stakeholders than those who accessed the raw anonymized data, thereby providing a vehicle for greater research engagement, innovation, and impact. Conclusions Through the adoption of a tool widely used in practice, research projects could generate greater policy and practical impact, while also becoming more transparent and open to the public.

Source at https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW001916. Two solar proton events in September 2017 had a significant impact on the operation of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), a global network of high‐frequency (HF) radars designed for observing F region ionospheric plasma convection. Strong polar cap absorption caused near‐total loss of radar backscatter, which prevented the primary SuperDARN data products from being determined for a period of several days. During this interval, the high‐latitude and polar cap radars measured unusually low levels of background atmospheric radio noise. We demonstrate that these background noise measurements can be used to observe the spatial and temporal evolution of the polar cap absorption region, using an approach similar to riometry. We find that the temporal evolution of the SuperDARN radar‐derived HF attenuation closely follows that of the cosmic noise absorption measured by a riometer. Attenuation of the atmospheric noise up to 10 dB at 12 MHz is measured within the northern polar cap, and up to 14 dB in the southern polar cap, which is consistent with the observed backscatter loss. Additionally, periods of enhanced attenuation lasting 2–4 hr are detected by the midlatitude radars in response to M‐ and X‐class solar flares. Our results demonstrate that SuperDARN's routine measurements of atmospheric radio noise can be used to monitor 8‐ to 20‐MHz radio attenuation from middle to polar latitudes, which may be used to supplement riometer data and also to investigate the causes of SuperDARN backscatter loss during space weather events. Plain Language Summary: Solar proton events are known to cause widespread disruption to high‐frequency (HF) radio communications in the high‐latitude and polar regions. We demonstrate that SuperDARN HF radars may be used to monitor HF radio wave attenuation during solar proton events using routine measurements of the background radio noise. These background noise measurements are produced as part of the radar data processing, but they are not normally used for science applications. We focus on two solar proton events, which occurred in September 2017, and find that the measured radio attenuation is confined to the polar cap and exhibits temporal and spatial properties that are characteristic of polar cap absorption events. The attenuation measured by the Rankin Inlet SuperDARN radar agrees well with measurements from a nearby riometer, indicating that reasonable estimates of the HF radio attenuation can be obtained from SuperDARN radars despite the high day‐to‐day variability of the atmospheric radio noise. Our technique may also prove useful for determining the reasons for backscatter loss, particularly when riometer data are not available.

Ionospheric signatures of ultra-low frequency (ULF) wave in the Pc3-5 band (1.7-40.0 mHz) were surveyed using ~6 s resolution data from Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars in the northern hemisphere from 2010 to 2016. Numerical experiments were conducted to derive wave period dependent thresholds for automated detection of ULF waves using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram technique. The spatial occurrence distribution, frequency characteristics, seasonal effects, solar wind condition and geomagnetic activity level dependence have been studied. Pc5 wave events were found to dominate at high and polar latitudes with a most probable frequency of 2.08 ± 0.07 mHz while Pc3-4 waves were relatively more common at midlatitudes on the nightside with a most probable frequency of 11.39 ± 0.14 mHz. At high latitudes, the occurrence rate of Pc4-5 waves maximizes in the dusk sector and during winter. These events tend to occur during low geomagnetic activity and northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). For the category of radially bounded but longitudinally extended Pc4 events in the duskside ionosphere, an internal driving source is suggested. At midlatitudes, the Pc3-4 occurrence rate maximizes premidnight and during equinox. This tendency becomes more prominent with increasing auroral electrojet (AE) index and during southward IMF, which suggests many of these events are Pi2 and Pc3-4 pulsations associated with magnetotail dynamics during active geomagnetic intervals. The overall occurrence rate of Pc3-5 wave events is lowest in summer, which suggests that the ionospheric conductivity plays a role in controlling ULF wave occurrence.