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Seawater transported into the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean via "Agulhas leakage" modulates global ocean circulation and has been linked to glacial‐interglacial climate cycles. However, constraining past Agulhas leakage has been a challenge. We sampled a transect of the Cape Basin in winter 2017 that intersected a mature Agulhas eddy and found that the 15N/14N ratio (δ15N) of mixed‐layer nitrate, zooplankton, and foraminifera (tissue and shells) was 2‰–3‰ lower in the eddy than in the background Atlantic even though the δ15N of the underlying thermocline nitrate was indistinguishable between the two settings. We suggest that the δ15N of foraminifera and other zooplankton in the eddy reflects the original Agulhas Current thermocline nitrate, which is ∼2‰ lower than that of the South Atlantic due to N2 fixation that occurs in the Indian Ocean. Foraminifera δ15N may have been lowered further during eddy migration by in situ N2 fixation and/or recycling of low‐δ15N ammonium. The absence of low‐δ15N Agulhas nitrate in the eddy thermocline can be explained by partial assimilation of the nitrate as it was mixed into the euphotic zone during and after eddy formation, raising its δ15N. The low δ15N of eddy foraminifera, apparent even after several months of eddy migration across the Cape Basin, suggests that fossil foraminifer‐bound δ15N from the region could record variations in past Agulhas leakage. Plain Language Summary: "Agulhas leakage," the flow of seawater from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean, is a key component of global ocean circulation and predominantly takes the form of eddies. Identifying past changes in leakage can provide insights into the relationship between Atlantic Ocean circulation and climate changes. Here, we investigated whether the ratio of the nitrogen isotopes, 15N and 14N, in organic matter preserved in the shells of fossil foraminifera could be used to investigate past Agulhas leakage. Thermocline (i.e., sub‐surface) nitrate has a lower 15N‐to‐14N ratio in the Agulhas Current region, the source region for Agulhas leakage, than in the South Atlantic. To determine whether foraminifera inhabiting Agulhas leakage reflect this trend, we collected living specimens from inside and outside of a well‐developed Agulhas eddy in the southeastern Atlantic. We found that the nitrogen in foraminifera biomass and shells is isotopically lower in the eddy than in the "background" southeastern Atlantic. This signal can be explained by the lower 15N‐to‐14N ratio of the original (Agulhas‐sourced) nitrate, potentially augmented by internal nitrogen cycle processes occurring within the eddy. Our results strongly suggest that the nitrogen isotopes of fossil foraminifera could be used as an indicator of past variations in Agulhas leakage. Key Points: Nitrogen isotope ratios of mixed‐layer nitrate, zooplankton, and foraminifera in an Agulhas eddy are lower than in the southeast AtlanticDeeper‐dwelling, symbiont‐barren foraminifera record the nitrogen isotope ratio of thermocline nitrateForaminifer‐bound nitrogen isotopes in the Cape Basin sediment record could be used to reconstruct past variations in Agulhas leakage [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern Ocean is a high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll (HNLC) region characterized by incomplete nitrate (NO3−) consumption by phytoplankton in surface waters. During this incomplete consumption, phytoplankton preferentially assimilate the 14N‐ versus the 15N‐bearing form of NO3−, quantified as the NO3− assimilation isotope effect (15ε). Previous summertime estimates of the 15ε from HNLC regions range from 4 to 11‰. While culture work has shown that the 15ε varies among phytoplankton species, as well as with light and iron stress, we lack a systematic understanding of how and why the 15ε varies in the field. Here we estimate the 15ε from water‐column profile and surface‐water samples collected in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean—the first leg of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (December 2016–January 2017) and the Crossroads transect (April 2016). Consistent with prior work in the mid‐to‐late summer Southern Ocean, we estimate a higher 15ε (8.9 ± 0.6‰) for the northern Subantarctic Zone and a lower 15ε (5.4 ± 0.9‰) at and south of the Subantarctic Front. We interpret our data in the context of coincident measurements of phytoplankton community composition and estimates of iron and light stress. Similar to prior work, we find a significant, negative relationship between the 15ε and the average mixed‐layer photosynthetically active radiation flux of 30–100 μmol m−2 s−1, while above 100 μmol m−2 s−1, 15ε increases again. In addition, while we observe no robust relationship of the 15ε to iron availability or phytoplankton community, mixed‐layer nitrification over the Kerguelen Plateau appears to strongly influence its magnitude. Plain Language Summary: The Southern Ocean, and the Subantarctic in particular, is an import region for global carbon cycling that is largely driven by microscopic algae, phytoplankton. Regarded as a high‐nutrient and low‐chlorophyll region, the Subantarctic surface nutrient essential for phytoplankton growth, nitrate, remains in high concentrations over the summertime growing season. During the consumption of nitrate, phytoplankton assimilates nitrate isotopes at varying ratios, likely due to environmental factors, and imparting isotopic signatures. During the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition and Crossroads transect, we collected samples from the Indian Sector of the Subantarctic during the mid‐to‐late summer. Here we use measurements of nitrate and its isotope ratios to better constrain these signatures and identify potential environmental drivers. While phytoplankton community composition and iron availability from coincident measurements may influence the nitrate isotopic assimilation ratios, we observe a strong, significant correlation between light stress across the upper ocean and isotopic signatures. This suggests that the influence of light availability for phytoplankton growth is the leading driver of nitrate isotopic ratios in the mid‐to‐late summer season of the Indian Sector of the Subantarctic. Key Points: Nitrate assimilation isotope effects are estimated for the Indian sector of the Subantarctic and Antarctic regions of the Southern OceanNitrate assimilation isotope effects increase with decreasing average mixed layer PAR flux within an optimal rangeDual nitrate isotopic composition profiles showed evidence of significant summertime nitrification on the Kerguelen Plateau [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is understood that the global mean ocean nitrate δ15N is set by the δ15N of the input of fixed nitrogen (N) to the ocean (mostly N2 fixation) and the net isotopic discrimination of fixed N loss (mostly denitrification). Here, we demonstrate that, in addition to the fixed nitrogen input/output budget, the isotopic discrimination of nitrate assimilation in the Southern Ocean also plays a role in setting the δ15N of both deep ocean nitrate and global mean ocean nitrate. A prognostic model is used to simulate the global overturning circulation, focusing on the Southern Ocean overturning cell that ventilates the global pycnocline. N2 fixation and denitrification occur mainly in the model's surface and pycnocline boxes, as is appropriate given the observations. Experiments with this model indicate that, at a steady state, pycnocline nitrate δ15N is mostly controlled by the ocean's fixed N budget. Simultaneously, partial nitrate assimilation in the Southern Ocean sets the nitrate δ15N difference between the pycnocline and the deep ocean, lowering the δ15N of deep ocean nitrate and thus also of global mean ocean nitrate. The Southern Ocean's impact on deep and mean ocean nitrate δ15N depends on (a) the degree of nitrate consumption in the Southern Ocean surface waters and (b) the proportion of water that enters the pycnocline by subduction from the Southern Ocean surface. Including the effect of the Southern Ocean on mean ocean nitrate δ15N modestly reduces a previously calculated imbalance between fixed N inputs and outputs. Moreover, this effect has implications for paleoceanographic N isotope records. Key Points: At steady state, the ocean's fixed nitrogen input/output budget sets global pycnocline nitrate δ15NPartial nitrate assimilation in the Southern Ocean sets the nitrate δ15N difference between the pycnocline and the deep oceanRelative to the fixed nitrogen budget, partial nitrate assimilation in the Southern Ocean lowers the δ15N of deep and mean ocean nitrate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an annotated checklist of all known lycophytes and ferns in the Solomon Islands following an updated classification. It comprises two classes, 12 orders, 3 families, 122 genera, 9 species, and six infraspecific taxa, including 1 new species described here and 18 species newly recorded for the country. In addition, we make six new nomenclatural combinations as well as 53 lectotypifications. We include a discussion of type status, taxonomic uncertainty, and recent molecular phylogenetic research when relevant. The life forms and phytogeographic affinities of all species are presented and briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present taxonomic study of Thelypteridaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Pakistan is based on the study of fern specimens in 15 herbaria in Asia, Europe and USA. A total of six genera and eight species are recognized; a key, detailed description of species, distribution in Pakistan and worldwide, ecology, and a list of specimens examined from Pakistan are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As competitive intensity increases and the need for rapid, responsive and efficient production rises, manufacturers need to develop effective strategies that lever all a firm's resources into a competitive weapon. One challenge managers face in today's dynamic global economy is to choose appropriate manufacturing practices and then to integrate them into a cohesive value-added strategy that will yield enhanced competitive performance. The sheer number and range of manufacturing 'strategies' that have emerged over the past 20 years exacerbate the challenge. The goal of this study is therefore to look at four highly publicized manufacturing strategies and then examine their interrelationships and impact on firm performance: (1) integrated product development, (2) employee development, (3) just-in-time manufacturing and (4) manufacturing automation. The responses of 158 managers from randomly selected US manufacturing firms were used to develop a covariance matrix to facilitate the use of a structural equations model via LISREL. The analysis indicates that employee and product development strategies are important antecedents of just-in-time and automation strategies. All four advanced manufacturing practices have significant, positive impacts on organizational competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a survey-based methodology to examine the performance impact of Just-In-Time (JIT) purchasing strategies. Over the past decade much has been written concerning JIT philosophies; however, relatively little empirical research has been conducted that evaluates the impact of JIT on performance. Similarly, little work has been performed to evaluate the role of JIT in global competitive strategies. This paper uses contingency theory's environment-strategy-performance relationship to consider vital issues--planning, organizational support, and implementation status--affecting the success of JIT purchasing strategies. The findings suggest that JIT purchasing strategies represent an appropriate response to global competition and that JIT purchasing can have a significant positive impact on performance improvement when adequate planning and support are in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot break and cold break methods were compared for producing tomato juice, with sensory panelists rating 15 minutes cold break the most fresh and preferred over hot break. Discusses other properties, including viscosity. Includes tables and graphs.

Summary: Introduction: This manuscript describes the prevalence and attributes of community programmes and policies (CPPs) to address childhood obesity documented as occurring in 130 diverse US communities. Methods: Key informant interviews (N = 1420) and document abstraction were used to identify and characterize CPPs to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition occurring during a 10‐year retrospective study period. Data were collected in 2013–2015 and analysed in 2016. Results: Across all 130 communities, 9681 distinct CPPs were reported as occurring by key informants. Of these, 5574 (58%) focused on increasing physical activity, 2596 (27%) on improving nutrition and 1511 (16%) on both behaviours. The mean number of CPPs per community was 74.0, with a range of 25 to 295 across all communities. Most CPPs occurred more than once (63%) and on average lasted 6.1 years. The greatest number of reported CPPs occurred in school settings (44%). Conclusions: Communities showed a wide range of investment in the amount of CPPs occurring in settings that affect opportunities for children to engage in physical activity and healthy nutrition. The pattern of implementation of CPPs showed variation over time, with an increase in more recent years. This observational study provides new and valuable information about what US communities are doing to prevent childhood obesity. What is already known about this subject? With increases in childhood obesity, agenda‐setting organizations and federal initiatives have called for comprehensive approaches involving multiple community programs and policies.Community efforts to address childhood obesity have included programs, policies, and environmental changes to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition.Little is known about the amount and kind of community programs and policies actually being implemented in communities throughout the U.S. What this study adds? This study provides data on the observed prevalence of community programs and policies addressing childhood obesity in a diverse sample of 130 U.S./ communities.It shows that the observed number of community programs and policies increased in more recent years, with more marked increases seen after 2009.It shows that the observed length of community programs/ policies and types of behavioral objectives targeted varied substantively across communities; while other variables, such as reach or target, were more similar across programs and policies. This article is part of the supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Little is known about whether characteristics of communities are associated with differential implementation of community programmes and policies to promote physical activity and healthy eating. This study examines associations between community characteristics (e.g. region and race/ethnicity) and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented to prevent childhood obesity. It explores whether community characteristics moderate the intensity of community efforts to prevent childhood obesity. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community policies and programmes to prevent childhood obesity documented in the Healthy Communities Study that engaged a diverse sample of US communities. Method: Programmes and policies were documented in 130 communities across the USA, reporting over 9000 different community programmes and policies to prevent obesity among children ages 4–15. We examined associations between community characteristics and the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented (i.e. their amount and reach, duration and strength of change strategy). Conclusion: Community characteristics explain 25% of the variability in the intensity of community programmes and policies implemented in communities. Particular characteristics – urbanicity, region, being a large county and the per cent of African–Americans in a community – contributed to more (over 18% of the 25%) of the observed variability. What is already known about this subject? Childhood obesity is a critical public health challenge facing communities in the United States. Community characteristics are associated with community health outcomes.Previous community‐level interventions to reduce children's BMI have yielded modest and inconsistent outcomes. What this study adds? This study adds to our understanding of whether and how community characteristics are associated with differential implementation of community programmes and policies to address childhood obesity.Measurement of the intensity of community‐level programmes and policies in a large and diverse sample of U.S. communities with different community characteristics. This article is part of the supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Rational planning of community policies and programs (CPPs) to prevent obesity requires an understanding of CPP objectives associated with dietary behaviours. Objective: The objective of the study is to identify objectives of CPPs associated with healthful dietary behaviours. Methods: An observational study identified 4026 nutrition CPPs occurring in 130 communities in the prior 6 years. Dietary intakes of fruits and vegetables, added sugar and sugar‐sweetened beverages, among others, were reported among 5138 children 4–15 years of age from the communities, using a Dietary Screener Questionnaire with children age 9 years and older (parent assisted) or parent proxies for younger children. CPPs were documented through key informant interviews and characterized by their intensity, count, and objectives including target dietary behaviour and food environment change strategy. Associations between dietary intakes and CPP objectives were assessed using hierarchical statistical models. Results: CPPs with the highest intensity scores that targeted fast food or fat intake or provided smaller portions were associated with greater fruit and vegetable intake (0.21, 0.19, 0.23 cup equivalents/day respectively with p values <0.01, 0.04, 0.03). CPPs with the highest intensity scores that restricted the availability of less healthful foods were associated with lower child intakes of total added sugar (−1.08 tsp/day, p < 0.01) and sugar from sugar‐sweetened beverages (−1.63 tsp/day, p = 0.04). Similar associations were observed between CPP count and dietary outcomes. No other significant associations were found between CPP target behaviours or environmental strategies and dietary intakes/behaviours. Conclusion: CPPs that targeted decreases in intakes of less healthful foods and/or aimed to modify the availability of less healthful foods and portions were associated with healthier child dietary behaviours. What is already known about this subject: Community programs and policies (CPPs) use a range of strategies to prevent obesity, based on 'practice tested' models and those with emerging evidence about their success.Yet, understanding the relationship of types and features of CPPs that contribute to success of CPPs, including program and policy objectives in the context of the whole community effort, would inform rational planning for obesity prevention. What this study adds: We studied dietary intakes of 5138 children 4–15 years of age and objectives of CPPs (dietary behaviours targeted and food environment change strategies) in a diverse sample of 130 communities across the USA.We found significant associations between CPPs that aimed to modify community food environments (by restricting availability of less healthful foods and beverages and instituting smaller portion sizes) and higher fruit and vegetable (FV) intake as well as lower sugar and sugar‐sweetened beverage intake. We also found associations between CPPs that targeted less healthful dietary behaviours (fat, fast food) with higher child FV intake. Yet, dietary intakes of interest were not generally consistent with the dietary targets reported by CPPs, e.g. those targeting FV were not associated with higher intakes of FV.Our findings suggest potential benefits from a greater focus of CPPs on food environments. Further evaluation is recommended to identify causal relationships between objectives of CPPs and child diets, and which combinations of CPP objectives are most successful. This article is part of the supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: Efforts to address the critical public health problem of childhood obesity are occurring across the USA; however, little is known about how to characterize the intensity of these efforts. Objectives: The purposes of this study are to describe the intensity of community programs and policies (CPPs) to address childhood obesity in 130 US communities and to examine the extent to which observed CPPs targeted multiple behaviours and employed a comprehensive array of strategies. Methods: To document CPPs occurring over a 10‐year period, key informants were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview protocol. Staff coded CPPs for key characteristics related to intensity, including reach, duration and strategy. Three types of CPP scores were calculated for intensity of CPPs, targeting of CPPs towards multiple behaviours and strategies used. Results: Nine thousand six hundred eighty‐one CPPs were identified. On average, communities had 74 different CPPs in place (standard deviation 30), with variation in documented CPPs (range 25–295). Most communities experienced a steady, modest increase in intensity scores over 10 years. CPP targeting scores suggested that communities expanded the focus of their efforts over time to include more behaviours and strategies. Conclusions: Findings of this large‐scale study indicate that great variation exists across communities in the intensity and focus of community interventions being implemented to address childhood obesity. What is already known about this subject? Communities are implementing programs and policies to address childhood obesity.Little is known about how these programs and policies vary in intensity.Similarly, little is understood about how communities are focusing their efforts by targeting key behaviours or strategies. What this study adds? This study describes the creation of three types of indices for understanding how community programs and policies may contribute to prevention of childhood obesity.Across 130 communities in the USA, implementation of community programs and policies has varied considerably.Findings suggest that, over the last 10 years, intensity and the targeting of specific behaviours and strategies have grown steadily. This article is part of the supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Although a national epidemic of childhood obesity is apparent, how community‐based programmes and policies (CPPs) affect this outcome is not well understood. Objectives: This study examined the longitudinal relationship between the intensity of CPPs in 130 communities over 10 years and body mass index (BMI) of resident children. We also examined whether these relationships differ by key family or community characteristics. Methods: Five thousand one hundred thirty‐eight children in grades K‐8 were recruited through 436 schools located within 130 diverse US communities. Measures of height, weight, nutrition, physical activity and behavioural and demographic family characteristics were obtained during in‐home visits. A subsample of families consented to medical record review; these weight and height measures were used to calculate BMI over time for 3227 children. A total of 9681 CPPs were reported during structured interviews of 1421 community key informants, and used to calculate a time series of CPP intensity scores within each community over the previous decade. Linear mixed effect models were used to assess longitudinal relationships between childhood BMI and CPP intensity. Results: An average BMI difference of 1.4 kg/m2 (p‐value < 0.01) was observed between communities with the highest and lowest observed CPP intensity scores, after adjusting for community and child level covariates. BMI/CPP relationships differed significantly by child grade, race/ethnicity, family income and parental education; as well as community‐level race/ethnicity. Conclusions: These results indicate that, over time, more intense CPP interventions are related to lower childhood BMI, and that there are disparities in this association by sociodemographic characteristics of families and communities. This article is part of the upcoming supplement: The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]