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Covering the changing colors this time of year?
As the vibrant hues of autumn emerge, the changing of leaf colors in fall captivates public attention and provides an annual reminder of nature’s intricate beauty. This transformation is more than just a visual spectacle; it is a reflection of the environmental processes at play and an indicator of the health of ecosystems. The science behind the color shift—triggered by changes in daylight and temperature—reveals important insights into climate patterns, ecological balance, and even how climate change may be altering these natural rhythms. Key story angles of interest include: The science behind why and how leaves change color in the fall The impact of climate change on fall foliage timing and intensity Economic and cultural significance of fall tourism in regions known for autumn foliage How changes in leaf color signal broader environmental shifts in ecosystems The role of tree species diversity in producing the vivid palette of fall colors Local and global effects of deforestation on fall foliage patterns Connect with an expert about the autumnal changing of the colors: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com
AU expert talks Hurricane Helene’s impact on the supply chain
Hurricane Helene tore a path of destruction beginning at Florida’s Big Bend region and stretching up through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. As those affected have slowly been able to grasp the scope, a different form of trouble in the aftermath is creating a ripple effect that will be felt around the region, country and even the world. Western North Carolina is at the heart of the problem leading to sourcing, transportation and disruption issues. While still trying to understand the full scope of the impact in the most remote areas, ongoing recovery efforts continue following the storm where the death toll has risen to over 250 as of Oct. 14. According to Rick Franza, PhD, professor in the James M. Hull College of Business and an expert on operations and supply chain management, said lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore incident earlier this year can help with mitigation of risk and recovering during these problematic times. “The biggest thing you’re always dealing with in situations like this is uncertainty,” said Franza. “You can’t expect everything. You can’t anticipate everything, but we learned a lot from COVID and then the Baltimore bridge collapse and the supply chain disruptions those caused.” Franza said North Carolina is a case study in disruption to the supply chain at three different points: the source, manufacturing and transportation. “When we think about supply chain disruptions, people don’t typically think about it affecting the physical supply, but rather the transportation and logistics,” said Franza. “This one’s a little trickier because you have one industry affected by the supply of raw materials, another affected by the manufacturing of supplies and so many more will be affected by transportation problems.” Problems in manufacturing One industry that has been heavily impacted by the storm is the medical field, particularly the manufacturing of IV fluid bags. Baxter International, one of the largest producers of IV fluid bags in the country, has a manufacturing plant located in Marion, North Carolina. According to the American Hospital Association, the Marion plant produces 1.5 million IV bags per day, which equates to 60% of the country’s supply. “There are two big questions affecting the supply chain for those IV fluid bags,” said Franza. “If you lose a manufacturing facility, like the one in Marion, does another facility or a competitor have the ability to add capacity, even if it’s just a short term? The other piece of it is, even if they have the capacity, do they have the raw material inputs? So it’s a ripple effect.” In the wake of the storm, Baxter announced its other manufacturing facilities would increase their capacity. Thanks to its new Mount Carmel Mega Distribution Center located in Mississippi, the company feels confident it will be able to meet the needs of hospitals across the country. Baxter plans to increase allocation levels for direct customers from 40% to 60% and for distributors from 10% to 60%. They are also increasing allocations for designated children’s hospitals by 100%. Problems at the source Just outside the town of Spruce Pine, a town of less than 2,200 people located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, are two mines that produce an estimated 80% to 90% of the world’s most pure quartz. The quartz found in those mines is used in the manufacturing of semiconductors for microchips for everything from smartphones to cars to medical devices and more. The two companies that manage those two mines, Sibelco and The Quartz Corp, shut down operations on Sept. 26 ahead of the storm. As recovery efforts continue in the region, there remains more uncertainty as the full scope of the damage continues to be realized, and there is no certain timeline for when things will get started again. “The issue with natural resources like quartz is, unless you’ve come up with some method of producing an artificial version of it, you can’t really make it somewhere else,” said Franza. “Since there isn’t currently an alternative, it then becomes a question of is the mine accessible or how long until it is accessible and people can get back to regular operations?” Problems with transportation In Western North Carolina, entire roads along with buildings and other structures were wiped out as streams and rivers surged and mudslides occurred. On top of getting the mine back up and running, there is also the problem of getting the raw quartz where it needs to go. “Once you are able to access the ability of the mine to get back online, you then have the problem of whether the raw material can get where it needs to go to be processed,” said Franza. “A big problem in western North Carolina is entire roads are gone, and it’s not a simple repave. On top of that, Interstate 40 is estimated to be shut down until sometime next year, so transportation in that area is going to be extremely difficult for quite a while.” The good news is that quartz and the microchips that it is used in are not perishable items, and some chip manufacturers may have several weeks’ worth of quartz supply built up to be able to continue production. But an extended shutdown will likely mean even more chip shortages, similar to the global chip shortage that began in 2020 and lasted through 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the tightened restrictions in the countries that manufacture those chips. The loss of roads is not the only source of recent transportation problems, as immediately following the during the storm there was a three-day disruption in imports at 36 ports, including shutting 14 down stretching from Maine to Texas, as 45,000 dockworkers went on strike over pay. While that disruption could have caused serious issues, particularly for the upcoming holiday season, Franza said many companies have learned from previous disruptions, and most of the goods needed for Cyber Monday, Black Friday and preparing for the holiday season were already in the country. “I have heard that somewhere between 80% to 90% of the items for the holidays are already here, so the dock workers’ strike would not have been as much of an issue for the holidays, but there would definitely have been things you’d run out of.” Franza said the biggest problem during situations such as this is misinformation. “One of the biggest problems is most people are uninformed,” Ranza said. “Look at the toilet paper shortage at the beginning of COVID. If all of a sudden people rush to buy everything up and hoard it all, you can’t meet that demand so it causes even more problems. People need to be better informed because rumors start and then more problems are caused.” But Franza reiterated that companies have learned from past events, and that planning has made the supply chain stronger. “I think we’re better than we were four years ago because each of these crises builds our toolbox on how to plan for and deal with disruptions. It has built resiliency.”
Aston University is leading a new £5.5 million EU research project Will focus on converting fibre-optic cables into sensors to detect natural hazards Could identify earthquakes and tsunamis and assess civil infrastructure. Aston University is leading a new £5.5 million EU research project to explore converting existing telecommunication fibre-optic cables into sensors which can detect natural hazards, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and assess the condition of civil infrastructure. The project is called ECSTATIC (Engineering Combined Sensing and Telecommunications Architectures for Tectonic and Infrastructure Characterisation) and is part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA), which aims to tackle global challenges and boost the continent’s industrial competitiveness. Converting telecom fibres into sensors requires new digital signal processing to overcome the limited data storage and processing capabilities of existing communication networks. To address this the project will use localised, high performance digital processing that will integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning. The researchers’ goal is to minimise algorithms’ complexity while providing extremely accurate real-time sensing of events and network condition. The new laser interrogation and signal processing technologies will be tested using existing fibre optic networks, including those underwater, in cities, and along railway infrastructure to assess their potential. Delivered by a consortium of 14 partners across seven countries, from academic and non-academic sectors, the research will start in February 2025 and will last three and a half years. The Europe-wide team will be led by Professor David Webb who is based in the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT). Professor Webb said: “There are more than five billion kilometres of installed data communications optical fibre cable, which provides an opportunity to create a globe-spanning network of fibre sensors, without laying any new fibres. “These traverse the seas and oceans - where conventional sensors are practically non-existent - and major infrastructures, offering the potential for smart structural health monitoring.” Professor Webb will be joined by fellow researchers Professor Sergei Turitsyn, Dr Haris Alexakis and Dr Pedro Freire. For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk
Life and Legacy of Lily Ledbetter
The life and legacy of Lily Ledbetter stand as a powerful testament to the ongoing fight for workplace equality and women's rights. As the face behind the landmark Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. case and the namesake of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, her story continues to resonate in today's battles for gender pay equity. This topic is especially relevant now as conversations around economic justice, corporate responsibility, and legislative change gain momentum across the globe. Ledbetter's fight highlights the enduring struggle for fair compensation and workplace equity, which remains a vital issue for the public. Key story angles that may interest a broad audience include: The impact of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Exploring how this legislation has shaped workplace policies and its continuing relevance in today's legal landscape. Gender pay equity today: Analyzing the wage gap across industries and efforts to close the divide, with data on current disparities. The personal and professional costs of discrimination: Investigating how pay inequality affects families, career progression, and long-term financial security, especially for women of color. The broader fight for workplace rights: Examining the ripple effects of the Ledbetter case on other forms of discrimination, such as race, age, and disability. Economic justice as a human rights issue: Connecting Ledbetter’s legacy to current global movements pushing for equal pay, labor rights, and anti-discrimination reforms. Corporate responsibility and transparency: Assessing how companies are addressing pay equity through transparency measures, audits, and policy shifts. Connect with an expert about the Life and Legacy of Lily Ledbetter: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com
Biden to Highlight Foreign Affair Policies During UN Address
Newsday talked to Dr. Meena Bose about President Joe Biden’s September 24 speech to the United Nations General Assembly, marking one of his last appearances on an international stage. Dr. Bose said that Biden’s speech “will be a capstone opportunity for highlighting his administration’s global accomplishments and addressing challenges for the United States in the world.” She is professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency.
With dockworkers on the picket line - what can consumers expect as shipping dries up?
As port workers strike across the country, the shutdown at ports could have reverberating effects on consumers, the economy, and businesses. With consumers already facing higher prices, the strikes will likely cause more supply chain delays and price increases that will be passed on to consumers. There will be a lot of media attention surrounding the looming shortages, the implications for the economy, and how retailers will recover as workers and companies attempt to reach a negotiation. Steven Carnovale, Ph.D., associate professor of supply chain management and David Menachof, Ph.D., associate professor of supply chains and operations management, have the expertise in supply chain, global sourcing and production networks, logistics, and transportation to help reporters make sense of the various impacts this will have. Both experts are ready to help with your stories and contribute to your coverage. To connect with Steven Carnovale and David Menachof - click on their icons below. Photo credit: New York Times
Hezbollah, a powerful political and militant group based in Lebanon, has played a significant role in Middle Eastern politics since its formation in the early 1980s. Understanding the group’s origins, its political evolution, and its regional and global implications is critical in analyzing ongoing conflicts and power dynamics in the region. Hezbollah’s influence extends beyond its militant activities, affecting everything from political governance in Lebanon to its role in broader geopolitical struggles. As global attention often focuses on Middle Eastern stability, the history of Hezbollah provides rich context for journalists to explore various angles on its lasting impact. Here are several story angles that highlight Hezbollah's far-reaching influence: Origins and ideological foundations: Investigate Hezbollah's roots during the Lebanese Civil War, its ideological ties to the Iranian Revolution, and its early activities in resistance movements against Israel. Hezbollah’s role in Lebanese politics: Explore how Hezbollah transformed from a militant group into a major political player, examining its impact on Lebanon's government, elections, and power structure. Regional and international influence: Analyze Hezbollah’s relationships with Iran and Syria, its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, and its role in shaping regional alliances and rivalries in the Middle East. Hezbollah’s military evolution and conflicts with Israel: Provide an in-depth look at the group’s military capabilities, its tactics, and its key confrontations with Israel, including the 2006 Lebanon War. Terrorism designations and global reactions: Investigate Hezbollah’s designation as a terrorist organization by various countries, the group's response, and the wider international community's stance on its activities. Connect with an expert about the the History of Hezbollah: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Photo Credit: Council on Foreign Relations
ExpertSpotlight: The History of Haiti
Haiti is prominent in the news cycle - let our experts give you some perspective on the island's history and background Haiti's rich history and its ongoing refugee crisis remain critical topics in global conversations about human rights, migration, and international aid. As the first independent Black republic, Haiti's historical significance is profound, but the nation continues to face complex political, economic, and environmental challenges that have contributed to the displacement of its citizens. For journalists, understanding Haiti's past and present is essential for shedding light on issues such as migration policies, international support, and the lived experiences of Haitian refugees. Here are several story angles that offer deeper insights into Haiti's enduring struggles and global connections: Haiti’s fight for independence and its global impact: Explore how Haiti's revolution shaped the political landscape of the Western Hemisphere and its lasting influence on anti-colonial movements worldwide. The root causes of Haiti's refugee crisis: Investigate the political instability, natural disasters, and economic challenges driving the exodus of Haitian citizens and the broader migration dynamics in the region. International responses to Haitian refugees: Examine the policies of neighboring countries, including the U.S., and international organizations in addressing the influx of Haitian migrants and their treatment in host nations. Diaspora communities and cultural resilience: Highlight the Haitian diaspora’s contributions to culture, economy, and politics in countries where they have resettled, as well as their role in supporting those still in Haiti. Humanitarian aid and development in Haiti: Assess the effectiveness of international aid programs in addressing the country's crises, and explore innovative approaches to sustainable development in the region. Environmental degradation and its link to migration: Analyze how deforestation, climate change, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes are exacerbating Haiti’s humanitarian challenges and forcing people to flee. Connect with an expert about the the History of Haiti: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com
#ExpertSpotlight: The changing seasons and the significance of fall
As the season of autumn unfolds, its significance reaches far beyond the changing colors of leaves. Autumn marks a period of transition with deep-rooted scientific, natural, cultural, and religious meaning. From environmental changes and harvest cycles to cultural festivals and religious observances, this season plays a pivotal role in shaping human understanding of nature and time. Its broad significance makes autumn a compelling topic for journalists, with various angles of interest to a wide audience. Key sub-topics include: Scientific Understanding of Seasonal Change: Exploring the science behind autumn, including changes in daylight, temperature, and plant biology, and their impact on ecosystems and human health. Environmental and Ecological Impacts: Investigating how autumn affects biodiversity, wildlife behaviors, and ecological cycles such as migration and hibernation. Cultural Festivals and Traditions: Highlighting the cultural significance of autumn in global traditions, including festivals like Thanksgiving, Diwali, and Oktoberfest, which celebrate harvests and community. Religious Observances and Symbolism: Examining the religious significance of autumn in different faiths, such as Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and the Pagan celebration of Samhain, which connect the season with themes of renewal, reflection, and spirituality. The Role of Autumn in Art and Literature: Analyzing how autumn has been historically depicted in art, literature, and music, symbolizing themes of change, nostalgia, and impermanence. Autumn’s Economic and Agricultural Importance: Investigating the economic impact of autumn, particularly in agricultural sectors, tourism (fall foliage), and local economies dependent on seasonal goods and services. Autumn’s blend of natural beauty, cultural depth, and ecological importance offers rich opportunities for storytelling, inviting audiences to explore how this season influences our world in profound and interconnected ways. Connect with an expert about the the significance of fall: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com
ExpertSpotlight: A Brief History of Espionage
The world was watching with wonder this week as news stories poured in about exploding pagers and how the armed devices made their way around an international supply chain and into the hands (and pockets) of Hezbollah. Espionage, a practice as old as civilization itself, has shaped the course of history by influencing wars, international relations, and technological advancements. From ancient times to the digital age, espionage has played a crucial role in national security and global diplomacy. This topic remains highly relevant today as concerns over cybersecurity, state-sponsored hacking, and corporate espionage dominate public discourse. Journalists covering this topic will find a rich array of story angles, including historical perspectives and modern implications. Key sub-topics that may interest journalists and the public include: Evolution of Espionage Tactics: Examining how espionage methods have developed from traditional spying techniques to modern digital surveillance, cyber-espionage, and the use of AI in intelligence gathering. Espionage and International Relations: Investigating the role of espionage in shaping diplomatic relations and its influence on global politics, alliances, and rivalries. Cybersecurity and Digital Espionage: Exploring how espionage has evolved in the digital age, focusing on cyber threats, hacking incidents, and the growing importance of cybersecurity in national defense. Famous Spies and Spy Agencies: Delving into the history of iconic spies and intelligence agencies, from World War II's codebreakers to Cold War espionage, and how these figures shaped the geopolitical landscape. Ethical and Legal Considerations: Analyzing the ethical dilemmas and legal boundaries surrounding espionage, including the balance between national security and individual privacy. Espionage in Popular Culture: Looking at how espionage has been depicted in literature, film, and media, and how these portrayals reflect and shape public perceptions of intelligence work. As espionage continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, it remains a critical issue in discussions of national security, global power dynamics, and privacy. This historical overview provides journalists with an opportunity to explore the enduring relevance of espionage in shaping both the past and future. Connect with an expert about the History of espionage: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com