The probability density function (PDF) of wind speed is important in numerous wind energy applications. A large number of studies have been published in scientific literature related to renewable ...energies that propose the use of a variety of PDFs to describe wind speed frequency distributions. In this paper a review of these PDFs is carried out. The flexibility and usefulness of the PDFs in the description of different wind regimes (high frequencies of null winds, unimodal, bimodal, bitangential regimes, etc.) is analysed for a wide collection of models. Likewise, the methods that have been used to estimate the parameters on which these models depend are reviewed and the degree of complexity of the estimation is analysed in function of the model selected: these are the method of moments (MM), the maximum likelihood method (MLM) and the least squares method (LSM). In addition, a review is conducted of the statistical tests employed to see whether a sample of wind data comes from a population with a particular probability distribution. With the purpose of cataloguing the various PDFs, a comparison is made between them and the two parameter Weibull distribution (W.pdf), which has been the most widely used and accepted distribution in the specialised literature on wind energy and other renewable energy sources. This comparison is based on: (a) an analysis of the degree of fit of the continuous cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) for wind speed to the cumulative relative frequency histograms of hourly mean wind speeds recorded at weather stations located in the Canarian Archipelago; (b) an analysis of the degree of fit of the CDFs for wind power density to the cumulative relative frequency histograms of the cube of hourly mean wind speeds recorded at the aforementioned weather stations. The suitability of the distributions is judged from the coefficient of determination R2. Amongst the various conclusions obtained, it can be stated that the W.pdf presents a series of advantages with respect to the other PDFs analysed. However, the W.pdf cannot represent all the wind regimes encountered in nature such as, for example, those with high percentages of null wind speeds, bimodal distributions, etc. Therefore, its generalised use is not justified and it will be necessary to select the appropriate PDF for each wind regime in order to minimise errors in the estimation of the energy produced by a WECS (wind energy conversion system). In this sense, the extensive collection of PDFs proposed in this paper comprises a valuable catalogue.
Protected areas (PAs) are a foundational and essential strategy for reducing biodiversity loss. However, many PAs around the world exist on paper only; thus, while logging and habitat conversion may ...be banned in these areas, illegal activities often continue to cause alarming habitat destruction. In such cases, the presence of armed conflict may ultimately prevent incursions to a greater extent than the absence of conflict. Although there are several reports of habitat destruction following cessation of conflict, there has never been a systematic and quantitative "before-and-after-conflict" analysis of a large sample of PAs and surrounding areas. Here we report the results of such a study in Colombia, using an open-access global forest change dataset. By analysing 39 PAs over three years before and after Colombia's peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), we found a dramatic and highly significant increase in the deforestation rate for the majority of these areas and their buffer zones. We discuss the reasons behind such findings from the Colombian case, and debate some general conservation lessons applicable to other countries undergoing post-conflict transitions.
Leaf senescence is a key physiological process in all plants. Its onset is tightly controlled by transcription factors, of which NAC factor ORE1 (ANAC092) is crucial in Arabidopsis thaliana. Enhanced ...expression of ORE1 triggers early senescence by controlling a downstream gene network that includes various senescence‐associated genes. Here, we report that unexpectedly ORE1 interacts with the G2‐like transcription factors GLK1 and GLK2, which are important for chloroplast development and maintenance, and thereby for leaf maintenance. ORE1 antagonizes GLK transcriptional activity, shifting the balance from chloroplast maintenance towards deterioration. Our finding identifies a new mechanism important for the control of senescence by ORE1.
Transcription factor ORE1 is a key regulator of senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, it is shown to also inhibit the function of Golden2‐like transcription factors, which antagonize senescence, revealing a new mechanism of ORE1‐mediated senescence control.
Neonicotinoid pesticides have gained great interest in the last years both for agricultural and domestic use. Since the information on their environmental distribution or the effects derived from ...exposure to ecosystems and biota is scarce, new analytical techniques are being developed for monitoring studies. In this sense, two extraction techniques based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) methodology to detect the neonicotinoids authorised in Spain (acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, nitenpyram and thiamethoxam) were adapted and compared: a) using acetate buffer (AB); and b) using citrate buffer (CB). For detection and quantification, high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/TOF-MS) was used. The CB method provided a wide range of recoveries (68–134%) and accuracy (4–9%). The AB method provided good recoveries (59–76%, 59% corresponded to clothianidin) precision (4–11%) linearity (0.987–0.998%) and limit of quantification (2–10ng/mL) for all the compounds. To test the effectiveness of the technique, we analysed 30 blood samples of free-ranging nestlings of Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo). The only compound detected, in one nestling from a dry land farming area, was imidacloprid, with a concentration of 3.28ng/mL. To our knowledge, this is the first study of neonicotinoid pesticides in free-ranging birds of prey using non-destructive samples, providing the first insight for biomonitoring studies. Further studies, including toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, are recommended to assess the risk for these species.
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•Exposure and effects of neonicotinoid pesticides are unknown in birds of prey.•Two QuEChERS methods were compared to analyse small blood samples from birds.•Acetate buffered QuEChERS was considered the most suitable method and was validated.•Imidacloprid was the only neonicotinoid detected in eagle owls from Southeast Spain.•More studies including toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics are recommended to assess the risk for birds.
Biomonitoring using birds of prey as sentinel species has been mooted as a way to evaluate the success of European Union directives that are designed to protect people and the environment across ...Europe from industrial contaminants and pesticides. No such pan-European evaluation currently exists. Coordination of such large scale monitoring would require harmonisation across multiple countries of the types of samples collected and analysed-matrices vary in the ease with which they can be collected and the information they provide. We report the first ever pan-European assessment of which raptor samples are collected across Europe and review their suitability for biomonitoring. Currently, some 182 monitoring programmes across 33 European countries collect a variety of raptor samples, and we discuss the relative merits of each for monitoring current priority and emerging compounds. Of the matrices collected, blood and liver are used most extensively for quantifying trends in recent and longer-term contaminant exposure, respectively. These matrices are potentially the most effective for pan-European biomonitoring but are not so widely and frequently collected as others. We found that failed eggs and feathers are the most widely collected samples. Because of this ubiquity, they may provide the best opportunities for widescale biomonitoring, although neither is suitable for all compounds. We advocate piloting pan-European monitoring of selected priority compounds using these matrices and developing read-across approaches to accommodate any effects that trophic pathway and species differences in accumulation may have on our ability to track environmental trends in contaminants.
The patients on the liver transplant (LT) waiting list usually present with deterioration in their quality of life. Previous studies on psychological intervention have shown how the quality of life ...can be improved.
To analyze preliminary results of the influence of group psychotherapy on the quality of life of patients on the LT waiting list.
Fifteen patients on the LT waiting list who accepted receiving group psychotherapy were selected. The development of each 1 of these sessions was carried out at fortnightly periods for 6 months (12 sessions). Those patients who received a transplant and those patients who did not attend more than 6 group psychotherapy sessions were excluded. The Nottingham Health Profile was used to assess the quality of life. It consists of 38 items belonging to 6 health dimensions: energy, pain, physical mobility, emotional reaction, sleep, and social isolation. The study population was given a questionnaire before starting group psychotherapy and after it was finished.
Of the 15 patients selected from the study population, 3 patients were given a transplant before the psychotherapy had finished, and 5 patients were excluded for not having attended more than 50% of the sessions. Therefore, the study was completed on 7 patients (n = 7). Overall, a better assessment can be seen in the second questionnaire.
Group psychotherapy might favorably influence the quality of life of patients on the LT waiting list; therefore, it might be interesting to carry out studies on a larger scale in order to confirm these results.
•There is a deterioration in the quality of life in patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation. Psychological intervention could have an impact on cirrhotic patients on the transplant waiting list and could improve the quality of life in these patients.•Impact of psychological intervention in cirrhotic patients on transplant waiting list.•Improvement of quality of life with group psychotherapy in patients with cirrhosis.
Benzocaine is a widely employed local anaesthetic; however, there is a notable dearth of preclinical and clinical evidence regarding its safety in ophthalmological products. To address this, a ...comprehensive strategy incorporating in silico and in vitro methodologies was proposed for assessing benzocaine's ocular toxicity without animal testing. To collect the in silico evidence, the QSAR Toolbox (v4.5) was used. A single exposure to two benzocaine concentrations (2% and 20%) was evaluated by in vitro methods. Hen’s Egg Chorioallantoic Membrane Test (HET-CAM) was performed to evaluate the effects on the conjunctiva. To study corneal integrity, Short Time Exposure test (STE) and Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (BCOP) assay, followed by histopathological analysis, were carried out. Results from both in silico and in vitro methodologies categorize benzocaine as non-irritating. The histopathological analysis further affirms the safety of using benzocaine in eye drops, as no alterations were observed in evaluated corneal strata. This research proposes a useful combined strategy to provide evidence on the safety of local anaesthetics and particularly show that 2% and 20% benzocaine solutions do not induce eye irritation or corneal damage, supporting the potential use of benzocaine in the development of ophthalmic anesthetic products.
•Benzocaine is a possible local anesthetic to be used topically in eye drops.•Benzocaine acute eye damage was evaluated by a non-animal integrated approach.•2% and 20% benzocaine solutions do not induce eye irritation or corneal corrosion.
It is well-known that there is a high incidence of depression in patients on the liver transplant (LT) waiting list. However, there have been few studies of psychological intervention on these ...patients.
To determine symptoms of depression in patients on the LT waiting list and the impact of group psychotherapy.
Study population: patients on the LT waiting list who received group psychotherapy (n = 15). Control group: patients who did not receive psychotherapy (n = 10). Measurement instrument: Beck's depression test, which was provided before psychotherapy was initiated and after it was completed (after 6 months). The control group was given the questionnaire at the same 2 points in time as the study group. The psychotherapeutic method consisted of discussing patients' feelings, which dealt with several matters related to transplantation. Different coping strategies were considered.
More than half of those surveyed initially had depressive symptoms. When the second survey was administered to the study population, all the patients improved in their psychopathological assessment. When the survey was administered to the control group, a worse psychopathological assessment was obtained in all cases.
Our data suggest an improvement in depressive symptoms in patients on the LT waiting list after receiving group psychotherapy.
Feature Selection is a crucial procedure in Data Science tasks such as Classification, since it identifies the relevant variables, making thus the classification procedures more interpretable, ...cheaper in terms of measurement and more effective by reducing noise and data overfit. The relevance of features in a classification procedure is linked to the fact that misclassifications costs are frequently asymmetric, since false positive and false negative cases may have very different consequences. However, off-the-shelf Feature Selection procedures seldom take into account such cost-sensitivity of errors.
In this paper we propose a mathematical-optimization-based Feature Selection procedure embedded in one of the most popular classification procedures, namely, Support Vector Machines, accommodating asymmetric misclassification costs. The key idea is to replace the traditional margin maximization by minimizing the number of features selected, but imposing upper bounds on the false positive and negative rates. The problem is written as an integer linear problem plus a quadratic convex problem for Support Vector Machines with both linear and radial kernels.
The reported numerical experience demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed Feature Selection procedure. Indeed, our results on benchmark data sets show that a substantial decrease of the number of features is obtained, whilst the desired trade-off between false positive and false negative rates is achieved.
Objectives
To analyse whether dynapenic abdominal obesity is a risk factor for Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in individuals 50 years of age or older.
Design
A longitudinal study was ...conducted with an eight-year follow-up.
Setting
Representative sample of community-dwelling participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).
Participants
3,952 individuals free of MetS at baseline.
Measurements
Dynapenic abdominal obesity was defined based on waist circumference (> 102 cm for men and > 88 cm for women) and grip strength (< 26 kg for men and < 16 kg for women). The participants were classified as non-abdominally obese/non-dynapenic (NAO/ND - reference group), abdominally obese/non-dynapenic (AO/ ND), non-abdominally obese/dynapenic (NAO/D) and abdominally obese/dynapenic (AO/D). The outcome was the incidence of MetS based on the presence of three or more of the following criteria: hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycaemia, low HDL cholesterol, arterial hypertension or body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 throughout eight-year follow-up. Additionally, the incidence of each component of MetS was also analyzed. Poisson regression models were run and controlled for sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical variables.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 65 years and 55% were women. The prevalence of AO/ND, NAO/D and AO/D were 35.3, 4.3 and 2.2%, respectively. At the end of follow-up 558 incident cases of MetS were recorded. The adjusted model demonstrated that although abdominal obesity was a risk factor for MetS (IRR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.87–2.73), the IRR was greater in AO/D individuals (IRR: 3.34; 95% CI: 2.03–5.50) compared with ND/NAO group. Furthermore, ND/AO was a risk factor for incidence of hypertriglyceridemia (IRR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.06–1.52), hyperglycaemia (IRR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.18–1.69), low HDL cholesterol (IRR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.32–2.19) and BMI ≥ 30 kg/ m
2
(IRR: 2.58; 95% CI: 2.04–3.26) while D/AO was a risk factor for hyperglycaemia (IRR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.02–3.10), low HDL cholesterol (IRR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.10–5.08), and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m
2
(IRR: 2.79; 95% CI: 1.38–5.62).
Conclusions
Dynapenic abdominal obesity increases the risk of MetS, with a higher IRR compared to obesity alone. The understanding of this synergic action could guide specific clinical strategies, enabling the prevention of metabolic changes that can lead to cardiovascular disease, disability and death.
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