The effects of wind power on Red-throated divers

Vindkraftsetableringar i Sverige ökar och har ökat kraftigt de senaste åren. Etableringen leder till att olika intressen krockar med varandra och hänsyn måste tas till drabbade arter som exempelvis smålom (Gavia stellata). Fåglar drabbas direkt och indirekt genom bland annat kollisioner, habitatförluster och störningar som kan leda till undvikande beteenden vid vindkraftverk. Olika rekommenderade skyddszoner för fågelarter används i dagsläget. Den nuvarande rekommendationen för smålom är på en kilometer och baseras på expertutlåtande, vetenskapliga rekommendationer samt försiktighetsprincipen. Vid vindkraftsetablering krävs miljökonsekvensanalyser samt rekommenderas utlåtanden från experter och ornitologer för att avgöra huruvida specifika områden är särskilt känsliga för mänsklig exploatering. Dagens forskning visar på olika grader av mortalitet och habitatpåverkan för fåglar i allmänhet. Det handlar främst om kollisioner mellan fåglar och vindkraftverk samt att etableringen av vindkraftverken ofta sammanfaller med områden där fåglarna häckar eller födosöker. Syftet med studien var att sammanställa den nuvarande kunskapen om vindkraftens påverkan på smålom. För att besvara detta kombinerades litteraturstudier med rumsliga analyser i GIS verktyget QGIS. Analysen i QGIS begränsades till Västerbottens län, men aktuell forskning har studerats oberoende av område med hjälp av litteraturstudier. Buffertzoner på en respektive fem kilometer skapades för att kalkylera andel smålomshabitat inom zonerna för alla vindkraftverk i Västerbotten. Resultatet visar att en väldigt liten del av de klassade smålomshabitaten hamnar inom buffertzonerna. Antalet bekräftade häckningsplatser för smålom var som störst inom buffertzonerna på fem kilometer och betydligt färre inom en kilometer. Behovet av utökade skyddszoner till smålom är i dagsläget svår att bedöma men det finns belägg för att dagens rekommendation är tillräcklig, som exempelvis att antalet häckningsplatser inom skyddszonerna i Västerbotten är få.The establishment of wind turbines in Sweden is increasing and has been increasing the last few years. Different interests need to be considered since this establishment often leads to clashing interests. Consideration for species such as the Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) needs to be taken into account. Birds are affected directly and indirectly through collisions and habitat loss. Different recommendations are applied today regarding protective zones. The current recommendation for Red-throated diver is one kilometre and is based on expert assessment, scientific recommendations, and a general precautionary principle. Environmental impact analyses are required when establishing wind farms and verdicts from experts and ornithologists are recommended to assess whether certain habitats are more or less sensitive for anthropological exploitation, such as wind farm establishment. Current research indicates varying levels of mortality and habitat effects on birds as a whole. Primarily habitat loss and collisions are mentioned since wind turbines generally are placed in areas where birds forage and breed. The purpose of this study was to compile the current knowledge regarding the effects of wind power on the Red-throated diver. To answer this, a combination of literature studies and analyses in QGIS was used. For the GIS-analysis, the area of interest was limited to Västerbotten county, Sweden. The results show that a very small part of the classified Red-throated diver habitats coincide with the QGIS created buffer zones around wind turbines. The number of confirmed nesting sites for Red-throated diver was largest in the five kilometre buffer zones and smallest for the one kilometre zones. It is difficult to establish whether the current use of protective zones is sufficient, but evidence suggests that the recommended use of protective zones is enough since a very small amount of the reported nesting sites are found within the created buffer zones around wind farms in Västerbotten

Internal and external determinants of export performance: Insights from Algeria

The internationalization of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) has been the focus of numerous studies. However, while the attention has thus far been on SMEs operating in developed countries, firms evolving in a developing context, including Africa, have been largely neglected. To address this, and drawing on a dual resources‐based and network‐based view, this study simultaneously investigates the importance of internal and external resources for firms’ export performance and regularity in the context of North African SMEs. Using a sample of Algerian exporters, the study reveals the superiority of discrete resources for boosting export performance and export regularity. These findings provide directions to Algerian SME managers and policymakers as to important factors driving the internationalization process in the developing Algerian context

Teachers' Attention to and Flexibility with Referent Units

Attending to the whole unit that a number refers to in a mathematical problem situation and showing flexibility in coordinating different units are foundational for mathematical understanding. In this study, we explored teachers’ attention to and flexibility with referent units in situations involving fractions and fraction multiplication. Using data collected across the USA from 246 mathematics teachers in Grades 3–7 where fractions are taught, we found that teachers’ attention to and flexibility with referent units were related to each other as well as to teachers’ overall knowledge of fractions.WOS:000669290900001Scopus - Affiliation ID: 60105072Social Sciences Citation IndexQ3Article; Early AccessUluslararası işbirliği ile yapılan - EVETJuly2021YÖK - 2020-2

Effects of Body Mass Index, Infrapatellar Fat Pad Volume and Age on Patellar Cartilage Defect

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between patellar cartilage defects and body mass index (BMI), infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) volume and age. METHODS: 100 patients who met the inclusion criteria and were aged 18 to 60, were evaluated retrospectively. The BMI’s of the participants were evaluated according to their weight and height. For detecting and measuring patellar cartilage defects, axial sequences were used and sagittal sequences for were used to evaluate IPFP volumes in MRI. RESULTS: 40 patients were found to have patellar cartilage defects. In this group, age and BMI were higher in both sexes when compared with the controls (P<0.05). The IPFP volume was lower in the group with the patellar cartilage defect when compared with the control group (P<0.05). The IPFP volume was statistically significantly lower in women (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patellar cartilage defects were found to be related to age and BMI. In women, the decrease in IPFP volume seems to be one of the causative factors for patellar cartilage defects. The effect of IPFP volume on articular cartilage in healthy people is unknown. Further studies focusing on patellofemoral cartilage damage are needed to reveal this association