A Survey of Bayesian Statistical Approaches for Big Data

The modern era is characterised as an era of information or Big Data. This has motivated a huge literature on new methods for extracting information and insights from these data. A natural question is how these approaches differ from those that were available prior to the advent of Big Data. We present a review of published studies that present Bayesian statistical approaches specifically for Big Data and discuss the reported and perceived benefits of these approaches. We conclude by addressing the question of whether focusing only on improving computational algorithms and infrastructure will be enough to face the challenges of Big Data

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected

A REVIEW ONBUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

As India is moving towards industrial and urban development, the need for energy is growing with time. The conventional energy resources cannot fulfill these demands forever since they provide a certain finite energy demands. In such case thesolar energy can be considered as a potential source. The geographical location of India being close to the equator, the solar energy is available in abundance. Capturing the solar energy and converting into electrical will prove to be an efficient way toutilize the solar potential for fulfilling the growing demand for energy. Photo Voltaic Solar Panels located on terraces or open grounds are commonly used as solar capturing devices in India. The Building Integrated Photovoltaic panels (BIPV) is a step further which can also be used as outer envelope in buildings. This paper reviews the feasibility and suitability of the BIPV system to Indian construction industry and its future

A Review Onbuilding Integrated Photovoltaics for Sustainable Environment

As India is moving towards industrial and urban development, the need for energy is growing with time. The conventional energy resources cannot fulfill these demands forever since they provide a certain finite energy demands. In such case thesolar energy can be considered as a potential source. The geographical location of India being close to the equator, the solar energy is available in abundance. Capturing the solar energy and converting into electrical will prove to be an efficient way toutilize the solar potential for fulfilling the growing demand for energy. Photo Voltaic Solar Panels located on terraces or open grounds are commonly used as solar capturing devices in India. The Building Integrated Photovoltaic panels (BIPV) is a step further which can also be used as outer envelope in buildings. This paper reviews the feasibility and suitability of the BIPV system to Indian construction industry and its future