Determinants and Tools to Evaluate the Ecological Sustainability of Using Forest Biomass as an Alternative Energy Source

Forest biomass, the most ancient of fuels, is again in the center of renewable energy production. This chapter provides an introductory view of the main factors that condition the ecological sustainability of this energy source. The basic concepts of ecological sustainability, ecological rotation, and ecological thresholds (among others) are presented. The state of the art on approaches to assess the sustainability of forest biomass production for heat and electricity is discussed, and tools available for decision-makers to evaluate the sustainability of forest biomass production and management are described. This chapter then describes the main advantages and drawbacks of forest certification, growth and yield tables, and ecological models in relationship to their use in sustainable forest management for biomass and energy production

Characterisation of Woody Necromass in Beech Forests with Different Anthropic Accessibility: The Case of La Rioja (Spain)

In this study, a comprehensive analysis of deadwood was conducted in four macro-areas located in two beech forests of public utility in Enciso (La Rioja, Spain). Dendrometric data, as well as qualitative and quantitative characteristics of deadwood, were collected and analysed with respect to the degree of accessibility to the forest to determine the effect of different levels of forest accessibility on deadwood volume and carbon stocks. All decomposition classes were present except the first, highlighting the development of natural degradation dynamics. Deadwood stored 6.9 t/ha of C in the easy accessibility class, 5.7 t/ha of C in the medium accessibility class and 2.2 t/ha of C in the difficult accessibility class. The average volume of deadwood and carbon stored calculated in this study were higher than the values reported in the Spanish and Italian national forest inventories, including one developed for Riojan beech forests. Deadwood volume was on average 22.5 m3/ha, showing an unequal distribution, with the lowest values found far from the access roads, despite forest accessibility generally being considered a factor that facilitates the human collection of deadwood. The distribution patterns of deadwood in beech forests of La Rioja, apparently counterintuitive, were due to a combination of different factors, including slope, cattle grazing, and weather conditions which might have favoured downward movement of the deadwoodThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, AGL2016-76769-C2-2-RS

Batch fecundity of Sardina pilchardus (Walb.) off the Atlantic Iberian coast

Sardina pilchardus is a serial spawner releasing several batches of eggs per spawning season. The Hydrated Oocyte Method was used for the first time to estimate sardine fecundity on the Atlantic Iberian coast in 1988. The mean batch fecundity of the Atlantic Iberian sardine in March/April 1988 was 30227.3 (standard error = 1342.6) and the mean relative fecundity (number of hydrated oocytes per gram of female weight) was 426.54 (standard error = 18.95). The sardines' relative fecundity was higher than that of other clupeoid species. Sardine batch fecundity (F) was expressed as a linear function of ovary-free weight (W) based on both Portuguese and Spanish fecundity data: F= -1184.7 + 443.26 WLa especie Sardina pilchardus es un reproductor del tipo múltiple, por tanto, realiza varias puestas parciales en cada período reproductivo. En el año 1989 se utilizó por primera vez en las costas atlánticas de la península Ibérica el Método de Ovocitos Hidratados para el cálculo de la fecundidad de esta especie. El valor medio de la fecundidad parcial de la sardina atlántica de la península Ibérica calculado en marzo y abril de 1988 fue 30227.3 (error = 1342.6) y el valor medio de la fecundidad relativa (número de ovocitos hidratados por gramo de peso de hembra) fue 426.54 (error = = 18.95). Este valor es más alto que el determinado para otras especies de clupeidos. La fecundidad parcial de la sardina (F) se expresa como una función lineal del peso vivo de las hembras sin ovario (W) basada en los datos obtenidos por Portugal y España: F = - 1184.7 + 443.26 WVersión del editor0,000

Forecasting for Network Management with Joint Statistical Modelling and Machine Learning

Forecasting is a task of ever increasing importance for the operation of mobile networks, where it supports anticipa tory decisions by network intelligence and enables emerging zero touch service and network management models. While current trends in forecasting for anticipatory networking lean towards the systematic adoption of models that are purely based on deep learning approaches, we pave the way for a different strategy to the design of predictors for mobile network environments. Specifically, following recent advances in time series prediction, we consider a hybrid approach that blends statistical modelling and machine learning by means of a joint training process of the two methods. By tailoring this mixed forecasting engine to the specific requirements of network traffic demands, we develop a Thresholded Exponential Smoothing and Recurrent Neural Network (TES-RNN) model. We experiment with TES RNN in two practical network management use cases, i.e., (i) anticipatory allocation of network resources, and (ii) mobile traffic anomaly prediction. Results obtained with extensive traffic workloads collected in an operational mobile network show that TES-RNN can yield substantial performance gains over current state-of-the-art predictors in both applications consideredThis work is partially supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no.101017109 DAEMON. This work is partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and the European Union-NextGenerationEU through the UNICO 5G I+D 6GCLARION-OR and AEON-ZERO. The authors would like to thank Dario Bega for his contribution to developing the forecasting use case I, and Slawek Smyl for his feedback on the baseline ES-RNN model

Sustainable Reform of European Union (EU): Common Fisheries Policy

Context:Oceans are encountering great loss of biodiversity. Global overfishing and overconsumption of aquatic foods prompted the European Union to create the Common Fishery Policy (CFP) with the intention of supporting sustainability of the environment, economy, and society, and to protect the long-term supply of aquatic foods. The Mediterranean Sea is a vulnerable European region due to fishing at unsustainable levels. Factors exacerbating the situation in this region include socio-economic conditions, weakregulatory power of the EU, poor communication and low levels of consensus among stakeholders.Policy Options:Three policy options are highlighted: 1) Fish-restricted areas (FRA) in eight Mediterranean regions to maintain or reverse fish collapse, as a means to recover fish stocks in regions with higher exploitation rates: 2) Supporting and improving small-scale fisheries (SSF) to reduce the impact on marine wildlife and increase selectivity, including standard gear and size restrictions,as well asstrict seasonal closures; 3) Integration of Participatory Action Research (PAR) to improve stakeholder compliance with the landing obligation.Recommendations:Policy options were assessed by four evaluation criteria (economic feasibility, effectiveness, political feasibility, and equity). Integrating the PAR into the CFP was deemed to be the best option of those examined. A positive impact on the economy, political feasibility, and equity for stakeholders would be expected outcomes of implementation of this alternative. Regular evaluation and continuous improvement would increase the likelihood of policy success

The state of tourism management and planning in the protected areas of Panama. The case of the Chiriquí Gulf National Marine Park, Panama

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La planificación y gestión del turismo en las áreas protegidas de Panamá. El caso del Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriqui (Panamá)

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Fingolimod reduces hemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed tissue plasminogen activator treatment in a mouse thromboembolic model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor agonist fingolimod reduces infarct size in rodent models of stroke and enhances blood-brain barrier integrity. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that combination of fingolimod with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) would reduce the risk of hemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed administration of tPA. METHODS: We evaluated the effects of fingolimod in a mouse model of thromboembolic stroke, in which both the beneficial effect of reperfusion associated with early tPA treatment and hemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed administration mimic clinical observations in humans. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that fingolimod treatment attenuates the neurological deficit and reduces infarct volume after in situ thromboembolic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Combination of fingolimod and tPA improves the neurological outcome of the thrombolytic therapy and reduces the risk of hemorrhagic transformation associated with delayed administration of tPA. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the protective efficacy of fingolimod as a treatment against ischemic stroke in another rodent model of stroke (thromboembolic occlusion), and suggests that fingolimod could potentially be used in combination with tPA to reduce the risk of brain hemorrhage