Bird electrocution on power lines: Spatial gaps and identification of driving factors at global scales

Universal energy access is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and thus the deployment of electricity grids is expected to expand globally in the coming decades. However, the installation of power lines is not biodiversity-friendly. In particular, electrocution on power pylons is a major cause of bird mortality worldwide, including for some severely endangered species. Over the last decades, different studies have improved our understanding of the factors influencing the risk of electrocution in birds, but until now spatial gaps in our knowledge of these impacts and the factors driving global patterns of bird electrocution have not been assessed. In this study, we evaluated data from a total of 114 studies that provided information on bird mortality rates on power lines, and we analyzed the factors driving electrocution rates for all bird species, and then for all raptors and large eagles separately. Our results showed a high spatial distribution bias, as more than 80% of the studies were carried out in developed countries, mostly in Europe and North America. By contrast, no systematic studies have been found for Oceania and very few for South America and Africa. Europe showed the highest electrocution rates for birds, South America for raptor species and Africa for eagles. Socio-economic factors best-explained bird and raptor electrocution rates, while climate-related factors were the most influential for eagles. Contrary to our expectations, factors related to pylon design were the least influential on overall electrocution rates. Variables related to study design showed highly variable levels of influence. This could be due to the lack of standardized protocols. Although bird electrocution has been extensively studied, there are large areas where no studies have been carried out or for which data are inaccessible. This could be because in these areas the power distribution network is still sparse, or that most studies are not public or accessible to the international community. Researchers and managers should promote the publication of studies, as awareness is the first step to solving these problems. The factors identified could be applied globally to the design and planning of power grids and the identification of mortality hotspots. This would help mitigate the creation of new mortality hotspots, especially in developing countries where the installation of new power lines has been growing exponentially in recent years

Do trade and financial linkages foster business cycle synchronization in a small economy?

We estimate a system of equations to analyze whether bilateral trade and financial linkages influence business cycle synchronization directly and/or indirectly. Our paper builds upon the existing literature by using bilateral trade and financial flows for a small, open economy (Spain) as benchmark for the results, instead of the US as generally done in the literature. We find that both the similarity of productive structure and trade links promote the synchronization of cycles. However, bilateral financial links are inversely related to the co movement of output. This might point to financial integration allowing an easiertransfer of resources between two economies, which could enable their decoupling, as predicted by a standard model of international business cycles. Both the effects of trade and financial links on output synchronization are statistically significant and economically relevan

ITERL: A Wireless Adaptive System for Efficient Road Lighting

This work presents the development and construction of an adaptive street lighting system that improves safety at intersections, which is the result of applying low-power Internet of Things (IoT) techniques to intelligent transportation systems. A set of wireless sensor nodes using the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard with additional internet protocol (IP) connectivity measures both ambient conditions and vehicle transit. These measurements are sent to a coordinator node that collects and passes them to a local controller, which then makes decisions leading to the streetlight being turned on and its illumination level controlled. Streetlights are autonomous, powered by photovoltaic energy, and wirelessly connected, achieving a high degree of energy efficiency. Relevant data are also sent to the highway conservation center, allowing it to maintain up-to-date information for the system, enabling preventive maintenance.Consejería de Fomento y Vivienda Junta de Andalucía G-GI3002 / IDIOFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional G-GI3002 / IDI

An Active Knee Orthesis for the Physical Therapy of NEurological Disorders

This paper presents the design of a new robotic orthotic solution aimed at improving the rehabilitation of a number of neurological disorders (Multiple Sclerosis, Post-Polio and Stroke). These neurological disorders are the most expensive for the European Health Systems, and the personalization of the therapy will contribute to a 47% cost reduction. Most orthotic devices have been evaluated as an aid to in-hospital training and rehabilitation in patients with motor disorders of various origins. The advancement of technology opens the possibility of new active orthoses able to improve function in the usual environment of the patient, providing added benefits to state-of-the-art devices in life quality. The active knee orthosis aims to serve as a basis to justify the prescription and adaptation of robotic orthoses in patients with impaired gait resulting from neurological processes.Peer Reviewe

Methods for autonomous wristband placement with a search-and-rescue aerial manipulator

A new robotic system for Search And Rescue (SAR) operations based on the automatic wristband placement on the victims’ arm, which may provide identification, beaconing and remote sensor readings for continuous health monitoring. This paper focuses on the development of the automatic target localization and the device placement using an unmanned aerial manipulator. The automatic wrist detection and localization system uses an RGB-D camera and a convolutional neural network based on the region faster method (Faster R-CNN). A lightweight parallel delta manipulator with a large workspace has been built, and a new design of a wristband in the form of a passive detachable gripper, is presented, which under contact, automatically attaches to the human, while disengages from the manipulator. A new trajectory planning method has been used to minimize the torques caused by the external forces during contact, which cause attitude perturbations. Experiments have been done to evaluate the machine learning method for detection and location, and for the assessment of the performance of the trajectory planning method. The results show how the VGG-16 neural network provides a detection accuracy of 67.99%. Moreover, simulation experiments have been done to show that the new trajectories minimize the perturbations to the aerial platform.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Guía para el Diseño Sistemático de la División de Innovación para un Área Empresarial

El contenido de este documento es la memoria del diseño de la parte dedicada a la innovación que tiene la Entidad de Gestión y Modernización —EGM— de un área empresarial. Este trabajo ha sido realizado mediante el asistente digital de resolución de problemas Mayéutica que está basado en el método formal causal orientado al modelo del problema y a la arquitectura de la solución. El entorno de resolución establece una disciplina de trabajo en una secuencia de razonamiento y de toma de decisiones de resolución que son coherentes causalmente. Facilita así el trabajo de resolución de los problemas que los expertos han de afrontar en sus respectivas profesiones: diseño de sistemas los ingenieros, elaboración de estudios e informes los profesionales de cualquier disciplina, trabajos prácticos los estudiantes, proyectos experimentales los investigadores, etc.Agencia Valenciana de Innovación —AVI

Analysis of the power balance In the cells of a multilevel cascaded H-Bridge converter

Multilevel cascaded H-Bridge converters (CHB) have been presented as a good solution for high power applications. In this way, several control and modulation techniques have been proposed for this power converter topology. In this paper the steady state power balance in the cells of the single phase two cell CHB is studied. The capability to be supplied with active power from the grid or to deliver active power to the grid in each cell is analyzed according to the dc-link voltages and the desired ac output voltage value. Limits of the maximum and minimum input active power for stable operation of the CHB are addressed. Simulation results are shown to validate the presented analysis

Avian scavengers' contributions to people: the cultural dimension of wildlife-based tourism

Scavengers provide significant nature's contributions to people (NCP), including disease control through carcass removal, but their non-material NCP are rarely considered. For the first time, we assess the extent and value of the NCP provided by European avian scavengers through a scavenger-based tourism at Pyrenean supplementary feeding sites (SFS). Using a two-step cluster analysis, two different types of visitor were identified (specialist avian scavenger-watchers and generalist nature-lovers) at those SFS offering recreational experiences (n = 20, i.e. birdwatching, educational, or photographic activities). Most visitors (85%) perceived avian scavengers as beneficial NCP providers, associating this guild with non-material NCP (mostly supporting identities), followed by regulating and maintenance of options NCP (<1%). Our findings help to characterize the type of people who participate in scavenger related recreation and to identify and value their perceptions of avian scavengers. There has not been much previous research on positive human-wildlife interactions, even though ignoring people emotional bonds with nature can be perilous for biodiversity conservation.FundingThis study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industryand Competitiveness (project CGL2015-66966-C2-2-R), Ministry ofScience, Innovation and Universities (project RTI2018-099609-B-C22),and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through theINTERREG V - A - España - Francia - Andorra (POCTEFA 2014 - 2020program, project ECOGYP EFA 089/15). RGJ was supported by a pre-doctoral grant (FPI/BES-2016-077510) granted by the Spanish Ministryof Economy and Competitiveness. JMPG was supported by a SpanishMinistry of Science, Innovation and Universities postdoctoral contract(IJC-2019-038968). ZMR was supported by a postdoctoral contract co-funded by the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund(APOSTD/2019/016)

Shoe last machining using virtual digitising

Shoe lasts are the moulds used in the footwear industries in order to mount the shoe. Most of the machines used in the sector to make lasts are simply mechanical copiers. CAD/CAM systems have just arrived to the shoe last market but its accuracy and efficiency is not better than traditional machines, for this reason new systems have difficulty to implant. Presented in the paper there is a tool path generation algorithm that takes the advantages of traditional copier systems that do not fulfil the CNC standards. The tool path is computed from a “virtually digitised” model of the last surface. The algorithm is then analysed in terms of computing cost and accuracy and refined by applying a series of optimisations. Some computer architectures are proposed in order to reduce the computation time. The proposed algorithm has been successfully implemented in a commercial CAD/CAM system specialised in shoe last making. Finally, some illustrative examples are shown

Refrigerador doméstico con efecto Peltier, acumuladores térmicos y termosifones evaporativos

Referencia OEPM: P9801016.-- Fecha de solicitud: 14/05/1998.-- Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).La patente se refiere a instalaciones frigoríficas que funcionan gracias a la combinación de elementos productores de efecto Peltier y termosifones con cambio de fase líquido-vapor. Básicamente consta de: 1) Recinto de refrigeración. 2) Disipador de calor. 3) Un circuito cerrado y estanco conteniendo un fluido, que hierve o se evapora. 4) Elementos de efecto Peltier (primera etapa). 5) Termosifón que transporta el calor, a las caras frías de las pastillas de efecto Peltier de la primera etapa. 6) Termosifón que intercambia el calor con el anterior y transporta éste de las caras calientes de las pastillas Peltier de la segunda etapa. 7) Elementos de efecto Peltier (segunda etapa). 8) Termosifón que transporta el calor, del recinto a baja temperatura, a las caras frías de las placas Peltier de la segunda etapa.Peer reviewe