Experimental and numerical study of local mean age of air

This paper presents the results from the experimental and numerical study of a room with mixing ventilation, focused on the local mean age of air (LMA). The measurements were performed using the tracer gas concentration decay method. The numerical predictions were obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) module of the latest version of the ESP-r software

Using an Approach-Avoidance Framework to Understand the Relationship between Non-Lethal Weapons and Performance

It is proposed that performance degradation from exposure to non-lethal technology is mediated by impulsive and reflective approachavoidance motivation. An approach-avoidance motivational framework was used to specify a four-stage information processing model that predicts performance degradation. The first stage is Evaluation: it processes physiological, sensory, perceptual, and cognitive information. The second stage is Comparison: it processes the content of the Evaluation into avoidance and approach motivational indices. The third stage is Probability: it processes information from previous stages into a probability of choosing to continue or abandon goal-directed behavior. Finally, the fourth stage is Performance: it processes performance accuracy on a given task and occurs only when people continue their goal after dissuasive technology exposure. Depending on previous stages, performance can be degraded on tasks relevant to goal completion. An experiment was used to validate the model. Results supported the hypothesis that information is processed using the approach-avoidance motivational framework

Comparative analysis of heterogeneity of primary photosynthetic processes within fruticose lichen thalli: Preliminary study of interspecific differences

Two species of fruticose lichens from different habitats and of distinct color, Usnea antarctica and Stereocaulon vesuvianum, were compared using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging in order to study the distribution of primary photosynthetic processes within the thalli. The thallus of U. antarctica is yellow with black tips: in this species chlorophyll containing cells were mostly located in the middle region of the thallus and the highest PS II efficiency was detected in the middle to basal region, as shown by the FV/FM and ΦPSII values. No chlorophyll fluorescence was detected in the apical part of the thallus, indicating that little or no photosynthesis takes place in these tissues. The lichen S. vesuvianum is homogeneously pale grayish green and chlorophyll containing cells are distributed along the thallus with maximum concentration in the middle region. In S. vesuvianum, the highest PS II efficiency was detected in the apical to middle region of the thallus, while the basal portion was found to have the lowest efficiency of primary photochemical reactions. Quenching analysis data confirmed the uneven patterns of primary photosynthetic processes within the thalli of these fruticose lichens

Vegetation structure derived from airborne laser scanning to assess species distribution and habitat suitability: The way forward

Ecosystem structure, especially vertical vegetation structure, is one of the six essential biodiversity variable classes and is an important aspect of habitat heterogeneity, affecting species distributions and diversity by providing shelter, foraging, and nesting sites. Point clouds from airborne laser scanning (ALS) can be used to derive such detailed information on vegetation structure. However, public agencies usually only provide digital elevation models, which do not provide information on vertical vegetation structure. Calculating vertical structure variables from ALS point clouds requires extensive data processing and remote sensing skills that most ecologists do not have. However, such information on vegetation structure is extremely valuable for many analyses of habitat use and species distribution. We here propose 10 variables that should be easily accessible to researchers and stakeholders through national data portals. In addition, we argue for a consistent selection of variables and their systematic testing, which would allow for continuous improvement of such a list to keep it up-to-date with the latest evidence. This initiative is particularly needed not only to advance ecological and biodiversity research by providing valuable open datasets but also to guide potential users in the face of increasing availability of global vegetation structure products

Generating Multi-objective Optimized Business Process Enactment Plans

Declarative business process (BP) models are increasingly used allowing their users to specify what has to be done instead of how. Due to their flexible nature, there are several enactment plans related to a specific declarative model, each one presenting specific values for different objective functions, e.g., completion time or profit. In this work, a method for generating optimized BP enactment plans from declarative specifications is proposed to optimize the performance of a process considering multiple objectives. The plans can be used for different purposes, e.g., providing recommendations. The proposed approach is validated through an empirical evaluation based on a real-world case study.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2009-1371