Assessing the role played by meteorological conditions on the interannual variability of fire activity in four subregions of Iberia

The Iberian Peninsula is recurrently affected by severe wildfires resulting from an interplay of human activities, landscape features and atmospheric conditions. Aims. The role played by atmospheric conditions on wildfire activity in 2001–2020 is assessed in four pyror- egions of the Iberian Peninsula. Methods. Wildfire activity is characterised by Fire Radiative Power (FRP) and meteorological danger is rated by the Fire Weather Index (FWI). The distribution of log 10 FRP in each pyroregion consists of a truncated lognormal central body with Generalised Pareto distributions as tails, and the model is improved using FWI as covariate. Synthetic time series of total annual FRP are generated using the models with and without FWI as covariate, and compared against observed FRP. Key results. Pyroregions NW, N, SW and E present increases of 1, 5, 6 and 7% in interannual explained variance of FRP when progressing from the model without to that with FWI as covariate. Conclusions. The models developed characterise the role of meteorological conditions on fire activity in the Iberian Peninsula, and are especially valuable when comparing expected impacts for different scenarios of climate change. Implications. The largest effects of atmospheric conditions on fire activity are in regions of the IP where the strongest impact of climate change is expectedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the conservation of Miombo timber species through an integrated index of anthropogenic and climatic threats

Aim: Angolan Miombo woodlands, rich in timber species of the Leguminosae family, go through one of the highest rates of deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa. This study presents, on the basis of updated information of the distribution of Leguminosae timber species native to Angola, an integrated index framing the main threats for trees, which aims to support new conservation measures. Location: Sub-Saharan Africa, Republic of Angola. Methods: The current distribution areas of six Leguminosae timber species (i.e., Afzelia quanzensis, Brachystegia spiciformis, Guibourtia coleosperma, Isoberlinia angolensis, Julbernardia paniculata, and Pterocarpus angolensis) were predicted through ensemble modeling techniques. The level of threat to each species was analyzed, comparing the species potential distribution with a threat index map and with the protected areas. The threat index of anthropogenic and climatic factors encompasses the effects of population density, agriculture, proximity to roads, loss of tree cover, overexploitation, trends in wildfires, and predicted changes in temperature and precipitation. Results: Our results revealed that about 0.5% of Angola's area is classified as of “Very high” threat, 23.9% as “High” threat, and 66.5% as “Moderate” threat. Three of the studied species require special conservation efforts, namely B. spiciformis and I. angolensis, which have a large fraction of predicted distribution in areas of high threat, and G. coleosperma since it has a restricted distribution area and is one of the most valuable species in international markets. The priority areas for the conservation of Leguminosae timber species were found in Benguela and Huíla.Main conclusions: This study provides updated data that should be applied to inform policymakers, contributing to national conservation planning and protection of native flora in Angola. Moreover, it presents a methodological approach for the predictions of species distribution and for the creation of a threat index map that can be applied in other poorly surveyed tropical regions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ODEANA: um ambiente hidroinformático de suporte à decisão na gestão da água numa bacia hidrográfica

A aplicação da Directiva-Quadro da Água traduz-se em novos desafios para a gestão da qualidade da água no espaço da União Europeia, numa perspectiva de desenvolvimento sustentável, acentuando-se a necessidade de se poder dispor de ferramentas efectivas de suporte à decisão. O crescimento exponencial das capacidades informáticas dos últimos anos, que tem possibilitado a criação de bases de dados e a aplicação de modelos matemáticos de crescente alcance e sofisticação, favorece o desenvolvimento e a instalação de novas competências nas tarefas de planear e gerir a água no âmbito de uma bacia hidrográfica. Este trabalho faz uma apresentação do ODeAnA, sistema de suporte à decisão (SSD), presentemente em fase de desenvolvimento, para a gestão da água no Empreendimento de Fins Múltiplos de Alqueva (EFMA), que incorpora plataformas inovadoras e adaptadas às necessidades da gestão da água naquele empreendimento. Descreve-se a sua estrutura, objectivos, componentes principais e a forma como são integradas no sistema global. O ODeAnA foi concebido para funcionar em plataforma Web e compõe-se de três sistemas principais: informação, modelação e análise. O sistema de informação compreende o sistema de informação geográfica, as bases de dados e os meios de difusão de informação. O sistema de modelação constitui o núcleo central do ODeAnA e é formado pelos modelos hidrológicos, hidrodinâmicos e de qualidade da água dos principais sistemas de massas de água lóticas e lênticas e pelos modelos hidráulicos e de qualidade da água das diferentes infra-estruturas que compõem o EFMA. É apoiado no sistema de informação e alimenta o sistema de análise que contempla a definição estratégica de cenários e a análise de casos. Cada um destes sistemas é operado a partir de interfaces gráficas, especificamente desenvolvidas para o efeito, considerando o perfil definido para os seus utilizadores. A necessidade de integrar modelos, informação espacial e não-espacial e ferramentas de análise, determinou um cuidado especial no desenho de interfaces SIG amigáveis, contemplando a avaliação de múltiplos objectivos de gestão

Ocular drug delivery from contact lenses: mimetizing the hydrodynamic conditions of the eye

Poster presented at the 4th Congress on Innovation in Drug Delivery Site-Specific Drug Delivery (IDD2016). Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, France, 25-28 September 2016N/

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Ammonia Concentration in a Commercial Broiler Building

In the present study, a numerical model was developed to predict the flow pattern inside a broiler building. The model intends to predict the velocities fields inside the domain and am-monia (NH3) emitted or released by litter from poultry housing. The numerical model developed in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) commercial code, intends to represent a commercial broiler building, and intends to simulate the 3D and heat transfer, in steady state flow. The evaporative cooling pads were also included in the model. The validation of the model was based in experimental measurements obtained in previous studies. The simulations were fo-cused on Summer, Winter and also Mid-Season situation. The numerical results of NH3 concen-tration were compared with the experimental measurements, and a quite good agreement was verified. The numerical results allowed the characterization of: the inside flow pattern devel-oped for the summer and winter situation; the inside NH3 distribution, and the velocity field distribution inside the broiler building. It was found that NH3 concentration increases along the tunnel, especially in low flow rate imposed from the exhaust fan. Also, it was verified that the low velocities inside domain are no sufficient to remove the gaseous pollutants.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality of life in elderly Portuguese war veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms

Studies show that post-traumatic stress symptoms among Portuguese veterans who participated in Colonial War (1961-75) are high, even though 43 years have gone by since the end of the war.Background: Studies show that post-traumatic stress symptoms among Portuguese veterans who participated in Colonial War (1961-75) are high, even though 43 years have gone by since the end of the war.Aims: This study analyzed the role of family type, personality traits, and social support as predictors of post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life in war veterans, and whether satisfaction with social support was a mediator between neuroticism/post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 230 war veterans with a mean age of 60 years (SD=3.82).Results: Results indicated a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as high neuroticism, 16.5 (SD=4.41); 81% of veterans presented high psychological distress, suggesting emotional disturbance and 71% belonged to extreme families (families with cohesion and adaptability problems). Results showed that age (beta=-0.166, p<0.05), social support (beta=-0.184, p<0.01), and neuroticism (beta=0.325, p<0.001) predicted post-traumatic stress symptoms. Age, professional status, social support, post-traumatic stress symptoms, family type, neuroticism, and extroversion predicted different dimensions of quality of life. Finally, a path analysis showed that satisfaction with social support was a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and quality of life (beta=-0.066; p<0.01) and between post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life (beta=-0.108; p<0.01).Conclusion: Four decades after the Colonial War have passed, there is still a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Screening elderly veterans who present post-traumatic stress symptoms, for the presence of neuroticism traits, and assessing family type and social support, should be a standard practice in health care services, especially in the oldest and those who are retired. Social support should be promoted in order to enhance quality of life in this population

Dynamics of a hyperbolic system that applies at the onset of the oscillatory instability

A real hyperbolic system is considered that applies near the onset of the oscillatory instability in large spatial domains. The validity of that system requires that some intermediate scales (large compared with the basic wavelength of the unstable modes but small compared with the size of the system) remain inhibited; that condition is analysed in some detail. The dynamics associated with the hyperbolic system is fully analysed to conclude that it is very simple if the coefficient of the cross-nonlinearity is such that , while the system exhibits increasing complexity (including period-doubling sequences, quasiperiodic transitions, crises) as the bifurcation parameter grows if ; if then the system behaves subcritically. Our results are seen to compare well, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with the experimentally obtained ones for the oscillatory instability of straight rolls in pure Rayleigh - Bénard convection