A Comprehensive Methodology for Assessing the Quality of Solar Photovoltaic Systems

The goal of this project was to assist the Alternative Technology Association by providing an enhanced assessment methodology for solar photovoltaic systems, emphasizing the development of a quantifiable evaluation of reliability and performance. To realize this goal, we interviewed industry leaders, surveyed solar consumers, and researched factors affecting solar photovoltaic system quality. The project resulted in a more comprehensive assessment methodology to aid the ATA in providing consultations that examine the value of solar photovoltaic systems

WPI Pedestrian Bridge and Athletic Building: Structural Design

Currently, WPI does not fully utilize its property at the location of the A.J. Knight Field and tennis courts due to safety and accessibility concerns from the crossing of M

Across the Spectrum: Attitudes towards Minoritised Genders and Sexualities in Ireland

This research had three main objectives: 1. To assess attitudes towards different groups of people within the LGBT+ community, including Lesbian women, Gay men, Bisexual people, Trans people, Non-binary people and Intersex people; 2. To assess beliefs about gender and sexuality; and 3.To assess support for policies relevant to, and supportive of, the LGBT+ community. These objectives were addressed in a descriptive study using a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey design. Over 700 participants from the general public completed the online survey. Ethical approval to conduct this research was granted by the University College Dublin Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of both the quantitative and qualitative data suggest a broad acceptance of LGBT+ identities and a desire to not judge, categorise or prescribe how LGBT+ people live. However, the clear difference in support for identities, beliefs and policies that pertain to groups that are often seen as more normative, specifically Gay men and Lesbian women, compared to those that may be perceived as more transgressive of gender norms, such as Bi, Trans, Non-binary and Intersex people, is a central theme in this report.Tides Foundatio

Diagnosis of respiratory disease in preweaned dairy calves using sequential thoracic ultrasonography and clinical respiratory scoring : temporal transitions and association with growth rates

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in dairy calves is a multifactorial condition, involving environmental, host, and pathogen factors. Thoracic ultrasound scoring (TUS) has recently been validated as an accurate method of detecting BRD-related lung pathology in dairy calves. Previous studies investigating the use of TUS in preweaned dairy calves have largely been based on cross-sectional data from all-year production systems. The objectives of this longitudinal observational study were to characterize the temporal transitions in TUS scores in dairy calves from pasture-based, seasonal-calving herds using sequential examinations during the preweaning period, and to investigate the relationship between the presence and temporal pattern of BRD, diagnosed by TUS or clinical respiratory scoring (CRS), and average daily gain (ADG). In spring of 2019, 317 preweaned calves from 7 commercial dairy farms were recruited at less than 4 wk old (ranging from 1-27 d of age). Each farm was examined on at least 3 occasions at 20-to 28-d intervals and housed indoors in group or individual pens. At each visit TUS scores, CRS scores based on the University of Wisconsin Calf Respiratory Score Chart (https:// www .vetmed.wisc.edu/fapm/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ calf_respiratory_scoring_chart.pdf), and live weight using a dairy breed-specific weigh band were recorded. All data were recorded by the same 2 veterinarians over the course of the study. The final data set consisted of 966 TUS and CRS scores collected from 317 calves over a period of approximately 6 wk from 7 farms. The data were analyzed in multivariable, mixed effects, linear regression models, with separate models constructed for TUS and CRS scores. Random effects (intercepts) were included for calf, farm, and visit week. Additionally, a random slope was included for age at sampling by farm. Median farm TUS score ranged from 0 to 2.5 over the 3 visits (possible range: 0-5). The percentage of calves with a TUS score >3 (consolidation of the full thickness of 1 lung lobe), on each farm ranged from 0 to 50%. The median CRS in calves on individual farms ranged from 1 to 3 over the 3 visits (possible range: 0-12). The percentage of calves on each farm with a CRS score >5 (possible range: 0-12) ranged from 0 to 26%. The TUS and CRS scores were weakly correlated. The TUS was associated with reduced ADG. Calves with TUS scores >3 grew at 126 g/d less than unaffected calves over the 3-wk period before examination. The predicted effect on ADG was dependent on the age and duration over which the animal was affected. Calves affected later (i.e., between visits 2 and 3) had lower predicted weights at 63 d compared with calves with increased TUS scores earlier in the study period. Calves with a TUS score >3 at each of the 3 sampling points had the lowest weight at 63 d of age. There was no association of CRS with ADG. This study showed that in contrast to CRS, higher TUS scores are associated with lower ADG, with weight loss being more pronounced in chronic cases

BioTIME:a database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene

Abstract Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community‐led open‐source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Main types of variables included: The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. Spatial location and grain: BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km² (158 cm²) to 100 km² (1,000,000,000,000 cm²). Time period and grain: BioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year. Major taxa and level of measurement: BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates. Software format: .csv and .SQL

Are rare species useful species? Obstacles to the conservation of tree diversity in the dry forest zone agro-ecosystems of Mesoamerica

Aim To test the potential to conserve rare dry forest tree and shrub species circa situm.Location Oaxaca, Mexico and Southern Honduras.Methods Local uses (timber, posts and firewood) of species were determined principally through semistructured interviews with 20 rural householders in each of four communities in Honduras and four in Oaxaca. Tree and shrub diversity inventories were carried out in a total of 227 forest patches and parcels of farmland in those eight communities. Species’ conservation priorities were determined using the star system of Hawthorne (1996) and IUCN listings.Results Despite a large number of useful species, remarkably few were also conservation priorities. Useful species were found to be substitutable as is illustrated by Bombacopsis quinata, Cordia alliodora, Guaiacum sanctum and G. coulteri.Conclusions In these areas, circa situm conservation is inhibited by the lack of species that are both rare and useful. Usefulness must be interpreted as a function of substitutability. Natural regeneration provides an abundance of diversity, farmers are unlikely to invest in the management of a species when suitable substitutes are freely available. The key to conserving rare species may be in maintaining or enhancing the value of the landscape elements in which they are found