Parameter estimation with the current generation of phenomenological waveform models applied to the black hole mergers of GWTC-1

We consider the ten confidently detected gravitational-wave signals in theGWTC-1 catalog which are consistent with mergers of binary black hole systems,and perform a thorough parameter estimation re-analysis. This is made possibleby using computationally efficient waveform models of the current (fourth)generation of the IMRPhenom family of phenomenological waveform models, whichconsists of the IMRPhenomX frequency-domain modelsand the IMRPhenomTtime-domain models. The analysis is performed with both precessing andnon-precessing waveform models with and without subdominant spherical harmonicmodes. Results for all events are validated with convergence tests, discussingin particular the events GW170729 and GW151226. For the latter and the othertwo lowest-mass events, we also compare results between two independentsampling codes, Bilby and LALInference. We find overall consistent results withthe original GWTC-1 results, with all Jensen-Shannon divergences between theprevious results using IMRPhenomPv2 and our default IMRPhenomXPHM posteriorsbelow 0.045 bits, but we also discuss cases where including subdominantharmonics and/or precession influences the posteriors.<br

Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from an enriched cage laying hen facility

[EN] Ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions were measured during a complete production cycle in an enriched cage laying hen facility under Oceanic climate conditions. Continuous monitoring of gas concentration, ventilation rate and environmental parameters were conducted from April 2012 to September 2013. The seasonal and diurnal pattern of gas emissions was analysed. Seasonality effect was found for NH3 emission, showing an average emission of 144.9 mg d 1 hen 1 and 90.3 mg d 1 hen 1 in summer and winter, respectively. On the contrary, diurnal pattern of NH3 emission did not differ between these seasons. For CO2, mean emission values did not show seasonality, although the diurnal pattern differed between winter and summer. Results obtained for CH4 and N2O emissions did not provide sufficient evidence to determine either seasonality or diurnal effect on these gases. An NH3 emission factor of 7% of total N in manure was defined for this system. These losses increased at higher ventilation rates and lower belt cleaning frequencies. Thus, NH3 mitigation strategies at housing level should consider both parameters. Further studies would be necessary to determine how these factors regulate NH3 emission at laying hen houses. © 2016 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedThis work has been funded by BATFARM Interreg-Atlantic Area Project (2009-1/071) entitled "Evaluation of best available techniques to decrease air and water pollution in animal farms". Oier Alberdi holds a grant from the Ph.D. student's research program of the Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness of the Basque Government. The authors are especially grateful to Larrabe Oilotegia S.A.T. that facilitated productive data and access to the farm and to the engineering company Ingenieria Avicola S.L. for the detailed information on ventilation aspects of the installation.Alberdi, O.; Arriaga, H.; Calvet, S.; Estellés, F.; Merino, P. (2016). Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from an enriched cage laying hen facility. Biosystems Engineering. 144:1-12. doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2016.01.009S11214

Column aerosol characterization in a semi‐arid region around Marrakech during the WATERMED 2003 campaign

In the framework of the WATERMED (WATer use efficiency in natural vegetation and agricultural areas by Remote sensing in the MEDiterranean basin) project, an experimental field campaign was carried out in a semi‐arid region near Marrakech, Morocco, during March 2003. This work focused on the columnar aerosol characterization from spectroradiometric and photometric measurements of direct solar irradiance and sky radiance at ground level. The results show a high dependence of the aerosol optical properties on the air masses present in the area. Two periods with different aerosol loads were observed in the campaign. In the first, Atlantic‐origin aerosols showed a marine particle accumulation mode combined with a dominant mode corresponding to coarse particles of local origin. In the second period the synoptic situation changed towards a Saharan+Atlantic origin, the Atlantic influence persisting at altitude while at lower levels the presence of air masses proceeding from the Saharan desert was observed. This dry air carried a large quantity of mineral particles that increased the area's turbidity, leading to a substantial increase in the volume of the whole distribution, a displacement of the accumulation mode radius towards higher values and an increasingly evident spread of the coarse particle mode, although the radius remained the same as that in the first period of the campaign

A detailed analysis of GW190521 with phenomenological waveform models

In this paper we present an extensive analysis of the GW190521 gravitational wave event with the current (fourth) generation of phenomenological waveform models for binary black hole coalescences. GW190521 stands out from other events since only a few wave cycles are observable. This leads to a number of challenges, one being that such short signals are prone to not resolve approximate waveform degeneracies, which may result in multi-modal posterior distributions. The family of waveform models we use includes a new fast time-domain model IMRPhenomTPHM, which allows us extensive tests of different priors and robustness with respect to variations in the waveform model, including the content of spherical harmonic modes. We clarify some issues raised in a recent paper [Nitz&Capano], associated with possible support for a high-mass ratio source, but confirm their finding of a multi-modal posterior distribution, albeit with important differences in the statistical significance of the peaks. In particular, we find that the support for both masses being outside the PISN mass-gap, and the support for an intermediate mass ratio binary are drastically reduced with respect to what Nitz&Capano found. We also provide updated probabilities for associating GW190521 to the potential electromagnetic counterpart from ZTF

Dignity and psychosocial related variables in elderly advanced cancer patients

Abstract Introduction: Most cancers occur in older individuals, who are more vulnerable due to functional impairment, multiple comorbidities, cognitive impairment, and lack of socio‑familial support. These can undermine patients' sense of dignity. This study seeks to compare dignity scores in older patients with advanced cancer on sociodemographic and clinical variables and analyze the predictive value of anxiety, depression, functional limitations, and social support on dignity scores. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational study conducted with participation of 15 hospitals in Spain from February 2020 to October 2021. Patients with newly‑diagnosed, advanced cancer completed the dignity (PPDS), anxiety and depression (BSI), Social Support (Duke-UNC‑11), and functional limitations (EORTC‑C30) scales. Lineal regression analyses explored the effects of anxiety, depression, functional status, and social support on dignity, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: A total of 180 subjects participated in this study. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that dignity correlated negatively with anxiety, depression, and sex, and positively with social support, functional status, and longer estimated survival. Thus, women, and more anxious and depressed individuals scored lower on the dignity scale, whereas patients with more social support, fewer functional limitations, and longer estimated survival scored higher. Conclusion: In conclusion, being female, having a lower educational level, lower estimated survival, depression, anxiety, less social support, and limited functionality are correlated with less dignity in the elderly with advanced cancer. It is a priority to manage both physical and psychological symptoms in patients with unresectable advanced cancer to mitigate psychological distress and increase their sense of dignit

Precipitable water vapour content from ESR/SKYNET sun-sky radiometers: validation against GNSS/GPS and AERONET over three different sites in Europe

The estimation of the precipitable water vapour content (W) with high temporal and spatial resolution is of great interest to both meteorological and climatological studies. Several methodologies based on remote sensing techniques have been recently developed in order to obtain accurate and frequent measurements of this atmospheric parameter. Among them, the relative low cost and easy deployment of sun-sky radiometers, or sun photometers, operating in several international networks, allowed the development of automatic estimations of W from these instruments with high temporal resolution. However, the great problem of this methodology is the estimation of the sun-photometric calibration parameters. The objective of this paper is to validate a new methodology based on the hypothesis that the calibration parameters characterizing the atmospheric transmittance at 940nm are dependent on vertical profiles of temperature, air pressure and moisture typical of each measurement site. To obtain the calibration parameters some simultaneously seasonal measurements of W, from independent sources, taken over a large range of solar zenith angle and covering a wide range of W, are needed. In this work yearly GNSS/GPS datasets were used for obtaining a table of photometric calibration constants and the methodology was applied and validated in three European ESR-SKYNET network sites, characterized by different atmospheric and climatic conditions: Rome, Valencia and Aosta. Results were validated against the GNSS/GPS and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) W estimations. In both the validations the agreement was very high, with a percentage RMSD of about 6, 13 and 8% in the case of GPS intercomparison at Rome, Aosta and Valencia, respectively, and of 8% in the case of AERONET comparison in Valencia. Analysing the results by W classes, the present methodology was found to clearly improve W estimation at low W content when compared against AERONET in terms of %bias, bringing the agreement with the GPS (considered the reference one) from a %bias of 5.76 to 0.52

Intercomparison of spectroradiometers and Sun photometers for the determination of the aerosol optical depth during the VELETA-2002 field campaign

[ 1] In July 2002 the VELETA-2002 field campaign was held in Sierra Nevada ( Granada) in the south of Spain. The main objectives of this field campaign were the study of the influence of elevation and atmospheric aerosols on measured UV radiation. In the first stage of the field campaign, a common calibration and intercomparison between Licor-1800 spectroradiometers and Cimel-318 Sun photometers was performed in order to assess the quality of the measurements from the whole campaign. The intercomparison of the Licor spectroradiometers showed, for both direct and global irradiances, that when the comparisons were restricted to the visible part of the spectrum the deviations were within the instruments' nominal accuracies which allows us to rely on these instruments for measuring physical properties of aerosols at the different measurement stations. A simultaneous calibration on AOD data was performed for the Cimel-318 Sun photometers. When a common calibration and methodology was applied, the deviation was lowered to much less than 0.01 for AOD. At the same time an intercomparison has been made between the AOD values given by the spectroradiometers and the Sun photometers, with deviations obtained from 0.01 to 0.03 for the AOD in the visible range, depending on the channel. In the UVA range, the AOD uncertainty was estimated to be around 0.02 and 0.05 for Cimel and Licor respectively. In general the experimental differences were in agreement with this uncertainty estimation. In the UVB range the AOD measurements should not be used due to maximum instrumental uncertainties

Strategies for GHG mitigation in Mediterranean cropping systems. A review

In this review we aimed to synthetize and analyze the most promising GHGs mitigation strategies for Mediterranean cropping systems. A description of most relevant measures, based on the best crop choice and management by farmers (i.e., agronomical practices), was firstly carried out. Many of these measures can be also efficient in other climatic regions, but here we provide particular results and discussion of their efficiencies for Mediterranean cropping systems. An integrated assessment of management practices on mitigating each component of the global warming potential (N2O and CH4 emissions and C sequestration) of production systems considering potential side-effects of their implementation allowed us to propose the best strategies to abate GHG emissions, while sustaining crop yields and mitigating other sources of environmental pollution (e.g. nitrate leaching and ammonia volatilization)