scholarly journals Development of urban bird indicators using data from monitoring schemes in two large European cities

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Herrando ◽  
◽  
A. Weiserbs ◽  
J. Quesada ◽  
X. Ferrer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Species List ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Bird Monitoring ◽  
Using Data

Bird monitoring projects have provided valuable data for developing biological indicators to evaluate the state of natural and agricultural habitats. However, fewer advances have been made in urban environments. In this study we used bird monitoring data from 2002 to 2012 in two cities with different climates (Brussels and Barcelona), to generate two multi–species urban indicators to evaluate temporal trends on abundance of urban avifauna. To do this we used two different conceptual approaches, one based on a list of widespread species in European cities (WSEC) and another based exclusively on species widespread at city level (WCS) regardless of the birds occurring in other cities. The two indicators gave a similar general pattern, although we found a 3% difference in the mean annual change in both cities, thus suggesting that the values provided by urban indicators may differ depending on the conceptual approach and, hence, by the species list used to generate them. However, both indicators may have their own value and could be treated as complementary indices.

Modelling In-Patient Bed Usage Behaviour in a Department of Geriatric Medicine

1993 ◽  
Vol 32 (01) ◽  
pp. 79-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Millard ◽  
S. McClean
Keyword(s):  
Census Data ◽  
Geriatric Medicine ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Exponential Model ◽  
Bed Occupancy ◽  
Lengths Of Stay ◽  
Geriatric Hospital ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Acute Patients

Abstract:The flow of patients through geriatric hospitals has been previously described in terms of acute and long-stay states where the bed occupancy at a census point is modelled by a mixed exponential model. Using data for sixteen years the model was fitted to successive annual census points, in order to provide a description of temporal trends. While the number of acute patients has remained fairly stable during the period, the model shows that there has been a decrease in the number of long-stay patients. Mean lengths of stay in our geriatric hospital before death or discharge have decreased during the study period for both acute and long-stay patients.Using these fits of the mixed exponential model to census data, a method is provided for predicting future turnover of patients. These predictions are reasonably good, except when the turnover patterns go through a period of flux in which assumption of stability no longer holds. Overall, a methodology is presented which relates census analysis to the behaviour of admission cohorts, thus producing a means of predicting future behaviour of patients and identifying where there is a change in patterns.

scholarly journals Temporal trends and variation in out-of-pocket expenditures and patient cost sharing: evidence from a Chinese national survey 2011–2015

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicky Mengqi Qin ◽  
Yuting Zhang ◽  
Kee Seng Chia ◽  
Barbara McPake ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Cost Sharing ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Absolute Amount ◽  
Financial Protection ◽  
Patient Cost ◽  
Older Chinese ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objectives This study aims to examine: (1) temporal trends in the percentage of cost-sharing and amount of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) from 2011 to 2015; (2) factors associated with cost-sharing and OOPE; and (3) the relationships between province-level economic development and cost-sharing and OOPE in China. Setting A total of 10,316 adults aged ≥45 years from China followed-up from 2011 to 2015 were included in the analysis. We measured two main outcome variables: (1) patient cost sharing, measured by the percentage of OOPE as total healthcare expenditure, and (2) absolute amount of OOPE. Results Based on self-reported data, we did not find substantial differences in the percentage of cost sharing, but a significant increase in the absolute amount of OOPE among the middle-aged and older Chinese between 2011 and 2015. The percentage of cost-sharing was considerably higher for outpatient than inpatient care, and the majority paid more than 80% of the total cost for prescription drugs. Provinces with higher GDP per capita tend to have lower cost-sharing and a higher OOPE than their counterparts, but the relationship for OOPE became insignificant after adjusting for individual factors. Conclusion Reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and patient cost sharing is required to improve financial protection from illness, especially for those with those with chronic conditions and reside in less developed regions in China. Ongoing monitoring of financial protection using data from various sources is warranted.

Verification of modeling of convective events based on radar reflectivity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Svechnikova ◽  
Nikolay Ilin ◽  
Evgeny Mareev
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Convective Event ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Verification Process ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Wrf Modeling ◽  
Probabilistic Nature

<p>The use of numerical modeling for atmospheric research is complicated by the problem of verification by a limited set of measurement data. Comparison with radar measurements is widely used for assessing the quality of the simulation. The probabilistic nature of the development of convective phenomena determines the complexity of the verification process: the reproduction of the pattern of the convective event is prior to the quantitative agreement of the values at a particular point at a particular moment.</p><p>We propose a method for verifying the simulation results based on comparing areas with the same reflectivity. The method is applied for verification of WRF-modeling of convective events in the Aragats highland massif in Armenia. It is shown that numerical simulation demonstrates approximately the same form of distribution of areas of equal reflectivity as for radar-measured reflectivity. In this case, the model tends to overestimate on average reflectivity, while enabling us to obtain the qualitatively correct description of the convective phenomenon.</p><p>The proposed technique can be used to verify the simulation results using data on reflectivity obtained by a satellite or a meteoradar. The technique allows one to avoid subjectivity in the interpretation of simulation results and estimate the quality of reproducing the “general pattern” of the convective event.</p>

scholarly journals Temporal Trends and Recent Correlates in Sedentary Behaviors among Chinese Adults from 2002 to 2010–2012

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caicui Ding ◽  
Ganyu Feng ◽  
Fan Yuan ◽  
Weiyan Gong ◽  
Yecheng Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Chinese Adults ◽  
Nutrition And Health ◽  
Sociodemographic Correlates ◽  
Using Data

Evidence suggests that more time spent in sedentary behaviors (SB) increases health risk independent of physical activities. Trends in SB among adults have not been fully described in China, and the sociodemographic correlates of SB have not been systematically evaluated either. This study examined the temporal trends of SB among 184,257 adults (2002: n = 52,697, 2010–2012: n = 131,560) using data from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002 and 2010–2012, and analyzed the recent correlates of SB in Chinese adults. Overall, an increase (+0.29 h/d) was seen in total SB across the survey years, and there was a slight increase (+0.14 h/d) in leisure time SB and a decrease (−0.39 h/d) in occupational SB. From 2002 to 2012, the proportion of Chinese adults whose total SB time over 4 h/d increased from 35.4% to 43.0%, and the proportion of leisure SB time over 3 h/d increased from 42.0% to 48.0%, and the proportion of occupational SB time over 4 h/d decreased from 63.4% to 53.0%. Male, urban areas, employed, unmarried, and with higher educational and family economic level were all positively associated with high sedentary time (HST) in 2010–2012. These trends and correlates are important for health policy in China and other countries that are facing similar challenges.

scholarly journals Data Governance and Sovereignty in Urban Data Spaces Based on Standardized ICT Reference Architectures

Data ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Cuno ◽  
Lina Bruns ◽  
Nikolay Tcholtchev ◽  
Philipp Lämmel ◽  
Ina Schieferdecker
Keyword(s):  
Data Exchange ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Data Governance ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Data Space ◽  
Urban Data

European cities and communities (and beyond) require a structured overview and a set of tools as to achieve a sustainable transformation towards smarter cities/municipalities, thereby leveraging on the enormous potential of the emerging data driven economy. This paper presents the results of a recent study that was conducted with a number of German municipalities/cities. Based on the obtained and briefly presented recommendations emerging from the study, the authors propose the concept of an Urban Data Space (UDS), which facilitates an eco-system for data exchange and added value creation thereby utilizing the various types of data within a smart city/municipality. Looking at an Urban Data Space from within a German context and considering the current situation and developments in German municipalities, this paper proposes a reasonable classification of urban data that allows the relation of various data types to legal aspects, and to conduct solid considerations regarding technical implementation designs and decisions. Furthermore, the Urban Data Space is described/analyzed in detail, and relevant stakeholders are identified, as well as corresponding technical artifacts are introduced. The authors propose to setup Urban Data Spaces based on emerging standards from the area of ICT reference architectures for Smart Cities, such as DIN SPEC 91357 “Open Urban Platform” and EIP SCC. In the course of this, the paper walks the reader through the construction of a UDS based on the above-mentioned architectures and outlines all the goals, recommendations and potentials, which an Urban Data Space can reveal to a municipality/city. Finally, we aim at deriving the proposed concepts in a way that they have the potential to be part of the required set of tools towards the sustainable transformation of German and European cities in the direction of smarter urban environments, based on utilizing the hidden potential of digitalization and efficient interoperable data exchange.

¿Qué diciendo nomás?

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Lipski
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Historical Documents ◽  
Direct Transfer ◽  
Spanish Translation ◽  
Andean Spanish ◽  
Subordinate Clauses ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Ultimate Source ◽  
Using Data

In Quechua-dominant Spanish interlanguage in the Andean region the gerund is frequently found instead of finite verb forms typical of monolingual Spanish. Using data collected among Quichua-Spanish bilinguals in northern Ecuador, this study challenges claims that direct transfer of the Quichua subordinator -s(h)pa — often called a “gerund” — is the immediate source of the Andean Spanish gerund. Quichua-dominant bilinguals produce Spanish gerunds mostly in subordinate clauses, reflecting the general pattern of Quechua. However, in a Quichua-to-Spanish translation task, -shpa was most frequently translated as a gerund by school children who had received Quichua language classes, and least frequently by traditional Quichua-dominant speakers. An examination of historical documents suggests that the gerund was used in Spanish foreigner talk directed at indigenous speakers. The ultimate source of the -s(h)pa = Spanish gerund equation is traced to 16th and 17th century Quechua grammars written in the Latinate tradition, and to Spanish priests’ and missionaries’ (mis)appropriation of this grammatical interpretation in their interaction with indigenous speakers in the Andean zone.

Effects of the Mesozoic Marine Revolution on the taxonomic, morphologic, and biogeographic evolution of a group: aporrhaid gastropods during the Mesozoic

Paleobiology ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaustuv Roy
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Global Radiation ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Morphologic Change ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
History Of ◽  
Extensive Literature Search ◽  
Mesozoic Marine Revolution ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Compare And Contrast

The mid-Mesozoic time was characterized by massive reorganization of the ecological structure of benthic marine communities. Although the general pattern of this “Mesozoic Marine Revolution” has been extensively documented, little is known about how it affected the taxonomic and morphologic diversities of individual lineages of organisms. Here I document group-level dynamics of the Mesozoic change using the fossil record of aporrhaid gastropods, a diverse and widespread family during that time. Using data gathered through field and museum work and extensive literature search, I compare and contrast patterns of taxonomic and morphologic change during the Jurassic and Cretaceous within a geographic framework. I also examine how the changes were manifested at different ecological and geographic scales.The Mesozoic history of the Aporrhaidae includes two major radiations separated by a period of overall stability. While both radiations increased the taxonomic diversity of the family, they had very different morphologic consequences, resulting in a striking discordance between morphologic and taxonomic diversity patterns. The initial radiation during Bajocian-Bathonian times established two large morphologic groups within the aporrhaids based mainly on differences in the shape of the apertural margin. The second, post-Albian, radiation saw higher origination rates and increased taxonomic and morphologic diversity among genera having simpler apertural margins, while genera with elaborate multidigitate apertures declined in taxonomic diversity but not in morphologic diversity. During post-Albian times the group with simpler apertural margins also tended to be more widespread compared to the group with multidigitate apertures. Comparison of regional and global taxonomic diversities reveals a discordance between regional and global taxonomic patterns: while diversities within certain geographic areas increased in concert with the global radiation, those for other areas decreased substantially, resulting in a remarkably constant average taxonomic diversity within geographic areas.

scholarly journals A Conceptual Approach to Urban Wellbeing from a Human Evolution Perspective

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustav Milne
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
New Towns ◽  
University College London ◽  
Lifestyle Diseases

To cope with a projected global population increase from 7.2 bn to 9.6 bn by 2050, many more cities must be built. Although there are great benefits to modern urban living, there also great costs, such as the seemingly unstoppable rise in Type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary issues and various cancers. The new towns should be designed to contain or constrain the epidemic of those ‘Western Lifestyle Diseases’ that currently plagues today’s cities. But how might this be achieved? It is suggested here that a greater understanding of human evolution combined with the potency of the ‘Palaeolithic genome’ holds the key to our future urban wellbeing. Consequently, a new paradigm is suggested that underpins positive forward thinking on townplanning and city lifestyles to create healthier urban environments. This builds directly on the ‘Evolutionary Determinants of Health’ programme initiated at University College London (UCL). A four-stage model is proposed that integrates and develops both evolutionary-concordant personal and institutional health behaviours with appropriately reconfigured town-planning and building regulations. When integrated, these strands could deliver a healthier urban culture within greened, active townscapes by proactively constraining or eliminating some of the key underlying causes of the so-called ‘Western Lifestyle Diseases’.

scholarly journals Bird interactions with drones, from individuals to large colonies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell Lyons ◽  
Kate Brandis ◽  
Corey Callaghan ◽  
Justin McCann ◽  
Charlotte Mills ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Monitoring ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Bird Colonies

AbstractDrones are rapidly becoming a key part of the toolkit for a range of scientific disciplines, as well as a range of management and commercial applications. This presents a number of challenges in context of how drone use might impact nearby wildlife. Interactions between birds and drones naturally come to mind, since they share the airspace. This paper details initial findings on the interactions between drones and birds for a range of waterbird, passerine and raptor species, across of a range of scientific applications and natural environments. The primary aims of this paper are to provide guidance for those planning or undertaking drone monitoring exercises, as well as provide direction for future research into safe and effective monitoring with drones. Our study sites we all located within Australia and spanned a range of arid, semi-arid, dunefield, floodplain, wetland, woodland, forest, coastal heath and urban environments. We particularly focus on behavioral changes towards drones during breeding season, interactions with raptors, and effects on nesting birds in large colonies – three areas yet to be explored in published literature. In over 70 hours of flight, there were no incidents with birds. Although some aggressive behavior was encountered from solitary breeding birds. Several large breeding bird colonies were surveyed, and included in our observations is monitoring and counting of nests in a colony of over 200,000 Straw-necked Ibis, the largest drone-based bird monitoring exercise to date. In addition to providing observations of interactions with specific bird species, we recommend procedures for flight planning, safe flying and avoidance. This paper also provides a basis for a number of critical and emerging areas of research into bird-drone interactions, most notably, territorial breeding birds, safety around large raptors, and the effect of drones on the behaviour of birds in large breeding colonies.

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