23 research outputs found
Evaluierung von sechs Fotofallenmodellen hinsichtlich der Eignung für Fang-Wiederfang Methoden beim Eurasischen Luchs (Lynx lynx)
No full textDigital outdoor cameras are increasingly used in wildlife research because they allow species inventories, population estimates, and behavior or activity observations. Which camera model is suitable and practical depends on environmental conditions, focus species and specific scientific questions posed. Here we focused on testing cameras appropriate for elusive species that can be identified visually owing to individual coat patterns. Specifically the camera should be adequate for calculating the minimum population of Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) during a systematic monitoring with camera traps. Therefore we tested six digital camera models with regard to trigger speed and the image quality necessary for visual identification of pacing lynx on trails. The decision if a camera model is adequate for the scientific goal was regulated due to priority levels under laboratory conditions. Only one camera model proved to be suitable for camera-trap monitoring. Our practical camera test can be used to evaluate newer models of digital cameras as they become available. This application opens an avenue for a non-invasive population monitoring of rare and elusive species in a low mountain range area.Digitale Fotofallen werden weltweit in der Wildtierforschung eingesetzt. Die Einsatzgebiete sind vielfältig, sie reichen von Artenbestandsaufnahmen und Populationsschätzungen über die Verhaltensforschung bis hin zu Aktivitätsanalysen. Das jeweilig eingesetzte Kameramodell muss an die Aufnahmesituation und die Zielsetzung der Analyse angepasst sein. Das Ziel unseres Fotofallentests war es, ein Modell zu finden, welches für die visuelle Identifizierung von Fellmustern des Eurasischen Luchses geeignet ist. Die Fotofalle soll in einem systematischen Monitoring für die minimale Anzahl der im Gebiet vorkommenden Luchse und deren Populationsschätzung mit Fang-Wiederfang Methoden eingesetzt werden können. Bei dem Test von sechs Fotofallenmodellen, fiel das Hauptaugenmerk auf die Auslösegeschwindigkeit und die Bildqualität welche die nötigen Faktoren für die Sicherstellung der visuellen Identifikation von schreitenden Luchsen am Wildwechsel darstellen. Zur Entscheidungsfindung der Eignung eines Fotofallenmodells für die Fragestellung definierten wir Prioritätslevel unter Laborbedingungen. Es stellte sich heraus, dass nur ein Fotofallenmodell die Ansprüche erfüllte. Der praktische Fotofallentest kann für neuerscheinende Fotofallenmodelle adaptiert werden. Diese Anwendung eröffnet die Möglichkeit für ein nicht invasives Monitoring in Mittelgebirgslandschaften
Impacts of daily household activities on indoor particulate and NO<sub>2</sub> concentrations; a case study from Oxford UK
No full textThis study explores indoor air pollutant (PM1, PM2.5 and NO2) concentrations over a 15-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic in a typical suburban household in Oxford, UK. A multi-room intensive monitoring study was conducted in a single dwelling using 10 air quality sensors measuring real-time pollutant concentrations at 10 second intervals to assess temporal and spatial variability in PM1, PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations, identify pollution-prone areas, and investigate the impact of residents' activities on indoor air quality. Significant spatial variations in PM concentrations were observed within the study dwelling, with highest hourly concentrations (769.0 & 300.9 μg m-3 for PM2.5, and PM1, respectively) observed in the upstairs study room, which had poor ventilation. Cooking activities were identified as a major contributor to indoor particulate pollution, with peak concentrations aligning with cooking events. Indoor NO2 levels were typically higher than outdoor levels, particularly in the kitchen where a gas-cooking appliance was used. There was no significant association observed between outdoor and indoor PM concentrations; however, a clear correlation was evident between kitchen PM emissions and indoor levels. Similarly, outdoor NO2 had a limited influence on indoor air quality compared to kitchen activities. Indoor sources were found to dominate for both PM and NO2, with higher Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios observed in upstairs bedroom and the kitchen. Overall, our findings highlight the contribution of indoor air pollutant sources and domestic activities to indoor air pollution exposure, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were typically spending more time in domestic settings. Our novel findings, which suggest high levels of pollutant concentrations in upstairs (first floor) rooms, underscore the necessity for targeted interventions. These interventions include the implementation of source control measures, effective ventilation strategies and occupant education for behaviour change, all aimed at improving indoor air quality and promoting healthier living environments
The effect of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from a highly boosted GDI engine
No full textGasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines are increasingly available in the market. Such engines are known to emit more Particulate Matter (PM) than their port-fuel injected predecessors. There is also a widespread use of oxygenate fuels in the market, up to blends of E85, and their impact on PN emissions is widely studied. However the impact of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from downsized, and hence highly-boosted engines is not known.
In this work, PN emissions from a highly boosted engine capable of running at up to 35 bar Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) have been measured from a baseline gasoline and three different oxygenate fuels (E20, E85, and GEM – a blend of gasoline, ethanol, and methanol) using a DMS500. The engine has been run at four different operating points, and a number of engine parameters relevant to highly-boosted engines (such as EGR, exhaust back pressure, and lambda) have been tested – the PN emissions and size distributions have been measured from all of these.
The results show that the oxygenate content of the fuel has a very large impact on its PN emissions, with E85 giving low levels of PN emissions across the operating range, and GEM giving very low and extremely high levels of PN emissions depending on operating point. These results have been analysed and related back to key fuel properties
The impact of COVID-19 public health restrictions on particulate matter pollution measured by a validated low-cost sensor network in Oxford, UK
No full textEmergency responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to major changes in travel behaviours and economic activities with arising impacts upon urban air quality. To date, these air quality changes associated with lockdown measures have typically been assessed using limited city-level regulatory monitoring data, however, low-cost air quality sensors provide capabilities to assess changes across multiple locations at higher spatial-temporal resolution, thereby generating insights relevant for future air quality interventions. The aim of this study was to utilise high-spatial resolution air quality information utilising data arising from a validated (using a random forest field calibration) network of 15 low-cost air quality sensors within Oxford, UK to monitor the impacts of multiple COVID-19 public heath restrictions upon particulate matter concentrations (PM10, PM2.5) from January 2020 to September 2021. Measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 particle size fractions both within and between site locations are compared to a pre-pandemic related public health restrictions baseline. While average peak concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were reduced by 9–10 μg/m3 below typical peak levels experienced in recent years, mean daily PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were only ∼1 μg/m3 lower and there was marked temporal (as restrictions were added and removed) and spatial variability (across the 15-sensor network) in these observations. Across the 15-sensor network we observed a small local impact from traffic related emission sources upon particle concentrations near traffic-oriented sensors with higher average and peak concentrations as well as greater dynamic range, compared to more intermediate and background orientated sensor locations. The greater dynamic range in concentrations is indicative of exposure to more variable emission sources, such as road transport emissions. Our findings highlight the great potential for low-cost sensor technology to identify highly localised changes in pollutant concentrations as a consequence of changes in behaviour (in this case influenced by COVID-19 restrictions), generating insights into non-traffic contributions to PM emissions in this setting. It is evident that additional non-traffic related measures would be required in Oxford to reduce the PM10 and PM2.5 levels to within WHO health-based guidelines and to achieve compliance with PM2.5 targets developed under the Environment Act 2021
Association analyses of 249,796 individuals reveal 18 new loci associated with body mass index
No full textObesity is globally prevalent and highly heritable, but its underlying genetic factors remain largely elusive. To identify genetic loci for obesity susceptibility, we examined associations between body mass index and similar to 2.8 million SNPs in up to 123,865 individuals with targeted follow up of 42 SNPs in up to 125,931 additional individuals. We confirmed 14 known obesity susceptibility loci and identified 18 new loci associated with body mass index (P < 5 x 10(-8)), one of which includes a copy number variant near GPRC5B. Some loci (at MC4R, POMC, SH2B1 and BDNF) map near key hypothalamic regulators of energy balance, and one of these loci is near GIPR, an incretin receptor. Furthermore, genes in other newly associated loci may provide new insights into human body weight regulation
Impacts of emergency health protection measures upon air quality, traffic and public health: evidence from Oxford, UK
No full textEmergency responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to major changes in travel behaviours and economic activities in 2020. Machine learning provides a reliable approach for assessing the contribution of these changes to air quality. This study investigates impacts of health protection measures upon air pollution and traffic emissions and estimates health and economic impacts arising from these changes during two national ‘lockdown’ periods in Oxford, UK. Air quality improvements were most marked during the first lockdown with reductions in observed NO2 concentrations of 38% (SD ± 24.0%) at roadside and 17% (SD ± 5.4%) at urban background locations. Observed changes in PM2.5, PM10 and O3 concentrations were not significant during first or second lockdown. Deweathering and detrending analyses revealed a 22% (SD ± 4.4%) reduction in roadside NO2 and 2% (SD ± 7.1%) at urban background with no significant changes in the second lockdown. Deweathered-detrended PM2.5 and O3 concentration changes were not significant, but PM10 increased in the second lockdown only. City centre traffic volume reduced by 69% and 38% in the first and second lockdown periods. Buses and passenger cars were the major contributors to NO2 emissions, with relative reductions of 56% and 77% respectively during the first lockdown, and less pronounced changes in the second lockdown. While car and bus NO2 emissions decreased during both lockdown periods, the overall contribution from buses increased relative to cars in the second lockdown. Sustained NO2 emissions reduction consistent with the first lockdown could prevent 48 lost life-years among the city population, with economic benefits of up to £2.5 million. Our findings highlight the critical importance of decoupling emissions changes from meteorological influences to avoid overestimation of lockdown impacts and indicate targeted emissions control measures will be the most effective strategy for achieving air quality and public health benefits in this setting
Publisher Correction: Discovery of rare variants associated with blood pressure regulation through meta-analysis of 1.3 million individuals (Nature Genetics, (2020), 52, 12, (1314-1332), 10.1038/s41588-020-00713-x)
No full textIn the version of this article originally published, the e-mail address of corresponding author Patricia B. Munroe was incorrect. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article
The pipeline project: Pre-publication independent replications of a single laboratory's research pipeline
No full textThis crowdsourced project introduces a collaborative approach to improving the reproducibility of scientific research, in which findings are replicated in qualified independent laboratories before (rather than after) they are published. Our goal is to establish a non-adversarial replication process with highly informative final results. To illustrate the Pre-Publication Independent Replication (PPIR) approach, 25 research groups conducted replications of all ten moral judgment effects which the last author and his collaborators had “in the pipeline” as of August 2014. Six findings replicated according to all replication criteria, one finding replicated but with a significantly smaller effect size than the original, one finding replicated consistently in the original culture but not outside of it, and two findings failed to find support. In total, 40% of the original findings failed at least one major replication criterion. Potential ways to implement and incentivize pre-publication independent replication on a large scale are discussed
