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Global emissions of the ozone-depleting gas HCFC-141b (1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane, CH3CCl2F) derived from measurements of atmospheric mole fractions increased between 2017 and 2021 despite a fall in reported production and consumption of HCFC-141b for dispersive uses. HCFC-141b is a controlled substance under the Montreal Protocol, and its phase-out is currently underway, after a peak in reported consumption and production in developing (Article 5) countries in 2013. If reported production and consumption are correct, our study suggests that the 2017–2021 rise is due to an increase in emissions from the bank when appliances containing HCFC-141b reach the end of their life, or from production of HCFC-141b not reported for dispersive uses. Regional emissions have been estimated between 2017–2020 for all regions where measurements have sufficient sensitivity to emissions. This includes the regions of northwestern Europe, east Asia, the United States and Australia, where emissions decreased by a total of 2.3 ± 4.6 Gg yr−1, compared to a mean global increase of 3.0 ± 1.2 Gg yr−1 over the same period. Collectively these regions only account for around 30 % of global emissions in 2020. We are not able to pinpoint the source regions or specific activities responsible for the recent global emission rise.

We present a method for estimating fossil fuel methane emissions using observations of methane and ethane, accounting for uncertainty in their emission ratio. The ethane:methane emission ratio is incorporated as a spatially and temporally variable parameter in a Bayesian model, with its own prior distribution and uncertainty. We find that using an emission ratio distribution mitigates bias from using a fixed, potentially incorrect emission ratio and that uncertainty in this ratio is propagated into posterior estimates of emissions. A synthetic data test is used to show the impact of assuming an incorrect ethane:methane emission ratio and demonstrate how our variable parameter model can better quantify overall uncertainty. We also use this method to estimate UK methane emissions from high-frequency observations of methane and ethane from the UK Deriving Emissions linked to Climate Change (DECC) network. Using the joint methane–ethane inverse model, we estimate annual mean UK methane emissions of approximately 0.27 (95 % uncertainty interval 0.26–0.29) Tg yr−1 from fossil fuel sources and 2.06 (1.99–2.15) Tg yr−1 from non-fossil fuel sources, during the period 2015–2019. Uncertainties in UK fossil fuel emissions estimates are reduced on average by 15 % and up to 35 % when incorporating ethane into the inverse model, in comparison to results from the methane-only inversion.

Halocarbons contribute to global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion. They are emitted to the atmosphere by various anthropogenic activities. To determine Swiss national halocarbon emissions, we applied top-down methods, which rely on atmospheric concentration observations sensitive to the targeted emissions. We present 12 months (September 2019 to August 2020) of continuous atmospheric observations of 28 halocarbons from a measurement campaign at the Beromünster tall tower in Switzerland. The site is sensitive to the Swiss Plateau, which is the most densely populated area of Switzerland. Therefore, the measurements are well suited to derive Swiss halocarbon emissions. Emissions were calculated by two different top-down methods, i.e. a tracer ratio method (TRM), with carbon monoxide (CO) as the independent tracer, and a Bayesian inversion (BI), based on atmospheric transport simulations using FLEXPART–COSMO. The results were compared to previously reported top-down emission estimates, based on measurements at the high-Alpine site of Jungfraujoch, and to the bottom-up Swiss national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, as annually reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We observed moderately elevated concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), both banned from production and consumption in Europe. The corresponding emissions are likely related to the ongoing outgassing from older foams and refrigerators and confirm the widespread historical use of these substances. For the major hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), HFC-125 (CHF2CF3) and HFC-32 (CH2F2), our calculated emissions of 100 ± 34 and 45 ± 14 Mg yr−1 are in good agreement with the numbers reported in the Swiss inventory, whereas, for HFC-134a (CH2FCF3), our result of 280 ± 89 Mg yr−1 is more than 30 % lower than the Swiss inventory. For HFC-152a (CH3CHF2), our top-down result of 21 ± 5 Mg yr−1 is significantly higher than the number reported in the Swiss inventory. For the other investigated HFCs, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), SF6 and NF3, Swiss emissions were small and in agreement with the inventory. Finally, we present the first country-based emission estimates for three recently phased-in, unregulated hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), HFO-1234yf (CF3CF=CH2), HFO-1234ze(E) ((E)-CF3CH=CHF), and HCFO-1233zd(E) ((E)-CF3CH=CHCl). For these three HFOs, we calculated Swiss emissions of 15 ± 4, 34 ± 14, and 7 ± 1 Mg yr−1, respectively.

Atmospheric measurements can be used as a tool to evaluate national greenhouse gas inventories through inverse modelling. Using 8 years of continuous methane (CH4) concentration data, this work assesses the United Kingdom's (UK) CH4 emissions over the period 2013–2020. Using two different inversion methods, we find mean emissions of 2.10 ± 0.09 and 2.12 ± 0.26 Tg yr−1 between 2013 and 2020, an overall trend of −0.05 ± 0.01 and −0.06 ± 0.04 Tg yr−2 and a 2 %–3 % decrease each year. This compares with the mean emissions of 2.23 Tg yr−1 and the trend of −0.03 Tg yr−2 (1 % annual decrease) reported in the UK's 2021 inventory between 2013 and 2019. We examine how sensitive these estimates are to various components of the inversion set-up, such as the measurement network configuration, the prior emissions estimate, the inversion method and the atmospheric transport model used. We find the decreasing trend to be due, primarily, to a reduction in emissions from England, which accounts for 70 % of the UK CH4 emissions. Comparisons during 2015 demonstrate consistency when different atmospheric transport models are used to map the relationship between sources and atmospheric observations at the aggregation level of the UK. The posterior annual national means and negative trend are found to be consistent across changes in network configuration. We show, using only two monitoring sites, that the same conclusions on mean UK emissions and negative trend would be reached as using the full six-site network, albeit with larger posterior uncertainties. However, emissions estimates from Scotland fail to converge on the same posterior under different inversion set-ups, highlighting a shortcoming of the current observation network in monitoring all of the UK. Although CH4 emissions in 2020 are estimated to have declined relative to previous years, this decrease is in line with the longer-term emissions trend and is not necessarily a response to national lockdowns.

National greenhouse gas inventories (GHGIs) are submitted annually to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They are estimated in compliance with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodological guidance using activity data, emission factors and facility-level measurements. For some sources, the outputs from these calculations are very uncertain. Inverse modelling techniques that use high-quality, long-term measurements of atmospheric gases have been developed to provide independent verification of national GHGIs. This is considered good practice by the IPCC as it helps national inventory compilers to verify reported emissions and to reduce emission uncertainty. Emission estimates from the InTEM (Inversion Technique for Emission Modelling) model are presented for the UK for the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) reported to the UNFCCC (HFC-125, HFC-134a, HFC-143a, HFC-152a, HFC-23, HFC-32, HFC-227ea, HFC-245fa, HFC-43-10mee and HFC-365mfc). These HFCs have high global warming potentials (GWPs), and the global background mole fractions of all but two are increasing, thus highlighting their relevance to the climate and a need for increasing the accuracy of emission estimation for regulatory purposes. This study presents evidence that the long-term annual increase in growth of HFC-134a has stopped and is now decreasing. For HFC-32 there is an early indication, its rapid global growth period has ended, and there is evidence that the annual increase in global growth for HFC-125 has slowed from 2018. The inverse modelling results indicate that the UK implementation of European Union regulation of HFC emissions has been successful in initiating a decline in UK emissions from 2018. Comparison of the total InTEM UK HFC emissions in 2020 with the average from 2009–2012 shows a drop of 35 %, indicating progress toward the target of a 79 % decrease in sales by 2030. The total InTEM HFC emission estimates (2008–2018) are on average 73 (62–83) % of, or 4.3 (2.7–5.9) Tg CO2-eq yr−1 lower than, the total HFC emission estimates from the UK GHGI. There are also significant discrepancies between the two estimates for the individual HFCs.

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are amongst the most potent greenhouse gases listed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With atmospheric lifetimes on the order of thousands to tens of thousands of years, PFC emissions represent a permanent alteration to the global atmosphere on human timescales. While the industries responsible for the vast majority of these emissions – aluminium smelting and semi-conductor manufacturing – have made efficiency improvements and introduced abatement measures, the global mean mole fractions of three PFCs, namely tetrafluoromethane (CF4, PFC-14), hexafluoroethane (C2F6, PFC-116) and octafluoropropane (C3F8, PFC-218), continue to grow. In this study, we update baseline growth rates using in situ high-frequency measurements from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) and, using data from four European stations, estimate PFC emissions for northwest Europe. The global growth rate of CF4 decreased from 1.3 ppt yr−1 in 1979 to 0.6 ppt yr−1 around 2010 followed by a renewed steady increase to 0.9 ppt yr−1 in 2019. For C2F6, the growth rate grew to a maximum of 0.125 ppt yr−1 around 1999, followed by a decline to a minimum of 0.075 ppt yr−1 in 2009, followed by weak growth thereafter. The C3F8 growth rate was around 0.007 ppt yr−1 until the early 1990s and then quickly grew to a maximum of 0.03 ppt yr−1 in 2003–2004. Following a period of decline until 2012 to 0.015 ppt yr−1, the growth rate slowly increased again to ∼ 0.017 ppt yr−1 in 2019. We used an inverse modelling framework to infer PFC emissions for northwest Europe. No statistically significant trend in regional emissions was observed for any of the PFCs assessed. For CF4, European emissions in early years were linked predominantly to the aluminium industry. However, we link large emissions in recent years to a chemical manufacturer in northwest Italy. Emissions of C2F6 are linked to a range of sources, including a semi-conductor manufacturer in Ireland and a cluster of smelters in Germany's Ruhr valley. In contrast, northwest European emissions of C3F8 are dominated by a single source in northwest England, raising the possibility of using emissions from this site for a tracer release experiment.

International agreements have been implemented to reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to reduce their radiative forcing. Even though reported HFC-23 emissions are at a historical low, observations indicate that emissions have actually increased over recent years to higher levels than previously.

As the second most populous country and third fastest growing economy, India has emerged as a global economic power. As such, its emissions of greenhouse and ozone-depleting gases are of global significance. However, unlike neighbouring China, the Indian sub-continent is very poorly monitored by atmospheric measurement networks. India's halocarbon emissions, here defined as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and chlorocarbons, are not well-known. Previous measurements from the region have been obtained at observatories many hundreds of kilometres from source regions, or at high altitudes, limiting their value for the estimation of regional emission rates. Given the projected rapid growth in demand for refrigerants and solvents in India, emission estimates of these halocarbons are urgently needed to provide a benchmark against which future changes can be evaluated. In this study, we report atmospheric-measurement-derived halocarbon emissions from India. With the exception of dichloromethane, these top-down estimates are the first for India's halocarbons. Air samples were collected at low altitude during an aircraft campaign in June and July 2016, and emissions were derived from measurements of these samples using an inverse modelling framework. These results were evaluated to assess India's progress in phasing out ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. India's combined CFC emissions are estimated to be 54 (27–86) Tg CO2 eq. yr−1 (5th and 95th confidence intervals are shown in parentheses). HCFC-22 emissions of 7.8 (6.0–9.9) Gg yr−1 are of similar magnitude to emissions of HFC-134a (8.2 (6.1–10.7) Gg yr−1). We estimate India's HFC-23 emissions to be 1.2 (0.9–1.5) Gg yr−1, and our results are consistent with resumed venting of HFC-23 by HCFC-22 manufacturers following the discontinuation of funding for abatement under the Clean Development Mechanism. We report small emissions of HFC-32 and HFC-143a and provide evidence to suggest that HFC-32 emissions were primarily due to fugitive emissions during manufacturing processes. A lack of significant correlation among HFC species and the small emissions derived for HFC-32 and HFC-143a indicate that in 2016, India's use of refrigerant blends R-410A, R-404A and R-507A was limited, despite extensive consumption elsewhere in the world. We also estimate emissions of the regulated chlorocarbons carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform from northern and central India to be 2.3 (1.5–3.4) and 0.07 (0.04–0.10) Gg yr−1 respectively. While the Montreal Protocol has been successful in reducing emissions of many ozone-depleting substances, growth in the global emission rates of the unregulated very short-lived substances poses an ongoing threat to the recovery of the ozone layer. Emissions of dichloromethane are found to be 96.5 (77.8–115.6) Gg yr−1, and our estimate suggests a 5-fold increase in emissions since the last estimate derived from atmospheric data in 2008. We estimate perchloroethene emissions from India and chloroform emissions from northern–central India to be 2.9 (2.5–3.3) and 32.2 (28.3–37.1) Gg yr−1 respectively. Given the rapid growth of India's economy and the likely increase in demand for halocarbons such as HFCs, the implementation of long-term atmospheric monitoring in the region is urgently required. Our results provide a benchmark against which future changes to India's halocarbon emissions may be evaluated.

We reconstruct atmospheric abundances of the potent greenhouse gas c-C4F8 (perfluorocyclobutane, perfluorocarbon PFC-318) from measurements of in situ, archived, firn, and aircraft air samples with precisions of ∼1 %–2 % reported on the SIO-14 gravimetric calibration scale. Combined with inverse methods, we found near-zero atmospheric abundances from the early 1900s to the early 1960s, after which they rose sharply, reaching 1.66 ppt (parts per trillion dry-air mole fraction) in 2017. Global c-C4F8 emissions rose from near zero in the 1960s to 1.2±0.1 (1σ) Gg yr−1 in the late 1970s to late 1980s, then declined to 0.77±0.03 Gg yr−1 in the mid-1990s to early 2000s, followed by a rise since the early 2000s to 2.20±0.05 Gg yr−1 in 2017. These emissions are significantly larger than inventory-based emission estimates. Estimated emissions from eastern Asia rose from 0.36 Gg yr−1 in 2010 to 0.73 Gg yr−1 in 2016 and 2017, 31 % of global emissions, mostly from eastern China. We estimate emissions of 0.14 Gg yr−1 from northern and central India in 2016 and find evidence for significant emissions from Russia. In contrast, recent emissions from northwestern Europe and Australia are estimated to be small (≤1 % each). We suggest that emissions from China, India, and Russia are likely related to production of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, “Teflon”) and other fluoropolymers and fluorochemicals that are based on the pyrolysis of hydrochlorofluorocarbon HCFC-22 (CHClF2) in which c-C4F8 is a known by-product. The semiconductor sector, where c-C4F8 is used, is estimated to be a small source, at least in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Europe. Without an obvious correlation with population density, incineration of waste-containing fluoropolymers is probably a minor source, and we find no evidence of emissions from electrolytic production of aluminum in Australia. While many possible emissive uses of c-C4F8 are known and though we cannot categorically exclude unknown sources, the start of significant emissions may well be related to the advent of commercial PTFE production in 1947. Process controls or abatement to reduce the c-C4F8 by-product were probably not in place in the early decades, explaining the increase in emissions in the 1960s and 1970s. With the advent of by-product reporting requirements to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the 1990s, concern about climate change and product stewardship, abatement, and perhaps the collection of c-C4F8 by-product for use in the semiconductor industry where it can be easily abated, it is conceivable that emissions in developed countries were stabilized and then reduced, explaining the observed emission reduction in the 1980s and 1990s. Concurrently, production of PTFE in China began to increase rapidly. Without emission reduction requirements, it is plausible that global emissions today are dominated by China and other developing countries. We predict that c-C4F8 emissions will continue to rise and that c-C4F8 will become the second most important emitted PFC in terms of CO2-equivalent emissions within a year or two. The 2017 radiative forcing of c-C4F8 (0.52 mW m−2) is small but emissions of c-C4F8 and other PFCs, due to their very long atmospheric lifetimes, essentially permanently alter Earth's radiative budget and should be reduced. Significant emissions inferred outside of the investigated regions clearly show that observational capabilities and reporting requirements need to be improved to understand global and country-scale emissions of PFCs and other synthetic greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances.

Over 900 event-based precipitation samples were collected in 2019–2021 in the Tien Shan and its foothills and analysed using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. δD and δ18O values were highest in summer and lowest in winter, and annual cycles of deuterium excess (d-excess) varied between sites, reflecting local conditions. The δ18O and δD values increased from north to south in all seasons except autumn, and latitude was a statistically significant predictor of δ18O and δD in the overall data set, along with elevation in winter and elevation and longitude in autumn. Elevation was a significant predictor of d-excess in all seasons, and local air temperature was a more important control over δ18O and δD than precipitation depth. Local meteoric water lines were derived using seven regression methods applied to non-weighted and weighted precipitation. Non-weighted ordinary least squares regression and reduced major axis regression methods are recommended overall, except for summer when the precipitation-weighted least squares regression should be used, particularly in the south. Atmospheric back-trajectory and mixing-model analyses were applied in combination to identify air mass source regions and their relative contribution to precipitation. Recycled moisture from irrigated land in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins and from the study catchments accounted for 29 %–71 % of precipitation, depending on the site and season. In the Chon Kyzyl-Suu catchment, local re-evaporation from Issyk-Kul accounted for up to 85 % of precipitation. These findings highlight the importance of moisture from terrestrial sources, especially irrigated land, for the formation of precipitation in the Tien Shan.

This paper surveys a new class of electromagnetic materials. The emphasis is on the bianisotropic medium; a complex material which has never been applied in antenna design. In this context, we investigate the behavior of the magnetoelectric elements of the gyrotropic reciprocal bianisotropic medium used as a grounded substrate by studying their effects on the input impedance and mutual coupling of a printed dipole antenna. Numerical integrative equation calculations are carried out using the spectral method of moments (SMoM) based on the analytical derivation of the appropriate spectral Green’s functions for the considered dipole configuration. The obtained results reveal a change in the sign of the real part of the input impedance. This is mainly due to the complex property of the considered medium. The medium has also minimized the input impedance ∼4 times (1kΩ); this can help in device matching. This medium has shown a significant impact on the input impedance as well as the antenna array coupling. The design miniaturization possibility is an important result of this research in the design of antenna arrays.

In this work, an analytical study of the electromagnetic propagation in a complex medium-based suspended three-layer coplanar waveguide (CPW) is carried out. The study aims at a numerical calculation of the dominant hybrid mode complex propagation constant in the CPW printed on a bianisotropic substrate. The herein considered bianisotropy is characterized by full 3×3 tensors of permittivity, permeability and magnetoelectric parameters. The study is based on the numerical derivation of the Green's functions of such a complex medium in the spectral domain. The study is carried out using the Full Generalized Exponential Matrix Technique based on matrix-shaped compact mathematical formulations. The Spectral Method of Moments (SMoM) and the Galerkin's procedure are used to solve the resulting homogeneous system of equations. The effect of the chiral and achiral bianisotropy on the complex propagation constant is particularly investigated. Good agreements with available data for an anisotropic-medium-based suspended CPW structure are achieved. Various cases of chiral and achiral bianisotropy have been investigated, and particularly, the effect on the dispersion characteristics is presented and compared with cases of isotropic and bianisotropic Tellegen media.

Secure and reliable operation of power systems with high wind and solar shares requires system flexibility. In this paper, an hourly-based market and grid simulation model is developed to assess security and reliability of a power system with high wind and solar energy share. The model is applied to Turkey as an emerging G20 country that aims to supply its rapidly growing electricity demand from local renewables and lignite as well as nuclear energy. The most ambitious scenario that covers the 2016–2026 period assumes half of all electricity demand is supplied from renewables (30% wind and solar and 20% other resources). This is achieved by ensuring system flexibility through system-friendly location of wind and solar capacity, energy storage, flexible thermal generators, and demand response. Without system flexibility, 3% of renewable power is curtailed and redispatch share required for system security and reliability doubles from current levels. Moreover, additional transmission grid investments are needed. Improving system flexibility ensures secure and reliable operation but increases system costs by 1%–5% with each flexibility option providing different scale benefits, indicating the need for system-wide planning. As gas-based generation declines below 10%, accounting for energy security benefits will be important. On the other hand, coal supply remains around 25% depending on nuclear energy development. At this crossroad, Turkey needs to make its choices to transition to a secure, clean and affordable energy system. The study addresses quantitatively how the flexibility options contribute to such a transition, providing learnings for countries with similar conditions.

In this work, we present an analytical modeling of a highly complex medium-based shielded microstrip line. The study aims at a numerical evaluation of the characteristic impedance and the dispersion characteristics of the dominant hybrid mode in the microstrip line printed on an anisotropic medium. The newly considered complex anisotropy has a full 3×3 tensor form of permittivity and permeability. The study is based on the derivation of the Green's functions of the general complex-medium-based structure in the Fourier domain. The spectral Method of Moments (MoM) and the Galerkin's procedure are combined to solve the resulting homogeneous system of equations. The effect of the gyrotropic anisotropy on the phase constant and the characteristic impedance is particularly investigated. Original and interesting numerical results are obtained and discussed. Our results are found to be in good agreement with available isotropic case data reported in literature.

In this work, we propose a new and simple method to insure an online and automatic detection of faults that affect induction motor rotors. Induction motors now occupy an important place in the industrial environment and cover an extremely wide range of applications. They require a system installation that monitors the motor state to suit the operating conditions for a given application. The proposed method is based on the consideration of the spectrum of the single-phase stator current envelope as input of the detection algorithm. The characteristics related to the broken bar fault in the frequency domain extracted from the Hilbert Transform is used to estimate the fault severity for different load levels through classification tools. The frequency analysis of the envelope gives the frequency component and the associated amplitude which define the existence of the fault. The clustering of the indicator is chosen in a two-dimensional space by the fuzzy c mean clustering to find the center of each class. The distance criterion, the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm and the neural networks are used to determine the fault type. This method is validated on a 5.5-kW induction motor test bench. Article History: Received July 16th 2017; Received: October 5th 2017; Accepted: Januari 6th 2018; Available online How to Cite This Article: Ouanas, A., Medoued, A., Haddad, S., Mordjaoui, M., and Sayad, D. (2017) Automatic and online Detection of Rotor Fault State. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(1), 43-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.1.43-52

Основные принципы окружающей среды от загрязнения отходами производства и потребления за- креплены в нормативных актах различного иерархического уровня и различной ведомственной при- надлежности. Указанные принципы следует представить в самостоятельном разделе Экологического кодекса Республики Казахстан, поскольку именно на них должны быть построены новые правовые нормы, детализирующие вопросы нейтрализации, утилизации и захоронения отходов, которые в пер- спективе должны послужить базовым ориентиром при разработке необходимых правовых актов под- законного уровня. Ключевые слова: принципы, окружающая среда, отходы, загрязнение отходами.

В данной статье автором рассматриваются понятие, содержание и принципы охраны окружающей среды от загрязнения отходами производства и потребления. Сделан краткий анализ законодательства в данной сфере. Мақалада автор қоршаған ортаны өндіріс және тұтыну қалдықтарынан қорғаудың түсінігі, мазмұны және қағидалары қарастырылған. Осы саладағы заңнаманы талдау жасалған.

It is estimated that global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO _2 ) emissions reduced by up to 12% at the start of 2020 compared to recent years due to the COVID-19 related downturn in economic activity. Despite the large decrease in CO _2 emissions, no reduction in the trend in background atmospheric CO _2 concentrations has been detected. So, how long would it take for sustained COVID-19 CO _2 emission reductions to be detected in daily and monthly averaged local CO _2 concentration measurements? CO _2 concentration measurements for five measurement sites in the UK and Ireland are combined with meteorological numerical weather prediction data to build statistical models that can predict future CO _2 concentrations. It is found that $75\%$ of the observed daily variability can be explained by these simple models. Emission reduction scenario experiments using these simple models illustrate that large daily and seasonal variability in local CO _2 concentrations precludes the rapid emergence of a detectable signal. COVID-19 magnitude emissions reductions would only be detectable in the daily CO _2 concentrations after at least 38 months and in monthly CO _2 concentrations after 11 months of sustained reductions. For monthly CO _2 concentrations the time of emergence is similar for all sites since the seasonal variability is largely driven by non-local fluxes of CO _2 between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. The COVID-19 CO _2 anthropogenic emissions reductions are similar in magnitude to those that are required to meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperatures below $2\,^{\circ}$ C. This study demonstrates that, using measurements alone, there will be a considerable lag between changes in global anthropogenic emissions and a detected signal in local CO _2 concentration trends. Thus, there is likely to be a delay of several years between changes in policy designed to meet CO _2 anthropogenic emissions targets and our ability to detect the impact of these policies on CO _2 concentrations using atmospheric measurements alone.

The present study aimed to investigate the production of yoghurt in which the parts of the Gundelia tournefortii L. and its gum were added to milk at levels of 3% (v/v), incubated until the pH value reached 4.7 at 42 °C and then stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The Ca, P, K, Na and Mg contents of the yoghurt sample containing Gundelia tournefortii L. proved to be higher than those found in the control sample. Acidity, acetaldehyde, viscosity, a* values of yoghurt samples increased during storage, while the volatile fatty acids, gel firmness, whey separation, water holding capacity, L* and the b* values were decreased. The lactic acid bacteria count on the 21st day was > 6 log CFU/g in all yoghurt samples. The total aerobic mesophilic bacteria decreased except for the yoghurt sample containing Gundelia tournefortii L. milk, while the yeast and mold increased. The preference map revealed that 60-80% of consumers were satisfied with the control sample and the Gundelia tournefortii L. gum sample. Gundelia tournefortii L. milk and Gundelia tournefortii L. leaves samples were also found to have acceptable scores. As a result, adding Gundelia tournefortii L. into the yoghurt turned out to have a positive impact on its sensory and functional properties and could lead to an innovative approach in the dairy product market., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-05987-1., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Pediatric Post-COVID-Condition (PPCC) clinics treat children despite limited scientific substantiation. By exploring real-life management of children diagnosed with PPCC, the International Post-COVID-Condition in Children Collaboration (IP4C) aimed to provide guidance for future PPCC care., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional international, multicenter study on used PPCC definitions; the organization of PPCC care programs and patients characteristics. We compared aggregated data from PPCC cohorts and identified priorities to improve PPCC care., Results: Ten PPCC care programs and six COVID-19 follow-up research cohorts participated. Aggregated data from 584 PPCC patients was analyzed. The most common symptoms included fatigue (71%), headache (55%), concentration difficulties (53%), and brain fog (48%). Severe limitations in daily life were reported in 31% of patients. Most PPCC care programs organized in-person visits with multidisciplinary teams. Diagnostic testing for respiratory and cardiac morbidity was most frequently performed and seldom abnormal. Treatment was often limited to physical therapy and psychological support., Conclusions: We found substantial heterogeneity in both the diagnostics and management of PPCC, possibly explained by scarce scientific evidence and lack of standardized care. We present a list of components which future guidelines should address, and outline priorities concerning PPCC care pathways, research and international collaboration., Impact: Pediatric Post-COVID Condition (PPCC) Care programs have been initiated in many countries. Children with PPCC in different countries are affected by similar symptoms, limiting many to participate in daily life. There is substantial heterogeneity in diagnostic testing. Access to specific diagnostic tests is required to identify some long-term COVID-19 sequelae. Treatments provided were limited to physical therapy and psychological support. This study emphasizes the need for evidence-based diagnostics and treatment of PPCC. The International Post-COVID Collaboration for Children (IP4C) provides guidance for guideline development and introduces a framework of priorities for PPCC care and research, to improve PPCC outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.)

The detection of weld defects by using X-rays is an important task in the industry. It requires trained specialists with the expertise to conduct a timely inspection, which is costly and cumbersome. Moreover, the process can be erroneous due to fatigue and lack of concentration. In this context, this study proposes an automated approach to identify multi-class welding defects by processing the X-ray images. It is realized by an intelligent hybridization of the data augmentation techniques and convolutional neural network (CNN). The proposed data augmentation mainly performs random rotation, shearing, zooming, brightness adjustment, and horizontal flips on the intended images. This augmentation is beneficial for the realization of a generalized trained CNN model, which can process the multi-class dataset for the identification of welding defects. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by testing its performance in processing an industrial dataset. The intended dataset contains 4479 X-ray images and belongs to six groups: cavity, cracks, inclusion slag, lack of fusion, shape defects, and normal defects. The devised technique achieved an average accuracy of 92%. This indicates that the approach is promising and can be used in contemporary solutions for the automated detection and categorization of welding defects.

Global emissions of the ozone-depleting gas HCFC-141b (1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane, CH 3 CCl 2 F) derived from measurements of atmospheric mole fractions increased between 2017 and 2021 despite a fall in reported production and consumption of HCFC-141b for dispersive uses. HCFC-141b is a controlled substance under the Montreal Protocol, and its phase-out is currently underway, after a peak in reported consumption and production in developing (Article 5) countries in 2013. If reported production and consumption are correct, our study suggests that the 2017-2021 rise is due to an increase in emissions from the bank when appliances containing HCFC-141b reach the end of their life, or from production of HCFC-141b not reported for dispersive uses. Regional emissions have been estimated between 2017-2020 for all regions where measurements have sufficient sensitivity to emissions. This includes the regions of northwestern Europe, east Asia, the United States and Australia, where emissions decreased by a total of 2.3 ± 4.6 Ggyr -1 , compared to a mean global increase of 3.0 ± 1.2 Ggyr -1 over the same period. Collectively these regions only account for around 30% of global emissions in 2020. We are not able to pinpoint the source regions or specific activities responsible for the recent global emission rise., Competing Interests: Competing interests. The contact author has declared that none of the authors has any competing interests.

In this study, physicochemical composition, nitrogen fractions and volatile compounds of goat cheeses manufactured using artisanal liquid coagulant by four different manufacturers in a mountainous area were investigated. Fresh goat cheeses were characterized by their high fat and high levels of total free amino acids. Volatile profiles were isolated by a solid-phase microextraction technique (SPME/GC-MS) and analyzed by gas chromography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the cheeses, 50 aroma components were identified as ten acids, nine terpens, nine alcohols, eight esters, six aldehydes, five ketones, two volatile phenols and one norisoprenoid with 13 carbon atoms. The major aroma compounds found were nonanoic acid, 2-hexanol and acetoin., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThere is no conflict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2021.)

With the successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the atmospheric abundance of ozone-depleting substances continues to decrease slowly and the Antarctic ozone hole is showing signs of recovery. However, growing emissions of unregulated short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons are offsetting some of these gains. Here, we report an increase in emissions from China of the industrially produced chlorocarbon, dichloromethane (CH 2 Cl 2 ). The emissions grew from 231 (213-245) Gg yr -1 in 2011 to 628 (599-658) Gg yr -1 in 2019, with an average annual increase of 13 (12-15) %, primarily from eastern China. The overall increase in CH 2 Cl 2 emissions from China has the same magnitude as the global emission rise of 354 (281-427) Gg yr -1 over the same period. If global CH 2 Cl 2 emissions remain at 2019 levels, they could lead to a delay in Antarctic ozone recovery of around 5 years compared to a scenario with no CH 2 Cl 2 emissions., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly spread to more than 222 countries and has put global public health at high risk. The world urgently needs cost-effective and safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, antiviral, and therapeutic drugs to control it. In this study, we engineered the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and produced it in the plant Nicotiana benthamiana in a glycosylated and deglycosylated form. Expression levels of both glycosylated (gRBD) and deglycosylated (dRBD) RBD were greater than 45 mg/kg fresh weight. The purification yields were 22 mg of pure protein/kg of plant biomass for gRBD and 20 mg for dRBD, which would be sufficient for commercialization of these vaccine candidates. The purified plant-produced RBD protein was recognized by an S protein-specific monoclonal antibody, demonstrating specific reactivity of the antibody to the plant-produced RBD proteins. The SARS-CoV-2 RBD showed specific binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 receptor. In mice, the plant-produced RBD antigens elicited high titers of antibodies with a potent virus-neutralizing activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that mice immunized with plant-produced deglycosylated RBD form elicited high titer of RBD-specific antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, obtained data support that plant-produced glycosylated and in vivo deglycosylated RBD antigens, developed in this study, are promising vaccine candidates for the prevention of COVID-19.

Objective: There is paucity of evidence for psychotropic medication use in children and adolescents presenting with mental health (MH) problems to the ED. We set out to describe paediatric psychotropic medication use in the ED., Methods: We conducted a retrospective electronic medical record review of ED patients with MH discharge codes at a tertiary paediatric ED in 2018. We assessed the epidemiology and management of patients who received a psychotropic medication. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of key demographic factors of medicated versus non-medicated MH patients., Results: During 2018 there were 1695 MH-related presentations to the ED. Of these, 280 presentations resulted in the patient receiving a psychotropic medication (16.5%). Medicated children with MH illness were more likely to be male (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.16-1.96), have a more acute triage category (OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.28-4.98), have an ED length of stay greater than 12 h (OR 3.96, 95% CI 2.56-6.13) and present after hours (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.16-1.96). Most had a diagnosis of acute behavioural disturbance or suicidal ideation. A variety of treatment regimens were used but children primarily received a single oral agent (diazepam or olanzapine). Parenteral medications were given in 8.6%. No adverse events were recorded., Conclusion: A minority of children with MH presentations to the ED were medicated. It will require multicentre research to determine the most effective and safe acute psychotropic agents for oral and parenteral use in children in the ED., (© 2020 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.)

Unregulated chlorocarbons, here defined as dichloromethane (CH 2 Cl 2 ), perchloroethene (C 2 Cl 4 ), chloroform (CHCl 3 ), and methyl chloride (CH 3 Cl), are gases not regulated by the Montreal Protocol. While CH 3 Cl is the largest contributor of atmospheric chlorine, recent studies have shown that growth in emissions of the less abundant chlorocarbons could pose a significant threat to the recovery of the ozone layer. Despite this, there remain many regions for which no atmospheric monitoring exists, leaving gaps in our understanding of global emissions. Here, we report on a new time series of chlorocarbon measurements from Cape Point, South Africa for 2017, which represent the first published high-frequency measurements of these gases from Africa. For CH 2 Cl 2 and C 2 Cl 4 , the majority of mole fraction enhancements were observed from the north, consistent with anthropogenically modified air from Cape Town, while for CHCl 3 and CH 3 Cl, we found evidence for both oceanic and terrestrial sources. Using an inverse method, we estimated emissions for south-western South Africa (SWSA). For each chlorocarbon, SWSA accounted for less than 1% of global emissions. For CH 2 Cl 2 and C 2 Cl 4 , we extrapolated using population statistics and found South African emissions of 8.9 (7.4-10.4) Gg yr -1 and 0.80 (0.64-1.04) Gg yr -1 , respectively.

Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, new controls are being implemented to reduce emissions of HFC-23 (CHF[Formula: see text]), a by-product during the manufacture of HCFC-22 (CHClF[Formula: see text]). Starting in 2015, China and India, who dominate global HCFC-22 production (75% in 2017), set out ambitious programs to reduce HFC-23 emissions. Here, we estimate that these measures should have seen global emissions drop by 87% between 2014 and 2017. Instead, atmospheric observations show that emissions have increased and in 2018 were higher than at any point in history (15.9 [Formula: see text]). Given the magnitude of the discrepancy between expected and observation-inferred emissions, it is likely that the reported reductions have not fully materialized or there may be substantial unreported production of HCFC-22, resulting in unaccounted-for HFC-23 by-product emissions. The difference between reported and observation-inferred estimates suggests that an additional ~309 Tg [Formula: see text]-equivalent emissions were added to the atmosphere between 2015 and 2017.

One hydrochlorofluorocarbon and two hydrofluorocarbons (HCFC-22, HFC-125, and HFC-152a) were measured in air samples at the Cape Point observatory (CPT), South Africa, during 2017. These data represent the first such atmospheric measurements of these compounds from southwestern South Africa (SWSA). Baseline atmospheric growth rates were estimated to be 8.36, 4.10, and 0.71 ppt year -1 for HCFC-22, HFC-125, and HFC-152a, respectively. The CPT measurements were combined with an inverse model to investigate emissions from SWSA. For all three halocarbons, Cape Town was found to be the dominant source within SWSA. These estimates were extrapolated, based on population statistics, to estimate emissions for the whole of South Africa. We estimate South Africa's 2017 emissions to be 3.0 (1.6-4.4), 0.8 (0.5-1.2), and 1.1 (0.6-1.6) Gg year -1 for HCFC-22, HFC-125, and HFC-152a, respectively. For all three halocarbons, South Africa's contribution to global emissions is small (<2.5%), but future monitoring is needed to ensure South Africa's compliance with regulation set out by the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments.

Objective: In this study, it is aimed to determine obsessive compulsive-related disorders (OCRDs) comorbidity among the patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and compare patients with OCD with or without comorbid OCRDs in terms of the severity of their OCD symptoms, symptom dimensions, and comorbidity with other axis I disorders., Methods: The study included 90 patients diagnosed as having OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for OCRDs were used to determine the presence of OCRDs. In order to determine the symptom dimensions and severity of these individuals' OCD symptoms, we administered the Dimensional Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DOCS) and The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)., Results: In our study, 20% of the patients with OCD simultaneously met the criteria for at least one OCRD, we also found that a significantly greater proportion of this group were men. None of the mentioned disorders was associated with any symptom dimensions we evaluated using DOCS. In addition, no differences were found in the severity of OCD symptoms and comorbid axis I disorders between the group with comorbid OCRDs and the group without comorbid OCRDs., Discussion: There was no significant relationship between the symptom dimensions of OCD and OCRDs. It is found that OCRD comorbidity does not increase the severity of OCD symptoms and the prevalence of an axis I diagnosis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: The Dimensional Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a measurement tool that examines the severity of thematically distinct symptom domains of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study we assess psychometric properties of the Turkish version of DOCS., Methods: Ninety-six patients who presented consecutively to the Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Teaching and Research Hospital outpatient unit and who were diagnosed with OCD according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria were enrolled in the study. The DOCS, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), and Padua Inventory (PI) were completed by the participants. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach’s Alpha values and item-total correlations. Principal component analyses with Varimax rotation were used to assess latent factor structure ., Results: Explanatory Factor Analyses (EFA) revealed a 4-factor solution for the DOCS. Chronbach’s alpha values for the whole scale, “contamination” sub-scale, “responsibility” sub-scale, “unacceptable thoughts”, and “symmetry” sub-scales were 0.874, 0.932, 0.933, 0.948, 0.921, respectively. There was a high correlation between both total scores and sub-scales scores of DOCS, YBOCS and PI., Conclusions: Internal consistencies were good for the total scale and excellent for the sub-scales. The factor structure and the contents of the factors were perfectly in line with the original scale (i.e. 4 factor). Positive correlations between DOCS, its sub-scales, and similar OCD scales suggest that the DOCS accurately measures the structures it claims to assess. Thus the DOCS Turkish version can measure dimensional obsessive compulsive symptoms among the Turkish speaking OCD population.

Introduction: Smoking related health disorders are particularly common after long-term cigarette use and accordingly cumulative side effects of smoking usually do not appear in younger individuals. Therefore, for evaluating the contemporary effects of smoking in healthy individuals quality of life has become a fundamental criterion. In this study our aims are evaluating factors affecting school teachers' smoking status and comparing quality of life them according to their cigarette smoking status., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between March 1 and June 30, 2015, included all government school teachers in Hopa. A sociodemographic data form and World Health Organisation Quality of Life-bref (WHOQL-bref) questionnaire were used. Statistical analysis was performed via SPSS 20. To evaluate the reliability of the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha co-efficiency was calculated for each domain separately., Result: Statistical analysis was performed on 327 participants' data. The mean age of the teachers was 34.2 ± 8.73 and 50.2% of them were female. Most of the teachers were never smokers (67.8%) and current smokers' made up 20.1% of the population. Mean Fagerström score of current smokers was 4.1±1.96. Multinominal logistic regression analysis showed that there was a positive association between male gender and current smoking (OR= 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17-4.32; p< 0.05). Perception of quality of life and perception of health status scores were lower in the current smoker group as compared to never smokers (p< 0.05). However, other quality of life domains were not significantly different among smoking groups. Also, none of the quality of life domains differed significantly according to current smokers' nicotine dependence level., Conclusions: This study reflected a decrease in current smoking prevalence among school teachers compared to previous years. Also, the perception of quality of life and perception of health status scores were lower in the current smoker group as compared to never smokers.

Independent verification of national greenhouse gas inventories is a vital measure for cross-checking the accuracy of emissions data submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We infer annual UK emissions of HFC-134a from 1995 to 2012 using atmospheric observations and an inverse modeling technique, and compare with the UK's annual UNFCCC submission. By 2010, the inventory is almost twice as large as our estimates, with an "emissions gap" equating to 3.90 (3.20-4.30) Tg CO 2 e. We evaluate the RAC (Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning) model, a bottom up model used to quantify UK emissions from refrigeration and air-conditioning sectors. Within mobile air-conditioning (MAC), the largest RAC sector and most significant UK source (59%), we find a number of assumptions that may be considered oversimplistic and conservative; most notably the unit refill rate. Finally, a Bayesian approach is used to estimate probable inventory inputs required for minimization of the emissions discrepancy. Our top-down estimates provide only a weak constraint on inventory model parameters and consequently, we are unable to suggest discrete values. However, a significant revision of the MAC servicing rate, coupled with a reassessment of non-RAC aerosol emissions, are required if the discrepancy between methods is to be reduced.

A previously healthy 7-year-old Caucasian boy was hospitalised for evaluation of acute ataxia and failure to thrive, initially suspicious for an intracranial mass. Weight and body mass index were below the third percentile and he demonstrated loss of joint position and vibratory sense on examination. Laboratory studies revealed megaloblastic anaemia while an initial MRI of the brain showed no evidence of mass lesions or other abnormalities. A dietary history revealed the child subscribed to a restrictive vegan diet with little to no intake of animal products or other fortified foods. The child was diagnosed with presumed vitamin B12 deficiency and was treated with intramuscular B12 injections. Neurological symptoms resolved promptly within several days after starting therapy. This case underlines the importance of assessing nutritional status in the evaluation of neurological dysfunction in the pediatric patient.

There are many facets that go into the making of a good video programme. One of these is the editing, and the success of any programme very much depends upon the editing skills, a craft that can only be achieved by experience. This paper gives a brief but useful insight into some of the skills required.