Search

As global wind energy capacity continues to expand, the need to site commercial wind farms in productive, affordable, and technically feasible locations has become increasingly important. The use of wind farm site suitability models to identify these locations has grown consequently, thus increasing interest in standardizing certain aspects of these models' development. This systematic review of wind farm site suitability studies seeks to identify similarities and differences in the selection and representation of their enlisted siting factors. The review focuses on how subjective modeling decisions, such as vocabulary choices and dataset selection, occur in the literature, based on five identified themes: 1) Deciding Upon Siting Factors, which explains how a study's geographical context, selected modeling approach, and modeler decisions can influence siting factor selection; 2) Classifying Data and Siting Factor Terminology, which addresses the extent and the advantages of consistent siting factor vocabulary; 3) Implementing Siting Factors as Constraints or as Evaluation Criteria, which covers the importance of consistent implementation and of specifying logic when enlisting siting factors to assess potential wind farm sites; 4) Utilizing Primary and Secondary Data, which details how a study's reliance on external or self-collected datasets influences siting factor representation; and 5) Data Source and Accessibility, which highlights the inconsistent provision of citations and dataset sources, and the availability of datasets for siting factors to the broader scientific community. Standardizing the selection and representation of siting factors would benefit comparisons between wind farm site suitability studies and communication of model outputs to a wider audience.

We present 1–12 GHz Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of nine off-nuclear persistent radio sources (PRSs) in nearby ( z ≲ 0.055) dwarf galaxies, along with high-resolution European VLBI Network observations for one of them at 1.7 GHz. We explore the plausibility that these PRSs are associated with fast radio burst (FRB) sources by examining their properties—physical sizes, host-normalized offsets, spectral energy distributions (SEDs), radio luminosities, and light curves—and compare them to those of the PRSs associated with FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B, two known active galactic nuclei (AGN), and one likely AGN in our sample with comparable data, as well as other radio transients exhibiting characteristics analogous to FRB-PRSs. We identify a single source in our sample, J1136+2643, as the most promising FRB-PRS, based on its compact physical size and host-normalized offset. We further identify two sources, J0019+1507 and J0909+5655, with physical sizes comparable to FRB-PRSs, but which exhibit large offsets and flat spectral indices potentially indicative of a background AGN origin. We test the viability of neutron star wind nebula and hypernebula models for J1136+2643 and find that the physical size, luminosity, and SED of J1136+2643 are broadly consistent with these models. Finally, we discuss the alternative interpretation that the radio sources are instead powered by accreting massive black holes, and we outline future prospects and follow-up observations for differentiating between these scenarios.

Abstract Background Post-transplant weight gain affects 50–90% of kidney transplant recipients adversely affecting survival, quality of life, and risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diet modification and physical activity may help prevent post-transplant weight gain. Methods for effective implementation of these lifestyle modifications are needed. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered nutrition and physical activity intervention among kidney transplant recipients. Secondary aims were to estimate the effectiveness of the intervention in producing changes in physical activity, qualify of life, fruit and vegetable intake, and consumption of whole grains and water from baseline to 6 months. Methods A randomized controlled study for stable kidney transplant recipients between 6 and 12 months post-transplantation was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to a technology-based, lifestyle modification program (intervention) or to enhanced usual care (control). Results The first 10 kidney transplant recipients screened were eligible and randomized into the intervention and control groups with no significant between-group differences at baseline. Health coaching attendance (78%) and adherence to reporting healthy behaviors (86%) were high. All participants returned for final assessments. The weight in controls remained stable, while the intervention arm showed weight gain at 3 and 6 months. Improvements were found for physical activity, quality of life, and fruit and vegetable intake in both groups. All participants would recommend the program to other transplant recipients. Conclusions Our data suggest that a remotely delivered televideo nutrition and physical activity intervention is feasible and valued by patients. These findings will aid in the development of a larger, more prescriptive, randomized trial to address weight gain prevention. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT03697317 . Retrospectively registered on October 5, 2018.

Community-based livestock breeding programmes (CBBPs) have emerged as a potential approach to implement sustainable livestock breeding in smallholder systems. In Malawi and Uganda, goat CBBPs were introduced to improve production and productivity of indigenous goats through selective breeding. Scaling up CBBPs have recently received support due to evidence-based results from current implementation and results of CBBPs implemented in other regions of the world. This paper explores strategies for scaling up goat CBBPs in Malawi and Uganda, and documents experiences and lessons learned during implementation of the programme. A number of stakeholders supporting goat-based interventions for improving smallholders’ livelihoods exists. This offers an opportunity for different actors to work together by pooling financial resources and technical expertise for establishment and sustainability of goat CBBPs. Scaling up strategies should be an integral part of the pilot design hence dissemination partners need to be engaged during the design and inception stages of the pilot CBBPs. Creation of self-sustaining CBBPs requires early collaborative programme planning, meaningful investment and long-term concerted and coordinated efforts by collaborating partners. Permanently established actors, like government agencies and research and training institutions, are better placed to coordinate such efforts. The overall goal of the scaling up programme should be creation of a financially sustainable system, in which smallholders are able, on their own, to transact and sustain operations of their local breeding institutions using locally generated revenue/ resources. Since CBBP scaling up is a ‘learning by doing process’, an effective monitoring and evaluation system should be an integral part of the process.

This work considers observed changes in tropical Pacific Ocean rainfall amounts and the influence of climate variability cycles upon them. Observations were taken from the Comprehensive Pacific Rainfall Database (PACRAIN), using strict data selection criteria of >99% data completeness from eight locations for the period 1971–2017. These data were used to analyze temporal and spatial rainfall patterns based on several indicators that considered rainfall amount and frequency, 95th percentile extreme rainfall events, and length of consecutive rain/drought events. These indicators were also computed using satellite-derived observations from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), as a means to compare gauge-based values with nearby estimates from the GPCP product. Results show a temporal pattern that tended towards a reduction in rainfall amounts and frequency across the tropical Pacific Ocean. The impact of phase changes of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) was also examined. There was some evidence of the impact of the IPO, as well as of the El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), when seasonal and monthly trends in these indicators were analyzed. Comparison of the temporal patterns observed from the rain gauges with the trends computed using the GPCP estimates showed inconsistencies that varied considerably when comparing trends calculated at different island locations. Future work should consider further comparison of GPCP and gauge-based rainfall trends, as well as the attribution of climate change and other climate variability cycles to these trends.

Abstract Background The development of wind energy in western Oklahoma has expanded dramatically in recent years, as the amount of installed capacity has gone from 0 in 2002 to enough turbines to generate approximately 20% of Oklahoma’s electrical needs in 2016. Associated with that development has been an increase in tax revenue and support for local schools, including many in struggling areas. This paper examines and quantifies the overall impact of the increased wind-industry related tax revenue in western Oklahoma. Methods Variables collected and analyzed for this study include: percentage of revenue from local and county sources, student-teacher ratios, and per-student expenditures. This information was obtained for each school district from 1997 to 2015. The data then mapped and analyzed using both statistical and inferential analysis. T tests and Mann Whitney U tests were utilized identify statistically meaningful differences between school districts with and without wind turbines. In addition, a longitudinal temporal analysis was undertaken for selected locations to further illustrate the impact of the wind farms on the region. Results The spatial patterns of local school revenue and related variables have been analyzed and compared to available socioeconomic and demographic information. Spatial and multivariate analysis has been undertaken to highlight differences in characteristics of public school districts with and without wind turbines. Results show significant differences in revenue from local and county sources between school districts with and without wind farms. However, school districts with wind farms did not have higher per-student expenditures or lower student-teacher ratios than surrounding districts. The significant change in percentage of revenue from local and county sources illustrates the relative importance of the industry, especially during challenging economic times and particularly in those areas with fewer other revenue sources. Conclusions Though school districts with wind farms did not differ from surrounding districts in terms of per-student expenditures or student-teacher ratios, the significant difference in revenue from local and county sources suggests these districts may be less susceptible to changes in funding from state and federal sources.

Introduction: The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Multi-sectoral Partnerships Initiative, administered by the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention (CCDP), brings together diverse partners to design, implement and advance innovative approaches for improving population health. This article describes the development and initial priorities of an action research project (a learning and improvement strategy) that aims to facilitate continuous improvement of the CCDP’s partnership initiative and contribute to the evidence on multi-sectoral partnerships. Methods: The learning and improvement strategy for the CCDP’s multi-sectoral partnership initiative was informed by (1) consultations with CCDP staff and senior management, and (2) a review of conceptual frameworks to do with multi-sectoral partnerships. Consultations explored the development of the multi-sectoral initiative, barriers and facilitators to success, and markers of effectiveness. Published and grey literature was reviewed using a systematic search strategy with findings synthesized using a narrative approach. Results: Consultations and the review highlighted the importance of understanding partnership impacts, developing a shared vision, implementing a shared measurement system and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange. With that in mind, we propose a six-component learning and improvement strategy that involves (1) prioritizing learning needs, (2) mapping needs to evidence, (3) using relevant datacollection methods, (4) analyzing and synthesizing data, (5) feeding data back to CCDP staff and teams and (6) taking action. Initial learning needs include investigating partnership reach and the unanticipated effects of multi-sectoral partnerships for individuals, groups, organizations or communities. Conclusion: While the CCDP is the primary audience for the learning and improvement strategy, it may prove useful for a range of audiences, including other government departments and external organizations interested in capturing and sharing new knowledge generated from multi-sectoral partnerships.

Introduction : L'initiative Partenariats plurisectoriels de l'Agence de la santé publique du Canada, gérée par le Centre de prévention et de contrôle des maladies chroniques (CPCMC), réunit différents partenaires en vue de concevoir, de mettre en œuvre et de faire progresser des approches novatrices visant à améliorer la santé de la population. Cet article décrit l'évolution et les premières priorités d'un projet de recherche-action (stratégie d'apprentissage et d'amélioration) dont l'objectif est de faciliter l'amélioration continue de l'initiative de partenariat du CPCMC et de contribuer aux données probantes sur les partenariats plurisectoriels. Méthodologie : La stratégie d'apprentissage et d'amélioration du CPCMC pour les partenariats plurisectoriels repose sur les consultations avec le personnel et la haute direction du CPCMC et sur l'examen de cadres conceptuels liés aux partenariats plurisectoriels. Les consultations ont porté sur l'élaboration de l'initiative plurisectorielle, ses obstacles, ses facteurs de réussite et ses indicateurs d'efficacité. Nous avons fait une revue de littérature et consulté la littérature grise en appliquant une stratégie de recherche systématique puis nous avons résumé nos conclusions sous forme de comptes rendus. Résultats : Les consultations et l'examen de la littérature ont souligné l'importance de comprendre l'incidence des partenariats, d'élaborer une vision commune, de mettre en œuvre un système partagé de mesures et de créer des occasions d'échange de connaissances. C'est dans cette perspective que nous proposons une stratégie d'apprentissage et d'amélioration en six volets : 1) donner la priorité aux besoins en matière d'apprentissage, 2) relier les besoins aux données probantes, 3) utiliser des méthodes de collecte de données pertinentes, 4) analyser et synthétiser ces données, 5) fournir une rétroaction aux membres et aux équipes du CPCMC et 6) agir. Les premiers besoins en matière d'apprentissage concernent la portée des partenariats et les répercussions non anticipées des partenariats plurisectoriels sur les individus, les équipes, les organismes et les communautés. Conclusion : Bien que principalement destinée au CPCMC, la stratégie d'apprentissage et d'amélioration pourrait s'avérer tout aussi pertinente pour d'autres publics, notamment d'autres ministères ou organismes externes intéressées à saisir et partager de nouvelles connaissances sur les partenariats plurisectoriels.

Accumulation of mutant polyglutamine proteins in intraneuronal inclusions is a hallmark of polyglutamine diseases. Impairment of protein clearance systems and sequestration of clearance-related proteins into inclusions occur in many protein folding diseases, including polyglutamine diseases. The ubiquitin-binding and proteasome adaptor protein UBQLN2 participates in protein homeostasis and localizes to inclusions in various neurodegenerative diseases. Employing mouse models and human brain tissue of Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), we show that UBQLN2 is selectively recruited to inclusions in HD but not SCA3. Consistent with this result, in a cell-based system mutant HTT interacts with UBQLN2 through the UBA domain while the SCA3 disease protein ATXN3, a deubiquitinating enzyme, does not interact with UBQLN2. Differential recruitment of UBQLN2 to aggregates in HD and SCA3 underscores the heterogeneity of inclusions in polyglutamine diseases and suggests that components of neuronal protein quality control may be differentially perturbed in distinct polyQ diseases.

An extensive literature on climate change modeling points to future changes in wind climates. Some areas are projected to gain wind resources, while others are projected to lose wind resources. Oklahoma is presently wind rich with this resource extensively exploited for power generation. Our work examined the wind power implications under the IPCC’s A2 scenario for the decades 2040–2049, 2050–2059 and 2060–2069 as compared to model reanalysis and Oklahoma Mesonetwork observations for the base decade of 1990–1999. Using two western Oklahoma wind farms as examples, we used North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) modeling outputs to calculate changes in wind power generation. The results show both wind farms to gain in output for all decades as compared to 1990–1999. Yet, the results are uneven by seasons and with some decades exhibiting decreases in the fall. These results are of interest in that it is clear that investors cannot count on wind studies of the present to adequately characterize future productivity. If our results are validated over time, Oklahoma stands to gain wind resources through the next several decades.

We report the first example of room-temperature rubber-like deformation in thin-film metallic glasses (TFMGs), 260-nm-thick Zr60Cu24Al11Ni5 layers, under ultra-high shear strain. The TFMGs were deposited, with no external heating, on Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) and Si(001) substrates by rf magnetron sputtering in a 3 mTorr Ar plasma. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) analyses and nanoindentation results reveal that the TFMGs undergo an incredibly large shear strain, estimated to be ∼4000%, during fatigue tests, and thickness reductions of up to 61.5%, with no shear-banding or cracking, during extreme nanoindentation experiments extending through the film and into the substrate. TFMG/BMG samples also exhibit film/substrate diffusion bonding during deformation as shown by high-resolution XTEM.

Over the past few decades, there has been a recognition of the growing need for different forms of energy outside of fossil fuels. Since the latter half of the twentieth century individuals, corporations, and governments have become increasingly aware of the effects of the emissions of carbon and other harmful pollutants on the environment. With this greater concern has come increasing activity to combat these harmful emissions by using alternative fuel sources to power homes, businesses, and cities. As can be seen from recent trends in their installed capacity, it is clear that renewable energy resources will continue to be more commonly used in the future. As renewable energy increases, a decrease in a range of harmful pollutants from the energy sector will also occur. This paper provides a case study to estimate the potential environmental and health benefits of an increased shift from fossil fuels to renewable fuels for electrical production in Oklahoma. Results illustrate and quantify the specific reduction that wind energy can and will have on air quality, as well as provide a quantification of the associated potential health benefits.

Hardness is an essential property for a wide range of applications. However, hardness alone, typically accompanied by brittleness, is not sufficient to prevent failure in ceramic films exposed to high stresses. Using VN as a model system, we demonstrate with experiment and density functional theory (DFT) that refractory VMoN alloys exhibit not only enhanced hardness, but dramatically increased ductility. V0.5Mo0.5N hardness is 25% higher than that of VN. In addition, while nanoindented VN, as well as TiN reference samples, suffer from severe cracking typical of brittle ceramics, V0.5Mo0.5N films do not crack. Instead, they exhibit material pile-up around nanoindents, characteristic of plastic flow in ductile materials. Moreover, the wear resistance of V0.5Mo0.5N is considerably higher than that of VN. DFT results show that tuning the occupancy of d–t2g metallic bonding states in VMoN facilitates dislocation glide, and hence enhances toughness, via the formation of stronger metal/metal bonds along the slip direction and weaker metal/N bonds across the slip plane.