Influence of meteorological variables and air pollutants on measurements from automatic pollen sampling devices.

This study examines the influence of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the performance of automatic pollen monitoring devices, as part of the EUMETNET Autopollen COST ADOPT-intercomparison campaign held in Munich, Germany, during the 2021 pollen season. The campaign offered a unique opportunity to compare all automatic monitors available at the time, a Plair Rapid-E, a Hund-Wetzlar BAA500, an OPC Alphasense, a KH-3000 Yamatronics, three Swisens Polenos, a PollenSense APS, a FLIR IBAC2, a DMT WIBS-5, an Aerotape Sextant, to the average of four manual Hirst traps, under the same environmental conditions. The investigation aimed to elucidate how meteorological factors and air pollution impact particle capture and identification efficiency. The analysis showed coherent results for most devices regarding the correlation between environmental conditions and pollen concentrations. This reflects on one hand, a significant correlation between weather and airborne pollen concentration, and on the other hand the capability of devices to provide meaningful data under the conditions under which measurements were taken. However, correlation strength varied among devices, reflecting differences in design, algorithms, or sensors used. Additionally, it was observed that different algorithms applied to the same dataset resulted in different concentration outputs, highlighting the role of algorithm design in these systems (monitor + algorithm). Notably, no significant influence from air pollutants on the pollen concentrations was observed, suggesting that any potential difference in effect on the systems might require higher air pollution concentrations or more complex interactions. However, results from some monitors were affected to a minor degree by specific weather variables. Our findings suggest that the application of real-time devices in urban environments should focus on the associated algorithm that classifies pollen taxa. The impact of air pollution, although not to be excluded, is of secondary concern as long as the pollution levels are similar to a large European city like Munich.

[Characteristics of patients of the Cerebral Palsy Association]. / Características de los usuarios de la Asociación de Parálisis Cerebral.

INTRODUCTION: As the life expectancy has increased in individuals with cerebral palsy, this has led to being able to assess the changes in the bio-psycho-social dimensions of their health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to describe the characteristics of individuals with cerebral palsy and to evaluate their functional situation. METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on a sample of 26 individuals between 27 and 65 years old with cerebral palsy. Data was collected during a semi-structured interview. The Cross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), were used to evaluate the functional situation. RESULTS: The profile of the adult seen in the Cerebral Palsy Association of Burgos, Spain, is male, over 40 years old, single, illiterate, with no professional qualification, lives in a residence, receives social benefit, and with great functional disability. CONCLUSIONS: The functional capacity of people with cerebral palsy who are in adult care centres is low. It emphasises the low cultural level and the lack of professional qualification and all of them have a disability that limits their ability to perform daily activities, possibly related to the high mean age.

Isospin breaking in the nucleon mass and the sensitivity of ß decays to new physics.

We discuss the consequences of the approximate conservation of the vector and axial currents for the hadronic matrix elements appearing in ß decay if nonstandard interactions are present. In particular, the isovector (pseudo)scalar charge gS(P) of the nucleon can be related to the difference (sum) of the nucleon masses in the absence of electromagnetic effects. Using recent determinations of these quantities from phenomenological and lattice QCD studies we obtain the accurate values gS=1.02(11) and gP=349(9) in the modified minimal subtraction scheme at µ=2 GeV. The consequences for searches of nonstandard scalar interactions in nuclear ß decays are studied, finding for the corresponding Wilson coefficient εS=0.0012(24) at 90% C.L., which is significantly more stringent than current LHC bounds and previous low-energy bounds using less precise gS values. We argue that our results could be rapidly improved with updated computations and the direct calculation of certain ratios in lattice QCD. Finally, we discuss the pion-pole enhancement of gP, which makes ß decays much more sensitive to nonstandard pseudoscalar interactions than previously thought.