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Background and Aims. To control the COVID-19 spread, in March 2020, a forced home lockdown was established in Spain. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effect of mobility and social COVID-19-established restrictions on depressive symptomatology in older adults with metabolic syndrome. We hypothesize that severe restrictions might have resulted in detrimental changes in depressive symptomatology. Methods. 2,312 PREDIMED-Plus study participants ( men = 53.9 %; mean age = 64.9 ± 4.8 years) who completed a COVID-19 lockdown questionnaire to assess the severity of restrictions/lockdown and the validated Spanish version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) during the three established phases concerning the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain (prelockdown, lockdown, and postlockdown) were included in this longitudinal analysis. Participants were categorized according to high or low lockdown severity. Analyses of covariance were performed to assess changes in depressive symptomatology across lockdown phases. Results. No significant differences in participant depression symptomatology changes were observed between lockdown severity categories (low/high) at the studied phases. During the lockdown phase, participants showed a decrease in BDI-II score compared to the prelockdown phase (mean (95% CI), -0.48 (-0.24, -0.72), P < 0.001 ); a nonsignificantly larger decrease was observed in participants allocated in the low-lockdown category (low: -0.59 (-0.95, -0.23), high: -0.43 (-0.67, -0.19)). Similar decreases in depression symptomatology were found for the physical environment dimension. The post- and prelockdown phase BDI-II scores were roughly similar. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was associated with a decrease in depressive symptomatology that returned to

This research presents a case study of the biases and discontinuities that were introduced in observed long-term mean wind-speed and gust data-series due to anemometer changes in a meteorological station in northern Spain, operated by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency: San Sebastian-Igueldo. Field and wind-tunnel experiments with predefined conditions have been presented in the literature, however this research uses a real case study to assess the impact of anemometer changes on wind speed measurements due to three factors being: (i) the 3-cup anemometer model (SEAC vs. THIES companies); (ii) sensor height (∼19.95 m vs. ∼20.45 m) and (iii) sensor age (20-years old vs. new). Our results show (a) substantial biases in the measured wind speed and daily peak wind gusts, with the new THIES anemometer reporting stronger surface winds than the old SEAC anemometer; (b) opposing biases under weak (negative) and moderate-strong (positive) winds; and (c) significant breakpoints in the long-term wind data-series, which highlight the importance of data homogenization. National Weather Services and climate assessment groups will benefit from these findings since errors in wind speed and gust measurements can be minimized by implementing systematic observation protocols. Robust anemometer observations provide a basis for accurate quantification of the magnitude of changes and the variability of surface winds.

This study analyses quality controlled and homogenized near-surface wind speed series (SWS) at 87 meteorological stations distributed across Spain and Portugal for 1961–2019. Multidecadal variability analysis of both mean and gusts SWS confirms for the first time in the region the cessation of the stilling (decline of SWS) and a possible weak reversal phenomenon (increase in SWS) in the last decades, varying its onset from 1999 to 2018, depending on the season and variable. Different atmospheric circulation drivers are evaluated to explain the stilling and reversal phenomena. Among the chosen teleconnection indices, the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index (WeMOi) is the one that presents the highest (positive) correlation with SWS, although the correlation (negative) with the North Atlantic Oscillation index and the Mediterranean Oscillation index in winter is also statistically significant (p < 0.05). Results show that the interannual variability of the WeMOi could exert a strong influence on both the stilling and reversal phenomena, as it displays statistically significant negative trends for 1961–2010 and positive ones (non-significant) for 2010–2019, in agreement with the observed SWS trends. The use of the Jenkinson and Collison weather type classification reveals the marked influence of certain weather types in modulating SWS changes (i.e., west, northwest, and anticyclonic types). We proposed the increase in atmospheric thermal stability and the northward shift of the jet stream as principal causes of the stilling phenomenon in this region. Our results improve our understanding of wind changes, and highlight the importance of regional assessments to discern their socioeconomic and environmental impacts.

When synthetic, xenobiotic compounds such as agrochemicals and industrial chemicals are utilized, they eventually reach the soil environment where they are subject to degradation, leaching, volatilization, sorption, and uptake by organisms. The simplest assumption is that such chemicals in soil are totally available to microorganisms, plant roots, and soil fauna via direct, contact exposure; subsequently these organisms are consumed as part of food web processes and bioaccumulation may occur, increasing exposures to higher organisms up the food chain. However, studies in the last two decades have revealed that chemical residues in the environment are not completely bioavailable, so that their uptake by biota is less than the total amount present in soil (Alexander 1995; Gevao et al. 2003; Paine et al. 1996). Therefore, the toxicity, biodegradability, and efficacy of xenobiotics are dependent on their soil bioavailability, rendering this concept profoundly important to chemical risk assessment and pesticide registration. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.