Acoustic methods for Gelidium seaweed detection

Se han realizado mediciones del coeficiente de reflexión y absorción de una capa espesa de algas de Gelidium sesquipedale (Clem. Born. et Thur.), sobre un fondo de arena, dispuesto en un tanque de experiencias hidroacústicas. Como resultado de la reducida sección transversal acústica de cada brote del alga, y de su alto contenido de agua, su impedancia acústica tiene un valor muy próximo a la impedancia acústica del agua marina y, en consecuencia, el nivel de blanco de cada brote es muy débil. El rango de frecuencias utilizado parte de 100 kHz, alcanzando 500 kHz. El valor promedio del nivel de difusión de fondo de la capa de alga de Gelidium encontrado varía entre -26 dB y -34 dB en el rango de frecuencias utilizado.The reflection and absorption coefficients of a thick layer of Gelidium sesquipedale (Clem. Born. et Thur.) seaweed covering a sandy bottom were determined in a laboratory tank. As a result of the reduced vertical cross-section and the high water content of this seaweed, its acoustical impedance is very similar to water impedance, and the target strength of each individual seaweed frond is very weak. The usual frequency range for detection of marine life, 100-500 kHz, has been used. The average value of the bottom scattering strength was found to be between -26 dB and -34 dB in the frequency band used.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Desarrollo y validación de la escala de relajación-mindfulness para adolescentes (EREMIND-A)

Indexación: Scopus.Background: The aim of this investigation was to validate the Relaxation- Mindfulness Scale for Adolescents (EREMIND-A), consisting of 18 items and three factors (Attention-Concentration in the present moment; Relaxation (abilities and attitudes); and Sensory awareness/Contemplation/ Interiority). Method: The validation was done with a sample of Secondary Education and Baccalaureate students from four different centres in Spain (n = 1.120). EFA and CFA of the EREMIND-A were performed and construct and incremental validities calculated. Results: Initial results confi rm the validity and reliability of the scale. Conclusions: There is a need for a broader conceptualization of mindfulness, as well as the inclusion and analysis of other related and cross-cutting concepts. The research in this sense will propitiate the adaptation of the Mindfulness- Based Interventions to the reality of the adolescents in the educational centers, where relaxation and the interiority are aspects to be taken into consideration. © 2018 Psicothema.Antecedentes: el objetivo de esta investigación fue validar la Escala de relajación-Mindfulness para Adolescentes (EREMIND-A), que contiene 18 ítems y tres factores (Atención-Concentración en el momento presente; Relajación (habilidades y actitudes); Consciencia Sensorial/Contemplación/Interioridad. Método: la validación se realizó con una muestra de estudiantes de Educación Secundaria y Bachillerato de cuatro centros diferentes en España (n = 1.120). Se realizaron análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios de la escala y se calcularon la validez de constructo e incremental. Resultados: los resultados iniciales confirman la fiabilidad y validez de la escala. Conclusiones: es necesaria una conceptualización más amplia de la atención plena, así como la inclusión y análisis de otros conceptos relacionados y transversales. La investigación en este sentido propiciará la adaptación de las intervenciones basadas en mindfulness a la realidad de los adolescentes en los centros educativos, donde la relajación y la interioridad son aspectos a tener en consideración.http://www.psicothema.com/pdf/4475.pd

Talking Titler: Evolutionary and Self-Adaptive Land Tenure Information System Development

Conventional land registration systems often do not produce the desired results in uncertain land tenure situations such as peri-urban areas in developing world cities, post-conflict situations, land restitution claims and aboriginal land systems. In the Talking Titler system, flexibility in creating relationships between people and between people and their interests in land has been the primary design feature. It is a tool for prototyping different designs and for developing land tenure information systems usung evolutionary strategies. The methodology was originally conceived in urban informal settlement upgrade projects and land reform and land restitution projects in South Africa in the 1990’s. In recent years, the concepts have been tested through interviews with aboriginal peoples groups in Canada, field trials and an initial implementation in land regularization in Nigeria, and a land administration study in Somaliland. The paper overviews the conceptual design of the system, how the design was formulated, testing of the system, and current development. The paper concludes by overviewing an initial design and testing with  evolutionary database development and self-adapting software using an extensible markup language (XML) database to reduce the human input into system changes as it evolves

Problemática de la taxonomía del género cannabis

Se considera el cáñamo como una de las plantas más extendidas, sin embargo existe hoy un consenso entre los botánicos que están de acuerdo con una sola especie Cannabis sativa L. Hay que reconocer qué variedades de otros epititos específicos están todavía usadas por algunos autores, especialmente C. ruderalis Janisch. y C. indica Lam.Hemp is considered as one of the widespread plants. Although a consensus of botanists today agree that only one species, Cannabis sativa L. It should be reconized, that a variety of other specific epithets, specially C. ruderalis Janisch. and C. indica Lam., are still used by sorne authors

Noves dades per a la flora vascular de l'Alt Empordà

New records of some vascular plants collected in the Alt Emporda are given. Most of them are new for the floristic catalogue of MALAGARRIGA (1976). Two new combinations are proposed: Atriplex tataricus L. subsp. tornabenii (Tin.) Blanche, Molero & Rovira and Centaurea microptilon Gren. & Godron var. emporitana (Vayr. ex Hayek) Blanche, Molero & Rovira

Discernible effects of tDCS over the primary motor and posterior parietal cortex on different stages of motor learning

Implicit motor learning and memory involve complex cortical and subcortical networks. The induction of plasticity in these network components via non-invasive brain stimulation, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has shown to improve motor learning. However, studies showing these effects are mostly restricted to stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) during the early stage of learning. Because of this, we aimed to explore the efficacy of anodal tDCS applied over the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), which is involved in memory processes, on serial reaction time task (SRTT) performance. Specifically, to evaluate the involvement of both motor learning network components, we compared the effects of tDCS applied over regions corresponding to M1 and PPC during the early and late stages of learning. The results revealed a selective improvement of reaction time (RT) during anodal stimulation over the PPC in the late stage of learning. These findings support the assumption that the PPC is relevant during specific phases of learning, at least for SRTT performance. The results also indicate that not only the target area (i.e., PPC), but also timing is crucial for achieving the effects of stimulation on motor learning.Michael A. Nitsche receives support by the EC Horizon 2020 Program, FET Grant, 686764-LUMINOUS, grants from the German Ministry of Research and Education (GCBS grant 01EE1403C, TRAINSTIM grant 01GQ1424E), and is member of the scientific advisory boards of Neuroelectrics, and NeuroDevice. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-for-profit sectors. G. Nathzidy Rivera-Urbina receives support from the Mexican Government, Grant UABC-PTC-610 DSA/103.5/16/1024 (PRODEP).Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educació

Site Fidelity and Residency of Tursiops truncatus off the Aragua Coast, Venezuela-First Records of Long Residency

This study represents the first comprehensive analysis of the residency patterns of a coastal population of bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Aragua, Venezuela, over a multi-year period. Using photo-identification, the most recent study (2019-2020) identified 56 individuals with the time between encounters from one to 344 days between the first and last sighting. Site Fidelity (SF) and Residence (RES) indices were calculated and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) modeling was performed, with three patterns of residence obtained: resident (25%), semiresident (17.86%) and transient (57.14%). These results were contrasted with remodeled data from a previous study (2006-2007), showing similar patterns: resident (24.44%), semi-resident (28.89%) and transient (46.67%). Importantly, two individuals were found to have been resident over the extended period. A breeding female sighted for the first time in 2004 and again in 2020 (16 years) and the other from 2005 to 2020 (15 years). This region is an important area for marine mammals, known to support a resident reproductive population over many years, as well seabirds, sea turtles, whale sharks and fishermen. We recommend that consideration be given to designating the waters as a Marine Protected Area to safeguard the existing population and provide benefit to the surrounding marine environment

Coeducational ideas In physical education teachers: Pshycometric properties of a scale

Ante la falta de cuestionarios o escalas que evaluaran los diferentes aspectos coeducativos que caracterizan al profesorado de Educación Física y la necesidad de conocer cuál es la concepción que tienen sobre este modelo, se desprende el objetivo de este trabajo, como el de evaluar las propiedades psicométricas mediante un instrumento que hemos denominado Escala sobre el pensamiento coeducativo del profesorado de EF para valorar las opiniones respecto a la coeducación y la metodología que se utiliza en sus clases. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 213 profesores, 133 hombres y 43 mujeres. La escala fue aplicada mediante papel, envío de correo electrónico y plataforma moddle. El análisis de los datos muestra unos resultados adecuados en cuanto a estructura factorial, consistencia interna y tipos de validez. Se concluye que esta Escala representa un instrumento válido y fiable para analizar las características coeducativas del profesoradoBecause of the absence of questionnaires or scales which will assess different coeducative aspects that are characteristics of PE teacher and need to know which is the conception that they have about this model, it is deduced the aim of this work as that which evaluate the psychometric properties through a tool called the Scale of coeducational ideas in physical education teachers to value the opinions about coeducation and the methodology used in their classes. The sample was composed by 213 teachers, 133 men and 43 women. The questionnaire was applied by means of paper, electronic mail shipment and platform moddle. The data analysis shows appropriate results in terms of factor structure, internal consistency and validity types. We conclude that the escale represents a valid and reliable instrument to analyze the coeducative characteristics of the teacher

Selection of conserved epitopes from hepatitis C virus for pan-populational stimulation of T-cell responses

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is able to persist as a chronic infection, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. There is evidence that clearance of HCV is linked to strong responses by CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), suggesting that eliciting CTL responses against HCV through an epitope-based vaccine could prove an effective means of immunization. However, HCV genomic plasticity as well as the polymorphisms of HLA I molecules restricting CD8 T-cell responses challenges the selection of epitopes for a widely protective vaccine. Here, we devised an approach to overcome these limitations. From available databases, we first collected a set of 245 HCV-specific CD8 T-cell epitopes, all known to be targeted in the course of a natural infection in humans. After a sequence variability analysis, we next identified 17 highly invariant epitopes. Subsequently, we predicted the epitope HLA I binding profiles that determine their potential presentation and recognition. Finally, using the relevant HLA I-genetic frequencies, we identified various epitope subsets encompassing 6 conserved HCV-specific CTL epitopes each predicted to elicit an effective T-cell response in any individual regardless of their HLA I background. We implemented this epitope selection approach for free public use at the EPISOPT web server