Case study: Effect of climatic characterization on river discharge in an alpine-prealpine catchment of the spanish pyrenees using the SWAT model

The new challenges in assessment of water resources demand new approaches and tools, such as the use of hydrologic models, which could serve to assist managers in the prediction, planning and management of catchment water supplies in view of increased demand of water for irrigation and climatic change. Good characterization of the spatial patterns of climate variables is of paramount importance in hydrological modelling. This is especially so when modelling mountain environments which are characterized by strong altitudinal climate gradients. However, very often there is a poor distribution of climatic stations in these areas, which in many cases, results in under representation of high altitude areas with respect to climatic data. This results in the poor performance of the models. In the present study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to the Barasona reservoir catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees in order to assess the influence of different climatic characterizations in the monthly river discharges. Four simulations with different input data were assessed, using only the available climate data (A1); the former plus one synthetic dataset at a higher altitude (B1); and both plus the altitudinal climate gradient (A2 and B2). The model''s performance was evaluated against the river discharges for the representative periods of 2003-2005 and 1994-1996 by means of commonly used statistical measures. The best results were obtained using the altitudinal climate gradient alone (scenario A2). This study provided insight into the importance of taking into account the sources and the spatial distribution of weather data in modelling water resources in mountainous catchments

Multivariate analysis of Vitis subgenus Vitis seed morphology

We studied 142 grapevine seed samples belonging to 5 Vitis species, 92 cultivars of Vitis vinifera, 12 feral/wild populations and 4 hybrid rootstock cultivars. Eleven different characters from the seed and one allometric index have been used. Seeds show a wide range of variation in body dimensions, and in other parameters. Two largely differentiated clusters were obtained. Coincidences with previous seed classifications are discussed. Wild extra-European species have smaller seeds. The index breadth/length (STUMMER’s index) doesn’t allow to separate wild grapevines and cultivars. It defines, however, the “wild syndrome” values above 0.8 corresponding to wild extra-European Vitis species, occasionally used as rootstocks. Ferals/wild individuals tend to display smaller berries and plumper pips than their cultivated relatives therefore “looking wild”. The multivariate analysis place together ferals/wild and related cultivars in their respective clusters and does not discriminate a cluster of wild European grapevine.

Effects of Oxygen Plasma on the Chemical, Light-emitting, and Electrical Transport Properties of Inorganic and Hybrid Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystal Films

We show that oxygen plasma affects in different ways the structural, chemical, optical, and electrical properties of methylammonium and cesium lead bromide nanocrystals. Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocrystals were severely and quickly degraded by oxygen plasma at 50 W. Their photoluminescence was quenched with almost 100% loss of the initial quantum yield, which is linked to decomposition of the nanocrystals. Inorganic nanocrystals were more resistant to oxygen plasma in the same conditions. Despite a moderate loss of photoluminescence and electrical conductivity, oxygen plasma had a positive impact, removing unbound ligands and resulting in more ohmic behavior of the film. This paves the way for the application of oxygen plasma in the development of perovskite-based optoelectronic devices

IS FRONTAL PLANE PROJECTION ANGLE RELATED TO STIFF LANDING PATTERNS? AN ANALYSIS OF DROP JUMP AND TUCK JUMP TASKS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between frontal plane knee projection angle (FPPA) and sagittal (hip and knee flexion) plane landing kinematic measures during a drop jump (DVJ) and a tuck jump assessment (TJA) test in male youth football players. Eighty-one post-pubertal male footballers were recorded performing DVJ and TJA tasks, and FPPA as well as hip (HF) and knee (KF) flexion angles at peak flexion were retrospectively assessed. The main results show that players with greater knee FPPA (valgus) display lower HF values than players with no knee valgus alignment during DVJ landings, but not during TJA. A DVJ pattern which exhibits knee valgus and limited HF angles may increase the risk of knee injury and thus, strategies for hip strengthening and technique modification should be applied to players with this mechanical profile

Alicante Coastal Management for Sustainable Development

Human intervention on the coast has been intense, due to the source of wealth that the coastal areas represent, especially in the form of tourism, which has resulted in a rapid erosion of its beaches. This paper discusses the current state of beach management in the various competent public administrations on the Costa Blanca (SE Spanish-Mediterranean), in relation to urban development and regression on the waterfront. To this end, an analysis has been carried out of the responses to a survey of those responsible for managing each of the 19 coastal municipalities of the Alicante coast, covering 244 km of coastline, 91 beaches and their personnel. Also, an investigation has been conducted as to whether this management’s aim is to protect the coastline and maintain the flora and fauna or just to manage recreation as the main economic activity is tourism. The analysis shows that the beach is simply regarded as a product or service offered to the user thereof. However, local authorities have not detected problems, possibly for two reasons: they do not have sufficient knowledge and this is understandable, given their lack of responsibilities in this area. This causes many beaches to have a high occupancy rate and there is a shift of users towards natural beaches. The study gives us information about the complex administrative process in the coastal system that often proves ineffective on this narrow strip of land

Análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica en el fútbol sala

The aim of this study is to conduct an analysis of the scientific production in the sport of futsal. To do this the main collection platform “Web of Science” with databases Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) was used. The search provided 81 articles of which the following variables were analyzed: 1) title; 2) name of the first author; 3) institution of the first author; 4) number of authors; 5) magazine; 6) number of citations; 7) year of publication; 8) main discipline of study; 9) type of study; 10) sample size; 11) sport level of the sample, 12) sex shows. The results highlighted the experimental items, the male and a professional level. Concerning institutions, highlights countries with booming in regards to football, as Brazil and Portugal.El objetivo del presente estudio es realizar un análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica en el deporte de fútbol sala. Para ello se utilizó la colección principal de la plataforma “Web of Science” con las bases de datos Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) y Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). La búsqueda ofreció 81 artículos de los que se analizaron las siguientes variables: 1) título; 2) nombre del autor principal; 3) institución del primer autor; 4) no de autores; 5) revista; 6) número de citas; 7) año de publicación; 8) disciplina principal del estudio; 9) tipo de estudio; 10) tamaño de muestra; 11) nivel deportivo de la muestra, 12) sexo de la muestra. En los resultados destacaron los artículos de tipo experimental, los de sexo masculino y a deportistas de nivel profesional. Respecto a las instituciones, destacan las de países con un gran auge en lo que se refiere a fútbol sala, como Brasil y Portugal

Evidence for 5S rDNA Horizontal Transfer in the toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus (Schneider, 1801) based on the analysis of three multigene families

Abstract Background The Batrachoididae family is a group of marine teleosts that includes several species with more complicated physiological characteristics, such as their excretory, reproductive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Previous studies of the 5S rDNA gene family carried out in four species from the Western Atlantic showed two types of this gene in two species but only one in the other two, under processes of concerted evolution and birth-and-death evolution with purifying selection. Here we present results of the 5S rDNA and another two gene families in Halobatrachus didactylus, an Eastern Atlantic species, and draw evolutionary inferences regarding the gene families. In addition we have also mapped the genes on the chromosomes by two-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Results Two types of 5S rDNA were observed, named type α and type β. Molecular analysis of the 5S rDNA indicates that H. didactylus does not share the non-transcribed spacer (NTS) sequences with four other species of the family; therefore, it must have evolved in isolation. Amplification with the type β specific primers amplified a specific band in 9 specimens of H. didactylus and two of Sparus aurata. Both types showed regulatory regions and a secondary structure which mark them as functional genes. However, the U2 snRNA gene and the ITS-1 sequence showed one electrophoretic band and with one type of sequence. The U2 snRNA sequence was the most variable of the three multigene families studied. Results from two-colour FISH showed no co-localization of the gene coding from three multigene families and provided the first map of the chromosomes of the species. Conclusions A highly significant finding was observed in the analysis of the 5S rDNA, since two such distant species as H. didactylus and Sparus aurata share a 5S rDNA type. This 5S rDNA type has been detected in other species belonging to the Batrachoidiformes and Perciformes orders, but not in the Pleuronectiformes and Clupeiformes orders. Two hypotheses have been outlined: one is the possible vertical permanence of the shared type in some fish lineages, and the other is the possibility of a horizontal transference event between ancient species of the Perciformes and Batrachoidiformes orders. This finding opens a new perspective in fish evolution and in the knowledge of the dynamism of the 5S rDNA. Cytogenetic analysis allowed some evolutionary trends to be roughed out, such as the progressive change in the U2 snDNA and the organization of (GATA)n repeats, from dispersed to localized in one locus. The accumulation of (GATA)n repeats in one chromosome pair could be implicated in the evolution of a pair of proto-sex chromosomes. This possibility could situate H. didactylus as the most highly evolved of the Batrachoididae family in terms of sex chromosome biology.This work was supported by grants from the Junta de Andalucía (Spain) to the PAI BIO-219 group (LR), CACYTMAR and the “Proyecto de excelencia” RNM-03074 (CS). MUM holds a CSIC JAE fellowship.Peer Reviewe

Vacuum-Deposited Cesium Tin Iodide Thin Films with Tunable Thermoelectric Properties

Most current thermoelectric materials have important drawbacks, such as toxicity, scarceness, and peak operating temperatures above 300 °C. Herein, we report the thermoelectric properties of different crystalline phases of Sn-based perovskite thin films. The 2D phase, Cs2SnI4, is obtained through vacuum thermal deposition and easily converted into the black β phase of CsSnI3 (B-β CsSnI3) by annealing at 150 °C. B-β CsSnI3 is a p-type semiconductor with a figure of merit (ZT) ranging from 0.021 to 0.033 for temperatures below 100 °C, which makes it a promising candidate to power small electronic devices such as wearable sensors which may be interconnected in the so-called Internet of Things. The B-β phase is stable in nitrogen, whereas it spontaneously oxidizes to Cs2SnI6 upon exposure to air. Cs2SnI6 shows a negative Seebeck coefficient and an ultralow thermal conductivity. However, the ZT values are 1 order of magnitude lower than for B-β CsSnI3 due to a considerably lower electrical conductivity

Molecular Iodine for a General Synthesis of Binary and Ternary Inorganic and Hybrid Organic-inorganic Iodide Nanocrystals

We report the synthesis of various binary and ternary inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic iodide nanocrystals starting from molecular iodine (I2). The procedure utilizes a reaction between I2 and oleylamine that yields oleylammonium iodide -the iodide precursor for a subsequent preparation of nanocrystals. The syntheses are facile, carried out under air, in vials heated on a hotplate and deliver nanocrystals with narrow size distributions and, in the case of red and near infrared-emitting lead-based perovskites, with 70-80% photoluminescence quantum yields. The latter were used to fabricate red and infrared bright light-emitting diodes, with external quantum efficiencies (EQE) exceeding 3%

Attraction - production effects of an artificial reef on the fish community from the Tabarca Marin Reserve (Alicante)

In order to determine de attraction - production effects of the artificial reef from Tabarca Island (Alicante, southeast Spain), size-class distributions were subjected to uni- and multivariant analyses. Results indicated a low contribution of the smallest size-class, considered sub-adults. The Tabarca Island artificial reef seems to function as an attractive structure which favours the concentration of adult fish coming from other nearby habitats. Its use in the commercial fisheries could be controversial.Para determinar el efecto producción - atracción del arrecife artificial de Tabarca, se analizó la estructura de tallas del poblamiento íctico asociado mediante análisis univariantes y multivariantes. Los resultados indicaron una baja contribución de la clase de talla 1 en el conjunto del poblamiento, considerándose a la mayoría de estos individuos subadultos o juveniles tardíos. El arrecife artificial de Tabarca parece funcionar como una estructura de atracción que favorece la concentración de peces adultos procedentes de fondos cercanos. Su utilización con fines pesqueros puede ser discutible.Instituto Español de Oceanografí