Assessing water availability in Mediterranean regions affected by water conflicts through MODIS data time series analysis

Water scarcity is a widespread problem in arid and semi-arid regions such as the western Mediterranean coastal areas. The irregularity of the precipitation generates frequent droughts that exacerbate the conflicts among agriculture, water supply and water demands for ecosystems maintenance. Besides, global climate models predict that climate change will cause Mediterranean arid and semi-arid regions to shift towards lower rainfall scenarios that may exacerbate water conflicts. The purpose of this study is to find a feasible methodology to assess current and monitor future water demands in order to better allocate limited water resources. The interdependency between a vegetation index (NDVI), land surface temperature (LST), precipitation (current and future), and surface water resources availability in two watersheds in southeastern Spain with serious difficulties in meeting water demands was investigated. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI and LST products (as proxy of drought), precipitation maps (generated from climate station records) and reservoir storage gauging information were used to compute times series anomalies from 2001 to 2014 and generate regression images and spatial regression models. The temporal relationship between reservoir storage and time series of satellite images allowed the detection of different and contrasting water management practices in the two watersheds. In addition, a comparison of current precipitation rates and future precipitation conditions obtained from global climate models suggests high precipitation reductions, especially in areas that have the potential to contribute significantly to groundwater storage and surface runoff, and are thus critical to reservoir storage. Finally, spatial regression models minimized spatial autocorrelation effects, and their results suggested the great potential of our methodology combining NDVI and LST time series to predict future scenarios of water scarcity.Published versio

An evaluation of the role of the Admiral Nurse : a systematic evidence synthesis to inform service delivery and research

Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community and receive support from family members. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that caring for a person with dementia impacts on the health and wellbeing of family carers. Despite this the provision of funded support for family carers is often limited or inadequate. Admiral Nurses, developed in the 1990s, were specifically designed by the charity for dementia (now Dementia UK) to support the family carers of people with dementia. Admiral Nurses are mental health nurses specialising in the care of people with dementia. They are mainly employed by local providers of care for people with dementia but dementia UK is involved in setting up new posts and providing ongoing practice development. There are currently around 100 Admiral Nurses employed in England. In addition the charity has a national helpline provided by experienced Admiral Nurses. The evidence synthesis presented here was commissioned by Dementia UK in order to establish what is currently known about the scope, nature and effectiveness of Admiral Nurse

Quaternary elephants in Portugal : new data

Alem do resumo de dados anteriores, apresenta-se a descricao deexemplares novos ou ineditos, provenientes de jazidas quaternarias portuguesas - tufos de Condeixa; terraces do Tejo, perto do Carregado e na Foz do Enxarrique; Gruta da Figueira Brava; Algar de João Ramos. Na maior parte, são atribuíveis a Elephas antiquus, a forma melhor representada. Material da Figueira Brava e do Algar de João Ramos pertence a Mammuthus primigenius, especie citada pela primeira vez em Portugal

Gastrointestinal parasites of feral cats from Christmas Island

Objective To investigate the gastrointestinal parasites present in feral cats on Christmas Island, with particular interest in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Procedure Faecal and serum samples were collected from 28 and 25 cats respectively that were trapped as part of an ongoing eradication program being run on Christmas Island by the Department of Environment and Conservation. Faecal samples were screened microscopically for helminth and protozoan parasites. Serum samples were screened for antibodies to T gondii using a commercial indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and a latex agglutination test (LAT). Results The most common helminth parasites detected were Toxocara cati (present in 15 of 28 faecal samples), Strongyloides sp (13/28), Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, (7/28), an unidentified capillarid (6/28) and Ancylostoma sp (4/28). Based on serology, T gondii was the most common parasite detected (protozoan or otherwise) with antibodies detected in 24 serum samples by IFA and 23 serum samples by LAT. Conclusion Cats on Christmas Island harbour many of the helminth and protozoan parasites reported from feral cats elsewhere in Australia. The high seroprevalence of T gondii in these cats indicates a high level of exposure to the parasite in this environment

Clube da leitura ( Programa Algar inclui)

O Programa Algar Inclui, anteriormente nomeado de Programa de Voluntariado, foi lançado em abril de 2003, com o objetivo de estimular a participação voluntaria dos associados Algar em atividades sociais direcionadas pelo Instituto Algar, servindo assim a comunidade na qual a empresa está inserida.O Clube de Leitura vem para fomentar novas oportunidades de leitura aos alunos das escolas públicas. Centrado na leitura de livros literários, essa atividade tem por finalidade formar leitores autônomos que tenham prazer em ler

Diagnose sexual em restos humanos: o caso das sepulturas coletivas

Dissertação de mestrado, Arqueologia, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2014Em sepulturas coletivas, como a do Algar do Bom Santo (Alenquer, Portugal), a diagnose sexual é efetuada recorrendo a outros ossos que não o coxal, com metodologias desenvolvidas em coleções de esqueletos identificados. Tal deve-se a um duplo facto: este osso encontrar-se frequentemente fragmentado e o material esquelético não estar, usualmente, em conexão anatómica, impossibilitando a determinação do sexo de um esqueleto inteiro pelo coxal. Daqui surgem dois problemas: a não utilização do coxal na diagnose sexual, o osso mais dimórfico do esqueleto humano, e a aplicação de métodos desenvolvidos em material esquelético contendo possíveis discrepâncias biológicas. O presente trabalho irá avaliar a fiabilidade desta abordagem, utilizando a série osteológica neolítica exumada do Algar do Bom Santo. Serão utilizados os úmeros e os fémures maturos por serem ossos com um dimorfismo sexual e uma representatividade elevados nestes contextos. Para tal, a par dos métodos convencionais, serão aplicadas metodologias desenvolvidas na própria série, utilizando as medidas convencionais e as presentes nas superfícies articulares das epífises. A escolha destas porções anatómicas deve-se a estas apresentarem um grau de dimorfismo sexual elevado, podendo assim refletir padrões, caso existam, nas proporções sexuais. Os resultados serão analisados ao nível das respetivas medidas de tendência central (média e mediana) e comparados com os indicadores morfológicos. Por fim, será efetuada uma comparação com as séries osteológicas coevas e espacialmente próximas ao Algar do Bom Santo

Modelling the burden caused by gene expression: an in silico investigation into the interactions between synthetic gene circuits and their chassis cell

In this paper we motivate and develop a model of gene expression for the purpose of studying the interaction between synthetic gene circuits and the chassis cell within which they are in- serted. This model focuses on the translational aspect of gene expression as this is where the literature suggests the crucial interaction between gene expression and shared resources lies

The Use of Ultrasonic Frequencies as a Mechanism for Refining

The objective of this thesis was to explore the use of ultrasonic frequencies as a mechanism for refining. Through cooperation with the Intex Corporation, an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, that was easily adaptable to.use as a refiner, was borrowed. The experimental procedure indicated that ultrasonic refining coupled with mechanical ·refining produced a sheet with improved tear, tensil, fold and opacity characteristics. The burst, however, was slightly lower. An interesting phenomenon that occurred was the plateauing effect that is observed, most distinctly on the graphs of burst and tensil vs. freeness. this plateau seems to be a phenomenon where the maximum value of a test is held relatively constant over a wide freeness range. The peaking, and quick fall off that occurs with mechanical refining is not present with ultrasonic refining. One problem that exists is that the ultrasonic power requirements appear to be relatively high

Metabolomic characterization of strawberry cultivars during postharvest

The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is the berry most consumed worldwide and is well-known for its delicate flavour and nutritional characteristics. However, strawberries possess a very short postharvest shelf-life due to their high respiration rate and their susceptibility to water loss, mechanical damage and fungi deterioration. Extension of fruit shelf-life is a major economic goal, and measures are commercially taken to delay senescence. These procedures include low temperature, controlled atmosphere and/or chemical treatments, being the first one the most commonly applied. To improve our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying the deterioration of fruit quality attributes during senescence, we monitored the metabolomic profiles of five commercial strawberry cultivars under different postharvest treatments. Ripe fruits of F x ananassa cv. ‘Amiga’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Candonga’, ‘Fortuna’ and ‘Santa Clara’ were harvested and kept at 4ºC during three, six and ten days in normal, CO2-enriched and O3-enriched atmospheres. We used a combination of GC-TOF-MS, LC-MS and GC-SPME-MS to identify and semi-quantify 49 primary metabolites (sugars, amino and organic acids), 132 polar secondary metabolites and 70 volatile compounds in all different treatments along postharvest stages. Multivariate statistical approaches, including hierarchical cluster analysis, partial least squares discriminant analyses and k-means clustering, were used to characterize the variation in metabolite content during the strawberry fruit postharvest life and to identify the biochemical pathways which are most affected in the senescence processes. Here, we present the main changes in volatile compounds, primary and secondary metabolites as a consequence of postharvest storage, highlighting the differences between cultivars and treatments. Network-based methods will allow us to point out the regulatory factors and molecular mechanisms underlying fruit senescence.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Phase formation, thermal stability and magnetic moment of cobalt nitride thin films

Cobalt nitride (Co-N) thin films prepared using a reactive magnetron sputtering process by varying the relative nitrogen gas flow (\pn) are studied in this work. As \pn~increases, Co(N), \tcn, Co$_3$N and CoN phases are formed. An incremental increase in \pn, after emergence of \tcn~phase at \pn=10\p, results in a continuous expansion in the lattice constant ($a$) of \tcn. For \pn=30\p, $a$ maximizes and becomes comparable to its theoretical value. An expansion in $a$ of \tcn, results in an enhancement of magnetic moment, to the extent that it becomes even larger than pure Co. Though such higher (than pure metal) magnetic moment for Fe$_4$N thin films have been theoretically predicted and evidenced experimentally, higher (than pure Co) magnetic moment are evidenced in this work and explained in terms of large-volume high-moment model for tetra metal nitrides.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure