Variability of North Atlantic hurricanes: seasonal versus individual-event features

Tropical cyclones are affected by a large number of climatic factors, which translates into complex patterns of occurrence. The variability of annual metrics of tropical-cyclone activity has been intensively studied, in particular since the sudden activation of the N Atl in the mid 1990's. We provide first a swift overview on previous work by diverse authors about these annual metrics for the NAtl basin, where the natural variability of the phenomenon, the existence of trends, the drawbacks of the records, and the influence of global warming have been the subject of interesting debates. Next, we present an alternative approach that does not focus on seasonal features but on the characteristics of single events [Corral et al Nature Phys 6, 693, 2010]. It is argued that the individual-storm power dissipation index (PDI) constitutes a natural way to describe each event, and further, that the PDI statistics yields a robust law for the occurrence of tropical cyclones in terms of a power law. In this context, methods of fitting these distributions are discussed. As an important extension to this work we introduce a distribution function that models the whole range of the PDI density (excluding incompleteness effects at the smallest values), the gamma distribution, consisting in a power-law with an exponential decay at the tail. The characteristic scale of this decay, represented by the cutoff parameter, provides very valuable information on the finiteness size of the basin, via the largest values of the PDIs that the basin can sustain. We use the gamma fit to evaluate the influence of sea surface temperature (SST) on the occurrence of extreme PDI values, for which we find an increase around 50 % in the values of these basin-wide events for a 0.49 degC SST average difference. ...Comment: final version available soon in the 1st author's web, http://www.crm.cat/Researchers/acorral/Pages/PersonalInformation.asp

Halophiles and Their Biomolecules: Recent Advances and Future Applications in Biomedicine

The organisms thriving under extreme conditions better than any other organism living on Earth, fascinate by their hostile growing parameters, physiological features, and their production of valuable bioactive metabolites. This is the case of microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, and fungi) that grow optimally at high salinities and are able to produce biomolecules of pharmaceutical interest for therapeutic applications. As along as the microbiota is being approached by massive sequencing, novel insights are revealing the environmental conditions on which the compounds are produced in the microbial community without more stress than sharing the same substratum with their peers, the salt. In this review are reported the molecules described and produced by halophilic microorganisms with a spectrum of action in vitro: antimicrobial and anticancer. The action mechanisms of these molecules, the urgent need to introduce alternative lead compounds and the current aspects on the exploitation and its limitations are discussed.España, MINECO CGL2017-83385-

Detecting Technological Heterogeneity in New York Dairy Farms

Agricultural studies have often differentiated and estimated different technologies within a sample of farms. The common approach is to use observable farm characteristics to split the sample into several groups and subsequently estimate different functions for each group. Alternatively, unique technologies can be determined by econometric procedures such as latent class models. This paper compares the results of a latent class model with the use of a priori information to split the sample using dairy farm data in the application. Latent class separation appears to be a superior method of separating heterogeneous technologies.parlor milking system, stanchion milking system, latent class model, stochastic frontier, Production Economics,

Detecting Technological Heterogeneity in New York Dairy Farms

Agricultural studies have often differentiated and estimated different technologies within a sample of farms. The common approach is to use observable farm characteristics to split the sample into several groups and subsequently estimate different functions for each group. Alternatively, unique technologies can be determined by econometric procedures such as latent class models. This paper compares the results of a latent class model with the use of a priori information to split the sample using dairy farm data in the application. Latent class separation appears to be a superior method of separating heterogeneous technologies.parlor milking system, stanchion milking system, latent class model, stochastic frontier, Agribusiness, Farm Management,

Desastres naturals, multifractals i xarxes climàtiques: tres exemples de complexitat a geociència

La Terra, el nostre planeta, és un sistema d'una complexitat enorme. Geo�� sics, geoquímics, geòlegs, oceanògrafs, hidròlegs, meteoròlegs, climatòlegs, ecòlegs, etc., fa molt de temps que lluiten contra aquesta complexitat. En els darrers anys la ciència dels sistemes complexos està oferint noves perspec�� ves per entendre millor el sistema Terra. En aquest ar�� cle considerem tres exemples: la grandària dels desastres naturals, els senyals mul�� fractals i les xarxes climà�� ques

La colaboración científica en turismo : grupos y redes de investigación en Cataluña

Este artículo está basado en dos estudios financiados por el Observatorio de Turismo de la Generalidad de Cataluña: Aproximació a la recerca sobre turisme a Catalunya (exp. 249/09) y II Fase del mapa de coneixement del turisme des de la perspectiva de la recerca universitària (exp. 268/10). El trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de los Estudios de Doctorado en Geografía de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la colaboración científica en el campo del turismo en Cataluña: caracterizar a los grupos de investigación; estudiar la colaboración de grupos, instituciones y países; explorar el efecto de la multidisciplinariedad y las revistas, e identificar investigadores clave. Se elaboró un catálogo de grupos y se analizó la producción entre 2000 y 2010 mediante el cálculo de indicadores bibliométricos y el análisis de redes sociales. Hubo cuatro tipos de grupos, entre los 20 detectados, los cuales colaboraron interna y externamente a partes iguales. La incidencia de la coautoría aumentó durante la década, aunque no la extensión. La colaboración fue mayor en las revistas más prestigiosas, pero no quedó claro que la multidisciplinariedad aumentara la colaboración. La red de coautorías estuvo poco cohesionada, es decir, tuvo muchos investigadores aislados y subgrupos desconectados. Y la colaboración nacional y la internacional fueron las que más crecieron, aunque la local fue la más frecuente.L'objectiu del present article és analitzar la col·laboració científica en el camp del turisme a Catalunya: caracteritzar els grups d'investigació; estudiar la col·laboració de grups, institucions i països; explorar l'efecte de la multidisciplinarietat i les revistes, i identificar-ne investigadors clau. Es va elaborar un catàleg de grups i es va analitzar la producció entre 2000 i 2010 mitjançant el càlcul d'indicadors bibliomètrics i l'anàlisi de xarxes socials. Es van detectar 20 grups, els quals es van classificar en quatre tipus. Els grups van col·laborar de manera interna i externa a parts iguals. La col·laboració va ser més elevada en les revistes més prestigioses, però no va quedar clar que la multidisciplinarietat augmentés la col·laboració. La xarxa de coautories va ser poc cohesionada, és a dir, hi va haver molts investigadors aïllats i subgrups desconnectats. I la col·laboració nacional i la internacional van ser les que van créixer més, tot i que la local va ser la més freqüent.Il s'agit d'analyser le poids de la collaboration scientifique dans le domaine du tourisme en Catalogne: caractériser les groupes de recherche; étudier la collaboration apportée par les groupes, les institutions et les pays; rechercher l'effet de la pluridisciplinarité et des revues; et identifier les chercheurs-clé. Un catalogue des groupes a été élaboré et la production entre 2000 et 2010 a été analysée grâce au calcul d'indicateurs bibliométriques et à l'analyse des réseaux sociaux. Il en est ressorti quatre types de groupes qui, parmi les 20 détectés, ont apporté une collaboration interne et externe à parts égales. L'incidence de la co-création a augmenté pendant cette décade mais non pas son extension. La collaboration a été plus importante dans les revues les plus prestigieuses mais sans permettre cependant de pouvoir assurer que le rôle de la pluridisciplinarité a été facteur d'augmentation de la collaboration. Le réseau des co-auteurs a été peu uni: de nombreux chercheurs isolés et des sous-groupes non reliés. Ce sont les collaborations nationale et internationale qui ont enregistré la plus grande croissance mais la collaboration locale a été la plus fréquente.The aim was to analyse research collaboration in the field of tourism in Catalonia: to describe the research groups; to study the collaboration between groups, organisations and countries; to explore the level of multidisciplinarity in relation with the type of journals; and to identify key researchers. We made a catalogue of groups and analysed research output between 2000 and 2010 by means of bibliometrics and social networks analysis. We found four types of groups among the 20 groups identified, collaborating internally and externally in equal measure. Incidence of co-authorship increased over the course of the decade, but not its extent. Collaboration was highest in the most prestigious journals, but it was not clear whether multidisciplinary studies correlated with higher collaboration. Co-authorship networks lacked cohesion: many researchers were working in isolation and disconnected subgroups. National and international collaboration increased the most, but local collaboration was the most frequent

EL GRECO CARTOGRAPHER: VIEW AND PLAN OF TOLEDO (1608-1614)

[EN] El Greco¿s painting View and Plan of Toledo and, especially, the outlined plan included in it is one of the first drawn floor plans of Spanish cities. Its accuracy and quality is only comparable to the military plans of the time and it raises the question about El Greco¿s training as a cartographer. The analysis of the plan, both as a part of the pictorial composition and also as a cartographic document by itself, opens up new hypothesis about his training as a cartographer and also about the assessment of this remarkable work of the artist.[ES] El cuadro del Greco Vista y plano de Toledo y, especialmente, el plano delineado que incluye, uno de los primeros de ciudades españolas dibujados en planta, con una precisión y calidad sólo comparable a los planos militares de la época, plantea la cuestión de la formación del Greco como cartógrafo. El análisis del plano, como parte de la composición pictórica pero también como documento cartográfico considerado en sí mismo, abre nuevas hipótesis sobre sus conocimientos como cartógrafo y sobre la valoración de esta singular obra del pintor.Calduch Cervera, J. (2012). EL GRECO CARTÓGRAFO: VISTA Y PLANO DE TOLEDO (1608-1614). EGA. Revista de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica. 17(19):68-77. doi:10.4995/ega.2012.1359SWORD68771719CRESPO SANZ, Antonio, 2005, "Un mapa olvidado: el Atlas de El Escorial" (pp. 59-89), CT Catastro, octubre, 2005.Díez Del Corral GARNICA, Rosario, 1987, Arquitectura y mecenazgo. La imagen de Toledo en el Renacimiento, Madrid, Alianza Forma.Martínez-Burgos GARCÍA, Palma, 2004, El Greco: el pintor humanista, obra completa, Alcobendas, LIBSA

A Lamellar Zn-Based Coordination Polymer Showing Increasing Photoluminescence upon Dehydration

This research was funded by Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza (IT1755-22, IT1722-22 and IT1500-22) and Junta de Andalucia (B-FQM-734-UGR20, ProyExcel_00386 and FQM-394).The present study reports on a 2D lamellar coordination polymer (CP) of {[Zn(& mu;(3)-pmdc)(H2O)]& BULL;H2O}(n) formula (pmdc = pyrimidine-4,6-dicarboxylate). This CP is synthesized under an appropriate acid-base reaction between the gently mortared reagents in the solid state through a solvent-free procedure that avoids the presence of concomitant byproducts. The X-ray crystal structure reveals the occurrence of Zn-2 entities connected through carboxylate groups of pmdc, which behave as triconnected nodes, giving rise to six-membered ring-based layers that are piled up through hydrogen bonding interactions. In addition to a routine physico-chemical characterization, the thermal evolution of the compound has been studied by combining thermogravimetric and thermodiffractometric data. The photoluminescence properties are characterized in the solid state and the processes governing the spectra are described using time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) with two different approaches employing different program packages. The emissive capacity of the material is further analyzed according to the dehydration and decreasing temperature of the polycrystalline sample.Basque Government IT1755-22, IT1722-22, IT1500-22Junta de Andalucia B-FQM-734-UGR20, ProyExcel_00386, FQM-39

New route for 1-substituted hydantoins

Alkytation reactions on hydantoins (I) lead smoothly to 3-alkyl derivatives; more rigorous conditions allow further substitution at position 1 provided the N1-H group is activated by an aryl group or an ethylenic bond attached to the adjacent C52,a. All the hitherto available methods for the not readily accessible 3-unsubstituted-1-alkylhydantoins (IV) require placing the substituent at the appropriate nitrogen atom prior to the complete formation of the hydantoin system.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Las concesiones de infraestructuras de transporte en los países de Centro y Este de Europa: influencia del entorno institucional

La necesidad de incrementar de modo significativo sus niveles de inversión en infraestructuras de transporte, unida a las exigencias en materia de control del déficit presupuestario y de la deuda pública, conducen a los países recientemente incorporados a la Unión Europea a una apuesta por los mecanismos de participación del sector privado, principalmente a través de concesiones. Además, se trata de un planteamiento impulsado por la propia Comisión Europea para todos los países de la Unión Europea. En este artículo se analizan algunos de los principales problemas a los que se enfrentan los países recientemente incorporados a la Unión Europea en su empeño por avanzar en el desarrollo del sistema concesional, que son en buena medida problemas derivados de la complejidad de los proyectos concesionales y de las deficiencias del entorno institucional en estos países. - The need to significantly increase investment levels in transport infrastructures, together with the requirements for control of budgetary deficit and public debt, has led to the backing by countries recently incorporated in the European Union for private sector participation methods, mainly through concessions. This is, in fact, the focus promoted by the European Commission for all EU countries. This article examines some of the main problems affecting the new members of the EU when attempting to develop the concessionary system and which are largely related to the complexity of the concession project itself and the defects in the institutional environment in these countries