OSL Characterisation of Two Fluvial Sequences of the River Usmacinta in its Middle Catchment (SE Mexico)

The report summarizes luminescence profiling, initially using a SUERC PPSL system in Mexico, and laboratory analysis at SUERC, used to characterise the stratigraphy and interpret sedimentary processes in terrace deposits of the Usumacinta River, SE Mexico. This was then followed, by quantitative quartz OSL SAR dating of five sediment samples, aimed at defining the chronologicalframework of two sedimentary sequences, USU13-1 and USU13-2. In the wider region, the middle catchment of the Usumacinta River, contains numerous archaeological sites dating to the Maya Classic Period, including Bonampak, Yaxchilan and Piedras Negras. The broader aim of the investigation is to assess whether the two fluvial sequences contain a proxy record of environmental change through the archaeological period of interest. Initial luminescence profiling revealed that the stratigraphy in each profile was complex, reflecting multiple cycles of deposition, with signal maxima, followed by tails to lower intensities, possibly indicating deposition during extreme flood events, interleaved with periods of slower sedimentation, and potentially better luminescence resetting. Laboratory profiling reproduced the apparent maxima/trends in the field profiling dataset, confirming that both sections record complex depositional histories. Furthermore, the variations in stored dose estimates, and luminescence sensitivities with depth, confirm that the sections do not record simple age-depth progressions. Quantitative quartz OSL SAR dating was undertaken on five sediment samples. Given the information obtained from the field- and laboratory-profiles it is not surprising that the equivalent dose distributions for each sample showed considerable scatter, particularly so for the second section, USU13-2. Nevertheless, throughstatistical analysis, individual quartz OSL SAR ages were obtained for each sample. Individual dates fall into the Mayan Post-Classical Period to early modern Period, with statistical combinations pointing to a late 15th century accumulation of USU13-1, and the 18th century accumulation of the sediment within USU13-2. Interestingly, the three samples from section USU13-2, all show some aliquots which tail to higher equivalent doses; furthermore, in each sample, the mean value determined for this component is similar, suggesting that the sediment sampled in USU13-2, may be sourced from a 15th century or older accumulation upstream

Targeting energy savings? Better on primary than final energy and less on intensity metrics

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGA eficiencia enerxética é un tema crítico nas políticas públicas, xa que é a clave para desvincular o crecemento económico e o uso da enerxía. Estes obxectivos están a ser aínda máis relevantes para abordar a crise enerxética e os novos escenarios xeopolíticos da guerra de Ucraína. Aínda que varios traballos analizaron os obxectivos de eficiencia enerxética, este traballo céntrase nos obxectivos de aforro enerxético, que representan a principal métrica de eficiencia para a Unión Europea. Este traballo enche un baleiro na literatura ao analizar os impactos económicos e ambientais da consecución de obxectivos de eficiencia enerxética mediante unha política fiscal enerxética, simulada por un modelo de equilibrio xeral computable híbrido con gran detalle tecnolóxico. Defínense seis escenarios para o aforro enerxético no consumo dos produtos enerxéticos, utilizando Portugal como caso de estudo. Os resultados relevantes para os responsables políticos dos escenarios simulados inclúen: (i) acadar obxectivos de aforro enerxético por medios alternativos, é dicir, dirixidos ao consumo de enerxía primaria ou final, proporcionar impactos heteroxéneos na eficiencia do sistema enerxético e no PIB, e algúns inesperados e indesexables nos impactos ambientais; (ii) unha fiscalidade relativamente máis baixa de todos os produtos enerxéticos produce impactos máis grandes e máis distorsionadores na xeración de electricidade que impostos máis elevados só sobre os combustibles fósiles (un resultado contraintuitivo), (iii) as políticas destinadas a reducir a enerxía primaria en lugar da enerxía final proporcionan os mellores resultados (maiores aumentos da eficiencia do sistema enerxético con impactos económicos máis suaves), o que vai en contra do principio da directiva europea sobre impostos enerxéticos pola que deben gravarse os produtos finais, independentemente dos insumos utilizados na súa produción e (iv) e os obxectivos non deben elaborarse en base a indicadores de intensidade enerxética. Polo tanto, móstrase que o tamaño dos impactos no balance entre as preocupacións económicas e ambientais depende do foco no aforro enerxético: de onde (consumo de enerxía primaria ou final) e a que (fósiles ou todos os produtos enerxéticos) sexa aplicado.Energy efficiency is a critical issue in public policies, as it is the key to decoupling economic growth and energy use. These objectives are becoming even more relevant to addressing the energy crisis and the new geopolitical scenarios delivered by the Ukraine war. Although several papers have analyzed energy efficiency goals, this paper focuses on energy savings targets, which represent the main efficiency metric for the European Union. This paper fills a gap in literature by analyzing the economic and environmental impacts of attaining energy efficiency targets through an energy fiscal policy, simulated by a hybrid computable general equilibrium model with technological detail. Six scenarios are defined for energy savings in primary/final energy consumption of fossil-fueled/all energy products, using Portugal as a case study. Relevant insights for policy makers from the simulated scenarios include: (i) achieving energy saving targets by alternative means, i.e., directed at primary or final energy consumption, provide heterogeneous impacts on the efficiency of the energy system and GDP, and some unexpected and undesirable outcomes concerning environmental impacts; (ii) a relatively lower taxation of all energy products deliver larger and more distorting impacts on electricity generation than higher taxes on fossil fuels only (a counterintuitive result), (iii) policies aiming to reduce primary energy instead of final energy provide the best outcomes (further increases in the efficiency of the energy system with smoother economic impacts), thereby pointing against the European Energy Taxation directive principle that taxation should be levied on final products, regardless of inputs used in their production and (iv) and targets should not be set up based on energy intensity indicators. Hence, it is shown that the size of the trade-off between economic and environmental concerns depends on where (primary or final energy consumption) and what (fossil or all energy products) energy savings are targeted.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDB/05037/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDP/05037/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UID/04085/2020Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación | Ref. PID2019-106677GB-I00Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC2017/063Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Precise Measures of Orbital Period, Before and After Nova Eruption for QZ Aurigae

For the ordinary classical nova QZ Aurigae (which erupted in 1964), we report 1317 magnitudes from 1912--2016, including four eclipses detected on archival photographic plates from long before the eruption. We have accurate and robust measures of the orbital period both pre-eruption and post-eruption, and we find that the orbital period decreased, with a fractional change of -290.71+-0.28 parts-per-million across the eruption, with the orbit necessarily getting smaller. Further, we find that the light curve outside of eclipses and eruption is flat at near B=17.14 from 1912--1981, whereupon the average light curve starts fading down to B=17.49 with large variability. QZ Aur is a robust counter-example against the Hibernation model for the evolution of cataclysmic variables, where the model requires that all novae have their period increase across eruptions. Large period decreases across eruptions can easily arise from mass imbalances in the ejecta, as are commonly seen in asymmetric nova shells.Comment: MNRAS in press, 24 pages, 5 tables, 6 figure

Combinando Linked Data con servicios geoespaciales

La Web de Linked Data supone un nuevo paradigma que pretende explotar la Web como un espacio global de información. La aplicación de los principios de esta nueva Web a la información geoespacial superará la integración de información tradicional, logrando una articulación semántica de los datos que haga desaparecer los silos de datos presentes en las actuales Infraestructuras de Datos Espaciales. Ante esta propuesta, en este artículo se describe el trabajo desarrollado en el marco de un caso de uso utilizando una parte de los datos del SIGNA. En este caso de uso se ha llevado a cabo un proceso de generación y publicación de los mencionados datos conforme a los principios de Linked Data y estos se combinan con diversos servicios de la IDEE y CartoCiudad para explotar el componente geoespacial

First sexual intercourse and subsequent regret in three developing countries

Purpose: Adolescents who engage in sex can be affected by a range of negative physical and psychological consequences. We intend to analyze the reasons behind first sex, regret, and the association between reasons and regret. Methods: A questionnaire was implemented to 8495 high schools students, aged 14-18, in the Philippines, El Salvador and Peru. Sexually active participants responded whether several circumstances were reasons involved in their first sexual relationship. They also responded whether they regretted having already had sexual relationships. Results: More than a third of respondents reported at least one external pressure leading to first sex, and about half reported at least one reason implying getting carried away by sexual arousal. More females affirmed they regret having already had sex. Logistic regression shows that reasons for first sex associated with regret were partner insistence, "uncontrolled situations" and seeing sexual images. These reasons were associated with regret even when love was also reported as related to first sex. Conclusions: Adolescent sexual experience is often motivated by pressure and circumstances that lower the control over their decisions concerning sex, such as external pressure (because most friends already had sex or because of partner insistence) or getting carried away by sexual arousal (through an "uncontrolled situation" or viewing sexual images) rather than by mature decisions, and this may result in later regret. Adolescents should be helped by parents, educators and policy makers to be aware of these characteristics of adolescent sex and empowered to make assertive and informed decisions concerning their sexuality

Naturally lignan-rich foods: a dietary tool for health promotion?

Dietary guidelines universally advise adherence to plant-based diets. Plant-based foods confer considerable health benefits, partly attributable to their abundant micronutrient (e.g., polyphenol) content. Interest in polyphenols is largely focused on the contribution of their antioxidant activity to the prevention of various disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Polyphenols are classified into groups, such as stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and others. Lignans, which possess a steroid-like chemical structure and are defined as phytoestrogens, are of particular interest to researchers. Traditionally, health benefits attributed to lignans have included a lowered risk of heart disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and breast cancer. However, the intake of naturally lignan-rich foods varies with the type of diet. Consequently, based on the latest humans’ findings and gathered information on lignan-rich foods collected from Phenol Explorer database this review focuses on the potential health benefits attributable to the consumption of different diets containing naturally lignan-rich foods. Current evidence highlight the bioactive properties of lignans as human health-promoting molecules. Thus, dietary intake of lignan-rich foods could be a useful way to bolster the prevention of chronic illness, such as certain types of cancers and cardiovascular disease

Prevalence and trends of thinness, overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 3-18 years across Europe: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Increasing prevalence of both thinness and excess weight during childhood and adolescence is a significant public health issue because of short-term health consequences and long-term tracking of weight status. Monitoring weight status in Europe may serve to identify countries and regions where rates of these disorders are either slowing down or increasing to evaluate recent policies aimed at appropriate body weight, and to direct future interventions. This study protocol provides a standardised and transparent methodology to improve estimating trends of thinness, overweight and obesity in children aged 3-18 years and adolescents across the European region between 2000 and 2017. Methods and analysis This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook. To identify relevant studies, a search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. From the selected studies, relevant references will be screened as supplemental sources. Finally, open search in websites from health institutions will be conducted to identify weight status data not published in scientific journals. Cross-sectional, follow-up studies and panel surveys reporting weight status (objectively measured height and weight) according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria, and written in English or Spanish will be included. Subgroup analyses will be carried out by gender, age, study year and country or European region. Discussion This study will provide a comprehensive description of weight status of children and adolescents across Europe from 2000 to 2017. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. This study will use data exclusively from published research or institutional literature, so institutional ethical approval is not required