Distribución y ecología de Echinospartum horridum (Vahl) Rothm. en Navarra.

Se ha estudiado la distribución y el habitat de Echinospartum horridum (Vahl) Rothm. (Genista hórrida (Vahl) D.C.) en la provincia de Navarra

Context dependency, co-introductions, novel mutualisms, and host shifts shaped the ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of the alien tree Eucalyptus globulus

The identity and relevance of the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal partners of Eucalyptus globulus was investigated in NW Spain, to detect which symbionts mainly support its invasiveness. Root tips of E. globulus and of three common native plant species (Quercus robur, Pinus pinaster and Halimium lasianthum) were collected in eucalypt plantations, Q. robur forests, P. pinaster plantations and shrublands. Fungal taxonomical identity was ascertained by use of rDNA and direct sequencing. We studied diversity, composition and colonization rate of the ECM fungal communities of E. globulus to determine if fungal assemblages are host specific (i.e. similar in different habitats) or more dependent on the neighbourhood context. We also identified the type of associations formed (i.e. co-introductions, familiar or novel associations). Twenty-six ECM taxa were associated with E. globulus. Most of them engaged in novel associations with eucalypts, whereas only three fungal species were co-introduced Australian aliens. Eucalypt fungal richness, diversity and colonization rate differed between habitats, being higher in native oak forests, whereas in shrublands E. globulus showed the lowest colonization rate and diversity. The Australian fungus Descolea maculata dominated the eucalypt fungal assemblage and also spread to the native host plants, in all the habitats, posing the risk of further co-invasion.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. EM2014/03

Predators and dispersers: context-dependent outcomes of the interactions between rodents and a megafaunal fruit plant

Many plant species bear fruits that suggest adaptation to seed dispersal by extinct megafauna. Present-day seed dispersal of these megafaunal plants is carried out by rodents, which can act as predators or dispersers; whether this interaction is primarily positive or negative can depend on the context. Here, we parameterized a stochastic model using data from the field and experimental arenas to estimate the effect of rodents on the recruitment of Myrcianthes coquimbensis -an Atacama Desert shrub with megafaunal fruits- and examine whether environmental conditions can alter the sign and strength of these rodent-plant interactions. We show that the outcome of these interactions is context-dependent: in wet conditions seed removal by rodents negatively impacts the recruitment probability of M. coquimbensis; in contrast, in dry conditions, the interaction with rodents increases recruitment success. In all cases, the strength of the effect of rodents on the recruitment success was determined mainly by their role as dispersers, which could be positive or negative. This study demonstrates that by caching seeds, rodents can be effective dispersers of a megafaunal fruit plant, but that the sign and magnitude of their effect on recruitment changes as a function of the environmental context in which the interaction occursInstituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Chile | Ref. P05-002Universidad de La Serena, Chile | Ref. PT14122Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, España | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00FONDECYT, Chile | Ref. 11140400Conicyt, Chile | Ref. AFB17000

Atmospheres: Shattering the Architecture to Generate Another Educational Discourse in Art Education

[Abstract] This article seeks to share the experience gained in the expository project Atmospheres for Educational Change, a curatorial proposal focused on education that took place at Normal, the cultural intervention space at the University of A Coruña, aimed at criticizing the position of contemporary art in education and society. Atmospheres reflected on the life and routines of individuals in collectivity. It invited the spectator to an interaction between the aesthetic artificiality of the created environment and the naturalness of the sensations generated within. These were environments that invited discomfort, with artistic installations that functioned as social agitators—politically incorrect and educationally transformative

Multilevel current source inverter to improve power quality in a distribution network

This paper deals with the problem of reactive power and harmonics in a standard medium voltage (MV) distribution network. It presents the design of a shunt active filter implemented with a multilevel current source inverter (MCSI) connected to the medium voltage level of a power distribution system. The proposed MCSI is made by identical modules where all inductors carry the same amount of current. The current balance is achieved by a Phase-Shifted Carrier SPWM proper implementation. The performance of proposed active filter is thoroughly simulated with Matlab Simulink. It shows very good behavior in steady state and transient conditions.Instituto de Investigaciones Tecnológicas para Redes y Equipos Eléctricos (IITREE

Thermal and rheological behaviour of stearate-based phase change nanofluids

A comprehensive study has been performed on the thermal and rheological behaviour of two sets of isooctyl stearate (PureTemp 8, PT8) based nanofluids with different concentrations of spherical MgO nanoparticles (up to 15 wt%) and graphene nanoplatelets (up to 2 wt%). The results show that the presence of the nanomaterials does not significantly alter the phase change temperatures of the base fluids, although the latent heat decreases by 27% and 7.6% for 15 wt% MgO and 1.0 wt% GnP-based nanofluids, respectively. Both nanomaterials are found to increase the thermal diffusivity of the nanofluids. GnP-based suspensions have a higher thermal diffusivity than the MgO ones at similar nanomaterial concentrations. Rheological analyses show that MgO-PT8 nanofluids behave as a viscoplastic material (solid at zero shear rate); whereas the GnP-PT8 samples are viscoelastic (liquid at zero shear rate). MgO nanoparticles promote the formation of large fractal agglomerates, leading to a strong gel network of particles within PT8, while platelet-shaped GnP gives a fluid-like behaviour.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. ENE2017-86425-C2-1-RAgencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020-112846RB-C21Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PDC2021-121225-C21Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PRE2021-097589Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2020/06Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Parallel computing aided design of earthing systems for electrical substations in non homogeneous soil models

[Abstract] An accurate design of grounding systems is essential to assure the safety of the persons, to protect the equipment and to avoid interruptions in the power supply. In order to attain these targets, the equivalent electrical resistance of the system and the potential distribution on the earth surface in fault conditions are necessary to compute. In this paper, it is presented a numerical approach for grounding analysis embedded in stratified soils and its implementation in a high-perfomance parallel computer. The feasibility of this system is shown with its application to the analysis of a real grounding system in a layered soil.Ministerio de Educación y Cultura; 1FD97-010