Leveraging Container Technologies in a GIScience Project: A Perspective from Open Reproducible Research

Scientific reproducibility is essential for the advancement of science. It allows the results of previous studies to be reproduced, validates their conclusions and develops new contributions based on previous research. Nowadays, more and more authors consider that the ultimate product of academic research is the scientific manuscript, together with all the necessary elements (i.e., code and data) so that others can reproduce the results. However, there are numerous difficulties for some studies to be reproduced easily (i.e., biased results, the pressure to publish, and proprietary data). In this context, we explain our experience in an attempt to improve the reproducibility of a GIScience project. According to our project needs, we evaluated a list of practices, standards and tools that may facilitate open and reproducible research in the geospatial domain, contextualising them on Peng’s reproducibility spectrum. Among these resources, we focused on containerisation technologies and performed a shallow review to reflect on the level of adoption of these technologies in combination with OSGeo software. Finally, containerisation technologies proved to enhance the reproducibility and we used UML diagrams to describe representative work-flows deployed in our GIScience project

Vibrational analysis and thermal behavior of salvia hispanica, nigella sativa and papaver somniferum seeds

Introduction: Salvia hispanica L., Nigella sativa L. and Papaver somniferum L. are involved in opiate-dependent behavior. It is known that the seeds of these three herbs contain high amounts of antioxidants, which are helpful in disease prevention, but further research is needed on some of their other phytochemical components (terpene alkaloids, benzoquinones and others), which are claimed to affect human opioid receptors. Methods: Seeds from the three afore mentioned plants have been studied by ATR-FTIR vibrational spectroscopy and thermo analytical techniques (TG/DTG, DTA and DSC). Results: The infrared spectrum has confirmed the presence of the ester carbonyl of terpenoid alkaloids (such as nigellamine) and the fully conjugated cyclic dione structure of quinones (e.g., thymoquinone). As regards the thermal stability of these seeds, small differences have been observed in their thermal profiles (endothermic effects at around 333C for chia, 268C for black cumin and 319C for poppy seeds), which can be ascribed to their different content in carbohydrates. Conclusions: The functional groups of the main active constituents and the thermal behavior of these three seeds have been elucidated

Evaluación del comportamiento mecánico de mezclas asfálticas templadas con 100 % de material reciclado

The use of Half Warm Mixes with high Reclaimed Asphalt content (HWMRA) has the potential to generate significant environmental advantages such as the reduction in consumption of natural resources and the emission of gases into the atmosphere. This paper therefore focuses on demonstrating the viability of using these types of mixes in wearing courses. For this purpose, an HWMRA with 70 % and 100 % Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and emulsion were designed in the laboratory. The performance of the mixes was then assessed and compared with that of conventional Hot Mix Asphalt. In a second stage, the mixes were manufactured in-plant, and laid and compacted in an Accelerated Pavement Test track. The cores were then extracted and tested for stiffness modulus and resistance to fatigue. The results from the tests conducted with both the laboratory specimens and the cores showed that the performance of HWMRA is comparable to that of HMA. These findings encourage greater confidence in promoting the use of these types of sustainable asphalt mixes.La utilización de mezclas asfálticas templadas con alto contenido de asfalto reciclado (HWMRA) conlleva ventajas medioambientales como la reducción del consumo de recursos naturales y la emisión de gases a la atmósfera. Este artículo se centra en mostrar la viabilidad de este tipo de mezclas para capas de rodadura. Para ello, se diseñaron mezclas HWMRA con 70 % y 100 % de asfalto reciclado en el laboratorio y se evaluó y comparó su comportamiento con una mezcla caliente convencional. En una segunda etapa, las mezclas fueron fabricadas en planta, extendidas y compactadas en una pista de ensayo acelerado de pavimentos. A continuación, se extrajeron testigos y se ensayaron para conocer su módulo de rigidez y resistencia a fatiga. Tanto los resultados de laboratorio como tras la fabricación en planta y puesta en obra mostraron que el comportamiento de mezclas HWMRA es comparable al de mezclas calientes convencionales. Dicha conclusión puede aportar confianza a este tipo de mezclas sostenibles promoviendo su mayor utilización

On the probable composition of ‘Jamaican stone’ aphrodisiac

A dangerous aphrodisiac, commonly known as ‘Jamaican stone’, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been studied by vibrational spectroscopy in order to solve the controversy on its composition. The results of the ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of the a-pyrone ring, which is characteristic of bufadienolides from toad venom and bulbs of squill (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn). This conclusion was reached after a comparative study with the spectra for phytochemicals derived from gambir and cat''s claw, two Uncaria species also preconized as aphrodisiacs and deemed as possible constituents of the ‘stone’. Owing to their physiologic similarities to digoxin, bufadienolides have been shown to produce a toxic profile similar to that of digoxin, although the lack one of the side chains found on digoxin should allow the use of hemodialysis to treat ‘Jamaican stone’ overdose

Valorization of Cistus ladanifer and Erica arborea shrubs for fuel: Wood and bark thermal characterization

As a form of upgraded biomass characterized by its high energy density, low production costs, and low process energy requirements, wood pellets are an environmentally friendly fuel allowing for carbon neutral heating with high energy efficiency. In this work, the suitability of a valorization of the woods from the two most representative shrub species from the Iberian Peninsula (namely Cistus ladanifer and Erica arborea) for heating has been assessed. Whereas Erica arborea met the requirements of ISO 17225-2:2014 for ENplus-B class (the calorific content for both wood and bark was high and not significantly different, and the ash content was permissible for specimens with branch diameter =2, 8 cm), Cistus ladanifer was in the limit of the normative and only met the requirements in terms of acceptable ash percentage (1, 9%) and heating value (19 kJ·g-1) for old specimens with branch diameters > 3, 4 cm. Consequently, while the harvest of E. arborea for its use as fuel does not need to be selective, that of C. ladanifer should be limited to the most robust specimens and foliage should be avoided

INFORMÁTICA E HISTORIA ANTIGUA: EL USO DEL PC EN EL ESTUDIO DE LOS TEXTOS CLÁSICOS

The packet of programs «LEXICO» consists of various programs which: list alphabetically the wordslconcepts (occurrences) and 1) indicates the absolute and relative frecuence of each; 2) in a descending orden te occurrences most used, and 3) a list of the concordances, locating each and noting the context in which they are found. As asterisk indicates when the term occurs more than once in the same line in the original text. (...

Vibrational and thermal studies of essential oils derived from Cistus ladanifer and Erica arborea shrubs

Essential oils from the two most representative shrub species from the Iberian Peninsula (namely Cistus ladanifer L. and Erica arborea L.) have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermoanalytical techniques (TG/DTG and DSC). Vibrational spectra have been compared with those of components of the plants, and with those of oils, gums and resins from other species. The different content in terpenoids of C. ladanifer oil (mainly mono-and sesquiterpenoids) and E. arborea oil (mainly triterpenoids) is reflected in the ATR-FTIR by the position of the bands at around 2873 cm-1, 1730 cm-1 and 1678 cm-1. As regards their thermal behavior, C. ladanifer-derived oil evinced higher thermal stability than that of obtained from E. arborea: The pyrolysis of the former was sensitized at 210°C, whereas for the later it occurred at 143°C. These temperatures are high enough to state that thermolabile constituents such as terpenoids are conserved in the hydrodistillation and that this extraction process ensures the recovery of the main constituents of both essential oils

INFORMÁTICA E HISTORIA ANTIGUA: EL USO DEL PC EN EL ESTUDIO DE LOS TEXTOS CLÁSICOS

The packet of programs «LEXICO» consists of various programs which: list alphabetically the wordslconcepts (occurrences) and 1) indicates the absolute and relative frecuence of each; 2) in a descending orden te occurrences most used, and 3) a list of the concordances, locating each and noting the context in which they are found. As asterisk indicates when the term occurs more than once in the same line in the original text. (...

Mediterranean shrublands as carbon sinks for climate change mitigation: new root-to-shoot ratios

Shrublands play an important role in the reduction of atmospheric CO2 and contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change, due to their ability to act as carbon sinks and the large expanses of land involved. Two of the most representative shrub species in the Iberian Peninsula, Cistus ladanifer L. and Erica arborea L., were studied in terms of biomass distribution and carbon and nitrogen contents in the different fractions. With a view to fast and cost-effective estimation of radical biomass, a new procedure for easy root-to-shoot calculation based on vibrational data was proposed, resulting in an excellent agreement with the values obtained from conventional direct belowground and aerial biomass measurements: 0.23 for C. ladanifer and 0.54 for E. arborea. Carbon sequestration, estimated at 45 and 73 t CO2 eq·ha-1 for C. ladanifer and E. arborea, respectively, was subsequently determined. Since these values are substantially higher than those of other shrubs, these two key species can be deemed particularly promising for ecological restoration and carbon offsetting