Technical viability of high-resolution cartographic products with unmanned aerial vehicles and lightweight sensors applied to engineering

Los avances tecnológicos en sectores como el agronómico, forestal, arqueológico, civil, etc. están suponiendo una revolución debido a la utilización de nuevas tecnologías con la finalidad de optimizar recursos y minimizar los costes. Concretamente, el uso de las plataformas aéreas no tripuladas y los avances experimentados en los sensores a bordo de éstas, permiten obtener información actualizada, así como generar productos que ayuden a la toma de decisiones. En este sentido, cada vez más estas plataformas se están convirtiendo en herramientas con las cuales es posible obtener información en el momento que se desee y a menor coste, comparado con los satélites remotos o las plataformas tripuladas. La elección de usar uno u otro dependerá del análisis de todos los factores que influyen para alcanzar el objetivo. Esta Tesis Doctoral tiene como objetivo principal analizar la viabilidad de los productos cartográficos de alta resolución obtenidos mediante plataformas aéreas no tripuladas con sensores ligeros a bordo. En primer lugar, se ha realizado un recorrido de la evolución experimentada por estas plataformas y de la tipología de sensores que pueden ser integrados, así como algunas de las aplicaciones en las que se están empleando y el procedimiento fotogramétrico a seguir para obtener el producto final. A continuación, se ha evaluado la calidad a través de diferentes test o estándares cartográficos con el fin de analizar la viabilidad del producto generado. Del mismo modo, se han llevado a cabo varios estudios con diferentes configuraciones de vuelo y distintas combinaciones de parámetros que influyen en la planificación del mismo. El objetivo ha sido determinar cuál de ellas es la más adecuada en función de los requerimientos a satisfacer y de la calidad posicional. Los productos cartográficos generados con plataformas aéreas no tripuladas han demostrado que pueden ser aplicados en diferentes ramas de la ingeniería (agronómica y civil, en este caso) para la toma de decisiones que faciliten la gestión y ayuden a definir las actuaciones pertinentes a llevar a cabo.Technological advances in sectors such as agronomy, forestry, archaeology, civil engineering, etc. are assuming a revolution due to the use of new technologies in order to optimize resources and minimize costs. Specifically, the use of unmanned aerial platforms and the advances made in the sensors on board, allow us to obtain updated information, as well as to generate products that help decision making. In this sense, more and more these platforms are becoming tools with which it is possible to obtain information at the time you want and at a lower cost, compared to remote satellites or manned platforms. The choice of using one or the other will depend on the analysis of all the factors that influence the achievement of the objective. The aim of this PhD thesis is to analyze the viability of high-resolution cartographic products obtained from unmanned aerial platforms with light on-board sensors. Firstly, a tour of the evolution experienced by these platforms and the type of sensors that can be integrated, as well as some of the applications in which they are being used and the photogrammetric procedure to be followed to obtain the final product. Next, the quality was evaluated using different tests or cartographic standards in order to analyze the viability of the product generated. In the same way, several studies have been carried out with different flight configurations and different combinations of parameters that influence the planning of the flight. The objective has been to determine which of them is the most suitable according to the requirements to be satisfied and the positional quality. Cartographic products generated with unmanned aerial platforms have shown that they can be applied in different branches of engineering (agronomic and civil, in this case) for decision-making that facilitate management and help define the relevant actions to be carried out

¿Qué ocurre entre el autoconcepto y el rendimiento académico, en un contexto pluricultural?

ABSTRACTThis work tries to describe and to explain the different types (dimensions), levels and relations of self-concept and academic achievement of pupils in a pluricultural educational context, as a basis to be able to design, develop and evaluate the most suitable intervention. The analyses carried out have allowed to state statistically significant differences in diverse dimensions of self-concept and academic achievement, by course, culture and gender; particularly emphasizing the disadvantage of the Muslim pupils. Also, it has been possible to observe moderate correlations between the studied variables and, in addition, the power of prediction of self-concept on academic achievement, in its different dimensions.RESUMENEste trabajo pretende describir y explicar los diferentes tipos (dimensiones), niveles y relaciones del autoconcepto y el rendimiento académico del alumnado en un contexto educativo pluricultural, como base para poder diseñar, desarrollar y evaluar la intervención más adecuada.Los análisis llevados a cabo han permitido constatar diferencias estadísticamente significativas en diversas dimensiones del autoconcepto y el rendimiento, por curso, cultura y sexo; destacando particularmente la desventaja del alumnado musulmán.Asimismo, se han podido observar correlaciones moderadas entre las variables estudiadas y, además, el poder de predicción del autoconcepto sobre el rendimiento, en sus distintas dimensiones.ABSTRACTThis work tries to describe and to explain the different types (dimensions), levels and relations of self-concept and academic achievement of pupils in a pluricultural educational context, as a basis to be able to design, develop and evaluate the most suitable intervention.The analyses carried out have allowed to state statistically significant differences in diverse dimensions of self-concept and academic achievement, by course, culture and gender; particularly emphasizing the disadvantage of the Muslim pupils.Also, it has been possible to observe moderate correlations between the studied variables and, in addition, the power of prediction of self-concept on academic achievement, in its different dimensions

Los valores de los adolescentes en un centro educativo pluricultural de Ceuta

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to know the values of a group of teenagers (n = 200) in a multicultural secondary school of Ceuta, applying the Questionnaire of Values ‑QVH‑, α = 0,977 (Herrera, 2007); The following conclusions are drawn: participants most appreciated values are: equality, respect and spirit of change; girls from all grades, 16 years old students and also students from 4th grade show increased appreciation for most of the analyzed values; based on their cultures / religions, teenagers appreciate the values of different form.RESUMENEl objetivo de este trabajo era conocer los valores de los adolescentes (n = 200) en un IES pluricultural de Ceuta, a través del Cuestionario de Valores ‑CVH‑, α = 0,977 (Herrera, 2007); llegando a las siguientes conclusiones: 1ª. Los valores más apreciados por los adolescentes son: igualdad, respeto y espíritu de cambio. 2ª. En función del sexo, las chicas aprecian más la mayoría de los valores analizados. 3ª. Por curso, destacan los adolescentes de 4º de ESO. 4ª. Por edad, los de 16 años. 5ª. Y, en función de sus culturas / religiones, aprecian los valores de distinta forma.ABSTRACTThe aim of this research is to know the values of a group of teenagers (n = 200) in a multicultural secondary school of Ceuta, applying the Questionnaire of Values ‑QVH‑, α = 0,977 (Herrera, 2007); The following conclusions are drawn: participants most appreciated values are: equality, respect and spirit of change; girls from all grades, 16 years old students and also students from 4th grade show increased appreciation for most of the analyzed values; based on their cultures / religions, teenagers appreciate the values of different form

¿Tienen los adolescentes los mismos valores que sus padres? Un estudio con alumnado ceutí de Educación Secundaria

ABSTRACTOnce aknowlegde the values of high school in Ceuta are acknowlegded within what you would call an educational bicultural context (Herrera Ramírez, Herrera Clavero & Ramírez, 2008), the objective of this article is to study those of their parents, in order to be able to compare them an to draw some conclusions. For this reason, two samples were selected with a total of 331 participants: the first one, comprised of 188 teenagers (boys and girls), of ages between 14 and 17 years old (cited by Herrera Ramírez, Herrera Clavero & Ramírez, 2008; except 18 years); and, the second one, with 143 parents, of ages between 35 and 52 years; to which the Questionnaire of Values –HVQ– (Herrera, 2007) was administered, with a reliability = 0,977, for the teenagers, and = 0,979, for their parents. The main results obtained were the following: the most appreciated values by teenagers coincide little with those of their parents, probably, because the perceived similarity is greater than the actual one, as Whitbeck & Gecas (1988), and Gecas & Seff (1990) assert. In addition, teenagers appreciate more than their parents the analyzed values, above all, in the case of Muslims. This fact contrasts radically with obtained results in monocultural samples, where parents obtained superior scores (Herrera, 2007). Furthermore, whereas teenage girls appreciate more than teenage boys the majority of values, in accordance with the contributions of Thornton & YoungDeMarco (2001); statistically significant differences have not been found between their fathers and mothers. Finally, there are more differences between Muslims and Christians’, assessments regarding their values, than between those of their parents.RESUMENUna vez conocidos los valores de los adolescentes de un I.E.S. de Ceuta (Herrera Ramírez, Herrera Claveroy Ramírez, 2008), dentro de lo que se podría llamar un contexto educativo bicultural, el objetivode este trabajo era conocer los de sus padres, para poder compararlos y extraer conclusiones.Para ello, con un total de 331 participantes, se seleccionaron dos muestras: la primera, de 188 adolescentes(chicos y chicas), de edades comprendidas entre los 14 y 17 años (tomados de Herrera Ramírez,Herrera Clavero y Ramírez, 2008; excepto los de 18 años); y, la segunda, de 143 padres, de edades comprendidasentre los 35 y los 52 años; a las que se les aplicó el Cuestionario de Valores —CVH—(Herrera, 2007), de fiabilidad = 0,977, para los adolescentes, y = 0,979, para sus padres. Las principales conclusiones obtenidas han sido las siguientes: Los valores más apreciados por los adolescentes coinciden poco con los de sus padres, probablemente, porque la similitud percibida es mayor que la real, como afirman Whitbeck y Gecas (1988), y Gecas y Seff (1990). Además, los adolescentes aprecian más que sus padres los valores analizados, sobre todo, en el caso de los musulmanes; lo que contrasta radicalmente con los resultados obtenidos en muestras monoculturales, donde los padres obtuvieron puntuaciones superiores (Herrera, 2007). Por otra parte, mientras que las adolescentes aprecian más que los adolescentes la mayoría de los valores, en consonancia con las aportaciones de Thornton y Young-DeMarco (2001); no se han encontrado diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre sus padres y madres. Finalmente, existen más diferencias entre las apreciaciones de los valores de los adolescentes musulmanes y cristianos, que entre las de sus padres.ABSTRACTOnce aknowlegde the values of high school in Ceuta are acknowlegded within what you would call an educational bicultural context (Herrera Ramírez, Herrera Clavero & Ramírez, 2008), the objective of this article is to study those of their parents, in order to be able to compare them an to draw some conclusions. For this reason, two samples were selected with a total of 331 participants: the first one, comprised of 188 teenagers (boys and girls), of ages between 14 and 17 years old (cited by Herrera Ramírez, Herrera Clavero & Ramírez, 2008; except 18 years); and, the second one, with 143 parents, of ages between 35 and 52 years; to which the Questionnaire of Values –HVQ– (Herrera, 2007) was administered, with a reliability = 0,977, for the teenagers, and = 0,979, for their parents. The main results obtained were the following: the most appreciated values by teenagers coincide little with those of their parents, probably, because the perceived similarity is greater than the actual one, as Whitbeck & Gecas (1988), and Gecas & Seff (1990) assert. In addition, teenagers appreciate more than their parents the analyzed values, above all, in the case of Muslims. This fact contrasts radically with obtained results in monocultural samples, where parents obtained superior scores (Herrera, 2007). Furthermore, whereas teenage girls appreciate more than teenage boys the majority of values, in accordance with the contributions of Thornton & YoungDeMarco (2001); statistically significant differences have not been found between their fathers and mothers. Finally, there are more differences between Muslims and Christians’, assessments regarding their values, than between those of their parents

Tratamiento de la cognición-metacognición en un contexto educativo pluricultural

Este trabajo pretende analizar los niveles y efectos de la cognición-metacognición en el rendimiento académico de la población escolar en el contexto educativo pluricultural de la Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta, así como los efectos producidos con la aplicación de un programa de intervención para el desarrollo de las cognición-metacognición, como tratamiento experimental

Modos de reacción, adaptación y rendimiento académico de alumnado en contextos educativos pluri y monoculturales

ABSTRACTThis research work consists basically in knowing and analysing ways of reaction, adjustment and academic achievement of the student population in pluri and monocultural educational contexts, in order to detect their strong and feeble points, in order to facilitate and improve his orientation. The questionnaire “Ways of Reaction and Adjustment” (WRA) was applied to 614 participants of Secondary Obligatory Education (SOE) and Higher Secondary Education in order to analyse the variables: “control”, “irritability”, “aggressiveness”, “inhibition”, “insecurity” and “worry” (reaction scale); and “personal”, “familiar”, “student” and “social” (adjustment scale). The economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) of the participants was middle to high-middle.The main conclusions are: 1º) There are disadvantages between students in monocultural contexts, regarding their ways of reaction and adaptation. In Muslim students, this related to the interpersonal domain and, in Christian, to the intrapersonal. 2º) There is congruence of the maturity of the student body of the upper course that stands out in the positive, and the disadvantage of the more youngsters, that do it in the negative. 3º) Male students reveal in their character “irritability”, “inhibition” and insecurity. 4º) Christian students stand out in interpersonal variables and Muslim student in interpersonal, especially negative. 5º) Of all the variables analysed on the ways of reaction and adjustment of the student population, regarding their academic achievement, only “social adjustment” stood out for students with high achievement.RESUMENEste trabajo tiene por objetivo conocer y analizar los modos de reacción, adaptación y rendimiento académico de alumnado en contextos educativos pluri y monoculturales, con el fin de detectar sus puntos fuertes y débiles, para intentar facilitar y mejorar su orientación. A 614 participantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) y Bachiller se les aplicó el cuestionario "Modos de Reacción y Adaptación" (MRA), para analizar las variables: "control", "irritabilidad", "agresividad", "inhibición", "inseguridad" y "preocupación", de sus modos de reacción; y las variables: "personal", "familiar", "escolar" y "social", de su adaptación; siendo su Estatus Económico, Social y Cultural (EESC) entre medio y medio-alto. Las principales conclusiones son: 1ª) La desventaja del alumnado de los contextos monoculturales, en cuanto a sus modos de reacción y adaptación; el musulmán, dirigido hacia el ámbito interpersonal y, el cristiano, hacia el intra-personal. 2ª) La congruencia de la madurez del alumnado del curso superior que destaca en lo positivo, y la desventaja de los más jóvenes que lo hacen en lo negativo. 3ª) El alumnado masculino revela un carácter "irritable", "inhibido" e "inseguro". 4ª) El alumnado cristiano destaca en variables interpersonales y el musulmán en interpersonales sobre todo negativas. 5ª) De todas las variables analizadas sobre los modos de reacción y adaptación del alumnado, en cuanto a su rendimiento académico, la "adaptación social" del alumnado de rendimiento algo es la única que ha destacado.ABSTRACTThis research work consists basically in knowing and analysing ways of reaction, adjustment and academic achievement of the student population in pluri and monocultural educational contexts, in order to detect their strong and feeble points, in order to facilitate and improve his orientation. The questionnaire “Ways of Reaction and Adjustment” (WRA) was applied to 614 participants of Secondary Obligatory Education (SOE) and Higher Secondary Education in order to analyse the variables: “control”, “irritability”, “aggressiveness”, “inhibition”, “insecurity” and “worry” (reaction scale); and “personal”, “familiar”, “student” and “social” (adjustment scale). The economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) of the participants was middle to high-middle.The main conclusions are: 1º) There are disadvantages between students in monocultural contexts, regarding their ways of reaction and adaptation. In Muslim students, this related to the interpersonal domain and, in Christian, to the intrapersonal. 2º) There is congruence of the maturity of the student body of the upper course that stands out in the positive, and the disadvantage of the more youngsters, that do it in the negative. 3º) Male students reveal in their character “irritability”, “inhibition” and insecurity. 4º) Christian students stand out in interpersonal variables and Muslim student in interpersonal, especially negative. 5º) Of all the variables analysed on the ways of reaction and adjustment of the student population, regarding their academic achievement, only “social adjustment” stood out for students with high achievement

Comparison of Errors Produced by ABA and ITC Methods for the Estimation of Forest Inventory Attributes at Stand and Tree Level in Pinus radiata Plantations in Chile

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) technology is fully implemented in forest resource assessment processes, providing highly accurate and spatially continuous results throughout the area of interest, thus reducing inventory costs when compared with traditional sampling inventories. Several approaches have been employed to estimate forest parameters using ALS data, such as the Area-Based Approach (ABA) and Individual Tree Crown (ITC). These two methodologies use different information processing and field data collection approaches; thus, it is important to have a selection criterion for the method to be used based on the expected results and admissible errors. The objective of this study was to compare the prediction errors of forest inventory attributes in the functioning of ABA and ITC approaches. A plantation of 500 ha of Pinus radiata (400–600 trees ha−1) in Chile was selected; a forest inventory was conducted using the ABA and ITC methods and the accuracy of both methods was analyzed. The ITC models performed better than the ABA models at low tree densities for all forest inventory attributes (15% MAPE in tree density—N—and 11% in volume—V). There was no significant difference in precision regarding the volume and basal area (G) estimations at medium densities, although ITC obtained better results for density and dominant height (Ho). At high densities, ABA performed better for all the attributes except for height (6.5% MAPE in N, 8.7% in G, and 8.9% in V). Our results showed that the precision of forest inventories based on ALS data can be adjusted depending on tree density to optimize the selected approach (ABA and ITC), thus reducing the inventory costs. Hence, field efforts can be greatly decreased while achieving better prediction accuracies

Positional Quality Assessment of Orthophotos Obtained from Sensors Onboard Multi-Rotor UAV Platforms

In this study we explored the positional quality of orthophotos obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A multi-rotor UAV was used to obtain images using a vertically mounted digital camera. The flight was processed taking into account the photogrammetry workflow: perform the aerial triangulation, generate a digital surface model, orthorectify individual images and finally obtain a mosaic image or final orthophoto. The UAV orthophotos were assessed with various spatial quality tests used by national mapping agencies (NMAs). Results showed that the orthophotos satisfactorily passed the spatial quality tests and are therefore a useful tool for NMAs in their production flowchart

Modeling Major Rural Land-Use Changes Using the GIS-Based Cellular Automata Metronamica Model: The Case of Andalusia (Southern Spain)

The effective and efficient planning of rural land-use changes and their impact on the environment is critical for land-use managers. Many land-use growth models have been proposed for forecasting growth patterns in the last few years. In this work; a cellular automata (CA)-based land-use model (Metronamica) was tested to simulate (1999–2007) and predict (2007–2035) land-use dynamics and land-use changes in Andalucía (Spain). The model was calibrated using temporal changes in land-use covers and was evaluated by the Kappa index. GIS-based maps were generated to study major rural land-use changes (agriculture and forests). The change matrix for 1999–2007 showed an overall area change of 674971 ha. The dominant land uses in 2007 were shrubs (30.7%), woody crops on dry land (17.3%), and herbaceous crops on dry land (12.7%). The comparison between the reference and the simulated land-use maps of 2007 showed a Kappa index of 0.91. The land-cover map for the projected PRELUDE scenarios provided the land-cover characteristics of 2035 in Andalusia; developed within the Metronamica model scenarios (Great Escape; Evolved Society; Clustered Network; Lettuce Surprise U; and Big Crisis). The greatest differences were found between Great Escape and Clustered Network and Lettuce Surprise U. The observed trend (1999–2007–2035) showed the greatest similarity with the Big Crisis scenario. Land-use projections facilitate the understanding of the future dynamics of land-use change in rural areas; and hence the development of more appropriate plans and policies

Hepcidin and Ferritin Levels in Fever of Unknown Origin: Is There a New Biomarker?

Background and objectives: Significantly elevated serum ferritin levels are associated with both iron overload and some inflammatory conditions. Hepcidin is a protein that interferes with iron absorption in inflammatory states and acts as an acute-phase reactant. Materials and methods: Here we report the case a 33-year-old patient who presented with high fever, skin lesions and arthralgia lasting for 2 weeks. His ferritin level was 13,800 µg/l and his hepcidin level was 61 ng/dl. Results: The final diagnosis was adult onset Still's disease. The condition evolved satisfactorily with steroid treatment, but after several weeks the patient presented with an unexpected recurrence. Conclusions: Hepcidin is a good inflammatory marker that could be useful in the differential diagnosis of hyperferritinaemia