Sentinel 2 as a visualization tool of the historical urban growth of cities

La observación multiespectral de las ciudades desde el espacio es una herramienta sumamente valiosa para conocer la situación actual de las mismas. Sin embargo, estas mismas imágenes pueden aportar información también sobre la historia pasada de las mismas. En este trabajo se propone el procesado de imágenes Sentinel 2 para visualizar el crecimiento urbano de las ciudades a lo largo del tiempo. En concreto, se ha usado la combinación de bandas 12,11,4 y 12,8,3 para obtener imágenes en falso color que resaltan intensamente los diferentes materiales de techado utilizados en el tiempo. Esta combinación de bandas infrarrojas y roja resultan muy útiles para diferenciar materiales como la teja, el cemento o los materiales sintéticos impermeabilizantes, permitiendo diferenciar a simple vista los distintos barrios que forman la ciudad en función de su época de construcción, dando una visión global de las fases de crecimiento de la ciudad. Este tipo de imágenes resultan muy intuitivas para los estudiantes, convirtiéndose en una valiosa herramienta didáctica y de divulgaciónMultispectral observation of cities from space is a key tool for understanding their current state. Moreover, this kind of imagery may provide insight into the past history of cities. This work proposes the process of Sentinel 2 images for visualizing urban growth of cities in time. In particular, RGB composite of bands 12,11,4 and 12,8,3 provide false color images that highlight the different roofing materials used through history. This particular combination of infrared and red bands are very useful for differentiating materials such as red tile, cement or sinthetic impermeabilization materials, allowing to visually different phases of city growth. These images are very intuitive for students and non professionals, becoming a valuable tool for history teaching and divulgatio

Population overlap and habitat segregation in wintering Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa

Distinct breeding populations of migratory species may overlap both spatially and temporally, but differ in patterns of habitat use. This has important implications for population monitoring and conservation. To quantify the extent to which two distinct breeding populations of a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, overlap spatially, temporally and in their use of different habitats during winter. We use mid-winter counts between 1990 and 2001 to identify the most important sites in Iberia for Black-tailed Godwits. Monthly surveys of estuarine mudflats and rice-fields at one major site, the Tejo estuary in Portugal in 2005-2007, together with detailed tracking of colour-ringed individuals, are used to explore patterns of habitat use and segregation of the Icelandic subspecies L. l. islandica and the nominate continental subspecies L. l. limosa. In the period 1990-2001, over 66 000 Black-tailed Godwits were counted on average in Iberia during mid-winter (January), of which 80% occurred at just four sites: Tejo and Sado lower basins in Portugal, and Coto Dontildeana and Ebro Delta in Spain. Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits are present throughout the winter and forage primarily in estuarine habitats. Continental Black-tailed Godwits are present from December to March and primarily use rice-fields. Iberia supports about 30% of the Icelandic population in winter and most of the continental population during spring passage. While the Icelandic population is currently increasing, the continental population is declining rapidly. Although the estuarine habitats used by Icelandic godwits are largely protected as Natura 2000 sites, the habitat segregation means that conservation actions for the decreasing numbers of continental godwits should focus on protection of rice-fields and re-establishment of freshwater wetlands

Spatial distribution pattern of male adults of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in lemon orchards in Northern Portugal

Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, commonly known as the citrus leafminer, threatens global citrus production. This study focuses on elucidating the population dynamics and spatial distribution of P. citrella in lemon orchards located in Northern Portugal. From May to December, using delta traps with sexual pheromones, the levels of the adult population were monitored, and aggregation indices were calculated. Five distinct density peaks are observed, with the highest recorded in late July to early August. Spatial distribution consistently indicated an aggregated pattern. However, temporal variation in distribution was observed on specific dates. According to our results, it is suggested deploying two or three traps per hectare during peak density periods. This study significantly advances our understanding of P. citrella dynamics, emphasizing the need to consider spatial and temporal patterns for effective pest management. The outcomes underscore the importance of further exploration into factors influencing distribution patterns to refine control strategies. These insights are crucial for devising targeted and efficient measures to mitigate the impact of P. citrella on citrus orchards globally.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020), to the Associate Laboratory SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020) and to the research Project PRE-HLB-'Preventing HLB epidemics for ensuring citrus survival in Europe' (H2020-SFS-2018-2 Topic SFS-05-2018-2019-2020, project No. 817526). The authors express their gratitude to farmer Eng Cristina Barbosa for granting access to her orchards.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Signalling by tips

New molecules, including protein kinases, lipids and molecules that have neurotransmitter activities in animals have emerged as important players in tip-growing cells. Transcriptomics analysis reveals that the largest single class of genes expressed in pollen tubes encode signal transducers, reflecting the necessity to decode complex and diverse pathways that are associated with tip growth. Many of these pathways may use common intracellular second messengers, with ions and reactive oxygen species emerging as two major common denominators in many of the processes involved in tip growth. These second messengers might influence the actin cytoskeleton through known interactions with actin-binding proteins. In turn, changes in the dynamic properties of the cytoskeleton would define the basic polarity events needed to shape and modify tip-growing cells

Spatio-temporal analysis of the degradation of salts-affected soils in the lacustre system of Texcoco Valley (Mexico)

El Valle de Texcoco, uno de los cinco lagos que conformaban el gran lago de Tenochticlan en el periodo colonial de la ciudad de México (año 1520), es hoy en día una de las regiones del planeta con mayor superficie de suelos afectados por salinidad extrema (>10 000 ha). La salinidad de los suelos es un grave problema en regiones áridas o semiáridas, ya que afecta a la productividad agrícola y la calidad de las aguas, con graves consecuencias socioeconómicas, como la desertificación y migración a las ciudades. Además, las sales se disuelven con facilidad en el suelo, por lo que se requieren herramientas de monitorización precisas que permitan evaluar la alta variabilidad espacio-temporal de los suelos afectados por sales. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo evaluar el estado de los suelos afectados por salinidad en el valle de Texcoco, así como los cambios de uso de suelo acontecidos en los últimos 30 años. Para ello se emplearán técnicas de GIS, imágenes de satélite Landsat desde la década de los 80 hasta la actualidad (1985-2015), y radiómetros de campo para identificar las firmas espectrales de los suelos en condiciones de laboratorio. Una vez procesadas las imágenes de satélite Landsat (corrección radiométrica y atmosférica, y aplicación de filtros), se identificaron diferentes cubiertas o usos de suelo: agua, vegetación semi-natural, tierras de cultivo, suelos sin vegetación y suelos salinos. Se calcularon diferentes índices radiométricos para distinguir la vegetación de las tierras de cultivo y de los suelos salinos. El sistema de clasificación no supervisada mostró cambios de uso de la tierra en el 80% de la superficie en 30 años. Disminuye el agua potable y las tierras agrícolas e incrementan en más de un 20% los suelos degradados por sales o de uso urbano. Se trata de una región con riesgo extremo por pérdida y degradación de las tierras de cultivo por efecto de la salinidadThe Valley of Texcoco, one of the five lakes that formed the great lake of Tenochticlan in the colonial period of Mexico City (year 1520), is today one of the regions with the largest surface area of soils affected by extreme salinity (>10 000 ha). The salinity of soil is a serious problem in arid or semi-arid regions. It affects to agricultural productivity and water quality, with serious socioeconomic consequences, such as desertification and migration of the rural populations to the cities. So, salts dissolve easily in the soil, so precise monitoring tools are necessary to evaluate the high spatiotemporal variability by salts-affected soils. The aim is to evaluate the state of salts-affected soils in the Texcoco Valley, as well as the land use changes in the last 30 years. GIS, Landsat satellite images from the 1980s to the present (1985-2015), and field radiometers will be used to identify the spectral signatures of salts-affected soils under laboratory conditions. Once processed the multispectral images (radiometric and atmospheric correction, and filters application), different land uses were identified: water, semi-natural vegetation, agricultural lands, soil without vegetation and saline soils. Different radiometric indices were used to differentiate vegetation from agricultural and saline soils. The unsupervised classification system showed changes at 80% of the surface in land use in 30 years. Clear water and agricultural land decreased and increased at 20% the soils degraded by salts or urban use. It is a region with extreme risk due to the salts-affected soil

A different approach in an AAL ecosystem: a mobile assistant for the caregiver

Currently the Ambient Assisted Living and the Ambient Intelligence areas are very prolific. There is a demand of security and comfort that should be ensured at people’s homes. The AAL4ALL (ambient assisted living for all) pro-ject aims to develop a unified ecosystem and a certification process, allowing the development of fully compatible devices and services. The UserAccess emerges from the AAL4ALL project, being a demonstration of its validity. The UserAc-cess architecture, implementation, interfaces and test scenario are presented, along with the sensor platform specially developed for the AAL4ALL project.Project "AAL4ALL", co-financed by the European Community Fund FEDER, through COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC). Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Lisbon, Portugal, through Project PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2013 and the project PEst-OE/EEI/UI0752/2014. Project CAMCoF - Context-aware Multimodal Communication Framework funded by ERDF -European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028980

Fish under pressure: examining behavioural responses of Iberian barbel under simulated hydropeaking with instream structures

Research ArticleHydropeaking is the rapid change in the water flow downstream of a hydropower plant, driven by changes in daily electricity demand. These fluctuations may produce negative effects in freshwater fish. To minimize these impacts, previous studies have proposed habitat enhancement structures as potential mitigation measures for salmonids. However, the recommendation of these mitigation measures for cyprinids remains scarce and their effects unknown. In this study, the effects of potential habitat mitigation structures under simulated hydropeaking and base-flow conditions are examined for Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) in an indoor flume. Solid triangular pyramids and v-shaped structures were evaluated as potential flow-refuging areas and compared with a configuration without structures. A novel, interdisciplinary approach is applied to investigate individual and group responses to rapidly changing flows, by assessing physiological (glucose and lactate), movement behaviour (structure use, sprints and drifts) and the pressure distribution using a fish-inspired artificial lateral line flow sensor. The major findings of this study are four-fold: 1) Under hydropeaking conditions, the v-shaped structures triggered a lactate response and stimulated individual structure use, whereas solid structures did not elicit physiological adjustments and favoured individual and group structure use. Overall, both solid structures and their absence stimulated sprints and drifts. 2) The hydrodynamic conditions created in hydropeaking did not always reflect increased physiological responses or swimming activity. 3) Each event-structure combination resulted in unique hydrodynamic conditions which were reflected in the different fish responses. 4) The most relevant flow variable measured was the pressure asymmetry, which is caused by the vortex size and shedding frequency of the structures. Considering the non-uniform nature of hydropeaking events, and the observation that the fish responded differently to specific flow event-structure combinations, a diverse set of instream structures should be considered for habitat-based hydropeaking mitigation measures for Iberian barbelinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Desarrollo de psoriasis durante el tratamiento con Abatacept en artritis reumatoidea

Abatacept es el primer agente biológico aprobado para el tratamiento de la Artritis Reumatoidea (AR) que actúa inhibiendo la co-estimulación de linfocitos T. Si bien se ha reportado su eficacia en psoriasis y artritis psoriásica, existen casos de psoriasis inducida por el fármaco como así también reactivación de las lesiones en pacientes previamente enfermos. Una mujer con antecedentes de AR en tratamiento con Abatacept endovenoso presentó máculas eritemato-escamosas y pruriginosas en toda la superficie corporal, clínica e histológicamente compatibles con psoriasis. La suspensión del tratamiento con Abatacept, ocasionó la desaparición de las lesiones cutáneas. Más de 4 años después se encuentra en tratamiento con Rituximab sin haber vuelto a presentar compromiso cutáneo

A Pessoa Humana e a sua Dignidade

Abstract This article analyzes the significance of the human person and his dignity. Human history records a significant evolution to respect the human person and his dignity, despite being a result of slow progress and quick reversals. The result of revolutions waste and wars, slowly the individual as a human person and his dignity are being recognized by his peers and the State. Despite many omissions, the international community has taken positions in fa- vor of the person and dignity.   Keywords: Human Rights. Human Dignity.O presente artigo pretende analisar o significado de pessoa humana e sua dignidade. A história da humanidade registra uma sensível evolução ao respeito à pessoa humana e à sua dignidade, a despeito de ser resultado de lento progresso e rápidos retrocessos. Resultado dos resíduos de revoluções e guerras, lentamente o indivíduo como pessoa hu- mana e a sua dignidade vão sendo reconhecidos pelos seus semelhantes e pelo próprio Estado. A despeito das inúmeras omissões, a Comunidade Internacional tem tomado posições em favor da pessoa e dignidade humanas.   Palavras-chave: Direitos Humanos. Dignidade Humana