The influence of (shifts in) environmental factors on land use change in the Mekong Delta

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesLand use is influenced by factors (drivers) such as elevation, climate, sea level, population growth etc. These factors themselves are not constant and are changing with time. The change in these factors could result in a shift in their influence on land-use change. In land use studies so far, the focus has been on land-use change and not the state of the factors. Thus, this study focuses on the significance of drivers of land-use change between 1988 – 2009 in the Vietnamese Mekong delta. To assess how land-use change has been influenced by the shifts in environmental factors and the relationship between the observed shifts in influence and land-use change. The Vietnamese Mekong delta is one of the largest and most studied delta region in the world due to rapid increase in population and large-scale transformations driven by economic expansion in the last decades. Five land use types are considered in this study, these are; aquaculture, mixed crops, orchard, rice and urban. Each land use class was modelled using a logistic regression with the following environmental variables; compaction, elevation, population density, distance to river and sea, salinity and subsidence. The study period was divided into four; 1988 – 2006, 1988 – 1996, 1996 - 2006 and 2006 – 2009 to be able to observe a trend in land-use change. The findings of this study reveal that the significance of the selected environmental variables to land-use change is not constant over the study period. Some variables were not significant to land-use change in one or more periods, became significant in other periods or remained insignificant. The findings in this study provides decision makers with a better understanding on sustainable land-use planning in the study area and similar regions in the world

Agencia y Materialidad en la Documentación del Arte de los Medios

El arte de los medios goza de una larga y fértil historia que ha generado innumerables prácticas artísticas de gran calidad así como no pocos estudios teóricos e históricos sobre las diferentes tendencias, creadores, o sobre las diferentes zonas geográficas que han intervenido e intervienen en la construcción de su pasado y su presente (Wilson,2001; Paul, 2003; Daniels, 2004, 2005; Popper, 2007; Grau, 2007; Alsina, 2007; Shanken 2009). No obstante las própias características y el componente experimental inherente a este conjunto de prácticas también ha aportado importantes preguntas relativas a la transformación de la naturaleza de los procesos que el arte de los medios introduce en las formas tradicionales de habérselas con el arte y el mundo del arte. El propósito de este artículo es incidir específicamente en aquellos procesos vinculados a la construcción de archivos y documentación, así como tambien a la propia conservación del arte de los medios, a través de un análisis de la problemática de la materialidad y la agencia en las prácticas artísticas . La perspectiva que adoptaremos no se limitará a la discusión técnica de las diferentes soluciones a las problemáticas planteadas por las mismas prácticas sino más bien a la problematización del problema mismo desde la perspectiva de la arqueología de los medios (Kittler, 1997; Ernst 2005; Zielinski, 2006; Huhtamo, Parikka, 2011); y el conjunto de reflexiones vinculadas al denominado nuevo materialismo (Delanda, 2000; Barad, 2003; Law, 2007; Coole, 2010).Media Art practices have a long and fertile history of artworks, projects and theoretical reflection that raised fresh perspectives in the connection between art and other disciplines, as well as the relation between art with life, society or political commitment. At the same time, media art projects made use of different methodologies that challenge the "how to do" of the whole contemporary art world. In this broad fluctuating context for arts, the present article focuses on documentation, preservation and archival processes. In order to analyse and problematise the issue of (media) art duration and transmission, we use as a vehicle the notions of agency and materiality. These multifaceted concepts (i.e. agency and materiality) will be approached using the Media Archaeology perspective (Kittler, 1997; Ernst 2005; Zielinski, 2006; Huhtamo, Parikka, 2011) combined with references encountered in the so-called New Materialism turn (Delanda, 2000; Barad, 2003; Law, 2007; Coole, 2010)

Futurs especulatius de l'art «Què passaria si...?»

Peer-reviewedApproaching art from a speculative point of view also involves thinking about other possible worlds beginning in the invention of futures that defy the logic of continuity and that can still surprise us. It means asking ourselves «what would happen if...», and completing the second part of the sentence as might the «idiot», that conceptual character able to generate the interstice from which other questions emerge, questions for which the conclusions can neither be taken for granted nor can it be assumed that the seeking for their meanings was exhausted. To speculate is to formulate these questions in the form of future fictions and to seek out possible responses without being ashamed of the uncertainty or faltering attempts. To speculate about the future is also to speculate about the present and the past, to create contemporary fables, far-reaching accounts that induce thought.Abordar el arte desde lo especulativo implica también pensar otros mundos posibles a partir de la invención de futuros que escapen a la lógica de la continuidad y que sigan teniendo la posibilidad de sorprendernos. Significa preguntarnos por el «qué pasaría si...» completando la segunda parte de la frase tal y como lo haría el «idiota», aquel personaje conceptual capaz de generar el intersticio para la emergencia de otras preguntas, aquellas que no dan por sentadas las conclusiones, ni presuponen agotados los significados de aquello que se busca conocer. Especular es formular esas preguntas en forma de ficciones de futuro y buscar respuestas posibles sin avergonzarnos de la duda ni el balbuceo. Especular sobre el futuro es también hacerlo sobre el presente y el pasado, crear fabulaciones contemporáneas, relatos densos que conducen al pensamiento.Abordar l'art des de l'aspecte especulatiu implica pensar també altres possibles mons, a partir de la invenció de futurs que escapen a la lògica de la continuïtat i que guarden la possibilitat de sorprendre'ns. Vol dir preguntar-nos pel «què passaria si...» i completar així la segona part de la frase tal com ho faria l'«idiota», aquell personatge conceptual capaç de generar l'interstici per a l'emergència d'altres preguntes, les que no donen per fet les conclusions ni pressuposen esgotats els significats d'allò que es busca conèixer. Especular és formular aquestes preguntes en forma de ficcions de futur, i buscar-hi respostes possibles sense avergonyir-nos del dubte ni del balboteig. Especular sobre el futur és fer-ho també sobre el present i el passat, crear fabulacions contemporànies, relats densos que condueixen al pensament

Service-learning experience through outreach and engagement with science and technology museums

The paper describes and analyzes the service-learning experiences of various engineering students in two science and technology museums, over the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. The experience was based on the design and implementation of education and outreach activities and scaffolding material was provided. Student learning was significant not only in terms of content but also in terms of generic and transversal competencies. In addition, this service-learning model shows a good potential to address some of the problems in engineering today, such as the declining interest in engineering among school students. Thus, it can be a win-win model for all the agents involved: museums, university, the student himself and society in general

Teoria de cues a Educació Secundària i Batxillerat

Treballs Finals de Grau de Matemàtiques, Facultat de Matemàtiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2021, Director: Sergi Muria Maldonado[en] The Queueing Theory appeared for reducing waiting time in queues. To be able to answer how to find the waiting time in queues, I study some usual models of queues with a previous brief introduction of some necessary concepts in the first part of this thesis. In the second part of the thesis, I adapt the Queueing Theory to High School introducing them the Queueing Theory for the first time and finally studying the results achieved

Iron in Friedreich Ataxia: A Central Role in the Pathophysiology or an Epiphenomenon?

Friedreich ataxia is a neurodegenerative disease with an autosomal recessive inheritance. In most patients, the disease is caused by the presence of trinucleotide GAA expansions in the first intron of the frataxin gene. These expansions cause the decreased expression of this mitochondrial protein. Many evidences indicate that frataxin deficiency causes the deregulation of cellular iron homeostasis. In this review, we will discuss several hypotheses proposed for frataxin function, their caveats, and how they could provide an explanation for the deregulation of iron homeostasis found in frataxin-deficient cells. We will also focus on the potential mechanisms causing cellular dysfunction in Friedreich Ataxia and on the potential use of the iron chelator deferiprone as a therapeutic agent for this disease.This work has been supported by grant SAF2017-83883-R from Ministerio de Economia Industria y Competitividad (Spain)

Influence of the initial beach profile on the sediment transport processes during post-storm onshore bar migration

Onshore bar migration is a characteristic bar behavior during post-storm beach recovery. The present large-scale experiments, feature bichromatic wave groups over an initially steep (1:15), fully-evolving beach. The same accretive wave condition is applied on two different post-storm beach profiles featuring outer and inner bars. They are characterized by a larger (smaller) shoreline erosion and a larger (smaller) outer breaker bar located farther away from (closer to) the shoreline depending on the larger (smaller) energy of the storm condition. After a considerable post-storm recovery time, similar equilibrium profiles are obtained, stressing the link between wave condition and equilibrium beach configuration. However, the evolution toward the equilibrium is different and depends on the initial morphological condition (post-storm beach profile). After the larger storm, the morphological evolution is termed accretive merging (AM) and characterized by merging of the two bars (outer bar dissipation). After the smaller storm, the morphological evolution denoted as accretive non-merging (AN) is characterized by onshore migration of the two bars with constant distance between them (bar maintenance). This study focuses on processes around the outer bar. During AN it features wave breaking, causing large suspended net offshore transport. AM, in contrast, mainly features bedload related to short wave asymmetries and low decomposed net transport rate magnitudes. High suspended net offshore transport occurs solely onshore of the outer bar trough. This causes filling of the bar trough and bar dissipation during migration. Additionally, processes around the outer bars are linked to accretion onshore of the bars and at the shoreline.We thank Dr. Tom Baldock and Dr. Marissa Yates for their valuable comments which helped to improve the manuscript. The experiments described in this work were funded by the European Community's Horizon 2020 Programme through the grant to the budget of the Integrated Infrastructure Initiative HYDRALAB+, Contract no. 654110, and were conducted as part of the transnational access project RESIST. FG acknowledges funding from the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR). DH acknowledges funding from the French DGA funded ANR ASTRID Maturation project MESURE (ANR-16-ASMA-0005-01). JA acknowledges funding from the Serra Húnter Programme (SHP). We wish to thank fellow RESIST researchers and the CIEM staff (Joaquim Sospedra, Oscar Galego, Dr. Andrea Marzeddu and Dr. Iván Cáceres) for their contributions to the experiments.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Catchment & sewer network simulation model to benchmark control strategies within urban wastewater systems

This paper aims at developing a benchmark simulation model to evaluate control strategies for the urban catchment and sewer network. Various modules describing wastewater generation in the catchment, its subsequent transport and storage in the sewer system are presented. Global/local overflow based evaluation criteria describing the cumulative and acute effects are presented. Simulation results show that the proposed set of models is capable of generating daily, weekly and seasonal variations as well as describing the effect of rain events on wastewater characteristics. Two sets of case studies explaining possible applications of the proposed model for evaluation of: 1) Control strategies; and, 2) System modifications, are provided. The proposed framework is specifically designed to allow for easy development and comparison of multiple control possibilities and integration with existing/standard wastewater treatment models (Activated Sludge Models) to finally promote integrated assessment of urban wastewater systems

Predicting instrumental mass fractionation (IMF) of stable isotope SIMS analyses by response surface methodology (RSM) [Dataset]

The dataset contains four files. File S1 corresponds to cathodoluminescence and BSE images of standard minerals. File S2 contains geochemical data of mineral standards ans samples obtained by SIMS and EPMA. File S3 contains the parameters used to obtain response surface models of IMF in mineral standards. File S4 is a response surface methodology tutorial.Instrumental mass fractionation (IMF) of isotopic SIMS analyses (Cameca 1280HR, CRPG Nancy) was predicted by response surface methodology (RSM) for 18O/16O determinations of plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz. The three predictive response surface models combined instrumental and compositional inputs. The instrumental parameters were: (i) X and Y position, (ii) LT1DefX and LT1DefY electrostatic deflectors, (iii) chamber pressure and, (iv) primary-ion beam intensity. The compositional inputs included: (i) anorthite content (An%) for the plagioclase model and, (ii) orthoclase (Or%) and barium (BaO%) contents for the K-feldspar model. The three models reached high predictive powers. The coefficients R2 and prediction-R2 were, respectively, 90.47% and 86.74% for plagioclase, 87.56% and 83.17% for K-feldspar and 94.29% and 91.59% for quartz. The results show that RSM can be confidently applied to IMF prediction in stable isotope SIMS analyses by the use of instrumental and compositional variables.

Advanced HF Communications for Remote Sensors in Antarctica

The Antarctica is a continent mainly devoted to science with a big amount of sensors located in remote places for biological and geophysical purposes. The data from these sensors need to be sent either to the Antarctic stations or directly to the home country. For the last 15 years, La Salle has been working in the application of HF communications (3–30 MHz) with ionospheric reflection for data collection of remote sensors in Antarctica. We have developed and tested the several types of modulations, the frame structure, the radio-modem, and the antennas for two different scenarios. First, a long-range transequatorial (approximately 12,800 km) and low-power communication system is used as an alternative to satellites, which are often not visible from the poles. This distance is covered with a minimum of four hops with oblique incidence in the ionosphere. Second, a low-power system using near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) communications provides coverage in a surface of approximately 200–250 km radius, a coverage much longer than any other systems operating in either the VHF or UHF band without the need of line of sight