Natural flow regime, degree of alteration and environmental ows in the Mula stream (Segura River basin, SE Spain)

Natural ftow regime, degree of alteration and environmental ftows in the Mula stream (Segura River basin, SE Spain) The Mula stream, a tributary located in the southern part of the Segura River basin, possesses habitats and species of Euro­pean interest for which it has been declared Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within the Natura 2000 network. However, strong agricultural pressures on the superficial and groundwater resources of the Mula stream are threatening its ecological state. A characterisation of the natural flow regime of the stream and its main tributaries was carried out to design environ­mental flow regimes (EFRs) and make the conservation of the ecosystem compatible with agricultural requirements. Natural hydrographs, based on daily data corresponding to pre-dam periods, showed a high inter- and intra-annual variability typical of Mediterranean streams, with high flows in autumn and spring and low flows in summer. After the construction of the La Cierva reservoir in the Mula stream, the flow regime has been progressively altered in parallel with the expansion of irrigated agriculture in the watershed. The current regime shows a significant reduction in the magnitude of flows and a reversal of the seasonal pattero, with droughts during winter instead of summer months becoming more frequent and long-Iasting. Different EFRs are presented for three conservation scenarios of natural flow regimes in wet, average and dry years. Once the environmental flows were subtracted from the natural ones, the available water resources for agriculture were clearly insufficient in al! studied scenarios, which poses problems for the implementation of such environmental flows in this basin.El Río Mula, un afluente localizado en la parte meridional de la cuenca del Río Segura, posee una elevada riqueza de hábitats de interés comunitario por los que ha sido declarado UC dentro de la Red Natura 2000. Sin embargo, la fuerte presión agrícola sobre sus recursos superficiales y subterráneos amenaza su estado ecológico. En este estudio se ha llevado a cabo una caracterización del régimen natural de caudales del río y sus principales afluentes con el fin de diseñar Regímenes Ambientales de Caudales (RACs) y hacer la conservación del ecosistemafluvial compatible con las demandas agrícolas. Los hidrogramas naturales, obtenidos a partir de registros diarios de aforos correspondientes a periodos previos a la construcción de embalses, mostraron una alta variabilidad inter e intranual típica de los ríos mediterráneos, con altos caudales en otoño y primavera y bajos en verano. Tras la construcción del embalse de La Cierva en el Río Mula el régimen de caudales ha sido alterado progresivamente en paralelo a la expansión de la agricultura de regadío en la cuenca. El régimen actual muestra una reducción significativa en la magnitud de los caudales y una inversión del patrón estacional, es decir, sequías en invierno en lugar de en verano y cada vez más frecuentes y duraderas. Se presentan los diferentes RACs estimados para tres escenarios de conservación de los regímenes naturales de caudal, tanto para años húmedos como para medios y secos. En todos los escenarios estudiados, los recursos hídricos disponibles para la agricultura, previa detracción de los caudales ambientales, son claramente insuficientes, lo que dificulta la implementación de dichos caudales ambientales en esta cuenca

Experiencia con la herramienta de virtualización VNUML para la enseñanza de redes de computadores

La virtualización permite disponer y configurar infraestructuras de red con un coste asumible para un laboratorio y, a diferencia de los simuladores, muestra un comportamiento real del sistema. Este artículo presenta la metodología que seguimos en la asignatura de Redes de la Facultad de Informática de la Universidad de Murcia para la enseñanza práctica de conceptos tales como encaminamiento, movilidad IP, balanceo de carga y alta disponibilidad por medio de la herramienta de virtualización de código abierto VNUML. Para mostrar estos conceptos hemos añadido diversas utilidades al sistema de ficheros utilizado en VNUML. Gracias a estas herramientas, los alumnos han podido mejorar el aprendizaje de estos conceptos como lo refutan las encuestas realizadas.Peer Reviewe

Information Sharing Performance Management A Semantic Interoperability Assessment in the Maritime Surveillance Domain

Information Sharing (IS) is essential for organizations to obtain information in a cost-effective way. If the existing information is not shared among the organizations that hold it, the alternative is to develop the necessary capabilities to acquire, store, process and manage it, which will lead to duplicated costs, especially unwanted if governmental organizations are concerned. The European Commission has elected IS among public administrations as a priority, has launched several IS initiatives, such as the EUCISE2020 project within the roadmap for developing the maritime Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), and has defined the levels of interoperability essential for IS, which entail Semantic Interoperability (SI). An open question is how can IS performance be managed? Specifically, how can IS as-is, and to-be states and targets be defined, and how can organizations progress be monitored and controlled? In this paper, we propose 11 indicators for assessing SI that contribute to answering these questions. They have been demonstrated and evaluated with the data collected through a questionnaire, based on the CISE information model proposed during the CoopP project, which was answered by five public authorities that require maritime surveillance information and are committed to share information with each other.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fluoride Dentifrice Overcomes the Lower Resistance of Fluorotic Enamel to Demineralization

We evaluated if the low resistance of fluorotic enamel to demineralization could be overcome by fluoride dentifrice (FD) treatment. Paired enamel slabs of sound and fluorotic enamel (n = 20/group) from human teeth presenting Thylstrup and Fejerskov index (TF) scores from 0 to 4 were obtained. Half of the anatomic surface of the enamel slabs was isolated and used as a control (baseline) regarding enamel mineralization and fluoride concentration. The slabs were submitted to a pH-cycling model simulating a high cariogenic challenge, and 2×/day they were treated with placebo dentifrice (PD) or FD (1,100 µg F/g, as NaF). After 10 days, the slabs were cut into two halves. Enamel demineralization was evaluated by cross-sectional microhardness in one half, and the fluoride formed (FF) concentration was determined in the other half. For statistical analysis, the data on net demineralization area (ΔΔS) and FF (µg F/g) were grouped into TF0, TF1–2, and TF3–4, and analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test (α = 5%). The factors studied were TF (0, 1–2, and 3–4) and dentifrice treatment (PD or FD). The effect of the factors was statistically significant for ΔΔS and FF (p TF1–2 > TF0 (p 0.05) when FD was used. Regarding FF, the groups treated with PD did not differ (p > 0.05), but the greatest (p < 0.05) FF concentration was found in group TF3–4 treated with FD. These findings suggest that the higher susceptibility of fluorotic enamel to demineralization lesions is decreased by the use of FD

Field analysis of the deterioration after some years of use of four insect-proof screens utilized in Mediterranean greenhouses

The installation of insect-proof screens on greenhouse vents is one of the principal methods of protection against harmful insects for crops. Their main disadvantage lies on their negative effects on natural ventilation and greenhouse microclimate, which have been the focus of studies by several authors. However, few works have analysed the effect of accumulated dust and dirt on these screens. The present study has analysed four anti-insect screens, comparing their geometric characteristics before installation and after three to four years of use. Two negative effects have been observed and quantified: deterioration of the threads that make up the screen and reduction of porosity due to accumulated dirt in the pores. This deterioration over time gives leads to a mean increase in thread diameter of 3.1%, as well to a mean decrease in the pore size of 6.2% and 2.3% in the weft (Lpx) and the warp (Lpy), respectively. In fact, the insect-proof screen porosity (φ) decreased due to the deterioration of the threads by an average of 6.5%, in addition to an average 20.3% reduction due to the accumulation of dirt in the pores, making a total reduction in porosity of 26.8%. This decrease in porosity leads to lower greenhouse ventilation rates, and is therefore detrimental for the greenhouse microclimate. Consequently, it is recommended that insect-proof screens in arid areas such as Almería (Spain), with abundant dust suspended in the atmosphere, be washed monthly using water sprayed at high pressure

Towards a Semantic-Aware Collaborative Working Environment

Collaborative Working Environments (CWEs) enable an efficient collaboration between professionals, specially those settled in different locations of a company or stakeholders from different companies. This can be of great help for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as an effective way to share information. However, it can be difficult for SMEs to have access to a fully integrated CWE providing different tools (e.g., videoconferencing, instant messaging, etc.). Currently, they may define a CWE as a combination of heterogeneous and non-integrated tools which are not able to share information between them. An integrated CWE would provide SMEs with the necessary means to collaborate, making information exchange easier.&nbsp

Análisis de los factores formadores y distribución de los suelos en la Sierra del Rayo (Granada)

It has been made an analysis of the Physical medium (relief, parent material and climate) on the soils of Sierra del Rayo (Granada), which its detailed cartography, expressing also the soil units which appear in the zone.Se realiza un análisis del medio físico: Relieve, Material original y Clima de los suelos que existen en la Sierra del Rayo, así como una cartografía detallada de los mismos, expresando las unidades de suelo que se contemplan en la zona

On the removal of s-triazine herbicides from waters using commercial low-cost granular carbons

The adsorption capacities of three low-cost granular active carbons, used in a water treatment facility for the removal of the triazine herbicides propazine, prometryn and prometon, was evaluated. Kinetic studies showed that the three carbon samples used could be suitable in practice for the treatment of moderate contents of the herbicides in contaminated waters. The apparent adsorption rate constants were calculated. Equilibrium studies showed that the data fit the Frumkin isotherm. The results show that in the adsorption process there are repulsive lateral interactions that depend mainly on the adsorbate molecules rather than the nature or distribution of the adsorption sites. Such lateral interactions seem to be established mainly between the isopropyl groups of adjacent molecules, being of the same order for the three molecules

Ultrasonic, Molecular and Mechanical Testing Diagnostics in Natural Fibre Reinforced, Polymer-Stabilized Earth Blocks

The aim of this research study was to evaluate the influence of utilising natural polymers as a form of soil stabilization, in order to assess their potential for use in building applications. Mixtures were stabilized with a natural polymer (alginate) and reinforced with wool fibres in order to improve the overall compressive and flexural strength of a series of composite materials. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and mechanical strength testing techniques were then used to measure the porous properties of the manufactured natural polymer-soil composites, which were formed into earth blocks. Mechanical tests were carried out for three different clays which showed that the polymer increased the mechanical resistance of the samples to varying degrees, depending on the plasticity index of each soil. Variation in soil grain size distributions and Atterberg limits were assessed and chemical compositions were studied and compared. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) techniques were all used in conjunction with qualitative identification of the aggregates. Ultrasonic wave propagation was found to be a useful technique for assisting in the determination of soil shrinkage characteristics and fibre-soil adherence capacity and UPV results correlated well with the measured mechanical properties

Effect of Greenhouse Film Cover on the Development of Fungal Diseases on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in a Mediterranean Protected Crop

Greenhouses on the Mediterranean coast mainly use plastic materials as their cover. The influence of light exerted by these materials directly affects the crops by modifying the environment in which they develop. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the use of two plastic films in an experimental greenhouse on the development of fungal diseases in two spring–summer crop cycles: tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) from february to July 2021 and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) from February to July 2022. The study was carried out in Almeria (Spain) in a multispan greenhouse divided transversely into two sectors by a polyethylene sheet. A commercial film was installed in the east sector (90% of transmissivity and 55% diffusivity) and an experimental film was installed in the west sector (85% of transmissivity and 60% diffusivity). In addition, the effect of the yield and quality of the harvested fruit was determined. In this study, two diseases were established naturally on the crop: (i) powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) in both the tomato and the pepper crop cycles and (ii) early blight (Alternaria solani) in the tomato. The analyses of both diseases showed that the areas of the greenhouse that used the plastic cover, which presented a lower sunlight transmissivity, showed higher levels of disease than the areas that used the plastic cover that allowed greater transmissivity of light within the greenhouse, differing statistically in some phases of the crop. The marketable yield was 4.2% (for tomato) and 3.1% (for pepper) higher in the sector with the experimental film with high transmissivity. For both crops, the quality of the fruits did not show statistically significant difference