Estudio y caracterización de la arquitectura rural. Obtención, tratamiento y manejo de la información sobre las construcciones

Traditional rural buildings are important features of the rural landscapes. Nevertheless, for the last years. the changes in the agricultural practices and the depopulation of the districts have caused the loss of the original use and the consequent redundancy of a considerable number of old constructions. In this context, different initiatives for the recovery of vernacular architecture have been started up in Spain’s rural areas, mainly. through public subsidies to the reuse of the most significant units. A previous research about the characteristics and typologies of existing traditional buildings is necessary to bring these projects to a successful conclusion. This paper aims to contribute to the literature with a set of Methodological principles for the analysis of the popular architecture. It deepens in several techniques for the taking of data (written and graphical ones) and their later analysis and processing, through computer tools.Las construcciones rurales tradicionales son un componente característico de los paisajes rurales. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, los cambios en las prácticas agricolas y la despoblación han provocado la pérdida de uso original y el consiguiente abandono de un considerable número de edificios. En este contexto, en los últimos años se han puesto en marcha. en distintas comarcas españolas, iniciativas para la recuperación de la arquitectura popular; a través de programas de subvenciones dirigidos a la reutilización de aquellos ejemplares más signficativos. P ara ello es necesario el análisis y caracterización previos del patrimonio existente. En el presente articulo se ofrece un procedimiento metodológico para llevar a cabo los citados estudios y se profundiza en diferentes técnicas para la toma de datos en campo y el posterior análisis y tratamiento de la información obtenida (escrita y gráfica), aprovechando las posibilidades que ofrecen las herramientas informáticas

Determination of the mechanical properties of corn grains and olive fruits required in DEM simulations

Discrete element method (DEM) is a numerical technique widely used for simulating the mechanical behavior of granular materials involved in many food and agricultural industry processes. Additionally, this technique is also a powerful tool to understand many complex phenomena related to the mechanics of granular materials. However, to make use of the potential of this technique it is necessary to develop DEM models capable of representing accurately the reality. For that, among some other questions, it is essential that the values of the microscopic material properties used to define the numerical model are accurately determined

La conservación del patrimonio agroindustrial. Propuestas para la reutilización de los antiguos mataderos municipales y análisis de costes

La creciente demanda de alimentos en las áreas urbanas, junto con los avances en los transportes y la aparición de nuevas fuentes de energía propiciaron a finales del siglo XIX la construcción de diversas industrias agroalimentarias en el medio rural español. Un ejemplo de este patrimonio agroindustrial son los antiguos mataderos municipales, edificados en un gran número de localidades de la geografía española con el objetivo de evitar sacrificios clandestinos de ganado y de mejorar las condiciones higiénicas de la carne. Las cada vez mayores exigencias técnicas y sanitarias para este tipo de construcciones a partir de la década de los 70 y la progresiva sustitución de las instalaciones municipales por mataderos privados más modernos y de mayor capacidad provocaron el cierre y posterior abandono de muchos de estos edificios en las décadas siguientes. En el presen te trabajo se muestran cuatro propuestas concretas para la reutilización de este tipo de construcciones. A partir de la información recopilada de varios proyectos fin de carrera desarrollados por alumnos de la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónom os de Madrid, se describen las actuaciones y trabajos de rehabilitación necesarios en cada caso y se ofrece un estudio comparativo de costes entre proyectos de reutilización y obra nuev

Control de Sagina procumbens en viveros de arándano

Sagina procumbens es una mala hierba problemática en los viveros de arándano de la costa suroeste de España. Además de la falta de herbicidas autorizados, existe carencia de información sobre eficacia y selectividad de posibles candidatos para su inclusión en el registro. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido conocer la eficacia y selectividad de una serie de herbicidas. Se han realizado ensayos de campo en tres ambientes y con tres momentos o formas de aplicación. El diseño experimental ha sido completamente al azar, con 3 ambientes x 3 momentos x 11 tratamientos x 6 repeticiones. Los resultados muestran unos buenos resultados de eficacia y selectividad de aclonifen, diflufenican y linurón. Los tratamientos con metribuzina, clopiralida y flazasulfurón causaron severos daños al cultivo. Oxifluorfen, pendimetalina y prosulfocarb tambien presentan riesgo de fitotoxicidad, y oxadiazon no mostró eficacia en el control de S. procumbens

Opciones para el control de Cyperus difformis resistente a penoxsulam

El cultivo del arroz en países mediterráneos es particularmente vulnerable a la aparición de resistencias a herbicidas. Cyperus difformis es una mala hierba problemática en este cultivo y recientemente se ha descrito la existencia de biotipos resistentes a penoxsulam. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar las posibilidades de varias materias activas, alternativas al penoxsulam, que pudieran ser utilizadas para controlar C. difformis. En el estudio se utilizaron 6 poblaciones, dos de las cuales eran resistentes al penoxsulam y otras dos sensibles. Los tratamientos aplicados fueron: 1) penoxsulam+triclopyr, 2) bentazona + MCPA, 3) triclopyr, 4) bentazona, 5) MCPA, 6) fluroxipyr, 7) azimsulfuron y 8) Testigo no tratado. Los resultados indican que bentazona y triclopyr son los mejores candidatos para ser incluidos en un programa de control alternativo frente a C. difformis.Options to control Cyperus difformis resistant to penoxulam Rice crop in the mediterranean countries is particularly prone to herbicide resistance. Cyperus difformis is a major weed problem in rice crop, and penoxsulam resistance has been recently reported. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the chances of several herbicides to be included in an alternative control to penoxsulam of C. difformis. Six populations of C. difformis were used. Two of them were penoxsulam resistant and two were penoxsulam susceptible. The treatments were: 1) penoxsulam+triclopyr, 2) bentazona + MCPA, 3) triclopyr, 4) bentazona, 5) MCPA, 6) fluroxipyr, 7) azimsulfuron and 8) Untreated check. Results indicate that bentazona and triclopyr are the best candidates to be included in an alternative control

Web-based education in Spanish Universities. A Comparison of Open Source E-Learning Platforms

Web-based education or „e-learning‟ has become a critical component in higher education for the last decade, replacing other distance learning methods, such as traditional computer training or correspondence learning. The number of university students who take on-line courses is continuously increasing all over the world. In Spain, nearly a 90% of the universities have an institutional e-learning platform and over 60% of the traditional on-site courses use this technology as a supplement to the traditional face-to-face classes. This new form of learning allows the disappearance of geographical barriers and enables students to schedule their own learning process, among some other advantages. On-line education is developed through specific software called „e-learning platform‟ or „virtual learning environment‟ (VLE). A considerable number of web-based tools to deliver distance courses are currently available. Open source software packages such as Moodle, Sakai, dotLRN or Dokeos are the most commonly used in the virtual campuses of Spanish universities. This paper analyzes the possibilities that virtual learning environments provide university teachers and learners and offers a technical comparison among some of the most popular e-learning learning platforms

A comparative analysis of ABE Bachelor of Science programs in European and US Universities.

European Universities are involved in series of great changes regarding teaching and education organization during the last few years. The origin of these changes is the creation of the so-called European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which main target is to harmonize the different University studies throughout Europe. As a consequence, most of the programs of studies in all degrees are suffering changes in order to converge to common structures. Taking advantage of the actual process, some European universities are moving from traditional Agricultural Engineering programs to a more wide discipline named recently as Biosystems Engineering, which is a science- based engineering discipline that integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental and agricultural sciences, broadening in this way the area of application of Engineering sciences not strictly to agricultural sciences, but to the biologic al sciences in general, including the agricultural sciences. This paper presents a comparative study of different Bachelor of Science degrees offered by American and European Universities in the field of Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering. To carry out the analysis 40 programs accredited by ABET in American Universities and 50 European programs. Among other questions, the total number of credits, the number of semesters, the kind of modules and the distribution of subjects in groups (Basic Sciences, Engineering Fundamentals, Agricultural/Biological Sciences, Humanities & Economic Sciences, Applied Agricultural/Biological Engineering and electives) are discussed in the paper. The information provided can be an useful starting point in future definitions of new or renewed degrees with the aim of advancing in internationalization of the programs and helping student’s mobility

RadioEarth: herramienta de cálculo de cobertura radioeléctrica para Google Earth

RadioEarth es una herramienta que interacciona con Google Earth y permite realizar simulaciones de coberturas radioeléctricas de sistemas de radiocomunicaciones como GSM, UMTS, TETRA, LMDS, MMDS, Radio digital, TDT, WiFi, etc. utilizando diferentes modelos de propagación

Effects of reduced and conventional tillage on weed communities: results of a long-term experiment in Southwestern Spain.

An important drawback in adopting minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) techniques is the frequently observed weed shift promoting adapted species and achieving poorer weed control. These changes can be detected best with long-term experiments, and results might differ depending on soil characteristics and the local flora. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effect of reduced tillage on weed seed distribution in the soil profile and to identify possible consequences on weed diversity on a long-term experiment maintained during 24 years in Seville (Spain) with three tillage systems: NT, MT and conventional tillage (CT) including moldboard plow on a vertisol. For this purpose, soil seedbanks at 0-8 cm and 8-16 cm depths were enumerated in autumn 2005 and in-field emerged plants in autumn 2005 and winter 2006. Shannon diversity index (H) and evenness (J’) were calculated for seedbank and aboveground weed communities. Total weed seed density was highest for NT and lowest for CT. Some big-seeded species, such as Chrozophora tinctorea L., showed highest seed density in CT. NT increased the relative density of Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson seeds in the seedbank and the abundance of emerged plants of Malva parviflora L., Anagallis arvensis L. and Picris echioides L. Overall, MT led to a less diverse seedbank in the 0-8 cm depth of soil than CT. The frequent drought-induced deep fractures in the expandable clay soil caused natural tillage, which probably resulted in fewer differences in weed seed and seedling densities among tillage treatments compared to what might be expected in other soil types.Uma desvantagem importante na adoção de técnicas de cultivo mínimo (MT) e plantio direto (NT) é o deslocamento de plantas daninhas frequentemente observado, promovendo espécies adaptadas e, com isso, um controle de plantas daninhas mais precário. Essas mudanças só podem ser detectadas com experimentos de longo prazo, e os resultados podem diferir, dependendo das características do solo e da flora local. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o efeito da lavoura reduzida sobre a distribuição de sementes de plantas daninhas no perfil do solo e identificar possíveis consequências na diversidade de plantas daninhas em um experimento de longa duração mantido durante 24 anos em Sevilha (Espanha) com três sistemas de plantio: NT, MT e preparo convencional (CT), incluindo arado de aiveca em um Vertissolo. Com esse propósito, amostras de solo com 0-8 e 8-16 cm de profundidade foram coletadas no inverno de 2005 e na primavera de 2006, e as plântulas de plantas daninhas emergentes foram registradas. O índice de diversidade de Shannon (H) e a uniformidade (J’) foram calculados para comunidades de banco de sementes e plantas daninhas acima do solo. A densidade total de sementes de plantas daninhas foi maior para NT e menor para CT. Algumas espécies de sementes grandes, como Chrozophora tinctorea L., apresentaram maior densidade de sementes no CT. NT aumentou a densidade relativa de sementes de Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson no banco de sementes e a presença de plantas emergidas de Malva parviflora L., Anagallis arvensis L. e Picris echioides L. Com relação aos resultados gerais, a TM levou a um banco de sementes menos diversificado na profundidade de 0 a 8 cm do solo do que a CT. As frequentes fraturas profundas na argila expansível do solo provocam um preparo natural, originando provavelmente menos diferenças dos parâmetros analisados do que em outros tipos de solo

Reuse of vacant agro-industrial buildings. The case of the public slaughterhouses in Spain

Nearly 3000 slaughterhouses (74% of them public facilities) were built in Spain during the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. The need to comply with new technical requirements and regulations on the hygiene of the meat passed in the 70s and the gradual replacement of public facilities by larger and more modern private slaughterhouses have subsequently led to the closure and abandonment of many of these buildings. Public slaughterhouses generally consisted of several single-storey and open-plan buildings located around a courtyard. Although originally they were preferably located on the outskirts of the towns, many slaughterhouses are now placed inside the built up areas, due to the urban development. The present work aims to contribute to a better understanding of these agro-industrial buildings and to provide ideas for their conservation and reuse. A review on the historical evolution and the architectural features of the public slaughterhouses in Spain is presented and different examples of old vacant slaughterhouses reused to accommodate libraries, offices, community centres, exhibition halls or sports centres, among others, are shown in the paper