Effects of the second virial coefficient on the adiabatic lapse rate of dry atmospheres

We study the effect of the second virial coefficient on the adiabatic lapse rate of a dry atmosphere. To this end, we compute the corresponding adiabatic curves, the internal energy, and the heat capacity, among other thermodynamic parameters. We apply these results to Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, and the exoplanet G1 851d, considering three physically relevant virial coefficients in each case: the hard-sphere, van der Waals, and the square-well potential. These examples illustrate under which atmospheric conditions the effect of the second virial coefficient is relevant. Taking the latter into account yields corrections towards the experimental values of the lapse rates of Venus and Titan in some instances.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. Comments are welcom

Looking for phase-space structures in star-forming regions: An MST-based methodology

We present a method for analysing the phase space of star-forming regions. In particular we are searching for clumpy structures in the 3D sub-space formed by two position coordinates and radial velocity. The aim of the method is the detection of kinematic segregated radial velocity groups, that is, radial velocity intervals whose associated stars are spatially concentrated. To this end we define a kinematic segregation index, Λ(RV), based on the Minimum Spanning Tree graph algorithm, which is estimated for a set of radial velocity intervals in the region. When Λ(RV) is significantly greater than 1 we consider that this bin represents a grouping in the phase space. We split a star-forming region into radial velocity bins and calculate the kinematic segregation index for each bin, and then we obtain the spectrum of kinematic groupings, which enables a quick visualization of the kinematic behaviour of the region under study. We carried out numerical models of different configurations in the sub-space of the phase space formed by the coordinates and the that various case studies illustrate. The analysis of the test cases demonstrates the potential of the new methodology for detecting different kind of groupings in phase space.We acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER funds through grant AYA2013-40611-P.Peer Reviewe

Methods for autonomous wristband placement with a search-and-rescue aerial manipulator

A new robotic system for Search And Rescue (SAR) operations based on the automatic wristband placement on the victims’ arm, which may provide identification, beaconing and remote sensor readings for continuous health monitoring. This paper focuses on the development of the automatic target localization and the device placement using an unmanned aerial manipulator. The automatic wrist detection and localization system uses an RGB-D camera and a convolutional neural network based on the region faster method (Faster R-CNN). A lightweight parallel delta manipulator with a large workspace has been built, and a new design of a wristband in the form of a passive detachable gripper, is presented, which under contact, automatically attaches to the human, while disengages from the manipulator. A new trajectory planning method has been used to minimize the torques caused by the external forces during contact, which cause attitude perturbations. Experiments have been done to evaluate the machine learning method for detection and location, and for the assessment of the performance of the trajectory planning method. The results show how the VGG-16 neural network provides a detection accuracy of 67.99%. Moreover, simulation experiments have been done to show that the new trajectories minimize the perturbations to the aerial platform.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

L'élision du /d/ intervocalique en espagnol soutenu à Grenade:facteurs linguistiques

En este artículo se analiza el estado en que se encuentra el proceso de elisión de /d/ intervocálica en un una comunidad de habla andaluza (Granada, España). Se intenta dilucidar si la pérdida de la sonora dental sigue unas pautas de funcionamiento similares a las registradas en la antigüedad; es decir, si está controlada por factores de carácter morfológico y léxico. Asimismo, nuestros datos apuntan a dos formas diferentes de propagarse el proceso: de forma regular, en los morfemas de las palabras, y según la teoría de la “difusión léxica”, cuando el debilitamiento tiene lugar en los lexemas. El análisis arroja unos índices de elisión moderados (23,1%), similares a los registrados en otras comunidades andaluzas, pero que se sitúan muy por encima de lo observado en el resto del mundo hispánico

Birth, death and diffusion of interacting particles

Individual-based models of chemical or biological dynamics usually consider individual entities diffusing in space and performing a birth-death type dynamics. In this work we study the properties of a model in this class where the birth dynamics is mediated by the local, within a given distance, density of particles. Groups of individuals are formed in the system and in this paper we concentrate on the study of the properties of these clusters (lifetime, size, and collective diffusion). In particular, in the limit of the interaction distance approaching the system size, a unique cluster appears which helps to understand and characterize the clustering dynamics of the model.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, Iop style. To appear in Journal of Physics A: Condensed matte

Análisis de las motivaciones para la participación en la comunidad

En este artículo se describen y se analizan los tipos de motivación que conducen a los integrantes de una comunidad a participar en sus asociaciones. De una muestra de 274 estudiantes universitarios, 138 manifestaron pertenecer al menos a una asociación. Los participantes indicaron el nombre de la(s) asociación(es) y las incluyeron en diferentes categorías (política, cultural, asistencial, religiosa, deportiva, de ocio y otras). Cada participante expresó sus motivos para pertenecer a ella(s). Se realizó un análisis de contenido con sus respuestas, utilizando los diez tipos motivacionales de la teoría de los valores de Schwartz como categorías de codificación. Los resultados indican una diferente orientación por género para participar en las asociaciones. En general, los motivos colectivistas están más representados en la participación en la comunidad que los motivos individualistas.This paper aims to describe the motivation types driving people of a community to participate in its associations. Out of a sample of 274 university students, 138 reported they belonged to at least one association. Participants reported the name of the association(s) and included it/them in different categories (political, cultural, assistencial, religious, sporting, leisure and others). Every participant expressed his/her motives to participate there. A content analysis was made on their answers, using the ten motivational types of Schwartz's theory of values as coding categories. Results show a differential gender orientation to participate in different types of associations. In general, collectivist motives are more represented in community participation than individualist motives

Intensity of Territorial Marking Predicts Wolf Reproduction: Implications for Wolf Monitoring

BACKGROUND: The implementation of intensive and complex approaches to monitor large carnivores is resource demanding, restricted to endangered species, small populations, or small distribution ranges. Wolf monitoring over large spatial scales is difficult, but the management of such contentious species requires regular estimations of abundance to guide decision-makers. The integration of wolf marking behaviour with simple sign counts may offer a cost-effective alternative to monitor the status of wolf populations over large spatial scales. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used a multi-sampling approach, based on the collection of visual and scent wolf marks (faeces and ground scratching) and the assessment of wolf reproduction using howling and observation points, to test whether the intensity of marking behaviour around the pup-rearing period (summer-autumn) could reflect wolf reproduction. Between 1994 and 2007 we collected 1,964 wolf marks in a total of 1,877 km surveyed and we searched for the pups' presence (1,497 howling and 307 observations points) in 42 sampling sites with a regular presence of wolves (120 sampling sites/year). The number of wolf marks was ca. 3 times higher in sites with a confirmed presence of pups (20.3 vs. 7.2 marks). We found a significant relationship between the number of wolf marks (mean and maximum relative abundance index) and the probability of wolf reproduction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This research establishes a real-time relationship between the intensity of wolf marking behaviour and wolf reproduction. We suggest a conservative cutting point of 0.60 for the probability of wolf reproduction to monitor wolves on a regional scale combined with the use of the mean relative abundance index of wolf marks in a given area. We show how the integration of wolf behaviour with simple sampling procedures permit rapid, real-time, and cost-effective assessments of the breeding status of wolf packs with substantial implications to monitor wolves at large spatial scales

Levelized Cost of Storage for Li-Ion Batteries Used in PV Power Plants for Ramp-Rate Control

Photovoltaic (PV) power production ramp-rate control is getting more and more important in weak electric power systems, in which quick and significant power fluctuations can affect the stability of the system. This can be achieved by means of the integration of batteries into large PV plants but such an operation involves an aggressive environment for the ageing of the batteries. This paper presents an evaluation of this ageing by means of the annual simulations of a large PV power plant using actual irradiance data. This is done for different battery sizes used under various degrees of limitation in the power ramp-rate variation. The levelized cost of storage is calculated for each of the cases considered

Dredging impact on the benthic community of an unaltered inlet in southern Spain

The impact of dredging on macrobenthic communities was studied in an unaltered zone, the Getares inlet of Algeciras Bay (SW Spain). The data obtained before, during and after dredging in a time series spanning 5 years revealed the re-establishment of directly affected communities and of physicochemical substrate characteristics within 1 month of the end of dredging, although 2 years later there was a confusing biological impoverishment of the whole inlet. After 4 years, there was a high degree of population re-establishment, both on the bottoms directly affected by the works and on neighbouring areas, that was partly due to the hydrodynamic conditions. Before this type of activity is undertaken, each case should be studied regarding viability, the environmental medium where it will take place, the best time of year, and the type of dredging to be used