On the monitoring of surface displacement in connection with volcano reactivation in Tenerife, Canary Islands, using space techniques

Geodetic volcano monitoring in Tenerife has mainly focused on the Las Cañadas Caldera, where a geodetic micronetwork and a levelling profile are located. A sensitivity test of this geodetic network showed that it should be extended to cover the whole island for volcano monitoring purposes. Furthermore, InSAR allowed detecting two unexpected movements that were beyond the scope of the traditional geodetic network. These two facts prompted us to design and observe a GPS network covering the whole of Tenerife that was monitored in August 2000. The results obtained were accurate to one centimetre, and confirm one of the deformations, although they were not definitive enough to confirm the second one. Furthermore, new cases of possible subsidence have been detected in areas where InSAR could not be used to measure deformation due to low coherence. A first modelling attempt has been made using a very simple model and its results seem to indicate that the deformation observed and the groundwater level variation in the island may be related. Future observations will be necessary for further validation and to study the time evolution of the displacements, carry out interpretation work using different types of data (gravity, gases, etc) and develop models that represent the island more closely. The results obtained are important because they might affect the geodetic volcano monitoring on the island, which will only be really useful if it is capable of distinguishing between displacements that might be linked to volcanic activity and those produced by other causes. One important result in this work is that a new geodetic monitoring system based on two complementary techniques, InSAR and GPS, has been set up on Tenerife island. This the first time that the whole surface of any of the volcanic Canary Islands has been covered with a single network for this purpose. This research has displayed the need for further similar studies in the Canary Islands, at least on the islands which pose a greater risk of volcanic reactivation, such as Lanzarote and La Palma, where InSAR techniques have been used already

Spatial and temporal patterns of sea surface chlorophyll concentration and environmental forcing in the southern European Atlantic

Phytoplankton biomass dynamic integrates information about the characteristics of the pelagic ecosystem. Temporal and spatial patterns respond to physical processes. Also, phytoplankton abundance and its temporal dynamic largely determine the structure and dynamics of the food web. The southern European Atlantic (48 ºN – 36 ºS) presents differences in continental margin orientation, upwelling intensity, river runoff, a semi-enclosed oceanic domain (Bay of Biscay), and open oceanic waters to the west. Sea surface chlorophyll concentration (SSChl) monthly averages (from satellites) from 1998 to 2012 were analysed at 4x4 km resolution by Empirical Orthogonal Functions. The study area was regionalized according to rotated EOFs and temporal modes were used to resume the SSChl temporal variability in each region. The environmental forcing of temporal modes was analysed against environmental variables by means of Canonical Correspondence Analysis. More than 50% of the variability in oceanic regions was captured by the seasonal signal, with differences in the timing of the spring bloom and with the shape of the seasonal signal related with the latitudinal gradient and the ‘stagnation effect’ of the Bay of Biscay. In French and western Iberian shelves seasonality represented 50%. The difference between shelf and oceanic regions was due to mesoscale processes in shelf areas; i.e. river runoff in the French shelf and coastal upwelling in the western Iberian shelf. Shelf mesoscale processes impose short frequency variability on to the seasonal cycle and increase SSChl levels. The influence that these patterns of spatial and temporal dynamics have on the structure and dynamics of the rest of the food web can be perceived on the spatial patterns of fisheries catches

Synthesis, Structure and Antitumour Properties of a New 1,2-Propylenediaminetetraacetate-Ruthenium(III) Compound

A novel complex formed by ruthenium (III) and the sequestering ligand 1,2-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PDTA) has been synthetized and characterized. The structure of the monomeric compound, studied by X-ray diffraction , shows an almost symmetric octahedral geometry around the metal ion, with two chlorine atoms in a cis conformation. The antitumour activity against a variety of murine and human cancers is reported

Radiales time series: 25 years building monitoring and analytical capacities in the Iberian shelf

The RADIALES program has been monitoring shelf waters in Spain for the last 25 years. This is the oldest field program for multidisciplinary marine research addressing long term variability issues at ecosystem level. Core observations include ship-based hydrographic, biogeochemical and plankton observations at monthly frequency in several oceanographic sections along the Iberian shelf. These observations are complemented with buoy and satellite observations and all these data are used to validate hydrographic and ecological models of plankton at local and regional scales. From the first series initiated in the northwestern shelf other programs extended the observations to the Mediterranean and off shelf waters using the same approach. The success of RADIALES extends beyond pure scientific knowledge, as the expertise gathered with the program has been applied to solve multiple environmental issues, from fisheries and pollution to global change. The program is also instrumental for educational purposes, allowing the specialization of students and technicians. Thanks to a basal funding provided by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía, the program currently obtains more than 60% of its annual budget from competitive calls, as it offers an unique platform for coastal research. Among the results of this program are 400 publications, including peer-review papers, 24 Thesis and 54 scientific reports. The RADIALES data are freely distributed to national and international users as a contribution to the development of cost-effective ocean research and marine servicesIEO (RADIALES

Tunneling times in a taut string

The mathematical analogy of classical and matter waves can help to teach the elusive subject of tunneling times in undergraduate physics courses. The tunneling of mechanical energy through a taut string is revisited in this paper in order to study tunneling times for this classical system. General properties of the group delay, the dwell time and the interference time are described. Moreover, we explain how to build string arrays with piecewise constitutive parameters that behave like quantum mechanical heterostructures with alternating well and barrier layers. The paradoxical Hartman effect is also analyzed

Personal Autonomy Rehabilitation in Home Environments by a Portable Assistive Robot

Increasingly disabled and elderly people with mobility problems want to live autonomously in their home environment. They are motivated to use robotic aids to perform tasks by themselves, avoiding permanent nurse or family assistant supervision. They must find means to rehabilitate their abilities to perform daily life activities (DLAs), such as eating, shaving, or drinking. These means may be provided by robotic aids that incorporate possibilities and methods to accomplish common tasks, aiding the user in recovery of partial or complete autonomy. Results are highly conditioned by the system's usability and potential. The developed portable assistive robot ASIBOT helps users perform most of these tasks in common living environments. Minimum adaptations are needed to provide the robot with mobility throughout the environment. The robot can autonomously climb from one surface to another, fixing itself to the best place to perform each task. When the robot is attached to its wheelchair, it can move along with it as a bundle. This paper presents the work performed with the ASIBOT in the area of rehabilitation robotics. First, a brief description of the ASIBOT system is given. A description of tests that have been performed with the robot and several impaired users is given. Insight into how these experiences have influenced our research efforts, especially, in home environments, is also included. A description of the test bed that has been developed to continue research on performing DLAs by the use of robotic aids, a kitchen environment, is given. Relevant conclusions are also included.This work has been supported by the CAM Project S2009/DPI-1559/ROBOCITY2030 I

INTERACCIÓN DE COMPUESTOS FENÓLICOS Y FIBRA DIETARIA: CAPACIDAD ANTIOXIDANTE Y BIODISPONIBILIDAD

En los últimos años, la relación entre el consumo de frutas y la salud humana ha sido el punto focal de la investigación científica. Este interés se debe a la búsqueda específica de los compuestos contenidos en vegetales que proporcionan beneficios a la salud del consumidor (Palafox-Carlos et al., 2011). Las frutas, además de ser fuente de vitaminas, minerales y fibra, también son fuente rica en compuestos bioactivos conocidos como fitoquímicos. Los compuestos fenólicos (CF) son sustancias fitoquímicas que estando en bajas concentraciones en los alimentos, pueden prevenir algunos de los procesos implicados en el desarrollo de cáncer y enfermedades cardiovasculares (Denny y Buttriss, 2007). Sin embargo, la evidencia de su papel en la prevención de otras enfermedades degenerativas requiere de un mayor soporte científico