Influence of Organic Enrichment and Spisula subtruncata (da Costa, 1778) on Oxygen and Nutrient Fluxes in Fine Sand Sediments

[EN] The role of labile organic material and macrofaunal activity in benthic respiration and nutrient regeneration have been tested in sublittoral fine sand sediments from the Gulf of Valencia (northwestern Mediterranean Sea). Three experimental setups were made using benthic chambers. One experiment was performed in-situ through the annual cycle in a well-sorted fine sand community. The remaining experiments were carried out with mesocosms under laboratory conditions: one with different concentrations of organic enrichment (mussel meat and concentrated diatoms culture), and the other adding two different densities of the endofaunal bivalve Spisula subtruncata. Biochemical variables in surface sediment and changes in oxygen consumption and nutrient fluxes throughout incubation period were studied in each experiment. In the in situ incubations, dissolved oxygen (DO) fluxes showed a strong correlation with sedimentary biopolymeric fraction of organic carbon. Organic enrichment in the laboratory experiments was responsible for increased benthic respiration. However, sediment response (expressed as DO uptake and dissolved inorganic nitrogen—DIN—release) between oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions was more intense than between eutrophic and hypertrophic conditions. S. subtruncata abundances close to 400 and 850 ind m−2 also intensified benthic metabolism. DO uptake and DIN production in mesocosms with added fauna were between 60 and 75 % and 65–100 % higher than in the control treatment respectively. The results of these three experiments suggest that the macrobenthic community may increase the benthic respiration by roughly a factor of two in these bottoms, where S. subtruncata is one of the dominant species. Both organic enrichment and macrobenthic community in general, and S. subtruncata in particular, did not seem to have a relevant role in P and Si cycles in these sediments.This research was supported by the Conselleria d'Educacio (Generalitat Valenciana). We are very grateful for the valuable comments of anonymous reviewers on previous version of the manuscript.Sospedra, J.; Falco, S.; Morata, T.; Rodilla, M. (2016). Influence of Organic Enrichment and Spisula subtruncata (da Costa, 1778) on Oxygen and Nutrient Fluxes in Fine Sand Sediments. Estuaries and Coasts. doi:10.1007/s12237-016-0174-1SAller, R.C., and J.Y. Aller. 1998. The effect of biogenic irrigation intensity and solute exchange on diagenetic reaction rates in marine sediments. Journal of Marine Research 56: 905–936.Aminot, A., and M. Chaussepied. 1983. Manuel des analyses chimiques en milieu marin. Brest: Centre National pour l’Exploitation des Oceans.Arnosti, C., and M. Holmer. 2003. 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The CalNex 2010 (California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) study was designed to evaluate the chemical composition of air masses over key source regions in California. During May to June 2010, air samples were collected on board a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D aircraft over the South Coast Air Basin of California (SoCAB) and the Central Valley (CV). This paper analyzes six effective greenhouse gases - chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-141b), 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane (HCFC-142b), 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HCFC-124), 1,1,1,2- tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), and 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) - providing the most comprehensive characterization of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacement compound emissions in California. Concentrations of measured HCFCs and HFCs are enhanced greatly throughout the SoCAB and CV, with highest levels observed in the SoCAB: 310 ± 92 pptv for HCFC-22, 30.7 ± 18.6 pptv for HCFC-141b, 22.9 ± 2.0 pptv for HCFC-142b, 4.86 ± 2.56 pptv for HCFC-124, 109 ± 46.4 pptv for HFC-134a, and 91.2 ± 63.9 pptv for HFC-152a. Annual emission rates are estimated for all six compounds in the SoCAB using the measured halocarbon to carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios and CO emissions inventories. Emission rates of 3.05 ± 0.70 Gg for HCFC-22, 0.27 ± 0.07 Gg for HCFC-141b, 0.06 ± 0.01 Gg for HCFC-142b, 0.11 ± 0.03 Gg for HCFC-124, 1.89 ± 0.43 Gg for HFC-134a, and 1.94 ± 0.45 Gg for HFC-152b for the year 2010 are calculated for the SoCAB. These emissions are extrapolated from the SoCAB region to the state of California using population data. Results from this study provide a baseline emission rate that will help future studies determine if HCFC and HFC mitigation strategies are successful. Key PointsHCFC and HFC emissions are calculated for the year 2010 for the SoCABEmissions are extrapolated to the state of CaliforniaEmissions are calculated using CalNex field measurements © 2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

El estilo educativo de los adultos como indicador de buen pronóstico en el acogimiento familiar

La familia acogedora extensa (aquella que tiene una vinculación con el menor por una relación de parentesco) y la familia acogedora ajena (la que carece de vinculación con el menor) supone un recurso de protección para los menores que no pueden seguir confiados al cuidado de sus progenitores. Uno de los indicadores de buen pronóstico del acogimiento, es el perfil de estilos educativos, partiendo de esta premisa pretendemos comparar, los patrones educativos entre ambos tipos de familias, demostrando así la vulnerabilidad de unas familias frente a otras. La familia extensa es un recurso de elección frente a cualquier otro por varios motivos relativos entre otros al impedimento del desarraigo, sin embargo, los recursos puestos a disposición de unas y otras familias y los requisitos reales o fácticos, difieren sustancialmente, lo que refuerza aún más si cabe la vulnerabilidad de unas familias, que mayoritariamente abuelos, ya tuvieron dificultades en la crianza de sus propios hijos. Veremos como las familias acogedoras extensas, en su mayoría, utilizan como patrón de crianza estilos educativos inadecuados, frente a las familias acogedoras ajenas cuyo patrón educativo es generalmente asertivo o democrático.The extended family (that one with a kinship connection to the minor) and the foster family (that one with no kinship with the minor) are two structures that offer a resource of protection for minors who can’t stay under the care of their parents. One indicator that points out a positive forecast for a particular case of foster care is the educational style that is put into practice. Keeping this in mind, our goal is to compare the educational patterns of both types of families in order to proof the vulnerability of one of those types of families, against the other. The extended family usually comes as a resource for avoiding feelings such as rootlessness. The resources both types of family have are very different, and this strengthens even more the vulnerability of the aforementioned type of family (usually grandparents, who already faced many problems to raise their own children). It is therefore somehow obvious that most extended families use as a pattern for raising their children inappropriate educational styles, in opposition to foster families, that tend to use assertive and democratic educational patterns.peerReviewe

Towards quality Wi-Fi synthetic data for indoor positioning evaluation

Synthetic data of high quality can provide research teams with an effective means of conducting large-scale evaluations of their indoor positioning systems under controlled conditions, while avoiding the significant effort and costs associated with real-world experiments and data collection/labelling. Moreover, it facilitates the fair comparison with other solutions, since data can be generated for more diverse conditions and can be shared without concerns. The work described in this paper aims to improve the quality of WiFi synthetic data by integrating new models for channel noise and beacon receive probability into the Dioptra tool. We compare the results of 13 fingerprinting methods used on 15 synthetic databases and 14 real-world databases. The results indicate that synthetic data can be an effective alternative/complement for the evaluation and comparison of WiFi-based positioning methods.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - UIDB/00319/202