Social valuation of scenic beauty in Catalonian beech forests

Se aplican métodos ensayados en otros países (Scenic Beauty Estimation Method, SBE) para la determinación de las cualidades estéticas de masas forestales de interés recreativo a parcelas en diversas localizaciones del haya en Cataluña, abarcando diferencias significativas en estación, origen, edad y forma de masa. Las valoraciones se refieren a las cualidades estéticas de los rodales de haya vistos desde el interior del bosque, es decir, tal como son apreciados por parte de los visitantes de los montes. Las valoraciones se obtienen a través de paneles de observadores en sesiones fotográficas, se transforman a una escala común y se relacionan mediante análisis de regresión a las variables dasométricas tomadas en las parcelas de inventario. El desarrollo de modelos estadísticos que describen preferencias sociales permite medir la aportación de las diferentes variables dasométricas a la mejora estética de las masas de haya, y puede servir como guía en la ordenación de hayedos en que el uso público sea predominante o muy importante.Methods tested in other countries are applied for scenic beauty valuation in several beech locations in Catalonia including significant differences in site, origin, age and stand structure. The study intends to measure stand scenic beauty as seen from inside the forest, as forest visitors see it (near-view). Assessments are obtained through panels of observers in slide sessions, which are transformed into scaled ratings and related through regression analysis to plot-based forest inventory data. The development of statistical models that describe social visual preferences allows the assessment of the contribution of different forestry-related physical variables to the aesthetic improvement of beech forests. It can also be useful as a guide to beech forest planning where recreational use is prevailing or very important

Inventario de la vegetación y estudio de la interferencia biocida con los materiales pétreos del yacimiento del cerro de la plaza de armas de Puente Tablas (Jaén)

Las rocas pueden sufrir procesos de alteración de tres tipos: físicos, químicos y biológicos. La alteración biológica se debe a la influencia ejercida por los vegetales, superiores e inferiores, y por los animales. La vegetación puede producir alteraciones por varias causas. El artículo establece un Inventario de la vegetación y estudio de la interferencia biocida con los materiales pétreos del yacimiento del cerro de la plaza de armas de Puente Tablas (Jaén)

Effects of martial arts and combat sports training on anger and aggression: a systematic review

[EN] Martial Arts and combat sports (MA&CS) are the subject of a dispute. On the one hand, they have been considered an ideal means to acquire emotional self-control. On the other hand, they have been considered aggressive practices which may promote violent behaviors. The current systematic review aims to analyze the evidence of the effects of MA&CS participation in anger and aggression, and the quality of this evidence. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA-P protocol. The studied variables were study type and aims, sample, interventions and procedures, measurements and outcomes. Nine studies (three cohort studies and six randomized controlled trials) were selected for inclusion. The following results should be viewed with much caution, as the volume of studies and the methodological quality of most of them is not optimal. Training in traditional martial arts seems to be an effective means to lower levels of anger and aggression. Regarding the age of subjects, there is a predisposition to reduce anger in the adult population. In addition, young subjects with violent or behavioral problems show a positive response to working with martial arts. However, the available evidence, overall, shows no relationship between MA&CS practice and anger and aggression levels.S

Light-dependent functions of the Fusarium fujikuroi CryD DASH cryptochrome in development and secondary metabolism

DASH (Drosophila, Arabidopsis, Synechocystis, human) cryptochromes (cry-DASHs) constitute a subgroup of the photolyase cryptochrome family with diverse light-sensing roles, found in most taxonomical groups. The genome of Fusarium fujikuroi,a phytopathogenic fungus with a rich secondary metabolism, contains a gene encoding a putative cry-DASH, named CryD. The expression of the cryD gene is induced by light in the wild type, but not in mutants of the “white collar” gene wcoA. Targeted acryD mutants show light-dependent phenotypic alterations, including changes in morphology and pigmentation, which disap- pear upon reintroduction of a wild-type cryD allele. In addition to microconidia, the colonies of the acryD mutants produced under illumination and nitrogen starvation large septated spores called macroconidia, absent in wild-type colonies. The acryD mutants accumulated similar amounts of carotenoids to the control strain under constant illumination, but produced much larger amounts of bikaverin under nitrogen starvation, indicating a repressing role for CryD in this biosynthetic pathway. Addi- tionally, a moderate photoinduction of gibberellin production was exhibited by the wild type but not by the acryD mutants. The phenotypic alterations of the acryD mutants were only noticeable in the light, as expected from the low expression of cryD in the dark, but did not correlate with mRNA levels for structural genes of the bikaverin or gibberellin biosynthetic pathways, suggest- ing the participation of CryD in posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms. This is the first report on the participation of a cry- DASH protein in the regulation of fungal secondary metabolism

Does dieselization favour a cleaner transport? Evidence from Eu-15

In the 1990s, purchases of diesel passenger cars in the EU had intensively grown, with the subsequent increase of diesel oil demand. One of the main factors explaining this change on consumer preferences was the improvement in combustion technology of diesel engines. In this context, just because diesel cars use less energy per kilometre than petrol ones, EU authorities have considered dieselization as a phenomenon harmonic with transport policy objectives enhancing the change in consumer preferences for diesel cars with fiscal and technical policies. The process of dieselization was consolidated; European consumers have maintained their preferences for diesel cars over time. The economic literature lacks in the study of dieselization and in the study of dieselization environmental consequences. However, this work tries to shed some light onto this issue analysing, through the estimation of a two-simultaneous-equations model, EU?s new diesel passenger car demand and diesel oil demand in the last two decades. The results will permit to characterize the main factors behind the change to dieselization. After this, we will discuss about the environmental implications of the European social option for dieselization

Effects of extracurricular martial arts practice on the trait of anger among boys and girls aged 9-12 years old

[EN] Nowadays, aggression in children is an alarming problem and there are more and more programs carried out with students in order to reduce violence and aggressive behaviour. Martial arts have been used, on occasions, in these programs due to the values of respect and self-control that give it. However, they have not always obtained the expected results. The purpose of this paper is to observe is martial arts like judo and karate are a successful method to decrease anger levels in children. To evaluate this, a quasi-experimental longitudinal study during a period of 6 months in which 82 children took part, divided in a control group and an experimental group (karate and judo). State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory for Children and Adolescents (STAXI-NA) was used. Meaningful differences were found only in some of the anger components, between anger-in expression pre-tests of the control and experimental group and between anger-out expression pre-tests and post-tests of the karate group. The results obtained in this study suggest that the martial arts training has no effect about global anger management in children students. Common aspects are pointed out in interventions that have decreased the levels of anger (traditional aspects, design of a specific program, subjects with behavior problems, school context) and it is shown with the results obtained, how a habitual intervention carried out in a context of sports clubs, in a normal population and without a specific program, have difficulties in reducing the anger of the participants.S

Why should we keep the cerebellum in mind when thinking about addiction?

Increasing evidence has involved the cerebellum in functions beyond the sphere of motor control. In the present article, we review evidence that involves the cerebellum in addictive behaviour. We aimed on molecular and cellular targets in the cerebellum where addictive drugs can act and induce mechanisms of neuroplasticity that may contribute to the development of an addictive pattern of behaviour. Also, we analyzed the behavioural consequences of repetitive drug administration that result from activitydependent changes in the efficacy of cerebellar synapses. Revised research involves the cerebellum in drug-induced long-term memory, druginduced sensitization and the perseverative behavioural phenotype. Results agree to relevant participation of the cerebellum in the functional systems underlying drug addiction. The molecular and cellular actions of addictive drugs in the cerebellum involve long-term adaptative changes in receptors, neurotransmitters and intracellular signalling transduction pathways that may lead to the re-organization of cerebellar microzones and in turn to functional networks where the cerebellum is an important nodal structure. We propose that drug induced activity-dependent synaptic changes in the cerebellum are crucial to the transition from a pattern of recreational drug taking to the compulsive behavioural phenotype. Functional and structural modifications produced by drugs in the cerebellum may enhance the susceptibility of fronto-cerebellar circuitry to be changed by repeated drug exposure. As a part of this functional reorganization, drug-induced cerebellar hyper-responsiveness appears to be central to reducing the influence of executive control of the prefrontal cortex on behaviour and aiding the transition to an automatic mode of contro

Analyzing materials in the microscopes: From the Sorby thin sections up to the nondestructive large chambers

Proceedings of The Fifth Saudi International Meeting on Frontiers of Physics (SIMFP2016)One hundred and sixty five years ago, Henry Clifton Sorby developed a revolutionary technique to prepare thin and polished sections of rocks and minerals to be observed by transmission and reflectance in the optical polarized light microscopes. Nowadays, Sorby¿s methods are still employed for near all inorganic materials with scarce modifications. The optical microscopy subject is essential for rocks analysis; it is an irreplaceable technique for specific complex samples, such as twinned-exsolved feldspars and it must be preserved in the geosciences curriculum. However, for many valuable and common specimens we observe a strong growing of non-destructive techniques coupled to the large chambers of modern microscopes including new chemical, molecular, luminescent, metrical, imaging and structural probes. Suitable explanations for the thin sections decreasing in research laboratories could be: (i) the undesirable cutting of the specimen; (ii) the contamination of surfaces by abrasives and glues; (iii) the etching with dangerous acids; (iv) the slow and painful works of cutting, grinding and polishing specimens; (v) the necessary protection of valuable specimens, (vi) the need for immediate analytical results.Peer Reviewe