Encontre interdisciplinari. Malaltia i cultura/Disease and culture

The first of these conferences was held in Valencia on the 17-18th June 1994 taking as a subject of discussion the relations between Disease and Culture. A selected group of fourteen specialists in the fields of anthropology, social history, demography, paleopathology and history of science and medicine from the universities of Oxford, Bologna, Pavia, Venezia, Valencia, Alacant, Autonoma de Barcelona, Granada and Tarragona joined in the Palau de Pineda, site of the Universidad Internacional Menendez y Pelayo. The meeting was coordinated by Josep Lluls Barona with the collaboration of the Department of History of Science (Universitat de Valencia), Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo, The British Council and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura. Thirty postgraduate students and professors from eight Spanish universities attended the conference

Efectos de la intensidad y evolución a corto plazo de las propiedades físicas, erosionabilidad, humedad y temperatura del suelo

RESUMEN El impacto del fuego en el suelo y en los procesos ecológicos que operan en las laderas con matorrales mediterráneos depende de la elevación de temperaturas y de la duración del calor durante el incendio. A pesar de su importancia en nuestros ecosistemas forestales, hay pocos estudios en que se hayan medido de forma experimental, bajo condiciones ambientales típicas del verano, y condiciones controladas de combustible y estado del suelo y de la vegetación. El objetivo de esta tesis es proporcionar datos experimentales de campo y de laboratorio sobre los niveles de intensidad que afectan al suelo como consecuencia de fuegos de verano en dos formaciones de matorral con diferente carga y estructura del combustible, cómo se alteran las propiedades del suelo, cómo se modifica su respuesta a la acción erosiva de la lluvia y cómo se modifican los patrones espaciales y temporales de distribución de la humedad y la temperatura del suelo durante el primer año después del fuego. El área de estudio está localizada en La Concordia a 50 Km al noroeste de la ciudad de València, a una altitud de entre 500 a 575 m. s. n. m., la ladera presenta una pendiente de entre el 30 al 40 % con una orientación sudoeste. El clima es semiárido y la vegetación es de matorral mediterráneo y se distribuye en mosaicos, dominados por las especies de Ulex parviflorus y Rosmarinus officinalis. El tipo de suelo es Leptosol rendzínico (Clasificación FAO) o Lithic Haploxeroll (Clasificación Americana). En la zona de estudio se delimito un área de 114 m de largo por 30 m de ancho. Se seleccionaron 9 parcelas de 20 m x 4 m, equipadas con un colector y depósitos para la recogida de sedimentos y agua de escorrentía. En la parte central del área se instaló una estación meteorológica automatizada. Los incendios experimentales se realizaron el 20 y 21 de junio de 1995, de las 9 parcelas se destinaron 3 para el tratamiento de fuego intenso, otras 3 para el moderado y otras 3 como control (no incendiado). Las temperaturas y duraciones del incendio se registraron mediante termopares conectados a un datalogger. En cada una de las parcelas se tomaron 4 muestras de suelo distribuidas en dos microambientes bajo planta y entre plantas. Asimismo, se instalaron sondas para la medida de la humedad del suelo (por la técnica del TDR) y también se instalaron cápsulas de splash para la determinación de la susceptibilidad del suelo al impacto de las gotas de lluvia. La temperatura máxima y la duración del calor en el suelo aumentan con la cantidad de combustible que se quema y con el grado de compactación de dicho combustible. Un aumento de la carga de combustible de 2 a 4 Kg m-2 hace aumentar la temperatura media máxima de la superficie del suelo de 416ºC a 516ºC y la duración de temperaturas mayores a 100ºC de 20 a 36 minutos. Un aumento de la densidad aparente media del combustible de 2 a 4 Kg m-3 aumenta la temperatura máxima de 446 a 486ºC y la duración de temperaturas >100ºC de 20 a 36 minutos. Para una misma cantidad de combustible, la intensidad es mayor en aquellos espacios de suelo cubiertos por el combustible que tiene menor altura y mayor densidad aparente. Cuando se relacionan las variaciones que experimentan las propiedades del suelo con las intensidades medias obtenidas en función de la carga de combustible, la única propiedad que experimenta una variación estadísticamente significativa respecto del suelo control es el estado de agregación del suelo. Cuando dichas variaciones se analizan teniendo en cuenta las características previas del suelo y la densidad aparente del combustible se obtienen variaciones significativas de la capacidad de retención de agua, la densidad real de las partículas del suelo, la densidad aparente, la estabilidad estructural, la distribución de agregados y el contenido de materia orgánica. Dichas variaciones indican que los efectos en el suelo dependen de las características del suelo previas al incendio, de la cantidad de combustible que se quema y de su grado de compactación. Durante el primer año posterior al incendio, las propiedades más sensibles a la degradación inducida por la intensidad del fuego son la densidad de las partículas del suelo y su estado de agregación. La densidad de las partículas aumenta como consecuencia de la mineralización de la materia orgánica. El porcentaje de macroagregados y su estabilidad disminuyen a lo largo del año. Las pautas estacionales de variación de estas propiedades se alteran respecto a las del suelo no incendiado. La erosionabilidad del suelo, el régimen hídrico y el régimen térmico de cada tipo de superficie se modifican en función de la calidad del suelo antes del fuego y en función de la intensidad de fuego que han recibido. Los suelos de peor calidad (microambiente entre plantas) que han recibido mayor impacto de fuego son más susceptibles a la desagregación por impacto de la gota de lluvia, dan lugar a mayores proporciones de partículas de tamaño pequeño que son más transportables por splash y, dependiendo de la intensidad de lluvia, son también más susceptibles de sufrir una desagregación adicional y un mayor transporte por escorrentía. En el rango de intensidades de lluvia entre 0 y 20 mm h-1 la cantidad de suelo movilizado por splash en cada superficie aumenta linealmente con la intensidad de lluvia y dicho aumento es tanto mayor cuanto mayor es la intensidad de fuego que ha recibido cada una. La intensidad de lluvia que inicia la movilización de suelo por escorrentía es de 5 mm h-1. El tamaño de los sedimentos movilizados por splash es siempre mayor que el tamaño de los sedimentos en el agua de escorrentía. Para intensidades de lluvia entre 5 y 10 mm h-1, la escorrentía arrastra partículas de tamaño arcilla y limo fino, mientras que entre 10 y 20 mm h-1 el tamaño corresponde a limo medio. Respecto a la humedad y temperatura del suelo, los suelos de peor calidad antes del fuego (microambiente entre plantas) que han sufrido mayor intensidad de fuego tienen un balance hídrico y térmico más desfavorable. Dichos suelos tienen mayor contenido de agua, pero se secan más rápidamente, también experimentan mayores variaciones de temperatura y el agua permanece útil para las plantas durante pocos días. Los suelos de mejor calidad antes del fuego (microambiente bajo plantas) que han sufrido el impacto de la intensidad del fuego tienen un balance hídrico y térmico que a lo largo del año de estudio resulta más favorable que el suelo entre plantas. La humedad del suelo tras la lluvia sigue un modelo exponencial decreciente con el número de días transcurridos desde la lluvia. Aunque no se ha realizado un seguimiento del proceso de colonización vegetal, durante el periodo de estudio, la dinámica estacional de la humedad y temperatura del suelo en el área bajo plantas afectado por mayor intensidad, puede resultar más favorable para el inicio del proceso de recuperación vegetal en periodos próximos al invierno, mientras que en las superficies bajo plantas afectadas por menor intensidad, el periodo hídrico y térmico del suelo resulta más favorable es el de la primavera. __________________________________________________________________________________________________The impact of fire on the soil and in ecological processes, which take place on the slopes that have Mediterranean bushes, depends upon the rise of temperature and the duration of heat during the burn. Despite its importance in our forest ecosystems, there are few studies in which experimental measures have been taken under typical summer conditions, controlled fuel and state of the soil, as well as the vegetation, the rise of temperature and its duration in the soil, alterations of the physical properties with regards to the intensity of the fire and the consequences of said alteration in the process of hydric erosion and the function of temperature and humidity of the soil. The aim of this thesis is to provide experimental field and laboratory data on the intensity levels which affect the soil as a consequence of summer fires in two bush formations with different loads and structure of combustion. Discover the changes which take place in: the properties of the soil, the effect of rainfall erosion, changes and effects in spatial and seasonal patchiness of the soil temperature and humidity distribution during the first year after the fire. The soils structure degrades through alterations in organic or non-organic colloids that form the aggregates of the soil. This degradation, which is in proportion to the increase in fire intensity, modifies the spatial and temporal patchiness variables properties such as the density of the soil, the distribution and stability of the aggregates, a rise in susceptibility of the soil having been displaced through the impact of rainfall and runoff, and altering the spatial and seasonal patchiness humidity and temperature of the soil

Stress-tolerant Wild Plants: a Source of Knowledge and Biotechnological Tools for the Genetic Improvement of Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

Over the next few decades we must boost crop productivity if we are to feed a growing world population, which will reach more than 9×109 people by 2050; and we should do it in the frame of a sustainable agriculture, with an increasing scarcity of new arable land and of water for irrigation. For all important crops, average yields are only a fraction-somewhere between 20% and 50%-of record yields; these losses are mostly due to drought and high soil salinity, environmental conditions which will worsen in many regions because of global climate change. Therefore, the simplest way to increase agricultural productivity would be to improve the abiotic stress tolerance of crops. Considering the limitations of traditional plant breeding, the most promising strategy to achieve this goal will rely on the generation of transgenic plants expressing genes conferring tolerance. However, advances using this approach have been slow, since it requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms of plant stress tolerance, which are still largely unknown. Paradoxically, most studies on the responses of plants to abiotic stress have been performed using stress-sensitive species-such as Arabidopsis thaliana-although there are plants (halophytes, gypsophytes, xerophytes) adapted to extremely harsh environmental conditions in their natural habitats. We propose these wild stress-tolerant species as more suitable models to investigate these mechanisms, as well as a possible source of biotechnological tools (‘stress tolerance’ genes, stress-inducible promoters) for the genetic engineering of stress tolerance in crop plants

Increasing environmental sciences students' awareness of the link between soil and Sustainable Development Goals

[EN] Education must prepare students to find solutions for the global and local challenges of today and the future, by conferring students the knowledge, skills and attitudes to address them, including environmental degradation. Soils perform a number of key environmental, social and economic functions (e.g. production of food and biomass, nutrient cycling, water filter, climate control). Various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are connected with soil. Sustainable soil use is crucial for many SDGs. Target 2.4 of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) mentions the implementation of resilient agricultural practices to improve land and soil quality. Target 3.9 of the SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) indicates that the number of deaths and illnesses from soil pollution and contamination must be substantially reduced. Target 12.4 of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) mentions reducing the release of chemicals to soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Target 15.3 of SDG 15 (Life on Land) includes the restoration of degraded soil. Although soil is not mentioned in other SDG targets, it is related to other SDGs. We present the results of the analysis of the activity performed by the students related to soil and SDGs and the transversal competence ¿knowledge of contemporary problems¿. In the activity, the students were asked to write down with reasons the SDGs that soil is related to. Afterward, they were asked to write down soil degradation processes and their consequences for people lives and the environment. Next the students worked in groups on the link between soil functions and soil degradation processes using communication material designed by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Finally, they answered a questionnaire, and five open questions to explain the link between soil and the SDGs 2, 3, 6, 13 and 15. The students gave a value of 9.1 out of 10 to the importance of knowledge toward an integrated approach to the environment. The students rated the importance of studying Soil Science to increase their ability to perceive and realize the existence and uniqueness of soils with 8.7 out of 10. The need to raise awareness about soils among people who are not in direct contact with soils was rated with 9.2 out of 10. The students who knew that the SDGs have 169 targets were 85%. The students related the statement ¿Women remain a minority in soil science¿ to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced inequalities). Ninety-five percent of the students stated that "zero hunger" is not only a question of crop production, but it is also related to the quality of education, malnutrition, etc. All the students stated that there is now scientific evidence that healthy soils support nutritious and healthy food and, therefore, contribute to people's health. When students were asked about the origin of toxicity in the soil that can affect human health, 50% named heavy metals, 35% radioactive elements, 35% organic chemicals, and 15% diseases due to exposure to soil organisms. The students were asked if they knew that zinc deficiency is the fifth leading cause of death and disease in the developing world; only 52% said that they did. Soil science has important links to several SDGs and students must know them to advance in their achievement.Lull, C.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Bautista, I.; Lidón, A. (2022). Increasing environmental sciences students' awareness of the link between soil and Sustainable Development Goals. IATED. 5708-5717. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.1344S5708571

Expanding student engagement in SDG 13 'Climate Action'

[EN] In September 2019, the UN Secretary-General called on all sectors of society to mobilize for a Decade of Action. The Decade of Action calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to all the world¿s biggest challenges by 2030. At the heart of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. The SDG 13 ¿Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts¿ has the target 13.3 ¿Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning¿. Nowadays, many universities are engaged in achieving SDGs. It is crucial that climate change is included as part of universities¿ teaching, and also the development of SDG 13 awareness activities for students. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the activity performed as part of a course in Meteorology that intends to increase students' awareness of the climate change problem. This action took place with students of the Bachelor¿s Degree in Environmental Sciences at the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain). The prepared activity was entitled: Students committed to climate change. Its learning outcomes were to describe what happens to the temperature and CO¿ concerning climate change; explain how global warming is dominated by past and future CO¿ emissions; argue the importance of acting against global warming and cutting greenhouse gas emissions; and to enlighten students about the impact that our daily habits have on the environment. Performing this activity consisted in finding out about SDG 13 and the European CO2MVS initiative to accurately measure the amount of anthropogenic CO¿ emissions, and completing a questionnaire. The results obtained from the questionnaire show that 84% of university students are aware that climate change is happening now and it is caused mainly by human activities. Many students agreed with the following affirmations: a university must have a climate change policy (96%); a university must contribute in its operation to achieve the adaptation strategies to climate change set by the government (92%); a university must educate its students about the causes (100%) and impacts (100%) of climate change; a university should encourage its students to seek solutions to climate change problems (100%). A high percentage of the students (80%) confirmed that they adopt the necessary initiatives to reduce CO¿ as much as possible in their everyday lives. Twenty-four percent of them stated that they could not explain to other students the origin of CO¿ in the atmosphere, and 36% of the students did not have enough arguments to explain why adopting a wide range of technological measures and behavioral changes could limit the rise in the global average temperature to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Finally, the students answered various open questions about how to reduce atmospheric CO¿ levels, individual actions to reduce the carbon footprint, social problems that climate change entails, and how citizens can be made aware of the importance of reducing CO¿. These results show the need to improve climate change knowledge in education.This work has been sponsored by the Vice-Rectorate for Organization of Studies, Quality and Accreditation of the Universitat Poltècnica de València (Valencia, Spain) as part of the UPV¿s Educational Innovation and Improvement Projects (Reference PIME 20-21/224) entitled Moving towards Sustainable Development Goals at the UPV: the poliODS Project.Lull, C.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Soriano Soto, MD. (2022). Expanding student engagement in SDG 13 'Climate Action'. IATED. 5611-5617. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.13185611561

Soil parameters and bioclimatic characteristics affecting essential oil composition of leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. from València (Spain)

[EN] The variability of the soils found in an area together with the diversity of the bioclimatic parameters will affect the chemical profile of plant species, in our case Pistacia lentiscus L. The aim of this work is to analyse the bioclimatic characteristics and soil parameters affecting the essential oil (EO) composition of the leaves of the Pistacia lentiscus L. growing in València (Spain). The EO compositions of dried leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. from five sampling sites with noticeable differences in soil and climate features were analysed by GC(MS) and GD(FID). The main bioclimatic and soil parameters were also determined in order to relate them to oil composition. ¿-pinene (2.8-39.2%), myrcene (0.6-59.3%), ß-phellandrene (0.0-42.8%), germacrene-D (3.9-20.4%) and terpinen-4-ol (0.2-19.0%) were found to be the major compounds showing a high variability. The five sampling sites presented well-defined bioclimatic and edaphic characteristics that could be related to specific EO profiles. The results suggested that the EO composition of P. lentiscus L. depends more on the edaphic factors interacting with bioclimate conditions than on the geographical origin itself. Some general trends could be established based on the results: the Calcaric Arenosol (Saler) with a high evapotranspiration index was associated with a high sesquiterpenic fraction, (germacrene-D and ß-caryophyllene, mainly). The Luvisol (Borrell and L¿Ull), with high amounts of ¿ + ß-pinene, were found to be related to sub-humid bioclimatic conditions and clayey and fertile soils (high CEC and OM levels). This last requirement was also observed to be related to the myrcene content, but with drier climatic conditions and calcareous soils (Haplic Calcisol) with high level of carbonates and active lime (Lliria). The rest of hydrocarbon monoterpene and oxygenated monoterpene (terpinen-4-ol, mainly) fractions could be related to a dry climate and non-calcareous and low fertility soils (Eutric Regosol, Segart). Given the most suitable composition related to specific and useful biological activities, new research of controlled environmental factors (soil features and bioclimatic conditions) should be conducted in order to define the best conditions to manage industrial crops of P. lentiscus L.Llinares Palacios, JV.; Llorens Molina, JA.; Mulet, J.; Vacas, S. (2021). Soil parameters and bioclimatic characteristics affecting essential oil composition of leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. from València (Spain). Spanish Journal of Soil Science. 11(1):72-87. https://doi.org/10.3232/SJSS.2021.V11.N1.06S728711

Proline as a biochemical marker in relation to the ecology of two halophytic Juncus species

"This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Plant Ecology following peer review."[EN] Aims Osmolytes, used for maintaining osmotic balance and as osmoprotectants , are synthesized in plants as a general, conserved response to abiotic stress, although their contribution to stress-tolerance mechanisms remains unclear. Proline, the most common osmolyte, accumulates in many plant species in parallel with increased external salinity and is considered a reliable biochemical marker of salt stress. We have measured proline levels in two halophytic, closely related Juncus species under laboratory and field conditions to assess the possible relevance of proline biosynthesis for salt tolerance and therefore for the ecology of these two taxa. Methods Proline was quantified in plants treated with increasing NaCl concentrations and in plants sampled in two salt marshes located in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante, respectively, in southeast Spain. Electrical conductivity, pH, Na+ and Cl− concentrations were measured in soil samples collected in parallel with the plant material. Important Findings Treatment with NaCl inhibited growth of J. acutus plants in a concentration-dependent manner, but only under high salt conditions for J. maritimus. Salt treatments led to proline accumulation in both species, especially in the more salt-tolerant J. maritimus. The results, obtained under laboratory conditions, were confirmed in plants sampled in the field. In all the samplings, proline contents were significantly lower in J. acutus than in the more tolerant J. maritimus growing in the same area. No direct correlation between soil salinity and proline levels could be established, but seasonal variations were detected, with increased proline contents under accentuated water deficit conditions. Our results suggest that proline biosynthesis is not only an induced, general response to salt stress but also an important contributing factor in the physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance in Juncus, and that it therefore correlates with the ecology of both species.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and European Regional Development Fund to O.V. (CGL2008-00438/BOS); Polytechnic University of Valencia to M. B. (PAID-06-09).Boscaiu, M.; Lull, C.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Vicente, O.; Boira Tortajada, H. (2013). Proline as a biochemical marker in relation to the ecology of two halophytic Juncus species. Journal of Plant Ecology. 6(2):177-186. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rts017S1771866

Low-cost Soil Moisture Sensors Based on Inductive Coils Tested on Different Sorts of Soils

[EN] The use of precision agriculture and the Internet of Things has improved the efficiency of many cultures. Nevertheless, there are a few low-cost options to monitor soil moisture. Moreover, those options depend on the specific characteristics of the soil. In this paper, we attempt to find a sensor, based on mutual inductance, that could be used for more than one sort of soil. We study three prototypes, one of them with casing. The sensors are powered with a voltage of 10 peak to peak volts. One of the soils has a high content of organic matter and sand while the other is rich in sand and silt. The best prototype for the soil with high levels of organic matter has 10 turns on the powered coil and 5 on the induced coil. The best frequency for this sensor is 1340 kHz. For the soil with a significant quantity of silt, the best prototype has 80 turns on the powered coil and 40 on the induced coil. The frequency at which this sensor works best is 229 kHz, which happens to be its peak frequency. With those characteristics regressions lines with R2 values higher than 0.75 can be modeledThis work is partially found by the Conselleria de Educación, Cultura y Deporte with the Subvenciones para la contratación de personal investigador en fase postdoctoral, grant number APOSTD/2019/04, by European Union through the ERANETMED (Euromediterranean Cooperation through ERANET joint activities and beyond) project ERANETMED3-227 SMARTWATIR, and by the European Union with the Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER) Europa invierte en zonas rurales, the MAPAMA, and Comunidad de Madrid with the IMIDRA, under the mark of the PDR-CM 2014-2020 project number PDR18-XEROCESPED.Parra-Boronat, M.; Parra-Boronat, L.; Lloret, J.; Mauri, PV.; Llinares Palacios, JV. (2019). Low-cost Soil Moisture Sensors Based on Inductive Coils Tested on Different Sorts of Soils. IEEE. 616-622. https://doi.org/10.1109/IOTSMS48152.2019.8939258S61662

Effect of acetylsalicylic acid and ammonium sulphate on productive and physiological parameters in Stipa caudata under water shortage conditions

Stipa caudata is a grass native to low rainfall areas in Argentina and Chile, considered an excellent potential candidate for biofuel production or soil restoration programmes. This study aimed at analysing the effects of ammonium sulphate (AMS) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on the productivity and biochemical traits of plants of this species under water scarcity conditions. The experimental work was carried out on plants grown outdoors using a randomised block plot design. Several yield and biochemical parameters related to resistance to water scarcity were analysed in plants treated with AMS or ASA. Plants in the treatments with ASA and AMS had higher total chlorophyll content than the others. Concerning ion content, water-restricted plants treated with AMS had similar values to irrigated plants. Regarding the osmoprotectants and antioxidants, treated plants had increased concentrations of proline and total flavonoids. Under water stress, plants had higher APX activity and there was an A x B interaction for CAT and SOD activity. The results obtained show that the use of ASA and AMS in some crops or in environmental restoration programmes could be a useful tool to cope with future climate scenarios of water scarcity

Música e imagen en los lipdubs

The lipdubs are a communicative proposal that combines sound and image, with only eight years of existence. There are more than one million products made worldwide. Its generic design can be classified into three types depending on the type of message that wants to transmit: festive, commercial, or public protest. This paper presents an analysis of audio and visual features applied to a sample of 50 lipdubs, allowing us to determine the incidence of sound and image in their structural, emotional and communicative aspects and their relationship to the classification.Los lipdubs son una propuesta comunicativa que compagina sonido e imágenes que, con tan sólo ocho años de existencia, nos ofrecen más de un millón de productos realizados a nivel mundial. Su concepción genérica permite clasificarlos en tres tipologías en función del tipo de mensaje que busca transmitir: comercial, reivindicativo o festivo. Este trabajo presenta un análisis de las características sonoras y visuales aplicado a una muestra de 50 lipdubs, que nos permite conocer la incidencia del sonido y de la imagen en sus aspectos estructurales, emocionales y comunicativos y su relación con dicha clasificación