A single scaling parameter as a first approximation to describe the rainfall pattern of a place: application on Catalonia

As well as in other natural processes, it has been frequently observed that the phenomenon arising from the rainfall generation process presents fractal self-similarity of statistical type, and thus, rainfall series generally show scaling properties. Based on this fact, there is a methodology, simple scaling, which is used quite broadly to find or reproduce the intensity–duration–frequency curves of a place. In the present work, the relationship of the simple scaling parameter with the characteristic rainfall pattern of the area of study has been investigated. The calculation of this scaling parameter has been performed from 147 daily rainfall selected series covering the temporal period between 1883 and 2016 over the Catalonian territory (Spain) and its nearby surroundings, and a discussion about the relationship between the scaling parameter spatial distribution and rainfall pattern, as well as about trends of this scaling parameter over the past decades possibly due to climate change, has been presented.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Quality control process of the daily rainfall series available in Catalonia from 1855 to the present

The quality control of weather data is a necessity and a responsibility of meteorological services that store, distribute, and use these data. In the present work, a newly designed quality control procedure for daily rainfall data is presented after it has been adjusted and tested with more than 10^7 data from 1726 daily rainfall measurement sites in Catalonia. It is applicable to data from different origins (e.g., automatic weather stations or manual historical measurements). The procedure is focused on relative comparison of daily data with reference stations that are automatically selected after an initial estimation of their quality and a proximity study regarding location and correlation. The presented procedure has been verified taking advantage of an available network in the study area that has been routinely quality controlled by technicians of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. The newly designed quality control procedure for daily precipitation yields good results, especially for extreme values: type I error under 10% is found for values up to 150 mm (error decreasing for lower values) and type II error is under 16% when reported values are twice a measure of 50 mm or more (error decreasing for more extreme values). After the application of the quality control procedure, a selection of series with the minimum desired quality is achieved.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Les Balears abans dels humans

Abstract not availabl

Influence of regional and seasonal rainfall patterns on the ratio between fixed and unrestricted measured intervals of rainfall amounts

Historically, most precipitation data have been measured by collecting rainfall, usually at intervals of 24 h, with a fixed starting time. Nonetheless, it is known that the use of fixed time intervals to measure rainfall quantities could lead to an underestimation of the true maximum precipitation amounts for the considered duration, so a single multiplicative correction factor is commonly applied, generally without taking into account the rainfall pattern of the place, nor regional or seasonal considerations. In the present work, hourly measurements from 120 stations of Catalonia (northeast of the Iberian Peninsula) have been used to analyse how the ratio between rainfall amounts measured by fixed and unrestricted intervals, i.e. the correction factor, depends on the considered duration and on the specific starting time of the fixed interval (local 00:00, 08:00, 12:00 or 16:00), as well as the influence ofgeographical location and seasonality and actual rainfall duration. For fixed sampling intervals starting at 16:00, the mean correction factor has been found to be higher (1.137) than at the usual 08:00 starting time (1.129). Some geographical patterns of the correction factor over Catalonia arose which, moreover, depend on the season, with a mean value of 1.161 in spring and a value of 1.093 in summer. Also, the value of the correction has been found to increase with the actual duration of the maximum rainfall events used in the analysis. Some of these extreme events had actual mesoscale durations between 6 and 9 h, linked to highly convective mesoscale organisations acting mainly in summer and the beginning of autumn. Other maxima episodes, with more advective rainfall lasting more than 12 h registered in the northern area of the territory, presented the highest values of the correction factor, especially in spring.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Cancerización de campo: revisión del concepto

El concepto de cancerización de campo sugiere que las mucosas del tracto aerodigestivo superior de un determinado paciente, sometidas de forma similar a los agentes cancerígenos habituales, tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar nuevos carcinomas. Desde su acuñamiento, el término se ha empleado para describir múltiples terrenos de enfermedad premaligna, con una prevalencia mayor de la esperada de aparición de múltiples tumores primarios o secundarios locales y la presencia de tumores distantes sincrónicos. Las técnicas moleculares han permitido profundizar en el conocimiento de la relación entre estas lesiones. Si bien hay diferencias metodológicas en la forma de identificar los orígenes clonales de las lesiones, algunos estudios indican que es frecuente la extensión clonal lateral de la enfermedad premaligna o maligna. Ante esta patología, se están investigando diversas alternativas preventivas y terapéuticas, como el screening poblacional, los retinoides o la terapia génica, que pueden aportar beneficios a los pacientes con lesiones premalignas y malignas en la región de cabeza y cuello

Nature of active sites on UiO-66 and beneficial influence of water in the catalysis of Fischer esterification

[EN] Zirconium terephthalate UiO-66 type metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are known to be highly active, stable and reusable catalysts for the esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols. Moreover, when defects are present in the structure of these MOFs, coordinatively unsaturated Zr ions with Lewis acid properties are created, which increase the catalytic activity of the resulting defective solids. In the present work, molecular modeling techniques combined with new experimental data on various defective hydrated and dehydrated materials allow to unravel the nature and role of defective active sites in the Fischer esterification and the role of coordinated water molecules to provide additional Bronsted sites. Periodic models of UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2 catalysts have been used to unravel the reaction mechanism on hydrated and dehydrated materials. Various adsorption modes of water and methanol are investigated. The proposed mechanisms are in line with experimental observations that amino groups yield a reduction in the reaction barriers, although they have a passive role in modulating the electronic structure of the material. Water has a beneficial role on the reaction cycle by providing extra Bronsted sites and by providing stabilization for various intermediates through hydrogen bonds. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.This work is supported by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) (project number 3G048612), the Research Board of Ghent University (BOF) and BELSPO in the frame of IAP/7/05. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 641887 (project acronym: DEFNET). Funding was also received from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [consolidator ERC grant agreement no. 647755-DYNPOR (2015-2020)]. Computational resources (Stevin Supercomputer Infrastructure) and services were provided by Ghent University. Financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana (project AICO/2015/065), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (program Severo Ochoa SEV20120267), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project MAT2014-52085-C2-1-P) is gratefully acknowledged.Caratelli, C.; Hajek, J.; García Cirujano, F.; Warroquier, M.; Llabrés I Xamena, FX.; Van Speybroeck, V. (2017). Nature of active sites on UiO-66 and beneficial influence of water in the catalysis of Fischer esterification. Journal of Catalysis. 352:401-414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2017.06.014S40141435

Virtual reality versus computer-aided exposure treatments for fear of flying

Evidence is growing that two modalities of computer-based exposure therapies—virtual reality and computer-aided psychotherapy—are effective in treating anxiety disorders, including fear of flying. However, they have not yet been directly compared. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of three computer-based exposure treatments for fear of flying: virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), computer-aided exposure with a therapist’s (CAE-T) assistance throughout exposure sessions, and self-administered computer-aided exposure (CAE-SA). A total of 60 participants with flying phobia were randomly assigned to VRET, CAE-T, or CAE-SA. Results indicate that the three interventions were effective in reducing fear of flying at posttreatment and at 1-year follow-up; furthermore, there were no significant differences between them in any of the outcome measure. Large within-group effect sizes were found for all three treatment conditions at both posttreatment and at follow-up. The results suggest that therapist involvement might be minimized during computer-based treatments and that CAE can be as effective as VRET in reducing fear of flyin

Estil de vida i salut mental

L’augment de l’esperança de vida ha generat un creixent interès per l’estudi de la qualitat de vida de les persones grans. La depressió i l’ansietat són els dos problemes de salut mental més freqüents en aquest grup de pacients i amb més repercussió en la seva qualitat de vida. La depressió comporta habitualment una sèrie de conductes (mala alimentació, aïllament, sedentarisme, desinterès per la cura d’un mateix, etc.) que poden precipitar o agreujar altres malalties físiques. D’altra banda, el risc d’aparició de depressió en edats avançades pot augmentar davant la freqüent restricció d’activitats i l’aïllament social, els impediments en la mobilitat, així com per l’impacte creixent de malalties mèdiques, sobretot d’origen cardiovascular, vascular cerebrals i neurodegeneratives. Hi ha, per tant, una relació de causalitat bidireccional entre la salut física i la mental. Sembla que la ciència està demostrant el que va proposar fa molts segles Juvenal en la famosa expressió «Mens sana in corpore sano». És lògic, d’acord amb el que s’ha exposat més amunt, que intervencions basades en l’estil de vida estiguin demostrant utilitat en la prevenció i el tractament dels trastorns mentals. Per exemple, la pràctica regular d’exercici físic, una dieta sana i equilibrada com la que ofereix el patró mediterrani, una correcta higiene de son i l’exposició moderada a la llum solar poden ser eines importants per a l’abordatge dels símptomes depressius en la població gran, a més de millorar la seva salut física.El aumento de la esperanza de vida ha generado un creciente interés por el estudio de la calidad de vida de las personas mayores. La depresión y la ansiedad son los dos problemas de salud mental más frecuentes en este grupo de pacientes y con mayor repercusión en su calidad de vida. La depresión comporta habitualmente una serie de conductas (mala alimentación, aislamiento, sedentarismo, desinterés por la higiene y atención de un mismo, etc.) que pueden precipitar o agravar otras enfermedades físicas. Por otro lado, el riesgo de aparición de depresión en edades avanzadas puede aumentar ante la frecuente restricción de actividades y el aislamiento social, los impedimentos en la movilidad, así como por el impacto creciente de enfermedades médicas, sobre todo de origen cardiovascular, vascular-cerebrales y neurodegenerativas. Existe, por lo tanto, una relación de causalidad bidireccional entre la salud física y la mental. Parece que la ciencia está demostrando lo que propuso hace muchos siglos Juvenal en la famosa expresión «Mens sana in corpore sano». Es lógico, de acuerdo con lo expuesto anteriormente, que intervenciones basadas en el estilo de vida estén demostrando utilidad en la prevención y el tratamiento de los trastornos mentales. Por ejemplo, la práctica regular de ejercicio físico, una dieta sana y equilibrada como la que ofrece el patrón mediterráneo, una correcta higiene de sueño y la exposición moderada a la luz solar pueden ser herramientas importantes en el abordaje de los síntomas depresivos en la población mayor, además de mejorar su salud física

A simple scaling analysis of rainfall in Andalusia (Spain) under different precipitation regimes

A simple scaling analysis was performed in Andalusia (Spain) using daily records from 377 selected stations covering the temporal period between 1870 and 2018. Since Andalusia is a region of considerable climatic variety, with notably wet areas as well as extremely dry zones, this study is useful to investigate the relationship between the simple scaling parameter value and the characteristic rainfall regime of a place. Despite the great correspondence with the average annual precipitation (PRCPTOT), a clear dependence on rainfall irregularity was observed, revealed by the ratio of the maximum daily precipitation and PRCPTOT, as well the wet spells frequency index CWD. The spatial distribution of the simple scaling parameter captured the increasing influence of the Mediterranean Sea towards the East. The easternmost dry areas are clearly influenced by Mediterranean disturbances, with a high proportion of convective rainfall and an irregular rainfall pattern. Using a simple scaling parameter, the generalized equations of the intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, of great hydrological interest were calculated for the eight Andalusian provincial capitals. Moreover, the temporal trends of this parameter in the four past decades were studied in the different areas with the aim of determining if changes in their rainfall patterns due to global warming could be detected.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version