Monitoring and preliminary analysis of the natural responses recorded in a poorly accessible streambed spring located at a fluviokarstic gorge in Southern Spain

The analysis of natural responses (hydrodynamic, hydrothermal and hydrochemical) of karst springs is a well-established approach to provide insights into the hydrogeological functioning of the aquifers that they drain. However, a suitable monitoring program of these responses are often difficult to launch in poorly accessible streambed springs, due to the mixing between surface water and groundwater, in addition to topographic impediments. This work describes the installation procedure of the measurement equipment and the preliminary hydrogeological dataset collected at the Charco del Moro spring (Southern Spain) during one year. This outlet emerges 5 m below water surface, at the bottom of a partially flooded 20 - 200 m deep and 2 km long gorge, eroded by the Guadiaro River streamflow. It is considered the largest discharge point in the region, draining groundwater from northern nearby carbonate outcrops, although its catchment area is not established yet. Continuous (hourly) monitoring of electrical conductivity, water temperature, turbidity and water level (discharge) reflects a high degree of heterogeneity in the duality of groundwater flow and storage dynamics, which is typical of karst conduit flow systemsUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Estado físico-químico del suelo en pasturas con y sin maní forrajero (Arachis pintoi), URACCAN-Siuna

The study was developed in an area of one block, owned by Mr. Marvin Calderón, located in Yaoya Community, municipality of Siuna. The objective was to compare the physical-chemical state of the soil in pastures with and without fodder peanut (Arachis pintoi). It is quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, longitudinal and descriptive study and the observational technique was used. It is concluded that the Arachis pintoi is a species that contributes to the improvement of the soil quality and it is recommended the use of agronomic practices before and after establishing the same. The establishment of Arachis pintoi and the grass plot without it cost C 7,377.00 in total.El estudio fue desarrollado en un área de una manzana, propiedad del señor Marvin Calderón, localizada en la comunidad Yaoya, municipio de Siuna. El objetivo fue comparar el estado físico–químico del suelo en pasturas con y sin maní forrajero (Arachis pintoi).  Es cuasi experimental pre test, post test, longitudinal y descriptivo y se utilizó la técnica observacional.   Se concluye, que el Arachis pintoi es una especie que contribuye al mejoramiento de la calidad del suelo y se recomienda el uso de prácticas agronómicas antes y después de establecer el mismo. El establecimiento del Arachis pintoi y la parcela de pasto sin este, cuestan en total C 7,377. 00

Combined use of the GGSFT data base and on Board Marine Collected Data to Model the Moho Beneath the Powell Basin, Antarctica

The Powell Basin is a small oceanic basin located at the NE end of the Antarctic Peninsula developed during the Early Miocene and mostly surrounded by the continental crusts of the South Orkney Microcontinent, South Scotia Ridge and Antarctic Peninsula margins. Gravity data from the SCAN 97 cruise obtained with the R/V Hespérides and data from the Global Gravity Grid and Sea Floor Topography (GGSFT) database (Sandwell and Smith, 1997) are used to determine the 3D geometry of the crustal-mantle interface (CMI) by numerical inversion methods. Water layer contribution and sedimentary effects were eliminated from the Free Air anomaly to obtain the total anomaly. Sedimentary effects were obtained from the analysis of existing and new SCAN 97 multichannel seismic profiles (MCS). The regional anomaly was obtained after spectral and filtering processes. The smooth 3D geometry of the crustal mantle interface obtained after inversion of the regional anomaly shows an increase in the thickness of the crust towards the continental margins and a NW-SE oriented axis of symmetry coinciding with the position of an older oceanic spreading axis. This interface shows a moderate uplift towards the western part and depicts two main uplifts to the northern and eastern sectors

Identificación y evolución de los grupos estratégicos de la industria bancaria venezolana

Este documento se centra en la identificación y evolución de los grupos estratégicos (GE) del sector bancario de Venezuela durante el periodo 2008-2010. El test M de Box demostró que hubo inestabilidad financiera durante este lapso de tiempo, por ello se evaluó el comportamiento de los GE en cada año de estudio. Otros resultados habían indicado que 1) al aplicar un procedimiento estadístico es posible detectar gradaciones en la implementación o evasión de las estrategias, o del compromiso de recursos por parte de los GE, y 2) el empleo del procedimiento estadístico llevó a coincidir con estudios previos en que ninguno de los GE estudiados correspondió de manera exclusiva a las grandes categorías del negocio bancario: corporativo, minorista, de inversión, entre otras, sino que desarrollaron estrategias híbridas, pero bien diferenciadas según las variables utilizadas. Este comportamiento híbrido fue demostrado inequívocamente con las pruebas post hoc aplicadas; para competir los GE ejecutan un conjunto de estrategias y no una sola. Esta investigación sugiere que en momentos de inestabilidad financiera los bancos cambian de estrategia y por tanto de GE, con el fin de obtener un buen desempeño, o al menos sobrevivir. Estos resultados permitirán a gerentes de los bancos conocer en qué GE están participando, saber cuáles son sus rivales más inmediatos y qué estrategias llevan a cabo los bancos que integran los demás GE, además de cómo evolucionan los GE en entornos inestable

Design recommendations for the rehabilitation of an urban canyon in a subtropical climate region using aerial thermography and simulation tools

Outdoor public space is the setting for everyday social interaction where activities take place in order to satisfy collective urban needs. It is important to achieve climate-friendly urban design in order to ensure acceptable urban thermal comfort, especially in over-urbanised city centres during summer periods. In this research, an urban canyon street located in the historical centre of the subtropical city of Huelva (Spain) was analysed. After a survey carried out by in situ meteorological sensors and airborne infrared sensors (equipped on an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV), the current thermal comfort was analysed in terms of PMV and PPD at different times of a typical summer day (11:00 h, 15:00 h and 19:00 h) with the aim of formulating design recommendations to improve its performance in terms of urban comfort. Then, thermal comfort was evaluated in different scenarios where feasible mitigation strategies (replacement of materiality, addition of vegetation and sun shading ele- ments) were applied to classify them according to their effectiveness using the ENVI-met simulation tool. The results of the current scenario showed that, due to its N-S orientation and its aspect ratio (H/W), the urban comfort depends drastically on the day hour variation. A comfortable thermal environment is achieved at all points of the urban canyon as a result of the shade generated by the buildings during the morning and afternoon. However, in the central hours of the day the feeling of thermal discomfort was alarming (PMV values of +3 and PPD values above 90%). The proposed mitigation measures showed a considerable improvement in urban thermal comfort, with the addition of vegetation being the most effective solution (with an improvement in PMV value of 42% and a reduction in PPD value of 43%). The combination of all the proposed measures in a single scenario showed encouraging results in the rehabilitation of public spaces in use.This work has been funded by the Research Center for Technology, Energy and Sustainability (CITES) at the University of Huelva. This work has been also funded by Proyecto SALTES (P20_00730): Smartgrid with reconfigurable Architecture for testing controL Techniques and Energy Storage priority. Programa Operativo FEDER 2014- 2020 Junta de Andalucia. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA

Adiestramiento de carneros para la colección de semen con vagina artificial

Con el objetivo de establecer y validar un protocolo de entrenamiento de carneros para la recolección de semen con vagina artificial, montando una hembra sin necesidad que este en celo, se utilizaron ocho carneros con edades entre 1 y 3 años. Hubo dos etapas de preparación cada una de dos semanas y dos sesiones de entrenamiento por semana. Cada sesión tuvo una duración de 10 minutos o la obtención de tres eyaculados, lo que primero sucediera. En la primera etapa, se colocaron los carneros individualmente ante una hembra en celo, con el fin de lograr un preámbulo sexualnatural. En la segunda etapa, se usó como estímulo una borrega que no estaba en celo para entrenar a los carneros, con el fin de lograr un condicionamiento operante. Se utilizó una vagina artificial, con una caperuza externa (20 × 5,5 cm) de goma, y un conducto interno de látex. La vagina se llenó con 50 ml de agua a 45-50 ºC para llegar a 38 ºC en el momento de recolectar el semen. Luego se agregó aire a la vagina con el fin de estrechar la luz vaginal a 1 cm de diámetro. No se usó lubricante en el momento de la colección. Al inicio de cada etapa, el 25% de los carneros no eyacularon; sin embargo, al final de las fases, todos eyacularon al menos dos veces. Se concluye que, mediante el protocolo de entrenamiento utilizado, el 100% de los carneros, en este estudio, fueron entrenados para colectar semen con vaginaartificial sin necesidad de que la hembra se encuentre en celo

Gestión e integración de datos altimétricos y batimétricos en la costa andaluza: uso del “model builder”

En esta comunicación se presenta la estrategia adoptada en la incorporación de la información altimétrica y batimétrica de la costa andaluza al Subsistema del Litoral y Medio Marino (SSLyMM), realizado para la Consejería de Medio Ambiente. En primer lugar se opto por modificar el objetivo final: no se trata de generar un único MDE continuo, sino de mantener los datos altimétricos y batimétricos permanentemente actualizados en un base de datos espacial y diseñar una herramienta interactiva que produzca los MDEs a demanda en función de las aplicaciones en las que se usará. Para ello, se diseño una herramienta utilizando la aplicación ModelBuilder de ArcGis 9.3 que encadena varios procesos de análisis espacial a partir de la información original almacenada en la base de datos (curvas, cotas, sondas o datos raster). Estos procesos se concretan en algoritmos que primero interpolan la batimetría y posteriormente ajustan el datum del MDE resultante al datum altimétrico (mareógrafo Alicante). En segundo lugar se interpola la altimetría y se ajusta a la línea de costa del SSLyMM y, en tercer lugar, se extrae el 0 hidrográfico ya ajustado al 0 de Alicante y se interpola la zona intermareal con los datos existentes desde dicho cero hasta la línea de costa. La posibilidad de configurar variables y parámetros que se deciden interactivamente por el usuario antes de ejecutar la herramienta permite definir el área de análisis y la resolución espacial del modelo resultante, el algoritmo de interpolación a utilizar y la paleta de color a aplicar al MDE resultante entre otras opciones. Por otra parte, esta estrategia permite incorporar de forma inmediata la nueva información disponible (muy variable en el medio submarino) y ajustar las características del MDE (resolución espacial, interpolador, etc.) resultante a las demandas de la aplicación temática para la que va a utilizar (modelado de oleaje, navegación marítima, evaluación de riesgos, generación sombreados para fondos cartográficos, etc.).This paper presents the methodology used for the integration of the altimetric and bathymetric data of the andalusiam coast into the Littoral and Marine Environment Subsystem (SSLyMM), made for the Environmental Regional Ministry. The aim of this work was not the generation of a only continuous digital elevation model (DEM), as it was firstly required, but also the design of a strategy for keeping the altimetric and bathymetric data always updated in a geodatabase and the development of an interactive tool to produce different DEMs depending on the requirements of the potential user. The tool was designed using the application ModelBuilder in ArcGis 9.3 that uses different spatial analysis processes applied to the original data stored in the spatial database. Those processes reflects a set of algorithms that firstly interpolated the bathymetry data and then adjust the resulting DEM to the national altimetric datum, located in the Mean Sea Level at the Alicante tide gauge in Spain (NMMA). The second step was the interpolation of the altimetry data and the adjustment of the shoreline contained in the SSLyMM. The third step was the extraction of the corrected hydrographic zero contour (once referred to the NMMA) and the interpolation of the intertidal area elevation by means of the available data of this area. The area of the DEM, its spatial resolution, the algorithm that would be used for spatial interpolation and other variables and parameters can be chosen by the user before executing the tool. This strategy let the incorporation of potential new information available (what is quite usual on bathymetry due to the scarcity of data), and the adjustment of the DEM characteristic (spatial resolution, interpolation methods...) to the requirements of the use and applications that the DEM might have

Formular un plan encaminado a la sostenibilidad económica por medio de la planeación estratégica y fundraising para la Fundación internacional ZION Music, Nimaima (Cundinamarca)

Formular un plan encaminado a la sostenibilidad económica por medio de la planeación estratégica y fundraising que impacte positivamente el aprovechamiento del tiempo libre y proyecto de vida de los grupos de interés vinculados a la Fundación internacional ZION Music del municipio de Nimaima – Cundinamarca.Un proyecto de vida es el camino para alcanzar la meta, y se entiende como la búsqueda del ser humano para lograr sus ideales, explorando sus posibilidades internas y externas, por medio de sus potenciales, capacidades e intereses. En ese sentido, resulta de gran importancia que los niños, jóvenes y adolescentes tengan una visión frente a la vida, con el fin de establecer unos objetivos claros y obtener metas alcanzables. La Fundación Internacional Zion Music “Escribiendo una nueva historia”, del municipio de Nimaima, Cundinamarca, desarrolla actividades de música, arte y cultura como forma de aprovechamiento del tiempo libre, de modo que les permite a sus participantes no solo tener una visión frente al arte sino de la vida en general.A life project is the way to reach a goal, understanding the life project as the human being search to achive his ideals, exploring his internal and external posibilites and through his potentials, capabilities and interests. It is important for children, young people and adolescents to have a vision of the life, in order to establish clear objectives and obtain achievable goals. Zion music International Foundation "Writing a new story" of the municipality of Nimaima, Cundinamarca develops musical, cultural and artistic activities, as a way of taking advantage of free time, which allows its participants not only to have a vision of art, but also of life in general

Learning environments in compulsory secondary education (ESO): validation of the physical, learning, teaching and motivational scales

We present the validation of a questionnaire for compulsory secondary school students (seventh to tenth grade), designated “Educational learning environments for ESO pupils” (CEApA_ESO), for the purpose of evaluating learning environments. Although many instruments have been developed in this area, our work attempts to comprehensively cover some factors that most influence learning environments from the students’ perspective. Therefore, we included physical, learning, teaching and motivational elements, by adapting different already-validated scales to our intended overall approach and the Spanish context. We conducted a pilot study with 207 students from four grades (two classes per educational level). We performed descriptive and factor analyses with maximum likelihood extraction method and varimax rotation to identify factors underlying each scale. The factors extracted from each scale were used to evaluate the fit of the model, using the AMOS v.18 software for structural equation analysis, taking as reference the criteria set by Byrne (Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming, Taylor & Francis Group, 2010) and Kline (Principles and practice of structural equation modeling, The Guilford Press, 2010) (CMIN/DF between 2 and 5, CFI and IFI > 0.9, RMSEA 200). Finally, we present the factorial validity of the complete scale and analyse the internal consistency of the scale and its subscales using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. This instrument, with adequate psychometric properties, offers educators and researchers a valid tool for assessing the learning environments of their schools.Funding for open access publishing: Universidad de Huelva /CBUA. The information we are collecting is part of the project entitled: “Analysis of learning environments in secondary schools in Andalusia. Quantitative study.” (Ref: UHU-1256187), within the call for ERDF projects financed by the European Union, Junta de Andalucía and Universidad de Huelva. This project is led by Dr. María del Pilar García Rodríguez and Dr. José Manuel Coronel Llamas