Pleistocene-Holocene P. nigra traces on tufa archives in the Northern Meseta of the Iberian Peninsula

Molds preserved on travertines constitute exceptional species-informative material to reconstruct past vegetation. These are common on the High Ebro region. Here, the fluvial system erosion and karstification of the Mesozoic limestone since the Late Tertiary, origins extensive travertine complexes like the one studied in Tubilla del Agua (Burgos). In this site, three different travertine complexes are observed. The older one is represented by two disconnected edifices incised by the Valoria river. The age of this structure is established between > 300,000 and 240,000 yr BP, as from the U/Th dating on its base and top. The subsequent incision lasted until at least 90,000 yr BP, when another edifice erected upstream on the older one. The second travertine group comprises three platforms aged 60,000 yr BP the lower one, and 18,000 yr BP the middle one. The third travertine group is a lake-barrier complex 12,000 yr BP old, on which Tubilla del Agua was built, and a stratified travertine body that covers the valley bottom 10,000 to 2700 cal yr BP old. Some of the ages of the oldest travertines, and the most modern ones, coincide with the principal travertine formation cycles described by Durán (1996) for Spain. The matrix of precipitated calcium carbonate of all these complexes are rich in plant remain molds (mosses, stems, leaves, cones) of the surrounding flora. Pinus nigra Arnold cone molds have been localized and identified by comparative morphology studies. These remains are of high valuable information about the Pleistocene and Holocene presence of this taxon, in a site where no natural presence can be found today. This work was funded by project CGL2008-06005

Experimentando los principios de la cultura libre en la práctica artística multidisciplinar

[EN] In the present communication we investigate about the principles of free culture applied to the production of work in the multidisciplinary artistic practice. The several works that we use to communicate are our own productions showed in PAM!2015, a collective exhibition made in the Centro del Carmen museum in Valencia. In the text, we explore several questions generated while creating, being awared of the principles of free culture (opposed to “permission culture” of copyright) between work, authorship and production concepts. We describe how useful is to have a series of licenses ensuring the production in free culture. Additionally, make emphasise in how using free licenses allows new ways of doing art politically. A politically method that starts with the critical opposition to the culture model, protecting with copyright, as a defense and recognition of contemporary artistic practice understood in a instituent common world. In this way of sense, we suggest people to reconsider some aspects of art production in order to include in its processes ways of ensure it circulation and access as a collective resource. Since in the artistic field copyright is still current and powerful, we will focus on the specific needs that derivates from the use of free licenses in the practical case of the public exhibition of work. For that, we will describe which strategies are used by negotiation together with exhibition design, in order to ensure visibility of the characteristics of the work in free culture. Finally, we will detail the strategies putted into practice while facing in a questionable way to the work, authorship and production concepts.[ES] En la presente comunicación indagamos sobre los principios de la cultura libre aplicados a la producción de obra en la práctica artística multidisciplinar. Las obras que utilizamos para la comunicación son producción propia expuesta dentro de PAM!2015, exposición colectiva realizada en el museo Centro del Carmen de Valencia. En el texto exploramos los interrogantes que se generan al producir teniendo en cuenta los principios de cultura libre (en oposición a la “cultura del permiso” del copyright) entre los conceptos de obra, autoría y producción. Describimos cómo estos interrogantes nos sirven para articular la práctica creativa que lleva a la realización concreta de las obras, de sus características y de las licencias libres usadas para asegurar la producción en cultura libre. Asimismo, hacemos hincapié en cómo el uso de licencias libres permite esbozar nuevos modos de hacer arte políticamente. Un hacer políticamente que parte de la oposición crítica al modelo de cultura defendido desde el copyright, como defensa y reivindicación de la práctica artística contemporánea entendida en un mundo común instituyente. En este sentido, proponemos repensar ciertos aspecto de la producción de arte para incluir en sus procesos modos de asegurar su circulación y acceso como recurso colectivo. Dado que en el ámbito del arte aún se mantiene vigente con mucha fuerza el modelo del copyright, prestaremos especial interés a las necesidades específicas que derivan del uso de licencias libres en el caso práctico de la exposición pública de las obras. Para ello, describiremos qué tipo de estrategias son puestas en juego mediante negociación con las partes de comisariado y diseño de la exposición, para asegurar la visibilidad de las características de las obras en cultura libre. Por último, detallaremos nuevas estrategias de negociación que surgen al poner en práctica procesos cuestionadores de los conceptos de obra, autoría y producción.Ortega Moral, R. (2015). Experimentando los principios de la cultura libre en la práctica artística multidisciplinar. En II CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN ARTE VISUALES. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 565-572. https://doi.org/10.4995/ANIAV2015.1210OCS56557

Entre la capoeira y la práctica artística. Elementos de relación

The main objective of this investigation is to find elements in relation between capoeira and artistic practice. We deal from a critital and transforming perspective of the historical and social production conditions of capoeira. We analyse Brazilian Modernism, Tropicália and the project A roda do cais do Valongo.Esta investigación tiene como objetivo encontrar elementos de relación entre la práctica de la capoeira y la práctica artística. Partimos de un perspectiva crítica y transformadora de las condiciones de producción histórica y sociales de la capoeira. Se analizan el Modernismo brasileño, la Tropicália y el proyecto A roda do cais do Valongo.Ortega Moral, RO. (2014). Entre la capoeira y la práctica artística. Elementos de relación. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/50964.Archivo delegad

Macrorremains evidence of anthropogenic recession of Pinus nigra Aiton in Northern Spain

The natural forest landscape of the Duero Basin in Spain¿s Northern Meseta is now reduced to small masses, its demise largely owed to the intense agricultural and stock-raising use made of its lands. The composition of the scant natural masses suggests that formations dominated by broadleaved species once occupied a much greater area. This idea has led to the believe that pine trees have few place within the natural dynamics of this area (Carrión and Fernández, 2009). However, P. pinaster Aiton and P.pinea L. on low-land sandy areas, P. sylvestris L. and P.uncinata Ramond ex DC on mountain high areas have been demonstrated to have played an important role during the Holocene (Franco et al., 2005; Rubiales et al., 2010). The abundant plant remains and moulds of pine wood and cones found on Northern Meseta peat bogs and travertines, now demonstrate its presence on mid-lands during the Quaternary until the last millenni

Improvement of the probiotic growth-stimulating capacity of microalgae extracts by pulsed electric fields treatment

This study aimed to investigate the nutritional character (carbohydrates, proteins, pigments, and phycocyanin), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the capability of simulating the growth of Lactobacillus rhamnosus of different extracts from C. vulgaris and A. platensis by means of the application of conventional aqueous extraction procedure and pulsed electric field (PEF) extraction technology. It was confirmed a significantly improved nutritional profile of Chlorella and Spirulina extracts obtained by PEF technology pre-treatment (3 kV/cm, 100 kJ/kg), with specifically higher values in total carbohydrate, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, and carotenoids content, and TAC. Additionally, Spirulina PEF extract showed a probiotic's growth-stimulating capability of 1 log10 cycle when fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus, with a metabolomic profile specifically rich in bioactive short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and organic acids (3-phenyl lactic acid). The present study points out the applicability of PEF extraction technology under optimized conditions to improve the nutritional and functional character of microalgae and cyanobacterial-derived ingredients

Huellas de la presencia pasada de pinares montanos en la submeseta norte de la Península Ibérica: Tubilla del Lago y Tubilla del Agua

Se presentan los resultados de los estudios de macrorrestos e impresiones vegetales hallados en dos localidades de la submeseta norte de la Península Ibérica. Los troncos y piñas subfósiles extraídos en las obras de la turbera de Tubilla del Lago (Burgos), así como el molde de piña encontrado en los travertinos de Tubilla del Agua (Burgos), han sido identificados mediante morfología comparada con apoyo de la microtomía en el caso de las maderas. Los restos subfósiles han sido datados mediante 14 C mientras que la antigüedad del molde ha sido deducida por su posición en el edificio travertínico y la edad del mismo, en base al conocimiento de la cronología de la génesis de este tipo de estructuras. Los resultados indican la presencia holocena de Pinus nigra Arnold en ambas localidades. Estas evidencias se suman a otras paleobotánicas, históricas y toponímicas ya existentes, que reflejan una mayor extensión de esta especie en la submeseta norte anterior a la generalización de la alteración antrópica del paisaj

Production of spinach in intensive Mediterranean horticultural systems can be sustained by organic-based fertilizers without yield penalties and withlow environmental impacts

Agricultural production of leafy vegetables in Mediterranean countries aims to achieve high yields without elevated nitrate contents in the edible parts. This implies an adjusted nutrient management, especially of nitrogen (N), in irrigated horticultural systems under semiarid conditions. These horticultural systems are highly relevant in SE Spain from an economic perspective. However, the management of N fertilizer, generally applied in large amounts (150–250 kg N ha−1 in a split application), could trigger losses of reactive N to the environment. The use of novel fertilizers may fulfill the nitrogen requirements of the crop, but should also help to decrease the environmental impacts of production, thus achieving carbon-neutral horticultural systems through (e.g.) enhancement of carbon (C) stocks and greenhouse gases (GHG) emission abatement. In this experiment, eight different fertilizing scenarios at a normalized N application rate of 150 kg N ha−1 were assessed in terms of crop yields, nutrients uptake, C stocking capacity, and yield-scaled GHG emissions. Inorganic NPK fertilizers, digestates, biosolids, composts, and vermicomposts were included among this set of fertilizers. Our results show that organic-based stabilized materials, especially composts, lowered the NO3 − concentration in spinach leaves, in comparison to organic raw materials and synthetic fertilizers. They also produced yields similar to those of slow-release synthetic fertilizers, but with a significant increase in soil organic C 61 days after application. In general, N2O emissions were positively affected by the treatments. Nevertheless, direct N2O emissions were generally low (the highest emission factor, 0.13, being for the biosolid treatment) due to the combined mitigating effect of both the edapho-climatic conditions and the management practices. In general, cumulative CO2 emissions were high in all organic scenarios compared to the control treatment (299 kg C-CO2 ha−1), the highest values being observed in the treatment with biosolid (589 kg C-CO2 ha−1), probably due to differences in the labile organic C contents. In conclusion, some of the organic-based treatments showed multiple positive effects: on crop quality (i.e. leaf N content), crop yields, and GHG mitigation potential. Based on our results, the use of these materials represents an optimized N fertilizer strategy to help achieve a circular economy, by closing nutrient loops and decreasing the environmental impacts of horticultural production systems in semiarid regions of southern Europ

Time evolution of damage under variable ranges of load transfer

We study the time evolution of damage in a fiber bundle model in which the range of interaction of fibers varies through an adjustable stress transfer function recently introduced. We find that the lifetime of the material exhibits a crossover from mean field to short range behavior as in the static case. Numerical calculations showed that the value at which the transition takes place depends on the system's disorder. Finally, we have performed a microscopic analysis of the failure process. Our results confirm that the growth dynamics of the largest crack is radically different in the two limiting regimes of load transfer during the first stages of breaking.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, revtex4 styl

Bursts in a fiber bundle model with continuous damage

We study the constitutive behaviour, the damage process, and the properties of bursts in the continuous damage fiber bundle model introduced recently. Depending on its two parameters, the model provides various types of constitutive behaviours including also macroscopic plasticity. Analytic results are obtained to characterize the damage process along the plastic plateau under strain controlled loading, furthermore, for stress controlled experiments we develop a simulation technique and explore numerically the distribution of bursts of fiber breaks assuming infinite range of interaction. Simulations revealed that under certain conditions power law distribution of bursts arises with an exponent significantly different from the mean field exponent 5/2. A phase diagram of the model characterizing the possible burst distributions is constructed.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, APS style, submitted for publicatio

Bioremediation of Olive Mill Wastewater sediments in evaporation ponds through in situ composting assisted by bioaugmentation

The common method for the disposal of olive oil mill wastewater (OMW) has been its accumulation in evaporation ponds where OMW sediments concentrate. Due to the phytotoxic and antimicrobial effect of OMW, leaks from ponds can pollute soils and water bodies. This work focuses on the search for microorganisms that can be used as inocula for bioremediation of polluted matrices in OMW ponds by means of in situ composting. Two fungi isolated from OMW sediments, Aspergillus ochraceus H2 and Scedosporium apiospermum H16, presented suitable capabilities for this use as a consortium. Composting eliminated the phyto- and ecotoxicity of OMW sediments by depleting their main toxic components. Inoculation with the fungal consortium improved the bioremediation efficacy of the technique by hastening the decrease of phytotoxicity and ecotoxicity and enhancing phytostimulant property of compost produced. This procedure constitutes a promising strategy for bioremediation of OMW polluted sites