Use of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) and motion analysis for studying the impacts of underwater noise upon free ranging fish and implications for marine energy management

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Free-ranging individual fish were observed using a baited remote underwater video (BRUV) system during sound playback experiments. This paper reports on test trials exploring BRUV design parameters, image analysis and practical experimental designs. Three marine species were exposed to playback noise, provided as examples of behavioural responses to impulsive sound at 163–171 dB re 1 μPa (peak-to-peak SPL) and continuous sound of 142.7 dB re 1 μPa (RMS, SPL), exhibiting directional changes and accelerations. The methods described here indicate the efficacy of BRUV to examine behaviour of free-ranging species to noise playback, rather than using confinement. Given the increasing concern about the effects of water-borne noise, for example its inclusion within the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the lack of empirical evidence in setting thresholds, this paper discusses the use of BRUV, and short term behavioural changes, in supporting population level marine noise management

Reflexiones sobre los alcances de los modelos computacionales para la generación de narrativas

La generación automática de narrativas es un campo apasionante y complejo. Existen sistemas que desarrollan reportes sobre el clima, escriben cuentos y poseía, entre otras funciones. En este artículo analizo una de sus principales características, el uso de estructuras narrativas predefinidas, la cual empleo para clasificar los programas existentes en dos grandes grupos, compararlos, y discutir los alcances que cada uno de ellos tiene. Concluyo exponiendo las razones por las cuales los estudiosos de las humanidades digitales deben participar intensamente en este campo de estudio.The automatic generation of narratives is a fascinating and complex field. There are systems that give reports on climate, write short stories and poetry, among other functions. This article analyzes one of their principal features: the use of preset narrative structures, which I use to classify existing programs in two large groups in order to compare them and discuss their limits. By means of conclusion, I will discuss the reasons why scholars in the humanities should participate actively in this field of study

Lithium in the Hyades L5 brown dwarf 2MASS J04183483+2131275

Aims. From the luminosity, effective temperature and age of the Hyades brown dwarf 2MASS J04183483+2131275 (2M0418), substellar evolutionary models predict a mass in the range 39−55 Jupiter masses (MJup) which is insufficient to produce any substantial lithium burning except for the very upper range >53 MJup. Our goal is to measure the abundance of lithium in this object, test the consistency between models and observations and refine constraints on the mass and age of the object. Methods. We used the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) with its low-dispersion optical spectrograph to obtain ten spectra of 2277 s each covering the range 6300–10 300 Å with a resolving power of R ~ 500. Results. In the individual spectra, which span several months, we detect persistent unresolved Hα in emission with pseudo equivalent widths (pEW) in the range 45–150 Å and absorption lines of various alkalis with the typical strengths found in objects of L5 spectral type. The lithium resonance line at 6707.8 Å is detected with pEW of 18 ± 4 Å in 2M0418 (L5). Conclusions. We determine a lithium abundance of log N(Li) = 3.0 ± 0.4 dex consistent with a minimum preservation of 90% of this element which confirms 2M0418 as a brown dwarf with a maximum mass of 52 MJup. We infer a maximum age for the Hyades of 775 Myr from a comparison with the BHAC15 models. Combining recent results from the literature with our study, we constrain the mass of 2M0418 to 45–52 MJup and the age of the cluster to 580–775 Myr (1σ) based on the lithium depletion boundary method.We thank the referee for a detailed report that improved the quality of this manuscript. This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) under the grants AYA2015- 69350-C3-2-P and AYA2015-69350-C3-3-P. We thank Yakiv Pavlenko for his calculations of equivalent widths at different temperatures, Isabelle Baraffe for her models, and Eduardo Martín for sharing his results prior to publication. This work is based on observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), operated on the island of La Palma in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (programme GTC77- 16B led by Pérez Garrido). This research has made use of the Simbad and Vizier databases, operated at the Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), and of NASA’s Astrophysics Data System Bibliographic Services (ADS). We thank John Stauffer for kindly providing the optical spectra of the K and M Hyades members published in 1997 (Stauffer et al. 1997a)

Assessment of the cooling potential of an indoor living wall using different substrates in a warm climate

The use of vertical greenery systems in buildings is becoming very popular as they provide several benefits. In this work, the influence of an indoor living wall on the temperature and humidity in a hall inside the School of Agricultural Engineering (University of Seville) was studied. Four different substrates, Geotextile, Epiweb, Xaxim and coconut fibre, were used to grow the plants in order to assess their performance. Several parameters such as temperature, humidity, plant growth or water consumption were monitored and analyzed during a 4-month period. The cooling effect of the living wall was proven, with an average reduction of 4°C over the room temperature though maximum decrements of 6°C have been observed in warmer conditions. Higher air humidity levels were experienced near the living wall, increasing the overall humidity in the room. All the substrates tested were suitable for plant growing and their behaviour was similar. Geotextile showed the best cooling capacity but higher water consumption, coconut fibre presented degradation problems and Epiweb performance was the poorest. Therefore, these systems have been proven to be very useful and interesting for warm indoor environments due to the cooling effect observed in addition to their bio-filtration capacity and the aesthetic component

Multifunctional enzymatically generated hydrogels for chronic wound application

The healing of chronic wounds requires intensive medical intervention at huge healthcare costs. Dressing materials should consider the multifactorial nature of these wounds comprising deleterious proteolytic and oxidative enzymes and high bacterial load. In this work, multifunctional hydrogels for chronic wound application were produced by enzymatic cross- linking of thiolated chitosan and gallic acid. The hydrogels combine several beneficial to wound healing properties, controlling the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, oxidative stress, and bacterial contamination. In vitro studies revealed above 90% antioxidant activity, and MPO and collagenase inhibition by up to 98 and 23%, respectively. Ex vivo studies with venous leg ulcer exudates confirmed the inhibitory capacity of the dressings against MPO and MMPs. Additionally, the hydrogels reduced the population of the most frequently encountered in nonhealing wounds bacterial strains. The stable at physiological conditions and resistant to lysozyme degradation hydrogels showed high biocompatibility with human skin fibroblastsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Volar con Pedro Casariego Córdoba

Sobre la obra de Pedro Casariego Córdoba

Los caminos que conducen hacia una nueva teoría de la estrategia. Aportación al homenaje a Manuel Martín Serrano

In 2001, Manuel Martín Serrano collaborated in my book Estrategias de Comunicación where he proposed "a less geometric and more hermeneutic new strategic theory, less rational and more relational". A theory that is based on the intention of working with real human beings, not with artificial constructs such as the homo economicus, the rational actor or the player. In the present work, the author specifies the New Strategic Theory in seven big changes with regards to the conventional formulations of Strategy. It is necessary to close this theory, but we can already glimpse its expected result: a General Theory of Strategy.En 2001 Manuel Martín Serrano colaboró con una tribuna en mi libro Estrategias de Comunicación, en el que se proponía “una nueva teoría estratégica menos geométrica y más hermenéutica, menos racional y más relacional”. Una teoría que parte de la pretensión de tra-bajar con seres humanos de verdad y no con constructos artificiosos tales como el homo oeconomicus, el actor racional o el jugador. En el presente trabajo el autor concreta la Nueva Teoría Estratégica en siete grandes cambios con respecto a las formulaciones convencionales al uso en materia de Estrategia. Falta cerrar esta teoría pero su resultado esperado ya se vislumbra: una Teoría General de la Estrategia

Canary Islands and the foreseeable expansion of its continental shelf: the difficult balance between Spain, Morocco and Western Sahara

En este artículo se analizan los factores jurídicos, políticos y económicos que condicionan la ampliación de la plataforma continental de las Islas Canarias en su zona meridional. Marruecos ha anunciado su intención de realizar una ampliación semejante que incluiría las aguas del Sahara Occidental, territorio no autónomo pendiente de descolonizar sobre el cual Marruecos no detenta la soberanía. Ambas ampliaciones crearían un área de superposición de difícil delimitación que compromete la explotación de los recursos naturales que allí se encuentranThe article analyzes the legal, political and economic factors that condition the expansion of the continental shelf of the Canary Islands in its southern zone. Morocco has announced its intention to carry out a similar expansion that would include the waters of Western Sahara, a non-autonomous territory pending decolonization over which Morocco does not hold sovereignty. Both expansions would create an overlapping area of difficult delimitation that compromises the exploitation of the natural resources found ther