Distribución, autoecología y biogeografía de los Dryopidae y Elmidae (Coleoptera, Dryopoidea) en las islas Baleares

The distribution of the Dryopidae and Elmidae in the Balearic Islands was studied. Three species of Dryopidae —Dryops algiricus (Lucas, 1949), D. gracilis (Karsch, 1881) and D. sulcipennis (Costa, 1883)— and one of Elmidae —Oulimnius echinatus Berthélemy, 1979— were found. Bibliographical data of other three species of Dryopidae exist, but their presence is either refuted —Dryops lutulentus (Erichson, 1847)— or requires confirmation —Dryops luridus (Erichson, 1847) and D. rufipes (Krynicki, 1832)—. Dryops gracilis and D. sulcipennis are recorded for first time in the archipelago. The first autecological data of the different species in the archipelago and a biogeographical analysis are provided.Se realiza un estudio sobre la distribución de los Dryopidae y Elmidae en las islas Baleares. Tres especies de Dryopidae —Dryops algiricus (Lucas, 1949), D. gracilis (Karsch, 1881) y D. sulcipennis (Costa, 1883)— y una de Elmidae —Oulimnius echinatus Berthélemy, 1979— han sido halladas. Existen datos bibliográficos de otras tres especies de Dryopidae, pero su presencia es excluida —Dryops lutulentus (Erichson, 1847)— o se considera que debe ser confirmada —Dryops luridus (Erichson, 1847) y D. rufipes (Krynicki, 1832)—. Dryops gracilis y D. sulcipennis se citan por primera vez en el archipiélago. Se aportan los primeros datos sobre la autoecología de las diferentes especies en las islas y se realiza un análisis biogeográfico

Short communication: Use of calcium sulphate dihydrate as an alternative to the conventional use of aluminium sulphate in the primary treatment of wastewater

The application of calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO4.2H2O) as a coagulant-flocculant alternative to the conventional use of aluminium sulphate in the primary treatment of wastewater was evaluated using a jar test apparatus. Samples from the State Water Commission (CEA) in Queretaro, Mexico, were collected for the experiments. Turbidity and pH were measured before and after applying the calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO4.2H2O). Turbidity readings obtained for the doses of 4 gE.-1 of aluminium sulphate varied from 3.91 to 3.87. The corresponding water pH was 3.90, giving the water an acidic character. Use of aluminium sulphate in the clarification of wastewater, thus, has financial and environmental implications due to the need to raise the pH of the treated water to 6.5.8.5, the recommended optimum interval for the physical-chemical-biological removal of pollutants. By contrast, calcium sulphate di-hydrate (CaSO4E2H2O) (gypsum) doses of 1, 1.5 and 2 gE.-1 resulted in a pH of between 7.04 and 7.51 repeatedly. These findings suggest that the application of calcium sulphate di-hydrate (CaSO4.2H2O) as coagulant-flocculant, followed by the process of sedimentation, may be a suitable alternative for the clarification of wastewater. However, the turbidity reported for the same doses was 74.05, 80.5 and 74.5 NTU, respectively, well above the international standard of 5 NTU. The effect of gypsum on turbidity warrants further research

Lesiones por bayoneta en la Morella carlista (s. XIX)

X Congreso Nacional de Paleopatología. Univesidad Autónoma de Madrid, septiembre de 200

First detection of the 448 GHz H2O transition in space

We present the first detection of the ortho-H2O 4_23-3_30 transition at 448 GHz in space. We observed this transition in the local (z = 0.010) luminous infrared (IR) galaxy ESO 320-G030 (IRAS F11506-3851) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The water 4_23-3_30 emission, which originates in the highly obscured nucleus of this galaxy, is spatially resolved over a region of ~65 pc in diameter and shows a regular rotation pattern compatible with the global molecular and ionized gas kinematics. The line profile is symmetric and well fitted by a Gaussian with an integrated flux of 37.0 +- 0.7 Jy km s-1 . Models predict this water transition as a potential collisionally excited maser transition. On the contrary, in this galaxy, we find that the 4_23-3_30 emission is primarily excited by the intense far-IR radiation field present in its nucleus. According to our modeling, this transition is a probe of deeply buried galaxy nuclei thanks to the high dust optical depths (tau_100{\mu}m > 1, N_H > 1e24 cm-2) required to efficiently excite it.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letters; 4 pages, 5 figure

Maritime antarctic lakes as sentinels of climate change

Remote lakes, such as lakes from the Maritime Antarctica, can be used as sentinels of climate change, because they are mostly free of direct anthropogenic pressures, and they experience climate change as a main stressor capable of modifying the ecosystem structure and function. In this paper, the content of a lecture that has been presented at the First Conference of Lake Sustainability, which has been centred in our studies on lakes from Byers Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica), are summarized. These included physical, chemical and biological studies of these lakes and other freshwater ecosystems, which highlighted the relevance of biotic interactions for these ecosystems and its sensibility to temperature variations and to biological invasions, which is of rel- evance given the acute regional warming occurring during the last decades in the area, concomitant with the enhancement of dispersion of alien species linked to the increased presence of humans

Development of efficient recirculation system for Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture using low cost materials

In the current experiment, a recirculation system was built using low cost materials that are available locally and its performance was tested. The performance evaluation procedure was carried out in an aquaculture system in greenhouse with sex-reversed male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production in Querétaro State, Mexico. The recirculation system had four sections (sediment collector, gravel and sand filters, biofilter and clarification) in order to eliminate the organic matter produced by the fish excretion material and uneaten food, as well as, the nitrogenous compounds undesirable in the water tanks, such as, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN). The monitored variables include: temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, visibility, TAN, nitrites and nitrates. The obtained data were compared with previous studies to evaluate the achieved state of the system. This research clearly demonstrated that it is feasible to use the proposed configuration in aquaculture systems in areas where water source is limited. Consequently, the obtained results represent an environmental standpoint for the conservation of water use in the aquaculture industry and also constitute an important contribution to the aquaculture and farmers who receive minimal economic support.Key words: Water recirculation, aquaculture, sustainability, low cost, water use efficiency

Thinning of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees since 1981

This paper analyzes the evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, the third largest glacier in the Pyrenees, from 1981 to the present. We assessed the evolution of the glacier''s surface area by analysis of aerial photographs from 1981, 1999, and 2006, and changes in ice volume by geodetic methods with digital elevation models (DEMs) generated from topographic maps (1981 and 1999), airborne lidar (2010) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) data. We interpreted the changes in the glacier based on climate data from nearby meteorological stations. The results indicate that the degradation of this glacier accelerated after 1999. The rate of ice surface loss was almost three times greater during 1999-2006 than during earlier periods. Moreover, the rate of glacier thinning was 1.85 times faster during 1999-2010 (rate of surface elevation change = -8.98 ± 1.80 m, glacier-wide mass balance = -0.73 ± 0.14 m w.e. yr-1) than during 1981-1999 (rate of surface elevation change = -8.35 ± 2.12 m, glacier-wide mass balance = -0.42 ± 0.10 m w.e. yr-1). From 2011 to 2014, ice thinning continued at a slower rate (rate of surface elevation change = -1.93 ± 0.4 m yr-1, glacier-wide mass balance = -0.58 ± 0.36 m w.e. yr-1). This deceleration in ice thinning compared to the previous 17 years can be attributed, at least in part, to two consecutive anomalously wet winters and cool summers (2012-2013 and 2013-2014), counteracted to some degree by the intense thinning that occurred during the dry and warm 2011-2012 period. However, local climatic changes observed during the study period do not seem sufficient to explain the acceleration of ice thinning of this glacier, because precipitation and air temperature did not exhibit statistically significant trends during the study period. Rather, the accelerated degradation of this glacier in recent years can be explained by a strong disequilibrium between the glacier and the current climate, and likely by other factors affecting the energy balance (e.g., increased albedo in spring) and feedback mechanisms (e.g., heat emitted from recently exposed bedrock and debris covered areas)

La importancia de los intereses académicos en la política científica y tecnológica catalana

Publicado en: 'Papers: Revista de Sociología', 70: 11-40, 2003Este artículo describe la emergencia y orientación de las políticas de I+D e innovación en Cataluña. Se analizan cuáles son los factores más influyentes en la orientación de estas políticas y, en definitiva, en las opciones políticas que se toman. La política de ciencia y tecnología desarrollada por el gobierno regional catalán desde principios de los años ochenta ha sido una política en la que, a pesar de las preferencias manifestadas en el discurso político, ha predominado un modelo de política académico sobre el de orientación empresarial. Asimismo, en términos organizativos e institucionales, en la Administración autonómica, la política científica ha estado separada y diferenciada de la política tecnológica a pesar del diseño inicial de instituciones interdepartamentales. La principal razón de que la política de I+D catalana no siguiera un modelo más industrial, ligado al mundo empresarial, fue la presión que ejercieron las universidades catalanas para que, tanto el diseño institucional como el contenido de la política se adaptara a sus necesidades. La trayectoria académica previa de los gestores también contribuyó a la reorientación de las preferencias políticas. A pesar de la importancia de las empresas catalanas en la I+D, éstas no se movilizaron ni presionaron a los gobiernos suficientemente. Analíticamente, este caso ilustra cómo la sola creación política de instituciones no garantiza la realización de las preferencias políticas. También pone de manifiesto cómo el horizonte temporal de la toma de decisiones gubernamental tiene un efecto en las expectativas de los actores, que desarrollan procesos de aprendizaje a partir de las experiencias en arenas políticas similares a otros niveles. Por último, destaca la importancia del poder en las instituciones de gestión en este tipo de política distributiva.Peer reviewe