Evaluation of a Bayesian Algorithm to Detect Burned Areas in the Canary Islands’ Dry Woodlands and Forests Ecoregion Using MODIS Data

Burned Area (BA) is deemed as a primary variable to understand the Earth’s climate system. Satellite remote sensing data have allowed for the development of various burned area detection algorithms that have been globally applied to and assessed in diverse ecosystems, ranging from tropical to boreal. In this paper, we present a Bayesian algorithm (BY-MODIS) that detects burned areas in a time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images from 2002 to 2012 of the Canary Islands’ dry woodlands and forests ecoregion (Spain). Based on daily image products MODIS, MOD09GQ (250 m), and MOD11A1 (1 km), the surface spectral reflectance and the land surface temperature, respectively, 10 day composites were built using the maximum temperature criterion. Variables used in BY-MODIS were the Global Environment Monitoring Index (GEMI) and Burn Boreal Forest Index (BBFI), alongside the NIR spectral band, all of which refer to the previous year and the year the fire took place in. Reference polygons for the 14 fires exceeding 100 hectares and identified within the period under analysis were developed using both post-fire LANDSAT images and official information from the forest fires national database by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment of Spain (MAPAMA). The results obtained by BY-MODIS can be compared to those by official burned area products, MCD45A1 and MCD64A1. Despite that the best overall results correspond to MCD64A1, BY-MODIS proved to be an alternative for burned area mapping in the Canary Islands, a region with a great topographic complexity and diverse types of ecosystems. The total burned area detected by the BY-MODIS classifier was 64.9% of the MAPAMA reference data, and 78.6% according to data obtained from the LANDSAT images, with the lowest average commission error (11%) out of the three products and a correlation (R2) of 0.82. The Bayesian algorithm—originally developed to detect burned areas in North American boreal forests using AVHRR archival data Long-Term Data Record—can be successfully applied to a lower latitude forest ecosystem totally different from the boreal ecosystem and using daily time series of satellite images from MODIS with a 250 m spatial resolution, as long as a set of training areas adequately characterising the dynamics of the forest canopy affected by the fire is defined

Quantification of Total Phenolic and Carotenoid Content in Blackberries (Rubus Fructicosus L.) Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Multivariate Analysis

A rapid method to quantify the total phenolic content (TPC) and total carotenoid content (TCC) in blackberries using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was carried out aiming to provide reductions in analysis time and cost for the food industry. A total of 106 samples were analysed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method for TPC and a method based on Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometer for TCC. The average contents found for TPC and TCC were 24.27 mg·g−1 dw and 8.30 µg·g−1 dw, respectively. Modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression was used for obtaining the calibration models of these compounds. The RPD (ratio of the standard deviation of the reference data to the standard error of prediction (SEP)) values from external validation for both TPC and TCC were between 1.5 < RPDp < 2.5 and RER values (ratio of the range in the reference data to SEP) were 5.92 for TPC and 8.63 for TCC. These values showed that both equations were suitable for screening purposes. MPLS loading plots showed a high contribution of sugars, chlorophyll, lipids and cellulose in the modelling of prediction equations

Photosynthetic responses of trees in high-elevation forests: comparing evergreen species along an elevation gradient in the Central Andes

Plant growth at extremely high elevations is constrained by high daily thermal amplitude, strong solar radiation and water scarcity. These conditions are particularly harsh in the tropics, where the highest elevation treelines occur. In this environment, the maintenance of a positive carbon balance involves protecting the photosynthetic apparatus and taking advantage of any climatically favourable periods. To characterize photoprotective mechanisms at such high elevations, and particularly to address the question of whether these mechanisms are the same as those previously described in woody plants along extratropical treelines, we have studied photosynthetic responses in Polylepis tarapacana Philippi in the central Andes (18 degrees S) along an elevational gradient from 4300 to 4900 m. For comparative purposes, this gradient has been complemented with a lower elevation site (3700 m) where another Polylepis species (P. rugulosa Bitter) occurs. During the daily cycle, two periods of photosynthetic activity were observed: one during the morning when, despite low temperatures, assimilation was high; and the second starting at noon when the stomata closed because of a rise in the vapour pressure deficit and thermal dissipation is prevalent over photosynthesis. From dawn to noon there was a decrease in the content of antenna pigments (chlorophyll b and neoxanthin), together with an increase in the content of xanthophyll cycle carotenoids. These results could be caused by a reduction in the antenna size along with an increase in photoprotection. Additionally, photoprotection was enhanced by a partial overnight retention of de-epoxized xanthophylls. The unique combination of all of these mechanisms made possible the efficient use of the favourable conditions during the morning while still providing enough protection for the rest of the day. This strategy differs completely from that of extratropical mountain trees, which uncouple light-harvesting and energy-use during long periods of unfavourable, winter conditions.This research was carried out with the aid of grants from the Chilean Research Council (FONDECYT 1120965 and FONDAP 15110009) awarded to D.A.C., and BFU 2010-15021 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund ERDF(FEDER) and the Basque Government (UPV/EHU-GV IT-299-07) awarded to J.I.G.-P

239Pu sorption by suspended matter from Hueznar reservoir (southern Spain): Experimental and modelling study

Kinetic transfer coefficients are important parameters to understand and reliably model the behaviour of non-conservative radionuclides in aquatic environments. This report pertains to a series of radiotracer experiments on 239Pu uptake in natural unfiltered waters from the Hueznar reservoir (southern Spain). The experimental procedure ensures the preservation of environmental conditions and the dissolved Pu activity was measured by liquid scintillation technique. The data suggest that the main pathways for Pu uptake consist of two parallel and reversible reactions. We studied the effects of suspended matter concentrations and the specific surface area on the kinetic transfer coefficients.ENRES

Synergic Effect of α

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among Mexican women. The treatment with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) has some serious side effects. Alpha-mangostin (α-M), has a protective effect against CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity, as well as antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, we explored the in vitro and in vivo effect of α-M on human cervical cancer cell proliferation when combined with CDDP. In vitro, The cytotoxic effect of α-M and/or CDDP was measured by the 3-(3,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium assay. Meanwhile, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the cell cycle were determined with flow cytometry. For α-M+CDDP treatment, both a coincubation and preincubation scheme were employed. In vivo, xenotransplantation was performed in female athymic BALB/c (nu/nu) mice, and then tumor volume and body weight were measured weekly, whereas α-M interfered with the antiproliferative activity of CDDP in the coincubation scheme, with preincubation with α-M+CDDP showing significantly greater cytotoxicity than CDDP or α-M alone, significantly inhibiting average tumor volume and preventing nephrotoxicity. This effect was accompanied by increased apoptosis and ROS production by HeLa cervical cancer cells, as well as an arrest in the cell cycle. These results suggest that α-M may be useful as a neoadjuvant agent in cervical cancer therapy

Perimeter confinements of basic health zones and COVID-19 incidence in Madrid, Spain

Background: A unique policy of perimeter closures of Basic Health Zones (small administrative health units) was implemented in the Autonomous Community of Madrid from September 21st 2020 to May 23rd 2021 to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim: To assess the impact of local perimeter confinements on the 14-days cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 during the second wave of the pandemic in Madrid, Spain. Methods: We compare the errors in estimation of two families of mathematical models: ones that include the perimeter closures as explanatory covariables and ones that do not, in search of a significant improvement in estimation of one family over the other. We incorporate leave-one-out cross-validation, and at each step of this process we select the best model in AIC score from a family of 15 differently tuned ones. Results: The two families of models provided very similar estimations, for a 1- to 3-weeks delay in observed cumulative incidence, and also when restricting the analysis to only those Basic Health Zones that were subject to at least one closure during the time under study. In all cases the correlation between the errors yielded by both families of models was higher than 0.98 (±10- 3 95% CI), and the average difference of estimated 14-days cumulative incidence was smaller than 1.49 (±0.33 95% CI). Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that the perimeter closures by Basic Health Zone did not have a significant effect on the epidemic curve in Madrid.This research has been financed by Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) under the project COV20–00881.S

Assessing the effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 transmission in Spain, 30 August 2020 to 31 January 2021

Background: After a national lockdown during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, regional governments implemented different non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the second wave. Aim: To analyse which implemented NPIs significantly impacted effective reproduction number (Rt) in seven Spanish provinces during 30 August 2020-31 January 2021. Methods: We coded each NPI and levels of stringency with a 'severity index' (SI) and computed a global SI (mean of SIs per six included interventions). We performed a Bayesian change point analysis on the Rt curve of each province to identify possible associations with global SI variations. We fitted and compared several generalised additive models using multimodel inference, to quantify the statistical effect on Rt of the global SI (stringency) and the individual SIs (separate effect of NPIs). Results: The global SI had a significant lowering effect on the Rt (mean: 0.16 ± 0.05 units for full stringency). Mandatory closing times for non-essential businesses, limited gatherings, and restricted outdoors seating capacities (negative) as well as curfews (positive) were the only NPIs with a significant effect. Regional mobility restrictions and limited indoors seating capacity showed no effect. Our results were consistent with a 1- to 3-week-delayed Rt as a response variable. Conclusion: While response measures implemented during the second COVID-19 wave contributed substantially to a decreased reproduction number, the effectiveness of measures varied considerably. Our findings should be considered for future interventions, as social and economic consequences could be minimised by considering only measures proven effective.This research was financed by Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) under the project COV20–00881.S

Bibliographic Data Extractor FLR

Trabajo de Fin de Grado en Ingeniería del Software, Facultad de Informática UCM, Departamento de Sistemas Informáticos y Computación, Curso 2020/2021Este proyecto consiste en el desarrollo de una aplicación web donde los usuarios sean capaces de obtener de forma ordenada y sin redundancia los datos de investigadores de numerosos sitios institucionales, recursos académicos y documentos de investigación. Estos datos se extraen mediante un procedimiento consistente en scraping, y se devuelve dicha información en un formato JSON, accesible a través de una interfaz web, para su posterior uso. Se puede acceder a la aplicación web y a todos los recursos del proyecto mediante los siguientes recursos: La URL de la aplicación desplegada: https://client-tfg.vercel.app En este repositorio se encuentra la aplicación de la parte del servidor: https://github.com/rmartin177/server-tfg En este repositorio se encuentra la aplicación de la parte del cliente: https://github.com/rmartin177/client-tfgThis project consists on the development of a web application where users are able to obtain researcher data from numerous institutional sites, academic resources and research documents in an orderly and redundancy-free way. This data is extracted through a scraping procedure, and the information is returned in a JSON format, accessible through a web interface, for further use. The web application and all project resources can be accessed through the following resources: The URL of the deployed application: https://client-tfg.vercel.app/ In this repository the server-side application can be found: https://github.com/rmartin177/server-tfg This repository contains the client-side application: https://github.com/rmartin177/client-tfgDepto. de Sistemas Informáticos y ComputaciónFac. de InformáticaTRUEunpu

LA CAPACITACIÓN DE LOS CUADROS EN LA UNIDAD DE ADMINISTRACIÓN COMERCIAL DEL MININT EN SANCTI SPIRITUS

La capacitación de los cuadros en la Unidad Administración Comercial del Ministerio del Interior (Minint) Sancti Spiritus está orientada a los Lineamientos de la Política Económica y Social del Partido y la Revolución y a los Objetivos de su Primera Conferencia Nacional. La capacitación es diagnosticada a través de diversas herramientas como el Diagrama de Ishikawa y la identificación de las fortalezas, debilidades, amenazas y oportunidades con un enfoque crítico para contribuir a su perfeccionamiento. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue proponer acciones para mejorar la capacitación de los cuadros, al diagnosticar el estado de la gestión de ese proceso y diseñar acciones para lograr un impacto favorable en la organización. Un resultado importante fue la identificación de las cinco debilidades fundamentales que afectan la capacitación, las causas que las propician y la propuesta de solución, el análisis de los indicadores de eficacia y eficiencia y el costo económico de su implementación