How well do CMIP5 Earth System Models simulate present climate conditions in Europe and Africa?

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of seven Earth System Models (ESMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 in present climate conditions from a downscaling perspective, taking into account the requirements of both statistical and dynamical approaches. ECMWF's ERA-Interim reanalysis is used as reference for an evaluation of circulation, temperature and humidity variables on daily timescale, which is based on distributional similarity scores. To additionally obtain an estimate of reanalysis uncertainty, ERA-Interim's deviation from the Japanese Meteorological Agency JRA-25 reanalysis is calculated. Areas with considerable differences between both reanalyses do not allow for a proper assessment, since ESM performance is sensitive to the choice of reanalysis. For use in statistical downscaling studies, ESM performance is computed on the grid-box scale and mapped over a large spatial domain covering Europe and Africa, additionally highlighting those regions where significant distributional differences remain even for the centered/zero-mean time series. For use in dynamical downscaling studies, performance is specifically assessed along the lateral boundaries of the three CORDEX domains defined for Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and Africa.S.B. would like to thank the CSIC JAE-PREDOC programme for financial support. J.F. and J.M.G. acknowledge financial support from the Spanish R&D&I programme through grants CGL2010-22158-C02 (CORWES project) and CGL2010-21869 (EXTREMBLES project) and from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 243888 (FUME Project).Peer Reviewe

El papel morfogenético dominante de la escorrentía superficial en Licus Vallis, Marte: Resultados del análisis geomorfológico y morfométrico

Se ha analizado la cuenca de Licus Vallis, un antiguo cauce situado en la región ecuatorial de Marte, con la finalidad de evaluar el papel morfogenético que tuvo el agua superficial en su desarrollo. El análisis geomorfológico llevado a cabo en un entorno SIG ha permitido identificar numerosas morfologías fluviales relictas como canales, terrazas simétricas y un delta. Licus Vallis presenta una cuenca con rasgos propios de un relieve joven, con un perfil en desequilibrio, canales de cuarto orden, valles en V, una densidad de drenaje muy baja, y un patrón dendrítico. La erosión generada por la escorrentía superficial parece ser el proceso dominante en la formación de Licus Vallis. Sin embargo, la presencia de valles con cabecera semicircular parece indicar que la erosión asociada a surgencias pudo contribuir a la expansión por erosión remontante de los valles. Además, el hallazgo, por primera vez en este trabajo, de un posible delta de tipo Gilberten la desembocadura del sistema fluvial permitió definir el nivel de base de la cuenca y plantear la posible existencia de un antiguo mar en la región. A watershed analysis was performed to assess the morphogenetic role of surface water on the development of Licus Vallis, an ancient river valley located in the equatorial region of Mars. Terrain analysis in a GIS environment allowed the identification of numerous relict fluvial features such as channels, paired terraces and a delta. Licus Vallis has the characteristics of a young watershed with a non-equilibrium profile, fourth-order streams, V-shaped valleys, very low drainage density, and a dendritic drainage pattern. Erosion related to surface runoff appears to be the dominant process involved in the formation of Licus Vallis. Nevertheless, the presence of theatre-like valley heads seems to indicate that sapping erosion associated with springs may have played some role in the headward expansion of valleys. Moreover, the finding, for the first time in this work, of a possible Gilbert-type delta at the mouth of the fluvial system permitted to define the paleobase level of the drainage basin and suggests the existence of an ancient sea in the region

Alkaline cement mortars. Chemical resistance to sulfate and seawater attack

The durability and chemical resistance of alkali activated slag and fly ash/slag mortars in contact with sulfates and seawater media have been studied. Two methods were used in the evaluation of such durability: Kock-Steinegger and ASTM CI012. A mineralogical and a microstructural characterization of mortars were done at different ages of their conservation in aggressive media through XRD, SEM/EDX and mercury porosimetry. Results showed a high durability of activated cement mortars in sulfates and seawater media. NaOH activated mortars are the most sensitive to environment attack with formation of expansive products as gypsum and ettringite, although in very low proportion.Se ha estudiado la estabilidad química en medios sulfáticos y de agua de mar de morteros de escorias activadas alcalinamente y morteros de mezclas de escoria y cenizas volantes activadas alcalinamente. Se han empleado dos métodos para evaluar dicha estabilidad: Kock-Steinegger y la norma ASTM CIO 12. Se ha realizado una caracterización mineralógica y micro estructural de los morteros (a diferentes edades de permanencia en los medios agresivos) a través de DRX, SEM/EDXy porosimetría de mercurio. Los resultados obtenidos han demostrado la elevada durabilidad de todos los morteros de cementos activados estudiados frente a la agresividad de los sulfatos y del agua de mar Los morteros de escoria activada con NaOH son los más susceptibles al ataque por esos medios, conformación de productos expansivos como el yeso y la etringita, aunque en proporciones muy bajas.Consejo Superior de investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC)Peer reviewe

Pseudotumor de pisiforme: a propósito de 1 caso

Se presenta 1 caso de pseudotumor del pisiforme con dolor crónico en eminencia hipotenar y compresión del nervio cubital en un varón de 33 años. El diagnóstico histológico definitivo fue de callo hipertrófico con degeneración cartilaginosa focal del hueso pisiforme. Se presupone el origen laboral de la lesión, secundaria a microtraumatismos repetidos por martillo neumático. Se practicó exéresis simple del hueso, con un resultado excelente a los 6 meses. Los autores piensan que el tratamiento de elección hubiera sido la inmovilización precoz al comienzo de la sintomatología.A case of pseudotumor of the pisiform vvith cronic pain in the hipothenar eminence and compression neuropathy of the ulnar nerve in Guyon's canal in a 33 year old man is reported. Pathologic diagnosis was consistent vvith hypertrophic fracture callus and focal degenerative changes in the articular surface of the pisiform. Repetitive minor trauma in his job as a miner, while using pneumatic hammer is presumed to be the main etiologic factor. Simple excision of the pisiform was performed vvith excelent functional result at 6 months. The authors believe that early inmobilization when the symptoms started, vvould have been the ideal treatmen

Deposition rate controls nucleation and growth during amorphous/nanocrystalline competition in sputtered Zr-Cr thin films

Dual-phase Zr-based thin films synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering and showing competitive growth between amorphous and crystalline phases have been reported recently. In such films, the amorphous phase grows as columns, while the crystalline phase grows as separated cone-shaped crystalline regions made of smaller crystallites. In this paper, we investigate this phenomenon and propose a model for the development of the crystalline regions during thin film growth. We evidence using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), that this competitive selfseparation also exists in co-sputtered Zr-Cr thin films with Cr contents of ~84-86 at.%, corresponding to the transition between the amorphous and crystalline compositions, and in the Zr-V system. Then, to assess the sturdiness of this phenomenon, its existence and geometrical characteristics are evaluated when varying the film composition and the deposition rate. The variation of geometrical features, such as the crystalline cone angle, the size and density of crystallites, is discussed. Is it shown that a variation in the deposition rate changes the nucleation and growth kinetics of the crystallites. The surface coverage by the crystalline phase at a given thickness is also calculated for each deposition rate. Moreover, comparison is made between Zr-Cr, Zr-V, Zr-Mo and Zr-W dual-phase thin films to compare their nucleation and growth kinetics

Técnica de Imhäuser en el pie zambo : resultados a medio y largo plazo

Se revisan un total de 60 pies con equinovaro congénito pertenecientes a 48 pacientes, todos con un seguimiento superior a 5 años. En todos los casos se realizó un tratamiento combinado: ortopédico (manipulaciones y enyesados desde el nacimiento) y quirúrgico (correcciones según el método de Imhäuser modificado). Se valoró morfológica, funcional y radiográficamente cada caso. En la valoración global sólo 1 caso fue considerado malo, 13 regulares (21,6%), 6 por pies planos valgos, 3 por pronato de antepié y 4 por adducto de antepié, y 12 buenos (20%), aunque presentaban alguna alteración morfológica o funcional mínima, y 34 excelentes (56,6%). Se concluye que: 1) la técnica de Imhäuser ofrece en este trabajo el 77% de excelentes y buenos resultados; 2) el 2.° y 3.cr se pueden resumir en uno solo, el hemitrasplante del tibial anterior, y 3) los resultados clínicos, morfológicos y funcionales son superiores a los radiográficos.—We cheked 42 patients with club-feet (60 feet), all of them with follow-up over 5 years. All the patients received a mixed treatment: orthopaedic (manipulation and plastering) and surgical (Imhäuser technique modified). We evaluated morphological, functional and radiographic parameters. In the overall evaluation only one of the cases was considered bad result; 13 (21.6%) fair results, 6 with valgus flat feet, 3 with pronatus forefoot and 4 with adductus forefoot; 12 (20%) good results, with a minimal morphologic or functional alterations; 34 (56.6%) were excellents results. Conclutions: 1) Imhäuser technic had 77% of good or excellent results in this work; 2) the second and third Imhäuser surgical times can be summarized in only one: the external hemitrasplant of the tibial anterior tendon, and 3) clinics, morphologics and functional results are better than radiographics results

Downscaling ECMWF seasonal precipitation forecasts in Europe using the RCA model

6 páginas, 4 figuras.--Licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No comercial 3.0The operational performance and usefulness of regional climate models at seasonal time scales are assessed by downscaling an ensemble of global seasonal forecasts. The Rossby Centre RCA regional model was applied to downscale a five-member ensemble from the ECMWF System3 global model in the European Atlantic domain for the period 1981–2001. One month lead time global and regional precipitation predictions were compared over Europe—and particularly over Spain—focusing the study in SON (autumn) dry events. A robust tercile-based probabilistic validation approach was applied to compare the forecasts from global and regional models, obtaining significant skill in both cases, but over a wider area for the later. Finally, we also analyse the performance of a mixed ensemble combining both forecasts.This work was partly supported by projects ENSEMBLES from the 6th FP EU(GOCE-CT-2003-505539), EXTREMBLES (CGL2010-21869) and CORWES (CGL2010-22158-C02) from the Spanish Ministry MICINN (Plan Nacional de I+D+i) and by ESCENA (200800050084265) from the Spanish Ministry MARM.Peer reviewe

Observation of isotropic-dipolar to isotropic-Heisenberg crossover in Co-and Ni-substituted manganites

High-precision ac susceptibility data have been taken on the La0.7Pb0.3Mn1?y (Co, Ni)yO3 (y = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) manganite system over a wide range of amplitudes and frequencies of the ac driving field in a temperature range that embraces the critical region near the ferromagnetic (FM)?paramagnetic (PM) phase transition (occurring at the Curie point TC). Elaborate data analysis was performed that (i) enabled the first observation of a crossover from a three-dimensional (3D; d = 3) isotropic long-range dipolar asymptotic critical behavior to a d = 3 isotropic short-range Heisenberg critical regime as the temperature is raised from TC in the compositions y 6= 0 (no such crossover is observed in the parent compound, y = 0) and (ii) brought out clearly the importance of dipole?dipole interactions between the eg electron spins and/or between eg?t2g electron spins in establishing long-range FM order in the insulating state. The final charge and spin states of Co and Ni ions, substituting for the Mn3+ and/or Mn4+ ions, are arrived at by using a scenario of substitution that is consistent not only with the present results but also with the previously published structural, thermo-gravimetric, bulk magnetization, dc magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity data on the same system. The marked similarity seen between the magnetic behavior of the manganite system in question and the quenched random-exchange ferromagnets, within and outside the critical region, suggests that the percolation model forms an adequate description of the FM metal-to-PM insulator transition

Thermal conductivity of Fe graphitized wood derived carbon

Graphitic porous carbon materials from pyrolysis of wood precursors were obtained by means of a nanosized Fe catalyst, and their microstructure and electrical and thermal transport properties investigated. Thermal and electrical conductivity of graphitized carbon materials increase with the pyrolysis temperature, indicating a relationship between the degree of graphitization and thus in crystallite size with transport properties in the resulting carbon scaffolds. Evaluation of the experimental results indicate that thermal conductivity is mainly through phonons and increases with the temperature in Fe-catalyzed carbons suggesting that the mean free path of phonons in the material is small and defect scattering dominates over phonon-phonon interactions in the range from room temperature to 800 °C.Junta de Andalucía PE2012-TEP862Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MAT2013-41233-

Modelling stand biomass fractions in Galician Eucalyptus globulus plantations by use of different LiDAR pulse densities

Aims of study: To evaluate the potential use of canopy height and intensity distributions, determined by airborne LiDAR, for the estimation of crown, stem and aboveground biomass fractions. To assess the effects of a reduction in LiDAR pulse densities on model precision. Area of study: The study area is located in Galicia, NW Spain. The forests are representative of Eucalyptus globulus stands in NW Spain, characterized by low-intensity silvicultural treatments and by the presence of tall shrub. Material and methods: Linear, multiplicative power and exponential models were used to establish empirical relationships between field measurements and LiDAR metrics. A random selection of LiDAR returns and a comparison of the prediction errors by LiDAR pulse density factor were performed to study a possible loss of fit in these models. Main results: Models showed similar goodness-of-fit statistics to those reported in the international literature. R2 ranged from 0.52 to 0.75 for stand crown biomass, from 0.64 to 0.87 for stand stem biomass, and from 0.63 to 0.86 for stand aboveground biomass. The RMSE/MEAN · 100 of the set of fitted models ranged from 17.4% to 28.4%. Models precision was essentially maintained when 87.5% of the original point cloud was reduced, i.e. a reduction from 4 pulses m–2 to 0.5 pulses m–2. Research highlights: Considering the results of this study, the low-density LiDAR data that are released by the Spanish National Geographic Institute will be an excellent source of information for reducing the cost of forest inventories