Telosentis exiguus (von Linstow, 1901) (Palaeacanthocephala: Illiosentidae), a generalist parasite of fishes in the Mediterranean basin

The morphology of material of the acanthocephalan genus Telosentis van Cleave, 1923 from different parts of the Mediterranean basin is examined in order to assess the validity of T. molini van Cleave, 1923. A redescription of T. exiguus, a generalist species of fishes in the Mediterranean basin, is presented especially in relation to the number of proboscis hooks. The main characteristic of T. exiguus is a cylindrical or club-shaped proboscis, which is covered with 12 longitudinal rows of 14–19 hooks in males and 16–20 in females. Males and females differ in both body size and the number of proboscis hooks. T. molini is considered a junior synonym of T. exiguus. A key to the species of Telosentis is presented

Wind turbine electric generation simulation and optimizations

The main purpose of this report is to explain how a wind turbine works. The objetives of it are: make a simulation with ANSYS of a flow through a wind turbine; the simulation have to be with ice on the blades and without ice; and to analize of the results of the simulation.Ingeniería Técnica IndustrialIndustria Ingeniaritza Tekniko

W-Transformers : A Wavelet-based Transformer Framework for Univariate Time Series Forecasting

Deep learning utilizing transformers has recently achieved a lot of success in many vital areas such as natural language processing, computer vision, anomaly detection, and recommendation systems, among many others. Among several merits of transformers, the ability to capture long-range temporal dependencies and interactions is desirable for time series forecasting, leading to its progress in various time series applications. In this paper, we build a transformer model for non-stationary time series. The problem is challenging yet crucially important. We present a novel framework for univariate time series representation learning based on the wavelet-based transformer encoder architecture and call it W-Transformer. The proposed W-Transformers utilize a maximal overlap discrete wavelet transformation (MODWT) to the time series data and build local transformers on the decomposed datasets to vividly capture the nonstationarity and long-range nonlinear dependencies in the time series. Evaluating our framework on several publicly available benchmark time series datasets from various domains and with diverse characteristics, we demonstrate that it performs, on average, significantly better than the baseline forecasters for short-term and long-term forecasting, even for datasets that consist of only a few hundred training samples

Examining the Effects of Noise and Task Dependent Performance in Prosody Perception in Autistic Individuals

ABSTRACT Objective: It is known that autistic individuals have enhanced abilities in pitch discrimination and tend to excel in low-level tasks requiring lower cognitive processing. On the other hand, noise is a distracting factor in many areas of life, including prosody perception. The studies presented in this thesis aimed to understand prosody perception through different levels of cognitive tasks and under the influence of speech background noise. Methods: In total, 256 non-autistic and 39 high-functioning autistic adults participated in these studies. In the first study, participants were asked to listen to brief utterances conveying one of six universally accepted emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprise, disgust, fear) and match it to a corresponding facial expression at three levels of auditory babble background noise conditions; 0 dB, -3 dB and -6 dB. In the second study, participants were asked to complete a pitch discrimination task between 180-200 Hz. In addition, they were asked to listen to five basic emotional utterances (happy, sad, angry, surprise, neutral) and determine the direction of the utterance, as well as the emotion conveyed in these statements to examine the effects of task-dependent performance. Results: ANOVA results indicated that both autistic and non-autistic participants had similar performance in emotional recognition under all three noise conditions. In addition, a mixed ANOVA revealed no group differences in pitch discrimination, sentence direction identification and emotion recognition tasks. However, a significant effect of emotion was observed. It was found that some emotions are recognized more easily compared to other emotions in both autistic and non-autistic groups. In addition, ANOVA results showed that individuals who had music training performed better at pitch discrimination and emotion perception tasks but not in sentence direction tasks which asked participants to identify the direction of each utterance. Conclusion: These findings suggest that high-functioning autistic adults may have intact prosody perception abilities yielding them to perform as well as non-autistic adults even under noise conditions. Some emotions are perceived more easily compared to others regardless of diagnosis. Music training may allow adults to discriminate the pitch of sweep tones and perceive emotions more correctly compared to those without music training

Factores condicionantes de la evolución estructural de suelos limosos bajo siembra directa. Efecto sobre el balance de agua

Tesis para obtener el grado de Doctor Área Ciencias Agropecuarias, presentada en la Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires en marzo de 2012La evolución estructural de los suelos y su relación con la dinámica del agua son aspectos clave en la sustentabilidad de los agro-ecosistemas. La siembra directa (SD) combinada con la simplificación de secuencias de cultivos, generan la necesidad de estudiar nuevos aspectos de la degradación física de suelos cultivados. El objetivo de esta tesis fue identificar factores condicionantes de la evolución estructural de suelos limosos bajo SD y analizar las consecuencias de la presencia de estructura laminar y otras estructuras asociadas sobre el balance de agua. Se aplicó el método del perfil cultural en distintos sitios de la Pampa Húmeda norte y se realizaron ensayos de campo (tránsito, cobertura, secuencias) y laboratorio (humedecimiento-secado, intervalo hídrico óptimo) para modelar la evolución de la estructura laminar, identificar sus factores formadores y cuantificar su efecto sobre el funcionamiento hídrico. El desarrollo de estructura laminar está generalizado en la Pampa Húmeda norte. Su proporción en el perfil está asociada con el número de años bajo SD. El tránsito agrícola y la cobertura superficial no afectaron su evolución. La estructura laminar se forma por fisuración por humedecimiento-secado de una estructura masiva subyacente. La distribución de macroporos de esta estructura y su estabilidad, afectan la microfisuración y la formación de agregados elongados. Las raíces contribuyen con el crecimiento lateral y la exploración de la capa superficial del suelo por impedimento en su profundización cuando la densidad aparente es crítica (>1,44 Mg m-3). La estructura laminar altera el patrón de drenaje y aumenta el escurrimiento superficial en función de su proporción en el perfil del horizonte A. La secuencia de cultivos implementada bajo SD condiciona su formación y en consecuencia el funcionamiento hídrico del suelo. Las ecuaciones generadas permitirán identificar secuencias de cultivos que mejoren la captación de agua para aumentar rendimientos y minimizar riesgos ambientales.The structural evolution of soils and its relation to the dynamics of water are key issues in the sustainability of agro-ecosystems. No tillage (NT), together with the simplification of crop sequences, has generated the need to explore new aspects of the physical degradation of cultivated soils. The aim of this thesis was to identify determinants of the structural evolution of silty soils under NT and analyze the consequences of the presence of platy structure and other associated structures on the water balance. To this end, we applied the method of the cultural profile in different sites of the northern Humid Pampas and conducted experiments both in the field (machinery transit, coverage, crop sequences) and the laboratory (wetting-drying, least limited water range) to model the evolution of platy structure, identify its forming factors, and quantify their effect on the water functioning. The development of platy structure is widespread in the northern Humid Pampas. Its proportion in the topsoil profile is associated with the number of years under NT. Neither the machinery transit nor the surface coverage affected its evolution. The platy structure is formed by wettingdrying cracking of the massive structure underneath. The distribution of macropores of this structure and its stability affect the micro-cracking and the formation of elongated aggregates. The roots contribute with their lateral growth and the exploration of the topsoil since they cannot go further deep when the bulk density is critical (>1.44 Mg m- 3). The platy structure alters the drainage pattern and increases the surface runoff according to its proportion in the profile of A horizon. The crop sequence implemented under NT affects its formation and, consequently, the soil water dynamics. The equations generated will allow identifying the crop sequences that allow improving the uptake of water to increase yields and minimize environmental risks.EEA ParanáFil: Sasal, Maria Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentin

Propuesta de nuevas plantaciones de arbolado en el Ayuntamiento de Calafell (Tarragona)

There is realized the updated of the local inventory and the study of the present woodland in the municipality of Calafell, especially in the present trees in the public road. From here, are realized proposals and improvements focused to improving the general aspects of the streets. To carry out these targets, there has been realized an update of the inventory facilitated on the part of Departament de Medi Ambient de Calafell to regist the whole woodland and shrub present today. As soon as all these elements were registered, have been realized different evaluations and criteria to group the trees according to his phytosanitary state and according to those possible incidences that they are able to cause according to his state of formation and development in the current moment. From the updated information of the inventory, three particular targets have been carried out; the proposal of new species; the proposal of replacement of trees in bad phytosanitary state or incorrect development; and the proposal of news sections of streets trying to make use to the maximum possibly of the conditions of those who get ready. There have been proposed new species that might be adapted for the climatic conditions of the municipality and that they can promote landscape and environmentally the environment where they can be restored. In addition, have been proposed strategies, both of plantation and maintenance, in order to assure that all these new plantations and those that should be decided to preserve, could have a correct development.Es realitza una posada al dia del inventari local i l'estudi de l'arbrat present en el municipi de Calafell, sobretot en els arbres presents en la via publica. A partir d'aquí es realitzen propostes i millores enfocades a millorar l'aspecte general dels carrers. Per dur a terme aquests objectius, s'ha realitzat l'actualització del inventari facilitat per part del Departament de Medi Ambient de Calafell per registrar tot l'arbrat i arbust present en l'actualitat. Una vegada registrats tots aquests elements, s'han realitzat diferents valoracions i criteris per agrupar els arbres segons el seu estat fitosanitari i segons aquelles possibles incidències que s'estiguin ocasionant en funció del seu estat de formació i desenvolupament en el moment actual. A partir de les dades actualitzades del inventari, s'han dut a terme tres objectius particulars, la proposta de noves plantacions a instaurar en aquells escocells buits y carrers absentes dels mateixos; la proposta de substitució d'arbres en mal estat fitosanitari o malformats; i la proposta de noves seccions de carrers intentant aprofitar el màxim possible les condicions de les que es disposa. S'han proposat noves especies que podrien ser adequades per les condicions climàtiques del municipi i que poden potenciar paisatgística i ambientalment l'entorn on poden ser instaurats. A més, s'han proposat estratègies, tant de plantació com de manteniment, amb la finalitat de poder assegurar que totes les noves plantacions i aquelles que es decideixi conservar puguin tenir un correcte desenvolupament.Se realiza la puesta al día del inventario local y el estudio del arbolado presente en el municipio de Calafell, sobre todo en los árboles presentes en la vía pública. A partir de aquí se realizan propuestas y mejoras enfocadas a mejorar el aspecto general de las calles. Para llevar a cabo estos objetivos, se ha realizado una actualización del inventario facilitado por parte del Departament de Medi Ambient de Calafell para registrar todo el arbolado y arbusto presente en la actualidad. Una vez registrados todos estos elementos, se han realizado diferentes valoraciones y criterios para agrupar los árboles según su estado fitosanitario y según aquellas posibles incidencias que estén pudiéndose ocasionar en función de su estado de formación y desarrollo en el momento actual. A partir de los datos actualizados del inventario, se han llevado a cabo tres objetivos particulares; la propuesta de nuevas especies a instaurar en aquellos alcorques vacíos y calles ausentes de los mismos; la propuesta de sustitución de árboles en mal estado tanto fitosanitariamente como malformados; y la propuesta de nuevas sección de calles intentando aprovechar al máximo posible las condiciones de las que se disponen. Se han propuesto nuevas especies que podrían ser adecuadas para las condiciones climáticas del municipio y que pueden potenciar paisajística y ambientalmente el entorno donde pueden ser instaurados. Además de esto, se han propuesto estrategias, tanto de plantación como de mantenimiento, a fin de asegurar que todas estas nuevas plantaciones y aquellas que se decida conservar puedan tener un correcto desarrollo