Ozone in Spain's National Parks and Protected Forests

In general, it is difficult to measure air pollutant concentrations in remote areas, as they are mostly national parks and protected areas. Passive samplers provide an accurate and inexpensive method for measuring cumulative exposures of different air pollutants. They have been used to collect ozone data in both laboratory and field at different geographical scales. The objective of the present study is to fill the knowledge gap regarding air quality in remote areas of Spain, such as national parks and protected areas. Because there were no systematic data sets on the main air pollutants that could affect these areas, an air quality measurement network was established between 2001 and 2004 on 19 locations inside Spanish national parks and protected areas. The data collected suggest that ozone levels in mountainous areas are high enough to affect sensitive vegetation. Most of the locations registered moderate-to-high ozone levels, with important interannual variability. Altitudinal ozone gradients were observed in most of the parks with complex topography due to the establishment of local circulations that incorporate polluted air masses from polluted airsheds or even long-range transport (i.e., Canary Islands). Different latitude-dependent, yearly cycles were also observed, showing two, one, or no clear peaks depending on the region. These findings extend to the most southerly locations, except in the Canary Islands, where pollution transported from other regions in the upper transport layers probably led to the high concentrations observed

Leaf traits and photosynthetic responses of Betula pendula saplings to a range of ground-level ozone concentrations at a range of nitrogen loads

Ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition rates have increased strongly since the 1950s. Rising ground-level O3concentrations and atmospheric N deposition both affect plant physiology and growth, however, impacts have often been studied in isolation rather than in combination. In addition, studies are often limited to a control treatment and one or two elevated levels of ozone and/or nitrogen supply. In the current study, three-year old Betula pendula saplings were exposed to seven different O3profiles (24 h mean O3concentration of 36–68 ppb in 2013, with peaks up to an average of 105 ppb) in precision-controlled hemispherical glasshouses (solardomes) and four different N loads (10, 30, 50 or 70 kg N ha−1y−1) in 2012 and 2013. Here we report on the effects of enhanced O3con-centrations and N load on leaf traits and gas exchange in leaves of varying age and developmental stage in 2013. The response of leaf traits to O3(but not N) vary with leaf developmental stage. For example, elevated O3 did not affect the chlorophyll content of the youngest fully expanded leaf, but it reduced the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic parameters in aging leaves, relatively more so later than earlier in the growing season. Elevated O3 enhanced the N content of senesced leaves prior to leaf fall, potentially affecting subsequent N cycling in the soil. Enhanced N generally stimulated the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic capacity. Whilst elevated O3reduced the light-saturated rate of photosynthesis (Asat) in aging leaves, it did not affect stomatal conductance (gs). This suggests that photosynthesis and gs are not closely coupled at elevated O3 under-light saturating conditions. We did not observe any interactions between O3 and N regarding photosynthetic parameters (Vc,max, Jmax, Asat), chlorophyll content, gs, N content in senesced leaves and leaf number. Hence, the sensitivity of these leaf traits to O3in young silver birch trees is neither reduced nor enhanced by N load

Micelles of Progesterone for Topical Eye Administration: Interspecies and Intertissues Differences in Ex Vivo Ocular Permeability

Progesterone (PG) may provide protection to the retina during retinitis pigmentosa, but its topical ocular supply is hampered by PG poor aqueous solubility and low ocular bioavailability. The development of efficient topical ocular forms must face up to two relevant challenges: Protective barriers of the eyes and lack of validated ex vivo tests to predict drug permeability. The aims of this study were: (i) To design micelles using Pluronic F68 and Soluplus copolymers to overcome PG solubility and permeability; and (ii) to compare drug diffusion through the cornea and sclera of three animal species (rabbit, porcine, and bovine) to investigate interspecies differences. Micelles of Pluronic F68 (3–4 nm) and Soluplus (52–59 nm) increased PG solubility by one and two orders of magnitude, respectively and exhibited nearly a 100% encapsulation efficiency. Soluplus systems showed in situ gelling capability in contrast to the low viscosity Pluronic F68 micelles. The formulations successfully passed the hen’s egg-chorioallantoic membrane test (HET-CAM) test. PG penetration through rabbit cornea and sclera was faster than through porcine or bovine cornea, although the differences were also formulation-dependent. Porcine tissues showed intermediate permeability between rabbit and bovine. Soluplus micelles allowed greater PG accumulation in cornea and sclera whereas Pluronic F68 promoted a faster penetration of lower PG dosesThis research was funded by MINECO [SAF2017-83118-R] (Spain), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI, Spain), Xunta de Galicia [AEMAT ED431E 2018/08], and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). Predoctoral grants CEU Cardenal Herrera University FPI CEU-UCH, mobility grant CEINDO international doctoral school, CEU-Cardenal Herrera University [INDI 19/28]S

Effects of elevated ozone on physiological, anatomical and ultrastructural characteristics of four common urban tree species in China

Fast urbanization has led to ozone (O3) being the main pollutant in summer in most of China. To assess future ground-level O3 effects on the service of urban greening species and clarify the underlying mechanism of O3 damage, four common urban greening species, Ailanthus altissima (AA), Fraxinus chinensis(FC), Platanus orientalis (PO) and Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) were exposed to non-filtered air (NF) and to elevated O3 (E-O3) in open-top chambers. E-O3 induced visible injury in all species as well as microscopic alterations such as collapse of the palisade parenchyma cells, callose accumulation, or chloroplast and mitochondrial accelerated senescence. E-O3 significantly reduced light-saturated CO2 assimilation (Asat),the maximum activity of Rubisco (Vcmax), the maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), and fluorescence parameters such as the quantum yield of noncyclic electron transport (�PSII), and the quenching of photochemical efficiency of PSII (qP). It also increased total antioxidant capacity, phenolics and ascorbate contents. No significant interaction between O3and species was found in photosynthetic performance and antioxidant systems, suggesting that the four species selected were sensitive to O3. Of all four species,AA was the most sensitive species due to a combination of earlier injury onset, anatomical features, lower antioxidant responses and higher stomatal conductance. The sensitivity of tree species to O3 is a factor to be considered for urban greening. Ozone may affect important urban forest ecosystem services by reducing CO2 assimilationThis study has been funded by the Hundred Talents Program, Chinese Academy of Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology. Collaboration between RCEES and Fundacion CEAM has been possible thanks to project AMIS (Fate and Impact of Atmospheric Pollutants, PIRSES-GA-2011-295132), and by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists (grant number: 2013T2Z0009). VC also acknowledges the support of PROMETEOII/2014/038 project (Generalitat Valenciana, G.V.), and FGB and JRA that of PROMETEOII2013/021 (G.V.), and CGL2012-40058-C02-01/02 (MINECO). We thank Mr. Yulong Zhang for the experimental management.Gao, F.; Calatayud Lorente, V.; García-Breijo, F.; Reig Armiñana, J.; Feng, Z. (2016). Effects of elevated ozone on physiological, anatomical and ultrastructural characteristics of four common urban tree species in China. Ecological Indicators. 67:367-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.03.012S3673796

Ozone affects plant, insect, and soil microbial communities: a threat to terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity

Elevated tropospheric ozone concentrations induce adverse effects in plants. We reviewed how ozone affects (i) the composition and diversity of plant communities by affecting key physiological traits; (ii) foliar chemistry and the emission of volatiles, thereby affecting plant-plant competition, plant-insect interactions, and the composition of insect communities; and (iii) plant-soil-microbe interactions and the composition of soil communities by disrupting plant litterfall and altering root exudation, soil enzymatic activities, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. The community composition of soil microbes is consequently changed, and alpha diversity is often reduced. The effects depend on the environment and vary across space and time. We suggest that Atlantic islands in the Northern Hemisphere, the Mediterranean Basin, equatorial Africa, Ethiopia, the Indian coastline, the Himalayan region, southern Asia, and Japan have high endemic richness at high ozone risk by 2100

Innovación docente para la mejora de competencias en los estudiantes de Psicología de la Instrucción

Este proyecto tiene como objetivo diseñar diferentes actividades y materiales de trabajo para potenciar las competencias propias de la asignatura de Psicología de la Instrucción. Los participantes fueron nueve docentes que pertenecen al Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y Didáctica de la Universidad de Alicante. Para realizar la investigación se eligió una metodología de trabajo dinámica, participativa y colaborativa, contando con distintas herramientas de comunicación on-line como la Dropbox, el campus virtual y el correo electrónico, así como la participación en dos reuniones presenciales. Finalmente, el equipo diseñó 19 prácticas y siete casos prácticos, estructurados en los apartados de introducción y justificación de la práctica, objetivos, procedimiento, metodología y bibliografía. Se señalan las dificultades encontradas durante la realización de la investigación, las propuestas de mejora, así como, la proyección futura del equipo de trabajo y la difusión de los resultados de la red

The fingerprint of tropospheric ozone on broadleaved forest vegetation in Europe

Tropospheric ozone (O3) increased globally in the 20th century, contributes to climate change and can have adverse effects on terrestrial ecosystems. The response of forest vegetation to ozone is modulated by species- and site-specific factors and visible foliar symptoms (VFS) are the only direct evidence of ozone effects on vegetation. VFS have been observed and reproduced under (semi-) controlled conditions and their field assessment has been largely harmonized in Europe. We analyzed ozone concentration and VFS data as measured at (respectively) 118 and 91 intensive monitoring sites of the International Co-Operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) spanning over five European biogeographic regions from 2005 to 2018. Average values for VFS were calculated accounting for the number of species present and their observed frequency. Spatial and temporal variation of ozone concentrations, VFS, and their relationships across Europe were then investigated by applying Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) and combined GLMMs. Ozone concentrations exceeded 40 ppb on 37.3 % of the sites and were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Alpine and the Mediterranean regions. Over the 2005–2018 period there was a substantial stagnation of ozone concentrations with a tendency towards decreasing values in the Alpine-Boreal sites and increasing values in the Atlantic sites. Ozone left a “fingerprint” in terms of VFS on 38 % of the observed broadleaved woody species across Europe, with no significant difference among biogeographic regions. Overall, and again with the exception of an increase at the Atlantic sites, the frequency of VFS remained unchanged or has been slightly declining over the investigated period. We found positive relationship between ozone concentrations and VFS across Europe (p < 0.05), while their temporal trends (both insignificant) were not related. The species with the highest frequency of VFS were those classified as sensitive species under controlled/semi-controlled experimental conditions. Frequency of VFS tends to be modulated by vegetation traits such as specific leaf area and leaf thickness (p < 0.10). Our results showed that, although ozone levels suggested a North-to-South gradient of increasing potential risk to vegetation with hot spots in the Alps and in the Mediterranean, VFS observed on the actual species assemblage at the sites modifies this picture. According to frequency of VFS, ozone risk for vegetation may be higher in parts of the Alpine and Continental Europe than in the Mediterranean regio

Inclusión de los ODS en las asignaturas de la materia Experimentación en Ingeniería Química en el Grado en Ingeniería Química

[ES] En la presente comunicación se presenta la estrategia seguida para dar visibilidad a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) así como poder incluirlos en las asignaturas de la materia “Experimentación en Ingeniería Química” (EIQ) del Grado en Ingeniería Química (GIQ) de la UPV, tanto para el Grado impartido en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial (ETSII) como para el impartido en la Escuela Politécnica Superior de Alcoy (EPSA). Esta materia incluye tres asignaturas experimentales que son continuativas (Experimentación en Ingeniería Química I, II y III). Durante el primer año (curso 22-23), se hará un diagnóstico del estado actual de conocimiento e implicación que tiene el alumnado sobre los ODS a través de encuestas de opinión con la herramienta Google Drive (una encuesta a principio de curso y otra a final de curso). Además, se planteará en cada asignatura una breve sesión formativa de los ODS. Durante el segundo año (curso 23-24), se decidirán qué ODS se van a trabajar en cada asignatura y se plantearán diferentes actividades en cada una de las asignaturas incluidas en la materia Experimentación en Ingeniería Química. De la misma forma, en esta segunda anualidad, se realizarán dos encuestas (una a principio y otra a final de curso) donde se evaluará el grado de aprendizaje, adquisición e implicación del alumnado sobre los ODS.[EN] This article presents the strategy followed to give visibility to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as well as to be able to include them as a part of the content of the matter "Experimentación en Ingeniería Química" of the Degree in Chemical Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), both for the Degree taught at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales (ETSII) and for the one taught at the Escuela Politécnica Superior de Alcoy (EPSA). This matter includes three experimental subjects that are continuing (Experimentación en Ingeniería Química I, Experimentación en Ingeniería Química II and Experimentación en Ingeniería Química III). During the first year (academic year 22-23) a diagnosis will be made of the current state of knowledge and involvement that students have about the SDG through opinion surveys with Google Drive tool (a survey at the beginning and another one at the end of the course). In addition, a brief training session on the SDG will be proposed in each subject. During the second year (academic year 23-24) it will be decided which SDG are going to be worked on and different activities will be proposed in each of the subjects studied. In the same way, in this second year, two surveys will be carried out (one at the beginning and the other one at the end of the course) where the degree of learning, acquisition and involvement of the students on the SDG will be evaluated.Los autores de esta comunicación agradecen a la convocatoria de Proyectos de Innovación y Mejora Educativa de la UPV 2022 y al Proyecto Docente PIME/22-23/348 con título: ''Visibilización e inclusión de los ODS en las asignaturas de la materia Experimentación en Ingeniería Química en el Grado en Ingeniería Química'' a partir del cual se basa esta publicación.Luján Facundo, MJ.; Cuartas Uribe, BE.; García Fayos, B.; Arnal Arnal, JM.; Iborra Clar, A.; Sánchez Arévalo, CM.; Rodríguez López, AD.... (2023). Inclusión de los ODS en las asignaturas de la materia Experimentación en Ingeniería Química en el Grado en Ingeniería Química. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1061-1076. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2023.2023.166571061107

Proyecto de alumbrado público con iluminación LED

Calatayud Vaello, V. (2011). Proyecto de alumbrado público con iluminación LED. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/12731.Archivo delegad

Anàlisi del potencial de posada en valor del territori d'influència de la serra de Mariola. Inventari de recursos i accions potencials

Calatayud Gisbert, EV. (2011). Anàlisi del potencial de posada en valor del territori d'influència de la serra de Mariola. Inventari de recursos i accions potencials. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/13948.Archivo delegad