Pre and post fire carbon dynamics in a Florida Scrub oak

Scrub oak is a xeromorphic shrub ecosystem discontinuously distributed in coastal and inland Florida. It supports a high biodiversity which includes a large number of endangered and threatened species. Its structural features are maintained by a fire return cycle of 7 to 10 years which maintains the biodiversity. Management of fire prone ecosystems such as this raises the question of whether the management strategy contributes to the system being a carbon sink or carbon source over the long-term. We used eddy covariance and biometric approaches to measure carbon dynamics in a Florida scrub oak ecosystem located at Kennedy Space Center in east Central Florida from April 2004 to December 2007. The study site was controlled burned in February 2006. Two years previous to fire, the site experienced average precipitation but drought conditions during the two years after fire. Net ecosystem production (NEP) was 419 g C m-2 yr-1 during the first year of measurements, and the ecosystem incorporated 823 g C m-2 during the 22 months before the fire. Aboveground net primary production (NPP) represented 50% of annual NEP. Carbon released by fire reached 316 g C m-2. Ecosystem respiration (Re) dominated the carbon balance during the first six months after fire, and the ecosystem released an extra 119 g C m-2. However, gross ecosystem production (GEP) increased with leaf area index (LAI) after fire, dominating the carbon balance during the following six months. The ecosystem was a carbon sink of 88 g C m-2 yr-1 during the first year after the fire. Leaf area index (LAI) reached 1.54 m2 m-2 by October 2007 (80% of pre-burn value for the same time period). The scrub oak ecosystem was a continuous carbon sink six months after the fire despite the dominant drought conditions during 2006 – 2007. The ecosystem offset 80% (251 g C m-2) of the carbon released in the fire during the following twenty two months after the fire. Considering the fire return cycle of 7 to 10 years and the fact that the study site and a similar site nearby incorporated more than 400 g C m-2 yr-1 during the two years before fire, this scrub oak is a net carbon sink in the landscape under current management strategies

Revisiting Latin American Media Democratisation Theories and the Populist Factor

This paper deals with the following question: How can Latin American media and communication theories help explain the mediatisation of populism and democracy? The article has a twofold goal: a) it contributes to the study of media, populism and democracy in the context of Latin America; b) it wants to raise awareness outside of Latin America about the richness of Latin American media and communication theory for the analysis of the mediation of populism and democracy. The article introduces and engages with a variety of theories from Latin America that deal with globalisation, dependency, cultural imperialism, hybridity, and mediation and reviews their potentials for explaining the mediatisation of populism and democracy. Theories or models of globalisation, dependency and cultural imperialism, and hybridity and mediation are reviewed analytically, as are some of their core critiques as drawn from various strands of thought, with emphasis on incorporating elements of populism theory. As interest grows in both academia and the media towards the ways populism is shaping the social and political spheres in the West, partly encouraged by the recent surge of populist leaders in Europe and the United States, past and current experiences and evaluation of Latin American populism can be constructive in understanding the phenomenon and its implications for communication, media and culture. This study finds that, following the political shifts in the twenty-first century, Latin American populism represents a paradigm that is articulated to an important degree through communicative specificities and which can add analytical rigor to competing media and communication theories in the region

Chávez’s "Aló Presidente" and its Impact on Venezuela’s Journalistic Practice

As Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chávez utilized the media intensively and innovatively to boost his radical political project. The broadcast talk-show Aló Presidente became the most important component of his communication strategy, followed by his use of blanket broadcast messages. Chávez’s flagship program subverted liberal tenets, and has to this day served as a template in Latin America for populist communication. This study examined the ways Venezuelan journalists and media professionals have understood Chávez’s hyper-mediatic leadership –with special emphasis on Aló Presidente– and the impact the program and the official blanket messages had on their practice. A wide array of journalists, media practitioners, and commentators were interviewed about their views regarding Chávez’s media strategies and Aló Presidente, and tensions arising between different ideals of normative journalistic practice. Opinions among local journalists about the above-mentioned issues, this study found, are divided within a highly-polarized frame. And normative media ideals of liberal trends were challenged by pro-Chávez journalists, while an important faction of media professionals maintained that such practices are non-democratic

Adhibere: “tratamiento interactivo de la resolución de problemas”

El principal objetivo de nuestro trabajo es conseguir una alternativa multimedia al tratamiento, en clase, de la resolución de problemas; una presentación que atraiga la atención del alumnado en clase de matemáticas facilitando así la tarea al profesor, dotándolo de una herramienta adicional para trabajar empíricamente. Este trabajo multimedia de resolución de problemas supone un material novedoso para el aula, que vendrá a formar parte de las herramientas de que dispondrá el profesorado de matemáticas para despertar entre su alumnado el interés y el ánimo por disfrutar con las matemáticas; éste ha sido nuestro objetivo primordial a la hora de idear y más tarde crear este trabajo

Desigualdad social y educación en México : una perspectiva sociológica

El documento describe la distribución de credenciales educativas en el caso mexicano, dado un contexto de una sociedad altamente diferenciada y desigual. Tras plantear el problema de la diversidad sociocultural y de la forma general cómo se lo ha enfrentado desde la política educativa general, y tras reconocer que los estándares educativos necesarios a la participación social son dinámicos, se analiza la distribución educativa de la población adulta y las características educativas de los jefes de hogar, en función de la distribución del ingreso. Se constata que la distribución de la educación en México es un fenómeno muy reciente, creciente, pero altamente desigual y con niveles de concentración de la educación posbásica en los estratos superiores del ingreso. Se describe, asimismo, la participación escolar de los menores en función del decil de ingreso familiar, para constatar que la desigualdad que se registra en la distribución educativa de los adultos se mantiene entre los menores. Se constatan los bajos perfiles de escolaridad de todos los grupos de ingreso, y se plantea la problemática de atender simultáneamente el crecimiento de la educación básica y la del nivel posbásico. El documento concluye que la atención a la desigualdad educativa, siendo parte de la retórica política, no ha sido capaz de formular estrategias conducentes a la disminución de las importantes distancias en la educación de los distintos segmentos sociales del país, planteando la importancia de atender a las definiciones del problema educativo desde la política, desde la decisión pública de incorporar las grandes metas de igualdad en la educación explícitamente en el diseño de las estrategias gubernamentales.El document descriu la distribució de credencials educatives en el cas mexicà, tenint com a referència el context d'una societat altament diferenciada i desigual. Després de plantejar el problema de la diversitat sociocultural i de la forma general de com s'ha afrontat des de la política educativa general, i després de reconèixer que els estàndars educatius necessaris a la participació social són dinàmics, s'analitza la distribució educativa de la població adulta i les característiques educatives dels caps de llar, en funció de la distribució de l'ingrés. Es constata que la distribució de l'educació a Mèxic és un fenomen molt recent, creixent, però altament desigual i amb nivells postbàsica en els estrats superiors de l'ingrés. Es descriu també, la participació escolar dels menors en funció del percentatge d'ingrés familiar, per constatar que la desigualtat que es registra en la distribució educativa dels adults es manté entre els menors. Es constata els baixos perfils d'escolaritat de tots els grups d'ingrés, i es planteja la problemàtica d'atendre simultàniament el creixement de l'educació bàsica i la del nivell postbàsic. El document conclou que l'atenció a la desigualtat educativa tot i que forma part del discurs polític, no ha sigut capaç de formular estratègies que condueixin a la disminució de les importants distàncies en l'educació dels diferents segments socials del país, plantejant la importància d'atendre les definicions del problema educatiu des de la política, des de la decisió pública d'incorporar les grans fites d'igualtat en l'educació explícitament en el disseny de les estratègies governamentals.The document describes the educational distribution in the Mexican case, within a context of a highly differentiated and unequal society. After considering the importance of attending the socio-cultural diversity of the Mexican society and recognizing the fact that educational standards are dynamic, the document describes the distribution of educational credentials among the adult population and its placement in the income distribution. It shows that educational distribution is a very recent and growing phenomenon, but also a very unequal one. It describes the school participation among minors and its relation to family income; the same distances that were found among the adult population are identified within the school age population. It highlights the low educational profiles of all the income groups, allowing to propose the importance of expanding at the same time basic and posbasic education. Although educational equality has been part of the political discourse, policies have not yet been developed to formulate strategies toward diminishing the educational gaps between social groups. It urges to include equality targets into public policies in education

A characterization of triangulations of closed surfaces

In this paper we prove that a finite triangulation of a connected closed surface is completely determined by its intersection matrix. The \emph{intersection matrix} of a finite triangulation, $K$, is defined as $M_{K}=(dim(s_{i}\cap s_{j}))_{0\leq i,0\leq j}^{n-1}$, where $K_{2}=\{s_{0}, \ldots s_{n-1}\}$ is a labelling of the triangles of $K$.Comment: Submitted to EUROCOMB 201

Burned in a sea of ice : la tensión de los extremos y la tradición del "Amor hereos"

La salud en los siglos XVI y XVII se concebía como el balance (eucrasia) de los cuatro humores –sangre, flema, bilis amarilla y bilis negra–, mientras que la enfermedad era resultado del exceso o de la falta (discrasia) de alguno de ellos. Entre las enfermedades –los desbalances– sobre las que más se reflexionó en el largo periodo que abarca de la Antigüedad al siglo XVII está la melancolía, la enfermedad que se debe al exceso de bilis negra. En este texto se estudian algunos de los síntomas físicos relacionados con la melancolía –en especial la llamada “melancolía amorosa”– y se les compara con síntomas del amor hereos (el ‘amor como enfermedad’) y de la poesía amorosa. La comparación de textos poéticos y textos médicos –dos géneros separados entre los que no obstante se pueden rastrear influencias– revela una serie de ambivalencias, tensiones, contrastes y paradojas que operan dentro de las ideas que se tenían de la enfermedad y del amor.In the 16th and 17th centuries, health was conceived as the balance (eucrasia) between the four humors –blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile–, whereas sickness was the result of the excess or the lack (discrasia) of any of those substances. One of the diseases –of the ‘imbalances’– that drew much attention and reflection over the long period between Antiquity and the 17th century is melancholy, the malady that results from the excess of black bile. This text studies some of the physical symptoms related to melancholy –especially so called “love-melancholy”– and compares them to symptoms of amor hereos (‘lovesickness’) that appear in love poetry. The comparison between poetical and medical texts –two separate genres between which, nonetheless, influences can be traced– reveals a series of ambivalences, tensions, contrasts and paradoxes that operate at the center of the ideas of sickness and of love

Chaplin and exile: A comparative analysis from Hannah Arendt and Maria Zambrano perspectives

Los ensayos «Charlot o el histrionismo» y «Charlie Chaplin: el sospechoso», de María Zambrano y Hannah Arendt, respectivamente, dan origen a una reflexión sobre la condición del exiliado en el siglo XX, a partir del arte de Charles Chaplin. En él, las autoras hacen un análisis de la propuesta artística del actor, basada en el hombre marginado por la sociedad, pero reflejada en la suya propia. Charlot se convierte en objeto de la mirada para discutir sobre exilio, las razones del arte y el valor de la palabra frente al silencioIn the essays «Charlot or the histrionics» and «Charlie Chaplin: the suspect», Maria Zambrano and Hanna Arendt –respectively– reflect about exiled people condition in the 20th century, from the artistic poetics of Charles Chaplin. Both philosophers use art and clowning, to analyze outsider and marginalized social condition in their time, lived personally in their own experience as exiled people. Thus, Charlot becomes for them a privileged witness to discuss about exile, art and the value of the word and silence

Immigration and social services

El artículo analiza los efectos de la crisis económica en el desenvolvimiento de los servicios sociales. Desde la Constitución, los ayuntamientos y las comunidades autónomas han dado un gran impulso a los servicios sociales, de modo que lo han convertido en un sector muy dinámico y expansivo. Por eso ha tenido que adaptarse a un fenómeno como la inmigración, novedoso en España y con unas características (muy rápida, poco regulada, muy concentrada en los lugares de destino, etc. ) que han dificultado su gestión. La crisis económica afecta muy negativamente a los inmigrantes, entre otras cosas, porque son mayoría en los sectores más afectados por la crisis, como la construcción, porque carecen de una red de apoyos familiares en España y porque mantienen obligaciones económicas con sus países de origen, de difícil cumplimiento en situaciones de paro. Como consecuencia, sus demandas de servicios y ayudas van a multiplicarse, van a ser más heterogéneas y a prolongarse durante más tiempo. La incertidumbre reside en pronosticar si las administraciones optarán por aumentar la actual calidad de las prestaciones y los servicios, mantenerla o reducirla. Un pronóstico cuya respuesta puede ser muy diferente si la crisis dura unos cuantos años, y puede variar en los diferentes servicios y en las diferentes comunidades autónomas, cada vez más diversas en sus políticas en este área.This article examines the possible impact of the current economic crisis on the development of the social services. Since the signing of the Spanish constitution, town councils and Autonomous Communities have given a boost to social services, which have become a dynamic and expanding sector. As such, they have had to quickly adapt to the phenomenon of immigration, a novelty in Spain and with certain characteristics (very rapid, underregulated, and concentrated in certain locations) that have made its management more difficult. The economic crisis has had very serious effects on immigrants because, among other reasons, they form a majority in some of the sectors worst-affected by the crisis, like the construction industry, because immigrants sometimes lack a family support structure in Spain and they continue to have financial obligations in their countries of origin, which are difficult to meet if they are unemployed. As a result of this, their demands on social services will grow sharply, becoming more heterogeneous and lasting longer. It remains uncertain whether the Administration will opt for improving the quality of social services, keeping it at the same level, or reducing it. The answer will depend on the length of the crisis, on the type of service, and on the positioning of the different Autonomous Communities, which tend to have different policies in this matter