Detection of irrigation inhomogeneities in an olive grove using the NDRE vegetation index obtained from UAV images

We have developed a simple photogrammetric method to identify heterogeneous areas of irrigated olive groves and vineyard crops using a commercial multispectral camera mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). By comparing NDVI, GNDVI, SAVI, and NDRE vegetation indices, we find that the latter shows irrigation irregularities in an olive grove not discernible with the other indices. This may render the NDRE as particularly useful to identify growth inhomogeneities in crops. Given the fact that few satellite detectors are sensible in the red-edge (RE) band and none with the spatial resolution offered by UAVs, this finding has the potential of turning UAVs into a local farmer’s favourite aid tool.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Seasonal decline in breeding performance of the Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus

The effects of timing of breeding on reproductive parameters of Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus were studied in Patagonia, Argentina, during 1998 and 1999. Yearly and spatial variation in the study were assessed by sampling nests during two field seasons and in different areas within the colony, and accounted for variation with respect to breeding synchrony and breeding density. In both years and in three study areas, individuals laying earlier had higher hatching success, a larger number of chicks fledged, heavier chicks at one month and higher breeding success. Significant variation between study areas within the colony and between years was observed only for breeding success and number of chicks fledged. No effects of breeding synchrony on breeding parameters were detected. Timing of breeding, independent of study year and area, had no effect on either clutch size or egg size. Our results document for the first time the seasonal decline in breeding performance in the Kelp Gull, a species widely distributed in the southern hemisphere.Fil: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Yorio, Pablo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Juan. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Potti Sánchez, Jaime. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Españ

Notícies que fan entendre de què va la Sostenibilitat

Des del novembre de 2004, una vegada conclosa l’anàlisi sobre l’ambientalització curricular al Departament de Física Aplicada, s’ha generat una borsa de noticies lligades amb la sostenibilitat, tal com trobareu a la web indicada més avall. La finalitat d’aquest material, al menys tal com ha estat emmagatzemat, ha estat el de l’educació per a la sostenibilitat de tota la comunitat del departament, obert, això sí, a qualsevol altra persona que a través d’un cercador hi arribés, encara que fos accidentalment. El funcionament de la recol•lecció de dades passa per una selecció de notícies que apareixen en els mitjans de comunicació, o bé s’han detectat dins les accions habituals de recerca, que són classificades per un dels autors d’aquesta comunicació, i que són posteriorment distribuïdes a un fòrum reduït de companys de departament. Aquesta mena de butlletins de notícies sobre sostenibilitat es distribueix setmanalment per correu electrònic, i en ells es poden trobar informacions molt breus (algú podria opinar que massa), alguns enllaços a webs relacionades amb la notícia, etc. Un exemple de butlletí (del 21 de gener al 5 de febrer de 2009) el constitueixen les notícies següents: DADES GENERALS A mitjans de febrer comença l’interessant cicle de l’Aula d’Ecologia a la Casa Elizalde (veure Aula_Ecologia09.pdf). SETMANES RECENTS Unes enormes rafegues de vent (claus) causen 12 morts a l’estat espanyol. Els pantans catalans estan gairebé desbordats (mes del 80%). PROPERES SETMANES Se seguira parlant de crisi econòmica: El president de la patronal bancaria, Miguel Martin, diu que gracies als bancs no hi ha mes crisi. Aquesta comunicació pretén donar a conèixer l’experiència exposada i tractar que d’aquí pugui sorgir una xarxa de notícies, i per què no? una xarxa d’informadors, que siguin publicades en les webs pròpies de la universitat i que ambientalitzin tot fent adonar sobre quins conceptes formen part de la sostenibilitat.Peer Reviewe

Segmentation-Free Streaming Machine Translation

Streaming Machine Translation (MT) is the task of translating an unbounded input text stream in real-time. The traditional cascade approach, which combines an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and an MT system, relies on an intermediate segmentation step which splits the transcription stream into sentence-like units. However, the incorporation of a hard segmentation constrains the MT system and is a source of errors. This paper proposes a Segmentation-Free framework that enables the model to translate an unsegmented source stream by delaying the segmentation decision until the translation has been generated. Extensive experiments show how the proposed Segmentation-Free framework has better quality-latency trade-off than competing approaches that use an independent segmentation model. Software, data and models will be released upon paper acceptance.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Coupled electric and magnetic dipole formulation for planar arrays of dipolar particles: metasurfaces with various electric and/or magnetic meta-atoms per unit cell

The optical properties of infinite planar array of scattering particles, metasurfaces and metagratings, are attracting special attention lately for their rich phenomenology, including both plasmonic and high-refractive-index dielectric meta-atoms with a variety of electric and magnetic resonant responses. Herein we derive a coupled electric and magnetic dipole (CEMD) analytical formulation to describe the reflection and transmission of such periodic arrays, including specular and diffractive orders, valid in the spectral regimes where only dipolar multipoles are needed. Electric and/or magnetic dipoles with all three orientations arising in turn from a single or various meta-atoms per unit cell are considered. The 2D lattice Green function is rewritten in terms of a 1D (chain) version that fully converges and can be easily calculated. Modes emerging as poles of such lattice Green function can be extracted. This formulation can be applied to investigate a wealth of plasmonic, all-dielectric, and hybrid metasurfaces/metagratings of interest throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Un panorama actual de la Economía Cubana, las transformaciones en curso y sus retos perspectivos

Este documento de trabajo ofrece una revisión del estado de la economía cubana, repasando los resultados desde los años noventa, las reformas adoptadas y sus efectos y la incidencia de las relaciones con la UE y EEUU

Oral cancer, HPV infection and evidence of sexual transmission

The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer and oral cancer is growing worldwide, both in young non-smokers and in young non-drinkers (smoking and drinking are considered the main risk factors). Epidemiologic studies suggest a strong association between the infection by human papillomavirus (HPV), especially types 16 and 18 (high oncological risk) which have already demonstrated their etiological role in anal tumours as well as in cervix cancer. There is clear epidemiologic evidence that both types of tumours relate to changes in sexual behaviour and that both are linked to sexual transmission of HPV. The number of oral and oropharyngeal cancer cases is rising nowadays, especially among young individuals with no typical toxic habits, such as tobacco and/or alcohol. In this review we set out to update the aspects related to the onset of oral cancer, its relationship with HPV infection and whether this association may be due to the sexual transmission of the virus