MOODA: the module for ocean observatory data analysis and harmonization

The development of straightforward tools in data analysis plays a signifcant role in the available accumulative data from marine observatories. A large number of diferent variables recorded with diferent formats in marine observatories require methodologies that allow analysis and integration of these data automatically. In this paper, we present the MOODA open-source Python package, which provides an extensive range of procedures for harmonization and analysis of data from marine observatories, including feature extraction, quality control, fltering features, and visualization tools. We present the key aspects of the design and implementation of the package (mooda v1.x). MOODA is an integral component of the European Multidisciplinary Seafoor and water-column Observatory (EMSO) data management platform to harmonize and manage data from the diferent marine observatories. MOODA’s dynamic development model based on user feedback achieves a continuous enhancement and integration of the library.Peer Reviewe

Operational monitoring of water quality with a Do-It-Yourself modular instrument

We analyze the efficacy of using a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) modular instrument to estimate the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which can be used for operational oceanography in turbid shallow waters. This parameter evaluates the water transparency, as it summarizes several water components providing an indicator for water quality. Historically, water transparency has been measured with a simple and inexpensive tool: the Secchi disk. Although it contributes a valuable index of visual water clarity, the quality of its measurements is user-dependent, and it does not enable the automatic monitoring of the water quality. For this reason, we need electronic devices to get accurate measures and facilitate long-term evaluations for water quality monitoring. This paper has two main objectives: First, to present the KduPRO, a low-cost and DIY moored instrument. The KduPRO is an evolution of the KdUINO buoy, that provides an estimation of the water transparency in coastal areas and continental waters, with an automatic quality control parameter that makes this sensor suitable for operational observing systems; and second, to provide a replicability analysis associated to the uncertainty of its Kd estimations. This instrument is based on a modular system of light sensors, independent of each other, measuring the irradiance at different depths. This study analyses the performance of the KduPRO with other reference commercial instruments, the performance between different modules of the same system and finally, a case study of measuring the water quality in Loch Leven (a lake in Scotland). The affordable cost, ease of use and measurement repeatability make this instrument a potentially valuable tool for anyone interested in monitoring water quality

Water quality monitoring program through the KduSTICK, a low-cost and Do-It-Yourself instrument connected by the Internet of Things

Monitoring water transparency provides an indicator of the environmental status of the water body. One parameter to estimate the water transparency is the light difuse attenuation coefcient (Kd). In the framework of the H2020 project MONOCLE (Multiscale Observation Networks for Optical monitoring of Coastal waters, Lakes and Estuaries), we have developed an improved version of the KdUINO (Bardaji et al., 2016) consisting of a moored instrument used to assess water transparency. This new version, the KduSTICK, estimates Kd near the surface in real-time following these specifcations: cost-efective, portable, real-time monitoring and easy to use with minimal training. This instrument transmits data by using the Internet of Things (IoT) networks. In particular, our research group participates in the initiative “The Things Network” (TTN), an IoT network based on LoRaWAN. This device is easy to deploy and maintain, and it is suitable for citizen-science based water quality monitoring programs.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::6 - Aigua Neta i Sanejament::6.3 - Per a 2030, millorar la qualitat de l’aigua mitjançant la reducció de la contaminació, l’eliminació dels abocaments i la reducció al mínim de la descàrrega de materials i productes químics perillosos, la reducció a la meitat del percentatge d’aigües residuals sense tractar, i un augment substancial a escala mundial del reciclat i de la reutilització en condicions de segureta

The Impact of Socio-Economic Status on Self-Rated Health: Study of 29 Countries Using European Social Surveys (2002–2008)

Studies show that the association between socio-economic status (SES) and self-rated health (SRH) varies in different countries, however there are not many country comparisons that examine this relationship over time. The objective of the present study is to determine the effect of three SES measures on SRH in 29 countries according to findings in European Social Surveys (2002–2008), in order to study how socio-economic inequalities can vary our subjective state of health. In line with previous studies, income inequalities seem to be greater not only in Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian countries, but especially in Eastern European countries. The impact of education is greater in Southern countries, and this effect is similar in Eastern and Scandinavian countries, although occupational status does not produce significant differences in southern countries. This study shows the general relevance of socio educational factors on SRH. Individual economic conditions are obviously a basic factor contributing to a good state of health, but education could be even more relevant to preserve it. In this sense, policies should not only aim at reducing income inequalities, but should also further the education of people who are in risk of social exclusion

Open Medical Library : cooperation and Scientific Communication Network through RSS

One of the fastest and most performing tools on Web 2.0 is RSS (Really Simple Syndication). It allows the access to digital content without constantly visiting the pages where it is stored. Syndication enables to share all kind of informationin XML format, and offers us the opportunity of showing our own content in other web pages in an integrated way, giving an added value to the information. In this communication we would like to present a Network Collaborative Project between medical libraries belonging to different institutions, located in different geographical areas and with different purposes, objectives and interests (some of them focusing on research and teaching and other on medical practice). Our medical libraries have incorporated "the content syndication", on the one hand, as another tool for medical librarian work and, on the other hand, as a value-added service in order to be useful to different users such as medical staff, teachers, researchers or students. RSS lets us share information channels, creating a space for collaborative research. Syndication is a great help to our users as it develops a new trend in the content management sector, which is changing considerably the relationship with information, for both users and librarians' point of view

Use of Remote Sensing, Geophysical Techniques and Archaeological Excavations to Define the Roman Amphitheater of Torreparedones (Córdoba, Spain)

Non-destructive techniques are widely used to explore and detect burial remains in archaeological sites. In this study, we present two sets of sensors, aerial and geophysics, that we have combined to analyze a 2 ha sector of ground in the Torreparedones Archaeological Park located in Cordoba, Spain. Aerial platforms were used in a first step to identify a Roman amphitheater located near the Roman city. To ensure greater reliability and to rule out geological causes, a geophysical survey was subsequently carried out. Magnetic gradiometer, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) methods were also used to confirm the existence of this structure, define the geometry and, to the greatest possible extent, determine the degree of preservation of this construction. The adverse conditions for data acquisition was one of the main constraints, since the area of interest was an almond plantation which conditioned geophysical profiles. In addition, due to the low dielectric and magnetic contrast between the structures and the embedding material, meticulous data processing was required. In order to obtain further evidence of this amphitheater and to corroborate the aerial images and the geophysical models, an archaeological excavation was carried out. The results confirmed the cross-validation with the predicted non-destructive models. Therefore, this work can serve as an example to be used prior to conservation actions to investigate the suburbs and landscapes near similar roman cities in Spain.This research was funded by HUM 882, Research Group-University of Córdoba, the Municipality of Baena, and the Municipality of Castro del Río. Funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is also acknowledge

Visibility graphs of fractional Wu-Baleanu time series

[EN] We study time series generated by the parametric family of fractional discrete maps introduced by Wu and Baleanu, presenting an alternative way of introducing these maps. For the values of the parameters that yield chaotic time series, we have studied the Shannon entropy of the degree distribution of the natural and horizontal visibility graphs associated to these series. In these cases, the degree distribution can be fitted with a power law. We have also compared the Shannon entropy and the exponent of the power law fitting for the different values of the fractionary exponent and the scaling factor of the model. Our results illustrate a connection between the fractionary exponent and the scaling factor of the maps, with the respect to the onset of the chaos.J.A. Conejero is supported Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad Grant Project MTM2016-75963-P. Carlos Lizama is supported by CONICYT, under Fondecyt Grant number 1180041. Cristobal Rodero-Gomez is funded by European Commission H2020 research and Innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 764738.Conejero, JA.; Lizama, C.; Mira-Iglesias, A.; Rodero-Gómez, C. (2019). Visibility graphs of fractional Wu-Baleanu time series. The Journal of Difference Equations and Applications. 25(9-10):1321-1331. https://doi.org/10.1080/10236198.2019.1619714S13211331259-10Anand, K., & Bianconi, G. (2009). Entropy measures for networks: Toward an information theory of complex topologies. Physical Review E, 80(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.80.045102Barabási, A.-L., & Albert, R. (1999). Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks. Science, 286(5439), 509-512. doi:10.1126/science.286.5439.509Brzeziński, D. W. (2017). Comparison of Fractional Order Derivatives Computational Accuracy - Right Hand vs Left Hand Definition. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 2(1), 237-248. doi:10.21042/amns.2017.1.00020Brzeziński, D. W. (2018). Review of numerical methods for NumILPT with computational accuracy assessment for fractional calculus. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 3(2), 487-502. doi:10.2478/amns.2018.2.00038DONNER, R. V., SMALL, M., DONGES, J. F., MARWAN, N., ZOU, Y., XIANG, R., & KURTHS, J. (2011). RECURRENCE-BASED TIME SERIES ANALYSIS BY MEANS OF COMPLEX NETWORK METHODS. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, 21(04), 1019-1046. doi:10.1142/s0218127411029021Edelman, M. (2015). On the fractional Eulerian numbers and equivalence of maps with long term power-law memory (integral Volterra equations of the second kind) to Grünvald-Letnikov fractional difference (differential) equations. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 25(7), 073103. doi:10.1063/1.4922834Edelman, M. (2018). On stability of fixed points and chaos in fractional systems. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 28(2), 023112. doi:10.1063/1.5016437Gao, Z.-K., Small, M., & Kurths, J. (2016). Complex network analysis of time series. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 116(5), 50001. doi:10.1209/0295-5075/116/50001Iacovacci, J., & Lacasa, L. (2016). Sequential visibility-graph motifs. Physical Review E, 93(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.93.042309Indahl, U. G., Naes, T., & Liland, K. H. (2018). A similarity index for comparing coupled matrices. Journal of Chemometrics, 32(10), e3049. doi:10.1002/cem.3049Kantz, H., & Schreiber, T. (2003). Nonlinear Time Series Analysis. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511755798Lacasa, L., & Iacovacci, J. (2017). Visibility graphs of random scalar fields and spatial data. Physical Review E, 96(1). doi:10.1103/physreve.96.012318Lacasa, L., Luque, B., Ballesteros, F., Luque, J., & Nuño, J. C. (2008). From time series to complex networks: The visibility graph. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(13), 4972-4975. doi:10.1073/pnas.0709247105Lizama, C. (2015). lp-maximal regularity for fractional difference equations on UMD spaces. Mathematische Nachrichten, 288(17-18), 2079-2092. doi:10.1002/mana.201400326Lizama, C. (2017). The Poisson distribution, abstract fractional difference equations, and stability. Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 145(9), 3809-3827. doi:10.1090/proc/12895Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Ballesteros, F., & Luque, J. (2009). Horizontal visibility graphs: Exact results for random time series. Physical Review E, 80(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.80.046103Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Ballesteros, F. J., & Robledo, A. (2011). Feigenbaum Graphs: A Complex Network Perspective of Chaos. PLoS ONE, 6(9), e22411. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022411Luque, B., Lacasa, L., & Robledo, A. (2012). Feigenbaum graphs at the onset of chaos. Physics Letters A, 376(47-48), 3625-3629. doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2012.10.050May, R. M. (1976). Simple mathematical models with very complicated dynamics. Nature, 261(5560), 459-467. doi:10.1038/261459a0Núñez, Á. M., Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Gómez, J. P., & Robledo, A. (2013). Horizontal visibility graphs generated by type-I intermittency. Physical Review E, 87(5). doi:10.1103/physreve.87.052801Ravetti, M. G., Carpi, L. C., Gonçalves, B. A., Frery, A. C., & Rosso, O. A. (2014). Distinguishing Noise from Chaos: Objective versus Subjective Criteria Using Horizontal Visibility Graph. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e108004. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0108004Robledo, A. (2013). Generalized Statistical Mechanics at the Onset of Chaos. Entropy, 15(12), 5178-5222. doi:10.3390/e15125178Shannon, C. E. (1948). A Mathematical Theory of Communication. Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3), 379-423. doi:10.1002/j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.xSong, C., Havlin, S., & Makse, H. A. (2006). Origins of fractality in the growth of complex networks. Nature Physics, 2(4), 275-281. doi:10.1038/nphys266West, J., Lacasa, L., Severini, S., & Teschendorff, A. (2012). Approximate entropy of network parameters. Physical Review E, 85(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.85.046111Wu, G.-C., & Baleanu, D. (2013). Discrete fractional logistic map and its chaos. Nonlinear Dynamics, 75(1-2), 283-287. doi:10.1007/s11071-013-1065-7Wu, G.-C., & Baleanu, D. (2014). Discrete chaos in fractional delayed logistic maps. Nonlinear Dynamics, 80(4), 1697-1703. doi:10.1007/s11071-014-1250-3Zhang, J., & Small, M. (2006). Complex Network from Pseudoperiodic Time Series: Topology versus Dynamics. Physical Review Letters, 96(23). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.96.23870

D2.1 Report on analysis of the requirements for MONOCLE sensors including projection of cost-savings and stakeholder feedback. Deliverable report of project H2020 MONOCLE (grant 776480)

Requirements for MONOCLE sensors were analysed at the start of sensor development, particularly with regard to projected cost-savings in monitoring and specific stakeholder feedback. The main inputs from stakeholders were obtained from the MONOCLE water quality monitoring survey (D9.1) and are used here to define sensor-specific development priorities, particularly with respect to purpose, performance, cost and interoperability. This document guides both the initial development of new sensors and evolution of existing prototypes to higher technological readiness levels

Dynamic management of virtual infrastructures

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10723-014-9296-5Cloud infrastructures are becoming an appropriate solution to address the computational needs of scientific applications. However, the use of public or on-premises Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds requires users to have non-trivial system administration skills. Resource provisioning systems provide facilities to choose the most suitable Virtual Machine Images (VMI) and basic configuration of multiple instances and subnetworks. Other tasks such as the configuration of cluster services, computational frameworks or specific applications are not trivial on the cloud, and normally users have to manually select the VMI that best fits, including undesired additional services and software packages. This paper presents a set of components that ease the access and the usability of IaaS clouds by automating the VMI selection, deployment, configuration, software installation, monitoring and update of Virtual Appliances. It supports APIs from a large number of virtual platforms, making user applications cloud-agnostic. In addition it integrates a contextualization system to enable the installation and configuration of all the user required applications providing the user with a fully functional infrastructure. Therefore, golden VMIs and configuration recipes can be easily reused across different deployments. Moreover, the contextualization agent included in the framework supports horizontal (increase/decrease the number of resources) and vertical (increase/decrease resources within a running Virtual Machine) by properly reconfiguring the software installed, considering the configuration of the multiple resources running. This paves the way for automatic virtual infrastructure deployment, customization and elastic modification at runtime for IaaS clouds.The authors would like to thank to thank the financial support received from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad for the project CodeCloud (TIN2010-17804).Caballer Fernández, M.; Blanquer Espert, I.; Moltó, G.; Alfonso Laguna, CD. (2015). Dynamic management of virtual infrastructures. Journal of Grid Computing. 13(1):53-70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10723-014-9296-5S5370131de Alfonso, C., Caballer, M., Alvarruiz, F., Molto, G., Hernández, V.: Infrastructure deployment over the cloud. In: 2011 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Cloud Computing Technology and Science, pp. 517–521. IEEE. (2011). doi: 10.1109/CloudCom.2011.77Alvarruiz, F., De Alfonso, C., Caballer, M., Hernández, V.: An energy manager for high performance computer clusters. 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Scrotal circumference as indicator of reproductive performance in authoctonous beef cattle: growth curve analysis in retinto bulls.

En el vacuno de carne se estima que los caracteres productivos como el pesos o la velocidad de crecimiento de los animales, tienen una importancia 10 veces menor que los reproductivos en términos de valor económico relativo. Dentro de estos caracteres reproductivos, destaca en el caso de los sementales, la circunferencia escrotal (CE), que ha sido propuesta como predictor de las características seminales y de la líbido del macho (Knights et al., 1984), así como de la edad a la pubertad de su descendencia (Brinks et al., 1978). Para el estudio de la curva de crecimiento de la circunferencia escrotal desde el destete hasta los 16 meses en el vacuno de carne de raza retinta, se han realizado 1020 mediciones en 281 animales pertenecientes a 20 ganaderías del Núcleo de Control de Rendimientos del Plan de Mejora de esta raza. Los resultados obtenidos para la CE muestran un amplio rango (16-42 cm) y un elevado coeficiente de variación (17,32 p.100) para toda la población analizada. El análisis de la CE en los animales de un año de edad, hizo descender este coeficiente al 9,1 p.100 siendo en este caso la media de 34,38 cm, claramente superior a los mínimos recomendados por el BIF americano. Para la determinación de la curva de la circunferencia escrotal en función de la edad, se ha realizado el análisis de 15 curvas clasificadas en 4 grupos. El primer grupo (denominadas generales) está constituido por dos curvas exponenciales y una parabólica, el segundo grupo por tres curvas logísticas, el tercero por cinco curvas biológicas, para terminar con el estudio de las polinomiales desde la lineal a polinómica de cuarto grado. De las curvas estudiadas la que mejor ajuste obtuvo fue la logística nº 2 (R2 adj= 0,892), seguida de la curva biológica de Gompertz (R2 adj= 0,892). Considerada además del R2 adj la estimación al año, y dada la mayor facilidad de cálculo, consideramos que la polinomial de 2º grado, presenta un ajuste equivalente (R2 adj= 0,891), facilitando así su utilización en los procesos de tipificación a la edad de un año en el Plan de Mejora de esta raza.In beef cattle it is estimated that quantitative performance of production, as growth or weight in the animals, are ten times less important than the reproductive performance in terms of relative economic value. Within these reproductive traits, scrotal circumference (CE) is especially notable and has been suggest as an indicator of seminal performance and male libido (Knights et al., 1984), as web as age at puberty of offspring (Brinks et al., 1978). In studying the growth curve of the scrotal circumference from the weaning to 16 months old in beef cattle, 1020 measurements were taken in 281 animals from 20 farms belonging to the Nucleus of Control of Performance in the Improvement Program for the Retinta beef cattle. The results obtained in this study show a wide range (16-42 cm) and a high coefficient of variation (17.32 percent) for the total population. The CE analysis in one year old animals lowered the coefficient to 9.1 percent, with a mean (34.38 cm), much higher than those recommend by the American BIF. To determine the CE curve with age, 15 curves classified in 4 group were analysed. The first group is comprised of two exponential and parabolic curves, the second group was composed of three logistic curves, the third of five biological curves, and finally the last group the polynomials to a fourth degree. The highest of the curves studied was the logistic number 2 (R2 adj= 0.892), followed by the Gompertz biological curve (R2 adj= 0.892). Taking also the predicted value at one year age, and calculating easily, we consider that the polynomial in the 2nd degree shows a like curve (R2 adj= 0.891), thus making this curve useful at the age of one year prediction in the Improvement Programs for this breed