Consideraciones sobre Statice dianiae Pau (Plumbaginaceae)

An apomictic Limonium with a single pollen-stigma combination (B type), Limonium interjectum, is proposed as a new species to replace the invalid name Statice dianiae Pau. The new species has a restricted distribution on the sea costs of eastern Spain (Alicante Province). It shows a striking morphological similarity to L. virgatum (Willd.) Fourr. and L. girardianum (Guss.) Girard; on this basis it is suggested that L. interjectum is a hybrid derived from the two species.Se describe Limonium interjectum como especie nueva del Levante peninsular español, el cual había sido previamente denominado con el nombre ilegítimo de Statice dianiae Pau. L. interjectum es una especie apomíctica que presenta una sola combinación polínico estigmática (tipo B). Sus afinidades morfológicas son próximas a L. virgatum (Willd.) Fourr. Y L. girardianum (Guss.) Girard, y se sugiere que L. interjectum es un taxon hibridógeno que pudo haberse originado a partir de ambas especies

Spaceborne GNSS-Reflectometry for ocean winds: First results from the UK TechDemoSat-1 mission

First results are presented for ocean surface wind speed retrieval from reflected GPS signals measured by the Low-Earth-Orbiting UK TechDemoSat-1 satellite (TDS-1). Launched in July 2014, TDS-1 provides the first new spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data since the pioneering UK-Disaster Monitoring Mission experiment in 2003. Examples of onboard-processed delay Doppler Maps reveal excellent data quality for winds up to 27.9 m/s. Collocated ASCAT scatterometer winds are used to develop and evaluate a wind speed algorithm based on Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) and the Bistatic Radar Equation. For SNR greater than 3 dB, wind speed is retrieved without bias and a precision around 2.2 m/s between 3–18 m/s even withoutcalibration. Exploiting lower SNR signals however requires good knowledge of the antenna beam, platform attitude and instrument gain setting. This study demonstrates the capabilities of low-cost, low-mass, low-power GNSS-R receivers ahead of their launch on the NASA CYGNSS constellation in 2016

Intramolecular vinylation of carbanions using N-acyl benzomorpholines as masked vinylureas and vinylcarbamates

Treatment of urea or carbamate derived benzomorpholines with lithium diisopropylamide generates N-vinyl ureas or N-vinyl carbamates by elimination of a phenoxide anion, cleaving the benzomorpholine ring. Simultaneous formation of a carbanion a to a stabilising aryl or nitrile group allows migration of the newly formed N-vinyl substituent to the carbanionic centre, in some cases with high enantiospecificity. Mild hydrolysis of the resulting urea or carbamate returns a C-vinylated amine, alcohol or hydantoin, in some cases with high enantiomeric purity. This 'masked' vinylation strategy avoids the need to use the reactive and volatile vinyl isocyanate as a starting material. (C) 2017 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Overview of ESA’s Earth Observation upcoming small satellites missions

The “New Space” paradigm, has enabled the creation of many new opportunities in the space sector like the development of a large number of missions based on small and nano-satellites. The European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting these new development approaches and technology advancements, including use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to enable missions based on small and nano satellites. ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes Directorate (ESA-EOP) is already involved not only in the implementation of technologies exploiting the capabilities offered by small and nano-satellites as a complement to the EOP scientific and application-driven flagship satellites, but also in the quick validation of new approaches like A.I, super resolution or more in general in orbit data processing. ESA-EOP developments in the area of small and nano satellites are spread in three different programmatic lines, each with its own objectives: Scout and F-sat Missions and the InCubed Programme. This paper presents the overall ESA-EOP small missions strategy providing a brief insight on the genesis of each programmatic line and their selection processes including an update of the status of the first initiatives and missions under development or study

Mortality risk prediction in elderly patients with cardiogenic shock : results from the CardShock study

Aims This study aimed to assess the utility of contemporary clinical risk scores and explore the ability of two biomarkers [growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and soluble ST2 (sST2)] to improve risk prediction in elderly patients with cardiogenic shock. Methods and results Patients (n = 219) from the multicentre CardShock study were grouped according to age (elderly >= 75 years and younger). Characteristics, management, and outcome between the groups were compared. The ability of the CardShock risk score and the IABP-SHOCK II score to predict in-hospital mortality and the additional value of GDF-15 and sST2 to improve risk prediction in the elderly was evaluated. The elderly constituted 26% of the patients (n = 56), with a higher proportion of women (41% vs. 21%, P <0.05) and more co-morbidities compared with the younger. The primary aetiology of shock in the elderly was acute coronary syndrome (84%), with high rates of percutaneous coronary intervention (87%). Compared with the younger, the elderly had higher in-hospital mortality (46% vs. 33%; P = 0.08), but 1 year post-discharge survival was excellent in both age groups (90% in the elderly vs. 88% in the younger). In the elderly, the risk prediction models demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.75 for the CardShock risk score and 0.71 for the IABP-SHOCK II score. Incorporating GDF-15 and sST2 improved discrimination for both risk scores with areas under the curve ranging from 0.78 to 0.84. Conclusions Elderly patients with cardiogenic shock have higher in-hospital mortality compared with the younger, but post-discharge outcomes are similar. Contemporary risk scores proved useful for early mortality risk prediction also in the elderly, and risk stratification could be further improved with biomarkers such as GDF-15 or sST2.Peer reviewe

Sistema automàtic de prevenció de plagues de llagostes mitjançant tecnologia robòtica UAV

L'objectiu del projecte és dissenyar i implementar un sistema automàtic que permeti fumigar determinades zones del desert (on les condicions per la aparició de llagostes sigui òptima) mitjançant un dron d'ala giratòria partint d'imatges preses amb satèl·lit. A partir de les imatges preses amb satèl·lit es fa un primer filtratge on, a través de la previsió de pluges i humitat del terra, s'estableixen unes primeres zones on la aparició de llagostes sigui possible. Aquestes zones es mallen i a través d'un pla de vol concret un dron d'ala fixa les recorre realitzant imatges multiespectrals del sòl. Seguidament, es dissenya un algoritme per poder analitzar aquestes imatges multiespectrals i localitzar de la manera més concreta possible quines són les zones més propenses a que hi apareguin llagostes. En el treball es lligaran totes les fases del projecte, automatitzant cadascuna de les parts i valorant possibles inconvenients que puguin anar apareixent al llarg del procés. Es crearan protocols per passar la informació d'una fase a una altra, donant flexibilitat i modularitat a cada fase del sistema

Sistema automàtic de prevenció de plagues de llagostes mitjançant tecnologia robòtica UAV

L'objectiu del projecte és dissenyar i implementar un sistema automàtic que permeti fumigar determinades zones del desert (on les condicions per la aparició de llagostes sigui òptima) mitjançant un dron d'ala giratòria partint d'imatges preses amb satèl·lit. A partir de les imatges preses amb satèl·lit es fa un primer filtratge on, a través de la previsió de pluges i humitat del terra, s'estableixen unes primeres zones on la aparició de llagostes sigui possible. Aquestes zones es mallen i a través d'un pla de vol concret un dron d'ala fixa les recorre realitzant imatges multiespectrals del sòl. Seguidament, es dissenya un algoritme per poder analitzar aquestes imatges multiespectrals i localitzar de la manera més concreta possible quines són les zones més propenses a que hi apareguin llagostes. En el treball es lligaran totes les fases del projecte, automatitzant cadascuna de les parts i valorant possibles inconvenients que puguin anar apareixent al llarg del procés. Es crearan protocols per passar la informació d'una fase a una altra, donant flexibilitat i modularitat a cada fase del sistema

Study of the Spanish Energy Transition

In today's challenging energy context, the sustainability of national energy systems plays a key role in the development of current and future energy policies. These systems are essential to address energy challenges such as energy security, environmental mitigation in terms of atmospheric emissions and the penetration of more efficient and lower cost energy. In this context, energy modelling tools are becoming increasingly important, as they are able to represent an energy system in a simplified but effective way. These models are assumed to be relevant in helping decision-makers, companies, and organisations to define the best strategies towards an energy transition. These models can define strategies characterised by significant reliability and representative of an energy system consistent with the intrinsic constraints of the system and the country itself, and with a given time horizon. However, the main energy models used are often not freely available or usable, which makes it difficult to compare and evaluate the existing results in the scientific literature on energy systems. In terms of models, the application of the open-source energy model EnergyScope TD to the Spanish case study is presented to identify the different decarbonisation scenarios of the Spanish energy system for 2030. Firstly, regarding the previous work carried out using this model, the proposed solution model, called Spanish Energyscope, adds new resources and energy conversion technologies. Secondly, to check the accuracy and corroborate the optimal performance of the model, a validation of the Spanish Energyscope model is carried out in the past reference year of 2015. This year is chosen because the documentation of the real data for this year is available and, therefore, the consistency of the model results with the real data can be checked. Once the reliability of the model has been checked, several decarbonisation scenarios are defined for 2030 to have a broad vision of which technologies should be used to achieve the objectives set by the national and European organisations with competences in energy. From the detailed analysis of the different scenarios, it can be seen that the scenarios without relevant changes do not achieve the environmental objectives by 2030 and that the PNIEC proposes two scenarios that achieve part of the national and European objectives defined. It can also be noted that to walk this difficult path towards the decarbonisation of the Spanish energy system, enormous technical and economic efforts are necessary for the electrification of energy demand in all sectors. To this end, the focus should be on expanding, for example, the use of electric vehicles, heat pumps and the development of renewable energy technologies.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No Contaminan

Sistema automàtic de prevenció de plagues de llagostes mitjançant tecnologia robòtica UAV

The present document and project has the purpose of developing a prevention and control system against desert locust pests based on UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology. Locust pests threaten agricultural resources that are the base of human and animal subsistence such as crops, grassland or mountains. It is one of the most critical and harmful pests since they have the capacity to travel by air up to 150 km per day in addition to crossing oceans such as the Atlantic. The aim of the project is to, starting from satellite images that represent great remote areas with difficult access, analyse which are the zones within all the affected countries in which the climatic conditions, lands and vegetation are optimal for the appearance of these insects using drones. To develop this new procedure, the quality of the data captured has been tested and an algorithm has been performed to process it. All the processes involved in the project depend on the previous step and therefore a linear organized path has been constructed. To implant this new methodology, repeated contact with FAO-UN (Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations) has been established. All the resources employed that encompass the development of the platforms at the technical and operational level have been provided by the company HEMAV, the operator no1 of drones in Spain. All the methodology is developed considering the technological limitations of underdeveloped countries and taking into account that FAO has established a meeting between their authorities and a team of Hemav in Oman to explain the new methodology, capture data and test the platforms in the desert. Finally, it can be confirmed that after the update of the state of the art and the analysis of results there is a considerable leap both at the technological level and at the level of human resources in the methods currently used and the proposed solution. A new line of work and business is opened to combat locust plagues