Loss of diversity in the community of small mammals of Doñana National Park (SW Spain): another effect of the local climate change ?

Doñana National Park is an important wetland located in the southwest Spain forming part of the Mediterranean Basin, a "biodiversity hotspot" especially vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we investigate changes in diversity and abundance occurred between 1978 and 2016 in the community of small mammals of Doñana and their relationship with local climate changes. Capture-mark-recapture methods were carried out for a total of 16 years, unevenly distributed over four decades. Our findings show a consistent loss of diversity and abundance decline in the community of small mammals. Eliomys quercinus and Rattus rattus have almost disappeared from the area and Apodemus sylvaticus has sharply reduced its abundance parallel to the progressive increase of Mus spretus. Such a process is worrying for conservation as small mammals represent, after rabbits, the most important prey for carnivores and raptors in Doñana. The detected changes could be at least partially explained by the progressive increase in local temperature observed during the study period. In line with this, the species that have suffered a greater decline are those of Eurasian origin and northern distribution as is the case for E. quercinus and R. rattus while the current dominant species, M. spretus, proceeds from Africa and has a Mediterranean distribution. A non-exclusive alternative is that the extreme rarefaction of rabbits may have caused a trophic cascade effect enhancing predation by carnivores and raptors towards gradually smaller species.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Exposure of farm workers to electromagnetic radiation from cellular network radio base stations situated on rural agricultural land

The electromagnetic field (EMF) levels generated by mobile telephone radio base stations (RBS) situated on rural-agricultural lands were assessed in order to evaluate the exposure of farm workers in the surrounding area. The expected EMF at various distances from a mobile telephone RBS was calculated using an ad hoc numerical forecast model. Subsequently, the electric fields around some RBS on agricultural lands were measured, in order to obtain a good approximation of the effective conditions at the investigated sites. The viability of this study was tested according to the Italian Regulations concerning general and occupational public exposure to time-varying EMFs. The calculated E-field values were obtained with the RBS working constantly at full power, but during the in situ measurements the actual power emitted by RBS antennas was lower than the maximum level, and the E-field values actually registered were much lower than the calculated values

Immigration enhances fast growth of a newly established source population

Immigration and local recruitment play a central role in determining the growth rate of breeding populations. Unraveling these processes in newly established pop-ulations is of great importance to increase our understanding of how species change their distributions in response to global change. We studied the largest colony of glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in Western Europe (established in 1996 in Doñana, SW- Spain) by using capture- recapture methods, count estimates, and projection matrix modeling to: (1) test the effect of resource availability and competition on local recruitment dynamics, (2) inves-tigate the contribution of local recruitment vs. immigration on population growth, and (3) assess the role of this population in source/sink dynamics. We found different dynamics before and after the establishment of satellite colonies in Doñana in 2004. Between 1996 and 2003, the population increased rapidly, fueled by immigrants (≈58 breeding females/yr). Between 2003 and 2007, however, both colony size increase and immigration were negligible. Immigration played a major role in colony growth, but simultaneously this colony was a source population driving expansion of the species range as suggested by (1) absolute and relative estimates of the observed growth rate relative to that predicted by self- recruitment, and (2) numerous observations of Doñana- born individuals breeding elsewhere. Local recruitment, which was particularly high for first- year individuals (prob-ability >0.8 for the early study years), was not directly related to resource availability or previous- year breeding success. Local recruitment decreased rapidly at a threshold popu-lation size, however, when other satellite colonies became established at Doñana. Our study suggests that even when recruitment at an early age and high productivity are observed, immigration can still play a pivotal role in promoting the fast growth of new populations at the edge of a species range, at least until density- dependent effects arise. This process can be so fast that within a few years a new population can itself become a source population, further driving range expansion of the species.Peer reviewe

Investigation of workers’ exposures to vibrations produced by portable shakers

Herein note focussed the attention on the vibration levels issued by two portable shakers models build in different and subsequent times by the same building company, which presents different design and constructive solutions for both the handles. The two tools were used, during tests, by a single operator, expert in the use of this typology of tools due to his job activity during the olives harvesting campaigns; the measurements were carried out respecting the indications contained in the provisions UNI EN ISO 5349. A different dynamic behaviour of the two tools emerged from the tests. Has been highlighted, also, the importance of the evaluation of the vibrations produced by portable shakers with the purposes to carry out studies that aim to the research of technical solutions which allow the reduction of vibrations transmission through the handles and through the shoulder support device of the tool

The relevance of aerosol in the retrieval of tropospheric NO2 from satellite - a study of model data applicability

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a key pollutant in the troposphere, being one of the main precursors of tropospheric ozone, and source of nitric acid, as well as contributing to global climate change. Tropospheric NO2 vertical columns can be determined from satellite observations, although some uncertainties are still associated with the retrieval process. The conversion from measured slant columns to vertical columns is accomplished with airmass factors (AMF) that are determined by radiative transfer (RT) models. While the measurement (instrumental) conditions are well assessed, improvement is still needed regarding the a priori information of atmospheric characteristics required for the estimation of AMFs (e.g., vertical distribution of the gas, aerosol loading and clouds). This thesis presents a sensitivity study focused on the impact of aerosol on the tropospheric NO2 AMF. Optical properties, size distribution, and vertical distribution of the aerosol were varied within several scenarios. Overall, the results show a tendency for two main opposite effects. On the one hand, enhancement of the measurement sensitivity occurs by means of multiple scattering, when aerosol is mixed with the trace gas. On the other hand, a shielding effect by an aerosol layer located above the NO2 is also verified. The identified pivotal factors for the AMF calculations were the relative vertical distribution of aerosol and NO2, the aerosol optical depth and the single scattering albedo, as well as the surface reflectance. A case study was developed, focusing on the impact on the NO2 measurements of volcanic ash emitted from Eyjafjallajökull during the spring of 2010. Aerosol and NO2 data from the EURAD chemical transport model (CTM) were used to design scenarios for the RT calculations. A small variation of AMFs was found, revealing that, in the days and region analysed, the satellite observations of NO2 were not significantly affected by the mentioned eruption. Nonetheless, it was verified that the conclusions of the study are dependent on the accuracy of the CTM data, and on the approach employed to account for (and determine) aerosol optical properties. Such findings highlight the potential challenges that can be faced in the future if model data are used in satellite retrievals. In addition, a model evaluation performed within the GEMS project is described, where global stratospheric and tropospheric NO2 columns predicted by two chemical transport models MOZART and TM5 are compared with SCIAMACHY observations. The evaluation exercise allowed for the identification of flaws in the model systems, showing problems with the prediction of high levels of pollution in some regions (e.g., East-Asia), and with the simulation of NO2 concentrations during biomass burning events

Operator Dermal Exposure to Pesticides in Tomato and Strawberry Greenhouses from Hand-Held Sprayers

Protection of greenhouse crops in southern Italy usually requires 15–20 phytosanitary treatments per year, with volume rates in the range of 1000–2000 L ha1, depending on the plant growth stage. The most widespread sprayers are hand-held, high-pressure devices, which may expose operators to high levels of pesticides. This paper, also with the aim to lead toward a more sustainable use of greenhouses in agricultural productions, including some aspects of workers’ safety, reports the results of experimental tests aimed at measuring the amount of the mixture deposited on the worker’s body (potential dermal exposure, PDE) during pesticide applications to tomato and strawberry plants in a protected environment. Experimental tests on tomatoes were carried out taking into account two plant growth stages (flowering and senescence), two types of spray lance, two working pressures (1 and 2 MPa), and two walking directions (forwards and backwards). Those on the strawberries were carried out at the maturity of the fruit growth stage, comparing two hand-held sprayers (a standard spray gun and a short hand-held spray boom equipped with two nozzles) and working according to the common practice: forwards movement of the operator and high pressure (2 MPa). The results showed that with the tomato plants, the most important factor in reducing the deposit on the operator was the walking direction: on average, the PDE was 718 mL per 1000 L of the sprayed mixture (0.72h) while walking forwards and 133 mL (0.13h) while walking backwards. The reduction factor ranged from 3.0 at the flowering growth stage to 7.2 at the senescence growth stage. With respect to the strawberry plants, the PDE was significantly higher when the operator used the short hand-held spray boom (887 mL per 1000 L of the sprayed mixture, equivalent to 0.89h), rather than the spray gun (344 mL, 0.34h). In both cases, the most exposed body parts were the lower limbs, which accounted for 89–94% of the total PDE

Comparison of the Impact between Classical and Novel Strains of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease on Wild Rabbit Populations in Spain

The outbreaks of two strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) (GI.1 and GI.2) in the Iberian Peninsula have caused substantial economic losses in commercial rabbitries and have affected the conservation of rabbit-sensitive predators due to the dramatic decline of their natural populations. However, the assessment of the impact of both RHD strains on wild rabbit populations has been limited to a few small-scale studies. Little is known about the overall impact within its native range. In this study, we described and compared the effects of GI.1 and GI.2 countrywide by using time series of hunting bag data widely available across the country and compared their trend during the first eight years after the first outbreak of GI.1 (i.e., 1998) and GI.2 (i.e., 2011), respectively. We used Gaussian generalised additive models (GAM) with the number of hunted rabbits as the response variable and year as the predictor to evaluate the non-linear temporal dynamics of the population at the national and regional community levels. The first GI.1 caused a population decline of around 53%, affecting most Spanish regional communities where the disease occurred. The positive trend observed after GI.1 in Spain ended with the initial outbreak of GI.2, which did not appear to cause a national population decline. In contrast, we found significant variability in the rabbit population trend among regional communities, where some increased, and others decreased. Such a disparity is unlikely to be explained by a single factor; rather, it appears to result from several factors, such as climatic conditions, host resistance improvement, virulence attenuation, or population density. Our study suggests that a national comprehensive hunting bag series could aid in elucidating the differences in the impact of emerging diseases on a large scale. Future research should focus on national longitudinal serological studies to shed light on the immunological status of rabbit populations in different regions to better understand the evolution of RHD strains and the resistance gained by the wild populations.This work was supported by project LAGMED (www.lagmed.eu, accessed on 5 April 2023) through the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and University (REF: PRIMAS2-11-PCI2019-103698) and the PRIMA programme, an Art.185 initiative supported and funded under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and The APC was funded by project LAGMED

Speeding up critical system dynamics through optimized evolution

The number of defects which are generated on crossing a quantum phase transition can be minimized by choosing properly designed time-dependent pulses. In this work we determine what are the ultimate limits of this optimization. We discuss under which conditions the production of defects across the phase transition is vanishing small. Furthermore we show that the minimum time required to enter this regime is $T\sim \pi/\Delta$, where $\Delta$ is the minimum spectral gap, unveiling an intimate connection between an optimized unitary dynamics and the intrinsic measure of the Hilbert space for pure states. Surprisingly, the dynamics is non-adiabatic, this result can be understood by assuming a simple two-level dynamics for the many-body system. Finally we classify the possible dynamical regimes in terms of the action $s=T\Delta$.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Consumer engagement through corporate social responsibility communication on social media: Evidence from Facebook and Instagram Bank Accounts

This paper investigates the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication through social media on consumer engagement, focusing on the top 15 European banks’ social media accounts. Drawing on stakeholder theory and customer engagement perspective, this study analyzes banks’ content posted on Facebook and Instagram from January 2021 to December 2022. The research employs multiple regression analysis to assess the relationship between CSR dimensions and consumer engagement. Results reveal that two CSR dimensions (employee support and diversity) positively arouse more engagement than non-CSR-related content. Oppositely, other CSR dimensions (environment, community support, product) provide negative or non-statistically significant results compared to non-CSR-related content. This empirical study, utilizing official data from Facebook and Instagram, contributes valuable insights into consumer engagement with CSR-related posts in the banking sector, addressing both scholarly and practical needs for understanding consumer social media engagement dynamics