Evolución y algunos parámetros de la población invernante de Gaviota reidora (Larus ridibundus) en Madrid (España Central)

La població de gavina riallera que hiverna a Madrid ha augmentat contínuament des de 1980, i ha arribat al voltant de 70.000 individus a l'hivern de 1993. Aquest article examina les variacions diàries i mensuals en el nombre de gavines menjant en un gran abocador als afores de Madrid, al mateix temps que aporta dades sobre edats i sexes de la població hivernant. L'abocador es utilitzat principalment durant el matí i el migdia per femelles adultes

Overconsolidated flysch-type clays. Engineering considerations for the Strait of Gibraltar tunnel project

The stress-strain behaviour of 85 overconsolidated clay samples from Campo de Gibraltar Flysch Through Domain (Algeciras Unit, South Spain) is presented and discussed. The samples were identified and classified following ASTM standards while their chemical and mineralogical composition were determined by chemical and X-ray techniques. Several samples were tested under triaxial as well as oedometric conditions. Given the results, a detailed comparison was made between different theoretical constitutive models and real testing data, using the finite-elements method. The comparison indicated a good fit between experimental data and those found with finite-elements modelling when the Hardening Soil constitutive model was used. This model showed a better fit than did the Modified Cam -Clay model (historically used for modelling clayey soils), although the latter fit proved better for lower strain values (<5%) than higher ones. These results clarify this intermediate material (hard soils - weak rocks) behaviour and will help in Strait of Gibraltar tunnel project design, as these materials are widely involved in this tunnel design.Sergeyco Andalucía S.L.SECEGS

The Influence of the Social Context on Motivation towards the Practice of Physical Activity and the Intention to be Physically Active

According toWHOdata, only around 20% of adolescents participate in physical activity (PA) during their free time. The social context can act as a support for adolescents to do PA, given the e ect that both parents, friends and teachers have on young people’s behaviour owing to the large amount of time and influence they have on them. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the role of the social context on adolescents’ motivation to practise PA and their intention to be physically active. This study involved the participation of students in compulsory and post-compulsory secondary education. Several statistical analyses were performed, including three confirmatory factorial analyses of the scales and a structural equations model that explains the causal relationships between the variables. The results showed how support for autonomy in the social context positively predicts autonomous motivation, whereas the psychological control of the social context negatively predicts it. Autonomous motivation positively predicted intent, attitude, behavioural control and subjective norms, and consequently, the practice of physical activity. In short, the study showed how the three validated scales have adequate goodness-of-fit indices while the structural equations model demonstrated the influence of the social context on the student’s motivational processes and the adoption of active life habits

Photonic Logic Based on Molecular Reorientation of Nematic Liquid Crystals

A new type of photonic logic, based on the use of nematic liquid crystals is proposed. The system takes advantage of the refractive-index changes induced by laser beams. Examples of AND, OR and NOR functions are presented

Cálculo de las características de transmisión de una fibra de índice gradual mediante el empleo de su matriz ABCD

Se desarrolla, en el presente trabajo, un nuevo método para el cálculo de la dispersión temporal de la radiación óptica que se propaga a través de una fibra de Índice gradual mediante el empleo de la matriz ABCD de dicha fibra. Este método de una mayor simplicidad que los usados habitualmente, proporciona análogos resultados a los ya presentados en la literatura del tema con la ventaja de su mayor facilidad de cálculo

Performance and risk in the Brazilian banking industry

Andres J. Picazo-Tadeo aknowledges the financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO 2018/102).This paper assesses the technical performance of Brazilian banks while accounting for risk, which is considered as an undesirable outcome of banking. To this end, frontier techniques based on Data Envelopment Analysis and directional distance functions are applied to a sample of 124 banks and data for the six-year period 2014-19. Our main finding is that the Brazilian banking industry could notably increase its production of conventional outputs without additional input usage and while maintaining the same levels of risk. Besides, investment banks are found to be more efficient than commercial banks mainly because of their superior managerial performance.Generalitat Valenciana European Commission PROMETEO 2018/10

EFFECTS OF LOUVERS SHADING DEVICES ON VISUAL COMFORT AND ENERGY DEMAND OF AN OFFICE BUILDING. A CASE OF STUDY

This paper evaluates the building energy demand and visual comfort of a real case with a glazed façade office building placed in Málaga (Mediterranean city in the south of Spain). South oriented facades receive such a high solar gain that cooling demand cannot be handled by the current HVAC system. As an environmental friendly solution, a shading control strategy based on vertical and horizontal louvers is proposed. The study consists of a comparison between the actual and the refurbished building with shading devices. Daylighting simulation is done with Daysim (Daysim, 2016). A group of offices with south, east and north oriented facades is chosen for the study. Horizontal louvers in the south façade and vertical louvers in the east facade are modelled and simulated. The simulation changes the angle of the louver: 0º (perpendicular to the glazing), -30º, 30º, -60º, 60º. Visual comfort parameters analyzed are: illuminance, daylight autonomy (DA) and useful daylight index (UDI). With respect to the thermal comfort, not only louvers orientation try to provide solar protection for glazed areas in cooling period but also maximize solar gains in heating period. However, an excessive daylight could affect discomfort glare. Shading control strategy must provide the equilibrium between both aspects. Thermal demand is calculated with Trnsys (TRNSYS, 2016).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Multiplicity of solutions in model‑based multi objective optimization of wastewater treatment plants

Wastewater treatment process design involves the optimization of multiple conflicting objectives. The detection of different equivalent solutions in terms of objective values is crucial for designers in order to efficiently switch to the new optimal operation policies if changes in the process conditions or new constraints occur. In this work, the dynamic multi-objective optimization of a municipal wastewater treatment plant model is carried out. The aim is to simultaneously optimize an economic cost term and an effluent quality index. The selected process variables for the optimization are (1) an aeration factor in the aerated tank previous to the clarifier, and (2) an internal recycle flow rate. Their time profiles are approximated using the control vector parameterization technique. To solve the multi-objective problem and find the Pareto front, the NSGA-II algorithm has been used. The simulation of different realistic scenarios which impose operational constraints (e.g., maintenance operations) reveals that, indeed, multiple solutions exist at least in some areas of the Pareto front. It is observed that different control profiles can produce nearly identical results in terms of Pareto solutions. The a priori knowledge of these equivalent solutions for different scenarios provides the decision makers with alternative choices to be adapted to their organizations policies when events altering decision variables bounds or adding new constraints to the process model occur.The authors are grateful to Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN) and FEDER for their fnancial support (Projects DPI2016-77538-R and RTI2018-099139-B-C21

Evaluating the dynamics of fiscal policy in Spain : patterns of interdependence and consistency of public expenditure and revenues

Se intenta contrastar si la actual politica presupuestaria en España satisface la restriccion presupuestaria intertemporal. Para este proposito se aplican algunos procedimientos que prestan especial atencion a los ordenes de integracion de las series de deficit y deuda, y a las posibles relaciones de cointegracion entre ingresos y gastos publicos. Los resultados muestran que parece haber tenido lugar un cambio estructural en la ejecucion de la politica presupuestaria en España, lo que permite verificar el cumplimiento de la restriccion presupuestaria intertemporal en un 'sentido fuerte' o 'estricto'. Se considera, ademas, cual podria ser la estrategia mas eficiente para conseguir reducciones permanentes en el deficit publico. (ad

Sistema combinado de calefacción y enriquecimiento carbónico a partir de biomasa

Número de publicación: ES2514090 A1 (27.10.2014) También publicado como: ES2514090 B1 (10.08.2015) Número de Solicitud: Consulta de Expedientes OEPM (C.E.O.) P201300422 (26.04.2013)La invención consiste en un proceso de aprovechamiento energético de biomasa vegetal que permite aprovechar el calor contenido en la biomasa para la calefacción de cultivos protegidos y/o sistemas, así como recuperar el CO2 contenido en los gases de combustión generados para ser utilizado en sistemas de enriquecimiento carbónico de atmósferas, como en los cultivos intensivos bajo plástico. Se han establecido las condiciones de operación adecuadas del proceso de forma que se optimiza su eficiencia. El empleo de este sistema en cultivos bajo plástico permite conseguir una importante mejora en el crecimiento de los cultivos. Este proceso consigue aprovechar el 80% de la energía contenida en la biomasa para calefacción, así como retener el 99% del CO2 generado con un consumo energético inferior a 100 kJ/kgCO2, permitiendo además liberar este CO2 a demanda para el enriquecimiento carbónico de atmósferas.Universidad de Almerí