La figura del Sant Rector d'Ars en el magisteri pontifici

En el marc de l’Any Sacerdotal (2010), convocat pel papa Benet XVI amb motiu del 150è aniversari de la mort de sant Joan Maria Vianney, rememorem la figura del rector d’Ars en el Magisteri dels papes, molt especialment de Joan XXIII, que li dedicà l’encíclica «Sacerdotii nostri Primordia» (1959). Els seus antecessors Pius X, Pius XI i Pius XII havien evocat ja l’exemple del sant rector d’Ars en diversos documents sobre el sacerdoci, el comú denominador dels quals és la unitat entre ministeri sacerdotal i la santedat personal de vida dels ministres. En aquest mig segle, que va de l’encíclica de Joan XXIII a la convocatòria d’un Any Sacerdotal pel papa Benet XVI, la doctrina de l’Església sobre el ministeri sacerdotal ha estat especialment rica: el Concili Vaticà II amb els seus diversos documents relatius al ministeri ordenat, el Magisteri dels papes Pau VI (v. gr. la carta apostòlica «Summa Dei Verbum» del 1963 i l’encíclica «Sacerdotalis coelibatus» del 1967); i Joan Pau II (Les cartes del Dijous Sant i l’exhortació post-sinodal «Pastores dabo vobis» (1992) entre altres). Joan XXIII i Benet XVI recorden ambdós aquelles paraules del sant rector d’Ars: «El sacerdoci és l’amor del cor de Jesús».Within the context of the Year of the Priest (2009/2010) announced by Pope Benedict XVI, which was motivated by the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, Curé of Ars, we remember the role of the holy parish priest of Ars in the Magisterium of the Popes, more especially that of John XXIII to whom he dedicated his encyclical "Sacerdotii nostri Primordia" (1959). His predecessors Pius X, Pius XI and Pius XII had already called upon the example of the holy Curé of Ars in various documents concerning priesthood, the common denominator of which is the unity between the priestly ministry the personal holiness in the lives of the ministers. In the half century from the encyclical of Pope John XXIII up to the announcement of the Year of the Priest by Pope Benedict XVI, the doctrine of the Church regarding the priestly ministry has been especially rich: Vatican Council II with its various documents relating to the ordained ministry; the Teaching of Popes Paul VI (e.g. The apostolic letter "Summa Dei Verbum", 1963; and the encyclical "Sacerdotalis coelibatus", 1967) and John Paul II (e.g. The letters of Holy Thursday and the call of the post-synod letter "Pastores dabo vobis", 1992, among others). Both John XXIII and Benedict XVI bring to mind these words on the Saintly Curé d'Ars: "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus"

Benzo(a)pyrene inhibits the role of the bioturbator Tubifex tubifex in river sediment biogeochemistry

International audienceThe interactions between invertebrates and micro-organisms living in streambed sediments often play key roles in the regulation of nutrient and organic matter fluxes in aquatic ecosystems. However, benthic sedi- ments also constitute a privileged compartment for the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants such as PAHs or PCBs that may affect the diversity, abundance and activity of benthic organisms. The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of sediment contamination with the PAH benzo(a)pyrene on the in- teraction between micro-organisms and the tubificid worm, Tubifex tubifex, which has been recognized as a major bioturbator in freshwater sediments. Sedimentary microcosms (slow filtration columns) contaminated or not with benzo(a)pyrene (3 tested concentrations: 0, 1 and 5 mg kg−1) at the sediment surface were in- cubated under laboratory conditions in the presence (100 individuals) or absence of T. tubifex. Although the surface sediment contaminations with 1 mg kg−1 and 5 mg kg−1 of benzo(a)pyrene did not affect tubificid worm survival, these contaminations significantly influenced the role played by T. tubifex in biogeochemical processes. Indeed, tubificid worms stimulated aerobic respiration, denitrification, dehydrogenase and hydrolytic activities of micro-organisms in uncontaminated sediments whereas such effects were inhibited in sediments polluted with benzo(a)pyrene. This inhibition was due to contaminant-induced changes in bioturbation (and especially bio-irrigation) activities of worms and their resulting effects on microbial processes. This study reveals the importance of sublethal concentrations of a contaminant on ecological processes in river sediments through affecting bioturbator-microbe interactions. Since they affect microbial processes involved in water purification processes, such impacts of sublethal concentrations of pollutants should be more often considered in ecosystem health assessment

Seventy years old male with multiple brain damage and intracardiac mass

Se trata de un varón de 70 años, exfumador e hipertenso, que presentó una focalidad neurológica brusca, por la que es traído a Urgencias. Durante el ingreso presentó nuevos episodios de focalidades neurológicas en distintos territorios cerebrales. Se realizó una ecocardiografía transtorácica que mostró una masa auricular de 60x50 mm. Se trató con anticoagulación, presentando en días sucesivos un hematoma cerebral. En una TAC torácica presentaba, además, defectos de repleción en venas pulmonares. La evolución fue rápidamente fatal. El caso se presenta en el foro de las sesiones clínicopatológicas del hospital universitario Son Espases.The case is that of a 70 years old male, ex-smoker, with history of hypertension, who was admitted to the emergency room, with a sudden focal neurological deficit. During hospitalization he suffered additional neurologic deficits. The patient subsequently undergoes a transthoracic echography which showed an 60x50 mm auricular mass. Thoracic CT scan demonstrates pulmonary veins repletion deficits. He died a few days after. The case is discussed in the context of a clinicopathological general session at Son Espases Universitary Hospital

Performance of the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) Model as a Tool for Monitoring the Response of Durum Wheat to Drought by High-Throughput Field Phenotyping

The current lack of efficient methods for high throughput field phenotyping is a constraint on the goal of increasing durum wheat yields. This study illustrates a comprehensive methodology for phenotyping this crop's water use through the use of the two-source energy balance (TSEB) model employing very high resolution imagery. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with multispectral and thermal cameras was used to phenotype 19 durum wheat cultivars grown under three contrasting irrigation treatments matching crop evapotranspiration levels (ETc): 100%ETc treatment meeting all crop water requirements (450 mm), 50%ETc treatment meeting half of them (285 mm), and a rainfed treatment (122 mm). Yield reductions of 18.3 and 48.0% were recorded in the 50%ETc and rainfed treatments, respectively, in comparison with the 100%ETc treatment. UAV flights were carried out during jointing (April 4th), anthesis (April 30th), and grain-filling (May 22nd). Remotely-sensed data were used to estimate: (1) plant height from a digital surface model (H, R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 0.18m), (2) leaf area index from multispectral vegetation indices (LAI, R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.63), and (3) actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and transpiration (T) through the TSEB model (R2 = 0.50, RMSE = 0.24 mm/h). Compared with ground measurements, the four traits estimated at grain-filling provided a good prediction of days from sowing to heading (DH, r = 0.58–0.86), to anthesis (DA, r = 0.59–0.85) and to maturity (r = 0.67–0.95), grain-filling duration (GFD, r = 0.54–0.74), plant height (r = 0.62–0.69), number of grains per spike (NGS, r = 0.41–0.64), and thousand kernel weight (TKW, r = 0.37–0.42). The best trait to estimate yield, DH, DA, and GFD was ETa at anthesis or during grain filling. Better forecasts for yield-related traits were recorded in the irrigated treatments than in the rainfed one. These results show a promising perspective in the use of energy balance models for the phenotyping of large numbers of durum wheat genotypes under Mediterranean conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inteligencia Artificial como herramienta para la inversión en el mercado de valores

Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas y Grado en Relaciones InternacionalesUno de los pilares fundamentales dentro del mundo de la inversión se basa en la obtención del mayor beneficio posible con las operaciones realizadas, lo que ha llevado al desarrollo de numerosos métodos y herramientas enfocados a lograr tal fin. A pesar de la gran variedad de métodos y percepciones que han ido surgiendo a lo largo de los años, uno de los que más interés ha suscitado históricamente ha sido la predicción de los movimientos del mercado. En este sentido, muchos han sido los investigadores interesados en encontrar las herramientas idóneas para la obtención de predicciones más precisas, pues estas permitirían lograr un beneficio mayor. A pesar de tratarse de un ámbito ampliamente estudiado, el desarrollo de tecnologías cada vez más avanzadas y el surgimiento de la inteligencia artificial, han abierto la oportunidad de continuar investigando en esta materia. Por ello, el objetivo principal de este trabajo se centrará en investigar cómo se está utilizando la inteligencia artificial como herramienta para la inversión en el mercado de valores y si su uso está relacionado con posibles mejores resultados. Gracias al análisis de la literatura y de los estudios empíricos disponibles, nos será posible comprobar la interesante oportunidad que plantea el uso de inteligencia artificial para el inversor. Por otro lado, también se descubrirán cuáles son los métodos utilizados con este fin y cuáles son los aspectos que deben de tenerse en cuenta para utilizar estas herramientas de forma correcta.One of the cornerstones of the investment business is the pursuit of the highest yield, which has led to the development of several methods and tools. Despite the great variety of methods and perceptions that have emerged over the years, stock market prediction has been one of the most widely analyzed. In this regard, many researchers have been interested in finding the right tools for obtaining more accurate predictions, as these would allow for greater benefit. Despite this has been a widely studied area, the development of advanced technologies and the emergence of artificial intelligence has opened up the opportunity to continue investigating this field. For this reason, the main objective of this project will be investigating how artificial intelligence is being used as a tool for investment in the stock market and whether its use is related to better results. Thanks to the analysis of the literature and the available empirical studies, we will be able to clarify the interesting opportunity that the use of artificial intelligence poses for the investor. On the other hand, we will also analyze which are the methods used for this purpose and which are the aspects that must be taken into account in order to use these tools properly

El uso de la teledetección de alta resolución como herramienta para realizar un manejo eficiente del riego en viñedos

The use of plant-based indicators for irrigation management has been widely studied. However, the high number of measurements necessary to identify spatial variability in orchards makes this system difficult to be carried out in large commercial areas. The alternative may be the use of remote sensing. Development of high resolution airborne sensors during the last years brings about new possibilities for detecting plant water status remotely in large areas, and therefore to conduct a more efficient irrigation management for water use. The aim of this PhD thesis is the development of a tool for vineyard spatial variability management, by using high resolution remote sensing imagery. To achieve it, two methodologies to re-design irrigation sectors were firstly compared, with the goal of reducing yield variability. Methods were based on using structural vegetative indices such as Plant Cell Density (PCD) obtained from multispectral images, and leaf water potential measurements (ΨL). It is also presented the development of Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) for the four grapevine varieties Pinot-noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Tempranillo, as a tool for quantify vine water status with remote sensing thermal imagery. CWSI was empirically developed with infrared temperature sensors to subsequently generate CWSI maps by acquiring high resolution thermal images. CWSI was developed and validated with ΨL measurements at different phenological stages. Effectiveness aspects to consider such as the optimal moment of the day to detect vine water status with aerial thermal images, the minimum spatial resolution required, or the most appropriated aerial platform, were also studied in this PhD thesis. The implementation of this technology in viticulture will permit to make a more efficient irrigation management taking into account vineyard spatial variability.El uso de indicadores del estado hídrico de los cultivos para la optimización del riego en cultivos leñosos ha sido ampliamente estudiado. Sin embargo, el elevado número de puntos de medidas necesarios para caracterizar la variabilidad espacial de una parcela, hace que sea un sistema de difícil aplicación en grandes extensiones comerciales. La alternativa se basa en el uso de la teledetección. Con el desarrollo en los últimos años de sensores aerotransportados de alta resolución, se abren nuevas posibilidades para detectar el estado hídrico de los cultivos en grandes extensiones y poder realizar un manejo del riego más eficiente. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como principal objetivo desarrollar una herramienta que permita manejar la variabilidad espacial de los viñedos, mediante la utilización de la teledetección de alta resolución. Para tal fin, en primer lugar se han comparado dos metodologías para re-definir los sectores de riego, con el objetivo de disminuir la variabilidad productiva. Los métodos se basaron en el uso de índices estructurales de vegetación, tales como el Plant Cell Density (PCD) obtenidos a partir de imágenes multiespectrales, y con medidas del potencial hídrico de hoja (ΨL). Se presenta también el desarrollo del Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) en las cuatro variedades de viña Pinot-noir, Chardonnay, Syrah y Tempranillo, como herramienta para cuantificar el estado hídrico mediante la teledetección térmica. El CWSI se desarrolló empíricamente con sensores de temperatura infrarrojo para posteriormente poder generar mapas de CWSI mediante la adquisición de imágenes aéreas térmicas de alta resolución. El CWSI se desarrolló y validó con medidas de ΨL en las distintas fases fenológicas. Aspectos de operatividad, tales como el momento idóneo del día para detectar el estado hídrico mediante imágenes aéreas térmicas, la resolución espacial mínima requerida, o la plataforma aérea más adecuada, también han sido estudiados en esta tesis. La implementación de esta tecnología en la viticultura permitirá realizar un manejo del riego más eficiente teniendo en cuenta la variabilidad espacial del estado hídrico en un viñedo

A Remote Sensing Approach for Assessing Daily Cumulative Evapotranspiration Integral in Wheat Genotype Screening for Drought Adaptation

This study considers critical aspects of water management and crop productivity in wheat cultivation, specifically examining the daily cumulative actual evapotranspiration (ETa). Traditionally, ETa surface energy balance models have provided estimates at discrete time points, lacking a holistic integrated approach. Field trials were conducted with 22 distinct wheat varieties, grown under both irrigated and rainfed conditions over a two-year span. Leaf area index prediction was enhanced through a robust multiple regression model, incorporating data acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle using an RGB sensor, and resulting in a predictive model with an R2 value of 0.85. For estimation of the daily cumulative ETa integral, an integrated approach involving remote sensing and energy balance models was adopted. An examination of the relationships between crop yield and evapotranspiration (ETa), while considering factors like year, irrigation methods, and wheat cultivars, unveiled a pronounced positive asymptotic pattern. This suggests the presence of a threshold beyond which additional water application does not significantly enhance crop yield. However, a genetic analysis of the 22 wheat varieties showed no correlation between ETa and yield. This implies opportunities for selecting resource-efficient wheat varieties while minimizing water use. Significantly, substantial disparities in water productivity among the tested wheat varieties indicate the possibility of intentionally choosing lines that can optimize grain production while minimizing water usage within breeding programs. The results of this research lay the foundation for the development of resource-efficient agricultural practices and the cultivation of crop varieties finely attuned to water-scarce regions.This study is supported by the INVITE project (agreement No. 817970), funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program of the European Union. This study received support from a Consolidated Research Group grant awarded to the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) under grant number 2021 SGR 01429 (Technologies and crop solutions for drought mitigation—AGRI DROUGHT HUB).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Disaggregation of SMAP Soil Moisture at 20 m Resolution: Validation and Sub-Field Scale Analysis

This paper introduces a modified version of the DisPATCh (Disaggregation based on Physical And Theoretical scale Change) algorithm to disaggregate an SMAP surface soil moisture (SSM) product at a 20 m spatial resolution, through the use of sharpened Sentinel-3 land surface temperature (LST) data. Using sharpened LST as a high resolution proxy of SSM is a novel approach that needs to be validated and can be employed in a variety of applications that currently lack in a product with a similar high spatio-temporal resolution. The proposed high resolution SSM product was validated against available in situ data for two different fields, and it was also compared with two coarser DisPATCh products produced, disaggregating SMAP through the use of an LST at 1 km from Sentinel-3 and MODIS. From the correlation between in situ data and disaggregated SSM products, a general improvement was found in terms of Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R) for the proposed high resolution product with respect to the two products at 1 km. For the first field analyzed, R was equal to 0.47 when considering the 20 m product, an improvement compared to the 0.28 and 0.39 for the 1 km products. The improvement was especially noticeable during the summer season, in which it was only possible to successfully capture field-specific irrigation practices at the 20 m resolution. For the second field, R was 0.31 for the 20 m product, also an improvement compared to the 0.21 and 0.23 for the 1 km product. Additionally, the new product was able to depict SSM spatial variability at a sub-field scale and a validation analysis is also proposed at this scale. The main advantage of the proposed product is its very high spatio-temporal resolution, which opens up new opportunities to apply remotely sensed SSM data in disciplines that require fine spatial scales, such as agriculture and water management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimizing precision irrigation of a vineyard to improve water use efficiency and profitability by using a decision-oriented vine water consumption model

While the agronomic and economic benefits of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies have long been established in red wine grape varieties, spatial variability in water requirements across a vineyard limits their practical application. This study aims to evaluate the performance of an integrated methodology—based on a vine water consumption model and remote sensing data—to optimize the precision irrigation (PI) of a 100-ha commercial vineyard during two consecutive growing seasons. In addition, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted of the tested strategy. Using an NDVI generated map, a vineyard with 52 irrigation sectors and the varieties Tempranillo, Cabernet and Syrah was classified in three categories (Low, Medium and High). The proposed methodology allowed viticulturists to adopt a precise RDI strategy, and, despite differences in water requirement between irrigation sectors, pre-defined stem water potential thresholds were not exceeded. In both years, the difference between maximum and minimum water applied in the different irrigation sectors varied by as much as 25.6%. Annual transpiration simulations showed ranges of 240.1–340.8 mm for 2016 and 298.6–366.9 mm for 2017. According to the CBA, total savings of 7090.00 € (2016) and 9960.00 € (2017) were obtained in the 100-ha vineyard with the PI strategy compared to not PI. After factoring in PI technology and labor costs of 5090 €, the net benefit was 20.0 € ha−1 in 2016 and 48.7 € ha−1 in 2017. The water consumption model adopted here to optimize PI is shown to enhance vineyard profitability, water use efficiency and yield.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio