On the computation of confluent hypergeometric functions for large imaginary part of parameters b and z

The final publication is available at http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-42432-3_30We present an efficient algorithm for the confluent hypergeometric functions when the imaginary part of b and z is large. The algorithm is based on the steepest descent method, applied to a suitable representation of the confluent hypergeometric functions as a highly oscillatory integral, which is then integrated by using various quadrature methods. The performance of the algorithm is compared with open-source and commercial software solutions with arbitrary precision, and for many cases the algorithm achieves high accuracy in both the real and imaginary parts. Our motivation comes from the need for accurate computation of the characteristic function of the Arcsine distribution or the Beta distribution; the latter being required in several financial applications, for example, modeling the loss given default in the context of portfolio credit risk.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Length-weight relationships of demersal fishes from the upper continental slope off Colombia

Parameters of the length–weight relationship of the form W=aLb are presented for 45 demersal fish species caught on the upper continental slope of the Caribbean Sea off Colombia. The b values varied between 2.13 and 4.97, with the mean b = 3.042 (95% CI, 2.887- 3.196)

A Greenhouse Tomato Crop Grey Mould Disease Early Warning System

Tomato is a very important crop in the Mediterranean region in general and in Portugal in particular being the production for fresh consumption made essentially in greenhouses. Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr. is the causal agent of grey mould disease and is one of the most important diseases affecting greenhouse tomato crops, high relative humidity and the presence of free water on the plant surfaces have been recognized as favourable to the development of this disease. The availability of a early warning system providing to the tomato grower alerts with information of the potential favoured conditions for the disease appearance in its early stages or even before can have a very positive impact in reducing the economic and environmental impacts due to a more rational and efficient disease control management. Today we have the necessary technology to build and launch an Internet based early warning system for grey mould disease in greenhouse tomato crop supported by a wireless sensor network. In this paper a prototype for such a system is presented. From the research conducted until the moment the proposed solution is viable and the next step will be to validate it in the field in different locations and with distinct greenhouses conditions

Sexual dimorphism in bite performance drives morphological variation in chameleons

Phenotypic performance in different environments is central to understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive adaptive divergence and, ultimately, speciation. Because habitat structure can affect an animal's foraging behaviour, anti-predator defences, and communication behaviour, it can influence both natural and sexual selection pressures. These selective pressures, in turn, act upon morphological traits to maximize an animal's performance. For performance traits involved in both social and ecological activities, such as bite force, natural and sexual selection often interact in complex ways, providing an opportunity to understand the adaptive significance of morphological variation with respect to habitat. Dwarf chameleons within the Bradypodion melanocephalum-Bradypodion thamnobates species complex have multiple phenotypic forms, each with a specific head morphology that could reflect its use of either open-or closed-canopy habitats. To determine whether these morphological differences represent adaptations to their habitats, we tested for differences in both absolute and relative bite performance. Only absolute differences were found between forms, with the closed-canopy forms biting harder than their open-canopy counterparts. In contrast, sexual dimorphism was found for both absolute and relative bite force, but the relative differences were limited to the closed-canopy forms. These results indicate that both natural and sexual selection are acting within both habitat types, but to varying degrees. Sexual selection seems to be the predominant force within the closed-canopy habitats, which are more protected from aerial predators, enabling chameleons to invest more in ornamentation for communication. In contrast, natural selection is likely to be the predominant force in the open-canopy habitats, inhibiting the development of conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics and, ultimately, enforcing their overall diminutive body size and constraining performance

Spin-wave phase inverter upon a single nanodefect

Local modification of magnetic properties of nanoelements is a key to design future-generation magnonic devices, in which information is carried and processed via spin waves. One of the biggest challenges here is to fabricate simple and miniature phase-controlling elements with broad tunability. Here, we successfully realize such spin-wave phase shifter upon a single nanogroove milled by focused ion beam in a Co-Fe microsized magnonic waveguide. By varying the groove depth and the in-plane bias magnetic field we continuously tune the spin-wave phase and experimentally evidence a complete phase inversion. The microscopic mechanism of the phase shift is based on the combined action of the nanogroove as a geometrical defect and the lower spin-wave group velocity in the waveguide under the groove where the magnetization is reduced due to the incorporation of Ga ions during the ion-beam milling. The proposed phase shifter can easily be on-chip integrated with spin-wave logic gates and other magnonic devices. Our findings are crucial for designing nano-magnonic circuits and for the development of spin-wave nano-optics.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Aplicabilidad de las TIG en la generación de escenarios de futuro para una gestión integrada de las zonas costeras

Para una planificación y gestión coherente de las zonas costeras es fundamental que exista una profunda comprensión de las interacciones entre el hombre y el medio físico, siendo preciso integrar la información sobre el conocimiento del medio natural aportada por las diferentes disciplinas científicas, junto con la información del contexto socio-económico, normativo y cultural. Por tanto, la toma de decisiones en los espacios litorales debe apoyarse en instrumentos interdisciplinares, capaces de operar con distintos tipos de datos y abordar situaciones complejas e impredecibles. La simulación de escenarios es una importante herramienta para evaluar desarrollos futuros en sistemas complejos y dinámicos que poseen un número alto de incertidumbres, y por ello es una técnica muy adecuada para la gestión de las zonas costeras. Los escenarios permiten integrar modelos socioeconómicos con modelos físicos, químicos o biológicos, reflejar una amplia gama de tendencias y dinámicas, y trabajar con distintas escalas temporales y espaciales. En el presente artículo se examina el uso actual y el potencial de las TIG en la generación de escenarios de futuro para la gestión integrada de las zonas costeras. Para ello se ha realizado un análisis de su aplicabilidad de las TIG, identificando en qué fases de la elaboración de escenarios se pueden utilizar. Los resultados indican que estas tecnologías tienen un alto potencial y son aplicables en todas las fases de la generación de los escenarios. Una de las fortalezas identificadas es que las TIG incrementan la transparencia y fiabilidad de la generación de escenarios de futuro facilitando los procesos equitativos y participativos de negociación, toma de decisiones y planificación en las zonas costeras.To achieve a coherent planning and management of coastal areas it is necessary having a deep understanding of the interactions existing between human-being and the physical environment, integrating information from different scientific disciplines (hydrology, morphodynamics, soil science, ecology, etc.) and socio-economic, normative and cultural context information. Therefore decision-making in coastal areas must be based on interdisciplinaryinstruments capable of working with different type of data and dealing with complex and unpredictable situations. Scenario-making is one of the most important tools for assessing future developments in complex and dynamic systems which have a high number of uncertainties; thus it is a very suitable approach for coastal zone management. Scenarios can integrate socio-economic models with physical, chemical or biological models, reflect a broad range of trends and dynamics, and work with different temporal and spatial scales. In this paper the current and potential use of Geographical Information Technologies (GIT) is examined in the generation of future scenarios for an integrated management of coastal areas. An analysis of the applicability of the GIT has been done, identifying at which stage of scenario development GIT can be used. The results indicate that GIT have great potential and are applicable at all stages of the scenarios generation. One of the strengths identified is that GIT increase the transparency and reliability of the generation of future scenarios and facilitate equitable and participatory processes of negotiation, decision making and planning in coastal areas

High-Temperature Superconducting Level Meter for Liquid Argon Detectors

Capacitive devices are customarily used as probes to measure the level of noble liquids in detectors operated for neutrino studies and dark matter searches. In this work we describe the use of a high-temperature superconducting material as an alternative to control the level of a cryogenic noble liquid. Lab measurements indicate that the superconductor shows a linear behaviour, a high degree of stability and offers a very accurate determination of the liquid volume. This device is therefore a competitive instrument and shows several advantages over conventional level meters.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in JINS

Vegetación del Parque Natural de las Sierras Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama (Málaga-Granada, España).

Vegetación del Parque Natural de las Sierras Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama (Málaga-Granada, Andalucía, España). Se ha realizado un estudio florístico, fitocenológico y fitogeográfico del territorio comprendido en el Parque Natural. Bioclimáticamente aparecen los pisos termo, meso (el más extenso), supra y oromediterráneo con ombrotipos seco, subhúmedo y húmedo. Se propone una sectorización fitogeográfica a un nivel inferior al de sector, con cinco unidades: unidad Tejedense (Sierra Tejeda) la más occidental y diversa, unidad Jayenense (área de Jayena) con influencias ibérico-orientales, Almijarense (Sierra Almijara) la más representativa, Nerjeña (Sierra de Nerja) con influencia alpujarreña, y Cazulense (Sierra de Cázulas) la más oriental. El territorio presenta una gran diversidad de asociaciones y comunidades (126), algunas de ellas novedades sintaxonómicas, destacando Genistetalia haenseleri-ramosissimae ordo novus. Se han catalogado 23 series de vegetación. 9 de tipo climatófilo, caracterizadas por planifolios (Quercus rotundifolia, Q.suber, Q. pyrenaica y Acer granatensis), por gimnospermas (Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, J. sabina) o por arbustos sabanoides relictos (Maytenus senegalensis). 7 edafohidrófilas (caracterizadas respectivamente por Salix pedicellata, Salix eleagnos, Salix atrocinerea, Salix alba y Nerium oleander). Existe un complejo edafogénico de vegetación hidrófila (Erica erigena, E. terminalis, Schoenus nigricans). La vegetación permanente y edafoxerófila corresponde a 3 comunidades (caracterizadas por Buxus balearica, Pinus halepensis, Juniperus phoenicea o Pistacia lentiscus) y 3 series (de B. balearica, y de J. phoenicea con Pinus pinaster o con P. nigra subsp. salzmanii). Se aportan el esquema sintaxonómico, los inventarios y/o tablas fitosociológicas de novedades, un cuadro de series y un mapa fitogeográfico

DEFINICIÓN DE UN PROTOCOLO PARA LA REALIZACIÓN DE AUDITORÍAS ENERGÉTICAS EN INSTALACIONES GANADERAS: APLICACIÓN EN PEQUEÑAS Y MEDIANAS EXPLOTACIONES

En el presente trabajo se muestran los resultados de un proyecto desarrollado en España bajo los auspicios del Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE), el Ente Regional de la Energía de Castilla y León (EREN) y la Unión de Pequeños Agricultores (UPA), y aplicado en la región de Castilla y León, zona con un perfil productivo eminentemente agrícola y ganadero, cuyo objetivo fue la definición de un protocolo para la realización de auditorías energéticas en instalaciones ganaderas, focalizando aquellas de tamaño pequeño y mediano. En el protocolo se desarrolló la metodología para la caracterización y la formulación de mejoras de los siguientes elementos: Características constructivas, suministros energéticos, iluminación, motores eléctricos, calefacción, refrigeración y ventilación, energías renovables, equipamientos de aprovechamiento energético de residuos y equipamientos de control. El protocolo fue validado con la realización de auditorías energéticas en 15 explotaciones: 5 de vacuno lechero, 5 de ovino lechero, 3 de porcino de engorde y 2 de pollos de carne. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que con las medidas de eficiencia energética propuestas se consiguen ahorros medios en los consumos energéticos del 18 %, lo cual significa una disminución media del coste económico del 24,28 %