Comportamiento hidromorfológico de los microambientes de campos abandonados con lluvias intensas: experiencias en el Valle de Aisa (Pirineo Aragonés)

[Resumen] A partir de pruebas de simulación de lluvia se estudia la respuesta hidromorfológica de diferentes microambientes de campos abandonados en pendiente del Pirineo (valle de Aísa). Los resultados muestran pérdidas de suelo moderadas en los microambientes con buen cubrimiento vegetal, tanto si es de matorral como de herbáceas, y relativamente más elevadas en el enlosado de piedras. La disminución de la vegetación implica incrementos considerables en el coeficiente de escorrentía y en las pérdidas de suelo.[Abstract] Using a rainfall simulator the authors have studied the hydromorphological response of different micro-environments of abandoned sloping fields (Aísa Valley, Pyrenees). The results show moderate sediment losses in microenvironments with a good vegetable cover of shrub or meadows. The erosion is more important in fields with a stone pavement. The diminution of the vegetation involves considerable increments of the runoff coefficients and the erosion rates

Catchment soil moisture and rainfall characteristics as determinant factors for discharge/suspended sediment hysteretic loops in a small headwater catchment in the Spanish pyrenees

32 páginas, 7 figuras, 4 tablas.-- El PDF es el artículo en formato pre-print.The concentration of suspended sediment and discharge generated during flood events are not normally homogenous, and the curve representing sediment concentration vs. discharge through time is often a hysteretic loop. Three types of hysteretic loops were found at Arnás, a Mediterranean headwater catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees: clockwise (the most frequent), counter-clockwise and eight-shaped. They are associated with different levels of humidity and rainfall and therefore indicators of different processes of runoff and sediment transport. Clockwise loops are generated under ‘normal’ stormflow conditions, when the catchment is very moist and runoff generation and sediment supply is limited to areas next to the channel (i.e. sediments are removed, transported and depleted rapidly). Counter-clockwise curves occur under very high moisture and high antecedent rainfall conditions. In this case, flood propagation occurs as a kinematic wave. Sediment sources are incorporated all over the catchment. In both cases, saturation excess overland flow generates the superficial runoff. The eight-shaped loop (partial clockwise followed by counter-clockwise) occurs with low water content. Here, the runoff generation process is supposed to be infiltration excess overland flow, which causes a rapid extension of the contributing areas both near the channel and over the whole catchment.This paper has been supported by the following projects: ‘Water resources management in a changing environment: the impact of sediment on sustainability’ (WARMICE, ENV4-CT98-0789) funded by the European Comission, and ‘Assessment of sediment sources and runoff generation areas in relation to land use changes’ (HIDROESCALA, REN2000-1709-C04-01/GLO) and ‘Hydrological processes in semi-natural Mediterranean areas’ (PROHISEM, REN 2001-2268-C02-01/HID), both funded by CICYT. Monitoring of the catchment has been supported by the agreement between CSIC and the Spanish Ministry of Environment (RESEL).Peer reviewe

Design and operation of a Rayleigh Ohnesorge Jetting Extensional Rheometer (ROJER) to study extensional properties of low viscosity polymer solutions

The Rayleigh Ohnesorge Jetting Extensional Rheometer (ROJER) enables measurement of very short relaxation times of low viscosity complex fluids such as those encountered in ink-jet printing and spraying applications. This paper focuses on the design and operation of the ROJER. The performance of two nozzle designs are compared using Newtonian fluids alongside a study using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Subsequently a disposable nozzle is developed that overcomes issues of blockage and cleaning. The operability of this design is subject to a focused study where low viscosity polymer solutions are characterised. The test fluid materials are ethyl hydroxy-ethyl cellulose (EHEC) and poly ethylene oxide (PEO) mixed with water/glycerol solutions. Results obtained by the disposable nozzle are encouraging, paving the way for a more cost-efficient and robust ROJER setup

Do Incidental Environmental Anchors Bias Consumers’ Price Estimations?

It is well-established that decision makers bias their estimates of unknown quantities in the direction of a salient numerical anchor. Some standard anchoring paradigms have been shown to yield pervasive biases, such as Tversky and Kahneman’s (1974) classic 2-step task which includes a comparative question followed by an estimation question. In contrast there is much less evidence for the claim that incidental environmental anchors can produce assimilative effects on judgments, such as the amount people are willing to pay for a meal being greater at a restaurant called Studio 97 compared to one called Studio 17. Three studies are reported in which the basic incidental environmental anchoring method of Critcher and Gilovich (2008) is employed to measure consumer price estimations. No statistically significant evidence of incidental anchoring was obtained. In contrast, robust standard anchoring effects were found. The results suggest that anchoring is limited to situations which require explicit thinking about the anchor

Is project-based learning effective among kindergarten and elementary students? A systematic review

Project-based learning (PjBL) is becoming widespread in many schools. However, the evidence of its effectiveness in the classroom is still limited, especially in basic education. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the empirical evidence assessing the impact of PjBL on academic achievement of kindergarten and elementary students. We also examined the quality of studies, their compliance with basic prerequisites for a successful result, and their fidelity towards the key elements of PBL intervention. For this objective, we conducted a literature search in January 2020. The inclusion criteria for the review required that studies followed a pre-post design with control group and measured quantitatively the impact of PBL on content knowledge of students. The final sample included eleven articles comprising data from 722 students. The studies yielded inconclusive results, had important methodological flaws, and reported insufficient or no information about important aspects of the materials, procedure and key requirements from students and instructors to guarantee the success of PjBL. Educational implications of these results are discussed

Image based machine learning for identification of macrophage subsets

Macrophages play a crucial rule in orchestrating immune responses against pathogens and foreign materials. Macrophages have remarkable plasticity in response to environmental cues and are able to acquire a spectrum of activation status, best exemplified by pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes at the two ends of the spectrum. Characterisation of M1 and M2 subsets is usually carried out by quantification of multiple cell surface markers, transcription factors and cytokine profiles. These approaches are time consuming, require large numbers of cells and are resource intensive. In this study, we used machine learning algorithms to develop a simple and fast imaging-based approach that enables automated identification of different macrophage functional phenotypes using their cell size and morphology. Fluorescent microscopy was used to assess cell morphology of different cell types which were stained for nucleus and actin distribution using DAPI and phalloidin respectively. By only analysing their morphology we were able to identify M1 and M2 phenotypes effectively and could distinguish them from naïve macrophages and monocytes with an average accuracy of 90%. Thus we suggest high-content and automated image analysis can be used for fast phenotyping of functionally diverse cell populations with reasonable accuracy and without the need for using multiple markers

A technostress–entrepreneurship nexus in the developing world

Research indicates that entrepreneurs are relying on digital technology for their en-trepreneurial endeavours, yet there is little knowledge on how to balance technology usage and wellbeing. Drawing on the concept of technostress and 643 observations of nascent South African entrepreneurs' interactions with digital technology, we advance knowledge at the technostress-entrepreneurship nexus. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) results reveal how digital self-efficacy moderates their behaviour and inability to balance digital technology usage with wellbeing. These results confirm entrepreneurship passion and perceived behav-ioural control as predictors of technostress amongst these entrepreneurs. They also suggest that the benefits of digital technology are not a predictor of technostress in African entrepreneurship; thus, extending a conceptual overlay of digital technology , digital self-efficacy, entrepreneurial passion (EP), and behaviour to define the mechanisms underlying a technostress-entrepreneurship nexus. The results show social, policy, and research implications in today's technology-driven environments characterised by a mixture of midrange to complete digital transformations

Registered Replication Report: Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998)

Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998) reported that participants primed with a category associated with intelligence ("professor") subsequently performed 13% better on a trivia test than participants primed with a category associated with a lack of intelligence ("soccer hooligans"). In two unpublished replications of this study designed to verify the appropriate testing procedures, Dijksterhuis, van Knippenberg, and Holland observed a smaller difference between conditions (2%-3%) as well as a gender difference: Men showed the effect (9.3% and 7.6%), but women did not (0.3% and -0.3%). The procedure used in those replications served as the basis for this multilab Registered Replication Report. A total of 40 laboratories collected data for this project, and 23 of these laboratories met all inclusion criteria. Here we report the meta-analytic results for those 23 direct replications (total N = 4,493), which tested whether performance on a 30-item general-knowledge trivia task differed between these two priming conditions (results of supplementary analyses of the data from all 40 labs, N = 6,454, are also reported). We observed no overall difference in trivia performance between participants primed with the "professor" category and those primed with the "hooligan" category (0.14%) and no moderation by gender

Multi-tracing of recharge seasonality and contamination in groundwater: a tool for urban water resource management

In this study, sources of recharge and contamination in urban groundwater and in groundwater un- derneath a forest in the same aquifer were determined and compared. Data on hydro-chemical pa- rameters and stable isotopes of water were collected in urban and forest springs in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, over a period of 12 months. Groundwater transit time and precipitation contribution were calculated using hydrogeological data and stable isotopes of water to delineate groundwater recharge conditions. Hydro-chemical data, stable isotopes and emerging contaminants were used to trace anthropogenic groundwater recharge and approximate sewage and tap water contributions to the aquifer. The results indicated that each spring had unique isotopic signatures that could be explained by recharge conditions, groundwater residence time, and specific mixing patterns with sewage and water leaks. Elevated nitrate content, stable isotopes of nitrate, and the presence of emerging pollutants (mainly illicit drugs) in most of the urban springs confirmed mixing of urban groundwater with sewage leaks. These leaks amounted to up to 25% of total recharge and exhibited seasonal variations in some springs. Overall, the results show that urban groundwater receives variable seasonal contributions of anthropogenic components that increase the risk to the environment and human health, and reduce its usability for drinking water production. The multi-tracing approach presented can be useful for other cities worldwide that have similar problems of poor water management and inadequate sewage and water supply infrastructure