Biogeochemical processes controlling oxygen and carbon isotopes of diatom silica in Late Glacial to Holocene lacustrine rhythmites

Biogeochemical cycles and sedimentary records in lakes are related to climate controls on hydrology and catchment processes. Changes in the isotopic imposition of the diatom frustules (δ 18 O diatom and δ 13 C diatom ) in lacustrine sediments can be used to reconstruct palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes. The Lago Chungará (Andean Altiplano, 18°15 ′ S, 69°10 ′ W, 4520 masl) diatomaceous laminated sediments are made up of white and green multiannual rhythmites. White laminae were formed during short-term diatom super-blooms, and are composed almost exclusively of large-sized Cyclostephanos andinus.These diatoms bloom during mixing events when recycled nutrients from the bottom waters are brought to the surface and/or when nutrients are introduced from the catchment during periods of strong runoff. Conversely, the green laminae are thought to have been deposited over several years and are composed of a mixture of diatoms (mainly smaller valves of C. andinus and Discostella stelligera ) and organic matter. These green laminae reflect the lake's hydrological recovery from a status favouring the diatom super-blooms (white laminae) towards baseline conditions. δ 18 O diatom and δ 13 C diatom from 11,990 to 11,530 cal years BP allow us to reconstruct shifts in the precipitation/evaporation ratio and changes in the lake water dissolved carbon concentration, respectively. δ 18 O diatom values indicate that white laminae formation occurred mainly during low lake level stages, whereas green laminae formation generally occurred during high lake level stages. The isotope and chronostratigraphical data together suggest that white laminae deposition is caused by extraordinary environmental events. El Niño-Southern Oscillation and changes in solar activity are the most likely climate forcing mechanisms that could trigger such events, favouring hydrological changes at interannual-to-decadal scale. This study demonstrates the potential for laminated lake sediments to document extreme pluriannual events.

Socially anxious and confident men interact with a forward virtual woman: an experiment study

Male volunteers entered an immersive virtual reality that depicted a party, where they were approached by a lone virtual woman who initiated a conversation. The goal was to study how socially anxious and socially confident men would react to this event. Interest focused on whether the socially anxious participants would exhibit sustained anxiety during the conversation or whether this would diminish over time, and differ from the responses of the more socially confident men.

HPN rara, cara i desconeguda : Documental sobre l’Hemoglobinúria Paroxística Nocturna

Aquest treball acadèmic reflecteix, a través d’un documental audiovisual, la situació dels malalts d’HPN (Hemoglobinúria Paroxística Nocturna) a Espanya. Són un col•lectiu d’uns 300 afectats. Com a malaltia rara que és, fa que cada pacient tingui una situació molt diferent. En aquest treball, fet a partir d’entrevistes a malalts i experts, s’intenta explicar com viuen el seu dia a dia i quins problemes tenen.

Generació bisbalenca del 77: Mazoni, Miquel Abras i Sanjosex : Retrat d’una historia musical

El present Treball Final de Grau se centra en la vida i la carrera professional de tres cantautors bisbalencs que formen part del panorama musical català actual: Miquel Abras, Jaume Pla (conegut com a Mazoni) i Carles Sanjosé (conegut com a Sanjosex). A través d’ells s’ha estirat un fil que ens ha portat a descobrir la historia musical de la Bisbal des dels inicis de la famosa orquestra La Principal de la Bisbal (1888), passant per les dècades dels anys 80 i 90 amb grups com Komando Moriles o Club Moriarty, fins arribar a d’avui amb ells tres. L’anomenada Escena Bisbalenca avarca un panorama musical molt important per a la capital de la comarca del Baix Empordà. A partir d’aquí, s’han fet entrevistes a tota persona que hi estava relacionada, com la regidora de cultura de l’Ajuntament de la Bisbal, la discogràfica Bankrobber, els encarregats del projecte Escena Bisbalenca, entre altres. Gràcies a aquestes trobades, s’ha pogut fer un reportatge exhaustiu de per què la música a la Bisbal pren un paper tan rellevant; i poder saber per què tres musics que han nascut al mateix any i al mateix lloc han triomfat a la vegada.

Entrevista: Anna Di Salvo y Mirella Clausi

Entrevista amb Anna Di Salvo y Mirella Clausi