Application of Vegetation Indices to Estimate Acorn Production at Iberian

The Iberian pig valued natural resources of the pasture when fattened in mountain. The variability of acorn production is not contained in any line of Spanish agricultural insurance. However, the production of arable pasture is covered by line insurance number 133 for loss of pasture compensation. This scenario is only contemplated for breeding cows and brave bulls, sheep, goats and horses, although pigs are not included. This insurance is established by monitoring ten-day composites Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measured by satellite over treeless pastures, using MODIS TERRA satellite. The aim of this work is to check if we can use a satellite vegetation index to estimate the production of acorns.

Sex copiosissimi indices [Texto impreso] : diu multumque hactenus ab omnibus desiderati summae theologicae D. Thomae Aquinatis

Port. con grab. que representa el rostro de Santo Tomas

Multi-component assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : an evaluation of the ADO and DOSE indices and the global obstructive lung disease categories in international primary care data sets

Funding The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) provided funding for this research project as an UNLOCK group study for which the funding was obtained through an unrestricted grant by Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland. The latter funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Database access for the OPCRD was provided by the Respiratory Effectiveness Group (REG) and Research in Real Life; the OPCRD statistical analysis was funded by REG. The Bocholtz Study was funded by PICASSO for COPD, an initiative of Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer and the Caphri Research Institute, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

The TIGR Gene Indices: analysis of gene transcript sequences in highly sampled eukaryotic species

While genome sequencing projects are advancing rapidly, EST sequencing and analysis remains a primary research tool for the identification and categorization of gene sequences in a wide variety of species and an important resource for annotation of genomic sequence. The TIGR Gene Indices (http://www.tigr.org/tdb/tgi.shtml) are a collection of species-specific databases that use a highly refined protocol to analyze EST sequences in an attempt to identify the genes represented by that data and to provide additional information regarding those genes. Gene Indices are constructed by first clustering, then assembling EST and annotated gene sequences from GenBank for the targeted species. This process produces a set of unique, high-fidelity virtual transcripts, or Tentative Consensus (TC) sequences. The TC sequences can be used to provide putative genes with functional annotation, to link the transcripts to mapping and genomic sequence data, to provide links between orthologous and paralogous genes and as a resource for comparative sequence analysis.

Analysis of the spectral response of fractal antennas related with its geometry and current paths

Fractal antennas have been proposed to improve the bandwidth of resonant structures and optical antennas. Their multiband characteristics are of interest in radiofrequency and microwave technologies. In this contribution we link the geometry of the current paths built-in the fractal antenna with the spectral response. We have seen that the actual currents owing through the structure are not limited to the portion of the fractal that should be geometrically linked with the signal. This fact strongly depends on the design of the fractal and how the different scales are arranged within the antenna. Some ideas involving materials that could actively respond to the incoming radiation could be of help to spectrally select the response of the multiband design.

Can fractal-like spectra be experimentally observed in aperiodic superlattices?

We numerically investigate the effects of inhomogeneities in the energy spectrum of aperiodic semiconductor superlattices, focusing our attention on Thue-Morse and Fibonacci sequences. In the absence of disorder, the corresponding electronic spectra are self-similar. The presence of a certain degree of randomness, due to imperfections occurring during the growth processes, gives rise to a progressive loss of quantum coherence, smearing out the finer details of the energy spectra predicted for perfect aperiodic superlattices and spurring the onset of electron localization. However, depending on the degree of disorder introduced, a critical size for the system exists, below which peculiar transport properties, related to the pre-fractal nature of the energy spectrum, may be measured.

Histoire et archéologie de la transition en al‐Andalus: les indices matériels de l’islamisation à Tudmīr

El objetivo de este trabajo es el reconocimiento material de la islamización en la Cora o provincia de Tudmīr, a partir de la investigación arqueológica. Se realiza un balance crítico de una década de investigaciones individuales y colectivas, presentando las últimas novedades sobre el poblamiento y las formas de implantación territorial en el sudeste de al-Andalus. La arqueología, entendida como una de las fuentes históricas más innovadoras en la discusión sobre la formación de al-Andalus, se convierte en un valioso instrumento de caracterización material de la sociedad islámica y permite reconocer los indicadores sociales (urbanismo y espacios domésticos), culturales (islamización religiosa y arabización lingüística) y cronológicos (moneda, cerámica, etc.) del proceso de islamización.

A methodology for applying Taxonomic Sufficiency and benthic biotic indices in two Mediterranean areas

Biotic indices have been developed to summarise information provided by benthic macroinvertebrates, but their use can require specialized taxonomic expertise as well as a time-consuming operation. Using high taxonomic level in biotic indices reduces sampling processing time but should be considered with caution, since assigning tolerance level to high taxonomic levels may cause uncertainty. A methodology for family level tolerance categorization based on the affinity of each family with disturbed or undisturbed conditions was employed. This family tolerance classification approach was tested in two different areas from Mediterranean Sea affected by sewage discharges. Biotic indices employed at family level responded correctly to sewage presence. However, in areas with different communities among stations and high diversity of species within each family, assigning the same tolerance level to a whole family could imply mistakes. Thus, use of high taxonomic level in biotic indices should be only restricted to areas where homogeneous community is presented and families across sites have similar species composition.

On the existence of fractal strings whose set of dimensions of fractality is not perfect

In this paper we give an example of a nonlattice self-similar fractal string such that the set of real parts of their complex dimensions has an isolated point. This proves that, in general, the set of dimensions of fractality of a fractal string is not a perfect set.

Screening Subclinical Keratoconus With Placido-Based Corneal Indices

Purpose. To assess in a sample of normal, keratoconic, and keratoconus (KC) suspect eyes the performance of a set of new topographic indices computed directly from the digitized images of the Placido rings. Methods. This comparative study was composed of a total of 124 eyes of 106 patients from the ophthalmic clinics Vissum Alicante and Vissum Almería (Spain) divided into three groups: control group (50 eyes), KC group (50 eyes), and KC suspect group (24 eyes). In all cases, a comprehensive examination was performed, including the corneal topography with a Placidobased CSO topography system. Clinical outcomes were compared among groups, along with the discriminating performance of the proposed irregularity indices. Results. Significant differences at level 0.05 were found on the values of the indices among groups by means of Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon nonparametric test and Fisher exact test. Additional statistical methods, such as receiver operating characteristic analysis and K-fold cross validation, confirmed the capability of the indices to discriminate between the three groups. Conclusions. Direct analysis of the digitized images of the Placido mires projected on the cornea is a valid and effective tool for detection of corneal irregularities. Although based only on the data from the anterior surface of the cornea, the new indices performed well even when applied to the KC suspect eyes. They have the advantage of simplicity of calculation combined with high sensitivity in corneal irregularity detection and thus can be used as supplementary criteria for diagnosing and grading KC that can be added to the current keratometric classifications.

¿Podemos considerar la docencia como un fractal?

Este trabajo surge de una reflexión de las tantas que se plantea el profesor cada curso académico. Estas reflexiones nos han llevado a analizar los distintos puntos de vista del estudiante y del profesor frente a la realidad que se desarrolla en el aula, tratando aspectos como la motivación y el trabajo del estudiante, la masificación de las aulas y el diseño de las actividades formativas. Resultado de este estudio, se propone un modelo docente basado en los principios de la geometría fractal, en el sentido de que se plantean diferentes niveles de abstracción para las diversas actividades formativas y éstas son auto similares, es decir, se descomponen una y otra vez. En cada nivel una actividad se descompone en tareas de un nivel inferior junto con su evaluación correspondiente. Con este modelo se fomenta la retroalimentación y la motivación del estudiante. El modelo presentado se contextualiza en una asignatura de introducción a la programación pero es totalmente generalizable a otra materia.

On the Complex Dimensions of Nonlattice Fractal Strings in Connection with Dirichlet Polynomials

In this paper we give a new characterization of the closure of the set of the real parts of the zeros of a particular class of Dirichlet polynomials that is associated with the set of dimensions of fractality of certain fractal strings. We show, for some representative cases of nonlattice Dirichlet polynomials, that the real parts of their zeros are dense in their associated critical intervals, confirming the conjecture and the numerical experiments made by M. Lapidus and M. van Frankenhuysen in several papers.

Teaching as a fractal: from experience to model

The aim of this work is to improve students’ learning by designing a teaching model that seeks to increase student motivation to acquire new knowledge. To design the model, the methodology is based on the study of the students’ opinion on several aspects we think importantly affect the quality of teaching (such as the overcrowded classrooms, time intended for the subject or type of classroom where classes are taught), and on our experience when performing several experimental activities in the classroom (for instance, peer reviews and oral presentations). Besides the feedback from the students, it is essential to rely on the experience and reflections of lecturers who have been teaching the subject several years. This way we could detect several key aspects that, in our opinion, must be considered when designing a teaching proposal: motivation, assessment, progressiveness and autonomy. As a result we have obtained a teaching model based on instructional design as well as on the principles of fractal geometry, in the sense that different levels of abstraction for the various training activities are presented and the activities are self-similar, that is, they are decomposed again and again. At each level, an activity decomposes into a lower level tasks and their corresponding evaluation. With this model the immediate feedback and the student motivation are encouraged. We are convinced that a greater motivation will suppose an increase in the student’s working time and in their performance. Although the study has been done on a subject, the results are fully generalizable to other subjects.

Estudio del comportamiento fractal espacial de la superficie del terreno, considerando factores del relieve climáticos, estructurales y litológicos

El presente estudio parte de la hipótesis de que hay una relación numérica entre la forma de la superficie geomórfica y los factores de modelado del relieve. La metodología utilizada es el análisis multifractal de las curvas de nivel de Modelos Digitales del Terreno de toda España. Para ello hemos utilizado software libre en todos los pasos. Los resultados obtenidos hacen pensar que esta correlación existe, en el factor climático (gradiente de precipitación máxima anual) y estructural (peligrosidad sísmica). El factor litológico no ha dado ajuste algo, probablemente debido a la falta de datos precisos.