Directional wave measurements using the Offshore Sensing Sailbuoy, link to MATLAB file

An autonomous vessel, the Offshore Sensing Sailbuoy, was used for wave measurements near the Ekofisk oil platform complex in the North Sea (56.5 N, 3.2 E, operated by ConocoPhilllips) from 6 to 20 November 2015. Being 100% wind propelled, the Sailbuoy has two-way communication via the Iridium network and has the capability for missions of six months or more. It has previously been deployed in the Arctic, Norwegian Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, but this was the first real test for wave measurements. During the campaign it held position about 20km northeast of Ekofisk (on the lee side) during rough conditions. Mean wind speed measured at Ekofisk during the campaign was near 9.8m/s, with a maximum of 20.4m/s, with wind mostly from south and south west. A Datawell MOSE G1000 GPS based 2Hz wave sensor was mounted on the Sailbuoy. Mean significant wave height (Hs 1hr) measured was 3m, whereas maximum Hs was 6m. Mean wave period was 7.7s, while maximum wave height, Hmax, was 12.6m. These measurements have been compared with non-directional Waverider observations at the Ekofisk complex. Mean Hs at Ekofisk was 3.1m, while maximum Hs was 6.5m. Nevertheless, the correlation between the two measurements was high (97%). Spectra comparison was also good, except for low Hs (~1m), where the motion of the vessel seemed to influence the measurements. Nevertheless, the Sailbuoy performed well during this campaign, and results suggests that it is a suitable platform for wave measurements in rather rough sea conditions.

Grain size distribution and sea level changes in Gåsfjärden fjord

We analysed long-term variations in grain-size distribution in sediments from Gåsfjärden, a fjord-like inlet on the south-west Baltic Sea, and explored potential drivers of the recorded changes in sediment grain-size data. Over the last 5.4 thousand years (ka), the relative sea level decreased 17 m in the study region, caused by isostatic land uplift. As a consequence, Gåsfjärden has been transformed from an open coastal setting into a semi-closed inlet surrounded on the east by numerous small islands. To quantitatively estimate the morphological changes in Gåsfjärden over the last 5.4 ka and to further link the changes to our grain-size data, a digital elevation model (DEM)-based openness index was calculated. In the period between 5.4 and 4.4 ka BP, the inlet was characterised by the largest openness index. During this interval, the highest sand contents (~0.4 %) and silt/clay ratios (~0. 3) in the sediment sequence were recorded, indicating relatively high bottom water energy. After 4.4 ka BP, the average sand content was halved to ~0.2 % and the silt/clay ratios showed a significant decreasing trend over the last 4 ka. These changes are found to be associated with the gradual embayment of Gåsfjärden as represented in the openness index. The silt/clay ratios exhibited a delayed and slower change compared with the sand contents, which further suggest that finer particles are less sensitive to changes in hydrodynamic energy. Our DEM-based coastal openness index has proved to be a useful tool for interpreting the sedimentary grain-size record.

Juniperus navicularis - a study of Portuguese population structure and fitness

Juniperus navicularis Gand. is a dioecious endemic conifer that constitutes the understory of seaside pine forests in Portugal, areas currently threatened by increasing urban expansion. The aim of this study is to assess the conservation status of previously known populations of this species located on its core area of distribution. The study was performed in south-west coast of Portugal. Three populations varying in size and pine density were analyzed. Number of individuals, population density, spatial distribution and individual characteristics of junipers were estimated. Female cone, seed characteristics and seed viability were also evaluated. Results suggest that J. navicularis populations are vulnerable because seminal recruitment is scarce, what may lead to a reduction of genetic variability due solely to vegetative propagation. This vulnerability seems to be strongly determined by climatic constraints toward increasing aridity. Ratio between male and female shrubs did not differ from 1:1 in any population. Deviations from 1:1 between mature and non-mature plants were found in all populations, denoting population ageing. Very low seed viability was observed. A major part of described Juniperus navicularis populations have disappeared through direct habitat loss to urban development, loss of fitness in drier and warmer locations and low seed viability. This study is the first to address J. navicularis conservation, and represents a valuable first step toward this species preservation. 

Haematological and biochemical blood study in baby alpaca with diarrhoea

The aim of this study was to determine the haematological value and biochemical blood in baby alpacas with enteric disorder. A total of 30 blood and serum samples were collected from alpacas of 1 month old with diarrhoea and 5 blood samples of clinically healthy baby alpacas (controls). The animals were from communities in the central Andes from Peru. About haematology were determined haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, red blood count and white blood count that were not significantly different between control animals and animals with diarrhoea. Moreover, biochemical blood parameters as total protein, albumin and calcium decrease significantly (p<0.05). We conclude that our results could be considered as factors in the mortality of baby alpaca by infectious diarrhoea.

Late-career international migration and reproductive work. A comparison between Peruvian and Ukrainian women in the Southern Europe

Research on the relationship between reproductive work and women´s life trajectories including the experience of labour migration has mainly focused on the case of relatively young mothers who leave behind, or later re-join, their children. While it is true that most women migrate at a younger age, there are a significant number of cases of men and women who move abroad for labour purposes at a more advanced stage, undertaking a late-career migration. This is still an under-estimated and under-researched sub-field that uncovers a varied range of issues, including the global organization of reproductive work and the employment of migrant women as domestic workers late in their lives. By pooling the findings of two qualitative studies, this article focuses on Peruvian and Ukrainian women who seek employment in Spain and Italy when they are well into their forties, or older. A commonality the two groups of women share is that, independently of their level of education and professional experience, more often than not they end up as domestic and care workers. The article initially discusses the reasons for late-career female migration, taking into consideration the structural and personal determinants that have affected Peruvian and Ukrainian women’s careers in their countries of origin and settlement. After this, the focus is set on the characteristics of domestic employment at later life, on the impact on their current lives, including the transnational family organization, and on future labour and retirement prospects. Apart from an evaluation of objective working and living conditions, we discuss women’s personal impressions of being domestic workers in the context of their occupational experiences and family commitments. In this regard, women report varying levels of personal and professional satisfaction, as well as different patterns of continuity-discontinuity in their work and family lives, and of optimism towards the future. Divergences could be, to some extent, explained by the effect of migrants´ transnational social practices and policies of states.

Spatio-temporal characteristics of Agulhas leakage: a model inter-comparison study

Investigating the variability of Agulhas leakage, the volume transport of water from the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic Ocean, is highly relevant due to its potential contribution to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation as well as the global circulation of heat and salt and hence global climate. Quantifying Agulhas leakage is challenging due to the non-linear nature of this process; current observations are insufficient to estimate its variability and ocean models all have biases in this region, even at high resolution . An Eulerian threshold integration method is developed to examine the mechanisms of Agulhas leakage variability in six ocean model simulations of varying resolution. This intercomparison, based on the circulation and thermo- haline structure at the Good Hope line, a transect to the south west of the southern tip of Africa, is used to identify features that are robust regardless of the model used and takes into account the thermohaline biases of each model. When determined by a passive tracer method, 60 % of the magnitude of Agulhas leakage is captured and more than 80 % of its temporal fluctuations, suggesting that the method is appropriate for investigating the variability of Agulhas leakage. In all simulations but one, the major driver of variability is associated with mesoscale features passing through the section. High resolution (<1/10 deg.) hindcast models agree on the temporal (2–4 cycles per year) and spatial (300–500 km) scales of these features corresponding to observed Agulhas Rings. Coarser resolution models (<1/4 deg.) reproduce similar time scale of variability of Agulhas leakage in spite of their difficulties in representing the Agulhas rings properties. A coarser resolution climate model (2 deg.) does not resolve the spatio-temporal mechanism of variability of Agulhas leakage. Hence it is expected to underestimate the contribution of Agulhas Current System to climate variability.

Spatio-temporal characteristics of Agulhas leakage: a model inter-comparison study

Investigating the variability of Agulhas leakage, the volume transport of water from the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic Ocean, is highly relevant due to its potential contribution to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation as well as the global circulation of heat and salt and hence global climate. Quantifying Agulhas leakage is challenging due to the non-linear nature of this process; current observations are insufficient to estimate its variability and ocean models all have biases in this region, even at high resolution . An Eulerian threshold integration method is developed to examine the mechanisms of Agulhas leakage variability in six ocean model simulations of varying resolution. This intercomparison, based on the circulation and thermo- haline structure at the Good Hope line, a transect to the south west of the southern tip of Africa, is used to identify features that are robust regardless of the model used and takes into account the thermohaline biases of each model. When determined by a passive tracer method, 60 % of the magnitude of Agulhas leakage is captured and more than 80 % of its temporal fluctuations, suggesting that the method is appropriate for investigating the variability of Agulhas leakage. In all simulations but one, the major driver of variability is associated with mesoscale features passing through the section. High resolution (<1/10 deg.) hindcast models agree on the temporal (2–4 cycles per year) and spatial (300–500 km) scales of these features corresponding to observed Agulhas Rings. Coarser resolution models (<1/4 deg.) reproduce similar time scale of variability of Agulhas leakage in spite of their difficulties in representing the Agulhas rings properties. A coarser resolution climate model (2 deg.) does not resolve the spatio-temporal mechanism of variability of Agulhas leakage. Hence it is expected to underestimate the contribution of Agulhas Current System to climate variability.

Using multifractals to evaluate oceanographic model skill

We are in an era of unprecedented data volumes generated from observations and model simulations. This is particularly true from satellite Earth Observations (EO) and global scale oceanographic models. This presents us with an opportunity to evaluate large scale oceanographic model outputs using EO data. Previous work on model skill evaluation has led to a plethora of metrics. The paper defines two new model skill evaluation metrics. The metrics are based on the theory of universal multifractals and their purpose is to measure the structural similarity between the model predictions and the EO data. The two metrics have the following advantages over the standard techniques: a) they are scale-free, b) they carry important part of information about how model represents different oceanographic drivers. Those two metrics are then used in the paper to evaluate the performance of the FVCOM model in the shelf seas around the south-west coast of the UK.

Using multifractals to evaluate oceanographic model skill

We are in an era of unprecedented data volumes generated from observations and model simulations. This is particularly true from satellite Earth Observations (EO) and global scale oceanographic models. This presents us with an opportunity to evaluate large scale oceanographic model outputs using EO data. Previous work on model skill evaluation has led to a plethora of metrics. The paper defines two new model skill evaluation metrics. The metrics are based on the theory of universal multifractals and their purpose is to measure the structural similarity between the model predictions and the EO data. The two metrics have the following advantages over the standard techniques: a) they are scale-free, b) they carry important part of information about how model represents different oceanographic drivers. Those two metrics are then used in the paper to evaluate the performance of the FVCOM model in the shelf seas around the south-west coast of the UK.

Visibilidad y percepción en la construcción de un paisaje Prehistórico. El caso de Calviá (Mallorca, Islas Baleares)

El presente trabajo se centra en el estudio del papel que juega el control visual del espacio en las prácticas sociales de las comunidades prehistóricas. Este trabajo se articula a partir de un estudio de caso, el término municipal de Calviá, situado en el sureste de la isla de Mallorca, para analizar las diferentes formas de monumentalidad arquitectónica y cómo estas se constituyen cómo un punto de referencia social dentro del paisaje. Partiendo de una amplia horquilla temporal, que abarcaría el Bronce Naviforme (1550-850 AC), el período Talayótico (850-550 AC) y el Postalayótico (550-123 AC), se propone analizar los cambios y pervivencias en la construcción del paisaje, a través de estrategias de visibilidad, percepción y movimiento alrededor de los monumentos arquitectónicos. A través de la perspectiva de la Arqueología del Paisaje y mediante el uso de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) se propone un análisis de tendencias a largo plazo en la configuración social de un paisaje.

Myths and Realities of Inter-professional Working

Introduction: Childhood cancers are rare and community based health care professionals have limited experience in caring for these children and often even less experience in providing their palliative care. It is well recognised that the provision of palliative care falls beyond the remit of any one profession, thus inter professional working is the standard model. This qualitative study aims to examine the experiences of the range of health care professionals involved in providing palliative care at home for children with cancer, focusing on how knowledge is exchanged; the level of communication and support both interprofessionally and at the community/specialist interface. It also aims to examine interprofessional collaboration in palliative care; identifying healthcare professional's perceptions of problems involved, interprofessional boundaries, specific areas of the organisation or provision of care that could be enhanced through changes in practice, support issues and the educational needs of health professionals. Methods The study involves three types of data collection; in-depth interviews, facilitated case discussion (FCD) and field notes from up to 20 cases (a "case" refers to the provision of palliative care to one child). Cases are selected from children who were treated at one regional childhood caner centre. For each case the community based health care professionals (for example the GP, community nurse or health visitor) involved in the care of the child at home are invited to participate in a one-to-one tape recorded in-depth interview followed by a group discussion in the form of a FCD. Field notes are completed following each interview. Data analysis follows a grounded theory approach. The term "social worlds theory" (SWT) his used to define a type of social organisation with no fixed or formal boundaries (such as membership boundaries), for example the range of health professionals that work together to provide palliative care. The boundaries of SW's are determined by the interaction and communication between recognised organisations, such as community nursing teams and general practitioners. SWT examines encounters between different professional groups and can be used to extend knowledge in both the organisation (for example general practice) and the content of what is being provisioned (for example, palliative care). The use of SWT in the analysis of the data is through examining the ethos of the different professions and the associated individual approaches to palliative care, exploring how this determines their roles in the provision of palliative care. Results 10 cases have so far been completed: 47 1:1 interviews (with a range of between 2-7 health care professionals being involved in each case): ( 9 x GP, 19 x CCN, 4 x DN, 3 x HV, 1 x HV assistant 7 x paediatric palliative care nurses, 1 x home support worker, 1 x OT, 1 x physiotherapist, 1 x community paediatrician) and 5 x FCD. The range of participants in the FCDs reflected that of the individual interview sampler. Data obtained to date gives clear insight into the personal experience of the individual health care professional in providing palliative care. Two themes emerging from the data will be focused upon: the continuity of care provision throughout treatment and palliation and the emotional burden experiences by the health care professional. Conclusions SWT can provide a useful framework in examining the social worlds of a disparate group of health care professionals working together for the first and maybe, the only time. A wide variation in the continuity of care provision has been found not only between professions, but also within professions. The emotional burden is evident across the professions.

Lake Albert fisheries resources and their management strategy

Lake Albert/Mobutu lies along the Zaire-Uganda border in 43/57 per cent ratio in the faulted depression tending south-west to the north east. It is bounded by latitudes 1o0 n to 2o 20’ N and longitudes 30o 20’ to 31o 20’E. It has a width varying from 35 to 45 km (22 to 28 miles) as measured between the scarps at the lake level. It covers an area of 5600km2 and has a maximum depth of 48m. The major inflow is through the Semiliki, an outflow of Lake Edward, Muzizi and Victoria Nile draining lakes Victoria and Kyoga while the Albert Nile is the outflow. The physical, chemical and biological productivity parameters are summarized in Table 1. The scarp is steep but not sheer and there are at least 4 tracks leading down it to villages on the shore and scarp land scarp is a young one, formed as a result of earth movements of the Pleistocene times, and the numerous streams come down headlong down its thousand feet drop, more often than not in falls (Baker, 1954). Sometimes there appears to be a clean fault; and at other places there is the appearrence of step faulting, although this may be of only a superical nature .The escarpment’s composed of rocks belonging to the pre-Cambrian Basement complex of the content; but the floor of the depression is covered with young sedimentary rocks, known as kaiso beds. In their upper part these latter beds contains many pebbles; whilst low down the occurrence fossiliferous beds is sufficiently rare phenomenon in the interior plateau of Africa. The kaiso beds dated as possibly middle Pleistocene in age, are exposed in various flats on the shore, and they presumably extend under the relatively shallow waters of the lake. A feature of the shore is the development of sandpits and the enclosure of lagoons; and these can be observed in various stages of development at kaiso, Tonya, kibiro, Buhuka and above all, at Butiaba. On an island lake over 1100 km (700 miles) from the shores of the Indian Ocean one can thus study some of the shore-line phenomena usually associated with the sea- coast (Worthington, 1929). In the north, from Butiaba onwards, the flats become wider and from a continuous lowland as the lake shore curves away from the straight edge of the escarpment. At a height of just 610m (2000 feet) above sea-level, the rift valley floor at Butiaba has a mean annual temperature of 25.60c (780 f), from which there is virtually no seasonal variation; and and the mean daily range is only 6.50c (130f) (E.Afr. met. Dept.1953). With a mean annual rainfall of not much more than 762mm (309 inches) and only 92 rain days in ayear, again to judge from Butiaba, conditions in the rift valley are semi-arid; and the vegetation cover consists of grasses and scattered drought-resisting trees and bushes. Only near the stream courses does the vegetation thicken.

Premières observations hydrologiques profondes dans la bale (i.e. baie) de Cam-Ranh

Results obtained from the first deep water study of the Bay are exposed here. In particular, a weak upwelling is noted near the South-West part of the Tague Island

Survey on gill parasites of sturgeon fishes (Acipenseridae) in southern part of Caspian Sea with emphasis on Nitzschia sturionis Ablidgaard, 1794

Sturgeons are important because of producing the expensive caviar. With regard to decreasing of natural stocks of these fishes, cultured sturgeons farms are expanding, so infectious or non-infectious agents can cause problems in this industry. One of the most important infectious diseases, are parasitic diseases, like gill parasites. In this study from March 2007 to June 2008, gills of 122 sturgeons of south west of Caspian Sea, 44 samples of juveniles from freshwater farms and 25 samples of cultured fishes in freshwater were collected and examined. Parasites were separated and determination of species and prevalence of them were done. Nitzschia sturionis and Diclybothrium armatum (monogenea) with general prevalence 8.7% in Acipenser persicus and 25.6% in Acipenser stellatus from sea sturgeons and Trichodina (sp.1, sp.2) and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis from freshwater sturgeons, were separated. Statistical analysis was done according to species, sex, length and weight of fishes. Pathology, morphometric and morphological characters of Nitzschia sturionis were also studied. At the end, we have suggested ways for health management of farms for prevention of parasites entry.

Proposta de um modelo de gestão de custos para pequenas propriedades rurais familiares com foco na tomada de decisão

This work was general-purpose, develop a proposal of a theoretical model of decisionmaking with a focus on management of small family farms costs, which enables support for decision making. And the following objectives: i) develop a structured methodology, which allows to form a literary basis to provide scientific support for the implementation of research; ii) develop based on the literature the dimensions and variables of the necessary models to propose an application and iii tooling) to implement the proposed model within the dimensions and variables, and validate every stage background and perform the necessary conclusions to verify the effectiveness of applied model. In terms of methodology, we used a structured methodology, which allowed forming a bibliographic portfolio of 29 articles, and through the research constructs developed, based on an existing model, an activity segmentation model for aid farmer of small family farms in the decision-making process with emphasis on cost management. The model was applied in six family farms in the South West region of Parana and Santa Catarina West. With regard to the search results, it was identified that the model can be applied to the specific context for which it was created. It was also possible to identify that the proposed model was valid and relevant to aid in the management of family farms by identifying, through the targeting of productive activities, investment priorities guided by the balance between managing costs and return activities. Moreover, possible to target the activities of six surveyed properties, demonstrating that the property 02, has the shape of more complex segmentation should be divided into three groups of activities, which can be conducted in parallel without any restrictions between activities. Other properties have the segmentation of the simplest activities, allowing viewing in this way that there are activities of groups that require prioritizing investments. Specifically the property 01 and 04 have the highest priority investment target groups, the most prominent activities of groups representing respectively 49.32% and 47.40%, which are represented by grain production activities on the property 01 and grain production, beef cattle and eggs on the property 04.