Socio-eco-efficiency of integrated and non-integrated systems of crop, forestry and livestock in the Ipameri city, at brazilian Cerrado

Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais - Sorocaba

Research Blogging: Indexing and Registering the Change in Science 2.0

Increasing public interest in science information in a digital and 2.0 science era promotes a dramatically, rapid and deep change in science itself. The emergence and expansion of new technologies and internet-based tools is leading to new means to improve scientific methodology and communication, assessment, promotion and certification. It allows methods of acquisition, manipulation and storage, generating vast quantities of data that can further facilitate the research process. It also improves access to scientific results through information sharing and discussion. Content previously restricted only to specialists is now available to a wider audience. This context requires new management systems to make scientific knowledge more accessible and useable, including new measures to evaluate the reach of scientific information. The new science and research quality measures are strongly related to the new online technologies and services based in social media. Tools such as blogs, social bookmarks and online reference managers, Twitter and others offer alternative, transparent and more comprehensive information about the active interest, usage and reach of scientific publications. Another of these new filters is the Research Blogging platform, which was created in 2007 and now has over 1,230 active blogs, with over 26,960 entries posted about peer-reviewed research on subjects ranging from Anthropology to Zoology. This study takes a closer look at RB, in order to get insights into its contribution to the rapidly changing landscape of scientific communication.

New functional and biomechanical assessments for the improvement of the surgical navigation systems for joint replacement in the human lower limb

In case of severe osteoarthritis at the knee causing pain, deformity, and loss of stability and mobility, the clinicians consider that the substitution of these surfaces by means of joint prostheses. The objectives to be pursued by this surgery are: complete pain elimination, restoration of the normal physiological mobility and joint stability, correction of all deformities and, thus, of limping. The knee surgical navigation systems have bee developed in computer-aided surgery in order to improve the surgical final outcome in total knee arthroplasty. These systems provide the surgeon with quantitative and real-time information about each surgical action, like bone cut executions and prosthesis component alignment, by mean of tracking tools rigidly fixed onto the femur and the tibia. Nevertheless, there is still a margin of error due to the incorrect surgical procedures and to the still limited number of kinematic information provided by the current systems. Particularly, patello-femoral joint kinematics is not considered in knee surgical navigation. It is also unclear and, thus, a source of misunderstanding, what the most appropriate methodology is to study the patellar motion. In addition, also the knee ligamentous apparatus is superficially considered in navigated total knee arthroplasty, without taking into account how their physiological behavior is altered by this surgery. The aim of the present research work was to provide new functional and biomechanical assessments for the improvement of the surgical navigation systems for joint replacement in the human lower limb. This was mainly realized by means of the identification and development of new techniques that allow a thorough comprehension of the functioning of the knee joint, with particular attention to the patello-femoral joint and to the main knee soft tissues. A knee surgical navigation system with active markers was used in all research activities presented in this research work. Particularly, preliminary test were performed in order to assess the system accuracy and the robustness of a number of navigation procedures. Four studies were performed in-vivo on patients requiring total knee arthroplasty and randomly implanted by means of traditional and navigated procedures in order to check for the real efficacy of the latter with respect to the former. In order to cope with assessment of patello-femoral joint kinematics in the intact and replaced knees, twenty in-vitro tests were performed by using a prototypal tracking tool also for the patella. In addition to standard anatomical and articular recommendations, original proposals for defining the patellar anatomical-based reference frame and for studying the patello-femoral joint kinematics were reported and used in these tests. These definitions were applied to two further in-vitro tests in which, for the first time, also the implant of patellar component insert was fully navigated. In addition, an original technique to analyze the main knee soft tissues by means of anatomical-based fiber mappings was also reported and used in the same tests. The preliminary instrumental tests revealed a system accuracy within the millimeter and a good inter- and intra-observer repeatability in defining all anatomical reference frames. In in-vivo studies, the general alignments of femoral and tibial prosthesis components and of the lower limb mechanical axis, as measured on radiographs, was more satisfactory, i.e. within ±3°, in those patient in which total knee arthroplasty was performed by navigated procedures. As for in-vitro tests, consistent patello-femoral joint kinematic patterns were observed over specimens throughout the knee flexion arc. Generally, the physiological intact knee patellar motion was not restored after the implant. This restoration was successfully achieved in the two further tests where all component implants, included the patellar insert, were fully navigated, i.e. by means of intra-operative assessment of also patellar component positioning and general tibio-femoral and patello-femoral joint assessment. The tests for assessing the behavior of the main knee ligaments revealed the complexity of the latter and the different functional roles played by the several sub-bundles compounding each ligament. Also in this case, total knee arthroplasty altered the physiological behavior of these knee soft tissues. These results reveal in-vitro the relevance and the feasibility of the applications of new techniques for accurate knee soft tissues monitoring, patellar tracking assessment and navigated patellar resurfacing intra-operatively in the contest of the most modern operative techniques. This present research work gives a contribution to the much controversial knowledge on the normal and replaced of knee kinematics by testing the reported new methodologies. The consistence of these results provides fundamental information for the comprehension and improvements of knee orthopedic treatments. In the future, the reported new techniques can be safely applied in-vivo and also adopted in other joint replacements.

The assessment of change in rural landscape and the analysis of the driving forces. Proposal of a spatial model for the rural built environment

The presented study carried out an analysis on rural landscape changes. In particular the study focuses on the understanding of driving forces acting on the rural built environment using a statistical spatial model implemented through GIS techniques. It is well known that the study of landscape changes is essential for a conscious decision making in land planning. From a bibliography review results a general lack of studies dealing with the modeling of rural built environment and hence a theoretical modelling approach for such purpose is needed. The advancement in technology and modernity in building construction and agriculture have gradually changed the rural built environment. In addition, the phenomenon of urbanization of a determined the construction of new volumes that occurred beside abandoned or derelict rural buildings. Consequently there are two types of transformation dynamics affecting mainly the rural built environment that can be observed: the conversion of rural buildings and the increasing of building numbers. It is the specific aim of the presented study to propose a methodology for the development of a spatial model that allows the identification of driving forces that acted on the behaviours of the building allocation. In fact one of the most concerning dynamic nowadays is related to an irrational expansion of buildings sprawl across landscape. The proposed methodology is composed by some conceptual steps that cover different aspects related to the development of a spatial model: the selection of a response variable that better describe the phenomenon under study, the identification of possible driving forces, the sampling methodology concerning the collection of data, the most suitable algorithm to be adopted in relation to statistical theory and method used, the calibration process and evaluation of the model. A different combination of factors in various parts of the territory generated favourable or less favourable conditions for the building allocation and the existence of buildings represents the evidence of such optimum. Conversely the absence of buildings expresses a combination of agents which is not suitable for building allocation. Presence or absence of buildings can be adopted as indicators of such driving conditions, since they represent the expression of the action of driving forces in the land suitability sorting process. The existence of correlation between site selection and hypothetical driving forces, evaluated by means of modeling techniques, provides an evidence of which driving forces are involved in the allocation dynamic and an insight on their level of influence into the process. GIS software by means of spatial analysis tools allows to associate the concept of presence and absence with point futures generating a point process. Presence or absence of buildings at some site locations represent the expression of these driving factors interaction. In case of presences, points represent locations of real existing buildings, conversely absences represent locations were buildings are not existent and so they are generated by a stochastic mechanism. Possible driving forces are selected and the existence of a causal relationship with building allocations is assessed through a spatial model. The adoption of empirical statistical models provides a mechanism for the explanatory variable analysis and for the identification of key driving variables behind the site selection process for new building allocation. The model developed by following the methodology is applied to a case study to test the validity of the methodology. In particular the study area for the testing of the methodology is represented by the New District of Imola characterized by a prevailing agricultural production vocation and were transformation dynamic intensively occurred. The development of the model involved the identification of predictive variables (related to geomorphologic, socio-economic, structural and infrastructural systems of landscape) capable of representing the driving forces responsible for landscape changes.. The calibration of the model is carried out referring to spatial data regarding the periurban and rural area of the study area within the 1975-2005 time period by means of Generalised linear model. The resulting output from the model fit is continuous grid surface where cells assume values ranged from 0 to 1 of probability of building occurrences along the rural and periurban area of the study area. Hence the response variable assesses the changes in the rural built environment occurred in such time interval and is correlated to the selected explanatory variables by means of a generalized linear model using logistic regression. Comparing the probability map obtained from the model to the actual rural building distribution in 2005, the interpretation capability of the model can be evaluated. The proposed model can be also applied to the interpretation of trends which occurred in other study areas, and also referring to different time intervals, depending on the availability of data. The use of suitable data in terms of time, information, and spatial resolution and the costs related to data acquisition, pre-processing, and survey are among the most critical aspects of model implementation. Future in-depth studies can focus on using the proposed model to predict short/medium-range future scenarios for the rural built environment distribution in the study area. In order to predict future scenarios it is necessary to assume that the driving forces do not change and that their levels of influence within the model are not far from those assessed for the time interval used for the calibration.

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions of highway construction and rehabilitation to support pavement life cycle assessment

Highway infrastructure plays a significant role in society. The building and upkeep of America’s highways provide society the necessary means of transportation for goods and services needed to develop as a nation. However, as a result of economic and social development, vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are emitted into the atmosphere contributing to global climate change. In recognizing this, future policies may mandate the monitoring of GHG emissions from public agencies and private industries in order to reduce the effects of global climate change. To effectively reduce these emissions, there must be methods that agencies can use to quantify the GHG emissions associated with constructing and maintaining the nation’s highway infrastructure. Current methods for assessing the impacts of highway infrastructure include methodologies that look at the economic impacts (costs) of constructing and maintaining highway infrastructure over its life cycle. This is known as Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). With the recognition of global climate change, transportation agencies and contractors are also investigating the environmental impacts that are associated with highway infrastructure construction and rehabilitation. A common tool in doing so is the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Traditionally, LCA is used to assess the environmental impacts of products or processes. LCA is an emerging concept in highway infrastructure assessment and is now being implemented and applied to transportation systems. This research focuses on life cycle GHG emissions associated with the construction and rehabilitation of highway infrastructure using a LCA approach. Life cycle phases of the highway section include; the material acquisition and extraction, construction and rehabilitation, and service phases. Departing from traditional approaches that tend to use LCA as a way to compare alternative pavement materials or designs based on estimated inventories, this research proposes a shift to a context sensitive process-based approach that uses actual observed construction and performance data to calculate greenhouse gas emissions associated with highway construction and rehabilitation. The goal is to support strategies that reduce long-term environmental impacts. Ultimately, this thesis outlines techniques that can be used to assess GHG emissions associated with construction and rehabilitation operations to support the overall pavement LCA.

New Trends in Networking, Computing, E-learning, Systems Sciences, and Engineering

This book provides the latest in a series of books growing out of the International Joint Conferences on Computer, Information and Systems Sciences and Engineering. It includes chapters in the most advanced areas of Computing, Informatics, Systems Sciences and Engineering. It has accessible to a wide range of readership, including professors, researchers, practitioners and students. This book includes a set of rigorously reviewed world-class manuscripts addressing and detailing state-of-the-art research projects in the areas of Computer Science, Informatics, and Systems Sciences, and Engineering. It includes selected papers form the conference proceedings of the Ninth International Joint Conferences on Computer, Information, and Systems Sciences, and Engineering (CISSE 2013). Coverage includes topics in: Industrial Electronics, Technology & Automation, Telecommunications and Networking, Systems, Computing Sciences and Software Engineering, Engineering Education, Instructional Technology, Assessment, and E-learning.

Clinical decision support capabilities of commercially-available clinical information systems.

BACKGROUND: The most effective decision support systems are integrated with clinical information systems, such as inpatient and outpatient electronic health records (EHRs) and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems. Purpose The goal of this project was to describe and quantify the results of a study of decision support capabilities in Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) certified electronic health record systems. METHODS: The authors conducted a series of interviews with representatives of nine commercially available clinical information systems, evaluating their capabilities against 42 different clinical decision support features. RESULTS: Six of the nine reviewed systems offered all the applicable event-driven, action-oriented, real-time clinical decision support triggers required for initiating clinical decision support interventions. Five of the nine systems could access all the patient-specific data items identified as necessary. Six of the nine systems supported all the intervention types identified as necessary to allow clinical information systems to tailor their interventions based on the severity of the clinical situation and the user's workflow. Only one system supported all the offered choices identified as key to allowing physicians to take action directly from within the alert. Discussion The principal finding relates to system-by-system variability. The best system in our analysis had only a single missing feature (from 42 total) while the worst had eighteen.This dramatic variability in CDS capability among commercially available systems was unexpected and is a cause for concern. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for four distinct constituencies: purchasers of clinical information systems, developers of clinical decision support, vendors of clinical information systems and certification bodies.

The utility of rapid participatory appraisal for community assessment, diagnosis, and policy development

The selection of a model to guide the understanding and resolution of community problems is an important issue relating to the foundation of public health practice: assessment, policy development, and assurance. Many assessment models produce a diagnosis of community weaknesses, but fail to promote planning and interventions. Rapid Participatory Appraisal (RPA) is a participatory action research model which regards assessment as the first step in the problem solving process, and claims to achieve assessment and policy development within limited resources of time and money. Literature documenting the fulfillment of these claims, and thereby supporting the utility of the model, is relatively sparse and difficult to obtain. Very few articles discuss the changes resulting from RPA assessments in urban areas, and those that do describe studies conducted outside the U.S.A. ^ This study examines the utility of the RPA model and its underlying theories: systems theory, grounded theory, and principles of participatory change, as illustrated by the case study of a community assessment conducted for the Texas Diabetes Institute (TDI), San Antonio, Texas, and subsequent outcomes. Diabetes has a high prevalence and is a major issue in San Antonio. Faculty and students conducted the assessment by informal collaboration between two nursing and public health assessment courses, providing practical student experiences. The study area was large, and the flexibility of the model tested by its use in contiguous sub-regions, reanalyzing aggregated results for the study area. Official TDI reports, and a mail survey of agency employees, described policy development resulting from community diagnoses revealed by the assessment. ^ The RPA model met the criteria for utility from the perspectives of merit, worth, efficiency, and effectiveness. The RPA model best met the agencies' criteria (merit), met the data needs of TDI in this particular situation (worth), provided valid results within budget, time, and personnel constraints (efficiency), and stimulated policy development by TDI (effectiveness). ^ The RPA model appears to have utility for community assessment, diagnosis, and policy development in circumstances similar to the TDI diabetes study. ^

The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning: A Next Generation Formative Evaluation and Feedback System

Recent developments in federal policy have prompted the creation of state evaluation frameworks for principals and teachers that hold educators accountable for effective practices and student outcomes. These changes have created a demand for formative evaluation instruments that reflect current accountability pressures and can be used by schools to focus school improvement and leadership development efforts. The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is a next generation, 360-degree on-line assessment and feedback system that reflect best practices in feedback design. Some unique characteristics of CALL include a focus on: leadership distributed throughout the school rather than as carried out by an individual leader; assessment of leadership tasks rather than perceptions of leadership practice; a focus on larger complex systems of middle and high school; and transparency of assessment design. This paper describes research contributing to the design and validation of the CALL survey instrument.

Tools in Spanish Universities to facilitate the transmission from High School to University and their assessment.

Incoming students in the University have education deficiencies, so universities studies require a sound basis of scientific knowledge. In this project are analysed instruments to reinforcing knowledge in those areas related to the studies that students are about to embark on public Spanish universities. There are important differences among universities and, in each university there are great differences among titles. Initial courses (cursos cero) are widespread (in 50% of universities) that selfevaluation instruments (14 % of universities). It is necessary to improve diffusion of those instruments because it is not possible to evaluate them. So are proposed the next actuations: to make regular standard surveys for professors and students; to publish results of surveys; public universities should institutionalize their basic training offer and improve the dissemination of this offer especially through the web. This paper presents a questionnaire to assess student opinion about these tools. To analyze the effectiveness, and make an initial estimate of the evaluation of these tools, we conducted a pilot test of the questionnaire with 68 students at the University of Extremadura. The results of preliminary statistical analysis conducted on the pilot test indicate that the survey results are reliable. A global evaluation of both tools, with a scale of 1 to 5, gave an average score of 3.29 for initial courses and 3.41 for selfevaluation. The 72.9% of the students consider the "self assessment" more effective than the "initial course"

Resilience analysis of networked systems-of-systems based on structural and dynamic interdependencies

Critical infrastructures support everyday activities in modern societies, facilitating the exchange of services and quantities of various nature. Their functioning is the result of the integration of diverse technologies, systems and organizations into a complex network of interconnections. Benefits from networking are accompanied by new threats and risks. In particular, because of the increased interdependency, disturbances and failures may propagate and render unstable the whole infrastructure network. This paper presents a methodology of resilience analysis of networked systems of systems. Resilience generalizes the concept of stability of a system around a state of equilibrium, with respect to a disturbance and its ability of preventing, resisting and recovery. The methodology provides a tool for the analysis of off-equilibrium conditions that may occur in a single system and propagate through the network of dependencies. The analysis is conducted in two stages. The first stage of the analysis is qualitative. It identifies the resilience scenarios, i.e. the sequence of events, triggered by an initial disturbance, which include failures and the system response. The second stage is quantitative. The most critical scenarios can be simulated, for the desired parameter settings, in order to check if they are successfully handled, i.e recovered to nominal conditions, or they end into the network failure. The proposed methodology aims at providing an effective support to resilience-informed design.

Implications of agricultural production, policy and land use changes on water resource assessment

Una gestión más eficiente y equitativa del agua a escala de cuenca no se puede centrar exclusivamente en el recurso hídrico en sí, sino también en otras políticas y disciplinas científicas. Existe un consenso creciente de que, además de la consideración de las cambiantes condiciones climáticas, es necesaria una integración de ámbitos de investigación tales como la agronomía, planificación del territorio y ciencias políticas y económicas a fin de satisfacer de manera sostenible las demandas de agua por parte de la sociedad y del medio natural. La Política Agrícola Común (PAC) es el principal motor de cambio en las tendencias de paisajes rurales y sistemas agrícolas, pero el deterioro del medio ambiente es ahora una de las principales preocupaciones. Uno de los cambios más relevantes se ha producido con la expansión e intensificación del olivar en España, principalmente con nuevas zonas de regadío o la conversión de olivares de secano a sistemas en regadío. Por otra parte, el cambio de las condiciones climáticas podría ejercer un papel importante en las tendencias negativas de las aportaciones a los ríos, pero no queda claro el papel que podrían estar jugando los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal sobre las tendencias negativas de caudal observadas. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo mejorar el conocimiento de los efectos de la producción agrícola, política agraria y cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal sobre las condiciones de calidad del agua, respuesta hidrológica y apropiación del agua por parte de la sociedad. En primer lugar, el estudio determina las tendencias existentes de nitratos y sólidos en suspensión en las aguas superficiales de la cuenca del río Guadalquivir durante el periodo de 1998 a 2009. Desde una perspectiva de política agraria, la investigación trata de evaluar mediante un análisis de datos de panel las principales variables, incluyendo la reforma de la PAC de 2003, que están teniendo una influencia en ambos indicadores de calidad. En segundo lugar, la apropiación del agua y el nivel de contaminación por nitratos debido a la producción del aceite de oliva en España se determinan con una evaluación de la huella hídrica (HH), teniendo en cuenta una variabilidad espacial y temporal a largo de las provincias españolas y entre 1997 y 2008. Por último, la tesis analiza los efectos de los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal sobre las tendencias negativas observadas en la zona alta del Turia, cabecera de la cuenca del río Júcar, durante el periodo 1973-2008 mediante una modelización ecohidrológica. En la cuenca del Guadalquivir cerca del 20% de las estaciones de monitoreo muestran tendencias significativas, lineales o cuadráticas, para cada indicador de calidad de agua. La mayoría de las tendencias significativas en nitratos están aumentando, y la mayoría de tendencias cuadráticas muestran un patrón en forma de U. Los modelos de regresión de datos de panel muestran que las variables más importantes que empeoran ambos indicadores de calidad del agua son la intensificación de biomasa y las exportaciones de ambos indicadores de calidad procedentes de aguas arriba. En regiones en las que el abandono agrícola y/o desintensificación han tenido lugar han mejorado las condiciones de calidad del agua. Para los nitratos, el desacoplamiento de las subvenciones a la agricultura y la reducción de la cuantía de las subvenciones a tierras de regadío subyacen en la reducción observada de la concentración de nitratos. Las medidas de modernización de regadíos y el establecimiento de zonas vulnerables a nitratos reducen la concentración en subcuencas que muestran una tendencia creciente de nitratos. Sin embargo, el efecto de las exportaciones de nitratos procedente de aguas arriba, la intensificación de la biomasa y los precios de los cultivos presentan un mayor peso, explicando la tendencia creciente observada de nitratos. Para los sólidos en suspensión, no queda de forma evidente si el proceso de desacoplamiento ha influido negativa o positivamente. Sin embargo, los mayores valores de las ayudas agrarias aún ligadas a la producción, en particular en zonas de regadío, conllevan un aumento de las tasas de erosión. Aunque la cuenca del Guadalquivir ha aumentado la producción agrícola y la eficiencia del uso del agua, el problema de las altas tasas de erosión aún no ha sido mitigado adecuadamente. El estudio de la huella hídrica (HH) revela que en 1 L de aceite de oliva español más del 99,5% de la HH está relacionado con la producción de la aceituna, mientras que menos del 0,5% se debe a otros componentes, es decir, a la botella, tapón y etiqueta. Durante el período estudiado, la HH verde en secano y en regadío representa alrededor del 72% y 12%, respectivamente, del total de la HH. Las HHs azul y gris representan 6% y 10%, respectivamente. La producción de aceitunas se concentra en regiones con una HH menor por unidad de producto. La producción de aceite de oliva ha aumentado su productividad del agua durante 1997-2008, incentivado por los crecientes precios del aceite, como también lo ha hecho la cantidad de exportaciones de agua virtual. De hecho, las mayores zonas productoras presentan una eficiencia alta del uso y de productividad del agua, así como un menor potencial de contaminación por nitratos. Pero en estas zonas se ve a la vez reflejado un aumento de presión sobre los recursos hídricos locales. El aumento de extracciones de agua subterránea relacionadas con las exportaciones de aceite de oliva podría añadir una mayor presión a la ya estresada cuenca del Guadalquivir, mostrando la necesidad de equilibrar las fuerzas del mercado con los recursos locales disponibles. Los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal juegan un papel importante en el balance del agua de la cuenca alta del Turia, pero no son el principal motor que sustenta la reducción observada de caudal. El aumento de la temperatura es el principal factor que explica las mayores tasas de evapotranspiración y la reducción de caudales. Sin embargo, los cambios de uso de suelo y el cambio climático han tenido un efecto compensatorio en la respuesta hidrológica. Por un lado, el caudal se ha visto afectado negativamente por el aumento de la temperatura, mientras que los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal han compensado positivamente con una reducción de las tasas de evapotranspiración, gracias a los procesos de disminución de la densidad de matorral y de degradación forestal. El estudio proporciona una visión que fortalece la interdisciplinariedad entre la planificación hidrológica y territorial, destacando la necesidad de incluir las implicaciones de los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal en futuros planes hidrológicos. Estos hallazgos son valiosos para la gestión de la cuenca del río Turia, y el enfoque empleado es útil para la determinación del peso de los cambios de uso de suelo y cobertura vegetal en la respuesta hidrológica en otras regiones. ABSTRACT Achieving a more efficient and equitable water management at catchment scale does not only rely on the water resource itself, but also on other policies and scientific knowledge. There is a growing consensus that, in addition to consideration of changing climate conditions, integration with research areas such as agronomy, land use planning and economics and political science is required to meet sustainably the societal and environmental water demands. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a main driver for trends in rural landscapes and agricultural systems, but environmental deterioration is now a principal concern. One of the most relevant changes has occurred with the expansion and intensification of olive orchards in Spain, taking place mainly with new irrigated areas or with the conversion from rainfed to irrigated systems. Moreover, changing climate conditions might exert a major role on water yield trends, but it remains unclear the role that ongoing land use and land cover changes (LULCC) might have on observed river flow trends. This thesis aims to improve the understanding of the effects of agricultural production, policies and LULCC on water quality conditions, hydrological response and human water appropriation. Firstly, the study determines the existing trends for nitrates and suspended solids in the Guadalquivir river basin’s surface waters (south Spain) during the period from 1998 to 2009. From a policy perspective, the research tries to assess with panel data analysis the main drivers, including the 2003 CAP reform, which are having an influence on both water quality indicators. Secondly, water appropriation and nitrate pollution level originating from the production of olive oil in Spain is determined with a water footprint (WF) assessment, considering a spatial temporal variability across the Spanish provinces and from 1997 to 2008 years. Finally, the thesis analyzes the effects of the LULCC on the observed negative trends over the period 1973-2008 in the Upper Turia basin, headwaters of the Júcar river demarcation (east Spain), with ecohydrological modeling. In the Guadalquivir river basin about 20% of monitoring stations show significant trends, linear or quadratic, for each water quality indicator. Most significant trends of nitrates are augmenting than decreasing, and most significant quadratic terms of both indicators exhibit U-shaped patterns. The panel data models show that the most important drivers that are worsening nitrates and suspended solids in the basin are biomass intensification and exports of both water quality indicators from upland regions. In regions that agricultural abandonment and/or de-intensification have taken place the water quality conditions have improved. For nitrates, the decoupling of agricultural subsidies and the reduction of the amount of subsidies to irrigated land underlie the observed reduction of nitrates concentration. Measures of irrigation modernization and establishment of vulnerable zones to nitrates ameliorate the concentration of nitrates in subbasins showing an increasing trend. However, the effect of nitrates load from upland areas, intensification of biomass and crop prices present a greater weight leading to the final increasing trend in this subbasins group, where annual crops dominate. For suspended solids, there is no clear evidence that decoupling process have influenced negatively or positively. Nevertheless, greater values of subsidies still linked to production, particularly in irrigated regions, lead to increasing erosion rates. Although agricultural production has augmented in the basin and water efficiency in the agricultural sector has improved, the issue of high erosion rates has not yet been properly faced. The water footprint (WF) assessment reveals that for 1 L Spanish olive oil more than 99.5% of the WF is related to the olive fruit production, whereas less than 0.5% is due to other components i.e. bottle, cap and label. Over the studied period, the green WF in rainfed and irrigated systems represents about 72% and 12%, respectively, of the total WF. Blue and grey WFs represent 6% and 10%, respectively. The olive production is concentrated in regions with the smallest WF per unit of product. The olive oil production has increased its apparent water productivity from 1997 to 2008 incentivized by growing trade prices, but also did the amount of virtual water exports. In fact, the largest producing areas present high water use efficiency per product and apparent water productivity as well as less nitrates pollution potential, but this enhances the pressure on the available water resources. Increasing groundwater abstractions related to olive oil exports may add further pressure to the already stressed Guadalquivir basin. This shows the need to balance the market forces with the available local resources. Concerning the effects of LULCC on the Upper Turia basin’s streamflow, LULCC play a significant role on the water balance, but it is not the main driver underpinning the observed reduction on Turia's streamflow. Increasing mean temperature is the main factor supporting larger evapotranspiration rates and streamflow reduction. In fact, LULCC and climate change have had an offsetting effect on the streamflow generation during the study period. While streamflow has been negatively affected by increasing temperature, ongoing LULCC have positively compensated with reduced evapotranspiration rates, thanks to mainly shrubland clearing and forest degradation processes. The research provides insight for strengthening the interdisciplinarity between hydrological and spatial planning, highlighting the need to include the implications of LULCC in future hydrological plans. These findings are valuable for the management of the Turia river basin, as well as a useful approach for the determination of the weight of LULCC on the hydrological response in other regions.

New systems of management to improve the health and welfare of rabbits in farm conditions = Nuevos sistemas de cría y manejo para mejorar la salud y bienestar de conejos de granja

El objetivo general de esta Tesis Doctoral fue evaluar nuevos sistemas de alojamiento y cría de conejos de granja, estudiando tanto parámetros comportamentales (experimento 1) como productivos y reproductivos (experimento 3). Además, se evaluaron diferentes técnicas de muestreo con el fin de optimizar el tiempo empleado para el estudio del comportamiento animal (experimento 2). En el experimento 1, se estudió el comportamiento de conejas alojadas en dos tipos de jaulas (TJ), convencionales vs. alternativas con una plataforma elevada, en distintos estados fisiológicos (EF), lactantes y gestantes. Se observó el comportamiento de 12 conejas reproductoras con grabaciones de una duración de 24 h continuas. Independientemente del EF y TJ, las conejas pasaron gran parte de su tiempo sobre el reposapatas (57,7 %, de media). Sin embargo, debido al uso de la plataforma (23,0% del tiempo, de media), las conejas lactantes permanecieron un 36,6 % menos de tiempo (P<0,001) sobre el reposapatas y las gestantes un 27,0% menos (P<0,001) sobre el enrejillado en jaulas alternativas que en convencionales. En las jaulas alternativas, las conejas podían adoptar la postura “levantada”, sin embargo ésta fue observada solamente en conejas gestantes una media de 4,6 veces al día. Las conejas bebieron con mas frecuencia en jaulas convencionales que en alternativas (24,6 vs 19,1 veces al día; P<0,05). Se observó una mayor duración y frecuencia del comportamiento “interactuando con compañeras” en conejas gestantes alojadas en jaulas convencionales (276 s/d y 4,6 veces/d; P<0,05). La frecuencia de “interactuando con gazapos” fue menor en jaulas alternativas que en convencionales (2,4 vs 8,6 veces al día; P<0,01). La hora del día afectó al comportamiento de las conejas, teniendo un comportamiento menos activo durante las horas centrales del día. Durante las horas de oscuridad, las conejas estuvieron más inquietas realizando comportamientos como ‘encabritarse’ o amamantar, coincidiendo éstos en el tiempo en el cual las conejas pasaron más tiempo en la plataforma. Las conejas utilizaron frecuentemente la plataforma, independientemente del estado fisiológico. En la fase de lactación, las conejas utilizaron la plataforma para huir de los intentos de mamar por parte de los gazapos cuando éstas no estaban receptivas. El uso de la plataforma puede dar lugar a problemas higiénicos debidos tanto por la acumulación de heces sobre ella como por la caída de heces y orina sobre los animales que están en la parte inferior. La ausencia de estereotipias por parte de las conejas tanto en jaulas alternativas como en convencionales no sugiere una falta de bienestar debida al sistema de alojamiento. En el experimento 2, se compararon distintos métodos de observación simplificada con respecto un método de referencia usando grabaciones continuas de 24 h para la evaluación del comportamiento de conejas en distintos estados fisiológicos (gestantes y lactantes) alojadas en dos tipos de jaulas (convencionales y alternativas). Se analizaron un total de 576 h de grabaciones continuas de 24 h en 12 conejas reproductoras al final del periodo de lactación y en las mismas conejas después del destete. Los comportamientos observados se clasificaron en tres categorías independientes (localización en la jaula, postura y comportamientos funcionales). Se utilizaron grabaciones continuas de 24 h como método de referencia para validar otros cuatro métodos de observación simplificados, utilizando grabaciones de distinta duración y frecuencia a lo largo del día. Métodos regulares: corto y largo con 2.4 y 8 h de observación respectivamente, y métodos irregulares: corto y largo con 6 y 8 h de observación, respectivamente. Como resultado, se observó que independientemente del sistema de alojamiento, el mejor método para reducir el tiempo de observación necesario para evaluar el comportamiento de conejas reproductoras depende del tipo de variable a estudiar y del estado fisiológico de las conejas. En gestantes, los métodos irregulares no fueron adecuados para estimar comportamientos de larga duración tales como tumbada, sentada, descansando y acicalándose. Sin embargo, en ambos estados fisiológicos, los métodos regulares fueron precisos para los comportamientos de los grupos localización y postura y para comportamientos funcionales de larga duración. Por otro lado, los coeficientes de variación de los comportamientos poco frecuentes realizados principalmente durante el periodo de oscuridad fueron muy altos, y el método irregular largo obtuvo los menores errores de estimación para éstos comportamientos. En el experimento 3, se estudió el efecto de un uso combinado de lactaciones largas (hasta 46 días) con jaulas alternativas sobre los parámetros productivos y reproductivos de 104 conejas y sus camadas durante cinco ciclos reproductivos. La mitad de las conejas fueron alojadas en jaulas polivalentes convencionales (39 cm x 100 cm x 30 cm) y la otra mitad en jaulas polivalentes alternativas (39 cm x 100 cm x 60 cm), con una plataforma elevada. Dentro de cada grupo de alojamiento, la mitad de las conejas se destetaron a 32 días y la otra mitad a 46 días tras el parto. Las lactaciones más largas afectaron negativamente al peso (P<0,001), contenido en grasa y energía (P<0,05) de las conejas al final del periodo de lactación, pero éste efecto disminuyó con el número de partos. La fertilidad, prolificidad y la mortalidad de las conejas no fue afectada por la duración de la lactación. El destete tardío dio lugar a un mayor tamaño y peso de la camada al final del periodo de crecimiento (8,9 y 11,3 %, respectivamente) y a un menor índice de conversión por jaula durante el todo el periodo experimental (13,5 %) con respecto al destete convencional (P<0,001). Éstos resultados fueron paralelos a la menor mortalidad global (12,6 vs 17,6 %; P<0,05) observada en gazapos con destete tardío. Las diferencias en los parámetros productivos con las distintas edades al destete sólo fueron observadas en los ciclos con peor estado sanitario (tercer y quinto ciclo), en los cuales el destete tardío redujo la mortalidad. El tipo de jaula no afectó al peso de la coneja, condición corporal, mortalidad, fertilidad ni tamaño de camada durante los cinco primeros ciclos reproductivos. Sin embargo, el peso de la camada y el índice de conversión a los 21 días de edad fueron 4,2% mayor (P<0,001) y 5,0% menor (P<0,005) en animales alojados en jaulas alternativas que en jaulas convencionales. A día 59 las jaulas alternativas dieron lugar a camadas más pesadas (P<0,01); sin embargo, éste efecto fue influenciado por la densidad alcanzada en cada ciclo, ya que cuando la densidad de los animales fue menor que 40kg/m2 (tercer y quinto ciclo), el efecto del tipo de jaula sobre el peso de la camada no fue significativo. De los resultados obtenidos se puede concluir que el uso combinado de lactaciones más largas y jaulas con mayor superficie disponible con una plataforma elevada podría ser una alternativa para mejorar el bienestar animal en determinadas situaciones productivas. ABSTRACT The general aim of this PhD Thesis was to evaluate new housing and husbandry systems of farmed rabbits, studying behavioral (experiment 1), productive and reproductive (experiment 3) parameters. Moreover, different sampling techniques were evaluated in order to optimize the assessment of rabbit behaviour (experiment 2). In experiment 1, the behaviour of rabbit does housed in two different types of cage (TC), conventional vs. alternative with an elevated platform, at different physiological stages (PS), lactation and gestation was to study. Behavioural observations were carried out on 12 commercial rabbit does using continuous 24 hour video recording. Independently of PS and TC, rabbit does spent most of their time on foot mats (57.7 %, as average). However, due to the use of platforms (23.0% of time, as average), lactating does spent 36.6% less time (P<0.001) on foot mats and gestating does spent 27.0% less (P<0.001) time on wire mesh in alternative cages than in conventional cages. Alternative cages allowed for standing posture but this behaviour was only observed in gestating does (4.6 times a day, as average). Frequency of drinking was higher in conventional than in alternative cages (24.6 vs. 19.1 times a day; P<0.05). Gestating does housed in conventional cages reached the highest duration and frequency of interacting with neighbours (276 s/d and 4.6 times/d; P<0.05). The frequency of interacting with kits was lower in alternative than in conventional cages (2.4 vs. 8.6 times a day; P<0.01). Does’ behaviour was influenced by hour of day, being less active at the midday hours. During dark hours rabbit does more frequently performed restless behaviour such as hyperactivity or nursing, matching the time at which rabbit does spent more time on the platform. The platform was frequently used by rabbit does, independent of their physiological state, and during late lactation phase, when mothers were not receptive to nursing, does housed in alternative cages used the platform as a mean to flee from kids trying to suckle. The use of the platform might lead to hygienic problems due to retained faeces on the platform and faeces and urine falling onto animals located in the lower part of the cage. Stereotypies were not observed in any housing system, therefore conventional cages do not suggest lack of animal welfare. In experiment 2, it was compared the results of different simplified sampling methods of behavioural data with respect to reference records of 24-h in order to assess rabbit does behaviours at different physiological stages (gestation and lactation) in animals housed in two types of cages (conventional and alternative). A total of 576 h of continuous video of 12 rabbit does at the end of lactation and on the same females after weaning were analysed. The behavioural observations were studied using three independent categories of classification (location in the cage, posture and functional behaviours). Continuous behavioural recordings of 24 h were considered as the reference method to validate another 4 sampling methods of data collection by aggregated video recordings of different frequency and duration (regular short and long methods with 2.4 and 8 h of observation respectively, and irregular short and long methods with 6 and 8 h of observation, respectively). The current results showed that, independently of housing system, the best method to reduce the total observation time required to assess rabbit does behaviour depends on the trait studied and physiological stage of does. In gestating does, irregular methods were not suitable to estimate behaviours of long duration such as lying, sitting, resting and grooming. However, in both physiological stages, regular methods were accurate for location behaviours, postures and functional behaviours of long duration. Instead, for the study of infrequent behaviours performed mainly during dark period, where coefficients of variation were high, the irregular long method led to the lowest mean estimation errors. In experiment 3, the effects of the combined use of long lactation periods (46 days) with alternative cages on the reproductive and growth performance of 104 rabbit does and their litters during five consecutive reproductive cycles were studied. Half of does were housed in conventional polyvalent cages (39 cm x 100 cm x 30 cm) and the other half in alternative polyvalent cages (39 cm x 100 cm x 60 cm), with a raised platform. Half of the rabbit does in each type of cages were weaned at 32 and the other half at 46 days after parturition. Longer lactations affected negatively to body weight (P<0.001), fat and energy content (P<0.05) of rabbit does at the end of the lactation period, but this effect decreased with the number of parturitions. Fertility, prolificacy and doe mortality were not affected by lactation length. Late weaning led to higher litter size (by 8.9 %) and litter weight (by 11.3 %) at the end of growing period and lower feed conversion ratio per cage during the overall experimental period (13.5 %) than standard weaning (P<0.001). These results were parallels to a lower mortality (12.6 vs 17.6 %; P<0.05) of young rabbit weaned later during the overall experimental period. Differences in performances at different weaning ages were only observed during cycles with worst health status (third and fifth cycles) in which late weaning decreased mortality. Type of cage did not affect doe body weight and body condition, mortality, fertility, prolificacy and litter size during the five firsts reproductive cycles. Nevertheless, at day 21 litter weight and feed conversion ratio were 4.2 % higher (P<0.001) and 5.0 % lower (P<0.005) in animals housed in alternative than in conventional cages. Alternative cages also led to heavier litters at 59 days (P<0.01); however, this effect was influenced by density reached in each cycle, as when the density of animals was lower than 40 kg/m2 (cycles three and five), the difference of litter weight between alternative and conventional cages was not significant. From the results obtained it can be concluded that the combined use of longer lactations and cages with higher available surface with a raised platform could be an alternative to improve animal welfare in some productive situations.

MINTEQA2/PRODEFA2, a geochemical assessment model for environmental systems : version 3.0 user's manual /

Mode of access: Internet.

Mud, algae or seagrass: An assessment of remote sensing techniques for mapping inter-tidal seagrass cover and composition in turbid tropical environments

Large areas of tropical sub- and inter-tidal seagrass beds occur in highly turbid environments and cannot be mapped through the water column. The purpose of this project was to determine if and how airborne and satellite imaging systems could be used to map inter-tidal seagrass properties along the wet-tropics coast in north Queensland, Australia. The work aimed to: (1) identify the minimum level of seagrass foliage cover that could be detected from airborne and satellite imagery; and (2) define the minimum detectable differences in seagrass foliage cover in exposed intertidal seagrass beds. High resolution spectral-reflectance data (2040 bands, 350 – 2500nm) were collected over 40cm diameter plots from 240 sites on Magnetic Island, Pallarenda Beach and Green Island in North Queensland at spring low tides in April 2006. The seagrass species sampled were: Thalassia hemprechii, Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninerivs; Syringodium isoetifolium, Cymodocea serrulata, and Cymodoea rotundata. Digital photos were captured for each plot and used to derive estimates of seagrass species cover, epiphytic growth, micro- and macro-algal cover, and substrate colour. Sediment samples were also collected and analysed to measure the concentration of Chlorophyll-a associated with benthic micro-algae. The field reflectance spectra were analysed in combination with their corresponding seagrass species foliage cover levels to establish the minimum foliage projective cover required for each seagrass to be significantly different from bare substrate and substrate with algal cover. This analysis was repeated with reflectance spectra resampled to the bandpass functions of Quickbird, Ikonos, SPOT 5 and Landsat 7 ETM. Preliminary results indicate that conservative minimum detectable seagrass cover levels across most the species sampled were between 30%- 35% on dark substrates. Further analysis of these results will be conducted to determine their separability and satellite images and to assess the effects epiphytes and algal cover.