A comprehensive experimental study of the influence of temperature on urban road traffic noise under real-world conditions.

The effect of road traffic noise in urban environments is an issue of social and scientific interest, due to its public health and economic impacts. Scientific literature showed a decrease in the level of tyre/road noise generated as temperature increases, but usually under standardised traffic conditions in non-urban environments. Based on a wide network for the hourly monitoring of road traffic flow, air temperature and noise levels across the city of Madrid (Spain), this work proposes and applies a new experimental methodology for studying the dependence of urban road traffic noise on temperature. This study was conducted under real-world traffic conditions involving a wide variability in urban configurations and in the type and state of preservation of vehicles, tires and pavements. From the analysis of data for a whole year, a time interval was identified (from Tuesday to Thursday and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) in which the variability in road traffic flow for the whole city of Madrid was stable enough to allow for a linear regression study between temperature and noise levels from urban road traffic. The relationships found were highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) for data from all the noise monitoring stations, with values of higher than 20% and up to 42% for the explanation of the variability in the measured noise levels by temperature at most of the measurement points. The values of the slope coefficients at the noise monitoring stations ranged from -0.036 to -0.125 dB/°C, with an average value of -0.090 ± 0.011 dB/°C. These results are within the range of values reported in the scientific literature for experimental tests conducted under conditions of controlled or free-flowing traffic.

Tower of Belém (Lisbon)-Status Quo 3D Documentation and Material Origin Determination.

The Tower of Belém, an early 16th century defense tower located at the mouth of the Tagus river, is the iconic symbol of Lisbon. It belongs to the Belém complex, classified since 1983 as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, and it is the second most visited monument in Portugal. On November 1st, 1755, there was a heavy earthquake in Lisbon followed by a tsunami, causing between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths. There is a possibility of a repetition of such a catastrophe, which could bring about the collapse of the structure. This was the reasoning behind the decision to evaluate the Tower of Belém by means of surveys using Terrestrial Laser Scanning and photogrammetry. Until now, there was no high-resolution 3D model of the interior and exterior of the tower. A complete 3D documentation of the state of the Tower was achieved with a cloud of more than 6,200 million 3D points in the ETRS89 PT-TM06 coordinate system. Additionally, measurements were made using a hyperspectral camera and a spectroradiometer to characterize the stone material used in the Tower. The result is a digital 3D representation of the Tower of Belém, and the identification of the quarries that may have been used to extract its stone. The work carried out combines geometrical and material analysis. The methods used may constitute a guide when documenting and intervening in similar heritage elements. Finally, the information contained therein will allow an eventual reconstruction of the Tower in the case of another catastrophe.

Iniciación a la investigación en el Grado en Medicina mediante la realización de proyectos tutorados / Introduction to research in the Medical Degree through supervised projects

Objetivo: Presentar la experiencia de iniciación a la investigación con estudiantes de medicina mediante asignaturas optativas: 'Proyectos de investigación de grado' (1, 2 y 3). Sujetos y métodos: Han participado estudiantes de segundo, tercero y cuarto año de los cursos académicos 2011-2012 a 2017-2018 que se matricularon sucesivamente en 'Proyectos 1' (identifi cación del tema, documentación y elaboración de hipótesis y objetivos), 'Proyectos 2' (diseño metodológico y adquisición de datos) y 'Proyectos 3' (divulgación científi ca). Cada grupo, de 2-4 estudiantes, trabajó bajo la dirección de un tutor, realizó presentaciones y elaboró un manuscrito sobre su actividad. En 'Proyectos 3', presentaron un póster con la actividad de los tres cursos que se expuso en una jornada monográfi ca. La evaluación de la satisfacción de los estudiantes se realizó mediante una encuesta. Resultados: En total, 546 estudiantes han iniciado la experiencia en 'Proyectos 1', de los que el 43,9% la completan. El número de tutores participantes ha sido de 83. Se han abordado 195 temas de investigación, de los que el 59% son de investigación clínica, el 31% de investigación fundamental y el 10% de otros. Las califi caciones obtenidas han sido superiores a 9 puntos sobre 10. La encuesta resalta que los estudiantes valoran el papel de los tutores y el potencial formativo de la actividad. Conclusión: El diseño de los cursos permite que el estudiante tome contacto con diferentes aspectos del proceso de investigación, actividad que consideran gratifi cante y apropiada a su formación como médico

Aim: To present the experience of an initiation in to research for medical students through optional courses: 'Research Projects of Degree' (1, 2, and 3). Subjects and methods: Medical students in their second, third, and fourth year from the academic years 2011-2012 to 2017-2018, enrolled consecutively in the subjects: 'Projects 1', identifi cation of the topic, documentation and elaboration of hypotheses and objectives; 'Projects 2', methodological design and acquisition of data; and 'Projects 3', scientifi c disclosure. Each group, of 2-4 students, did a research project under the supervision of a tutor; the research project was presented orally and on paper. In 'Projects 3', students made a poster about the activities performed during the three courses, posters were shown in a monographic exhibition. Evaluation of student satisfaction was carried out through a survey. Results: A total of 546 students started the experience in 'Projects 1', of which 43.9% completed it. The number of participating tutors was 83, addressing 195 research topics, of which 59% were clinical research, 31% fundamental research and 10% were termed others. The scores obtained in these courses were higher than 9 points out of 10. The survey highlights the important role of advisers and the training potential of the activity. Conclusion: The design of the course allows the students to be in contact with diff erent aspects of the biomedical research processes. Students considered the activity rewarding, useful, and appropriate to their training as a physician

sUAS, SfM-MVS photogrammetry and a topographic algorithm method to quantify the volume of sediments retained in check-dams.

Sediments retained in hydrological correction check dams are a useful source of information to understand soil erosion rates and sediment fluxes. Two hundred sixty nine check dams distributed in an area of 239 ha in SW Spain accumulated sediments over a period of 11 to 23 years. The aim of this work is to estimate the volume of sediments deposited in those check dams and to study the spatial variability of the accumulated sediments and its relationships with different environmental variables. The methodology included five steps: 1) flying the study area with a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to capture high-resolution aerial photographs, 2) Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry, 3) processing the obtained point clouds and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to create the current topography and model the past soil surface, 4) estimating the volume of sediments behind each check dam using a topographic technique and 5) exploring the relationship between sediments and different environmental variables. A total of 269 check dams were identified, from which 160 were suitable to quantify the deposited sediment volume. The volume of sediments trapped by individual check-dams ranged from 0 to 108.35 m3, with an average deposition rate of 0.141 m3 ha-1 y-1. The 77% of the check dams retained <1 m3 of sediment. The topographic position and the size of the dam wall played a fundamental role in explaining the differences of total sediment accumulation as well as the deposition rates. Deposition rate was negatively correlated with drainage area, connectivity index, stream power index, topographic wetness index, upstream channel length and the number of upstream check dams. Conversely, deposition rate was positively correlated with the slope of the channel. Those dams located in valley bottoms with longer walls retained more sediment, while those of hillslopes with shorter check dam walls were ineffective.

Aproximación a la investigación en el Grado en Medicina de la Universidad de Oviedo / Approach to research in the Degree of Medicine of the University of Oviedo

Objetivo: Presentar iniciativas de fomento de la investigación científica realizadas en el primer curso del Grado en Medicina. Sujetos y métodos: Participaron 150 estudiantes de primer curso que recibieron lecciones teóricas (12 horas, en grupos de 75) y cuatro sesiones (6 horas y 45 minutos) de seminarios sobre descubrimientos científicos, análisis de publicaciones y diseño experimental, en grupos de 4-5. Las tareas de los seminarios estuvieron disponibles con 7-15 días de antelación y, sobre ellas, debían elaborar una presentación para las sesiones y un documento escrito. Ambas actividades fueron objeto de calificación. La evaluación de la satisfacción de los estudiantes se realizó mediante una encuesta. Resultados: Las tareas relacionadas con descubrimientos científicos se refirieron a aspectos relevantes de la fisiología, la patología, la terapéutica y los desarrollos tecnológicos aplicados a la medicina. También, han analizado y discutido publicaciones científicas y han elaborado propuestas de diseños de investigación a partir de textos breves facilitados por el profesor. Las calificaciones globales obtenidas, sobre cuatro puntos, han sido: 3,71 ± 0,07 y 3,9 ± 0,3 en las tareas sobre descubrimientos y comentarios de artículos científicos, respectivamente, y 3,6 ± 0,2 en el diseño experimental. El 84% de los matriculados cumplimentaron la encuesta que reflejó una opinión favorable (sobre cinco puntos) de los contenidos teóricos (4,01 ± 0,07), seminarios sobre descubrimientos (3,97 ± 0,1) y diseño experimental (3,87 ± 0,1). Conclusiones: Los estudiantes tienen una opinión favorable de las actividades realizadas y consideran que pueden contribuir a la formación de los médicos en investigación

Aim: To present initiatives for the promotion of scientific research in the Degree of Medicine. Subjects and methods: The participants included 150 first-year students who received theoretical lessons (12 hours, in groups of 75) and, in groups of 4-5, four sessions (6 hours and 45 minutes) of seminars on scientific discoveries, publication analysis and experimental design. The topics of seminars were available 7-15 days in advance on which students had to prepare a presentation, and a written document. Both activities were scored. The evaluation of student satisfaction was carried out through a survey. Results: The tasks were related to scientific discoveries and referred to relevant aspects of physiology, pathology, therapeutics and technological developments applied to medicine. Students also analyzed and discussed scientific publications and prepared research design proposals based on short texts provided by the lecturer. The marks obtained, out of four points, were 3.71 ± 0.07 and 3.9 ± 0.3 on the tasks of discoveries and comments of scientific articles, respectively, and 3.6 ± 0.2 in the experimental design. 84% of those enrolled completed the survey that indicated a favorable opinion (out of five points) on the theoretical contents (4.01 ± 0.07) and seminars on discoveries (3.97 ± 0.1) and experimental design (3.87 ± 0.1). Conclusions: The students had a favorable opinion on the activities and considered that they could contribute to the training of research doctors

Genome sequence of the olive tree, Olea europaea.

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean olive tree (Olea europaea subsp. europaea) was one of the first trees to be domesticated and is currently of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil. The molecular bases underlying the phenotypic differences among domesticated cultivars, or between domesticated olive trees and their wild relatives, remain poorly understood. Both wild and cultivated olive trees have 46 chromosomes (2n). FINDINGS: A total of 543 Gb of raw DNA sequence from whole genome shotgun sequencing, and a fosmid library containing 155,000 clones from a 1,000+ year-old olive tree (cv. Farga) were generated by Illumina sequencing using different combinations of mate-pair and pair-end libraries. Assembly gave a final genome with a scaffold N50 of 443 kb, and a total length of 1.31 Gb, which represents 95 % of the estimated genome length (1.38 Gb). In addition, the associated fungus Aureobasidium pullulans was partially sequenced. Genome annotation, assisted by RNA sequencing from leaf, root, and fruit tissues at various stages, resulted in 56,349 unique protein coding genes, suggesting recent genomic expansion. Genome completeness, as estimated using the CEGMA pipeline, reached 98.79 %. CONCLUSIONS: The assembled draft genome of O. europaea will provide a valuable resource for the study of the evolution and domestication processes of this important tree, and allow determination of the genetic bases of key phenotypic traits. Moreover, it will enhance breeding programs and the formation of new varieties.