Fatty acids mediate aggressive behavior in the spider Tegenaria atrica

Summary. The aggressiveness of the house spider (Tegenaria atrica) has a chemical basis in terms of intra- and interspecific chemical communication. Vibrations are used for longer range detection of intruders on the web territory whereas cuticular lipids mediate shorter range agonistic behaviors. Two cuticular acids were shown to promote aggressive responses from adult spiders, whereas mixtures of cuticular alkanes acted as inhibition signals.     

Comparing systems approaches to innovation and technological change for sustainable and competitive economies: an explorative study into conceptual commonalities,differences and complementarities

This paper makes a distinction between three theoretical frameworks that have been highly influential in the discourse on innovation, competitiveness and sustainability: sectoral systems of innovation (SSI), technological innovation systems (TIS) and socio-technical systems (ST-Systems). These frameworks share a common systems approach to innovation but are often positioned as different bodies of literature that correspond to different epistemic communities. This paper is explorative and conceptual in nature. It presents a systematic comparative review of SSI, TIS and ST-Systems based on the following analytical dimensions: (1) system boundaries, (2) actors and networks, (3) institutions, (4) knowledge, (5) dynamics and (6) policy approach. In the concluding section commonalities and differences, of the three approaches, are presented and suggestions for complimentarily are made.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development: Brazil's case study

This article summarizes the results of the project on indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) in Brazil. The project's aim was to present energy related economic, social and environmental data to policy makers in a coherent and consistent form, showing interlinkages, time‐series and cross‐sectoral analyses and assess energy policy. Two priority areas assessed by these indicators, regarding the country's energy supply and demand, helped in the identification of a number of energy policy options that focused on specific aspects of the country's energy sector. On the supply side, these options include the development and stimulation of renewable energy, such as small‐scale hydroelectric, wind, solar photovoltaic power and bagasse cogeneration; stimulation of programmes for ethanol use as automotive fuel and sugarcane bagasse cogeneration; and implementation of natural gas‐fired, combined heat and power (CHP) plants. On the demand side, policy options include: the full implementation of the law on efficiency standards for appliances; expansion of utility investment in end‐use energy efficiency; adoption of targets and protocols to reduce energy intensity in the industrial sector; improvement of passenger transport efficiency; and the creation of a fund to improve energy affordability for the poor.     

Learning Machines Applied to Potential Forest Distribution

The clearing of forests to obtain land for pasture and agriculture and the replacement of autochthonous species by other faster-growing varieties of trees for timber have both led to the loss of vast areas of forest worldwide. At present, many developed countries are attempting to reverse these effects, establishing policies for the restoration of older woodland systems. Reforestation is a complex matter, planned and carried out by experts who need objective information regarding the type of forest that can be sustained in each area. This information is obtained by drawing up feasibility models constructed using statistical methods that make use of the information provided by morphological and environmental variables (height, gradient, rainfall, etc.) that partially condition the presence or absence of a specific kind of forestation in an area. The aim of this work is to construct a set of feasibility models for woodland located in the basin of the River Liébana (NW Spain), to serve as a support tool for the experts entrusted with carrying out the reforestation project. The techniques used are multilayer perceptron neural networks and support vector machines. Their results will be compared to the results obtained by traditional techniques (such as discriminant analysis and logistic regression) by measuring the degree of fit between each model and the existing distribution of woodlands. The interpretation and problems of the feasibility models are commented on in the Discussion section.     

Respiratory health assessment and exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Mexican indigenous population

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Indoor air pollution is an important risk factor for the generation of lung diseases in developing countries. The indigenous population is...     

Key factors in levels of public satisfaction with urban waste collection in a northern Spain city

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Levels of public satisfaction among the inhabitants of Burgos with their urban waste collection service are analyzed by comparing satisfaction...     

Aquaculture expansion in Brazilian freshwaters against the Aichi Biodiversity Targets

The Convention on Biological Diversity proposed the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to improve conservation policies and to balance economic development, social welfare, and the maintenance of biodiversity/ecosystem services. Brazil is a signatory of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and is the most diverse country in terms of freshwater fish, but its national policies have supported the development of unsustainable commercial and ornamental aquaculture, which has led to serious disturbances to inland ecosystems and natural resources. We analyzed the development of Brazilian aquaculture to show how current aquaculture expansion conflicts with all 20 Aichi Targets. This case suggests that Brazil and many other megadiverse developing countries will not meet international conservation targets, stressing the need for new strategies, such as the environmental management system, to improve biodiversity conservation.     

Modelling the Ecological Vulnerability to Forest Fires in Mediterranean Ecosystems Using Geographic Information Technologies

Forest fires represent a major driver of change at the ecosystem and landscape levels in the Mediterranean region. Environmental features and vegetation are key factors to estimate the ecological vulnerability to fire; defined as the degree to which an ecosystem is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of fire (provided a fire occurs). Given the predicted climatic changes for the region, it is urgent to validate spatially explicit tools for assessing this vulnerability in order to support the design of new fire prevention and restoration strategies. This work presents an innovative GIS-based modelling approach to evaluate the ecological vulnerability to fire of an ecosystem, considering its main components (soil and vegetation) and different time scales. The evaluation was structured in three stages: short-term (focussed on soil degradation risk), medium-term (focussed on changes in vegetation), and coupling of the short- and medium-term vulnerabilities. The model was implemented in two regions: Aragón (inland North-eastern Spain) and Valencia (eastern Spain). Maps of the ecological vulnerability to fire were produced at a regional scale. We partially validated the model in a study site combining two complementary approaches that focused on testing the adequacy of model’s predictions in three ecosystems, all very common in fire-prone landscapes of eastern Spain: two shrublands and a pine forest. Both approaches were based on the comparison of model’s predictions with values of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), which is considered a good proxy for green biomass. Both methods showed that the model’s performance is satisfactory when applied to the three selected vegetation types.     

Remediation of a biodiesel blend-contaminated soil by using a modified Fenton process

A soil contaminated with a B20 biodiesel blend (20 % biodiesel, 80 % diesel) has been treated by modified Fenton process with or without chelant addition. All experiments were conducted without pH adjustment. The reagents used were as follows: hydrogen peroxide as oxidant (400–4,000 mmol L^?1), ferric ion as catalyst (5–20 mmol L^?1), and trisodium citrate (50 mmol L^?1) as chelating agent. Soil was spiked at two different pollutant concentrations (1,000–10,000 mg diesel kg^?1 soil). Higher total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal efficiencies were obtained (up to 75 %) after the treatment in the absence of the chelant due to the low pH obtained in this case. In the presence of chelant, the TPH conversion obtained was lower because both higher pH is obtained and chelant competes with diesel for the oxidant. On the other hand, at neutral pH, the lifetime of the oxidant was increased. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) are easier to remove than diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons from the blend. An important decrease of the aqueous phase toxicity was observed after the modified Fenton reaction, supporting that nontoxic by-products were released to the aqueous phase during the treatment.