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This study aimed to investigate effects of transport age of calves (14 vs. 28 d), and of calf and dam characteristics, on immunoglobulin titers and hematological variables of veal calves. Calves (n = 683) were transported to a veal farm at 14 or 28 d of age. Natural antibodies N-IgG, N-IgM, and N-IgA against phosphorylcholine conjugated to bovine serum albumin (PC-BSA) were measured in serum of the dams 1 wk before calving and in first colostrum. These antibodies were also measured in serum of calves 1 wk after birth, 1 d before transport, and in wk 2 and 10 posttransport at the veal farm. Hematological variables were assessed in calves 1 d before transport and in wk 2 posttransport. One day before transport, titers of N-IgG, N-IgM, N-IgA, and neutrophil counts were higher, and lymphocyte counts were lower in 14-d-old calves compared with 28-d-old calves. In wk 2 at the veal farm, calves transported at 14 d of age had higher N-IgG titers and neutrophil counts, but lower N-IgM and N-IgA titers, and lymphocyte counts than calves transported at 28 d. In wk 1 and 1 d before transport, N-Ig in calves were positively related to N-Ig in colostrum. In wk 2 and 10 at the veal farm, N-IgG in calves was positively related to N-IgG in colostrum. The N-IgG titers in calves at the dairy farm were negatively related to the likelihood of being individually treated with antibiotics or other medicines at the veal farm. Our results suggest that calves transported to the veal farm at 28 d of age showed a more advanced development of their adaptive immunity than calves transported at 14 d of age. Quality of colostrum might have long-term consequences for N-IgG titers and immunity in veal calves.

En este trabajo se evalúan los métodos de foto-reconstrucción automatizada basados en el uso conjunto de las técnicas Structure from Motion (SfM) y Multi-View Stereo (MVS) para medir, monitorizar y cuantificar la dinámica de tres formas geomorfológicas: i) el glaciar rocoso del Corral del Veleta (Granada, España), ii) un paisaje de cárcavas de tipo calanchi (Sicilia, Italia) y ii) cinco pequeñas cabeceras de cárcava (Cáceres, España). Se incluyen en este trabajo los resultados sobre la precisión, utilidad y aplicabilidad de estas técnicas. Para la cuantificación de la precisión se utilizan el error cuadrático medio (RMSE) de los puntos de control que se emplean en la georreferenciación y las distancias medias absolutas entre cada nube de puntos y una nube de puntos de referencia calculadas con los métodos cloud-to-cloud y multiscale model-to-model cloud comparison. Para los casos i) y iii) las nubes de referencia se capturaron utilizando un escáner láser terrestre, mientras que para el caso ii) se empleó un modelo digital de elevaciones obtenido mediante fotogrametría clásica aplicada a fotogramas aéreos capturados con un vehículo aéreo no tripulado. Los resultados de estos análisis mostraron precisiones de rango centimétrico con distancias medias a los modelos de referencia que oscilaron entre 0,01 m y 0,42 m. Las precisiones estimadas indican que los modelos obtenidos podrían utilizarse para calcular el volumen de cambio geomorfológico, tan sólo en el caso de las cabeceras. En el caso del glaciar y del calanchi los modelos podrían emplearse para elaborar cartografía precisa o estimar parámetros morfológicos, pero no para registrar cambios a escala anual.

Background: Half of stroke survivors with arm impairment still have problems 4 years post stroke. Evidence suggests that at least 20 hours of additional task-specific training after stroke may improve arm function. This dose cannot be provided by the health service therefore self-management is encouraged.[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR)

Three-dimensional photo-reconstruction methods based on Structure from Motion (SfM) and MultiView-Stereo techniques (MVS) are tested for measuring, monitoring and quantifying three different geomorphological features: i) the Corral del Veleta rock glacier and ii) five small gully headcuts in Spain and iii) Calanchi type badland in Italy. Results about the accuracy, usefulness and applicability of these techniques are presented here. The results of these analyses showed centimeter-level accuracies with average distances to the benchmark models ranging from 0.009 m to 0.42 m.

S imulated rainfall experiments (68.2 mm h -1 ) on plots of 1 m 2 on two vineyards in Utiel and Moixent show high soil erosion rates. These measuremen ts show that runoff rates and sediment concentration are very high due to the bare soils. Soil losses are 5.68 and 23.14 Mg ha -1 h -1 , respectively, in the study areas and Moixent and Utie l. It is confirmed that the vineyards contribute to highly erodible soils. Unión Europea GL2008-02879/BTE Unión Europea LEDDRA 243857 Unión Europea RECARE FP7 603498

S imulated rainfall experiments (68.2 mm h -1 ) on plots of 1 m 2 on two vineyards in Utiel and Moixent show high soil erosion rates. These measuremen ts show that runoff rates and sediment concentration are very high due to the bare soils. Soil losses are 5.68 and 23.14 Mg ha -1 h -1 , respectively, in the study areas and Moixent and Utie l. It is confirmed that the vineyards contribute to highly erodible soils. Unión Europea GL2008-02879/BTE Unión Europea LEDDRA 243857 Unión Europea RECARE FP7 603498

Recent developments made in tri-dimensional photo-reconstruction techniques (3D-PR), such as the use of Structure from Motion (SfM) and MultiView Stereo (MVS) techniques together, have allowed obtaining high resolution 3D point clouds. In order to achieve final point clouds with these techniques, only oblique images from consumer un-calibrated and non-metric cameras are needed. Here, these techniques are used in order to measure, monitor and quantify geomorphological features and processes. Three different applications through a range of scales and landforms are presented here. Firstly, five small gully headcuts located in a small catchment in SW Spain were monitored with the aim of estimating headcut retreat rates. During this field work, 3D models obtained by means of a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) were captured and used as benchmarks to analyze 3D-PR method accuracy. Results of this analysis showed centimeter-level accuracies with average distances between the 3D-PR model and the TLS model ranging from 0.009 to 0.025 m. Estimated soil loss ranged from -0.246 m3 to 0.114 m3 for a wet period (289 mm) of 54 days in 2013. Secondly, a calanchi type badland in Sicily (Italy) was photo-reconstructed and the quality of the 3D-PR model was analyzed using a Digital Elevation Model produced by classic digital photogrammetry with photos captured by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). In this case, sub-meter calculated accuracies (0.30) showed that it is possible to describe badland morphology using 3D-PR models but it is not feasible to use these models to quantify annual rates of soil erosion in badlands (10 mm eroded per year). Finally, a high-resolution model of the Veleta rock glacier (in SE Spain) was elaborated with 3D-PR techniques and compared with a 3D model obtained by means of a TLS. Results indicated that 3D-PR method can be applied to the micro-scale study of glacier morphologies and processes with average distances to the TLS point cloud of 0.21 m.

Subsurface stormflow is thought to occur mainly in humid environments with steep terrains. However, in semi-arid areas, preferential flow through macropores can also result in a significant contribution of subsurface stormflow to catchment runoff for varying catchment conditions. Most hydrological models neglect this important subsurface preferential flow. Here, we use the process-oriented hydrological model Hillflow-3D, which includes a macropore flow approach, to simulate rainfall-runoff in the semi-arid Parapuños catchment in Spain, where macropore flow was observed in previous research. The model was extended for this study to account for sorptivity under very dry soil conditions. The results of the model simulations with and without macropore flow are compared. Both model versions give reasonable results for average rainfall situations, although the approach with the macropore concept provides slightly better results. The model results for scenarios of extreme rainfall events (>13.3mm30min-1) however show large differences between the versions with and without macropores. These model results compared with measured rainfall-runoff data show that the model with the macropore concept is better. Our conclusion is that preferential flow is important in controlling surface runoff in case of specific, high intensity rainfall events. Therefore, preferential flow processes must be included in hydrological models where we know that preferential flow occurs. Hydrological process models with a less detailed process description may fit observed average events reasonably well but can result in erroneous predictions for more extreme events.

Subsurface stormflow is thought to occur mainly in humid environments with steep terrains. However, in semi-arid areas, preferential flow through macropores can also result in a significant contribution of subsurface stormflow to catchment runoff for varying catchment conditions. Most hydrological models neglect this important subsurface preferential flow. Here, we use the process-oriented hydrological model Hillflow-3D, which includes a macropore flow approach, to simulate rainfall-runoff in the semi-arid Parapuños catchment in Spain, where macropore flow was observed in previous research. The model was extended for this study to account for sorptivity under very dry soil conditions. The results of the model simulations with and without macropore flow are compared. Both model versions give reasonable results for average rainfall situations, although the approach with the macropore concept provides slightly better results. The model results for scenarios of extreme rainfall events (>13.3¿mm¿30¿min-1) however show large differences between the versions with and without macropores. These model results compared with measured rainfall-runoff data show that the model with the macropore concept is better. Our conclusion is that preferential flow is important in controlling surface runoff in case of specific, high intensity rainfall events. Therefore, preferential flow processes must be included in hydrological models where we know that preferential flow occurs. Hydrological process models with a less detailed process description may fit observed average events reasonably well but can result in erroneous predictions for more extreme events.

In technical applications strain gauges are widely used. Apart from conventional polymer foil based strain gauges that are glued to the work piece surface, sputtered strain gauges are already commercially used in special applications. Those sputter strain gauges are typically made of NiCr alloy and the sensor layer is as sensitive to strain as the ones used in the glued strain gauges with a gauge factor of 2, but neglecting problems of creeping and swelling of the involved polymer materials. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films offer significantly higher strain sensitivity, but usually they are also very sensitive to temperature effects. Using metal doped diamond-like carbon (Me-DLC), higher strain sensitivity than conventional metal based systems, in combination with thermal compensation, is possible. The influence of different process parameters on the gauge factor and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of DLC and Me-DLC films produced in industrial sputtering systems was investigated. Gauge factors up to 13 in combination with a high negative TCR in the range of a few thousand ppm/K were reached with sputtered DLC films. The substrate bias voltage in particular showed a strong influence on the resulting gauge factor of the films. For Me-DLC films different deposition methods (dc and rf sputtering) and various doping metals (Ag, Ni, Ti, and W) were investigated. Using dc sputtering of the Me-DLC films only Ni-DLC showed gauge factors slightly higher than 2. Furthermore, only for Ni-DLC zero crossing of the TCR was observed by variation of the metal content. Using rf excitation especially Ni-DLC films showed gauge factors exceeding values of 15 in combination with a TCR close to zero.

Neste trabalho avalia-se a degradação do solo em parques de criação ao ar livre de porcos das raças autóctones Alentejana e Bísara numa unidade de experimentação na Quinta da Senhora de Mércules, Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco, no período de 2004 a 2007. A degradação do solo é avaliada qualitativamente por um conjunto de sinais de degradação do solo. A erosão do solo é avaliada quantitativamente pelo método das raízes expostas das árvores ou montículos e por pontos indicadores em que é possível medir a erosão, relativamente a pontos de referência. Verifica-se em todos os parques uma degradação do solo alta a muito alta, com maior incidência nos parques da raça Alentejana. A taxa anual de erosão do solo estimou-se em 5,9cm, durante o período de três anos em que decorreu a experimentação.