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Numerous studies have shown that heat exchanger fouling may lead to 1-2.5% of global CO SB 2 sb emissions. The International Conference on Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning has been held in bi-yearly intervals since 1995 and has helped to bridge the gap between academia and industry. The complete refereed proceedings from the 2003-2017 conferences can be accessed free of charge from the conference website, www.heatexchanger-fouling.com. [Extracted from the article]

• 21 150 × 200 × 11,000 mm3 Salzmann pine rafters from 18th century building were analysed. • Criteria were established to assign the most adequate nominal cross-section dimension. • NDT measurements were used to optimize the nominal size dimensions assignment. • Central area cross-section showed the best MOE estimation with ToF methods. • Global mean cross-section showed the best MOE estimation with vibration analysis. The frequent highly irregular geometry of the elements in existing timber structures complicates the structural verification of members and influences the use of non-destructive testing (NDT), affecting the inspection time, cost and results obtained. This process therefore needs to be improved. The main aim of this paper is to analyse how to obtain a representative nominal cross-section (NCS) of members, and its influence on determination of the static modulus of elasticity (MOE sta). 21 150 × 200 × 11,000 mm3 Salzmann pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco) timber rafters from the 18th century Royal Coliseum of Charles III theatre (in Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain) were acoustically tested (by ultrasound, stress wave and vibration). The MOE sta was determined by mechanical testing, and different criteria for determining the NCS were analysed. Good correlation was obtained between the MOE sta and NDT parameters, and the best criterion to assign NCS was proposed to improve the accuracy of the models obtained by reducing the number of NCS measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of collecting exotic animals saw an unprecedented rise at the Spanish court in the eighteenth century, particularly during the reign of Charles III. His most prized specimens were three Indian elephants, regarded as genuine crown jewels and symbolizing the power, wealth and prestige of a great sovereign more eloquently than any other animal. They gave a clear sign of the breadth and strength of his diplomacy, the influence of which extended as far away as India. The interest aroused by their acquisition and the diplomatic procedures involved are examined here, together with the problems encountered in bringing these animals to the Iberian Peninsula and maintaining them in the unusual conditions of the Aranjuez Palace. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A set of linked reproductive histories taken from the Spanish town of Aranjuez between 1871 and 1950 is used to address key issues regarding reproductive change during the demographic transition. These include the role of child survival as a stimulus for reproductive change, the use of stopping and/or spacing strategies to achieve reproductive goals, and the timing of change. Straightforward demographic measures are used and robust results are achieved. Initial strategies of fertility limitation are shown to exist but are inefficient, are mostly visible during the latter part of the reproductive period, are designed mostly to protect families from the effects of increases in child survival, and are based almost entirely on stopping behavior. As mortality decline accelerates, strategies become much more efficient, are visible at the outset of married life, include spacing behavior, and eventually lead to important declines in completed family size. The results of this study have implications for our understanding of the demographic transition both in historical Europe and in other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A relational database using Access, and an interface based on a Geographical Information System (GIS) with ArcView program, were created to allow spatial-temporal analysis of documentary flood data collected for the Tagus basin (Central Spain). High flood frequencies were registered in the periods: AD 1160–1210 (3%), 1540–1640 (11%; peak at 1590–1610), 1730–1760 (5%), 1780–1810 (4%), 1870–1900 (19%), 1930–1950 (17%) and 1960–1980 (12%). Flood magnitudes of those documentary events were estimated at four sites (Aranjuez, Toledo, Talavera and Alcántara) along the Tagus River using HEC-RAS Computer program, matching the calculated water surface profiles with historical references of flood stage. The largest floods took place during the periods AD 1168–1211 (Toledo and Talavera), AD 1658–1706 (Talavera), AD 1870–1900, and AD 1930–1950 (Aranjuez, Toledo, Talavera and Alcántara). The temporal distribution of flood magnitude and frequency is discussed within the context of climatic variability experienced by the Iberian Peninsula. Although flood producing mechanisms of Atlantic and Mediterranean basins of the Iberian Peninsula are related to different, independent atmospheric patterns, there is a clear coincidence between most periods showing high flood frequencies. These periods of high flooding seem to correspond to the initial and final decades of periods with climate deterioration described at the continental scale. This suggests that climatic variability over the last millennium has induced a response in hydrological extremes (positive or negative), irrespective of the flood-producing mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linked life histories of children and of their parents living in Aranjuez (Spain) between 1870 and 1950 are used to assess the health and well-being of children in terms of the survival status of their parents. The loss of a mother leads to dramatic increases in the mortality of young children, especially during the first 2 years of life, while the loss of a father has a rather limited negative impact. Over time the relative importance of the loss of a mother increases sharply, thus affording strong, albeit indirect, evidence of their role for mortality reduction during the demographic transition. Heights of military conscripts are used to assess other elements of health unrelated to survival. Results suggest that orphans were noticeably shorter than non-orphans. Over time this effect diminishes thanks to increasingly effective public assistance for orphans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geo-referenced 3D models are currently in demand as an initial knowledge base for cultural heritage projects and forest inventories. The mobile laser scanning (MLS) used for geo-referenced 3D models offers ever greater efficiency in the acquisition of 3D data and their subsequent application in the fields of forestry. In this study, we have analysed the performance of an MLS with simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (SLAM) for compiling a tree inventory in a historic garden, and we assessed the accuracy of the estimates of diameter at breast height (DBH, a height of 1.30 m) calculated from three fitting algorithms: RANSAC, Monte Carlo, and Optimal Circle. The reference sample used was 378 trees from the Island Garden, a historic garden and UNESCO World Heritage site in Aranjuez, Spain. The time taken to acquire the data by MLS was 27 min 37 s, in an area of 2.38 ha. The best results were obtained with the Monte Carlo fitting algorithm, which was able to estimate the DBH of 77% of the 378 trees in the study, with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 5.31 cm and a bias of 1.23 cm. The proposed methodology enabled a supervised detection of the trees and automatically estimated the DBH of most trees in the study, making this a useful tool for the management and conservation of a historic garden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]