Las Palmas De Gran Canaria Research Articles

Academic and Employment Preferences of Nursing Students at the University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: It is well known that there are differences in the academic and employment preferences of nursing students once they have completed their undergraduate studies in nursing. These preferences are largely influenced by students’ affinity for certain thematic areas over others. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the employment and academic preferences of third- and fourth-year Nursing Degree students at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was conducted among nursing students across three campuses of the ULPGC (Canary Islands, Spain). An online questionnaire was used to collect various sociodemographic and academic variables, as well as preferences across ten thematic areas. Descriptive and bivariate inferential analyses were performed, along with a correlation analysis among the areas. Results: The areas of highest preference were “Emergency Nursing”, “General Nursing”, and “Family and Community Nursing”. The areas of lowest preference were “Other Areas (teaching, management, research)”, “Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing”, and “Geriatric Nursing”. Three clusters of closely correlated areas were identified: cluster 1 (Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, Emergency and Emergency Nursing and Operating Theatre and Anaesthesia Nursing), cluster 2 (Obstetric-Gynaecological Nursing–Midwifery, Paediatric Nursing and Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing) and cluster 3 (remaining areas). A significant proportion of students expressed intentions to pursue postgraduate studies. Conclusions: Strategies should be implemented to enhance students’ preferences in the areas of “Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing” and “Geriatric Nursing”, which are areas where there is a high demand for nurses. It is also necessary to increase their interest in research, management, and teaching. This study was not registered.

Cómo entrenar tu dragon: developing a module to build up AI literacy of HE lecturers

This case study summarised the findings from the first academic presentation of the module ‘Cómo entrenar tu dragon (How to train your dragon)’, which is part of the development and training programme offered by the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to new and experienced teaching staff. The module aims to equip participants with a theoretical understanding and practical skills to use Generative AI (GenAI) multimodal languages to enhance learning and to develop a critical awareness of the umbrella term ‘AI literacy’. The module covers topics such as GenAI and data protection, copyright issues, regulatory frameworks, getting familiar with GenAI large language models (LLM) and the impact of GenAI on assessment. The case study provides information on the type of learning activities undertaken by participants and the final summative assessment. Participants found the module insightful, giving it a total score of 4.813 out of 5 on a Likert scale. Participant feedback suggests that institutional guidance and policies are needed to introduce GenAI tools at the Universidad de Las Pal mas de Gran Canaria so they can use GenAI tools confidently with their students.

Traditional and debate-focused flipped methodology in the teaching of “English Narrative”

Introduction: This research presents a practice of flipped learning for the subject of “English Narrative”, taught in the degree of Modern Languages at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Methodology: A group of 25 students has received two variants of this methodology: traditional and debate-focused flipped classroom to study two recognised writers of English literature: Charles Dickens and E. M. Forster. Results: Dickens’s lesson has followed a traditional flipped classroom, where the group has seen a presentation about the novelist and his work made by the teacher outside class. The time spent in the face-to-face session has been devoted to doing specific exercises and deepening into the author’s style. Forster’s lesson has applied a debate-focused flipped learning, where the group has also seen a similar presentation. The questions are oriented towards the contrast of ideas to generate a discussion in class that favours the exchange of opinions. Discussion: The evaluation of this experience has been performed by means of questionnaires in which the methodology of flipped learning has been preferred over the more traditional one, even though the latter is largely valued. Conclusions: The students’ suggestions will be considered when applying this methodology to most authors of “English Narrative”.

Advancing geological image segmentation: Deep learning approaches for rock type identification and classification

This study aims to tackle the obstacles linked with geological image segmentation by employing sophisticated deep learning techniques. Geological formations, characterized by diverse forms, sizes, textures, and colors, present a complex landscape for traditional image processing techniques. Drawing inspiration from recent advancements in image segmentation, particularly in medical imaging and object recognition, this research proposed a comprehensive methodology tailored to the specific requirements of geological image datasets. To establish the dataset, a minimum of 50 images per rock type was deemed essential, with the majority captured at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and during a field expedition to La Isla de La Palma, Spain. This dual-source approach ensures diversity in geological formations, enriching the dataset with a comprehensive range of visual characteristics. The study involves the identification of 19 distinct rock types, each documented with 50 samples, resulting in a comprehensive database containing 950 images. The methodology involves two crucial phases: initial preprocessing of the dataset, focusing on formatting and optimization, and subsequent application of deep learning models—ResNets, Inception V3, DenseNets, MobileNets V3, and EfficientNet V2 large. Preparing the dataset is crucial for improving both the quality and relevance, thereby to ensure the optimal performance of deep learning models, the dataset was preprocessed. Following this, transfer learning or more specifically fine-tuning is applied in the subsequent phase with ResNets, Inception V3, DenseNets, MobileNets V3, and EfficientNet V2 large, leveraging pre-trained models to enhance classification task performance. After fine-tuning eight deep learning models with optimal hyperparameters, including ResNet101, ResNet152, Inception-v3, DenseNet169, DenseNet201, MobileNet-v3-small, MobileNet-v3-large, and EfficientNet-v2-large, comprehensive evaluation revealed exceptional performance metrics. DenseNet201 and InceptionV3 attained the highest accuracy of 98.49% when tested on the original dataset, leading in precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F-score. Incorporating preprocessing steps further improved results, with all models exceeding 97.5% accuracy on the preprocessed dataset. In K-Fold cross-validation (k = 5), MobileNet V3 large excelled with the highest accuracy of 99.15%, followed by ResNet101 at 99.08%. Despite varying training times, models on the preprocessed dataset showed faster convergence without overfitting. Minimal misclassifications were observed, mainly among specific classes. Overall, the study's methodologies yielded remarkable results, surpassing 99% accuracy on the preprocessed dataset and in K-Fold cross-validation, affirming the efficacy in advancing rock type understanding.

Clinicopathologic findings and causes of mortality in 100 pet rabbits from the Canary Islands, Spain, 2011-2022.

The European domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) is commonly kept as a pet, with increasing popularity among pet owners. Despite the increasing body of information on lagomorph medicine and pathology, comprehensive published compilations of causes of mortality in pet rabbits are limited. We analyzed health disorders, pathology findings, and most probable causes of death in 100 pet rabbits submitted to the Anatomopathological Diagnostic Service of the Veterinary School of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, from 2011 to 2022. We reviewed clinical data and gross and histopathologic findings to classify the various disorders into infectious (n = 39), noninfectious (n = 45), and idiopathic conditions (n = 16). Within infectious disease processes, Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection (n = 14) and rabbit hemorrhagic viral disease (n = 14) had the highest prevalence. Regarding the noninfectious conditions, perioperative mortality (n = 10), gastrointestinal syndrome (n = 7), and trauma (n = 6) were the most common clinicopathologic entities observed.

Perception of Animal Welfare and Animal Abuse among Veterinary Students: Role of Individual and Sociodemographic Factors.

Animal welfare and animal abuse, although measurable, exhibit a high degree of subjectivity that conditions how they are perceived and the level of sensitivity. Both elements are influenced by individual and sociodemographic factors. To determine the perception of animal welfare among veterinary students and to study the main sociodemographic factors influencing the assessment of animal welfare. To evaluate animal welfare perception at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, a 20-question survey was deployed via the Google Surveys platform. Distributed across all academic years, it was facilitated with QR codes located within the faculty premises. The data collection occurred from November 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022. A total of 223 students responded the questionnaire about perception of animal abuse, which represents 56.3% of the total enrollment in the academic year 2022-2023. Sensitivity to animal welfare, including academic training on how to respond to animal abuse, increased as students progressed through their studies. However, as students approached the end of their studies, they became less willing to make voluntary efforts. The profile of the veterinary student least sensitive to animal abuse appeared to be men without dogs who reside in rural habitats and have family members involved in hunting or fishing. We propose the implementation of intensive courses on animal welfare throughout the veterinary curriculum, along with an understanding of the veterinarian's role in reporting animal abuse. This approach aims to foster a foundation of critical awareness and commitment to animals.

Architecture Competitions as an Opportunity for Young Women Architects. The Case of the Competition for Rural Subsidised Housing and the Canarian Magüi González, 1981-85

The Spanish democratic transition (1975-1982) was a time when architecture competitions with open and anonymous participation gradually began to appear, a phenomenon that coincided with the progressive incorporation of women architects into the discipline. The first part of this article analyses the situation of these competitions by studying their repercussions in 16 Spanish professional architectural journals belonging to both consolidated and emerging Spanish Architects’ Associations. The participation of women architects is also analysed in order to assess whether these competitions were a source of professional opportunities for them. In the second section, the article studies the Competition for Architectural Solutions for Officially Subsidised Single-Family Housing in Rural Areas (1981-83), a nationwide call with the most significant participation of architecture professionals (more than 1.000) and with a notable number of selected proposals by women architects. This study shows that women architects working in peripheral areas of the Spanish territory had a special presence in this competition, with the Canary Islands being the most remarkable case, for both the good results of its female participants and its ultra-peripheral location. Among the participating women architects, Magüi González stands out for the quality of her proposal and for being the only female professional who eventually obtained a commission from this competition. Finally, the investigation focuses, from a compositional, constructive and design culture perspective, on González’s final built project: 30 dwellings in Juan Grande in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1983-85), which was, indeed, her opera prima and was eventually awarded an important regional architecture prize.

Flipped Classroom in the English Literature Lesson

This paper presents a flipped classroom experience for the “English Narrative” subject. The teaching of literature usually involves a traditional approach through which the teacher delivers some theoretical content about authors, their work, and the cultural context in which they developed their literary production. As a result of this method, the class time devoted to the critical analysis of those texts may be considerably reduced due to an excess of theory. In contrast, the flipped classroom methodology allows students to prepare part of the content at home after watching an educational video or presentation provided by their teacher, and the class time is used to assess the selected texts in a more effective way. This proposal describes the procedure employed for a flipped lesson based on The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. A group of 25 Spanish students were involved. They currently take the third year of the Degree of Modern Languages at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The participants have learned about Wilde’s novel and his ideas about art and beauty outside the classroom. Thus the time spent in class has been mainly dedicated to the analysis and critical discussion of said novel. The evaluation was conducted through 9 open questions. The answers have shown the preference for applying the flipped methodology rather than focusing on a more conventional approach to teaching literature.

Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, the influenced musician [final

Name: Alba Conejo Mangas. Main subject: Historical violin. Research supervisor: Wouter Verschuren. Title of the research: Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, the "influenced" musician. Research question: Is it possible to distinguish the influence of pre-flamenco in the villancicos of Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga? Summary of results: During my research, I never imagined finding music from Lima or Guatemala composed by Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga, a musician from Córdoba, Spain, in the XVIII century, who had never been in these places. This discovery presented an interesting challenge: to bring back to life scores that had been forgotten for over two hundred years and to explore the music played in Córdoba Cathedral during the middle of the XVIII century. My interest on Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga started when I listened to a beautiful villancico "Voy buscando mi cordero" by Gaitán y Arteaga, performed by La Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla with Enrico Onofri. Despite being sacred music composed for the church and for weekly mass, it was written in Spanish and carried a distinct Spanish folkloric flavour. Did Juan Manuel Gaitán y Arteaga have a connection with XVIII century Spanish folk music? This caught my attention and spurred me to delve deeper into his music, particularly his villancicos. I soon realized how little-known Juan Manuel's music is today The line of research I pursued falls within the realm of musicological-historical research. The musicological techniques employed include those related to musical historiography, such as the chronological organization of historical-musical events, particularly in Córdoba. Additionally, it involves an understanding of musical compositions, forms, and styles, as well as musical aesthetics, encompassing the conception of music, its functions, and purposes. The objectives are: to understand the musical personality of Gaitán y Arteaga in his villancicos and the relation between the folkloric and ecclesiastical world in Spain on XVIII C. Biography: Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, she finished her modern bachelor under the guidance of Gordan Nikolic in Rotterdam. It was then, that she started her interest in historical performance. After her graduation, she studied for her baroque bachelor's in Brussels under the guidance of Ryo Terakado, and in 2022 she started her master's degree at The Hague Conservatory with professor Ryo Terakado too.

“They say I’m crazy, but I’ve lived through hell.”

IntroductionMigration has been present in the evolution of human beings throughout history. Economic inequalities give rise to a permanent flow of people trying to improve their lives. In addition, there are people who are forced to seek asylum or refuge due to wars or political violence. Therefore, the migratory flow, gives rise to a clinical scenario in which, the arrival of immigrant people demands an adaptation of the psychiatric paradigm.ObjectivesThe objective of this paper is to review the international scientific literature published on the impact of the migration process on mental health.MethodsWe propose a review of the international scientific literature published in recent years on psychiatry and migration.We present the case of a 27-year-old male, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, who arrived in the Canary Islands after a 2-year migration process from his country of origin (Senegal).ResultsThe limits between normality and pathology of certain types of behavior vary from one culture to another.In the case of a patient with a mental disorder who has undergone a migration process, an approach based on the cultural formulation of the case should be made, taking into account the process of adaptation to the culture of the host country, as well as the impact of the culture of origin on the patient’s interpretation of his or her psychopathology.ConclusionsCulture can influence the acceptance or rejection of a diagnosis and treatment, affecting the course of the disease and recovery.Therefore, understanding the cultural context in which the disease is experienced is essential for a good diagnostic evaluation and effective clinical management.Disclosure of InterestN. Molina Pérez: None Declared, J. Pereira López: None Declared, M. I. Santana Ortiz: None Declared, P. Rivero Rodríguez: None Declared, A. R. Del Rosario Grant / Research support from: Jansen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Consultant of: Jansen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Lundbeck, Inc., Employee of: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Speakers bureau of: Jansen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Lundbeck, Inc.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.; Pfizer Inc.; Esteve Pharmaceuticals, S.A.; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.; Angelini Pharma S.L.U.; Laboratorios Farmacéuticos ROVI SA., M. Grimal: None Declared, V. Acosta Pérez: None Declared

A pilot study on gamified and conventional e-quizzes reinforcing human histology among first-year medical and physiotherapy students.

The present retrospective, descriptive, and quasi-experimental study aimed to explore students' perceptions of traditional teaching combined with gamified and nongamified e-tests for postlecture reinforcement. Midterm knowledge retention and academic performance were also analyzed. The study was conducted from February 2021 to May 2022, involving a single group of first-year medical and physiotherapy students enrolled in equivalent core subjects on human histology at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). Lectures were supplemented with gamified Quizizz (QQ) or nongamified Moodle questionnaires (MQ) after lecture (t0) and 30 days later (t30). From 171 attendees, 162 volunteers were surveyed on their perceptions on the experience. Furthermore, 97 volunteers participated in the DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey on the students' satisfaction, and 123 participants individually answered 20 QQ and 20 MQ. Data were analyzed using the program Jamovi 2.3.24. The survey on volunteers' perception comprised 11 Likert items and 3 numerical scale items. The former showed acceptable internal consistency (ω-McDonald, 0.70) and validity (KMO, 0.58). Both types of e-questionnaires facilitated learning and motivated pre-reading contents but QQs were preferred. Reinforced lectures were rated higher than those unreinforced. Volunteers expressed higher overall satisfaction though DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey than the prepandemic control group. Average scores peaked at t0 with higher MQ rates. At t30, MQ and QQ scores were acceptable and similar. Participants' outcomes in the final exam tended to improve compared to the prepandemic control group, but without statistical significance. In summary, gamified and nongamified e-quizzes enhanced the student satisfaction and motivation and facilitated midterm knowledge retention.

Reptile Identification for Endemic and Invasive Alien Species Using Transfer Learning Approaches.

The Canary Islands are considered a hotspot of biodiversity and have high levels of endemicity, including endemic reptile species. Nowadays, some invasive alien species of reptiles are proliferating with no control in different parts of the territory, creating a dangerous situation for the ecosystems of this archipelago. Despite the fact that the regional authorities have initiated actions to try to control the proliferation of invasive species, the problem has not been solved as it depends on sporadic sightings, and it is impossible to determine when these species appear. Since no studies for automatically identifying certain species of reptiles endemic to the Canary Islands have been found in the current state-of-the-art, from the Signals and Communications Department of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University (ULPGC), we consider the possibility of developing a detection system based on automatic species recognition using deep learning (DL) techniques. So this research conducts an initial identification study of some species of interest by implementing different neural network models based on transfer learning approaches. This study concludes with a comparison in which the best performance is achieved by integrating the EfficientNetV2B3 base model, which has a mean Accuracy of 98.75%.

Design of a trigeneration system for a hospital complex in Gran Canaria

This article presents the design of a trigeneration system for a hospital complex in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). The absorption refrigeration machine uses water as cooling fluid and lithium bromide as absorber. The energetic analysis shows high values of thermal performance and of electrical equivalent performance. The percentage of primary energy saving is about 23 %. The economic justification is realized taking into account the cost of the initial investment, the operating costs and the income forecast, turning out to be a profitable investment.

Impact of weight loss after treatment on survival outcomes of overweight and obese patients with early‑stage endometrial cancer.

Despite the fact that obesity is the main risk factor for endometrial cancer, there is limited evidence regarding the effects of body weight change on overweight and obese women treated for early-stage endometrial can its impact on cancer outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was performed including all overweight and obese patients with early-stage type-I endometrial cancer that were treated at the Insular University Hospital of Las Palmas (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) between January 2007 and December 2019. Body weight change at 12 months of treatment was evaluated, as well as its impact on cancer outcomes. Weight loss ≥5% was independently evaluated regarding its impact on survival. A total of 526 women were studied, of which 152 (28.90%) were overweight (BMI ≥25 and <30) and 374 (71.10%) were obese (BMI ≥30). The median follow-up was 76.17 months, during which time 77 (14.64%) women died. In the survivor group, body weight at initial diagnosis was 86.4±17.9 kg compared with 84.6±16.4 kg 1 year after treatment, which corresponded to a significant mean weight loss of 1.47 kg (P<0.001). However, in the group of non-survivors, body weight at initial diagnosis was 84.7±15.7 kg compared with 84.7±14.6 kg 1 year after treatment, which demonstrated a non-significant mean weight loss of 0.63 kg (P=0.180). When comparing between the patients who maintained or gained ≥5% weight and those who lost ≥5% weight, there were no significant differences taking into account the whole cohort and follow-up time; however, when adjusting for the period between 32 and 98 months, survival was significantly higher in those patients that lost ≥5% of their initial body weight (P=0.025; log-rank test). Based on the final univariate and cer and multivariate analyses, body weight change at 12 months was not indicated to be a factor significantly affecting overall survival; adjusted hazard ratio was 1.01 (95% CI 0.97-1.05, P=0.723). In conclusion, even if greater weight loss is observed in patients with endometrial cancer that survive the disease, no significant impact on survival outcomes is observed based on multivariate analysis.

Metrological Assessment of Microtextured EDM Electrodes Generated by Additive Manufacturing and Electroforming

Surface engineering makes use of functional and aesthetic textures to meet different needs in the development of new products, with high-value enriched features. At present, the use of additive manufacturing is bringing many advantages in its integration into advanced hybrid manufacturing processes. The direct application of textures on 3D models is a viable, fast and sustainable solution in many of these technologies by reducing the consumption of resources in materials and energy, of the additional processes that have been commonly applied in these applications.One of the processes that allows texturization of materials with great hardness is sinker electro discharge machining. This process, although slow, allows to obtain textures in small dimensions with very high precision, difficult to achieve by conventional processes. However, one of the aspects that make it a slow and expensive process is the manufacture of electrodes, especially those with complex geometries.Therefore, work is being done to solve this aspect, combining the additive technology of stereolithography by mask (MSLA) and the electroforming process to generate micro-textured copper electrodes with some structured and bioinspired textures. The model parts are generated with the textures in MSLA, which are then metallized on the functional surfaces before being introduced into the electrolytic bath to generate the electroforms with the appropriate thickness. This work presents the results of the metrological assessment from he CAD modeling to the electroeroded part, including the generated model part and the electrode made from it. This work is being developed in the Integrated and Advanced Manufacturing research group of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and in collaboration with the Engineering and Materials and Manufacturing Technology research group of the University of Cadiz.

Nurturing a Respectful Connection: Exploring the Relationship between University Educators and Students in a Spanish Veterinary Faculty.

The respect of the teacher for the student is essential for effective teaching from the perspective of the students, even in comparison to the knowledge and communication capacity of the teacher. Consequently, the optimal development of this characteristic fosters a more effective and efficient student-teacher relationship. We initiated this research following a conversation with a group of university students, who expressed their discontent regarding the lack of respect shown towards them by some teachers. Therefore, we conducted a descriptive study using online surveys, focusing on the central axis in the teacher-student relationship. The results highlighted the need for faculty members to analyze and question their attitudes towards their students. This paper presents initial results of the data collected at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

How Do Unsustainable Practices Remain Dominant? A Practice Theory Reinterpretation of Gramsci

Sociological studies of sustainable transformation have highlighted the relevance of ‘unequal’ and ‘uneven’ transformation dynamics. We argue that a practice-based approach provides far more insight into such unequal dynamics than currently recognized. We re-interpret the political concepts of agonism, antagonism and historic bloc that Gramsci used to analyse domination in order to theorize practice constellations and dynamics that are responsible for the perpetuation of unsustainable practices and the suppression of sustainable ones. Based on empirical findings, we also expand his vocabulary by introducing the concept of synergy. Using the example of urban cycling in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, we propose a Gramscian-inspired account of power and domination in practices as a way of understanding inequality in transformation efforts.

Meeting externalities: The effects of educational training on support for tourism activities

This study evaluates whether college students change their beliefs about the social, economic, and environmental effects of tourism activities after receiving educational training. In particular, our goal is to examine if economic instruction affects their views about the impacts of cruise tourism development. We conduct an experiment with students majoring in tourism enrolled in a compulsory course on tourism and transport at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain). We administer a survey before and after the course in three academic years that involve the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. We find that students become more concerned about the negative impacts of cruise tourism, with significant shifts in their agreement with the environmental externalities and price surges associated with cruise tourism. Furthermore, they become more supportive of the setting of a tourism tax per passenger, but agree less with the idea that governments should economically incentivise the arrival of more ships.

Holocene Erosional Processes in a Highly Exposed Intertidal Sandstone Reef Inferred from Remote Sensing Data

An intertidal sandstone reef, named barra de Las Canteras, protects the western coast of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria city (Canary Islands, Spain). The beach-reef system of Las Canteras constitutes one of the most valuable coastal geomorphological sites in the archipelago. Stratigraphic studies have identified the formation of the reef in the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e) in a coastal sedimentary paleo-environment. The rock structure is highly exposed to the Atlantic swell and consists mainly of a sandstone beachrock with a medium resistance to erosional processes. However, the historical and current erosion rates and the original extent of the reef are not known to date. This paper explores the geomorphological structure of the reef by combining a topo-bathymetric analysis (obtained by differential GPS, multibeam echosounder and hyperspectral sensor) and the analysis of geomorphological features on high-resolution images, obtained with a hyperspectral camera mounted on a UAV. The results provide a comprehensive, high-resolution image of the subaerial and submerged morphology of the reef. The structure reflects the distribution of erosional fronts and the existence of collapsing submarine blockfields and nearshore, uneroded, remnant reliefs. Detailed analysis of these features allows to estimate the probable original extent of the sandstone reef and to relate the erosional retreat processes to the sea-level dynamics during the Holocene.

Prioritizing urban nature-based solutions to support scaling-out strategies: A case study in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Nature-based solutions (NbS) can synergistically improve human well-being and biodiversity in urban areas by enhancing ecosystem functions and services. Scaling out NbS, understood as the widespread application of NbS in multiple contexts, is an important policy ambition to increase the number of people and regions benefiting from NbS. However, designing scaling-out strategies requires considering critical aspects of the nexus between NbS and ecosystem services (ES) supply to yield large-scale benefits effectively. The aim of the study is twofold: (i) to simulate the stepwise implementation of multiple NbS and (ii) to quantify their cumulative impacts on ES supply and beneficiaries. The NbS implementation was guided by a method that prioritizes different NbS types in multiple sites, by combining spatial information on ES demand and land suitability with a qualitative description of ES supply by NbS type. The cumulative impacts were computed stepwise using GIS modeling. The study was conducted in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), focusing on five types of NbS (urban forests, urban parks, community gardens, infiltration ponds), and five ES (runoff mitigation, stormwater treatment, soil erosion control, recreation, and food supply). Overall, 179 NbS were simulated in 130 sites distributed in the city. The findings showed an improvement in all services, albeit significant increments occurred only for certain services. We observed a non-linear relationship between NbS and impacts, including constant, positive, and negative trends. We discussed several factors that were determinants of impacts, providing insights on how to design scaling-out strategies from the biophysical perspective. Moreover, we reflected on the role of multifunctionality, social preferences, and economic feasibility as prioritization criteria for NbS. Finally, we addressed the implementation of NbS scaling-out strategies from a broader perspective, deepening governance, economic and planning challenges, and potential actions for the case study.