Valencia City Research Articles

Las Cortes de 1428 y su repercusión en la Hacienda municipal de la ciudad de Valencia

Call for Cortes council means to Valencia's city big expenses about municipal Treasury. All of them were accounted by clavario of the city in his book of accounts (document wages, copy, donations, etc.). From these books, and also by the same ones written by the Consell (Valencia city council), we can know which expenses they were, and also how, from 1428, mostly percent of these expenses were assumed by Diputation del General (also known as Generalitat , Kingdom political and economic assembly).

Ordering the alternatives of a strategic plan for Valencia (Spain)

AbstractIn this article we present an evaluation of the initiatives involved in a Strategic Plan for Valencia City (Spain) by applying a method to assist Multi‐Criteria Decision‐Making. The complexity of the case lies in the size of the problem, 47 alternatives and 10 criteria, as well as the need to reach a consensus on the final result. The method followed, which has been named PRES Multi‐expert, can be generalized and applied to other complex cases. Thirteen experts have participated in the process, representing different political and social groups of the City, a group of analysts, formed by three lecturers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and a consultant, representing the City Hall of Valencia. The PRES algorithm was used to order the alternatives developed in 1992 by Gómez‐Senent at this University. In this article we highlight the advantages of applying the Multi‐Criteria Decision‐Making Aid techniques and the importance of following a procedure to select the criteria, pondering on them and evaluating the alternatives. This procedure ensures that the parties interested in or affected by the decision take part in deciding what measures to adopt. The Multi‐expert PRES method facilitates this participation and can be adapted to different types of problems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Estudio RICVAL. El infarto agudo de miocardio en la ciudad de Valencia. Datos de 1.124 pacientes en los primeros 12 meses del Registro (diciembre de 1993-noviembre de 1994)

Information on the management of acute myocardial infarction in Spain is still scarce. The Register of Acute Myocardial Infarction of Valencia City (RICVAL) was established to collect, in a prospectively and uniformly way, data of patients with acute myocardial infarctions discharged from Valencia coronary care units, in order to obtain updated information on the management of these patients. Data of the first twelve months of the register are presented. Using standardised variables, demographic, clinical, procedural and outcome data from patients with acute myocardial infarction were collected at the eight hospitals collaborating in the RICVAL, from 1 December 1993 to 30 November 1994. The eight participating hospitals cover 1,665,720 people. During 12 months, 1,124 patients were discharged from the participating coronary care units. Mean age was 65.1 years and 23.9% were female. The case fatality rate was 16.9%. Left ventricular failure (Killip 2, 3 and 4) was present in 42%. Thrombolytic therapy was applied in 43.5% with a median time delay of 210 minutes from chest pain onset. The delay time in initiating thrombolysis was longer in the women and in the elderly. Analysis of present data shows the feasibility of an acute myocardial infarction register in Valencia City. The RICVAL study will allow a better knowledge of demographic, clinical, procedural and outcome data in patients with myocardial infarction. The case fatality rate is still high when we consider that an acceptable level of thrombolytic therapy has been reached. The long delay time in initiating thrombolysis, particularly in the elderly and in the women, must be emphasized.

Biomonitoring ozone phytotoxicity in eastern Spain

High ozone (O3) levels have been recorded in eastern Spain. A project was developed to identify the areas of elevated O3 and determine if these levels were above critical concentrations for plant damage. Thus, a network of bioindicators was established in two Autonomous Communities of Spain: Catalunya (31.930 km2) and Valencia (23.305 km2) to assess O3 phytotoxicity. Three tobacco cultivars, (Bel-W3, Bel-C and Bel-B) were used during the 1994 growing season in both Regions. In Catalunya the highest O3 phytotoxicity was recorded in coastal areas, while the phytotoxicity decreased as plants were grown further in-land. A lower O3 phytotoxicity was observed in coastal sites of the Valencia Autonomous Community, compared to Catalunya, although the O3 injury was observed downwind from Valencia city in the most resistant cultivar Bel-B. The results in the Valencian Community were difficult to interpret, since plant viruses were widely distributed, not only in indicator plants, but also in commercial crops grown in the area. The analysis of O3 concentrations, meteorological parameters and visible injury at the Catalan sites showed that high relative humidity levels could favour O3 phytotoxicity. Therefore, the interactions between O3 exposure and environmental conditions on plant response should be further studied for the establishment of sound critical levels.

Wastewater treatment in Valencia city (Spain)

Our objective is to determine the changes in the wastewater treatment process in the city of Valencia by taking into account population changes during the period 1983–1990. We have consulted analytical data and information regarding this volume of water treated in a biological treatment plant of activated sludge; data was collected daily and introduced into a data matrix from which the distribution and central tendency measures were calculated. We then obtained the correlations of the different parameters according to population variations. We observed an increase in the volume of water treated during our study period: from 74,220 m3/day in 1983 to 183,850 m3/day in 1990. This was in contrast to a gradual decrease in the population of Valencia: 729,900 in 1983 to 699,600 inhabitants in 1990. As parameters indicating pollution, we studied the changes of suspended matter (S.M.) and the biochemical oxygen demand (B.O.D.) in relation to population changes. The variations of the suspended matter produced annua...

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate matter of Valencia city

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in atmospheric particulate matter in 11 sites of the Valencia area and at several times during the year. Sample analysis was carried out by ultrasonic acetonitrile extraction followed by reverse phase HPLC separation and fluorescence detection. The maximum concentration of total PAH developed in winter and spring. Mean values per sampling site varied from 0.193 to 1.668 μg/m3 of filtered air. Environmental noise and temperature were determined at those same 11 sites and correlated with PAH levels.

Determination of lead on the airborne particulates of urban Valencia city

A method for the determination of lead in airborne particulates by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after extraction with HCl-HNO3 (120–150°C) is described. Particulate lead levels in the atmosphere have been measured in samples collected throughout a year, sampling has been made at eleven sites within the city of Valencia. The results obtained in this study show that annual means of lead levels are within the range of 0.526 to 7.033 μg/m3 depending upon the sampling site. Lead levels are higher in winter and autumn. Lead and nitrogen oxide levels are well correlated.

Structural Surveying And Diagnosis Of TheCentral Market Of Valencia, Spain

This paper provides an overview of the structural problems of an important and significant historic building of Valencia city. This building could be ascribed to the Modernist style, though it is a rather late example. The metallic structure of the ground floor covers 7,200 square metres, defining a very simple plan in Latin cross shape. In the same architectural ensemble there are included several pavilions which belong to the eclecticist movement. The brick vaulted basement of the building, covering the same surface of the market is also very interesting. Although the building has been looked after its functional aspects, it has not been maintained from a structural and constructive point of view. This case study is presented to examine the application of non-destructive investigative techniques to historic buildings, without interfering in their every day use. INTRODUCTION The Central Market of Valencia was built between 1918 and 1929, based on the plans of a project dated 1914. It is a Modernist Style building, located on the site of a demolished abbey, within the historic area of the city. The polygonal perimeter adapts to the complex medieval urban layout (Fig. 1). The plan, of basilic design, is organised by means of two symmetrical axes, which are the arms of the Latin cross. The plan is completed by means of secondary bays, parallel to the longer bay. The Fish Market area, with an octagonal plan, is attached to one of the sides of the General Market area. In this way, the plan of the Transactions on the Built Environment vol 4, © 1993 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509 194 Structural Repair and Maintenance of Historical Buildings building adapts to the irregular shape of the site. Its height is respectful with the four storeyed buildings of the surroundings. The principal bays, coinciding with the arms of the cross are 107 and 51 metres long. The width of the central bays is 23.80 metres, and 13.60 metres for the secondary ones. The ground floor space is used for the daily retail market sale, and the basement, created for the wholesale of fish, is used at the moment as a parking area. There are two pavilions built in brick, on each side of the principal entrance of the Market, and another one attached to the opposite facade (Fig. 2). All these pavilions have an administrative use. This large and complex building maintains its original use. No maintenance works have been done on it, except those to provide the supplies which are necessary to develop the activity of daily market. Several damages have been detected on the walls and stone decorative elements, that we recommend should be studied. CONSTRUCTIVE DESCRIPTION The structure of the ground floor is made of metallic trusses, with riveted unions, separated from one another by 6.80 metres. A dome with a 14.00 metres diameter is located over the transept, being the keystone at 27.00 metres high. A square grid formed by depressed arches, defines the vaulted structure of the basement. The arches are supported by circular columns, made of moulded bricks. Tensile rods are embedded in the floor depth. Masonry is used for the foundations. The pentagonal shaped facades, are defined by means of stone ashlars. The facades are made of brick, dressed with stone up to the basement, and with decorated tiles up to the window sill. Big arched openings with metallic windows (3 or 5 depending on the width of the facade), are shut in its upper part with stained glass allowing the sales area to be illuminated by the sunlight, and with horizontal glass fittings in its lower part, to allow natural ventilation. The roofing, supported by means of metallic beams fixed between the trusses, is composed of prefabricated concrete slabs, 4 cm thick, and tiled with ceramic plane tiles. The vaults of the basement, formed by three sheets of bricks supports the floor of the sales area by means of brick walls of irregular height. Transactions on the Built Environment vol 4, © 1993 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509 Structural Repair and Maintenance of Historical Buildings 195