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This research examined the effect of perceived elaboration on the relationship between attitudes and prosocial behaviour. Study 1 revealed that group fusion was more predictive of pro-group behaviour (donation to in-group members) when perceived elaboration was high rather than low. In Study 2, attitudes toward helping were more likely to guide prosocial behaviour (helping others in a learning task) for participants who reported higher levels of perceived elaboration. Studies 3 and 4 manipulated perceptions of elaboration, demonstrating that attitudes guided subsequent hiring decisions (Study 3) and an actual behavioural choice in a natural setting (Study 4), and that this link was stronger for those participants induced to believe that they engaged in high (vs. low) elaboration. Furthermore, Studies 2 and 4 revealed that the effects of perceived elaboration on attitude-behaviour correspondence were mediated by attitude certainty. The present research reveals that prosocial behaviour can be facilitated by taking into consideration meta-cognitive processes that accompany evaluation (perceived elaboration and attitude certainty), Research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Universidades, Gobierno de España (ES) [PSI2017-83303-C2-1-P]

1 . Wind energy production has expanded to meet climate change mitigation goals, but negative impacts of wind turbines have been reported on wildlife. Soaring birds are among the most affected groups with alarming fatality rates by collision with wind turbines and an escalating occupation of their migratory corridors. These birds have been described as changing their flight trajectories to avoid wind turbines, but this behaviour may lead to functional habitat loss, as suitable soaring areas in the proximity of wind turbines will likely be underused. 2 . We modelled the displacement effect of wind turbines on black kites ( Milvus migrans ) tracked by GPS . We also evaluated the impact of this effect at the scale of the landscape by estimating how much suitable soaring area was lost to wind turbines. 3 . We used state-of-the-art tracking devices to monitor the movements of 130 black kites in an area populated by wind turbines, at the migratory bottleneck of the Strait of Gibraltar. Landscape use by birds was mapped from GPS data using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models, and generalized additive mixed modelling was used to estimate the effect of wind turbine proximity on bird use while accounting for orographic and thermal uplift availability. 4 . We found that areas up to approximately 674 m away from the turbines were less used than expected given their uplift potential. Within that distance threshold, bird use decreased with the proximity to wind turbines. We estimated that the footprint of wind turbines affected 3%–14% of the areas suitable for soaring in our study area. 5 . We present evidence that the impacts of wind energy industry on soaring birds are greater than previously acknowledged. In addition to the commonly reported fatalities, the avoidance of turbines by soaring birds causes habitat losses in their movement corridors. Authorities should recognize this further impact of wind energy production and establish new regulations that protect soaring habitat. We also showed that soaring habitat for birds can be modelled at a fine scale using publicly available data. Such an approach can be used to plan low-impact placement of turbines in new wind energy developments. aerial habitat , avoidance behaviour , migration , orographic uplift , raptor , thermal uplift , wind farms

We report the synthesis, crystal structures, and related properties of six new zeolite-like hexacyanometallates of formula unit T3(H3O)2[M(CN)6]2·uH2O (T = Co2+, Zn2+; M = RuII, OsII). Their crystal structures were solved and refined from their X-ray powder diffraction patterns in combination with the IR and UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopic data. The Co and Zn ions are coordinated tetrahedrally to the N atoms of four CN groups. The deconvolution of the overlapped UV/Vis/NIR spectral bands provided conclusive evidence of the tetrahedral coordination of the Co atoms. These materials have porous frameworks, which are characterized by a 3D array of TN4 tetrahedral units linked to the MC6 octahedral blocks in a 3:2 ratio. From the IR spectroscopy results, we found that all of the compounds reported here contain hydronium countercations. Two different structures in the same space group (R3c) were identified for the Co-based materials. However, only a single phase was found for the Zn-containing compounds. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling predicts hydrogen bonds between the hydronium ions and the CN groups at the surfaces of the pores. These materials were prepared through the hydrothermal recrystallization of the solids obtained from mixing ethanol solutions of H4[M(CN)6] with aqueous solutions of cobalt(II) nitrate and zinc nitrate. Our results illustrate the potential of the hydrothermal recrystallization technique for the preparation of metal hexacyanometallates with new structures and pore topologies that are not obtainable by the traditional precipitation method.

Online access to information while on the move has conferred businesses with the capability to be constantly accessible and in operation, independently of geographical area or time zone. There are situations, however, that demand technical solutions for specific scenarios, such as controlled access to corporate-based content. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow controlled remote access to con-tent, supporting scenarios such as teleworking. Nonetheless, such mechanisms are not commonly associated with the highly mobile users of today, which can traverse different types of access networks, while still keeping access to con-tent restricted to corporate network usage. In addition, as VPN mechanisms are disassociated from mobility procedures, service disruption can happen or specific mechanisms and clients can be required in end-user's equipment. This paper proposes a framework that leverages Network Slicing, enabled by Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualisation, to provide seamless and isolated access to corporate-based content while moving through heterogeneous networks. This solution allows Mobile Network Operators to dynamically instantiate isolated network slices for corporate users, and handover them between 3GPP and non-3GPP networks while users move away from the corporate network. In this way, they are able to keep access to corporate-based content in a transparent way, while maintaining access requirements for the servicebeing used. The framework was implemented and validated over an experimental testbed composed by mobile and Wi-Fi accesses, with results presenting improvements in terms of overhead signaling and data redirection without downtime nor stream reconnection. published

Congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (CHH) is a challenging inherited endocrine disorder characterised by absent or incomplete pubertal development and infertility as a result of the low action/secretion of the hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Given a growing list of gene mutations accounting for CHH, the application of massively parallel sequencing comprises an excellent molecular diagnostic approach because it enables the simultaneous evaluation of many genes. The present study proposes the use of whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify causative and modifying mutations based on a phenotype-genotype CHH analysis using an in-house exome pipeline. Based on 44 known genes related to CHH in humans, we were able to identify a novel homozygous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone receptor (GNRHR) p.Thr269Met mutant, which segregates with the CHH kindred and was predicted to be deleterious by in silico analysis. A functional study measuring intracellular inositol phosphate (IP) when stimulated with GnRH on COS-7 cells confirmed that the p.Thr269Met GnRHR mutant performed greatly diminished IP accumulation relative to the transfected wild-type GnRHR. Additionally, the proband carries three heterozygous variants in CCDC141 and one homozygous in SEMA3A gene, although their effects with respect to modifying the phenotype are uncertain. Because they do not segregate with reproductive phenotype in family members, we advocate they do not contribute to CHH oligogenicity. WES proved to be useful for CHH molecular diagnosis and reinforced its benefit with respect to identifying heterogeneous genetic disorders. Our findings expand the GnRHR mutation spectrum and phenotype-genotype correlation in CHH.

Genome editing of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with the CRISPR/Cas9 system has the potential to revolutionize hPSC-based disease modeling, drug screening, and transplantation therapy. Here, we aim to provide a single resource to enable groups, even those with limited experience with hPSC culture or the CRISPR/Cas9 system, to successfully perform genome editing. The methods are presented in detail and are supported by a theoretical framework to allow for the incorporation of inevitable improvements in the rapidly evolving gene-editing field. We describe protocols to generate hPSC lines with gene-specific knock-outs, small targeted mutations, or knock-in reporters. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Phylogenies were generated using mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear s-actin gene DNA sequences to infer the phylogenetic relationships of the newly described Chondrostoma olisiponensis. Results indicate that the species is monophyletic with species of the lemmingii -group in mtDNA phylogenies, while it is monophyletic with species of the arcasii -group in the nuclear s-actin trees. This is in agreement with the morphological resemblance of C. olisiponensis to both species groups. Results from nuclear but not mitochondrial DNA indicate that one population could be currently hybridizing with sympatric Chondrostoma lusitanicum. Based on a relaxed clock calibration of cytochrome b, it is estimated that C. olisiponensis split 12·5–7·9 million years ago (middle–upper Miocene) from its most recent ancestor, which coincides with a period of endorrheism in the Iberian Peninsula.

Estuarine mudflats, among the most important foraging grounds for waders during the non-breeding season, consist of complex mosaics of shallow pools and dry areas during low tide. In this study, we carried out close-range focal observations to determine foraging parameters of dunlins Calidris alpina, foraging in the mudflat microhabitats of the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Birds foraging in wet patches mostly targeted the siphons of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana, while in dry patches they mostly fed on mudsnails Hydrobia ulvae. Surface visibility of prey, rather than their abundance in the sediment, explained the microhabitat-related differences in prey selection. Birds using dry patches obtained 40% less energy intake than those using wet patches, still many extensively used this poor microhabitat. Because siphons retract quickly when the sediment is disturbed, birds often failed to catch them. We found that birds that were less efficient in capturing siphons in wet patches tended to spend more time foraging on mudsnails in dry patches. This suggests that lack of skills in siphon cropping represents a major foraging constraint for dunlins wintering in the Tagus estuary. It may even cause them to forage during high tide in order to achieve their daily energetic requirements.

Summary 1. River system dynamics results in ecological heterogeneities that play a central role in maintain- ing biodiversity in riverine regions. In central Amazonia, large expanses of forest are seasonally flooded by nutrient-rich water (varzea forests) or by nutrient-poor water (igapoforests). Inunda- tion patterns and the nutrient load of floodwaters are perhaps the most important abiotic factors determining spatial ecological variations in lowland Amazonia, and so they are expected to strongly influence the structuring of animal communities. 2. We examined how inundation patterns and water-nutrient load influence the structure of neo- tropical assemblages of bats, one of the most diverse vertebrate groups in tropical forests. Bat assemblages were sampled with mist nets in central Brazilian Amazonia, across a mosaic of varzea, igapo´ , and non-flooding nutrient-poor terra firme forests in the low- and high-water seasons. 3. An ordination analysis clearly separated the assemblages of the three forest types, demonstrat- ing the structural relevance of both flooding and floodwater-nutrient load. Flooded forests had lower species richness because of the absence or rarity of species that make roosts out of leaves of understorey plants, and of those that feed on fruits of shrubs. Gleaning insectivores, also partly dependent on the understorey, were less abundant in flooded forests, but aerial insectivores more abundant, presumably because they benefited from a less cluttered foraging environment. These differences suggest that flooding affects bat assemblages mostly because it reduces the availability of niches associated with understorey vegetation, which tends to be sparser in flooded forests. 4. Nutrient-rich varzea forests had a bat biomass twice that of nutrient-poor igapoand unflooded forests. This difference was not only mostly due to a greater overall abundance of bats, but also attributable to a disproportionate higher abundance of large-bodied bat species. 5. We concluded that both flooding and floodwater-nutrient load are very important in the struc- turing of lowland Amazonian bat assemblages, with inundation mostly constraining the species composition of the assemblages, and water-nutrient load mostly influencing the abundance of spe- cies. The distinctiveness of bat assemblages associated with flooding emphasizes the need to pre- serve inundated forests, which are under particular pressure in Amazonia.

The North American catfish Ameiurus melas is recorded for the first time in Portugal. Its presence in the Tagus River Basin is probably due to natural spread of individuals from Spanish populations, while episodic translocation could explain its occurence in the previously non-invaded Guadiana and Sado River basins.

An unprecedented NH2-directed Pd(II)-catalytic carbonylation of quaternary aromatic α-amino esters produces 6-membered benzolactams.

A method to obtain (Z)-beta,gamma-unsaturated nitriles in high or good yields and with moderate or high stereoselectivity is described. The products were achieved through the photoinduced metalation of 3-acetoxy-4-chloronitriles with SmI2. The starting compounds were readily prepared, and a mechanism is proposed to explain this stereoselective beta-elimination reaction.