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It was our pleasure to welcome you in Arrecife de Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain for the International Workshop on Geosciences in Active Areas (WGAAAL 2023). The aim of this workshop was to gather scientists from a wide range of Earth’s science disciplines (geophysics, geodesy, geology, seismology, volcanology, etc) to show our findings, engage in discussions, and share our insights into various geoscience research fields in different active areas of our planet. Three main topics were gathered in three sessions: Space and ground-based geodetic and geophysical techniques in Earth Sciences (S1), Potential fields, geophysical exploration and georesources in active areas (S2) and Geomorphology, geomicrobiology, petrology and geological heritage in volcanic areas (S3). 56 registered participants belonging to 19 Institutions from 9 different countries attended the workshop. During 4 days a total of 51 contributions spanning most of the thematic subjects of geosciences applied to the study of active areas were presented. The workshop was organized in four morning sessions for oral presentations, which included two invited conferences, and two afternoon sessions for poster presentations. Also, two field trips were scheduled to visit the scientific facilities of the Geosciences Laboratory of Lanzarote, managed by the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO, CSIC-UCM) of Madrid and the Insular Council of Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain). The facilities of the laboratory are located in the most representative touristic places in Lanzarote, the Cueva de los Verdes - Jameos del Agua sites, and the National Park of Timanfaya. This workshop provided the opportunity of sharing experiences among researchers at different stages of their scientific career. The format and organization of the workshop has led to a stimulating scientific debate and a better understanding of interdisciplinary fields of geosciences. We are strongly convinced that multidisciplinary approach is the golden and only

This study used spatiotemporal land gravity data to investigate the 2021 eruption that occurred in the Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Canary Islands). First, we produced a density model by inverting the local gravity field using data collected in July 2005 and July 2021. This model revealed a low-density body beneath the western flank of the volcano that explains a highly fractured and altered structure related to the active hydrothermal system. Then, we retrieved changes in gravity and GNSS vertical displacements from repeated measurements made in a local network before (July 2021) and after (January 2022) the eruption. After correcting the vertical surface displacements, the gravity changes produced by mass variation during the eruptive process were used to build a forward model of the magmatic feeding system consisting of dikes and sills based on an initial model defined by the paths of the earthquake hypocenters preceding the eruption. Our study provides a final model of the magma plumbing system, which establishes a spatiotemporal framework tracing the path of magma ascent from the crust–mantle boundary to the surface from 11–19 September 2021, where the shallowest magma path was strongly influenced by the low-density body identified in the inversion process., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Sección Departamental de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica (Ciencias Matemáticas), Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

This study used spatiotemporal land gravity data to investigate the 2021 eruption that occurred in the Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Canary Islands). First, we produced a density model by inverting the local gravity field using data collected in July 2005 and July 2021. This model revealed a low-density body beneath the western flank of the volcano that explains a highly fractured and altered structure related to the active hydrothermal system. Then, we retrieved changes in gravity and GNSS vertical displacements from repeated measurements made in a local network before (July 2021) and after (January 2022) the eruption. After correcting the vertical surface displacements, the gravity changes produced by mass variation during the eruptive process were used to build a forward model of the magmatic feeding system consisting of dikes and sills based on an initial model defined by the paths of the earthquake hypocenters preceding the eruption. Our study provides a final model of the magma plumbing system, which establishes a spatiotemporal framework tracing the path of magma ascent from the crust–mantle boundary to the surface from 11–19 September 2021, where the shallowest magma path was strongly influenced by the low-density body identified in the inversion process., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Sección Departamental de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica (Ciencias Matemáticas), Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

Timanfaya National Park is a volcanic area located in the southwest of Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Several lava tubes have been found in the lava flows but many others remain unknown. Its location and identification are important to mitigate collapse hazards in this touristic area. We present a new study about the location of recent lava tubes by the analysis and joint interpretation of around penetrating radar (GPR), microgravity and electromagnetic induction (EMI) data along the same profile over an area not previously surveyed. GPR data display a complex pattern of reflections up to ~10 m depth. The strongest hyperbolic reflections can be grouped in four different areas. Visual inspections carried out in the field allow confirming the occurrence of lava tubes at two of them. These reflections have been interpreted as the effect of the roof and bottom interfaces of several lava tubes. The microgravity survey defines a wide gravity low with several over-imposed minor highs and lows. Using the GPR data, a 2.5D gravity model has been obtained revealing four lava tubes. EMI data have been used to obtain an inverted resistivity model that displays four high resistivity areas that closely match the locations of the lava tubes derived from the previous methods. This resistivity model exhibits the lower resolution although reaches a deeper investigation depth (~20 m). The comparison of the results has revealed that joint interpretation of GPR, microgravity and EMI methods provides reliable models useful for the detection of unknown shallow lava tubes, Organismo Autonomo Parques Nacionales, Unidad Deptal. de Astronomía y Geodesia, Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

Following the 2004 seismic unrest at Tenerife and the 2011–2012 submarine eruption at El Hierro, the number of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observation sites in the Canary Islands (Spain) has increased, offering scientists a useful tool with which to infer the kinematics and present-day surface deformation of the Canary sector of the Atlantic Ocean. We take advantage of the common-mode component filtering technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the velocities retrieved from the daily solutions of 18 permanent GNSS stations distributed in the Canaries. The analysis of GNSS time series spanning the period 2011–2017 enabled us to characterize major regions of deformation along the archipelago through the mapping of the 2D infinitesimal strain field. By applying the triangular segmentation approach to GNSS velocities, we unveil a variable kinematic behaviour within the islands. The retrieved extension pattern shows areas of maximum deformation west of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. For the submarine main seismogenic fault between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, we simulated the horizontal deformation and strain due to one of the strongest (mbLg 5.2) earthquakes of the region. The seismic areas between islands, mainly offshore Tenerife and Gran Canaria, seem mainly influenced by the regional tectonic stress, not the local volcanic activity. In addition, the analysis of the maximum shear strain confirms that the regional stress field influences the E–W and NE–SW tectonic lineaments, which, in accordance with the extensional and compressional tectonic regimes identified, might favour episodes of volcanism in the Canary Islands., Sección Departamental de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica (Ciencias Matemáticas), Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

This study used spatiotemporal land gravity data to investigate the 2021 eruption that occurred in the Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Canary Islands). First, we produced a density model by inverting the local gravity field using data collected in July 2005 and July 2021. This model revealed a low-density body beneath the western flank of the volcano that explains a highly fractured and altered structure related to the active hydrothermal system. Then, we retrieved changes in gravity and GNSS vertical displacements from repeated measurements made in a local network before (July 2021) and after (January 2022) the eruption. After correcting the vertical surface displacements, the gravity changes produced by mass variation during the eruptive process were used to build a forward model of the magmatic feeding system consisting of dikes and sills based on an initial model defined by the paths of the earthquake hypocenters preceding the eruption. Our study provides a final model of the magma plumbing system, which establishes a spatiotemporal framework tracing the path of magma ascent from the crust–mantle boundary to the surface from 11–19 September 2021, where the shallowest magma path was strongly influenced by the low-density body identified in the inversion process.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production sector and nowadays provides more food than extractive fishing. Studies focused on the understanding of how teleost growth is regulated are essential to improve fish production. Cysteamine (CSH) is a novel feed additive that can improve growth through the modulation of the GH/IGF axis; however, the underlying mechanisms and the interaction between tissues are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CSH inclusion in diets at 1.65 g/kg of feed for 9 weeks and 1.65 g/kg or 3.3 g/kg for 9 weeks more, on growth performance and the GH/IGF-1 axis in plasma, liver, stomach, and white muscle in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fingerlings (1.8 ± 0.03 g) and juveniles (14.46 ± 0.68 g). Additionally, the effects of CSH stimulation in primary cultured muscle cells for 4 days on cell viability and GH/IGF axis relative gene expression were evaluated. Results showed that CSH-1.65 improved growth performance by 16% and 26.7% after 9 and 18 weeks, respectively, while CSH-3.3 improved 32.3% after 18 weeks compared to control diet (0 g/kg). However, no significant differences were found between both experimental doses. CSH reduced the plasma levels of GH after 18 weeks and increased the IGF-1 ones after 9 and 18 weeks. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the ghr-1, different igf-1 splice variants, igf-2 and the downregulation of the igf-1ra and b, depending on the tissue and dose. Myocytes stimulated with 200 µM of CSH showed higher cell viability and mRNA levels of ghr1, igf-1b, igf-2 and igf-1rb compared to control (0 µM) in a similar way to white muscle. Overall, CSH improves growth and modulates the GH/IGF-1 axis in vivo and in vitro toward an anabolic status through different synergic ways, revealing CSH as a feasible candidate to be included in fish feed.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production sector and nowadays provides more food than extractive fishing. Studies focused on the understanding of how teleost growth is regulated are essential to improve fish production. Cysteamine (CSH) is a novel feed additive that can improve growth through the modulation of the GH/IGF axis; however, the underlying mechanisms and the interaction between tissues are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CSH inclusion in diets at 1.65 g/kg of feed for 9 weeks and 1.65 g/kg or 3.3 g/kg for 9 weeks more, on growth performance and the GH/IGF-1 axis in plasma, liver, stomach, and white muscle in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fingerlings (1.8 ± 0.03 g) and juveniles (14.46 ± 0.68 g). Additionally, the effects of CSH stimulation in primary cultured muscle cells for 4 days on cell viability and GH/IGF axis relative gene expression were evaluated. Results showed that CSH-1.65 improved growth performance by 16% and 26.7% after 9 and 18 weeks, respectively, while CSH-3.3 improved 32.3% after 18 weeks compared to control diet (0 g/kg). However, no significant differences were found between both experimental doses. CSH reduced the plasma levels of GH after 18 weeks and increased the IGF-1 ones after 9 and 18 weeks. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the ghr-1, different igf-1 splice variants, igf-2 and the downregulation of the igf-1ra and b, depending on the tissue and dose. Myocytes stimulated with 200 µM of CSH showed higher cell viability and mRNA levels of ghr1, igf-1b, igf-2 and igf-1rb compared to control (0 µM) in a similar way to white muscle. Overall, CSH improves growth and modulates the GH/IGF-1 axis in vivo and in vitro toward an anabolic status through different synergic ways, revealing CSH as a feasible candidate to be included in fish feed.

CRUE-CSIC (Acuerdos Transformativos 2022), From a new gravity data set that covers homogeneously the whole surface of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) and marine gravity data in the nearest offshore, we have obtained a Bouguer anomaly gravity map of the island which improves the previous ones. Using these gravity anomalies, we have applied a gravity inversion approach to investigate the structures beneath the surface of Gran Canaria Island and derive a 3D gravity sources model. The geometry of structures with anomalous density values is constrained up to a depth of approximately 20,000 m below the sea level. The interpretation of the density model identified structures related to the different volcanic stages of Gran Canaria. Several deep-rooted high-density structures represent the intrusive bodies emplaced in the early formation of Gran Canaria and the magma plumbing system of the Miocene volcanic edifices. A low-density body in the center of the island may be associated with the syenitic core of the felsic central volcanic edifice (Tejeda Caldera). Shallow low-density structures identified fractures which acted as feeder dikes of monogenetic volcanoes during the rejuvenated stage. Finally, the NW-SE rift, which is the most important volcano-tectonic structure of Gran Canaria, has a characteristic gravimetric signature and represents a long-lived extensional fracture zone that has controlled the volcanic activity at least since the Miocene., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Unidad Deptal. de Astronomía y Geodesia, Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

We present a study of the deformation pattern in El Hierro Island through the analysis of GNSS data from surveys carried out between 2015 and 2019 as well as continuous data. The last eruption in El Hierro occurred under the sea on the south rift, lasted from October 2011 to March 2012, and it was preceded by intense seismic activity and nearly 5 cm ground inflation. After this eruptive cycle, further magmatic intrusions were detected, from June 2012 to March 2014, associated to intense seismic swarms and inflation (about 22 cm of uplift). Nevertheless, these magmatic intrusions did not culminate in any eruption. Following these post-eruptive episodes, the seismic activity became less intense. Thus, for the period of this study, about 500 earthquakes with magnitude ranging from mbLG 2 to mbLG 3.9 were recorded, the ground deformation measured is of lower magnitude, still remaining a slight uplift trend in the GNSS stations up to 2017 and followed by a slight subsidence of about 1.5 cm between 2017-2019. Our purpose is to explain the ground displacements measured and the earthquake occurrence in terms of geodynamics and seismotectonic activity along the island, for the period 2015-2019. Firstly, we retrieved the geodetic velocities from the GNSS daily solutions. Secondly, we computed the 2D infinitesimal strain rates from the velocities through a triangular segmentation approach to map the deformation pattern along the respective GNSS surveys.

CRUE-CSIC (Acuerdos Transformativos 2022), From a new gravity data set that covers homogeneously the whole surface of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) and marine gravity data in the nearest offshore, we have obtained a Bouguer anomaly gravity map of the island which improves the previous ones. Using these gravity anomalies, we have applied a gravity inversion approach to investigate the structures beneath the surface of Gran Canaria Island and derive a 3D gravity sources model. The geometry of structures with anomalous density values is constrained up to a depth of approximately 20,000 m below the sea level. The interpretation of the density model identified structures related to the different volcanic stages of Gran Canaria. Several deep-rooted high-density structures represent the intrusive bodies emplaced in the early formation of Gran Canaria and the magma plumbing system of the Miocene volcanic edifices. A low-density body in the center of the island may be associated with the syenitic core of the felsic central volcanic edifice (Tejeda Caldera). Shallow low-density structures identified fractures which acted as feeder dikes of monogenetic volcanoes during the rejuvenated stage. Finally, the NW-SE rift, which is the most important volcano-tectonic structure of Gran Canaria, has a characteristic gravimetric signature and represents a long-lived extensional fracture zone that has controlled the volcanic activity at least since the Miocene., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Unidad Deptal. de Astronomía y Geodesia, Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

The enhancement of the endocrine growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) system by the treatment with a sustained release formulation of a recombinant bovine GH (rBGH), is a good strategy to investigate growth optimization in aquaculture fish species. To further deepen into the knowledge of rBGH effects in fish and to estimate the growth potential of juveniles of gilthead sea bream, the present work evaluated rBGH injection on growth, GH/IGF-I axis and lipid metabolism modulation, and explored the conservation of GH effects provoked by the in vivo treatment using in vitro models of different tissues. The rBGH treatment increased body weight and specific growth rate (SGR) in juveniles and potentiated hyperplastic muscle growth while reducing circulating triglyceride levels. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the in vivo treatment enhanced also lipolysis in both isolated hepatocytes and adipocytes, as well as in day 4 cultured myocytes. Furthermore, these cultured myocytes extracted from rBGH-injected fish presented higher gene expression of GH/IGF-I axis-related molecules and myogenic regulatory factors, as well as stimulated myogenesis (i.e. increased protein expression of a proliferation and a differentiation marker) compared to Control fish-derived cells. These data, suggested that cells in vitro can retain some of the pathways activated by in vivo treatments in fish, what can be considered an interesting line of applied research. Overall, the results showed that rBGH stimulates somatic growth, including specifically muscle hyperplasia, as well as lipolytic activity in gilthead sea bream juveniles.

This is the 10th volume of Advances in Comparative Endocrinology, a series of books that collect the communications presented at the congresses of the Iberian Association for Comparative Endocrinology (AIEC). This round number marks roughly 20 years since the foundation of AIEC and the beginning of the biennial meetings organized by AIEC affiliated groups. In 2005, our Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology group CEIB-CCMAR organized the 5th AIEC meeting and it was a pleasure to welcome the 12th AIEC Congress back again to Faro, Portugal, in 2019 (26-28 September). Volume X includes contributions resulting from plenary, keynote, oral or poster presentations, and authored by almost 150 senior or young scientists and students, which show the latest advances in the fields of reproduction, energy metabolism, genomics, evolution, stress, immune response and growth in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Studies range from fundamental questions on endocrinology to environmental challenges, animal production and welfare, or the mechanisms of disease, and reach beyond the Iberian borders. In addition to Portugal and Spain, the science presented here comes from institutions in Canada, Chile, France, Norway and USA. About 30% of the communications result from international cooperation, and over 55% were direct collaborations between institutions. AIEC aims to promote collaborations and its congresses are a privileged stage for networking.

The physiological and endocrine benefits of sustained exercise in fish were largely demonstrated, and this work examines how the swimming activity can modify the effects of two diets (high-protein, HP: 54% proteins, 15% lipids; high-energy, HE: 50% proteins, 20% lipids) on different growth performance markers in gilthead sea bream juveniles. After 6 weeks of experimentation, fish under voluntary swimming and fed with HP showed significantly higher circulating growth hormone (GH) levels and plasma GH/insulin-like growth-1 (IGF-1) ratio than fish fed with HE, but under exercise, differences disappeared. The transcriptional profile of the GH-IGFs axis molecules and myogenic regulatory factors in liver and muscle was barely affected by diet and swimming conditions. Under voluntary swimming, fish fed with HE showed significantly increased mRNA levels of capn1, capn2, capn3, capns1a, n3, and ub, decreased gene and protein expression of Ctsl and Mafbx and lower muscle texture than fish fed with HP. When fish were exposed to sustained exercise, diet-induced differences in proteases’ expression and muscle texture almost disappeared. Overall, these results suggest that exercise might be a useful tool to minimize nutrient imbalances and that proteolytic genes could be good markers of the culture conditions and dietary treatments in fish.

The effects of exercise and diet on growth markers were analyzed in gilthead sea bream juveniles. Under voluntary swimming, fish fed with a high-lipid diet showed lower growth, growth hormone (GH) plasma levels, flesh texture, and higher expression of main muscle proteolytic markers than those fed with a high-protein diet. However, under sustained exercise, most of the differences disappeared and fish growth was similar regardless of the diet, suggesting that exercise improves nutrients use allowing a reduction of the dietary protein, which results in an enhanced aquaculture production, This study was supported by the projects from the “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” (MINECO) AGL2015-70679-R and RTI2018-100757-B-I00 to J.G. and J.B., and the “Xarxa de Refèrencia d’R+D+I en Aqüicultura” and the 2017SGR1574 from the “Generalitat de Catalunya”. M.P.- A., I.G.-P. and E.J.V. were supported by predoctoral fellowships from the MINECO, BES-2016-078697, PRE2019-089578 and BES-2013-062949, respectively., Postprint (published version)

The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) endocrine axis is the main growth-regulator system in vertebrates. Some authors have demonstrated the positive effects on growth of a sustained-release formulation of a recombinant bovine GH (rBGH) in different fish species. The aim of this work was to characterize the effects of a single injection of rBGH in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream on growth, GH-IGF axis, and both myogenic and osteogenic processes. Thus, body weight and specific growth rate were significantly increased in rBGH-treated fish respect to control fish at 6 weeks post-injection, whereas the hepatosomatic index was decreased and the condition factor and mesenteric fat index were unchanged, altogether indicating enhanced somatic growth. Moreover, rBGH injection increased the plasma IGF-I levels in parallel with a rise of hepatic mRNA from total IGF-I, IGF-Ic and IGF-II, the binding proteins IGFBP-1a and IGFBP-2b, and also the receptors IGF-IRb, GHR-I and GHR-II. In skeletal muscle, the expression of IGF-Ib and GHR-I was significantly increased but that of IGF-IRb was reduced; the mRNA levels of myogenic regulatory factors, proliferation and differentiation markers (PCNA and MHC, respectively), or that of different molecules of the signaling pathway (TOR/AKT) were unaltered. Besides, the growth inhibitor myostatin (MSTN1 and MSTN2) and the hypertrophic marker (MLC2B) expression resulted significantly enhanced, suggesting altogether that the muscle is in a non-proliferative stage of development. Contrarily in bone, although the expression of most molecules of the GH/IGF axis was decreased, the mRNA levels of several osteogenic genes were increased. The histology analysis showed a GH induced lipolytic effect with a clear decrease in the subcutaneous fat layer. Overall, these results reveal that a better growth potential can be achieved on this species and supports the possibility to improve growth and quality through the optimization of its

Following the 2004 seismic unrest at Tenerife and the 2011–2012 submarine eruption at El Hierro, the number of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observation sites in the Canary Islands (Spain) has increased, offering scientists a useful tool with which to infer the kinematics and present-day surface deformation of the Canary sector of the Atlantic Ocean. We take advantage of the common-mode component filtering technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the velocities retrieved from the daily solutions of 18 permanent GNSS stations distributed in the Canaries. The analysis of GNSS time series spanning the period 2011–2017 enabled us to characterize major regions of deformation along the archipelago through the mapping of the 2D infinitesimal strain field. By applying the triangular segmentation approach to GNSS velocities, we unveil a variable kinematic behaviour within the islands. The retrieved extension pattern shows areas of maximum deformation west of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. For the submarine main seismogenic fault between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, we simulated the horizontal deformation and strain due to one of the strongest (mbLg 5.2) earthquakes of the region. The seismic areas between islands, mainly offshore Tenerife and Gran Canaria, seem mainly influenced by the regional tectonic stress, not the local volcanic activity. In addition, the analysis of the maximum shear strain confirms that the regional stress field influences the E–W and NE–SW tectonic lineaments, which, in accordance with the extensional and compressional tectonic regimes identified, might favour episodes of volcanism in the Canary Islands., Sección Departamental de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica (Ciencias Matemáticas), Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

Following the 2004 seismic unrest at Tenerife and the 2011-2012 submarine eruption at El Hierro, the number of GNSS observation sites in the Canary Islands (Spain) has increased, offering scientists a useful tool with which to infer the kinematics and present-day surface deformation of the Canary sector of the Atlantic Ocean. We take advantage of the common mode component filtering technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the velocities retrieved from the daily solutions of 18 permanent GNSS stations distributed in the Canaries. The analysis of GNSS time series spanning the period 2011-2017 enabled us to characterize major regions of deformation along the archipelago through the mapping of the 2D infinitesimal strain field. By applying the triangular segmentation approach to GNSS velocities, we unveil a variable kinematic behaviour within the islands. The retrieved extension pattern shows areas of maximum deformation west of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. For the submarine main seismogenic fault between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, we simulated the horizontal deformation and strain due to one of the strongest (mbLg 5.2) earthquakes of the region. The seismic areas between islands, mainly offshore Tenerife and Gran Canaria, seem mainly influenced by the regional tectonic stress, not the local volcanic activity. In addition, the analysis of the maximum shear strain confirms that the regional stress field influences the E-W and NE-SW tectonic lineaments, which in accordance with the extensional and compressional tectonic regimes identified, might favour episodes of volcanism in the Canary Islands.

Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (España), European Commission, Unidad Deptal. de Astronomía y Geodesia, Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

The GH/IGF-I system is the main endocrine regulator of growth in vertebrates. But, how correlated is the pituitary expression of GH and that of the other components of the system with the animal growth condition? To answer this we have analyzed the changes on pituitary GH and related molecules expression upon different experimental conditions in vivo and in vitro in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Gilthead sea bream juveniles were treated with recombinant bovine GH (rbGH, Posilac), were fasted during 21 days and refed for 7 days, or were fed a diet containing an amino acid (AA) derivative. Moreover, adult fish pituitaries were treated in vitro with different hormones and AA. Pituitary GH expression in rbGH-treated fish was down-regulated reaching the lowest values after 6 weeks of injection and maintaining low levels during the rest of the experiment, suggesting that sustained high levels of exogenous GH provoked a clear depression on GH synthesis and secretion. On the contrary, 21-days fasting triggered an increase of pituitary GH expression parallel to plasma levels, while GH and IGF-I receptors expression strongly decreased, and refeeding partially recovered the basal levels. The adaptation to food deprivation determined a simultaneous increase of GH gene and protein expression to facilitate its energy mobilization function. Dietary supplementation for 8 weeks with an AA derivative also provoked a tendency to increase GH expression. Finally, hemi-pituitaries treated with Ghrelin or the AA Lysine and Leucine increased, while IGF-I or Somatostatin decreased GH expression. In summary, considering the difficulties to analyze GH circulating levels, these results indicate that pituitary GH expression can be a useful parameter to understand the effects of different physiological conditions on GH/IGF-I system in fish

Convective hydrothermal systems have been extensively studied using electrical and electromagnetic methods given the strong correlation between low conductivity anomalies associated with hydrothermal brines and high temperature areas. However, studies addressing the application of similar geophysical methods to hot dry rock geothermal systems are very limited in the literature. The Timanfaya volcanic area, located on Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands), comprises one of these hot dry rock systems, where ground temperatures ranging from 250 to 605 °C have been recorded in pyroclastic deposits at shallow (<70 m) depths. With the aim of characterizing the geophysical signature of the high ground temperature areas, three different geophysical techniques (ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction and magnetic prospecting) were applied in a well-known geothermal area located inside Timanfaya National Park. The area with the highest ground temperatures was correlated with the location that exhibited strong ground penetrating radar reflections, high resistivity values and low magnetic anomalies. Moreover, the high ground temperature imaging results depicted a shallow, bowl-shaped body that narrowed and deepened vertically to a depth greater than 45 m. The ground penetrating radar survey was repeated three years later and exhibited subtle variations of the signal reflection patterns, or signatures, suggesting a certain temporal variation of the ground temperature. By identifying similar areas with the same geophysical signature, up to four additional geothermal areas were revealed. We conclude that the combined use of ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction and magnetic methods constitutes a valuable tool to locate and study both the geometry at depth and seasonal variability of geothermal areas associated with hot dry rock systems.