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The aim of this article is to present a stamp seal on the handle of a Punic amphora manufactured originally in the Central Mediterranean and recovered in the fill of an abandoned silo at the Iberian site of Mas Castellar de Pontós (Girona, Spain) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Lake Grande de Peñalara, an originally fishless small high mountain lake in the Central Iberian Peninsula, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was introduced in the 1970s, and then eradicated 30 years later using gillnets. In this study, we investigated the time-course and changes in macroinvertebrates and zooplankton communities, before and after the eradication, by studying their richness and several biological and ecological traits of macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrates richness increased from 13 taxa coexisting with fish, up to a maximum of 27 taxa after the eradication. Rare groups usually affected by fish predation, e.g. swimmers in surface and open waters, showed high dispersal and recolonization capabilities, while those with burrowing, interstitial or crawler habits maintained their presence, and even with the presence of fish given their advantage of hiding from being directly sighted by fish. Taxa with affinities for rare habitats within the lake (e.g. macrophyte beds) occasionally appeared 4–6 years after eradication. In contrast, zooplankton assemblage did not significantly change in richness in the 10 years after eradication. No new species of cladocerans or copepods appeared after fish removal, but 4 new rotifer taxa appeared and 5 disappeared. This was apparently more related to a change in water quality or trophic status as a consequence of the fish removal than to the direct effect of fish removal on rotifers. Zooplankters were significantly smaller, on average, before fish eradication rather than later, indicating that the community responded to the change in predation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an updated of airborne Alternaria spore spatial and temporal distribution patterns in the Iberian Peninsula, using a common non-viable volumetric sampling method. The highest mean annual spore counts were recorded in Sevilla (39,418 spores), Mérida (33,744) and Málaga (12,947), while other sampling stations never exceeded 5,000. The same cities also recorded the highest mean daily spore counts (Sevilla 109 spores m; Mérida 53 spores m and Málaga 35 spores m) and the highest number of days on which counts exceeded the threshold levels required to trigger allergy symptoms (Sevilla 38 % and Mérida 30 % of days). Analysis of annual spore distribution patterns revealed either one or two peaks, depending on the location and prevailing climate of sampling stations. For all stations, average temperature was the weather parameter displaying the strongest positive correlation with airborne spore counts, whilst negative correlations were found for rainfall and relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cladosporium spores are ubiquitous in the air and are included in the fungal contaminants that define environmental quality. This paper provides an updated review of their concentration in the Iberian Peninsula, based on data from 12 sampling stations collected using a common non-viable volumetric sampling method and the same subsequent data-treatment techniques. The database comprised 84 annual periods, covering the period 1993–2009. Mean annual total spore concentrations for each station, calculated as the sum of daily concentrations, ranged from 54 459 in Cartagena to 933 485 in Sevilla; other sampling stations recorded annual total spores between 93 052 (Porto) and 579 953 (Mérida). Analysis of annual spore-distribution patterns revealed either one or two peaks (spring and fall) depending on the location and prevailing climate of the area where the sampling stations have been placed. For all stations, average temperature was the meteorological parameter displaying the strongest positive correlation with airborne spore concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Salmonellaenterica serovar Choleraesuis affects domestic pig and wild boar (WB), causing clinical salmonellosis. Iberian swine production is based on a free-range production system where WB and Iberian pig (IP) share ecosystems. This study focuses on the negative impact on the pork industry of infections due to this serotype, its role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, and its zoonotic potential. Antibiotic resistance (AR) and genetic relationships were analyzed among 20 strains of S. Choleraesuis isolated from diseased WB and IP sampled in the southwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. AR was studied using the Kirby–Bauer method with the exception of colistin resistance, which was measured using the broth microdilution reference method. Resistance and Class 1 integrase genes were measured using PCR, and the genetic relationship between isolates and plasmid content by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The results show a higher incidence of AR in isolates from IP. Phylogenetic analysis revealed seven profiles with two groups containing isolates from IP and WB, which indicates circulation of the same clone between species. Most pulsotypes presented with one plasmid of the same size, indicating vertical transmission. AR determinants blaTEM and tetA were routinely found in IP and WB, respectively. One isolate from IP expressed colistin resistance and presented the mcr-1 gene carried by a plasmid. This study suggests that S. Choleraesuis circulates between WB and IP living in proximity, and also that the mobilization of AR genes by plasmids is low. Furthermore, the detection of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance in bacteria from IP is alarming and should be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]